Grbavica: the land of my dreams, 2006
Director: Jasmila Zbanic
Origin: Bosnia and Herzegovina | Croatia | Austria | Germany
Language: Bosnian
Running time: 107 min
In the aftermath of the Balkan War, a widowed seamstress named Esma (Mirjana Karanovic) takes a waitress job to help pay for a pricey school trip for her daughter Sara (Luna Mijovic). While Esma ponders a romance with a co-worker (Leon Lucev), she also copes with Sara's budding adolescence. Writer-director Jasmila Zbanic's gut-wrenching drama was the surprise winner of the Berlin Film Festival's prestigious Golden Bear award. (from Netflix.com)
U.S. box office: $43,060
Watch the trailer at Netflix.
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Review of last weeks' film:
The Celebration (1998) - three stars
Steven says: A well-to-do family gathers for a birthday bash. The bash is bashed by a revelation, which, as the party unravels, threatens to mar the entire event. But these party-goers are resilient. Not sure how realistic the story line is, but it keeps you guessing. I'm still not sure who should receive the most sympathy.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
February 29, 2012 - "The Celebration" (1998)
Because of a shipping issue, our screening of "The Celebration" will take place Feb. 29 instead of its originally scheduled date.
Read about the film in the original blog post.
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Review of last week's film, "The Tree of LIfe" (3.5 stars)
Steven says: Oddly compelling and visually stunning, this film throws a lot at you. A simple story line is elevated to allegory. We see depictions of nature and grace and how they coexist in life, from creation to present day. Grandiose at times, the film speaks to certain audience members more than others. I particularly enjoyed the cinematography and imagery within confines of the 1950s story line. I polled the audience for ratings, and they ranged from 2 to 5+ on a scale of 1 to 5.
Read about the film in the original blog post.
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Review of last week's film, "The Tree of LIfe" (3.5 stars)
Steven says: Oddly compelling and visually stunning, this film throws a lot at you. A simple story line is elevated to allegory. We see depictions of nature and grace and how they coexist in life, from creation to present day. Grandiose at times, the film speaks to certain audience members more than others. I particularly enjoyed the cinematography and imagery within confines of the 1950s story line. I polled the audience for ratings, and they ranged from 2 to 5+ on a scale of 1 to 5.
New title for Feb. 22
Because of shipping issues, we will screen "The Tree of Life" tonight. The originally scheduled film for tonight, "The Celebration", will be screened next week, Feb. 29.
Cinematheque for All takes place at 7 p.m., February 22, in Forney Hall of Chemical Engineering, Room B124, 480 Stadium Mall Drive, on the Purdue University campus.
"The Tree of Life" synopsis:
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. (from Netflix.com)
Thank you for understanding.
Steven
Cinematheque for All takes place at 7 p.m., February 22, in Forney Hall of Chemical Engineering, Room B124, 480 Stadium Mall Drive, on the Purdue University campus.
"The Tree of Life" synopsis:
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. (from Netflix.com)
Thank you for understanding.
Steven
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
February 22, 2012 - "The Celebration" (1998)
The Celebration, 1998
Director: Thomas Vinterberg
Origin: Denmark | Sweden
Languages: Danish | German | English
Running time: 105 min
Director Thomas Vinterberg's winner of the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival follows a Danish family as they gather for the 60th birthday of the family's patriarch, Helge (Henning Moritzen). But the celebration takes a dark turn following a shocking accusation. All three of Helge's children are present at the party, where it will be revealed quite publicly that son Christian (Ulrich Thomsen) has an axe to grind with the guest of honor (from Netflix.com).
MPAA rating: Rated R for strong sexual content and language, including references to sexual abuse
U.S. box office: $1,647,780
Watch the trailer at IMDB.
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Review of last week's film ("Police, Adjective", 3 stars)
Steven says: This takes a person of patience, and one willing to find beauty in the details, to enjoy. Long takes of tracking suspects, waiting five minutes (literally) for someone to bring a dictionary. The viewer is put into the film by being made almost as uncomfortable and bored as the main character in spots. The discussions about language and its nuances are great.
Director: Thomas Vinterberg
Origin: Denmark | Sweden
Languages: Danish | German | English
Running time: 105 min
Director Thomas Vinterberg's winner of the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival follows a Danish family as they gather for the 60th birthday of the family's patriarch, Helge (Henning Moritzen). But the celebration takes a dark turn following a shocking accusation. All three of Helge's children are present at the party, where it will be revealed quite publicly that son Christian (Ulrich Thomsen) has an axe to grind with the guest of honor (from Netflix.com).
MPAA rating: Rated R for strong sexual content and language, including references to sexual abuse
U.S. box office: $1,647,780
Watch the trailer at IMDB.
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Review of last week's film ("Police, Adjective", 3 stars)
Steven says: This takes a person of patience, and one willing to find beauty in the details, to enjoy. Long takes of tracking suspects, waiting five minutes (literally) for someone to bring a dictionary. The viewer is put into the film by being made almost as uncomfortable and bored as the main character in spots. The discussions about language and its nuances are great.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
February 15, 2012 - "Police, Adjective" (2009)
Police, Adjective, 2009
Director: Corneliu Porumboiu
Origin: Romania
Language: Romanian
Running time: 115 min
Undercover cop Cristi (Dragos Bucur) trails suspected pot dealer Victor (Radu Costin) through the decrepit streets of Vaslui, but when he learns that the suspect is just a teen who sometimes gets high with his pals, he refuses to make an arrest. Unfortunately, Cristi's boss (Ioan Stoica) isn't quite as forgiving. The Romanian New Wave rolls on strongly with this complex drama from writer-director Corneliu Porumboiu. (from Netflix.com)
U.S. box office: $48,298
Watch the trailer at IMDB.
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Review of last week's film, "Incendies" (four stars)
Steven says: Promises. Breaking the cycle of violence. Logic and the illogical. Smash it all up, jump back and forth through time to discover a family's history, and be devastated and amazed throughout it all. That's "Incendies." A few hiccups in logic and storytelling are all that keep this from being a five-star film.
Director: Corneliu Porumboiu
Origin: Romania
Language: Romanian
Running time: 115 min
Undercover cop Cristi (Dragos Bucur) trails suspected pot dealer Victor (Radu Costin) through the decrepit streets of Vaslui, but when he learns that the suspect is just a teen who sometimes gets high with his pals, he refuses to make an arrest. Unfortunately, Cristi's boss (Ioan Stoica) isn't quite as forgiving. The Romanian New Wave rolls on strongly with this complex drama from writer-director Corneliu Porumboiu. (from Netflix.com)
U.S. box office: $48,298
Watch the trailer at IMDB.
------
Review of last week's film, "Incendies" (four stars)
Steven says: Promises. Breaking the cycle of violence. Logic and the illogical. Smash it all up, jump back and forth through time to discover a family's history, and be devastated and amazed throughout it all. That's "Incendies." A few hiccups in logic and storytelling are all that keep this from being a five-star film.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
February 8, 2012 - "Incendies" (2010)
Incendies, 2010
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Origin: Canada | France
Languages: French | Arabic | English
Running time: 130 min
When their mother's will implores them to deliver letters to the father they thought was dead and a brother they never knew about, twins Jeanne (Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin) and Simon (Maxim Gaudette) journey to the Middle East and attempt to reconstruct their family's hidden history. Adapted from a Wajdi Mouawad play, director Denis Villeneuve's Oscar-nominated drama flashes back to intense scenes set during the Lebanese civil war in the 1970s. (from Netflix.com)
MPAA rating: Rated R for some strong violence and language
U.S. box office: $6,857,096
Watch the trailer on IMDB.
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Review of last week's film, "Army of Crime" (4 stars)
Steven says: I always look for the "new" perspective of WWII films. In addition to the foreign influence in the French resistance, this film highlighted ways in which families were affected by the involvement in the resistance movement.
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Origin: Canada | France
Languages: French | Arabic | English
Running time: 130 min
When their mother's will implores them to deliver letters to the father they thought was dead and a brother they never knew about, twins Jeanne (Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin) and Simon (Maxim Gaudette) journey to the Middle East and attempt to reconstruct their family's hidden history. Adapted from a Wajdi Mouawad play, director Denis Villeneuve's Oscar-nominated drama flashes back to intense scenes set during the Lebanese civil war in the 1970s. (from Netflix.com)
MPAA rating: Rated R for some strong violence and language
U.S. box office: $6,857,096
Watch the trailer on IMDB.
---
Review of last week's film, "Army of Crime" (4 stars)
Steven says: I always look for the "new" perspective of WWII films. In addition to the foreign influence in the French resistance, this film highlighted ways in which families were affected by the involvement in the resistance movement.
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