American Beauty by Sam Mendes, 1999 (R)

While struggling to endure his tightly wound wife, an unfulfilling job and a sullen teenage daughter, suburbanite Lester Burnham falls deep into a midlife crisis and becomes infatuated with one of his daughter's friends.

I remember the discomfort of having to watch people whose ordinary lives were so filled with darkness and identity issues. Overall, the movie is so cynical there is little to laugh from, and at the same time, so much to reflect on, in the way the American society can be dysfunctional. Oh, and the movie doesn't even talk about racial issues, which I think would be too much to handle, I guess. So focusing on the WASP of suburban America, we get to reflect on the 90's problems, which have now become different and all more of the same, the internet having made its entrance in our lives since then. The movie has aged but not enough to disconnect us from major insecurity issues and role models that have nothing real about them.

with Kevin Spacey (Superman Returns, House of Cards - season 1), Annette Bening (The Kids Are All Right, Ruby Sparks), Thora Birch, Wes Bentley (The Hunger Games), Mena Suvari, Chris Cooper (The Amazing Spider-Man 2, The Company You Keep, The Company Men, The Horse Whisperer, August: Osage County), Peter Gallagher, Allison Janney (Juno, Masters of Sex, The Help, The Hours, Margaret, Liberal Arts), Scott Bakula (Behind the Candelabra, The Informant!), Sam Robards, Ara Celi, John Cho (Total Recall, Star Trek Into Darkness), Sue Casey, Amber Smith, Matthew Kimbrough
From the director of Skyfall

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Boyhood by Richard Linklater, 2014 (R)

with Ellar Coltrane, Ethan Hawke (Daybreakers), Patricia Arquette, Lorelei Linklater, Nick Krause (The Descendants), Marco Perella (Miss Congeniality), Brad Hawkins

After divorcing, a mother and father continue to share the task of guiding their young son through youth and adolescence, and finally to adulthood. As the years roll by, the relationships among the three characters continue to evolve as well.

Long time not seeing a good movie. This one is quite the one best movie I have seen this year. Of course, it is fascinating to see a young boy growing up, experiencing life through little windows in each year, summarizing 12 years in two hours and forty minutes. It is even more amazing to see the emotional and physical journey of the mother (Amazing Patricia Arquette) and the father. I have also experienced the fear of some potential drama and realized how conditioned I am to action drama movies, not being able to relax and enjoy the normality and beauty of life. This movie is full of life and empty of all the Hollywood formatting on how life should be portrayed. Boyhood is definitely a unique movie.

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Enough Said by Nicole Holofcener, 2013 (PG-13)

with Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Deconstructing Harry), James Gandolfini (Zero Dark Thirty), Catherine Keener (Captain Phillips, Out of Sight, Please Give, Peace Love and Misunderstanding, Simone), Toni Collette (Hitchcock, The Hours, Little Miss Sunshine), Ben Falcone, Tavi Gevinson, Tracey Fairaway, Eve Hewson, Anjelah Johnson
From the director of Please Give

Julia Louis-Dreyfus and James Gandolfini star in this charming comedy about a divorced woman venturing into a relationship with a sweet man. But things get tricky when she discovers the man she's dating is the hated ex-husband of her new best friend.

This is an interesting movie about people, quite an unusual one for the American movie industry. It is a romantic comedy about two people that have lived through marriage and divorce, and are now ready to settle again, but only with the right one. It is very normal, not hysterical, not too funny, not too dramatic, simply honest and the characters are beautiful and familiar. Somehow, it is refreshing, in a country that needs to make everything extraordinary to be interesting.

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The Past - Le Passé by Asghar Farhadi, 2013 (PG-13)

with Bérénice Bejo (The Artist), Tahar Rahim (Un Prophete), Ali Mosaffa, Pauline Burlet, Elyes Aguis, Jeanne Jestin, Sabrina Ouazani (Of Gods and Men - Des Hommes et des Dieux, Inch'Allah), Babak Karimi (A Separation - Jodaeiye Nader az Simin), Valeria Cavalli
from the director of A Separation (Jodaeiye Nader az Simin)

When Iranian Ahmad returns to France after a four-year separation from his French wife, Marie, he discovers that she now has a boyfriend -- and that behind her difficult relationship with their daughter lies a secret from the past.

The first hour is mesmerizing. The unraveling of the past takes perhaps a little too long not to feel like "hey, here's another trail to follow!". The topic and the different perspectives on it, from the adolescent to the employee, to the 5 years old kid, to the ex-husband, to the mother (I am not revealing anything...) is quite interesting interesting. The performances are good, very anchored in what France is nowadays, there is an honest feel to the way it is directed, very human, which is what is best about the movie. And Elyes Aguis is most promising, with one of the best performances I have ever seen of a 5 years old in such a complex environment.

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August: Osage County by John Wells, 2013 (R)

Nominated for the Oscars 2014 for the following categories: Actress in a Leading Role, Actress in a Supporting Role

When their father disappears, three strong-willed women return to their childhood home and to their equally strong-willed mother. As they search for their patriarch, the dysfunctional family members wind up facing difficult truths about themselves.

One of the craziest movie of this year, filled with emotions, wrongdoing, kind of explaining how our society is so messed up, in a nutshell. And somehow, all these characters and their flaws deserve some loving, and you get to understand them, perhaps not for all they are, but for how they all belong. It is an interesting portrayal, with amazing performances, mostly from Benedict Cumberbatch and Julianne Nicholson. Now three things, Meryl Streep I think went overboard in her acting, Julia Robert looks like she is hunting for best supporting role in a unnatural way, and finally (what for spoiler), how come Julianne Nicholson (Masters of Sex) is playing again a woman with cervical cancer?

with Meryl Streep (Out of Africa, Prime, The Iron Lady, Marvin's Room, It's Complicated, Julie and Julia, Kramer Vs. Kramer, Hope Springs), Julia Roberts (Duplicity, Mirror Mirror Snow White, Eat Pray Love, Larry Crowne, Fireflies in the Garden), Chris Cooper (The Company Men, The Horse Whisperer, The Company You Keep, American Beauty), Ewan McGregor (Beginners, Amelia, Haywire, The Men Who Stare At Goats, I Love You Phillip Morris, The Ghost Writer, Salmon Fishing In Yemen, Perfect Sense), Margo Martindale (Beautiful Creatures), Abigail Breslin (The Call, Little Miss Sunshine, Rango), Benedict Cumberbatch (Star Trek Into Darkness, War Horse, Tinker Tailer Soldier Spy, The Whistleblower), Juliette Lewis, Dermot Mulroney (J. Edgar, The Grey), Julianne Nicholson (Keep the Lights On, Puccini for Beginners, Masters of Sex), Sam Shepard (Out of the Furnace, Mud), Misty Upham (Frozen River)
From the director of The Company Men, produced by George Clooney, Jean Doumanian, Grant Heslov, Steve Traxler, and Bob and Harvey Weinstein.


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Making Plans for Lena (Non Ma Fille, Tu N'iras Pas Danser) by Christophe Honoré, 2009 (NR)

with Chiara Mastroianni (Un Conte de Noel), Marina Foïs (Asterix and Obelix Meet Cleopatra), Marie-Christine Barrault, Jean-Marc Barr (Côte d'Azur - Crustacés et coquillages), Fred Ulysse, Louis Garrel (Ma Mere, The Dreamers), Marcial Di Fonzo Bo, Alice Butaud, Julien Honoré

Deciding to leave her unfaithful husband (Jean-Marc Barr) behind, 34-year-old Léna (Chiara Mastroianni) travels from Paris to her family's country home to gain some emotional refuge and restart her life. To her dismay, Lena discovers that family members have their own plans for her. The first of these comes from her high-strung sister, Frédérique (Marina Foïs), who's arranged a surprise appearance by Léna's ex-husband.

The cast is impressive, this could be the perfect French movie about family drama, such as "Un Conte de Noel". Except the director is Christophe Honoré (Ma Mere), and everything turns out overacted, slow, painfully boring and dramatized, where there is in fact not much to be dramatic about... Definitely very fashionable, and definitely to be forgotten soon.

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People Like Us by Alex Kurtzman, 2012 (R)

with Chris Pine (Unstoppable, This Means War), Elizabeth Banks (The Hunger Games, Man on a Ledge, Our Idiot Brother, The Next Three Days), Olivia Wilde (The Words, The Next Three Days, Tron: Legacy, Deadfall), Jon Favreau (Iron Man 3), Michelle Pfeiffer (Dark Shadows), Michael Hall D'Addario, Philip Baker Hall (All Good Things, 50/50), Mark Duplass (Your Sister's Sister, The Five-Year Engagement, Zero Dark Thirty)

People Like Us is a drama/comedy about family, inspired by true events, starring Chris Pine as Sam, a twenty-something, fast-talking salesman, whose latest deal collapses on the day he learns that his father has suddenly died. Against his wishes, Sam is called home, where he must put his father's estate in order and reconnect with his estranged family. In the course of fulfilling his father's last wishes, Sam uncovers a startling secret that turns his entire world

This could have been a cheesy movie. Somehow, the plot is turning in its favor, with an interesting formula of what family means, and how the values and ideals have changed. It is well carried by a good cast, and as the story unfolds, the script evolves without shortcut, surprisingly. The ending is definitely a tearjerker, but it is worth the journey.

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Ma Mere by Christophe Honoré, 2005 (NC-17)

with Isabelle Huppert (White Material, The Piano Teacher, Amour), Louis Garrel (The Dreamers, Making Plans for Lena (Non Ma Fille, Tu N'iras pas danser), Emma de Caunes, Joana Preiss, Jean-Baptiste Montagut, Dominique Reymond, Olivier Rabourdin (Of Gods and Men), Philippe Duclos, Pascal Tokatlian, Theo Hakola

Home from boarding school, moody 17-year-old Pierre is drawn into the sordid yet arousing world of his newly widowed and sexually adventurous mother, Hélène. As their attraction deepens, Hélène leaves Pierre in the care of another seductive woman.

I always believed Ma Mere was the traumatic movie by definition. I also believed that it would be unpolitical and somehow erotic. The behavior of Pierre's mother creates after the death of the father with her son is of a spoiled kid, playing with her toy until it breaks, far from the idea I had of the short story and what I heard from the movie where everything would be shown from the perspective of the adoring son. It reminded me so much of Savage Grace, but in a way, far less sick. The relationship Pierre has is of an ideal that she continually breaks therefore there is no real game, just the constant deception, degrading herself, showing him how wrong he was. He is a returning son that doesn't really have a relationship at all with her mother, far from Julianne Moore and Eddie Redmayne's exclusive relationship in Savage Grace. It turns out to be just ok.

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Remember Me, My Love (Ricordati di me) by Gabriele Muccino, 2003 (R)

with Fabrizio Bentivoglio, Laura Morante, Nicoletta Romanoff, Monica Bellucci (The Whistleblower, Asterix and Obelix: Mission Cleopatre), Silvio Muccino, Gabriele Lavia, Enrico Silvestrin, Silvia Cohen, Alberto Gimignani, Amanda Sandrelli, Blas Roca-Rey

Failed novelist Carlos Ristuccia (Fabrizio Bentivoglio) works at a finance company while his wife (Laura Morante) toils as a teacher (after abandoning dreams of being an actress). With their ambitions jettisoned, the couple has instilled little self-esteem in their teenaged son and daughter, who struggle to find meaning in life. Meanwhile, Carlos rekindles an affair with a former flame (Monica Bellucci), triggering a marital and family crisis.

This movie departed with the original idea of a family where the confidence of everyone has been shattered by one another. The story put them back with a chance of regaining it, with the consequences that it involves from getting out of their safe place, and perhaps with a blinded desperation that will make them act recklessly. It is interesting to a certain point, showing how Berlusconi 's sub-culture in Italy has damaged the perception of talent for the younger generation, the theme of feeling loved to function, forgetting that the most important is actually to love oneself. The tone stats comical, which is nice, but goes to the over-dramatic screaming, slammed doors, points so obvious you feels embarrassed for the director or scriptwriter.

Fireflies in the Garden by Dennis Lee, 2008 (R)

with Julia Roberts (Duplicity, Snow White, Eat Pray Love), Ryan Reynolds (Buried), Willem Dafoe (The English Patient, Farewell), Emily Watson (Anna Karenina, War Horse), Carrie-Anne Moss (Snow Cake, Chocolat, The Matrix), Hayden Panettiere (Heroes), Ioan Gruffudd, Shannon Lucio, Cayden Boyd, George Newbern, Chase Ellison...

In the wake of an unexpected family tragedy, novelist Michael Taylor (Ryan Reynolds) is forced to confront his fractured relationship with his father (Willem Dafoe) while dealing with painful memories of his mother (Julia Roberts), a woman who moved mountains to protect him.

It's good. Not the extraordinary story you usually go watch in the movies. No exceptional visuals although a well done cinematography portraying two different times. It is a story about people, family and the reality of imperfections. No hero, just humans, growing and learning, making mistakes, forgiving, living. The actors are all beautiful of humanity, real, impeccable in their direction. It was an emotional journey that was worth watching, sensitive and one of these stories you can relate to. And Carrie-Anne Moss plays in it, which only by this makes my day...

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Margaret by Kenneth Lonergan, 2011 (R)

with Anna Paquin (X-Men, True Blood), Matt Damon (Invictus, Hereafter, True Grit, We Brought a Zoo, The Informant!), Matthew Broderick, Mark Ruffalo (The Avengers, The Kids Are All Right, Shutter Island), Kieran Culkin, Matt Bush, Jean Reno (Léon), Allison Janney (The Help, The Hours), Olivia Thirlby, Rosemarie DeWitt (Rachel Getting Married)

After witnessing a fatal bus crash, teenager Lisa believes she inadvertently played a part in the tragedy. As she tries to deal with her feelings, Lisa becomes emotionally abusive to those around her — and to herself.

How to start. First the positives, this movie is an original portrait of adolescence entering the adulthood. Lisa is opiniated, thinks she gets the world in a better way than anyone, smart-ass with all what comes with it. When something real happens to her, the emptiness of her world becomes striking, she needs to connect with the people that were affected by the accident, realizing they did not care as much, they didn't relate in the same way, and in a way, they reacted with what their situation was at their present time, while she didn't have anything else than a strong responsibility and tons of feeling she cannot canalize. In her search of justice, it becomes clearer than her action are driven by innocence, except that everything not related to the case becomes a way for her to get attention, to shape her life into something more dramatic, existential, shocking, involving others in a journey that she doesn't understand herself, except that instead of being constructive, it destroy her self, her identity she thought was uninteresting.
The dialogues are amazing, the contrast between this movie and the vast majority of movies made today is the quality of the vocabulary, the choice of words, the literate way of communicating and misunderstanding which is such a big part of our life and conflict, which in most movies doesn't have any place. The adult characters are shown quite all evolved, or think they are until they break, facing the innocent voice or contact of adolescence, showing how adulthood is perhaps as complex as adolescence, except with more tragic experience that lead the way to more complex reactions. There are amazing dialogues and monologues, most often lead by Jeannie Berlin, the cast is actually impeccable and Lisa (Anna Paquin) is perfectly irritable, perhaps a bit predictable.
Finally, what was an interesting point, which was for Lisa to have reached a truth and an ability to fight a real cause that no one sees because she fights everything else in the same manner looking like she created her own drama and discrediting her to the eyes of adults, this point becomes a caricature that is so obvious to the eyes of the viewer that it makes the movie fall a little bit flat. Too bad for a movie that has such a nuance and sensitivity.

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We Need To Talk About Kevin by Lynne Ramsay, 2011 (R)

with Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton, I am Love, Constantine), John C. Reilly (Chicago, The Hours), Ezra Miller (Californication), Jasper Newell, Rocky Duer, Ashley Gerasimovich, Siobhan Fallon, Alex Manette, Joseph Melendez

Eva's relationship with her son, Kevin, has been difficult from the beginning. When the 15-year-old boy's cruel streak erupts into violence, Eva wonders how much blame she deserves for his actions.

This movie is very original, probably one of the darkest I've seen since actually "Julia" again with Tilda Swinton. I watched it thinking I would see an alternate version of the same story of "Beautiful Boy", but not at all. The tone is radically different, the perception of the family, the behavior of the kid, the focus of the story and finally the story itself are radically opposite. We have here a mother who felt estranged by her pregnancy, and then manipulated by her son to the point where her husband in oblivion doesn't even believe her. It is build in a back and forth with the present and the time of the tragedy, from the birth on to the moment of the murders. The story is misleading in many way, so you never know really what is to expect of the characters, of the next possible event, which in a way doesn't really explain why she fell so low. The interactions of the kid (played by 4 formidable actors) with the mum is oppressing, to the limit of the horror gender, definitely suspense. The beautiful moments always have something disturbing to them, and the esthetic of the movie is truly fascinating. Red is definitely built of so many symbols, from the alarm clock to the Tomatina of Spain, to the paint on the walls, to the soup cans, to the red lights of the firemen trucks.
Now, there are common points, the guilt of the parent, the relationship of the parent with the outside world, the open rejection, the incomprehension of the act... But in a way, it would have much more to compare to with "Rosemary's Baby". I recommend strongly, but not to a mother who just gave birth!

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Beautiful Boy by Shawn Ku, 2010 (R)

with Michael Sheen (Tron: Legacy, Alice in Wonderland, Frost/Nixon, Midnight in Paris, Music Within), Maria Bello (Thank You For Smoking, The Cooler), Kyle Gallner, Bruce French, Austin Nichols, Deidrie Henry, Alan Tudyk (Ice Age, Death at a Funeral), Moon Bloodgood, Cody Wai-Ho Lee, Meat Loaf

Bill and Kate are on the verge of separating when the unthinkable happens: Their 18-year-old son goes on a shooting spree at his college, then kills himself. While coping with their grief, Bill and Kate struggle to figure out what went wrong.

A very unique theme and an interesting process to follow, of two parents facing the inconceivable, of an extreme they cannot avoid. And it is sad, because they are not perfect, of course, and everything and everyone project their imperfections. Their paranoia, melt with the judgmental look that everyone is allowed to have because it is politically correct to have it, despite the boundaries that usually people keep with others, is unbearable. The unacceptable has made everything towards them acceptable. So they feel the rejection, from work, from TV, from everyone that crosses their way, to the closest of family. The acting is impeccable, even if some of the scenario is expectable. The movie is a bit traumatic because it forces us to avoid of the horror of the act, since we are in the skin of the parents and they are trying to not confront too much what actually happened with their son, to not blame it on him or themselves too much. It is particular, because you only can project so much and never stop being overwhelmed by so much humanity.
A similar movie came out this year with Tilda Swinton, "We Need To Talk About Kevin". It would be an interesting different perspective...

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Peace, Love & Misunderstanding by Bruce Beresford, 2011 (R)

with Jane Fonda, Catherine Keener (Please Give, SimOne, Out of Sight), Elizabeth Olsen, Nat Wolff, Chace Crawford, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Marissa O'Donnell, Rosanna Arquette, Kyle MacLachlan

Distraught over her impending divorce, conservative lawyer Diane seeks refuge with her mother, Grace, even though the two haven't spoken in years. Diane's children are thrilled with their free-spirited grandma, while Diane finds peace and romance.

It is interesting to see how Jane Fonda put herself in this role being so much herself, her knowledge and beliefs are in tune with the crazy character of the Grandma, and goodness, what an extraordinary shape she kept. In a strange way, Catherine Keener is the opposite of all the crazy roles she has been playing lately, except perhaps for the control-freak aspect of the personality, and she is impeccable loosening up. Elizabeth Olsen is great in post-adolescence, Jeffrey Dean Morgan is the same old romantic musician guy. It is in a way a perfect refreshing comedy to enjoy the summer with, with some mother daughter relationship explored, and the finding that the opposites attracts when looking deeper in oneself. It is all we want to hear, no pressure, no big statement, no drama, an easy to please movie, perhaps too easy.

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Jeff, Who Lives at Home by Jay Duplass and Mark Duplass, 2011 (R)

with Jason Segel (How I Met Your Mother, "Bad Teacher"), Ed Helms, Susan Sarandon ("Solitary Man", "You don't know Jack"), Judy Greer (The Descendants), Rae Dawn Chong, Steve Zissis, Evan Ross

Siblings Jay and Mark Duplass direct this comedy focusing on two brothers -- one a moderate success, the other still living with Mom. A trip to the store for glue, however, turns into an encounter with destiny for the stay-at-home slacker.

A very strange indie comedy about signs, let to a little bit of absurd, over a special day for the Duplass family. I watched it honestly in the plane, when coming back from the bathroom, I saw what the man in front of me was watching: Susan Sarandon kissing a woman. I had to see it. So, I looked again from time to time to figure out which movie that could be, while being slightly bored by "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen", and finally figured out which it was. Of course, when the kiss happens, my neighbor watches my film and a woman ask me what I would like to drink with my breakfast, while I have a mouthful of melon, and tried acting cool. Damned, that was the moment of the film. Anyway, the rest is a bit bizarre, kind of no life town, with strange characters, absurd motel and bar situations, finale who is so big of hugs that everything looks forced. But the indie tone of it saves it a little, and Susan Sarandon is as good as usual.

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Somewhere by Sofia Coppola, 2010 (R)

Stephen Dorff, Elle Fanning, Chris Pontius, Erin Wasson, Alexandra Williams, Nathalie Fay, Kristina Shannon, Karissa Shannon, Laura Chiatti, Lala Sloatman, Amanda Anka, Michelle Monaghan

Set amid the hallowed grounds of Hollywood's legendary Chateau Marmont, this atmospheric dramedy centers on hard-living actor Johnny (Stephen Dorff), whose life is thrown for a loop when his 11-year-old daughter, Cleo (Elle Fanning), pays him a surprise visit. As the two become better acquainted, Johnny realizes he needs to make changes. Oscar winner Sofia Coppola (Lost in Translation) directs this character-driven film co-starring Chris Pontius.

There are movies that tries to show you a different world in a small chunk and touches you in a way you would never have thought it would. This one doesn't. I don't even know what was the point of the movie, if there were any, if it was some sort of personal testimony of a boring life in lust, from the perspective of the daughter. Elle Fanning is good, so is Stephen Dorff, but the movie doesn't hold itself, it is too slow, too esthetic, too trendy bourgeois bohème, lacking of a personality, and at the same time, very unique, no one had ever dared to do such a pretentious movie.

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I am love (Io Sono L'Amore) by Luca Guadagnino, 2009 (R)

with Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton, We Need To Talk About Kevin, Constantine), Flavio Parenti (To Rome With Love), Edoardo Gabbriellini, Alba Rohrwacher, Pippo Delbono, Diane Fleri, Maria Paiato, Marisa Berenson, Waris Ahluwalia, Gabriele Ferzetti

Oscar winner Tilda Swinton shows off her multilingual skills in director Luca Guadagnino's atmospheric melodrama in which family dissension, unbidden desire and other tensions bubble to the surface during the patriarch's birthday party. When the seemingly picture-perfect Recchi clan gathers at the family villa to celebrate the great old man, the veneer of civility quickly falls away.

This is dark, very theatrical, staged in amazing decors, a cinematography that leaves nothing to chance. It is as impeccable as Tilda Swinton's role of Emma. Until something breaks that has to do with family conflicts, but also about the excessive effort to conform that is not impossible to handle anymore, love has shaken things up. In a beautiful way, colorful, raw, unexpected and mostly unaccepted by everyone else. The term "belonging" is only a contract in which you need to fulfill your part, and if you choose differently, this is what the movie portray, with an amazing sense of nuance.

The Descendants by Alexander Payne, 2011 (R)

with George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Amara Miller, Nick Krause (Boyhood), Patricia Hastie, Beau Bridges, Matthew Lillard, Judy Greer, Robert Forster, Mary Birdsong, Rob Huebel

When his wife falls into coma in a boating accident, distant father Matt King (George Clooney) begins an iffy journey to repair his fractured relationship with his two daughters. But he's also trying to decide whether to let go of some valuable family real estate.

With the expectations created by the Golden Globes, it was a hard movie not to build up on. But it was also expected to be about the actors, not a visually amazing story, not a drama, not a comedy, something unusual for the American audience in a way for not being clearly in a category, maybe social. So, the acting is good, the landscapes are amazing, the point of view, from a native Hawaiian perspective, interesting, but still, I found the emotional part quite flat, simple, with a certain lack of nuance and an expected ending.

The Tree of Life by Terrence Malick, 2011 (PG-13)

with Brad Pitt (Moneyball, Across The Tracks), Sean Penn (The Game, Fair Game, Milk), Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty, The Debt, The Help, The Tree of Life, The Hurt Locker, Take Shelter, Lawless), Hunter McCracken, Fiona Shaw (True Blood), Joanna Going, Kari Matchett, Kimberly Whalen, Laramie Eppler, Tye Sheridan (Mud)
Duration: 139 minutes

Brad Pitt and Sean Penn star in Terrence Malick's 1950s adventure about a confused man named Jack, who sets off on a journey to understand the true nature of the world. Growing up in the Midwest with two brothers, Jack has always been torn between his mother's guidance to approach everything he encounters with an open heart and his father's advice to look after his own interests. Now, Jack must find a way to regain purpose and perspective.

It is a very long movie. Long and slow. Having said that, it is a peculiar movie, peculiarly constructed. In its structure, it reminded me of "The fountain". But the story is sequenced in a way that it is uneasy to connect each part. To me, it has amazing moments, amazing dialogues, amazing acting, amazing cinematography to it, integrating video-art and amazing soundtrack... but it lacked of continuity, which makes the length a little bit challenging. Instead of immersing us, it emerges us, and makes us conscious of the tricks and structure. So beautiful, but a bit artificial.

Un Conte de Noel by Arnaud Desplechin, 2008 (NR)

With Catherine Deneuve, Jean-Paul Roussillon, Anne Consigny, Mathieu Amalric, Emmanuelle Devos and Chiara Mastroianni...

"The Vuillard family gathers: Junon and Abel, a daughter Elizabeth and her son Paul, Henri and a girlfriend, Ivan, his wife Sylvia and their young sons, and cousin Simon. Six years before, Elizabeth paid Henri's debts and demanded he never see her again or visit their parents' home. Paul, at 16, has mental problems and faces a clinical exam. Junon learns she needs a bone marrow transplant. Two family members have compatible marrow, but the spats, fights, cruel words, drunken toasts, and somewhat civilized bad behavior threaten all; plus Junon may simply refuse treatment." IMBD

It is a strong movie. It is tough, words are used in an violent way, hurting and hurting more, from a history that no-one can let go, face or change. It is drama, with a dark humor that makes you feel a little better from time to time. But the intimacy of the members of the family is unique and precious. It is a beautiful movie.

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