Film Reviews by FM

In French with subtitles. A slow paced story in rural France set in the 1st World War with very little dialogue. Some beautiful photography. Brilliant acting which enhances the limited dialogue. Good to have so much focus on the contribution of women. Well worth a second viewing.

An excellent film; no real story, little dialogue but a delightful collection of scenes teling the life of of a Nomad. A second viewing showed up things or connections missed first time round. Frances McDormand is excellent throughout.

This may be an excelent film, artisically but I found it grim and unpleasant. There are no likeable characters. Maria herelf is highly manipulative and the men in her life appear to be using her to satisfy themselves. It is set against the background of postwar Germany but, apart from the scenery (bombed out buildings)., this is hardly relevent. I had no urge to watch this a second time.

A lot of this film was difficult to follow because of the softly spoken, rapid dialogue and the American accent. It was not clear why the father and daughter were living in isolation in a forest - but this may have been clearer if the dialogue had been clearer. It was heartening that 'ordinary' people took the daughter under their wing, so her future seemed assured.

This came highly recommended. The whole film is an enigma as well as the main character. There are some delightful caricatures but no real 'bad' characters. The story is poignant and generally unresolved

As a great respector of Ken Loach films, I found this one particulary realistic and distressing - not light entertainment!

Having been involved in a debt advice service, I know how easy it is for people to fall into debt despite trying their utmost to manage.

Hope this will an an eyeopener to people who have little idea of how people manage who live with a limited and uncertain income.