BellaOnline Forums TV and Movies Drama Movies Check Out My New Website Selective Focus

My new site Selective Focus: Family Dysfunction in Film is now live. After 8 years as the Drama Movies Editor, I decided to write more in depth on a specific topic. There are three new articles on Selective Focus. I review the French film "Mon Cousin". Although its a comedy, I think it is a smart and multi-layered look at the adult relationship between two male cousins. I also review Amanda Kernell's second feature "Charter". The film's main character is a woman who "kidnaps" her two children when her divorced husband denies her all contact with them. The protagonist reminded me in some ways of Meryl Streep's character in "Kramer vs. Kramer" so I discuss the two films in the review.

I also revised and expanded a review I initially published on the Drama Movies site. The article discusses two films from Danish filmmaker Anders Thomas Jensen who uses a surreal and bawdy approach to his examinations of family. Here is a link and I hope you will enjoy the new site. Selective Focus: Family Dysfunction in Film

Angela, the format is super. I was even moved to read it all, even though I'm not likely to see the movies. (That's not to diss any of the films - they're just not likely to show up where I live.)

Hi Mona,

Thanks so much for your feedback, Mona. The site just went live yesterday so I still have some work to do but I'm glad you like the format. Just an FYI - "Mon Cousin" is streaming on Amazon Prime in the US so it may be on Amazon in other countries, as well. "Charter" is streaming on Viaplay.

Terrific reviews. Congratulations! I'll have to check for Mon Cousin.

Thanks so much, Angie! I hope you do get a chance to watch the film. Vincent Lindon is a wonderful actor.

Posted a new review yesterday for everyone to read. It's a discussion of the Australian film "The Home Song Stories" and the memoir "Halfway". Both are written by men whose mothers struggled to find stability in life. The review also highlights the importance of storytelling as a way to find meaning and understanding; particularly after having endured a disruptive childhood. Here's the link. The Home Song Stories and Halfway Review

Posted my latest review on Selective Focus. "The Fox" is based on the true life story of the filmmaker's great-grandfather. The story begins in the 1920s in Austria, where the young boy Franz lives with his family in extreme poverty. In order to save the boy from starvation, his parents relinquish custody. As a young man, Franz joins the Army and ends up as a motorcycle courier serving in Hitler's army. "The Fox" is not a war film, however. It's about human and cross-species relationships, as the alienated young man adopts a fox cub and develops a deep bond with the animal. Here's the link. The Fox Film Review