One of my favorite Satyajit Ray movies, this is the story of a wife and mother (Madhabi Mukherjee) who goes out and gets a job despite the reproaches of her traditional family. I love the feminism and how balanced and layered it was. All of the characters are nuanced, and because the film isn’t aggressive in pushing a message, it’s more powerful as a result. In addition to exploring the patriarchy, there are themes of aging, workplace dynamics, racism, supporting…

For me, the highlight of this film is the absolutely gorgeous and rugged scenery of the Dingle peninsula, out on the west coast of Ireland. David Lean and cinematographer Freddie Young give us extraordinary shots on sunny days, during a violent storm, at sunset and at night, in the small town and along the shore - it’s all simply beautiful. I liked the concept of the story too – a young woman (Sarah Miles) gets married to an older man…

Great concept, one with themes of predeterminism vs. free will, as well as the use of advanced technology to fight crime with the drawbacks of loss of privacy and potential for abuse. There are some pretty cool moments, but overall it’s flawed in execution; you’ll have to suspend disbelief too many times, and there are lots of groan-inducing moments. Maybe the biggest one for me is Tom Cruise’s character weepily saying “I want him back so bad” in a scene…

This might be the slowest of all slow-burners, so if you’re going to watch it, brace yourself and be very, very patient. The first hour in this small turn of the century town is for the most part quaint and frankly pretty boring, as we are introduced to various characters and follow them in their everyday lives. There are flashes of a larger meaning in an omniscient narrator, who points out when some of them are going to die, but…