What I've Been Watching #3

Gravity » Being adrift in space must be a terrible experience. This movie is thrilling, and also a nice pick for anyone who's interested in Astronomy. The visuals are pretty impressive and Sandra Bullock does a great job (can you believe she's nearly 50?!). Plot wise... It's no big deal, obviously. I'm usually not into special effects and Hollywood blockbusters in general but Gravity is not so bad. It won a bunch of Oscars for some reason. I should've watched it on a big screen though.

Her » Some of my friends looooved this film but for me it was just... good and nothing beyond that. However, I found the concept of a cyber romance very interesting and relatable to reality nowadays and in the future. Plus, Joaquin Phoenix is one of my favourite actors. There's "forever alone" written all over this film; it's an insightful modern tale of love, technology, loneliness and isolation. Still, too long and a bit boring for my taste.

Philomena » This film is based on the true story of Philomena Lee, an Irish woman who had her son taken away when she was a teenage inmate of a Catholic convent. Martin Sixsmith is the former journalist who aided her pursuing the truth. Once again, Judi Dench is an absolute marvel with her acting and Steve Coogan is not bad either. This film made me smile and also made me cry. It's a simple yet heartbreaking story of loss and forgiveness. As an atheist myself, I loathe the Catholic church... and this film was just one more reason for me to keep on being a proud atheist. If you liked Philomena, you must watch The Magdalene Sisters, which was even better. 

Nebraska » I ended up liking this film more than I expected! Bruce Dern and June Squibb are such great actors! This film has a peculiar sense of humour and is visually beautiful, not to mention the father and son relationship. Everything about Nebraska is low key and slow but very poignant, offering the viewers a bleak view of ignorance, greed, stupidity, desolation, meaningless endeavour, remoteness and decrepitude. There is something so incredibly REAL about every single character, with many quietly, lingering and funny moments in brilliant scenes. This is not a film for everyone but if you love cinema, watch it.

Captain Phillips » I knew this movie wouldn't be exactly my cup of tea but I still wanted to watch it, so I could have an opinion about it. The true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the US-flagged MV Maersk Alabama is fueled with action, drama, tension and despair. Barkhad Abdi steals the show and Tom Hanks gives a great performance as usual - their scenes together are very interesting and engaging. I didn't love it but it was worth watching.

The Counselor » I don't get why so many people disliked this film. It's not Ridley Scott's best film obviously but it's still very good. You will either love it or hate it, that's it. Bardem co-acting with Fassbender is just brilliant, I love their dialogues and there are many memorable scenes, like the one involving Cameron Diaz and a Ferrari...! The cinematography is beautiful, with exotic aesthetics and well thought angles. Besides, some of the death scenes are quite creative. In a nutshell, a tragic fable of greed and its most terrifying consequences.

Before Midnight » Jesse and Celine have changed a lot since their first meeting in Vienna almost 20 years ago. For those who believe in fairy tales and happy endings... Well, watch this film. Marriage is as flawed as it gets and not even this couple is an exception. The performances are effortlessly amazing, specially Julie Delpy's. The film takes place in Greece, at the end of their vacation. These two always looked like a real couple, accurately capturing the highs and lows of being married and the emotional struggle of keeping their love alive and make it work even after the romance is gone. If you've seen the first two films, do not miss this one.

August: Osage County » The Weston family couldn't get more dysfunctional. This is such a powerful film! The viewers are allowed to witness the lives and paths of the Westons, who gather in Oklahoma, where toxic interaction, confrontation and dark humour await. All the characters are unhappy and once altogether in the Midwest, their worst comes to the surface. The acting is terrific, Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts are electrifying. I didn't expect Benedict Cumberbatch to be in it, it was a pleasant surprise! August: Osage County is definitely a must-see.

Inside Llewyn Davis » I've watched this one last night. Folk music is not something I am passionate about but the whole film, with or without music, is so wonderfully atmospheric! Seriously, the cinematography couldn't get any better! It's Greenwich Village in 1961 and the folk scene is flourishing. Garrett Hedlund looks ultra-cool and fucking hot, Justin Timberlake sings and Carey Mulligan plays one of the best roles of her career (and it's nice to see her dark-haired for a change). I didn't empathize with Llewyn the slightest but I felt sorry for him every now and then. I got bored several times as the film is very quiet but anyway, it's still a good cinematic experience.

What I've Been Watching #2

Stephen Fry: The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive (2006) » This is a documentary film about Stephen Fry's bipolar disorder. I think it was incredibly brave that he talked openly about his condition, mentioning his suicide attempts and making the whole thing public. He was diagnosed at 37 as being a manic depressive and started to investigate and reasearch everything about it, meeting others who suffer from the same mental illness. Hopefully, this documentary will contribute to raise public awereness of bipolar affective disorder and erase the stigma associated with it.

The Air I Breathe (2007) » This drama is based on a Chinese proverb which states that life consists of four emotions: happiness, pleasure, sorrow and love. The cast ranges from Brendan Fraser and Sarah Michelle Gellar to Forest Withaker and Kevin Bacon (I love him!). For some reason, I really think this film could have been much better executed. The plot line is a bit cheap and cliché, even though the concept is interesting, and so is the interaction between all the characters.

Lizzy Borden Took an Ax (2014) » Here's a TV Movie I couldn't possibly miss! If Christina Ricci is in it, I shall watch it! I don't even care if it wasn't accurate enough. Lizzie Borden was a young woman from Massachusetts tried in the 1892 murders of her father and stepmother. Yup, true story. Among all the multiple suspects in town, evidence kept pointing back to the Borden's youngest daughter, a Sunday school teacher. The period costumes are perfect and Christina Ricci is flawless in her acting, playing the role of a psychopathic girl with some weird issues. The soundtrack was awesome - mainly blues and rock n' roll - but many viewers hated the paradox of modern music featured in a 19th century setting.

American Hustle (2013) » This film was pretty good and nothing more. Definitely NOT the best film of the year, by far. Or maybe my expectations were too high. There is something Scorsese-esque about American Hustle, with all that American 70s sleaze and the groovy soundtrack that sort of saves the film. Bradley Cooper and Christian Bale do a solid, remarkable job and the gorgeously talented Jennifer Lawrence steals the show! Amy Adams, well... I still don't think she's award worthy. She's a bit dull.

Killing Kennedy (2013) » This is just another take on the assassination of President Kennedy, based on this book, which I haven't read. The film is no big deal but it helped me having an idea of Lee Harvey Oswald's sociopathic delusions of grandeur and communist obsessive ideologies. Apparently, he used to be a marine who got disappointed at America. And yeah, that's it. We all know what happens next.

Dallas Buyers Club (2013) » What I love the most about this film was the acting. Both Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto delight the audience with brilliantly raw performances! Their acting skills are outstanding and the best of their career in this drama, which tells the story about Ron Woodruff, a HIV diagnosed hick from Dallas, struggling to survive at a time when the AIDS epidemic (and stigma) was at its worst. The homophobic redneck whose source of fun is cocaine and sex, soon bonds with Rayon, another patient who is also a junkie tranny with a heart of gold. The two start their own club where Ray treats people with AIDS, selling unapproved meds to other citizens with the virus. In a nutshell: a must-watch.

Jin líng shí san chai (2011) » Such a beautifully, emotionally powerful masterpiece! I applaud this film passionately. Zhang Yimou has created a wonderfully shot wartime true story set in 1937 China, during the barbaric Nanking Massacre. Witnessing the cruel horrors of war is harsh but the violence is not gratuitous, it's just realistic, and the brutality is beyond belief. An American mortician seeks refuge in a catholic church and ends up playing priest, finding himself among the convent girl students and some prostitutes of the red light district. Oh and trust me in this one: you will all be smitten with Yu Mo, played by Ni Ni (google her, she's exquisitely beautiful!). This touching film, based on real events, will stay in my head for a while... and it also broke my heart. It truly is a great movie about sacrifice, honour, hope and survival. Ravishing!

Filth (2013) » There is a twisted brilliance in this film, making him one of the best of 2013. In this adaptation of novelist Irvine Welsh's Filth (I haven't read the book and shame on me, as Welsh is one of my favourite authors!), we enter Detective Sargent Bruce Robertson's world, a playground of sex, violence, revenge, evil, family issues, debauchery, corruption, immorality, cocaine, booze, manipulation, ego, self-obsession, delirium, scottish accent and insanity. The protagonist is also obsessing over his possible promotion and not taking his meds. James McAvoy is a revelation as anti-hero Bruce Robertson, I was blown away by his accomplished performance. What's not to love about a bad cop with a bitter past engaging in fucked up activities? I really enjoyed this film, it's one of the most screwed up stories I've came across in years and now I look forward to read the book. Desperately.

Withnail & I (1987) » I know it's a shame I've only watched this cult film recently. My friend Danielle watched it 46 times and I have just watched it for the very first time. Whitnail and I is a delirious ride back to the late 60s, set in a squalid flat in Camden Town, where two unemployed actors live. Withnail and Marwood, fed up with their own intoxicated lives, leave for a holiday in the countryside... which turns out to be a drunken disaster fueled by English humour and depravity. There are so many surrealistic scenes in this comedy/drama, all of them embellished by the fantastic soundtrack. This film is one of the best ever made about friendship and vice, and I salute that.

Inspiration: Made in Dagenham (2010)

The British drama Made in Dagenham tells the true story of female workers who went on strike in 1968. This English dramatization of the women's strike at the Ford Dagenham car plant captures an epic revolution that changed History: the ladies walked out of work, in protest against sexual discrimination, with striker banners demanding equal rights and asking for equal salaries to men and better conditions of work. If this is not the epitome of girl power, I don't know what it is - yes, it is an awesomely entertaining, thought-provoking, feminist film.

The workers' fight for gender equal pay at the Essex factory was a constant struggle against the sexist opinion back in the day. These women earned only a fraction of the pay that their husbands received, can you believe it?! Everyone should know about this and reflect upon the hard struggle women had to face before getting some basic rights... And the fact is that women still fight for those rights nowadays!

Naturally, I got easily distracted by the flawlessly perfect recreation of the 1960s style. Every aspect of the decade's fashion is there: Jaime Winstone's Twiggy wannabe look in her platinum pixie hairstyle, giant lashes and scandalous shorts; Sally Hawkins' plain and simple girl-next-door look; Rosamund Pike's chic and classy Biba outfits. Expect beehives, raincoats, shift frocks, kitten heels and bicycles. Working class girls of the 1960s straight-off-the-pages-of-Vogue sort of thing.

Thank you, BBC Films, for this factually based gem that every woman should watch and be proud of what happened. I strongly recommend this adorably positive and moving film to everyone - I think it's important to witness the laboural crusade of those brave women who contributed for an evolution and change in their own generation. We should all embrace the triumph they achieved at a time when women were expected to be quiet, unopinionated and submissive. After watching Made in Dagenham, the viewer will certainly harbour that "YES WE CAN!" feeling inside, I assure you!

What I've Been Watching

Splendor in the Grass (1961) » This movie made me sob and that is a good sign. In the end, I felt miserably heartbroken. Elia Kazan was a despicable snitch but well, he was a brilliant director, we all have to admit! Kansas, late 1920s: and Bud and Deanie are in love, torn between sexual desire and conscience, morality and parental pressure - such things destroy even the greatest love. Fragile Deanie, blossoming into womanhood and sexual awakening, can't deal with Bud's breakup and her unrequited and forbidden, passionate love for the boy from the town's most influent family drives her into a nervous breakdown. The portrait of a Prohibition era America as the joy of the roaring twenties turns into the despair of Depression is a quaint metaphor. Barbara Loden also gives a fierce performance as Bud's unconventional flapper sister. Natalie Wood delights us with one of the greatest (and more underrated) female performances of the 1960s! Her acting is really like diving head first into madness. The ending is one of the most realistically, powerfully depressing in the history of cinema. It's such a heartbreaking story... You've been warned: this masterpiece is a downer.

Få meg på, for faen (2011) » Awarded Best Screenplay at the Tribeca Film Festival 2011, this is a nice, tasteful watch! 15-year-old Alma is a Norwegian small town girl, consumed by her horny hormones and romantic fantasies. I would describe this film as an independent coming-of-age comedy with a realistic sense of humour and a frank yet funny approach to teen sexuality. The mild sexual content blends in with the sense of awkwardness we often find in girlhood issues. The teenage years are complex and embarrassing, and many girls would probably relate to Alma. Her lonely and frustrating, quiet, dull life explains a lot the libido factor and why it's always getting her on trouble.

Jeune & Jolie (2013) » Here's one of the most fascinating french flicks of 2013 - no wonder it was nominated for the Palme D'Or. I loved everything about it: the poetic angles of the erotic (François Ozon knows a thing or two about the poetry present in sexuality), beautiful Marine Vacth, the filming locations (from the holiday house in the seaside to the streets of Paris... not to mention the sophistication of the hotel rooms) and of course, the brilliant soundtrack, which is beyond engaging, featuring Françoise Hardy, M83, Crystal Castles, Vitalic, Poni Hoax and more. From virginity to part-time prostitution, this subversive coming-of-age film explores and captures the intimate side of Isabelle's adolescent life and her sexual awakening with convincing realism.

Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013) » For a sequel, it's not that bad as expected. Chapter 2 explains a lot of what might have been happening in the first film. The scary moments are fewer, in my opinion, this one is less entertaining but more... enlightening!  Patrick Wilson's character gets more interesting in this second chapter, which is good. I've never found this movie as terrifying as claimed. It just follows the forever haunted Lambert family, this time uncovering a mysterious childhood secret that will answer all your questions, like, why the hell are they so dangerously connected with and haunted by the spirit world.

The Wolfman (2010) » I will be honest about this one: I only downloaded such thing because it featured Benicio del Toro! I am not easily convinced by werewolf stories but it was nice to see Anthony Hopkins, Hugo Weaving and Emily Blunt co-acting. This movie is nothing but a tacky remake of the 1941 classic, ressurected by Universal Studios, adding all sorts of special effects and visceral attacks. The only thing I liked about The Wolfman was the Victorian atmosphere, the costumes and of course, the slightly gothic feel.

The Truth About Emanuel (2013) » Jessica Biel and Kaya Scoledario look so beautiful in this film and their acting is outstanding. Alfred Molina is always a pleasure to watch, of course. However, I was not too impressed by the plot. Emanuel (Kaya Scoledario) is a troubled girl and so is her new neighbour (Biel - who knew she could actually act?), who asks her to babysit her newborn. That's when we enter a fragile world of obsession, loss and grief coping. Basically, we witness two mentally unstable women bonding... and we can foreshadow some tragic consequences ahead.

Le feu follet (1963) » Louie Malle's Le Feu Follet is exquisitely directed, to say the least. This film is an intellectual and existentialist study of the last day in the life of an alcoholic, combined with masterfully sophisticated photography, with a very simple beauty in every angle. Erik Satie's dramatic melodies add even more substance to this black and white french classic. It's a mesmerising journey through a man's insight and Maurice Ronet honours his role... to the point of us, viewers, start questioning our own lives. I certainly understood and related with the main character while watching the film.

Oslo, 31. august (2011) » I've been into Norwegian cinema recently, so it seems. This film is about Anders, a recovering drug addict, who takes a break from his rehab center, so he can attend a job interview and see his old friends and acquaintances back in Oslo. I really liked it - it was clearly inspired by Le Feu Follet (1963), which I also watched this month. It's such a sad story, it's a display of melancholy, loneliness and second chances in life. The cinematography is subtle yet hauntingly real.

The Maiden Heist (2009) » The Maiden Heist could have been so much better! Peter Hewitt casts amazing actors like Morgan Freeman, Christopher Walken, Marcia Gay Harden and William H. Macy... wasting their skills on a light criminal comedy that you would only watch on a Sunday hangover afternoon. I won't say I didn't like it but all those predictable plot twists and clichés were not exactly enjoyable. If only the director was more creative...! How could a film with so many good actors in turn out that bad?...

Inspiration: Thelma & Louise (1991)

This is one of the greatest road movies of all time, if not the most iconic. Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon are Thelma and Louise (a passive housewife and a waitress from Arkansas), the two BFF who, tired of their dull lives, embark on a crime spree road trip across America, leaving behind their monotonous and mundane routine. These two finally decided to take control of their own lives and not be ruled by any man, boss or husband. As they take off in a '66 convertible Thunderbird to Mexico, anything can happen. 

Blue jeans, liquor stores, shirtless Brad Pitt (!!!), criminal adventure, cowboy boots, dusty diners, denim, armed and dangerous ladies... All of that embellished with Hans Zimmer's cinematic melodies. 130 minutes of dust, gasoline and wanderlust, masterfully crafted with a glorious cinematography, will be stuck in your head for days, weeks... years! 

I've watched this film when I was a kid and it struck me violently. I loved it. I couldn't help imagining myself experiencing the same freedom and emancipation. Oh, to escape from my daily life! Reality and routine, crushed by my own hands! But as I don't drive and never managed to convince a girl friend to join me in such journey... It never happened.
Ridley Scott's Thelma & Louise explores and emphasizes the meaning of friendship and freedom of women in a male dominated world - a world which both Thelma and Louise want to run away from - portraying the struggle of women who yearn to change their lives but not always are able to do so. This film brings out the best out of the good old girl power. It really is the ride of a lifetime.

Inspiration: True Romance (1993)

There is a reason why True Romance has achieved a cult status, even though it initially flopped at the box office. If you are expecting a traditional love story, don't. It's a Tarantino love story: there's violence, action, profanity, bloodshed and crime. If you liked Badlands, Wild at Heart, Bonnie and Clyde or Natural Born Killers, you will love this one too. Directed by Tony Scott and written by Quentin Tarantino, this early 90's outlaws-in-love-and-on-the-run romantic film is filled with black humor, gratuitous violence, campy outfits, memorable and witty dialogue, convincing characters, epic performances and stylish cinematography. Tarantino's script is loaded with iconic references and influential inspirations, naturally.

Blonde bimbo hooker (with a heart of gold) Alabama, adorably played by the lovely Patricia Arquette (love her voice!) meets lonesome, ninja movies savvy Clarence, somewhere in Detroit. She wears ultra-tacky, hyper-kitsch, candy-coloured clothes and even a cow-print skirt(!). He falls in love with her and almost made my heart melt with his pure, genuine sweetness, proving the audience how brilliantly Christian Slater acts. Their chemistry together is just remarkable!

The romance itself is twisted, turbulent and wacky, and makes the best out of an entertaining road movie, along with Hans Zimmer's unforgettable xylophone soundtrack and creating a balance between the fairytale of being in love and dealing with some harsh and ill-fated consequences.

You will also find some of Hollywood's finest at their best: Brad Pitt plays a stoner, Val Kilmer appears as an imaginary Elvis sort of hallucination, Gary Oldman steals every scene as the seedy pimp, Samuel L. Jackson turns up for a cameo as a drug dealer, and Christopher Walken... well, it's Christopher Walken, you know.

This modern love tale is a quintessential 1990's film and I wonder how even more epic and legendary could be if Tarantino himself directed it instead of Scott. Tony was a great filmmaker but only Tarantino can make some things shine and turn into a ravishing masterpiece.