A Serbian Film (2010)

Original Title

Srpski film

Genre

Horror

Director

Srdjan Spasojević

Country

Serbia

Cast

Srđan Todorović, Sergej Trifunović, Jelena Gavrilović, Slobodan Beštić, Katarina Žutić, Anđela Nenadović, Ana Sakić, Lidija Pletl, Lena Bogdanović, Luka Mijatović, Nenad Heraković, Carni Đerić, Miodrag Krčmarik, Tanja Divnić, Grace Slick, Natasa Miljus

Storyline

In Serbia, the retired porn star Miloš (Srđan Todorović) agrees to participate in an art film in order to make a clean break from the business, only to discover that he has been drafted into making a pedophilia, and necrophilia themed snuff film.

Opinion

If Serbian director Srdjan Spasojević's goal was to make an unforgettable film, he succeeded. If his goal was to make art, he miserably failed, as A Serbian Film is a disgusting, disturbing, and sick film that is crueler than cruel, and darker than dark.

Spasojević said that you have to feel the violence to know what it's about, and it's true, partially; but there is a line that must not be crossed that separates a work of art from pure bestiality. And boy if this film crossed that line. 

The audience, who must have a strong stomach to watch the whole thing, is tortured with a story of rape, violence against women, pedophilia, necrophilia, and incest. No wonder the Serbian state investigated the film for crime against sexual morals and crime related to the protection of minors.

Srđan Todorović does a fine job as Miloš, as he looks like he really has no idea of what the f**k is happening. 

Spasojević probably believes he made a piece of art and he was very brave to show the dark side of humanity; I firmly believe he should see a shrink, a good one. 

Animal Kingdom (2010)

Genre

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Director

David Michôd

Country

Australia

Cast

James Frecheville, Ben Mendelsohn, Guy Pearce, Jacki Weaver, Joel Edgerton, Sullivan Stapleton, Luke Ford, Dan Wyllie, Anthony Hayes, Laura Wheelwright, Mirrah Foulkes, Justin Rosniak, Susan Prior, Clayton Jacobson, Anna Lise Phillips

Storyline

After his mother dies, seventeen year-old J Cody (James Frecheville) has no choice but to contact his maternal grandmother, Janine "Smurf" Cody (Jacki Weaver), who rules her criminal family with a borderline incestuos love over her three sons. Among blood brothers and blood, manipulated trial sand revenge served cold, J will soon lose his innocence.

Opinion

The extremely impressive debut from Australian director David Michôd, Animal Kingdom is a tense, gloomy, innovative and mesmerizing crime family drama.

In this bitter and dramatic film, Michôd tells the gangster life as if it was an animal kingdom, where the strongest, the one that eats the weakest wins, and also makes a criticism to those men - and women - who are neither men nor animals. He shows all this with a cynical eye, with no compassion, and wonderfully manages to convey violence without aestheticizing it. 

However, the moral condemnation aforementioned soon stops to make room for a world where no one is really good or bad. In fact, whether criminals or cops there is no difference: they all use others for their own ends. Only detective Leckie makes exception. 

Also, don't expect long shooting scenes, or robberies or car chases because there are none in Animal Kingdom, as the action is reduced to a minimum.

The films makes use of the minimalist synthesiser music from Antony Partos to create an air of dread and tension.

The cast is uniformly excellent. In his debut James Frecheville is basically a piece of wood as J (in a good way), he is in a constant catatonic state, seemingly frail and confused, Ben Mendelsohn delivers a convincing performance as terrifying psychopath Pope, Guy Pearce gives a wonderful and intense performance as detective Leckie, and Jacki Weaver gives a strong performance as Smurf, the matriarch of the family with the psychotic smiles. 

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.

Sarah's Key (2010)

Original Title

Elle s'appelait Sarah

Genre

Drama

Director

Gilles Paquet-Brenner

Country

France

Cast

Kristin Scott Thomas, Natasha Mashkevich, Arben Bajraktaraj, Mélusine Mayance, Charlotte Poutrel, Niels Arestrup, Dominique Front, Frédéric Pierrot, Michel Duchaussoy, Gisèle Casadesus, Aidan Quinn, George Birt

Storyline

Julia Jarmond (Kristin Scott Thomas), an American journalist married to a Frenchman (Frédéric Pierrot), is commissioned to write an article about the notorious Vel' d'Hiv round up, which took place in Paris, in 1942. She stumbles upon a family secret which will link her forever to the destiny of a young Jewish girl, Sarah (Mélusine Mayance, young - Charlotte Poutrel, adult).

Opinion

Sophie's Choice, Schindler's List, Life Is Beautiful, The Pianist, The Boy with the Striped Pajamas have two things in common: they all are films about the Holocaust; they all show the Germans brutality. This film shows instead the French participation in this horror, and it does in a discreet way.

Based on Tatiana de Rosnay's novel with the same name, Sarah's Key is an extraordinarily moving, thoughtful, powerful film about the past and the present.

As I said before, this film deals with a dark part of France's history that is not known to all, the Vel' d'Hiv Roundup. I've been reading around, and lots of people have been complaining because the "event" isn't detailed. To those people, I'd like to remember that, firstly this is not an historical film; secondly it is plenty of novels, essays, and documentaries about this they can learn from.

Having said that, what the film is trying to show is that everyone was guilty back then, from the police, to the people who took the apartments remained empty after the roundups. On the other hand, it also shows that everyone had the opportunity to redeem themselves, as the French policeman did by letting the two little girls escape from the concentration camp.

The story is unique, and like Sophie's Choice, this film shows that it's impossible for the "survivors" to have a normal life after what happened -- this brings to my mind the Italian writer Primo Levi, who was devastated by the Holocaust.

However, this film has its flaws. The story is interesting, but as the movie goes on I had the feeling it was focused on Julia, the journalist, and not Sarah. Also, the ending could have been a lot better. It plays with the emotions of Sarah' son, but we don't even get to know him that well, so it's not that effective.

Kristin Scott Thomas is great as the American journalist, but Mélusine Mayance steals the scene as young Sarah.

Quotes

Julia Jarmond: When stories are not told, they become something else... forgotten.

Centurion (2010)

Genre

Action | Adventure | Drama

Director

Neil Marshall

Country

UK

Cast

Michael Fassbender, Olga Kurylenko, Dominic West, Liam Cunningham, David Morrissey, J.J. Feild, Ulrich Thomsen, Noel Clarke, Riz Ahmed, Dimitri Leonidas, Dave Legeno, Axelle Carolyn, Imogen Poots, Paul Freeman, Rachael Stirling, Michael Carter, Tom Mannion, Peter Guinness, Lee Ross, Jake Maskall, Eoin Macken, Neil Marshall

Storyline

A.D. 117. Roman centurion Quintus Dias (Michael Fassbender) leads a group of soldiers on a raid of a Pict camp to rescue a captured general (Dominic West). As one of the soldiers murdered the son of the Pict leader (Ulrich Thomsen), the Romans find themselves hunted by a seemingly unstoppable group of Pict's warriors, led by deadly tracker known as Etain (Olga Kurylenko).

Opinion

Beautiful at look, Centurion is a very well made film, bloody, and brutal, with fantastic fighting scenes,  yet dull because it somehow fails in engaging the viewer. 

The main problem with the film is that it focuses on the visual aspect instead of the writing, and it is a huge shame because considering the subject, the film could have been so much better. There isn't much depth to the characters, the story is mediocre and predictable, and the dialogue is lifeless.

The film opens with some nonsense, and goes on with some other nonsense. First, why do the Picts leave Quintus Dias (Fassbender) alive? Only because he can speak their language? It doesn't make lot of sense to me. Second, how did Etain manage to tell such a detailed story of what happened to her, if she was mute? Third, the Picts are supposed to kill and decapitate the Romans, but when Bothos is shot in the leg with an arrow, one of the Picts says, "Let him bleed". Like, seriously? After chasing them for hours, they just let him bleed. Fourth, the Picts killed thousands Romans and captured their general, still three Romans manage to kill the most lethal Picts. That's unreal. 

Michael Fassbender does a decent job as Quintus Dias, the Romans leader. Too bad the film didn't give him the chance to show off his acting abilities, but gave him a sword and lots of action instead. The supporting cast does a good job. Olga Kurylenko well delivers her performance through facial expressions and body language. David Morrissey, Dominic West, Ulrich Thomsen, and Imogen Poots all do a good job.

Quotes

Centurion Quintus Dias: In the chaos of battle, when the ground beneath your feet is a slurry of blood, puke, piss and the entrails of friends and enemies alike, it's easy to turn to the gods for salvation. But it's soldiers who do the fighting, and soldiers who do the dying, and the gods never get their feet wet.

Father of Invention (2010)

Genre

Comedy | Drama

Director

Trent Cooper

Country

USA

Cast

Kevin Spacey, Camilla Belle, Heather Graham, Johnny Knoxville, Anna Anissimova, Virginia Madsen, Craig Robinson, John Stamos, Michael Rosenbaum, Rhoda Griffis, Jack McGee, Danny Comden, Marc Macaulay, Audra Marie, Mary Elizabeth Cobb

Storyline

Eccentric inventor Robert Axle (Kevin Spacey) loses it all when one of his inventions maims thousands of customers. After 8 years in maximum security prison, he is ready to redeem his name and rebuild his billion dollar empire.

Opinion

As the huge fan of Kevin Spacey I am, I couldn't help but keep on asking myself most of the time, "Oh Kevin, why?".

Father of Invention is a "dramedy" about a father that doesn't work neither as a comedy nor as a drama, considering the lack both of laughs and emotions, and seems like it doesn't even know what kind of film it wants to be.

The direction is basically non existent, the camera is way too close, and the writing by Jonathan D. Krane and Trent Cooper is not poor, worse: there is no story, the screenplay is an absolute mess, the dialogue is awful, and the supporting characters are even worse - some characters are as flat as a surf table. Also, what's going on with the lesbian? I am a supporter of the LGBT community, but, seriously, randomly putting a gay character into a film isn't cool, most of all if the clichéd pissed-with-the-entire-world feminist lesbian, or the feminine gay.

Kevin Spacey delivers a soulful performance as usual, and does a wonderful job considering the awful material he was given, but unfortunately doesn't help the film much. Camilla Belle, who plays Spacey's daughter, gives a wooden performance, barely moving her body or her face. Heather Graham was okay, but her character, the lesbian, is not engaging at all. Johnny Knoxville is fine as the store manager. Virginia Madsen is annoying as Spacey's ex-wife. And there should have been more John Stamos - his part was too small - and Michael Rosenbaum - his character could have snatched a few laughs.

If you are a die-hard Spacey fan you must watch it, because it's nice seeing him playing something lighter, and different than usual. If you are not, I highly recommend not to watch it.

Winter's Bone (2010)

Genre

Drama

Director

Debra Granik

Country

United States

Cast
Jennifer Lawrence, John Hawkes, Kevin Breznahan, Dale Dickey, Lauren Sweetser, Tate Taylor, Garret Dillahunt, Sheryl Lee, Shelley Waggener, William White, Ron Hall, Ashlee Thompson, Cody Shiloh Brown, Isaiah Stone, Casey MacLaren, Ray Vaughan Jr

Plot
In the highlands of Missouri, seventeen-year-old Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence) looks after her mentally ill mother (Valerie Richards), her twelve-year-old brother Sonny (Isaiah Stone) and her six-year-old sister Ashlee (Ashlee Thompson). Every day Ree makes sure her siblings eat, while teaching them basic survival skills like hunting and cooking.

Her father, Jessup, arrested for manufacturing methamphetamine is out on bail. Sheriff Baskin (Garret Dillahunt) tells Ree that if her father doesn't show up for his court date, they will lose the house because it was put up as part of his bond.

Ree, driven from despair of being unable to take care of her family, will face the mistrust and violence of the entire community, up to a dramatic - but only partially revealed - truth.

Opinion
The climate is cold and the atmosphere recalls a post-apocalyptic winter. The cold and detached cinematography conveys perfectly the sense of unease. The colors' choice is excellent, recalling, once again, the feelings convey by the film using  drab colors, deprived of their light. 

The direction of Debra Granik is terrific; the cast is outstanding, where stands the talented Jennifer Lawrence, receiving the Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, won by Natalie Portman.

Quotes
Never ask for what oughta be offered.

Rating
8.0/10