Favorite films

Recent reviews

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  Europa Europa 1990

  ★★★★ Watched 16 Feb 2025

  Europa Europa, a 1990 historical war drama directed by Agnieszka Holland, recounts the remarkable true story of Solomon Perel.

  Starring Marco Hofschneider, Julie Delpy, Hanns Zischler, and André Wilms, the film is based on Perel's autobiography and details his experiences as a German-Jewish boy who survived the Holocaust by assuming a false identity within the Hitler Youth.

  Marco Hofschneider shines as Soloman Perel, and while Julie Delpy is equally good as Leni, her screen time is limited. The film is generally well-made and benefits from its true story basis, but it occasionally deviates a bit from the book.

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  Grave of the Fireflies 1988

  ★★★★½ Watched 15 Feb 2025

  While I'm not usually a fan of animated films, Grave of the Fireflies has become one of my absolute favorites.

  This Japanese animated historical war drama, written and directed by Isao Takahata and produced by Studio Ghibli, is set in Kobe in 1945. As American bombers devastate the city in the final days of World War II, Seita and his younger sister Setsuko, children of a naval captain, lose their mother. The film follows their desperate struggle to survive.

  I was completely unprepared for how intense, heartbreaking, and emotional this movie is. Grave of the Fireflies is truly a must-see masterpiece.

Popular reviews

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  The Girl with the Needle 2024

  ★★★★ Watched 31 Jan 2025

  This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

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  Sisu 2022

  ★★★ Watched 24 Jan 2025

  Sisu is a Finnish historical action thriller film written and directed by Jalmari Helander.

  In the closing stages of World War II, a legendary Finnish commando, now a gold prospector, faces a deadly confrontation with a ruthless Waffen-SS unit who seeks to steal his gold and eliminate him.

  A barrage of over-the-top violence fuels this old-school action spectacle. Though the story holds its own, the film's relentless exaggeration strains credulity. Reminiscent of Rambo, Mission Impossible, and even Superman set during WW2, "Sisu" is an engaging watch, but its descent into the absurd ultimately undermines its impact.

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