with the bold text in the example below:

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Brave by Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman, 2012 (PG)



with Kelly Macdonald (The Girl in the Cafe), Emma Thompson (Men in Black 3, An Education, Love Actually), Billy Connolly, Kevin McKidd, Craig Ferguson, Robbie Coltrane, Julie Walters, Eilidh Fraser, Sally Kinghom
Duration: 93 minutes

Scottish princess Merida uses her archery skills to establish her independence, but when she accidentally angers the ancient land's three powerful lords and is granted a poorly conceived wish by a witch, she must go on a quest to repair the damage.

Nominated at the Oscars 2013 for Best Animated Feature Film (WON)

Finally a Walt Disney movie that showcase a woman who doesn't need a man to make her story better. The choice isn't really appealing anyway... But still a major statement that you can make a story that ends well with someone who is just not ready to settle, who can become who she wants to be without the help of a man, as nice and helpful he can be, and finally end with all options open still (basically not making her undesirable or lonely just because she didn't find yet the one she loves). Ok, spoiler there, but anyway, maybe it will convince some to watch it. This is definitely breaking a serious pattern. The movie is cute, dynamic, with a little bit of humor, not lecturing for an adult and with good values for kids. Definitely not the best Disney but at least a statement.

Watch Trailer:

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Dan in Real Life by Peter Hedges, 2008 (PG-13)



with Steve Carell (Crazy Stupid Love), Juliette Binoche (The English Patient, Breaking and Entering, Chocolat, Paris, Copie Conforme), Dane Cook, Alison Pill (To Rome With Love, Milk), Brittany Robertson, Marlene Lawston, Dianne Wiest (Rabbit Hole), John Mahoney, Norbert Leo Butz, Emily Blunt (Wild Target, The Adjustment Bureau, The Five-Year Engagement, Your Sister's Sister, Looper), Jessica Hecht (Fair Game)

In this romantic comedy from director Peter Hedges, advice columnist and widowed father of three Dan Burns meets a new woman who's beautiful and smart -- but she also happens to be the girlfriend of Dan's brother, Mitch.

This was the first movie of Steve Carell that made me like the actor. I was always wondering if he could play something else than light blockbuster comedy. This movie is not small, it has a solid cast, quite some comedy to it, but somehow the director managed to give the movie a depth that is very much unique, and make the character of Dan more than a fool, an ordinary man lost in his responsibilities of single dad, targeted by the rest of the family as the lost child, and for some reason falling for the wrong person. But besides the discomfort of some of the situations, the movie remains very much human and intelligent. I guess Juliette Binoche helped quite a bit in turning the movie into more than a comedy, but the duet really works. 

Watch Trailer:

Friday, December 21, 2012

Kiss Me (Kyss mig) by Alexandra-Therese Keining, 2011 (NR)



with Ruth Vega Fernandez, Liv Mjönes, Lena Endre, Krister Henriksson, Joakim Nätterqvist, Thomas Ljungman, Josefine Tengblad, Björn Kjellman
Duration: 105 minutes

While celebrating her own recent engagement, Mia travels to the Swedish countryside to attend the engagement party of her estranged father. When she meets her soon-to-be stepsister, sparks fly and Mia finds herself unexpectedly falling in love.

Kiss Me is a Swedish movie, which you can guess by the lack of color from beginning to end in the cinematography. Ok, this is some sort of cliché, but this one matches it. Besides this, it reminded me of another sort of "Imagine Me and You", same plot, more or less, or was it closer to "I can't think straight"? Perhaps the scene coming out of school, or them on an isolated getaway, I do not know, but the movie ressembles strangely. Except that it is very serious, oh yes. Mia is this very serious and tormented person, everyone around is having serious conversation. No one laughs. Anyway, the plot sounded more promising with a family drama surrounding the relationship between the two stepsisters, but not really, everything seems to solve itself without further complication. I believe the ending was the apotheosis of a banal film, with one running to the airport after the other, and ending up in the most romantic place to start over. Hum... Too bad, because the chemistry between the actresses really worked, the acting is impeccable and the landscapes and cinematography, despite its greyness and tidiness, is absolutely beautiful.

Watch Trailer:

Saturday, December 15, 2012

The Secrets (Ha Sadot) by Avi Nesher, 2007 (R)



with Fanny Ardant, Ania Bukstein, Rivka Michaeli, Michal Shtamler, Adir Miller, Guri Alfi, Alma Zak, Tiki Dayan, Dana Ivgy, Talli Oren, Sefi Rivlin

At an all-female seminary in the Israeli holy city of Safed, brilliant Naomi (Ania Bukstein) befriends rebellious Michelle (Michal Shtamler), but their friendship is tested when they meet a sickly Frenchwoman named Anouk (Fanny Ardant) who needs their help. Risking expulsion, Naomi and Michelle embark on a journey of self-discovery as they secretly study kabbalistic texts, learning cleansing rituals that will aid the mysterious Anouk.

It has been a while that I found a movie that could tell me a story of courage. And cowardice. This movie is the Orthodox Jew version of Iranian movie "Circumstance". There are differences, such as the story, the context, the identity, the journey... but at the end of the day, it is for the same reason that they get together, love, and follow the same path in the relationship. It is touching, powerful, the two girls are beautiful, Ania Buckstein is astonishing in her performance. The only negative point, and that might be only in case you speak French, is Fanny Ardant's lines, they are like heavy quotes, no one speaks like that, it looks so overdone, overdramatic, really fake. And I love Fanny Ardant... This time was too much. Anyway, besides the failure of incorporating French language, the movie is absolutely touching.

Watch Trailer:

Friday, December 14, 2012

War Horse by Steven Spielberg, 2011 (PG-13)



with Emily Watson (Fireflies in the Garden, Breaking the Waves), David Thewlis, Peter Mullan, Niels Arestrup (Farewell, Un Prophete), Tom Hiddleston(Thor, Avengers, Deep Blue Sea), Jeremy Irvine, Benedict Cumberbatch (Tinker Tailer Soldier Spy), Toby Kebbell, David Kross (The Reader), Eddie Marsan (Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows), Nicolas Bro, Rainer Bock, Patrick Kennedy, Leonhard Carow, Celine Buckens
Duration: 146 minutes

Adapted from a novel by Michael Morpurgo, this majestic World War I drama centers on Devon lad Albert and his steadfast horse, Joey, whose faithful bond cannot be shaken -- even when Joey is sold to the cavalry and sent off to France.

It is an interesting construction of the plot. For a very natural reason, we are always attached the good human being. In this movie, our feelings get challenged and perhaps manipulated into getting to know and love the horse more than the humans, but still, the humans remain our center of attachement, just because they are good to the horse. The other exercise that the movie does is the make you more and more confused about which side are the people, so you get equally attached to the German boys, the British captain, the French jam maker and his granddaughter, the German animal caretaker, the British and the German on the field trying to get the horse out of the wire, everyone from every side who turned out to be good to the horse.
It is beautifully shot, perfectly acted, with a great sense of action, the only upsetting thing is the music and the forced emotions into making you cry, while the story is so futile, in the sense that at the end of the day, it is just one horse, so many more have died, so many humans have died. The movie turns out to be a strange fairy tale, an out of context story, as beautiful as it is...

Watch Trailer:

Thursday, December 13, 2012

My Summer of Love by Pawel Pawlikowski, 2004 (R)



with Nathalie Press, Emily Blunt (Wild Target, The Adjustment Bureau, The Five-Year Engagement, Your Sister's Sister, Looper), Paddy Considine, Dean Andrews, Michelle Byrne, Paul Antony-Barber, Lynette Edwards, Kathryn Sumner

Mona is tired of her working-class roots, and Tamsin is bored with her pampered lifestyle. When their opposite worlds collide unexpectedly, the girls sense an immediate attraction. But can their unusual friendship survive their differences?

I saw this movie for quite some time in the queue, or recommended, but finally realized the main actress was the really mainstream Emily Blunt, so I got curious. There is in lesbian movie genre a very limited choice of good quality productions, which at this point in time as still very much indie movies. Alright, having said that, let's go back to the movie. The acting is really good, truly convincing from the three main characters, the two girls and the converted ex-con brother. The set is very simple, with an attempt to be at the same time raw but stylized. It reminded me in more than one way of "Fish Tank" where the most rebellious kid is also at the same time the most innocent, the less exposed to the game of power. It really surprised me in many way, perhaps because it is not so much a romantic movie than it is about social classes in England, about mentalities. It really made a point, even if it is a pessimistic one. Strong movie.

Watch Trailer:

Monday, December 10, 2012

Prime by Ben Younger, 2005 (PG-13)



with Uma Thurman (Bel Ami), Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady, Marvin's Room, It's Complicated, Julie and Julia, Kramer Vs. Kramer), Bryan Greenberg, Jon Abrahams, Zak Orth, Annie Parisse, Aubrey Dollar, Jerry Adler, Doris Belack, Ato Essandoh

Newly divorced businesswoman Rafi is surprised at how quickly love finds her again in the form of young artist Dave, her polar opposite. But Rafi's soon dismayed to learn that her shrink is also her lover's disapproving mother.
Duration: 106 minutes

I saw it when it came out, in 2005, I guess i was the age of the guy in the movie, and not as experienced... I also was still living in France at the time. I found the movie a bit stupid, forced into being comical, the only two saving scenes were Meryl Streep and her Q-tips theory, and the ending, which was unusual and interesting. I never wanted to watch this movie again, there were so many more interesting one in the horizon. 
Then it turned out that I actually had to see it again last Saturday. So I was expecting a bad movie. To be more fair to the experience, I would say there were things that were far worse, such as the fashion, my goodness, she is supposed to be a fashion photographer, and her outfits are outrageous, hopefully that wasn't the fashion in 2005!! Then, now that I live in New York, I was shocked by the representation of the kid's lifestyle, from the upper east side but living in the lower east side, with a gangsta style and going to all the touristic places you could imagine to eat, go out, shop... Anyway, the summum of it was the chicken noodle soup romantic dinner, this is something that could only come from LA, romanticizing the idea of New Yorker getting sick. Aside from that, I really liked Meryl Streep performance, she definitely saves the movie from collapsing really deep, and the grandma with the pan kind of guide for Dave. Now also, I am older than the guy, and actually in the relationship with someone way older, giving me some perspective on the story, which is quite realistic. And I still find the end original, mature. Which leaves me with a better feeling than last time.

watch trailer:

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life by Joann Sfar, 2010 (NR)



with Eric Elmosnino, Lucy Gordon, Laetitia Casta, Doug Jones, Anna Mouglalis, Mylène Jampanoï, Sara Forestier, Kacey Mottet Klein, Razvan Vasilescu

Eric Elmosnino stars as Serge Gainsbourg in this foreign-language biopic about the life and career of the famed French singer-songwriter who, as a young Jew, survived the Nazi occupation of Paris and went on to create controversial music.

This is an interesting story of Serge Gainsbourg, with a fantastic view of his life, so it wouldn't be taken too seriously. Elmosnino plays convincingly that ugly man that every women were falling in love with. The cast of women is quite incredible, although I have to say that the two that really made a point were Anna Mouglalis as Juliette Gréco, and Laetitia Casta as Brigitte Bardot. Lucy Gordon looked like Jane Birkin but there was something off about her, maybe because she reminded me too much of her other character in Les Poupées Russes (Russian Dolls)... Anyway, it is a good recalling of the great songs of Gainsbourg, with an interesting reconstitution of the 50s to the 90s.

Watch trailer:

Assassin in Love (The Baker) by Gareth Lewis, 2008 (PG-13)



with Damian Lewis (Homeland), Kate Ashfield, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Game of Throne), Dyfan Dwyfor, Anthony O'Donnell, Steve Speirs, Brian Hibbard, William Thomas, Michael Gambon, Robert Page, Philip Howe

A sleepy village in the country seems like the perfect hideout for a failed assassin (Damian Lewis) who's trying his best to avoid his angry employers. That is, until the locals assume he's the new baker they've hired, and promptly put him to work. Forget what he might have been asked to do in the past ... this new gig is no piece of cake. Michael Gambon and Kate Ashfield co-star in this quirky comedy with plenty of bite.

It is strange to watch a movie from a few years back with the actors from the leading series of 2012, probably the reason why it ended up on TV now. It is a Welsh comedy about a reconverted killer in a remote town, with characters coming from a movie of Jean-Pierre Jeunet, actually, it has something to it even in the aesthetic... but the sense of humor is definitely British, or Welsh. It turns out to be also a romantic comedy, but in the end, it truly is a silly movie.

Watch Trailer:

Thursday, December 6, 2012

You Will Be Mine (Je te mangerais) by Sophie Laloy, 2009 (NR)



with Judith Davis, Marc Chapiteau, Fabienne Babe, Cécile Laloy, Ondine Desfosses, Lucie Bourdeu, Julien Pabion, Isild Le Besco, Edith Scob, Christian Bouillette, Johan Liberau, Alain Beigel

Economic circumstances force Marie, who is studying piano at a conservatory, to move in with Emma, her childhood friend. Emma fascinates, dominates and devastates Marie, who is torn between her desire for Emma and the urge to escape.

I found it an interesting theme, with educated attractive people, a perfect cinematography... but don't expect to be a sensual movie, or full of action. It is a very slow movie about two women living together as flatmates, one madly in love with the other, while the other one need only freedom. It is a bit over-dramatic, and seriously dark, it reminded me in a way of "With a Friend like Harry...", almost suffocating, except that it stays in the realism, with absolutely no sense of humor to relieve it.

Watch Trailer:

Monday, December 3, 2012

Nowhere Boy by Sam Taylor Wood, 2009 (R)



with Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Albert Nobbs), Thomas Sangster (Love Actually), Kristin Scott Thomas (The English Patient, Bel Ami, Salmon Fishing In Yemen, Leaving), Anne-Marie Duff, David Morrissey, Ophelia Lovibond, Josh Bolt, Sam Bell, Andrew Buchan
Duration: 98 minutes

Raised by his aunt since he was a young boy, charismatic teen John Lennon is reunited with his mother, which ignites a bitter battle between the two sisters for John's affections. Along the way, John befriends fellow Liverpool lad Paul McCartney.

Interesting bio of John Lennon, with a focus on his teenage years, reconnecting with his mother, dealing with a society that for him was backward, rejecting school, going through a journey through music into the first years of his musical career, right before the Beatles. The soundtrack is I believe the best part, with a great compilation of the music of the 40s and 50s. Then, the cinematography portraying Liverpool of the 50s is another great element, made me feel nostalgic of a time that I never knew, but grew up with because the fashion of that time had a revival in the 80s and early 90s, but also because everything is so well documented that the trip to time really operates successfully. I mustn't forget the actors, not only because I am a reliable fan of Kristin Scott Thomas acting, but because the ensemble is really interestingly portrayed, you even forget at some point that these are not the actual Paul McCartney and John Lennon, and start imagining them as the (extra)ordinary boys that they might have been before becoming hugely mainstream.

Watch Trailer:

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Dark Shadows by Tim Burton, 2012 (PG-13)



with Johnny Depp (The Rum Diary, Alice in Wonderland, Chocolat, Rango), Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter (Alice in Wonderland, The King's Speech), Eva Green (Perfect Sense, The Dreamers), Chloë Grace Moretz, Bella Heathcote, Jonny Lee Miller, Jackie Earle Haley, Gulliver McGrath

Tim Burton's take on the cult gothic soap follows a centuries-old vampire as he returns to his now-crumbling estate to meet his modern descendants. But what he finds is a house full of secrets and shadows.
Duration: 113 minutes

Did you see the 1967 original series Dark Shadows? I just had a look at it after watching the movie, and it is in the script quite faithful to the original. Of course the aesthetic is definitely Tim Burton, and the sense of humor as well. It works, in a simplistic way. The actors are great, all from the large family of Burton, playing in their familiar genre. Now, to say that this was a great movie... Everything was pushed to the point of the obvious, the scenes with Eva Green look like they were made with amphetamines, even tho she makes Barnabas look not as puritan and devotedly romantic as most characters of the mainstream cinema lately are. Her death is far more interesting than her life... Michelle Pfeiffer was actually good, and Helena Bonham Carter, for once, had her character tamed to the almost normal! Still... Maybe the truth is you have to love Tim Burton's movie to like this one, and since Mars Attacks (which was awesome), I lost the taste of it.

Watch Trailer:

Tower Heist by Brett Ratner, 2011 (PG-13)



with Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Matthew Broderick (Margaret), Casey Affleck, Michael Peña, Téa Leoni, Gabourey Sidibe (Precious), Alan Alda, Judd Hirsch, Nina Arianda
104 minutes

When a group of workers at a ritzy Manhattan condo realize their boss has swindled them out of their pensions, they vow to reap their own justice. With the cooperation of the building manager, the group devises an ingenious plot to recover the funds.

I was told it would not be an intellectual movie. I was expecting worse therefor. I really enjoyed the first part of the movie, I think the dialogues are witty, original, I also like the twist of the end. The cast is pretty impressive, Ben Stiller has this capability to gather actors for what looks like a fun shooting time, and make a movie (not bad strategy). It is a mix of stories such as Robin Hood, Mission: Impossible and Grand Hotel, set during thanksgiving for a feel good timing. Not bad tho... And I almost didn't hate Eddie Murphy!

Play Trailer:

Updates on Claudia Black, a journey to the impossibles

Following the article: Claudia Black, a journey to the impossibles

Claudia Black in the recording studios for Dragon Age Inquisition, 2014
I keep seeing these pictures on the side of my blog, as it appears to be very popular, and I feel weird because I just want to post a picture of Claudia Black the way she looks now, which is more beautiful than ever. Just come back to the front of the screen, even if that means more make up/prep up and less crazy voices to perform for video games. 

Update 10/01/2016: I am still catching up with the last episodes, so don't spoil it for me. But my, my... Lommers is quite the politician in Containment, I am thrilled she was cast in it. Looking forward to the end, and more shows with her in it.

Update 02/18/2016: Alright, Claudia Black has been back, with the role of Dahlia in the Originals, (spin-off from The Vampire Diaries), pretty much immortal. And something I really look forward to, she will be part of the cast of "Containment", set to debut April 19, 2016, meaning really soon!!! This is good news.

Update 12/19/2013: Just in: "Strange Frame: Love and Sax" is now available in Netflix. Only thing I gotta do when I get back home after holidays is to watch it! Yay!

Update 08/05/2013: Finally, just saw the other vampire Claudia Black was turned into, for the movie "Queen of the Damned". Honestly, I much prefer the one of "MoonLight". They made her have luggage under her eyes, bad skin, and an insignificant role. Anyway, the movie is not that interesting either, so I guess it is a good way to skip Claudia Black for once. Still have to see "Strange Frame" and "Rain From Stars".

Update 11/29/2012: Answer from the producers of Strange Frame: "Weʻre still working on a screening for New York. Stay tuned, but it will be out on VOD in February and DVD in March."
Simple as asking!

Claudia Black as Pandora in "Queen of the Damned", 2002

Update 11/28/2012: Just watched for the first time Haven, this series from SyFy (who produced BattleStar Galactica) of course to check out the latest work of Claudia Black ("Magic Hour" Part 1 and 2). I kind of got hooked to the series, it has an interesting point, despite the fact that it looks like "The 4400" and "Heroes" in more than one way... Or X-men... Wonder why there is such a fascination for people with superpower (oh now I remember half of the movie industry money comes from stories about people with Super-Powers :) Anyway, I am starting to get annoyed at Claudia Black for staying no more than three episodes without being outcast or killed, or simply popping by just long enough we would point our attention to her and then leave. Can any producer be smarter than that?
But... she looks like she is getting a serious credit in the coming-up movie "Rain from Stars", which is not an animated movie. Yes!!! It's finished, so let's wait and see. In the meantime, I keep asking in case... where can we see "Strange Frame: Love and Sax" in New York?

Claudia Black in TV series "Haven" as Moira in episode "Magic Hour"

For more on Claudia Black, I recommend IMDB and claudiablackonline

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Sunset Boulevard by Billy Wilder, 1950 (NR)



with William Holden, Gloria Swanson, Erich von Stroheim, Nancy Olson, Fred Clark, Lloyd Gough, Jack Webb

Running from debt collectors, screenwriter Joe Gillis stumbles upon the crumbling mansion of former silent-film star Norma Desmond. As he begins penning a comeback screenplay for her, their professional relationship evolves into something more.
Duration: 110 minutes

"I am big, It's the pictures that got small!" What a quote, and many other brilliant ones punctuate a movie that really marked the end of an era. Hollywood studios, the decaying mansion of a fallen star, these are the two main set of the movie, between fake and isolation. It is a dark dark movie... but it wouldn't be as dark if it weren't for Gloria Swanson's mad character, and Erich von Stroheim's stoicism, dryness and impeccable attitude. I felt more and more awkward, uncomfortable, filled with the perspective of the young screenwriter, in a brilliant manipulation that the movie creates. Yes, because the movie starts with the end with quite some sense of humor, from the death of Joe Gillis, we already know the outcome. But the final act is not the disturbing one, this is actually the one moment we are the most used to in love drama. It is the whole situation in between, the confinement in luxurious heaviness, the longing and solitude, the slow but steady trap closing around the characters. Very disturbing.
I was also told, and I mention it because my ignorance did not allow me to notice it, that it was one of the first movies depicting a man who was attracted by the money of an older woman, living by her means and used as an object of desire.
Anyway, a classic.

Watch Trailer:

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Traffic by Steven Soderbergh, 2000 (R)



with Michael Douglas (Solitary Man, Haywire, The Game), Don Cheadle (Out of Sight), Benicio Del Toro, Luis Guzmán (Out of Sight), Dennis Quaid (Pandorum), Catherine Zeta-Jones, Steven Bauer, Benjamin Bratt, James Brolin, Erika Christensen, Clifton Collins Jr., Miguel Ferrer (Robocop), Albert Finney (The Bourne Legacy), Topher Grace (Valentine's Day), Amy Irving (Deconstructing Harry)
Duration: 147 minutes

Interlacing three disturbing snapshots of America's drug war, this Oscar-winning saga follows a U.S. drug czar who learns his daughter's an addict, a Mexican cop caught in a corrupt system and a housewife forced to take over the family drug business.

I remember watching it when it came out, going twice to the theater and being so upset for not having understood the movie. I saw it with subtitles, but there is so much going on, so much non-verbal communication, that reading the subtitles was going to make me miss half of the movie. Twelve years later, I finally saw it again, being now fluent in English and Spanish. All I could remember from the movie were the yellow in Juarez and the Blue in Washington DC, the heroine injected in the foot, the general saying "Su puede ser tu pasado" with a theatrical voice, Catherine Zeta Jones bringing refreshments to the undercover cops, and the light in the Baseball fields of Juarez. Now the feeling I have is that it was a risky choice to shoot digitally, Soderbergh has improved a lot since then. Then, what a complicated story, although I can pretend I understand a lot more, such as the complexity of fighting drug traffic, the influence of politicians, to a certain extend, the idea that you may do anything you want as long as you have power a money. And at the same time, wanting to control so much at a national level will not mean to have control under your own roof. Anyway, the layering of the drug traffic system is very intelligent, the movie has a perfect sense of rhythm, the more you engage into the movie, the more it drags you into the darkness of humanity, with a very little light to hold on to, but a light anyway...

Watch Trailer:

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Theater experience...

These last days, I haven't been able to watch any movie... The reason for it is that I was litterally working 24/7 on a new play, which started this Thursday. I was creating the video-projection with live camera and videoart to be projected during the performance. The only thing I took the time to watch, just because I am addicted, was Dexter and Homeland... So, basically, for this play, there was different kind of surreal things to create, such as a goldfish with wings, in it's fishbowl, floating with a red parachute. Or, a lot of blood leaking from the top of the stage, or a magical forest with its leaves growing, or even a blackbird prisoner in a padlock, or the main actress looking like she is seeing herself in mirrors while hundreds of flower bouquets are dangling above. Anyway, Of course, this implies a lot of shooting, editing, special effects, animation and so on. But when you are working in the production of a film, once you did all that, you're done. You can come to the premiere and enjoy the show. There comes the difference. At that point where everything is created, it has to live with the actors, blend in a new form of language of storytelling. So you have to decide where that particular mirror goes, where the fishbowl does appear, or in a case i didn't explain, bookshelves on the chest of one of the actor. Oh well, this is technical but a few more days in the theater and we will be good. Oh, the set is not ready on time, the projector doesn't spill wide enough to cover the whole stage, oh, the live camera is so far from the projector we are missing cables... Alright, minor details, we'll get through it... Then comes the lighting designer, the sound designer and the queue to queue with the director, which will take another full day. At night, no night, render, adjustments, editing editing editing...
And finally at the premiere, instead of sitting back and relaxing, you are hungry, tired, stressed and go from one end of the show to the other with the pressure of missing the timing and launching the bird instead of the fishbowl...
The comfort of it all, the audience, the live element, the teamwork, the crew and cast, and eventually the idea that you will finally get it right after three representations.
So I haven't been able to watch movies lately, but soon enough, the rhythm will come back!

Sunday, November 11, 2012

The Deep Blue Sea by Terence Davies, 2011 (R)



with Rachel Weisz (The Whisleblower, The Bourne Legacy, 360, Dream House, Constantine, Agora), Tom Hiddleston (The Avengers, Thor), Simon Russell Beale, Ann Mitchell, Jolyon Coy, Karl Johnson, Harry Hadden-Paton, Sarah Kants, Oliver Ford Davies, Barbara Jefford

This remake of the original 1955 film, adapted from a Terence Rattigan play, stars Rachel Weisz as a wedded woman who falls hard for a younger man. Her determination and emotional obsession lead her into tragic conflict with the morals of the day.

This movie was not made in the 90's. But it has the aestetic of it, which supposedly has the cinematography of a masterpiece, but in practice, has everything with a halo, blurry, and too dark in whatever quality you watch it with. The story is very slow, but the truth is that the rhythm doesn't bring anything to the story, because in the end, the story isn't that complex, the acting is pretty much to the point and obvious. The two male characters have a very defined portrait, so you can figure them out in two minutes, the conflict of Rachel Weisz isn't a conflict since her mind is made from the beginning. Perhaps the interesting point is the situation of women in the 1950's, with no opportunity to be free to be who they are, but at the same time, except in a few obvious scenes, it is not really explored. I really like Rachel Weisz, so maybe this is the reason why I watched the whole movie, or perhaps to see the outcome of the situation, but the ending is so trivial that I was even more upset.

Watch Trailer:

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Blade Runner: The Final Cut by Ridley Scott, 1982 (R) 117min



with Harrison Ford (Morning Glory), Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Edward James Olmos (Battlestar Galactica), M. Emmet Walsh, Daryl Hannah, William Sanderson, Brion James, Joe Turkel, Joanna Cassidy, James Hong, Morgan Paull

In a smog-choked dystopian Los Angeles, blade runner Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) is called out of retirement to snuff a quartet of escaped "replicants" -- androids consigned to slave labor on remote planets -- seeking to extend their short life spans. This definitive special edition of director Ridley Scott's classic features his restored and remastered version with added scenes.

Ah, classics... ah K. Dick... (Blade Runner, I. Robot, Total Recall, Minority Report, The Adjustment Bureau...) What not to love? So what, shall we say perhaps it is a nicer version without the narrator, the acting is impeccable, the aesthetic hasn't gone old, the script is beautifully existential, poetic, and the love story in a way, tragic. Anyway, before we lost power on Sandy, the last reminder of our society evolution has been Blade Runner. Pleasure!

watch trailer:

Monday, October 29, 2012

Mad Money (Hot Money) by Callie Khouri, 2008 (PG-13)



with Diane Keaton (Marvin's Room, Morning Glory), Queen Latifah (Chicago), Katie Holmes, Ted Danson, Roger R. Cross, Adam Rothenberg, Stephen Root, Christopher McDonald, Meagen Fay, J.C. MacKenzie, Finesse Mitchell

When her husband loses his high-paying job, well-off Bridget Cardigan joins the janitorial staff of the Federal Reserve Bank and conspires with two of her fellow employees to pilfer old money that's scheduled to be destroyed.

Have you ever dreamed to get rich, whatever illegal way this is, and get away with it? This movie makes it happen, and in a way, it is refreshing, even if everything is ridicule, forced, out of place. If you don't want to think too much, get some dynamic dialogues, fast laugh, please watch it. I found Diane Keaton to be really Diane Keaton's usual characters, same goes to Queen Latifah, thank god I actually like them, if not I would say the acting is predictable. Katie Holmes surprised me, but perhaps it is because lately, the only pictures I saw were from the newspapers close to the cashier of KeyFood where she looks like she lost a family member. Anyway, not complicated to completely dumb but made me laugh.

Watch Trailer:

Friday, October 26, 2012

Your Sister's Sister by Lynn Shelton, 2011 (R)



with Emily Blunt (Looper, The Five-Year Engagement, Wild Target, The Adjustment Bureau), Rosemarie DeWitt (Margaret, Rachel Getting Married), Mark Duplass, Mike Birbiglia

Jack, who is mourning the death of his brother, has a complicated relationship with his best friend, Iris, who used to date his brother. Their chaotic situation becomes even more tangled when Jack has a drunken tryst with Iris's flighty sister.

It feels good to see sometimes a simple romantic comedy, with nothing but subtleties, a little twist of drama, just enough of the character to love them without having to know every facts of their lives. Because the movie is about a little moment of their lives. The director looks like she chose shots and let the actors improvise upon their text, so you have beautiful scenes uncut of the two sisters. It feels very intimate, naked, and at the same time heavy of everyone's little secret. Yes, the story might resolve in a easy happy way, still it feels like mature people took upon themselves to actually solve it for the better. Finally, if you were a big fan of Emily Blunt (so mainstream!), I would really recommend to change ship, Rosemarie DeWitt is really amazing, everywhere she is, from "United States of Tara" to "Rachel Getting Married" and more.

watch trailer:

The Adjustment Bureau by George Nolfi, 2011 (PG-13)



with Matt Damon (Hereafter, Invictus, Inside Job, Margaret, The Informant, True Grit), Emily Blunt (Looper, The Five-Year Engagement, Wild Target), Anthony Mackie (Man on a Ledge, The Hurt Locker), Terence Stamp, John Slattery (Mad Men), Michael Kelly (Did you Hear About The Morgans?), Anthony Ruivivar

A congressman (Matt Damon) who's a rising star on the political scene finds himself entranced by a beautiful ballerina (Emily Blunt), but mysterious circumstances ensure that their love affair is predestined to be a non-starter. Screenwriter George Nolfi (The Bourne Ultimatum) makes his directorial debut with this romantic adaptation of Philip K. Dick's classic sci-fi short story "Adjustment Team".

I really loved the concept of a life that is not entirely of our own, where decisions are made upon a bigger scheme, with people more or less knowledgeable of what is going on, and some guy who becomes aware while he shouldn't. It felt in a way a mix between one of my favorite movie "Dark City" and "The Matrix". The acting is good, the rhythm as well. They turned the story a little bit too much into a romantic drama, but it was worth the watch.

watch trailer:

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

The Italian Job by F. Gary Gray, 2003 (PG-13)



with Mark Wahlberg (The Fighter, Contraband), Charlize Theron (Young Adult), Donald Sutherland (The Hunger Games), Jason Statham (Killer Elite), Seth Green, Mos Def, Edward Norton (The Bourne Legacy), Julie Costello, Franky G.

Mark Wahlberg stars as Charlie Croker, a clever thief who masterminds a major heist amid the waterways of Venice, Italy -- but a betrayal by one of his own spells disaster, and Croker returns to Los Angeles without the stash, plotting revenge. With an eye on recovering his riches, Croker rounds up his crew -- adding an ace safecracker (Charlize Theron) to the mix. Donald Sutherland, Seth Green and Mos Def also star in this elaborate crime caper.

Interesting, this movie is shaped in the same way Ocean Eleven was, with the same sort of team (including a girl in an important role) and with a badder guy, less classy in a way. The cast in impeccable, the idea of the robbing very inspired with the use of the city commute as a way out, it flows very well, and at the same time, it was the second time I was watching it and couldn't remember how the story would go. It was smooth, smart but not memorable for some reason. Any different opinion on it?

watch trailer:

Looper by Rian Johnson, 2012 (R)



with Joseph Gordon-Levitt (50/50), Bruce Willis (Bandits, Surrogates, RED), Emily Blunt (The Adjustment Bureau, Wild Target, The Five-Year Engagement), Piper Perabo (Imagine Me and You), Paul Dano (Knight and Day, Little Miss Sunshine, There Will Be Blood), Garret Dillahunt (Winter's Bone), Jeff Daniels, Tracie Thoms, Pierce Gagnon

In this sci-fi mindbender, a mob hit man who kills people sent from the future finds himself in a curious predicament when he discovers that one of his targets is his future self, shipped back through time to be whacked.

I didn't have high expectation on this one, but the story is interesting, with an interesting conception of time travel, imagining new rules, a new world. Of course there is always a big bad guy, but at the same time, it is pretty interesting to see how he is portrayed, and the surprises we get along the scenario is entertaining and mind-oriented enough we don't fall into the usual blockbuster. The performance of Gordon-Levitt portraying a younger Bruce Willis is quite convincing, the kid is incredibly freaky, the idea of the close future and further future quite original in their own way of being quite realistic. The only character I really didn't get, since it was sort of overused and not put in context was the role played by Piper Perabo who had to appear at two different moments with no logic at all.

Watch Trailer:

Sunday, October 14, 2012

The Visitor by Thomas McCarthy, 2007 (PG-13)



with Richard Jenkins (Eat Pray Love, The Rum Diary), Haaz Sleiman (Nurse Jackie), Danai Jekesai Gurira, Hiam Abbass, Marian Seldes, Maggie Moore, Amir Arison, Michael Cumpsty, Bill McHenry, Laith Nakli, Waleed Zuaiter, Tzahi Moskovitz, Richard Kind, Neal Lerner, Frank Pando

Widowed professor Walter Vale (Richard Jenkins, in an Oscar-nominated role) finds himself drawn to a different rhythm when he discovers an immigrant couple, Tarek (Haaz Sleiman) and Zainab (Danai Gurira), squatting in his Manhattan flat and becomes wrapped up in their lives. Hiam Abbass co-stars as Tarek's mother, who forges an unlikely connection with Walter when Tarek is thrown into a detention center.

This is one of the most beautiful tales about new york, the man who played djembe in the Subway, coming from a long, painful, unusual and beautiful journey from being that guy, suburban American living with no joy, a boring life, being transformed by the lively life of illegal immigrant, with a strong friendship opening his mind to the outside world. Richard Jenkins is so good, actually, no, everyone in this cast make the movie such a real piece of life, with the richness and texture that New York has and that is never ever shown in movies. Awakening.

Play Trailer:

Beastly by Daniel Barnz, 2011 (PG-13)



with Alex Pettyfer, Vanessa Hudgens, Neil Patrick Harris, Dakota Johnson (The Five-Year Engagement, The Social Network), Erik Knudsen, Mary-Kate Olsen, Peter Krause, Lisa Gay Hamilton (Take Shelter, Jackie Brown), David Francis

After arrogant teenager Kyle (Alex Pettyfer) humiliates a Goth classmate (Mary-Kate Olsen), she puts a curse on him that transforms him from a hunk into a hideous creature. To break the hex, Kyle must find someone who loves him for what he's become. Living with a housekeeper after his heartless father (Peter Krause) throws him out, he connects with an addict's daughter (Vanessa Hudgens) in this contemporary take on Beauty and the Beast.

Alex Pettyfer is a very handsome man, which makes the movie very pleasant to watch, even transformed as he is. Then the story is simple, with some comical moments of Neil Patrick Harris, who is pretty much himself, essentially following the fairy tale in the "90210" style. It is cute... Maybe I got a little too soft here, must be Pettyfer...

Watch Trailer:

Thursday, October 11, 2012

This Means War by McG, 2012 (PG-13)



with Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine (Unstoppable), Tom Hardy (Warrior, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Larry Crowne), Til Schweiger (The Red Baron), Angela Bassett, Rosemary Harris, Chelsea Handler, Abigail Spencer, George Touliatos, Clint Carleton, Warren Christie, Laura Vandervoort, Natassia Malthe, Leela Savasta, John Paul Ruttan
 From the director of "Charlie's Angels" and the last "Terminator: Salvation"

This Means War is a 2012 romantic comedy spy film directed by McG. The film stars Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine, and Tom Hardy as victims of a love triangle in which two CIA agents who are best friends discover that they are dating the same woman. The two best friends turn their secret-agent skills against each other, heedless of the ever-widening trail of wreckage and collateral damage they leave in their wake.

Looking for an "entertainment movie for the nights, with handsome men and spy tricks, you just found the perfect movie of the moment. It is simple, well edited, fast, funny, and absolutely stupid. Have fun!

Watch Trailer:

Monday, October 8, 2012

Une Hirondelle a fait le printemps (The Girl from Paris) by Christian Carion, 2001 (NR)



with Mathilde Seigner, Michel Serrault, Jean-Paul Roussillon, Frédéric Pierrot, Marc Berman, Francoise Bette, Christophe Rossignon, Roland Chalosse

Fed up with city life, Sandrine (Mathilde Seigner) decides to flee Paris and live out her dream of becoming a farmer. It's love at first sight when she comes across a farmstead on the Vercors plateau, which she takes over from the cantankerous farming veteran Adrien (Michel Serrault). Sandrine is as confident she can run the farm by herself as Adrien is skeptical; the trials of the oncoming winter will prove them both wrong.

A new image of the countryside, an impressive portrayal of the changes that our society came across, with technology, isolation, loss of appeal of the physical work... And then coming from the city with her new ideas, the social medias, the rediscovery of the agriculture and farm, combining the old and the new, connecting despite the idea of loneliness that the job may suggest, the movie was definitely thinking ahead, something that today, we start thinking about. The acting of Michel Serrault and Mathilde Seigner is impeccable, some of the scenes are actually quite impressive, I believe they were actually real, which increase the impact of the responsibility, for example helping a goat give birth... It is an awakening...

And I apologize, I couldn't find a trailer for this movie...

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Annapolis by Justin Lin, 2006 (PG-13)



with James Franco (Date Night, Eat Pray Love, 127 Hours, Milk, Rise of the Planet of the Apes), Jordana Brewster (Fast & Furious 6), Tyrese Gibson (Fast & Furious 6), Jim Parrack (True Blood), Donnie Wahlberg, Brian Goodman, Billy Finnigan, Katie Hein, Jimmy Lin, Charles Napier, Vicellous Reon Shannon, Roger Fan, McCaleb Burnett, Wilmer Calderon
From the director of Fast & Furious 6

To prove himself in the cutthroat world of the U.S. Naval Academy, a struggling freshman trained in the school of hard knocks enters a fiercely competitive boxing contest -- but does he have what it takes to make it?

I was told this movie wasn't great, but I have a fascination for the Navy, and this movie is an insight on what it takes to get in. The acting is good, the esthetic is impeccable, the story is not very impressive, but who cares, we see soldiers in training and that's all I expected...

Watch Trailer:

Keep the Lights On by Ira Sachs, 2012 (NR)



with Thure Lindhardt (The Borgias), Zachary Booth (The Beaver), Julianne Nicholson, Souleymane Sy Savane, Paprika Steen, Maria Dizzia (Orange is the New Black, Love and Other Impossible Pursuits The Other Woman), Sebastian La Cause, Justin Reinsilber, David Anzuelo

In Manhattan, filmmaker Erik bonds with closeted lawyer Paul after a fling. As their relationship becomes one fueled by highs, lows, and dysfunctional patterns, Erik struggles to negotiate his own boundaries while being true to himself.

This is no ordinary movie. It is a small production, with relevant actors, such as Paprika Steen, one of the giants of Danish cinema, amazing acting, a story that is not common, an elaborate cinematography, nearing the thin line of raw, naturalist intentionally. The story is quite long, over the course of ten years, it is about relationship, responsibility, what is easy to give up and at the same time, the importance of letting go, very mature. What I also found amazing is the masculine perspective on the topic, which I am not very knowledgeable about, this movie is about a relationship from a man's perspective, with the complexity of a man's mind.

Watch Trailer:

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Eat Pray Love by Ryan Murphy, 2010 (PG-13)



with Julia Roberts (Duplicity, Mirror Mirror, Fireflies in the Garden), Javier Bardem (Skyfall, Biutiful, To the Wonder), James Franco (127 Hours, Milk, Rise of the Planet of the Apes), Richard Jenkins (The Rum Diary, The Visitor), Billy Crudup (Blood Ties), Viola Davis (Knight and Day, The Help, Beautiful Creatures)
From the director of The Normal Heart

Recent divorcée Liz decides to reshape her life, traveling the world in search of direction. She heads to Italy, India and Bali, indulging in delicious cuisine while seeking the true meaning of self-love, family, friendship anwid forgiveness.

I once watched a Ted Talk with Elizabeth Gilbert, and I was amazed by her mind, spirit, energy. She was bright and at the same time, quite grounded, and funny, talking about the genius everyone has in oneself, instead of the personification of the artist, the genius. It was refreshing to see she didn't expect the success of her book Eat Pray Love, turned out it was a best seller, followed by a huge marketing tool and a feature film with no less than Julia Roberts. 
The movie was getting high expectations, and besides Richard Jenkins (The Visitor), fell completely in the cheesy side. Yes, it is supposed to be a feel good movie, it is about living life at its fullest, with very positive energy, pleasures that each place can provide, a risky shot when it comes to mainstream (and simplification therefor of the range of emotions). So the cast is impeccable, the sets are beautiful, the rhythm is flowing... but it is far too naive to be true.

Watch Trailer:

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

To Be Purist or Not To Be...

When you watch movies with friends, it can get to different levels. It can be laid back, having a good time, no pressure on the movie, we are here for entertainment... or... become a contest on who is going to say the smartest thing, with the most relevant reference (preferably unknown by the rest of us), and the lowering of any possible feeling of having had a relaxing time.
First, choose the movie... Of course, you can forget about any blockbuster, since none of them would be highly recognized by the cinema purist. Therefor it has to be preferably in Danish, with no one you could possibly have seen in any other movies. It has to be indie, as well as an intellectual drama. Still, the movie has to have had good reviews in the "Cahiers du Cinema" or other publications of the same prestige.
Second, watch the movie. It might actually be a great journey, with very interesting nuances, a different paste, an original plot, an unexpected ending, who knows, a masterpiece (although you should never use that word lightly).
Third, dinner, after the movie. I am starting to think that perhaps a dinner before and a lot of drinks after might be far more entertaining. My last dinner was quite undigested, with a long and superior debate we entered soon after ordering the appetizers. First, whether we liked or not the movie. If some indeed liked it, then we enter the horrible subject on what makes it a masterpiece, compared to  what is considered a mainstream movie, take for example "The Reader", which (to my humble opinion) was actually really good. How the richness comes from the love of art, the negation of the conventions. I even might have liked the movie, but at that point, I am detached. If the movie wasn't likable, it would be that the filmmaker has been too arrogant, or not enough skilled, even really bad goes. But therefore, it ends up being compared to mainstream movies anyway.
If you happened to have seen something of interest, perhaps good to the opinion of the purist, we might enter another type of conversation: who is the original creator of the style, of course someone you don't know. It is no longer about what this may have brought upon its predecessor, but how well we know. At the end of the day, the conversation will fall into a monologue, with what is the right thing to like, how much we know about things, and how narrow the way to success in the purist world.
Finally, on the way back, the questioning of all what has been said, with the only person you can actually really share. Is that the right way of thinking? Enjoying? Yes, knowledge is everything, and the more we know, the more we understand. It is good to know our classics, the indie ones, but perhaps the mainstream ones, the movies that have created history with new techniques, new languages, new narrativities, and the movies that are creating history because of the moment we are living in. But if the Oscars winners never match the Sundance or Cannes or Berlin ones, perhaps it is because it is a matter of perspective too. So much for purism...
So, my next movie is probably going to be a mainstream one (despite the way it has been produced), "Cloud Atlas", in the meantime, I think I am going to avoid purism for a while...

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Slumdog Millionaire by Danny Boyle, 2008 (R)



with Dev Patel (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel), Freida Pinto (Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes), Irrfan Khan, Anil Kapoor (Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol), Madhur Mittal, Ankur Vikal, Saurabh Shukla, Mahesh Manjrekar, Sanchita Couhdary, Himanshu Tyagi
From the director of Trainspotting, The Beach, 127 hours

After coming within one question of winning a game show, 18-year-old Mumbai "slumdog" Jamal is arrested on suspicion that he cheated. While in custody, he regales an inspector with tales of street life and the story of the woman he loved and lost.

This movie won practically everything at the Oscars, which definitely means something. Watching it was like watching a race, everything running at full speed, with very different layers of the Indian society, sometimes with sense of humor, sometimes questioning the system. It is really smart and flows beautifully over the different stages of the life of Jamal. Also, back then, the cinematography, the editing, the sound design was overwhelming as if you could feel the textures, smell the intense smell of each situations, very sensorial. Overall a great movie.

Watch Trailer:

360 by Fernando Meirelles, 2011 (R)



with Anthony Hopkins, Ben Foster, Dinara Drukarova, Gabriela Marcinkova, Jamel Debbouze, Johannes Krisch, Jude Law, Juliano Cazarré, Lucia Siposova, Maria Flor, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Mark Ivanir, Moritz Bleibtreu, Rachel Weisz, Vladimir Vdovichenkov
From the director of City of God, The Constant Gardener and Blindness

In this remake of the 1950 classic La Ronde, an all-star cast weaves through interrelated stories about love, passion and loneliness. From London and Denver to Phoenix and Vienna, people are haunted by their need to connect, despite the consequences.

In some way, the movie has a lot of similarities with "Love In The Time Of Money" in the way people connect, evolve, continue their journey with that evolution, and so on, in a sort of loop where it all comes back to the beginning, with a whole new perspective. This movie is beautiful in some aspect, the story of the Russian driver with the sister of the prostitute, the father seeking his daughter meeting this young and beautiful soul from Brazil, discovering disillusion... Perhaps if the movie had actually focused on the journey of Laura (amazing Maria Flor), and her encounter with Anthony Hopkins and Ben Foster, this would have made the movie. Alas, the movie goes and comes back to the characters in such a laborious way, playing the "international" card, playing connectedness in a Babel way, but not engaging enough, to unequal.

Watch Trailer:

Friday, September 28, 2012

127 Hours by Danny Boyle, 2010 (R)



with James Franco (Rise of The Planet of The Apes, Milk, Eat Pray Love), Kate Mara (House of Cards), Amber Tamblyn, Sean Bott, Koleman Stinger, Treat Williams (Hollywood Ending), John Lawrence, Kate Burton (Puncture), Lizzy Caplan, Clémence Poésy (In Bruges), Rebecca C. Olson
From the director of Trainspotting, The Beach, Slumdog Millionaire

From director Danny Boyle comes this harrowing tale of real-life mountain climber Aron Ralston (James Franco), who literally cuts himself loose from danger -- and lives to tell about it when sliding rock pins his forearm under a boulder during a climb in Utah. To stay alive, Ralston resorts to his basest survival instincts. The film scored Academy Award nominations in the Best Picture and Best Actor (Franco) categories.

I hated the trailer, looked like an ego-trip with bad cinematography, and a countdown, sort of wanting you to watch him get out of his misery. The movie is quite similar to that, but I guess developping far more the emotional and psychological journey, it did the magic. James Franco is not as exhuberant as in the trailer, he can hold the movie by himself in a pretty impressive way. The camera work is mixing with the materials from the camera of Aron, allowing a narrative without being completely over-explicit. The colors are crazy, but I got to figure this has a lot to do with the light over there and how to communicate the changes in temperature. I guess besides the story which is pretty intense and has quite a lesson to it, the movie is ok, I would recommend just for the idea of an actor holding central stage for an hour and a half.

Watch Trailer:

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Love in the Time of Money by Peter Mattei, 2002 (R)



with Vera Farmiga (Up in The Air, Source Code, Breaking and Entering), Domenick Lombardozzi, Jill Hennessy, Malcolm Gets, Steve Buscemi (The Messenger), Rosario Dawson (Unstoppable, Men In Black 2), Adrian Grenier, Carol Kane, Michael Imperioli, Nahanni Johnstone, Tamara Jenkins

Love is a battlefield for several New York City dwellers: a prostitute and her trick; an artist and a receptionist he meets; a woman married to an unhappy art dealer with a secret; and a psychic out to save a man's life.

Cast was appealing, the fact that they got a grant from the Sundance to develop the movie upon the originality of the script as well, but... the production of it got it all fading into a terrible movie. The acting is good, but the situations are so staged, the quality of the shots so unequal, the cinematography imperfect that it felt like a tv movie, which actually is not even a relevant criticism, since they are making amazing tv movies, such as "Game Change". The problem is that everything feels like a chain of events, which could look pretty engaging if you look at "Babel", and not as good if you are kind of waiting for the next encounter to save the previous one. Perhaps in a very twisted way, I have never seen Steve Buscemi as handsome, and Rosario Dawson as terrible. Perhaps, the only interesting moments are the beginning and the end held by Vera Farmiga, amazing as a prostitute disconnected from the world.

watch Trailer:

Monday, September 24, 2012

Inside Job by Charles Ferguson, 2010 (PG-13)



with Matt Damon, William Ackman, Daniel Alpert, Jonathan Alpert, Sigridur Benediktsdottir, Ben Bernanke, Willem Buiter, George W. Bush, Brigadier General John Campbell, Satyajit Das, Jerome Fons, Barney Frank, Timothy Geithner, Alan Greenspan

From filmmaker Charles Ferguson comes this sobering, Oscar-winning documentary that presents in comprehensive yet cogent detail the pervasive and deep-rooted corruption that led to the global economic meltdown of 2008. Through unflinching interviews with key financial insiders, politicos, journalists and academics, Ferguson paints a galling portrait of an unfettered financial system run amok — without accountability. Actor Matt Damon narrates.

"Ah!" Hopefully this movie will be seen by more people than usually documentaries do. It is IMPORTANT. Not because it is about the financial crisis and it is a hot topic right now, but because it is important for things to move. There are evidence that the system is corrupted, and it would be good that the Liberty that the United States of America took as a symbol would start at every level of the society, and not some freedom that some take from others, because they have the power to do so.
It is well constructed, with a comprehensive (but not simplistic) explanation to the premise of the crisis, the developments, and the nowadays situation, the aftermath, or in this case, the absence of it. Captivating.

Watch Trailer: