Ran (1985)
Directed by: Akira Kurosawa
Starring: Tatsuya Nakadai, Akira Terao, Jinpachi Nezu, Daisuke Ryu
Rated: R
Running Time: 2 h 42 m
TMM Score: 5 stars out of 5
STRENGTHS: Writing, Directing, Acting, Production Design, Cinematography
WEAKNESSES: -
Akira Kurosawa’s spellbinding adaptation of Shakespeare’s King Lear.
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Deep Red (1975)
Directed by: Dario Argento
Starring: David Hemmings, Daria Nicolodi, Macha Meril
Rated: R
Running Time: 2 h 6 m
TMM Score: 4.5 stars out of 5
STRENGTHS: Writing, Directing, Soundtrack, Ridiculousness
WEAKNESSES: Also Ridiculousness
After witnessing the murder of a psychic, composer Marcus Daly teams up with reporter Gianna Brezzi to investigate the crimes of a serial killer.
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Tokyo Story (1953)
Directed by: Yasujiro Ozu
Starring: Chishu Riyu, Chieko Higashiyama, So Yamamura
Running Time: 2h 16m
Rated: NR (best guess: PG)
TMM Score: 4 stars out of 5
STRENGTHS: Direction, Cultural Interest, Theme
WEAKNESSES: Acting, Pacing
An aging couple travel from their country village to Tokyo, to visit their adult children. As they vacation in the big city, they realize what lives their children lead, what attitudes they have toward their parents, and how they feel about their own lives as they near their departure.
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The Spirit of the Beehive (1973)
Directed by: Victor Erice
Starring: Fernando Fernan Gomez, Teresa Gimpera, Ana Torrent
Rated: NR (Suggested Rating: PG)
Running Time: 1 h 38 m
TMM Score: 4 stars out of 5
STRENGTHS: Cinematography, Writing, Directing
WEAKNESSES: Pacing
During the Spanish Civil war, Ana, a young girl living in a small, isolated village, lives her life in through her imagination while trying to understand the world around her.
Come and See (1985)
Directed by: Elem Klimov
Starring: Aleksey Kravchenko, Olga Mironova, Liubomiras Laucevicius
Rated: NR (Suggested Rating: R)
Running Time: 2 h 22 m
TMM Score: 5 stars out of 5
STRENGTHS: Cinematography, Directing, Writing, Acting, Unique Perspective
WEAKNESSES: -
After finding an old rifle buried in the sand, a young boy named Florya is recruited by the Soviet resistance to help fight the Nazis.
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Tampopo (1985)
Directed by: Juzo Itami
Starring: Ken Wantanabe, Nobuko Miyamoto, Tsutomu Yamazaki
Rated: NR
Running Time: 1 h 54 m
TMM Score: 4.5 stars out of 5
STRENGTHS: Charm, Originality, Sensory Experience, Fun
WEAKNESSES: Some Vignettes Fall Flat
In this delightfully delectable comedy, a truck driver stops at a noodle shop and decides to stay to help the owner, a young widow, improve her cooking.
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A Separation
Directed by: Asghar Farhadi
Starring: Payman Maadi, Leila Hatami, Sareh Bayet
Rated: PG13
Running Time: 2h 3m
TMM Score: 5 stars out of 5
STRENGTHS: Mystery, Complicated Characters, Cultural Immersion, Acting, Deliberate Direction
WEAKNESSES: None
As an Iranian couple flirt with divorce they are accused of assault. As the mystery of what happened is revealed, so is who they truly are.
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The Secret in Their Eyes (2009)
Directed By: Juan Jose Campanella
Starring: Ricardo Darin, Soledad Villamill, Pablo Rago
Rating: R for a Rape Scene, Violent Images, Some Graphic Nudity and Language
Running Time: 2 Hour 9 Min
TMM: 4/5
Strengths: Writing, Directing, Cinematography
Weaknesses: Makeup(?), Dark Subject Matter May Disturb Some Viewers
A retired justice agent writes a novel to process a murder case that haunts him two and a half decades after the events transpired.
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