218 - Zama (2017) - 7/10 - Zama is a Spanish officer stationed in a remote part of Argentina, far from his wife and children. He longs for a transfer to a larger location, but is frustrated in his efforts. The tedium of life in this part of the colonial world takes its toll on him over time.
219 - El Angel (2018) - 7/10 - Carlos is an amoral teenager from a decent home who breaks into empty houses and takes what he wants. He falls in with Ramon, another young criminal who has ties to larger criminal activities. The crimes escalate and people die along the way with Carlos barely batting an eye. This film is based on an Argentine serial killer who has been incarcerated for the past 50 years.
220 - Nine Queens (2000) - 8/10 - A professional con artist meets an amateur con artist and they spend the day going over some of the grifts that they know. An opportunity comes up for them to team up on a con involving counterfeit stamps and they go for it. A number of nice twists and good performances here in an entertaining crime film.
221 - Las acacias (2011) - 6.5/10 - A trucker driving lumber from Paraguay to Buenos Aires gives a ride to a young woman and her baby at the request of the trucker's boss. The trucker starts out wanting his solitude, but along the way he and the woman form a bond, probably mostly due to the baby. There is very little dialogue and not much really happens during the journey, though I did like the film.
222 - Not Reconciled (1965) - 6/10 - This is a frustrating film that jumps between time periods and parts of a family's history without much in the way of clues or explanation. There were a number of things that I liked and I think that I would have enjoyed the film a lot if it had been made in a more traditional manner rather than the stripped down version that Straub and Huillet went with, but then it wouldn't have been in their style I suppose.
223 - The Color of Pomegranates (1969) - 6.5/10 - The film covers the life of an 18th Century Armenian poet/musician using many creative scenes without much real dialogue, though there are occasional excerpts from his poetry and some singing. While the cinematography is interesting, it also can seem a bit repetitive at times and the style gets a bit tiresome over the course of the film.
224 - Moonfleet (1955) - 7/10 - In the 1700s, a young boy is sent by his dying mother to the village of Moonfleet and the care of her former lover. The former lover happens to be a man who keeps a respectable facade, but is aligned with smugglers and pirates. I thought it was a decent adventure film and I enjoyed it, though was surprised to see that Fritz Lang directed it.
225 - The Taking of Power by Louis XIV (1966) - 6/10 - Cardinal Mazarin is dying and Louis XIV asserts his power. The costumes and sets all look nice. The film seems to make a serious attempt at accuracy, but the result is a pretty boring film. The actor chosen for Louis XIV was not a professional and was very dull (which apparently is what the director wanted).