krisrox

French cinema has always brought us empathy and intuition over logic and plot. Which perhaps explains why "Le 4eme Pouvoir" - nominally an American-styled political thriller featuring international gangsters, police, high-ranked politicians, buzzing news rooms and live TV broadcasts - ultimately shines most as an unlikely love drama.

Leads Garcia and Noiret are very convincing, despite having some less-than-stellar dialogue to work with. Serge Leroy proves to be a very capable director, moving the story along briskly, even if sometimes at the expense of plausabiilty. As a bonus, there is a grainy VHS tape and generous dose of cool 1980s fashion - I particularly enjoyed Garcia's haircut, her outfits, and the interior design of her apartment.

A truly unique movie, the closest you'll get to seeing Breughel or Hieronymus Bosch in cinema. Tarkovsky shows us the life and times of Russian painter Andrei Rublev (±1365-1430) in a way that only Tarkovsky can, his trademark meandering camera hypnotizing the viewer, enabling an almost meditative state that allows us to gain deep insights into art, religion and the human condition. Parts 4, 6 and 8 in particular are fantastic, revealing the chaos and trials of medieval Europe in haunting fashion. The payoff comes in the form of the gorgeous, timeless finale - so well executed.

Still, this is not as perfect a work as Stalker or Solaris. I found parts 5 and 7 to be outright boring, perhaps because some orthodox religious themes were lost on me. But these are minor quibbles - take your time to absorb this movie, even if you don't consider yourself the type to enjoy 3 hour allegories about obscure Russian icon painters. For better or for worse, it will be a once in a lifetime experience.

As humans, we just can't resist a juicy story. And the infamous Meredith Kercher murder case had it in spades: the gruesome killing of a beautiful young girl, a picturesque Italian village, a throwback Sherlock Holmes-style detective-philosopher, and an interconnected web of young, multicultural, possibly sex-addicted suspects, headlined by a knockout American student with icy blue eyes - the titular Amanda Knox.

Somebody had to make a documentary about it, and here we are. Netflix covers the bases: they get all of its principal actors on camera, stylishly photographed, as is the norm today for true crime; they weave in surprisingly detailed case footage - including that of the actual crime scene, moments after the murder had taken place; and they let the story unfold chronologically, making sure the intrigue is as strong as ever.

What emerges is the dissection of a modern-day witch hunt. The main adversaries are "hot property" Amanda and the pipe-smoking Italian lead investigator, who are both captivating in their own right, even if for completely different reasons. But the crucial insights come from Nick Pisa, the British journalist who broke the internet with his scoops during the case. Halfway, he sheepishly smiles at the camera, and then sums up the whole mess in one line: we just can't say no to a juicy story.

Recommended if you like true crime, done well.