The New Republic

The Baader Meinhof Complex. A dynamic and fascinating account of the German terrorists of the 1970s. We enter the graphic story with the leaders, understanding their anger with the post-Nazi moral torpor. But their bloody violence keeps us in tension about them. Stunningly directed and forcefully acted. (Reviewed 9/23/09)

Lorna’s Silence. The Dardenne brothers, who made La Promesse and L’Enfant, continue their marvelous work. This picture, about the barter of marriage for Belgian citizenship, is more a splendid crime story than another of their moral epics. Still, it is highly exceptional. (9/9/09)

Quiet Chaos. Nanni Moretti, insufficiently treasured in the U.S., plays a Roman executive whose wife dies suddenly. He finds breathing space in the company of his ten-year-old daughter. Thoughtful and rich. (8/12/09)

Still Walking.. Twenty-four hours in the company of a middle-class Yokohama family. There is enough of a story to keep matters mobile, but the basic intent is to spend the day with them--plus a brief postlude. Life flows before us and around us. (9/23/09)

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