Film reviews

Drive My Car Review

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Drive My Car, from director Ryusuke Hamaguchi, is a Japanese language film with universal contemporary values that are displayed with empathy and artistry. The film, winner of the Best Screen Play award at the Cannes Film Festival, can be harrowing and sad, but it is a compelling story and a visual experience that will take your breath away.

The main character in Drive My Car is Yusuke Kafuku, played by Hidetoshi Nishijima. Yusuke is an actor and stage director, and he lives in Japan with his wife Oto, played by Reika Kirishima. Oto is a playwright, and she and Yusuke live a life of creativity, love, and commitment to each other. But Yusuke’s life takes a tragic turn when, just as he is about to start a stage production, he finds out he has glaucoma and then his beloved wife Oto dies. Yusuke is a stoic man and he continues with the stage production. He hires a chauffeur, Misaki Watari, played by Toko Miura. Yusuke makes directing his top priority, but it is obvious that he is struggling with his wife’s death.

Yusuke soon finds himself at odds with his production cast, and he unsure of their confidence in him. He begins to question himself as a person, and that affects his production even more. But as he becomes more at odds with those in his production, he finds a growing connection with Misaki, his chauffeur.

Losing someone we love is a tragedy that remains with us forever but, as Drive My Car reminds us, that is just how life goes sometimes. And there is always a path forward.

I loved Drive My Car. Despite its almost three hour length, I was hooked on it from the beginning to the end. The dialogue was inviting, the issues were inviting if difficult, and the outcomes were inviting as well. Four stars for Drive My Car.

Film reviews

Belfast review

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“Lighten up, just enjoy life, smile more, laugh more, and don’t get so worked up about things.”
–Kenneth Branagh

In Belfast, Director Kenneth Branagh delivers a film that is not only based on his own life, but one that is a masterpiece of brilliance and realism. Belfast is amazing, with moments of happiness, sadness, and many difficult challenges. Branagh’s auteur directing submerses us in his childhood world of Belfast, Northern Ireland. The film is emotionally moving and visually engrossing.

Belfast focuses on a small boy named Buddy, played by Jude Hill, who lives in Belfast with his working-class family. His mom and dad are played by Catriona Balfe and Jamie Dornan, and his grandpa and grandma are played by Ciaran Hinds and Judi Dench. Buddy loves his life in Belfast, but his family faces uncharted territory with the tumultuous riots in Northern Ireland. The largely black and white cinematography of the film sets the tone for the mood of the film, but Buddy’s happy experiences are in color. I loved this aspect of Belfast.

The film made me think a lot about challenging times in my own life. Branagh reminds us to see the light in both good times and bad, and to always keep moving forward.

Although Branagh obviously had ups and downs during his time in Belfast, I loved that his film doesn’t focus on the depressing drama of those times; rather, he keeps the tone optimistic and pleasant. Belfast touched me, and it will touch many around the world. It reminds us to always focus on what motivates us in our life. Four stars for the brilliant Belfast.

Film reviews

The Last Duel Review

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From director Ridley Scott comes a triumphant and cinematic event that is a brawl of medieval sensation. Scott has a talent for realism in films from the medieval era, and The Last Duel is one of his best. The film links to many actual historical events and Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, and Adam Driver are, as always, magnificent. The tension between these three actors drives the film.


In The Last Duel, Matt Damon is Sir Jean de Carrouges, who has many disputes with one of his squires, Jacques Le Gris, played by Adam Driver. Sir Jean also has an egotistical friend and colleague named Pierre, played by Ben Affleck. Jacques Le Gris assaults Jean’s wife Marguerite, played by Jodie Comer, which causes Jean to challenge Jacques to a duel. But death may not be the answer to this duel.

The Last Duel’s use of choreography, character development, and historical focus make it one of the best films of 2021. It is truly a visual sensation, and no one builds the dramatic elements better than Scott.

Medieval films have been making a comeback, and The Last Duel is just so good. I found myself enjoying this one even more than Kingdom of Heaven(2005). That one was brilliant as well, but The Last Duel takes the medieval film to a whole different level. It is a rollercoaster ride of tension, power, and challenging situations that is out of this world. I give The Last Duel four stars. It is a film that is not to be missed.

Treating cinema in many forms of art!