Enduring Love (UK, 2004)
A tragic hot air balloon accident changes the life of the main character in this movie. Director Roger Michell has created a psycho stalker thriller with a very romantic title. After trying in vain to save two people in a hot air balloon gone out of control, our main character feels guilty about what happened, and especially the fact that he couldn't save the two people in the air balloon. He then meets another guy who was there at the time of the accident. It turns out this guy is obsessed with our main character. He stalks him, tells him that he loves him, etc., and at the end follows his fiancé and threatens her. At times a little slow, the story becomes more interesting near the end, where we see the real consequences created by a traumatic experience. A nice psycho thriller.
30 January 2006
3 Iron (Binjip) South Korea, 2004
A guy posts publicity pamphlets on the entrance doors of many houses. By the end of the day he comes by again and sees which pamphlets are still hanging on the doorknobs. He chooses any one of these houses, breaks in and spends the night, and he never steals anything. Next day is the same story. He drives a BMW motorcycle and never seems to have any concern about money. One night he goes into a house where a woman is inside. We soon learn that this woman is married and unhappy. She gets beaten by her husband quite often. He decides to take her with him. The husband files a claim to the police. In the meantime this new couple (the motorcycle guy and the woman) spend several nights together at different houses. One day she comes back to her husband and decides to solve her marital problems once and for all. A very poetic plot with very few dialogue and a very subtle ending make an interesting story with a romantic undertone.
A guy posts publicity pamphlets on the entrance doors of many houses. By the end of the day he comes by again and sees which pamphlets are still hanging on the doorknobs. He chooses any one of these houses, breaks in and spends the night, and he never steals anything. Next day is the same story. He drives a BMW motorcycle and never seems to have any concern about money. One night he goes into a house where a woman is inside. We soon learn that this woman is married and unhappy. She gets beaten by her husband quite often. He decides to take her with him. The husband files a claim to the police. In the meantime this new couple (the motorcycle guy and the woman) spend several nights together at different houses. One day she comes back to her husband and decides to solve her marital problems once and for all. A very poetic plot with very few dialogue and a very subtle ending make an interesting story with a romantic undertone.
27 January 2006
23 January 2006
Broken Flowers (USA, 2004)
This is another Jim Jarmusch movie. The pace is slow, so I was really trying to stay awake. For a moment or two my eyes were closing. But the problem is not the slow pace of the movie, it's the story. Bill Murray receives a letter from an old girlfriend telling him she was pregnant at the time and had a baby, his son. Bill decides to go look for her, since she didn't write her name, she just gave some clues. Throughout the film we meet a couple of her ex girlfriends, some of them happily married, others less fortunate. At the end we do not find out who the person was, so the whole travelling around doesn't come up to anything. The end leaves you with unanswered questions, and with a very ackward feeling of "did I miss something here?"
This is another Jim Jarmusch movie. The pace is slow, so I was really trying to stay awake. For a moment or two my eyes were closing. But the problem is not the slow pace of the movie, it's the story. Bill Murray receives a letter from an old girlfriend telling him she was pregnant at the time and had a baby, his son. Bill decides to go look for her, since she didn't write her name, she just gave some clues. Throughout the film we meet a couple of her ex girlfriends, some of them happily married, others less fortunate. At the end we do not find out who the person was, so the whole travelling around doesn't come up to anything. The end leaves you with unanswered questions, and with a very ackward feeling of "did I miss something here?"
16 January 2006
Old Boy (South Korea, 2004)
"Laugh and everyone will laugh with you; cry, and you will cry alone". That is the slogan of this film. It is a story of revenge and cruelty. Director Chan-Wook Park adapted this manga series into a shocking and entertaining movie. It is the story of a man that has been kidnapped for 15 years. When they let him out, he decides to seek revenge. What he doesn't know is that the people who kidnapped him have set up a plan for him. Everything he does, everyone he meets seems to be planned ahead of time by the masterminds of his kidnapping. A very interesting take not only on revenge and vengeance, but also on hypnosis and how people can be controlled using their subconscious.
"Laugh and everyone will laugh with you; cry, and you will cry alone". That is the slogan of this film. It is a story of revenge and cruelty. Director Chan-Wook Park adapted this manga series into a shocking and entertaining movie. It is the story of a man that has been kidnapped for 15 years. When they let him out, he decides to seek revenge. What he doesn't know is that the people who kidnapped him have set up a plan for him. Everything he does, everyone he meets seems to be planned ahead of time by the masterminds of his kidnapping. A very interesting take not only on revenge and vengeance, but also on hypnosis and how people can be controlled using their subconscious.
10 January 2006
Downfall (Der Untergang) Germany, 2005
This movie was nominated for best foreign picture at the last Oscar Awards. People had told me it was somewhat boring, but I disagree. It lasts almost two and a half hours, but for me it went by very fast. This is the real story of what happens during the last days and last hours before Germany surrenders to the Allies during World War II. We learn many shocking details about Hitler and his group of collaborators and defence ministers, who spent their last days isolated in a bunker in Berlin. During these last days, the Russians arrive to Berlin and the German soldiers are not even able to defend their city properly. To make a long story short, many of them commit suicide, while a few escape and run for their lives. Seeing how Ms. Goebbels, the wife of the Propaganda Minister of the Third Reich, kills her own children one by one is really a truly disturbing image. I like the objectivity and realism of this film, showing us that war has catastrophic consequences for all of those who are involved.
This movie was nominated for best foreign picture at the last Oscar Awards. People had told me it was somewhat boring, but I disagree. It lasts almost two and a half hours, but for me it went by very fast. This is the real story of what happens during the last days and last hours before Germany surrenders to the Allies during World War II. We learn many shocking details about Hitler and his group of collaborators and defence ministers, who spent their last days isolated in a bunker in Berlin. During these last days, the Russians arrive to Berlin and the German soldiers are not even able to defend their city properly. To make a long story short, many of them commit suicide, while a few escape and run for their lives. Seeing how Ms. Goebbels, the wife of the Propaganda Minister of the Third Reich, kills her own children one by one is really a truly disturbing image. I like the objectivity and realism of this film, showing us that war has catastrophic consequences for all of those who are involved.
07 January 2006
04 January 2006
Brokeback Mountain (USA, 2005)
This two-hour long romantic movie about two cowboys getting in love is a new change of direction for director Ang Lee. Her previous films have won many international prizes, and this movie will be no exception. Combining the beautiful landscapes of the province of Alberta, Canada, Lee creates a moving love story between two cowboys and their lives through the years. They lead different lives with their families, but they get together several times a year to spend some time. They love each other, but for many reasons they cannot live together. The ending is quite moving and sad, but it is definitely worth watching.
This two-hour long romantic movie about two cowboys getting in love is a new change of direction for director Ang Lee. Her previous films have won many international prizes, and this movie will be no exception. Combining the beautiful landscapes of the province of Alberta, Canada, Lee creates a moving love story between two cowboys and their lives through the years. They lead different lives with their families, but they get together several times a year to spend some time. They love each other, but for many reasons they cannot live together. The ending is quite moving and sad, but it is definitely worth watching.
03 January 2006
02 January 2006
Stranger Than Paradise (USA, 1984)
Director Jim Jarmusch has his own style of filmmaking. His films are always slow paced, but the story is interesting enough to guide you all the way through the end. In his first film, Stranger Than Paradise, Willie (John Lurie) lives alone in New York. His cousin Eva comes from Budapest to stay with her aunt Lotte in Cleveland. Eva stays a couple of days with his cousin in New York. At first he does not like her around, but then a friendlier relationship establishes between them. Eva goes to Cleveland. Willy decides to go visit her. He and a friend borrow a car and drive to Cleveland. They visit aunt Lotte, who speaks more Hungarian than English, then they take Eva with them to Florida. It is as though they were looking for adventure and fun, but the cold weather in Cleveland and the lack of money do not help. This movie won at the Cannes Festival and earned Jarmusch international recognition.
20 December 2005
A girl named Rosemarie (das Mädchen Rosemarie, Germany, 1996)
I found this film really interesting, although I was not expecting much of. At the end it surprised me with its plot twists and ending. This is based on a true story about a girl (guess what her name is... Rosemarie) who instead of going to school decides to trick old rich guys, sleep with them, and take their money away. She becomes quite famous in the post-German business circles in Munich, as a prositute, and a very classy and chic one, by the way. With the help of a French businessman, Rosemarie records private conversations of some businessmen where black mailing and smuggling are concerned. At the end of the movie, she falls in love with the French guy, and threatens him to destroy the tapes if he does not marry him. The small problem is that he is already engaged. This all ends in a tragedy for Rosemarie, but I should not give away the ending. Director Bernd Eichinger has done a good job in telling the story in an interesting way, so that the two-hour-long film goes by pretty fast.
I found this film really interesting, although I was not expecting much of. At the end it surprised me with its plot twists and ending. This is based on a true story about a girl (guess what her name is... Rosemarie) who instead of going to school decides to trick old rich guys, sleep with them, and take their money away. She becomes quite famous in the post-German business circles in Munich, as a prositute, and a very classy and chic one, by the way. With the help of a French businessman, Rosemarie records private conversations of some businessmen where black mailing and smuggling are concerned. At the end of the movie, she falls in love with the French guy, and threatens him to destroy the tapes if he does not marry him. The small problem is that he is already engaged. This all ends in a tragedy for Rosemarie, but I should not give away the ending. Director Bernd Eichinger has done a good job in telling the story in an interesting way, so that the two-hour-long film goes by pretty fast.
19 December 2005
Sun Seekers (Sonnensucher, East Germany, 1958)
First my own impression of this film: an interesting take on the situation of the mining area of Wismut in Germany. The outdoor scenes are interesting, clearly describing daily life for those who lived there, but the dialogues are really bad, you get lots of Russians trying to speak German. There are a lot of hidden messages and symbolism in the language and words they use, but the whole dialogue scenes are not coherent at all, it is like listening to different excerpts from Lenin or Stalin speaking: not very inspiring these days, to be honest.
Now the experts:
"Sun Seekers was banned in 1958 at the urging of the USSR, since it treats Soviet/German relations in mining uranium in the GDR's Wismut region, to support the nuclear arms race. Encouraged by the "thaw" promised by the 20th Congress of the Soviet Communist Party, Konrad Wolf's film presents a highly dramatic and differentiated view of the Nazi past, Stalinist political practices, and the energetic chaos of the early postwar period. The film's style combines Wolf's Russian sensibilities with echoes of Italian neo-realism as well as Pabst's Kameradschaft (1931). Releasing this film was one of Wolf's first priorities when a new regime took power in the GDR in 1972..." DEFA Film Library at the University of Massachusetts Amherst
First my own impression of this film: an interesting take on the situation of the mining area of Wismut in Germany. The outdoor scenes are interesting, clearly describing daily life for those who lived there, but the dialogues are really bad, you get lots of Russians trying to speak German. There are a lot of hidden messages and symbolism in the language and words they use, but the whole dialogue scenes are not coherent at all, it is like listening to different excerpts from Lenin or Stalin speaking: not very inspiring these days, to be honest.
Now the experts:
"Sun Seekers was banned in 1958 at the urging of the USSR, since it treats Soviet/German relations in mining uranium in the GDR's Wismut region, to support the nuclear arms race. Encouraged by the "thaw" promised by the 20th Congress of the Soviet Communist Party, Konrad Wolf's film presents a highly dramatic and differentiated view of the Nazi past, Stalinist political practices, and the energetic chaos of the early postwar period. The film's style combines Wolf's Russian sensibilities with echoes of Italian neo-realism as well as Pabst's Kameradschaft (1931). Releasing this film was one of Wolf's first priorities when a new regime took power in the GDR in 1972..." DEFA Film Library at the University of Massachusetts Amherst
16 December 2005
High Tension (Haute Tension, France 2003)
Director Alexandre Aja has made a hit and run, killer on the loose road movie, that is both visually grotesque and intense, following the good old 70's Euro-trash horror films. We follow two friends' journey into a cottage house outside of the big city where they live. Suddenly, a killer breaks into the house at night, killing everyone he meets. It begins as your usual Jason killer flick, but halfway through the story, there is an unexpected twist that makes this film worth watching. The killing scenes are very strong and visceral, with blood sprouting in every direction. The tension is, as the title suggests, high, because you really don't know if the two friends will survive this killing rampage. This movie is definitely not for sensitive audiences.
Director Alexandre Aja has made a hit and run, killer on the loose road movie, that is both visually grotesque and intense, following the good old 70's Euro-trash horror films. We follow two friends' journey into a cottage house outside of the big city where they live. Suddenly, a killer breaks into the house at night, killing everyone he meets. It begins as your usual Jason killer flick, but halfway through the story, there is an unexpected twist that makes this film worth watching. The killing scenes are very strong and visceral, with blood sprouting in every direction. The tension is, as the title suggests, high, because you really don't know if the two friends will survive this killing rampage. This movie is definitely not for sensitive audiences.
07 December 2005
Melinda and Melinda (USA, 2004)
I am not a fan of Woody Allen, but I must say I found his latest films quite interesting. They have their own style, and you either love them or hate them. I personally find them amusing. His latest movie tells the story of Melinda. In fact, it is the same story told twice, first as a drama and then as a comedy. Both stories alternate each other, so it's like watching two stories at the same time. Desperate Melinda arrives at her best friend's house one evening, interrumpting a dinner her friend was hosting. Melinda has had a difficult life, having divorced, and losing the custody of her children, and then being kept in a mental institution, attempting suicide, etc. It all sounds very depressing, but when we see the comedy version of it, it turns out very entertaining. Melinda meets someone unexpectedly, and things change for her. The way characters tell their stories and the way Woody Allen builds up their dialogues make up for a fun ride into the lives of Melinda and her New York friends.
I am not a fan of Woody Allen, but I must say I found his latest films quite interesting. They have their own style, and you either love them or hate them. I personally find them amusing. His latest movie tells the story of Melinda. In fact, it is the same story told twice, first as a drama and then as a comedy. Both stories alternate each other, so it's like watching two stories at the same time. Desperate Melinda arrives at her best friend's house one evening, interrumpting a dinner her friend was hosting. Melinda has had a difficult life, having divorced, and losing the custody of her children, and then being kept in a mental institution, attempting suicide, etc. It all sounds very depressing, but when we see the comedy version of it, it turns out very entertaining. Melinda meets someone unexpectedly, and things change for her. The way characters tell their stories and the way Woody Allen builds up their dialogues make up for a fun ride into the lives of Melinda and her New York friends.
05 December 2005
The Legend of Paul and Paula (Die Legende von Paul und Paula) East Germany, 1973
In this romantic story, two ordinary citizens of former East Germany meet at a bar. Before that happens, we see how they live their everyday routine. Life is not easy for Paula, who has two jobs: at a bottle recycling plant and at a state supermarket. Paul is an employee at the army. When they meet at a 70's style groovy bar, they start a love relationship that will not last very long. Paula falls deeply in love, and when Paul wants to break with her, her world is torn apart. She has two kids, and when one of them is run by a car and dies, the film stops being a comedy and turns into a drama. It is a very 70's movie, with various face close-ups, groovy rock music as background and colorful clothes. This was one of the most famous films to come out from behind the "iron curtain". Director Heiner Carow created a myth with Paul and Paula, with whom many Germans identified at the time. Many of the actors who appeared in this film decided to leave East Germany in the early 1980's in protest against the government's policies and repressions.
In this romantic story, two ordinary citizens of former East Germany meet at a bar. Before that happens, we see how they live their everyday routine. Life is not easy for Paula, who has two jobs: at a bottle recycling plant and at a state supermarket. Paul is an employee at the army. When they meet at a 70's style groovy bar, they start a love relationship that will not last very long. Paula falls deeply in love, and when Paul wants to break with her, her world is torn apart. She has two kids, and when one of them is run by a car and dies, the film stops being a comedy and turns into a drama. It is a very 70's movie, with various face close-ups, groovy rock music as background and colorful clothes. This was one of the most famous films to come out from behind the "iron curtain". Director Heiner Carow created a myth with Paul and Paula, with whom many Germans identified at the time. Many of the actors who appeared in this film decided to leave East Germany in the early 1980's in protest against the government's policies and repressions.
27 November 2005
The Nameless (Els Sense Nom, Catalonia, Spain, 1999)
Jaume Balaguero's film begins as a tragic story, when a mother loses her daughter, victim of a horrendous mutilation. Then the story jumps five years ahead and suddenly the mother receives a phone call from her daughter, telling her she is still alive but prisoner in some kind of cult group. This will start a desperate search for the girl, with the help of an old friend, the mother starts to find out the truth: apparently her daughter has been used to explore the limits of pain in a hidden cult which initiated in Scotland. This is one of the best movies I have seen dealing with the subject of cult and fanatism. The unexpected ending will leave you astonished. Throughout the film, the viewer has the impression of getting to the truth of things, but every now and then there is a twist, and the real truth appears more shocking than before. This is a movie I wanted to see for a long time now. If you like the Spanish film "The Thesis" you should not miss this Spanish jewel.
Jaume Balaguero's film begins as a tragic story, when a mother loses her daughter, victim of a horrendous mutilation. Then the story jumps five years ahead and suddenly the mother receives a phone call from her daughter, telling her she is still alive but prisoner in some kind of cult group. This will start a desperate search for the girl, with the help of an old friend, the mother starts to find out the truth: apparently her daughter has been used to explore the limits of pain in a hidden cult which initiated in Scotland. This is one of the best movies I have seen dealing with the subject of cult and fanatism. The unexpected ending will leave you astonished. Throughout the film, the viewer has the impression of getting to the truth of things, but every now and then there is a twist, and the real truth appears more shocking than before. This is a movie I wanted to see for a long time now. If you like the Spanish film "The Thesis" you should not miss this Spanish jewel.
23 November 2005
Irreversible (France, 2002)
Director Gaspar Noé is well known for creating ultra violent and realistic films. This one is no exception, following his own cruel style, Noé explores the life of a Parisian couple on one single fateful day. The story is told backwards, beginning with the last scene late that night, moving on to the previous events. This is a story of revenge. Marcus is confronted with the rape of his girlfriend, Alex (the beautiful Monica Bellucci) He seeks revenge by looking for the rapist that same night. A 20-minutes rape scene, a visit into a gay bar, menacing trasvestite hookers in the Parisian streets: it all looks dreadful and terrifying, hard to believe this really happens in a developed country, such as France.
Director Gaspar Noé is well known for creating ultra violent and realistic films. This one is no exception, following his own cruel style, Noé explores the life of a Parisian couple on one single fateful day. The story is told backwards, beginning with the last scene late that night, moving on to the previous events. This is a story of revenge. Marcus is confronted with the rape of his girlfriend, Alex (the beautiful Monica Bellucci) He seeks revenge by looking for the rapist that same night. A 20-minutes rape scene, a visit into a gay bar, menacing trasvestite hookers in the Parisian streets: it all looks dreadful and terrifying, hard to believe this really happens in a developed country, such as France.
21 November 2005
Ostkreuz (East Cross, Germany, 1989)
Director Michael Klier depicts a very depressing portray of life in former East Germany. 14-year-old Elfie lives with her mother in East Berlin. While she skips classes and practically does nothing productive, her mother sleeps with a friend in exchange for money. They both want to pay the appartment they live in. Elfie meets a Polish fellow who shows her the way to steal pickpocket style on the streets. The money she gets out of this is not enough, and her mother decides to leave East Germany with her "boyfriend" she leaves her daughter behind. It cannot be a more depressing ending, although it is not a heartbreaking story.
Director Michael Klier depicts a very depressing portray of life in former East Germany. 14-year-old Elfie lives with her mother in East Berlin. While she skips classes and practically does nothing productive, her mother sleeps with a friend in exchange for money. They both want to pay the appartment they live in. Elfie meets a Polish fellow who shows her the way to steal pickpocket style on the streets. The money she gets out of this is not enough, and her mother decides to leave East Germany with her "boyfriend" she leaves her daughter behind. It cannot be a more depressing ending, although it is not a heartbreaking story.
05 November 2005
Brazil (UK, 1985)
Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet called Brazil "retro-futurism", a willfully absurdist dystopian fable about an impossible future that feels more like an antiquated past. It is the story of a society completely controlled by a dictatorship. Every single move is registered by the government, and bundles of acts must be filled out before anyone wants to do anything. Our main character falls in love with a girl he meets on the street, and in his attempt to find her, he accepts a promotion in the information ministry. An exciting and blow-your-mind experience begins when he tries to get into the files and find her profile. This is retro-futurism in all its true form, and true science fiction jewel not to be missed.
Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet called Brazil "retro-futurism", a willfully absurdist dystopian fable about an impossible future that feels more like an antiquated past. It is the story of a society completely controlled by a dictatorship. Every single move is registered by the government, and bundles of acts must be filled out before anyone wants to do anything. Our main character falls in love with a girl he meets on the street, and in his attempt to find her, he accepts a promotion in the information ministry. An exciting and blow-your-mind experience begins when he tries to get into the files and find her profile. This is retro-futurism in all its true form, and true science fiction jewel not to be missed.
04 November 2005
The Squid and the Whale (USA, 2005)
Noah Baumbach's latest film is a very un-Royal Tannenbaums tragicomedy about a family tearing itself to shreds. 12-year-old Frank and 16-year-old Walt watch their once-famous novelist father and rising writer mother turn family history into urban myth. At times perceptive and moving and bracing, also admirably ruthless, it is also a very funny story. Jeff Daniels and Laura Linney do an excellent job as a married couple trying to save their marriage. The film won the 2005 Dramatic Directing and Waldo Salt Screenwriting price at the last Sundance film festival.
Noah Baumbach's latest film is a very un-Royal Tannenbaums tragicomedy about a family tearing itself to shreds. 12-year-old Frank and 16-year-old Walt watch their once-famous novelist father and rising writer mother turn family history into urban myth. At times perceptive and moving and bracing, also admirably ruthless, it is also a very funny story. Jeff Daniels and Laura Linney do an excellent job as a married couple trying to save their marriage. The film won the 2005 Dramatic Directing and Waldo Salt Screenwriting price at the last Sundance film festival.
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