Apr. 30, 2014:  Film fans will be pleased to learn that the Bronxville Public Library has recently added over fifty films to its collection. These additions were funded through the Westchester Library System's central library collection development program using New York State library aid funds.

Director Gabriella Radujko spent weeks selecting both contemporary and classic films in a variety of genres, including documentaries, biographies, dramas, and comedies. Foreign films from The Criterion Collection predominate, although numerous American classics proved irresistible.

Here are reviews of some of the films:

Barbara, by Christian Petzold:  I first saw Barbara at MOMA in New York City in 2013 and was hypnotized by the director's ability to capture tensions in the East German countryside prior to the reunification, while the romance/thriller reconciles post-WWII narratives. Nina Hoss, who plays the young doctor, moves from fear to freedom and wins the admiration of the audience in the process.

The Beaches of Agnès, by Agnès Varda:  Maturity and humanity are on display as Agnès Varda reflects on her life as a woman, artist, and activist on the occasion of her 80th birthday. Shot in Belgium, France, and California, this 2010 film celebrates life, family, and work in unconventional yet familiar ways. In German with English subtitles.

I Married a Witch, by René Clair:  Pre-mid-century special effects make this mischievous romantic comedy a charmer. Veronica Lake's beauty and magical powers as Jennifer deflect the surrealism of the Salem witch hunts that form the basis for the plot line. The Criterion Collection says of Lake: "Willful, unpredictable, [and] frequently late to the set," the actress "was done in Hollywood by age twenty-six." In French with English subtitles.

Renoir, by Gilles Bourdos:  Two Renoirs are smitten with a beautiful muse whose immaturity keeps both the famous artist Pierre-Auguste and his son Jean on their toes. Early twentieth-century Cote d'Azur locale is exquisitely captured by director of photography Mark Ping Bing Lee and provides the most compelling reason to see the film. In English in black and white; in French with English subtitles.

Bronxville reference librarian Geraldo Soares, himself a film enthusiast, described the new holdings as "an exciting variety of American and foreign films for all tastes, [many of which] represent significant achievements of the history of cinema."

Pictured here:  Bronxville Public Library.

Photo by A. Warner