Fados

Fados is filmmaker Carlos Saura's latest film. It follows in the tradition og Flamenco and Tango. I never heard of Fados before this film so it was something of a learning experience.

Fados is a form of Portugues blues music. There are different types of songs that are sung and, in the film at least, many are accompanied by dancers. From what I've read, the performers in the film come from Portugal, Spain, Africa, Brazil and Mexico.

The music is wonderful and the film is beautiful to look at. It is a real sensual experience. However, there is absolutely no dialog in the film. I would have liked it if Saura had interviewed some of the performers. That said, I really enjoyed the film. However, someone I know (who loves foreign films and likes documentaries) walked out of the film. She didn't like the way it was presented. But for those of you who want to just want to listen to great music and see something lovely then this film is for you.

DVD Mini Review - Cadillac Records

Cadiillac Records is an entertaining journey to the past. It is the story of how Leonard Chess (Adrien Brody) founded Cadillac/Chess records in the late 1940s/early 1950s.

Chess had an ear for music and he particularly liked what was then known as "race" music. But he stood his ground and signed such noted African American artists as Muddy Waters (Jeffrey Wright), Chuck Berry (Mos Def), Etta James (Beyonce Knowles), Little Walter (Columbus Short), Howling Wolf (Eamonn Walker) and Willie Dixon (Cedric the Entertainer). There are probably many more but this film is not a documentary and must be lots of things left out. Still and all Darnell Martin did a good job of directing this film and it is good that people find out more about these wonderful singers.

Besides showing us how these singers hooked up with Chess the film also goes into how hard it was back then because of segregation. There was a scene at a Berry concert where the blacks and whites in the audience are separated by a thin divider which gets torn down. With Obama in the White House it is hard to imagine that this was the norm back then. But it really was.

Some people complain that this film is not accurate. That might be so. But it is based on fact and it is not a documentary. I enjoyed the film for what it was and recommend it to those who love this type of music. The music and some fine performances make this a film worth looking at.

Hunger (MOD)

Hunger is the feature film debut of visual artist Steve McQueen. And what a debut it is. The film is set in 1981. The story takes place, for the most part, in the infamous Maze prison in Northern Ireland.

The beginning of the film deals with a new prisoner who is thrown into a cell with another IRA prisoner. They are covered with blankets becasue they refust to wear the prison uniforms. We move onto Bobby Sands (Michael Fassbender), who like all of the other IRA prisoners wants his status changed from crimals prisoner to political prisoner. After he makes the decision to launch (another) hunber strike he calls for a meeting with the prison priest (Liam Cunningham) to explain to him what will happen and to ask for forgiveness. And the last part of the film deals with Sands' starvation and death.

McQueen wrote the screenplay with Enda Walsh. Both the direction and writing are fantastic. Fassbender is marvelous as Sands. And Cunningham is great as the priest.

McQueen has a lot of cajones for making this film feel so real. I actually felt that I was in the Maze. But be warned - this film is hard to watch. It is not for the squeamish. It is beyond brutal. But it is also brilliant. Steve McQueen is a new talent to watch. And Fassbender is also someone to keep an eye on.

So, yes, I highly recommend this film. But just be prepared to cringe or look away from the screen every so often. I can only tell you that I watched the film at home and I was exhausted. Do I want to see this film again? Probably not. It took too much out of me. But if you love world cinema and don't mind some brutal things then this film is for you.

Edit: I should say that although the story here takes place in 1981 it is still relevant today. And very much so. How we treat prisoners reflects on our humanity and as we have seen in the last few years in such places as Guantanamo we have a lot to learn in this area.

Everlasting Moments

Everlasting Moments is the latest film from Jan Troell (The New World, The Emigrants, Hamsun) and it is a beauty. It was on the Academy's short list but did not make the list of five films nominated for best foreign film (although it got a Golden Globes nomination). After seeing it I cannot understand why this film was left off of the final list.

The story takes place in the early 1900s in Sweden. Maria Larsson (Maria Heiskanen) is a wife and mother. It is hard for her to make ends meet. Her husband Sigfrid (Mikael Persbrandt) works but sometimes spends too much money on alcohol and is frequently. Maria takes in sewing but that is not enough. She finds a camera that Sigfrid won before they were married and decides to sell it. When she goes to the photo studio in town she meets the owner Sebastian Pedersen (Jesper Christensen) who convinces her to keep the camera. Maria has an eye for seeing things and becomes quite an accomplished photographer. But things are rough, especially where it concerns her relationship with Sigfrid. And that is all I will tell you about the plot.

The story is told through the eyes of Maria's daughter Maja (Callin Ohrvall). The cinematography by Mischa Gavrjusjov (Troell is also listed in this capacity) is just amazing. And after all of this time Troell proves that he is still a master. All of the acting is excellent and Heiskanen really shines. She doesn't even have to speak because her face says it all.

Everlasting Moments is old fashioned in a good way. It takes its time to tell the story. And it is so true to life. If you are looking for lots of action then this is not a film for you. But if you want to see a real art film - a true gem then you must see this film. I think it is best to see it on the big screen but if it is not playing near you then see it on video on demand or on DVD when it comes out. Everyone I spoke to after the film loved it and I hope that you will too.

DVD Mini Review - Ironman

Just a few words about the blockbuster superhero movie Ironman. This is not a genre that I particularly like. But if a movie has gotten great reviews and has some really good actors in it then I will take the time to see it.

Ironman is very well done and it one of the better superhero movies I have seen. Director Jon Favreau does a good job of making the comic book characters come to life. The wonderful Robert Downey, Jr. plays millionaire playboy and inventor Tony Stark. Stark is the manufacturer of weapons of mass destruction. He couldn't care less about the havoc his product reaps. But one day, during a visit to the Middle East, Stark is kidnapped and threatened by some extremists. They want him to build them a deadly missle that will kill many. While working away Tony finds some iron and builds himself a suit. He decides to use this new vehicle for fighting evil. And he decides that he will not longer manufacture those evil weapons.

Along the way Stark butts heads with his partner Odidiah (the great Jeff Bridges) who worked with Tony's father and is in favor of the weapons. Terrence Howard plays his buddy Rhodey and Gwyneth Paltrow plays his assistant Pepper Potts.

Yes, Ironman is predictable. But it is fun to watch. And I liked the fact that Tony changed his beliefs and ways. Do check this one out. It worked very well for me as a DVD. And at a little over two hours it is compact. So if you are in the mood for a good superhero movie Ironman is one of the films you should see.

12

Last week I saw Katyn, which was nominated for a best foreign film Oscar last year. And yesterday I saw 12, which was also nominated for the same Oscar last year. Both films are terrific and it is a shame that they are first getting released now. But I guess that is how it is in this world of superheroes, remakes and sequels.

12 is based on the Reginald Rose classic 12 Angry Men (directed by Sidney Lumet). And while it uses that films as a bases for its story it is very different. It is very relevant the way the Russian justice system works. It is political and very much a morality tale.

The film is directed by Nikita Mikhalkov who directed the Oscar winning Burnt by the Sun in the 90s. Mikhalkov also is a cast member of the film. He plays the jury forman. In addition, he co-wrote the screenplay with Vladimir Moiseyenko and Alexander Novototsky. His direction is outstanding. He moves back and forth between the jury and the events that led up to the murder. He also lets us see the accused and understand where he is coming from.

The acting is amazing. IMDB listed the actors but not the roles they play. So I do not know who played what role. But some of the wonderful actors in the film are Sergei Makovetsky, Sergey Garmash, Aleksei Petrenko, Yuriy Stoyanov and Sergei Gazarov. I hope to eventually have a list of who played which juror.

Although 12 is somewhat based on 12 Angry Men it is not a remake. Both films stand alone and anyone who says that this is a remake has not seen the film. There is so much to ponder about in this film that I think a second viewing is in order. When 12comes out on DVD I would like to see 12 Angry Men again and then within a few days of that see my second viewing of this film.

In the meantime, if this film is playing in your city try to see it. It will only be in limited release. Otherwise make sure you put is on your DVD list. If you love intelligent cinema (as I do) you will love this film.

DVD Mini Review - Let the Right One In

Let the Right One In is a most unusual film. It takes place in a suburb of Stockholm, Sweden in the dead of winter. It always seems to be snowing and that fits the film perfectly.

Director Tomas Alfredson has created a film that is both intrigueing and fun. It is based on a book by John Ajvide Lindquvist. Twelve year old Oskar (Kane Hedebrant) is bullied by several of the boys at his school. He lives with his mother and visits his father some weekends (they are divorced). He has no friends but has a vivid inner life. He is obsessed with murders and has a lot of anger inside of him. One day he sees new people move into his building - a father and daughter. Or so it appears to be. One evening he meets the girl - Eli (Lina Leandersson) and they eventually become very close. She helps him with his bully problem. But she is no ordinary girl - she is a vampire.

I won't say more about the plot. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this film. Yes, it is a bit gory. But so what?! That is the way vampire films are supposed to be. And this one looks very good. Oh, and I should mention that the two young actors are terrific.

Some film critics groups said that this was the best foreign film of 2008. I certainly disagree with that statement. But Let the Right One In is an original take on the horror genre and I highly recommend it to those of you who might enjoy this type of film.

Katyn

Andrzej Wajda's film Katyn is brilliant, beautiful and brutal. And it is based on facts that many people are not aware of.

Back in 1940 some 15,000 to 20,000 Polish soldiers were killed by the Soviet army in the Katyn forest. Many of these men were intellectuals, doctors, lawyers, etc. This was done under the orders of Stalin who thought that these were the people who would opposed his brand of Communism (which was as bad as the Fascism he was fighting). But the Russians wanted to pin the blame on the Germans and were successful for a time. But there were many who knew the truth all along.

There are several threads and stories in the film. One is about a woman named Anna (Maja Ostaszewska) who is waiting for her husband Andrzej (Artur Zmijewski). What is most heartbreaking is the way their young daughter is waiting for her father. There are a number of other examples of people who knew the truth and were not afraid to say so. Besides being a great history lesson the film also plays out as a thriller. The two hours goes by very quickly.

Wajda does an amazing job of bringing this story alive. And it is no wonder - his father was one of those murdered. He has been waiting a long time to tell this tale.
The acting by everyone is very good. And Pawel Edelman's cinematography is stunning.

After decades of hiding the truth, Mikhail Gorbachev admitted that his nation was responsible for these atrocities.

Katyn was nominated for a foreign film Oscar last year and it certainly deserved it. It is now in limited release in the US. If you can't find it in your local cinema make sure that you rent it. It is not only an important film but a masterful one as well.

DVD Mini Review - Ordet

After seeing Silent Light I wanted to see Carl Theodor Dreyer's film Ordet. The former has been compared with the latter and I was curious.

Ordet takes place in 1925. It has an old fashioned feel to it. Morten Borgen (Henrik Malberg) has a farm and runs it with his three sons. However, his son Johannes (Preben Lardorff Rye), has gone mad from too much religious study. Then there is his eldest son Mikkel (Emil Haas Christensen) who is happily married, a father and a father to be. But unlike his father, who is a man of faith, Mikkel is a non-believer. And last we have young Anders (Cay Kristiansen) who is in love with a woman that he might not be able to marry. Why is that? Well, her family practices a different kind of Christianity than his family.

This is a very well directed film. The cinematography is beautiful. And all of the acting is fine. And the plot - it is all about faith - having it and not having it. And it certainly shows what too much religion can do. I guess you can say that in the end you either believe it or you don't. But it doesn't matter if you are devout or an atheist. If you love good cinema you should see this film.

My Best of 2008

It is time for me to list my favorite films, actors, directors, etc. of 2008. Although not quite as good as 2007, there were many good to great films in 2008. My first few on a list will be in order and then I will just list the rest of what were my favorites regardless of order. And there will be some films that I liked that are not on my list because then it would be endless. I am also putting lead and supporting actors/actresses in the same category in order to save time.

Best Films

Waltz with Bashir
The Edge of Heaven
The Wrestler
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
I've Loved You So Long
Wendy & Lucy
Milk
In Bruges
Tell No One
The Visitor

The Counterfeiters
XXY
Young at Heart
Roman De Gare
Encounters at the End of the World
Man on Wire
Irina Palm
Elsa & Fred
Elegy
Burn After Reading
August Evening
Religulous
Boy A
Body of War
Changeling
A Christmas Tale
The Secrets
Up the Yangtze
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Doubt
The Reader
Frost/Nixon
Silent Light
Revolutionary Road
Let the Right One In
Alexandra

Best Actor

Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler
Sean Penn - Milk
Richard Jenkins - The Visitor and Burn After Reading
Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon
Michael Sheen - Frost/Nixon
Javier Bardem - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Josh Brolin - Milk and W.
James Franco - Milk
Ralph Fiennes - In Bruges, The Duchess, The Reader (not even a nomination?!)
Brendan Gleeson - In Bruges
Colin Farrell - In Bruges
Benicio Del Toro - Che
Karl Markovics - The Counterfeiters
Chris Cooper - Married Life
David Strathairn - My Blueberry Nights
Ricardo Darin - XXY
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
Aaron Eckhart - The Dark Knight
Manuel Alexandre - Elsa & Fred
Ben Kingsley - Elegy
Dennis Hopper - Elegy
Mathieu Amalric - A Secret and A Christmas Tale
Pedro Castaneda - August Evening
Andrew Garfield - Boy A
Peter Mullan - Boy A
Bill Irwin - Rachel Getting Married
Eddie Marsan - Happy Go Lucky
Brad Pitt - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Burn After Reading
George Clooney - Burn After Reading
John Malkovich - Burn After Reading
Jared Harris - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
David Kross - The Reader
Clint Eastwood - Gran Torino
Michael Shannon - Revolutionary Road

Best Actress

Kristin Scott Thomas - I've Loved You So Long and Tell No One (for shame, for shame)
Michelle Williams - Wendy & Lucy
Melissa Leo - Frozen River
Kate Winslet - The Reader and Revolutionary Road
Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Elegy
Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler
Patricia Clarkson - Married Life and Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Rebecca Hall - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Frances McDormand - Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day and Burn After Reading
Natalie Portman - My Blueberry Nights
Elsa Zylberstein - I've Loved You So Long
Hiam Abbass - The Visitor
Ines Efron - XXY
Hann Schygulla - The Edge of Heaven
Galina Vishnevskaya - Alexandra
Julianne Moore - Savage Grace and Blindness
Emma Thompson - Brideshead Revisited and Last Chance Harvey
Marianne Faithful - Irina Palm
China Zorilla - Elsa & Fred
Tilda Swinton - Burn After Reading and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Cate Blanchett - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Taraji P. Henson - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Charlotte Rampling - The Duchess
Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
Rosemarie DeWitt - Rachel Getting Married
Debra Winger - Rachel Getting Married
Sally Hawkins - Happy Go Lucky
Angelina Jolie - Changeling
Catherine Deneuve - A Christmas Tale
Vera Famiga - The Boy in the Striped Pajamas and Nothing But the Truth
Meryl Streep - Doubt
Amy Adams - Doubt
Viola Davis - Doubt

Best Director

Ari Folman - Waltz with Bashir
Fatih Akin - The Edge of Heaven
Darren Aronofsky - The Wrestler
Woody Allen - Vicky Cristina Barcelona

All the directors of my other favorite films were also great but I just don't want to list them all. It is too time consuming. I will say that although I thought that Slumdog Millionaire was a good but overrated film I have the highest praise for director Danny Boyle. He did a terrific job of bringing the film to life.

Best Writer - I am only listing a few of the ones that I really liked because of time limits.

Ari Folman - Waltz with Bashir
Fatih Akin - The Edge of Heaven
Robert D. Siegel - The Wrestler
Woody Allen - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Martin McDonagh - In Bruges

And, finally, the Woody award. This year the big award goes to the wonderful, dog loving Mickey Rourke. His performance was the best in all of the acting categories.
As Ben Kingsley said at the Oscars "welcome back Champ"