Movies in 2026 165

 

Solaris (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1972)

For some inexplicable reason, I had somehow never seen Andrei Tarkovsky's 1972 film Solaris. I certainly wasn't ducking it, and I've liked the other films of his that I've seen (Mirror, Stalker). Anyway, I found got around to watching Solaris, and I will doubtless be watching or re-watching his other films (happily, the Criterion Channel has a healthy lineup of Tarkovsky films). Like his other films, Solaris is complex and challenging, and at the end you're not quite certain what you just saw, but you're awfully glad that you made the journey. It's science fiction, and the purest form of science fiction, that is, asking difficult questions and not relying upon shallow special effects (that is, US science fiction). Psychologist Kris Kelvin (Donatas Banionis) heads to Solaris to figure out why the scientists there are experiences bizarre hallucinations, only to find that his dead wife Hari (Natalya Bondarchuk) keeps returning from the dead and committing suicide. There's a lot of rumination on memory and loss and meaning, thus classic Tarkovsky. Highly recommended. Mirror and Stalker are back in my queue, along with Tarkovsky films I haven't seen.

Movies in 2026 164

 

My Dad Is 100 Years Old (Guy Maddin, 2005)

Guy Maddin is another one of those directors who I was introduced to by the Criterion Channel, and I loved his My Winnipeg (and not simply because we're heading there in July). This morning I watched his short film My Dad Is 100 Years Old. It was written by and starred Isabella Rosselini, and it was a tribute to her father Robert Rosselini. There were parts about it that I loved, including Isabella Rosselini playing Federico Fellini, Alfred Hitchcock, Charlie Chaplin, and her own mother, Ingrid Bergman. Her father being played by a large stomach (she remembers curling up on his tummy, so on one level I get it), I liked less. It definitely made me want to go back and watch more Roberto Rosselini films. 

A Gift of Excellence

 Of all my friends (and, again, I have more friends than I can justify), the one who is respected for giving the best gifts (and for being an all around great friend) is my friend and office-mate Erik. Yesterday he gave me my retirement gift, which were two metal Minnesota Vikings bookmarks. Amazing. Of course, the best part of the present were the incredibly heartfelt comments from Erik and his wife Laura in the card, which I will long cherish.

On the back of both he had "Audeamus" engraved. It's the made-up motto of Champlain College, which has been a long-standing inside joke in our office. I guess it is inspiring to base your goals on "We Will Dare," or whateve3r we translate it as. Mainly, the joke is based on my belief that once you give something a label, especially a self-generated one for publicity, it certainly has no meaning - and I don't think we've had one "daring" moment since we crowd-sourced the motto (unlike the days of Champlain, when that was what we were known for). I told Erik that since the Vikings are featured the motto be the Latin equivalent for "we will fail", which is think is something like deficiemus. Still, it's a sweet gift.

Movies in 2026 163

 

French Cancan (Jean Renoir, 1954)

The Jean Renoir film fest continues, with the latest film being 1954's French Cancan. I sort of had mixed emotions about starting it, but it starred Jean Gabin FFS so that cleared up any misgivings. I'm more of a fan of the 1930s Renoir/Gabin pairings, but I still ended up liking it quite a bit (it really grew on me as the story progressed). It tells the story of the founding of the famous Moulin  Rouge, with Gabin playing Henri Danglard, who manages to avoid bankruptcy while simultaneously starting the new club while sleeping with several women (again, he's Jean Gabin FFS). The main female contestants for his attention of Nini (Francoise Arnoul), Lola, the "Belle Abbesse" (Maris Felix), the Esther (Anna Armendola). Renoir even manages to sneak in Edith Piaf in a small role. The  film's visuals are influenced by key Impressionist painters like Edgar Degar and Pierre-Auguste Renoir (Jean's father, which for some reason always surprises me). I didn't love it, but I liked it quite a bit. It's got a ton of energy, especially as the story moves along. Recommended.

Loyal Fans

 Usually, when I'm crashing in my friend Kevin's spare room on Thursday night in the summer, we always follow a dinner at one of various and sundry restaurants and a trip to Al's for ice cream, we head back to watch the Phillies (KA's favorite team). However, this last Thursday the Phillies were off, so what were our options? Well, as true CFL fans, the obvious thing was to watch a recap of the 2025 Grey Cup (which, of course, we watched live in the very same room in November). 

With the CFL season starting, and the expansion of our CFL fantasy league, the preparation is intense. It also now looks like we're adding a game in Ottawa to our already full slate of games in Hamilton, Winnipeg, and Regina.

Movies in 2026 162

 

Go West (Buster Keaton, 1925)

And my summer-long Buster Keaton film fest is continuing, and I'm clearly becoming a big fan of his. Yesterday I watched his 1925 film Go West, and while it's not nearly my favorite Buster Keaton film, I did still like it a lot. Keaton plays a Hoosier lad named Friendless, who tries his luck as a cowboy. He finds a great love, but it's the cow Brown Eyes, and he has a great adventure to try and save her from the slaughterhouse - while also recusing a thousand head of cattle for his boss, and father of his potential other love. It's a very sweet film, and definitely recommended.

Movies in 2026 161

 

The Exterminating Angel (Luis Bunuel, 1962)

And speaking of rabbit holes, I continue to delve into the Luis Bunuel filmography. Last last I gave a second viewing to Bunuel's 1962 film The Exterminating Angel, which I first watched a few years ago. I remember not particularly liking it, which is strange because I really liked it this time. See my comment in the previous post about the advantages of watching several films by the same director in a bunch, so that you can get a clearer sense of focus and approach. This film features that typically sharp Bunuel scalpel that he takes to the upper classes and the church. It stars Silvia Pinal, who had also worked with Bunuel in Viridiana and Simon of the Desert, although The Exterminating Angel is more of a collective effort. A group of upper class snobs get together for a party, and then discover that they can't leave. All of their societal mores break down as they try to survive, and they are revealed as the hypocrites they are. The phenomenon is repeated at a church at the end, to put an exclamation on the metaphor. Highly recommended.