#740 – Meek’s Cutoff, 2010, Kelly Reichardt
Set in 1845, this drama follows a group of settlers as they embark on a punishing journey along the Oregon Trail. When their guide leads them astray, the expedition is forced to contend with the unforgiving conditions of the high plain desert.
#741 – Stranger by the Lake, 2013, Alain Guiraudie
Summertime. A cruising spot for men, tucked away on the shores of a lake. Franck falls in love with Michel, an attractive, potent and lethally dangerous man. Franck knows this, but wants to live out his passion anyway.
#742 – Le Plaisir, 1952, Max Ophüls
Three stories about the pleasure. The first one is about a man hiding his age behind a mask to keep going to balls and fancying women – pleasure and youth. Then comes the long tale of Mme Tellier taking her girls (whores) to the country for attending her niece’s communion – pleasure and purity. And lastly, Jean the painter falling in love with his model – pleasure and death.
#743 – Skyfall, 2012, Sam Mendes
When Bond’s latest assignment goes gravely wrong and agents around the world are exposed, MI6 is attacked forcing M to relocate the agency. These events cause her authority and position to be challenged by Gareth Mallory, the new Chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee. With MI6 now compromised from both inside and out, M is left with one ally she can trust: Bond. 007 takes to the shadows – aided only by field agent, Eve – following a trail to the mysterious Silva, whose lethal and hidden motives have yet to reveal themselves.
#744 – The Devi’s Ballad, (悪魔の手毬唄), 1977, Kon Ichikawa
A serial killer responsible for 7 minors’ deaths thus far seems to kill to a particular rhythm, which the authorities must identify to catch him.
#745 – The Music Room, (জলসাঘর), 1958, Satyajit Ray
A wealthy landlord who lives a decadent life with his wife and son. His passion – his wife would call it his addiction – is music, and he spends a great deal of his fortune on concerts held for the locals in his magnificent music room. He feels threatened by his neighbour, a commoner who has attained riches through business dealings. His passion for music and quest for social respect are his undoing, as he sacrifices his family and wealth trying to retain it.
#746 – The River, (河流), 1997, Tsai Ming-liang
A young man develops severe neck pain after swimming in a polluted river; his dysfunctional parents are unable to provide any relief for him or themselves.
#747 – Lightning, (稲妻), 1952, Mikio Naruse
Mikio Naruse’s second adaptation of a novel by Fumiko Hayashi stars Hideko Takamine, the director’s frequent muse, as bus conductress Kiyoko Komori, the youngest daughter in a family of squabbling half-siblings. All the children are products of different fathers, though they share the same mother: a tragically weak-willed woman named Osei. The familial tension only increases when the husband of one daughter dies and leaves behind a substantial insurance policy, so Kiyoko abandons them to their quarrels and makes a go of it on her own, though she finds she can’t leave her mother behind so easily.
#748 – Kiss Me Deadly, 1955, Robert Aldrich
One evening, Hammer gives a ride to Christina, an attractive hitchhiker on a lonely country road, who has escaped from the nearby lunatic asylum. Thugs waylay them and force his car to crash. When Hammer returns to semi-consciousness, he hears Christina being tortured until she dies. Hammer, both for vengeance and in hopes that “something big” is behind it all, decides to pursue the case.
#749 – Deliverance, 1972, John Boorman
Intent on seeing the Cahulawassee River before it’s turned into one huge lake, outdoor fanatic Lewis Medlock takes his friends on a river-rafting trip they’ll never forget into the dangerous American back-country.
Jumbo Cactuar Film Index 