djross
Criticker Zealot
Member Since: 15 Apr 2006
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Age: 54
Bio: Films receiving a score between 91 and 100 are considered to be a masterpiece. See also: https://www.academia.edu/94550175/Moving_Images_A_Personal_Record X: https://x.com/DJRoss70
Recent Ratings
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The Story of the Jews (2013) - Rated 20 Aug 2025
"As the son of a Jew who was both godless and without much interest in history, I learned things. But really, there are not nearly enough episodes to do anything like justice to a very long and eventful history, and the degree to which Schama allows himself to monologue, while he does sometimes tell stories in a well-chosen and affecting way, comes at a cost, particularly in the last episode on modern Israel, where he talks about Israelis as scurrying about underneath walls and lacking courage."
Seventh Code (2013) - Rated 17 Aug 2025
"A Japanese girl is in Vladivostok and some stuff happens. Seems like some kind of marketing product designed to boost the young star, yet it also doesn’t seem like the kind of thing that will succeed in getting much attention. Whatever the intentions of the filmmakers may have been, not much is going on, although effort clearly went into putting together the final shot."
A Man for All Seasons (1966) - Rated 16 Aug 2025
"For obscure reasons a guy decides to be stubborn. Comes across as designed to conform to American notions of English virtue: regardless of one’s circumstances, remain stalwart and enunciate with precision. But what’s supposed to be interesting about those circumstances or this protagonist? The scenes designed to demonstrate what a reproachless fellow he is, beloved of the common folk, only suggest that the filmmakers themselves weren’t sure we should be on his side. Pompous and silly throughout."
Faust (1994) - Rated 16 Aug 2025
"Clearly much effort, thought and imagination has been expended, and aesthetically the film is very impressive, but I struggled to really get much out of the ideas, a fact whose explanation I am perfectly able to believe to a large extent lies in my own intellectual limitations."
The Lion in Winter (1968) - Rated 16 Aug 2025
"A husband and wife who've grown apart after years of game-playing bicker over the property, the children and infidelities, gradually coming to terms with the passage of time, generational change and each other. Should probably have been titled WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF IN A CASTLE (AND WITH KIDS)?, this is above all a writer’s attempt to give actors a chance to enjoy themselves and audiences a chance to watch them do it. Hugely entertaining and ultimately, and surprisingly, quite affecting."
Wolf Man (2025) - Rated 14 Aug 2025
"A man with longstanding repressed hostility towards his father finds that it is making him sick. From the highly familiar pseudo-psychological elements to the highly familiar pseudo-horror elements, this film has almost nothing going on. It’s hard to believe the filmmakers thought the script was in an adequate state to commence production."
Faust (1960) - Rated 13 Aug 2025
"A guy has a hankering to know everything, but when that goes in the direction of a half-pound of cocaine and a sixteen-year-old girl, not to mention monkey women from the Amazon…and something really funky from the lands beyond (Laaaaas Vegas!) – his plans go awry. I think I’m more interested in Part Two than Part One. Still, who doesn’t like the idea of being turned back into a handsome young man just to get one more chance at…uh…knowing stuff – am I right boys?"
The Room Next Door (2024) - Rated 12 Aug 2025
"A woman agrees to help her female friend, but is uncomfortable with the situation, until eventually she comes to terms with it. Some people seem to find this light or funny, but I’m not sure why and the drama comes across a bit trite, particularly in the final scenes. Everything looks good, and it is clearly intended as a delicate ode to friendship and care, but the cultural references at times seem like trying too hard to be clever, or like a slightly smug attempt to jolt American conservatism."
The Commuter (2018) - Rated 11 Aug 2025
"A man with a humdrum deadend existence finds himself in a situation where forces that are literally and supernaturally all-powerful nevertheless absolutely require him and no one else but him to do things about which for some reason they have no information, compelling him against his will to have an eventful day and redeem himself as husband, father and all-round hero. A preposterous film where almost nothing is ever explained and the only slightly intriguing scene occurs early on."
Shifty (2025) - Rated 10 Aug 2025
"Curtis has a knack for showing the absurd tragicomedy of history. Beneath that, he always manages to convey the uncanniness of human time, and the way that relates to the technical evolution of the way we record our memories and dreams – in this case, the evolution of video, music and information technologies. The title refers to the fact that such phase shifts often prove to be chaotic processes of disorganisation and reorganisation, presenting opportunities for all kinds of unscrupulousness."
