RSS

Review: The Divine Sarah Bernhardt

— by WILLIAM STERR —

Nearly a century and a half ago, one of the greatest names in theater, worldwide, was Sarah Bernhardt. She was a French actress, artist, theater manager and play producer. The new film “The Divine Sarah Bernhardt” captures various points in her career. This is not a biography, or a dramatized history, but rather a dramatic re-creation of selected career points and of her relations with various prominent people of her era.

Director Guillaume Nicloux (“Being Blanche Houellebecq”) and writer Nathalie Leuthreau (“Mi Amor”) have crafted an intimate portrait, lush with the art nouveau essence of the period in which Bernhardt lived, and rich in the salon atmosphere of late 19th century Paris. (CONTINUED)


Review: Hamnet

— by WILLIAM STERR — A film for the decade. Hamnet was nominated by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences as one of the 10 best American films of 2025. But it didn’t win. Instead, a film about the insane violence of American people against each other received the Oscar for Best Picture. […][...]


Review: Resistance 101

— by BEV QUESTAD — The best film for Holy Week is “Resistance 101.” Hosted by Reverend Chris Hedges, Ph.D., journalist, author, commentator and Presbyterian minister, this is a free movie (see link at end) that reveals a path of Christ in today’s world. What I’m going to call Christ’s disciples are an exceptionally good-looking […][...]


Review: Stop Time

— by BEV QUESTAD — Two stories begin separately and then converge. My favorite tells the life of a successful professional, Adrianna Maier (Kelly Deadmon), who is well-known in the lighting business for Broadway productions in New York City. Quizzically, she has received a letter from the Polish consulate requesting her presence. She had been […][...]


Review: Watch the Skies

— by WILLIAM STERR — An Einstein-Rosen Bridge, known more commonly as a wormhole, is a theoretical, mathematical solution to Albert Einstein’s field equations in general relativity that proposes a shortcut connecting two separate points in space time. It is an element of many science-fiction stories, including this Swedish film. “Watch the Skies” introduces us […][...]


Review: Seeds

— by BEV QUESTAD — Cars moving slowly proceed gently down a long, flat road with farmland on both sides. The procession stops at a country church. People get out of the vehicles and join a service with clapping and lively music. It could be a baptism or wedding, because there are handshakes, smiles, and […][...]


Review: Group – The Schopenhauer Effect

— by WILLIAM STERR — Have you ever been in group therapy? I have not, and my only experience even tangentially related is the hilarious group featured in the old “Bob Newhart Show” from the 1970s. This is very different. Group therapy is a form of psychotherapy where therapists treat a small group of clients […][...]


Review: Cutting Through Rocks

— by BEV QUESTAD — Just what kind of patience, strength, supportive gear, and skill would it take to cut through rocks? That’s the metaphor Mohammadreza Eyni and Sara Khaki (directors, producers, and editors) use to explain how difficult it is to change what the West calls misogyny in a country where women may be […][...]


Review: It Was Just An Accident

— by BEV QUESTAD — Beware, films by Jafar Panahi have multiple levels of meaning, just as they have, in his case, multiple levels of production. All is not as it seems, and Panahi’s genius lies in his extraordinary ability to tell a story on many planes. Eghbal is driving with his family. It is […][...]



← Previous Entries