Ghost (1990)

Genre

Drama | Fantasy | Romance | Thriller

Director

Jerry Zucker

Country

USA

Cast

Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, Whoopi Goldberg, Tony Goldwyn, Rick Aviles, Vincent Schiavelli, Gail Boggs, Armelia McQueen, Phil Leeds, Augie Blunt, Stephen Root, Bruce Jarchow

Storyline

After being murdered, Sam Wheat's (Patrick Swayze) spirit stays behind to warn his lover (Demi Moore) of impending danger with the help of a reluctant psychic (Whoopi Goldberg).

Opinion

All I knew about this film was the famous clay scene and that he dies. For some weird reason though I thought she was having a relationship with a dead man, not realizing he was dead. In a few words, something like "The Sixth Sense". So just a paranormal romantic film. I couldn't be more wrong, and I'm glad I was.

"Ghost" indeed is an intriguing, quite beautiful and touching mixture of drama, romance, fantasy and thriller, that will probably please the fans of the previous mentioned genres.

Even though it's quite simple, the story is very interesting and intriguing, and you'll often end up following it at the edge of your seat. What's really interesting about it are the themes the film deals with that are pretty uncommon for thrillers: love, death, and grieving. But mostly important it is a tale of a love so strong that wins over death.

I know it sounds cheesy - it's a romance after all -, however director Jerry Zucker does a great job in bringing a lot of suspense to the film - and what a surprise considering his filmography - and yet delivering those emotions required in a romantic film.

Worth of a mention is Maurice Jarre's musical score, it is so beautiful, especially the enchanting theme song "Ghost".

And at last the acting. Both Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore do a good job and their chemistry is just wonderful. They made this connection just through their eyes, and it's just beautiful to look at them. But stealing the show is Whoopi Goldberg. She brings humour and a lot of fun to the film, and she really does a great job as a fake psychic. Academy Award very well earned.

About Time (2013)

Genre

Drama | Fantasy | Romance

Director

Richard Curtis

Country

UK

Cast

Domhnall Gleeson, Rachel McAdams, Bill Nighy, Tom Hollander, Lindsay Duncan, Margot Robbie, Lydia Wilson, Richard Cordery, Joshua McGuire, Tom Hughes, Vanessa Kirby, Will Merrick, Lisa Eichhorn

Storyline

At the age of 21, Tim (Domhnall Gleeson) discovers he can travel in time and change what happens and has happened in his own life, and uses this ability to change several situations of his life.

Opinion

I wonder if Richard Curtis could travel in time would still make this film, because if I were him, I wouldn't. He is an expert when it comes to romantic films ("Love Actually", "Notting Hill") but this time not everything goes in the right way, and that can be easily seen in "About Time", an embarrassingly clichéd chick flick for men.

The banal and simplistic story about a common life in a common world really doesn't have anything to stand out from the crowd, and throwing in some time traveling doesn't help either. There really is nothing involving about the plot, the character development is basically nonexistent and there is no character to care about.

Probably acknowledging the film's emotional flatness, they decided to throw in cancer as a device to move and make people cry. This is not addressed to the public only, but to the film's characters as well. Tim's mother, for example, a flat, underdeveloped character, all of a sudden cares about her husband. Still, like me, she doesn't manage to express emotions.

Anyway, other than showing a person that wants to have a perfect life and uses his time-traveling powers to alterate every experience he has so that his life is actually perfect, the film kind of have something to teach. It doesn't concern with the physics or philosophy surrounding time travel, but teaches to let go of things, to accept life as it is and to enjoy it.

Another good thing about the film is the cast. Domhnall Gleeson gives a fine performance as leading man Tim, Rachel McAdams is also good as his wife Mary - after all she kind of belongs to this kind of films - and Bill Nighy does a good job as Tim's father. I doubt they could have done better with this poor material.

Curse of the Golden Flower (2006)

Original Title

滿城盡帶黃金甲 Mǎnchéng Jìndài Huángjīnjiǎ

Genre

Drama | Romance

Director

Yimou Zhang

Country

China

Cast

Li Gong, Yun-Fat Chow, Jay Chou, Junjie Qin, Ye Liu, Dahong Ni, Jin Chen, Man Li

Storyline

During China's Tang dynasty, the Emperor (Yun-Fat Chow), the Empress (Li Gong) and their sons are served by a bevy of adoring servants. But, as in any family, secrets are just around the corner, and the Imperial family hides their unspeakable secrets until the day of the Chong Yang Festival, when every plot is unveiled.

Opinion

I haven't seen neither "Hero" nor "House of Flying Daggers", and despite I know they are martial arts oriented films, I wrongly thought this one would have been a little deeper, considering is loosely based on a great play in China. There's basically no martian art, but unfortunately it doesn't have much depth.

Gorgeous to look at, Curse of the Golden Flower is a Shakespearian, flawed period drama with absolutely no soul.

The main problem is the lack of substance. There isn't too much plot involved other than a normal double-crossing story. Despite its simplicity, the story turns complicated when, half way through the film, new characters are introduced to add plot twists, and supposedly drama. What it did instead is ruining the impact of the tragedies. Furthermore the horrendous ending leaves you empty, like you have only wasted time.

The action and fight sequences -- the reason a lot of people have seen this film for -- are not all on the same level. While the ninjas assault is quite good, the others, especially the final battle, are nothing more than the result of a massive CGI use.

On the other side of the coin there's the visual impact, a whole different thing. The cinematography is spectacular. The bright colours, the patterns, the details, the breathtaking scenes and the views of the palace are so beautiful, words are not enough to describe them.

And lastly the acting is strong. Gorgeous and elegant Li Gong gives a powerful performance as the Empress, a woman driven by strong feelings. Charismatic Yun-Fat Chows gives an excellent performances as the cruel Emperor. Finally, Ye Lie does a fine job as the Crown Prince, and Jay Chou is not as good as the others - he is not a professional actor after all - but gets better in the end.

What I do not give, you must never take by force. - Emperor Ping

The Cake Eaters (2007)

Genre

Drama | Romance

Director

Mary Stuart Masterson

Country

USA

Cast

Kristen Stewart, Aaron Stanford, Bruce Dern, Elizabeth Ashley, Jayce Bartok, Miriam Shor, Talia Balsam, Jesse L. Martin, Melissa Leo

Storyline

Starving musician Guy Kimbrough (Jayce Bartok) makes his way back upstate for the first time in three years, and does his best to deal with the recent death of his mother while trying to win his ex-girlfriend Stephanie (Miriam Shor) back. Meanwhile, his shy brother, Beagle (Aaron Stanford), falls in love with Friedreich's Ataxia-stricken high school student Georgia Kaminski (Kristen Stewart), and their father, Easy (Bruce Dern), attempts to rekindle his relationship with Georgia's grandmother Marg (Elizabeth Ashley).

Opinion

I love independent films, so when a few months ago I was gently asked to review this title, I did my best to get my hands on it. After finally watching it last night, I can say it was a pleasing surprised by Mary Stuart Masterson's directorial debut.

With a bright performance by Kristen Stewart, The Cake Eaters is a simple, subtle and feel-good drama with characters full of humanity.

This is the kind of film in which not much happens but the interesting characters draw you into their world. Each character has their own story to tell, they are interesting and well developed considering the quite short running time. Unfortunately some of their stories lack of something, and the one that is at the center of the film, Stewart and Stanford's, ends with a dry cut.

Despite that small lack, screenwriter and actor Jayce Bartok offered heartfelt dialogue, and director Masterson was able to guide the cast so not to make those lines sound pathetic.

The cast is able to convey depth in their dramatic roles without being unnecessarily melodramatic. Kristen Stewart does a very good job as Georgia. When playing characters with diseases of any kind, there's always a tendency to overact, but she is completely believable. Aaron Stanford - who I saw in the X-Men series and The Hills Have Eyes - has the chance to showcase his acting abilities, and does a fine job in the role of Beagle. The rest of the cast, especially Bruce Dern, provides a good support.

The Longest Ride (2015)

Genre

Drama | Romance

Director

George Tillman Jr.

Country

USA

Cast

Scott Eastwood, Britt Robertson, Alan Alda, Jack Huston, Oona Chaplin, Melissa Benoist, Lolita Davidovich, Gloria Reuben, Barry Ratcliffe, Brett Edwards, Hunter Burke, Alina Lia

Storyline

As conflicting paths and ideals test their relationship, college student Sophia Danko (Britt Robertson) and former champion bull rider Luke Collins (Scott Eastwood) make an unexpected and fateful connection with Ira (Alan Alda), whose memories of his own decades-long romance with his beloved wife deeply inspire the young couple.

Opinion

Basically every year we are blessed with another Nicholas Sparks movie, and of course 2015 made no exception, as Hollywood has produced yet another mediocre romance film.

The Longest Ride is a very, very, very long ride that tries to emphasize the meaning of true love with an half interesting plot. 

Why half interesting you ask? Because the plot, that looks like if "The Notebook" and "Dear John" had a baby, is the result of two stories that are not treated equally. On the one hand we have Luke and Sophie, two stereotyped, young and beautiful people, who fall in love at first sight with each other. On the other hand we have Ira, a WWII veteran that has his own epic love story to tell, that has shared with his wife Ruth years ago. While these two stories seem pretty much the same as both couples go through hard moments, the second one turned out to be way more interesting, it delivered more emotions and a better result. As for the first story, as if being clichéd wasn't enough, it's left aside, like no one gives a damn about it, therefore is hella boring.

So the idea of crossing time to present two love stories could have been interesting, but only if properly done, which is exactly what did not happen here. I don't know who's to blame, if Sparks for writing the book this way, or the screenwriter for adapting the book this way - no, I did not read the book and I don't plan on doing it.

The musical score was great and many times was more emotional than the actual acting, that is overall fine, with good performances from Jack Huston as young Ira, and Oona Chaplin as Ruth, a decent Scott Eastwood as Luke who has not a great chemistry with likable yet bad at acting Britt Robertson as Sophie.

Pitch Perfect (2012)

Genre

Comedy | Music | Romance

Director

Jason Moore

Country

USA

Cast

Anna Kendrick, Anna Camp, Brittany Snow, Rebel Wilson, Ester Dean, Alexis Knapp, Hana Mae Lee, Kelley Alice Jakle, Shelley Regner, Wanetah Walmsley, Skylar Astin, Ben Platt, Adam DeVine, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Michael Viruet, David Del Rio, Gregory Gorenc, Wes Lagarde, Steven Bailey, Brian Silver, Michael Anaya, Nicole Lovince, Caroline Fourmy, Freddie Stroma, Jinhee Joung, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, John Michael Higgins, Elizabeth Banks, John Benjamin Hickey

Storyline

After a disastrous failing at last year’s finals, the Barden Bellas, an all-girls a cappella singing group, are forced to regroup. Among the new recruits is freshman Beca (Anna Kendrick), an independent, aspiring DJ with no interest in the college life. Injecting some much needed energy into their repertoire, The Bellas take on their male rivals in a campus competition.

Opinion

Did you know that in Italian “cappella” also means making a huge mistake? Probably the people who made this film knew it, because it’s aca-awful. Anything but perfect, Pitch Perfect is just another teen movie that seems made out of weaker Glee episodes.

The storyline can be summarized in a word: predictable. Everything goes exactly as somebody with a functioning brain would think. The jokes, revolving around Jewish, menstrual cycle, penetration, and eating a twin in the womb – creepy, right? -, are not funny at all. 

The characters aren’t that good themselves. Beca is an arrogant brat that hates to go to college and be with people. Perfect setup for character development, right? No! After apologizing for being herself, she a social butterfly. Jesse is the clichéd love interest of every single teen rom-com. The other secondary characters are unlikable and annoying, with the exception of Fat Amy because she is funny. Pardon, she will slightly make you chuckle.

More shamefully is that the film constantly offended people, being racist, anti-Semitic, and homophobic. It is disrespectful towards Asians. The two Asian character are simply awful. One is a racist, rude bitch; the other is a crazy pyromaniac who enjoys rolling in vomit. It literally gives no shit about the black girl. After the moment of confession, when she opens up, and talks about her gambling problem, everyone is still concerned about her sexuality. To be honest, the attitude to her isn't better during the rest of the film.

Anna Kendrick is too sweet for the lead role of Beca, but she knows how to lead, and her solo with the coffee mug is the brightest spot in the film. The rest of the cast does not deserve a mention.

Vanilla Sky (2001)

Genre

Fantasy | Mystery | Romance

Director

Cameron Crowe

Country

USA

Cast

Tom Cruise, Penélope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, Kurt Russell, Jason Lee, Noah Taylor, Timothy Spall, Tilda Swinton, Michael Shannon, Ken Leung, Shalom Harlow, Oona Hart, Ivana Miličević, Johnny Galecki, Jhaemi Willens, Alicia Witt, Jennifer Aspen, Steven Spielberg

Storyline

Playboy David Aames (Tom Cruise) finds romantic redemption when he falls in love with Sofia (Penélope Cruz). However, before the relationship can begin, David is coaxed into a car driven by an ex-lover, Julie (Cameron Diaz), who drives her car off a bridge, killing herself and disfiguring David. Reconstructive surgery and the loving support of Sofia seem to reverse David's luck, but eerie incidents are soon making him question the reality of his existence and his control over his life.

Opinion

Once upon a time there was a film directed by a young Alejandro Amenábar called Open Your Eyes, a little gem of Spanish and European cinema, balanced between reality and fantasy. And then came this film by Cameron Crowe - not Mr. Nobodies -, that unfortunately does not find balance, and makes the entire story revolve around Tom Cruise, who is too busy watching his reflection in the mirror to "transport" the viewer into the story.

Having said that, Vanilla Sky is not awful, but completely lacks authenticity: almost everything seems fake, from the scenography to the performances.

The story - it's Amenábar's after all - is very interesting. There's mystery, romance, and a little bit of fantasy, which is good. The problem is how it has been told. Infact, the slow storytelling does not keep the audience on the edge of their seat and guessing for the whole time, but is kind of soporific, and makes of the excessive length a real problem.

The music. Although the songs are good on their own, put together as a soundtrack for this film are completely inappropriate and ruin some scenes. 

Lastly the acting. As mention before, Tom Cruise is too narcissist, even when disfigured, and he doesn't even try to put as much as tragedy and intensity in this role as Eduardo Noriega. Penélope Cruz, who also played Sofia in the Spanish film, apparently did not take very seriously this remake, and the result is a flat performance - not to mention the flatness of her character. Cameron Diaz is just awful. And she plays a whore, not the interesting character played by Najwa Nimri. Finally, while the rest of the cast is ridiculous, Jason Lee does a decent job.

Do I recommend this film? Maybe. If you have seen the original, avoid it. If you haven't, give this one a try, you might like it. 

Quotes

Sofia: Every passing minute is another chance to turn it all around.

Brian: Just remember, the sweet is never as sweet without the sour, and I know the sour.

Breathe In (2013)

Genre

Drama | Romance

Director

Drake Doremus

Country

USA

Cast

Guy Pearce, Felicity Jones, Amy Ryan, Mackenzie Davis, Ben Shenkman, Alexander Wentworth, Hugo Becker, Brendan Dooling, Kyle MacLachlan, Lucy Davenport, Jenny Anne Hochberg, Elise Eberle, Nicole Patrick, Brock Harris, Stephen Sapienza, Matthew Daddario

Storyline

When a foreign exhange student (Felicity Jones) arrives in a small upstate New York town, she challenges the dynamics of her host family's relationships and alters their lives forever.

Opinion

Remember Like Crazy? That beautiful romantic drama directed by Drake Doremus and starring Felicity Jones? I do, so I was expecting big things from this one. Unfortunately, it let me down.

Utterly predictable, Breathe In is an extremely tedious melodrama as well as a waste of incredible actors. 

Co-screenwriters Drake Doremus and Ben York surely did not a good job here. Pretty much nothing happens in the film until the ending comes. I must correct myself. Until the predictable ending comes. Maybe they wanted to make a portrayal of midlife falling apart, or maybe it was all about the affair, I don't know, it just didn't work. They spent most of the running time "cooking" the characters' emotions, only to let them explode - and waste them - in the ending.

The dialogue is also weak. And Jones's Sophie's long and intense stares at Pearce's Keith were kind of annoying.

Also, as pointed out by Pearce in the movie, Sophie seems much older than she is. The reason? Felicity Jones is way too old to play a 18 year old. Period.

Neither the beautiful cinematography, nor the wonderful soundtrack, nor Guy Pearce and Felicity Jones's good performances can't turn this mess into gold, or anything close to gold.

I conclude saying that the only breath of fresh air came from my window, as I needed some to stay awake.

Quotes

Sophie: It's so hard to actually do what you want to do.

10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

Genre

Comedy | Romance

Director

Gil Junger

Country

USA

Cast

Julia Stiles, Heath Ledger, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Larisa Oleynik, Larry Miller, Andrew Keegan, David Krumholtz, Susan May Pratt, Gabrielle union, Daryl Mitchell, Allison Janney, David Leisure, Greg Jackson, Kyle Cease

Storyline

Popular, pretty Bianca Stratford (Larisa Oleynik) is in dilemma. A family rule forbids her from dating until her unpopular, rebellious, boy-hating older sister Kat (Julia Stiles) gets a suitor of her own. In an attempt to win Bianca, a potential boyfriend (Andrew Keegan) desperately attempts to set Kat up with Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger), another rebel who may just be able to win Kat's heart.

Opinion

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Adapted from William Shakespeare's play The Taming of the Shrew, 10 Things I Hate About You isn't really much more than just another teen romcom.

The film certainly does not teem with originality. The plot is always the same. The geek falls in love with the popular girl and eventually gets her. The good looking asshole with the beautiful car gets humiliated at the end. The stereotyped students and teachers are everywhere. 

Then, there is the badass and the rebellious girl. The evolving of their story is completely predictable. He asks her out for money, but eventually falls for her and he's returned, and when everything's going great she finds out about the money deal. I knew it would have ended like so since the thing started.

The writing isn't that good, I'm addressing this to the characters in particular. Kat's character is too cynical and harsh, especially to fall in love. The teacher rapping sonnets was definitely not cool, neither it is the way he treats his students. Cameron, Gordon-Levitt's character, only purpose seems to be putting together the plot. He isn't much of a character. Just an element in the movie.

However, the acting gives the film an extra point. Julia Stiles nails the feminist, anti-social role, and she is so authentic I feel like almost every girl can identify with her. Heath Ledger gives a charming performance, and he really is standing out. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is just adorable, and funny. Larisa Oleynik, Larry Miller and Andrew Keegan all do a good job.

I'm really sad I didn't fall for this film because I just love the cast. Oh, I almost forgot, I really liked the quote, "What is popular is not always right; what is right is not always popular." on the class's wall, but I'm not really sure it has something to do with the film.

Quotes

Kat Stratford: I guess in this society, being male and an asshole makes you worthy of our time.

The Bridges of Madison County (1995)

Genre

Drama | Romance

Director

Clint Eastwood

Country

USA

Cast

Clint Eastwood, Meryl Streep, Annie Corley, Victor Slezak, Jim Haynie, Sarah Kathryn, Christopher Kroon, Phyllis Lyons, Debra Monk, Richard Lage, Michelle Benes

Storyline

Photographer Robert Kincaid (Clint Eastwood) stops in a farm in the middle of nowhere to ask for directions to Roseman Bridge. That's when he meets housewife Francesca Johnson (Meryl Streep). Eventually they fall in love, but she is married with children.

Opinion

"I gave my family my life; I gave Robert Kincaid what was left of me." With these words, Francesca concludes her letter. Closing credits rolling in, I felt like she gave me a part of her life too, so very well done Clint.

Romantic and sensitive, with a devastating and emotional ending, The Bridges of Madison County redeems the clichéd plot with the help of the duo Eastwood-Streep.

Once again without his beloved Magnum .44, and in the role both of actor and director, Clint Eastwood wonderfully directs this love story, based on Robert James Waller's novel of the same name - and according to what I've read around, isn't even that good. What surprised me the most is the sensitivity Eastwood faced the story with: unbelievable.

I am not a fan of romances and the running time - 2 hours and 15 minutes - really worried me. Instead, I've found myself surprised to say that it is one of the strongest part of the film. In fact, the slow pace not only never bores, but it's necessary to make you feel the story, and to allow you to live those special moments with them. 

The cinematography by Jack N. Green is wonderful and the musical score by Lennie Niehaus really helps enhance the romantic atmosphere.

The pair Eastwood-Streep works perfectly. They have such a chemistry, their love seems hundred percent genuine. Beside from that, their performances really deserve to be praised. On the one hand we have a great Clint Eastwood, which greatly divides himself between acting and directing. On the other hand we have Meryl Streep, an astonishing, heartbreaking Meryl Streep, who brings home another Oscar nomination.

If this movie taught me anything is never judge a film by its genre. 

Quotes

Robert Kincaid: Things change. They always do, it's one of the things of nature. Most people are afraid of change, but if you look at it as something you can always count on, then it can be a comfort.

Easy A (2010)

Genre

Comedy | Romance

Director

Will Gluck

Country

USA

Cast

Emma Stone, Penn Badgley, Amanda Bynes,  Dan Byrd, Thomas Haden Church, Patricia Clarkson, Cam Gigandet, Lisa Kudrow, Malcolm McDowell, Aly Michalka, Stanley Tucci, Mahaley Manning, Jake Sandvig, Bryce Clyde Jenkins, Johanna Braddy, Fred Armisen, Stacey Travis, Juliette Goglia, Braeden Lemasters

Storyline

After a little white lie about losing her virginity gets out, Olive Penderghast (Emma Stone), a clean cut high school girl, sees her life paralleling Hester Prynne's in "The Scarlet Letter," which she is currently studying in school - until she decides to use the rumor mill to advance her social and financial standing.

Opinion

One day, about 4 years ago, I was fooling around on the iTunes Store looking for a film to watch. As my eyes landed on this one's poster, I was enraptured by it: I couldn't help but watch it. And boy if I'm glad I did, first because this film feels like one of John Hughes' 80's movies, second because I saw the wonderful Emma Stone acting for the first time.

Funny, yet very realistic, Easy A is the redemption of teen movies, lead by a charming Emma Stone.

Will Gluck manages to handle a very strong theme in today's society without slipping into banality or vulgarity, and teaches us two things. One, sometimes lies travels faster than the truth. Two, people are talking behind your back? Who cares, just shake it off.

The writing is clever and spontaneous, and the dialogue is pretty good for its kind, and there are several great jokes. The plot has some flaws and is quite predictable, yet the events are portrayed with such skills, they are still a pleasure to be witnessed.

The best part of the film is the main character. Olive is not the teenage girl we are used to see thank to Hollywood. She is not a sour, ugly girl with braces and eyeglasses, considered a loser because still a virgin. And she is neither that beautiful, popular girl from school, the one that goes around throwing her cat at everybody, and is envied by all the girls. No, Olive is a beautiful girl, yet bright and intelligent, and represents that kind of girl that is now fading, the one that doesn't follow the flow, and tries to preserve her dignity.

Emma Stone certainly steals the show. She is lovely, sweet, and sarcastic as Olive, and words can't express how much I love her voice. Penn Badgley, Amanda Bynes, and Aly Michalka all do a fine job. Dan Byrd has a great potential as a comedian, as also proved in TBS' TV Series Cougar Town. Great acting also comes from the veteran supporting cast. Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson have a great chemistry, and are the stars of a few of the most funny scenes. Thomas Hayden Church does a good job as Mr. Griffith, Olive's teacher. Lisa Kudrow is also good as the mean school counselor Mrs. Griffith.

Closing note. There's been lot of complaining about the casting of Emma Stone. Tons of people believe she is too good looking to pass unnoticed, and that takes credibility from the story. Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, because that happens in real life high school. At least it happened in my high school. This is how it works, if you are not an easy girl, if you don't like partying, or doing thing a teenager is supposed to do and enjoy - aka you are different from the mass -, you are less likely to be popular and more likely to pass unnoticed, regardless of your exterior aspect.

Quotes

Olive Penderghast: I was used to being by myself, but I had never felt more alone.

Caramel (2007)

Original Title

سكر بنات Sukkar banat

Genre

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Director

Nadine Labaki

Country

Lebanon

Cast

Nadine Labaki, Adel Karam, Yasmine Al Masri, Joanna Moukarzel, Gisèle Aouad, Sihame Haddad, Aziza Semaan, Fatmeh Safa, Ismail Antar, Fadia Stella, Dimitri Staneofski

Storyline

While single Layale (Nadine Labaki) struggles with her growing attraction to a married man, Muslim bride-to-be Nisrine (Yasmine Al Masri) fears that her husband will find out that she has already lost her virginity, and Rima (Joanna Moukarzel) wages a futile war against her lesbian instincts. As with many women who frequent the salon, Jamale (Gisèle Aouad) does everything within her power to reverse the visible effects of aging. As Rose (Sihame Haddad) laments the fact that she has sacrificed her own happiness in order to care for her older sister Lili (Aziza Semaan), the intimate conversations shared over the course of a typical day reveal just how universal the lives, loves, and concerns of contemporary women truly are.

Opinion

When I was asked to watch and review this film I told myself, "Why not? How bad can a film called Caramel be?". Well, I'm so glad this one has been my first Lebanese film, because it is absolutely stunning. God bless Nadine Labaki!

Superbly shot, written, and acted, Caramel is a delightful, refined, genuine, and touching portrait of the life for women in Lebanon, filled with class and realism.

In the role both of director, co-writer and actress, Nadine Labaki perfectly managed to balance the emotions throughout the film. It will make you smile, laugh, and cry, and there are barely words to express the feelings I felt during the screening.

Set in modern-day Lebanon, the film mainly takes place at a salon, where it's prepared the caramel used for waxing. In addition to that, caramel is a comparison of the female protagonists. In fact, they are sweet like caramel, but at the same time their lives are filled with emotional pain intense such as that caused from hair removal. All the decisions are taken using firm strokes, from Layale's decision to end up her relationship with a married man, to the heartbreaking and touching choice Rose made of giving up on love to take care of his older and needy sister. 

The camera moves perfectly, and the simple shots of the characters are able to grasp the depths of the gaze. Yves Sehnaoui's wonderful cinematography deserves a mention, and so does the charming music of Khaled Mouzanar, which blends with the film stunningly. The performances are also stunning. And it's impressive considering it's Yasmine Al Masri, Joanna Moukarzel, Gisèle Aouad, and Siham Haddad's first time. 

Quotes
Jamale: Life is like a melon, you have to cut it to see if it's good.

The Five-Year Engagement (2012)

Genre

Comedy | Romance

Director

Nicholas Stoller

Country

USA

Cast

Jason Segel, Emily Blunt, Chris Pratt, Alison Brie, Mimi Kennedy, David Paymer, Jacki Weaver, Jim Piddock, Rhys Ifans, Mindy Kaling, Kevin Hart, Randall Park, Brian Posehn, Chris Parnell, Lauren Weedman, Tracee Chimo, Dakota Johnson, Tim Heidecker, Molly Shannon, Tiffany Liu, Da'Vone McDonald

Storyline

Exactly one year after meeting, Tom Solomon (Jason Segel) proposes to his girlfriend Violet Barnes (Emily Blunt), but unexpected events keep tripping them up as they look to walk down the aisle together.

Opinion

Months ago, maybe a year ago, I tried to watch this film, but I switched off after about thirty minutes, because I literally couldn't deal with another minute of it. The other day I decided to give it a second try, and I've managed to watch the whole thing, but I struggled. A lot.

Sold like a comedy, The Five-Year Engagement is more like an overlong, tedious and unengaging drama with some comedic elements, that aren't even that funny.

With a great cast and beautiful locations, Nicholas Stoller couldn't fail, but he did somehow. The film could have been a great portrait of modern day conflict of a couple with two careers, questioning about how willing would be one of them to accept the compromise. Unfortunately something went wrong in the writing process. 

As said before, the story is unengaging. At first you are going to wonder if they will eventually get married, but after thirty minutes you will completely lose interest, and you won't know if you are willing to make a huge sacrifice and get to the end, or turn it off. I feel like the film would have been so much more interesting if it was focused on Chris Pratt and Alison Brie characters.

Also, it is predictable since the several - too many - funerals and sad moments are emphasized with rain, and it is pretty obvious something is going to happen. The sexual, religious humour barely works here, and I found it offensive using vulgar language in presence of children.

The cast is completely wasted. I don't like Jason Segel, still I thought he couldn't fail, but even he couldn't pull off those bad jokes. Emily Blunt is generally a great actress, but apparently comedy is not her thing. And there is no chemistry between the two of them, they don't even look like a real couple. The supporting cast is decent, with Chris Pratt, and a brilliant Rhys Ifans.

Quotes

George Barnes: The first important thing to remember about marriage is that it requires commitment. The second important thing to remember about marriage is that so does insanity.

Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011)

Genre

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Director

Glenn Ficarra | John Requa

Country

USA

Cast

Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, Analeigh Tipton, Jonah Bobo, Joey King, Marisa Tomei, John Carroll Lynch, Beth Littleford, Kevin Bacon, Liza Lapira, Josh Groban, Crystal Reed, Karolina Wydra, Julianna Guill

Storyline

Cal (Steve Carell) and Emily Weaver (Julianne Moore) have the perfect life together... until Emily asks for a divorce. Now Cal seeks to rediscover his manhood with the help of a newfound friend, Jacob (Ryan Gosling), learning to pick up girls at bars.

Opinion

If you've been reading me for a while, you know usually I am not into romantic comedies, as nowadays they all look the same. After watching it for the first time, my reaction was that this film is one of the best romantic comedies of the past decade. Multiple views later, and lots romantic comedies later, I still think that way.

Though there is nothing Oscar worthy in it, Crazy, Stupid, Love. is a spectacularly funny, very entertaining, touching romantic dramedy.

The great writing by Dan Fogelman combines a team of interesting characters - each of them dealing with love - and an interesting journey at the discovery of the word love. In fact, the film not only speaks of love as a feeling, but it also tells every shade of it - I know it may seem like an already-seen thing, but I promise it is not - focusing on divorce, as the end of a feeling and the beginning of another - for example Moore's character asking for divorce, yet being jealous of her ex-husband as she finds out about his new playboy life.

The whole thing is enhanced by the spectacular cast. Steve Carell, which I usually find extremely annoying, finally portrays a human being, and he can act goddamnit - as he has also shown recently in "Foxcatcher". Ryan Gosling is not one of my favorite actors, and definitely not the reason I watched the film in the first place, but I cannot deny the fact that he is an astonishing actor, and he perfectly nails his character this time as well. The comedic chemistry between Carell and Gosling is quite impressive. Julianne Moore is wonderful as always, even though her character is much enjoyable. Emma Stone, one of my favorite actresses, is great as talkative Hannah, and her sarcasm fits the film perfectly. And the chemistry between her and Gosling is great. Analeight Tipton and Jonah Bobo well-play their teenagers infatuated characters. Marisa Tomei doesn't have much of screen time, but she does great as the alcoholic schoolteacher. Kevin Bacon, who plays Emily's co-worker and lover, is great too.

Quotes

Robbie: You wanna talk about The Scarlet Letter, Ms. Tafferty? All right. Well, the A they're both wearing - I think it stands for "asshole." Wanna know why? Because they fell in love and love is for stupid assholes. And this book is just about a bunch of assholes who fell in love, like assholes, then had to die, like assholes. I'm sorry about all the "assholes."

Up In the Air (2009)

Genre

Drama | Romance

Director

Jason Reitman

Country

USA

Cast

George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, Jason Bateman, Amy Morton, Melanie Lynskey, Danny McBride, Zach Galifianakis, J. K. Simmons, Sam Elliott, Tamala Jones

Storyline

Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) flies around the US firing people. Also, he is an accumulator of frequent flyer miles and has a goal: he wants to get to 10 million miles. When his boss (Jason Bateman) hires Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick), she comes up with the idea to fire through videoconferencing in order to save money, threatening Ryan's existence. Determined to prove the girl wrong, Ryan takes her on one of his firing expeditions, and his life will change forever. 

Opinion

After the brilliant Thank You For Smoking and Juno, Jason Reitman tried again and... he stroke back. On the one hand, Up In the Air is a sentimental drama, on the other hand is a brilliant, and bitter contemplation of life.

Canadian director Jason Reitman delights us with another masterpiece, and gives us, for the third time, a clear gaze on reality, venturing in the context of crisis, not only economic, but also relational. His choice of mixing actors and people who have actually lost their jobs made the film more realistic, and the impact those scenes have on the audience is stronger.

The writing is very strong, the storyline is smart and well put together, and a lot of the dialogue is memorable. All of the lead characters are wonderful, we get to know them, we like to watch them doing their thing, and at the end we want to see more, and more.

The soundtrack is spectacular, from the opening "This Land Is Your Land" to the closing "Up In the Air", written specifically for the film by Kevin Renick, a guy who recently had lost his job.

The acting is top-notch. George Clooney gives the performance of his career, even better than Michael Clayton's, if you ask me. I think no other actor could have pulled off the role better than he did. He plays Ryan Bingham with that confidence of him, yet this time that confidence is challenged, and he ends up showing vulnerability. Anna Kendrick is delightful as naive Natalie, Ryan's young colleague. Vera Farmiga gives an outstanding performance as Clooney's love interest. Even other actors who spend a few scenes in the film - Jason Bateman, J. K. Simmons, Zach Galifianakis, and Danny McBride - give very good performances.

Quotes

Ryan Bingham: You know that moment when you look into somebody's eyes and you can feel them staring into your soul and the whole world goes quiet just for a second?

Natalie Keener: Yes.

Ryan Bingham: Right. Well, I don't.

Spring (2014)

Genre

Horror | Romance | Fantasy

Director

Justin Benson | Aaron Moorhead

Country

USA

Cast

Lou Taylor Pucci, Nadia Hilker, Grazia Daddario, Vanessa Bednar, Shane Brady, Francesco Carnelutti, Holly Hawkins, Chris Palko, Vinny Curran, Jeremy Gardner, Nick Nevern, Jonathan Silvestri

Storyline

Young Californian Evan (Lou Taylor Pucci) flees the US to Italy, where he sparks up a romance with Louise (Nadia Hilker) a woman harboring a dark, primordial secret.

Opinion

Richard Linklater's Before Sunrise meets a Lovecraftian tale in this romantic, unique, horror flick from filmmakers Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead.

Slow paced but definitely not boring, Spring is a dramatic, engaging, intriguing, different film that greatly combines horror, comedy, romance, and a trip to bellissima Italia. 

Spring is my favourite season, because it is the time of change, rebirth, blossoming, and the directing tandem of Benson and Moorhead does a wonderful job exploring and digging into those meanings.

The writing by Justin Benson is impressive. While the contents are not new, they are handled in a different way, and that is what makes the film interesting, and appealing. The so so dialogue becomes marvelously fascinating when the two leads are introduced to each other. And the character development between Evan and Louise is great. Also, the characters feel very real for this genre. 

Polignano a Mare, the Italian coastal town, is the perfect setting, the beautiful cinematography by Moorhead is enriched with some great aerial drone shots, and the effects are great too.

The leads are remarkable and the chemistry between them is great. Very convincing as Evan, Lou Taylor Pucci gives a charming, and sweet performance. Nadia Hilker is excellent as Louise, and it's basically impossible not to fall in love with her. Nick Nevern and Jonathan Silvestri deserve a mention because they well play their characters and they deliver some laughs. 

Quotes

Louise: Tell me more about the finite.
Evan: Let's see, uh... When you're sick, it makes you feel lucky for all the times when you were healthy. Uh, sunrises and sunsets... some things are just beautiful no matter what, and a constant reminder that you only get so many. So you better fucking enjoy 'em. Some pizza and a bottle of wine with the right person that can make the shittiest day better. Coffee dates take up a pretty good chunk of your time, but... but they're worth it. I don't know, you can choose to work yourself to death, but you could also throw all that work away without regrets for the right person. Maybe that's chemical, but it's also magic. Uh, love comes around a couple of time, if you're lucky. Life probably seems short no matter what, but...