Ultimo Tango A Parigi

Opening with Marlon Brando outside on the street, sounds of traffic rushing by, Bernardo Bertolucci's Ultimo Tango A Parigi (Last Tango In Paris) immediately gets hold of your full attention. Then passing him by, sweeping him off his feet, is Maria Schneider as the very charming Jeanne, of whom Brando refuses to know her name. 'No names' he keeps telling her as they head off into this passionate and very sexual affair. Outstanding use of locations and mise-en-scène, the movie presents itself with lots of beautiful orange and brownish colours, like the long coat Brando's character is wearing. Feeling almost as a play, especially in the beginning, Ultimo Tango is a film that centers around two characters who explore themselves and each other. Playfully teasing one another the film becomes somewhat poetic which is intensified by the wonderful cinematography. Also making somewhat fun of the process of filmmaking itself, Jeanne's fiancee follows her with his filmcrew making a movie which is all about her. But no acting he insists, just capturing her life as she imagines it to be, making up fake stories and turning objects and places to be holding certain childhood memories. Brando and Schneider are a great match, lighting up the screen whenever they're together. Schneider's accent is sweet and fits her character well. Brando shows once again why he is already one of Hollywood's legends, giving a great performance that is very subtle and at times small in its showing of emotion, but also big and fueled by passion as he gets in an argument with his mother. The camera loves him giving him this statuesque presence. The tango scene at the end of the film is beautifully shot, showing the room beautifully lit and the feet of the dancers swaying down the floor. Ultimo Tango A Parigi is a very beautiful movie, at times dreamy, but also hitting you hard with some sexual scenes that in today's period of time, however, is no longer all that shocking. Having a slow, steady pace, Ultimo Tango shows a wonderful story between two characters who challenge each other and manages to depict this story gorgeously.

What is it about?

Paul, a recent widow after his wife commited suicide and who's mother runs a hotel in Paris, heads off into this relationship with a young feisty woman, who is noone but a stranger which Paul likes to keep this way. This young woman, Jeanne, keeps coming back to this empty hotel room, even though she is soon to be marrying her boyfriend who has come over to make a film about her. The two of them have this attraction that draws them into each other arms over and over again. Without telling each other their names and with no real expectations, they just spend their time lying naked in each other's arms. When they do seem to go their separate ways, Paul shows up again, ready to go on where they left off. Jeanne, however, isn't so sure what to think about their relationship and how far she's willing to go.

Final Verdict: ****1/2

Ultimo Tango A Parigi is a real classic showing the great actor Brando is and the sweet faced Schneider who's truly charming as Jeanne. The scene with her walking down the tubes of the subway yelling to her boyfriend who's walking on the other side is already famous as is the 'butter scene' of which Schneider knew nothing about. Besides the title and the tango at the end, the title also seems to refer to the way the camera seems to be almost dancing around the two characters using some long takes. There is this wonderful scene in the beginning as well with Brando going to the bathroom and Schneider making a telephone call in a phone booth, seductively raising her leg up and showing some skin. Near the end and with almost every elevator in sight, I couldn't help but be reminded of The Dreamers, one of Bertolucci's most recent works, which has become my true favourite. Watching Brando run up the stairs to catch up with Schneider who's standing in the elevator I immediately had to think about the great long take in the Dreamers, where Matthew follows the brother and sister after having run through the Louvre with them together making him one of them. Overall the film is magnificently staged, which is due of course by the wonderful directing by Bertolucci. He knows how to get the best from his actors, especially Brando, who is able to show a lot of his range. Ultimo Tango A Parigi is one of those films you have to see at laast once in your life. Even if just for the opening sequence and the images of paintings with which the credits start.

My Own Private Idaho

Taking us into the world of male prostitution, Gus Van Sant's My Own Private Idaho tells the story of a teenage boy searching for his mother driven by daydreams and memories of the woman who has left him behind. Clouds drifting by fast in a bright blue sky, an open road that looks like the face of an ugly man, a house falling down from the sky and into pieces, all the usual dreamy aspects which make up a real Van Sant seem to be there. Experimenting with shots that can be seen as daring, like the one in the diner the two main characters and their friends like to hang out, which show the two main protagonist conversating inside, but from outside or the way some of their friends speak about their experiences separtely, but all at the same time, moving from one character to another, not waiting for one person's story to be finished before moving on to the next. My Own Private Idaho is amazing when looking at it from a visual perspective. It's what is most interesting about the film and what makes you keep watching. It keeps you engaged and make you look even closer waiting anxiously for what's more to come. Narratively, the film isn't as good. Inspired and based on parts of Henry VI and V by William Shakespeare, the movie's dialogue sometimes copies exact lines from the play, an aspect that can be added to the wonderful amount of interesting little things that My Own Private Idaho has to offer. It's style which overpowers the film's story and characters. However, who is able to grab your full attention is River Phoenix. The actor who died at a very young age gives a very strong and fresh performance. His talent really shows through. Stating to be 'a connoisseur of roads' Phoenix makes you care for the boy he presents, searching for his mother's love and longing for more than friendship from his best friend. Phoenix engages you to stick with him and try to figure out what to do with his life. Someone who unfortunately never really seems to convince is Keanu Reeves. Always making it hard for a viewer what to make out of his performance, he again is seen speaking with the same static voice he always speaks with. An actor as Reeves makes you question what it is that makes for a good performance and how much it has to relate to our conventions of reality. Vividly bringing to life a dreamlike and somewhat imaginary world, My Own Private Idaho sometimes seem to resemble paintings, with Van Sant always knowing brilliantly to put together the right colours.

What Is It About?

Loosly based on parts of the plays Henry IV and V by William Shakespeare, My Own Private Idaho tells the story of Mike Waters, a somewhat lost teenager who suffers from narcolepsy, which can suddenly make him fall asleep in the middle of the day, and his friend and fellow male prostitute Scott Favor, who, like the character from the plays by Shakespeare, tries to avoid falling into his father footsteps. In doing so, Scott, a very privileged son with a wealthy father, has left home and joined the group of kids living on the streets who sell their body for money. In search for Mike's mother the two boys head off onto a road trip on Scott's motorcycle. After getting information from Mike's older brother in Idaho, who might even be Mike's real father, of where is mother could possibly be by now, they leave to Rome, Italy, where Scott finds love with an Italian beauty, marking the end of his anarchic days. With his friend's choice to move back to the social class he was born in, Mike's now left on his own to figure out his life which he spends falling asleep randomnly, daydreaming, and lost in melancholic thoughts.

Final Verdict: ****

Though not perfectly realized , My Own Private Idaho is a beautiful depiction of youth, touching upon the ambiguity of sexuality and desires. A visual feast and very thoughtful choices, make of Gus Van Sant's film a great portrait of the life of a teenage boy trying to find out life and himself. The film's made up out of sections, taking the characters and the viewer to different places in this part of the US and eventually Rome. Great is the use of colour, not only in the diegetic world portrayed, but also during the intertitles and credits. The bright colourful splashes make of the film a compact whole. With lines coming straight out of Shakespeare's play, the film is one made up out of many layers, giving more meaning to its story than the eye can see during a first view. My Own Private Idaho asks to be watched again, which is one of the qualities of a good film, which is interesting beyond its narrative. Having seen Van Sant's latest films, one can only hope for him to once again go back to a work like this. It doesn't mean his more recent films aren't good, but based on details and multiple meanings this one is more interesting and feels to have a bit more substance than some of his more recent work.

Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind

As the names of everyone involved slide down the screen and singer Beck can be heard performing a version of Everybody Got To Learn Sometimes, which was especially recorded for the film, you slowly try to recover from the stream of images that flashed by your eyes and that make up the wonderful weirdness of what is Eternal Sunshine Of the Spotless Mind. Directed by Michael Gondry and featuring another original and very inventive screenplay by the genius that is Charlie Kaufman, Eternal Sunshine starts off by showing us two characters who meet at a train. One of them is the blue-haired Clementine Kruzcynski, a young feisty woman, the other, Joel Barish, a slightly neurotic thirtysomething. Marvelously played by both Jim Carrey, who can be seen in one of his what can be called more 'serious' roles, and Kate Winslet, with a spot-on American accent, the two characters seem attracted to one another, not at all aware of the history they already share together. With fast paced cutting, a perfect use of colour, beautiful unsteady documentary-like camera shots and a superb story with some great twists at the end that make your mouth water and leave you hungry for more, Eternal Sunshine is a celebration of love and the many secrets of the mind. Director Michel Gondry, who takes on the difficult task to bring the story to the big screen, manages to tell the complex story of the two lovers very clearly, keeping it also very entertaining and visually captivating. Like the other adapted screenplays written by Kaufman, Eternal Sunshine too is a complete and very detailed depiction of the imagined world in which the story takes place. Everything seems to be there. Nothing is missing. From crazy hair colours to flashbacks of a young Joel hiding from the rain and strange looking machines that wipe out all of your memory, Eternal Sunshine is a brilliant take on the beauty of our mind and the what if's questions of forgettifg d wanting to forget. Erasing everything you've been through seems so easy, but once you made that decsision there's no way back, or is there? Joel Barish takes on the challenge in a film that makes you think twice about the decisisons you make in life, even the smalles ones or the ones that seem smost easy to make. Eternal Sunshine questions the mind and gives you a wonderful take on what would happen if you just woke up one day deciding to forget everything you've lived through for the last couple of years. It's smart, funny, beautiful cinema that exceeds everything you've seen before.

What is it about?

Joel Barish wakes up to start his day and go to work like he always does. Then at the train station a young woman catches his attention. This young woman is Clementine, a spunky all positive type of girl that likes to chat away. Sitting in the same train, Clementine who has taken notice of Joel's gaze resting upon her, decides to start a conversation. Not knowing each other they feel attrackted and in them both they have sparked an interest. He ends up in her house and a love starts to bloom. Everything seems okay, and there seems to be nothing strange about this love encounter. However, the two of them turn out to have have met before. Or actually, not just met, but spend a whole section of their life together, once they were deeply in love. This scene with which the movie opens turns out to be a flashforward. Both of them have no memory of each other which is caused by Clemetine who decided to erase Joel from her memory and once he found out what she had done, Joel decided to do exactly the same. But as he's going to the process of forgetting Clementine he changes his mind and realizes he don't want to have her erased but hold on to their memories the good ones and the bad. Attached to this big machine that has to wipe out all of Clementine from his mind, Joel has to find a way to save Clementine from dissapearing or he won't ever get hold of their memories again.

Final Verdict: *****

Kaufman again has written a great screenplay to an immensily entertaining and original love story. Eternal Sunshine is about the beauty of memory and the importance to cherish our memories whether good or bad. It makes you realize what a beautiful thing our mind is and how great it is we are able to remember. Brilliant, therefore, is the opening sequence where the two main protagonists meet. Joel doesn't seem to know the famous Hucklebery Hound song which features the name Clementine and when asked for his opinion he doesn't seem to know any other adjectives than 'nice'. It's only until the end that it becomes clear that he does actually know the song and knows lots of interesting words to describe the beauty that is Clemetine, but because of erasing his memories he too erased his knowledge of the songs and the wonderful ways to describe this girl who once was his girlfriend. Great locations that are fully used, beautiful and interesting shots that go hand in hand with the perfect fit of Jon Brion's music, Eternal Sunshine itself feels to be made out of flashes of the mind. It's pace is just right, never becoming too complicated to grasp the beauty of the plot. Featuring a stellar cast, Michel Gondry succeeds to create this world in which almost everything seems to be possible. It's this great mix of fantasy and science-fiction about these two characters who once were madly in love but ended up hating each other. Raising questions about whether you are ever able to erase your soulmate and what you would do if you decided you want to remember instead of forget, it prickles its audience's curiosity until the very end. With wonderful twists that are filled with a certain kind of sadness, Eternal Sunshine is a beautiful mix of images and emotions in which you will find more great things every time you'll watch it and new meaning you didn't find before. It are only the really exceptional films that are able to make its viewers discover new things in a piece of work they've already encountered before.

A Mighty Heart

After In This World and The Road To Guantanamo, both films that feel like a documentary depicting real events, but which are actually fictionalized dramas, director Michael Winterbottom brings A Mighty Heart, a film based on the book written by Mariane Pearl with the same title. Paid full attention to in the news, especially in the US, the story about the kidnapping of Mariane's husband, Daniel Pearl, a journalist, is one of many that have taken place after the events of 9/11. Putting the focus mostly on Mariane and the search for Daniel, Winterbottom's movie tries to capture the chaos and the doubt Mariane's living in, afraid of never seeing her husband again. With fast cutting, A Mighty Heart speeds up the pace, but not always for the better. Throughout the film you can feel the tension and the fear, but the film just shows too much to be fully captured by it. Especially the middle feels too long. There's too much repetition and after a while the search becomes tiring. There are some breakthroughs which are supposed to lure you into the belief of an actual happy ending. But because the outcome of the events is already clear the attempts of creating excitement, doesn't fully grasp you. What's left are a very solid beginning and a beautiful emotion filled ending, which feels like a real closure and leaves you with the faith of Mariane and her son living a happy life nomatter the events concerning Daniel's death. Winterbottom and Jolie succeed in making Mariane a strong woman who is in full control of her emotions, with only one real breakdown, a scene that cuts right through your soul, due to the horrifying screams of grief let out by Jolie. It's one of the strongest scenes, and the one that has the most impact. In what could have easily turned into an overdramatic performance, Jolie manages to stay authentic and subtle, with glances that show the pain felt inside. Never overshadowed by the rest of the cast, Jolie reigns supreme and becomes the heart of the movie, giving a very strong and solid performance. Especially towards the end as a viewer you feel scared for her knowing of the outcome of the events and the pain she will have to endure once she gets hold of this knowledge. The supporting cast, however, is very strong, with standout performances by both Archie Panjabi and Irfan Khan. Overall A Mighty Heart feels a bit as a letdown, especially compared to other films by Winterbottom like the wonderful and intriguing Code 46. On the one hand A Mighty Heart tries to show too much, becoming nothing more than a showing of the events, but on the other, the story feels to small for a motion picture. The strange thing is that the film feels way longer than it actually is. It only has a runtime of 100 minutes, which isn't all that long, but overall the film feels to show more than 2 hours. A large part of this has to do with the length of the middle of the film, which includes parts that doesn't show Mariane at all. This short departure doesn't feel right, as the focus of the film until then, has been most on Mariane, even though a large part of the focus is also on the search for Daniel and the people involved. It's hard what exactly to think of A Mighty Heart. It's a good film which succeeds in showing how those days after Daniel's dissappearance must have been like. The atmosphere and the state Mariane lives in are translated to the screen perfectly. Still the film doesn't really seem to lead towards anything, at least not to anything you as a viewer don't already know. There isn't much to think about, there isn't much to assume. All Winterbottom does is show what happened to Mariane and Daniel without giving his audience an insight on other experiences or giving a real critique on the way the search and the communication between investigators and kidnappers is handled. Winterbottom briefly touches upon the way the news depicts rumours as facts, when a body is found of a man who is thought to be Daniel. In what could have been a very powerful and interesting scene, is turned into nothing more than a sidenote. There are brief reactions about this not verifying of information, but these don't hold the intenseness of what you would have expected from the journalists. The most clear example of Winterbottom trying to take sides is when Mariane is told that her involvement isn't the job of a journalist and she states that it actually is.

What is it about?

Daniel Pearl, a Wall Street journalist, is happily married to his wife Mariane, who is pregnant with their first child, when he suddenly dissapears after having attended a meeting which was set up for him through correspondances via e-mail. Mariane is left without almost any trace of where here husband could be. Supported by, Asra Q. Nomani, a close friend and colleague of Danny, she begins her journey to get Daniel back. Helped by a team of investigators they try to find as much information as they can get, searching for the people who set up the meeting and whom Daniel has last spoken to. Not knowing if she will ever see her husband again, she keeps faith of a safe return home, though her gut tells her that chance is a very small one. Still during everything that happens Mariane stays strong, never falling victim to her inner emotions which scream to get out.

Final Verdict: ***

A Mighty Heart definitely is not a bad movie. It's just that it could have been done so much better. There's a good structure, but the middle is just too filled with events that aren't all that interesting. As a viewer you expect to see Mariane's story, what she went through and how it must be to live in doubt for days. The film succeeds in showing those feelings, but the differences between beginning, end and middle are just too big. A Mighty Heart isn't an action film. It wants to be as truthful to the events, without being too much a product of entertainment. It's what makes the adaptation of this story so hard. The film shows the search, an aspect which in, for example, the Jason Bourne series, could have taken into full use. An event like this could have fitted in perfectly in that kind of film. And that's exactly where the problem lies. The middle of the film isn't exciting enough to keep the viewer's full interest, which has to do with that urge to show the real events, meaning you can't change too many things if you want to stay faithful to what really happened. Therefore the search becomes somewhat tiring and at times though to sit through. The scenes involving Mariane, because of that, are in this way, the most interesting. The search is very well depicted, though. The scenes taking place outside feel very energetic. Karachi is an energetic city and Winterbottom succeeds in capturing its spirit. The constant movement of the camera enhances the documentary feel also felt in Winterbottom's earlier, In This World. Bleak images, without many colours fit the story very well and add to the realness and rawness of the film. A Mighty Heart, even though it's not the best film, is definitely worth to check out and features a very strong performance by Angelina Jolie who finally grabs onto a challenging role again after winning her Academy Award for her role in Girl Interrupted.

Atonement

Atonement is only the second feature film by director Joe Wright, and moves on where his first one, Pride & Prejudice left off. Atonement is a visual feast, just like its predecessor but even more stunning and with more bravoure. It tells the larger than life love story of a young man and woman filled with passion and who are send to doom by the young woman's younger sister. The story itself, adapted from the novel of the same title by highly acclaimed writer Ian McEwan, of which his works The Comfort Of Strangers and Enduring Love also got translated to the big screen, is already great and provides for great material, but the way Wright tells it, is absolutely amazing. It's full of enchanting moments and poetic images, that are edged deeply onto your mind. Both visually as musically Atonement is a pure rush of delight. It has some of the most interesting scenes all combined in just one movie. A scene between lovers Cecilia and Robbie against a bookcase where they make passionate love is filmed in a way that makes it both dreamy and delicate. Smoke coming from cigarettes float through the air as little clouds of mystique, giving the images a feel of the black and white movie era. At times Keira Knightley seems to be coming straight out of a silent movie. She has this classic beauty reminiscent of actresses from that period of time. There isn't much dialogue and when there is, it's of little importance. Atonement mostly depends on visual storytelling. The editing is remarkable, easily moving between close-ups to long shots speeding up the pace. The film features a long take that takes your breath away with ease. It's like a dance the way the camera tracks around the scene and actors walk into the frame at the right moment. Making extensive use of the setting, it's one of the best scenes from the movie giving a great feel and depiction of what the war must have been like. It's both sad as well as triumphant, filled with glory and pride. Also the film features a beautful shot showing James McAvoy standing in an open field. The lighting is amazing as is the moving forward of the camera opening up this great space that soon comes to fill the frame. Atonement is drenched in pure beauty and elegance. Every image presented seems to be staged with much care. It's full with metaphors and symbols that could be analyzed for months. Like the book, which I have ready only partly, the film is full of references to writing. Sounds of a type writer are added to the film's soundtrack and have become part of the music that carries the film and letters and postcards are of great importance to the film's narrative. Atonement seems to be a great adaptation of the novel of the same title and has a lot to offer and adds to the novel's complexity and beauty. Briony, the most important character, is also the most interesting and is played wonderfully by all three actresses, but mostly Saoirse Ronan exceeds as Briony at the age of 13. She manages to carry the movie and sets the base for her character who is later on played by Ramola Garai. Completely stealing away the spotlight from fellow actress Keira Knightley, who plays Briony's older sister Cecilia, and who was nominated for an Academy Awards for her role in Wright's Pride & Prejudice, Ronan grabs your full attention and lures you into the story with the power of a magnet. It's a great performance for such a young actress. Knightley only convinces at times, but is never able to take over the wheel. The person who is, however, is the very talented James McAvoy, who after The Last King Of Scotland, gives another great performance as Robbie Turner. In his scenes with Knightley it is he who you care for the most and who draws you in into his character's emotions. Ramola Garai, who plays the 18 year old version of Briony, and who steadily, like McAvoy, begins to gain attention, playing more and more in movies of great importance and surrounded with lots of buzz, perfectly moves on from where Ronan left off. Her part however, is very small. But already in the scenes she can be watched, she is very strong. Her expressions greatly give way to the many faces of Briony Tallis, the most complex of all. It's a tough part to play, but both young actresses succeed. Atonement is at times a bit overdramatic, but it's brilliance prevails. It's far out one of the most interesting film of the year and one that feels the most complete and is filled with many meanings that are to be found under its thick surface.

What is it about?

Briony Tallis, a 13 year old girl with a passion for writing and ready to explore the world causes big trouble when she starts spying on her older sister Cecilia. Watching her together with Robbie Turner, the son of one of the women working for the girls' parents, Briony starts to notice their romantic relationship. Stung as by a bee, her mind goes blurry and she starts to see things of which, as a viewer, you never quite sure if real or not. When one night a niece of the sisters is abused during a search for her two younger brothers, Briony, who besides the niece herself, is the only witness at the scene, convinces everyone Robbie is the man who attacked the girl. For this reason Robbie is send off to prison, causing hurt inside Cecilia who's last whisper is a plee for him to come back to her. Time passes by and both Cecilia and Robbie as well as Briony grow up towards adolescence. The two lovers are now living separate lives. Cecilia is a nurse, while Robbie is in the army doing his time he normally would have been sitting out in jail. The two write each other and Cecilia sends him a postcard of a cottage the two of them could run off to when the time is right. Meanwhile Briony's feelings towards Robbie become clear and the motifs for her actions are brought into light. Working as a nurse in a way to find redemption and still writing stories secretly late at night, she knew exactly what she was doing, causing harm to innocent people. Now 18 years old it's time for her to come clean and leave behind the past. But in order to do so she needs to face the two people she broke apart or else live her life with guilt and shame for the rest of her years.

Final Verdict: *****

The line between fiction and fact in Atonement is one that is very thin and that is crossed multiple times. After seeing the film, you start to realize the film's complexity. It never becomes clear what is real and what is not. From the moment Briony watches Cecilia and Robbie at the fountain the story that is presented to us viewers can all be part of her imagination. It's no coincidence that the story she later on writes as a nurse is titled Two Figures By A Fountain. Throughout the story the sound of the type writer keeps waving its way through as a red line. It can be seen as a sign of the fiction that the movie presents. Lights flickering on and off on, the sound of a type writer, camera's easily moving to the large sets and beautifully lit images, make of Atonement a cinematic masterpiece. Set in different times, each part has a distinct look. As the film jumps from present to past, showing events in flashbacks to give understanding of the proceeding scenes, characters evolve and their relationship becomes more clear. The ending of the film makes you doubt everything you've seen before and makes you wonder who to trust. Knowing Briony's character, and at the same time not knowing her character, you come to realize everything might not have been what it seemed like. The film is full of clues and signs that could be interpreted in different ways. Looking in mirrors, coming out of the bathtub, the touch of hands, the smoke of cigarettes, use of flashbacks. They're all references to a bigger meaning. Atonement can make for a great case study. It's an astonishing piece of work that tells the devastating story of two lovers and which gets you thrilled for the novel, if you haven't read it already. It's a work of art and exceeds all expectations. Go see it before it's too late.

Last Days

The final installment of what is known as Gus Van Sant's 'Death Trilogy' brings the story of a rockstar who seems to have lost himself, a story loosly based on the life and especially the last days of musician Kurt Cobain. Last Days is an ambitious work, like the former Gerry and Elephant, but probably the weakest one of the three. Still there is a lot of things to like. The problem though is that like Gerry the movie more feeds from narrativity than a real chronological story. There are a lot of shots of Blake, the film's main character, walking zombie like to the woods, mumbling words that are almost unrecognizable. There seems to be more chronologicallity than in Gerry though, but still lots of the movie is open to interpretation. Showing its characters from a distance, the camera hardly moves. The only movement comes from zooms and pans. Only sometimes does the camera move through its surroundings, but most of the time it's placed in one spot being completely static. It creates a distanciation towards the characters on screen making the camera and the viewers observers and almost voyeurs with the camera often filming from behind branches of trees. Where most films and especially television draw heavily on close-ups in order for the viewers to feel totally connected and interact with the characters on screen, Last Days uses almost none. And when characters are shown close to the camera it's mostly them who walk towards the camera instead of the other way round. The acting therefore stays minimal. Dialogue is made up out of random conversation material. There's a sort of coolness that tries to depict the rockstar's attitude and way of life. Michael Pitt who plays Blake, doesn't get the chance to really show his acting skills. All he seems to do is wander around. Only towards the end he kind of open ups, but it's still to small to call his performance one of real acting. Van Sant tries hard to create a certain kind of atmosphere, in which he partly succeeds. Though as a viewer you sometimes feel lost like Blake, searching for things to cling on to. It's no wonder that the most strongest and haunting scene in the movie is an acoustic performance of the song Death To Birth, originally recorded by Pagoda, actor Michael pitt's own band of which he is the lead singer. It's a great track that fits wonderfully in the movie which sometimes seems to be more of an documentary about music than a real film.

What is it about?

Wandering through the woods, being just a shadow amongst the big green trees, Blake a fallen rockstar, mumbles his way through, having lost complete touch with reality, or so at least, it seems. Characters seem to drift around without any purpose. It's a dreamlike state they're in. They live in a big luxurious mansion, spending their days listening to music and lying on their beds, skimpy clothed. His friends try to get through Blake, but he doesn't seem to want to make contact. While life goes on, Blake's life is moving towards its end, calmly reaching its final. Too lost in his own thoughts and mind it seems noone can save this man who seems to burst with talent that deeply lies in the covers of his outer appearance.

Final Verdict: ***1/2

Last Days isn't a bad film. Even though it's difficult to truly connect, it still has some beautiful moments. This immediately also is one of its weaknesses. Last Days feels more like a string of wonderfully crafted beauty shots than a real film with content. It makes you think, but not as much as with Elephant and Gerry. The film says to be based on Kurt Cobain's last days, but the characters and events are said to be works of fiction. Though at the end there's the message that says, 'in memory of Kurt Cobain'. The film therefore kind of contradicts itself, apparently having trouble of what it truly wants to be. It doesn't want to be critiqued and therefore tells it's just based on events and doesn't tell the true story. But it seems that the movie only states this to avoid collission with fans who can feel hurt by the film's depiction. But even when it does show Cobain's last days it does so very kindly. It's more of a character observation and nowhere near a biopic. It feels more as a tribute to a great musician and the mindstate he found himself in. The scene where Pitt performs the acoustic song, really shows the paradoxical character of Blake's or in this sense, Cobain's persona. Behind all the mumbling and wandering around still hides a gifted musician that had lots of talent and potential. It's a sad portrait of a man who has come to be such a celebrated person. The life of Blake closes with a scene that is very different and which doesn't seem to really fit in. It's one of those moment of which you're not sure what to think, but that just happens in front of your eyes, while you let it be. Overall Last Days is a nice cinematic piece that is more visually interesting than narratively. There's too much distance to the characters, especially Blake. As a viewer you never come to feel for him and don't know what he's like or what it is he wants. Part of this is a good choice as the movie wants to present this image to the viewer. But it's just too long for a film to hold onto an image like that, while nothing really happens. Van Sant is great in putting the right colours together and carefully chooses his angles to present the right images. It makes him a very gifted director with great vision. When we watch Blake walk around with this big jacket during the night time it provides for stunning images. The lighting at times is amazing. But with Last Days it simply isn't enough. Van Sant easily knows how to creep into the insides of the minds of his characters and his audience, but in Last Days it just doesn't work out completely, which is too bad, because Last Days could have been much more than it is right now.

This Is England

This Is England by director Shane Meadows is a hard gripping story about growing up in the beginning of the eighties in England. Following a young boy who comes to be part of a group of skinheads, Meadows serves his audience a delightful portrait of England that has its roots strongly grounded into the country's background and its context. This Is England draws heavily on political subjects and touches on topics that are still very much alive in contemporary England. Especially considering the possibility of falling apart in different independent regions like Scotland or Wales. This Is England gives a lot of thought to what England is, it's own identity and how some people look upon it. It's a film which shows Englands urge to stay pure. The story is poured into a very solid narrative structure, beginning fresh, introducing its characters and setting up their relationships. It's a coming of age story seen through the eyes of a young boy, Shaun. It's he who leads the audience into the ideas and views certain people have and through him these ideas come to show. The cast of the film is very strong, with an especially great performance by Stephen Graham as tough guy Combo who, although very unlikely, seems to also have a soft spot. His emotions are very heartfelt and raw. He lures you in to his side and makes you care for him, even though he's actually the least likely person you, as a viewer, would expect to have compassion with. Only a really good performance can turn an unsympathetic character into a real human being with feelings that you end up caring for. Graham is perfect for the role and gets the full opportunity to show his range. The story is supported by a great soundtrack that combines the modern with the classic. The whole feeling of the film is the eighties. Use of bright colours and specific clothing give the feeling of England in this past time. Meadows takes the time to, besides naratively, telling with a story, also tell visually. Showing the group of teenagers and twenty year olds walking through the streets next to each other, acting tough, boys opposite girls. It reminds you of old music videos that have come to picture this period of time. What is most interesting about This Is England, though, is the way the film goes through this kind of evolution. It starts out very friendly, and even has some funny jokes, showing a bit of comedy and situations the audience can relate to, because they too were once young and naïve as little Shaun. Then the story progresses and a change is caused due to the introduction of Stephen Graham's character, Combo. The balance that was created between some of the characters is broken and the group falls apart into two, with each going its own way. In the middle of all this we find Shaun, who is the main character of the film, but who's role is not as central anymore as it once was in the beginning. There's a gradual change. After this split the film becomes more harsh and a more violent. Suddenly the seriousness of its topic becomes more aware and comes to take its place at the forefront and the whole historical aspect starts to emerge. It's this context the story is placed in which make it so interesting. The film starts with images of real events showing Margaret Thatcher, providing for the film's historical and political context. It's a great way to put the film into a bigger picture. This Is England really is a film that will feed you with thoughts and ideas. Not only does it tell a nice story, but it also shares importance and shows England's history and its views that make you question.

What is it about?

Shaun a young boy who gets teased at school, one afternoon falls into the hands of a group of young skinheads. The leader of the gang soon takes Shaun under his wing and in no time Shaun becomes part of their group. With a bald head and new clothes, he suddenly is one of the cool kids. Finally feeling part of a group and the feeling of belonging, Shaun starts to light up and is thrown into new experiences especially when it comes to girls. All seems fun and cool, until a former member shows up who has spent some time in jail in order to protect the gang's leader. This guy, Combo, turns out to be a man with very dangerous ideas and beliefs that will influence Shaun and introduce him into a world he never knew. Being at times very agressive and suffering from heavy mood swings that can turn him into an uncontrollable animal, Combo breaks the group of skinheads into two. Shaun takes Combo's side and all of a sudden is part of a radical group that fights for the purity of England, meaning they arden't too fond of immigrants and share beliefs that are racist. One of the boys Milky, therefore isn't entirely excepted, because of his skin colour that doesn't match the pure whiteness of the group. Getting more agressive as time moves on, Shaun has to decide wheter to stay and except the ways Combo fights for his beliefs, or head back into his old life choosing his own life's direction without the help of a father figure.

Final Verdict: ****1/2

I was pretty surprised about how good This Is England turned out to be. The social aspect of the film really distinguishes it from other European cinema. It seems that a lot of British directors feel the need to tell stories not only for the people but also about the people. They heavily touch on British culture, either way through comedy like Hot Fuzz or through drama as in Mike Leigh's Secrets & Lies or even Trainspotting. Showing its social awareness makes it more important. This Is England provides a depiction of a certain time and the importance of certain events of that period. It makes the film very interesting and places it in the line of one of those films that really have something to tell and that add to the knowledge of its audience. It's not just entertainment and is far more politically charged than most movies. It's a great mix that I think every film should have and would take it onto a higher level. This Is England not just only shows but teaches and provides information about a lifestyle and certain views people might have. It's a very solid film that has much to offer, both stylistically as well as narratively and historically. With beautiful images and music it draws a great portrait of a time that is still very identifiable today. The story holds relation to both past and present. The topics that This Is England shows are still very much alive and going on. At times it could be hard to watch, definitely towards the end, but it never gets too graphic. There's some violence, but it's not shown in full very often. It is this violence, this switch from light drama with comedy elements to harder drama with some tragedy, that makes it very versatile and likeable for a wide audience. There's a lot you can relate to or recognize, especially with Shaun. The last shots of the film are simply amazing. The cinematography is perfect as is the music that supports these images. The very last shot with which the movie ends is a breathtaking moment with everything coming to a full circle closure. It leaves its viewers with thoughts about Shaun's possible future and certain emotions they can dwell on minutes after the film's ending. This Is England is a film that really makes you want to see it again one day, because it has a lot of beautiful things to offer. It's a very strong film that could become of great importance in the near future.

The Golden Door

The Golden Door (Nuovomondo in Italian) by director Emanuele Crialese is a wonderfully made film with some very interesting and inspiring scenes, but which overall lacks a good and interesting narrative structure. As a whole the film looks great, but it does has some flaws, especially at the beginning. The way it is told makes it hard for the viewer to immediately feel connected with the story and its characters. It takes a while to get the feeling to fully participate into the film's story, but when you do you will come to really enjoy the film and want to linger in it as long as you can. The problem however is that the film by then already is close to its end. The film features actress Charlotte Gainsbourg, who's soft and clear voice make her a person you want to get inside. With the red hair she is even more enchanting than she already normally is. Her presence on screen is absolutely lovely. She seems to be a real part of the diegetic world and gives a nice subtle performance as Lucy Reed. Vincenzo Amato is good as well, but it's Gainsbourg who really mesemerizes and comes to steal the show, even though her part is pretty small. The most interesting aspect of the film is it's style and the way it brings its story into life. It's very ambitious and at times surreal. Wonderful is the scene where the ship leaves the harbour and a gap is shown between the ship slowly moving into the sea and the side of theto harbour. Both ship and harbour is filled with people and as the ship starts to move away, so are the people. It gives a great image of the people who are going on their journey to this new world and the people who are left behind. The Golden Door is very poetic and has scenes that are almost like little paintings. The screen really seems to be a canvas that is filled with the most amazing things. Like a scene shows in which Salvatore and Lucy, the movie's two main characters, are shown in a big ocean of milk, holding on to a gigantic carrot. It's not completely explained what it all means, but it seems to be part of the characters' imagination of the new world and the good it will bring. Another scene shows Lucy sitting next to Salvatore's mother. For a moment time seems to stand still and only Lucy moves. It can be seen as a way of showing the change that she feels and the passing of her life. She's moving while everything around her stands still. In her mind so much is going on and only she knows how she feels. Scenes like these make the film interesting, but unfortunately they can't completely safe the film. Its topic is interesting and it's nice to see a sort of dream like depiction of immigration. It's part fantasy, drama and some light comedy. Its main problem, however, is the lacking of a good and interesting story. It isn't a bad thing when in a movie 'nothing' happens, but in the first part of The Golden Door there's nothing that makes you question or wonder. You're mind isn't challenged to figure things out. The movie doesn't imply anything that as a viewer might give you thought to agree or not. The ending comes kind of abruptly as well and is quite unexpected. But the scene with which it ends, makes up for that abruptness as is the music that kicks in before the end credits.

What is it about?

Salvatore Mancuso together with his two sons, of which one seems to be a mute, and his old mother decides to immigrate to the United States after seeing pictures of golden coins that grow on trees and big chickens that are taller than human beings. Tempted by these images he takes his family on a big ship to start their journey to the new world. On the ship he meets a British woman, Lucy Reed, who searches for a man she can marry. Salvatore who is mesmerized by the beauty of Lucy accepts the proposal, even if it's not about love. Love can grow eventually over the years Salvatore romantically believes. Once they arrive in the US they have to take tests to stay in the country. For a simple farmer as Salvatore the tests are very difficult. For Lucy however, they're very easy. A future marriage ahead, Salvatore's future and the furute of his family, lies in the hands of the American officers who have to give approval for their stay. Only time will tell if they will be able to stay and if the new found land is able to give them the better life they think they it will bring them.

Final Verdict: ***1/2

Apart from some beautiful scenes, The Golden Door has not so much to offer. The story is pretty short and only shows a family trying to immigrate to an unknown land that they believe will bring them prosperity. The way it is told is done very beautifully, though. So, even though narratively the movie hasn't got much to offer, it doesn't mean the film is bad. The settings are great and overall the movie looks beautiful. It just doesn't completely work. The beginning feels a bit empty. You don't know exactly what to think of the first couple of minutes and it takes a while to become enchanted by the movie's beauty. It's strange how for me one particular scene changed my whole view of the movie and its story. Everything suddenly seemed to fit and the characters became interesting. Part of this probably has to do with the characters getting a purpose. The scene I'm referring to takes place on the ship to the United States. Salvatore and Lucy chase each other, curiously searching for each others gaze. The scene is underlined by beautiful well fitting music and is shown in slow-motion. Every person who loves cinema will love this scene. But what this scene does is give the characters some meaning. Their love for each other becomes to show. Without really knowing each other they're prepared to marry and take a risk. Before this scene the two characters don't yet share a bond. But as soon as they are brought together, they start to come alive and as a viewer you start to care for them. And now when you see them you approach them with different eyes and crawl into their minds to think about the emotions that might run through them. It's a beautiful scene that changes the feel of the movie. Unfortunately it isn't enough for the movie to become extraordinary. The story afterall, stays to simple and uninteresting. The way the story is told is too soft or slow. Their isn't a real feeling the movie is going anywhere. At the end the film seems build up out of a couple of interesting scenes that don't really seem to have real coherence. Still the movie shows a beautiful portrayal of leaving to another world without being sure of what this world will bring. The cinematography is great, so are the costumes and the way the camera brings the move into life. The Golden Door is more of a painting, telling its story by images, than by a real narrative.

The Best 3 Of August

After moving to Canterbury in the UK and studying at the University Of Kent, I haven't had much time to watch movies or write reviews about them. Luckily, I am already settling down a bit getting accustomed to everything. So maybe this blog will survive and won't die out because of the lack of updates. August seems already a long time ago. There were a lot of interesting films I saw that month. Some of them I wanted to see for already a long time, some of them I never really wanted to and eventually turned out to be really nice experiences.

1. 2001: A Space Odyssey

Definitely a movie that blew me away, the story with its great themes of life, mankind and evolution, set for a large part in space, 2001 really shows the talent of the late Mr. Kubrick who with movies like A Clockwork Orange and Dr. Strangelove can already be seen as one of the great. His films make you question and capture a certain period of time and the atmosphere people in that time find themselves in. 2001 with its effects and story will come to stand the test of time and will still awe audiences hundreds of years from now.

2. Being John Malkovich

Bizarre, different, fresh, original and funny are all words that perfectly describe Being John Malkovich. Directed by Spike Jonze and written by the highly talented and gifted Charlie Kaufman, Being John Malkovich gives a wonderful portrayal of a group of characters that come to lose their sense of reality and who find themselves lost in the unknown. It's a highly enjoyable movie that exceeds all expectations.

3. Fargo

A very fun and smart film by the brothers Coen, Fargo is one of their best. With an oustanding cast the story leads its characters from one strange situation into another. Like all of their comedies the jokes are funny and they manage to show certain types of people in a humoristic manner, but without making them entirely ridiculous. Both a great story and great humour, Fargo holds all the ingredients for a comedy that is really funny and also very well written.

The Bourne Ultimatum

It seems that after this third installment Bourne really has come to stand for quality. Probably the best one of the three, which is a remarkable thing, since the other two are also great, The Bourne Ultimatum has more different locations, brings a female character to the forefront again and is full of great chases by car, motorcycle, and foot, flying from building to building. It's action-packed fun. What is always a treat is when, besides the action, the performances are great as well, which not always happen in action movies, which most actors see more as a side project and to be just for fun. But with the Bourne movies acting has always been important and has come to be one of its strengths. Matt Damon once again is superb as Jason Bourne. He carries the movie very well and seems to have really grown into his role completely with this third film. Even through the action scenes he still shows so much emotion in his face. The tormented look never goes away. This guy has been through a lot and it shows. Still, however, his softer side always shines through, which makes him a real hero audiences can relate to and will come to root for in difficult times. Joan Allen who was introduced in The Bourne Supremacy, regains her role as Pamela Landy and once again her performance is flawless. The eyes, her posture, it's amazing. She seems to be very good in playing these roles of women in a higher function. David Strathairn gives a strong performance as well and if only his little scene together with Allen at a restaurant has lasted a little longer, it would have been fireworks. It's always nice when actors of such calibre are put together. You feel like watching true actors who know what they're doing. And Allen and Strathairn are real professionals. Julia Stiles who after a very small role in The Bourne Identity and a seemingly larger role in The Bourne Supremacy, finally gets to play a big part in the film. Her role in The Bourne Identity was always so small that if you didn't know who Julia Stiles was, you would look at her as being nothing more than an extra. But now she kind of fills up the void that was left by Marie in the Bourne Supremacy. Since the second one was all about Jason, it was nice to see him with an accomplice again. What's nice about Stiles' character is that you really see how she has developed throughtout the different films. It was clear that in this third part she was more comfortable as a CIA agent, even though she's still very young. Stiles fits the role very well. Because of her young age she seems convincing when it turns out this time around she wants to really help Jason. On the same hand she's still also has this frightenedness, because she's a field agent. Her performance was very convincing as she portrayed an agent who gets involved in things an agent of her position should not get involved in. And though a bit frightened, she did stand her own next to Jason. Overall the action is of pure quality. The fight scenes are amazingly great. Even though it's all happening really fast, you do feel you're real part of it and get to see everything. It is shot wonderfully. You feel like you're in the middle of it and even though the fights happen very fast, they're never too fast that you can't hold up. A great part of the appeal of the Bourne films is that the film has always been filmed at real locations and no studios. When they go to Tangiers, they are in Tangiers. The stunts, partly done by Damon himself look very daring and exciting and make for a really good action movie with a very solid and exciting story. All the elements are there to make of Bourne one of the best action series. It's no wonder the Bourne movies have already been compared to the Jamos Bond series many times.

What is it about?

Jason Bourne once again sets out to discover his true identity. Tortured by recurring dreams and thoughts he tries to get in contact with people who seem to know more about the man he once was. After finding out that there's someone inside the CIA who has leaked valid information to a British reporter, the hunt for Bourne once again begins. The reporter who's very eager to write a breaking story, is given information about a branche of the CIA who used to train agents to become killers serving the country. One of them which was Jason Bourne. After contacting the reporter Jason tries to keep him safe, out of the hands of the CIA. Soon the CIA find out about Bourne's involvement and Pamela Landy is brought into the team leading the hunt as she is very experienced when it comes to Bourne. With Landy on the team again, Jason again is on the run. This time, however, he gets some help from Nicky Parsons, the young CIA agent, who used to be a rookie, but now is one of the bigger players. Together she and Jason set out to find out about the truth, leading to dangerous chases and killers who will do anything to stop the two from getting the truth.

Final Verdict: *****

The Bourne Ultimatum is an action packed film, with outstanding camerawork and stunts. Great performances by Joan Allen, Strathairn and Damon lift the film to an higher level and make it stronger than most action flicks. The chases through small streets are perfectly put into view. The camera seems to follow the characters' every trace. It's a great accomplishment and shows what can be done with the technique of today. Which is great as well is that The Bourne Ultimatum involves a twist that has to do with The Bourne Supremacy. People who haven't seen Supremacy in a long while, may recognize some similarities between a scene that's shown in Supremacy and one that is shown in Ultimatum. They may get a little feeling of déjà vu. People who have Supremacy still fresh in their minds, though, will truly recognize it and get that the two don't just share similarities. The Bourne Ultimatum is one of the most exciting films of this year. It's very well made and gives the Bourne trilogy a firm spot as one of the best in the action genre. It's a great thrill ride with never a dull moment. Don't blink 'cause you don't want to miss a thing. Just take it all in.

Reprise

Rule number 1: Never drink any liquids of what kind soever when you know you're going to watch a film in a movie theatre without a bathroom break. Because this is what happens. You'll watch the film and prevent yourself from having to go to the bathroom almost the entire film. But then, just when you realize the movie's almost coming to an end, you really can't hold up any longer and with much pain in your heart you have to leave the room, while the movie's still playing. And then when you come back as fast as you can you find the film to have already ended, without you there. That is exactly what happened to me yesterday evening when I watched the amazing Reprise by director Joachim Trier. Now, when I left the movie only went on for like three minutes and I'm pretty sure I could have stuck in there longer, but at that moment I thought my bladder was going to break. So no way I could stay. Very, very frustrated I was and I am still. You can tell me how it ends, you can tell me I've missed nothing important and that when I went away nothing much happened and the movie kind of already came to a close the moment I left. But no way that that will ever be enough. I have to see it myself, even if I missed only three minutes or even less. I need to see it with my own eyes. So I'm definitely going again. I have to. I can't live like this. I know it's kind of ridiculous, but it's just the way it is. The film however was brilliant, even though some people would probably disagree with me. During the movie people kept changing positions in their seats, one of them even fell asleep and could be heard snoring. I understand why, though. The beginning of this film is a bit hard to sit through, it takes some time for the characters and the story to establish itself. A lot of things are told at a high pace. Flashbacks, all these characters who are introduced during a concert and who all belong to the group of friends of the two male protagonists, and events that are presented to us with much fanfare. But then when all that is over you're left with these beautiful characters that you have come to know and feel you have a bond with. The group of friends seem so real. Nothing about these guys is romanticized. They make fun of each other, even talk trash behind each other's back. They seem close, but yet on an emotional level they don't really seem to know what's going on with every guy personally. Some of them are left with feelings they don't share. When they are together they are just joking and having fun. Like so many friends do. But something has happened to one of them that kind of changes their relationship. At the beginning of the film Phillip, a young twentysomething, is seen together with Erik, his best friend. They both want to become writers. Their manuscripts tightly in their hands they shove them through the big red mail box. Then, everything that happens to them from then on is shown, like a fast flashforward. But eventually the two guys are seen standing in front of the mailbox again and we are shown what really happens. Hence the title 'Reprise', which means repetition or return and is frequently used in music. As a viewer you learn about Phillip's mental state. After his book got published he hurt himself, maybe even want to commit suicide. And as the story progresses it turns out he got a bit too obessed with this girl, Kari. The way director Joachim Trier, who is a former two time Norwegian skater champion, brings the story into view is remarkable. Everyone who loves cinema is going to be sitting in awe watching all the great ideas he put into his movie. One thing that first caught my attention was the way he puts the camera close to Erik's head. A shot that shows Erik from behind, camera close to his ear, gives this great feeling of being close to his thoughts as a viewer. It's like you're being put in a position to look inside his mind. You can almost feel the thoughts that run through it. This shot is repeated a couple of times during the course of the film. Another great, great thing was how he showed the conversations between Erik and the girl he loved so much, Kari. Images are shown of them being at two different locations. You see shots of them walking outside in what seems to be a park. But cuts that are inserted throughout this scene show shots of the two sitting in this little café talking. And the most remarkable thing is that a conversation is heard between the two, but sometimes the sentences are shown being spoken during their conversation in the café and sometimes during their walk outside. But the conversation that is heard is one conversation, all of which is taking place at the same time. It's chronological, but it is suggested the conversation could have happened either way outside or inside. And at the same time the conversation they are having now could have taken place at an earlier time and during that conversation they used some of the same sentences that are coming from their lips right now. And therefore, also, not every sentence is shown spoken when they sit at their table in the café. Their are moments you can hear their voices, hear them speaking, but then on screen the actors stay silent. But then all of a sudden Erik is seen in the café speaking one of the sentences you hear. But the one that went before that was not shown as being spoken by Kari on screen which enhances the effect of not being sure when the conversation took place and where. It gives way for this wonderful dream like state that kind of had me stunned. Also Trier uses a lot of silences. And by that I don't just mean that characters are shown not saying a single word, but there just isn't any sound. All you look at are images. It's a beautiful way of expressing and letting the viewer experience the coldness and the hurt that the characters have to endure. A thing what the film doesn't really seem to have is structure. At least, a lot of the time you feel like you're watching real moments out of the character's lives. A lot happens in this film. And instead of having a clear beginning, middle and end (though I did not actually see the end, you could say I left during the closing scene, so I kind of do know how it ends) it just feels like a mozaïque of events. Of course the film has structure, but not like you are used to. Flashbacks come up at any time. And even though there is a story told chronologically, it doesn't feel as if some of the scenes really had to be shown at the moment they actually were, but could have easily been shown at a later moment without totally breaking apart the story. This is definitely not a bad thing and only made the film more realistic. The characters are very nicely developed. As a viewer you feel you really know what these characters go through and you understand them. You learn much about their relationships and friendships and their inner state. Beside tragedy there's also some comedy in Reprise, even though the tragedy and the drama take the overhand. It's a beautiful sad film, that can be kind of though in the way it present its topics and uncovers them. You feel for the characters, but much more in a way of understanding than in a way of feeling really bad for them. Overall Reprise is a wonderful depiction of sadness and pain felt by this youngsters. At the same time it shows real friendship and is about ideals characters have and dreams. And as all of this is being told and shown you also get a very nice picture of Norway and its culture. Reprise is a film that lingers and has so much to offer. It feels very complete and rich and is carried out brilliantly. Trier is great in presenting the way characters feel. He really seeps through them and makes them understandable for the viewer. Reprise is a wonderful piece of cinema, which I guess not everyone will get. But if you are open and up to challenge yourself and don't run off the very moment you feel this film doesn't seem to go anywhere, you will watch something that not only looks beautiful visually but also tells a beautiful story with great characters you come to really know and understand.

What is it about?

Phillip and Erik, two long time and very ambitious friends, dream of becoming a writer. In order to make their dreams a reality, they send off their manuscripts hoping someone will publish their story. Phillip's book gets published, but Erik's isn't. His novel gets rejected. Finally living his dream, you expect Phillip to fully enjoy everything that has happened. However, it all becomes a too much for him to handle which leads to him having a breakdown. He cut himself a couple of times and is found by Erik with blood on his shirt. Soon he's brought to a psychiatric hospital to get him back on track. One of the reasons he was driven to this insanity is his love for Kari, the girl he believes to be made for him. Together they decideded to leave Norway and go to Paris where they fell madly in love. But for Phillip it all became a bit too overwhelming. Six months after he cut himself, he is allowed to go back home. Erik and the others from their group of friends take him home where he find his mother to have taken away all pictures of Kari that were once hanging on his wall. She never visited him since it was thought to be better if they'd no longer had contact, not until Phillip got better. When he finally is brought back into society again, he gradually meets up with Kari again and they try to resolve their relationship. Meanwhile Erik is writing another book, still hoping that one day his work will get published. Afraid of his relationship turning sour when he will stay together with his girlfriend Lillian during the publishing of his book, he decides to break up with her, but eventually doesn't. After a while Erik manages to find a publisher for his book and is about to gain attention as a professional writer. But now that succes finally seems to be close at hand, he starts wondering if the same that happened to Phillip, might happen to him and he soon will have to find out how he will deal with being a professional writer.

Final Verdict: ****1/2

What Reprise most reminded me of was the film Jules Et Jim (Fr: Truffaut, 1962). Both films make use of a narrator that can be heard as a voice-over, one that isn't a character in the film itself and therefore never appears in the created film world. This narrator, like in Jules Et Jim, talks about both Phillip and Erik, their relationships and the things going through their mind. I'm not sure if Trier was inspired by that particular film, but they felt to be very much the same in that one aspect. Reprise presents a fresh take on topics that have been shown in films many times before, but the way it is done is very original and refreshing. Trier really tells a lot visually. The place where he puts the camera, the angles from where actors are being filmed, it's all done to create some kind of feeling and atmosphere. He uses a lot of whites and blues which perfectly fit the story and the state of the characters. The many ideas that are brought to life in Reprise are very inspiring. Especially those scenes where you never quite know whether they take place in the past or the here and now. It's an aspect that I would include in my film as well, if I would ever make one. Reprise really feels to come full circle with itself. You watch these characters and their big ambitions and see how they cope with the direction their lives eventually tends to take. Reprise gives a beautiful look at the life of twenty year olds. There search for the one thing that they think will bring them happiness and satisfaction, which for both Erik and Phillip is becoming a writer. Trier tells the story so vividly. Especially at the beginning the film sparkles with energy. Lots of cuts provide for a fast pace and the movies soundtrack uses its sound to stress certain cuts and make them look sharper, edgier. Reprise is a film that feels very much alive, has a great young cast of talented actors and tells their character's life story wonderfully. The photography and all these beautiful other aspects that Trier has put inside this film really takes Reprise to a whole new level. Its definitely one of the strenghts of the film. Phillip is played very strongly by Anders Danielsen Lie, as is Erik, played by Espen Klouman-Høiner and Viktoria Winge, who plays Kari, is truly mesmerizing. You can see that they're young, though, and aren't yet that experienced. But it's just that which also gives the film its freshness and makes it so alive. You can see that both actors and the director are still a bit new to this, because of their fresh acting and the daring choices Trier has made with this film. Reprise really is a beautiful film on many levels. Some might not get it and will probably not understand my love for it. But if you love cinema and are very open to things that are a bit different, you will probably appreciate as much as I did.

Antwone Fisher

Denzel Washington's first attempt at directing has led to a beautiful, touching film that, even though it could have, never becomes too over-dramatic, which partly has to do with the very impressive acting debut of actor Derek Luke in his first ever feature film. Slowly unravelling his character's inner state, Luke shows his character's struggle beautifully. There's much character development. As you watch the film you come to learn more about Fisher and get to know him better. Because of Luke's portrayal, as a viewer you really want to come to understand him. You want to know what goes on inside that head of his and causes all his hurt. When he finally speaks, you really come to know of the harm that has been done to him over the years. You then understand why he has built this wall around him that was so difficult to break through. Completely holding his own next to Washington, Luke gives a great performance. Washington really gives him space to evolve and show what he's capable of. Because this freedom he gets to get the best out of his character and dig deep. Being an actor himself, Washington knows how to get a good performance out of an actor. By giving a strong performance himself, in his acting, his responses, he gives Luke things he can really work with. Washington could have easily made a film in which he would have played the lead himself, but instead he puts himself in a supporting role and let's an actor, who at the time the movie came out was completely unknown, shine. He made the decision to give new talent a chance. Everyone already knows Washington can act, he no longer has to proof himself. And with the role of Antwon Fisher Luke gets the perfect chance to show all his potential and he puts it into full use. Told by a couple of flashbacks, like the one the film starts off with and which will later on come to really show its meaning, the film has a very nice pace. It never becomes boring, due partly because of the powerful scenes and interesting characters. Joy Bryant who's not only blessed with a beautiful appearance, but also a lot of talent, plays Fisher's love interest, Cheryl Smolley. Giving a subtle performance, her acting stays very real and natural. The words coming from her lips are spoken as if they are completely her own and the love story between her and Fisher never feels forced, but really is believable, convincing. Antwon Fisher is a very positive, uplifting film with its heart at the right place. It's a story of hope and faith in better things to come, which never gets too sweet, but stays very interesting and engaging.

What is it about?

Antwone Fisher, a young man in the navy, has a dark past he has never told anyone about and which has made him to be very to himself. When one day he gets into a fight with a guy who's also in the navy he has to meet with a psychiatrist. At first Fisher is reluctant and refuses to speak. To him coming to a psychiatrist seems like a total waste of his time. Little does he know, though, that his psychiatrits, Dr. Jerome Davenport, has already much experience with young navy guys like Fisher and knows exactly what to do, or better say what not to do, to get them to speak. After many hours of silence, Fisher breaks the mold and lets his first secret, of not having parents, out. From then on he comes by every week and little by little he unravels his past. Fisher and Davenport soon form a strong bond of trust. However, to really have piece with the harm that has been done to him in the past, Fisher has not only to fight these demons, but pay them a visit, just so he can move on with his life. But the question is, is he strong enough and willing to confront them once again? Fortunately Fisher who has always felt alone no longer is, since he has come to find not only a friend in Dr. Davenport, but also a love in Cheryl, a sweet, honest young woman who, like Fisher, also works for the navy.

Final Verdict: ****

Though the story isn't very original it is told very well. The story is actually all about Fisher, hence the title. As a viewer you watch him process all the suffering that has been done to him over the years. And then when he finally has let it all out and has found trust in Dr. Davenport, it's time to close it off and move on, which only can be done by meeting his caretaker Ms. Tate, who might know something about his parents. There's not much more to it. Still the movie is very interesting and engaging, which is mostly the cause of the strong and powerful acting. Because of the strong acting you come to care for Fisher enough to be rooting for him and hoping he'll find some information about his parents. In one scene in particular you really come to see why Dr. Davenport comes to love Fisher so much. A poem Antwone has written, which really shows Fisher's softer side, sums up all he is and all he has been gone through. Judging by the way he walks and his appearance you might have thought Fisher is that typical tough guy who eventually ends up in trouble. But like he himself at one moment tells he is a good man who never got in trouble with the law and even speaks two languages and has started learning his third. Fisher is an inspiration and even though it's still a film, which means that though it's based on Fisher's autobiography, it's still played by actors, you really feel you're watching someone special. And even if you had never heard about Antwone Fisher, after watching the film, I;m sure you'll agree that this guy truly is worthy of his own movie. With Antwone Fisher Denzel Washington has done a great job directing and I'm already looking forward to The Great Debaters which will be his second film as a director.