Saving Mr. Banks (2013)

Genre

Biography | Comedy | Drama

Director

John Lee Hancock

Country

UK | Australia | USA

Cast

Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Colin Farrell, Ruth Wilson, Paul Giamatti, Bradley Whitford, B. J. Novak, Jason Schwartzman, Kathy Baker, Melanie Paxson, Rachel Griffiths, Ronan Vibert, Kristopher Kyer, Victoria Summer

Storyline

After 20 years, when she's financially strapped, author P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson) finally considers Walt Disney's (Tom Hanks) offer to make a film of her book, Mary Poppins, but won't approve unless Disney does it as she wants. So she goes to California, and while working on bringing the character of Mary Poppins to life, she starts reflecting on her childhood, upon which the book is based.

Opinion

Although this film has been on my watch-list for a while, I was reluctant because of some negative reviews I've heard and read. People complaining about Walt Disney being nothing like the man portrayed by Tom Hanks, others complaining about this being not a biopic worthy of such a man. Well, I'm not sure those people have quite understood what the film is really about.

Saving Mr. Banks actually tells the story of the making of the Mary Poppins film, and if it has to be considered a biography, it is surely not Walt Disney's but P.L. Travers's. Now, the fact that the story is more or less accurate, and that maybe there is a spoonful of sugar too much to make the film suitable for families is another thing.

Having said that, Saving Mr. Banks is a feel-good dramatic comedy, both witty and sentimental, that draws you in.

The film praises imagination and its power to help some grow, by lighting up childhood and its natural path towards adulthood. It also praises those people that, even though they have grown, are still capable of dreaming, like P.L. Travers or Walt Disney.

There are some outstanding performances too. Emma Thompson play P.L. Travers beautifully. Cold and definitely not likable in the first part (as required), she brings out all the emotions, and the serious aspects of her character. Tom Hanks does a nice job as Walt Disney and seems to be enjoying himself but this is not one of his best achievements. The supporting cast offers strong performances, especially Colin Farrell, who brings vitality and interest in the parallel story about Travers's childhood. 

Don’t you ever stop dreaming. You can be anyone you want to be. - Travers Goff

Siberian Education (2013)

Original Title

Educazione siberiana

Genre

Crime | Drama

Director

Gabriele Salvatores

Country

Italy

Cast

Arnas Fedaravicius, Peter Stormare, John Malkovich, Vilius Tumalavicius, Eleanor Tomlinson, Jonas Trukanas, Vitalij Porshnev, Arnas Sliesoraitis, Pijus Grude, Ernestas Markevicius, Erikas Zaremba, Arvydas Lebeliunas, Viktoras Karpusenkovas, Daiva Stumbraite

Storyline

Kolyma (Arnas Fedaravicius) and Gagarin (Vilius Tumalavicius) grow up like brothers, raised by Kolyma's grandfather Kuzja (John Malkovich) who imposes very strict education to the children, focusing on hatred for the Soviets. In a robbery by two boys and two friends of theirs, Gagarin is stopped and arrested. Seven years later he is freed, but the world has changed, and he ends up in strong contrast with Kolyma.

Opinion

I did not read the book of Russian writer Lilin, but I read that the film doesn't stick much to the book. Now I believe that a film doesn't need to be identical to the book to be appreciated. However, still based on what I read about the book, I feel like the film could have been so much better.

Very interesting in terms of acting and aesthetic, Siberian Education is pretty much an ordinary gangster movie that seems half accomplished.

I'm really impressed that Italian director Gabriele Salvatores has tried something new, and has dealt with a part of history most of us don't know, but the film does have its flaws.

The main problem is the screenplay. Stefano Rulli, Sandro Petraglia and Salvatores do not find a way to carry the story, not even with the help of Lilin himself, and the result is a quite awkward script that alternates well made parts - childhood, criminal education, and carousel scene - to incomplete ones - the arrival of Xenya doesn't not bring the emotions it was supposed to, and the ending is nothing but hurried and also lacks emotions.

Despite many said they are different from the book, the characters are very interesting, in particular the extraordinary figure of Granpa Kuzja, reference point both of his family and of the Siberian clan. But, again, the character of Xenya has not been properly written.

The good thing is that the film gives some lessons that break off from the modern society we live in. First of all, money, whether they come from good or bad, is dirty. Second, we must help, and defend the weakest, because they are not able to do it themselves.

The acting steps up the film's game. When it comes to bad guys John Malkovich is the right pick. He lights up the film every time he is on screen, and delivers a stunning performance as the Russian Godfather, and makes you almost forget the fact that the characters speak English, with an accent but still English, instead of their native language. The others, Arnas Fedaravicius, Vilius Tumalavicius, Peter Stormare and Eleanor Tomlinson all do a fine job.

Quotes

Grandfather Kuzya: Man cannot possess more than his heart can love.

The Book Thief (2013)

Genre

Drama | War

Director

Brian Percival

Country

USA | Germany

Cast

Sophie Nélisse, Geoffrey Rush, Emily Watson, Ben Schnetzer, Nico Liersch, Sandra Nedeleff, Hildegard Schroedter, Rafael Gareisen, Gotthard Lange, Godehard Giese, Roger Allam, Oliver Stokowski, Barbara Auer, Heike Makatsch, Lein Liam, Carina Wiese

Storyline

While subjected to the horrors of World War II Germany, young Liesel Meminger (Sophie Nélisse) is forced to live with adoptive parents Hans (Geoffrey Rush) and Rosa Hubermann (Emily Watson). She will eventually find solace by stealing books and sharing them with others, especially with Max (Ben Schnetzer), the Jewish refugee being sheltered by her foster family.

Opinion

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

A few month ago I read this beautiful, extraordinary, moving book called The Book Thief, written by some Markus Zusak. Never before I felt so engaged, and enchanted by a book. It left me speechless, and I've been thinking about it quite a lot, more, however, than I usually do. I loved every single aspect of the book. The characters. The plot. The tragic, yet beautiful ending. The Death.

Then last night I watched this film, and I could barely make it through it. Probably one of the worst screen adaptation ever made, Percival's The Book Thief is a tedious, bloody awful film.

The film is bad on so many levels it's hard to explain, but I'll try. First of all, calling a cinematographic adaptation a thing that barely follows the book, and basically skips half of it, leaving tons of important events, and scenes behind, is an insult. The script jumps from a thing to another, and it's impossible for someone who read the book to follow. 

One of the strong elements of the book is the creative narration. Instead of just using a third-person narrator, Zusak used Death and he was able to offer a unique perspective on all the death and dying occurring during this dark period in history. In the film, Death is barely there, she just shows up at random. Furthermore, the final image of Death walking along the streets is nothing but inappropriate, and completely disconnect from the content.

The characters, what a mess. Every single character, even minor ones, has a strong development in the book. Here, there is no character development, and you feel completely disconnected to all of them. Rudy is annoying, and acts like a jealous boyfriend, and his relationship with Liesel is so downplayed. Then, when he dies at the end of the film, it does not have the same emotional charge that it should have. Actually, it has none.

As if all of that wasn't enough, the film doesn't even manage to capture the horrors of Nazi Germany, and that's really bad considering this is an American and German production.

The acting pops out like a dandelion in the snow, but I must say that none of the actors looked how I imagined the characters. Despite the awful script she had to work with, young Sophie Nélisse does a good job in the role of Liesel Meminger. The other young lead, Nico Liersch, also does a good job. Geoffrey Rush as Hans Hubermann and Emily Watson as his wife do their best to save this unsavable mess. Ben Schnetzer does not an awful job as Max, but he is less convincing than the others.

The sad thing is that this film could have had Oscar written all over it, but it is just a waste of time and money. Do yourself a favour, avoid this film and read the book, instead.

The Thirteenth Tale (2013)

Genre

Drama

Director

James Kent

Country

UK

Cast

Olivia Colman, Vanessa Redgrave, Sophie Turner, Steve Mackintosh, Alexander Roach, Emily Beecham, Tom Goodman-Hill, Michael Jibson, Adam Long, Antonia Clarke, Lizzie Hopley, Madeleine Power, Gordon Winter, Robert Pugh, Janet Amsden

Storyline

Ageing novelist Vida Winter (Vanessa Redgrave) enlists biographer Margaret Lea (Olivia Colman) to finally write the story of the life, including her mysterious childhood spent in Angelfield House, which burned to the ground when she was a teenager.

Opinion

"Do you believe in ghosts?" Vida Winter told Miss Lea at the first meeting. I don't, and to be honest I'm not a fan of this kind of fiction. But when last summer I came across Diane Setterfield's novel, I surprisingly enjoyed it. Quite a lot. So, as I found out there was a film based on the novel, I couldn't help but do anything in my power to watch it. Well, I've seen it now, but what a let down!

The Thirteenth Tale is a decent drama that doesn't capture the essence of the book it's based on, and completely lacks of suspense.

I've been reading around people saying Christopher Hampton brilliantly adapted this film. I couldn't disagree more. While some parts of the story are slightly changed and some parts are omitted - which is not a big deal after all - the dialogue got it worse. Since the key elements of the story are wrapped in the dialogue, making it shorter to conveying those plot points to the viewer in the shortest time possible was not a smart choice.

Also the troubled and sick relationship between Charlie and Isabelle is barely introduced - for a moment I thought it would have been omitted -, and incompletely.

The film suggests a romantic liaison between Margaret and the Doctor, implied by the way the look at each other, that is not important at all.

And the way Margaret/Colman looks at her reflection in the windows is kinda creepy. In the book that was explained by the dead of Margaret's twin sister. Born dead, Margaret never had the chance to meet her sister, and for that reason she feels like a half-person, and she looks at her reflection because she think she might see her sister. In the film this part is changed so the reflection thing is pointless.

Anyway, the scenery is wonderful, and the acting is quite good.

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.

Starred Up (2013)

Genre

Drama

Director

David Mackenzie

Country

UK

Cast

Jack O'Connell, Ben Mendelsohn, Rupert Friend, Sam Spruell, Anthony Welsh, David Ajala, Peter Ferdinando, Raphael Sowole, Gilly Gilchrist, Duncan Airlie James, Gershwyn Eustache, Ashley Chin, David Avery, Tommy McDonnell, Frederick Schmidt, Sian Breckin

Storyline

19-year-old Eric Love (Jack O'Connell), arrogant and ultra-violent, is prematurely transferred to the same adult prison facility as his estranged father (Ben Mendelsohn). As his explosive temper quickly finds him enemies in both prison authorities and fellow inmates and his already volatile relationship with his father is pushed past breaking point, Eric is approached by a volunteer psychotherapist (Rupert Friend), who runs an anger management group for prisoners. 

Opinion

Well acted, Starred Up is brilliant, brutal, and smart prison drama about anger, father-son relationship, and forgiveness.

Written by an actual voluntary therapist following his own experiences at Prison Wandsworth, the great script appears genuine, and realistic in describing the psychological condition and behavior of the inmates, and with the same authenticity brings us on the path of redemption of a young prisoner. The extremely realistic view of prison gives the feel of watching a documentary, feeling increased also by the almost complete absence of music.

Director David Mackenzie succeeds in dosing the dramatic element, and offers a compelling portrait of the complex relationship between father and son, both with a disturbed personality, and conflicting with each other.

If I had a gun pointed at my head, and being asked what's the problem with this film I'd go with the accents. The violence and the bad language didn't bother me at all, but not being a English native speaker, and not knowing English perfectly, I had some problems understanding, but there were captions, so problem solved.

The acting is great. Jack O'Connell gives a superb performance and delivers one of the most memorable prisoner character I've seen. Ben Mendelsohn also gives a fantastic performance as O'Connell's estranged father. The supporting cast also gives great performances.

Quotes

Eric: I'm just saying. Said this therapy goes well and it changes my life and I rehabilitate. And then you lay it on for the next geezer and it works for him, and the next. And everything's sweet yeah? Crime rates starts to come down, police got less people to nick, courts got less people to convict. Pretty soon you're out of a job.

Begin Again (2013)

Genre

Drama | Music

Director

John Carney

Country

USA

Cast

Keira Knightley, Mark Ruffalo, Adam Levine, Catherine Keener, Hailee Steinfeld, James Corden, CeeLo Green, Yasiin Bey, James Corden

Storyline

Gretta (Keira Knightley) and her long-time boyfriend Dave (Adam Levine) are college sweethearts and songwriting partners who decamp for New York when he lands a deal with a major label. But the trappings of his new-found fame soon tempt Dave to stray, and a reeling, lovelorn Gretta is left on her own. Her world takes a turn for the better when Dan (Mark Ruffalo), a disgraced record-label exec, stumbles upon her performing on an East Village stage and is immediately captivated by her raw talent.

Opinion

"These pearls are just... becoming increasingly more and more rare to me. - More string than pearls? - Yeah. You've got to travel over a lot more string to get to the pearls.This moment film is a pearl, Gretta everybody."

After seeing the trailer, I was expecting a cheesy film, but I was pleasantly surprised. Sad, funny, and romantic, yet not falling into the clichéd sentimental genre, Begin Again is a wonderful, creative, quirky film about love for music.

John Carney wrote a really good script, that avoid most of the typical romantic comedy clichés. You genuinely don't know where it's going - I tried to guess, and I'm usually good at it, but this time I miserably failed. The story captured me from the start, and took me up and down, in a rollercoaster of emotions. What can I say about the ending? Just perfect. Not to mention the closing credits. The scenes that run in there complement the film. I wish all closing credits were this good.

The film shows how complicated it is to maintain a healthy relationship when one of the two is becoming a star. Also, shows how hard can be to an artist to stay faithful to his art.

The characters are all likeable and the leads are both relatable. It's a great relationship the one between Dan and Gretta, but the one that stuck with me is the reconnection of Dan to his daughter. 

Being a film about music, the main character is music herself. Feelings are not explicit but are the songs performed around New York City to deliver the emotions. The music used is just wonderful, from the soundtrack to the original performances. The greatest moment? When Dan listens to Gretta perform for the first time, and in his head the voice and guitar grow into something much bigger.

Mark Ruffalo gives a charming performance as Dan Mulligan, and he is a real pleasure to watch. Keira Knightley delivers a moving and subtle performance as Gretta, and who knew she could sing so well? She doesn't have a powerful voice, but it perfectly suits the film's songs. There's great chemistry between the leads. Catherine Keener is great as always as Miriam, Ruffalo's wife, and Hailee Steinfeld is surprisingly good as Violet, Ruffalo's estranged daughter. Also, who knew Adam Levin could act? That was quite a performance. 

Quotes

Dan: That's what I love about music.

Gretta: What?

Dan: One of the most banal scenes is suddenly invested with so much meaning! All these banalities - They're suddenly turned into these... these beautiful, effervescent pearls. From Music.

Dan: You can tell a lot about a person by what's on their playlist.

Gretta: I know you can. That's what's worrying me.

The Double (2013)

Genre

Comedy | Drama | Thriller

Director

Richard Ayoade

Country

UK

Cast

Jesse Eisenberg, Mia Wasikowska, Wallace Shawn, Noah Taylor, Yasmin Paige, Cathy Moriarty, Phyllis Somerville, James Fox, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Tony Rohr, Susan Blommaert, Jon Korkes, Tim Key, Lloyd Woolf, Lydia Ayoade, Sally Hawkins, J Mascis, Christopher Morris, Chris O'Dowd, Craig Roberts, Kierston Wareing, Jeanie Gold, Paddy Considine, Gemma Chan, Rade SErbedzija, Catherine Delaloye, Georgie-May Tearle

Storyline

Simon (Jesse Eisenberg) is a timid man, scratching out an isolated existence in an indifferent world. He is overlooked at work, scorned by his mother, and ignored by the woman of his dreams. He feels powerless to change any of these things. The arrival of a new co-worker, James, serves to upset the balance. James is both Simon's exact physical double and his opposite - confident, charismatic and good with women. To Simon's horror, James slowly starts taking over his life.

Opinion

If David Lynch and Terry Gilliam had a baby, and that baby made a film, this is exactly what it would look like.

Feeling like an avant-garde Fight Club, The Double is an interesting, very odd, dark, a little depressing, and slow psychological comedy thriller.

What is that great about this film? I don't know. As said before, this film is weird. It is hard to understand at first, then it feels a little confused, and that requires you to pay lot of attention to get it. Also, if you do pay attention, you still will be confused, feeling like there is some stronger message behind it, and still don't get it. Still there's something that fascinates me about it. I can't tell what.

It doesn't have much of a plot, nothing much happens in the film, it isn't much detailed, many things are not explained, still it somehow manages to be entertaining, engaging and deliver some thrills. The ending is a bit predictable though.

Richard Ayoade's art-house direction is the strongest element. Jumping from one image to the next really emphasised the disjointed character(s). Also, I enjoyed the sound of footsteps not stopping when people stopped walking. The cinematography was beautiful, and the musical score nailed it.

Jesse Eisenberg really carries the film well, keeping the viewer entertained, and delivers his best performance since The Social Network. The scene when he talks to himself are priceless. Mia Wasikowska also delivers a great performance as love interest Hannah. However, she didn't have much of a chemistry with the Eisenbergs.

Quotes

Simon: I don't know how to be myself. It's like I'm permanently outside myself. Like, like you could push your hands straight through me if you wanted to. And I can see the type of man I want to be versus the type of man I actually am and I know that I'm doing it but I'm incapable of what needs to be done. I'm like Pinocchio, a wooden boy. Not a real boy. And it kills me.

Child of God (2013)

Genre

Drama | Thriller

Director

James Franco

Country

USA

Cast

Scott Haze, Tim Blake Nelson, James Franco Jim Parrack, Jeremy Ambler, Fallon Goodson, Vince Jolivette, Brian Lally, Nina Ljeti, Boyd Smith, Terrance Huff, Nathan Mohebbi

Storyline

A dispossessed, violent man's life is a disastrous attempt to exist outside the social order. Successively deprived of parents and homes and with few other ties, Ballard (Scott Haze) descends literally and figuratively to the level of a cave dweller as he falls deeper into crime and degradation.

Opinion

Recently James Franco has been acting like he is some kind of god, great at anything. I'm his fan, but I can't see all that genius.

Slow-like-a-sloth paced, Child of God is an ambitious but failed attempt to bring Cormac McCarthy's novel to the screen, that fails in being engaging, but succeeds in being an embarrassing adaptation. Essentially, The Coen Bros only should bring to the screen McCarthy's novels.

James Franco's direction is terrible. If I didn't know it, I'd say this was his directorial debut, given the poorly handheld shots, particularly at the beginning of the film. The editing also is not that good, with too many scenes fading into black.

The writing is awful. Franco had some big troubles with bringing the source material to the big screen, and he ended up destroying it. Not much happens in here besides from necrophilia, and glorification of taking lives - and the biggest problem is that the film didn't manage to convey horror, and disgust, at least for me. Ballard, the lead character is not engaging, and we don't empathize with him, because we don't get his backstory, or any reason to care about him. The end leaves a lot to the imagination, and as the screen eventually turns black, you will only fell sorry for the tiger and the teddy bear.

Along all that black yin, there is also a little white spot of yang. The musical score is lovely, the font's choice for the titles is great, and Scott Haze is absolutely brilliant as Ballard. He delivers a hell of a performance, visceral, raw, and disturbing.

Watch this only if you are interested in anything McCarthy related, or you really love Franco.

2 Guns (2013)

Genre

Action | Comedy

Director

Baltasar Kormákur

Country

USA

Cast

Denzel Washington, Mark Wahlberg, Paula Patton, Bill Paxton, James Marsden, Fred Ward, Edward James Olmos, Robert John Burke

Storyline

Two crooked undercover officers - one from the DEA (Denzel Washington) and the other from the Navy (Mark Wahlberg) - get into trouble when stealing money from the wrong person.

Opinion

Who does not remember Robert De Niro as Al Capone saying, "You're nothing but a lot of talk and a badge."? Well, this two guys here, Bobby and Stig, are exactly the opposite, and to be honest the result is quite entertaining. 

Based on the comic book series of the same name, 2 Guns is a good combination of adrenaline, action, thrills, and comedy.

The film doesn't have much new to show us, the plot is very predictable, the often comical dialogue isn't the wittiest ever written, and the characters are cardboard, still the film has a pretty good structure, it's well put together, and manages to surprise you.

The shooting sequences are a bit unrealistic, but overall the action scenes, and the fisticuffs are good, and entertaining, and there are not too many explosions. Also, who doesn't enjoy seeing a car full of money blowing up? It kind of hurts, but it's awesome!

The acting surely adds points to the film. Known for his dramatic roles, Denzel Washington never fails to surprise. He proves to be able to step into any role and situation, and he gets along pretty well with comedy. Mark Wahlberg had already proven to handle humour in Ted, and he does nothing but confirm that. Also, the two leads have a great chemistry. Good performances also from Bill Paxton, Edward James Olmos, and James Marsden. Besides showing her tits, and being both Washington and Marsden's love interest, Paula Patton doesn't have much to do in here. 

In a nutshell: if you are a Denzel Washington's fan like me, it's a must-watch; if you want to spend a relaxing evening and shut down your brain, this action flick is right for you.

Quotes

Admiral Tuwey: Blind loyalty is not loyalty.

Best Night Ever (2013)

Genre

Comedy

Directors

Jason Friedberg | Aaron Seltzer

Country

USA

Cast

Desiree Hall, Eddie Ritchard, Samantha Colburn, Crista Flanagan, Andy Favreau, Nick Steele, Lynette DuPree, Jason Beaubien, Patrick Quinlan, Steve West, James Jordan, Natalie Padilla, Skyler STone, David Grammer

Storyline

Claire (Desiree Hall) is about to get married and she goes to Las Vegas with her sister and two friends for her bachelorette party. Things quickly spiral out of control.

Opinion

Best Night Ever? Mostly like Worst Film Ever. Pretending to be the female version of The Hangover, Best Night Ever is actually a cruel, sadistic cinematic joke that makes films like The Hangover Part II, or Spring Breakers look like masterpieces. Awful from start to finish, words can't describe how annoying, stupid, ridiculous this film is. At no point did I laugh, smile, or chuckle, and the only way to have a grin on my face was to call the Joker. 

Known for their demential parodies - Date Movie, Epic Movie, Disaster Movie, Meet the Spartans, Vampires Suck, and The Starving Games -, writer-directors Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer opted for a more original project this time. The problem is that there is nothing original here, and if you have seen films like The Hangover, or Bridesmaid, it's basically like you have already seen this one, you just have to picture it in a very, very unfunny way.

The editing is awful, and I really don't understand why some nudities have been censured while others haven't. The handy-camera was definitely the wrong choice for this one, and all it does is giving the feelings that you are watching an awful homemade video that is supposed to be funny for how embarrassing it is.

Also, I'd really like to know how the four women manage not to end up killed or arrested for the felonies they committed - the cops are not even after them -, and they somehow manage to have perfect hair, perfect makeup, and barely dirty clothes.

The actresses featured seems to have a good rapport, but that's it: they try too hard to be funny, and their acting is awful as everything else.

If you got through this film with a smile on your face, you really deserve an award for your performance. 

Oldboy (2013)

Genre

Action | Drama | Mystery

Director

Spike Lee

Country

USA

Cast

Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Olsen, Sharlto Copley, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Imperioli, Brett Lapeyrouse, James Ransone, Max Casella, Linda Emond, Pom Klementieff, Elvis Nolasco Lance Reddick, Hannah Ware, Richard Portnow Hannah Simone, Lizzy DeClement, Caitlin Dulany, Cinqué Lee, Grey Damon, Erik Gersovitz

Storyline

On the day of her daughter's birthday, for reasons he doesn't understand, Joe Doucett (Josh Brolin) is kidnapped and imprisoned. After 20 years behind bars, he is released, and, obsessed with vengeance, will do anything possible to find the man who did this.

Opinion

*** The review may contain spoilers ***

Americans and their obsession with remaking great foreign language films will never lead to something good, and this film is the proof. In fact, Oldboy - or should I say "Oh boy"? - is a complete failure. It is violent - not as much as the original though - yet shallow, and disappointing. Compared to Park Chan-wook's, this one is absolute crap. Unfortunately, it doesn't quite work as a standalone film either.

What Spike Lee did here is goddamn awful: it could and should have executed so much better. At the beginning the film spends, in my opinion, too much time showing the whole day of drunkie Joe. Also, too much time is dedicated to the 20 years he spend imprisoned, actually showing less than the original film did. To suffer from all of this is the rest of the story, the most important part, which is rushed and not well-developed.

While there are several memorable lines in the Korean film, here the dialogue is a pure joke. At some point, Joe says, "... And whoever you are, wherever you are. I will find you". Is it me, or it sounds a lot like what Liam Neeson says in Taken?

The fighting scenes weren't better. At some point, during the torture scene actually, I thought "Thank god Lee didn't try to reproduce the corridor scene", but after a few minutes, here it comes, just to prove me wrong. And it was one of the most fake-looking fight scenes ever.

Not to talk about the nonsense, unrealistic things going on. First of all, Joe's alcohol addiction. He has drunk a bottle of vodka every single day for about a year - not to consider the fact that he already had a drinking problem - and he doesn't have any liver disease, not even a problem. Then, he goes around hammering people in the heads, and they don't die - I do clearly remember him smashing some guy's head, and that guy kept on screaming. Now I'm not a doctor, but how realistic is that? And at last, the girl with the yellow umbrella. After 20 years she looks exactly the same. I wonder what kind of treatment she used to stay like that. Oh, I forgot something! Is there some particular reason behind the Chinese restaurant, or Spike Lee didn't have any idea so he took it straight from the original?

The love scene also is completely different. While Choi Min-sik and Kang Hye-jung look like they love each other, Josh Brolin and Elizabeth Olsen are clearly just having sex.

Josh Brolin does a pretty good job, and his weight gain, and weight loss is definitely a sign of dedication, but it's impossible to compare him to the wonderful job Choi Min-sik did with the same character. Elizabeth Olsen is so so, as she looks like she is never quite sure how to play the part. Sharlto Copley isn't much of a villain. At least Samuel L. Jackson is great.

Young & Beautiful (2013)

Original Title

Jeune et Jolie

Genre

Drama

Director

François Ozon

Country

France

Cast

Marine Vacth, Géraldine Pailhas, Frédéric Pierrot, Charlotte Rampling, Jonah Leysen, Fantin Ravat, Nathalie Richard, Djedje Apali, Lucas Prisor, Laurent Delbecque, Jeanne Ruff

Storyline

After losing her virginity, Isabelle (Marine Vacth) takes up a secret life as a call girl, meeting her clients for hotel-room trysts. Throughout, she remains curiously aloof, showing little interest in the encounters themselves or the money she makes.

Opinion

"Once a whore, always a whore", says one of the men to Isabelle. No other quote could have summarized the film in a better way.

Young & Beautiful is a different kind of coming-of-age story, that had the potential to become something truly interesting, but unfortunately it's shallow and doesn't go beyond its title. 

François Ozon's intentions are not clear at all, nor clear is the motivation of the main character. As the movie goes on, the only clear thing is that the filmmaker is not interested in lessons, or psychological insights, as the audience would expect.

However, the photography manages to capture the beautiful shooting locations, and Marine Vacth delivers a great performance as Isabelle, but it's really nothing compared to the performance by Adele Exarchopoulos in "Blue Is the Warmest Colour".

Homefront (2013)

Genre

Action | Crime | Drama

Director

Gary Fleder

Country

USA

Cast

Jason Statham, James Franco, Winona Ryder, Kate Bosworth, Chuck Zito, Frank Grillo, Rachelle Lefevre, Clancy Brown, Christa Campbell, Stuart Green, Omar Benson Miller, Izabela Vidovic, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Marcus Hester, Austin Craig

Storyline

Former DEA agent Phil Broker (Jason Statham) moves to a small town for the sake of his 10-year-old daughter Maddy (Izabela Vidovic). The is only one problem: he picked the wrong town.

Opinion

Based on Chuck Logan's novel, and with a quite good cast - I'm not talking about Statham of course -, the film was promising. Then I read Sylvester Stallone wrote the screenplay, and the house of cards fell apart.

As mentioned before Jason Statham is in it, and his films are pretty much the same thing. This time, he is a quiet guy in need to use his exceptional fighting skills against the bad guys, and he also happens to be the fastest in the west, as usual. 

Having said that, Homefront is an action film Statham's style - his fans are gonna love it -, with no climax, still the action and violence keep you entertained, and it gets a little bit thrilling at the end. Kind of.

Agreeing on the fact that Statham is good at fighting, he is not good at acting. His performance is substanceless, just a smile here, and a smile there. Izabela Vidovic very well plays Statham's daughter. James Franco does a great job as the main bad guy - finally a role that suits him. Winona Ryder does good with his small screen time. Kate Bosworth is pretty good too. I would have like to see more Frank Grillo in here. 

Quotes

Phil Broker: Whatever you're thinking, rethink it.

The Mafia Kills Only in Summer (2013)

Original Title

La mafia uccide solo d'estate

Genre

Comedy | Drama

Director

Pif

Country

Italy

Cast

Pif, Cristiana Capotondi, Claudio Gioè, Ninni Bruschetta, Alex Bisconti, Ginevra Antona, Maurizio Marchetti, Rosario Lisma, Barbara Tabita, Antonio Alveario, Totò Borgese

Storyline

Inspired by real events, the story is focused on Arturo (Alex Bisconti as a child, Pif as an adult), a young journalist whose life has been influenced by the Mafia since his childhood.

Opinion

Brilliantly written, The Mafia Kills Only in Summer is an original, and unusual approach to Mafia, that manages to balance in an exceptional way humour and drama.

First work of Pierfrancesco Diliberto aka Pif, this film is surely a masterpiece, and it has a bigger impact not due the story itself, but by the way the story is told and shown, putting aside any celebration addressed to Cosa Nostra - thing that happens very often.
Narrated by Pif himself, the documentary look brings the audience into the story - which in my case is also my story - and makes them more involved.

The godfathers, always portrayed as powerful and strong men, are this time portrayed in a comical way. In his everyday life, Totò Riina looks like a simpleton, and as such makes us laugh. But then, when he orders the death of politicians, and magistrates, we are brought back to reality, and we realize that there wasn't much to laugh about.

The actors are all great. I am actually very impressed by Alex Bisconti who plays Arturo as a child, and mostly by Pif as adult Arturo, since he is not even an actor. 

Quotes

Arturo: When I became a father, I understood that parents have two basic tasks. The first one is defending their sons from the evil of the world. The second is to help them recognise it.

Hit the Road: India (2013)

Genre

Adventure | Documentary

Directors

Gor Baghdasaryan | Mushegh Baghdasaryan

Country

Armenia | India

Cast

Richard Gazarian, Keith King

Storyline

Hit The Road: India is a travel adventure documentary about two friends participating in a 12-day rickshaw rally across India, from Mumbai to Chennai, recognized by Lonely Planet as one of the top-10 greatest adventures of 2012.

Adult World (2013)

Genre

Comedy

Director

Scott Coffey

Country

USA

Cast

Emma Roberts, Evan Peters, John Cusack, Armando Riesco, Shannon Woodward, Chris Riggi, Scott Coffey, Jo Mei, Leah Lauren, Cloris Leachman, John Cullum, Catherine Lloyd Burns, Reed Birney, 

Plot

Naive college graduate Amy (Emma Roberts) believes she's destined to be a great poet. Pressed to earn a living by her father (Reed Birney), she begrudgingly accepts a job at a sex shop while she pursues a mentorship with writer Rat Billings (John Cusack).

The Past (2013)

Original Title

Le passé

Genre

Drama

Director

Asghar Farhadi

Country

France | Italy | Iran

Cast

Bérénice Bejo, Tahar Rahim, Ali Mosaffa, Pauline Burlet, Alyes Agius, Jeanne Jestin, Sabrina Ouazani, Babak Karimi, Valeria Cavalli, Eleonora Marino

Plot

Ahmad (Ali Mosaffa), an Iranian man, reunites with his estranged wife (Bérénice Bejo) in Paris to finalize their divorce, which is soon complicated by a shocking revelation by her daughter (Pauline Burlet) from a previous marriage.

Opinion

A little bit less tense than A Separation, The Past is a very well-made and interesting drama, wherewith Asghar Farhadi wants to remind us that to look forward in our lives is essential to take note of the past.

Masterfully directed and superbly written by Farhadi, the film is believable and very close to reality, and the handheld camera engages more the viewers. 

The Iranian capital has been replaced by a peripheral Paris, as much as peripherals are the lives of each character to each others. There is a deep analysis of the characters and no one is left behind.

All actors are greatly chosen, as the performances are outstanding and realistic. Bérénice Bejo doesn't play Marie, she is Marie. Ali Mosaffa is wonderful and brilliantly portraits Ahmad. Tahar Rahim wonderfully delivers. 

Quotes

Marie Brisson: I'll tell them to apologize.

Samir: In this way, you will teach them that always there is an escape way named apology!

Rating

9.0/10

Ida (2013)

Genre

Drama

Director

Paweł Pawlikowski

Country

Poland | Denmark

Cast

Agata Trzebuchowska, Agata Kulesza, Joanna Kulig Dawid Ogrodnik, Adam Szyszkowski, Jerzy Trela

Plot

Anna (Agata Trzebuchowska), a young novitiate nun in 1960s Poland, is on the verge of taking her vows when she discovers a dark family secret dating back to the years of the Nazi occupation.

Opinion

Despite its length - 82 minutes only -, Ida is an extremely well made and deep film, that describes female psychology. Paweł Pawlikowski made an extraordinary intimate drama, exploring the contradictions of faith and lay life, but also the tragic legacies of anti-Semitism.

The choice of shooting in black and white and using a 1.37:1 aspect ratio give more credibility to the story. 

The film is beautifully photographed by Łukasz Żal and Ryszard Lenczewski; the lyrical score by Kristian Eidnes Andersen is great.

The acting is outstanding. Agata Trzebuchowska plays Anna/Ida with such innocence and she speaks even when she is quiet. Agata Kulesza plays aunt Wanda incredibly, and most of the time she communicates through her facial expressions and body movements.

Quotes

Wanda: Do you have sinful thoughts sometimes?

Anna: Yes.

Wanda: About carnal love?

Anna: No.

Wanda: That's a shame. You should try... Otherwise what sort of sacrifice are these vows of yours.

Rating

9.0/10