Herbert Curiel Movies
- 1995
This European drama chronicles the struggles of a young Turkish immigrant woman trying to break the constraints of her traditional father by having an interracial romance. Simultaneously God in heaven debates whether or not to spare the human race. He gives his main angel 90 minutes to create a film demonstrating the worthiness of humanity. The protagonist of the angel's film will be Feride, a Turkish-Dutch girl who is also the last descendent of Noah. Edwin is the reincarnation of another important biblical figure. When Feride's Turkish father discovers that she has seeing Edwin, he becomes upset. Edwin's family, racists all, also make life uncomfortable for the gentle lad. Feride's father wants her to forgo thoughts of independence and education in favor of marriage. In rebellion, she runs away. Her family try to kidnap her and force her into an arranged marriage in Turkey. Edwin helps her and lets her hide in an isolated cabin until she turns 18. Meanwhile, God observes it all and offers his comments about Feride's progress. Things are not boding well for humanity. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1988
In this enigmatic drama, Inni Wintrop (Derek de Lint) has led a directionless life for many years. Orphaned at an early age, but with plenty of money up until the stock market crash of 1987, he has done a little bit of everything. He has no strong desires, and is not a very warm-hearted man. He strikes up an acquaintance with Phillip Taads (Thom Hoffman), the son of someone who was kind to him in his youth. The son has all the ambition he lacks, but it is focused on the acquisition of antique pottery and an obsessive desire to rid himself of all attachments. He is a perverse kind of Zen student. The interaction between these men helps each of them shed some light on their lives, but does not, apparently, bring about any major transformations. This film is based on the popular novel Rituelen by Cees Nooteboom. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Derek de Lint, Thom Hoffman, (more)
- 1982
On Top of the Whale, one of the best-known films by acclaimed director Raul Ruiz, is an allegorical exploration of language and the conflicts between cultures. The setting is the world of the near future; the film begins in Holland, which, like several other European nations, has become a communist republic. An anthropologist, specializing in the study of primitive tribes, is introduced by his wife to the powerful millionaire Narcisso Cambos. Narcisso invites them to stay at his estate in Patagonia, which he claims is also home to the last two surviving members of an ancient Indian tribe, generally thought extinct. The anthropologist accepts and begins to study the tribesmen -- an inseparable pair named Adam and Eden. He becomes consumed by the mysteries of their culture, their behavior, and especially their language, which appears to consist of only 60 words. Meanwhile, the possible revival of a former relationship between his wife and Narcisso threatens his marriage. Though occasionally punctuated by monochrome cinematography and surrealistic imagery, On Top of the Whale is more linear than much of Ruiz's later work, relying on a sparse directness that gives the film a provocative, fable-like ambiguity. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- 1963
Based upon a novel by Shelley Smith, The Running Man opens at the memorial service for Rex Black (Laurence Harvey), the owner of a small air transport company who is believed to have drowned in a recent glider accident. It soon turns out, however, that Black is very much alive; he faked his death as a means of getting back at the insurance company who denied an earlier claim because he was one day late in making his payment. He has enlisted the cooperation of his wife Stella (Lee Remick) in this scheme. While she waits for the insurance company to approve the claim, he disguises himself, assumes a new identity (that of Charles Erskine, a shoe salesman) and goes to wait for Stella in Spain. Once there, he meets drunken Australian millionaire Jim Jerome in a bar; when Jerome inadvertently leaves his passport at the bar, Rex confiscates it and hatches a new plan to collect on Jerome's insurance as well. In the meantime, Stella has met with insurance representative Stephen Maddox (Alan Bates), who eventually approves her claim. She journeys to Spain, but finds Rex a changed man, and isn't comfortable with either his new personality or his latest scheme. To make matters worse, Maddox shows up. Is it a coincidence or is he suspicious? The rest of the film hinges on the answer to this question, as well as what Maddox's plans are in either case. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Laurence Harvey, Lee Remick, (more)
- 1960
In this comedy set in Spain, Paco (Maurice Reyna) is a young boy with a part-time job as a messenger at a local bank. Paco's father drives a taxicab but has fallen deep into debt, and he loses his hack when he's unable to pay a mechanic for needed repairs. All day long, Paco hears about people getting loans from the bank to pay their bills, and, unaware of the way these things work, he "borrows" one million pesetas from the till to help his father along. It doesn't take long for someone to notice the money is missing, and not only is the bank eager to get it back, a group of local mobsters are after Paco's new fortune as well. A number of cleverly designed chase sequences enliven the second half of this story, which was shot on location in Valencia, Spain. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Virgilio Teixeira, Maurice Reyna, (more)
- 1958
W. Lee Wilder, the somewhat less prestigious producer-director brother of Billy Wilder, went to Holland to film his 1958 opus Spy in the Sky. Steve Brodie plays Cabot, a U.S. intelligence agent who heads to Vienna (actually Amsterdam) in search of a missing rocket scientist. Cabot's quest is jeopardized by the machinations of a communist spy ring, headed by a Colonel Benedict (George Coulouris). The Reds hope to coerce the scientist to build a spy satellite, the better to keep tabs on the Decadent Democracies. A spy in the sky? What a ridiculous notion! What self-respecting nation would stoop to outer-space espionage? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Brodie, Sandra Francis, (more)
