Films you've seen lately

[kernelbogey]

Flow - wonderful wordless cartoon from Latvia about a cat, with various other animals, overwhelmed by a flood. After initially following their usual behaviours (e.g. dogs chasing the cat) they all decide to cooperate. A metaphor for our experience of climate change catastrophe, Just released yesterday I believe.

[LMcD]

I was impressed by 'One Fine Morning' a french film set in Paris in the present day, about a young widow dealing with an affair and her father's descent into demtia at the same time. That bald summary may seem dull, but I foiund it facinating. Beautifully filmed and acted; very believable, too, I thought, with each character's different-sided personalities revealed. On BBC4 iPlayer.

As was I.

[richardfinegold]

I find that too, Micky and with novels as well! I've never wanted to see The Godfather because I have no interest in crime. Others say this is missing the point , and we're supposed to appreciate the making of the work.

The Godfather is much more than just a crime story. It’s the immigrant American Dream story with a dark twist. It explores the nature of family or clan loyalty in a foreign culture and betrayals within that culture. It explores generational relationships within the culture, with the younger generation both wanting to retain the family approval, make their own way, but ultimately being ensnared in the web. It also showed the extent of the penetration of organized crime in all facets of American Life. It’s also an excellent period piece.
There is violence but it’s not gratuitous; it’s a tool to achieve business ends. If it was a mere shoot em up it wouldn’t have the enduring appeal that it achieved

[smittims]

Thanks, richard. Well, I did admit I might be missing the point! From what you say I can see it has the same depth of reference as, say , Visconti's Rocco and his Brothers, which isn't just, say, 'a film about boxing'.

[Nick Armstrong]

The Godfather is much more than just a crime story. It’s the immigrant American Dream story with a dark twist. It explores the nature of family or clan loyalty in a foreign culture and betrayals within that culture. It explores generational relationships within the culture, with the younger generation both wanting to retain the family approval, make their own way, but ultimately being ensnared in the web. It also showed the extent of the penetration of organized crime in all facets of American Life. It’s also an excellent period piece.
There is violence but it’s not gratuitous; it’s a tool to achieve business ends. If it was a mere shoot em up it wouldn’t have the enduring appeal that it achieved

Very like the wonderful series Boardwalk Empire (to which I recently realised I now have access, having watched two of the five seasons on borrowed DVDs shortly after release in the early 2010s - currently about to finish season 4) - dealing with the competing interests of Irish, Black, Jewish and Italian families against the background of Prohibition in the 1920s. Centred on Steve Buscemi’s character who ‘runs’ Atlantic City, it takes in events in Chicago, NYC & Philadelphia and involves political & law enforcement issues. Real characters are interwoven with fictional ones - a young Alphonse (“Al”) Capone is a recurring character (played by Stephen Graham, rarely off UK TV screens these days), and a young J Edgar Hoover appears later on in the series.

Compelling stuff, and as you say as much about society as about individuals and their crimes.