Public Enemies

A rather disappointing film because of the storytelling but -at least for me- my loving of Johnny Depp and Marion Cotillard allowed me to not stop watching the movie and enjoy their performances as much as possible. As a matter of fact the only moments I really enjoyed were when the two characters Dillinger and Billie Frechette finally had enough time together in the story and screen.

The film tells about the last years in John Dillinger life, but actually tells more about how thanks to him the FBI grew to become what it is and how federal laws in the USA changed forever. Consequently also tells about the last of the big name criminals, as from there on organized crime became more “popular” than gangs with one strong and legendary leader.

I suppose that this film is more suited for men than women, as focuses more on gun fights and very long scenes where you can only hear the gun machines noise and fire peculiar to guns in those years. These scenes were too noisy and really boring for me. As a matter of fact I found that the storytelling was not exciting, totally lacking or generating emotions and the movie felt very long with 140 minutes.

Now I’m surer that I’m no Michael Mann fan as his films with his directing and storytelling style definitively do not appeal to me. It was most unfortunately that Depp and Cotillard were in this movie, but the few scenes they have together are really nice even if only come almost at the end of the movie.

If you like Johnny Depp and/or Marion Cotillard performances you have to watch them here, but I suggest you rent the DVD and fast forward all the noisy and boring parts. If you like crime biopics, you will be disappointed as there is not much character development and the film sort of assumes that you already know the characters so you only see incidents flowing one after the other. But if you enjoy watching a methodical approach to violence, then this is a film you should not miss.

Not a very satisfying cinematic experience and definitively a very long film that didn’t took advantage of the huge star cast that includes Christian Bale and Billy Crudup as Edgar J. Hoover among many more.

Enjoy.

Watch trailer @ Movie On Companion

Backyard (El Traspatio)

Ciudad Juarez is a small town across the border from the U.S. where women have been disappearing, only to be found later raped and murdered. Though the numbers keep growing, seems like no one really cares. These women come mainly from the poor classes, cheap labor for multinational businesses on the area, and these crimes are, at most, a nuisance to the authorities.

This Mexican movie from director Carlos Carrera focuses on that reality, and does so in a perfect way. Maybe that is why it’s Mexico’s submission for the Best Foreign Language Film to the Academy Awards, and I hope it gets nominated so that there’s a chance more people will see this movie.

Written by Sabina Berman, this movie has a very interesting plot, as it seems to portray men and women on different sides (with very few exceptions). Women are the victims, men the perpetrators; women are moving things and trying to give the situation visibility and to find solutions, men want to cover it up or ignore it. Women are worried about the victims, men are worried about their careers. This makes for a powerful play about gender struggles, even if you can see that there are other things in stake, as money and political ambitions.

Talented and beautiful actress Ana De La Reguera portrays policewoman Blanca Bravo, doing all she can and some more to solve and stop the crimes. She doesn’t look glamorous; she looks real, as real as this story is. At first she was not considered for the part, as there was the fear she’d look “too sexy” for it. As you’ll find out watching the movie, clearly it wasn’t a problem. There are other relevant characters in the movie and acting is very good. Apart from Ana, I want to mention Amorita Rasgado and Adriana Paz.

As I said, what goes on at Ciudad Juarez is unfortunately reality, not fiction, and the director does a good job at making you see it as so.

Quoting the Organization of American States' Inter-American Commission on Human Rights:

The victims of these crimes have preponderantly been the state of young women, between 12 and 22 years of age. Many were students, and most were assembly plants workers. A number were relative newcomers to Ciudad Juarez who had migrated from other areas of Mexico. The victims were generally reported missing by their families, with their bodies found days or months later abandoned in vacant lots, outlying areas or in the desert. In most of these cases there were signs of sexual violence, abuse, torture or in some cases mutilation.

I’d also like to recommend a visit to the movie official site, very interactive and with lots of relevant information.

I’ve seen this movie portrayed as a Thriller and I’m afraid it will give the wrong idea about the movie. I guess they have to “sell it” any way they can, and if it brings more people to watch it, so be it. But it is not an eat-some-popcorn-and-relax flick.

If you are looking for an entertaining movie, this is not it. I didn’t enjoy myself. I was moved, and worried. By the way, sex-related crimes against women are on the rise, everywhere.

Green light!

Watch trailer @ Movie On Companion

Star Trek

I was not looking forward to watch this movie as I imagined was going to be another noisy and full of amazing special effects movie that will make me crazy. Noisy? Yes. Amazing special effects? Yes. Made me crazy? NO!!! It is really entertaining and visually amazing with some excellent special effects made with light and many others effects that are okay done with the regular stuff.

What can I say that hasn’t been said? Nothing, but here I go with the same. Producers, actors and directors did a great job, but writers did a better job as the going back to when Jim Kirk was born is a great idea. At one moment I imagined was going to be like the Star Wars saga that went back to tell the story from the beginning; but surprise, surprise (at least for those that are not hard trekkies) goes back and brings back characters from the future including Mr. Spock.

You have no idea how excited I got when all the characters started to appear until the last one, Scottie. It was so fun, that I felt like a little kid again. Honestly, if you ever saw the original series you will simply love this film.

Most surprised was that I started to recall so many things from the TV show and maybe I’m more trekkie than what I imagined. After all I recalled when I first got to Canada and had nothing in the apartment, not even a TV; but each Saturday (or Sunday?) I used to go to have breakfast at a brasserie just to watch Star Trek… well, reruns of the show!!! Definitively I’m more trekkie that no one knows.

Highly recommend the movie for an escape moment and perhaps, to recall the good old days when everybody was younger. Hope they do more as good as this one, I’ll watch them a lot faster.

Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @ Movie On Companion

Traveling ... again!

Yep, I have to travel again. So, for about two weeks I won't be posting as much as I like and I really regret that probably I wont be able to follow the Foreign Film submissions to the Oscar as I do from here... but I'll try.

As soon as I'm back, my priority will be to Update that post!

The extremely very good news is that I'll be able to shop for GOOD DVD's in person and pickup many that have ordered! So, eventually reviews will start to appear.

Thank you for visiting the blog and I'll be back to normal soon.

Ricky

What a delicious surprise! This François Ozon film might not be his usual style (or story) but definitively was a great ride into (not so) light fantasy that I know has to have different meanings to viewers and according to whatever each individual beliefs, some may like it and some may not. This was another French film that I had to stop reading reviews and comments in English, as whatever they say wasn’t definitively what I saw.

The film starts like a regular/normal drama. An ordinary single mother, Katie (Alexandra Lamy) meets an ordinary foreign man, Paco (Sergi Lopez) and they fall in love and form an ordinary family that includes nine-year-old Lisa. For about half the movie you will see their ordinary life and perhaps the only drama comes from the little girl deadpan performance that shows is not willing to easily accept Paco in her family. But there is something that tells you and quite constantly reminds you that “something” is going to happen: the music score. Very good use of music while telling the ordinary lives of this trio.

One of the most amazing things about this movie is that moves in time swiftly and sometimes you do not know if a day, a week, a year or how long time moves from one scene into the other. This may be confusing for some, but soon enough you know that time fast forwarded to a different moment. So, eventually Katie has a baby with Paco and Lisa says the name: Ricky. Truly amazing twist! The story changes, the movie style changes and finally you know what the music score was telling you will come! All the changes become more evident because the first half is really ordinary while the second half is really extraordinary!

I really wish to continue telling what happens after about half the movie, but I believe I will totally spoil the movie for you. I even went out of the way to find a trailer that does not give the most amazing story twist from this movie, so if you want to watch the trailer, go ahead as wont give the story away.

So, what did I see in the story? I saw a story about being different and how different can be accepted as not unusual or “normal” within the inner circle of your loved ones, who keep it a secret and within the closed doors of your home. When is out in the open, people can accept you, no fuzz and no so big deal. But media is always looking forward to make you a “freak”. So, you’re only choice is to “fly away”, “go away”. Yes, that’s what I saw, but also I saw a very unusual love story between mother and child, and between all the family members.

Needless is to say that the film has excellent production values with great performances by actors. Having worked in Advertising I know how hard is to film children and have no idea how hard was for Ozon, but the scenes with the very young actor that plays Ricky are truly fantastic and flawless.

The movie was in competition at the 2009 Berlinale and I do not understand why has no more honors. At the same time I think I know, as this is not a film for everyone when deals with a very young child, in a dreamlike magic role and indeed, lots of very unusual fantasy.

Anyway, I highly recommend this unusual story to many regular blog readers, but have to remind all of you that is true French cinema with slow pace, inconsequential everyday actions and well, this time has a clear (at least for me) ending. A must be seen for Ozon fans, even when some will be disappointed with the storytelling style he uses here.

Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @ Movie On Companion

Brúðguminn (White Night Wedding)

Watching Iceland cinema is always a visual pleasure and more if the film is by Baltasar Kormákur that I enjoyed in great 101 Reykjavík and good Mýrin (Jar City). This film has the same high production values as the mentioned films, with excellent cinematography of an island in the middle of nowhere and according to the plot, one of the most up-north inhabited islands in the world.

Inspired by Chekhov’s Ivanov and with script co written by Kormákur the film starts when Jón is in the rehearsal of his second wedding and in real time the film tells about the next twenty-four hours until the wedding ceremony. But time moves back-and-forth to when Jón is married to his first wife Anna and decides to give up his teaching position in Reykjavík to go back to Anna’s birthplace, the isolated island. Eventually past and present merge. The movie is supposedly a comedy, but humor is really sour and very dry, very similar to Nordic humor and totally different to let’s say, American humor. To me the story is a drama about people that try to change their lives only to find that whatever you do, you’ll end-up exactly where you started to think that you need to change your life.

Not an easy to watch movie because the dry/sour story, the pace, and the humor style, but great performances and beautiful photography (special mention to lighting) makes the film watchable. Still this is a forgettable story, even when some beautiful images could remain in your head for a while.

The film that was screened at 2008 Toronto fest won all the awards where got nominations at the 2008 Edda Awards in Iceland and definitively the Best Cinematography honor was well-deserved.

This is a film that I only recommend to those that have to watch Baltasar Kormákur oeuvre, as otherwise I tend to think that the story will not please many. I liked the movie, but I would have appreciated more the film if the story would have been more interesting for me.

Enjoy!!

Watch trailer @ Movie On Companion

Eden à l'ouest (Eden is West)

Costa-Gavras films are always must-be-seen for me even when most are truly hard-to-watch. My surprise is to find that this movie -that has a very difficult theme: illegal immigration- is light and quite playful making it perhaps the easiest to watch Costa-Gavras film I have ever seen. But within all the lightness and playfulness we are exposed to a series of situations that immigrants have to suffer when illegally entering any European country.

Tells the story of Elias (Riccardo Scamarcio) that jumps a ship full of illegal immigrants because police is coming, evades police to wake up next morning at a nudist beach in a plush hotel that I assume is in France. In the hotel manages to continue evading police by passing as a hotel clerk, a customer, a magician aid, and the boyfriend of a German tourist played by Juliane Köhler that many blog readers will recognize from great Aimee and Jaguar. This part of the story includes sexual advances by the hotel director (Eric Caravaca) and watching how hotel guests willingly help to find other illegal immigrants that jumped the ship, plus tourist attitudes when bodies started to appear dead at the beach. As Elias is able to leave a hotel following an invitation from the magician to see him in Paris, he will find people that will help him and who will exploit him. The rest you have to see it as the end of the film is bittersweet for the character (and us viewers) but it’s done with a touch of magic that says much about the entire film.

The film has excellent tempo that makes it feel like a thriller and you really want to know what will happen to Elias next. Lightness, playfulness and thriller are words not often used to describe a good movie and obviously the Costa-Gavras skillful abilities are what make this movie great to watch, while “reviewing” and seeing scenes from a very difficult theme like immigration. This is amazing.

But more amazing is to find what Costa-Gavras says about the film:
"que le film soit un hommage à nos pères, nos grands-pères et à ceux de notre génération qui sont venus en France malgré les embûches et les tempêtes". Le cinéaste précise tout de même qu'il n'a pas réalisé une autobiographie même si "ce film est sans doute mon film le plus personnel."

By the way, do not try to understand the language that Elias and his fellow immigrants speak, it was invented by Costa-Gavras and Jean-Claude Grumberg who co wrote the script with him. The only reason: didn’t want viewers to identify a nationality to the lead character.

Excellent production values with special mention to the beautiful cinematography in many scenes with dramatic nature takes and the great performance by Italian Riccardo Scamarcio that is truly believable as the good looking childish, naïve and very fast runner always flying away from police.

The film was screened out of competition at the 2009 Berlinale where was the closing film. I never thought that I will recommend a Costa-Gavras film for being entertaining! Yes, the film is very entertaining and I strongly recommend it to those that can’t miss a Costa-Gavras film and to those that have never seen any of his movies, this is the one to watch; but be aware that his other films are not like this one.

Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @ Movie On Companion

57th San Sebastian International Film Festival Opening Ceremony and News

I did taped the fest Opening Ceremony and watch it yesterday. My review: Really Boring. But there were some highlights.

-Elena Anaya with a white/blondish hair! To me means that the filming of Habitación en Roma (Room in Rome) is OVER, which obviously are EXCELLENT news, as hopefully soon will be released or at least Julio Medem will give us a new trailer!

-Saffron Burrows, speaking some Spanish and introducing the section Zabaltegi New Directors where she’s the President of the Jury.

-Clips -many clips- from all movies in all sections.

One little thing to suggest organizers for next and following events, DO NOT USE such a high staircase that delays the show more and becomes not interesting and boring watching celebrities and guests walking down the stairs! (lol!).

Anyway if you wish to watch the opening ceremony video with 47+ minutes go here and do not forget to check sansebastianfestivaltv that has many videos available with versions in Spanish and English, so you can select the language of your choice.

One video I particularly suggest watching is the Press Conference for El Secreto de tus Ojos to learn a little more about this film that’s generating so much buzz.

2009 Toronto International Film Festival Award Winners

Surely some of you noticed the lowest possible coverage of this fest that I did and perhaps some are wondering why. When I saw the fest site I got strongly disappointed as it was REALLY not user friendly and totally oriented to sales.

As we have been noticing year after year Internet is a great sales and advertising medium that’s growing exponentially. But we that follow festivals have also noticed that Festivals web sites have been doing a lot more than just promoting sales, they have been making the festival REALLY accessible to the World for the pleasure of us cinephiles. Just see what Cannes, Venice, San Sebastian and this year even London fests are doing in their web sites. TIFF, being perhaps the largest fest in North America, did not do it last year and did not do it this year. Let’s hope that next year they will consider opening and sharing the festival with US that have to enjoy from afar one of our greatest passions: films.

Anyway, here are the award winners.

Best Canadian Feature Film: Cairo Time, Ruba Nadda
Special Jury Citation: La Donation (The Legacy), Bernard Émond

Best Canadian First Feature Film: The Wild Hunt, Alexandre Franchi

FIPRESCI Prize: Paltadacho munis (The Man Beyond the Bridge), Laxmikant Shetgaonkar, India
FIPRESCI Prize for Special Presentations: Hadewijch, Bruno Dumont, France

People’s Choice Award: Push by Sapphire, Lee Daniels, USA (lesbian interest)
First Runner-up: Mao’s Last Dancer, Bruce Beresford, Australia (seems interesting!)
Second Runner-up: Micmacs à tire-larigot (Micmacs), Jean-Pierre Jeunet, France

People’s Choice Award Documentary: The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls, Leanne Pooley, New Zealand (lesbian interest)
Runner-up: Capitalism: A Love Story, Michael Moore, USA
People’s Choice Award Midnight Madness: The Loved Ones, Sean Byrne, Australia

Best Short Film: Danse Macabre, Pedro Pires, Canada
The jury remarked: "There was one film that had such devastating beauty, that watching it was having fireworks shattering your heart. A prayer for the dying, a love song to the living, everyone must see this beautiful work." (From clips I can assure that it’s true! Amazing visuals!)
Honorable Mention: The Armoire, Jamie Travis, Canada

To read the press release go here.

Des poupées et des anges (Dolls and Angels)

Based on the novel by Nora Hamidi, with a script and directed by Nora Hamidi, this film has the honor of being the first French movie (I watch recently) that is totally mainstream and very melodramatic. This is so unusual for me that really shocked me, as I really go out-of-the-way to avoid French mainstream.

Perhaps some writers should allow better script writers and much better directors do the adaptation of their successful novels, as sometimes trying to do everything does not mean that the end product is going to be right. The movie has so many flaws that I’m not going to get into mention them, but have to admit that the story has great potential that was totally wasted with the absence of skills in script writing and directing.

Still, I was able to watch the entire movie because actors performances and because (even if it sounds really superficial) great looking actors, especially Leïla Bekhti that plays Lya, the teenage tomboyish girl in the middle of a torn family with an abusive father, a submissive mother and two sisters, the older Chirine trying to get into the modeling business and the younger too young and learning not so good stuff. Bekhti and Karina Testa (plays Chirine) got nominations as Best Female Newcomer at the 2008 Prix Lumières and are well deserved as performances are good.

Definitively I cannot recommend this movie if you enjoy French cinema. But if you’re curious to find why I call it “mainstream” then perhaps you should give it a try.

Sigh.

Watch trailer @ Movie On Companion

Valentino: The Last Emperor

From the 2008 Venice Film Festival this documentary that was a much unexpected surprise as it’s highly entertaining even when you do not care that much about high fashion and haute couture. The doc tells a little about the life of Valentino, something about what lead him to retire, shows his last collection in Paris, and the 45 years in business anniversary celebration in Rome. But most of all shows a puzzling and very interesting relationship between Valentino and his partner for 45 years, Giancarlo Giammetti.

Exactly the last comment is what got me hook with this documentary as is a truly amazing portrait of a gay couple, which after so many years can still show so much caring for each other.

But have to admit that I also enjoyed watching the celebrities (from Jackie to Elizabeth Taylor, to Elton John, and actors in the Paris home celebration for being honored by the French government), scenes from La Dolce Vita, beautiful places, beautiful houses, beautiful people, the beautiful life and beautiful dresses.

Some did not enjoy this doc because they found it ostentatious, extravagant, pretentious and many other not positive adjectives. Perhaps is true for some. But I’m not going to pretend that I had no idea who Valentino is and why this is called The Last Emperor. He is one of the two couturiers (not designers) that still is alive and until recently, working; the other one is Karl Lagerfeld. Valentino is the last Italian couturier that learned the art from the 20’s couturiers. So, in a way I also enjoyed learning about Valentino last years in the business as definitively haute couture is something that I do not follow.

This is one documentary that those that enjoy the gay interest genre should not miss and those that look for a serious portrait of a great couturier should NOT watch. This is a highly entertaining and charming portrait of a gay couple that as Giammetti mentions, for the last 45 years have spend 24/7 together, and if he counts the days that have not will not add more that 2 months. Gee, that’s truly amazing for a very successful couple.

Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @ Movie On Companion.

25th Festroia International Film Festival Award Winners

Not long ago this Portuguese festival, that I followed but waited until the award winners to post, had its closing ceremony and here are the winners.

Official Prizes

Gold Dolphin for Best Film: Kielletty hedelmä (Forbidden Fruit), Dome Karukoski, Finland and Sweden

Silver Dolphin Special Jury Prize: Laskar pelangi (The Rainbow Troops), Riri Riza, Indonesia
Silver Dolphin for Best Director: Stephan Komandarev for Svetat e golyam i spasenie debne otvsyakade (The World is Big and Salvation Lurks around the Corner), Bulgaria, Germany, Slovenia and Hungary
Silver Dolphin for Best Actress: Amanda Pilke in Kielletty hedelmä (Forbidden Fruit), Dome Karukoski, Finland and Sweden
Silver Dolphin for Best Actor: Samuel Spisak in Nedodrzaný slub (Broken Promise), Jirí Chlumský, Slovakia, Czech Republic and USA
Silver Dolphin for Best Script: Henrik Ruben Genz and Dunja Gry Jansen for Frygtelig lykkelig (Terribly Happy), Henrik Ruben Genz, Denmark
Silver Dolphin for Best Cinematography: Karel Fairaisl for Hlidac c.47 (Guard No. 47), Filip Renc, Czech Republic

Other Awards

First Work Award: Der Freund (The Friend), Micha Lewinsky, Switzerland

FIPRESCI Prize: Het zusje van Katia (Katia’s Sister), Mijke de Jong, Netherlands
SIGNIS Prize: Svetat e golyam i spasenie debne otvsyakade (The World is Big and Salvation Lurks around the Corner), Stephan Komandarev, Bulgaria, Germany, Slovenia and Hungary
CICAE Prize: Kielletty hedelmä (Forbidden Fruit), Dome Karukoski, Finland and Sweden

To read all the awards go here.

南京！南京！Nanjing! Nanjing! (City of Life and Death)

Extremely hard-to-watch movie about the take of Nanking by the Japanese and all the atrocities that come after conquer subdues conquered. I still have engraved in my brain the last words spoken in this movie: “Life is harder than death”. You have no idea how true those words are, especially after watching this mesmerizing film about the atrocities the Japanese did in WWII.

The film looks and feels so realistic that at times gives the impression of being a documentary, moving pictures taken when everything was happening in reality. But this is no documentary as has a narrative that tells in silence what one Japanese soldier sees since he entered the city after the Chinese surrendered. What he sees (and we do too) is truly horrendous and very emotional for the character and for viewers, so definitively is not a film and story for the weak.

I couldn’t stop watching because the images and the storytelling are impressive, but my heart and body shrunk and still feel the pain of what I saw. Yes the film inhabits a strange space between art movie and the mainstream that will totally blow your mind if you can stand what’s shown in the screen.

The film is in black and white with very few words spoken in different languages, including some writings in English at the very beginning that I interpret as the writings of John Rabe, the German that saved many Chinese during the “rape” of Nanking. Top production values with top performances; but honestly, the story is really hard to watch even when the images are spectacular. In particular the end of the movie is almost surreal with Japanese soldiers dancing at the beat of their giant drums and the film ending in a large field with tiny white flowers.

As someone says, it’s common that cinema portraits what Germans did in WWII but very seldom audiences have the opportunity to watch what the Japanese did. This is one opportunity that many should not miss for the History lesson told in a non-melodramatic and emotion-intense way.

I do recommend the movie as a movie to those that like art in their movies and to those that don’t too (it's also mainstream); but insist that the story is not for the weak. This is not a movie to enjoy but just to keep the rating system I mention the word, enjoy.

Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @ Movie On Companion

57th San Sebastian Festival News

Next Thursday the most famous festival in the Spanish speaking world will start and this year the fest website is offering up-to-date photo galleries and the sansebastianfestivalTV channel that offers you the possibility to live up close the events of each day of the festival: rebroadcast of its galas, award-giving ceremonies, press conferences, and numerous TV reports, special programs, interviews and summaries of each day with a wide selection of videos with the most outstanding events taking place at the Zinemaldia.

To watch the videos available from next Friday go here.

Sir Ian McKellen will receive the Donostia Award on the 23rd

Cultivated in the Shakespeare classics, the British actor achieved worldwide fame in The Lord of the Rings and X-Men. He won the Silver Shell for Best Actor in 1998 for Gods and Monsters.

To read the announcement go here.

Since one of the fest sponsors is TVE, maybe TVE International will broadcast the opening ceremony next Thursday; I’ll be checking and if the find is positive will be my first time watching something from this festival.

Well, yes I'll be able to watch it and I'm recording the show to watch perhaps next Saturday!

Folk flest bor i Kina (Most People live in China)

The film is also known as Utopia – Nobody Is Perfect in the Perfect Country.

This collection of small segments tied by one narrative that tells about a gas station in the middle of nowhere (like Norway is, according to the producers) was done to represent (or mock) Norway’s political parties and as far as I read it does a good job as got honors in local festivals. The problem is that I do not know a thing about Norway politics and much less what was happening in 2001 when the movie was produced.

So you probably say: why would someone watch something about something that know nothing? Well, I knew there was a lesbian interest segment; that by-the-way is caustic funny and so realistic in many ways but is perhaps the shortest segment of all.

The extremely funny thing is that I really liked this film that I believe is about people and their crazy ways as human beings. But most of all I like it because REALLY made me relax and feel good after a not-so-good day.

So if you ever have a terrible day then perhaps you should give a try to this movie that I’m sure will lift positively your spirits and the perspective about yourself and all people from anywhere in the world. This is a small world after all.

Enjoy. (Couldn't find a trailer.)

Un Prophète (A Prophet)

I was a little afraid to watch the 2009 Cannes Grand Prix winner as according to the trailer and some of what I read before watching, I knew this movie was about men in prison and had to be violent. If you’re like me, then honestly need not to fear anything as this is a truly excellent film that will engage you since the very beginning even when I have to admit that the film starts with hard-to-watch violence.

The film starts as a regular-looking film about a young man coming into prison and the often seen “welcome” into the violence that a newcomer is subjected to. What makes this film different and highly watchable is the directing style by Jacques Audiard, extraordinary camera takes/moves and great performances; and I’m just talking about the first half hour (or so) of the film that perhaps has (for me) the hardest to watch violence.

As the story evolves the prison starts to look like a microcosm of tensions and conflicts within wider French society where a heterogeneous conglomerate fights for power and survival. Here is when you start to really notice the lead character Malik El Djebena, played by newcomer Tahar Rahim with an extraordinary and remarkable performance, and when the film becomes a compulsively/mesmerizing thriller French style, of course!

If the story, which according to Audiard deals about the creation of a “hero”, is highly interesting and attention grabber was not enough, the cinematography, camera angles, slow pace to allow extremely good character development, excellent performances with great casting ,and a intriguing directing style make this film absolutely remarkable and unforgettable. There are some scenes that totally recall (or even duplicate) the camera style seen in The Diving Bell and the Butterfly when shows what the character is seeing.

After watching the film I had to explain to someone that does not like French cinema what the movie is all about and why I like it so much. Spontaneously I asked: Did you like The Godfather? If you did then you will like this great film. This movie tells a similar (not the same) story but done with less action/violence and more with awfully strong emotions that will make you feel absolutely everything while watching extraordinary images in the screen. A true cinema masterpiece and a very complete cinematic experience that will entertain you (yes, is very entertaining), intensely feel every emotion and for your eyes and ears delight, enjoy great images with complementary silences or sounds that absolutely enhance the scenes. Plus there is some magic expressed as your inner self fears and guilt’s.

So what’s the story all about? The birth, the education and the unusual rise of a mob lord.

This film has to be the French submission to the Oscar’s race, as in my opinion has everything the Academy likes with a strong touch that totally identifies and distinguishes French cinema.

I highly recommend this unusually entertaining art style French masterpiece to everyone that likes or not French cinema and any film with the Art word attached to.

I love this film and was most impressed by the sweet (yes, sweet!) happy ending that clearly states what this film is all about: human emotions! The film is long with two hours and half, but when was over I wanted MORE. I really hope they do a second installment, but at the same time I know that they probably won’t as what follows might not be easy to portrait in the screen with so much beauty.

BIG ENJOY!!!

Watch trailer @ Movie On Companion

PS The few 2009 Cannes films I have seen are so EXTRAORDINARY that now I’m (more) REALLY looking forward to see the Palm d’Or winner that hopefully has to be as good if not better.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Män som hatar kvinnor)

The Millennium Trilogy is a series of three bestselling novels written by the late Swedish writer Stieg Larsson and it’s named after the magazine where the character Mikael Blomqvist works. The novels in the series are The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest.

The trilogy has been made into three films (Danish production) and "Män som hatar kvinnor" is the first. The second "Flickan som lekte med elden" [The Girl Who Played with Fire] is being released soon, and the third is supposed to also be out before the end of the year.

The correct translation for the title is “Man Who Hate Women” and who knows why it was changed since it was perfect.

Mikael Blomqvist is a journalist with an unusual assignment. He is contacted by the industrial leader Henrik Vanger, who wants him to find out what happened to his 16-year old niece Harriet Vanger, disappeared without a trace on September 29th 1966. Henrik is convinced she was murdered and needs some closure. Mikael has recently been indicted and convicted on counts of slander and also knew Harriet, so he accepts the job. He gets help from the enigmatic computer hacker Lisbeth Salander. They start to investigate the past of the Vanger family and find a troubling story.

Danish director Niels Arden Oplev only directed this movie, the other two are directed by Swedish director Daniel Alfredson and honestly I’m curious to see what changes with the new director, since I was not too convinced by Oplev’s work.

The acting is quite good and Noomi Rapace (Lisbeth) caught my attention to the point I’m looking for another movie she was in – Daisy Diamond - and that got her an acting award. Michael Nyqvist as Blomqvist also does a good job. Peter Andersson plays a small role on the movie, but it’s a very important one and he is amazing doing it.

I did find the plot a bit predictable and there is also something that happens halfway through the movie between Lisbeth and Mikael that I found totally out of character and particularly weird under the circumstances, but I haven’t read the book so I don’t know if it’s part of the book or just a stupid idea they had for the movie.

Apart from that I handled quite well the almost two-and-a-half hour long movie, and that says a lot to me. If a movie is that long, either it is good or it’s torture. The plot was absorbing and kept me interested. Lisbeth Salander is a very interesting character, though I felt there was a lot more about her than what is revealed. I think that probably to explain more about her, (or Michael, for that matter) would have forced the movie to be even longer and if that is the case, I’m glad they didn’t do it. The book is apparently around 500 pages long and most likely it would not have been easy to squeeze in more information. It’s just that for what I’ve read, there are some aspects of Lisbeth’s personality that you don’t get at all from this movie and that might be relevant to know about, if you really want to understand her. So I’m thinking that we will have more information in the next movie, and after watching all of them I might have to revisit this review. Now, the fact I want to watch the other two is revealing…

Green light!

Watch trailer @ Movie On Companion

66th Venice Film Festival Award Winners

The Awards ceremony is over and here are the winners.

Official Selection

Golden Lion for Best Film: Levanon (Lebanon), Samuel Maoz Israel, France and Germany, 2008

Silver Lion for Best Director: Shirin Neshat for Zanan-E Bedun-E Mardan (Women Without Men), Germany, 2009

Special Jury Prize: Soul Kitchen, Fatih Akin, Germany, 2009

Coppa Volpi for Best Actress: Ksenia Rappoport in La Doppia Ora, Giuseppe Capotondi, Italy, 2009
Coppa Volpi for Best Actor: Colin Firth in A Single Man, Tom Ford, USA, 2009
Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best New Young Actor or Actress: Jasmine Trinca in Il Grande Sogno, Michele Placido, Italy and France, 2009

Osella for Best Technical Contribution: Sylvie Olive for Mr. Nobody, Jaco van Dormael, France, Canada, and Belgium, 2009
Osella for Best Screenplay: Todd Solodonz for Life During Wartime, Todd Solondz, USA, 2009

First Film

Luigi De Laurentiis Award - Lion of The Future: Engkwentro, Pepe Diokno, Philippines (from the Orrizonti Section)

Orizzonti

Best Film: Engkwentro, Pepe Diokno, Philippines
Special Mention: Aadmi Ki Aurat Aur Anya Kahaniya (The Man’s Woman and Other Stories), Amit Dutta, India
Best Documentary: 1428, Haibin Du, China

Other Awards

FIPRESCI Award
Official Selection: Lourdes, Jessica Hausner, Austria, 2009
Orrizonti: Choi Voi (Adrift), Thac Chuyen Bui,Vietnam (Wow! Then this movie must be good… great!!!)

SIGNIS Award: Lourdes, Jessica Hausner, Austria, 2009
Special Mention: Levanon (Lebanon), Samuel Maoz Israel, France and Germany, 2008

Brian Award: Lourdes, Jessica Hausner, Austria, 2009
La Navicella Award: Lourdes, Jessica Hausner, Austria, 2009

Francesco Pasinetti (SNGCI) Award: Baarìa by Giuseppe Tornatore
Best Film: Lo spazio bianco by Francesca Comencini
Best Male Actor: Filippo Timi for La doppia ora
Best Female Actor: Margherita Buy for Lo spazio bianco
Special Pasinetti Award to Riccardo Scamarcio for Il grande sogno
Special Pasinetti Award to Armando Testa – Povero ma moderno by Pappi Corsicato

Leoncino d'oro Award 2009: Capitalism: A love story, Michael Moore, USA
Cinema for UNICEF commendation: Shirin Neshat for Zanan-E Bedun-E Mardan (Women Without Men), Germany, 2009

Persol 3-D Award for the Best 3-D Stereoscopic Film of the Year: The Hole, Joe Dante, USA

Controcampo Italiano

Controcampo Italiano Award: Cosmonauta, Susanna Nicchiarelli, Italy
Special Mention: Negli occhi, Daniele Anzellotti and Francesco Del Grosso, Italy

Corto Cortissimo

Lion Corto Cortissimo: Eersgeborene (First Born),Etienne Kallos, South Africa and USA
Special Mention: Felicità, Salomé Aleksi,Georgia
Short from Mostra di Venezia to the European Film Awards: Sinner, Meni Philip, Israel

To check the official annoucement go here available only in Italian or go here for English. There are many more Collateral Awards that you can check here.

To watch trailers of the Award Winners go Movie On Companion

24th International Film Critics' Week Award Winner

Yesterday the parallel section of the Venice fest announced the winner with the following announcement at their Official Site.

The audience award “Regione del Veneto per il cinema di qualità” for the best film in competition at the 24. International Film Critics Week – independent section within the 66. Mostra Internazionale d’Arte Cinematografica – has been awarded to the Iranian film Tehroun by Nader Takmil Homayoun.

Best Film: Tehroun (Tehran), Nader T. Homayoun, Iran and France, 2009

6th Venice Days Award Winner

Yesterday the Europa Cinemas Label Award for Best European Film in Venice Days section was announced and here it is.

Best Film: De Laastste Dagen Van Emma Blank (The Last Days of Emma Blank), Alex van Warmerdam, Netherlands

The jury issued the following statement: “The film takes a deliciously tragic-comic look at greed, manipulation and power at the heart of a family. Ironic and nightmareish at times, the director directs his cast with great skill and unerringly makes all the right tonal decisions. He manages to make his depiction of a family in a very Dutch setting seem universal. This is a true auteur’s film but avoids pretension entirely. We trust that our awarding of the Label to this film will contribute to it attaining the wide European audience it deserves.” It was an unanimous decision.

Read the announcement here.

Watch trailer @ Movie On Companion

3rd Queer Lion Award Winner

Yesterday they announced the Best Film and this time I tend to definitively agree with the winner as I REALLY love the trailer. I just hope the film is as good as the trailer as I have taken a peak at some comments/reviews and some like the film while others find it "boring"...

Best Film: A Single Man, Tom Ford, USA, 2009

This is the announcement for those that understand Italian.

Il film di Tom Ford "A Single Man" si e' aggiudicato il Queer Lion 2009, il premio al miglior film a tematica omosessuale della Mostra del Cinema di Venezia, da quanto dichiarato dalla associazione culturale Cinemarte che organizza il premio. La giuria e' composta da Gustav Hofer e Luca Ragazzi (presidenti), Peter Marcias, Roberto Schinardi e Mark Smith. La giuria ha assegnato il Queer Lion 2009 all'unanimita' al film di Tom Ford "per la perfezione formale con cui viene raccontata la storia di un uomo che vive con dignita' la perdita del proprio amore e perche' ci ricorda l'urgenza di leggi che garantiscano la parita' di diritti, affinche' gli omosessuali possano vivere i loro amori alla luce del sole".

Watch the EXCELLENT trailer @ Movie On Companion

My Life in Ruins

I needed an escape moment so I gave a try to this movie that came with the credentials of a movie that is fun to watch, My Big Fat Greek Life. The bad news is that I did not enjoyed the story and performances that much; the good news is that has very nice photography of Greece most touristic sites, including a glimpse from far away at the construction of a museum that definitively I’m looking forward to go, the Acropolis Museum.

The movie is a comedy and I have to admit that I laugh hard at some jokes; unfortunately for me is the classic American humor that I do not enjoy much but I know that most of you do.

The film tells the story of Georgia (Nia Vardalos) a travel guide that in her “last” job as a guide rediscovers her romantic side while traveling around Greece with a bunch of odd characters that include Americans, Australians and other nationalities. Richard Dreyfuss is here but I’m afraid that he looks really old in this role.

To watch only if you are in the mood for a so-so romantic comedy with spectaculars views of Greece.

Watch trailer @ Movie On

Chéri

I was looking forward to watch this film based on Colette novels Chéri and The Last of Chéri and directed by none other than Stephen Frears; but it was a disappointment for the storytelling and performances that definitively were too cold and emotionless in a story that is all about emotions more than anything else. This is story written by a French author that I’m sure would have been totally different if it was a French production.

Still is a true pleasure to watch Michelle Pfeiffer as she looks wonderful until they change her makeup to make her look older; costumes and sets are really good-looking, great photography and in general, excellent production values.

Tells the story of a retired courtesan Lea/Nunu (Michelle Pfeiffer) that does the unthinkable: falls in love! Her love interest is 19 year-old Chéri (Rupert Friend) that was “given” to her by his mother Madame Peloux (Kathy Bates), a courtesan and Lea’s former rival. But after six years together, Madame Peloux wants grandchildren, so she marries Chéri to a young girl. Tragedy unravels slowly.

I have liked most of Colette’s adaptations to movies, like for example Gigi, but this adaptation was too British for my taste which makes less believable and forgettable.

The movie opened at the 2009 Berlinale and I imagine that was in competition for the Golden Bear to honor his director, as the movie really is not worth of being in competition in any festival.

I cannot recommend this film. Still you can give it a try for the great costumes, sets and a great looking Michelle Pfeiffer.

Watch trailer @ Movie On Companion

53rd London Film Festival Lineup

The fest will run from October 14 to 29 and today they announced the complete program that will screen 191 features and 113 shorts. There are many changes in the fest this year and all are for the better. For the first time they will have an Awards ceremony on the night of October 28 and they will present an enhanced range of awards.

Here are some of the awards they will be presenting.

Best Film
This new Award will celebrate creative, original, imaginative, intelligent and distinctive filmmaking in the Festival.
An initial shortlist will be drawn up by the Artistic Director and the programming team, and will then be judged by an international jury of high profile directors, writers, producers and actors.

BFI Fellowship
The British Film Institute Fellowship is awarded to individuals in recognition of their outstanding contribution to film or television culture.
Initiated in 1983, the BFI Fellowships have been given to a host of outstanding actors and film & programme-makers from around the world, including Robert Altman, Michelangelo Antonioni, Dame Peggy Ashcroft, Sir Michael Caine, Bernardo Bertolucci, Bette Davis, Gérard Depardieu, Graham Greene, Sir Alec Guinness, Deborah Kerr CBE, Akira Kurosawa, Sir David Lean, Jeanne Moreau, Martin Scorsese, Dame Maggie Smith.
This year's recipients will be recognised for their significant achievements in the field of acting and directing.

Best British Newcomer Award
The Best British Newcomer Award will celebrate new and emerging British film talent and recognise the achievements of a new writer, producer or director who has demonstrated real creative flair and imagination with their first feature.
This year's judges include Lenny Crooks, who heads the UK Film Council's New Cinema Fund which encourages new, distinctive voices in British Cinema, Michael Hayden, Festival programmer, Sandra Hebron, Artistic Director of the Festival, Christine Langan, Creative Director of BBC Films whose producer credits include In The Loop, The Queen, The Deal, Cold Feet, and Dirty Filthy Love, Tanya Seghatchian, Head of the UK Film Council's Development Fund & Executive Producer of the hugely successful Harry Potter franchise and Tessa Ross, Controller of Film4 and Drama,
Channel 4.

The Sutherland Trophy
For the most original and imaginative first feature at this year's festival.
This award, presented for the first time by the BFI in 1958, has a long and distinguished history and has been awarded to a remarkable spread of filmmakers including Yasujiro Ozu, Souleymane Cissé, Bernardo Bertolucci and Rainer Werner Fassbinder. Some of the films recognised in recent years include Asif Kapadia's The Warrior, Kenneth Lonergan's You Can Count On Me, Lynne Ramsay's Ratcatcher, Andrea Arnold's Red Road. Last year, Sergey Dvortsevoy's Tulpan, the disarmingly sweet comedy about a desperate Khasak sheep-herder and his attempt to find a wife, was chosen as the worthy recipient. This year's Sutherland Trophy winner will again be selected by an invited jury of filmmakers, actors, writers, critics, producers and artists.

Shortlist 2009
Ajami, Scandar Copti and Yaron Shani, Israel and Germany
Bunny And The Bull, Paul King, UK
Cold Souls, Sophie Barthes, USA
Eyes Wide Open, Haim Tabakman, Israel
Lebanon, Samuel Maoz, Israel
Metropia, Tarik Saleh, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway (animation but looks fantastic!)
Samson & Delilah, Warick Thornton, Australia
Shirley Adams, Oliver Hermanus, South Africa, USA, and UK
Wah Do Dem, Sam Fleischner and Ben Chace, USA and Jamaica
Wolfy, Vassily Sigarev, Russia

The Times BFI London Film Festival Grierson Award
For the best feature-length documentary at this year's Festival.
This award is given by the Grierson Trust, which commemorates the pioneering Scottish documentary-maker John Grierson (1898-1972), famous for Drifters and Night Mail and the man widely regarded as the grandfather of British documentary. The Grierson Trust, through its own annual awards - The British Documentary Awards - has a long-standing tradition of recognising outstanding films that demonstrate integrity, originality and technical excellence and social or cultural significance. Last year's Festival winner was Victoire Terminus, the powerful and gripping documentary about contemporary life in a Congo ghetto as seen through the eyes of four female boxers.

These are the first and last films in the fest.

Opening Film: Fantastic Mr. Fox, Wes Anderson, UK (Another animated film opening a festival… hmm! With the voices of Meryl Streep, George Clooney, Bill Murray and more)
Closing Film: Nowhere Boy, Sam Taylor-Wood, UK (with Kristin Scott Thomas! And yes, is about John Lennon.)

To read the announcement with many movies and direct links to read about each movie go here.

As always the fest has the following Film Strands. Each strand name is a direct link to check the films in the strand and read info, see photos, synopsis, etc.

Galas and Special Screenings . Here they will screen Chloe, the Cannes winner and many other films.

Films on the Square. Here they will screen one of my most awaited films, Cracks by Jordan Scott (yes is Ridley Scott daughter). Finally! Many more excellent fims.

New British Cinema

French Revolutions. The best movies in the fest are in this section (lol!). In particular: Leaving, Catherine Corsini, France with Kristin Scott Thomas; and the great French films from Venice fest.

Cinema Europa . The second best place to find excellent movies.

World Cinema . Many must be seen films.

Experimenta. Old and new films that go from Hitchcock to Portugal’s The Portuguese Nun and Argentina’s They All Lie.

Treasures from the Archives will screen Venezuelan Margot Benacerraf’s visually stunning Araya (wow!)and many more.

Short Cuts & Animation

Unlike Toronto’s fest official site this year, the BFI site is a true pleasure to browse all the strands and read about the movies. I’ll be checking the news to find the films competing for the Best Film award. Also seems that the site will be more open to include videos from the fest, so I’ll be checking to find what they upload. Today they have trailers up for Fantastic Mr. Fox, Bright Star, and The Informant.

33rd Montreal World Film Festival Award Winners

Last night the fest had the awards ceremony and even when they haven’t posted at their official site here are the winners from press sources.

World Competition

Grand Prix des Americas: Korkoro (Freedom), Tony Gatlif, France

Jury Special Grand Prix: Weaving Girl, Quan An Wang, China
Best Director: Kichitaro Negishi for Viyon No Tsuma (Villon’s Wife), Japan
Best Actress: Marie Leuenberger in Die Standesbeamtin (Will You Marry Us?), Micha Lewinsky, Switzerland
Best Actor: Cyron Melville in Vanvittig Forelsket (Love and Rage), Morton Giese, Denmark

FIPRESCI Award: Weaving Girl, Quan An Wang, China

Ecumenical Prize (tie)
Korkoro (Freedom), Tony Gatlif, France
Waffenstillstand (Ceasefire), Lancelot von Naso, Germany

First Films World Competition

Golden Zenith: Je te Mangerais (You Will Be Mine), Sophie Laloy, France (Bravo! Excellent film!)
Silver Zenith: Vaghti Limooha Zard Shodand… (When the Lemons Turned Yellow…), Mohammadreza Vatandoost, Iran
Bronze Zenith: Los Canallas (Riff Raff), Ana Cristina Franco, Jorge Alejandro Fegan, Nataly Valencia, and Diego Coral Lopez, Ecuador

Audience Awards
Best Canadian Film: Un Cargo Pour l’Afrique (A Cargo to Africa), Roger Cantin
Glauber Rocha Award for Latin American Film: Andres No Quiere Dormir La Siesta (Andres Doesn’t Want to Take a Siesta), Daniel Bustamante, Argentina

As soon as the fest site publishes the winners I will check the official press release and modify the post if applicable.

To check the awards winners in all the categories go Festival Official Site

66th Venice Film Festival News

Golden Lion to John Lasseter

As I have been commenting, animation is getting validated at the film festivals circuit by major festivals and my impression is that Pixar and the Pixar team conquered an enviable position as now has the honor of having a Golden Lion.

This is an edited video of the ceremony where George Lucas presented John Lasseter with the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement.



Opening Ceremony

This is a video with excerpts from the fest opening ceremony.



I think La Biennale has to learn more from Cannes and hopefully next year they will have net access to high definition videos from the ceremonies and all the events that happen in the fest like photo calls, press conferences, etc. It's remarkable that the "oldest festival" in the World does not promote better its own image to international audiences that today care about the fest and surely with better promotion many more cinema lovers will be interested to follow La Mostra live and/or during the time the fest runs.

Sin Nombre

Incredibly hard to watch story, but truly mesmerizing, in an extraordinary and outstanding debut film by Cary Joji Fukunaga who definitively is a master storyteller and a master filmmaker in the making. All the honors that he and his film have been collecting are more than well deserved and I really hope that as long as continues to travel the fest circuit more honors will come to this remarkable and unforgettable film.

It is not the first film I watch about Central American immigrants to the North. I have read about their stories in newspapers, have seen one or two buildings in one country were they keep the ones that get caught, and have seen photography essays that capture reality one moment at a time. But never have I seen such great moving pictures with this subject that everyone wants it to go away, close their eyes to it and many more don’t even know that it exist. Like Fukunaga says in an interview, this is Immigration 2007. It’s not a century ago, is two years ago, is what is happening today.

The immigration story is not about reaching the US border, is about a trip from Honduras into Guatemala and Mexico and the unthinkable that people have to deal with; from endless walks, corrupted authorities and gangs.

If the immigration story was not enough hard hitting, the story also tells about something that I have to admit that I have been avoiding watching movies about. I’m talking about the Maras (gangs) and particularly the very infamous Mara Salvatrucha that from Los Angeles CA went years ago down to Mexico and now inhabits almost all Central America countries. Thousands of men and women are real “Mareros” from Salvatrucha. So, what I have been avoiding was exactly the beginning of the movie with a Salvadorean Marero boss in Tapachula, Chiapas.

I could have stopped the movie that instant, but I didn’t. Is the truly amazing Fukunaga’s storytelling abilities plus extraordinary camera moves, framing and cinematography what captured me and allowed me to watch this outstanding portrait of the violent and totally business oriented (they do what they do to make money) Maras.

Yes this is a movie about the Mara Salvatrucha and traveling illegal immigrants. But the film has a story, well, two stories that eventually merge. One is about El Casper a marero from Tapachula with a drama evolving due to sentimental reasons into revenge and fleeing from his colleagues that want to kill him. The other is about a young innocent woman, Sayra, which her deported father wants to go back to USA and this time takes her daughter and brother from Honduras into Guatemala and Tapachula. Is very close to Tapachula where the two stories merge when El Casper saves Sayra from being raped. It’s an intense story that will make you feel lots of emotions thanks to great actor’s performances and a director with great filmmaking skills.

For me it’s really remarkable than an American director (well, his father is Japanese, his mother Swedish and was born in Oakland, CA) could tell so well a story of a different culture and in Spanish. Yes the movie is in Spanish, but I strongly suggest you watch it with subtitles in any language you also understand as when the mareros talk it is not your regular and normal language. The point is that Fukunaga did many years of research into illegal immigration in the South of Mexico and with the Mara Salvatrucha; and he did three different train trips along with the illegal immigrants, so definitively he knows what he wrote and what he captured so vividly in the screen. Big Chapeau as a researcher, a writer, amazing storyteller and for making a film so well crafted that definitively belongs to the serious cinema, art cinema and arthouse cinema style.

If you feel like reading about Fukunaga experience I suggest you read this UK interview.

I strongly recommend this film as a Must Be Seen to everyone that lives in a Central American country; but I also strongly suggest to those that live in America to watch it, as probably will give you a different perspective about the illegal aliens that many see (and fear) standing at a Home Depot (or similar) corner around many American cities.

But must of all, I strongly recommend this film to everyone that likes to see Art in the screen.

I can’t hardly believe that this is Fukunaga’s first feature film, as he is Impressive. This is one director that I hope won’t be seduced by Hollywood into making blockbuster movies (he has already projects with two main studios… pity) and continues to make something that is truly rare: American art cinema with hard hitting emotional stories.

Big Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @ Movie On Companion

2009 European Film Awards – Selection List

Twenty-five countries are represented between the films, which will compete to take home awards at the European Film Awards’ annual ceremony. In the coming weeks, the 2,000 members of the European Film Academy will vote for the nominations in the different award categories. The nominations will then be announced on November 7, 2009, at the Sevilla European Film Festival in Spain. The awards ceremony will take place at Germany’s Ruhr Metropolis on December 12th.

This is the long selection list.

33 SCENY Z ZYCIA (33 Scenes from Life), Małgośka Szumowska, Poland / Germany
LOS ABRAZOS ROTOS, (Broken Embraces), Pedro Almodóvar, Spain
ALLE ANDEREN (Everyone Else), Maren Ade, Germany
ANTICHRIST, Lars von Trier, Denmark
APAFÖLD (Father’s Acre), Viktor Oszkár Nagy, Hungary
BROTHERS, Igaal Niddam, Switzerland
BUMAZHNY SOLDAT (Paper Soldier), Alexey German Jr., Russia
CAMINO, Javier Fesser, Spain
COCO AVANT CHANEL (Coco Before Chanel), Anne Fontaine, France
DAS WEISSE BAND (The White Ribbon), Michael Haneke, Germany / Austria / France / Italy
DER BAADER MEINHOF KOMPLEX (The Baader Meinhof Complex), Uli Edel, Germany
DER KNOCHENMANN (The Bone Man), Wolfgang Murnberger, Austria
EASTERN PLAYS, Kamen Kalev, Bulgaria
FISH TANK, Andrea Arnold, UK
FRYGTELIG LYKKELIG (Terribly Happy), Henrik Ruben Genz, Denmark
HAKOL MATHIL BAYAM (It All Begins at Sea), Eitan Green, Israel
JERICHOW, Christian Petzold , Germany
KALAT HAYAM (Jaffa), Keren Yedaya, France/Israel/Germany
KÄSKY (Tears of April, Aku Louhimies, Finland
KISSES, Lance Daly, Ireland
KYNODONTAS (Dogtooth), Yorgos Lanthimos, Greece
LÅT DEN RÄTTE KOMMA IN (Let the Right One In), Tomas Alfredson , Sweden
LILLE SOLDAT (Little Soldier), Annette K. Olesen, Denmark
LOFT, Erik Van Looy, Belgium
LOOKING FOR ERIC, Ken Loach, UK / France
MÄN SOM HATAR KVINNOR (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo), Niels Arden Oplev, Sweden
MARIA LARSSONS EVIGA ÖGONBLICK (Everlasting Moments), Jan Troell, Denmark / Sweden
MAX MANUS, Espen Sandberg & Joachim Rønning, Norway
NICIJI SIN, Arsen Anton Ostojic, Croatia
NORD (North), Rune Denstad Langlo, Norway
OORLOGSWINTER (Winter in Wartime), Martin Koolhoven, Netherlands
PANDORANIN KUTUSU (Pandora’s Box), Yeşim Ustaoğlu, Turkey / France / Germany / Belgium
POLITIST, ADJECTIV (Police, Adjective), Corneliu Porumboiu, Romania
PRANZO DI FERRAGOSTO (Mid-August Lunch), Gianni di Gregorio, Italy
QUESTIONE DI CUORE (A Matter of Heart), Francesca Archibugi, Italy
RETORNO A HANSALA (Return to Hansala), Chus Gutierrez, Spain
SERAPHINE, Martin Provost, France
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, Danny Boyle, UK
STRELLA (A Woman’s Way), Panos H. Koutras, Greece
TATARAK (Sweet Rush), Andrzej Wajda, Poland
THE READER, Stephen Daldry, Germany
THE TIME THAT REMAINS, Elia Suleiman, France
TOBRUK, Václav Marhoul, Czech Republic
TURNEJA (The Tour), Goran Marković, Serbia / Bosnia & Herzegovina / Croatia / Slovenia
UN PROPHETE (A Prophet), Jacques Audiard, France
UZAK İHTİMAL (Wrong Rosary), Mahmut Fazıl Coşkun, Turkey
VINCERE, Marco Bellocchio, Italy
WELCOME, Philippe Lioret, France

The long list has many excellent movies that I have seen, more that I wish to see hopefully soon and some that are really elusive. By November 7 we will learn the films with nominations and perhaps by then I’ll be able to watch many more.

To check information about each movie go here.

Idealny facet dla mojej dziewczyny (The Perfect Guy for My Girlfriend)

Not very often I have the opportunity to watch a Polish movie, so I couldn’t resist watching this movie even when belongs to the comedy genre. The good news is that comedy Polish style is dry and darkish, which means that I was able to watch it completely and enjoy this satire about the Catholic Church, TV talk shows, madness and feminist movements. But also means that if you’re looking forward to a regular American type of comedy this is not the film to watch.

The movie totally belongs to the lesbian interest genre, but the story really portraits lesbianism in a very satirical and not positive way which may offend many and/or dismiss what you see as negative stereotyping. But everything that this story touches is portrayed not positively (it is a dry satire after all!), so definitively it’s not a particular attack to lesbianism. Still is a crazy comedy with a crazy story and lots of crazy characters.

As far as I was able to read in the net, the movie mainly satirizes a real radio station that has strong influence in Polish politics. Before watching I had no idea, but while watching I early noticed that comedy was the best way to ridicule and satirize touchy issues in Catholic countries like Poland and many others. Definitively noticing this made easier for me to watch the entire film.

So if you do not mind watching Catholic Church and feminist movement strong satire then perhaps you should give this movie a try. I’m not sure if regular audiences to the lesbian interest genre will like this movie as definitively does not look or feel like the regular films and stories in the genre.

Ah! The story. Not easy to explain. Hmm, let see, the main thing is that every character is related to one another in any way. A priest that does everything and anything to advance in the priesthood and to benefit the Catholic radio station. His sister that helps him until she finally accepts what she is. His other sister that’s in a mental institution and her son, Kostek, that is also going crazy, helps his uncle and aunt with their Church work and falls for a woman, Luna, that’s in a relationship with another woman, Klara. This allows me to go to the lesbian couple, where Klara is a feminist with a broke feminist group that to make money decides to do an erotic film that will empower women. The star is Luna and the leading man is Kostek. So it’s easy to imagine that Luna and Kostek end up together for real, while Klara ends up with Kostek’s ex-gf. Ah! Klara’s gay partner is Kostek father! Last, everyone is blackmailing the TV show host for air time; the reason: he’s married and used to have Luna as his mistress. Confused?

I know I almost gave the complete plot, but I wanted to do it so you can decide if you want to watch it or not.

I liked the movie as a satire, but not much as a lesbian interest genre film. So if you enjoy the genre, watch it at your own risk.

Enjoy!

Watch trailer @ Movie On Companion

Sauf le respect que je vous dois (Burnt Out)

Watching a movie because an actress is always risky, especially when you have seen one or two that you haven’t liked; but I will watch everything with Marion Cotillard even if she’s a secondary (but important to the plot) character.

The 2005 debut film by Fabienne Godet is a very dry film about a subject matter that I know is not for everyone, as is about how companies dehumanizes workers in the name of doing what is right for the business which includes long working hours, doing everything the boss asks as he wants you to do it, live in fear of being fired, jobless, and whatever else job pressure generates in office workers. But this is not an American story, so be prepared to have a different point-of-view, one that is more humane even when means becoming violent.

As a matter of fact the literal title translation is “With All Due Respect” which definitively does not mean “Burnt Out”. A terrible English title that in my opinion goes totally against what we see in this movie.

I find the movie dry because the first half where we see Benjamin’s (Olivier Gourmet) “perfect” life is kind of tiring; so tiring that becomes annoying and definitively puzzles after the fast beginning of the film. Obviously when the drama explodes it hits harder as the “perfect” life is torn into little pieces and the contrast is brutal.

Marion Cotillard plays Lisa, the total opposite of Benjamin and consequently, his complement. Also here is Julie Depardieu playing the inquisitive journalist. Both roles are secondary as this is a film about one character: Benjamin.

Not an easy to watch movie as when the story changes the contrast is really brutal and then tells something that definitively if you work in an American company (or an American style company) will not really please you how the story unravels. But the film has excellent tech specs (loved the multiple close-ups), not sequential storytelling that I really like better and great performances by the lead and secondary characters.

The film won the Golden Goblet for Best Director and Best Actor at the 2006 Shanghai fest, honors that are well deserved. I do recommend the movie ONLY to those that are sensible to a more humanized environment in business and really enjoy the particular style of very French cinema.

Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @ Movie On Companion