Twice Born (2012)

Original Title

Venuto al mondo

Genre

Drama | Romance | War

Director

Sergio Castellitto

Country

Italy | Spain

Cast

Penélope Cruz, Emile Hirsch, Adnan Haskovic, Saadet Aksoy, Pietro Castellitto, Luca De Filippo, Mira Furlan, Jane Birkin, Sergio Castellitto, Branko Djuric, Isabelle Adriani, Jovan Divjak, Sanja Vejnovic, Emina Muftic

Plot

Oft-married Gemma (Penélope Cruz) brings her teenage son Pietro (Pietro Castellitto) to Sarajevo, where his father (Emile Hirsch) died in the Bosnian conflict years ago.

Opinion

I haven't read the novel by Margaret Mazzantini, but the person who recommended me this film did, and enjoyed both, so I gave the film a try.

Twice Born is an ambitious and complex film that deals with love, motherhood at any cost, and horrors of war.

The film is certainly well built, and the direction from Sergio Castellitto - the novelist's husband - is great and manages to show love and war in the same moment, often leaving room for glances and music. Moving forward and backwards in time is certainly not new, but it always fascinates me. 

Penélope Cruz gives a magnificent and intense performance as Gemma. Needless to say is that Emile Hirsch's performance as Diego is wonderful. Adnan Haskovic as Gojco and Saadet Aksoy as Aska are outstanding. 

Having said that, I can't see how it is even possible for this film to have a 17% rating at Rotten Tomatoes, because if those people have actually seen this film, there is no way they could have give all those negative reviews.

Just a little note for whoever translated the title in English: why 'Twice Born'? It doesn't really make sense, it should have been 'Came to the world' or something like that.

Quotes

Diego: The weirdest love stories are always the best.

Gojco: Love only comes once. It moves like the sea. But it's always the same.

Pan's Labyrinth (2006)

Original Title

El laberinto del fauno

Genre

Drama | Fantasy | War

Director

Guillermo del Toro

Country

Spain | Mexico

Cast

Ivana Baquero, Sergi López, Maribel Verdú, Doug Jones, Ariadna Gil, Álex Angulo, Manolo Solo, César Vea, Roger Casamajor, Federico Luppi, Pablo Adán

Plot

In the falangist Spain of 1944, armed with only her imagination, young Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) discovers a mysterious labyrinth and meets a faun who sets her on a path to saving herself and her ailing mother.

Opinion

Pan's Labyrinth is an undefined film, a dark fairy tale for grown ups, halfway between the fantasy and the real world, which, in this case, is war. By looking around, I figured this is the main reason why many did not like the film. Having said this, I really liked it.

Guillermo del Toro, which deals with brutality and innocence, has created something different, something special. The continuous alternation between reality and fantasy, lived through a little girl's eyes, has an addictive rhythm.

Sergi López is excellent as the brutal and sadistic falangist Captain Vidal. Ivana Baquero, 11-year-old at that time, delivers a great performance.

Buy on Amazon.com | Buy/Rent on Amazon Instant Video

Quotes

Ofelia: Many, many years ago in a sad, faraway land, there was an enormous mountain made of rough, black stone. At sunset, on top of that mountain, a magic rose blossomed every night that made whoever plucked it immortal. But no one dared go near it because its thorns were full of poison. Men talked amongst themselves about their fear of death, and pain, but never about the promise of eternal life. And every day, the rose wilted, unable to bequeath its gift to anyone... forgotten and lost at the top of that cold, dark mountain, forever alone, until the end of time.

Rating

8.5/10

Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014)

Genre

Action | Adventure | Drama

Director

Ridley Scott

Country

Spain | United Kingdom | United States

Cast

Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton, John Turturro, Aaron Paul, Ben Mendelsohn, Ben Kingsley, Sigourney Weaver, María Valverde, Indira Varma, Hiam Abbass, Kevork Malikyan, Anton Alexander, Golshifteh Farahani, Tara Fitzgerald, Dar Salim, Andrew Tarbet, Isaac Andrews

Plot

In the ancient tale of the Hebrews, Moses (Christian Bale) gathers the faith to free his 400,000 enslaved people from the Egyptian Rule. King Ramses (Joel Edgerton), who he grew up with, must face his once best friend in a battle that exceeds the mere mortals and endures the act of God.

Opinion

Exodus: Gods and Kings is a huge disappointment. This story, which has been told and retold for thousands of years, deserved something better than this. And it really means a lot coming from an atheist. Ridley Scott brought to the screen his own interpretation of the Bible, and is it good? No, it isn't. $140 Million probably spent for special effects, costumes and a cast full of stars, but surely not on the script. I was expecting a spectacular Red Sea parting, but there is no trace of it. It is a mystery how Scott did such a poor movie.

Christian Bale is mediocre, delivering an emotionless performance - I wasn't expecting this from him at all. Joel Edgerton is surprisingly good.

Buy on Amazon.com | Buy on Amazon Instant Video

Quotes

Ramses: You sleep well because you know that you're loved. I've never sleep that well.

Moses: Follow me and you will be free. Stay and you will perish.

Rating

5.0/10

The Sea Inside (2004)

Original Title

Mar Adentro

Genre

Biography | Drama

Director

Alejandro Amenábar

Country

Spain

Cast

Javier Bardem, Belén Rueda, Mabel Riveira, Lola Dueñas, Celso Bugallo, Clara Segura, Joan Dalmau, Alberto Jiménez, Tamar Novas, Francesc Garrido, José María Pou, Alberto Amarilla, Andrea Occhipinti

Plot

Based on a true story, the film tells the story of Ramón Sampedro (Javier Bardem), a man bedridden due to an accident: a dive from a cliff that went wrong, that left him a quadriplegic. He spends his time looking out of the window and writing poetry. After 25 years of living in this way, he tries a legal battle against the Spanish government for the right of euthanasia: his only desire is to die.

Opinion

The Sea Inside is a masterpiece. Usually films about euthanasia tend to be influenced by a part of humanity (in favor or not of euthanasia), but this is not the case. This film is able to enhance and deliver the feelings of the characters involved and doesn't take sides. Loved Ramón's permanent smile and his sense of humor.
The scene that impressed me the most is a pure fantasy one: Ramón flies through the window up to the beach, on the tune of Puccini's Nessun Dorma. 

Quotes

Ramón: When you can't escape, and you constantly rely on everyone else, you learn to cry by smiling, you know?

Padre Francisco: Freedom without a life is not freedom.
Ramón: A life without freedom is not a life.

7 Días en La Habana (7 Days in Havana)

Seven shorts compilation about Havana that could have been more like a tourist bureau advert for Cuba if it was not for some shorts fabulous directors with great storytelling style. But to be fair, each of the seven shorts show different aspects of what life in Cuba could be or is right now.

I did not enjoyed all shorts but wasn't expecting to do so as the eclectic group of directors had one I'm not familiar with, one I dislike and the rest are extraordinary directors, storytellers and filmmakers in my book. So let's be brief and start with the ones I like.

Thursday - Dairy of a Beginner by Elia Suleiman

Absolutely fabulous but I am a huge Elia Suleiman fan that always goes crazy for his deadpan performances as Suleiman not only directs but also performs. Believe that in the surface story is about a foreigner that comes to Havana to interview a prominent Cuban figure and to kill time wanders around town; but to me short is a very spiced critique that imagine Cuban sensors did not get as film is included in collection.

Tuesday - Jam Session by Pablo Trapero

Again I'm truly surprised that Cuban sensors allowed this short to be in the compilation as while on the surface tells a very simple story about a well-known director travelling to Cuba to receive an award in a film festival, short message depth goes from awards disdain to show a bitter glimpse in the life of a musician. Then in always peculiar Trapero style short is great and realistic plus the well-known director role is played by none other than Emir Kusturica. In all shorts music plays a great role, but none like the one it plays here.

Sunday - La Fuente by Laurent Cantet

A very elegant tale considering the short theme as is about Santeria with an old woman dreaming Oshun asking for a celebration the same evening and the whole neighborhood helping to make it happen. Story is the excuse to show people ingenious ways to survive, which yes is also a surprise short is in compilation. Very interesting work that in my opinion shows Cantent's different filmmaking style while the storytelling style is absolutely his.

Friday - Ritual by Gaspar Noé

A more normal tale about Santeria darkish side portraying a "limpia" (cleaning) in a lesbian young girl as parents want to get the "devilish" lesbian tendencies away from her. Very dark cinematography that perfectly shows Gaspar Noé very peculiar great style.

Wednesday - La tentación de Cecilia by Julio Medem

In the most melodramatic Medem's style a tale about decisions to leave or leave not the island. Short has what I find not so great performance by Daniel Brühl (usually like his performances) probably due to him speaking Spanish. Not surprisingly this is the hotter short in the compilation. Short is entertaining but nothing more.

Saturday - Dulce Amargo by Juan Carlos Tabío

Not familiar with director but very familiar with Jorge Perugorría that always gives great performances and in here is not the exception. To me short has a style similar to Latin American soap operas, which I do not like but it is watchable as tells about life of what elsewhere could be called upper-middle class family while in Cuba is regular working class. Indirectly related to Santeria but you only know until you see the finished cake. With this short you notice that all short stories have a relationship.

Monday - El Yuma by Benicio del Toro

Don't enjoy Benicio del Toro acting or directing and this short is no exception as not only has the silliest story about how dumb Americans are in foreign lands but short style is truly awful. Ted Atkins performance is not that bad but definitively this story in the hands of a more accomplished director would have look and feel a lot better. Still, I know this is about the ONLY short that surely will be more understandable and enjoyable to general audiences.

As mentioned music is an important element in the shorts and worth mentioning that also cinematography is remarkable in some of the shorts. In general production values are good in all shorts.

Now I am thinking that maybe Cuban sensors have become more relaxed and are allowing out stories that show how life in Cuba, even if could seem hard for foreigners, is very normal/enjoyable for the island citizens. Yes, that's it... probably.

Nevertheless if you enjoy the work of many of the great directors included in this compilation I suggest you don't skip their shorts, but highly recommend you watch them in the compilation as there is a thin relationship between the shorts stories and the order each short is shown -which is not how I listed them here- has an intention. Film was screened in competition at Un Certain Regard section of 2012 Cannes Official Selection.

Enjoy!!

Watch trailer @MOC

Les adieux à la reine (Farewell, My Queen)

An interesting glimpse into history in a movie that actually was filmed in Versailles and surprisingly for me shows not only the sumptuous lifestyle inside the palace but also the grim world of servant quarters. But I was not captivated by story as while watching I was thinking more about the different worlds that inhabit the palace and the historic events that happened at that time which amazingly resemble so much to what is happening today in current world time.

Based on a book with the same name by Chantal Thomas, this Benoît Jacquot film tells the story of four days at the eve of the French Revolution seen by a fictional character, Sidonie Laborde (Léa Seydoux) who is a reader to Marie Antoinette (Diane Kruger). It is tale that that perfectly fits the label of a "women's point-of-view" as in story we have mainly female characters telling us about monarchy reactions to the storming of La Bastille, that with its fall is the flashpoint to the French Revolution and the beginning of modern France.

Let's be clear, this is not a history class. In the surface is a tale of a woman that will do anything and everything for the queen and indeed she does; but at least for me, was impossible not to relate what I was seeing to historical events and in my opinion, here is where this movie excels as have seen other same-period movies and none made me think about historic events. If you know your world history then maybe the same could happen to you and if it does, believe me, is a very interesting ride.

Movie absurd marketing told us that film had lesbian interest, specifically Marie Antoinette relationship with Gabrielle de Polignac (Virginie Ledoyen). As a matter of fact film was competing for the Teddy Award in the 2012 Berlinale, where was also in the main competition for the Golden Bear. Now I can tell you that film had no opportunity to win the Teddy as there is not much lesbian interest in this movie, just a few short scenes that suggest something that now, after reading historic facts, learned that has never been factual as seems was used for political reasons. I'm talking about de Polignac being Marie Antoinette lesbian lover published in the newspapers of that time. So if you watch movie expecting what marketing promised, maybe you will be disappointed.

Besides what I call my "history provocation" this movie has something else that definitively allowed me to think so much and follow closely what I was seeing in the screen, outstanding Léa Seydoux performance and quite good Diane Kruger interpretation of Marie Antoniette that included an Austrian accent while speaking French, which magnificently resembles possible reality. Brief Virginie Ledoyen performance was too short for me as I really like her performances and most of all, her fabulous voice tone. Last, but not least, film is a feast for the eyes if you enjoy watching glorious period costumes.

Have no idea if director storytelling style had the purpose to provoke history relationships, but know that his intention was to portrait intense emotions in a close environment far away from where history was developing. Actually he shows a tight close environment as camera never leaves Versailles in film and what we see in screen is characters having all sort of emotions; but for me, as a viewer, didn't felt any emotions, I was only an spectator, like a fly in the wall that can see everything but can't feel anything.

It's unusual for me to wait a long time before writing a review, but this time I wanted to digest what I saw and my reactions before deciding what to write, maybe that is why this review is kind of "brainy" but after all my first and foremost experience with this film was very brainy. I can't assure you will have the same experience but what I can suggest is not to skip this film that surely has something that you could enjoy.

Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @MOC

Midnight in Paris

The 2011 Cannes opening movie is a pleasant surprise as looks and feels like the great movies by Woody Allen especially because Allen is in the film. Well, actually he is not in the screen at all! Let me explain. I don’t particularly care about Owen Wilson and I do dislike most of his performances but I believe that his best role up-to-date is in this movie and he’s playing Woody Allen! Oh yes, I could see (a younger) Woody all over Owen’s performance and maybe now I finally gasped what I miss in Allen’s movies, I miss him, the (younger) actor.

A beautiful love-letter to Paris with breath-taking day/night/rainy views of the gorgeous city (yes, I do LOVE Paris) film tells the impossible dream of many “intellectuals” that wish to alternate, converse and rub elbows with la crème de la crème of the many artists that lived in 20’s Paris, but Gil (Owens) is a “normal” American tourist struggling with writing a novel after being a very successful Hollywood screenplay writer and indeed he could be the opposite to a intellectual prototype. There is a lot of irony in story and dialogues, which absolutely makes it very appealing to me and yes is an enjoyable glimpse into the Parisian lives of the likes of Hemingway, Buñuel, Picasso, Matisse, Dalí, Gertrude Stein, Cole Porter, Fitzgerald, and many others. The only predictable moment for me was going to Maxim where I knew Toulouse-Lautrec was going to appear, but I forgive you Mr. Allen, as most of it was really unexpected.

Best performance in movie belongs to Marion Cotillard that truly steals all scenes she’s in; but I also enjoyed the brief appearance by Léa Seydoux and to be honest, did not recognized Carla Bruni (lol!) and wonder –like someone else also wonders- if her sister Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi played the character instead of her surely character would have been more noticeable and interesting.

It’s a fun to watch film, well, a Woody Allen type of fun to watch film and definitively enjoyed my entertaining moment and I do recommend film to those that like Allen’s oldies and somehow wish to see (the younger version of) him in the screen.

Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @MOC

Celda 211

Impressive movie by director Daniel Monzón, this Spanish/French co-production has won several awards including several Goya awards, and I can promise it will keep you interested from beginning to end. 

What does it take to turn you from a law-abiding citizen into a murderer?

How far would you go to protect yourself and those you love?

How do you react when your life is in danger and you lose all that is precious to you?

Juan Oliver has a new job as a prison officer and reports to work a day early determined to cause a good impression. He is filled with hope and happiness as he kisses his pregnant wife, Elena, goodbye. During his tour of the prison an accident occurs and he ends up in cell 211 during a riot; trying to survive, he decides to convince the others that he is also a prisoner. He ends up by establishing a deep connection with the prison leader, Malamadre.

The movie is served by an excellent cast, with special relevance to the amazing Luis Tosar and and also Alberto Ammann.

The story unfolds offering you a deep analysis of human psyche without been boring or pretentious. If you think you have seen enough movies about inmates and prisons, you are wrong.

As so many times happens, soon we realize that a criminal is not necessarily striped of a heart or feelings, and that the “good guys” (the guards) are not always nice people.

I warn right now it does not offer a happy ending, nor it should. It is as real life is, harsh and tender, unpredictable and multi-layered.

One of the best movies I’ve seen this year.

Green light!

Watch trailer @MOC

Yo, También (Me Too)

Another film that I was delaying watching as is about a man with Down’s Syndrome and imagined that film was going to be depressing. You have no idea HOW wrong I was as film is truly fantastic with great actor’s performances and a story that will melt your heart, make you understand more people with the syndrome and after watching you will feel very uplifted.

This multiple honored film tells the simple story of an university educated man that falls in love and everything (plus everyone) is against him being corresponded. Thirty-four-years-old Daniel (Pablo Pineda) recently obtained his university degree and finds his first work at the Disability Services in Seville where he notices troubled Laura (Lola Dueñas) and starts to flirt with her. But Daniel has Down’s Syndrome and people, including Laura, treat him as if he was a kid (to put it mildly soft). Slowly Laura and Daniel become friends, but Daniel wants more than friendship and everyone, including his parents, tells him not to fall for a ‘normal’ woman, to fall for a woman that also has the syndrome. But Daniel doesn’t give up and you have to watch the rest of the great (so human) story to learn what happens.

Evidently film is an exploration about being human and how a syndrome that creates particular and very visible/recognizable face and body characteristics in people, has many misconceptions as they're humans with intelligence (when developed) and needs like companionship, love, being happy, etc. But also is about “normal” people reactions toward a person with the syndrome and believe me that film is not a critique but a recount of how people react and most of all, is a very good exploration about what “normal” and normalcy are.

Most impressive is Pablo Pineda’s performance as Daniel, who actually is playing a fictionalized version of himself as he is the first student with Down syndrome in Europe to obtain a university degree in real life. But he needed an actress that was as outstanding as him and Lola Dueñas gives a very impressive performance as the troubled woman with a dark past that makes her today behave as if nothing in this world is important to her. Truly amazing performances by these two actors.

Film as film is acceptable but have to recognize the great work that directors and co screenwriters, Antonio Naharro and Álvaro Pastor, did to extract such great performance from their two main actors and to create a very good screenplay with a not easy to tell story.

I highly recommend this film to audiences that enjoy strong performances with great, yet difficult, stories told in the most “normal” and refreshing way. As we know both lead actors got top acting awards at 2009 San Sebastian fest, Lola Dueñas got a Goya Award for Best Actress, film was in competition at 2010 Sundance, collected other honors in fests like Rotterdam as well as in other Spaniard fests and awards.

Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @MOC

Camino

There are movies that you learn about them and then forget because you don’t want to watch story. This happened to me with this multiple honored film (won many Goya awards including Best Film) as story is about the Opus Dei, a not old, secret, and obscure cult-like branch in the Catholic religion. Once my mother wanted me to belong to this sect, but after a visit I gave a rotund NO and fortunately my mother respected my NO. But to my surprise film story is interesting and not so subtle, critiques the sect.

Film is based on real-events but it’s a fictional account about real Alexia Gonzalez Barros that is in process of being canonized, i.e. becoming a saint. In film Alexia becomes Camino (means Path in Enlgish) a vivacious teenager girl that gets sick with spinal cancer. Film tells how illness is consuming her until her death. After watching I started to recall how controversial this film was not only because it dared critique the Opus Dei but also because the real family didn’t wanted this film to use the girl real name or get to the screens; the main reason is that director/screenwriter Javier Fesser made the girl strong desire-to-live tied to her love for Jesus, but in film Jesus was a handsome little boy she met once at theater class. Is thanks to this change in story that film really becomes interesting and where really critiques Opus Dei, as when story shows rites of passage and bizarre behaviors everything is told in a factual not passionate way.

There was a creepy scene with Camino going to cooking lessons while teacher was preaching; creepy because that was exactly my experience during my one day visit to the infamous sect where I got “cooking” lessons. Anyway story may sound sad, but director chose to tell it in a way that is not really sad even when is about a little child dying process, so film is not a tear jerker at all.

As a film I found it average with below average actor’s performances, but the real impact of this film is the story told, especially for audiences where the Opus Dei operates which is almost all countries in the world, including the United States of America.

I recommend this film to all interested in learning something about the Opus Dei but please don’t expect much more than an interesting story.

Enjoy.

Watch trailer @MOC

Cosas Insignificantes (Insignificant Things)

Sometimes films that you forgot about it surprise you not only because after a long time you’re able to watch it but also because the film is good. Andrea Martínez debut is a good film for the story, the performances and most of all for the excellent production values that complement a story that would have been very common and make it quite different thanks to very interesting editing that plays crisscrossing with characters stories.

Not everyone will like the editing as probably will surprise –and eventually annoy- many when what you have already seen appears again when following a different character story; but think that if director have not chosen this storytelling technique, story and film would have been common, will look and feel ‘soapy’ and will not be interesting at all. Still what really blew my mind are the occasional extraordinary takes of a Mexico City that never have seen portrayed so beautiful and yet so dramatic. Just to watch the amazing sights of the volcanoes this film is absolutely must be seen.

But film has also very good performances by an ensemble cast of Mexican and Spanish well-known actors with special mention to Barbara Mori that also produced film and maybe because being a producer –plus a good director- gave a performance that shows that she can really act. But is Paulina Gaitan (from extraordinary Sin Nombre; outstanding Capadocia and excellent Las Aparicio)who steals the movie with her character Esmeralda and her story being the central plot where all other stories converge. Acting in this film is more about body language and facial expressions that tell a lot more than what words could ever do.

The movie is a feel-good movie as has a non-conventional positive ending but story deals with sadness, unhappiness, illness, rage, no-future, loneliness, despair, unfaithfulness, etc. and how an unconventional incident (a beautiful snow alike ash rain) detonates characters change of heart for the better. Title comes from Esmeralda’s collection of little and insignificant common things stored in a small box.

I liked the movie more than I could ever imagined but believe that definitively is not a movie for general audiences as storytelling style is not ‘normal’ and there is no ‘explosive’ drama that will move viewers. This is a film that can move viewers because the little insignificant-and-significant things that happen in narrative and visually. Definitively must be seen for those that like arty cinema with a Latin American flavor.

Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @MOC

Hierro

After watching the visually outstanding trailer decided that I had to watch the movie with none other than Elena Anaya in the lead. Yes the movie is visually outstanding with many very interesting compositions plus magnificent sights of El Hierro island, but have to admit that most of the extraordinary scenes were in the trailer which makes the trailer editing a lot more interesting than the movie itself.

Movie tells a tragedy told many times before and unfortunately does not succeed to tell it in a different way. As a matter of fact tells it so boringly that you don't even try to guess what will happen. Tells the story of a young mother whose little son disappears while riding the ferry to El Hierro and her quest to find him.

I liked Anaya's performance -and looks as not often you can see her with long-hair- but unfortunately her good performance plus the sporadic outstanding cinematography doesn't truly save the film labeled as mystery/thriller that in my opinion does not have much mystery and definitively no thrills. My belief is that director Gabe Ibáñez storytelling skills need to improve but he has time as this is his feature-film debut.

For this role Anaya won the Best Actress award at the 2010 Sitges-Catalonian International Film Festival as well as in the 2010 Fatasporto fest in the 20th Directors Week. The film had its world premiere at 2009 Cannes sidebar Semaine de la Critique.

I only recommend this film if you enjoy Anaya's performances or if you never heard about this actress and you're 'dying' to watch Medem's Room In Rome it's a good film to watch her performing quite well.

Enjoy.

Watch trailer @Movie On Companion