Cosas Insignificantes (Insignificant Things)

Sometimes films that you forgot about it surprise you not only because after a long time you’re able to watch it but also because the film is good. Andrea Martínez debut is a good film for the story, the performances and most of all for the excellent production values that complement a story that would have been very common and make it quite different thanks to very interesting editing that plays crisscrossing with characters stories.

Not everyone will like the editing as probably will surprise –and eventually annoy- many when what you have already seen appears again when following a different character story; but think that if director have not chosen this storytelling technique, story and film would have been common, will look and feel ‘soapy’ and will not be interesting at all. Still what really blew my mind are the occasional extraordinary takes of a Mexico City that never have seen portrayed so beautiful and yet so dramatic. Just to watch the amazing sights of the volcanoes this film is absolutely must be seen.

But film has also very good performances by an ensemble cast of Mexican and Spanish well-known actors with special mention to Barbara Mori that also produced film and maybe because being a producer –plus a good director- gave a performance that shows that she can really act. But is Paulina Gaitan (from extraordinary Sin Nombre; outstanding Capadocia and excellent Las Aparicio)who steals the movie with her character Esmeralda and her story being the central plot where all other stories converge. Acting in this film is more about body language and facial expressions that tell a lot more than what words could ever do.

The movie is a feel-good movie as has a non-conventional positive ending but story deals with sadness, unhappiness, illness, rage, no-future, loneliness, despair, unfaithfulness, etc. and how an unconventional incident (a beautiful snow alike ash rain) detonates characters change of heart for the better. Title comes from Esmeralda’s collection of little and insignificant common things stored in a small box.

I liked the movie more than I could ever imagined but believe that definitively is not a movie for general audiences as storytelling style is not ‘normal’ and there is no ‘explosive’ drama that will move viewers. This is a film that can move viewers because the little insignificant-and-significant things that happen in narrative and visually. Definitively must be seen for those that like arty cinema with a Latin American flavor.

Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @MOC

Nacidas para Sufrir (Born to Suffer)

From the Made in Spain section of 2010 San Sebastian fest and 2010 Berlinale a film with a story that I’m sure is not as easy as obvious narrative tells plus good performances by an all female cast with the most puzzling characters that maybe are like “this” or maybe not. This Miguel Albaladejo film was a nice surprise as I enjoyed much more than what I imagined especially because the awful movie name, but be sure that this dramedy is not about suffering at all.

In an unusual turn I’m going to spoil the story for you, why? Because I’ll tell the obvious storyline and when you watch it will be up to you to figure out if there are other meanings to the story or not. Film tells about elderly Flora that after her sister death is afraid her nieces will send her to a nursery home when she wants to stay at her home doing the chores she has always done. So she figures out that the best way to retain her independence is to marry her younger servant, Purita, and the first gay/lesbian marriage happens in the most traditional, typical and stereotyped little village of Spain.

That’s the story that many talk about the tragicomic exploitation situation where Flora dominates and Purita is the slave, but then you’ll find enough clues about Purita’s and Flora’s past to start to guess that maybe these two women were just hiding -with a very elaborated plan- the obvious attraction between both women. No matter what you believe you have seen in the story, I’m sure that you will enjoy the movie with all the plot twists and good performances by the two lead actresses playing Flora and Purita.

As a film is like a borderline of auteur and commercial cinema and I believe what makes it not only mainstream is the dark, very-dark, storytelling narrative technique that know many will enjoy beyond the obvious storyline.

I’m not sure if I should call this film with lesbian interest as definitively is not the usual film in the genre, plus it will be up to the viewer to elucidate the interpretation that pleases you most; nevertheless this is a film about women and how they interact with each other in adverse surrounding situations and as such definitively I do recommend the film.

I was positively surprised by the dark story, the good performances and the story versatility with as many interpretations as you wish to find.

Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @MOC

La Yuma

Not very often we have the opportunity to watch a Nicaraguan film (first film in 20 years) and much less one that is above the good threshold as this Florence Jaugey’s film is. This is Jaugey’s “work of love and persistence” as ‘only’ took her 10 years to have her screenplay (she co wrote final version) produced into a movie that was a box office success in Nicaragua and has been collecting honors while traveling the festival circuit.

The film is not flawless but has a good positive story told in a colorful way with non-actors that create characters that look and feel real, especially Alma Blanco’s good performance as La Yuma, the strong-willed young woman that reaches her goal no matter what she has to do. Blanco steals the film and just to watch her makes this film more than worth-watching.

Film tells about Yuma the strong willed young woman from a Managua’s gang-infested poor neighborhood that dreams of becoming a boxer and about finding a way to leave the neighborhood. This is not a drama like –for example- Million Dollar Baby, this is a drama that very credible portraits reality and no doubt that helps that story is based on a real-life story. Most interesting is that even when portraits reality the film does it in a very entertaining non-disturbing storytelling style which absolutely appeals to wider audiences.

I didn’t enjoyed the ‘different social-class’ romance especially because actor playing Ernesto had a not-good performance, but somehow I understand that was important to learn how Yuma for the first time was exposed to the world beyond her miserable surroundings. Excluding those moments I found the film and story quite enjoyable and surprisingly very entertaining.

I do recommend the movie as a good woman centered story and as an easy-to-watch entertaining film that portraits reality so well.

Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @MOC

58th San Sebastian International Film Festival Awards Winners

Today the fest will close and I’m sure later on there will be an award ceremony but the awards have been announced and here they are.

Official Selection

Golden Shell for Best Film: Neds, Peter Mullan, UK, France and Italy

Special Jury Prize: Elisa K, Judith Colell and Jordi Cadena, Spain

Silver Shell for Best Director: Raúl Ruiz for Misterios de Lisboa (Mysteries of Lisbon), Portugal

Silver Shell for Best Actress: Nora Navas for Pa Negre (Black Bread), Agustí Villaronga, Spain
Silver Shell for Best Actor: Connor McCarron for Neds, Peter Mullan, UK, France and Italy

Jury Prize for Best Cinematography: Jimmy Gimferrer for Aita, José María de Orbe, Spain

Jury Prize for Best Screenplayer: Bent Hamer for Hjem til jul (Home for Christmas), Bent Hamer, Norway, Sweden and Germany
Special Mention: A Jamaâ (The Mosque), Daoud Aoulad-Syad, Morocco and France for “the complexity achieved by a simple story”.

FIPRESCI Award: Genpin, Naomi Kawase, Japan
SIGNIS Award: 《老那》Addicted to Love, Liu Hao, China

Zabaltegi-New Directors

Kusta-New Directors Award: Los Colores de la Montaña (The Colours of the Mountain), Carlos César Arbeláez, Colombia and Panama
Special Mentions:
La Vida Util (A Useful Life), Federico Veiroj, Uruguay and Spain
Smukke Mennesker (Nothing's All Bad), Mikkel Munch-Fals, Denmark

Horizontes Latinos

Best Film: Abel, Diego Luna, Mexico
Special Mention: A Tiro de Piedra (A Stone Throw Away), Sebastián Hiriart, Mexico

Films in Progress
Industry Award: Entre la Noche y El Dia, Bernardo Arellano, Mexico
Casa de America Award: Asalto al Cine, Iria Gomez Concheiro, Mexico

Cinema in Motion Award: Sur La Planche, Leila Kilani, Morroco and France

Another Look Award: Cerro Bayo, Victoria Galardi, Argentina
Special Mention: Blog, Elena Trape, Spain

Solidarity Award: 《老那》Addicted to Love, Liu Hao, China
Special Mention: Bicicleta, Cullera, Poma (Bicycle, Spoon, Apple), Carles Bosch, Spain

Sebastiane 2010 Award: 80 Egunean, Jon Garaño and Jose Mari Goenaga, Spain (lesbian interest)

Euskaltel Youth Award: Abel, Diego Luna, Mexico

IX International Film Students Meetings Awards
Panavision Award: Los Minutos, Las Horas, Janaina Marques – Escuela Internacional de Cine y TV- Cuba
Second Prize: Mitten marjoja Poimitaan, Elina Talvensaari – Aalto University- Finland
Third Prize: Ambiente Familiar, Carlos Leiva – Pontificia Universidad Catolica- Chile

Audience Awards
Best Film: Barney’s Version, Richard J. Lewis, Canada and Italy
Best European Film: How Much Does Your Building Weigh, Mr. Foster, Norberto López Amado and Carlos Carcas, UK and Spain

To read about winners today is in the home page at the official site but later I assume will be in the awards and jury members tab. Also there are two videos with jurors reading the awards at the press conference. I imagine that later there will be a video with the closing ceremony. Festival home page is here and other awards are here.

So it’s over see you next year.

58th San Sebastian International Film Festival - Films in Progress 18 Award Winners

This year the section will present on September 21 and 22 seven (7) films from Latin American countries. As you remember this is an aid program that happens twice a year, once in San Sebastian and another at the Rencontres Cinémas d'Amérique Latine in Toulouse.

Here are the seven selected projects from 97 projects submitted from 19 countries.

*Asalto al Cine (The Cinema Hold-Up), Iría Gómez Concheiro, Mexico Winner of Casa de America Award

Distancia (Distance), Sergio Ramírez, Guatemala

*Entre la Noche y el Dia (Between Night and Day), Bernardo Arellano, Mexico Winner of Industry Award

Karen Llora en el Bus (Karen Cries on the Bus), Gabriel Rojas Vera. Colombia
Machete Language, Kyzza Terrazas, Mexico
Mitomana (Mythomaniac), José Luis Sepúlveda and Carolina Adriazola, Chile
Todos Tus Muertos (All Your Dead Ones), Carloss Moreno, Colombia

To check info about each project go here. To read the award announcement go here.

Habitación en Roma (Room in Rome)

Thanks to a very dear friend I was able to watch this movie that have been waiting too long to watch and had very HIGH expectations regarding the story, the film and the director’s work. The film exceeds by far my high expectations in so many levels that it was really “painful” to watch such a beautiful film. To talk about this film have to use my dual brain, one brain will talk about the lesbian interest film and the other about the mainstream arty film.

Up-to-date this is the best lesbian interest film that I have ever watched as tells a story that is so REAL but the way is told makes even more real and I know that many that have ever lived a one-night-stand at a hotel room will easily understand why I say this film story resembles real-life. But more amazing is the way is told and seems that Julio Medem had excellent source(s) of information about what happens beyond the close doors when two women meet and fall in love. Still even more amazing is the fact that this film is inspired by Matias Bize’s En la Cama, a Chilean film that tells a similar story but the protagonists are a man and a woman. How a filmmaker can portrait so good real-life about something I’m sure has never seen much less lived? Interesting.

The films tells about two strangers, one Russian and one Spaniard, that meet on their last night in Rome, feel attracted to each other, end-up in Alba’s room and slowly -very-slowly- start to open themselves to each other until they tell truth, get scared for what they’re feeling and it’s too late as feelings have overcome whatever they have to face in their real-lives they tried so hard to protect. Very simple story told with many conversations, some sex but more love, some silences, many sights and many facial expressions. Fantastic!!!

I’m totally biased but I enjoyed more Elena Anaya’s Alba than Natasha Yarovenko’s Natasha, after all Anaya is a more accomplished actress and her performance here is just perfect for the role she’s playing, but Yarovenko’s performance was acceptable as both actresses are in almost every scene and indeed they are what makes the film so beautiful and interesting to watch, besides the story.

As a mainstream arty film is complex with Medem’s magic realism leading the story this time with paintings that if you’re familiar with the paintings, the simple painting’s presence will (sort of) tell you what the story will be about and if not, narrative will tell. Then you have Cupid that needs no explanation. If this had been a man and a woman story I’ll be talking SO different about the story and would have made a better analysis of what the story is really about. I saw the story but since Medem chose to have two women, it totally became irrelevant to me as the lesbian interest story became not only more interesting but so resembling real life that overcame me. But will share that yes Medem’s magic realism could have made the story a dream and yes, the visual narrative has a lot to do with two symbols, maps (including the great take with the upside down map of Microsoft’s Bing – plus all the other-) and mirrors.

Still I was able to appreciate the movie beyond the story and the two protagonist pas-de-deux and one… no, two particular scenes blew my mind. The first is when the camera enters the room -at the beginning- and the second is when the camera exits the room –at the end-in the same fashion as the first but backwards. In general the best this movie has –as a movie- is framing, camera takes and camera moves. Still there are a few, perhaps too many for such a beautiful film, really bad framing's.

I was reading a few reviews as well as viewers comments and since I know that this film is a must-be-seen for those that enjoy the lesbian interest film I have to share with you all that this is not necessarily a ‘normal’ genre film. First please remember that is European and second absolutely is a Julio Medem’s film. The second comment may be explained better if you saw -or could see before watching this one- Medem’s Sex and Lucia, for example. I’m mentioning this as if you know Medem’s work I’m sure you will enjoy this film a lot more than just watching because is a lesbian interest movie.

I strongly recommend the film beyond the lesbian interest genre but please don’t expect steamy sex as the many trailers suggest and even if the two protagonists are nude almost the entire film (which is exactly how you are in real-life inside the closed doors of a hotel room) after about ten minutes you will forget that they’re nude.

Of course I LOVE the film as a lesbian interest film but also as a Julio Medem’s film.

Big Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @MOC (well, if I find one that doesn’t exploit the sex scenes – it’s impossible so no trailer)

58th San Sebastian International Film Festival Opening Ceremony

Just finished watching the opening ceremony at the official site which I found more interesting than last year mainly because it was faster and had clips of ALL films in the different sections that comprise the fest.

Still, there were some awkward moments like presenters that didn’t say a word, like John Malkovich and too many languages without translation to a more common language than very hard Basque. The last comment is most important when I don’t speak nor understand Basque -even when my last name root comes exactly from that region- and wanted to understand what they were saying while the multiple clips were screened; but probably tonight will watch the ceremony again as TVE will broadcast surely with subtitles or dubbed. But then, this is exactly what I like from European festivals, the huge diversity of films, the colorful characters and the many languages in the screen and outside of movie theaters.

The most interesting part of the ceremony are obviously the movie clips and from watching I got interested in several films, so probably will check every day to see what the fest has and maybe will do a daily short coverage. Also the fest and/or opening ceremony theme was “opening doors” so there was a nice collage of films from all over with opening doors scenes plus the ceremony stage had doors that opened constantly.

The ceremony was opened with the FIPRESCI Grand Prix and Olivia Williams receiving the award in the name of Roman Polanski.

To watch the opening ceremony at the official site go here, go down to San Sebastian Festival TV, click the Ceremonies tab, select the Opening Ceremony video and a window will pop-up.

So the most famous Spanish and Spanish-speaking festival in the world has started and soon we will learn what this edition has in store for films in the different competitions.

Cheers!!!

To close here is Olivia Williams with the FIPRESCI Grand Prix.

Hierro

After watching the visually outstanding trailer decided that I had to watch the movie with none other than Elena Anaya in the lead. Yes the movie is visually outstanding with many very interesting compositions plus magnificent sights of El Hierro island, but have to admit that most of the extraordinary scenes were in the trailer which makes the trailer editing a lot more interesting than the movie itself.

Movie tells a tragedy told many times before and unfortunately does not succeed to tell it in a different way. As a matter of fact tells it so boringly that you don't even try to guess what will happen. Tells the story of a young mother whose little son disappears while riding the ferry to El Hierro and her quest to find him.

I liked Anaya's performance -and looks as not often you can see her with long-hair- but unfortunately her good performance plus the sporadic outstanding cinematography doesn't truly save the film labeled as mystery/thriller that in my opinion does not have much mystery and definitively no thrills. My belief is that director Gabe Ibáñez storytelling skills need to improve but he has time as this is his feature-film debut.

For this role Anaya won the Best Actress award at the 2010 Sitges-Catalonian International Film Festival as well as in the 2010 Fatasporto fest in the 20th Directors Week. The film had its world premiere at 2009 Cannes sidebar Semaine de la Critique.

I only recommend this film if you enjoy Anaya's performances or if you never heard about this actress and you're 'dying' to watch Medem's Room In Rome it's a good film to watch her performing quite well.

Enjoy.

Watch trailer @Movie On Companion

23rd European Film Awards - Long List

Yesterday the European Film Academy (EFA) announced the titles of the forty-six (46) films on this year's selection list with films recommended for a nomination for the European Films Awards 2010. There are 32 countries represented and in the coming weeks the 2,300 Academy members will vote to define the nominees in the different categories.

As always the nominations will be announced on November 6th at the Sevilla European Film Festival in Spain and the awards ceremony this year will take place in Tallinn, Estonia on December 4th.

This is the selection.

3 SEZÓNY V PEKLE (3 SEASONS IN HELL), Tomáš Mašin, Czech Republic
ANOTHER YEAR, Mike Leigh, UK,
BAL (HONEY), Semih Kaplanoğlu, Turkey and Germany
CARLOS, Olivier Assayas, France and Germany
CELDA 211 (CELL 211), Daniel Monzón, Spain and France
LE CONCERT (THE CONCERT), Radu Mihaileanu, France
DES HOMMES ET DES DIEUX (OF GODS AND MEN), Xavier Beauvois, France
EU CAND VREAU SA FLUIER, FLUIER (IF I WANT TO WHISTLE, I WHISTLE), Florin Serban, Romania
FILM SOCIALISME (FILM SOCIALISM), Jean-Luc Godard Switzerland
DIE FREMDE (WHEN WE LEAVE), Feo Aladag, Germany, 119 min.
THE GHOST WRITER ,Roman Polanski, France, Germany and UK
GIULIAS VERSCHWINDEN (JULIA’S DISAPPEARANCE), Christoph Schaub, Switzerland
HONEYMOONS, Goran Paskaljevic,Serbia and Albania
I0, DON GIOVANNI (I, DON GIOVANNI), Carlos Saura, Austria, Italy and Spain
Как я провел этим летом -KAK YA PROVEL ETIM LETOM (HOW I ENDED THIS SUMMER), Alexei Popogrebsky, Russia
KAWASAKIHO RŮŽE (KAWASAKI’S ROSE), Jan Hřebejk, Czech Republic
KENJAC (DONKEY), Antonio Nuić, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia, and UK
LEBANON, Samuel Maoz, Israel
LOURDES, Jessica Hausner,, Austria, France, and Germany
MAMMA GÓGÓ , Fridrik Thor Fridriksson, Iceland
MINE VAGANTI (LOOSE CANNONS), Ferzan Ozpetek, Italy
MY QUEEN KARO, Dorothée van den Berghe, Belgium and the Netherlands
NA PUTU (ON THE PATH), Jasmila Žbanić, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Austria, Germany, and Croatia
LA NOSTRA VITA (OUR LIFE), Daniele Luchetti, Italy, 98 min.
NOTHING PERSONAL, Urszula Antoniak, Netherlands and Ireland
NOWHERE BOY, Sam Taylor-Wood, UK, 98 min.
ONDINE, Neil Jordan, Ireland
PAHA PERHE (BAD FAMILY), Aleksi Salmenperä, Finland
PÁL ADRIENN (ADRIENN PÁL), Ágnes Kocsis, Hungary
LA PRIMA COSA BELLA (THE FIRST BEAUTIFUL THING), Paolo Virzi, Italy
PÜHA TÕNU KIUSAMINE (THE TEMPTATION OF ST.TONY), Veiko Õunpuu, Estonia
DER RÄUBER (THE ROBBER), Benjamin Heisenberg, Austria and Germany
REWERS (THE REVERSE), Borys Lankosz Poland
Cчастье моё -SCHASTYE MOYE (MY JOY), Sergei Loznitsa, Germany, Ukraine, and Netherlands
SEBBE, Babak Najafi, Sweden
EL SECRETO DE SUS OJOS (THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES), Juan José Campanella, Spain and Argentina
SLOVENKA (SLOVENIAN GIRL), Damjan Kozole, Slovenia
SOUL KITCHEN, Fatih Akin, Germany
SUBMARINO, Thomas Vinterberg, Denmark
TAMARA DREWE, Stephen Frears, UK
TESSERA MAVRA KOUSTOUMIA (4 BLACK SUITS), Renos Haralambidis, Greece
TOURNEE (ON TOUR), Mathieu Amalric, France
L’UOMO CHE VERRÀ (THE MAN WHO WILL COME), Giorgio Diritti, Italy
UPPERDOG, Sara Johnsen, Norway
DE VLIEGENIERSTER VAN KAZBEK (THE AVIATRIX OF KAZBEK), Ineke Smits, Netherlands and Georgia
ZAD KADAR (VOICE OVER), Svetoslav Ovcharov, Bulgaria

To check the list at the EFA official site go here and/or here that's the European Film Awards official site.

To my HUGE surprise the famous Swedish film is not in the list, but as you noticed in the previous post was selected for the People's Choice Award. Believe that somehow I understand why is not in this list as the movie is not as good as the amazing Noomi Rapace performance. What I regret the most is that she can't be nominated for Best Actress, but maybe a kind of 'miracle' could happen and she will be nominated (not really a miracle, she's in the other awards).

As we already know some of the European countries submission to the 2011 Oscar calls my attention that what the EFA recommended and what was submitted does not match for some countries. Interesting as criteria for selection has to be influenced by what everybody believes are the USA Academy members tastes. After all American cinema and European cinema are VERY different and you have no idea how glad I am.

Sooner that we imagine the Seville fest will open and we will learn the nominations.

Cheers!!!

FIPRESCI Grand Prix 2010

Roman Polanski's The Ghost Writer is Best Film of the Year, according to the members of the International Federation of Film Critics - FIPRESCI who voted for the Grand Prix 2010.

The 296 film critics from throughout the world that took part in the expressed their preference among the feature-length films premiered during the previous year (after July 1, 2009), according this distinct sign of critical acclaim to The Ghost Writer.

As many of us know the award will be handled at the opening ceremony of the San Sebastian International Film Festival on September 17 and actress Olivia Williams will be there on behalf of the film's team.

58th San Sebastian International Film Festival - Made in Spain

If something I totally agree with today's press release is that the 19 films that comprise the selection in this section has (a huge) diversity and shows the vitality of last year Spanish cinema production. From serious awards winner dramas like Celda 211, to a visual stunning film about a voyage to Mongolia in La Terra Habitada (The Inhabited Land), passing by Codero's Rabia (Rage), last Biennale [REC] 2, comedy in Velilla's Que se Mueran Los Feos (To Hell with the Ugly), Berlinale's Nacidas Para Sufrir, Silver Biznaga winner Fake Orgasm, and many more.

But what really made write this post is a film that I'm simply 'dying' to watch, Julio Medem's Room in Rome; just for this movie I wish I could go to San Sebastian this year. LOL!

To check all films in this section plus info and photos, please go here.

58th San Sebastian International Film Festival - Official Selection

Organizers haven't finished the official selection but here are some films already announced.

Opening film: Chicogrande, Felipe Cazals, Mexico

《老那》Addicted to Love, Liu Hao, China
*Aita, José María de Orbe, Spain
Akma-Reul bo-at-da (I Saw The Devil), Kim je-woon, Korea
Amigo, John Sayles, USA and Philippines
*Cerro Bayo (Mount Bayo), Victoria Galardi, Argentina
Elisa K, Judith Colell and Jordi Cadena, Spain
Genpin, Naomi Kawase, Japan (documentary)
El Gran Vazquez (The Great Vazquez), Oscar Aibar, Spain
Hjem til jul (Home for Christmas), Bent Hamer, Norway, Sweden and Germany (will watch)
A Jamaâ (The Mosque), Daoud Aoulad-Syad, Morocco and France
Misterios de Lisboa (Mysteries of Lisbon), Raúl Ruiz, Portugal
Neds, Peter Mullan, UK, France and Italy
Pa Negre (Black Bread), Agustí Villaronga, Spain
*Satte Farben Vor Schwarz (Colors in the Dark), Sophie Heldman, Germany and Switzerland

*Eligible for the Kuxta-New Directors Award

Out of Competition
Closing Film: Elle S'Appelait Sarah (Sarah's Key), Gilles Paquet-Brenner, France
Bicicleta, Cullera, Poma (Bicycle, Spoon, Apple), Carles Bosch, Spain
Eat Pray Love, Ryan Murphy, USA

Jury
President: Goran Paskaljevic, director, Serbia
Jo Allen, make-up artist
José Coronado, Actor, Sppain
Claudia Llosa, filmmaker, Peru
Raya Marin, director, Philippines
Pablo Trapero, director/producer, Argentina
Lucy Walker, director, UK

Julia Roberts will receive the Donostia Award on September 20, an award that last year went to Sir Ian McKellen.

The fest other sections include the Classic Retrospective this year dedicated to Don Siegel, creator of American B-Movies some becoming classic like 1956 Invasion of the Body Snatchers, but better known for 1971 Dirty Harry. Also the Thematic Retrospective this year dedicated to non-fiction cinema has the title: .doc-New paths of non-fiction.

Will update the post as movies are announced, there could be one or two that maybe are not in the main competition and will be screened out of it. To check info about the films go here.

58th San Sebastian International Film Festival Donostia Zinemaldia - Horizontes Latinos

This is the section that has only Latin American movies and here are the eleven (11) films that will participate this year.

Abel, Diego Luna, Mexico
A Tiro de Piedra (A Stone Throw Away), Sebastián Hiriart, Mexico
Agua Fria de Mar, Paz Fábrega, Costa Rica, France, Spain and Mexico
Lo Que Mas Quiero, Delfina Castagnino, Argentina
La Mirada Invisible (The Invisible Eye), Diego Lerman, Argentina, Spain and France
Norberto Apenas Tarde (Norberto's Deadline), Daniel Hendler, Uruguay and Argentina
Nostalgia de la Luz, Patricio Guzmán, France, Germany and Chile
Octubre (October), Daniel Vega and Diego Vega, Peru
Por Tu Culpa (It's Your Fault), Anahí Berneri, Argentina
Post Mortem, Pablo Larraín, Chile, Mexico and Germany
Rompecabezas (Puzzle), Natalia Smirnoff, Argentina and France

To read about each movie and see photos go here. Will update list if necessary when published to the official site, as list comes from press release.

Haven't been very active this year but even me have heard about most of the films in competition this year, there are only four films that are new to me and from those, most come from Argentina. Most films were in Cannes, other will be at La Biennale and few were in BAFICI. Not many new, only films doing the festival circuit.

58th San Sebastian International Film Festival Donostia Zinemaldia - Zabaltegi-New Directors

From September 17 to 25 the Best festival for movies in Spanish and from Latin American countries will have its yearly screening of good films that obviously also include films from all over the world. The official site is starting to publish films in some sections, so here are the fifteen films from seventeen countries that will participate in Zabaltegi-New Directors.

Beautiful Boy, Shawn Ku, USA
Blog, Elena Trapé, Spain
Los Colores de la Montaña (The Colours of the Mountain), Carlos César Arbeláez, Colombia and Panama
Chrzest (The Christening), Marcin Wrona, Poland
Gesher, Vahid Vakilifar, Iran
Izarren Argia (Stars To Wish Upon), Mikel Rueda, Spain
Lucia, Niles Atallah, Chile (interesting story)
Marieke, Marieke, Sophie Schoukens, Belgium and Germany
Las Marimbas del Infierno (Marimbas from Hell), Julio Hernández Cordón, Guatemala, France and Mexico (is this a documentary??? or cinema verite??)
Podslon (Shelter), Dragomir Sholev, Bulgaria
Principii de Viata (Principles of Life), Constantin Popescu, Rumania (another must be seen)
Schemer (Dusk), Hanro Smitsman, Netherlands
Single Man, Hao Jie, China
Smukke Mennesker (Nothing's All Bad), Mikkel Munch-Fals, Denmark
La Tete Ailleurs (Elsewhere), Frédéric Pelle, France
La Vida Util (A Useful Life), Federico Veiroj, Uruguay and Spain (like the director will watch)

To check information about each movie go here. Will be checking the news and if applicable will update the post.

XXIV Goya Awards Winners

Winners are in (*)RED.

The Nominations - Recently the nominations were announced and the film with most nominations (16) is Celda 211 (Cell 211) by Daniel Monzon. These are the nominations for the main categories.

Best Film
Agora
(*) Celda 211 (Cell 211)
El Baile de la Victoria (The Dancer and the Thief)
El Secreto de sus Ojos (The Secret of Your Eyes)

Best Director
Alejandro Amenabar for Agora
(*) Daniel Monzon for Celda 211
Fernando Trueba for El Baile de la Victoria
Juan Jose Campanella for El Secreto de sus Ojos

Best New Director
David Panell for La Verguenza
Borja Cobeaga for Pagafantas
(*) Mar Coll for Tres Dias con la Familia
Antonio Naharro and Alvaro Pastor for Yo, Tambien

Best Actress
Rachel Weisz in Agora
Penelope Cruz in Los Abrazos Rotos (Broken Embrances)
Maribel Verdu in Tetro
(*) Lola Duenas in Yo, Tambien

Best Actor
(*) Luis Tosar in Celda 211
Ricardo Darin in El Secreto de sus Ojos
Jordi Molla in El Consul de Sodoma
Antonio de la Torre in Gordos

Best Latin-American Film
“Dawson Isla 10”, de Miguel Littin (Chile)
“Gigante” de Adrián Biniez (Uruguay)
(*) “El secreto de sus ojos” de Juan José Campanella (Argentina)
“La teta asustada” de Claudia Llosa Bueno (Perú)

To check nominations in all categories in Spanish go here and to read the news in English go here. Somehow I’m not surprised that Abrazos Rotos (Broken Embraces) was shut-out in this edition, I didn’t really enjoyed the movie that to me looks the most commercial Almodovar I have ever seen; nevertheless Penelope shines in the movie and her nomination is well deserved.

To read winners in all categories go Academy site and look for news from 15/2/10 as they didn't updated the winners and have last year at the Goya's section.

XXIV Goya Awards News – Latin American Films

From November 30th to December 4th Academy members had the opportunity to watch 10 Latin American films that have been submitted for their consideration to be nominated. These are the films.

Dawson Isla, Miguel Litin, Chile
Desierto Adentro, Rodrigo Pla, Mexico
El Secreto de sus Ojos, Juan Jose Campanella, Argentina
Gestacion, Esteban Ramirez, Costa Rica
Gigante, Adrian Biniez, Uruguay
La Sangre y la LLuvia, Jorge Navas, Colombia
La Teta Asustada, Claudia Llosa, Peru
Los Dioses Rotos, Ernesto Daramas, Cuba
Tierra de Hombres Libres, Roman Chalbaud, Venezuela
Zona Sur, Juan Carlos Valdivia, Bolivia

To check the news go to the official site available only in Spanish.

Eloïse

An uneven drama by Jesus Garay that at moments tries too hard to be arty and annoys with the long takes where nothing is really happening; but also has some very good moments when finally Asia and Eloïse get together.

Tells the story of Asia and how she discovered her sexual self. The story intertwines present and recent plus not so recent past which is not a bad idea as otherwise the film would have been a true tragedy and the director would have not been able to ease the end the way he did. Still the story is tragic, but once all the lead and secondary characters are thoroughly introduced you will enjoy how Asia (Diana Gómez) and Eloïse (Ariadna Cabrol) slowly fall in love and for me this is the value of this story and film.

If it wasn’t for the few very good moments with Asia and Eloïse romance, I will tell you that the movie is not really worth watching as acting is not in the good side, camera languishes too much on Asia and production values are not that good. But because those moments I do recommend this movie to many that read the blog. New lesbian cinema releases have been very slow lately, so I suggest to go ahead and give this 2009 movie a try.

I can’t say that I disliked the movie, but I can’t say that I like it. In the lesbian interest genre is an okay movie, better that many really bad; but not as good as many really good. I believe that has a weak story, weak acting, weak director and the only good thing is the editing to ease the tragedy. I believe the movie put me in a down mood, so if you enjoy only happy movies, I suggest to avoid it until the you find the right moment to watch it.

Enjoy!

Watch trailer @ Movie On Companion

Solo Quiero Caminar (Just Walking)

Imagine a movie with Victoria Abril, Ariadna Gil, Elena Anaya and Pilar López de Ayala. Can you? This movie has this stellar cast and surprise, is entertaining with particular nod to quite interesting and good cinematography. Okay, is not perfect as it has its moments when is too predictable, long unnecessary dramatic takes (they had to allow dramatic screen time to each leading role), the narrative is fragmented as if they want us to know everything about the background but left to our imagination many things and among all the macho Mexican men there had to be one that was not that macho Gabriel (Diego Luna). But in general is entertaining, grabs your attention beyond watching the actresses, and there are some moments where you really get into the story about half the movie.

Someone who reads this blog was asking for the female Ocean Eleven and yes this is the one as is about a heist; the difference to Ocean is that here are only four women that can do everything (and more) eleven men did in Ocean. Do the math and you will guess that these women are not the traditional weak females cinema love to portrait and no matter how skinny or tiny the actresses are at moments whatever they do is quite credible; helps a lot that in many scenes they look like if they’re not wearing makeup.

This Agustín Díaz Yanes mainstream oeuvre (he writes and directs) starts with the four women doing a heist to Russian gangsters in Spain; something goes wrong and one ends up in jail. Simultaneously we meet two Mexican gangsters in Mexico City, who eventually travel to Spain and meet two of the women. One Mexican decides to marry Ana (Elena Anaya) and the action moves back to Mexico where eventually the women get together to execute a plan to steal from Ana’s husband. There are many little twists in the story, some are successfully unexpected but some are not.

The movie was honored with a 2009 Goya for cinematography and Ariadna Gil won Best Actress at the 2209 Cinema Writers Circle Awards from Spain, an award that Gil deserves as she delivers quite good the best role of the four.

I was expecting a light movie (still in the same mood) but this is not light, is darkish and not only because the cinematography but also because some of the spoken dialogues which definitively was an unexpected surprise that allowed me to enjoy the film beyond watching the strong female portraits by actresses I could not imagine doing those roles at all.

The film cinematography is interesting but this is a mainstream movie that I believe could appeal to adult audiences as an escape moment and as such I do recommend it. If you like watching any of the actresses, then the film is must be seen for you and I strongly recommend do not miss seeing Ariadna Gil as probably you’ll be as surprised as me with her performance.

Enjoy!!

Watch trailer @ Movie On Companion

54th Valladolid Film Festival Award Winners

Recently the fest had the awards ceremony and here are the winners.

Official Selection

Golden Spike: Honeymoons, Goran Paskaljevic, Serbia and Albania
Silver Spike: Lille Soldat, Annette K. Olesen, Denmark
Jury Award: L’armée du crime, Robert Guédiguian, France
Best New Director: Estigmas, Adán Aliaga, Spain
Best Actress: Trine Dyrholm in Lille Soldat, Annette K. Olesen, Denmark
Best Actor: Alberto San Juan in Isla Interior, Félix Sabroso and Dunia Ayaso, Spain

Punto de Encuentro Section (tie)
La journée de la jupe (Skirt Day), Jean-Paul Lilienfeld, France and Belgium
Aram bash va ta haft beshmar (Be Calm and Count to Seven), Ramtin Lavafipour, Iran
FIPRESCI Award: Honeymoons, Goran Paskaljevic, Serbia and Albania
Cultural Diversity Award: Amreeka, Cherien Dabis. Canada, Kuwait, and USA
Audience Award
Official Selection: Le Hérisson, Mona Achache, France and Italy
Punto de Encuentro: La Causa de Kripan, Omer Oke, Spain

To read about other awards go here.

El Secreto de sus Ojos (The Secret of Her Eyes)

I wonder if I ever saw any of the American TV work Juan Jose Campanella has done in the USA; but I have seen some of the shows like House M.D., 30 Rock and Law & Order Criminal Intent where he has directed some episodes. I do not recall having seen any of his movies but now after watching this movie I’m interested in watching more of his Argentinean work. Yes this movie is good, very fast attention grabber, entertaining and somehow resembling good old-fashion cinema so good that made me think I was watching a film by Hitchcock.

Most call it cinema noir and it is; but this drama, romance, humor, crime, thriller and Argentinean justice dissection looks and feels mainstream; yet, at the same time is artish as has slowish pace, excellent frame compositions with many close-ups, constant chiaroscuro in indoor scenes, great outdoor cinematography, extraordinary performances by leads (especially Ricardo Darin) and a director -who also edited- that created flawless narration even when it moves back and forth in time.

If this movie was an American production I would not be that impressed as has the high production values most Hollywood movies have. But being an Argentina and Spain production the film really raises the standard for other mainstream filmmakers in the Latin American region.

What impressed me the most is how Campanella was able to find a superb cinematic visual and narrative language to tell so much about Argentinians idiosyncrasy that you will highly enjoy if you’re familiar with them and you also will highly enjoy if you know nothing about Argentina and/or Argentinians. Obviously co writing the script with Eduardo Sacheri, who wrote the novel, had to help the narrative; but the visual language, the fabulous screen chemistry between Ricardo Darin and Soledad Villamil, and the dry humor of Guillermo Francella belongs to a great director.

Some have criticized one aspect and I tend to agree, the many faux finales in the last third of the movie. I think that the movie impeccable flow was cut with the first black screen that suggested the end; but when it was it was repeated again and again, it was too much. There was no need to lead viewers to think that the film is over, the great story didn't needed the gimmick.

So, what’s the story about? On the surface is about a Judge Office clerk that after retiring decides to write his first novel. The novel will tell about a case that changed his life, his boss life and his co-worker’s life. The case: rape and murder of a beautiful young woman. So you see the present when Esposito (Ricardo Darin) is writing the novel and you see the past flawlessly intertwined. But below the surface the story is about social class differences, power abuse, the lightness of justice, empty lives, old age, revenge, impotence, powerless, honesty, forgetting what you still remember but don’t want to recall, eternal love, obsession and gee, so many more things that make the story really interesting.

I liked the movie as is entertaining with an artish style. I have the impression that the film has a cinematic language that Academy members are familiar and will easily understand; so, I wouldn’t be surprised if the movie makes the list of 5 nominated for the Best Foreign Language film at the upcoming Oscars, which will mean another top honor in the list of honors that the film has been collecting since was premiered at the 2009 San Sebastian fest where won the top honor.

If you’re familiar with Latin American cinema you have to see this movie to realize how high the bar has gone for other mainstream filmmakers in the area. The film is suited for adult audiences that want to enjoy a good film that will grab their attention fast and hold it until the very end.

Me, I’ll watch everything with Ricardo Darin and here he is extraordinary!!!

Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @ Movie On Companion