UKH

I finally got around to watching John Frankenheimer's 1966 film "Grand Prix".
There was a period (basically the 1960s and some parts of the 1970s) where Frankenheimer could do no wrong, but for a long time Grand Prix didn't appeal to me (I am no fan of James Garner, and a 3 hour film about racing seemed a bit daunting). 
Then I realised it had quite a strong reputation, and I remember Frankenheimer on the DVD commentary for Ronin talking about the car chase scenes in that film and going back to look at his own Grand Prix and wondering how the hell he shot it

Then it was quite hard to get hold of the film for a while without paying about £25, but I got a copy for £8 a few years ago and have been waiting to get my TV set up really nicely in order to honour what sounds like a cinematic experience. 
TV is sorted now and WOW I am glad I waited. 

A magnificent film, against all the odds. On paper it does sound deathly dull, following the fortunes and misfortunes of four drivers (two veteran, one not veteran but good, and a new hotshot) during a racing season, with some romance plots thrown in. 
But it all works, somehow. It balances the track action with the off-track stories brilliantly, even if the stories are slightly cliched (the older drivers getting jaded and cynical, a comeback from horrific injuries, the hotshot going through all the motions that the others have lived through in their youth, the pressure to perform, etc etc).
But believable dialogue and great casting really helps. Garner was fine in this as was the whole supporting cast. 
And the racetrack footage is astonishing even by today's standards. Frankenheimer is known for his authenticity, and he delivers here. Look up the list of the drivers involved and you will recognise a few names. 

8.5/10. I did feel that the 45-year-old Yves Montand (looking closer to 55) seemed a bit too old, and his romantic storyline with a rather subdued Eva Marie Saint was dull. Aside from that, just great. The standout performance is, perhaps unsurprisingly, Jessica Walter (she has the most interesting character). Nice to see some less famous names in prominent roles, as that indicates that they were chosen for their acting and suitability for roles, as opposed to "slapping a big name on the poster". Antonio Sabato Jr as the hotshot is maybe playing a bit of a cipher, but he does it well. Brian Bedford as a troubled British driver is great in a complex role, and Jack Watson as the Jordan team owner is really convincing. 
And the final two races are surprisingly compelling, with an outcome that I didn't quite predict. 

GT40 as a camera car. Nice.

And Francoise Hardy! Ooooh, Francoise Hardy.

It was actually her presence that also spurred me on to finally watch it, as I’ve been listening to her a lot in the last few weeks. Her character is rather interesting, she’s basically a totally shameless groupie slut yet Françoise makes her likeable, sympathetic and chic! 
Watch her spurn all of Barlini’s offers of normal socialising things, and then just look toward his crotch when urged to say what she IS into 🤣

youtube.com/watch?v=Ptl27smz6GA&

Yes and she was smart enough to spot this and to not bother trying in many more films! 

Wasn't it Frankenheimer who directed that fantastic car chase in the French Connection?

No, that was William Friedkin. 
Frankenheimer made French Connection II which features a great sequence of Gene Hackman running to intercept Fernando Rey's yacht. Frankenheimer really wanted to not imitate the first film much. 

Eric Rohmer's "Four Adventures of Reinette and Mirabelle"

A simple marvel. "Adventures" is presumably tongue in cheek as this is one of those sweet films where really not a huge amount happens in the four vignettes following a few separate days in the lives of new young friends (Parisian Mirabelle and rural Reinette). 
Saw this about thirty years ago and have had difficulty sourcing a copy but it is on the BFI Player, you can get two week free trial subscription. 
There's not much to say about this film, I believe it is in Rohmer's style (not a lot happening, down to earth characters, naturalistic acting) but I've only seen two or three other films by him, also a long time ago. 

9/10

Trial By Fire.

Dramatised acount of the trial and execution of Cameron Todd Willingham who was given a lethal injection in Feb 2004 by the state of Texas for the alleged murder of his three children. 

It seems to be a miscarriage of justice but the authorities are reluctant to admit to it.

Jack O'Connell is excellent as  Willingham and the film as a whole is OK but  for me doesn't have the kick in the guts quality as "Let Him Have It".

Coppola's "The Conversation" is on the BBC iPlayer so I revisited it last night, first time in decades. 

I won't say much about it as it has been praised several times on this forum already and its reputation as "Coppola's true masterwork" is well known. 

I remembered it having a downbeat ending; watching it now with decades of real world and real work experience under my belt, I can appreciate it better as a very bleak but brilliant and insightful character study of a personally isolated and isolating workaholic, possibly having a slow-motion career burnout mental breakdown (and possibly not...). It's really interesting as it's hard to have much sympathy for Gene Hackman's Harry Caul character; his behaviour around others is selfish and narcissistic and pretty much his own undoing. 
What was pleasantly surprising was that I worried that it might come across as technologically dated (for those who don't know the premise - Hackman plays an independent consulting surveillance operative for hire, and the plot revolves around piecing together the audio of a couple he's been assigned to follow) but the technology is not relevant to the story, really. 

Excellent compelling stuff with superb editing and a nice score from David Shire

8.5/10

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/makala

A fly on the wall documentary about a Congolese charcoal producer/seller that is almost cruel in maintaining the independence of the production. A hard watch but with memorable images... it illustrates the desperate situations billions still face around the world to eke out a family life.

Watched two Spanish language films on Netflix, both highly rated:

Roma , detailing the life of a female servant in a middle class Mexican household in the 70's;

Monos, teenage guerilla soldiers in Colombia.

I watched “Pushing Tin” last night for the first time and confirmed my 21-years-old assumption that it would be pointless directionless rubbish. Sort of Top Gun minus the jetfighters, the homoeroticism and the awesome cheesy music.