Peter Murmann

Gurrumul

10 July 2018

You may have never heard of Gurrumul. I certainly had not when I was asked to see this biopic. After the first 10 to 15 minutes, you realize that you are for a very special story that is deeply moving. It is a remarkable piece of work and I put up there on the level of Searching for Sugar Man, which is my all-time favorite documentary of a musician. The Gurrumul story is so different from Sugar Man that it feels in no way repetitive. But what they have in common individuals whose music and poetic vision is so strong that they find against to odds a large audience.

Movies, Drama

Foxtrot

11 June 2018

The first third of this Israeli film is almost too hard to bear. A father and mother are visited by the military representatives who bring the sad news that their son has been killed in the line of duty. The next 40 minutes we are shown the horrific emotions that a father would go through at this moment. I was saying to myself, “I am not sure if I want to watch this for another hour or so.” But then the film takes an unexpected turn and we get a break.

Movies, Documentary

The Shop around the Corner

1 June 2018

Today successful Hollywood actors are widely admired. This was not always the case. Some years ago, I visited LA and learned about the surprising history of Hollywood. The good society of LA looked down on actors. They were only seen as slightly better than prostitutes and so they were not allowed to live in town. The actors needed to move outside the city in a new area called Hollywood. I was reminded of this history in the opening minutes of The Shop around the Corner, which was produced in 1940.

Movies, Drama

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

13 May 2018

A mother lost her only daughter to rape and murder. She is underwhelmed by the efforts of the police department in a little town in Missouri to find the perpetrators of the crime. This is moment the film starts.

Movies, Drama

Murder on the Orient Express

25 March 2018

I do not fully remember whether I saw an earlier version of Murder on the Orient Express as a child. There seem to be traces of an old lady on a train traveling for days in my memory. Kenneth Brannah’s film imagines the Agatha Christie story very differently from the images I find the remote corners of my memory. Since I am quite fond of excellent detectives, I enjoyed this remake of Murder on the Orient. When the detective finally solves the murder mystery, I was stunned. The story is excellent and I highly recommend this film if you like detective stories

Movies, Drama

Once were Warriors

19 February 2018

This film from New Zealand is quite heavy because of the domestic violence it portrays. But if you willing to stomach some disturbing scenes, it does a wonderful job of portraying the socio-economic conditions of Maori families in New Zealand. If you want to see a film about New Zealand that it a bit easier on the psyche, I recommend the wonderful Whale Rider or last year’s spectacular Hunt for the Wilderpeople.

Movies, Documentary

I am Heath Ledger

4 February 2018

When Heath Ledger died at age 28, I was deeply sad. Very rarely has the death of someone who I did not even personally know affected me so deeply. The talent of Ledger was so extraordinary. When the news of his death traveled around the world, I felt we all had been cheated of a lifetime of spectacular performances that was still was lying ahead for Ledger.

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