Levanon (Lebanon)

Been delaying to watch this movie because was sold as a war movie and yes, it is a war movie and we will see some terrible scenes but it's also a tremendous human drama and most of all, an incredibly good movie with the word ART in capital letters. I'm still in shock or better, in trance from thinking so many things about what I saw. Still haven't digest much how art cinema and war can combine so good as in this film, it's not easy for my mind to understand it but that's exactly what this movie did by combining what I can call oil and water. Fantastic, fantastic.

This Samuel Maoz film is based on his own experiences as a soldier and basically tells about the first day of the Israel - Lebanon war when for the first time soldiers face the reality of war after only being exposed to training with decoys or better, without humans to kill or that can kill you. Four very young soldiers inside a tank with some paratroopers outside go into an easy mission that gets very complicated due to the inexperience of everyone involved. That's all I'm saying to not spoil the intense and excellent story.

So we viewers go into the war also inside the tank. For almost the entire movie -except two scenes- we will be inside the tank too and will only see the exterior by the tank visors just like real soldiers inside a tank can do. This extraordinary and unique visual storytelling technique generates the most intense emotions while you watch soldiers reactions to whatever is happening, plus there are many takes that show the atrocities of war and the youth of the four soldiers that are simply beautiful. How can you have two so opposite words -war and beautiful- in the same sentence? Only in this unique film that grabbed my total and complete attention since the very first long still camera take that lasted for more than a minute until the very last scene at the same place but now with an intruder that completely fits the setting. Grabbed my attention and never let it go, but became intense quite fast and was no roller-coaster, was intense all the way for the hour and a half it runs. Absolutely amazing.

Maybe some of you will remember that I dislike traditional war movies and it's hard for me to analyze the war side of the movie so I won't go there. I like to analyze the human behavior in this movie that was portrayed so realistic that absolutely transported me inside the tank and became like a voyeur of everything happening in the very small space and the little we could watch by the visors. All that I lived while watching made me think about how little are we prepared for the unknown, no matter how much we have studied, read, and practiced in controlled situations. Think I better stop or this will be too long but if you reached this point you will have a clear idea of how much this movie affected me, not really because of the story -that has been told many times- but by how it was told with extraordinary use of visuals, editing and one intrusive/repetitive sound special effect when the visor moved.

What better day to watch the 2009 Biennale top winner than today? Yes, Lebanon was last year Golden Lion winner and I'm sure that this and all the honors it has collected in the fest and awards circuit are well deserved.

It took me a while to decide to watch but today was an excellent day as I had a good state-of-mind and the correct mood to watch it. I strongly suggest that if you haven't seen it search for your right moment to watch it as this is not a movie to watch just any other day.

Not a movie to enjoy, wait that's not true! If you appreciate great visual compositions, extraordinary camera angles, fantastic close-ups, and more, you will definitively enjoy this movie as much as I did. I highly recommend this film and urge you to not miss it if you haven't seen it yet.

BIG ENJOY!!!

Watch trailer @Movie On Companion

Ajami (عجمي‎ - עג'מי‎)

Soon we will learn Israel's submission to the Oscar and if is anything alike to last year submission and Oscar nominee, will have to watch it immediately as the debut by Scandar Copti (Palestinian born and raised in Ajami) and Yaron Shai (Jewish Israeli) is an amazing film that from the very beginning up to the end grabs your attention and won't let it go, not even for a second, not to think twice what's happening, not to analyze a thing; the film is one non-stop ride into the a slice-of-life of some characters presented not in chronological order, with the story moving back and forth, plus re-telling from a different point-of-view, until all stories merge in one point and it's the end. Amazing, truly amazing especially because you will not see violence (when everything is violent), you'll not see political statements or something in particular besides what could be normal life in an impoverish neighborhood with a melting pot of cultures and conflicting views among Jews, Muslims and Christians.

It's a story that looks and feels so real, but the way is told is what makes this film a cinematic experience in storytelling, hard, very-hard to believe that is the debut film of two young directors (and screenwriters), as shows great storytelling mastery with amazing narrative and especially the awesome cinematic language that fast involves you and doesn't let you go until the very end. Fantastic.

It was such an intense one long sigh voyage that when the film was over I had to stop my mind and review the whole film -in my mind- to really grasp everything that I watched for the past two hours; not the story, but the visuals and the amazing editing that creates an unique -and very compelling/involving- storytelling style. Absolutely a must be seen film that I hope many have already seen by now.

As brief as possible here is a plot summary, the story is narrated by young Nasri and tells about his older brother Omar fighting a criminal vendetta against his family. Omar is Muslim and in love with Christian Hadir, his boss daughter; the boss Abu Elias owns a restaurant where Omar and illegal immigrant Malek work. Malek is desperately trying to make money for her mother's life-saving surgery. Dando is a Jewish police officer obsessed with finding his missing brother and last, Binj a Palestinian dreaming of a future with his Jewish girlfriend and played by none other than Scandar Copti. Most -if not all-characters are played by non-actors, which absolutely adds to the realistic look of the story and film.

The film collected many honors including Special Mention Camera D'Or at 2009 Cannes, winning the top awards at 2009 Ophir Awards, and being one of the five Oscar nominees in the Best Foreign Film category.

Strongly suggest you don't skip this movie that I know will watch more than once as I have to understand -more- the amazing storytelling style.

Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @Movie On Companion

Shiva (7 Days)

When one of the Ohaion brothers dies, the all family gets together for the Shiv’a at the widow’s house, as tradition demands. What ensues is the portrait of all the tensions and problems that exist in the family, forced to spend time together in a confined space. Apart from the sorrow about Maurice’s death, very soon the reality starts to take its toll. The brothers are going through serious money problems regarding a business they all have together. Accusations come from all directions as we learn everyone has complaints and, of course, a very personal view of family relations.

Through the time we spend with the Ohaion, there is opportunity to experience love, jealousy, greed, tenderness, envy, mourning, and even, at moments, there’s a chance to laugh. A regular family, as it turns.

This French and Israeli production was written and directed by siblings Ronit and Shlomi Elkabetz, and is the second installment of a trilogy. Unfortunately I have not watched the first movie - Ve'Lakhta Lehe Isha, aka To Take a Wife (2004), but I will certainly try to find it.

Ronit Elkabetz also plays Viviane, one of the main characters in the movie (as in the previous one) and does an amazing job at it. The very good performances and a well constructed script give us some intense moments, especially in those occasions when two or three characters are able to “escape” to reclusive areas of the house. There are some secrets going around.

The 1991 Gulf War background adds to the dramatic aspect of the movie but, if you have a weird sense of humor like I do, also brings some amusing moments.

When I finished watching the movie I kept thinking that I would have liked to see more of some characters and to understand better some of the family dynamics. But now that I know it is a trilogy, I expect that either on the previous one or in the following movie I will find my answers. So not only I recommend this one as also To Take a Wife, and I would expect that if you can watch them in the proper chronological order, that may also help. I would not usually recommend a movie I have not seen yet, but given how much I enjoyed this one and that both were nominated and received several awards and were basically created by the same team (direction, script, actors…), I think I can safely open an exception to that rule.

Green light.

Watch trailer @ Movie On Companion