Friday, March 13, 2020

An Easy Girl (Une Fille Facile)










Writer/Director Rebecca Zlotowski’s An Easy Girl (Une Fille Facile) is a delightful coming-of-age story that takes place in and off the coast of Cannes, France. 

It’s summer and 16-year-old Naima (Mina Farid) is visited by her 22-year-old bombshell cousin Sofia (Zahia Dehar), who pulls her away from working or auditioning to hang out and party with wealthy yacht owners.  

Director Zlotowski artfully moves Naima from naïve fish-out-of-water to assured young woman, who retains her integrity.  

I give  An Easy Girl a 4.1 out of 5.

Tuesday, March 10, 2020

Extra Ordinary










Co-Directors Mike Ahern and Edna Loughman’s Extra Ordinary is a charming indie feature from Ireland with humor ranging from tongue-in-cheek to over-the-top.

A one-hit wonder singer (Will Forte), with a mansion in a in a back-water Irish town, has made a pact with the Devil to revive his fortune by sacrificing a virgin.

The only defense is Rose Dooley (Maeve Higgins), a driving instructor, who has been hiding her supernatural abilities because she believes she was responsible for her father’s death, when she bumbled an invocation as a child.

This is a broad comedy that works because the actors really go for it.

I give Extra Ordinary a 4 out of 5.

The Roads Not Taken











Writer/Director/Editor/Composer Sally Potter’s The Roads Not Taken is one of those “Why?” films, as in “Why was this made?”

Here, she had Javier Bardem, Elle Fanning, Salma Hayek, Branka Katic and Laura Linney giving their best in a story that is suitable only if you want the extra push to commit suicide.

So, if you’re looking for entertainment, it would be best to stay away.

Sally has considerable talent and, hopefully, she will apply it to something worthy of being seen.

I give The Roads Not Taken a 2.4 out of 5.