june4sea

june4sea

Favorite films

  • The Green Ray
  • Maborosi
  • Distant Voices, Still Lives
  • The Time to Live and the Time to Die

Recent activity

All
  • Memoir of a Snail

    ★★★★

  • The Outrun

    ★★★★★

  • By the Stream

    ★★★★

  • I'm Still Here

    ★★★★★

Recent reviews

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  • Memoir of a Snail

    Memoir of a Snail

    ★★★★

    Grace, the lonely snail lover of the title’s tragic and miserable life is turned into an exceptionally moving and enjoyable stop-motion animated film. Profound losses of mother, father, beloved twin brother, late love affair and elderly true friend end in dashed hopes, treated with some very dark humour. Totally brilliant and original.

  • I'm Still Here

    I'm Still Here

    ★★★★★

    A gripping and intensely gripping film based on the true story of ex ambassador Rubens Paiva’s arrest and murder in the dictatorship in the 70s. At the start we watch idyllic scenes of family life, recorded with great vitality by activist daughter in home movie camera. we see this footage again over the decades.
    After the arrest and torture of Eugene his wife we see how she battles with tremendous courage to keep her children safe and get answers to the lies told by the authorities about his disappearance. The performances, specially by Fernanda Torres as Eugene Paiva are outstanding.

Popular reviews

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  • Mr. Bachmann and His Class

    Mr. Bachmann and His Class

    ★★★★★

    This is a profoundly moving, yet uplifting documentary centred on a remarkable teacher, near retirement age, in a small industrial town in Germany and his class of young teenagers on the verge of the big educational divide between secondary school and the elite gymnasium, equivalent to the old British grammar school system. 

    His class are all first or second generation immigrants, many are Muslims from Turkey and most don’t speak German at home which affects their educational opportunities. There are…

  • Promises

    Promises

    ★★★★

    Gripping film about power and corruption in a poor part of Paris. Isabelle Huppert, gripping as ever playing the mayor who’s fought for years to get funding to renovate the worst tenement type building with horror story wiring, leaks and damp Ive ever seen. She is unexpectedly tempted by a chance of promotion to a minister job, with certain conditions…..
    I didn’t follow all the political details and ongoing deals, not being very knowledgeable on French government,  but it didn’t affect my enjoyment. 
    Best and most affecting character by far is her right hand man played by  Reda Kateb - an outstanding performance.