One Day in Europe (2005)

Genre

Comedy

Director

Hannes Stöhr

Country

Germany | Spain

Cast

Megan Fay, Lyudmila Tsvetkova, Andrey Sokolov, Oleg Assadulin, Vita Saval, Nikolai Svechnikov, Luis Tosar, Boris Arquier, Florian Lukas, Erdal Yildiz, Nuray Sahin, Ahmet Mümtaz Taylan, Péter Scherer, Miguel de Lira, Mónica García, Víctor Mosqueira, Marta Pazos, Blanca Cendán, Patricia de Lorenzo, Jesus Ron, Kalin Foz, Rachida Brakni, Kirsten Block, Tom Jahn, Facundo Diab

Storyline

The day of the Champions League final between Galatasaray and Deportivo la Coruña stops life in four European cities, adding to the problems of tourists in trouble, who are already struggling with the language barrier.

Opinion

Since this film was suggested by the same person who suggest Caramel, I thought I would have like it. The problem is that it's plenty of anthology films, I've seen several, and this one does nothing to pop out.

Delivered by mostly flat performances, One Day in Europe is tedious, not funny as a comedy is supposed to be, and gets lost in repetitiveness.

There are two unifying plot elements: luggage insurance, and a football game. While the first is pretty smooth and works fine, the second one feels out of place. I'm European and I know there is nothing more unifying than passion for football. Every single football lover watches the Champions League finale -- I wait for it the whole season actually, and I'm sure it's plenty of people like me. The problem is that only the local seems interested in the football match. None of our tourists care. I know that they are neither Spanish nor Turkish so there is a lower chance of them supporting the finalists, yet they seems so disinterested like they don't even know the sport. The only purpose of the game seems to be a benefit for frauds.

The stories aren't very engaging, but if I had to choose one, I'd pick the Santiago the Compostela because Péter Scherer well plays the character, and makes you care for him.

The humour is built on international differences and communication problems. Too bad the jokes get lost in translation. 

I cannot comprehend the reason why this film was nominated for Golden Bear. Maybe it's because of one of the stories takes place in Berlin. 

Match Point (2005)

Genre

Drama | Romance | Thriller

Director

Woody Allen

Country

UK | Luxembourg

Cast

Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Scarlett Johansson, Emily Mortimer, Matthew Goode, Brian Cox, Penelope Wilton, Ewen Bremner, James Nesbitt, Rupert Penry-Jones, Margaret Armstrong, Geoffrey Streatfeild, Miranda Raison, Rose Keegan, Colin Salmon, Toby Kebbell

Storyline

At a turning point in his life, former tennis pro Chris Wilton (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) falls for femme-fatale Nola Rice (Scarlett Johansson) who happens to be dating his friend and soon-to-be brother-in-law (Matthew Goode).

Opinion

Fyodor Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment" collided with fate and gave birth to another great Woody Allen's feature. 

Insightful, and intelligent, Match Point combines a love story and some thrills, but puts aside Allen's humour and smart dialogue.

The opening sequence is one of the most philosophical, and best Woody Allen has created over the years. In slow motion, a tennis ball hits the top of the net. That ball can either go forward or fall back as Rhys Meyers's voiceover says. That ball is the metaphor of chaos that rules the world, of fortuities, of luck. It's in that very first minute that it's enclosed the essence of the film: luck being more important than hard work. And that's exactly how the film ends. The ring hits the bar, and luck only can save the main character.

The plot is very interesting, and in addition there is an engaging story about social class. However, there are a few plot holes I can't help but point out. First of all, the main character is Irish, but speaks with an upper-class English accent, and there is no apparent reason for that. Also, he works in a company connected with his father-in-law yet somehow manages to get away with using his work as an excuse for his absence.

Jonathan Rhys Meyers, who I had only seen before in minor roles - "Bend It Like Beckham", "Albert Nobbs", and "Mission: Impossible III" - is excellent as the former tennis player. Scarlett Johansson is sexy as never before, and does a good job as the mistress, although she has lost something since "Lost in Translation". Emily Mortimer, Matthew Goode, and Brian Cox all do a good job.

The man who said "I'd rather be lucky than good" saw deeply into life. People are afraid to face how great a part of life is dependent on luck. It's scary to think so much is out of one's control. There are moments in a match when the ball hits the top of the net, and for a split second, it can either go forward or fall back. With a little luck, it goes forward, and you win. Or maybe it doesn't, and you lose. - Chris Wilton

McFarland, USA (2015)

Genre

Drama | Sport

Director

Niki Caro

Country

USA

Cast

Kevin Costner, Maria Bello, Morgan Saylor, Carlos Pratts, Elsie Fisher, Johnny Ortiz, Hector Duran, Sergio Avelar, Michael Aguero, Rafael Martinez, Diana-Maria Riva, Vanessa Martínez, Martha Higareda, Valente Rodriguez, Chris Ellis, Eloy Casados

Storyline

Struggling coach and teacher Jim White (Kevin Costner) who has been had to move around for different incidents in his career finally comes to one of the poorest cities in America: McFarland, California. There he discovers buried potential among several high school boys and slowly turns them into championship runners and brings them closer than even he could ever imagine.

Opinion

When it comes to Disney and sport films, you already know it's going to be the traditional underdog movie - just think about Remember the Titans. Somehow, this film goes a bit deeper than usual.

Still clichéd, McFarland, USA is a truly good, inspirational and sometimes moving sport drama, whose supporting cast outshines a great Kevin Costner.

As usually happens in these Disney films, there is the underdog team/athlete that has to overcome in a sport and in their lives. And of course, the underdogs always win. As you can tell, it's the same story over and over again. However, the great script and director Niki Caro have executed the story so well that everything seems fresh, and it's involving from start to finish. You won't even be bothered by the clichés because they are well done.

The characters are all quite deep and I liked seeing them - mostly the Mexicans - dealing with different aspects in their lives, like working in a field to support their family, still pushing as hard as they can on track, and the heart they put in what they do, because they know what it means to be considered lesser just because of where you come from.

What I liked about this film is the similarity with Gran Torino. Both movies, even if completely different, are about a pretty much racist white man who explores a different culture and learns to appreciate it.

The acting is great. Kevin Costner gives a strong performance as Jim White, and nails another starring role as the same character he has been playing recently. Maria Bello gives a nice performance as White's wife. However, as I mentioned before, the supporting cast, in particular the seven guys in the cross country team, are the standouts. They all give great performance and they are a solid group.

Quotes

Jose Cardenas: We fly like blackbirds through the orange groves, floating on a warm wind. When we run, we own the earth. The land is ours. We speak the birds' language. Not immigrant no more. No stupid Mexicans. When we run, our spirits fly. We speak to the gods. When we run, we are the gods.

Jim White: I've seen you out in the fields. You're an ox. So when you're in pain out there on this mountain, I want you to remember, so is the guy next to you, and the guy in front of you. This is gonna come down to which runners can handle the pain. So I want you to look at them, and I want you to look at each other and ask yourself, "Who's tougher?" 

30 Minutes or Less (2011)

Genre

Action | Comedy

Director

Ruben Fleischer

Country

USA

Cast

Jesse Eisenberg, Danny McBride, Aziz Ansari, Nick Swardson, Dilshad Vadsaria, Bianca Kajlich, Michael Peña, Fred Ward, Brett Gelman, Rebecca Cox, Rick Irwin, Torey Adkins

Storyline

Nick (Jesse Eisenberg) is a small town pizza delivery guy whose mundane life collides with the big plans of two wanna-be criminal masterminds (Danny McBride and Nick Swardson). The volatile duo kidnaps Nick and forces him to rob a bank. With mere hours to pull off the impossible task, Nick enlists the help of his ex-best friend, Chet (Aziz Ansari). As the clock ticks, the two must deal with the police, hired assassins, flamethrowers, and their own tumultuous relationship.

Opinion

Are we sure this is the same Ruben Fleischer who did Zombieland? Because it didn't feel like it. I had high expectation for it given the cast, director, and plot. I don't really know what happened.

Slightly entertaining, 30 Minutes or Less is an action comedy with some action and a tiny dose of comedy. 

The plot sounds intriguing and with a lot of potential, but the problem is the way it's executed. It starts out very slow, and it never really take off. The screenplay is just bad. I can't say anything to save it. Also, I don't think making a producer write a script would be a good idea. The romantic subplot doesn't get along with the film.

Vulgar and with continuous sexual references, most of jokes feel too forced, and they lose of effectiveness - only a couple of jokes worked for me, and that's not enough to carry a comedy, even if only 83 minutes long.

The characters are also bad. First, they are not well developed. Second, regardless from being the duo of protagonists or the duo of antagonists, they all are bad people, and you don't know who to root for since they all are bad. At some point in the movie Nick and Chet say they are a perfect match because they are terrible people. I think there's nothing more to add.

The acting is pretty poor. Jesse Eisenberg succeeds in his usual awkward role - I wonder why he wasn't in This Is the End. But besides from that, everybody sucks. Danny McBride is back with another of his annoying roles, and he is just trying too hard to be funny. Aziz Ansari doesn't have comic timing, and his performance is flat. Nick Swardson is not better than the previous mentioned. I wonder how Michael Peña got involved in this. At least, there is a quite good chemistry between Eisenberg and Ansari, and McBride and Swardson.