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.
31 January 2009
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.
Donnie Darko (USA, 2001) ☆☆☆☆☆
Eine Geschichte, die sich schwierig zu erklären lässt. Regisseur Richard Kelly gelangt ein mysteriöses Drama um ein Jungen, der Visionen hat. Seine Psychologin schlägt vor, seine Krankung mit mehr Medikamente zu kontrollieren, leider vergeblich. Es geht auch um Reisen in die Zukunft und Relativitätstheorien. Aber das traurige Ende wird der Zuschauer erstaunen.
Eine Geschichte, die sich schwierig zu erklären lässt. Regisseur Richard Kelly gelangt ein mysteriöses Drama um ein Jungen, der Visionen hat. Seine Psychologin schlägt vor, seine Krankung mit mehr Medikamente zu kontrollieren, leider vergeblich. Es geht auch um Reisen in die Zukunft und Relativitätstheorien. Aber das traurige Ende wird der Zuschauer erstaunen.
24 November 2008
The Strangers (USA, 2008) ☆☆☆☆
It is difficult not to compare this film with the French hit film "Ils" from three years ago. According to this movie's creators, a childhood experience is what inspired them to write this story. Just like in the French movie, a couple is stranded in a house at night, when suddenly a young girl knocks on the door and asks for someone who does not live there. Soon she and her group of friends break in the house and torture our main characters.
It is difficult not to compare this film with the French hit film "Ils" from three years ago. According to this movie's creators, a childhood experience is what inspired them to write this story. Just like in the French movie, a couple is stranded in a house at night, when suddenly a young girl knocks on the door and asks for someone who does not live there. Soon she and her group of friends break in the house and torture our main characters.
99 Francs (France, 2007) ☆☆☆
Ein spannender Film, der uns zeigt, wie verrückt das Leben für manche geworden ist. Ein Marketing Expert fängt an, sich von seinem Alltag zu trennen. Er interessiert sich nicht mehr, was mit seiner Arbeit passiert, und er findet alles und allen langweilig. Er entschliesst sich zu töten, aber bevor er das macht, lässt er der Zuschauer in sein Leben einblicken. Eine Reihe von verrückten Szenen, wo sich Feier, Arbeit, Liebe und Sex mischen. Inspiriert von dem Erfolgroman "99 Francs" von dem französischen Schriftsteller Frédéric Beigbeder.
Ein spannender Film, der uns zeigt, wie verrückt das Leben für manche geworden ist. Ein Marketing Expert fängt an, sich von seinem Alltag zu trennen. Er interessiert sich nicht mehr, was mit seiner Arbeit passiert, und er findet alles und allen langweilig. Er entschliesst sich zu töten, aber bevor er das macht, lässt er der Zuschauer in sein Leben einblicken. Eine Reihe von verrückten Szenen, wo sich Feier, Arbeit, Liebe und Sex mischen. Inspiriert von dem Erfolgroman "99 Francs" von dem französischen Schriftsteller Frédéric Beigbeder.
16 November 2008
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