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Barcelona (1994)
A Whit Stillman Masterpiece
I know a lot of people will be bored by this movie even if it is a masterpiece. Why is it a masterpiece? Whit Stillman showed me that movies are not only made to see special effects or to laugh till your belly hurts. Actually this is the first film I have seen written and directed by Mr. Whit. The dialogues keep you intrigued from the beggining until the end. The script is so well written that I had to do a review. The story centers around two cousins (Ted and Fred) in Barcelona not knowing what life expects from them, at the end of the Cold War. Their approach to life is somehow alike to a kid realising that there is more to life than he knew till that moment.
Their different perspectives about love leads them into a lot of adventures full of tension, but funny. Ted holds a lifetime grudge on Fred and always thinks he will not be paid back when his cousin borrows money. Their relationship is typical and that manages to make them feel more realistic, especially if you have a relative that resembles to one of them. Ted is almost like a robot at first, a man that doesn't know how to enjoy life at its fullest. Fred manages to show him what family means, despite always questioning the politics in Barcelona. A clichee, but understandable, is that Ted realises what Fred means to him only after his cousin is shot because he is thought to be a CIA agent. Their background is not so well written and I think it is a minus for this film, but the talk covers it all.
I must say this movie will bore you to death if you are looking for a straight-on romantic-comedy. This movie is about the clash of two different cultures and the differences between their perspective on life, politics, etc. There is no more to be said cuz' I will "bore you to death" with details. Well written, a plot full of clichee covered by the wonderful dialogues that unravels Barcelona in another way than parties and its popular football team.
Copenhagen (2014)
Not a typical review.
William.... a total douchebag.... but getting to learn more about his life changed the way I felt about him. Gethin Anthony plays his character like he is the same person in real life, so obviously a plus for this movie. When your friend proposes his girlfriend, what's the first thing you think of? (Oh, well... good for you mate, I am really happy for you). William directly disapproves his decision, mainly because he doesn't like her, however he doesn't know her really well. The point of William's visit to Copenhagen was finding his only family... his grandfather who turns out to be a douchebag too. Actually, his father was one too. The visit turns upside down because Jeremy thought it would be a good place to propose, then he left his bestfriend all alone in a foreign city. This is where the journey of the douchebag (who turns out to be a really good guy, but without affection from his family) starts. I always wanted to visit a city all alone and I thought William just had the chance to discover if (quote from the movie) "you are the kind of person you can lean on when you are all alone, with no friends, no family to lean" I think the moment he met Effy, he started to realise what kind of person he is. It is funny how a total stranger can change your point of view in just a day. William is not the kind of man to talk about his life or feelings, but then again, a stranger, a 14 year old girl changed him. Maybe not so much, but just to start him on the right track. Also, (Frederikke Dahl Hansen) found herself, or started to see life a lot more beautiful when she met William. She knew that being a teenager could affect their relationship, still she created a bond with him that I think will last for ages even if they don't meet again. A thing I loved about this movie was the way Copenhagen was filmed. The scenery of the beautiful city which was shown in the movie made me instantly want to visit it (you know the feeling of starting to fall in love with places you have never been). Mark Raso and Alan Poon did an impressive job with this film. You actually feel like getting lost in the city (I can assure you that the feeling gets real when you will watch this movie). The relationship between two strangers also helps with the scenery. I had no subtitles when they talked in danish, so for a few minutes I was in William's pants. Especially the part when he talked to his uncle and I can say that it is awful not knowing what they are talking. I liked the ending a lot (maybe just because of my interpretation of it). William went to Skagen to meet his grandfather, where he realised that his relative is exactly like his father. There he went to the beach. The place where the North Sea and the Baltic Sea meet. I think that, metaphorically, that place depicted his days in Copenhagen, where the doucheness met his kindness. The scene was mixed with Effy being at school because she is the one that managed to get his kindness out of him. And the important thing, I think that William knew that. He knew that it was time to grow up, even though falling in love with a girl half your age clearly means it is time to grow up. He knew that a new start is the best for him. Why this is not a typical review? Just because this movie is not typical (you will see why when you will watch the movie).
Lo chiamavano Jeeg Robot (2015)
Italy just got its first superhero movie...
Italy just got its first superhero movie, a crook satisfied with his loneliness and who doesn't care for his health. He is not your typical hero, actually he starts his superhero career with the stealing of an ATM. Clearly, this genre is not common in the Italian cinema, but the director and the writers did a pretty good job. They adapted the concept of a hero in the city of Rome (which I think it's a first), gave him a super-villain to fight and a lunatic girl to take care of, in order to discover his true self and use his powers for the greater good. Unlike Hancock, whose vice is alcohol, Enzo loves yogurt. After he steals money, he fills his fridge with a lot of yogurt. He is also a pervert who constantly watches porn. Despite all his vices, the world he lives in is not better than him. Terrorist attacks, gang related kills and a lot of people who appear to be indifferent with the world they live in. There are some similarities between Kick-Ass and this film, especially the part where Zingaro assaults the Camorra clan on some Italian pop song. Hit-Girl does the same with some thugs, only she does it on punk rock. Of course the movie has some weaknesses. The plot seems a little straightforward, maybe because they aren't looking for a sequel. Could have been a little funnier, but I think the director wanted the hero to remain in a dark side. The scene when he tried to put his toe back made me laugh. (Deadpool would make fun of him). I think the Italians should make more films like this, they are obviously going on the right track. Hollywood should take some notes from foreign films. I recommend this film even if you know from the beginning how it will end, the cast makes sure you will have fun and be thrilled by their good performance.
Martyrs (2008)
A new era of horror...
I must start by saying this is not a movie for the faint-hearted. Also I believe there are a lot of good reviews of this film out there that should be read. Shocking, disturbing, brutal...those are just a few words that can describe this movie. What a human being can do for revenge, or just to find answers is unbelievable. I always ask myself how an actor could play so good in a movie where emotions are taken on a different kind of level. This is a movie that makes you feel disgusted with the world and ashamed of what humans can do to each other. It is a horror film that even for gorehounds the stomach may go nuts. A lot of people are making jokes when watching a horror film, trying to make it easier to watch. The moment Anna gets captured nobody can laugh anymore, it is intense and brutal. A normal person could not even think of making a joke at that moment. This movie depicts what human nature is capable of and makes it sad. The movie starts with a horror story and then walks into another one, over and over again. The actors did an amazing job, made it feel a lot more realistic with genuine emotions. Morjana Alaoui pulls in a heart wrenching performance. This is another reason why this movie is so good. I read that a lot of people were repulsed by the second part of the movie and it is understandable, but then again, it is just a movie (clearly not made for those with a weak heart). I still don't understand the world we live in, but I think these are realistic events converted in a fictional environment. The ending went into a direction I was not expecting. Like all horror films, the main character is either saved, either killed. But in this one the director gave a more profound meaning to the whole film. He left us surrounded by mystery and everyone can have their own interpretation. It is original, unlike a significant number of modern horror movies. Again, foreign films shows us that they are way better than Hollywood films.