Can’t-miss foreign and indie films for your queue feature C.S. Lewis and Freud debating the existence of God, drama surrounding a dilapidated apartment block, and nonagenarian Madeleine’s last ride.
Bound. 108 min. Criterion. 1996. Blu-ray UPC 715515297318. $39.99. Rated: R. THRILLER
A cynical ex-con (Gina Gershon) with serious trust issues hooks up with a gangster’s moll (Jennifer Tilly) before scheming to steal $2 million of the mob’s money. In the Wachowskis’ (The Matrix) daringly fresh twist on the usual role of femmes fatales in noir pics, the protagonists partner up to make new lives for themselves. Restored with bountiful extras (interviews, audio commentary, video essays, and more), this stylish 1990s caper picture/love story is not bound by conventions. VERDICT A semi-classic given deluxe treatment for outside-the-norm noir buffs.
City of Hope. 129 min. Sony. 1991. Blu-ray UPC 043396636415. $31.99. Rated: R. DRAMA
Multiple characters played by more than a dozen character actors cross paths in an intersecting storyline about commercial development plans in a fictitious, medium-sized New Jersey city. Veteran indie filmmaker John Sayles (Lone Star; Matewan), who made his auspicious debut with The Return of the Secaucus 7 in 1978, juggles multiple plotlines around a dilapidated apartment block that’s about to be torn down. Competing commercial, political, and personal interests are captured in a fluid camera style that was novel in the 1990s. VERDICT For audiences who are up for no easy answers.
Driving Madeleine (“Une belle course”). 90 min. In French w/English subtitles. Cohen. 2022. DVD UPC 738329265786. $19.99; Blu-ray UPC 738329265793. $29.99. DRAMA
Leaving her suburban Paris house for the last time, nonagenarian Madeleine (Line Renaud) hires a taxi driver, Charles (Danny Boon), for a decidedly indirect ride to her final destination: a nursing home. In a daylong stint around the City of Light, the pair bond as Madeleine recounts her life—shown in multiple flashbacks as the victim of an abusive husband—much to the surprise of her cabbie, whose morning had gotten off to a bad start. The ending comes as no surprise but packs a wallop. VERDICT Twinkle-eyed singer/actress Renaud makes the journey a moving one.
Freud’s Last Session. 108 min. Sony. 2023. DVD UPC 043396636323. $25.99. Rated: PG-13. DRAMA
On the eve of World War II, renowned psychologist and avowed atheist Sigmund Freud (Anthony Hopkins) invites Christian author C.S. Lewis (Matthew Goode) to his home for a spirited argument about the existence of God. Freud, who is dying of cancer, also broaches the subject of his daughter’s relationship with Lewis, who recounts his own experiences in the First World War. Director Matt Brown deftly weaves together past, present, and a hypothetical revelation in a speculative meeting that may or may not have really taken place. VERDICT Hopkins’s performance is the draw.
★The Promised Land. 127 min. In Danish w/English subtitles. Magnolia. 2023. DVD UPC 876964018128. $26.99; Blu-ray UPC 876964018135. $29.99. Rated: R. DRAMA
Retired from the German army in 1755, Capt. Ludvig Kahlen (Mads Mikkelsen) returns to his native Denmark to farm potatoes on a barren heath, in exchange for a royal title. But a cruel local landowner and magistrate (Simon Bennebjerg) stands in his way, setting the stage for a violent confrontation. Two women, one noble, one peasant, vie for Kahlen’s love, as does an outcast girl who calls him “Li’l Father.” Nikolaj Arcel, who directed Mikkelsen in 2012’s A Royal Affair, reteams with the magnificent Mads. VERDICT For fans of classic Westerns who are open to subtitles.
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