Here’s what I watched and read last week…
MOVIES
The Crime of Monsieur Lange (1936), directed by Jean Renoir. This week I started watching the Criterion Channel’s curation of French poetic realism. I had a seen a few films from this period, but I was curious to learn more about this movement. The Crime of Monsieur Lange is an entertaining film about a small publishing company run by Paul Batala, a shady man. I enjoyed the cast of characters. The set design is cramped and confined, which I am learning is a stylistic trait of poetic realism.
The Lower Depths (1936), directed by Jean Renoir. This is another film from Criterion’s poetic realism collection. A good drama with a great performance by Jean Gabin who plays Pepel. I particularly enjoyed the scene when Pepel becomes friends with the Baron after trying to rob him.
A Wedding (1978), directed by Robert Altman. I‘ve always wanted to see this one. What a cast of characters! Almost fifty! Carol Burnett is amazing. She should have been nominated for an Academy Award. A Wedding is not as great as Nashville or McCabe & Mrs. Miller, but this is a solid and funny film. Altman’s career in the 1970s is amazing. A Wedding is available to stream on Criterion. Don’t miss this one.
Power Ballad (2026), director by John Carney. Another great one by Carney. I’ve loved all of his film, with Sing Street being one of my favorites. Great performances by Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas. Fun film with a good soundtrack.
TV
Welcome to Wrexham. This is turning out to be a really good season. I look forward to each week’s episodes. Go Wrexham!
I watched the third episode of The Boroughs and am still enjoying it. There was a great twist at the end of this one.
BOOKS
I finished Jacques Lacan’s first seminar. I’ve read a lot of Lacan and do have some familiarity with his concepts. It goes without saying that Lacan is very difficult to read. In Seminar I, he takes up the topics of ego psychology, speech, transference and resistance. This is also the seminar where he discusses the inverted bouquet scenario. I plan to read Seminar II which is a continuation of these topics.
