Tales from a Golden Age, 2009
Directors: Hanno Höfer, Razvan Marculescu, Cristian Mungiu, Constantin Popescu, Ioana Uricaru
Origin: Romania | France
Language: Romanian
Running time: 155 min
Everyday life in 1980s Romania under Ceausescu takes on an air of comic surrealism in this whimsical collection of shorts written by award-winning filmmaker Cristian Mungiu and helmed by several acclaimed Romanian directors. (from Netflix.com)
Watch the trailer on YouTube.
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Review of last week's film (Cria Cuervos, 3.5 stars)Steven says: This 1976 film earned high praise at the time and has continued to be seen as a great film. It is deceptively simple. The story line meanders as the narrator tells the story of her childhood before and after the deaths of her parents. The group I watched it with was especially taken with the performances and with the rich content of family relationships. The film is also a metaphor for the political reality in Spain at the time. It is worth a viewing followed by discussion, which helped shape my favorable view of the film.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
October 10, 2012 - "Cria Cuervos" (1976)
Cria Cuervos, 1976
This week only -- we will be in Beering Hall, 1-245 (park in University Parking Garage)
Director: Carlos Saura
Origin: Spain
Language: Spanish
Running time: 110 min
Director Carlos Saura's haunting tale -- part psychological drama and part political parable -- features a mesmerizing turn by Ana Torrent. After watching her mother (Geraldine Chaplin) succumb to cancer, 9-year-old Ana (Torrent) blames the death on her womanizing father (Héctor Alterio) and tries to poison him. When he dies of a heart attack while in bed with a lover, Ana mistakenly assumes she's responsible for his demise. (from Netflix.com)
Watch the trailer on YouTube.
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Review of last week's film (Pariah, 3.5 stars)Steven says: This is a film based in reality. It's not just about a teenager's sexual identity. It places that coming-of-age conflict in a larger context of growing up in an African-American home in a major city. All of these qualifiers add depth to the story and to the outcome. It's a lesson in families, too. Who do you symphatize with, empathize with? The ending scenes are powerful, including a wonderful poem about "Breaking Open." The soundtrack deserves some recognition, too, for showcasing unknown (to me) artists while elevating the story line.
This week only -- we will be in Beering Hall, 1-245 (park in University Parking Garage)
Director: Carlos Saura
Origin: Spain
Language: Spanish
Running time: 110 min
Director Carlos Saura's haunting tale -- part psychological drama and part political parable -- features a mesmerizing turn by Ana Torrent. After watching her mother (Geraldine Chaplin) succumb to cancer, 9-year-old Ana (Torrent) blames the death on her womanizing father (Héctor Alterio) and tries to poison him. When he dies of a heart attack while in bed with a lover, Ana mistakenly assumes she's responsible for his demise. (from Netflix.com)
Watch the trailer on YouTube.
---
Review of last week's film (Pariah, 3.5 stars)Steven says: This is a film based in reality. It's not just about a teenager's sexual identity. It places that coming-of-age conflict in a larger context of growing up in an African-American home in a major city. All of these qualifiers add depth to the story and to the outcome. It's a lesson in families, too. Who do you symphatize with, empathize with? The ending scenes are powerful, including a wonderful poem about "Breaking Open." The soundtrack deserves some recognition, too, for showcasing unknown (to me) artists while elevating the story line.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
October 3, 2012 - "Pariah" (2011)
Pariah, 2011
Director: Dee Rees
Origin: USA
Language: English
Running time: 86 min
Brooklyn teen Alike (Adepero Oduye) is a model child around her devoutly religious family, but she sheds the good-girl image to reveal a harder side during a nightclub excursion with butch pal Laura (Pernell Walker) in this coming-of-age tale of urban identity and sexual expression. With curfew looming and her parents none the wiser, Alike must catch the bus back home, where she faces the complex negotiation of her contradictory worlds. (from Netflix.com)
MPAA rating: Rated R for sexual content and language
U.S. box office: $758,099
Watch the trailer on IMDB.
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Review of last week's film (Farewell, 3.5 stars)Steven says: The main characters are played by successful film directors in their own right. They are the film. As often happens with "inspired by" movies, it is hard to separate fact from fiction, and film-making from history. So I don't try. This is a great perspective, and a subdued one, of how an unassuming French man helped set in motion the fall of the Soviet Union. The typical stories we see about espionage between U.S. vs. U.S.S.R. take a back seat to the more personal stories of those were involved. It also explores the question of lying and betrayal, within relationships and to country. It is a tangled web when one sets out to do right.
Director: Dee Rees
Origin: USA
Language: English
Running time: 86 min
Brooklyn teen Alike (Adepero Oduye) is a model child around her devoutly religious family, but she sheds the good-girl image to reveal a harder side during a nightclub excursion with butch pal Laura (Pernell Walker) in this coming-of-age tale of urban identity and sexual expression. With curfew looming and her parents none the wiser, Alike must catch the bus back home, where she faces the complex negotiation of her contradictory worlds. (from Netflix.com)
MPAA rating: Rated R for sexual content and language
U.S. box office: $758,099
Watch the trailer on IMDB.
-----
Review of last week's film (Farewell, 3.5 stars)Steven says: The main characters are played by successful film directors in their own right. They are the film. As often happens with "inspired by" movies, it is hard to separate fact from fiction, and film-making from history. So I don't try. This is a great perspective, and a subdued one, of how an unassuming French man helped set in motion the fall of the Soviet Union. The typical stories we see about espionage between U.S. vs. U.S.S.R. take a back seat to the more personal stories of those were involved. It also explores the question of lying and betrayal, within relationships and to country. It is a tangled web when one sets out to do right.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
September 26, 2012 - "Farewell" (2009)
Farewell, 2009
Director: Christian Carion
Origin: France
Language: French | English | Russian
Running time: 113 min
In this thinking man's spy thriller, KGB agent Sergei Grigoriev (Emir Kusturica) plans to hand over hard evidence that proves the depth of his agency's penetration of U.S. intelligence, in a one-man crusade to bring down the Soviet empire. French engineer Pierre Froment (Guillaume Canet) is drawn into this web of espionage against his will, but proves a surprisingly resourceful operative in the process. (from Netflix.com)
Watch the trailer on IMDB.
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Review of last week's film (Kinyarwanda, 4.5 stars)
Steven says: Inspired by true stories and including first-time actors from Rwanda, this film aims to illustrate the complexities of human life within a specific time and place. There is more to the Rwandan genocide than Hutu vs. Tutsi. There was blossoming romance and soldiers worried about their families back home; the role of faith and how Rwandans nearly lost theirs during the 100 days of hell; the soldiers who risked their lives to shepherd Tutsis to safety while innocent children helped teach lessons about truth-telling and perception. The director showed restraint in depicting violence and nearly went overboard in his creation of powerful scenes of faith and forgiveness. I look forward to more of his films.
Director: Christian Carion
Origin: France
Language: French | English | Russian
Running time: 113 min
In this thinking man's spy thriller, KGB agent Sergei Grigoriev (Emir Kusturica) plans to hand over hard evidence that proves the depth of his agency's penetration of U.S. intelligence, in a one-man crusade to bring down the Soviet empire. French engineer Pierre Froment (Guillaume Canet) is drawn into this web of espionage against his will, but proves a surprisingly resourceful operative in the process. (from Netflix.com)
Watch the trailer on IMDB.
-----
Review of last week's film (Kinyarwanda, 4.5 stars)
Steven says: Inspired by true stories and including first-time actors from Rwanda, this film aims to illustrate the complexities of human life within a specific time and place. There is more to the Rwandan genocide than Hutu vs. Tutsi. There was blossoming romance and soldiers worried about their families back home; the role of faith and how Rwandans nearly lost theirs during the 100 days of hell; the soldiers who risked their lives to shepherd Tutsis to safety while innocent children helped teach lessons about truth-telling and perception. The director showed restraint in depicting violence and nearly went overboard in his creation of powerful scenes of faith and forgiveness. I look forward to more of his films.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
September 19, 2012 - Kinyarwanda (2011)
Kinyarwanda, 2011
Director: Alrick Brown
Origin: USA | France
Languages: English | Kinyarwanda
Running time: 100 min.
In this first-ever dramatic feature produced by Rwandans, the events of the horrific 1994 genocide are personalized through six intertwined stories. As the violence rages, mosques become a haven for Rwandans of all affiliations seeking protection. Director and writer Alrick Brown seeks the gray areas in this dark period of history, finding all-too-human motivations and resilience in the face of unimaginable catastrophe. (from Netflix.com)
Watch the trailer on IMDB.
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Review of last week's film (Certified Copy, 4 stars)
Steven says: One's perspective and personal experiences, I believe, lead to different interpretations of this film. Are they a couple? If not, what's going on? The answers are as numerous as the audience members. If you remove yourself from the mysterious plot, you still see a great performance by Juliette Binoche and great symbolism and direction from Abbas Kiarostami. Someone said this film reminded him of the Italian films of the 1960s and 1970s, from directors such as Fellini. If that's the case, even this original screenplay could really be a certified copy of the greats that came before. It's worth seeing, even if you are more confused at the end than when you started.
Director: Alrick Brown
Origin: USA | France
Languages: English | Kinyarwanda
Running time: 100 min.
In this first-ever dramatic feature produced by Rwandans, the events of the horrific 1994 genocide are personalized through six intertwined stories. As the violence rages, mosques become a haven for Rwandans of all affiliations seeking protection. Director and writer Alrick Brown seeks the gray areas in this dark period of history, finding all-too-human motivations and resilience in the face of unimaginable catastrophe. (from Netflix.com)
Watch the trailer on IMDB.
-----
Review of last week's film (Certified Copy, 4 stars)
Steven says: One's perspective and personal experiences, I believe, lead to different interpretations of this film. Are they a couple? If not, what's going on? The answers are as numerous as the audience members. If you remove yourself from the mysterious plot, you still see a great performance by Juliette Binoche and great symbolism and direction from Abbas Kiarostami. Someone said this film reminded him of the Italian films of the 1960s and 1970s, from directors such as Fellini. If that's the case, even this original screenplay could really be a certified copy of the greats that came before. It's worth seeing, even if you are more confused at the end than when you started.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
September 12, 2012 - "Certified Copy" (2010)
Certified Copy, 2010
Director: Abbas Kiarostami
Origin: France | Italy | Belgium
Languages: French | English | Italian
Running time: 106 min.
In Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami's captivating meditation on art and love, British writer James Miller meets a beautiful gallery owner in Tuscany and begins -- or possibly continues -- a romance with her. (from Netflix.com)
U.S. box office: $1,337,384
Watch the trailer on IMDB
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Review of last week's film (The Death of Mr. Lazarescu, 3.5 stars)Steven says: I can't speak to the cultural meaning behind the film. It is a satire that only those familiar with Romania will fully comprehend. However, the story line is readily accessible and relatable. It centers on healthcare, or lack thereof, and how you navigate an overtaxed system with only an ambulance nurse to speak out for you. And when alcoholism is the one trait you always exhibit, how do you get said system to take your health complaints seriously? The length of the film and the pettiness that overtakes the concern for human life leaves you almost as exhausted as the ambulance crew; but it also makes you want to be more aware about the future of our own healthcare system.
Director: Abbas Kiarostami
Origin: France | Italy | Belgium
Languages: French | English | Italian
Running time: 106 min.
In Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami's captivating meditation on art and love, British writer James Miller meets a beautiful gallery owner in Tuscany and begins -- or possibly continues -- a romance with her. (from Netflix.com)
U.S. box office: $1,337,384
Watch the trailer on IMDB
-----
Review of last week's film (The Death of Mr. Lazarescu, 3.5 stars)Steven says: I can't speak to the cultural meaning behind the film. It is a satire that only those familiar with Romania will fully comprehend. However, the story line is readily accessible and relatable. It centers on healthcare, or lack thereof, and how you navigate an overtaxed system with only an ambulance nurse to speak out for you. And when alcoholism is the one trait you always exhibit, how do you get said system to take your health complaints seriously? The length of the film and the pettiness that overtakes the concern for human life leaves you almost as exhausted as the ambulance crew; but it also makes you want to be more aware about the future of our own healthcare system.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
September 5, 2012 - "The Death of Mr. Lazarescu" (2006)
The Death of Mr. Lazarescu, 2006
Director: Cristi Puiu
Origin: Romania
Language: Romanian
Running time: 150 min.
The plot of Romanian director Cristi Puiu's real-time drama is simple, following the travails of an ailing old man (veteran actor Ion Fiscuteanu) who waits for his illness to overtake him as a weary paramedic (Luminta Gheorghiu) shuttles him between hospitals. Inspired by filmmaker Eric Rohmer's Six Moral Tales, Puiu's slyly metaphorical satire is the first installment of the planned series Six Stories from the Bucharest Suburbs. (from Netflix.com)
MPAA rating: Rated R for language and brief nudity
U.S. box office: $79,943
Watch the trailer on YouTube.
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A review of last week's film ("A Separation", 5 stars)
Steven says: The New York Times review of the movie says it so much better than I. The acting is superb, the tension is real, the plot is not ordinary but it is realistic. We see complex situations from our own lives and dealings with others. And we pass judgment on the characters for things we're not sure we would handle any other way. The story line delves into the definition of truth and justice, which is a moving target depending on your viewpoint and your own moral stances.
Director: Cristi Puiu
Origin: Romania
Language: Romanian
Running time: 150 min.
The plot of Romanian director Cristi Puiu's real-time drama is simple, following the travails of an ailing old man (veteran actor Ion Fiscuteanu) who waits for his illness to overtake him as a weary paramedic (Luminta Gheorghiu) shuttles him between hospitals. Inspired by filmmaker Eric Rohmer's Six Moral Tales, Puiu's slyly metaphorical satire is the first installment of the planned series Six Stories from the Bucharest Suburbs. (from Netflix.com)
MPAA rating: Rated R for language and brief nudity
U.S. box office: $79,943
Watch the trailer on YouTube.
-----
A review of last week's film ("A Separation", 5 stars)
Steven says: The New York Times review of the movie says it so much better than I. The acting is superb, the tension is real, the plot is not ordinary but it is realistic. We see complex situations from our own lives and dealings with others. And we pass judgment on the characters for things we're not sure we would handle any other way. The story line delves into the definition of truth and justice, which is a moving target depending on your viewpoint and your own moral stances.
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