Bienvenue Chez les Ch'tis France, 2008 ☆☆☆
The north of France is portrayed as a mysterious, Siberian cold place, but when our main character accepts a job transfer to a small town up near Calais, he discovers that people are friendlier than he thought. And they speak wierd also, adding "ch" to every word wherever they can, thus the title.
09 March 2009
Another Woman USA, 1988 ☆☆☆☆
Woody Allen once stated that Ingmar Bergman had been an influence for him, but I could not find any trace of that in his movies until I saw Another Woman. An introspective drama about love and loss of it, the movie borrows heavily from Bergman's dream sequences, and it succeeds in telling a moving story of a woman who decides to change her life after reaching 50.
Woody Allen once stated that Ingmar Bergman had been an influence for him, but I could not find any trace of that in his movies until I saw Another Woman. An introspective drama about love and loss of it, the movie borrows heavily from Bergman's dream sequences, and it succeeds in telling a moving story of a woman who decides to change her life after reaching 50.
06 March 2009
Open Hearts (Elsker Dig Vor Evigt) Denmark, 2002 ☆☆☆☆
A Dogma-style film directed by Susanne Bier. A doctor falls in love with a woman whose fiancé suffers a terrible car accident. A strictly real and down to earth story with great performances and close-up shots that get you inside the story as though you were part of the drama. Excellent.
A Dogma-style film directed by Susanne Bier. A doctor falls in love with a woman whose fiancé suffers a terrible car accident. A strictly real and down to earth story with great performances and close-up shots that get you inside the story as though you were part of the drama. Excellent.
03 March 2009
Cold Prey Norway, 2008 ☆☆☆☆
An original slasher movie (if that's every possible, it actually is in this case!) where a group of teenagers are trapped in a cabin in the middle of a snow storm (we are in Norway, remember) a serial killer is about to ruin their weekend escapade. Excellent visual effects and a great ending.
An original slasher movie (if that's every possible, it actually is in this case!) where a group of teenagers are trapped in a cabin in the middle of a snow storm (we are in Norway, remember) a serial killer is about to ruin their weekend escapade. Excellent visual effects and a great ending.
31 January 2009
Burn After Reading USA, 2008 ☆☆☆☆
A supposedly secret CD gets lost in a gym. Those who find it believe to have found a super top secret. However, what in reality was just the beginning of someone's autobiography gets way too many people in deep trouble. The Cohen brothers know how to do this in a hilarious way.
A supposedly secret CD gets lost in a gym. Those who find it believe to have found a super top secret. However, what in reality was just the beginning of someone's autobiography gets way too many people in deep trouble. The Cohen brothers know how to do this in a hilarious way.
The Reader UK, 2008 ☆☆☆☆
The novel by Bernhard Schlink comes to the big screen. British actors playing as Germans in this sad story about a woman who was a former Nazi prison invigilator who is convicted to several year in prison after the war. It is mainly a love story, since her romantic liaison with a young German teenager.
The novel by Bernhard Schlink comes to the big screen. British actors playing as Germans in this sad story about a woman who was a former Nazi prison invigilator who is convicted to several year in prison after the war. It is mainly a love story, since her romantic liaison with a young German teenager.
11 January 2009
Four Minutes Germany, Vier Minuten 2006 ☆☆
A homicide prisoner with extraordinary musical talent tries to fight her temperamental fists in order to win in a local piano contest. Her teacher, a retired Second World War nurse, has a hidden past that will be unveiled as the movie reaches its dramatic climax.
A homicide prisoner with extraordinary musical talent tries to fight her temperamental fists in order to win in a local piano contest. Her teacher, a retired Second World War nurse, has a hidden past that will be unveiled as the movie reaches its dramatic climax.
07 January 2009
BenX Belgium, 2007 ☆☆☆
The story of an autistic young boy living with his family. We get to see how he views the world, as if it were a video game, where life and death are only temporary stages that can be claimed back. A sad and realistic story, perhaps the most original film made about the realities of living with autism.
The story of an autistic young boy living with his family. We get to see how he views the world, as if it were a video game, where life and death are only temporary stages that can be claimed back. A sad and realistic story, perhaps the most original film made about the realities of living with autism.
30 December 2008
My Dearest Enemy (Mein Liebster Feind) Germany 1999 ☆☆
The love and hate relationship of German director Werner Herzog wth actor Klaus Kinski is analyzed extensively in this documentary. With often harsh shooting conditions, director Herzog was able to come up with original movies in which Kinski played major roles.
The love and hate relationship of German director Werner Herzog wth actor Klaus Kinski is analyzed extensively in this documentary. With often harsh shooting conditions, director Herzog was able to come up with original movies in which Kinski played major roles.
18 December 2008
Lost In La Mancha (USA, 2002) ☆☆
This documentary tells the making of a movie by Terry Gilliam, Don Quichote de la Mancha. A movie that, of course, was not completed. The actual production took place in Spain, at least the beginning,since heaps of problems, especially losing one of the main characters, the Quichotte, prevented director Gilliam from finishing his dream project. This was supposed to be a 35 million dollar movie, which by European standards is extremely expensive.
This documentary tells the making of a movie by Terry Gilliam, Don Quichote de la Mancha. A movie that, of course, was not completed. The actual production took place in Spain, at least the beginning,since heaps of problems, especially losing one of the main characters, the Quichotte, prevented director Gilliam from finishing his dream project. This was supposed to be a 35 million dollar movie, which by European standards is extremely expensive.
15 December 2008
Burden of Dreams (UK, 1982) ☆☆☆
This feature-length documentary tells the complicated making of the Werner Herzog's "Fitzcarraldo". Trying to shoot the film on location in the Amazons proved to be more difficult than expected. Sick artists, an ever-changing weather, floods, tribe conflicts, political tensions, etc. Almost everything you can imagine actually happened. It took almost 3 years for Herzog to finish his movie. The most amazing thing is to listen to the director during the shooting while he attempts to explain the reason(s) for finishing the movie. His stubbornness paid well at the end, and the movie was realeased in both English and German versions in 1982.
This feature-length documentary tells the complicated making of the Werner Herzog's "Fitzcarraldo". Trying to shoot the film on location in the Amazons proved to be more difficult than expected. Sick artists, an ever-changing weather, floods, tribe conflicts, political tensions, etc. Almost everything you can imagine actually happened. It took almost 3 years for Herzog to finish his movie. The most amazing thing is to listen to the director during the shooting while he attempts to explain the reason(s) for finishing the movie. His stubbornness paid well at the end, and the movie was realeased in both English and German versions in 1982.
03 December 2008
Reprise (Norway, 2006) ☆☆☆☆☆
This is one of my favorite movies I saw this year. This movie by Norwegian director Joachim Trier tells the story of two friends who strive to become writers. One becomes a famous writer sooner than the other, but the famous one has psychological problems which make him detached from others at times. What I really find interesting is the way the story is told. Right from the beginning, we see a couple of fast scenes where the storyteller starts narrating things that could have happened, or that would have happened. This conditional future tense is used extensively throughout the movie. This new experimenting with plot storytelling is what Trier deliberately strives for.
The whole looks like a turning of age movie, or a teenager love affair, but the characters have much more depth than that. Especially considering that the two main characters are not professional actors in real life.
This is one of my favorite movies I saw this year. This movie by Norwegian director Joachim Trier tells the story of two friends who strive to become writers. One becomes a famous writer sooner than the other, but the famous one has psychological problems which make him detached from others at times. What I really find interesting is the way the story is told. Right from the beginning, we see a couple of fast scenes where the storyteller starts narrating things that could have happened, or that would have happened. This conditional future tense is used extensively throughout the movie. This new experimenting with plot storytelling is what Trier deliberately strives for. 
The whole looks like a turning of age movie, or a teenager love affair, but the characters have much more depth than that. Especially considering that the two main characters are not professional actors in real life.
01 December 2008
The Birds (USA, 1963) ☆☆☆
Alfred Hitchcocks Meisterstück bleibt immer noch aktuell. Was als eine Liebesgeschichte beginnt wird allmählich zu einem Horror Thriller. Eine Frau versucht einem neuen Bekannten ein Geschenk zu erreichen (zwei "love birds"). Sie reist zu einer ruhigen Dorf, wo plötzlich die Vögel (Spatz) fangen an, die Bevölkerung anzugreifen. Gelungene Effekts führen zu einem Kinoklassiker allezeit.
Alfred Hitchcocks Meisterstück bleibt immer noch aktuell. Was als eine Liebesgeschichte beginnt wird allmählich zu einem Horror Thriller. Eine Frau versucht einem neuen Bekannten ein Geschenk zu erreichen (zwei "love birds"). Sie reist zu einer ruhigen Dorf, wo plötzlich die Vögel (Spatz) fangen an, die Bevölkerung anzugreifen. Gelungene Effekts führen zu einem Kinoklassiker allezeit.
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