(9431,1666,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1186654020,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Andr Tchin Loin (France-Spa / 2001)','[OP 06/19/06 - French Cinema journal]\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nLoin, the remarkable and engrossing 14th feature from Andr Tchin, showcases the French filmmakers penchant for exploring the inherent class, identity and sexual politics with lan. Unfolding over a 3-day span, the film primarily dealing with characters who, no matter how hard they try to make a connection with a person or a place, are destined to be alone. Serge (Stphane Rideau) is a stoic French truck driver who shuttles between France and Northern Africa for a clothing manufacturer. Early on in the film, he reluctantly accepts an offer to smuggle drugs into Europe on his way back from Morocco. But once in Tangiers, his thought process shifts toward an old flame, Sara (Lubna Azabal), a young Jewish woman who runs a hotel there. We learn that their relationship had suffered previously due to Saras now deceased mother, but she still feels the hurt. To resolve this matter, Serge seeks the help of Saras family friend, Sad (Mohamed Hamadi), who works at the hotel but has dreams of starting a new life across the border in Spain. Hes very protective of his employer and perhaps holds some feelings for her as well, though is keenly aware of his limitations due to the differences between them.\r\n\r\nBrilliantly Shot on digital-video, mostly in a documentary-like fashion in Tangiers labyrinthine streets, the film presents a city which, much like our protagonists, is no longer aware of itself and its roots. It may have left them in order to modernize, though it hasnt yet transformed into a modern-day Cairo or a Casablanca. And even the film\'s important secondary characters (intricately weaved in by the screenplay which Tchin co-wrote) who populate the city are caught in this push-pull dynamics: Saras sister-in-law arrives from Montreal to persuade her to leave Tangiers; Saras defiant pregnant friend whose love for the city hasnt wavered after the death of her husband; an American ex-pat whos unhappy with the citys current state. \r\n\r\nTchin only further accentuates the transitory nature of everyone\'s lives through his visual panache, whether it\'s by catching a patch of clouds being reflected on a windshield or focusing on a imperceptible shadow on the ground. And these were about the same grounds that once haunted the summer of 1962 in the director\'s most acclaimed effort thus far, Wild Reeds (1994). In that film, the young Franois was played by Gal Morel, someone Tchin has brought back to revitalize the character, now a struggling filmmaker. \"You sense the fragility of life in that film,\" which is what Franois remarks about Renoirs The River (1951), the masterwork Tchin finds a way to pay an homage to while keeping his characters in a perfect imbalance: a snake slithers toward Serge and Sara in the outback, and then disappears, as if realizing that these two are already aware of their fate -- in other words, they dont deserve to be bit.\r\n\r\nGrade: A-\r\n______________________\r\n\r\n*LOIN had its international premiere at the 2001 Venice Film Festival (in-competition).','3da71f64d8e4236a5b8b2cc8fee860ba',0,'','KoUD6ahe',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9432,1667,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1160513280,1,0,1,1,1,1,'howardschumann(d)','Ten Canoes, a trip to dreamtime','Seen at the Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF)\r\nTEN CANOES \r\n\r\nDirected by Rolf de Heer (2006)\r\n\r\nFor the Australian Aborigines who are said to date back 65,000 years, the ancestor spirits are still alive. They are a part of an Aborigine\'s \"dreaming\" and come to life in the stories indigenous Australians have told through the ages. Playfully narrated by Australian icon David Gulpilil, Ten Canoes, directed by Rolf de Heer (The Tracker) and Peter Djigirr, tells a dreaming story that acts as a lesson for a young man in the tribe who feels that the youngest wife of his older brother should be his. The story has elements of kidnapping, sorcery, and revenge but is mostly about values: how a community living in a natural environment before the coming of the White man developed laws and systems to guide its people. The cast consists of indigenous residents of the Arafura region and many of the visuals recreate the photographs of Donald Thompson, a Melbourne anthropology professor who spent time in the 1930s with the Yolngu people of the Arafura Swamp. \r\n\r\nSet a thousand years ago in central Arnhem Land near the Arafura Swamp in northern Australia, east of Darwin, a group of Ganalbingu tribesmen embark on a hunt for magpie geese, a wild bird used to sustain the tribe. To navigate the crocodile-infested swamp, elder Minygululu (Peter Minygululu) leads the tribe in building canoes made out of bark. When he discovers that Dayindi (played by Gulpilil\'s son, Jamie) has a crush on his third wife, he tells him a story set in a mythical time after the great flood that explains how his people developed laws to govern their behavior, the same laws used by the tribes today. To distinguish between the past and the \"present\", De Heer uses muted color to show the ancient landscape and black and white for the more modern story. \r\n\r\nIn the beginning, Ridjimiraril (Crusoe Kurddal) lives with his three wives, Banalandju, Nowalingu (Frances Djulibing), and Munandjarra in a camp with others, including Birrinbirrin (Richard Birrinbirrin), an overweight elder whose sole pleasure in life is to eat honey. Ridjimirarils younger brother, Yeeralparil (Jamie), who lives in the single men\'s camp, fancies the beautiful Munandjarra and spends much time stealing visits to the other camp, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. When a stranger approaches without warning, the men are frightened, especially when he tells them that he wants to trade objects of magic. \r\n\r\nThe local sorcerer warns the men of danger but life proceeds normally until the jealous Nowalingu disappears after a fight with Banalandju. Though the others believe that she simply ran away, Ridjimiraril is convinced that she was abducted by the stranger and receives confirmation for his fear when an old uncle appears and says that he saw his wife in a camp with the stranger. The men are galvanized into action and a war party is prepared. Through myth and illuminating visuals, Ten Canoes generates a greater awareness and understanding of indigenous Australian culture and acts as an impressive counterweight to the argument that Aborigines should give up their past and join the modern world. That the film is entertaining and deeply moving as well as informative is a very welcome bonus indeed.\r\n. \r\nGRADE: A','0e53363301d89e30cc56d1f68fdc35f2',0,'','NuRfGB8L',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9433,1667,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1160553300,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: Ten Canoes, a trip to dreamtime','\r\nJust for the info of those who are not aware\r\nthis film is submitted by Australia for Oscar 2007 !','ef54c4dfbc52f6e63e11a7f18d66d986',0,'','3ZhDAuKl',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9434,1667,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1177156560,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: Ten Canoes, a trip to dreamtime','Posted by Justin (4/20/07 6:20 am)\r\n\r\nTen Canoes\r\n\r\nAustralias 2007 Oscar entry is a wry gem of a film that translates our contemporary values schema into a morality play set a thousand years ago in an indigenous tribe settlement somewhere near the Arafura Swamp in Australias Northern Territory. Iconic Aborigine actor David Gulpilil (of Walkabout and The Last Wave fame) eloquently and drolly orates the films triple narrative of native Australian lore that concerns itself with coveting, revenge, sorcery and even a dash of penis envy. Remarkable in its scope and mesmerising in its photography, director Rolf de Heers idiosyncratic fascination with the interaction of human nature against nature is condensed into a simple but effective lesson of history repeating itself. Possibly venturing to rail against critics of the noble savagery belonging to the Aborigines, Ten Canoes allow us the positive enlightenment that comes from observing a different and alien culture operate on levels familiar to us.\r\n\r\nRating: 4 out of 5','6d4ab33d0e75e1bfe439c0d01ddf241b',0,'','9V08es2c',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9435,1667,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1177156620,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: Ten Canoes, a trip to dreamtime','I will be watching tomorrow','77ac0557a6345608b49e38f57f5e540f',0,'','j19Xayxn',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9436,1667,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1186618260,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Ten Canoes, a trip to dreamtime','Saw Ten Canoes today and must add my two bob\'s worth to the other positive comments.\r\n\r\nSlow paced and beautifully filmed this is a must see, not only for the tale but to delve into a culture and way of thinking and life that is very different to our norm and one that is fast disappearing.\r\n\r\nDavid Gulpilil\'s narrative is informative and at times very amusing as the film flits from the past to distant past relaying a simple tale of morality but one that also introduces the aboriginal culture and laws to the viewer. \r\n\r\nFor anyone who has or is thinking about seeing Ten Canoes, I can heartily recommend watching the behind the scenes documentary The Balanda and the Bark Canoes, this film offers terrific background info and an insight that really adds to the overall film experience.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','3c2748fcf10c54d4c61d8fbd3b43cfdd',0,'','ZB3kT6xe',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9437,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1118783700,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Japanese Journals - General','Japanese Journals\r\n\r\nBecause of the large number of films they will be split into several sections. \r\n\r\nClick on the name to be taken straight to the thread.\r\n\r\n1. General \r\n\r\n2. Kurosawa, Ozu & Mizoguchi - The Classics \r\n\r\n3. Kitano, Tsukamoto & Miike - The Modern Cult Directors \r\n\r\n4. Anime \r\n\r\n5. Horror & Ghost Stories \r\n\r\n6. Jidaigeki (Chambara) \r\n\r\nThere may need to be further splits but theyll be announced when necessary.\r\n\r\nGeneral\r\n\r\nAll types of films, many different directors, classic and modern, if they dont fit in any other category theyll fit in here.\r\n\r\nPlease feel free to add your own comments, reviews, criticisms to this thread.\r\n\r\nINDEX in alphabetical order.\r\n\r\nAfter Life Essay on film and director by A.\r\n\r\nAll About Lily Chou-Chou - 2001 comments by arsaib4\r\n\r\nThe Anti-Extortion Woman - 1992 Thread started by justindeimen \r\n\r\nApril Story - 1998 Thread started by nate\r\n\r\nBattle Royale - 2000 review by Howard Schumann.\r\n\r\nBe With You - 2004 comments by hengcs.\r\n\r\nBlood and Bones - 2005 review by hengcs\r\n\r\nBright Future - 2003 comments by arsaib4.\r\n\r\nThe Buried Forest - 2005 \r\n\r\nCrazed Fruit - 1956 comments by wpqx\r\n\r\nCrying Out Love in the Center of the World - 2004\r\n\r\nDeath by Hanging - 1968 comments by wpqx\r\n\r\nDemon - 1985\r\n\r\nDistance - 2001\r\n\r\nDog Star - 2002\r\n\r\nDoppelganger - 2003 comments by arsaib4\r\n\r\nThe Duel Project. 2LDK - Aragami - 2002/03\r\n\r\nThe Eel - 1997\r\n\r\nElectric Dragon 80.000 V - 2001\r\n\r\nEli, Eli, Lema Sabachthani? - 2005 comments by arsaib4\r\n\r\nEureka - 2000\r\n\r\nGate of Flesh - 1964\r\n\r\nGodzilla - 1954\r\n\r\nHeaven\'s Bookstore - 2004\r\n\r\nInugami - 2001\r\n\r\nLaundry - 2002\r\n\r\nMaborosi - 1995\r\n\r\nMike Yokohama: A forest with no name - 2002 comments by arsaib4\r\n\r\nThe Naked Island - 1960Thread started by A.\r\n\r\nNight and Fog in Japan - 1960 comments by wpqx\r\n\r\nPeep \"TV\" Show - 2004 comments by arsaib4\r\n\r\nPing Pong - 2002\r\n\r\nPrincess Raccoon - 2005\r\n\r\nPulse (Kairo) - 2001 comments by arsaib4 \r\n\r\nShall we Dansu - 1996\r\n\r\nShark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl - 1998\r\n\r\nSpace Travelers - 2000\r\n\r\nSurvive  Style  5 - 2004\r\n\r\nTony Takitani - 2004 Thread started by Howard Schumann\r\n\r\nTrain Man - 2005 comments by hengcs.\r\n\r\nUnderworld Beauty - 1958 comments by wpqx\r\n\r\nVibrator - 2003\r\n\r\nVillage of Doom - 1983\r\n\r\nWrithing Tongue - 1980\r\n\r\n\r\nStill to come list\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','ae5d6ce023446af36845cea75b65255e',0,'','hWZrgLc3',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9438,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1118783820,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Laundry (2002)\r\n\r\nDirected by Junichi Mori\r\n\r\nStarring Ysuke Kubozuka, Koyuki\r\n\r\nAn oddball romance, not the storyline which is quite slowpaced and heart warming but the actual characters, Teru is a young guy whos a bit slow following an accident as a child. Mizue has become unstable since the break up of a relationship, at times she shoplifts but doesnt seem able to control herself.\r\n\r\nTerus job involves him ensuring nobody steals anything from his Grandmothers laundry, although this is obviously just to keep him active and out of trouble, he meets Mizue when she leaves some clothing in the tumble drier and he returns it to her. The film is full of lucky coincidences and fairly nice people and apart from the odd moments of unhappiness and bad luck, this oddball pair manage to keep things together. \r\n\r\nYou will probably recognise Koyuki as the woman who provided the romantic interest to Tom Cruise in Last Samurai, distinctive and beautiful..\r\n\r\nA genuinly nice entertaining romance, recommended for a romantic evening.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.\r\n\r\nBBFC rating none at present though 12 at the most.\r\n\r\nRegion 3 ntsc DVD available from several retailers.','ff0114d20899deea1a82abf32cb2d90f',0,'','Bj9uWnzw',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9439,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1118804340,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Sekai no chshin de, ai wo sakebu (2004) Crying Out Love in the Center of the World\r\n\r\nDirected by Isao Yukisada\r\n\r\nStarring Takao Osawa, Kou Shibasaki, Masami Nagasawa, Mirai Moriyama\r\n\r\nSentimental , melodramatic, romance tinged with guilt, loss, and painful memories. The story flits between the present and the past connected by the weather, a typhoon brings back memories of lost love painfully stolen by a tragic untimely death caused by leukemia or atom bomb disease as its known in Japan.\r\n\r\nThis is a very well constructed film, with the time flips and little clues it comes across like a whodunit, it reflects on the joys and the silly mistakes we all make especially when we are young and still trying to work out who we are. The story is redemptive, one person is able to unburden their guilt while another can move on with their life, not forgetting but not living on past regrets.\r\n\r\nA tear jerker that has a running time of over two hours, normally this would instantly turn me off but I have to admit, it worked, the story hooked me and Ill even admit to having a tear in my eye. It was the most successful non-animated film released in Japan in 2004.\r\n\r\nHighly recommended for the story, the editing and the scenery.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev\r\n\r\nNo BBFC rating yet but 12 at the most. \r\n\r\nRegion 3 ntsc DVD available from several retailers.','16c489aba868acedab0f8cd57ac16d96',0,'','C0rHe3Dq',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9440,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1118804760,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Japanese Journals - General','My somewhat conflicted comments on All About Lily Chou-Chou \r\n\r\nAn oblique coming-of-age film from Japanese director Shunji Iwai, All About Lily Chou-Chou tracks its quiet young protagonist named Yuichi (Hayato Ichihara) over a 3-year span. His life changes quite a bit during that time but nothing takes away from his love of Lily, a pop-star through whom Yuichi seems to find his own voice. Lily is never seen in the film but her presence is prevalent throughout in a message board which constantly updates at the bottom of the screen and it becomes apparent that all the participants wake-up and go-to-sleep with Lily on their minds. Yuichi\'s best friend, Hoshino (Shugo Oshinari), also grows up alongside Yuichi but from a shy young boy he ends up becoming a violent pimp. Many of their activities shown have the brutality of a Larry Clark film but none of its paranoia. No doubt that the film is a visceral experience but it only engages your mind intermittently. Awai is a commercial filmmaker with a background in music-videos and he certainly doesn\'t mind showing off his skills, but one wishes that he wouldve paid more attention to the subject matter at hand. Awai\'s showcasing of the pop-culture phenomenon which has invaded Japan is certainly honorable. Japan continues to have one of the highest suicide rate among teens and theres an honest enough attempt here to capture the alienation and the residual affects of modernization but it remains a modish effort; however, Awais use of DV is one of the best I\'ve ever seen. \r\n\r\nedited by admin \r\nclick \r\nhttp://foreignfilms.yuku.com/topic/914','7a64ee401f992e4b79980905dddd8ac6',0,'','iSTH0W1m',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9441,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1118845260,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - General','The Duel Project.\r\n\r\nAfter the completion of their sections for Jam Films, a compilation of short films by some of Japans newer directors, Shinya Kawai the producer, challenged Yukihiko Tsutsumi and Ryuhei Kitamura, to each create a feature length movie with only two actors, one location and filmed entirely in one week. \r\n\r\nThe Duel Project, as it became known turned into a competition with audiences in Japan voting for their favourite. The films, 2LDK by Yukihiko Tsutsumi and Aragami from Ryuhei Kitamura were the result.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n2LDK (2002)\r\n\r\nDirected by Yukihiko Tsutsumi\r\n\r\nStarring Maho Nonami, Eiko Koike\r\n\r\nA black comedy about two aspiring actresses sharing a flat, the 2LDK of the title, 2Bedrooms, Living room, Dining room and Kitchen. Both have been told that they are up for the lead role in a film, obviously they both see this as their big break, the last thing either want is to be rejected in favour of their flatmate. \r\n\r\nAfter a slow build up of increasingly bitchy remarks all hell breaks loose, cleaning products, food in-fact anything available to hand becomes a weapon, even a chainsaw. Fanciful but humorous and entertaining, in my mind the better of the two films and the actresses performances were terrific, they really threw themselves into the roles.\r\n\r\nIf you like black comedy you will really enjoy this.\r\n\r\nBBFC rating none yet, maybe 15 but probably 18 \r\n\r\n\r\nAragami (2003)\r\n\r\nDirected by Ryuhei Kitamura\r\n\r\nStarring Takao Osawa, Masaya Kato \r\n\r\nAlthough in form it could be classed as a Jidaigeki, this is listed here because it is part of a project. Aragami is a mountain dwelling demon with a human form, waiting for the warrior that will end its existence and take its place. \r\n\r\nTwo badly wounded Samurai enter its lair, two days later only one of them is alive and has recovered well from his injuries, his saviour who unknown to him is the Aragami challenges him to a duel slowly revealing who or what he is.\r\n\r\nThe rest of the film is basically one long fight but it is directed with style, flair and imagination, blades spark against each other in the darkness interspersed with sometimes witty often meaningless dialogue, if you enjoyed Azumi and Versus you will definitely enjoy this.\r\n\r\nI found this the weaker of the two films, more style than substance, it actually came top in the voting in Japan but that could be because the films were shown at sci-fi and manga conventions. \r\n\r\nBBFC rating none yet, probably 15\r\n\r\nCheers Trev\r\n\r\nAvailable on Region 1 & 3 DVD, soon available on Region 2 from Tartan video.','3130a7b537084d7fb456e8ef90c5ab90',0,'','eoUdwZth',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9442,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1118877420,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Supsutoraberzu (2000) Space Travelers\r\n\r\nDirected by Katsuyuki Motohiro\r\n\r\nStarring Takeshi Kaneshiro, Ken Watanabe, Eri Fukatsu\r\n\r\nNot a sci-fi film as the title might suggest, this is a film about an attempted bank robbery by three friends who have known each other since they met in an orphanage. Things do not proceed as planned and the robbers hole up in the bank with some of the staff and a few customers while the police surround it with a blockade believing that one of their men has been killed.\r\n\r\nSounds pretty heavy, but for the most part it isnt, after a while you get swept along with the story, the robbers and their captive audience treat the occasion almost as a game, adopting character names from an anime series (the Space Travelers of the title) and behaving as if they were them. \r\n\r\nEmotionally its a great ride and quite a comical (though not comedy) story that suddenly stops you dead in your tracks but any more information would spoil the film!\r\n\r\nThe end of the siege is highly reminiscent of a certain well known western, Im sure you wont need to be told which one!\r\n\r\nIgnore the daft name, look at the superb cast list, this is a highly recommended entertaining film, one Im sure most people would enjoy if they gave it a chance. \r\n\r\nCheers Trev.\r\n\r\nBBFC rating none yet but would probably be 15.\r\n\r\nRegion 3 ntsc DVD available from several retailers.','bc53ad3708e8a244d055aa426198ab89',0,'','4GVgE8ek',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9443,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1119566040,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Unagi (1997) The Eel\r\n\r\nDirected by Shohei Imamura\r\n\r\nStarring Kji Yakusho, Misa Shimizu\r\n\r\nWonderful drama from one of Japans unsung great directors. Golden Palm winner at Cannes in 1997, the film starts off with a fairly brutal crime of passion leading to Takuro spending 8 years in jail. On release hes given two years probation, moves to a small town and sets up a barber shop. \r\n\r\nWhat follows is his struggle to fit back into society, meeting with a woman whose life he saves when she tries to kill herself, she looks similar to the wife he murdered and this creates a huge gap that he finds hard to bridge.\r\n\r\nThe Eel is a representation and symbol of his repressed guilt, he talks to the eel and for a while its his only outlet for his feelings, he is burdened, crippled indeed by the self loathing and guilt he feels for what he did in the name of love.\r\n\r\nA definite recommendation but not if you like to be spoonfed.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev\r\n\r\nBBFC rated 18.\r\n\r\nRegion 1 & 3 ntsc DVD\'s available.','4a12b46b94f50256b3b8c6c7c91431c0',0,'','Ftl12HP8',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9444,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1119661260,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Yasha (1985) Demon\r\n\r\nDirected by Yasuo Furuhata\r\n\r\nStarring Ken Takakura, Takeshi Kitano, Yko Tanaka\r\n\r\nShuji is a fisherman, hes lived in the village for 15 years after moving from Osaka. But Shuji is hiding a secret, in Osaka he was a feared yakusa (gangster) which he escaped from after his sisters death. He has married and has children and fits in well within the fishing village.\r\n\r\nTrouble arrives with the opening of the Hataru bar, the hostess is from Osaka and upsets the local wives who see her as a flirt and a threat but Keiko (the hostess) is not the problem, that comes in the shape of Yajima (Takeshi Kitano) her drug pushing lowlife boyfriend, in a scuffle with Shuji he rips the back of his shirt revealing the long hidden tattoo that marks him aa a gangster, a beautiful yet hideous Yasha (female demon).\r\n\r\nStraight away the villagers assume the worst and do their best to avoid him and his family despite the fact that hes been helpful and friends with everyone, problems build up including advances from Keiko and more unwanted trouble from Yajima until Shuji has to revisit his old haunts in Osaka to try and sort things out.\r\n\r\nWhile the film is revolved around the village and the fishing it is enjoyable, its only once it heads into typical gangster territory that it drags, shame because otherwise its a fine film.\r\n\r\nRecommended for the first hour and a half, after that it drags into predictability that doesnt really sit well with the rest of the film. Fine performances from all involved.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.\r\n\r\nBBFC rated 15\r\n\r\nAvailable on Region 2 ntsc and Pal DVD\'s.','5d16e6fa02cadd326dc03e63e1d5011f',0,'','aFqGz61X',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9445,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1120103280,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Furueru shita (1980) Writhing Tongue\r\n\r\nDirected by Yoshitaro Nomura\r\n\r\nStarring Tsunehiko Watase, Yukiyo Toake, Mayuko Wakamori\r\n\r\nMasako, a five-year-old girl starts acting strangely, she wont open her mouth, then one day has a spasm and bites her tongue. Her parents take her to a hospital to be fobbed off with reasons like she has a cold or its probably psychological. After taking her to another hospital and undergoing numerous tests, they find out she has Tetanus caused by the infection getting into a tiny scratch on her finger. \r\n\r\nHer parents stay with her in the hospital as the staff do their best to save Masakos life, the pressure builds moment to moment, day by day as it looks like she could die. You breathe in the anxiety, the suffering of the child is traumatic to say the least and yet the tension keeps building.\r\n\r\nAbsolutely marvelous acting, incredibly realistic in every way. Im sure any parent who has been in a similar situation will feel sympathetic/empathetic towards the parents, the child and the hospital staff. This could have slipped so easily into melodramatics but thankfully it doesnt. If this film does bring a tear to your eye itll be for all the right reasons. \r\n\r\nIMDB have this listed as a horror, the horror in this film is all too real and Tetanus continues to kill many each year.\r\n\r\nNot the sort of film many would pick for a nights entertainment but if you want to see quality acting and a well made film (as well as one that will guarantee that you ensure your tetanus injection is up to date) you cant go wrong with this. It certainly gets my recommendation.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.\r\n\r\nNo BBFC rating but at least a 15.\r\n\r\nRegion 3 ntsc DVD available from several retailers.','de1655737d29a63c99c7da2956f8d378',0,'','oA5rqJQW',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9446,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1120178580,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Ushimitsu no mura (1983) Village of Doom\r\n\r\nDirected by Noboru Tanaka\r\n\r\nStarring Masato Furuoya, Misako Tanaka\r\n\r\nI would never have believed this came from the same director as \"A Woman Called Abe Sada\", one of the classics of what has become known as Romanporno (romantic porno) or pink eiga. This film is sadly lacking all along the line, we cant blame the probably low budget, Japanese directors are known for creating excellent films with very small budgets. No, this sad lacklustre exploitative flick is badly acted, poorly edited and pretty much a shambles.\r\n\r\nAs to the story, the village genius (strange because most of the time he acts like the village idiot) is not happy with his lot in life, unlike the other villagers he cannot bravely march away and die gloriously in the war (with China) no, because he has TB he has to stay with his granny and spend most evenings getting off with the wives of the villagers who have gone to war. Hey lifes tough isnt it!\r\n\r\nHe then finds out his childhood sweetheart is getting married (arranged of course), now with a couple of other irritations and annoyances bugging him, he shows his intellect, he buys a pump action shotgun, a Samurai sword and some knives and rampages through his home village killing men, women and even children before he kills himself.\r\n\r\nThe only time the camerawork is even remotely interesting is during this final section, handheld chasing around after our heroic psychopath, you at least feel slightly involved (as if you would want to be!) the rest of the time, just as with the acting, editing, script etc etc its totally uninteresting which is a shame in a way because the landscape looks beautiful.\r\n\r\nRecommended, not a hope in hell.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.\r\n\r\nBBFC rated 18. \r\n\r\nAvailable on R2 DVD from Artsmagic.','5ab005a645a99b4b989fbd6f4650bd3e',0,'','ldW9zH5o',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9447,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1120272360,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Electric Dragon 80.000 V (2001)\r\n\r\nDirected by Sogo Ishii\r\n\r\nStarring Tadanobu Asano, Masatoshi Nagase\r\n\r\nA very low budget, madcap film with two of Japans biggest young stars. \r\n\r\nAt less than an hour long, the editing is frenetic and the storyline is merely an excuse to allow Tadanobu Asano to go wild with an electric guitar. Youre taken on a nonsensical ride in a style and pace slightly reminiscent of Tetsuo, sharp black & white photography, loud rock music but the whole film has a disposable feel to it.\r\n\r\nThis film wont change your world but if youre in the mood for something completely different, this could well fill that gap, crank the sound up and enjoy this (soon to be) cult classic..\r\n\r\nI like it but I dont watch it in the sense of a film, its more like an excercise or experiment.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev\r\n\r\nBBFC rated none but certainly fine for 12 and above\r\n\r\nAvailable on R2 & R3 DVD ntsc from various outlets.','639240ed5d58ecf90cb182924002e1f1',0,'','7ZaUc2oC',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9448,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1120296120,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Japanese Journals - General','From now on, no more reviews of films seen on cable.','3480223ae890444f7c45b9c927c91cf9',0,'','mUb0y3Zh',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9449,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1120299900,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Man I thought I had a bad sense of humour but that was shocking!','7a4353bb557b419cdc5bcae5894ba7b8',0,'','P2Xn1tJo',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9450,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1120329600,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Eureka (2000) \r\n\r\nDirected by Shinji Aoyama\r\n\r\nStarring Kji Yakusho, Aoi Miyazaki, Masaru Miyazaki, Yoichiro Saito\r\n\r\nBeautifully filmed in sepia tones Eureka is a slow moving drama with a running time of over three and a half hours. This could have easily been the snooze of the century, it isnt! Eureka is engaging, thought-provoking and captivating, it is one of the best modern Japanese films and destined to become a classic.\r\n\r\nThe film starts with a bus hijacking, the driver and two schoolchildren, brother and sister are the only survivors left after a violent shoot-out with the police. Two years down the line, the driver returns home after disappearing, we learn that the childrens mother walked out on them for another man and their father has since died. The driver tries to fit back into some sort of normality but finds it almost impossible, especially with rumours that he may be responsible for a spate of local serial killings.\r\n\r\nEventually he ends up at the house where the children still live, if he thought his life was irrepairable, nothing could have prepared him for the state of theirs. Their lives are so far beyond repair that he decides to try and help them back to reality. With the help and often hindrence of the childrens cousin who is staying in the house for a month the survivors try to claw their way back from the abyss, the final stage being a road trip in a small converted coach. \r\n\r\nThey may have survived the hijacking but they are still victims, the driver carries a heavy burden of guilt because he wasnt killed along with the majority of the passengers. The children also have the weight of the disintegration of their family to add to the memories of the hijacking. The acting never turns to melodrama, it\'s quietly understated and effective, very good performances all round.\r\n\r\nHighly recommended if you have the time to spare and if you haven\'t, then make the time.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev\r\n\r\nBBFC rated 15\r\n\r\nAvailable on R2 Pal DVD from Artificial Eye, also available on R2 ntsc.','8951c175dd1b849ab248647afc88f66d',0,'','nWoqeiXg',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9451,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1120354440,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Thanks!','38f5c24717fedaa404babb0c4710152e',0,'','mMNX4lnK',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9452,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1120704420,1,0,1,1,1,1,'A','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Thanks for your review of Eureka. I love it, and can only urge everyone to go see it! \r\n-end of promotional campaign-','cd91e202320e98879bbf63b36f4666d0',0,'','fNeKz4Ph',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9453,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1121375160,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Dog Star (2002)\r\n\r\nDirected by Takahisa Zeze\r\n\r\nStarring Etsushi Toyokawa, Haruka Igawa\r\n\r\nOnly in Japan could they come up with a romantic comedy drama with a plot like this. Shiro is a Seeing Eye dog, his last owner is dead and having trouble getting into heaven; in order to get in he has to do a good deed and decides to grant Shiro a wish for all his years of good service.\r\n\r\nShiros wish is to take human form and visit his first owner, a young girl with whom he spent his formative years and from where he had his happiest memories. The wish is granted and he eventually finds the girl (by sniffing her out) who is now a grown woman and teaching at a school. \r\n\r\nOf course the obvious happens, she falls for him despite his somewhat odd behavior and he slowly falls for her but knows because he is in all actuality still a dog, that they can never be together as lovers.\r\n\r\nThats the basics, any more information would contain spoilers so Ill just finish by saying its a quirky romantic drama which thankfully just scrapes through the obvious traps it could have so easily fallen into. \r\n\r\nDefinitely not essential cinema but an easily accessable slice of the bizarre side of Japans film industry.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.\r\n\r\nBBFC not rated, suitable certainly for 12 and above. \r\n\r\nRegion 3 ntsc DVD available from several retailers.','ca7cc43a67ac5d27c1cce857dbda7798',0,'','VZMgRBne',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9454,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1121458260,1,0,1,1,1,1,'A','Re: Japanese Journals - General','The Naked Island (1960 / Kaneto Shindo)\r\n\r\nReview has been moved to the Classic Film Board.','8ee2875fc9646190f03876c040887d3c',0,'','c5TA3n6D',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9455,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1121478060,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Good thoughtful review A, I haven\'t seen the film myself but will definitely look out for it.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','03ca97e812c28c3eeb3140ad406d4499',0,'','qMAdF3k4',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9456,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1123264860,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Shall We Dansu? (1996) Shall We Dance?\r\n\r\nDirected by Masayuki Suo\r\n\r\nStarring Kji Yakusho, Tamiyo Kusakari\r\n\r\nWho would have thought?\r\n\r\nWho would have thought that a slight romcom set in the world of ballroom dancing could be so entertaining? Not me for sure but Shall We Dansu? proved me wrong, despite all the clichs in the book albeit subdued as only the Japanese seem to know how this a pleasure to watch. \r\n\r\nShohei Sugiyama is an office manager, married with a teenage daughter and mortgaged to the hilt, normally he goes straight from work to home by train but one evening he is bewitched by the vision of a dance instructor whom he espies from the train window. Encouraged by his wife to get out and enjoy himself and with Mai (the instructor) on his mind he enrolls for lessons in ballroom dancing. A couple of other men join at the same time, one because he wants to surprise his wife who is already a more than capable dancer and one who is very overweight and is taking up dancing on his doctors orders to get more exercise, needless to say Sugiyama is told by Mai in no uncertain terms that if the reason he enrolled was to try it on with her then he may as well pack up now, to her surprise (and his) he continues and actually starts enjoying the dancing. \r\n\r\nMeanwhile his wife is so worried that hes gone so often that she hires private detectives to start following him hoping that hes not having an affair, needless to say shes more than a little surprised to learn of his addiction to dancing, as its something theyve never done together. \r\n\r\nThe story then carries on to a dancing competition where things take a few unexpected twists with the conclusion that certain people realise their dreams, and Mai decides to get back into competition dancing, all in all a happy end for everyone.\r\n\r\nThe film is at most times incredibly subtle and unfortunately Ill now have to force myself to watch the US remake just to see how different it is.\r\n\r\nAn unexpected pleasure and as such, recommended viewing.\r\n\r\nFor another opinion please read justindeimen\'s review .\r\n\r\nCheers Trev\r\n\r\nBBFC rated PG.','b0408e3bc305ab0c4db341b38a33063c',0,'','eSk6R4Zt',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9457,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1123323000,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Nikutai no Mon (1964) Gate of Flesh \r\n\r\nDirected by Seijun Suzuki\r\n\r\nStarring Yumiko Nogawa, Jo Shishido\r\n\r\nPowerful, angry albeit melodramatic drama set in post war Tokyo, a story told from the perspective of a young girl Maya (Yumiko Nogawa) who is desperately looking for a way to earn some money and survive. Maya teams up with a group of women who work the streets; theyve organised themselves with their own code of conduct to ensure that no other girls work their territory and to keep the pimps at bay.\r\n\r\nTheir system is disrupted with the arrival of Shin, a small time crook who has been wounded, slowly each of their affections are aroused by him because of his strength, he also reminds them of husbands, lovers or relatives theyve lost because of the war. Maya herself falls for him and they plan to rendezvous at a bridge then make their escape together but the jealousy and rage of the other girls ensures that there will be no happy ending.\r\n\r\nAmong the things that make this film so good are the actresses, each excellent in their role, convincing as a group of women in sheer desperation who revert to base levels in order to be able to exist. The atmosphere of post-war Tokyo, all hustle and bustle, cramped with a people broken and dispirited by the war and the ensuing US occupation is also convincing.\r\n\r\nThats another point of the story, there is a strong subtext against the US occupation, the stars and stripes flutters proudly in the wind while a bedraggled rising sun floats, mud splattered in the stinking canal. US soldiers find a rape victim in a field, as soon as they realise shes Japanese they drive off leaving her lying there. The US troops run the show with the Japanese police acting as their lackeys and there is a deep-rooted hatred from the girls for them.\r\n\r\nThere are some scenes that could certainly be deemed as exploitational, these involve the girls doling out the punishment to their own if they break the code of conduct. The accused are stripped and severely beaten, although the scene is lit to ensure the lower region is shadowed, you get the feeling that its purpose is to titillate.\r\n\r\nDespite my reservations regarding the beatings, I still think this is a film that is well worth seeing and as such is recommended.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.\r\n\r\nBBFC rated 18\r\n\r\nAvailable on R2 Pal dvd from Hanzibar films and on R1 ntsc from Criterion.','5d8e2f2afedb39f210672640d09990c3',0,'','dgut380H',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9458,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1123948800,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Be With You (Ima, Ai Ni Yukimasu) (2004) (Japan) \r\n\r\nDirector: Nobuhiro Doi\r\nCast: Yuko Takeuchi, Shido Nakamura, Akashi Takei \r\n\r\nThe official website (in Japanese) is ...\r\nwww.ima-ai.com\r\n\r\nThe Japanese title literally translates to \"Now, I\'m coming to meet you\" ... which I think actually captures more of the essence ... \r\n\r\nThe story is simple. A father and his son had lost their wife/mother ... She had agreed to visit them during the next rainy season ... The father prayed ... And a woman who looked very much like her appeared ... Who was she? ... Well, watch it and you will know ...\r\n\r\nWhat is commendable ...\r\n-- Frankly ... only until the last 30 minutes of the film did I finally understand why many people like the film so much ... the last 30 min really makes the difference and helps piece everything together ... wow ... you may like to watch a second time to fully understand ...\r\n-- Like \"Love Letter\" or \"Crying Out Love At the Center of the World\", the film thrives on one\'s \"experience\" of what actually happens and the \"feeling\" of the mood and love ...\r\n-- The message of the film ... well, to utter it will give the story away ...\r\n\r\n\r\nWhat may be problematic ...\r\n-- Hmmm ... please be patient and watch the film ... it may not be what one expects until it ends ... does it meet one\'s expectation (or the hype)? ... well, it is for you to decide ...\r\n-- Hmmm ... initially, the film may seem too unreal for some people ...\r\n\r\nOh no ... I hear that there is gonna be a Hollywood remake, with Jennifer Garner as the female lead ... In my very humble opinion, can you imagine a Hollywood remake of \"Love Letter\"?! ... hmmm ... I do not know how to explain ... but I really doubt it will be able to convey the mood and feelings aptly ...\r\n\r\nConclusion:\r\nHmmm ... a good film to watch with someone you love ...\r\n\r\nWell, esp. if you like films like \"Love Letter\" or \"Crying Out Love At the Center of the World\" ...','3aa74848e146b48f69bb10bdb524c67c',0,'','iYxAC6Se',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9459,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1123995480,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: Japanese Journals - General','The imdb website ...\r\nwww.imdb.com/title/tt0442268/','d841e50d694218dfb8f0dd30bb6aaa6e',0,'','slbYFSvr',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9460,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1125341580,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Still to come...\r\n\r\n9 Souls\r\nAvalon\r\nBattle Royale 2\r\nThe Bedroom\r\nBlack Angel\r\nBlack Angel 2\r\nBurmese Harp\r\nCasshern\r\nChaos \r\nThe Cruel Story of Youth\r\nCuffs\r\nDesert Moon\r\nDespite All That\r\nEmpire of Passion\r\nEmpty Rooms\r\nFreezer\r\nThe Geisha House\r\nGonin\r\nGonin 2\r\nGun Crazy\r\nHana and Alice\r\nHumanity & Paper Balloons\r\nIn the Realm of the Senses\r\nJam Films 2\r\nKamikaze Girls\r\nKanzo Sensei\r\nLove & Pop\r\nLove Letter\r\nThe Profound Desire of the Gods\r\nThe Returner\r\nSky High\r\nSnow/Woman\r\nStrwberry on a Shortcake\r\nTales of the Unusual\r\nTampopo\r\nTokyo Decadence\r\nTriple Cross\r\nVengeance is Mine\r\nWarm Water Under a Red Bridge\r\nWoman of the Dunes..and more.','b9f4a0143a45be59e5afe7558e19fd73',0,'','hnwHXq8M',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9461,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1125432000,1,0,1,1,1,1,'A','Re: Japanese Journals - General','WOW, that`s a massive lineup! Happy to see some I`m interested in.','30f81c1dc0054a57e11f4b6e9804cfe8',0,'','DlWBoC0e',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9462,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1125443400,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Any in particular, I\'ll push them to the front of the queue? Unfortunately because my videos and DVD\'s are all over the place I\'ve only listed the ones I could lay my hands on easily.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','fa75f3b6a875a413084911cddb59b0d5',0,'','QH9VBRGF',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9463,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1125444780,1,0,1,1,1,1,'A','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Distance, Vibrator, desert moon, Gates of Flesh.\r\nAnd I`d be interested in somebody else`s opinion on Avalon. ( hopefully only praise )','cf8eb06591cba16d45905390accc2ad8',0,'','tE3Cpsia',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9464,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1125456300,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - General','No problem, though it\'ll take a couple of days to go through them.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','5c400253ebe8e36d0b28b5cfeec9df90',0,'','tJCF6Akf',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9465,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1125562320,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Kiyoshi Kurosawa\'s Bright Future.\r\n\r\n_______________________\r\ntrevor826: Another director who has been totally ignored by the UK distributors, so far I\'ve only had the pleasure of seeing Kairo/Pulse and would love to see more.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev. \r\n_______________________\r\nA: I`ve only seen Cure (1997), which was at the time a great discovery for me. I kept reading about him and his films, but no DVDs here in Germany, either.','c154f788134d2aa9ce0502c3a489da26',0,'','5hT6Xctx',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9466,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1125577200,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - General','I watched Vibrator again yesterday and will write my comments asap, I would love to read the source novel for this because after watching it I checked some reviews and my take on it appears to be different to any I could find.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','a1e5014331bb0149b5e17b1a2d4e9bfc',0,'','nKXrmSWf',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9467,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1125620220,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Japanese Journals - General','For me, Vibrator exemplifies what cinema should be: Free and innovative, along with having the capability to transcend any tradition. It\'s one of the best Japanese films I\'ve seen this decade. Looking forward to your thoughts.','8706463b67ed1e390b60a53c005131d1',0,'','R4w7PUYp',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9468,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1125747000,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Distance (2001) \r\n\r\nDirected by Hirokazu Koreeda\r\n\r\nStarring Tadanobu Asano, Kenichi Endo, Arata\r\n\r\nA drama set three years after a fictional cult group contaminated Tokyo\'s water supply, this film like Eureka is about the pain, guilt and incomprehension following traumatic loss and/or bereavement.\r\n\r\nFour relatives of the cult members meet up at the lake where their ashes were spread following their suicide. While at the lake their car is stolen, they eventually decide after meeting one of the surviving cult members, to spend the night in the cult\'s old headquarters.\r\n\r\nAs they finally relax, their thoughts turn to those they lost, flashbacks show important moments when who knows? If they had handled things in a different way, maybe they would have turned out differently. We also see further flashbacks of the police interviews with the surviving member and with the relatives where for some of them, even further disturbing information is revealed.\r\n\r\nThe film makes great use of handheld cameras and natural lighting, all of which help to make you feel as though you are part of or eavesdropping on the group. There are no long deep conversations; instead they are natural and stilted, each person trying in their own way to comprehend the reasoning behind the actions of the past. These people are only together because each has lost someone close to them, otherwise they are almost strangers.\r\n\r\nThere is a little mystery, one of the relatives isnt who he says he is and unless I missed it, there is no real understanding of where he fits in although he definitely had some sort of association with at least one of the cult members. \r\n\r\nThe acting is spot on, and although it didnt grab my attention in the same way that Eureka did, it is well paced and constructed with an ending open to interpretation. \r\n\r\nRecommended viewing and one that I think, like After life and Maborosi, will impress me even more on future screenings.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev. \r\n\r\nNo BBFC rating but probably 15.','2c233ecde77d5c70753b4649f27983a8',0,'','MmBntrXH',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9469,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1125778620,1,0,1,1,1,1,'A','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Thanks Trev.\r\nThis is hard to get here in Germany (for a Koreeda film that is), but hopefully I`ll see it someday.','bca43f0e91ca7fbffd3ba628a7248397',0,'','bsqAyfxg',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9470,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1125806040,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Vibrator (2003)\r\n\r\nDirected by Ryuichi Hiroki\r\n\r\nStarring Shinobu Terajima, Nao Omori\r\n\r\narsaib4 - For me, Vibrator exemplifies what cinema should be: Free and innovative, along with having the capability to transcend any tradition. It\'s one of the best Japanese films I\'ve seen this decade. Looking forward to your thoughts. \r\n\r\nWell how do you follow a comment like that? This is one of the films that show why Japan still leads the field as far as Asian cinema (if not World cinema) is concerned, even more surprising considering the director is better known for making pink films. I was so impressed I spent days going round the book shops until I managed to buy the original novel. \r\n\r\nOn its simplest level the film is a road trip with two characters who while completely different share a common wariness towards others. They manage to transcend their differences even if only for a few days and finish where they started, slightly changed for the better.\r\n\r\nThe whole narrative is given from the perspective of the female character Rei, a journalist. And what a narrative, she is neurotic, has eating disorders and appears to be schizophrenic, continuously hearing voices and sometimes unwarily telling them to shut up. The only way shes found to get rid of these voices is alcohol, which is a staple part of her diet, the film opens with Rei in a shopping mart very late at night where she is looking for some wine. We hear her thoughts although its never clear when they are her own or the voices in her mind.\r\n\r\nHer thoughts and shopping are held in check though when she espies a stranger dressed in overalls and yellow gum boots, she assumes he\'s a fisherman and a secondary set of thoughts appear, this time written. These are more direct, such as Hes tasty, I want to eat him. There is no doubting these are her thoughts and for someone who normally finds it hard to cope with everyday living this is a giant leap.\r\n\r\nThe attraction is mutual and the slightest physical contact is enough to make Rei decide to take a risk. To her and the man\'s (Takatoshi) surprise they spend a night of passion in his lorry cab, (he\'s a haulage driver) then embark on a journey that although a normal part of his routine will allow both to lower their barriers, communicate and share rare precious moments in an otherwise uncaring world.\r\n\r\nThats the basic plot but it cannot relay the depth of the experience or put across Reis problems. The filming is done with DV, which is perfect for the enclosed space of the lorry cab, and the soundtrack is terrific. \r\n\r\nThe actors are superb, I know I often say the actors were ideal etc but in this case they are perfect. Shinobu Terajima, a stage actress plays Rei and is totally believable as this complex and emotionally fragile creature. Nao Omori, probably best known for playing the title character in \"Ichi the Killer\" is Takatoshi, wary of opening up but sensitive and caring towards Rei.\r\n\r\nApart from the two people on a road trip scenario, if you look deeper, this could be taken as a view of Japan or even the modern civilized materialistic world as a whole. Japan is a nation that has been in a state of flux since the end of World War II, a people searching for an identity and for values. The neurosis is a symptom of modern society where old values mean little and the new values such as consumerism mean even less.\r\n\r\nHighly recommended, different, poignant and deep.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev\r\n\r\nNo BBFC rating but no lower than 15.','428efb4ea5fc975d890db0e3e88e7463',0,'','1CFxJa5z',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9471,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1125902640,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Thanks for your comments and the review of this magnificent film. I knew I had seen Nao Omori somewhere.','ce4402cdc7a98e7c189d881e2467144e',0,'','1mG3EBvc',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9472,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1125902820,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Japanese Journals - General','MIKE YOKOHAMA: A FOREST WITH NO NAME (2002)\r\n\r\nAlong with Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Shinji Aoyama was also once considered a \"Junkyard Dog.\" And while he was never as \"dirty\" as his friend and mentor, he did wallow in pseudo-horror and detective stories early on in his career with films like Helpless (1996), An Obsession (1997) and Shady Grove (1999) -- all worthy due to Aoyamas exquisite camerawork and his penchant for searching metaphorical expositions. (Aoyama, 41, is about 10 years younger than Kurosawa and along with studying with him under Shigehiko Hasumi, he also worked as his assistant during the mid-90s.)\r\n\r\nAnd then came Eureka (2000), Aoyamas meditative 4-hr masterpiece which shook Cannes (where the film played in-competition) to its core, and made him a much sought after commodity. He returned to the festival in 2001 with another angst-ridden film called Desert Moon (Olaf Mller rightfully called it \"a post-Fassbinder melodrama\") but it inherited the sort of unceremonious dismissal that returning filmmakers usually receive if their new film isnt as good as the previous one. Perhaps that was something which sent Aoyama back to his roots in the following few years and hes only now made a partial comeback with his latest, Eli, Eli, lema Sebachtani? (2005), starring Tadanobu Asano.\r\n\r\nMike Yokohama: A Forest with No Name (Shiritsu Tantei Hama Maiku: Namae No Nai Mori) was one of the films that Aoyama made during those years. Originally conceived as an episode of a Japanese TV series based on Kaizo Hayashi\'s detective films, it somehow found its way to a slot at the Berlin Film Festival in 2002. The film stars a perfectly cast Masatoshi Nagase (the Elvis-lover from Jim Jarmuschs Mystery Train [1989]) as the titular character, a bumbling detective usually seen donning Studio 54-ish attire. Hes got huge debt problems so he takes on a job offered by an industrialist who only considers himself \"plain-old-rich\" instead of a \"bourgeoisie.\" The job involves bringing back the mans daughter who, according to the father, has joined some sort of a cult in order to find her true self. What Mike finds, at least at the outset, is a rather peaceful compound, albeit one headed by a rather mysterious woman referred to as \"the Doctor.\" As he tries to become part of the group in order to get close to his target, he also gets drawn to an enigmatic young woman, not to mention a mystical tree (echoes of Kurosawas Charisma [1999]) which hes told bears his resemblance.\r\n\r\nThis is decidedly a minor, even insignificant piece of work -- but, as always, Aoyamas visual compositions are interesting to say the least. The film also boasts much wry and sardonic humor in expense of these \"inner-piece\" searchers (one of the graduates of the center ends up being a serial-killer) along with the ubiquitous B-grade detective films, but Aoyama isnt able to develop much consistency with any theme or idea in the short running time (71 minutes!). Only the detectives conflicting individuality carries through the film (he hates it when anyone calls him anything else other than \"Mike\"). It does show, however, that the filmmaker had a lot of fun with the material and there are probably running gags with the TV-series that most arent able to comprehend. Heres hoping that -- much like the films protagonist -- Aoyama will also be able to find his true calling, ideally sooner than later.','a917bd8bbaa561eea178e60474218413',0,'','CVDTJELY',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9473,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1127469720,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Kiyoshi Kurosawa\'s Doppelgnger.','24fb26c603e2aaf8066ee61f1fd2cf58',0,'','iKYpbZyE',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9474,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1127488740,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - General','I can only hope that Tartan decide to release Doppelganger in the UK as well, otherwise I\'ll have to follow the usual route of importing.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','735c7d831acb45c46c72430281c800bf',0,'','aH9FCcM2',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9475,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1127524800,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Japanese Journals - General','I\'d import a lot more if the darn $ wasn\'t so weak against the GBP and the Euro. :(','a6ddd80fcdc87671b2be876a8e48e276',0,'','uWRhPp57',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9476,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1127530080,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - General','That\'s bad news for you but it\'s great for me....... \r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','73418d34571b66a5fb76b7d23b5fa804',0,'','iCrjQ1nk',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9477,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1127584200,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Re: Mike Yokohama, apparently there are a series of these films all expanded from a TV series, each was done by a different director and what surprised me the most is that the final one was directed by Alex Cox (Repo Man).\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','5a13206e3e051041649aa0df40442fdc',0,'','hzDlfZi7',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9478,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1127613900,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Japanese Journals - General','That\'s correct. Aoyama\'s version is just of many. I haven\'t seen the one by Alex Cox but I\'m sure it was interesting to say the least.\r\n\r\nThis is off-topic but I\'ve recently gotten hold of a box-set of Alan Clarke films. Are you familiar with him?','fe202f0c69378b05dd008511d4527759',0,'','7hy5L2qx',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9479,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1127615760,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - General','This is off-topic but I\'ve recently gotten hold of a box-set of Alan Clarke films. Are you familiar with him? \r\n\r\nYes, I\'ve seen a few of his films, out of interest (and with my Brad Pitt impersonation) what\'s in the box? \r\n\r\nCheers Trev','4db32a8c272cebee10676ecdf47160d4',0,'','3CexFtpQ',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9480,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1127645040,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Japanese Journals - General','It carries Scum, Made in Britain, The Firm, and Elephant.','09666a8b3cb7c6bdc31d0ae21dd5273d',0,'','XFwZ2CnM',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9481,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1127666280,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - General','I\'ll be interested to read your opinions on them, Scum and Elephant are shown quite regularly on filmfour, they always tie Elephant in to follow screenings of Van Sant\'s film of the same name. I\'ve seen The Firm but not Made in Britain, at least not that I can remember.\r\n\r\nI thought the set may have included Rita, Sue & Bob Too which is a quirky British working class relationship drama.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','6cf9a9fe78f0ca11f0b16583efa5c881',0,'','EvtCSTZ8',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9482,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1132078080,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Umoregi (2005) The Buried Forest\r\n\r\nDirected by Khei Oguri\r\n\r\nStarring Tadanobu Asano (Zatoichi, Vital)\r\n\r\nBeautiful cinematography, gorgeous lighting and scenery but shallow, vapid and totally nonsensical.\r\n\r\nThree girls in a small village in Japan start telling each other stories and gradually the stories take lives of their own, the premise is interesting covering everything from the fantastical to Japanese traditions but the way its constructed makes it alll seem indigestible and flatulent. \r\n\r\nAfter watching the film I felt as though someone had strung together a collection of deleted scenes, nothing meant anything or went anywhere. This is the sort of film that could put someone off Japanese cinema because unfortunately its just a waste.\r\n\r\nOne of the most disappointing Japanese films Ive seen, not the worst but one with great potential let down by the lack of any sort of character development or structure. I really wanted to like it, Im a sucker for artistic lighting, beautiful scenery, slow storylines and loose plot frameworks and Japanese cinema in general but this did nothing for me. \r\n\r\nWhat a shame.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.\r\n\r\nSeen at the Cardiff Screen Festival, a UK Premiere.','c579a869c816b2aeb9e3e0b696ebdacf',0,'','BCKney2A',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9483,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1132433460,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Tengoku no honya - koibi (2004) Heaven\'s Bookstore \r\n\r\nDirected by Tetsuo Shinohara\r\n\r\nStarring Yuko Takeuchi, Tetsuji Tamayama\r\n\r\nA romantic drama that reaches beyond our plane of existence.\r\n\r\nA pianist, Kenta gets sacked then totally drunk, the next day he wakes up in a strange room and finds out hes in Heaven. Not the Heaven of Christian interpretation, this is more of a Buddhist Heaven, a place to live out the hundred years everyone is allotted before being reborn into a new life. If you die at the age of thirty-five, youll stay in Heaven for sixty-five years and then be reborn without any memory of your previous life or your time in heaven.\r\n\r\nAfter accepting the fact that hes in Heaven (and still alive) hes given a job in Heavens Bookstore, what he doesnt know is that he has another job to do that will help someone else and make him a better person. The other person \"Shoko\" was a composer and pianist on earth, since dying she hasnt felt able to continue either playing or composing.\r\n\r\nMeanwhile on Earth, a young woman Kanako is trying to organise a firework display but has heard about a particular type of firework called Wabi which used to be made by a local man \"Takimoto\". He stopped making them after his fiance was deafened in one ear after an accident with the fireworks, they split up soon after and several years later she died. The feeling of guilt for the accident has never left him. \r\n\r\nTwo separate story lines but closely connected, \"Shoko\" in Heaven and Kanako are related (both roles are played by Yuko Takeuchi) and both stories bring about a change for the better in the central characters. \r\n\r\nThe film shouldnt work but it does, everything falls into place (in a somewhat predictable manner) and for a few brief moments, Heaven and Earth are connected, a bit of a tearjerker but in a positive way. Entertaining, good music, good dual roles from Yuko Takeuchi, and an interesting interpretation of Heaven.\r\n\r\nNice light entertainment, well made, decent acting, good for a relaxing evening with your partner.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev\r\n\r\nNo BBFC rating but certainly no more than a PG.\r\n\r\nRegion 2 ntsc dvd available from Shichoku, probably available on Region 3 ntsc as well.','cf8ec19360ef7ca8a03febd0db9803af',0,'','QKNlr7ym',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9484,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1133238060,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Kiyoshi Kurosawa\'s Pulse.','776416dad04b256d338775f49f996160',0,'','8LwKUgvi',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9485,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1133285700,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Thanks arsaib4, despite the fact that I\'ve only seen it on vcd Pulse is an outstanding film, I can\'t wait till it gets a decent dvd release next year.\r\n\r\nIf possible, try and catch it in the cinema because it is well worth the effort, I only wish I could.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.\r\n\r\nUpdate due to the dvd release from Optimum Asia. The video transfer is adequate, not outstanding unfortunately. Thankfully a good sound mix is provided, this does make a big difference to the atmosphere. Burnt on subtitles, I\'m not happy about that especially when they\'re hard to read against a light background.\r\n\r\nExtras - the trailer and a 40+ minute making of doc, not the greatest of quality but interesting.\r\n\r\nPersonally I would like to have seen Pulse get a better treatment but at least it\'s finally been released in the UK.','b1c47b0adfdc566a0ba74f6c4a7de4cd',0,'','iP0CpTDu',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9486,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1135477500,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Godzilla (1954) Gojira\r\n\r\nDirected by Ishir Honda\r\n\r\nStarring Takashi Shimura (Ikiru, Seven Samurai), Momoko Kchi, Akira Takarada\r\n\r\nRestored and uncut, this is the one true Godzilla film that was bastardised for release in the US with clips of Raymond Burr interspersed throughout the film and renamed Godzilla, King of the Monsters!\r\n\r\nShips start disappearing off the coast of Japan, other ships investigate and they also vanish. On Odu Island, rumours spread about the return of a legendary monster, Godzilla. The natives tell of how they used to send a female sacrifice out to sea in order to appease him, of course none of the investigators believe these rumours until they themselves are faced by the beast. \r\n\r\nAfter attempting and failing to destroy the monster, Godzilla heads towards Tokyo leaving a swathe of destruction in its path.\r\n\r\nAs well as the main story, there is also a minor underplayed love triangle involving three of the central characters, this is resolved with the death of one of the protagonists towards the end of the film.\r\n\r\nThis film is more than just a rampaging monster movie, more than a Japanese King Kong; its a warning to the World against the nuclear bomb tests taking place during that period especially in the Pacific.\r\n\r\nYou only have to see the results of Godzillas attacks, a blinding flash, virtual disintegration and furious fires, the same as the effects of the bombs that fell on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Godzilla himself is radioactive as a result of the tests; he spits out a deadly atomic mist that destroys everything in his path. Godzilla is allegorical of the threat of nuclear war and this gives the film a sense of melancholy albeit with some ironic humour, the broadcaster on the Tokyo tower telling the audience he has no chance of escaping before signing off with a somewhat cheery Sayonara!\r\n\r\nThe effects range from pretty amateur to absolutely stunning, the first sighting of the monster on Odu Island is laughably bad but during the destruction of Tokyo, the effects are incredible. As for the sound, well that truly is something else, awesome enough to send chills down your spine, it also shows where Mr Spielberg got some of his aural ideas for Jurassic Park.\r\n\r\nSo is it worth seeing? Damn right it is, this doesnt have the cheese factor of its sequels, this film carries a serious message and for its time, it was excellent. A hearty recommendation, especially if you can catch it in the cinema.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.\r\n\r\nBBFC rated PG.\r\n\r\nTo be released on R2 Pal dvd by the BFI.','c4d3632d8284b617c1a1ab1483bf7f0e',0,'','uNK8pnVo',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9487,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1135506480,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Japanese Journals - General','\"…this is the one true Godzilla film that was bastardised for release in the US.\"\r\n\r\nThat\'s putting it mildly. :(','6c9538665908a5b2630145970c5e1a1b',0,'','u2HTWXP5',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9488,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1136872800,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: Japanese Journals - General','\r\n\r\nTrain Man (Densha Otoko) (2005) (Japan)\r\n\r\nDirector: Masanori Murakami\r\nCast: Takayuki Yamada, Miki Nakatani\r\n\r\nBelieve it or not, it is based on the TRUE LIFE romance of a geeky young man and a beautiful young lady! It was first written into a best selling book, \"Train Man\", from actual messages posted on the internet discussion board in Japan! A million internet users advised the man on his courtship ... Expectedly, it was made into a TV series (of 12 episodes) and became a hit ... Like it or not, a movie had to be made ... BUT with a DIFFERENT cast ...\r\n\r\nMy thoughts\r\n-- Personally, I thought the TV version is much better \r\n... probably because they have more time to develop the story ...\r\n... probably because I like the TV cast better ...\r\n... probably because there is more development about the family and supporting cast ...\r\n-- However, if you are only keen on knowing what happens to the two of them, the film does provide a simple narration of it ...\r\n\r\nConclusion:\r\nCan watch ... at least be happy for them ...\r\n\r\nthe TV version, however, is much better ...','648c77921ff5e61dc4cca3f396f26a7a',0,'','Ghx7kzm1',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9489,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1137357240,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Ping Pong (2002)\r\n\r\nDirected by Fumihiko Sori\r\n\r\nStarring Arata (After Life, Distance), Ysuke Kubozuka (Laundry)\r\n\r\nNot a huge amount I can say about this as it\'s pretty formulaic and is ripe for a Hollywood make-over. \r\n\r\nA feelgood lightweight comedic story about the value of friendship and a common love, ping pong. \r\n\r\nThe story adapted from a manga traces the friendship and competitiveness of Peco (Ysuke Kubozuka) and Smile (Arata) from youngsters, where Smile is rescued from a gang of bullies by Peco, through high school to a competition where they (predictably) end up in the final playing against each other.\r\n\r\nPeco is abrasive and chopsy, hes very good at table tennis, good enough to trounce anyone who dares to play him. Smile came to start playing through their friendship, quiet and subdued he is the opposite of Peco, he also has something Peco doesn\'t, a natural though underused talent for the game. \r\n\r\nDespite his talent and the fact that he\'s good at psyching out his oppostion, Peco surprisingly loses two matches, he hits a depressive spell, abandons table tennis and just spends his time feeling sorry for himself. He is inspired to get back into the game, going through intensive training all the time believing that the toughest player hell have to compete with will be his friend. \r\n\r\nThe day of the big competition arrives, both players win their preliminary rounds. During one particularly tough game Peco learns to let go and just enjoy the sheer pleasure of playing, at this moment comes the reality that the player he had to compete with was himself. Both players make it to the final, Peco Vs Smile, there can be only one winner; will their friendship be able to stand the test?\r\n\r\nIts obvious the cast enjoyed making the film and a lot of the pleasure comes through the performances, well worth a rental if you\'re looking for something light and positive. \r\n\r\nCheers Trev.\r\n\r\nBBFC rated 12A\r\n\r\nR2 Pal dvd available from ICA Projects. R2 and R3 editions also available.','7ea37fd3a5d31a9d462da70cfd15a595',0,'','kydPSmY9',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9490,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1138248240,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Inugami (2001)\r\n\r\nDirected by Masato Harada\r\n\r\nStarring Yuki Amami (Crying Out Love, in the Center of the World), Atsuro Watabe\r\n\r\nAkira Nutahara moves from Tokyo to start work as a teacher in a small village, he is fascinated by Miki Bonomiya a woman who makes paper by traditional means. Fascination turns to love till he is warned about a curse carried by the Bonomiya clan, the Inugami (Demon dog) borne by the females of the family.\r\n\r\nThe Bonomiyas were the most powerful family in the region and could trace their family roots back over many years. They are preparing to celebrate the clans 900th anniversary since their move from Kyoto but are on the verge of bankruptcy due to the bad business choices and gambling of the head of the household.\r\n\r\nShortly after Akiras arrival strange things start happening which the villagers instantly blame on the Bonomiyas and the Inugami, Akira puts this down to superstition and petty jealousy but the villagers hatch a plot to bring about the Bonomiyas downfall at their anniversary celebrations. Akira gets wind of this but what can he do to prevent it? He is one man and due to his relationship with Miki, neither the villagers nor the Bonomiyas can be bothered listening to him. \r\n\r\nThe Bonomiyas are more than a little mad themselves, years of inbreeding and self segregation plus the notion of the curse have driven them to the brink, the villagers arent the only ones who plan the clans downfall hampering Akiras efforts even more.\r\n\r\nI have to say this is a film that could have easily shed a few scenes and still retained the important elements, it is drawn out at times but the scenes involving traditional methods of paper making are fascinating. The countryside is stunning, mountains covered in thick forests, winding roads with little villages dotted here and there, all incredibly beautiful and photogenic. What could have been cut were some of the countless clan meetings which become repetitive, family arguments just going round and round in never ending circles.\r\n\r\nLabelled as a horror, this is more a film concerning superstition, fate, tradition and small town mentality. I cant delve into the deeper darker aspects of the plot without adding spoilers but there is definitely an Oedipus complex with additional complications rearing its head (unknowingly at first) but then with the full knowledge and acceptance of the participants.\r\n\r\nAn interesting story, definitely a grower with repeated viewings. Not a horror film in the sense of most modern horrors, there is no sign of the Demon dogs and only one or two moments that could be described as typical horror. Tough to recommend, only for those with patience. Inugami has a great sense of Japanese traditional values and skills trying to survive in the modern world.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev\r\n\r\nBBFC rated 15\r\n\r\nR2 Pal and R1 ntsc dvds available from Ventura.','c3b514be8fd2a77190b582745f7e3afe',0,'','W6cDFmir',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9491,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1139285040,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Re: Be With You, hengcs I totally agree with you summary of the film. The last half hour or so makes all the difference and alters your whole perception of the film, it also allows for a couple of interpretations which always makes a film a little more interesting.\r\n\r\nA guaranteed tear-jerker, I really don\'t see how Hollywood can or will adapt the story for a remake.\r\n\r\nThank\'s hengcs, I\'ll try and get my wife to watch it, I know she\'ll be in floods of tears by the end.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','a77c95969aceec6ecaa677913347a2a6',0,'','zSFiqYN8',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9492,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1139463660,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: Japanese Journals - General','yup, \r\nbefore the last 30 min or so, I still could not understand why so many people like the film ... it is not exactly a twist ... but it really helps piece the story together ...','03c52a8e4ef48d72e37c9fea8da38695',0,'','EdGYukWF',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9493,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1141224060,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl (199 Samehada otoko to momojiri onna\r\n\r\nDirected by Katsuhito Ishii\r\n\r\nStarring Tadanobu Asano (Vital, Last Life in the Universe), Susumu Terajima (Hana-Bi, After Life)\r\n\r\nCool, funky, hip, bizarre, all these and more adjectives can be applied to Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl. \r\n\r\nSamehada (Asano) is on the run from the mob with a huge amount of their cash. Toshiko is also running away, trying desperately to escape from the hotel owned and managed by her perverted uncle who has decided that he also owns her and that she will become his wife. The pair meet in slightly strange circumstances and throw their lot in together hoping to make their escape.\r\n\r\nClosely following on the heels of Samehada are the mob, the gang hes taken the money from plus a real collection of misfits including one with bleach blonde hair who tracks people like a dog by sniffing the breeze and the ground. Toshiko is also being tracked by an assassin who has been hired by her uncle, he\'s a real techno geek who appears to be stuck in the 50s with both his fashion sense and technology. His job is to bring Toshiko back to the uncle and to eliminate whoever she\'s with, after finding the pair at a service station he follows Samehada into the mens toilet with the intention of killing him, he fails and instead ends up falling in love with his intended victim. Samehada and Toshiko escape and carry on with their flight but the mob are closing in on them.\r\n\r\nThe story rattles along at a fair pace though it\'s never really engaging being more style than substance. Eventually there is a huge showdown, a gunfight with plenty of death and destruction, there are also quite a few moments that would happily fit into a Tarantino movie although hes never used such a bizarre collection of characters. \r\n\r\nA decent cool flick, entertaining and fun with lashings of style. Although not as well constructed as Space Travellers, which is more engaging also more consistent in its plot and humour and overall a better film. \r\n\r\nRecommended as a piece of light entertainment with style, panache, flair but also the sort of weirdness that has become more prevalent in a lot of recent Japanese Yakuza films.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.\r\n\r\nNo BBFC rating but probably a 15 because of the stylish violence.\r\n\r\nR1 ntsc dvd available from Kino. R3 dvds available from several suppliers.','0847e13247758dc5f4ab9241e36504fa',0,'','YlPuqbRx',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9494,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1146041820,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Japanese Journals - General','PEEP \"TV\" SHOW (Japan / 2004)\r\n___________________\r\n*A 2006 U.S. Release* \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nBlurring the line between fiction and documentary, Yutaka Tsuchiya\'s DV-shot Peep \"TV\" Show boldly examines the lives of a few disaffected Japanese youths attempting to make sense of the paranoia-ridden post-9/11 world. Set around the first anniversary of September 11, the film takes place in Tokyo\'s Shibuya district, which is deemed by a few as their own \"Ground Zero.\" (Incidentally, the term\'s most common usage previously was to reference the devastation caused by the nuclear attacks on Japan.) The title pertains to a website run by Hasegawa (Takayuki Hasegawa), an androgynous street-youth who voyeuristically films the locals day and night with his minuscule digital camera. He\'s eventually joined in his endeavors by Moe (Shiori Gechov), a lonely Goth girl perpetually donning a baby doll outfit who chooses to offer herself in order to become part of the website. \r\n\r\nPeep \"TV\" Show is more a series of vignettes rather than a fully-fleshed narrative. This allows Tsuchiya to easily navigate between various characters, most of whom being the consumers of Hasegawas website. (Reportedly, real people played themselves.) They include a young computer geek who has no intention of leaving his small, studio apartment; an office worker who finds no other comfort in his life besides sleep; a porn connoisseur always searching for bold new grounds, etc. While Hasegawa\'s character remains somewhat of a blur (perhaps intentionally), Moe\'s is vivid and heartbreaking. By her own terms, she\'s less of a cult figure than simply someone trying to find an identity in the post-modern world. All of the testimonies end up presenting the sort of reality that is sought by these very individuals.\r\n\r\nWhile well paced and edited, the film overall is less \"cinematic\" than Koreedas Distance (2001) and Iwais All About Lily Chou-Chou (2001), two other recent Japanese films that have taken recent tragedies and their overall effects on youths into account. However, its specificity in terms of culture, politics and technology ultimately becomes an important distinguishing factor. Also, these individuals feel all too REAL members of the world which according to them has lost its \"reality.\" As one character rightfully puts it: \"It\'s not us, it\'s the world that\'s messed up.\"\r\n\r\nGrade: B+\r\n____________________\r\n\r\n*PEEP \"TV\" SHOW premiered at the Rotterdam Film Festival in 2004; it won the FIPRESCI prize there. The film was released on DVD by Facets (U.S.) earlier this year.','ec5468d008427fa82cc8c5db73f7189f',0,'','G9XrFqnM',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9495,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1146418980,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Thanks arsaib4, sounds like my sort of film. I\'ll probably have to import it though, how good is the dvd?\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','bdfc5fe33068b5d9199a83a6415575dc',0,'','u5UfXwnZ',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9496,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1146453540,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Japanese Journals - General','In fact, I thought of you after watching the film; it is certainly something that would interest you. The DVD, however, is a very low-end production. Chicago-based Facets is not a major distributor, but they try to collect niche films. Most of their DVD menus only contain \"play\" and \"chapter\" options.','d54c5e7ce8f414973f9c19462893eeea',0,'','fSzFhPoU',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9497,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1153620180,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Survive  Style  5 (2004) \r\n\r\nDirected by Gen Sekiguchi\r\n\r\nStarring Tadanobu Asano (Vital, Caf Lumire), Vinnie Jones (X Men III), Kyko Koizumi (Blue Spring)\r\n\r\n\"What is your function in life?\" \r\n\r\nFive interconnected stories edited in a similar style to Pulp Fiction, the difference being the total humour and outrageousness of each of these tales.\r\n\r\n1. A man kills his wife and buries her in a forest, returning home he grabs a carton of milk from the fridge, turns around and there sitting at the kitchen table, as large as life is his wife! Again and again over the following days he kills her, even hiring a hit man on one occasion. Again and again she returns, to punish him in different ways depending on the method he had used to kill her. For instance, after killing her for the third or fourth time, he chops the body up only for her to shoot her forearms at him like missiles the following day.\r\n\r\n2. An advertising executive carries a tape recorder with her everywhere she goes, she often gets ideas and needs to record her thoughts straight away, always finishing with one of the most bizarre sniggers/laughs youre ever likely to have heard. She is unhappily married to a T.V. celebrity hypnotist and procures a hit man to bump him off, meanwhile her career isnt running too smoothly as some of her advertising ideas are a little too way out there for her customers. \r\n\r\n3. A family take a trip to a hypnotism show, he offers 1,000,000 yen to anyone he cannot put into a trance, the father accepts the challenge but ends up being hypnotised into believing hes a bird. This wouldnt be so bad but before he can be released from the trance the hypnotist is killed by a hit man. The family returns home but the father still believes hes a bird which starts to become difficult for most of his family to cope with. \r\n\r\n4. A gang of inept burglars raid a house, they find little worth stealing but get excited when they find some trump cards. Having to conceal themselves quickly when they hear family return, they are convinced theyve been rumbled when the father opens the wardrobe theyre hiding in, luckily for them he just coo\'s like a pigeon then closes the door again. There is another problem within the gang though; one of them appears to have a crush on another, an affection that doesnt appear to be welcomed never mind reciprocated.\r\n\r\n5. An English hit man has been hired (because Western things are sophisticated and better) by an advertising executive to eliminate her husband. He flies into Tokyo with his interpreter (who seems to ad-lib more than a little with the interpretation), the assassin isnt exactly what anyone would define as sophisticated, he has a very short temper and a habit of asking people the same question, What is your function in life?. Whilst in Tokyo he takes on another hit and takes in various aspects of Japanese life.\r\n\r\nThere may seem to be a lot of listed but the majority of this happens within the first twenty to thirty minutes of the film. This is the wild, crazy and kitsch side of Japan, garish colours and idealised settings, nothing can prepare you for the utter pleasure this film gives, a pure joy from start to finish as the story cuts from one to another and each intersects with the others. I cant say I was looking forward to seeing a film with Vinnie Jones in but he lampoons his own image with great aplomb.\r\n\r\nIts mad, its laugh out loud funny, it is probably the best all round entertainment Ive seen this year and really plays to the colourful and kitsch side of Japanese culture. A high recommendation for a wonderfully constructed movie that will leave you wanting more, the cast are excellent and Id love to see some sort of behind the scenes doc as Im sure they must have had a great time making the film.\r\n\r\nAny weak points? The editing between the stories could have been slightly better as it jumps from one to another very quickly at times but it certainly wont diminish your enjoyment of the film as a whole.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev\r\n\r\nBBFC rated 15\r\n\r\nR2 dvd available from Manga.','583ef188e86661c1360c4950dc8b94c1',0,'','J3kZwufH',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9498,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1153646280,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Hey, this was one of the better movies from Japan in 2004.\r\nI just did not have time to catch it.\r\nWill do so some day.','8f859284a8b8803ff0f8a2f588b8cf5a',0,'','TSxN0t4U',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9499,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1153655340,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Survive Style 5 was a total surprise for me and although completely different, it is as Japanese as an Ozu film, just the side of Japan that we usually only see on quirky T.V. game shows and animes. \r\n\r\nIf there is an underlying message it\'s quite simply to grab life and live every moment, you can\'t get much better than that.\r\n\r\nGreat entertainment and well worth seeing in my opinion. Unlike the majority of films released, this film is totally unpredictable which only adds to its charm.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','0a655844b0c737674da85ee67b0c5faf',0,'','ohEApDCn',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9500,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1154297340,1,0,1,1,1,1,'wpqx','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Crazed Fruit (1956) - Ko Nakahira\r\n\r\nFilms of troublesome youth were an international trend in the mid fifties. An increasingly Westernized Japan recieved the Hollywood films Blackboard Jungle and Rebel Without a Cause in \'55 and \'56, and not surprising they had their impact. The shift of consumerism was changing. The youth market was rapidly expanding, and the average film going audience was no longer the family unit, but teenagers on dates. Various studios took awhile to learn this, but almost in a move of pure desperation one time powerhouse of Japanese Cinema Nikkatsu decided to embrace the new youth film, or taiyozoku. The move proved successful, and Crazed Fruit was a powerhouse of the budding new genre.\r\n\r\nThe film went almost completely unseen in the US however for an extremely long time. Western audiences were still slowly being introduced to the films of Kurosawa and Mizoguchi, and it wasn\'t until well into the sixties that American audiences even realized that the majority of Japanese films were timely pictures, and generally aimed at the new young filmgoers. Shintaro Ishihara was something of a figure head for this new shift in disembodied Japanese Youth. His books Season of the Sun (1955) and Crazed Fruit (1956), became something of rallying cries for his generation. Filled with disaffected, bored, idle, and immoral young protaganists, they reflected a side of Japanese life that until then went largely undocumented. As his celebrity began to rise, it wasn\'t too surprising that the film world would soon catch on. In fact the film of Crazed Fruit was made the same year the book was released, which helped to add to its timely appeal.\r\n\r\nThe film it is said however differs greatly from the book. It wasn\'t so much a filmed adaptation, as a starting off point, or inspiration. Perhaps this is why the film survives much better today compared to the filmed version of Season of the Sun. The film is not traditional in most ways. The editing is more concerned with punctuation than transition. Cuts match action graphically. It comes off in the beginning as something of a Hollywood clone, but the anti-Americanism present in Ishihara\'s books comes through in the film. Sure these kids might idolize James Dean and Marlon Brando, but they are still proud to be Japanese, and resent this foreign encroachment. Characters may occasionally utter a phrase in English, but are always willing to retaliate in Japanese.\r\n\r\nThe story itself is nothing to get too excited about. Two brothers are enjoying a summer of fun, and they meet a girl. The younger brother goes after, and gets her, but of course some jealousy ensues, and the older feels he needs to get a piece of it. The girl is married, and is hardly faithful, but of course the younger doesn\'t know this. You can see how the over emphasis on sex would dominate the picture, but it is more the morality, or lack of any that makes the picture stand out. Today it may come off as a dated exploitation movie, you can however sense the excitement the picture would have caused in \'56. \r\n\r\nGrade C','8750f5a20988ace89b8115fe1d0bf5eb',0,'','T62lGu9r',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9501,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1154306700,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Thank\'s for your review plus some very interesting notes regarding the time the film was made wpqx. I have a couple of films that certainly fit into the \"disaffected youth\" genre but this is a new one to me. Is it available officially on dvd?\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','f2a1dcb23e9ed6d3218417e071620204',0,'','AXcpmeC6',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9502,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1154331360,1,0,1,1,1,1,'wpqx','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Criterion released it here in the US, and it was certainly unknown to me before that, I couldn\'t even find an online review of it.','6949a0e33cbbf0820ef37424b4c8c10e',0,'','qlWd2o5T',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9503,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1154671020,1,0,1,1,1,1,'wpqx','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Underworld Beauty (1958) Seijun Suzuki\r\n\r\nSteadily gaining in popularity in the 1950\'s were the infamous \"yakuza\" films. Nikkatsu was an early leader in the genre, and Seijun Suzuki spent the peak of his career working for them. He paralleled his American counterparts trying to put their own stamp on horrendously tacky b-movies and studio enforced assignments. Unlike Edgar G. Ulmer or Samuel Fuller though, Suzuki never really caught on with critics of the time. In fact it would take several more decades before his status would be elevated to where its at today. \r\n\r\nUnderworld Beauty was his 7th feature, and his first in widescreen. It is both exemplary and redefining of the \"borderless\" yakuza film being specialized by Nikkatsu. It has a lone wolf hero, the type with his own code of ethics embodied in the traditional heroes of the Hollywood Western. However the morally corrupt yakuza is also exemplified by the boss Oyane who seems able to stop at nothing to get the precious stones. The stones in question are like any \"mcguffin\" simply a motivating plot device, and one that sets every character in motion, and frequently against each other.\r\n\r\nThe title character of the film is played by Mari Shiraki, and true to exploitation standards few opportunities to get her in little clothing are wasted. In one scene where she tells a rather lecherous pursuer that the diamonds are hidden in her breasts, he wastes no time trying to rip her shirt off and get them. The jokes on him however, because she meant the breasts of the manniquin modeled after her, however we the viewers get teh gratuitous groping at no extra charge. Not surprising she winds up in the final shootout with only a robe, and later even less, as she of course has to remove articles of clothing to deal with all the stiffling heat.\r\n\r\nThe film plays on certain noir conventions, and near the end before the climatic shootout Miyamoto takes the trouble to shoot out all the lights to create rather high key shadows. The lighting doesn\'t lend itself directly to noir, but the feel is still very much there. Like any good noir this also starts at night, with a seemingly innocent enough manhole cover. The point is clear, there is something going on beneath the surface, and in this case the \"underworld\" is literally right beneath the surface, a rather obvious touch, but it works. \r\n\r\nUnderworld Beauty however never goes much beyond a traditional genre picture, and one that although representative of Suzuki\'s emerging style and the genre in question, is far from a great picture. Suzuki was evolving and this certainly sets the stage for his later, much more ambitious 60s yakuza films like Tokyo Drifter and Branded to Kill. However I\'ll take any Suzuki I can find, and they always wind up being at least somewhat interesting.\r\n\r\nGrade C-','d329be1bde7d0f8ea47783405e6ee340',0,'','7ozj2usd',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9504,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1156872840,1,0,1,1,1,1,'justindeimen','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Shall We Dansu? (1996) \r\n\r\n\r\nSome spoilers herein...shades of Takitani but with a comic slant and a dutiful ode to life\'s hidden wonders.\r\n\r\nWith a deft sleight of hand, Masayuki Suo infuses comedy, romance and criticism of Japanese conservatism into the foreign world of ballroom dancing in the land of the rising sun. Treated with suspicion, this form of dancing carries with it a certain sense of shame, like online dating or personal ads. As if finding himself in a seedy part of town, our protanganist, Sugiyama (Kji Yakusho), looks left and right while covering the best part of his face with the requisite nippon salaryman manila folder before heading up the stairs to continue his lessons. We\'re not to realise his motivations until he does as he reminisces his first urge to seek out a change and battle his midlife demons. \r\n\r\nJust as every other day he takes the train home, where he gets on his bicycle and rides back to his newly bought house, complete with the large mortgage, the homely wife and cherished teenage daughter. One day, after a boring after-work dinner with his colleagues he first takes note of a beautiful young woman, staring out the window of a dance studio. Sugiyama takes the train each day after that, pondering why that woman\'s mirthless expression haunts him so. He decides reluctantly to join up after his wife tells him that he doesn\'t go out enough. Even with her unknowing encouragement, he keeps his past time a secret from his family as he joins a beginner group consisting of a loudmouth with good intentions, an overweight man finding some self-esteem and a kindly seasoned pro who teaches them the heart and soul of ballroom dancing. \r\n\r\nHe keeps an eye on the beautiful, sorrowful woman, Mai who harbours her own set of problems. At first staying out of Mai\'s way, Sugiyama grows more confident with his repertoire of moves and starts to become attached to the dance as Mai silently takes interest. \r\n\r\nThis is a story of characters, each with their own history and reasons for taking up the dance. Some noble, while some not so much. But what\'s constant is their burgeoning passion for what they do, while staying the periphery of society\'s glare. Sugiyama is a tacit individual who holds his fears, insecurities and inhibitions close to his heart. His family, although the most important things to him are mere ideals and goals that he has achieved in his life as a Japanese working man. Without any more goals to look towards, he finds more than he bargained for when he embarked on deciphering Mai\'s secret grief. \r\n\r\nWith a happy ending, comedy with its supporting characters and numerous subplots, its a light and underplayed (but not without some measure of stinging depth) look at the heavy upheavals of life\'s tedius banalities and doldrums. Showing how unbalanced we might be with our monotony, trust and loyality are always key virtues in succeeding.\r\n\r\n3/5','b4b82fc39a9d7b02f068bccdd50e1711',0,'','RgwydV2c',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9505,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1156874820,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - General','It appears we\'re pretty much in agreement on Shall we Dansu justindeimen, I was just wondering if you have seen the Hollywood remake?\r\n\r\nI found it quite depressing compared to the original, changed for the worse and badly miscast.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','eb54826c3c97cf3cbe4b20f7dde39e2d',0,'','e0y1J7GN',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9506,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1156875660,1,0,1,1,1,1,'justindeimen','Re: Japanese Journals - General','I could. But I don\'t think I would want to.\r\n\r\nOn first impressions I do think, Gere was grossly miscast seeing as the protanganist needed to be a common, not particularly handsome individual who expresses himself with melancholic abjection with no distinguishing idiosyncracies. It seems like a overly flowery bastardisation of the original which shows enough pathos and underlying desolation of urban living and social restrictions, something which I think the remake might have done away with to give it the Hollywood treatment of an uplifting, inspirational but ultimately hollow message to middle-aged housewives and watery-eyed teenagers. \r\n\r\nStinks of trying to lend legitimacy to an inherently problematic film. What made the original great was its digs at Japanese society and the lack of progressive liberalisation of its people. What could they possibly replace that with in an American pop remake?','9ecc957256d10fb3c03229536e6f3b6c',0,'','eB8Kstgr',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9507,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1157751420,1,0,1,1,1,1,'justindeimen','Re: Japanese Journals - General','I just saw the American remake of \"Shall We Dansu?\". Just as I expected, overly explicating and doesn\'t contain the same bittersweet melancholy of the original. A fleshed out wife character courtesy of the always immaculate Sarandon gives the film an extra oomph that suits the tone of the American remake. An extra offspring didn\'t really bring much, but quite a decent enough replica in narrative and character mannerisms (except for that one bit with Chic).\r\n\r\nAbout the overly explicating part, the end was stretched showing the stories of each of the character after the final dance with Paulina, including a very unnecessary prelude that I can only guess was to make clear to the audience that John did not harbour any feelings for Paulina.\r\n\r\nI think I might have been too harsh anyway, if it slavishly followed the original, I\'d have scoffed. And when it didn\'t, I sneer. I never thought I\'d say this, but Jennifer Lopez was so underused.','c7aa880cc82a98e443e697d8be3c1f76',0,'','cwb7vzMk',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9508,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1157962260,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: Japanese Journals - General','\r\nUtzu (aka Waters; aka Gigolo Wannabe) (2006)\r\n\r\nDirector: Ryo Nishimura\r\nCast: Shun Oguri, Toshinobu Matsuo, Takamasa Suga, Yusuke Kirishima, Hiroyuki Hirayama, Ryoji Morimoto, Shingo Katsurayama, Hitomi Manaka, Riko Narumi, Yoshio Harada\r\n\r\nThe official website\r\nsee\r\nwww.waters-movie.jp/\r\n\r\nSynopsis:\r\nThe story revolves around 7 guys who want to make big bucks working as male hosts in a bar by the sea (i.e., waters) ... What were their motivation? And will they succeed? ...\r\n\r\nMy thoughts:\r\n\r\n\r\nConclusion:','8c81c14db7fd933fed2c8d9ade633558',0,'','WGhNzuKt',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9509,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1158744000,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Japanese Journals - General','ELI, ELI, LEMA SABACHTHANI? (Japan / 2005)\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nArguably the best film maverick Japanese filmmaker Shinji Aoyama has made since his 2000 masterpiece Eureka, Eli, Eli, Lema Sabachthani? represents an admirable amalgam of the genre-induced narratives of the directors early work and the more somber, melancholic approach he has often employed recently. Deriving its title from the Aramaic transcription of Christs final words on the cross, the film -- which is mostly situated around a remote seaside resort in the year 2015 -- stars the ubiquitous Tadanobu Asano, whose character of Mizui seems to have been composed from the various traits found in his roles in Electric Dragon 80.000 V (2001) and Caf Lumire (2003). \r\n\r\nOstensibly, Mizui and his dear friend, Asuhara (Masaya Nakahara), are masters of recording ambient sounds emitting from implausible sources. From a radio-broadcast in the resort the former musicians often visit, we determine that a suicidal disease, caused by a virus named \"The Lemming Syndrome,\" is wrecking havoc around the world by feeding on human misery. When an aging plutocrat with an ailing granddaughter (Aoi Miyazaki, from Eureka) becomes aware of the news that the cure may lie in the experimental music of the aforementioned duo, he tracks them down with the help of a private detective, only to be told that the music, which might also in fact feed the virus, could only possibly facilitate the change if it originates from within the patients themselves.\r\n\r\nA film such as Eli, Eli, Lema Sabachthani? must be a dream job for every sound artist. From sound recording to editing, the film is emblematic of a great aural experience. (But this very quality might serve as a hindrance for certain viewers who might not appreciate or comprehend the underground, gonzo, din-like symphonies utilized here.) On the other hand, however, film-editing leaves something to be desired: on a couple of occasions Aoyama allows a scene to continue long after it has served its purpose. Though, in a minimalist effort like this, he deserves much credit for constantly exploring the films emotional and spiritual center through his softly radiant and precisely composed widescreen images. And, unlike his earlier films, the filmmaker is less interested in unraveling the narrative to satisfy genre fans, and is more geared towards (the means of) the metaphysical cure for the fragmented world of his. No, this isnt Eureka, but after a couple of disappointing efforts it\'s a step in the right direction for Aoyama.\r\n\r\n______________________\r\n\r\n*ELI, ELI, LEMA SABACHTHANI? premiered at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival (Un Certain Regard). In the U.S., it was selected to play in the \"Film Comment Select\" series earlier this year.\r\n\r\n*Now available on Japanese DVD with English subtitles.\r\n_____________________','5f7642ff6344695455f7daeadc58df6f',0,'','dRET3C8u',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9510,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1158769260,1,0,1,1,1,1,'A','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Well, well, still only seen Eureka, but I plan on watching his other movies, when I have more money to import some \r\nDid you buy the DVD arsaib?','38c3c1f6e6d07974e754b48fd304e5e1',0,'','Qekoznxc',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9511,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1158807900,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Yup. Japanese DVDs are a truly a treat in terms of quality. But, as you probably know, they are often quite expensive.','b0a854dc6a3b5446c2c152df6fc6d975',0,'','P6obsGzZ',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9512,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1158812580,1,0,1,1,1,1,'A','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Yes, I know. I thought about importing the japanese Eureka two years ago (because the AE disc isn\'t comparable in terms of quality), but ah, the money the money. Same goes for some films by Mamoru Oshii.\r\nBut I won\'t be always a poor guy, eh?','cbfff477ec9595082e8bf6fad18ae672',0,'','EhsqRJeu',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9513,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1158896760,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Great news and sounds pretty interesting.\r\n\r\nTadanobu Asano, whose character of Mizui seems to have been composed from the various traits found in his roles in Electric Dragon 80.000 V (2001) and Caf Lumire (2003). \r\n\r\nWow......... \r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','a1c0a87772bc56a85734b4e38680540d',0,'','Qlfjqcsd',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9514,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1158900720,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Japanese Journals - General','You\'ve watched both of those films, right?\r\n\r\nAnyway, I don\'t know how Asano gets away with without uttering a word practically in film after film, but more power to him. It is a pleasure to watch him perform.','c9592d04a3e4d26be317197f2d339909',0,'','p2bEWH4e',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9515,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1158986820,1,0,1,1,1,1,'A','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Definitely. His performance in Pan-ek Ratanaruang\'s latest was again something special. Slapstick mixed with tragedy, and he pulls it of admiringly.\r\nThat reminds me that I have \"Electric Dragon 80000V\" on DVD.','39da482ef2a1d90a550721747c04b334',0,'','wWgimGP2',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9516,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1158988560,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Japanese Journals - General','I can\'t wait to see Invisible Waves. Ratanaruang\'s previous effort, Last Life in the Universe, also featuring Asano incidentally, was one of the best films I saw in 2004.','c75d63f8cf742f8468683e27994ad11f',0,'','oPYXVwx0',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9517,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1159011180,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Speaking of Asano, he\'s often compared tp Johnny Depp and he\'s certainly as enigmatic. Luckily he\'s also a workaholic, in fact just going by the films I\'ve seen him in over the last few years, I have to wonder if the Japanese film industry would collapse without him:\r\n\r\nThe Buried Forest (2005) \r\nSurvive Style 5 (2004)\r\nVital (2004)\r\nCaf Lumire (2003)\r\nZatoichi (2003)\r\nLast Life in the Universe (2003)\r\nDistance (2001) \r\nElectric Dragon 80.000 V (2001)\r\nGohatto (1999)\r\nShark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl (1998) \r\nLove & Pop (1998) \r\nMaborosi (1995)\r\n\r\nMost of these are quality films, just take the ones I\'ve seen from 2003, three of the best films produced that year. \r\nIf he was an American actor he\'d be the hottest property in the World!\r\n\r\nAnd he\'s still only a youngster.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','f57f93e9b1021a1ecf4a9228a704a25e',0,'','vSkpUPaH',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9518,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1159013760,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: Japanese Journals - General','I have watched Invisible Waves some time ago ...','edb64760deda350665197533bb389e8b',0,'','lFVw9cj6',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9519,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1159079940,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Japanese Journals - General','hengcs certainly likes to tease us, doesn\'t he?! \r\n\r\nAnyway, here are a few recently released Japanese films that I\'d like to see (preferably sooner than later):\r\n\r\nIt\'s Only Talk (from Ryuichi Hiroki, the director of the masterful 2003 film, Vibrator)\r\n\r\nThe Soup One Morning (A DV-shot indie from Takahashi Izumi)\r\n\r\nUn Couple Parfait (Nobuhiro Suwa; yes it\'s majority French but who cares.)\r\n\r\nThe Taste of Tea (from Katsuhito Ishii, featuring Tadanobu Asano)\r\n\r\nTarachime (from Naomi Kawase, a Japanese master yet to be fully discovered by the west.)','d5bf509177a727587a14039cec69976a',0,'','cdskqtCV',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9520,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1159096620,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Unless they are violent thrillers or horror films or classics (thank you Eureka MoC), there is no chance they\'ll get a UK release.\r\n\r\nNo wonder we have to buy imports and no wonder the audience for Asian films in particular is so limited in the U.K.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','61b495ed61662fff8520b3b8fecaa5d3',0,'','wVnvbtd5',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9521,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1174599720,1,0,1,1,1,1,'wpqx','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Night and Fog in Japan (1960) - Nagisa Oshima \r\n\r\nConsidered Oshima\'s most personal film this enegmatic cinema essay is a scathing critique of the Japanese left told episodically and framed around a marriage. The formal introduction is a technique used quite frequently in Japanese cinema, and a wedding served as the introduction to Kurosawa\'s Bad Sleep Well. Here a slew of guests invited and crashers tell tales of the newlyweds past. Everything becomes an accusation and Oshima is determined not to let anyone off the hook. \r\n\r\nWhat\'s perhaps most amazing about the film is that it was made by a major studio. Oshima\'s film was promptly pulled from theaters several days after it was released. It led Oshima to form his own production company where he would find his greatest critical success over the next few decades. The film from the outside can still fit into the youth craze that more explicitly chracterized Oshima\'s other two features from 1960 (The Son\'s Burial and Cruel Story of Youth), but this one takes the intellectual side of things, and instead of glorifying violence or sex here it is talk, and lots of it. Even the violence of some of the demonstrations is drastically toned down so we see the injuries, but not how they occured. The focus of the film is on the ideology and its inherent flaws. Several members complain about the lack of action, and Oshima\'s film is commenting on itself in that regard.\r\n\r\nThis film is not an easy watch, as most of Oshima\'s radical experiments aren\'t, but it is rewarding. The opening shot sets up everything that we\'ll come to expect in the picture. For over six minutes the camera moves all over this party, we see the bride and groom, their friends, and even the courtyard outside. All told the film comprises 43 set ups, and there is next to no in scene editing. Instead the camera simply takes on a life of its own, arbitrarily moving from one group to the next. One shot holds six actors who don\'t move, yet the one in the foreground remains out of focus, the camera is simply pausing to take a breath. The wedding scenes have a remarkably theatrical appeal to them, using stylized lighting cues to illuminate certain people and isolate everything else. They general preclude the next flashback, but not always. This film doesn\'t let us know where we\'re going, but there is something that seems years ahead of its time here. The failure of these student protests and lack of unity. Such criticism could readily be applied to the numerous protests here in the US that yielded few if any results.\r\n\r\n*Night and Fog in Japan is available on import DVD.','cf871f63a42a21c52297d49c938a7127',0,'','DmTX2C17',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9522,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1174745160,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Thank\'s for your review wpqx, I haven\'t seen a bad film by Oshima yet and you\'ve certainly whet my appetite to try and see Night and Fog in Japan. \r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','e128814e9450cfd49a83fc3748f63819',0,'','zpv5Ms76',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9523,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1186558800,1,0,1,1,1,1,'wpqx','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Sing a Song of Sex (1967) - Nagisa Oshima \r\n\r\nWell I\'ve complained for years that next to no Oshima films (certainly no early ones) are available on DVD here. Thank heavens at least someone somewhere in the world is releasing his challenging, varied, and always fascinating early films. This particular film was a Region 3 release courtesy of Platinum Classics. I found in my little bit of research this is definitely one of the most rarely written about or discussed films in Oshima\'s catalog. In fact I never heard of it until I saw the DVD, and the entry on allmovie.com has not a single word written about it. Part of that could be explained by its obscurity, but this might not seem to many to be a major work from Oshima. It draws us back to his student roots shown in Night and Fog in Japan, but here the students don\'t have a political agenda. They don\'t seem to have much of an agenda at all. The four young men of the story are all rather horny, but don\'t seem to do a great deal about it. There doesn\'t seem to be a great concern for their education, the life after school, and for most we are led to believe they have lived something of a life of privilege. Unlike some of the females in the picture, these men have no care for anything political. They half heartedly mock a petition to end the war in Vietnam, and they jump in front of protesting marchers without much concern. \r\n\r\nThe plot of the story seems irrelevant. A young and handsome professor who is worshiped by the women and respected by the men winds up the victim of an accidental death. A death that one of the boys could have prevented. His guilt is used more as a way of impressing the girls around him than as a legitimate feeling. The professor represented something of a competition for the boys. He seemed to have no problem pulling these ladies in, while all the students seemed to be eagerly awaiting any kind of sexual activity. Not to say these boys are constantly masturbating and flashing young children in public parks, they\'re just about as \"randy\" as any American school boys would be. They seem to inevitably get cold feet around women which makes their progress slow. Only one of them (the one who didn\'t save the professor) actually has a sexual experience in the picture, and remains the unofficial leader of the group. Along the way a multilingual folk group provides a chorus of good will and folk tunes, but a strange confrontation makes everyone uncomfortable. \r\n\r\nI\'m not sure what Oshima was going for with this picture. His directorial style was almost anti-auteur. He adapted a different approach for every picture he made. This film in its mise-en-scene is a little more conventional than we might be used to and doesn\'t contain as many radical experiments as his other films of the period, perhaps another reason it gets so frequently left out of discussions. It is worth seeing as all his films of the period are worth seeing and if you can find it by all means check it out. The film is more meditative on jealousy, sex, and the power of our own fantasies and the problems they pose when enacted. All to the tune of a classic Japanese drinking song.\r\n\r\n*Sing a Song of Sex is available on a Region 3 DVD.','7d0e307cc033e8145f03ad5e2e3960b7',0,'','nFacP9BK',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9524,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1186558920,1,0,1,1,1,1,'wpqx','Re: Japanese Journals - General','Just a suggestion, but I\'m not sure if we would be willing to start a Japanese New Wave thread. This would cover the Imamura, Oshima, Suzuki films we may have mentioned in this thread. It\'s Trevor\'s baby, so ultimately its his call, but a suggestion if we feel a need to get more specific.','a02551a6d1347472b2b8f88432679c8b',0,'','AFTNnkVP',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9525,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1186585800,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - General','No problem, any applicable posts can easily be transferred. \r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','70ae3658d6cfd13f1814931ba752d5f0',0,'','UMxADpFL',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9526,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1186623780,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Japanese Journals - General','I say, instead of moving from one journal to another, let\'s have the members start individual film threads if they\'ve written substantive reviews (or not). And then simply link them by starting director threads in the appropriate forum. But that\'s just me.','5f47379ae5ceefe03ae4bf44b8dbae50',0,'','ywasYubW',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9527,1668,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1186624680,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - General','That\'s fine, it may be better to split the ones already created as well, \'The Classics\' and \'The Cult\' though I\'d like to see an introductory paragraph or two written for each director along with the links and further reviews and/or discussions.\r\n\r\nI have no problem with doing it either way and the re-linking of reviews is only a minor issue.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','6642785353c11934046a2b3e9cc428c9',0,'','od2s3yxG',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9528,1669,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1186465200,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Ghosts (Gui Lao) (2006) (UK)','\r\n\r\nDirector: Nick Broomfield\r\nCast: Ai Qin Lin, Zhe Wei\r\n\r\nThe official website\r\nclick\r\nhttp://www.ghoststhemovie.co.uk/\r\n\r\nSynopsis\r\nBased on the incident at Morecambe Bay on the 5th February 2004, the film relates the plight and life of an illegal immigrant, Ai Qin, in UK ...\r\n\r\nMy thoughts\r\n\r\n-- I have always felt that such docudrama is difficult to comment on. Given the gravity and the reality of the story, one would often be emotionally drawn by virtue of its topic. So, I would rather leave it for you to watch.\r\n\r\n-- For people who like the film, I could attribute it to its realism, acted by non professionals (and apparently some used to be illegal immigrants); their expressions come across as genuine. \r\n\r\nThe bulk of the film does not go to extreme to over dramatize or horrify (though the message is evident and clear) ... In fact, the bulk of the film depicts what life is like from day to day for the illegal immigrants, hopping from one odd job to another odd job ... there are times of difficulties, but there are times of entertainment ... there are times of despair, but there are times of hope ... By doing so, the film comes across as rather sincere ...\r\n\r\n-- For people who do not like the film, it may because the director has a rather clear stand on how he feels about the subject ... some people might prefer if he had portrayed both sides of the stories ... also, to some extent, the bulk of the film can come across as rather mundane (i.e., what daily life is about) and hence, repetitive at times .. but those who like the film will consider this realistic and a way to build up the characterization/thoughts of the immigrants ...\r\n\r\n-- As an ending note, there are many familiar Chinese songs which would help one reminisce about the good old past and people we used to know ...\r\n\r\nConclusion\r\nWorth watching, by virtue of its topic. The starting and the ending is esp. gripping.\r\n\r\nPS: The title \"Ghosts\" is most likely a translation of the Chinese title \"Gui Lao\". It is a slang used more often in the past when Chinese are less accustomed to seeing westerners/foreigners, and so refer to them as \"ghosts\" due to their pale complexion (cf. some countries refering to foreigners as \"aliens\"). \r\n\r\nJiang Wen also uses the word \"Ghosts\" in his film \"Gui Zi Lai Le\" (Devils At The Doorstep) to refer to foreigners, but this time he refers to the Japanese.\r\n\r\nThere are two camps of thoughts. \r\n(i) Some people feel that this term is perfectly NEUTRAL ... esp. used casually/intimately in the Cantonese language ... that is why they may even address their own wife (as Gui Po in Cantonese) or friends (as Gui Zi in Cantonese) etc ...\r\n(ii) However, some people think it is slightly derogatory, used by people in the past to refer to \"aliens\" ... hence, people nowadays prefer to refrain from using this term when refering to foreigners ...\r\n\r\nAlso, just hazarding a wild guess (given that the film is by a British Director), he could have formulated the English title with an intended pun, maybe to refer to the way many people would regard \"illegal immigrants\", that is as ghosts (\"transparent\" and/or \"non existent\") ... sigh ... who also lives in harsh or \"ghosts-like\" conditions ... sigh','d048a9c9bbf575e55716d43adbd167f0',0,'','6MK4C9qG',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9529,1669,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1186496580,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Ghosts (Gui Lao) (2006) (UK)','Nice comments hengcs, a very good docu/drama that is as realistic as feasibly possible.\r\n\r\nAll the Chinese cast were originally immigrants, quite a few illegal so many of them had been through the very same experiences for real. \r\n\r\nLin Ai Qin who played Ai Qin in the film went through the tortuous journey from China to the U.K. in the same way as shown in the film, months spent in confined hiding spaces in trucks, it must have been painful for her in particular to go through the experience again although of course this time it was under filming conditions.\r\n\r\nIn terms of the housing and jobs, Nick Broomfield spent months investigating genuine properties and factories that had housed and employed illegal immigrants, the cast were required to live the experience and did live and sleep for the duration within the confines of the overcrowded and dilapidated housing.\r\n\r\nDuring the Morecambe Bay section, you see the local cockle pickers attacking the illegal immigrants as they see them as a threat to their livelihood, this is what forced them into making the fatal mistake of going out late in the day to collect cockles. During the filming in Morecombe, the cast and crew were physically and verbally attacked by the local pickers even though they had explained that they were only there to make the film.\r\n\r\nBefore seeing the \'Ghosts\' I had assumed that the title referred to the virtually hidden world of the illegal immigrants, but during the film the expression, \'Ghosts\' was used by the Chinese for the white people who bled them of money, to me both meanings make sense.\r\n\r\nNick Broomfield\'s work has never held a great appeal for me but Ghosts is an outstanding film.\r\n\r\nThe R2 dvd was released by Tartan Video and is an excellent transfer of the film.\r\n\r\nThe making of doc included illustrates the levels of authenticity used including secret filming in factories where illegal immigrants are commonly employed because of their low cost and disposability. \r\n\r\nHighly recommended.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','5613c26a17ff6d113f195086539d23bf',0,'','EnqSCTi6',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9530,1670,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1148377200,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Time (2006) (Korea)','\r\n\r\n\r\nDirector: Kim Ki Duk\r\nCast: SUNG Hyun-ah, HA Jung-woo\r\n\r\nYup, this is Kim Ki Duk\'s 13th film after The Bow. \r\nIt will premier in the 41st Karlovy Vary International Film Festival on 30 June. \r\nAccording to some sources (not sure abt its reliability), the film will only get screened overseas ...\r\n\r\nThe caption on the poster reads\r\nLove against the passage of Time ... \r\n\r\nThe trailer\r\nsee\r\nhttp://www.cineclickasia.com/newsletter/news2006/ntime_320X240_300k.wmv','1c518dae32396b6cf7a2b7663c95a106',0,'','jXv1cVs5',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9531,1670,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1148377860,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Time (2006) (Korea)','I have a feeling that this poster will end up in hengcs\' future quizzes.','1f3c5317703b0f4767ac11b8b1e26fb7',0,'','QDCW3tYZ',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9532,1670,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1148378280,1,0,1,1,1,1,'A','Re: Time (2006) (Korea)','\r\nThe poster sure looks very beautiful. But I wonder hoe long it will take the film to get here. Usually all of his films are widely discussed and anticipated. But with all the bad things going on about \"The Bow\". Maybe western critics are getting tired of him and will jump onto somebody else to hype? We will see.\r\nI hope for an enjoyable film - that is if the visuals resemble the poster art...','a0d9f3c51f4b21135dba760b86394b3f',0,'','paK4RMj9',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9533,1670,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1185998280,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Time (2006) (Korea)','Has anyone had the opportuity to see Time yet?\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','734d9d552fab35bf177cfbdb6c272ae6',0,'','hV45WETz',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9534,1670,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1186020000,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Time (2006) (Korea)','Nope, not yet. But Time is certainly on my radar. It received a limited release in the U.S. a couple of weeks ago. Surprisingly, the reviews have been mostly positive so far.','ef3abe1403ce3ca653c1ab68ee8b188d',0,'','NLQbufe6',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9535,1670,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1186042080,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: Time (2006) (Korea)','ok ... I will try to share my thoughts over the weekend ...','251675548074b3401a0a95356e78c118',0,'','mqvpyD97',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9536,1670,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1186389360,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: Time (2006) (Korea)','\r\n\r\nDirector: Kim Ki Duk\r\nCast: Ha Jung-woo, Park Ji-Yeon, Sung Hyun-Ah\r\n\r\nSynopsis\r\nA highly insecure and irritable woman feels that plastic surgery is the only way to sustain her boyfriend\'s interest in her, and stay by her. Hence, without telling him, she disappears for a period of 6 months in order to appear as a new person ... The story gets interesting when the boyfriend also decides to go for plastic surgery ... why?! and how will all these end?\r\n\r\nMy thoughts ...\r\n\r\nThere are 3 things I like about the film ...\r\n\r\n(i) It does raise important issues concerning INSECURITY and IDENTITY. What exactly maketh a person?! What exactly do we like about people we love?! ... In a way, he also evokes questions about LONELINESS and LOVE ... And because plastic surgery is surging in popularity, say in Korea or other parts of the World, the film also critique the SOCIETY at large and its SUPERFICIALITY ...\r\n\r\n(ii) A gripping way of presenting the story \r\n... the opening scene and a later scene presents you with the realism of what happens in the operating room (with the intention to deter one from plastic surgery) ...\r\n... in terms of moving the plot, the director is great at generating \"question marks\". the audience are kept wondering whether every \"unknown\" woman who subsequently appears is indeed the girl after the plastic surgery ... these sets of questions are repeated as the audience wonder again whether every \"unknown\" man who subsequently appears is the guy after going through the knife ...\r\n... and throughout, one cannot help but wonder how the director intends to end the story ...\r\n\r\n(iii) few people mention, but i really like some of the sculptures that appear in the film ... WOW ... \r\ne.g., the hands\r\ne.g., the sun tan\r\netc\r\nThere are a few others ...\r\n\r\nalso, there are a few scenes that look \"cinematic\" ...\r\ne.g., every scene with the hands sculpture ...\r\ne.g., the winter scene\r\ne.g., in the beginning, the doors of the plastic surgery clinic ...\r\n\r\nIf anything could be better, these are my 3 minor complaints ...\r\n\r\n(i) If we were to scrutinize the film very deeply, it may stretch slightly in terms of its credibility ... not that it is impossible, but at times, a bit strained and stretched ...\r\n\r\n(ii) Not that we advocate it ... and i believe we do understand the director\'s concern over plastic surgery ... but the film seems to take a very one sided and harsh stand on plastic surgery (esp. after you have finished watching the film) ... to the extent of being \"preachy\" ... I would have prefered a film that better portrays the dilemma of the phenomenon and practice ...\r\n\r\n(iii) frankly, i do not like the ending ... at times, i do suspect the director may have grappled with how to end the film and does not exactly know how else to end it ... but this is just my humble opinion ... do tell me if you like the ending ...\r\n\r\nConclusion\r\nRecommended, with its pros and cons.\r\n\r\nPS: do tell me if you like the ending ...','9603c993ef59d63f3f781697acb375f1',0,'','osPLui2d',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9537,1671,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1186359060,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Longing (Sehnsucht) (Germany)','Longing (Sehnsucht) (2006)\r\n\r\nDirected by Valeska Grisebach\r\n\r\nStarring Andreas Mller, Ilka Welz, Anett Dornbusch\r\n\r\nLonging is supposedly based on a true story and concerns Markus, a part time fireman, his devoted young wife and a bar maid who lives in another small town. \r\n\r\nMarkus is deeply upset after being first at the scene of a car crash, he does his best to save the people involved only to later find out that they had intended to die. Subsequently death and suicide begin to preoccupy his mind.\r\n\r\nA training trip with his fellow part time firemen to another town ends with Markus waking up in a barmaids bed with no recollection of how he got there or whether anything had happened between them. Despite his lack of memory he embarks in an on/off affair with her while his loving wife literally has to beg him to take her to bed. Things take a drastic turn after an accident which brings the thoughts of suicide back to Markuss mind leaving his own life hanging in the balance.\r\n\r\nFor the first half hour or so the film brings the Dardenne brothers to mind, everything has a down to earth realism to it, you get the feel of a living breathing community, which is probably the case. From the firemen to the womens choir, it all has an air of authenticity. There are major problems though, for the love triangle the director appears to have picked people who are virtually nondescript in looks and personality, they also lacked any form of charisma. Saying the characters were bland would be a complement. The story lacked any definition, detail or depth, I wouldnt have wanted a Hollywood style set-up but almost everything here was underplayed to an almost comatose level.\r\n\r\nAs far as the relationships were concerned, neither had a genuine feel to them, the closest you got to a real sense of emotion was in a small moment between Markus and his sons pet rabbit. \r\n\r\nThe film rounds off with a group of youngish boys and girls continuing the story, again there is a lack of clarity in the telling and you are left with the impression that the whole story has been told in this way, as though the director is using this to excuse the lack of definition within the actual plot.\r\n\r\nI loved the air of reality within the village, thought the camera work was very good, giving it a pseudo documentary feel, but felt that so much more could have and should have been done with the central characters.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.\r\n\r\nBBFC rated 15\r\n\r\nR2 dvd to be released at a future date by BFI.','8b6618b92f5d1651aa2092d8d5c011cd',0,'','bdP6zc5K',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9538,1672,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1177165260,1,0,1,1,1,1,'justindeimen','Ad Lib Night (2006) (South Korea)','Ad Lib Night\r\n\r\nWhat Ad Lib Night accomplishes in its simplicity is nothing short of exceptional. The delicate minimalism employed in Lee Yoon-kis third feature is tremendously absorbing and is just handled with immense grace. The stealthily devastating isolation of big city living is evoked by a mysterious doppelgangers acceptance to stand beside a dying man in proxy of his runaway daughter. While its key sequences involve the enchantingly doleful stranger, her identity is the least important aspect of the film. This gesture of good faith, which spans a single night in the household, becomes a gentle and emotional narrative that taps into the pulse of young adults, scurrying to depart from their familial tethers and seeking independence. It develops an intricate, underlying tapestry of shame, guilt, responsibility and maturation. Lees camera acts as a silent, vacant observer. With great clarity and poignancy the camera weaves in and out of conversations held between the family members gathered around the deathbed. The streamlined economy of his static camerawork witnesses the different dynamics and insecurities of the close extended family members through their dialogue and (or lack of) physical expressions. The mood remains plaintive and avoids the trappings of a melodrama by dividing the focus onto the different energies of each character dealing with the situation at hand. The bittersweet melancholy resonating from its final scenes ruminates on the bonds we take for granted and the kinships we have lost.\r\n\r\nRating: 4 out of 5','b5cb6ae67b84bc573211e958c026fac7',0,'','i0jn3Y5S',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9539,1672,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1177165560,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: Ad Lib Night (2006) (South Korea)','i am watching on monday ...\r\n\r\nwow ... 4.5 stars from u ...\r\nbut minimalist approach?! \r\noh no ... i hope i survive it (cos too exhausted with work and film fest recently) ... ha ha ha','52ec3551cbf74c1876f9e3d5c390122a',0,'','Wub3YhEB',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9540,1672,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1177167420,1,0,1,1,1,1,'justindeimen','Re: Ad Lib Night (2006) (South Korea)','It\'s slow moving in the traditonal sense. If you don\'t mind being a spectator to extended conversations and prolonged eye contact then you\'ll probably get something out of it.','3b75365dccffd66d5338ef5ac721abf9',0,'','65SNAaeU',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9541,1672,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1177356720,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: Ad Lib Night (2006) (South Korea)','\r\n\r\nAb Lib Night (Aju Teukbyeolhan Sonnim) (2006) (Korea)\r\n\r\nI will write something if time permits ...\r\n\r\nSurprisingly, the director was present. \r\n\r\nIn the introduction, he said ... He was happy to be at lovely Singapore again ... He was here two years ago with his first film \"This Charming Girl\" ... This film (Ad Lib Night) is about a journey/trip made by a girl, a turning point which changes her life, not a major turning point, but still a turning point nonetheless ... I hope you people will also enjoy the journey/trip ... \r\n\r\nConclusion:\r\nRecommended. Actually, I thought it was not as \"minimalistic\" as I have anticipated (cf. Kim Ki Duk or Tsai Ming Liang\'s films). It is peppered with dialogues throughout, but it has little happenings/events ... ... If you like Hou Hsiao Hsien\'s style, you will like this film ...\r\n\r\nQ & A \r\n(Not with the entire audience, but with a few individuals at the foyer after the film. Again, the following is loosely translated and recorded for its gist rather than in verbatim)\r\n\r\nQ: What inspired the film?\r\nA: It is based on a Japanese short story. I used about 40% of the story, and improvised the rest. I have to add more stuff/stories to the other characters to evoke more melancholy ...\r\n\r\nQ: What do you hope people take away from this film?\r\nA: Relationship with others, not just the family, but also friends and others ...\r\n\r\nQ: Is there a reason why all the protagonist in your film is a female?\r\nA: Ha ... that is just a coincidence. I simply like to film stories about lonely people and relationship ...\r\n\r\nQ: In the show, the girl was waiting for a guy whom she might even sleep with for money ... this is the theme in another film Samaria (aka Samaritan Girl) ... is this a prevalent problem in Korea?\r\nA: Hmmm ... I dont think so ...\r\n\r\nQ: Who are the directors that inspire you?\r\nA: Hou Hsiao Hsien. In fact, I even had a dinner with him two years ago (in Singapore International Film Festival) when SIFF had a retrospective on Hou\'s films, and I was invited for featuring \"This Charming Girl\".\r\n\r\nQ: Are there Korean directors that you like?\r\nA: Lee Chang Dong\r\n\r\nThat\'s abt it ...\r\n\r\nrgds\r\nhengcs\r\n\r\nPS: Given that there are 25 min to the next screening, I am still not sure why the Q&A is done at the foyer (or should i say the walking isle?! sigh). Is it by the request of the director? If he is shy, I think I am okay with it. However, if it is due to \"cleaning\" for the next screening, I think it could have been better. Although it is less formal, less than 3 to 5 people stayed and talked to the director (some are not even aware of his presence because they came into the theater after the intro) ... what a wasted opportunity ... Hopefully, it will be better next time ...','7a64f89dfd0ff3f7219b29e96ab0470b',0,'','cjY6v0hg',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9542,1672,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1186104780,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Ad Lib Night (2006) (South Korea)','AD LIB NIGHT \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nIn some ways similar to the titular character of Lee Yoon-kis accomplished and celebrated debut feature, This Charming Girl (2004), the young female protagonist of his thoroughly engaging new film, Ad Lib Night (Aju teukbyeolhan sonnim), turns out to be a solemn and melancholic individual who the proceedings gradually peel away in an attempt to excavate the subjects mental and emotional inhibitions. Initially seen waiting for someone at a street corner in Seoul, this anonymous girl (Han Hyo-ju) is approached by a couple of young provincial men who appear to have mistaken her for a dying man\'s runaway daughter they\'re trying to find in order to fulfill his last wish.\r\n\r\nAfter hesitantly assenting to their offer, which requires her to pretend in front of the morphine-injected cancer patient, she is whisked away to the suburban working-class neighborhood where a few family and friends have gathered, and in some cases, selfishly so. Lee shows a great eye and ear for the ambient, humor-laden occurrences as this \"very special guest,\" which is what the Korean title roughly translates to, slowly becomes acclimated with the surroundings. The perpetually bickering yet curiously close-knit clan, whose members probably wouldnt look out of place in Martels claustrophobic milieus, eventually succumbs to the filmmakers deliberately methodical pacing and lightly detached air, which further eschews sensational variations of satire and melodrama. \r\n\r\nReportedly shot in 10 days on digital video, this subtle and subdued effort eventually raises numerous points regarding familial and personal responsibility, modern isolation and emotional longing. Incidentally, Lee recently stated in an interview that \"I do have an interest in stories about peoples inner feelings, exploring the pain or trauma any of us feel in a lifetime.\" And Ad Lib Night only comes full-circle once, in a couple of delicately realized sequences, the true identity of its protagonist is revealed. The film then not only earns its tears but also begins to expand in memory.\r\n\r\n_______________________\r\n\r\n*AD LIB NIGHT premiered at the 2006 Pusan Film Festival. Now available on English subtitled Korean (Region-3/NTSC) DVD from HB Ent. As usual, the extra features -- making of doc, premiere video, photo shoots, TV spots, etc. -- aren\'t subtitled, though that didn\'t prevent me from viewing them. Besides THIS CHARMING GIRL and AD LIB NIGHT, the only other film Lee had directed so far is LOVE TALK (2005), which I haven\'t seen at this point.','2cdfc491d762ded99b4a314e47b6d5dd',0,'','xn0HTyKJ',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9543,1673,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1185892860,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Komornik (The Collector) (2005) (Poland)','\r\n\r\nDirector: Feliks Falk\r\nCast: Andrzej Chyra\r\n\r\nThis film was submitted by Poland to Oscar 2007.\r\nIt also won Prize of the Ecumenical Jury at Berlin Film Festival 2006.\r\n\r\nMy thoughts\r\n\r\n-- The acting. Well, I thought the lead actor manages to pull off convincingly ... as one debt collector who simply feels that he is right and the law is on his side. \r\n\r\n* possible spoilers *\r\n\r\n-- The plot. \r\n\r\n(i) The opening was great ... but later, it got a bit \"repetitive\" trying to drive across how uncaring or ruthless the debt collector was ... IMHO, it would be better if the director could add more bits to \"justify\" his acts, i.e., if the debt collector wasn\'t as firm or harsh, there would be no way the institution would survive ... by doing so, it would give the character even more depth and more justification towards his beliefs (i.e., assumed \"righteousness\") ... \r\n\r\n(ii) The second half was more interesting as we witnessed an incident that would trigger a change of mind and heart ... wow ... however, it did feel a bit too abrupt and extreme ... fortunately, it was salvaged by the fact that although the main protagonist was willing to be a better man, the rest of the world was unwilling to admit his help ... an interesting script which provoked thoughts because the world is not simply painted as good people vs bad people ... the original victims now took on a \"nastier\" side as they were depicted to be less than \"magnanimous\" or \"forgiving\" (i.e., against what we would like them to be) ... it was a pity that the film soon ended, it should have been developed more ...\r\n\r\nConclusion\r\nDeserve a watch.','0223fdaab2949aea2710117d10771424',0,'','2Mqi3clz',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9544,1674,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1183982160,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Water (Canada/2005)','Water (2005)\r\n\r\nDirected by Deepa Mehta\r\n\r\nStarring Lisa Ray, Seema Biswas, Sarala\r\n\r\nA widow should be long suffering until death, self-restrained and chaste.\r\nA virtuous wife who remains chaste when her husband has died goes to heaven.\r\nA woman who is unfaithful to her husband is reborn in the womb of a Jackal.\r\n\r\nThe Laws of Manu\r\nChapter 5 verse 156-161\r\n\r\nCopied from www.waterthefilm.co.uk\r\n\r\nFirst things first, Water is an astonishingly beautiful film, the setting of 1930s India allows for the inclusion of political and social upheaval with Ghandi becoming a rising force against British occupation, the setting also allows for a more romanticised, mysterious, exotic India, more appealing to the eye and certainly more acceptable to a mainstream audience, particularly in mother India itself. \r\n\r\nSeveral years in the making due to violent protests and death threats during the initial filming, Water, the third and final instalment in Deepa Mehtas elemental trilogy (following Fire (1996) and Earth (1998)) deals with an aspect of Indian society that even in these times, is an open wound.\r\n\r\nThe story follows Chuyia, an eight year old bride who soon becomes an eight year old widow, from long hair and beautiful clothes to shaved head and plain robes within an instant. Relieved of any normality in her life and finding herself abandoned in an ashram, a residence for widows where they are pretty much cut off from the rest of the world.\r\n\r\nIn this tiny world, Chuyia manages to upset a few of the older widows but forms a deep bond with a couple as well, she desperately longs to return to the bosom of her family but as time passes, she comes to realise that her old life is no more. \r\n\r\nOne of the women she becomes attached to is the beautiful Kalyani (Lisa Ray) who lives an almost separate life from the others. Out of all the widows, she is the only one whose hair isnt shaved, arriving at the ashram at the tender age of nine, Kalyani has been forced into becoming the breadwinner, being prostituted out to provide money to feed the others. In a world of contradictions, the widows rely on her for their very survival yet do not allow her to partake within their society because of what she has been forced into, double standards which reflect the caste system of the outside world.\r\n\r\nThe mid section of the film concentrates more on Kalyani as she becomes the tragic figure in an almost Bollywood style tale of love. Her lover carries the values of Ghandis teachings but not even his modern thinking can prevent the tragedy to come. The sacred water of the river Ganges come into play many times during the film but never with more poignancy than during this episode.\r\n\r\nThe arc of the story then swings back to Chuyia and her redemption from a life as tragic as Kalyanis, its quite evident that the widow who has set herself as top dog in the ashram intends to procure clients for Chuyia and live off her immoral earnings. Luckily for her, Chuyia does have a protector with a conscience. \r\n\r\nDeepa Mehta was appalled when she discovered that these ashrams still existed, and that even here, the hypocrisy of the caste system was very much alive. Its a shame that to ensure Water would be well received, she has had to resort to making a film that will entertain the masses and may affect them rather than the reverse. \r\n\r\nExquisite, entertaining but not as damning of its subject matter as I would have wished, well worth seeing though. \r\n\r\nCheers Trev.\r\n\r\nBBFC rated 12a\r\n\r\nNo news of a UK dvd release yet.','82b319a4ae1018b30e2afa41c45cab81',0,'','VGqtdxEF',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9545,1674,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1185618540,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Water (Canada/2005)','[Moved from the LAST FILM SEEN thread / OP 06/06/2006]\r\n\r\nWATER (Canada / 2005)\r\n\r\n*A 2006 U.S. Release*\r\n\r\nThe original production of Deepa Mehta\'s poignant yet simplistic new film Water, the third installment of her elemental trilogy following Fire (1996) and Earth (1998), had to be shut down in India back in 2000 due to the violent protests of Hindu fundamentalist groups. Fearing further actions, Mehta went to neighboring Srilanka with the film which focuses on the harsh treatment of widows because of ancient religious customs. Set in 1930s colonial India during Gandhis rise to power, Water mostly takes inside an ashram, a place of confinement for Hindu widows who have to spend the rest of their lives in exile. Chuyia (Sarala), a precocious eight-year-old child widow, ends up in Varanasis ashram situated alongside the Ganges. While she isnt welcomed by most, she becomes close to a couple of the inmates: Shakuntala (Seema Biswas), a stoic, well-respected resident, and Kalyani (Lisa Ray), a young and beautiful one who\'s been forced into prostitution in order to keep the institution running. To Mehtas credit, she has approached the films inherently grim subject matter in a relaxed and, at times, blitheful manner, which wasnt always the case in her previous elemental efforts. But for a stretch, the film unfortunately deviates into a Bollywood-esque romance which develops between Kalyani and an upper-class attorney who happens to be a Gandhian. That said, there isn\'t any doubt regarding Mehtas concern for the plight of her characters and the issues that surround them, whom she touches upon in various minor yet affecting sequences. Ultimately, however, the strong work of its cast along with the highly evocative cinematography of Giles Nuttgens enables Water to overcome the late dramatics to leave a rich and strong impression. \r\n\r\nGrade: B-\r\n______________________\r\n\r\n*Available on U.S. DVD (Fox). Canada (Mongrel Media).','8ea3e905e205344cc436ea70f5b237b4',0,'','s5wbqpXe',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9546,1674,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1185687840,1,0,1,1,1,1,'JPaulie','Re: Water (Canada/2005)','I thought John Abraham would stand out with this role but unfortunately he showed that he is not much of an actor as suspected!\r\n\r\nOverall Water was something I would watch once, Lisa Raye is beautiful, and I really enjoyed Earth WAYYY more than this!','896a4ab25a4d7984357d9697270f3084',0,'','79TXzlLm',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9547,1674,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1185691500,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Water (Canada/2005)','I think Mehta and the writers deserve most of the blame. It\'s not a particularly very well written part; the character is especially short-shifted after the tragedy. Haven\'t seen enough John Abraham movies but didn\'t think that him or any of the other cast members were a problem. Having said that, as I brought it up before elsewhere, it would\'ve been interesting if Mehta had found a way to stick with the original script (it\'s not primarily her fault that she didn\'t), which I believe once had the great Shabana Azmi playing one of the women.','b4c6024556852666f2954e28cd364c81',0,'','JBdpmREH',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9548,1674,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1185710340,1,0,1,1,1,1,'JPaulie','Re: Water (Canada/2005)','Yeah the script didnt give his character much depth at all, and I dont know Ive tried liking Johns acting I gave it a shot in Kabul Express but he still didnt put enough into the role just like the previous film of his Baabul maybe he needs more time to grow! And what was the original script??? And why didnt Mehta stick with it??? If she wrote a script as good as Earth or close to I would have loved this film, althought I did love the cinematography! Nicely done!','426ca67e94219050bc20f3082f0ffd30',0,'','gGmB4jEt',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9549,1674,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1185773760,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Water (Canada/2005)','I believe initially the film was meant to recount the lives of priests\' wives who prostituted themselves to fulfull their needs. I\'m not sure whether Mehta had already made the necessary changes in order to shoot in India or not, but in any case the sets were burned and thrown into the river. On top of that, the lives of those involved were threatened. From what I read, Mehta wasn\'t very forthcoming with the details at the premiere in Toronto, perhaps understandably so. It\'s funny that you mentioned Kabul Express because it was one of the Indian films that played at TIFF last year and didn\'t go over very well with the public and the critics alike. The latest from Santosh Sivan (The Terrorist) called Before the Rains is scheduled to play next month at the fest; I might check it out. Have you seen any worthy Indian films lately?','9b29df24f9012f244bd1c408f163d48f',0,'','dzKvH2oG',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9550,1674,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1185890160,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: Water (Canada/2005)','I was surprised I did not post on this.\r\nThe film was rather depressing ...','0d31a44ebd443e23c6810abd803f3141',0,'','uypKPVNo',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9551,1675,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1161682140,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Soldiers of Salamina (Soldados de Salamina) (2003) (Spain)','Director: David Trueba\r\nCast: Ariadna Gil, Ramon Fontser, Joan Dalmau, Diego Luna\r\n\r\nSynopsis\r\nThe film tells the story of an uninspired writer/teacher/journalist who has recently taken an assignment to write about Rafael Sanchez Mazas. Apparently, during a massacre in the Civil War, the latter was saved by \"Friends of the Forest\". She is curious about what went through the mind of this soldier, who had chosen to let him go ... will she find this \"hero\"?','ebc8c63009aec5bee67b8398f5041008',0,'','KixtGe82',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9552,1675,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1185726240,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Soldiers of Salamina (Soldados de Salamina) (2003) (Spain)','hengcs, I know this is going back a bit but since you wrote the initial post I assume you\'ve seen it. What was your overall impression, good, bad or indifferent.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','cbdbea7e50278f344e4f62032c966d57',0,'','jXb97TrA',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9553,1675,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1185741840,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: Soldiers of Salamina (Soldados de Salamina) (2003) (Spain)','Luckily you reminded me ... \r\nBut regretably, I have forgotten much about it ...\r\n\r\nI recall vaguely that my \"expectations\" were probably wrong to begin with ... it wasn\'t exactly a \"war\" film or \"soldiers\" (i.e., military) kind of film ... hence, one would not really learn the details of the Spanish Civil War from this film ... it is more about humanity and \"heroism\" (interestingly articulated/defined eventually) ...\r\n\r\ni.e., In war, there are no heroes, only victims ...\r\n\r\nI recall that the pacing wasn\'t as intense as I had hoped ... Nonetheless, many of us would still be keen to know how the film would end, with the impending meeting of the writer and the \"hero\" who might have spare and save the poet\'s life ...\r\n\r\nPS: The speech at the end is rather down to earth and touching ... definitely food for thoughts ...','4d5316b2c960f94e48373bc596cb5a66',0,'','8j0ky2G1',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9554,1676,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1139861220,1,0,1,1,1,1,'howardschumann(d)','Fateless','FATELESS (Sorstalansg) \r\n\r\nDirected by Lajos Koltai (2005)\r\n\r\nThere have been many films about the holocaust but none quite as intimate and personal as Hungarian director Lajos Koltai\'s Fateless. Based on the semi-autobiographical novel by Nobel Prize winner Imre Kertesz, Fateless is a hauntingly beautiful film whose narrative unfolds in the form of miniature vignettes rather than peak dramatic moments. The film is seen from the perspective of 14-year-old Gyuri Koves (Marcell Nagy), who spent a year in Buchenwald during the last days of World War II and who provides the narration. Unlike most films about the holocaust, it suggests that happiness and beauty can co-exist along with deprivation and despair. \r\n\r\nMarcell Nagy is outstanding as Gyuri, the young man who moves from a childlike innocence to world-weariness in the span of one year. With his soulful face and expressive eyes, he is almost a detached observer, quietly pondering his fate. He is, in the Sufi saying, in the world, but not of it and the film unfolds as in a lucid dream that blurs the lines between appearance and reality. Koltai captures this almost matter-of-fact quality as Gyuri says goodbye to his father (Janos Ban) who has been ordered to work in a Nazi labor camp. Because Hungarians did not feel the full brunt of Nazi persecution until the Nazi takeover in 1944, Gyuri thinks his father is just going to have to work hard and that nothing will happen to him. Neighbors and relatives who reassure him that everything will be all right do not further his grasp of reality.\r\n\r\nWhen the boy and his friends are detained on a bus on the way to work, he learns quickly that \"his carefree childhood days are now over\". Still not comprehending the magnitude of what is taking place, he is annoyed but not frightened and does not seize the opportunity to escape offered by a friendly cop. Even when he arrives at Auschwitz, he sits on the ground shaven and wearing a striped uniform, talking with friends as if he was in a school playground during recess. When Gyuri discovers that \"he could be killed at any time, anywhere\", he attains a sort of spiritual freedom and his determination to survive is increased. Pretending to be sixteen, Gyuri escapes the gas chamber and is sent to Buchenwald and then to a smaller camp. \r\n\r\nThe scenes of murder, death, and dying at the camps are thankfully left to the imagination and the film focuses on Gyuri\'s personal reactions to what he sees around him. Koltai, a cinematographer for twenty-five years, creates a visual cinematic poem in which his color palette is so muted that we experience the mud and the atmosphere of cold and gray almost viscerally. Sadly, we watch Gyuri\'s transformation from the confident teenager we saw at the beginning to an emaciated number, his leg so swollen and infected that he can barely walk. In voiceover, however, he talks about the hours between work and the evening meal as one of quiet reflection and about the joy in discovering a piece of meat or potato in his soup. He is also sustained by a friend he develops in fellow Hungarian Bandi Citrom (Aron Dimeny) who protects him and tries to teach him the skills of survival. Bandi, ever the optimist, proclaims, \"I will walk down Nefelejcs Street again\"\r\n\r\nOne of the surprises in the film is the treatment Gyuri receives at what looks like a camp hospital. He is cleaned, allowed to sleep alone in a bed and taken care of, a set of circumstances not usually associated with extermination camps, yet based on Kertesz\' actual experience. The most discussed aspect of the film, however, takes place in Budapest after the liberation. Gyuri feels more alone than he did at Buchenwald and even expresses a sort of homesickness for the camaraderie he felt at the camp. Friends and neighbors who were not in the camps cannot understand what it was truly like and Gyuri cannot explain it. Even if he could, no one really wants to hear anything that rattles their preconceptions. \r\n\r\nHe rebels at playing the role of the victim and says, \"there is nothing too unimaginable to endure\". When asked about the atrocities, he talks of his happiness. \"The next time I am asked\", he says, \"I ought to speak about that, the happiness of the concentration camp. If indeed I am asked. And provided I myself don\'t forget\". His \"happiness\", according to Kertesz, who also wrote the screenplay, is not a form of denial but an act of rebellion against those who do not see him any longer as a human being, only as a victim. It was a way of assuring his responsibility, of defining his own fate rather than having others decide it for him. For me, it also added a portal into the sublime.\r\n\r\nGRADE: A','161140ea046c45a06aefb96735f72d5c',0,'','sBKQ5CAh',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9555,1676,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1139910240,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: Fateless','\r\nThis is a film I want to watch ...\r\nBut I am not sure when it will screen here ...\r\nor when the DVD will be available ...','325587253ac280871602846ff321b275',0,'','atWjUYZc',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9556,1676,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1139910840,1,0,1,1,1,1,'howardschumann(d)','Re: Fateless','Where\'s here?','725ae39fcb98b62ccd9463413e4a9998',0,'','DdveCEMk',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9557,1676,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1140151740,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: Fateless','Singapore ... hee hee','d696436e1c06c60dc04167e4b3d4302a',0,'','tUMDGnJT',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9558,1676,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1140156960,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Fateless','The Hungarian DVD is available (with English subs).','1e8816cd451e7a8255990b48e15371e0',0,'','eHmFKMwJ',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9559,1676,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1140533040,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: Fateless','thnks ...\r\n\r\ncare to inform me of the website?','91401d53b5c0b6c914b325ca8edef016',0,'','T6W0Ui9e',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9560,1676,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1140599160,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Fateless','hengcs, you\'ll be better off waiting for the U.S. dvd which will be releasing in a couple of months. Hungarian sites don\'t offer English interface so you\'ll have to e-mail for more info and payment options; and the shipping is quite expensive also.','3e4aa69d812b35d34428cb3642f070d4',0,'','XNC0zUDA',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9561,1676,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1143535320,1,0,1,1,1,1,'wpqx','Re: Fateless','The film came out here in Chicago a few weeks ago and I got to see it yesterday. It is bleak, and personally I didn\'t feel anything for it. Perhaps I\'m getting too detached but it\'s been awhile since these type of manipulative films have been able to affect me. I must say that Fateless wasn\'t as deliberate attempt at sentimentality as other holocaust films, but I can\'t say it offered anything new or vital about the situation. The story has been told, and I feel like I\'ve gained nothing from having seen this film. The film is good, but it\'s unoriginal and derivative of many other films of a similar nature.','924bade4c0692771003db3be6be1b243',0,'','squiHDE9',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9562,1676,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1143579660,1,0,1,1,1,1,'howardschumann(d)','Re: Fateless','The Holocaust is a huge event that can only really be related one small story at a time, whether that story is of tragedy or miraculous survival. Fateless is a very personal story based on the writer\'s own wartime experiences and it is not just another holocaust film. It offers the unique perspective of a young boy who was able to capture moments of beauty amidst the chaos and the film becomes not only a historical statement but a spiritual one as well.','a58c0341ba4b693bc1447ae083c8ff3a',0,'','gbSe3E6c',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9563,1676,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1143749160,1,0,1,1,1,1,'wpqx','Re: Fateless','Sorry I didn\'t find it very unique, the story has been told before.','b93b385acb24af6fa2b1e1c50c96bbbd',0,'','ZQr2objg',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9564,1676,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1173769800,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Fateless','I didn\'t dislike the film as much as you did, wpqx, but it was a minor disappointment. Holocaust-themed films that are situated during that time-period could perhaps only open under select circumstances, depicting certain situations. But at this point it\'d be refreshing if the approach isn\'t conventional, which I thought wasn\'t the case at the beginning of the film (the precious voice-over narration didn\'t help matters). What was impressive was that the narrative continuously became spare and epigrammatic, even though the formal level for the most part remained set on \"prestige.\" I also admired the fact that the filmmaker sidestepped any opportunities to indulge in violent or disorderly acts. Not impressed, however, with Morricone\'s suprisingly banal score (I could swear I heard a slight variation of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly theme at one point) and a low-angle panning-shot of people in repose which is blatantly \"borrowed\" from Tarr\'s Damnation.','3684007cc3890f0a5bcf79d1dc38f3d2',0,'','rx36XltR',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9565,1676,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1173772680,1,0,1,1,1,1,'wpqx','Re: Fateless','It\'s been about a year since I\'ve seen it, but it fits the mold of overdone Holocaust films. After recently watching The Distant Journey, I realized I was tired of films about Holocaust survivors, which was part of my problem with this film.','a5bbcaf210de2a55be875ab492e4052b',0,'','zkf7iUNp',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9566,1676,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1185730680,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: Fateless','\r\n\r\nThis film was submitted by Hungary to Oscar 2006.\r\n\r\nThree aspects of the film struck me ...\r\n\r\n(i) Definitely the narration after the war has ended (and the protagonist has returned to Hungary) ... what he says may be \"surprising\" to many ... it at least set me thinking ...\r\n\r\n(ii) The color of the entire film ... hmmm, i thought it was more yellowish gray rather than black and white (cf. Schindler\'s list) ...\r\n\r\n(iii) Maybe we are too accustomed to Hollywood\'s depiction of war and the holocaust ... hence, this film comes across as less dramatic and unsentimental (in terms of the script) but is supposed to touch (by virtue of the topic itself) ...\r\n\r\nConclusion\r\nDeserve a watch, mainly for its ending thoughts ... very different ... as for the rest of the film, do not expect Hollywood style of war drama ...','d48d10309638741ea6d16c3080d212b4',0,'','CAQDcqes',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9567,1676,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1185732660,1,0,1,1,1,1,'R6dw6C','Re: Fateless','Quote:Deserve a watch, mainly for its ending thoughts ... very different ... as for the rest of the film, do not expect Hollywood style of war drama ...\r\n\r\nSounds great! A Hollywood-style war drama was exactly what I expected and the reason why I avoided the film when it was released theatrical here in Germany although it had a great decoy: An old-fashioned score by Maestro Ennio Morricone!\r\nMaybe I\'ll have a try on DVD (and afterwards, I will probably get angry that I didn\'t went to the theater two years ago).','1ed102dc79493b12a273d9763f340087',0,'','hjBGV5NH',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9568,1677,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1185531540,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','9th Company (9 Rota) (2005) (Russia)','\r\n\r\nDirector: Fyodor Bondarchuk\r\nCast: Fyodor Bondarchuk, Aleksei Chadov, Mikhail Yevlanov, Artyom Mikhalkov, Konstantin Kryukov\r\n\r\nThis film was submitted by Russia for Oscar 2007.\r\n\r\nThe other two \"selling points\" were ...\r\n-- the director is the son of Sergei Bondarchuk (director, War and Peace)\r\n-- the budget of the film is about $9 mil\r\n\r\nThe official website\r\nclick\r\nhttp://www.9thcompany.com/\r\n\r\nSynopsis\r\nSet in 1988, it is about Soviet\'s war at Afghanistan. The first half of the film concentrates on the military training while the second half concentrates on the defence of Height 3234. The story begins from Day 1 ...\r\n\r\nMy Thoughts\r\n\r\n-- Because the first half of the film focuses on the training prior to deployment at Afghanistan, it feels a bit like many other films in this \"genre\" ... you are likely to find scenes/styles of familiarity, reminding you of some Hollywood films ... for example, there is bound to be a seemingly \"tough/cruel\" sergeant who tries to prepare his recruits for the horrid of war ... for example, recruits initially are always full of themselves ... etc ... the second half of the film, I thought, is better, as they are being deployed in Afghanistan, to defend and gain heights for the transport column ...\r\n\r\n-- Although the film features a very good ensemble of young cast (all pretty well known in Russia), their characters are not sufficiently developed because there are simply too many of them ... and unlike some Hollywood films which centre around 1 or 2 main protagonists, this film tries to be \"fair\" by spreading its foci a bit ... as a result, it may be difficult for the audience to be entirely emotionally attached to 1 or 2 of them; instead, the audience has to feel for all of them as a whole ... not to worry, by virtue of the story and its theme, one would still be touched ...\r\n\r\n-- The ending scenes/lines are rather touching ...\r\n\r\n-- I thought the soundtrack is interesting ... Visually, it is also nice to look at ... \r\n\r\nConclusion\r\nGive it a chance ... it does have some semblance to Hollywood films ...\r\n\r\nPS: I particularly like the song that was played in the EXTRA \"20 years later\" (a documentary/interview) ... hmmm, maybe they should have included that song at the end of the film ... a very meaningful and moving song ...','62cb38fd3f31f9343ebce2baf5ded9b7',0,'','cshCSHgV',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9569,1678,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1183451400,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Kaurismki x 2: Contract Killer & Drifting Clouds','.','5058f1af8388633f609cadb75a75dc9d',0,'','0lPdVkJG',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9570,1678,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1183451460,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Kaurismki x 2: Contract Killer & Drifting Clouds','[Moved from the director\'s thread / OP 04/20/07]\r\n\r\nI HIRED A CONTRACT KILLER (Finland-U.K.-Ger-Swe / 1990)\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nTragicomedies. If there\'s a single word which could best describe the films of Aki Kaurismki, that would perhaps be it. As is often is the case with life itself, the situations they conjure up are at once humorous and sorrowful, drawing uncomfortable yet authentically melancholic reactions. A staple of this Finnish auteurs oeuvre, the wry, deadpan, self-deprecating humor goes a long way to resolutely offset the dour predicaments of his at best working-class protagonists. Not much has changed since Kaurismki began making films in the early 80s with his older brother, Mika. Often working with the same cast and crew -- the likes of Kati Outinen, late Matti Pellonp, Markku Peltola, Elina Salo are a ubiquitous presence in his films, most of whom have been exquisitely and economically shot by Timo Salminen -- he has adapted Shakespeare (Hamlet Goes Business [1987]) and Dostoyevsky (Crime and Punishment [1983]), made a parody or two about \"the worst rock \'n\' roll band in the world\" (Leningrad Cowboys Go America [1989]), and has even done a silent (Juha [1999]), but, for the most part, the tone, rhythm and texture of his efforts have remained the same, and so have the characters which populate them.\r\n\r\nI Hired a Contract Killer, Kaurismkis engaging first English-language feature, stars the great Jean-Pierre Laud as Henri Boulanger, a colorless London-based clerk who becomes an instant casualty of \"privatization.\" For his fifteen years of service, he receives a gold watch, one which doesnt work. Henri concludes that life isnt worth living anymore, and so he decides to commit suicide. After various failed attempts, he visits the unsavory part of town to hire a contract killer (the negotiations at the dilapidated pub are the film\'s high point). But while waiting for the contract to be carried out, he comes across a noirish, platinum-haired woman at a local bar, and falls in love. Henris problem compounds once he discovers that he can no longer cancel his order. (Tragicomic, isn\'t it?) \r\n\r\nIf the filmmaker accentuates the absurdity of the situation with his meticulously composed and pared down portrait-like shots, he also grounds it by the compassion he displays or the characters, including that of the distressed killer. Kaurismkis premises might seem frivolous at times but theyre set in a real world with real dilemmas and consequences, and the violent acts prove so in this case. Lauds hangdog mannerisms are perfectly employed by Kaurismki (the French actor went on to play a smaller role in his 1992 effort, La Vie de bohme), and the same could be said for a wonderful performance by the late, great Joe Strummer.\r\n\r\n____________________________________________________\r\n\r\n*An exchange from 04/25/07\r\n\r\nA : \"This was my first film By Aki at the beginning of my exploration of cinema, and I instantly fell in love with it. Leaud is really great in his dead-pan portrayal of a suicidal dreamer. As Truffaut put it, Leaud is very good in comical situation which are slightly askew. I laughed a lot during the first scenes with the failed suicides. Though they have been copied a lot (I also think Kaurismki borrowed this from some earlier films) I haven\'t yet seen them carried out in such a dark-humored way.\r\n\r\nAnd as you rightly observe, the compassion the director feels for all of his characters adds a further layer of richness to the film. You enjoy the scenes with the killer for numerous reasons, and it becomes a film where you are somehow \"rooting\" for all three persons. \r\n\r\nI had it once on VHS (German dub) but I\'d like to revisit it sometime soon. \r\n\r\nLooking forward to Kaurismaki\'s \"Drifting Clouds\" (1996) which will be screened at a local theater next month here in Nuremberg. :D\"\r\n\r\narsaib4 : \"Thanks for the comments, A.\r\n\r\nThe preciseness of Kaurismki\'s mise-en-scne never ceases of amaze me. At times, his scripts can be lackadaisical, and the characters aren\'t fully fleshed out, but formally speaking I think he\'s as accomplished as anyone working today. I\'m sure you\'ll at least like Drifting Clouds. Kati Outinen is wonderful in it. I\'ll be watching his latest effort, Lights in the Dusk, very soon.\"','563aa44132fd76f4d770174554f279b4',0,'','lnNDqGU0',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9571,1678,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1183453920,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Kaurismki x 2: Contract Killer & Drifting Clouds','DRIFTING CLOUDS (Finland / 1996)\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nWhile Aki Kaurismki had broached the subject of unemployment before in his work, Drifting Clouds (Kauas pilvet karkaavat), the first installment of the masters \"Finland\" trilogy, specifically and resolutely dealt with its residual effects. This minimalist gem stars the great (and perpetually dour) Kati Outinen as Ilona, a committed matre d\' at a moderately upscale Helsinki restaurant who, along with the rest of the staff (mostly played by Kaurismki veterans whom Keaton would\'ve loved to have had), is let go due to a financial takeover. That occurs a short while after Ilonas husband, Lauri (an endearingly robotic Kari Vnnen), also loses his job as a tram driver (in a typical Kaurismki touch, the callous management determines the fate of the workers by card numbers). The middle-aged and middle-class couple do everything they can to get back on track but circumstances and a lousy economy keep standing in their way.\r\n\r\nLess eager to please than The Man Without a Past (2002) -- the second part of the trilogy and, not surprisingly, one of Kaurismkis most widely seen and admired efforts -- Drifting Clouds features the filmmakers trademark refined, highly composed style which eventually becomes the means to relate the predicaments his protagonists often find themselves in. The richness of the color palette makes more of an impression once the film adopts a few classic Hollywood turns (all by design). Even by Kaurismki standards, the humor is relatively subdued (the one sequence which stands out however has Lauri storming out of a movie theater and demanding a refund from the cashier -- who turns out to be his sister -- even though he hadnt paid for the ticket in the first place!). Drifting Clouds is dedicated to the memory of Matti Pellonp, a ubiquitous presence in the filmmakers initial efforts.\r\n\r\n_______________________\r\n\r\n*The film premiered at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival (in-competition); it won a Special Mention from the Ecumenical Jury.\r\n\r\n*Both Vnnen and Pellonp were part of Jim Jarmuschs 1991 effort, Night on Earth (coming soon from Criterion). Needless to say, the Finnish segment of the film was an homage to Kaurismki, who returns the favor by displaying the poster of that film in the aforementioned movie theater sequence.\r\n\r\n*The Third installment of the \"Finland\" trilogy, Lights in the Dusk (2006), is currently in limited release in the U.S. (Trevor\'s review.)\r\n\r\n*DVD info to follow','93d958788fe565da2029a8cc9a9c7da2',0,'','6rmZHaMd',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9572,1678,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1185614820,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Kaurismki x 2: Contract Killer & Drifting Clouds','I HIRED A SILENT KILLER is available as part of Swedish label Sandrew Metronome\'s 4-DVD box set titled Aki Kaurismki Collection Volume 2, which also includes La Vie de bohme, Hamlet Goes Business and Juha.\r\n\r\nDRIFTING CLOUDS is included in the 5-disc Vol. 1, along with The Match Factory Girl, Ariel, The Man Without a Past and Shadows in Paradise.\r\n\r\nBoth titles are also available separately.\r\n\r\n*Artificial-Eye (U.K.) will release three sets of Kaurismki films stating in September.','fcdbba3b7a8d9eab613672c826906d2a',0,'','G6junDPF',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9573,1678,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1185635160,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Kaurismki x 2: Contract Killer & Drifting Clouds','I\'ve heard the A.E. sets are due for release but can\'t find any definite info as to what will be in each.\r\n\r\nAny ideas?\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','d1f0d2f87b421d59c325f24a78596eba',0,'','Y36dNXez',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9574,1678,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1185692580,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Kaurismki x 2: Contract Killer & Drifting Clouds','The first set is said to contain The Match Factory Girl, Ariel and Shadows in Paradise. It\'s a trilogy of sorts as all of the films concern the struggles of the proletariat (though most of his efforts qualify in this regard). And all three were released within five years of one another.','12d7047a04122dd1cdf91fa02dd3f6b1',0,'','mNcwvRor',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9575,1679,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1183712880,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Ceylan x 2: Kasaba (1998) & Clouds of May (2000)','.','5058f1af8388633f609cadb75a75dc9d',0,'','0XfClRov',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9576,1679,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1183713240,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Ceylan x 2: Kasaba (1998) & Clouds of May (2000)','KASABA (Turkey / 1998)\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nNarratively abstract and formally austere, Kasaba (The Small Town), the debut feature from Turkish auteur Nuri Bilge Ceylan, is based on a short autobiographical story by his sister. Set in a provincial Turkish town (much like Ceylans earlier short, Cocoon [1995]), the film seamlessly unfolds over four seasons and poignantly touches upon the lives of three generations of an extended family. A classroom is the primary setting of the opening winter segment. Ceylans exquisite B&W establishing shots of the snow-covered hills and streets come into play as a morose teacher gazes outside at the sterile environment, while the children are heard reciting words that deal with the notions of companionship and mutual support. Next, we follow a couple of kids, including the young girl earlier witnessed at school, as they walk home through the fields. Spring is in full swing. The wondrous elements of nature get refracted through the psychology of children. Most of the films second-half consists of a conversation between the elder members of the kids family who are gathered around a fire (featuring Ceylan\'s real-life parents Fatma and Mehmet Emin, parts of this segment exert their presence in the director\'s subsequent effort, Clouds of May [2000]). The cousin (played by late Mehmet Emin Toprak, a prominant figure in Clouds and Distant [2002]), who was earlier seen adrift in an amusement park, is an aimless and disaffected young man trying to escape the static village life but doesnt have many other options. The discussion, listened to by the half-asleep kids, evolves from distant history to the realities of modern day Turkey, ultimately focusing on personal values and responsibilities. Ceylans reality-based aesthetic takes a back seat during the impressionistic, dream-like sequence which follows. It perfectly bookends this elegant and graceful film from a burgeoning authority in world cinema.\r\n\r\n______________________\r\n\r\n*KASABA premiered at the 1998 Berlin Film Festival. Now available as part of a 2-disc set from Artificial-Eye (U.K.).','71b4602555e525ee9bfb73eae8723d91',0,'','VBsW5RNm',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9577,1679,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1185474300,1,0,1,1,1,1,'A','Re: Ceylan x 2: Kasaba (1998) & Clouds of May (2000)','Clouds of May (Turkey / 1998) \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nMayis sikintisi from 1998, Ceylan\'s second film (about the filming of his first) must be somehow the second part of an (until now?) unofficial trilogy, with Uzak at its end. The same protagonists as in Uzak are presented here though not yet as disillusioned and estranged by life. Three generations are presented in this tale of birth and death, showcasing nature and mans place he tries to find in it. \r\nWhile shooting a fake documentary the protagonist fails to record the wonders of life happening around himself - Ceylan does it instead for us - and is unable to connect with his fellow people. Traditions are vanishing, families are falling appart, in short, life is moving on without anybody noticing. At the end we have a beautiful finale where the sense and fulfillment of one life are shown, and the viewer is released with a feeling that he has somehow become a better person.\r\n\r\nMy initial thoughts on this film. My comments are a bit sparse, and my response to the film wasn\'t entirely positive. During the screening I saw (a double-bill that included \"Distant\") I had to eke out an access to it. My problem was the unsympathetic male protagonist (portrayed as maybe an even bigger @#%$ in Uzak). Thinking about it now, it seems that Ceylan\'s films are to me some of the most sickeningly melancholic films I\'ve seen. I\'m an extremely melancholic person myself, and as such it\'s very hard to enjoy his offerings. Ceylan\'s latest film isn\'t an exception. \r\n\r\nThe best I can say about him is that he is self-reflective and sometimes achieves the poetic mood in Orhan Pamuk\'s novels. \"Clouds of May\" gets better with time, and I\'m sure it\'s one of the films which gain much on subsequent viewings. His films also say a lot about present day Turkey in a similar fashion Kiarostami is dealing with his native Iran in his films from the 90s. \r\n\r\nCeylan may present embittered characters, but he himself is not without hope.','0f9582c023a8d402af62c5366c473385',0,'','uJ9namy7',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9578,1679,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1185501660,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Ceylan x 2: Kasaba (1998) & Clouds of May (2000)','Hey, don\'t copy my style.  \r\n\r\nI spent quite a bit of time researching the true world premiere year for Clouds of May. You mentioned 1998, which isn\'t listed a lot but I\'ve seen it before. Mostly, it\'s 1999, which is what Artificial-Eye has used. But on Ceylan\'s official site, it\'s noted that the film had its WP at the 2000 Berlinale. That said, the site also uses 1999 at other points. But at a recent retro, 2000 was the year catalogued by Mr. Quandt, and that pretty much solidified my stance.','885d3c0f19e9295e71a1fef9c2f6aa49',0,'','7wvKbrk9',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9579,1679,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1185508500,1,0,1,1,1,1,'A','Re: Ceylan x 2: Kasaba (1998) & Clouds of May (2000)','I\'ve noticed your listing of the date in the thread\'s title, but as you might know, I always use a film\'s year of completion as my point of reference. I\'d be glad if we could keep both (with this explanation the reader also sees where the differing dates are coming from).\r\n\r\nI adapted your style, because you opened the thread and I thought it would look unitary. I\'m glad you appreciate it','fe7404a652835c02543b48673e3193c6',0,'','0hSVTbzU',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9580,1679,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1185516780,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Ceylan x 2: Kasaba (1998) & Clouds of May (2000)','In fact, I wasn\'t aware of your policy. How do you usually come up with the year of completion and, more importantly, what purpose does it serve?','d36bb57fcba9cded1e048b314b6fe174',0,'','MnuUqyWo',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9581,1679,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1185526200,1,0,1,1,1,1,'A','Re: Ceylan x 2: Kasaba (1998) & Clouds of May (2000)','If I don\'t see it on the actual print (usually at the end or the beginning), I try to find out through research. It works pretty well in most cases. The difficulty gets bigger, the older the film.\r\n\r\nIt doesn\'t serve any particular purpose. I just never understood why the date a film was released is used, instead of the date it was copyrighted (imo that means the film was finished as a complete work at that point). I think it\'s more important to know when a film was made than when it was seen by a wider audience.','fb96eefe0d9503cd518052dbefcfab09',0,'','ebKGEtpP',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9582,1679,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1185528120,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Ceylan x 2: Kasaba (1998) & Clouds of May (2000)','It doesn\'t matter whether a film is seen by a \"wider audience\" or not. The world premiere occurs when a work receives a public screening. Needless to say, the term can\'t be contorted to include the so-called completion date, which in some cases is long after the premiere. (Sokurov just edited The Second Circle, so should we reconsider the year it should be recognized by? No, of course not.) While I certainly give more weight to the WP, it\'s not all black and white: many communist-era films didn\'t receive a screening for decades.','7bf2eb07bba3119fe3e524bec7c10652',0,'','TrAMg7UG',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9583,1680,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1185436680,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','France x 2: Poison Friends (2006)','.','5058f1af8388633f609cadb75a75dc9d',0,'','f3hFvXMS',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9584,1680,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1185502320,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: France x 2: Poison Friends (2006)','POISON FRIENDS (France / 2006)\r\n\r\n*A 2007 U.S. Release*\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nThibault Vinons Andr Morney is as fascinating a villain a film set in the sterile literary confines of a Parisian university could possibly have. Egotistical yet charismatic, flamboyant yet mysterious, Morney bullies and manipulates his way through every intellectual discussion yet comes out smelling like a rose, partly because hes often on the mark. Directed by Emmanuel Bourdieu -- Arnaud Desplechins writing partner on My Sex Life... or How I Got Into an Argument (1996), Esther Kahn (2000) and Playing \'In the Company of Men\' (2003) -- Poison Friends (Les Amitis malfiques) is an intelligent and well-crafted film which begins by depicting the very first day of a grad school class. Already in his disposition, Morney, like one of those students Im sure everyone has come across at one time or another, not only appears to be well acquainted with the instructor but is willing to submit a presentation anytime, anywhere -- he ends up quoting Austrian satirist Karl Kraus (\"Why do some people write? Because they are too weak not to\") in front of dozens of aspiring scribes that afternoon. Eventually, this avid reader and paladin of supreme writing becomes a mentor and more to a trio of his tentative, impressionable classmates (played by Malik Zidi, Alexandre Steiger and Thomas Blanchard) and a comely librarian (Natacha Rgnier) they all want to bed.\r\n\r\nBourdieu recently stated in an interview that \"I really like characters who are unproductive and even sometimes self-destructive, because they are so demanding of themselves and others.\" Morney is an ingenious creation who, perhaps not surprisingly, is a composite of certain individuals the filmmaker came across during his studies (Bourdieu belongs to a highly intellectual family and is himself a graduate of the prestigious cole Normale Suprieure). And despite a late narrative hiccup or two, even when Morney is inevitably unfurled, the film refuses to let go of the profound contradiction which arises that, no matter what, he still might be the true genius of the bunch. Handsomely shot (in \'scope, and at times in a rangy, Assayas-like fashion; DP Yorick Le Saux has worked with the master on Late August, Early September [1998], demonlover [2002] and Boarding Gate [2007]) and acted (though Vinon has the meatiest role, the films secret star is Zidi, who won the Csar earlier this year for \"Most Promising Actor\"), Poison Friends also keeps the door open for a more dramatic denouement but Bourdieu rightfully sticks to his guns, and keeps a firm control over the proceedings. Nevertheless, as The Village Voices Jim Hoberman asserted, \"[the film] may be all talk, but its cut like an action flick.\"\r\n\r\nGrade: B\r\n_________________________\r\n\r\n*POISON FRIENDS premiered at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival (Critics\' Week) and won the sidebar competition\'s Grand Prize. The film also played at the highly selective NYFF.\r\n\r\n*Now available on U.S. DVD (Strand Releasing). No extra features of any value.','3637238bc54d91f0e40ecd79b660cbc0',0,'','iBT0vZ3F',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9585,1681,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1185276240,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Black Book (Zwartboek) (2006) (Netherlands)','\r\n\r\nDirector: Paul Verhoeven\r\nCast: Carice van Houten, Sebastian Koch, Thom Hoffman\r\n\r\nThis film was submitted by Netherlands to Oscar 2007.\r\nIt made it to the final 9.\r\n\r\n\r\nSynopsis\r\nThis film follows the escape of a Jewish singer, Rachel Stein, and her subsequent involvement with the resistance group. As the story unfolds, it is compounded with lots of trust and betrayal ...\r\n\r\nMy thoughts\r\n\r\n-- A point that I like after watching the entire film ...\r\nFood for thought: Even when the war has presumably ended, has it really ended?\r\nPS: I thought the film ended VERY well ... * watch it again *\r\n\r\n-- Well, I feel like watching an intense Hollywood film except with a European cast ... ... Admittedly, in terms of story/plot, one has to credit it for its numerous surprises, peppered with twists and turns ... rather than claiming it is a film about war, it comes across more as a film about trust and betrayal set in World War II ... Apart from being rather suspenseful, the film is also rather dramatic ... Many people are killed and many people are tortured ... sigh ... \r\n\r\n-- With rgds to the accuracy of the film, I would rather leave it to the historians. Who am I to comment?! \r\nBut from a moviegoer point of view, it is definitely worth a watch ... \r\n\r\nConclusion\r\nHighly recommended, mainly for its intensity. Only if you are going for a plot driven film ...','4faa91a67ff1305c3f8a79e026d4d894',0,'','gnNrcZKJ',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9586,1681,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1185278220,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Black Book (Zwartboek) (2006) (Netherlands)','I\'ve heard quite a few positive comments for Black Book but haven\'t taken the plunge yet, (the dvd is sat awaiting inspection), so this is more Hollywood glossy style Verhoeven rather than the more down to earth approach of his earlier films, that\'s a shame but no big surprise I guess.\r\n\r\nI\'ll give a try when I can fit it in, b.t.w. one of my guilty pleasures is a Hollywood Verhoeven film, Starship Troopers (1997). \r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','9e0aa5d361e4d66879a9ef9f62039fbb',0,'','gRwq4CQM',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9587,1681,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1185278520,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: Black Book (Zwartboek) (2006) (Netherlands)','I enjoyed it nonetheless.\r\nWatch out for the ending scene ... \r\nshould the world be happy or sad?!','e70ea9db1b8ad0f2f326e6d30022e31a',0,'','rnsN81UC',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9588,1681,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1211095500,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: Black Book (Zwartboek) (2006) (Netherlands)','now in singapore','e85951c003a8578d6beeed7a2bb07358',0,'','lqytP8DM',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9589,1682,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1185166140,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Invisible Taget (Nan Er Ben Se) (2007) (Hong Kong)','\r\n\r\nDirector: Benny Chan\r\nCast: Nicholas Tse, Shawn Yue, Jaycee Chan\r\n\r\nThe official website\r\nclick\r\nhttp://www.invisibletarget.com/\r\n\r\nPS: For those who are not aware, Jaycee Chan is Jackie Chan\'s son. Yup, he is that old now ... anyway, this is NOT his first film, but one of the better ones that he has been cast in ...\r\n\r\n\r\nSynopsis\r\nThe stories of three policemen converged as they unite to bring the Ronin Gang down ...\r\n\r\nMy thoughts\r\n\r\n-- It has been quite some time when HK action-packed film does not live up to its hype. They are usually too strong on their action at the expense of story/characterization. Although I cannot claim that this film is awesome in terms of story/characterization, it at least has a decent story/characterization. So, it does not fail in one aspect (its story), and it does well in the other (i.e., its action). So, I enjoyed the film.\r\n\r\n-- You may wonder why we are \"picky\" on the story/characterization ... well, there are simply some lines that feel too philosophical, i.e., about human, about heroes, or about the good ... But hey, who cares ... the selling point is still its well choreographed action ... ha ha ha\r\n\r\nConclusion\r\nWell, if you are an adrenalin-rushed teenage, or you kind of miss the good old days of HK action (with some story and characterization), here you go ... it is back.','4b4bdcfa1ded736521293c19fb7e94bf',0,'','TMhWcfXZ',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9590,1683,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1185168600,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Mo Gong (A Battle Of Wits) (2006) (Hong Kong)','\r\n\r\nDirector: Jacob Cheung Chi-Leung\r\nCast: Andy Lau, Ahn Sung-Ki, Fan Bing Bing, Nicky Wu, \r\n\r\nThe official site\r\nclick\r\nhttp://www.abattleofwits.com.hk/\r\n\r\nIt is a film from last year, but I have been procrastinating it. Here is a great review, but with the ENTIRE story told (incl. spoilers) ...\r\nclick\r\nhttp://www.lovehkfilm.com/reviews_2/battle_of_wits.htm\r\n\r\nMy thoughts\r\nEven if you were to know the ENTIRE story, you shld give this film a watch if you love PHILOSOPHIZING about war and peace ... in fact, it is the more often discussed aspect of the film rather than the story or the acting ... it is the many thought provoking LINES delivered ... they are often worth pondering over, and you may want to judge for yourself ... is it idealistic or is it what the world should strive for ...\r\n\r\nMy only qualm with this film is: The love story btw Andy lau and Fan Bing Bing. I really think it is unnecessary ... prob to bring in the female audience who may otherwise dismiss it as a \"male\" movie ... but frankly it isn\'t ... also, due to its release last year, some feel that it is targetted at the war in this present world ...\r\n\r\nIn case you are worried about it riding the waves of period drama, nope, it does not ... it is not exactly like CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON, HERO, CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER, THE PROMISE, THE BANQUET, etc\r\n\r\nIt does not have over the top grandiosity or color or costumes or flying ... it is mainly in earthly brown colors, plain costumes, and ancient warfare ... in essence, i have suggested that you watch so that it provides some talking points for you and your partner/friends ... about war and peace ...\r\n\r\n\r\nConclusion\r\nGive it a try ...','ca99c532b3c741729c965f779f0a78b4',0,'','URiJHnew',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9591,1684,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1183457520,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Eye In The Sky (Gen Zong) (2007) (Hong Kong)','\r\n\r\nDirector: Yau Nai Hoi\r\nCast: Simon Yam, Tony Leung Ka Fai, Kate Tsui\r\n\r\nThe film premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival.\r\n\r\nSynopsis\r\nThe film explores the workings of the surveillance branch of the Criminal Intelligence Bureau (CIB), within the Hong Kong Police. One day, they receive the order to track the case of a bank robbery ... \r\n\r\nMy thoughts\r\n\r\n-- The film sets off well, with tension being built within the first few minutes into the story. As the audience are NOT aware (except for those who have read enough synopsis) of who is the good guy or who is the bad guy, and who is trailing who ... Unlike previous HK flicks, the film does not have a lot of actions or gunfires; instead, it chooses to depict the realism of daily surveillances, at times interesting, at times boring ... with occasional chats and humor among one another to get the day by ...\r\n\r\n-- Soon, the main story sets in ... and it is a thrilling battle of wits as well as surveillance. The police are vigilant as they try to outsmart the criminals, trailing and tracking them down ... The criminals are an intelligent bunch too, having their own watchdog and surveillances. They too are sharp as they try to outwit the police, evading and escaping from them ...\r\n\r\n-- If there is one thing I do not like, it has to be the ending ... The next two para will explain why I do not like the ending, and why the director has chosen to exercise his own convictions ...\r\n\r\n* MAJOR SPOILER of the ending *\r\n\r\nI am usually fine regardless of a happy or a sad ending. However, given the way the story goes, I think the film should have ended 10 minutes earlier or so, with a more credible and realistic ending -- that is, sometimes, criminals do escape and we cannot always have a happy Hollywood ending.\r\n\r\nYet, the director has exercised his own conviction. He feels that the current ending will be more in line with the title of the film -- that is, even though situations may seem to be in favor of the evil, and all seems to have failed, do believe in Heaven. For Heaven has eyes and will always cast the final fate ... \r\n\r\n* END of MAJOR SPOILER of the ending *\r\n\r\nConclusion\r\nRecommended, esp. if you like Johnnie To\'s style. The film is simple but thrilling, getting better as it goes along. However, I do not like the ending.','5417ed9c2d53ac934cac68ac1e403c69',0,'','DdTpYw87',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9592,1684,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1183961760,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Eye In The Sky (Gen Zong) (2007) (Hong Kong)','Is Eye in the Sky available on DVD?','4c75fc93c4a4c1f03c818ba3864f7b41',0,'','QdnAV510',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9593,1684,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1184056620,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: Eye In The Sky (Gen Zong) (2007) (Hong Kong)','unfortunately.\r\ni doubt it is on DVD yet.\r\n\r\nbut don\'t worry ... \r\nnowadays, the chinese films get printed into DVDs within 3-6 months ...','183a2575782c353dfc90242917804d81',0,'','rPCFQsGB',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9594,1684,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1185165000,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: Eye In The Sky (Gen Zong) (2007) (Hong Kong)','Hi\r\n\r\nAs predicted, the DVDs are out soon enuf.\r\n\r\nglobal.yesasia.com/en/Prd...004898102/\r\nor\r\nglobal.yesasia.com/en/Prd...004936500/\r\n\r\nPS: As usual, do not expect too much. It is just one of the better films from HK. Re-iterating, I do not like the ending ...','ea900b10f396f8856554f8900a293b25',0,'','Nk1qMtbX',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9595,1685,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1143117540,1,0,1,1,1,1,'Johndav','Maborosi (Japan, 1995)','MABOROSI (Maboroshi no Hikari)\r\n\r\nDirector: Hirokazu Kore-eda\r\nCast: Makikio Esumi, Takshi Naito, Tadanobu Asano, Goki Kashiyama\r\n\r\nJAPAN. 1995. 109 Mins. Colour\r\n\r\nThe debut feature of Hirokazu Kore-eda (one-time documentarist + director of the widely admired \"Afterlife\" and \"Nobody Knows\") is one of a small, precious number of films for which i have felt lovesick. Maborosi\'s story is superficially simple: affected by the death of her grandmother and her husband\'s inexplicable suicide, a young Tokyo woman starts new married life, along with her son, in a remote seaside fishing village, but finds the past continues to trouble her. Eschewing close-ups,the narrative draws the viewer in gradually, so that, as Tony Rayns says, intimacy is earned, not frivolously given. It is haunted throughout by a dark, almost overwhelming sense of mystery. The film\'s masterfully controlled mise-en-scene, contemplative pacing, \'off-screen space\' and quiet investment of objects (a bike, a teapot, a wisp of steam...) with both beauty and meaning, all recall Yasujiro Ozu and Hou Hsiao-Hsien. Its lighting is refined, at times, to the point of abstraction, while Masao Nakabori\'s photography is utterly, immeasurably exquisite. It is another treasure from the land of Mizoguchi, the isles of cinematic wonders. But Maborosi is not best served by hyperbole. It is an unassertive film, too shy, too pure and concentrated to seek the limelight. While compelled to tell of its elusive magic, I protectively fear its over-exposure. In publicising, am I breaking faith? It connects in secret. With the heart that is ready.','142bc6a7a0480f4a6e97b0f07f2487fe',0,'','QzkXby6p',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9596,1685,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1145850480,1,0,1,1,1,1,'A','Re: Maborosi (Japan, 1995)','I found it disappointing when i saw it first in cinema, but it still keeps growing in my memory. I think your comment notices its slippery. You really have to invest in it, but it pays off. Many of the films images have remained burned-in in my mind.\r\nA huge recommendation for anyone who has ever had to deal with the loss of a loved person - and that (eventually) means everybody.','346139cfc7cee592eac9a7e86f2354dc',0,'','y1ZYVqAM',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9597,1685,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1185143940,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Maborosi (Japan, 1995)','Originally posted in 2005, transferred from the Japanese Journals thread.\r\n\r\nMaboroshi no hikari (1995) Maborosi\r\n\r\nDirected by Hirokazu Koreeda\r\n\r\nStarring Makiko Esumi, Tadanobu Asano, Takashi Nait\r\n\r\nA hauntingly beautiful and meaningful piece of melancholic film making, the following comments contain *spoilers* so please be aware. \r\n\r\nYumiko and Ikuo live in Osaka, they have what appears to be a happy marriage and a 3 month old son. Why then did Ikuo head of for work as normal one day and end up committing suicide? This question is carried through the whole film by Yumiko, not as a verbal question but as a burden hanging over the life she shares with her baby Yuichi and 5 years later the question that still hangs over her head in her new marriage. \r\n\r\nTamaio, her new husband lives in a small fishing community with his young daughter and his ageing father, the atmosphere is totally different from her former life in Osaka with the constant sound of the sea, shifting and listless, conveying the way she feels. \r\n\r\nHow can you comprehend the feeling such a devastating blow would have on your life, Yumiko cannot cope with the not knowing, the why? Little things constantly remind her of the love they shared, the ring of a bicycle bell, even just the sight of a bicycle is enough to evoke once happy memories. Her new husband (who has lost his wife although we never find out how) tries to include her in his life and within the small fishing community she has moved into but the fragility of life is constantly highlighted.\r\n\r\nThe only moments of true happiness come from the interaction of the children, luckily they get on fine together and wander off on their own little adventures exploring outside of the little town, the colour palette lifts lighting up the natural beauty of the area but Tamios house feels heavy, gloomy and melancholy pushing the emphasis back to the burden of grief and the quest to try and comprehend.\r\n\r\nA visit back to Osaka for her brothers wedding doesnt help, memories come flooding back and Yumiko finds out more about the events of the day her husband died but no answer or reasoning for his actions.\r\n\r\nThe title is explained during the film and in some way offers a respite to the heaviness, its not all doom and gloom though, there are light moments between Yumiko and Ikuo and also between Yumiko and Tamaio, the acting on all counts is superlative, there is little in the way of dialogue but every emotion is felt especially with Yumiko, every movement carries her thoughts, feelings and reflections.\r\n\r\nThe film is about death from the point of view of the living, those affected by the unheralded death of someone close, it is a magnificent essay of human emotion and in my eyes is a must see film, I guess Ive watched it at least 4 or 5 times now and each time is like watching it anew.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.\r\n\r\nBBFC rated PG.','9634c41b03cafb6bfb3146ee9896138d',0,'','S1XPVAvj',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9598,1686,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1184483040,1,0,1,1,1,1,'justindeimen','Cashback (2006) (UK)','Review: \r\n\r\nCashback taps into an area of visual enchantment that belies its exhausted subjects denudation. In its most laudable form, it deals with a latent appreciation of existence rather than the superficial pleasures of eroticism. Expanded from a 2004 Academy Award nominated short, its director (Sean Ellis) invokes the male gaze to create an unmistakable film for young men but makes admirable work of delving into the pathos of relationships with the sleek handling of temporal dissociation to explore lifes stolen moments. \r\n\r\nInsomniac art school aesthete, Ben Willis (Sean Biggerstaff) realises a talent to freeze time through his imagination while working the night shift at a supermarket, something that lends him a new perspective on the world that surrounds him and an artists insight into the fundamentals of still life. Ellis addresses the tedium of menial labour and the way time seems to work in relation to ennui and the lack of mental (and physical) activity. Enraptured by coworker, Sharon (Emilia Fox), Ben starts questioning what he thinks he knows of the opposite sex. \r\n\r\nEllis has a stylistic handle on his film that is polished and taut for the most part. He does tend to descend into amateurish depictions of insomnia with his frequent use of time lapses. He also reaches into a dry structural well by employing some well-worn clichs to move the story ahead as well as a considerable reliance on Bens philosophising narration that threatens to hamper the mood of discovery. \r\n\r\nPicasso famously said that art is a lie that lets us see the truth. This is especially true of Cashback in its most deplorable form, when it begins to resemble a patriarchal wet dream cavorting as existential art. A feeling of discomfort arises when Ben undresses gorgeous women by crudely lifting up their skirts and blouses while they remain frozen in time. He purports to do this for the sake of exploration, to apparently document and accept their minor flaws by drawing portraits of them while he breaches their privacy. And so, the wish fulfillment of the ignored male is then realised. \r\n\r\nThere are some legitimate uses of the gratuitous shots of bare anatomy when through flashbacks, the film comments on the soft-core pornography that continues to enthrall its legions by arguing a perennial fascination of the female form that both educates and perturbs the male sexual psyche. In Cashback, theres not so much sweetness wrought from being in the presence of ardent romance than there is a sort of erudite understanding of gender, art and sexuality.','09dba780d6a790539ac6660ee26f3941',0,'','seTYj3GJ',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9599,1686,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1184522460,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Cashback (2006) (UK)','As far as I can ascertain, Cashback has not been released in the UK, neither theatrically or straight to dvd. Neither can I find any info re BBFC certification, quite bizarre!\r\n\r\nI do know the feature was developed from a short film which can be found online - Cashback short film. I assume the actual film has used the short as its basis and has expanded on it.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','40ff4ee6048e3308fa8e31b1c158ffc1',0,'','3J1anys7',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9600,1686,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1184694720,1,0,1,1,1,1,'justindeimen','Re: Cashback (2006) (UK)','I know what you mean. I couldn\'t find someone in the UK to talk about the film with. Found out it\'s travelled pretty far with many festivals though and that it\'s premiering in the US this week on a multi-platform deal on cable television, DVD and limited screens.','a7a43b258e448f7933db55068f6ccd05',0,'','m8AWrUzC',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9601,1687,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1184684400,1,0,1,1,1,1,'justindeimen','Vie en rose, La (France) (2007)','Review: \r\n\r\nWithin Olivier Dahans La Vie En Rose is a pulsating centre of flighty ambitions and emotional veracity, traits most biopics veer towards but hardly ever achieve due to sheer aggrandising and bromidic posturing. But with Edith Piaf, a film any less operatic would be a disservice to a story as wrenching and gripping as one of the most revered starlets of hers and our time. \r\n\r\nAs with most performances dealing with a person living or dead, allowances need to be taken with each of them in order to astute whether these performances are merely approximated imitations or studies of calculated poise with an emphasis on striking the right notes to reveal something more than just the particulars. Its made all the more harder to distinguish when were inundated with casual hyperbole that pervades a cultural aptitude to associate a fantastic performance with middling films just contented enough to revolve around it. While an awesome performance makes a film good, it does not necessarily make it great. \r\n\r\nTheres no possible way not to admire Marion Cotillards career-defining turn as Edith Piaf, already in the process of being made a central reason for the film to exist. But La Vie En Rose is much more than just a brilliant perfomance of a woman so singular in being. It is a rarity among biopics with an intuitiveness to relent more than just a rehash of the inextricably linked truisms of addiction, talent and tragedy but has a creative fecundity to sanctify the cruel defiance of a woman quite sustained in her sadness through a poignant apogee that beseeched nothing more than appreciation. \r\n\r\nPiaf was never more incandescent than she was performing, and Dahan dutifully evocates her music as an extension of her life with each word significant to song and person. And representing the timeless quality of her music, a storytelling method that eschews standard chronology by gliding across the many defining moments of her ravaged existence is told through a fluid screenplay that understands and values the conventions (childhood turmoil, adult adversity and eventual triumph) of a blockbuster biopic. \r\n\r\nLa Vie En Rose remains truly elegant from start to end with a design that closely approaches transcendence of structure by constraining the minute facts and circumstances (if you need the details, go to Wikipedia) of the iconoclastic chanteuse by beautifully embodying her bewilderment and melancholy with staggering grace and compassion that to truly acknowledge her life is to be blessed with her fragile humanity.','01bc3316b74154344645fe4b35ba5cf1',0,'','YhcaN76R',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9602,1688,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1160644980,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Days of Glory (Indignes) (2006) (France)','\r\n\r\nDirector: Rachid Bouchareb\r\nCast: Bernard Blancan, Sami Bouajila, Jamel Debbouze, Samy Naceri, Roschdy Zem\r\n\r\nThe entire male cast garnered the Best Actor award in Cannes Film Festival 2006 .\r\n\r\n\r\nSynopsis:\r\nThe film tells of a little known event, that in World War II, a group of \"non native\" soldiers (from Algeria, Morocco, etc) were recruited to help liberate France and Italy ... Why do they fight so patriotically? How were they treated? etc ...\r\n\r\nMy thoughts:\r\n\r\n-- Three things struck most about the film ... \r\n\r\n(i) first, the message ... after the recent events in the world, race/religion/ethnicity becomes a controversial issue ... the film reiterates the importance of equality and peace to the audience ... as the film transports you back to history and highlights why the \"non native\" French are willing to die for France and Italy ... regarding the former as their motherland ... is it for a personal cause? or a more nobel cause? ... yet at those period, there is still some discrimination ... can it be overcome? ... \r\n\r\ni thought the irony of identity and relationship is well crafted into some of the characters \r\ne.g., the sergeant (when he is actually an Arabic, but not known to many) ... and also, the relationship between him and the newbie ... the latter knows the former cares for him, and yet later in the show, the latter wishes he die, and yet at the end, he risks all to save the former ... how will it all end ...\r\ne.g., the corporal ... is all that he believes in true/correct? ... is all that he does worthy? ...\r\n\r\nIf you were to ponder, the film does have a number of food for thoughts ...\r\n\r\n(ii) second, why did this ensemble impress the Cannes jury? ... well, they have succeeded by making us wonder whether they are simply portraying themselves or are they acting?! ... of course, I thought this is in part due to the fact that not many of us know these actors beforehand (so, pardon us) ... nonetheless, they still did a great job ... of portraying characters that are not \"flat\" and very believable ... many times, you wonder if they are what they act in real life ...\r\n\r\n(iii) seldom mentioned, i want to highlight the arabic songs that were featured in the film, they often sounded at the right time to stir the audience emotionally ... unfortunately, these are not subtitled ...\r\n\r\nConclusion:\r\nRecommended. Frankly, I enjoyed the film ... ... It has nice characterization, melodramatic moments, and important messages for all ... i.e., about race, equality and peace ... of course, there may be some audience who consider the message kind of stark at times ... \r\n\r\nPS: It was full house the day I watched, and it was sad that several customers who were eager to watch the film were turned away at the box office ... * pity them * ... but luckily, it will be on commercial screening soon ...','01b54995a3804191e9217df7cbad39b5',0,'','r4RA36Qu',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9603,1688,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1184609340,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Days of Glory (Indignes) (2006) (France)','My apologies for one of many delayed (and forgotten) postings. \r\n\r\nDays of Glory - Indignes (2006)\r\n\r\nDirected by Rachid Bouchareb\r\n\r\nStarring Jamel Debbouze (Boys on the Beach, Angel-A), Roschdy Zem (Alias Betty)\r\n\r\nAs a straight out war film Days of Glory comes a cropper, it has taken far too much influence from Saving Private Ryan and/or Band of Brothers, though some of its better aspects appear to have been influenced by Kubrick\'s similarly titled but far superior Paths of Glory.\r\n\r\nWhere it does work (albeit with the subtlety of a steam hammer) is as a political statement, illustrating how the North African troops were used as cannon fodder, how they were treated as lesser beings and how they were then discarded and left to rot once they had completed their duty for their so called \'mother land\'.\r\n\r\nOut of interest, Britain was just as guilty as France for doing this, especially with Indian and Burmese troops during WWII.\r\n\r\nThe actual history behind the story is far more interesting than the film but unfortunately, people need over emphasised dramatics rather than documented facts to grab their attention.\r\n\r\nRealistically there were some terrible faults with the film, not least the German soldier firing the ofenrohr \'stovepipe\' (bazooka style antitank weapon) at the wall of a house while within it, this 88mm projectile would have taken down the wall plus the rest of the house killing everyone including the Germans, and that\'s without mentioning the blowback from the charge.\r\n\r\nI also found it hard to believe Jamel Debbouze\'s character, for one he\'s a light comedy actor, depth of emotion is certainly not his forte. Another far more obvious point is his right arm which he seriously injured as a youngster and appears to be pretty useless, you can get away with this in some films (Amelie or Angel-a for example) but in a war film, as a soldier constantly walking around with your hand tucked in your pocket even when carrying a rifle in the middle of a firefight! No, sorry he was definitely wrong for the role and was the major weak link in this film. \r\n\r\nI know he acted as co-producer but he should have taken a back seat or a minor part in this project rather than grabbing the central role.\r\n\r\nYou can\'t fault the good that the film has done for the surviving pensioners but I couldn\'t help thinking it should have been so much better.\r\n\r\nAs a war film C-.\r\nAs a political statement B+. \r\n\r\nCheers Trev. \r\n\r\nBBFC rated 12a.','9ef99e292703d48a913632d699f486da',0,'','pw1JoXcD',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9604,1689,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1184167980,1,0,1,1,1,1,'justindeimen','Black Sheep (2006) (New Zealand)','Review: \r\n\r\nThe biggest downside to Black Sheep would be how frustratingly middling it ends up being once you get past its inspired selling point. Quite obviously manufactured as a valentine to fellow New Zealander, Peter Jackson whose Bad Taste and Dead Alive are direct influences on writer-director Jonathan Kings yarn of mutated killer sheep on the rampage. \r\n\r\nAs subtle as a fist through the sphincter, King debuts with guns cocked and checklist of references in hand, including an exceptionally crafted tribute to the best sequence in An American Werewolf in London. It does involve were-sheep (or is that were-wools?) on the prowl in moors, which is an especially stirring prospect when you consider that in New Zealand, sheep outnumber humans 12 to 1. And King acknowledges the absurdity of his premise with blunt enthusiasm, perhaps even too bluntly considering that his horror-comedy has no aspirations for longevity. \r\n\r\nIt does not have the calculated hilarity of Hot Fuzz or its predecessor, nor does it have the claustrophobic horror of Isolation, which prefigures the sanguinary nature of murderous mutated cattle and it definitely does not share the wanton bloodletting of Boy Eats Girl. Perhaps all Black Sheep represents is the upswing in sophistication of these catalogue of films that embrace its inspirations with flourishes of their own. To his credit, King does have a great sense of pace in that its tight runtime never allows for lulls in the proceedings, which aims for the cheap laugh rather than a cheaper thrill. Thankfully, King knows when to play it straight and when to leaven the proceedings with a sly wink. \r\n\r\nAdmittedly, there are certain scenes that will not fail to evoke a sheepish grin but the films bombardment of over-the-top energy emanating from its running prank and lack of any pretense for satire (no lamb-pooning here!) makes it a rather one-note affair that does not quite entertain on the level it could have. It certainly mistakes its inoffensive banality with the raucous delirium thats seen in the genre classics it endears itself to. Black Sheep is admirably singular in its intentions but its virtues remain few and far between.','e802048c190ed0ea439815805dc7ae68',0,'','GAfRqLEV',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9605,1689,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1184238720,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Black Sheep (2006) (New Zealand)','Very witty review Justin, I have seen the trailer which looked daft enough to appeal to me, shame it sounds a little one dimensional but I\'ll probably try and catch it.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','d79b8e8a20d73dba32d7312e4a966b11',0,'','9kbtoNw5',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9606,1689,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1184353620,1,0,1,1,1,1,'justindeimen','Re: Black Sheep (2006) (New Zealand)','Thanks Trev. I\'ll agree it\'s one-dimensional but I wouldn\'t discount it if you\'re bored on a weekend. I wouldn\'t imagine that the director went into this with the notion of making something more than what it is.','cf50b9a82416f6ad64a6d8141c10ec57',0,'','A7uQMe13',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9607,1690,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1184154360,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Taking Liberties (2007/ UK)','Taking Liberties (2007)\r\n\r\nDirected by Chris Atkins\r\n\r\nLuckily this doc begins and ends with a darkly humorous look at the pathetic police state the U.K. is slowly becoming, otherwise it would be extremely troubling to witness how our civil liberties are being stripped away one by one.\r\n\r\nGrannies held on terrorism charges, old age pensioners assaulted by security men for daring to speak the truth, peaceful protestors held in solitary confinement for 36 hours before being dumped in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of the night with their money and mobile phones stripped from them. People arrested for wearing shirts proclaiming Bollocks to Blair.\r\n\r\nLets not even mention the Ricin case where despite being found completely innocent of all charges, Mouloud Sihali has been tagged and held under house arrest for the last two years, the whole issue of Guantanamo Bay or the cold blooded police sanctioned murder of Jean Charles de Menezes.\r\n\r\nThe list of political and police ineptness goes on and on as the same type of paranoia that swept the U.S. during the cold war era hits the U.K. big time. Security firms love it, the tabloids love it, but every single person should question it, before we lose the right to even do that. \r\n\r\nThe government has forgotten its role, forgotten that it is there to serve the people, instead it has made decisions very much against public opinion, made us complicit in fighting a wholly illegal war and has turned George Orwells Big Brother vision into a reality.\r\n\r\nBlair, Straw and all their cronies can be truly thankful that U.K. citizens have such an absurd sense of humour, even so, theres a limit to how far people can be pushed. Unfortunately its already clear that Blairs successor is more than happy to carry on with exactly the same mentality. \r\n\r\nIn 1997 the Labour party swept into power capturing the need of the nation to believe that Things can only get better, something went wrong somewhere along the line and you have to wonder just how much worse things will get!\r\n\r\nA must see doc for anyone who cares about civil rights.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.\r\n\r\nBBFC rated 12a.\r\n\r\nFind out more from the official site - noliberties.com','1ca5a097df9cf7807a209668c698ff1c',0,'','f21yG6Zz',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9608,1691,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1184149560,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Hungary x 2: Child Murders (1993)','.','5058f1af8388633f609cadb75a75dc9d',0,'','Gx31FES2',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9609,1691,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1184207640,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Hungary x 2: Child Murders (1993)','CHILD MURDERS (Hungary-Ger / 1993)\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nWinner of the Fipresci Prize at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival, writer-director Szab Ildiks Child Murders (Gyerekgyilkossgok) is a somber and hauntingly moving effort which impressionistically centers around the desolate life of a sensitive yet disturbed young boy. Disparagingly called \"sodabottle\", the bespectacled 12-year-old named Zsolt (an excellent Tth Barnabs) lives with his ailing grandmother (Kllai Ilona) in a shabby apartment complex on the outskirts of Budapest. The eroding mental health of the bedridden granny, who was once a famous theater actress, has caused her to communicate with Zsolt through cue cards, but since he ardently cares of her, he kindly plays along. In the meantime, while spending his days outside by his lonesome, Zsolts attention is caught by a pregnant young woman (Balogh Maria) roaming around the railway tracks. Quite possibly a gypsy, she turns out to be a juvenile center runaway who\'s shacked up in an abandoned train car. The duo\'s eventual friendship ends up affecting Zsolt\'s life forever.\r\n\r\nTonally and texturally similar to the films of Szabs Eastern European counterparts, Child Murders contains little actual violence, but it is marked by two disturbing acts, one due to necessity, the other, revenge, and both encompassing Zsolts antagonistic classmate, a wild-haired girl named Ibi (Kves Dra). Forebodingly lensed in B&W by Sas Tams -- along with Tarr Blas Damnation (1988), Fehr Gyrgys Twilight (1990), Sopsits rpd\'s Shooting Gallery (1990), and Janisch Attila\'s Shadow on the Snow (2001), author Forgch Andrs has mentioned Child Murders as one of the five late-80\'s/early-90\'s Hungarian films that are comparable to Tarrs Stntang (1994) in various aspects, including visualization -- and set to the haunting, evocative score of Jnos Msik (Makk Krolys Another Way [1982]), the film paints a damning and despairing portrait of a society which cruelly disposes its own.\r\n\r\n_______________________\r\n\r\n*The film had its international premiere at Cannes \'93 (Directors\' Fortnight). It also played at the Toronto Film Festival the same year. \r\n\r\n*Now available on DVD in the U.S. from Facets/Bunyik.','0f463881c0e7f8e17f997c78d23fb26b',0,'','dnmFj9fc',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9610,1692,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1118207580,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Short Takes: Turkey / Central Asia','In this thread I\'ll be adding brief reviews of Turkish and *Central Asian films. Please feel free to do the same. If a film gets revisited in detail (either by me or anyone else), then an individual film thread will be started.\r\n\r\n*Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan. \r\n\r\nINDEX (in order reviewed)\r\n\r\nPage 1 :\r\n\r\nANGEL ON THE RIGHT [Tajikistan] (Jamshed Usmonov / 2002)\r\nCLIMATES [Turkey] (Nuri Bilge Ceylan / 2006)\r\n\r\n_____________\r\n\r\nPlease visit our Asian and European film indexes for more links.\r\n____________','1eb205e24aa4c8113f4a3100e89fe2ff',0,'','BGerXz3p',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9611,1692,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1121056980,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Short Takes: Turkey / Central Asia','ANGEL ON THE RIGHT (Tajikistan / 2002)\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nThe title of the film, Angel on the Right (Fararishtay Kifti Rost), is derived from an Islamic law which states that every human being has two angels, one of each shoulder, who document the good and the bad deeds to be interpreted on judgment day. So, with that in mind, it becomes obvious early on that one of the angels on our protagonist, Hamro (played with brooding intensity by Maruf Pulodzoda who looks like an extra from a Guy Ritchie flick), hasnt been doing much work lately since we learn that this ex-con has just spent 10 years in a Moscow prison for murder, and has also been involved with drugs in the past. But, as he makes his way back towards the remote, poverty-stricken village in Tajikistan, he doesnt realize that hes being duped by his mother (Uktamoi Miyasarova) and the local villagers (including a tyrant of a mayor) into coming back so he can pay off his numerous debts. Directed by Jamshed Usmonov, a Tajik who is most famous for playing the lead in Darezhan Omirbayev\'s The Road (2001), Angel on the Right is a relatively minor parable in every sense, although, its not without its pleasures. Along with examining a couple of interesting relationships, Usmonov often livens up his bleak milieu with dry humor and by introducing some wicked local customs: one of whom involves a barbaric hand-shake (Tourist Warning: Dont try to bargain!). Eventually, Hamro comes across his son (Kova Tilavpur), possibly a product of his past relationship with a local prostitute, and develops sexual feelings for a beautiful young nurse (Malohat Maqsumova). But, for the most part, Usmonov wisely refuses to redeem this selfish and materialistic man. A political reading of this rare film from Tajikistan might render it even more important, because as the director said, \"[It] reflects the problems of present-day Tajik society, which is facing profound social and political upheavals and a seven-year civil war. The main character Hamro is the product of these events.\" If I were to decipher my opinion using the films titular logic, then Id say that there\'s definitely more good here than bad.\r\n\r\n______________________\r\n\r\n*ANGEL ON THE RIGHT premiered at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival (Un Certain Regard). \r\n\r\n*Available on DVD in the U.S. (First Run Features) and the U.K. (Tartan).\r\n______________________','db4be15df0af6a586d050166a92edadf',0,'','8PDTzj73',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9612,1692,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1152789120,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Short Takes: Turkey / Central Asia','Good idea, most of the central Asian countries have a low output of films (at least in terms of what is actually available). I don\'t think I have many but I\'ll certainly try and add something, the only one I can think of (apart from Angel on the Right) is Vodka Lemon. What countries will this thread cover as I may have others but am unsure?\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','03460d5e3c51c03c36e822b2097b103b',0,'','jbgRNiA0',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9613,1692,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1152859440,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Short Takes: Turkey / Central Asia','Turkey, along with such cinematic hothods as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Tadjikistan (Central Asia as defined by those nations). No, there isn\'t much available right now but hopefully that will change in the near future. Please contribute to this thread if you can. (I believe Vodka Lemon is Armenian.) \r\n\r\nWhat did you think of Angel on the Right? Director Jamshed Usmonov\'s new film, To get to Heaven First You Have to Die, is scheduled for Toronto, so I\'ll try to fit it into my timetable.','ebd9bdfca8cca164708252e617833844',0,'','KM02TFv5',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9614,1692,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1152899580,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Short Takes: Turkey / Central Asia','Sorry I thought it would include Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Uzbekistan, Georgia plus of course, Turkey.\r\n\r\nI\'ll have to re-watch \"Angel on the Right\" as it\'s been a while.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','9b9dd95c2f637c4c7ec66fa07ec8a26c',0,'','J7fmyVC0',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9615,1692,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1153518540,1,0,1,1,1,1,'A','Re: Short Takes: Turkey / Central Asia','Like Trevor, it seems I\'ve learned an important geography lesson. \r\nI have \"Angel on my Right\" on Tape, but haven\'t watched it yet, and I missed Schizo at a local film festival. However, I saw Beshkempir two or three months ago, and it was an impressive film. It will be interesting to see which films we will be able to assemble in this thread.','2a642e95ec8733fa97b58714eabe93a6',0,'','X1dp6auW',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9616,1692,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1205852340,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: Short Takes: Turkey / Central Asia','hi arsaib4, \r\ndo you want to move turkey out of this thread, to the european thread? \r\nclimates is not found here','37ea4ac522375762615802f64e17fc77',0,'','kAYHNZEo',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9617,1693,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1137570480,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros (2005) (Philippines)','\r\n\r\nAng Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros (The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros) (2005) (Philippines) \r\n\r\nDirector: Aureaus Solito\r\nCast: Nathan Lopez, JR Valentin, Soliman Cruz, Ping Medina, Neil Ryan Sese\r\n\r\nThis film will be screened in Sundance Film Festival 2006.\r\nsee\r\nhttp://festival.sundance.org/filmguide/popup.aspx?film=6617\r\n\r\nIt recently garnered the Best Film in Asian Festival of First Films .\r\n\r\nThe official website ...\r\nsee\r\nhttp://maximooliveros.tripod.com/\r\n\r\nWell, since there are some Filipinos on this board, I wonder if they have watched it ...\r\n\r\nMy thoughts ...\r\n-- Well, what makes the film worth watching is really \r\n... the various contrasts that prevail\r\n... the change/range of emotions over the film ...\r\n... food for thought issues ...\r\n\r\nExample of some contrasts \r\n(i) In the beginning, there is the contrast of a \"horrible\" slum and a \"pretty\" flower on the teen ...\r\n(ii) the acceptance of gay ... and the rejection of gay ...\r\n(iii) the happiness in life ... and the sadness in life ... \r\n(iv) the good cops ... and the bad cops ...\r\n\r\nExample of emotions \r\n... hmmm, that is for you to experience, not for me to write ... ha ha ha\r\n\r\nExample of some food for thought \r\n-- Most noteworthy (to me), I believe that not many people will think about it, BUT I find it worthwhile to ask those who have watched/or want to watch ... After the film, do most people take the side of the teen? It is interesting to assess if anyone does take the side of the policeman ... I actually empathize the policeman too ...\r\n-- When one is torn between right and wrong, which should prevail ...\r\n-- When one is torn between love and family, which should prevail ...\r\netc\r\n\r\n-- In a way, the film challenges perceptions ...\r\n-- As for what could be better ... I wonder if audience might find the initial scenes rather \"simplistic\" or \"comical\" or even at times, \"exaggerated\" (in portrayal/acting) ... but survive it, and the story gets better with some depth ...\r\n\r\nConclusion:\r\nAbove average ... worth a watch ... I thought the second half of the film saved it ...','0fb8f200205bb22592d8570a32a4de23',0,'','YJixy5Fd',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9618,1693,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1183389060,1,0,1,1,1,1,'justindeimen','Re: The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros (2005) (Philippines)','Review: \r\n\r\nGrowing up, a close friend of mine acted in stark contrast to the rest of the boys. He always seemed happier, and was more content in being dissimilar to us when it came to our whims and petty discords that resulted from our passionate disagreements on our favoured sports. His infectious enthusiasm and sunny aura was well received by everyone who knew him, making him instantly popular among our circle of friends. And despite the occasional whisperings within the group of parents of his oddly flamboyant nature that resulted from his joie de vivre, nobody saw anything sinister or unwholesome about him in the least. Even as there was an unstated opinion that he was gay, something we suspected he knew as well, there was always a profound sense of acceptance that existed on a purely human level at that age. \r\n\r\nThe Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros is a confrontational family drama that resonates with sociopolitical heft. While its 12 year-old protagonist, the lively and spirited Maxi (Nathan Lopez) enjoys the ephemeral joys of childhood, his older brothers and widowed father adhere to the essential criminal elements of their slum district in Manila to make ends meet. Maxi, a school dropout, is not unlike the friend I told you about. They share a similar zest for life, happy in their own pursuits and with a precocious sense of self. \r\n\r\nMaxi knows his family needs him to step up, as he performs the duties that are usually synonymous with that of a mother or sister. He cleans, cooks and fusses over the grown-ups in the family, something his family adores about him. They also dont see anything wrong with Maxis cross-dressing, androgynous appearances that are often followed with ostentatious sashays through imaginary catwalks. Although, the film endears to us a very young titular character that is gay in all sense of the word, the one thing that sticks to us is the intense devotion shared within his family unit. \r\n\r\nFrom its opening shot of establishing striking colours amidst a canvas of squalor, we are supposed to consider Maxis presence as a splash of mirth in the murky underbelly that exists in the destitution of his surroundings of ambiguous ideals and cutthroat subsistence. No wonder then, when Maxi becomes enamoured with a saviour-like policeman, Victor (J R Valentin), a hopeful beacon of right in a world of wrongs. The film insists on showing this as Maxis first love, not just a mere infatuation. In addition to its obvious taboos relating to the ages involved, it even uses traditional cinematic conventions of using strife at home to convey the forbidden affections between the cop and the robbers kin. \r\n\r\nDirector Auraeus Solito is especially kind in his feature debut, one that unforgivingly invokes the volatile subject matter of pre-teen sexuality. He situates the film in a fine way by servicing his characters before the big ideas that one tends to walk away with, from films of such daring. And he gratefully steers clear from the awkwardness of similarly themed films such as the kitschy romance shared between its young leads in the sickeningly saccharine, Little Manhattan and the morbidly obtrusive Mysterious Skin.','c5a90bd3566ccdd9d00c1c66315e0371',0,'','kb1PrCdL',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9619,1694,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1183322940,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','France x 2: Exiles (2004) & La Moustache (2005)','.','5058f1af8388633f609cadb75a75dc9d',0,'','dnE9ig07',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9620,1694,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1183323180,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: France x 2: Exiles (2004) & La Moustache (2005)','EXILES (France-Jap / 2004)\r\n\r\n*A 2006 U.S. Release*\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nAfter exploring his gypsy roots in such films as Latcho Drom (1993) and The Crazy Stranger (1997), French filmmaker Tony Gatlif delves into his Algerian past with Exiles (Exils), a film for which he won the Best Director award at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. Born in Algeria from a Roma mother and an Algerian father, Gatlif favors an energetic, dynamic approach to his filmmaking, and that along with his musical prowess have produced a few visual and aural feasts in the past. Featuring many similar tendencies, Exiles stars Roman Duris as Zano, a young bohemian musician from a pied-noir family, who impulsively decides to take a trip to Algeria in order to locate his roots. Accompanying him on the journey is Naima (Lubna Azabal), his similarly unsettled girlfriend of N. African descent. As the couple travel through France, Andalucia, and Morocco on their way, they begin to discover themselves and each other, not to mention the manners in which they are perceived by others. Naima, especially, is surprised by the interest her Muslim name often generates, though she chooses to remain oblivious of its nature. While Gatlifs attempts to connect and deepen the characters within the cultural/historical perspective produce mixed results, hes able to expose their lack of foundation, a fear that internally originates once they reach their destination. An instinctual filmmaker with Kusturician sensibilities, Gatlif has staged a few bravura musical sequences in the past, but none as exceptional nor important as the single 10-mintue shot near the end of the film, which goes a long way to prove that music truly is the food for the soul.\r\n\r\nGrade: B+\r\n______________________\r\n\r\n*EXILES premiered in-competition at Cannes \'04. Now available on DVD in the U.S. (Homevision). Extras include a making-of-documentary.','5db8039a0f61513f544d4d8451dfa8b5',0,'','1iZzVnMa',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9621,1694,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1183323780,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: France x 2: Exiles (2004) & La Moustache (2005)','LA MOUSTACHE (France / 2005)\r\n\r\n*A 2006 U.S. Release*\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nLets face it, only the French could genuinely attempt an existential parable which deals with the notions of identity and marriage from a question concerning a small amount of facial hair -- and, for the most part, make it work. Which is what writer-director Emmanuel Carrre has accomplished in his fiction debut La Moustache, adapted from his own 1986 novel of the same name. \r\n\r\n\"How would you feel if I shaved off my mustache?\" is the question nonchalantly posed early on in the film by a middle-aged man to his beautiful wife, who responds in a similar fashion before running off to do some errands. A prosperous couple, Marc and Agns (wonderfully played by Vincent London and Emmanuelle Devos, respectively) are preparing to leave for a party at their mutual friend\'s. Marc does the deed, and then waits for Agnss reaction, which turns out to be nothing. Despite doing everything he can to draw some attention to his upper lip, the same holds true at the dinner later on that evening. Marc is perplexed. At first, he considers that perhaps everyones engaged in an elaborate joke at his expense, but after confronting his wife in the car on the way back, he learns that he never had a mustache.\r\n\r\nCarrre, whose other similarly-themed novels have been adapted recently in the likes of Class Trip (1998) and The Adversary (2002), handles these events in an economical fashion, thus generating a surprising amount of interest from the trivial, nearly silly initial premise. And once he stops justifying the film\'s narrative conundrums, and situates his self-doubting protagonist in Hong Kong, he allows it to become an unnerving emotional experience as well. As Marcs life crumbles, so does his psychological state. But instead of providing easy answers, the film continues to blur the line between reality and what might possibly be a dream -- and strives toward an understanding of the metaphysical uncertainty of modern life and its false sense of control. And during this process, it manages to keep a straight face, which just might be its biggest accomplishment. \r\n\r\nGrade: B\r\n________________________\r\n\r\n*LA MOUSTACHE premiered at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival (Directors\' Fortnight).\r\n\r\n*Now available on DVD in the U.S. (Koch Lorber). Interviews and a making-of-doc are provided as extra features.','b3e78990c79525d0d9bcc78854c4be87',0,'','wVbj0AiH',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9622,1694,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1183328400,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: France x 2: Exiles (2004) & La Moustache (2005)','Moved from \'The Last Movie You\'ve Seen\' thread. \r\n\r\nExiles (Exils) (2004) - Tony Gatlif\r\n\r\nStarring Romain Duris, Lubna Azabal\r\n\r\nHaving read arsaib4\'s excellent coments on this film there\'s not a great deal I can add. I was immediately reminded of Antonioni and his existentialist road movies from the 70\'s but there is so much more, with a genuine feeling of loss and search for identity. \r\n\r\nMusic plays or is played throughout, ranging in style and context dependent on the surroundings. The final climatic scene with its almost primitive beats and rhythms is truly mind blowing. \r\n\r\nA movie that has real depth and soul with some very memorable moments. \r\n\r\nInitially reminiscent of the 70\'s but bang upto date in every way, highly recommended.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.\r\n\r\nBBFC rated 15.\r\n\r\nR2 dvd released by Drakes Avenue, a complete absence of extras as usual.\r\n\r\nAnother film where I\'d love to have had a commentary from the director and leads, Lubna Azabal in particular.','663974e88a75dec51de9ef8ae0544a3d',0,'','5e3BvU8K',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9623,1695,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1182780000,1,0,1,1,1,1,'justindeimen','The Flying Scotsman (2006) (UK)','Courtesy of MX\r\n\r\nReview:\r\n\r\nAh, Jonny Lee Millers back on our screens. How weve missed you, Sick Boy. In Douglas Mackinnon\'s theatrical feature debut, Miller gives one of the most remarkable performances of his career as Graeme Obree, who rose from obscurity to become a record-breaking Scottish phenomenon in world cycling in the early to mid 90s. As with any sports film, adversity trumps hardships. But with The Flying Scotsman, it is a workmanlike, if plaintive biopic that considers the perils of success as much as defeat.\r\n\r\nThe film bears through Obrees childhood in a council estate through his subsistence as an adult barely being able to run a bike shop in his small town and couriers on the side to keep food on the table. It is meant to be a life with certain missing pleasures, a humdrum banality of an ordinary man that wasnt supposed to have experienced the especial attention heaped on national heroes. Unfortunately, thats as far an insight we receive into Graeme Obree, the man, as opposed to Mackinnons stanch devotion to Obree, the dogged sportsman who defied all expectations to conquer obstacles much more insidious than testicular cancer. And even if the markers of the sports movie genre are manifested in the poverty of new ideas in its execution, theres undeniable resonance in the implication that triumph and deep melancholy are linked in a complex paradox.\r\n\r\nThe situational conundrums of this film offer a hefty, but darker parallel with The World\'s Fastest Indian, the vivacious biopic of New Zealander Burt Munro and his motorbike that broke its land-speed records in the 60s. They share the similar industriousness and maverick zeal that infuriated their respective sports bureaucrats with their ingenuity. In this case, with Obree building his racing bike from spare kitchen parts and personalising his instrument with novel riding styles that endeared him to fans and competitors.\r\n\r\nEven with the requisite adversary in the World Cycling Federations officious Ernst Hagemann (Steven Berkoff), who attempts to thwart the Scot at every turn, Obrees truest nemesis is his debilitating depression that Mackinnon brusquely associates with buried childhood incidents. Its an unenviable task to craft a viable sense of despair resulting from the illness but a cadre of thankless roles (a clergyman, a wife and a close friend) acerbate the cursive dynamics of simplicity being used to abridge the density of the subject matter.','98cb3d6ee327e82fb515ecaa3fde374c',0,'','Nwvtfzgl',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9624,1695,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1182857040,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: The Flying Scotsman (2006) (UK)','Hi\r\n\r\nsorry to sidetrack, this show was screened with the Singapore short \"Ah Ma\" that won an award/mention in Berlin Film Festival. How was that short?','e1a6c6f3e3153f7b537edc2547100af5',0,'','s3iogvf5',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9625,1695,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1182943080,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: The Flying Scotsman (2006) (UK)','A wonderfully written review Justin, just a shame that the film sounds underserving of it.\r\n\r\nThe Flying Scotsman is on general release in the UK next week, it has very little appeal for me so I\'ll probably give it a miss.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','3ad0886a6324def2cbb0623a8b435993',0,'','TeWX4iUt',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9626,1695,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1183070640,1,0,1,1,1,1,'justindeimen','Re: The Flying Scotsman (2006) (UK)','Sorry, heng, I missed half of the short. But from what I saw, I can\'t say it was different from other local shorts.\r\n\r\nThanks Trev, I wouldn\'t say it\'s a waste of time but if you\'re on a tight schedule, then yes, I\'d say a dvd would be the best choice. Jonny Lee Miller\'s fantastic in this.','876dd0ee4c8e8ea40df9f7eb8a3cd5ac',0,'','n5XrMFul',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9627,1696,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1182941160,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Tell No One (Ne le dis personne) (France/ 2006)','Tell No One (Ne le dis personne) (2006)\r\n\r\nDirector Guillaume Canet\r\n\r\nStarring Franois Cluzet, Kristin Scott Thomas\r\n\r\nAn old style thriller in the mould of The Fugitive and The 39 Steps, one that is totally dependent on storyline and acting rather than special effects.\r\n\r\nA youngish married couple relax after taking a midnight swim together until a minor dispute separates them. The woman, Margot swims back to the jetty only to disappear amid cries for help, Alexandre, her husband quickly follows but is beaten unconscious and dumped in the lake.\r\n\r\nThe present, eight years after the assault, Doctor Alexandre Becks life listlessly flits between the hospital and his pet dog. That night was the last time he saw his wife alive, her father had identified her body, the victim of a serial killer.\r\n\r\nUntil. an E-mail arrives containing a video clip showing a woman who looks exactly like his dead wife.\r\n\r\nAround two hours of twists and turns, red herrings, chases and deaths ensue as Alexandre finds himself not only trying to find out if his wife is still alive, but also avoiding the police who suspect him of murder. \r\n\r\nPolitics, bent cops, thugs with a heart of gold and psycho killers abound in plentiful supply as the plot leads through a trail of murders, deception and lies. Alexandre continuously foils the police while discovering that he knew next to nothing about his late wifes life. \r\n\r\nTime will tell if he can discover the truth before he is framed for murder.\r\n\r\nThe cast are fine, not at all surprising when you look through the wealth of experience on hand. The plot though is unfortunately too befuddled with unwarranted complexities and far too many characters that feel as though they were just thrown into the mix to add a bit of excitement, the final denouement is unfortunately painfully long as well as leaving the audience with nothing left to chew over.\r\n\r\nEnjoyable and entertaining but lacking any real depth. Will it have enough thrills for a U.S /U.K. audience? If it was a Hollywood production itd probably do well, as it is, with so many people unwilling to watch subtitled films, it doesnt stand much of a chance.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.\r\n\r\nBBFC rated 15.','769aa03018b4cd188f8629d8f8e5790d',0,'','sFuRn8mg',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9628,1697,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1182779880,1,0,1,1,1,1,'justindeimen','Goal 2 (2006)','Review:\r\n\r\nIts quite apparent that the only goals that Goal II aspires to reach would be to capitalise on the wanton commercialisation of the sport. In many ways, Goal II feels as inorganic as the Astroturf on Real Madrids Santiago Bernabeu stadium, but its entire basis for existing fits in directly with the current climate of modern footballs marriage between marketing the lifestyle and promoting the game.\r\n\r\nIn the first film of its trilogy, the late blooming Mexican prodigy Santiago Munez (Kuno Becker) heads to Newcastle United after numerous deux ex machinas and quickly becomes the hottest property in football. In Goal II, Santiago moves to Real Madrid, which the film argues for its own sordid purposes that it is the best football club in all the land. Despite overreactions to logistical issues from flippant Geordie girlfriend, Roz (Anna Friel), he joins up with ex-clubmate, the unhinged English superstar Gavin Harris (Alessandro Nivola) in a glamourised Madrid setting.\r\n\r\nGoal II glosses, polishes and shines itself into a veritable product of faux-earnestness, an insincere riches to uber-riches story of tepid ambitions, frivolous decisions and romanticised evocations. The world it creates is a cocoon of fortune, swanky parties, lascivious olive-skinned women, flashy Maseratis, last minute match-winning goals etc. But the films quick to temper itself with its own version of problems by mirroring real-life WAG (wives and girlfriends) scandals, poor form on and off the pitch and a hysterical subplot featuring a long-lost family. While basically existing within itself, the film gambles on trite sentimentality to form a connection with its audience despite an ineffectively formulaic and utterly predictable finale.\r\n\r\nIt all just seems dated in its references as footballing distinctions are by and large cyclical and the landscape of club football changes quickly. But yet, its possibly a harbinger of things to come when David Beckham is seen as a significant supporting star by virtue of just being there rather than a billed bells and whistles cameo. And with the dumbed down specifics of the game and quaint British colloquialisms for those with a casual acquaintance with football, the intentions are clear enough in that the film prioritises US distribution.\r\n\r\nSensationalising the lifestyle and by that measure, alienating its audience is not the films only hypocrisy. Goal II glorifies the fame and prestige of being a modern footballer by invoking the medias fascination with these players and the reverence they enjoy on the world stage. But at the same time, it makes sure to show its young, idealistic protagonist as humble and bashful of his upsurge in publicity. And when the inevitable happens as a player buys into his own hype, it shows how the modern footballers lifestyle ends up corrupting Santiagos bonhomie - the same lifestyle that the film unrelentingly idolises and throws in our faces.','cfef7db54a45dc315f8afb7f6450a665',0,'','7YJ0gU8G',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9629,1698,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1182690420,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Spider Lilies (Ci Qing) (2007) (Taiwan)','\r\n\r\nDirector: Zero Chou\r\nCast: Rainie Yang, Isabella Leong\r\n\r\nThe film won the Teddy Award in Berlin International Film Festival 2007.\r\n\r\nSynopsis\r\nWhen a webcam girl Jade (Rainie Yang) wants to get a tattoo (i.e., Spider Lilies) at the parlour run by Takeko (Isabella Leong), the story of how the two might have known each other many years back is unravelled ...\r\n\r\nMy thoughts\r\n\r\n-- After watching the film, two questions popped up ...\r\n(i) what would mainstream audience feel about the film?\r\n(ii) what made the jury honour the film with an award?\r\n\r\nSo, I decide to have two para here, one for each question ...\r\n\r\nWhat is weak about the film ... I thought the film does have a lot of potential (see next para), but as it is now, given the current edit, I would have to admit that some audience would feel detached from the characters. The theme of a lesbian relationship may already be a tough sell to some mainstream audience, yet this detachment is aggravated by the lack of \"emotional\" story telling, such that by the end, some audience may not really care whether the two girls become an item or not ... In addition, the film has three male supporting cast which are not well exploited. They all have interesting roles which I thought could be better developed and capitalized on. Somehow, the male police office does not come across as compelling; also, the deeply affected younger brother does not seem convincing, and finally, the gangster looks too caricature in portrayal. More work can be done and has to be done to make the film more memorable ...\r\n\r\nBut the film does boast of some merits, which I thought many could have easily overlooked and dismissed ... maybe that is why i feel obligated to shed some insights ... so, what is great about the film ... If we look beyond the basic plot, it does boast of two essential award winning \"ingredients\", namely, some subtle but important themes that cut across the entire film as well as its cinemtography ... In terms of themes/messages, there is the notion of remembrance vs forget, permanence vs wavering, holding on vs moving on, and reality vs fantasy ... Tattoo is not simply a fashion statement but is often symbolic of some memory. Jade wants the tattoo that remembers and reminds her of her first love, but Takeko gets a tattoo to assist her brother to regain his lost memory. Jade hopes that Takeko will recall their past, but Takeko does not wish to relive or evoke the past. Ironically, Jade is holding on to the past so as to love, but Takeko has to move on from the past to love ... Next, the idea of the webcam girl and the police under guise bring forth the message of reality vs fantasy. It questions what we see and/or believe. What is reality and what is the truth?! Do we assume too much? In a way, this theme also parallels the love relationship between Jade and Takeko, would it remain just a fantasy or would it become a reality? \r\n\r\nIn sum, the story may appear aloof, but it can spark interesting discussions ...\r\n\r\nConclusion\r\nHmmm ... I can only say it does have a lot of potential, though some find the characters too detached ... so, do go watch and decide for yourself ...\r\n\r\n\r\nPS: The Chinese title means \"tattoo\". According to Japanese legend, spider lilies line the path to hell. By the way, the DVD is available.','4f0cbde8d1e85ae6ba80873ca328cec3',0,'','6VWbBmif',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9630,1699,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1182686040,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006) (Japan)','\r\n\r\nDirector: Mamoru Hosoda\r\n\r\nThis film garnered the Best Animation Film in Japanese Academy Awards in 2006.\r\n\r\nThe official website (in Japanese)\r\nclick\r\nhttp://www.kadokawa.co.jp/tokikake/index.php\r\n\r\nSynopsis\r\nFrom the title, it is apparent that the anime revolves around the life of a girl (Makoto Konno) who can leap back into the past to undo events that have occurred ... Expectedly, whenever the past is reshaped, the future is inevitably affected as well ...\r\n\r\nMy thoughts\r\n\r\n-- The charm of this anime lies in its simple but well told story ... The director successfully brings a smile or a tear to vignettes/events we are so familiar with, be it at home or in school, especially during our adolescence ... those were the days indeed ... ... On the surface, many of us must have experienced that feeling -- if only we could turn back the clock ... and why not? especially when it is to undo our silly mistakes or to stop some mishaps ... \r\n\r\nAnd as we gleefully marvel and muse at this thought, reality soon sets in ... The anime soon sounds its message -- that when we manage to make our life better, do we unknowingly make others lives worse ...\r\n\r\nAnother message is resounded, but more blatantly (and less tactfully) -- that time waits for no one ... so, we are reminded to value the present moment, and make the best use of it ...\r\n\r\n-- Well, two advice ...\r\n\r\n(i) Like most time reversal stories, there may or may not be loopholes in plot/thoughts etc ... I for one do not actively seek it out, will you?! but why spoil the fun ... After all, that is not the main point of the film ...\r\n\r\n(ii) Also, I am not sure if the ending will please all, but some may like it while others may not ... as usual, i may have preferred a slightly different ending ...\r\n\r\nConclusion\r\nHighly recommended. Even though the theme may be over-featured, the director does a great job in his story telling, and the film does get better as it goes along, peppering humor with heart wrenching moments. And by the time it approaches the end, most audience would care about the characters, wondering how the film will eventually end ... And unlike many renowned Japanese anime, its basic story is simple to understand, and its philosophical take is comprehensible to all, neither cryptic nor contrived ...\r\n\r\nPS: Do not compare this with other anime like Ghost in the Shell, Paprika, etc ... they are vastly different ... Just watch it like a typical anime and you will enjoy it better ...\r\n\r\nFor those who like the soundtrack, here is the ending credit ... of course it will mean more if you have watched the film; otherwise, you may be upset by the 2-D and non 3-D graphics ... hee hee ... \r\nclick\r\nhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fNYgg2MHdQ&mode=related&search=','55f7db7ff66a8f50e8b74ae0379e8f2c',0,'','w9JmQhC5',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9631,1700,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1133927760,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Rivette\'s The Story of Marie and Julien (France-Ita / 2003)','\r\n\r\nThe Story of Marie and Julien (Histoire de Marie et Julien), the latest work from French New Wave filmmaker Jacques Rivette, was originally intended to complement his two films from 1976: Duelle and Norot. Together, these films were meant to be a part of a project called \"Scnes de la Vie Parallele,\" in which Rivette planned to tackle his penchant for radical narrative themes by employing generic conventions. Unfortunately, his first two efforts in the series werent able to find much support (certainly a shame in the case of Norot), which was primary the reason why Marie and Julien, originally starring Albert Finney and Leslie Caron, was abandoned very early on in the process. (However, the preparations for the original project introduced Rivette to Claire Denis, his new assistant back then, whos now one of his most ardent supporters among the post-New Wave filmmakers and a master in her own right.)\r\n\r\nBut Rivette never allowed himself to let go of the idea. And recently, with the help of his current writing partners, Pascal Bonitzer and Christine Laurent, its mythical, fantastic elements (originally conceived with the late, great Jean Rouch) were modulated to make way for an intense and haunting love story, which Marie and Julien first and foremost is. Starring Jerzy Radziwilowicz and Emmanuelle Bart, the film, his darkest since Le Pont du Nord (1982), allows Rivette to explore the notions of time, memory, and space in a manner not granted to him in quite some time.\r\n\r\nDivided into four sections -- each indicating the name of one or both of the characters -- Marie and Julien begins with Julien (Radziwilowicz), a middle-aged clockmaker, relaxing on a park bench, ultimately getting up to meet Marie (Bart) whos passing by with an angelic pretense. It turns out that he was dreaming, but he runs into Marie again, who he had initially met and fallen in love with a year earlier, the very same night. After setting up an appointment with Marie, Julien leaves her to fulfill another with a woman, Madame X (Anne Brochet), who hes in the process of blackmailing via certain documents and photographs that connect her with her sister.\r\n\r\nAfter drawing the films narrative outline, Rivette settles down as usual with his elegant pacing and graceful movements to uncover and fill in the rest. We learn that Julien is living a rather uneventful life in a dilapidated mansion that he shares with his cat. On the other hand, the enigmatically beautiful Marie simply travels from one hotel to another. But after she moves in with Julien, their burgeoning love causes them to discover conflicting desires and elements about themselves and each other.\r\n\r\nThe mysterious, almost ghost-like appearance of the Paris normally on display in Marie and Julien brings back memories of such previous Rivette films as Paris nous appartient (1960) and Le Pont du Nord, among others. The physicality of the love affair involving Bart obviously refers to La Belle noiseuse (1991). Radziwilowicz and the house point to Secret dfense (1998). On top of that, as Film Comments Gavin Smith mentioned, with the blackmailing scheme Rivette expertly employs a \"MacGuffins,\" a Hitchcockian plot devise to advance his narrative. Juliens cat (whose performance leads me to believe that even the animals act better in the company of an auteur) is named \"Nevermore,\" from Edgar Allen Poes \"Raven.\" There are countless other references and tributes in this sublimely complex work.\r\n\r\nBarts performance in Marie and Julien is arguably her best to date. At once incisive and surreal, shes riveting to watch. And her mystery is delicately uncovered by Rivettes longtime cinematographer William Lubtchansky with intricately choreographed camera movements (the under-lit mansion hallway which abstractly separates life and death is brilliantly incorporated). Radziwilowiczs almost menacing presence works remarkably well in the numerous passionate sex scenes. \r\n\r\nThe film consistently grows in immediacy, astonishing for one which is 150 minutes long. With utmost skill and dexterity, Rivette continually blurs the lines between dream and reality ultimately ending the film with an echo bound to reverberate in the cinematic universe for years to come. And thats only one of the reasons why Marie and Julien, outside of his untouchable 13-hour masterpiece Out 1: Noli me tangere (1971), is one of Rivettes greatest films.\r\n\r\n________________________\r\n\r\n*THE STORY OF MARIE AND JULIEN premiered at the 2003 Toronto Film Festival. Available on DVD in the U.S from Koch Lorber Films; in the U.K. from Artificial-Eye.\r\n________________________\r\n[Edit]DVD info','2e4e7058de3bd80eb4c6d335be3486a3',0,'','lN9aPKhC',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9632,1700,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1134074640,1,0,1,1,1,1,'A','Re: Rivette\'s The Story of Marie and Julien (France-Ita / 2003)','Haven\'t seen the film, yet, but read an article on it in a swiss film magazin when it got released there (March 2004). The reviewer didn\'t seem as enthusiastic as you, but in fact reading your text gave me more personal satisfaction and a better feeling for the film \r\nObviously demanding films aren\'t popular on German screens. The same magazine also had a fine essay on Angelopoulos along with fantastic screenshots from \"The Weaping Meadow\" when it was released in Switzerland (in Germany still nada). I\'m holding it in my hands right now, and the photos prompt me to see the film again. If only I could see it on a big screen. \r\nThe last film by Rivette that was shown here theatrically was \"Va savoir\", which I didn\'t go to see because of german dubbing. Guess I\'ll have to rely on import-DVDs… :(','0b678109f45bef0f42a62256138e029a',0,'','f7mMXSCr',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9633,1700,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1134079260,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Rivette\'s The Story of Marie and Julien (France-Ita / 2003)','I wouldn\'t call it demanding but arsaib4\'s review is excellent, I found it entrancing and a delight.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','279ad5f09bf64974b10c1b8c416613c8',0,'','twJTgAVc',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9634,1700,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1136973660,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Rivette\'s The Story of Marie and Julien (France-Ita / 2003)','John, didn\'t you post about this a few months ago? Could you please re-post any comments you made (if possible). Thanks.','b3439f62477b348eb12203672c6fe366',0,'','KMpsFZwj',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9635,1700,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1136988060,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Rivette\'s The Story of Marie and Julien (France-Ita / 2003)','Yes I\'m sure he had a good write up on this and also (if I\'m not mistaken) Celine and Julie go Boating. Hopefully he has a cache of comments tucked away somewhere. \r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','865458d407fa697a9e20616d62068313',0,'','R8YvExDf',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9636,1700,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1137017520,1,0,1,1,1,1,'A','Re: Rivette\'s The Story of Marie and Julien (France-Ita / 2003)','Hehe, that would be great, seeing a number of John\'s reviews popping up on the site.','c9ef9b2e4890f163435c5a942ee56400',0,'','XqwTfnMs',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9637,1700,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1144302540,1,0,1,1,1,1,'Anasazie','Re: Rivette\'s The Story of Marie and Julien (France-Ita / 2003)','With only a cat for company, clock repairer Julien (Jerzy Radziwilowicz) lives a solitary life in a ramshackle house littered with a lifetime of memorabilia. As a sideline to his business he has set himself up as a blackmailer to a mysterious and troubled shop owner, Madame X. \r\n\r\nStill haunted by the memory of a fleeting former lover Marie, Julien seems to summon her presence after seeing her in a dream. Evasive at first, Marie (Emmanuelle Bart) eventually agrees to move in with Julien. \r\n\r\nMarie falls in step with the habits of the house, acting as Juliens blackmail accomplice. She keeps one part of herself in reserve for the pain-staking restoration of one of his rooms, an activity that is key to understanding this enigma.\r\n\r\nDivided into four chapters, Veteran French director Jacques Rivette makes subtle shifts between the perspectives of the two main characters, weaving a complex web from the strands of their daily lives and their dreams. \r\n\r\nElusive and haunting, this film defies definition and demands the active participation of the viewer, in its exploration of love, loss, guilt, redemption and the passage of time. \r\n\r\nThe sublime subtleties of the story are perfectly played out by the two leads, the ethereal Bart again demonstrating she is at the top of her craft.\r\n\r\nSuperb picture - 9/10','cd7409719b08645a3903f91498637b89',0,'','QPnC8stG',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9638,1700,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1144369680,1,0,1,1,1,1,'A','Re: Rivette\'s The Story of Marie and Julien (France-Ita / 2003)','Have deleted the other thread.\r\nThanks for your comments','0386ef94ba0773a5a264819b26807da0',0,'','YQEASGWV',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9639,1700,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1151531340,1,0,1,1,1,1,'Johndav','Re: Rivette\'s The Story of Marie and Julien (France-Ita / 2003)','I may have said something about it, can\'t remember very well, but anyway, can\'t surpass Anasazie\'s review which summarizes it just about perfectly. Yes, i was going to say ethereal too. And add that Rivette has a peculiar ability to stretch time in unusual ways- not just through the length of his films, but a mysterious indefinable something at work, an elusive other-worldly quality even when ghosts or revenants are not involved. (As they are too in Celine + Julie as it happens). So clocks seem very appropriate here. Did you notice the veins sticking out in Bart\'s forehead in a sex scene; no wonder she said she was exhausted; no soppy, trying so hard to be sexy Hollywood oohing, aaahing, panting, grandstanding here- Rivette clearly meant business and no amount of acting could replicate her expression.','2c5b6f926aeadfc84335918d72df1d3c',0,'','p7UAZWoz',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9640,1700,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1182481560,1,0,1,1,1,1,'wpqx','Re: Rivette\'s The Story of Marie and Julien (France-Ita / 2003)','I finally saw the film today, and it really is a treat watching Rivette\'s films in relatively short order. This one baffled me in ways that you should almost expect from Rivette. I wasn\'t at all prepared for what happened, but with Rivette you have to just let him work at his own pace. The ending defintely seems to echo most of his undramatic climaxes, and certainly fits well within his body of work. Beart was great as arsaib pointed out, and its nice to know Rivette is still going strong.','539469cb58f3104959b62190d736bc75',0,'','N340SJoR',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9641,1701,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1146375660,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','4:30 (Singapore) (2005)','\r\n\r\nDirector: Royston Tan\r\nCast: Xiao Li Yuan, Kim Young Jun\r\n\r\nIt premiered at Berlin International Film Festival.\r\nThe most brief synopsis would simply be ... it is a film revolving around a young boy and his Korean tenant ...\r\n\r\nMy thoughts ...\r\n\r\nI thought the film has a number of interesting food for thought ...\r\n\r\n(i) Is it reality or is it all but a dream? \r\nThe film succeeds because it feels so real (and strikes a chord in many lonely hearts), yet I humbly think that the film while being real, does drop hints at both reality and \"fantasy/dreams\" ... let me elaborate ... a lot of scenes can be viewed in \"two ways\" ... \r\n- e.g., He attended school and wrote his \"diary\" everyday ... but if you noticed the month, it was December with no schooling! Does that make you wonder if it is all but a figment of his imagination ...\r\n- e.g., Li Yuan painted a picture (nothing but black brush strokes) and remarked \"I have no dreams\". Again, does that mean he really has no \"dreams\" (either at night? or about the future? or about reality?) or can it be simply a symptom of self denial? ... he does have \"dreams\" all along ... of this man that will come into his life (whether it is a fatherly figure or a friend or ...). At the end of the film, he started painting the window panes with similar black brush strokes ... shattered dreams? or no more dreams? (i.e., he has \"lost\" his dreams/hopes over the relationship ... or he will stop dreaming/fantasizing about this non existent relationship?)\r\n- e.g., Near the end, as Li Yuan thought of those good old days, objects started \"vanishing and disappearing\" from sight (a common technique in films/TVs) ... but could these also be interpreted differently (i.e., if you look intently, these items have never existed before in the first place?! ... that is why you only see \"emptiness\" ... (even the oranges get replaced back) ...\r\n- e.g., Also, Li Yuan repeatedly consumed huge dosage of cough medicine, so he could be really ill or the effects of drugs could be working on him (hence, all these events happening ...)\r\n- e.g., And the time is 4:30 ... late at night ... whereby everything could be real but also, a dream ...\r\n\r\n(ii) what exactly is the relationship between the kid and the man?\r\n-- Again, the film is rather \"tactful\" as most of the audience would like to interpret the entire relationship as a lonely kid seeking a fatherly figure ... (thanks also to the casting and great acting of the two protagonists, the man and the kid) ... The film only mentions the mother and drops hints at the father ... could he possibly be an engineer who have died of cancer (that is why Li Yuan hated smoking) ...\r\n-- Could the relationship border precariously on an \"identity issue\" of a teenage boy growing up? ... having only a mother to take care and no father ... well, there is a scene of the kid and hiding in the \"closet\" ... and some scenes/behavior could be interpreted in again \"two ways\" (either innocent childish pranks ... or not ... ) ... also, the Chinese song that was repeatedly sung was more of a love/romance song (but again, love can be a much bigger thing beyond romance ...) ... anyway, the two actors are great such that it is not exactly clear ... and I think most conservative audience would rather leave it that way and ... most unorthodox audience would credit it for its vaguesness and subtlely ... to have dual interpretations ...\r\n-- it could also be a film about two people of different nationalities/cultures trying to feel for one another ... whereby one actively seeks to learn more about the other ... and given the barriers, all that they could do is through their visual connection, emotional connection, actions and behaviors ...\r\n\r\n(iii) belying the simplicity of the plot, the film is also about ...\r\n-- instead of dealing with loneliness and relationship, it could also be a film about valuing the moment in time ... every single moment ... and if only time can be stopped ... (e.g., when the kid stops the time; e.g., when the kid holds the clock in his arms ...)\r\n-- it could also be a film to warn of self destruction (e.g., the drugs, the cough medicine, the smoking, and * a spoiler scene * ... etc)\r\n-- there are others ... \r\ne.g., if you have watched the previous film \"15\", you will realize the use of fish tanks (or home aquarium) again ...\r\ne.g., also, I recall seeing the \"teardrop\" scene somewhere ... but it is still a very nice scene ...\r\n-- while some people may try comparing the film to Tsai Ming Liang\'s films (which largely dwell on loneliness), I have to qualify that 4:30 is at least more entertaining (and may appeal to mainstream audience) as there are more comical/funny scenes (very believable and not slapstick). The pacing is slightly faster, and the dialogues slightly more ... albeit not too much.\r\n\r\n(iv) Finally, a scene that I thought could be better ... instead of showing the audience the note that is written by the Korean man ... and letting those non Korean audience wonders ... (because it is from the perspective of the kid) ... I feel that the film should have shown the back of the note (or simply a portion of it) so that BOTH Korean and non Korean audience can guess (and can share the perspective of the boy ... i.e., of non comprehension) ... As of now, those who understand Korean will have that \"fun/puzzle\" unravelled/destroyed ...\r\n\r\nConclusion:\r\nHighly Recommended. It is one of the few films by Singapore that is artsy (due to multiple interpetations), but also commercially viable (due to its entertaining scenes).','10f160fbd8652a3c9df0618dc232cf60',0,'','tJsaoY5p',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9642,1701,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1146487800,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: 4:30 (Singapore) (2005)','Royston Tan\'s work is certainly interesting and from the two films I\'ve seen not easily definable. I\'ll certainly see this if I get the opportunity.\r\n\r\nBy the way, I\'ve just picked up the dvd for 15, haven\'t had the chance to take a look at it yet but it has a few extras as well including a commentary and deleted scenes.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','ad857fd6224713d6de4846608bc9bc3f',0,'','HdsXQvwf',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9643,1701,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1146958620,1,0,1,1,1,1,'A','Re: 4:30 (Singapore) (2005)','Thanks for your in-depth comments hengcs. Seems like you liked the film quite a lot. \r\nI had bought a ticket for its screening at the Berlin Film Festival, but I overslept it because of a hangover. \r\nmaybe I\'ll see it somewhere else.','4ec77024d39ea53a9c89e8065786cc20',0,'','j80gEf3Q',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9644,1701,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1150890540,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: 4:30 (Singapore) (2005)','\r\n\r\nAs agreed, this is my more paragraph review of the film\r\n\r\n\r\nSynopsis\r\nIn its simplest form, the film basically revolves around the relationship of a young boy (Xiao Wu) and his Korean tenant (Jung). Every night, at 4:30, the boy would sneak into his constantly intoxicated tenants room to learn more about him. What exactly is the relationship between the two, and how will it end?\r\n\r\nReview\r\nThe film is likely to please critics but also mainstream audience. Despite the lack of dialogue, there are numerous light hearted moments and emotionally engaging segments. At the end of the film, audience will feel for the kid, with some after effects still lingering. What brings the film to another level is its ability to generate equivocal interpretations. Willing audiences are always encouraged to ponder and probe further.\r\n\r\nIs everything a reality or is it all but a dream? To touch the audience, the plot is realistically grounded, so that one can identify with the characters and events. Every scenario and every occurrence seems so close to heart and feels so genuine. Certain poignant scenes will definitely strike a chord in many lonely hearts. Despite its seemingly real setting, the film never fails to drop hints at the possibility of a fantasy or a dream. Could all these be a figment of Xiao Wus imagination, either due to solidarity and longing, or the overdoses of cough medicine? For example, the dates Xiao Wu has written all depict December. The inquisitive mind would be quick to realize that it is school vacation, at least in Singapore! In yet another scene, Xiao Wu could only conceive black brushstrokes of paint when urged to draw his dream. He remarks that he has no dreams. While it could be literally interpreted, it may suggest self denial. He probably has \"dreams\" all along, of this man that will come into his life, whether it is a fatherly figure, a partner or simply a friend. These brushstrokes resurface at the end of the film, suggesting that all dreams could have been shattered. Also toward the end of the film, the director employs a common technique in TV/film during scenes of reminiscences -- objects will start vanishing and disappearing from sight. On second thought, these scenes can be explained differently. If one were to look intently, these items have never existed to begin with! That explains why Xiao Wu could only gaze into emptiness and nothingness. With a title such as 4:30, it would not be surprising to know that audiences have been transported into yet another dreamland.\r\n\r\nWhat may really spark controversy and a heated debate is the exact relationship between Xiao Wu and Jung. Apparently, there is a conscientious effort to be \"tactful\" and cautious. Audience would likely interpret the entire relationship to be that of a lonely kid seeking a fatherly figure. After all, Xiao Wus mother is constantly overseas, leaving him alone at home. In an essay reading, Xiao Wu has based his description of his father predominantly on this Korean man. The credibility of it being a mere father and son relationship should be in part credited to the convincing performance of the two male protagonists. Throughout the film, they are rather controlled in their performance. While this relationship seems to be at the forefront and narrated explicitly, some audience may be perturbed because the relationship borders precariously on an \"identity issue\" of a teenage boy growing up, with only a mother and no father to emulate. Again, there are numerous hints to this interpretation. The opening Chinese song that is repeatedly sung is often construed as a love song; the kid is shown to return and hide in a \"closet\"; some of the pranks may be construed as either innocent childish pranks or otherwise. In essence, I believe most conservative audience would rather believe that the film depicts a father and son relationship, while the more unorthodox audience might take liberty with its ambiguity and subtlety. Beyond these two kinds of relationship, it can also parallel the journey two people of different cultures undergo when trying to understand and feel for each another. Without knowing each others language, one can only communicate through visual connections, emotional connections, actions and behaviors.\r\n\r\nBelying the simplicity of the plot, there are other messages that the film deals with. Apart from the issues of loneliness, desolation, communication and relationship, it could also be a film about valuing the moment in time. As the kid embraces the clock in his arms, even the audience will pray that time can be stopped. Every single moment counts. And if we should value the present, we should value life. Not surprising, the film warns of self destruction, be it through drugs, such as the cough medicine, smoking, or suicide.\r\n\r\nWhile there will be an attempt by some to compare the film to Tsai Ming Liang\'s (which largely dwell on loneliness), I have to qualify that 4:30 may appeal to mainstream audience slightly better, with its numerous comical scenes and slightly better pacing and slightly more dialogues, albeit not too much. If I were to nitpick on a scene that could be better, it would be the note that is written by the Jung. The director gives away how he feels for Xiao Wu by depicting the Korean words (even if Xiao Wu does not understand). Told from the perspective of the kid, the puzzle is unraveled for those who understand Korean. Instead, I feel that the director should have shown the back of the note (or simply a portion of it) so that both Korean and non Korean audience can continue to wonder what the Korean man has written, and hence, share the perspective and non comprehension of the boy.\r\n\r\nDespite this possible enhancement, I still recommend the film. It is one of the few films by Singapore that is artsy (due to multiple interpretations), but also commercially viable (due to its entertaining scenes).','23b52eff0c76efbf6cc9471c43f41c68',0,'','s0389Ubn',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9645,1701,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1152279540,1,0,1,1,1,1,'justindeimen','Re: 4:30 (Singapore) (2005)','I enjoyed your review immensely heng. Thanks for that. Hopefully more international exposure follows. Here\'s mine for those that might not have read it yet:\r\n\r\n-----------------------------------------------\r\n\r\nRoyston Tans 4:30 is much more than just a character study of a 11-year-old boy whos left in the care of a reclusive Korean tenant who spends more time in a drunken stupor than he does outside his room. Its an intricate and personal look at isolation and loneliness in a bustling and fast-paced society where there are those who impose it upon themselves while there are also others who find it beyond their control. Much like Albert Camuss book, The Stranger, it follows a singular character through a journey of desperate solitude that touches on death, observation and estrangement.\r\n\r\nAs expected, time plays a significant part of the films motif. Its almost palpable, serving as a boundary for the boy, Xiao Wu (Xiao Li Yuan) to cross the lines that he would not dare pass when there is light. The other and possibly the most essential element of the film that is easily conveyed would be detachment and the general sense of alienation felt by the youth in Singapore. The film is by no means an exposition of this subject but an observation. In the case of Xiao Wu, he yearns for the attention and care of the adults around him, to no avail. Unlike the tenant, Jung (Kim Young Jun) who voluntarily shuts himself from everyone, to a life lacking meaning and affection............\r\n\r\nContinues at www.moviexclusive.com/review/430/430.htm\r\n\r\n-----------------------------------------------\r\n\r\nYou know, I\'ve always been cynical about local fimmakers. Eric Khoo, Jack Neo etc. have all been overhyped by the locals just so they can get prop up someone and hail them as the next savior for Singaporean cinema. Even Royston\'s 15 was overrated.\r\n\r\nBut after this showing I feel that he might actually be the real deal...artistically viable, it\'s insight and complexity is miles ahead of Kelvin Tong\'s Love Story. Although one has to give kudos to Tong for trying out something different and daring and yet not fall completely flat on his face.\r\n\r\nFantastic year.','85520dedecbacfaca1707e1dcac903b0',0,'','ToyinME1',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9646,1701,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1182044940,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: 4:30 (Singapore) (2005)','What a surprise and delight, 4.30 was, an outstanding experience and despite the previous comments above, I wasn\'t prepared for such an artistic and ambiguous gem of a film from Royston Tan.\r\n\r\nI\'m surprised that nobody mentioned Last Life in the Universe with its obvious connection and pacing while for some obscure reason I was also reminded of 3-Iron.\r\n\r\nThe fact that it was part of the touring films from the 21st Lesbian & Gay film festival just shows how open to interpretation the film is.\r\n\r\nAn absolute reccomendation, this will almost certainly make my top 10 of the year.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','53d3775f88a4578531a6a5c4e8d8ae1c',0,'','Pplx7yWb',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9647,1701,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1182148680,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: 4:30 (Singapore) (2005)','Quote trevor, \"What a surprise and delight, 4.30 was, an outstanding experience and despite the previous comments above, I wasn\'t prepared for such an artistic and ambiguous gem of a film from Royston Tan.\r\n... The fact that it was part of the touring films from the 21st Lesbian & Gay film festival just shows how open to interpretation the film is.\r\n... An absolute reccomendation, this will almost certainly make my top 10 of the year.\r\nCheers Trev.\"\r\n\r\nHa ha ... glad that u like it ... \r\nactually u could tell from the way i write, i would not have wasted my time otherwise crafting a more complete review ... in a way, i also want to help LOCAL directors and their films ...\r\n\r\nIMHO, i thought it was better than 15 (although i like the short 15 better than the full feature of 15) ...\r\n\r\nas for the \"gay\" undertones, i was rather careful with my choice of word becos at the time of my review, not many people have watched, and some pple may be detered simply becos of that ...','de20ebdc62e60c49c9c266df9c9ed751',0,'','qJ6oQsWr',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9648,1701,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1182271920,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: 4:30 (Singapore) (2005)','The most you could say in terms of any form of gay association is that Xiao Wu\'s feelings for his carer? appeared at times to be in the form of a child like crush.\r\n\r\nDidn\'t anyone else see the similarity in Jung\'s behaviour and actions with that of Kenji (Tadanobu Asano\'s character) in Last Life in the Universe? Even their appearance was somewhat similar.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.\r\n\r\nP.S. Is Xiao Wu a fairly common Chinese name?','0b97fc30082aef6073f4e2e6e52dc74a',0,'','ilYqWQMF',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9649,1701,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1182403620,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: 4:30 (Singapore) (2005)','Quote trevor, \"The most you could say in terms of any form of gay association is that Xiao Wu\'s feelings for his carer? appeared at times to be in the form of a child like crush. ...\r\n\r\nP.S. Is Xiao Wu a fairly common Chinese name?\"\r\n\r\n(i) yup to your qn.1 ... ... after all, there are only 2 main characters in the film ... the rest are really \"miscellaneous\" ... ha ha ha\r\n\r\n(ii) Xiao Wu ... ha ha ... u must have asked that qn becos of Jia ZhangKe\'s Xiao Wu ... \r\n\r\nwell, it all dep on how the chinese characters are written ... i have tried surfing a few chinese websites but none gave the kid\'s name in writing ... most of them just simply claim that the film is about a small boy blah blah blah ...\r\n\r\nbut that does not mean i cant hazard a good guess ... most likely the \"xiao\" is \"small\" or \"little\" (sth like Little John, Little Tom, etc) ... and \"Wu\" is most likely the character \"fight\"/\"martial\" (also similar to the japanese name takeshi) ... in essence, exactly the same as Jia ZhangKe\'s film ... click www.dianying.com/en/title/xw-1997/poster\r\n\r\nhmmm ... in sum, it can be claimed to be a common name esp. in the past (sth like John or Tom etc); nowadays, a lot of parents are trying to think of more unique names for their kids ...','58b987254c9cba0f5555e1a52a8d3350',0,'','d63SmMEZ',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9650,1702,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1177120080,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Nuri Bilge Ceylan\'s Climates (Turkey-Fra / 2006)','[moved from the Turkish/Central Asian journal / OP 02/12/07]\r\n\r\n___________________\r\n*A 2006 U.S. Release* \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nIt takes most films nearly the full-duration of their running time to create and establish emotionally and psychologically complex characters. Climates (Iklimler) accomplishes the task with a handful of shots during the pre-credits sequence. This masterful new film from Turkish auteur Nuri Bilge Ceylan opens amid the Greco-Roman ruins near the Mediterranean resort town of Kas, where Isa (played by Ceylan himself), an Istanbul-based architecture professor still working on his thesis, and his girlfriend, Bahar (Ebru Ceylan, his real-life wife), an art-director for a low-budget television series, are vacationing. The meticulously composed and richly detailed images that greet us subtly tell a story about this couple which no words could possibly describe. And when a shot is long-held on Bahars face going through a kaleidoscope of emotions, it manages to excavate a sorrow which permeates throughout the film. That perhaps wouldnt have been possible without Ceylans astonishing use of high-definition video. Every nuance and shift of emotion is captured with the depth and clarity splendid enough to dazzle both Michael Mann and Jia Zhang-ke -- two other major filmmakers who tested the boundaries of HD in 2006 with Miami Vice and Still Life, respectively -- even though their own films never lingered on peoples faces as much as Climates does. (I didnt mention David Lynch because his claustrophobically shot Inland Empire [2006] transpired on low-grade DV.) \r\n\r\n\"Im a bit of a control freak,\" Ceylan recently stated in an interview. Besides acting and directing, he also wrote and edited the film. And if that fact, along with the casting of his wife (not to mention a few other family members), hints towards self-indulgence, then that couldnt be farther from the truth. If anything, Climates is poignantly self-reflexive; it explores a terrain previously mined by such filmmakers as John Cassavetes and Atom Egoyan. \r\n\r\nThis structurally and thematically resonant effort is full of intriguing contrasts, especially those related to form: long shots and close-ups mostly occupy the mise-en-scne which also cogently adheres to the seasonal (and thus behavioral as it pertains to the narrative) changes. (Its also interesting to examine the two \"sex scenes\" in the film: one rough, the other poetic. Which begs the question: has A History of Violence [2005] forever altered our perceptions about sex in films?)\r\n\r\nIf Ceylans previous four films -- Cocoon (1995), Kasaba (1998), Clouds of May (2000) and Distant (2002) -- displayed an affection for Kiarostami, Tsai and Tarkovsky, then Climates primarily shows an affinity for Antonioni. The existential ennui conjured up by the themes and images of the Turk harks back to the likes of L\'Avventura (1960) and L\'Eclisse (1962). And much like those masterpieces, Climates navigates through the prism of a relationship to pursue an eternal and universal truth about men and women, one which deals with love, loss, and everything in between.\r\n\r\nGrade: A\r\n________________________\r\n\r\n*CLIMATES premiered at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival (in-competition). It won the FIPRESCI prize. \r\n\r\n*Zeitgeist Video (U.S.) will release the film on DVD on June 26th.','d6491d2a582e5d6c66f4ac39a10a09b7',0,'','GWf75cYZ',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9651,1702,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1177132440,1,0,1,1,1,1,'justindeimen','Re: Nuri Bilge Ceylan\'s Climates (Turkey-Fra / 2006)','Climates (2006)\r\n\r\nWhat sticks to me as I recall the film is how incredibly well sentiments were mined from the actors. I haven\'t seen such a harrowing portrayal of human desires and emotions in a long time. The pre-credits scene, the longtake of Bahar\'s face showed how complex the relationship is. It\'s that feeling I got from that, which really sets the tone for the entire film. Also you can\'t help feeling you\'re in (or perhaps walking in) on something personal when the director and his wife (who looks hauntingly beautiful) star in the film as the troubled couple. I think the director was trying to address and own up to his and possibly the male species\' failings, in being selfish and being non-committal, preferring isolation in many cases. It just unsettled me to see how the worst breakups can be the ones that are mutual, when there\'s not even love loss between two people. Zooming out, its gorgeous in how it equates space and environment to its character\'s emotional states and you get the feeling that you can pretty much write pages about a single frame captured at any time. Perhaps, I was just in the right melancholic mood watching it but if I had to watch it again now, I think I might have to prepare myself.','795fa92513447c213d3460b1d1f3aa26',0,'','0aZKedUN',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9652,1702,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1177154820,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Nuri Bilge Ceylan\'s Climates (Turkey-Fra / 2006)','Climates - Iklimler (2006)\r\n\r\nDirected by Nuri Bilge Ceylan\r\n\r\nA masterpiece.\r\n\r\nA couple, Isa and Bahar face the chill winter of discontent in their relationship but find it tough to let go, a stalemate, a wall that neither can or are willing to break through told with the minimum of dialogue but expressed with deep resonance by the oft shown close-ups of their faces.\r\n\r\nMagnificently shot from the first frame to the last, beautifully composed and paced, this will be without doubt one of the cinematic highlights of the year. From the initial break up of the relationship in sweltering heat of Kas, through Isa\'s furtive affair in the thunder, lightning and incessant rain of Istanbul, to the snow covered city of Doubeyazit where several chances of some sort of reconciliation or at least to clear the air between the couple are snubbed by each in turn.\r\n\r\nThis is a truly impressive piece of work that burrows deep into your soul, recognisable and utterly agonizing. Beautiful to behold but emotionally painful.\r\n\r\nIf one of the signs of a good film is wishing it could have gone for longer then Climates is truly a masterpiece, I felt as though we were around half way through the running time and it was suddenly over, leaving me wanting so much more.\r\n\r\nThere is a question Id like to raise though, I noticed both in Climates and in the German production Krisana, the constant barking of unseen dogs during most stages of the film, is there some oblique and/or metaphorical reasoning behind this?\r\n\r\nA definite must see film in my opinion.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev. \r\n\r\nR2 dvd will be released by Artificial Eye in May.','7bd1dfe14cf1d35a58e4ce9abacf2b59',0,'','Me3AhRsN',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9653,1702,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1182099060,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Nuri Bilge Ceylan\'s Climates (Turkey-Fra / 2006)','Dvd update: R2 released by Artificial Eye.\r\n\r\nThe film was shot in Hi def digital and was visually sumptuous on the large screen, despite the constraints of dvd, compared to Hi Def or Blu-ray the transfer is still gorgeous, certainly good enough for a standard TV. A slight let down in the sound department with only a stereo option, DTS or even 5.1 would have really broadened the experience, certainly clear enough though.\r\n\r\nIn terms of extras, Artificial Eye have included:\r\n\r\nThe making of doc, approx 39 mins,\r\n\r\nAn interview with Nuri Bilge Ceylan which is very interesting though feels drawn out, he answers somewhat uncomfortably in English whereas he would have been far more confident speaking in his native Turkish. approx 25 mins.\r\n\r\nAn interview with Ebru Ceylan covering some of the same ground but also being more pertinent to her role, approx 15 mins.\r\n\r\nIt is annoying that the interviewer remains unheard as it is obvious that specific questions are raised. \r\n\r\nTrailers for Climates and Clouds of May.\r\n\r\nTurkey Cinemasope, a series of photos from Nuri Bilge Ceylan taken over a four year period, excellent work.\r\n\r\nNuri Bilge Ceylan filmography,\r\n\r\nEbru Ceylan biography.\r\n\r\nAll in all an excellent package. \r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','cf236f7990497a4f6e486be062feee3b',0,'','0qgwR6kn',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9654,1702,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1182118020,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Nuri Bilge Ceylan\'s Climates (Turkey-Fra / 2006)','Sounds good. Thanks for the info.\r\n\r\nSpecial features for the U.S. DVD:\r\n\r\n- Stunning new anamorphic transfer, created from hi-def elements\r\n- \"The Making of Climates\"\r\n- Climates at Cannes\r\n- U.S. theatrical trailer\r\n- Manohla Dargis\' The New York Times review','d7f9b0ab1d1c6548b9c7afe912830c8b',0,'','G4LgCURa',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9655,1702,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1182148860,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: Nuri Bilge Ceylan\'s Climates (Turkey-Fra / 2006)','hmmm ... dont think it is on Singapore screen yet ...\r\nbut i will try to catch it ...','0bd7fa4504eb3835a116960d7190cdd1',0,'','LUf2ged6',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9656,1702,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1182364140,1,0,1,1,1,1,'jcdavies','Re: Nuri Bilge Ceylan\'s Climates (Turkey-Fra / 2006)','This may be his best film yet (not seen Cocoon). I certainly agree Kiarostami and Tarkovsky are clear influences on the others- though they are still very much his own creations, with quiet visual poetry, interest in nature, the elements (even a tortoise on its back a la Wind will Carry Us in one, and rippilng grasses etc)- and yes, Climates does seem to move into Antonioni territory. He may now be among the top rank of current directors.','2b221959278cf19c303d44e1cefd8a4c',0,'','CVqYHT1z',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9657,1703,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1136849040,1,0,1,1,1,1,'A','Films from Slovenia','As I still haven\'t gotten around to opening the thread on new german films I wish to make now for some months already (partly due to the bad availability of most german films on Video/DVD), and I saw a film from my \"other\" home country Slovenia last night, I decided to also make one for this small country. \r\nNot that there is much hope that any of you people gets to see slovenian films outside of Film festivals, this is more a personal enterprise to (re)discover the films of a neglected national cinema. And yes, this is far easier than coping with the thousands of german films, that were made post 1990. Since its independance slovenia has steadily increased its film production, though it\'s understandable that from a small country with only 2 million inhabitants, there isn\'t much to expect in terms of quantity. My numbers could be wrong, but as far as i know, about 5 to 8 films (documentary, TV and cinema features) are produced per year, alongside numerous shorts. I will try to cover every slovenian film i can get my fingers on, so there will also be some classics from Yugoslavia, that were made with or by Slovenians.\r\ni have only seen about 15 slovenian films, so my knowledge is still limited, but hopefully it will expand in the future. \r\nLast year were the celebrations for 100 years of slovenian film, and while the FIAF (The International Federation of Film Archives) held their last congress in the Slovenia\'s capital Ljubljana, the fact remains that not only is the archive still under-financed, but the Slovenian Cinematheque hasn\'t been open in over a year now. Formerly this was the only cinema in Slovenia were one could see non-mainstream films, and the quality of its programme could have in fact been placed alongside the best \"repertoire\" cinemas around the world. Since then some things have improved - amongst others an arthouse-distribution chain along with some new cinemas has been established - but Slovenians nevertheless need their cinematheque. Hopefully it will be reopened soon.\r\nThere is one high-quality filmmagazine in slovenia (in fact it\'s the only one), from which I get most of my informations regarding slovenian films, and because of the rise of DVDs, a number of slovenian is now appearing on DVD. \r\nSo I will try to share my experiences with slovenian films in this thread in the future. Feel free to add comments or reviews. \r\nThe thread will be divided into sections and directors in the future, when the need for it will become obvious.\r\nFor now i have 4 slovenian films waiting to be seen on my shelves, and 1 finished watching. Comments in the next post','1162dde0e06558a6e08a7360c1519712',0,'','pD9AnSbC',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9658,1703,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1136851440,1,0,1,1,1,1,'A','Re: Films from Slovenia','I recently rewatched the Slovenian made for TVmovie Radio.Doc which was produced by Austrian and Slovenian national television in 1995 . I still remember the first time when I watched the film with my mother, and the uneasiness I felt during it. Back then I was much younger, so as i saw the Video lying around, I thought I\'d give it a proper second viewing. \r\nHalf thriller half a journey towards self-discovery, the film is set in a somewhat cliche post-socialist surrounding, that tries to find it\'s place in a new world, while struggling with the remnants of the past. A young reporter tries to find out if and why her father was murdered back in 1970, and in the course stumbles into a complex net of her own believes and desires. A film that shows that \"truth\" is subjective, what\'s gone is gone, and that the gosts of the past can only be silenced if we accept the uncertainty of life. The film is based on the actual case of my grandfathers \"suicide\", but I couldn\'t detect many connections to my family, as most facts were put in only if it fitted the story. \r\nFollowing a sequence of the \"murder\" the film introduces us to the main character Vesna (Natasa Matjasec) who is lost on a deserted street in the middle of the night. When a taxi-driver picks her up, a journey to the end of the world is hinted at, but in contrast to the actual trip, what is meant is the inner journey of the protagonist.\r\nThis sequence at the beginning already contains most of the strenghts and weaknesses of the film. A surreal atmosphere is created in which a metaphorical monolgue by the taxi-driver introduces us to the philosophical touches the director will use as a fundament for the story. The mise-en-scene defies the low budget on which the film was obviously produced, but the acting at times already borders on the unbearable. A problem in many slovenian films, where most actors come from the stage and cannot express the subtleties required for film. Though the protagonist shows some talent she is forced to hysterically overact her way through most of the picture, and the substandard supporting performances aren\'t a big help. But when she is silent her facial features and movements show an ability to carry emotions that should have been put to better use by the director. Every time he relies on\r\nthe expressive cinematography by Karpo Godina (a director himself, known for his elaborate mise-en-scene) and the inventive sounddesign, the film works extremely well - the editing and the use of colors is outstanding - but otherwise a weak script, uneven (sometimes awful) acting, and an inexperienced director who doesn\'t always seem to know why exactly he shot a scene in a particular way, make this a mixed bag. \r\nStill worth watching, as at times some great ideas shine through. \r\n\r\nI\'ve also seen a later film by the same director, \"Rascals!\" (2001), which seemed an improvement. Definitely someone to watch out for in the interesting landscape that is Slovenian cinema.','4b3b01a014033cd62bbf413fc6e1a0d4',0,'','ezoMaifn',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9659,1703,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1174076400,1,0,1,1,1,1,'A','Re: Films from Slovenia','\r\nOdgrobadogroba \r\nGravehopping (2004 / Slovenia, Croatia / Jan Cvitkovic)\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSlovenian Filmmakers are gathering a lot of awards in recent years, along with something that is much more important: international attention. Considering the fact that this small country with a little less than 2 million inhabitants produces an average of about three feature-films per year, it is somewhat remarkable that some of their films have garnered numerous prestigious awards at international festivals. But this phenomenon is not entirely new to the Slovenian filmmaking community. Long before the independence in 1990, when Slovenia was still part of the socialist republic of Yugoslavia, it had already achieved considerable success. Though similar to the Soviet Union, where a film from Georgia or Armenia was as much a Soviet Film as one from the Ukraine or Russia, films from the different countries in Yugoslavia, though easily recognizable to its inhabitants through different languages and cultural idiosyncrasies, were internationally regarded as a unity. When Yugoslavian cinema was at its creative peak in the late 60s and early 70s, garnering critical acclaim throughout the world, Slovenia was naturally a part of it. Thus, the most recent wave of recognition is not an entirely new experience for the young republic but rather something it has been waiting for since the seperation. Nevertheless one question remains, the question of quality. While Slovenia as part of Yugoslavia possessed filmmakers of international standing who are today still awaiting their international re-discovery, I am yet to encounter somebody as capable in today\'s cinematic landscape. And despite the acclaim Jan Cvitkovic and his latest film \"Gravehopping\" have achieved, with this film he surely isn\'t going to succeed the old masters. Quite the opposite.\r\n\r\nWhile the story itself is rather simple, the subject matter is not. The problems adressed are not merely the everyday worries of the cast of people which are presented to us, but try to reflect the complexities of the current (Slovenian) society as a kind of seismograph of our times, similar to the structuring of the ensembles we can find in many sociocritical films of Robert Altman where the setup is also heading for a culmination. But Cvitkovic is no Robert Altman. Contrary to the statement of one of the characters it is even harder avoiding life than death. But that\'s exactly what Cvitkovic is doing most of the times. Avoiding any real examination of the presented conflicts, he opts for quick solutions and the in-your-face symbolism he uses to state his point too often feels forced and affected. Using references from dozens of cinematic classics and their respective filmmaker\'s techniques, he nevertheless doesn\'t yet seem to know the difference \r\nbetween Quentin Tarantino and Paul Thomas Anderson, or rather their different stylistic approaches. Lacking any coherent style of his own (or at least I am hoping for the better and don\'t assume that the one presented is actually his own), what we get from Cvitkovic is a hodgepodge of undeveloped concepts and ideas which must have appeared very promising on paper, but would have needed a filmmaker with the talent of Kusturica himself to pull this off. Unfortunately Cvitkovic is also not Emir Kusturica, and I\'m sad to say not even a second rate one. \r\n\r\nThe acting is at times so out of tune with the material that it comes close to parody, though that might be something that\'s hard to notice for a foreign audience that isn\'t familiar with the Slovenian language. The sad fact remains that in Slovenia you still don\'t have a seperate education in acting for films and most of the actors working in the filmindustry come from the theater. While this has been a problem in Slovenia since the beginning of filmmaking, other directors like Bostjan Hladnik in his 1961 classic \"Dancing in the Rain\", have been able to turn this handicap into an advantage through their handling of reality and fiction, the inner and the outer world of the characters, and most importantly through references to the artificiality of film itself. While Cvitkovic tries to achieve some of the same effects the expressive and theatrical acting often collides with the intended realism of the scenes themselves and the way they are filmed. What we get is not a heightened realism, but a sub par artificiality that clearly wasn\'t the aim. If I would be sarcastic, I\'d say that Cvitkovic would have probably been better off filming himself talking about the film. But I doubt that Marguerite Duras\' work is accessible to the cinephiles of today. Thus one can only presume the talent involved. Besides the editing which is fine throughout, giving the film a rhythm that serves as its pulse and makes it bearable to see it through till the end, the cinematographer seldom displays what he is capable of, but rather what he shouldn\'t have tried in the first place. One scene during the celebration after a burial remains the solitary exception. And the avoidance of any real conflict paired with a couple of bad CGI definitely leaves a bad aftertaste.\r\n\r\nI was wondering if a scene in the film where a character is watching an Italian copy of the famous chariotrace-sequence from Ben-Hur (1959) on TV is maybe trying to tell us something about the film itself. If we are supposed to be watching the \"trash\" version instead of the original movie.\r\nBut if this is actually the case, Cvitkovic\'s problem would be that he takes the trash too seriously, pulling all the wrong punches in such a presentation of the material. And a poignant ending doesn\'t make for a poignant film. In the end, Cvitkovic doesn\'t know how to tell his story as he is getting caught up in the web he has spun for himself. The result resembles more the idea of a film dreamed up by a troubled teenager, than a reflective attempt of a mature individual who has gone through similar conflicts himself. Formally unmotivated outbursts of violence are paired with sentimental moments during family reunions that ring completely false. Trying to win a medal for originality and begging for attention as well as attempting to be aknowledged as a serious filmmaker, Cvitkovic is nevertheless constantly trying to please everybody and everyone, giving his film a slick appearance which can be witnessed in numerous co-productions from the European Union. The fossil Slovenian boards for the promotion of film will be satisfied. But every honest Slovenian cineaste who has still enough self-respect inside inside of him will have to aknowledge that the film is a failure in almost every respect. A benevolent reading of the film might reveal it as an ironic commentary on \"European\" progress in the eastern societies since their \"liberation\", though Cvitkovic sometimes doesn\'t seem to know if he is actually talking about Slovenia or merely using it as a pattern for the problems in all former Yugoslavian states. \r\n\r\nIn a country without any filmindustry of its own, Slovenian films need all the support und acknowledgement there is to survive further in this difficult business. But what they don\'t need is any form of self-deception or the pretending of being better than they actually are. I\'m as eager as the next Slovenian for a new wave of filmmakers and ideas, but as far as I can see this is yet another attempt that is still in the process.','9a82a86bfaac0431143337c4753eb2d3',0,'','FgNHev8Y',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9660,1703,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1182333180,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Films from Slovenia','I\'m glad you addressed a key issue in the final paragraph. Having said that, any recent developments?','e2cc94b272f9649dcb8b677030cc4eb9',0,'','0MXqmwaB',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9661,1703,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1202134440,1,0,1,1,1,1,'A','Re: Films from Slovenia','Nothing new, yet. The last Slovenian film I saw at the theater was only further proof that the industry as well as the artists must be in a state of severe crisis. \r\n\r\nMaybe I should post more info from time to time.','8460e99d4a0336a7e59c52376ae3b535',0,'','nUfjTztb',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9662,1704,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1179428040,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Hot Fuzz (2007) (UK)','\r\n\r\nDirector: Edgar Wright\r\nCast: Simon Pegg, Martin Freeman\r\n\r\nThe official website\r\nclick\r\nhttp://www.hotfuzz.com/\r\n\r\nSynopsis\r\nNicholas Angel (Simon Pegg), a policeman, is so excellent in his craft that his colleagues pale in comparison. As a result, they are too eager to rid of him, from London to the peaceful countryside of Sandford. Over there, he befriends Danny Butterman (Nick Frost) who wishes to be as outstanding as him. Simply a misfit, Nicholas may seem too uptight about rights and wrongs in the peaceful place. However, a series of murders soon occur, why does it occur and who does it?\r\n\r\n* one should really avoid reading reviews that give the story away *\r\n\r\nMy thoughts\r\n\r\n-- IMHO, 3 aspects of the film thrills ...\r\n\r\n(i) some food for thoughts, some philosphical takes ...\r\n... facade vs reality, facts vs figures, statistics and lies, etc\r\n... priorities in life, e.g., family vs job, taking things seriously vs lightly, etc\r\n... crimes, e.g., prevention vs protection, punishment vs forgiveness, legal vs social, etc\r\n... politics e.g., in jobs and in society, etc\r\n\r\n(ii) its sense of humor ... wow ... kind of dark or even twisted at times ... maybe one could try surfing the net for a compilation ... in addition, there are many PUNS too, that is, if you are quick enough to catch it ... honestly, i am not even sure if i have really caught all of them ... i guess i have to watch it again to gather more ... ha ha ha\r\n\r\n(iii) i also like the way the film is edited ... not only does it seem \"stylish\", it literally accelerates the pace of the film and keeps one on his toes ... interestingly, some edits are done out of humor to coincide with the next frame ... watch it and you will get it ... \r\n\r\nWhat could be better?\r\nhmmm, since i have typed it in the next para, please see it in the conclusion ...\r\n\r\nConclusion\r\nHighly recommended, except for one thing ... i think it triumphs on three grounds (i) the witty humor (ii) the intense thriller coupled with the interesting/fast paced edit and (iii) the initial philosphical take ... however, i have some minor qualms over the way it ends (i.e., the last 20 minutes or so) ... however, i do recognize that some others may be perfectly okay with it ... without giving too much away, i would say the film should have ended just before the \"come back\" and \"crazy gunfire\" (which render the film too commercial and less realistic for me, but it possibly pleases all the teens) ... up to that point, i thought the film is still very credible and hence, it should adopt a grim ending to get audience discussing about the several philosophical takes it throws out ... nonetheless, this ending does not alter my decision to highly recommend it ...','09802b92230edb28fa32c6d57fae4c05',0,'','ESwJXqvA',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9663,1704,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1182167520,1,0,1,1,1,1,'justindeimen','Re: Hot Fuzz (2007) (UK)','Review: \r\n\r\nJust like in the other genre-worship offering in Death Proof, theres a reference versus reverence debate being waged in Hot Fuzz. The vantage point for the latter is that it is not being deliberately coy or clandestine about its intentions or its limitations for that matter. Its because of this aspect that Hot Fuzz never elevates higher than a self-referential parody, and never truly deconstructs the genre it lampoons (though it comes damn close to it at extended intervals), which in this case is of the action/crime variety. Not as pointed and neatly demarcated as Shaun of the Dead with its directed focus on the walking dead but expansive enough for a lengthy two-hour action comedy that relents more one-liners and subtle cultural jabs than one should be able to process in a single seating. \r\n\r\nEdgar Wright and Simon Pegg might just be the sharpest minds in Britain but it remains to be seen if parodies are the only comic assaults they have in their feature film arsenal. Comparatively, Hot Fuzz lacks a discipline and resonance felt in Shaun of the Dead, a stylistic and thematic peer by all accounts. However, their latest spoof has a sophisticated sense of perspicuity that only comes from experience. \r\n\r\nA shrewd difference between the two films is that Hot Fuzz exists in an universe resembling the audiences, the one staring back at the screen while Shaun of the Dead and indeed, a great deal of its ilk are based in a movie-universe of its own that lacks any sort of self-awareness in its logic. This cinematic consciousness is plainly seen in its diegetic verbal cues of indicating the films that it ends up cribbing from, and brazenly imitating the best and worst of them. A visual cue that is played up for gags is the films poster that strongly recalls the self-parody of Bad Boys II and is later worked into the narrative as a motivator for one of its characters. \r\n\r\nAmong Wrights tried and trusted template are quicksilver edits, narrative bends that cause whiplash and acid satire expertly delivered with a straight face. As succinct a description as possible would be saying that Wright and Pegg approaches their humour with a measure of calculated meta-absurdity, something that permeates the droll, derisiveness of its mostly fish-out-of-water humour and quaint melding of British and American pop culture fetishism. \r\n\r\nFor what its worth, running out of ammo (far from being literal) at the end of a film that starts out so spectacularly funny is not as shameful as it would be in a lesser effort. Its breathless pacing grinds to a halt so suddenly that theres an immediate and sobering understanding that though the film might have exhausted its repertoire, at the very least youd have stumbled on the definition of paro-dying.','0385e55dd852d7b325bde3e363f86c9a',0,'','gp1Ljtqs',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9664,1705,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1180887420,1,0,1,1,1,1,'justindeimen','Men in White (2007 / Singapore)','Courtesy of MX\r\n\r\nReview:\r\n\r\nWriter-director Kelvin Tongs previous feature, Love Story was a calculated pastiche of surrealist energy and artful imagery, which really sounds more interesting than it actually was. The general consensus that followed was a mixed bag, but one that agreed the film was too big for its breeches and possibly much too niche even for the most willing patron. Tongs newest venture almost stands as a scornful swipe against his critics in its intended commercial viabilities, by exorcising the ghosts of his last film into a horror-comedy, Men in White. But what this new film symbolises is a subversion of the ideals he once admirably tried (though unsuccessfully) to posit in our cinema halls with Love Story.\r\n\r\nNow, both films as they stand are at the opposite ends of each others styles and forms and you just cant help feeling that there has to be a personal stake involved, or perhaps even a filmic reflection of his boldness when Tong recedes back to a genre that is, by and large freed from the weighty mantle of respectability. Especially one that is also presented with the derisive temptation to head recklessly down to the gutters in search of the lowest common denominator. With that temptation given heed to, the films descent into a trashy, sloppy horror-rom-com is quite remarkable in its rapid loss of focus. At the very least, Men in White will have left a mark as possibly one of Singapores most reprehensible films to date.\r\n\r\nIt is promise gone rotten. Tongs seems to have abandoned his structure and train of thought immediately after presenting to us his first creative flourishes of wit. He sets the stage for a dynamic, potentially perceptive mockumentary shot from the viewpoint of a quintet of ghosts commentating on the daily minutiae of life in our island city that recalls Colin Gohs seminal TalkingCock the Movie, while not being brazenly emulative.\r\n\r\nTongs most ingratiatingly energetic film loses the raw magnetism of its opening reel and quickly plunges itself into infantile toilet humour, culturally arrogant jokes that prey on inherent prejudices and a massive perversion of stereotypes that could either be construed as narrow-minded recidivism or a striking satire on the countrys attitudes towards homosexuals that leave audiences squirming in their seats. I sincerely wanted it to be the latter.\r\n\r\nAs structurally sound as an out-house, Men in White has a barely tenable story that threads together uninspired vignettes of music-video kinesis and quicksilver shifts in tone that lays contrivances atop invective shards of contempt. The reductiveness of Men in White carries with it certain disappointment that is made all the more aggravating when local films have started to carry a sense of eloquence in exploring new conventions, something that Kelvin Tong used to show with every one of his past films. \r\n\r\n---------\r\n\r\nHere\'s the \"Love Story\" review I did by the same director:\r\n\r\nhttp://www.moviexclusive.com/review/lovestory/lovestory.htm','d49f921f89440de4a4a7edd75d0e89a7',0,'','DShK1tcE',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9665,1705,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1182149100,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: Men in White (2007 / Singapore)','Hey, \r\nFunny me, even though I have heard that it is lousy, I may just watch it ... what to do ... gonna support local movie industry ... ha ha\r\n\r\nI have watched Love Story, but I am not sure if I had written anything about it ... MAIN REASON: initially, i thought it has potential, but after a while, i think the director TRIES TOO HARD ... it comes across as over conscientious, to the extent of contrived ...','2438188dcad8468870e1d5cd837224d2',0,'','8uVXsjr9',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9666,1706,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1146985020,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','No. 2 (New Zealand) (2006)','\r\n\r\nDirector: Toa Fraser\r\nCast: Ruby Dee, Rene Naufahu, Xavier Horan, Taungaroa Emile, Mia Blake, Miriama McDowell, Tuva Novotny \r\n\r\nIt won the Sundance Film Festival 2006 Audience Award.\r\n\r\nIt was also featured at Berlin Film Festival .\r\n\r\nSynopsis\r\nThe film begins with a grandmother reminiscing about the good old past ... and so, she begins insisiting on a feast ... whereby only her grandchildren are invited ... and NOT her children (because they are all \"useless\") ... and NO outsiders ... she will also name her successor on this day ... and she claims, it will be a day that will be not forgotten in years to come ...\r\n\r\nMy thoughts ...\r\n- What is really good ...\r\n(i) I think it is a film that describes human relationship and family relationship rather well ... amidst the quarrel and love, there is always some feeling for one another ...\r\n(ii) what exactly is life ... at the beginning of the film, there is some lament about gone are those days of life and spirit in and around the house ... what is more interesting/thought provoking is ... even if it is some squabbles, quarrels or fights ... it is still what life and family is all about ... hopefully, these are harmless ones ... \r\n\r\n(iii) at the beginning of the film, one may wonder if the grandmother is kind of too authoritative/or domineering/or demanding ... and the auience would be keen to know where the film takes us ... but by the end of the film, one will have to agree that there is some change of opinions (i.e., about the grandmother and about the family as a whole ...)\r\n(iv) Also, the audience will be introduced to a slice of Fiji music and its culture ...\r\n\r\n- I think the \"No. 2\" has several meanings ... \r\n(i) I think it is the number of the house. The entire story revolves around this house ... could it also hint at \"family is No. 2\" among many people?! ...\r\n(ii) The grandmother will announce her No. 2 (i.e., successor) in the film.\r\n(iii) could there be other \"subtle\" connotations?! ... I was thinking, there possibly is ... * am i crediting the title too much?! hee hee * ... I thought ... it also urged us to ponder ... what is No. 1 in all of us? ... do we place our family as No. 2? ... do we place other people as No. 2? etc ... \r\n* hmmm, food for thought *\r\n\r\n- Overall, I think it won the Audience Award in Sundance probably because it is a \"feel good\" movie ... ... and you will probably start reflecting on your family at the end of it all ...\r\n\r\n\r\nConclusion:\r\nRecommended.','4a236a209241bdac8203c1563b62d40f',0,'','pg9JnRTx',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9667,1706,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1180866720,1,0,1,1,1,1,'JPaulie','Re: No. 2 (New Zealand) (2006)','Yeah I liked the film for the simple and plan reason that it really did portray what Pacific Island families are like, what we go through, sort of how our cultures work especially in a society (New-Zealand) different to what our elders were raised in (The Islands). \r\n\r\nKudos to this film and it makes me proud to be a New-Zealander at the same time and of Pacific Island heritage!!!','81fb18137aea6fccd4f24ea56fd2e9e5',0,'','8QjLCFGB',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9668,1706,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1181615580,1,0,1,1,1,1,'justindeimen','Re: No. 2 (New Zealand) (2006)','To be perfectly honest, I did not like this very much. Far be it from me to talk about the traditions displayed in the film but the interpersonal relationships and trials the family is put through in the one day was far too petty, contrived and mean-spirited for me to care or in some instances (when it wants to), be even amused by.\r\n\r\nWhat I did like is the fantastic amount of talent New Zealand has (even if its star is American), made even more remarkable when you have to zero in on non-actors who are Pacific Islanders. This comes after also viewing Sione\'s Wedding, which had a totally different cast and laudable performances.','8c0c3382c2feb84d3e0c16f17ac2c7a6',0,'','NE6CfYdR',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9669,1706,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1182149400,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: No. 2 (New Zealand) (2006)','I have also watched Sione\'s wedding ...','abd516e3e5763b2d5651f76c230075a0',0,'','7X8NdW3x',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9670,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1118096760,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Middle Eastern Magic','Iran has some of the most highly regarded directors working today and produces some great films. I\'ll comment on all the films I\'ve seen from Iran and the Middle East.\r\n\r\nFor films directed by Abbas Kiarostami please use the link:\r\n\r\nThe films of Abbas Kiarostami\r\n\r\nPlease feel free to add your own comments, reviews, criticisms to this thread.\r\n\r\nPlease note: If a film is listed as a review, it may contain spoilers.\r\n\r\nINDEX. In alphabetical order.\r\n\r\n20 Fingers - 2004\r\n\r\nApple, The - 1998 & Blackboards - 2000 arsaib4 comments\r\n\r\nBeautiful City - 2004\r\n\r\nThe Color of Paradise - 1999\r\n\r\nCow, The - 1969\r\n\r\nCrimson Gold - 2003 arsaib4 review.\r\n\r\nCyclist, The - 1987 wpqx review.\r\n\r\nDon - 1998\r\n\r\nHidden Half, The - 2001 wpqx comments\r\n\r\nHole, The\r\n\r\nJoy of Madness - 2003\r\n\r\nThe Mirror - 1998\r\n\r\nA Moment of Innocence - 1996\r\n\r\nA Moment of Innocence - 1996 indepth review by wpqx\r\n\r\nOffside - 2006\r\n\r\nRed Wind - 2002\r\n\r\nSilence, The - 1998 review by wpqx\r\n\r\nA Simple Event review by A.\r\n\r\nStill Life - 1974\r\n\r\nStray Dogs - 2004\r\n\r\nTaste of Cherry, The - 1997 chard09 In depth comments.\r\n\r\nTurtles Can Fly - 2004 Thread started by Howard Schumann.\r\n\r\nThe White Balloon - 1995 comments by wpqx\r\n\r\nStill to come.\r\n\r\nTo be continued\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.\r\n\r\n*[edit]updated','2af61fa2a57ada0317c29e37ef3c1b68',0,'','wQCj4cdt',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9671,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1118096880,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','The Hole - Vasid Nasirian\r\n\r\nThe first Iranian animation I have seen, only around 5 minutes long but it effectively puts across a message about drugs. Rough but uniquely stylish, shows the pleasure, addiction and self destruction that opium can bring.\r\n\r\nI assume that there must be a large problem with drugs in Iran although it\'s not something you hear about or that has come across in any film I\'ve seen.\r\n\r\nIf this is a typical example of animation from Iran then I would love to see more, I was surprised at the quality and style of it. \r\n\r\nRecommended as an example of film from Iran and as a great example of animation.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev. \r\n\r\nShown as part of the CinemaIran season on Channel 4 in the UK.','a1de4f9c979d6df2ae155382cd78f100',0,'','065hocsY',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9672,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1118097480,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','edited by admin \r\n\r\n20 Fingers (2004) \r\n\r\nMoved to 20 Fingers \r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','a95666ff23918022acb30d027562745e',0,'','wq3VLijd',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9673,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1118524860,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','Bade sorkh (2002) - Red Wind\r\n\r\nDirected by Ali Mohammad Ghasemi\r\n\r\nStarring Maryam Bagi, Amir Shokr Gozar\r\n\r\nA short film (14m) shot in stark black & white with excellent use of natural lighting. \r\n\r\nThe story centers on a coffee house where a woman runs in screaming that her husband has been murdered.,what follows is an indication of the harm religious fanaticism can cause especially in an area where religion is a vital part of peoples lives.\r\n\r\nIts quite scary that someone who in most parts of the world would be locked up as a dangerous psychotic could (in some places) convince people that he is acting as the hand of God!\r\n\r\nRecommended for the cinematography which wouldnt look out of place in a Bergman film. \r\n\r\nCheers Trev.\r\n\r\nNo BBFC rating, at least a 12.','c30fc99c0874e3af8fcca20dad26c9b8',0,'','G14aPjZh',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9674,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1118527680,1,0,1,1,1,1,'wpqx','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','I\'ll help you out, and share my review of the Cyclist.\r\n\r\n   The path to appreciating Iranian film can be a long one. Few people truly appreciate the films from this troubled country at first. Various critics and know-it-alls who claim the Iranian New Wave to be vital turn us onto it. Yet, after one or two films, even the best of them, we are less than convinced. The films are slow, and nothing really happens in any of them. We cant adequately judge the films, because they stand unique in the history of film. There is no already established criterion by which to judge these films, and therefore the films become challenging in a whole new way. We not only dont know what to expect of them, but even if we like or dislike a particular film.\r\n   The motto of the Iranian film movement should be just one word, patience. All of the films try our patience, and they require us to bear with it. You wont get melodrama, attractive actors, action, or even laughs, but you do get something that makes their films worth their weight in gold. Iranian films make us think, and that is why we dislike them at first, but we grow to appreciate and love them. The Cyclist, an early triumph by director Mohsen Makhmalbaf is as vital as any film from the last twenty years, but you might want to wait before seeing it.\r\n   Iranian films get better with each successive film. Saying that this is the best of them all may be an obsolete statement by the time I see another Iranian film. Likewise, seeing this film first, may leave you disappointed, as nearly any introductory Iranian film will do. So lets take a look at exactly why this film is brilliant and (like the remainder of Iranian film) worth your time.\r\n   America does not get a good look at the Middle East. What we see are stereotypes, crazy leaders, religious fanatics, poor and abused people, and anything else that our government believes will help justify military involvement. The Cyclist was a film made when Iran was considered the enemy of the world. Back when the US policy was to give Iraq weapons and training to fight them, how quickly things change. It is not surprising that The Cyclist took more than a decade to find its way over to America. Why, because this film viewed Iranians as individuals, as people. Sure it is not a grand picture of the people, one that contradicts our notions of Arabians, but it is a human picture. How could the US show a film that viewed Iranians as hard working people, desperate for medical care, employment, and anything to take their minds off of their seemingly intolerable conditions?\r\n   The Cyclist is an overwhelming story of one such individual who goes through great lengths just to pay his wifes medical expenses. In order to raise money, he agrees to ride a bicycle around a circle for seven days straight, with no sleep. Whether or not he makes it doesnt seem to be the real story. Makhmalbaf is stressing what led him into the situation. Iran is a nation run by the few. It is also overburdened with Afghan immigrants, one of which is the cyclist. These Afghans get the worst from both sides here. They are exploited by the few in charge, digging for money that might not even keep them alive. In one scene a driver asks for two diggers for fifty a day (unfamiliar with the currency or equivalent), when nearly thirty men pile onto the truck, he still asks for just two diggers, this time at thirty. \r\n   Our cyclist is the one who gets the roughest treatment of all. Anyone who knows about sleep deprivation knows that it doesnt take long before insanity sets in. Somewhere around day three, the mind ceases to function properly. With seven days of not just being awake, but riding a bike, we are not surprised at the end of seven days when he continues to ride, oblivious to all around him praising his heroism. \r\n   The media is making him out to be a hero. They claim that they need more men like him, but the truth is they have plenty like him. He is a desperate man, willing to go to extreme measures, faking a suicide attempt to receive charity earlier in the film. We know he is not alone, because he got the idea watching someone else do it even earlier. He too is in line with the fifty Afghan diggers when the call goes out for just two. The people saying they need more men like him are a slap in the face. Their exploitation is only possible if there is a readily available work force, and one that accepts their exploitation.\r\n   What we see happen is hard to watch, and even a little hard to understand. Throughout the film people are trying to make him fail. Money is bet on each side whether or not he will last, several million (if that makes the previous monetary value in perspective). The government believes that he is setting an example for the Afghanistan immigrants, and they resort to having them dig miles away for inflated wages just to get rid of them. Throughout they try to drug him, sabotage his bike, and even the referee is bribed. Then at the end, the promoter takes the money, as well as any charity from the poor onlookers, runs off with plans to marry the palm reader. Our cyclist is still riding, delusional, without a penny more to his name, and a wife as sick as ever still in the hospital.\r\n   From a technical standpoint, we can certainly applaud the film. It is a well-actualized picture that has its subtle ways of evoking art. Makhmalbaf employs various camera angles to achieve some remarkable shots, particularly of the motorcyclist in his sideshow ride. He also employs non-temporal editing techniques, with a few flashbacks thrown in. Some things, like the contrasting motorcyclist, seem to be thrown in for arts sake. There are characters and elements that dont directly serve the story, but perhaps that is just another way we must use independent thought to assess their relativity.\r\n   Makhmalbaf chooses to end the film without a real resolution. This is the single greatest proponent of thought in the film. We dont have the option of knowing the story and the happily ever after epilogue. Instead we have an ambiguous ending where nothing is resolved. The seven-day ride is over, but it hasnt ended. The cyclist is a hero, but what is to become of his heroism. Will his wife be cared for, what about the money he was supposed to get? What of the other Afghans, surely their problems dont end with the conclusion of the ride. All of this makes us ponder exactly what the future holds for all involved. We know it is unstable, and since it isnt an American film, we shouldnt assume things will work out. What we are left with is a compelling, deeply felt, and brilliantly realized picture with a heavy humanist influence. Unlike Renoir or Kurosawa however, Makhmalbaf believes that human beings arent good at heart. Like those two however, he doest believe they are capable of extraordinary things.','a418c77f639a8693d68920ae23b9160f',0,'','XCpURovE',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9675,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1118528160,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','Thanks wpqx,The Cyclist is one I\'ve heard a lot about but never seen, good essay as well.\r\n\r\nDaan (199 Don\r\n\r\nDirected by Abolfazl Jalili\r\n\r\nI assume that there must be a large problem with drugs in Iran although it\'s not something you hear about or that has come across in any film I\'ve seen. From my first post in this section.\r\n\r\nDon is a documentary style film concerning Farhad, a nine year old struggling to survive and help support his family, his father is a heroin addict who when he cant afford to pay for his habit will take and sell anything he can from his own home (even if it doesnt belong to his family). \r\n\r\nJalili was inspired to make the film when he saw a boy working at a garage who would answer to any name, this was because he had no birth certificate, the film pretty much follows the daily routine of his life.\r\n\r\nDue to his addiction, Farhads father has failed to get birth certificates for any of his children and because of this none of them can attend school. Instead Farhad works full time and we see his employment shift from a garage through several other menial tasks, all to help financially support his family. The performances are very natural and due to the circumstances very sad. Slightly reminiscent of Truffauts 400 Blows but with no safety net, children are existing under these conditions but at least the authorities are trying to get them into education rather than letting them rot in this way.\r\n\r\nA film with a powerful message and one that shows us how lucky we are.\r\n\r\nDifficult but recommended viewing.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.\r\n\r\nBBFC rating 15','bb7b72c6359b66110109b50e8e64fe98',0,'','XhU8wocL',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9676,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1118544060,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','My Comments on Crimson Gold (a little old now):\r\n\r\nCrimson Gold starts off with a heist in play, and before that scene finishes, we are thrust into the back-story showing us what circumstances led to the event. The film deals with Hossein, a pizza delivery man who is slightly \"off\" as his superior once mentions, meaning that the guy is usually \"lost in his own world.\" Nevertheless, Hossein notices the injustices taken place around him, but for the most part, he keeps to himself. Later on we learn that Hossein was in the army once and is still coping using medication. Hossein is soon joined by his brother-in-law to be as they commit petty crimes around the city.\r\n\r\nIt\'s good to see that Crimson Gold doesn\'t follow the \'one idea per film\' routine that has now become the norm with Iranian Cinema, where viewers are forced to watch\r\nrepetitiveness in the name of \"auteurism,\" signifying , well, that one particular idea. Crimson Gold is the fourth feature from Jafar Panahi that has been internationally\r\ndistributed. His debut feature, The White Balloon won the Camera d\'Or winner at Cannes, while his last film, The Circle won the Golden Lion at Venice; the only other feature in between was The Mirror, and unlike others, it wasn\'t distributed worldwide. \r\n\r\nIn Crimson Gold, Panahi has once again collaborated with the great Abbas Kiarostami for the screenplay and it\'s one of the better ones Ive seen this year. Having a pizza delivery man as a protagonist leaves Kiarostami plenty of time and ideas to work with as he goes from one place to another and the writer takes full advantage. \"Money is meant to circulate,\" Hossein says once, and he does too, and this is where Kiarostami unleashes his at once subtle and forceful attack on the bourgeois, and in the big picture the society itself, which is as confused as the authorities above, and usually when that happens, it\'s the poor who become the target. \r\n\r\nThe Circle still remains Panahi\'s most acclaimed film and arguably it is his best directorial effort so far as he deftly handled many character dealing with various situations, and the film\'s arc like structure emphasized their problems, but the subject matter (the plight of women in Iranian society) has been handled many times before that. Crimson Gold is a rarer \'thriller\' if one can call that, and Panahi excels once again. His use of offscreen space in the opening sequence is harrowing as the camera remains focused on the door looking outside at the society while the crime is being committed. This is Panahi\'s best film in my opinion since The White Balloon, and even though his debut dealt with a dilemma of a child, Panahi used a busy street of Tehran for the setting and the film ended up being a lot tougher than one might have expected after watching the cringe-fests involving children from Majidi. It seems like in Crimson Gold, Panahi has taken his camera and circled half way, onto the other side of the street.','77358894c3bbc78dec473f25f9b1720a',0,'','XJVATuK7',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9677,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1118604000,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','Cheers arsaib4, this was on my (to do) list, good review btw. \r\n\r\nNun va Goldoon (1996) - A Moment of Innocence \r\n\r\nDirected by Mohsen Makhmalbaf \r\n\r\nStarring Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Mirhadi Tayebi, Ali Bakhsi, Ammar Tafti \r\n\r\nIs it a documentary or is it a mockumentary? \r\n\r\nMohsen Makhmalbaf prepares to make a film recounting a real life incident that changed his life and the lives of the other principals, 20 years before he had stabbed a policeman while trying to take his gun. Makhmalbaf served a five year sentence for the stabbing but it was a moment that stayed in his consciousness. \r\n\r\nThe film covers the casting for the young Makhmalbaf and Mirhadi Tayebi (the policeman) and the reconstruction of the event including the lead up to it. \r\n\r\nSo far it seems like a documentary but there are moments that seem too well set up especially concerning the feelings and thoughts of the policeman to have not been pre-planned, storming off the set etc. \r\n\r\nEither way it is an exceptionally well thought out and executed film, for those who find Iranian films difficult, I would suggest watching this. A great example of Iranian cinema but also an excellent example of film making. \r\n\r\nHighly recommended. \r\n\r\nCheers Trev. \r\n\r\nBBFC rating 12 \r\n\r\nedited by admin \r\nFor another review on THIS movie by wpqx ... \r\nclick','2a490c8664695dcf3687af76df1f8879',0,'','78Bqth3d',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9678,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1118623740,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','Gaav (1969) The Cow\r\n\r\nDirected by Dariush Mehrjui\r\n\r\nStarring Ezzatolah Entezami\r\n\r\nMad, cow, disease(d)\r\n\r\nHassan is the owner of the only cow in a remote village, he loves the cow in an almost paternal manner down to playfully sharing the cows feed, even his wife comes second best to the cow.\r\n\r\nWhile away on business, the cow dies unexpectedly. The villagers, knowing how much Hassan cares for the cow tell him it has strayed while in fact they bury the body in an old well.\r\n\r\nThus begins Hassan\'s descent into madness, not only will he not accept the cow has strayed, he becomes the cow, eating the feed, mooing and living in the cows shed, his wife and the villagers have no idea how to deal with him and the film ends on a tragic note.\r\n\r\nSlow paced but commendable story telling, clear black & white imagery, the village is replete with idiot(s), old hags, strange customs and superstitions, it also has a rival village with a deservedly bad reputation for being thieves and rustlers.\r\n\r\nThe film was banned by the Shah because he didnt want Iran seen as a backward country, the Ayatollah Khomeini was apparently influenced enough by the film to permit film-making in Iran following the Islamic Revolution. The Cow was voted the \"best Iranian film ever\" twice by Iranian film critics.\r\n\r\nNot for everyone but certainly recommended viewing.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.\r\n\r\nBBFC rating PG','c4f676405e376ba826ce2d42c49371a8',0,'','34TcVuLf',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9679,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1118721600,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','Lezate divanegi (2003) - Joy of Madness\r\n\r\nDirected by Hana Makhmalbaf\r\n\r\nStarring Samira Makhmalbaf, Mohsen Makhmalbaf\r\n\r\nA family affair.\r\n\r\nWell the last of the Makhmalbaf clan has directed her first film, Hana Makhmalbaf was 14 when she made this feature covering the events upto the filming of At Five in the Afternoon which was directed by her sister Samira.\r\n\r\nThe whole of the roughly shot film revolves around trying to get the cast together, a job that in almost any part of the world would be pretty straight forward but not in post Taliban Afghanistan. People are still scared, concerned for their safety and in some cases for their reputations, we see Samira lose her patience as she tries to cajole people into accepting parts in the film.\r\n\r\nA gypsy family is convinced that the crew will kill their baby while making the film and a teacher writes a letter explaining why she can\'t take on the lead role. Kabul, once probably a powerful and beautiful city provides the backdrop, scarred and crumbling, a shadow of its past glory. Fear is the feeling that constantly comes across, at least from the Afghani women because even though the Taliban are finished, the threat of them still pervades the very air.\r\n\r\nBeing a film director is probably a stressful job but trying to do it in these conditions, it must be almost impossible to get anything completed, well done then to the Makhmalbafs and all the other directors working in the Middle East.\r\n\r\nRough & Ready but recommended to anyone interested in Middle Eastern life and cinema.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev\r\n\r\nBBFC rated PG','afe8c70114adef533aa2da2eec6fa15c',0,'','M9jXC0nZ',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9680,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1118883600,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','Samira Makhmalbaf\'s THE APPLE (Sib) & BLACKBOARDS (Takhte Siah)\r\n\r\nSamira Makhmalbaf is the daughter of the famous Iranian filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf. She appeared in her father\'s great The Cyclist at the age of 7. Her first feature, The Apple, was part of the official competition at Cannes in 1998 (Un Certain Regard). Two years later at the age of 20, she became the youngest director at Cannes to compete for the Palm D\'or for her second feature, Blackboards, winning her first Prix de Jury. She also recently directed the Iranian segment in the controversial collection of shorts films called 11\' 09\" 01. I don\'t believe there is another director in the world with such honors at this age. It certainly helps to be the daughter of the great Makhmalbaf but I can\'t help but feel that his shadow still looms large and in a way has hurt her to be recognized on her own.\r\n\r\nHer debut The Apple was based on a true story, not one but many as it was (and probably is) a norm for poor Iranian families to hide their daughters in order to \"protect\" them from the world. In the film we see a social worker working hard to convince the father of the two little girls who\'ve been trapped to let them out so they can experience life for themselves. Here the father is not shown as a cruel human being but as someone whose mindset is the product of the mullahs who have set political and social standards in that country for years with-out paying much attention to the true teachings of Islam. The film doesn\'t end with the girls just being free but we see their mannerisms and behaviors once they leave and how awkward they are. Makhmalbaf uses this as a metaphor for all women and seems to be asking a question as to when women are given a bit of freedom how else are they supposed to react, and the society instead to giving them time to develop and find themselves, blames them for being incapable to do so. The last scene shows their blind mother going out to look but instead after much distress finds an apple (used as a metaphor for wisdom).\r\n\r\nFor her next film, Blackboards, Samira Makhmalbaf moves towards a border like many of her contemporary Iranian filmmakers have done, but here it\'s not the Iran-Afghan border but the one opposite, the Iran-Iraq one and more specifically the one to the north, with \"Kurdistan.\" Few Kurd teachers are seen roaming around with huge blackboards on their back looking for pupils to teach as bombing in their homeland have left them stranded. One teacher joins a group of refugees. Along the way they dodge the aircrafts flying over their head, border police, smugglers etc., but some of them do end up getting caught and either die or aren\'t able to move further. The teacher ends up getting engaged to the woman whose father is in bad shape and he wants to hands over the burden as the woman also has a son from a previous marriage. The film at times becomes a bit unrealistic as we are treated to some imaginary proclamations of love in this harsh journey but the Makhmalbaf\'s head is in the right place proven by the decision the engaged woman makes at the end , ultimately making her son the only man she needs at this point in the journey.','b62f8f97b4d9e4c7d2eaf33a8ee4e408',0,'','DYgHkGW8',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9681,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1118959800,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','Tabiate bijan (1974) Still Life\r\n\r\nMoved -Link','8dd31e8827ff4db2374487fc7d8eb3bb',0,'','3FnC2Hg1',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9682,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1118968080,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','WOW! You saw a film by Sohrab Shahid Saless?! I\'ve been dying to see his work. How and where?  :(','1e3ffc6e49c7e661910ef8b50979ee97',0,'','ylEsT91p',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9683,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1118978940,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','Cheers arsaib4, \"Still Life\" was part of the CinemaIran season on Channel 4 in the UK as were the majority of the films I\'ve listed so far, it was very interesting with around 9 feature films, 2 documentaries and a few short films as well. It\'s a shame we can\'t have more seasons like this.\r\n\r\nI understand that Sohrab Shahid Saless only made a couple of films in Iran before living and working in Germany, I would like to see his other Iranian films, certainly if they\'re as good as this one.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','96d2e10c59ed45247aeb40028ed0bfdd',0,'','s4bnEqcW',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9684,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1119016620,1,0,1,1,1,1,'chard09','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','From a previous post I made:\r\n\r\nKiarostami\'s Taste of Cherry\r\n\r\nI slept for almost 10 hours and have been awake by 10 in the evening. I was quite depressed at that time and felt the need to help myself by watching a film. I\'m really interested with Kiarostami\'s works since my first encounter with him in The Wind Will Carry Us, I\'m really impressed not only of his style but on how he views life in general. He, as well as Makhmalbaf, are known for their beliefs in their own religion being seen in their films, which might be compared to Tarkovsky\'s (perhaps not that much but close to that). I was lonely, so I watched Taste of Cherry.\r\n\r\nI don\'t want to discuss more of its plot for others to enjoy this film but I just want to clarify, I agree to other people, that this film isn\'t about suicide. Even Kiarostami himself fights and reasons out to their government that it really isn\'t about it. It is about the choices a man has to bear in his life. Choices that can lead him to a state when he feels there\'s no more reason to move on. I\'m a Catholic (not that much as before), so I know what suicide means to a strict believer. Of course, suicide is a universal term, denotatively. But its connotation is far beyond its physical meaning, a different religion or society could interpret it as a mortal sin, as Muslims and Catholics do. I don\'t know if a certain group considers it the other way around. But why is Mr. Badii wants to commit suicide? Kiarostami doesn\'t tell. He wants us to know by ourselves. He wants as \'to read between the lines,\' as a popular phrase goes. He wants as to be participatory. Maybe he, himself, doesn\'t know it as well. \r\n\r\nThe \'documentary style\' is very effective. The way Mr. Badii poses questions to the persons inside his car, is like seeing Kiarostami asking them. He wants to share, more than to know. He wants to hear them. And these characters are telling a lot of insightful things. Something we may even don\'t know before. I notice his emphasis and commentary on soldiers, and perhaps was given justice in that surprising final scene. His focus on them, perhaps their participation in the Iran-Iraq War, is exemplary. That final scene, though they are actors, are perhaps to let us see the contrast. They are happy in that video, even waving their hands (their actors, of course) but in real life, soldiers in Iran are really sad and they really don\'t benefit in those wars, cause no one does. Kiarostami even included in the script of Jafar Panahi\'s The White Balloon a scene where that little girl met a soldier and talks to him about life while she\'s in that desperate need to get her money. But these soldiers continue to move on.\r\n\r\nI just read a stupid review in Amazon of the DVD that the film could\'ve been only half an hour long if they have cut those long driving scenes, and probably he/she would have enjoyed it more. What a mind he has? Hasn\'t he realized how powerful those scenes are? It\'s a Kiarostami signature, I guess, as seen also in The Wind Will Carry Us, and even more longer. The long and winding road, our life is a never-ending search. Those beautiful landscape shots are immensely great that I can say that\'s one of the greatest ideas a man of cinema could create. It sums up all his viewpoints, his vision. Perhaps that\'s why the term, Kiarostamian, is coined. Those shots in TWWCU, crane shots I guess, of the village is unmatched of its beauty and philosophical points. That scene in Taste of Cherry where Mr. Badii is in the construction site and his shadow is being poured by sands, then a man approaches him to stay away, is of all positive superlatives of greatness I can give.\r\n\r\nAbbas Kiarostami, along with Lars Von Trier, Wong Kar Wai Hou Hsiao Hsien and great others, are the ones who changed cinema in the 90s and flourished because of their works. But by right now, I\'m pretty sure that Kiarostamian vision and his films will stand the test of time -- the same way Fellini, Godard and Tarkovsky left their mark in the world cinema.\r\n\r\nLooking forward to see another film from him. Hopefully, I\'ll be lucky to see another one. I need Kiarostami to enlighten my mind.\r\n\r\nKindly share your thoughts about the film. Thanks.','c297427c712febd0011e3c8f8c672cde',0,'','R8phfQZo',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9685,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1119700260,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','Chard09, one thing that troubles me as someone who is not religious, the major religions virtually demand martyrdom which is pretty much putting yourself in the position where you know you will die and yet totally opposes suicide. Is there a simple reasoning behind this?\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','d572fea55a34a1eb08b78e6987b59faf',0,'','w7gEvkAW',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9686,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1122997260,1,0,1,1,1,1,'chard09','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','Hi trevor, forgive for the super late response. Anyway, I must admit, though I\'m raised as a Catholic, I do not practise, or at some points, even believe, my religion. I find that the notions Kiarostami is trying to present and argue in most of his films is that spirituality is something universal. I don\'t know if that demands a belief on a Higher Being, but I guess the feeling is something different from the \'physical\' world, which I assume you feel sometimes. The questioning of the self, the Absolute, and all those things. I do not believe in what most priests here claiming that \'faith is beyond reason\'. By the time you choose a belief, that requires certain logic, so their statements are contradictory. That is, what religion really is, doomed to be arguing its own doctrines. Religion exists through oppositions. Like Pauline Kael is not Pauline Kael if she doesn\'t contradict her ideas. Likewise, I also disagree with the thought of extreme martyrdom or sacrifice of one\'s self, but these are the things, I guess, I will realize as I continue to live, that is if I don\'t die early. I just feel overwhelmed of Kiarostami\'s films because they tend to suggest these things without preaching and not being didactic. That is, I may not do what he suggests. It\'s really up to me. And I think that\'s what the concept of religion should respect, we are thinking.\r\n\r\nOh well, forgive me, am I able to answer your question? I might discussed something out of context.','9a97dcd538e73049d49a7b01dfddba40',0,'','t7JbkWSn',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9687,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1130477280,1,0,1,1,1,1,'wpqx','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','About time this topic got dug up again.\r\n\r\nThe Hidden Half (2001) - Tahmineh Milani\r\n\r\nWell I began to wonder if I had peaked in Iranian film. All too often the films are merely stories of the poor and unfortunate, depressing tales of hardship and adversity. I was yet to see an Iranian film that showed anyone with a slight degree of wealth or even one that showed Iranian\'s as somewhat comparable to western citizens. That changed with The Hidden Half, a distinctly feminist film that shows an Iran not torn assunder by poverty and famine, but by ideology.\r\n\r\nThis is a daring film, one that makes political references rarely if ever shown in a film FROM Iran. It takes place during the cultural revolution of the late seventies and early eighties, and it shows women not just as capable of being independant thinkers, but even more so than men. It is comparable to the political films of Godard (minus the overt artiness) and socially consious American movies of the sixties. Because of that I believe the film works, but more than those films this happens to show the aftermath of ideology. It shows what happens when the idealism dies, and how it happens. This is the most important aspect of the film imo. All too often in those films of the time we see the idealist uncompromising, but we realize from history that those revolutionaries don\'t last.\r\n\r\nThe life of the film is from director Tahmineh Milani, who was arrested during the making of the film. True to the nature of the story, her crime was punishable by death. Luckily due to her popularity she was released and the film was able to be made. Like many Iranian films though, this seemed to find its audience outside of Iran. Like Milani\'s previous film Two Women, this stars Niki Karimi, who may very well be the most beautiful Iranian woman I\'ve ever seen. There isn\'t a great deal of makeup here, and 17 years past, the characters basically look the same. I think it\'s more thematic than anything. Hard to show how ideas can\'t change, so instead lets show how people don\'t change. Sure there is a transition, but it is the essential person that remains the same. Karimi\'s Fereshteh (same name from Two Women) was made by her ideology. The person she is deep down inside was formed at this crucial time when she was still 19, even if her beliefs have remained internal.\r\n\r\nI\'d say The Hidden Half is a remarkable film. Sure there is something of a love story, that can offer melodrama, but for once I\'d rather see romance be melodramatic than people starving and being exploited as so many Iranian films do. To me, this film represents a potential turning point for Iranian film, just as Rosellini\'s Voyage in Italy did for Italian film. The story of the poor and underprivalleged can only go so far, a different aspect of society needs to be examined in a national cinema, and with this film perhaps we can start to see a more idea driven Iranian film, rather than one so painfully immitating the Neorealist movement.\r\n\r\nGrade A','977fccfeb440f9252836b24d705bb238',0,'','UnF3sgPE',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9688,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1131098160,1,0,1,1,1,1,'A','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','Oh me, I\'ve totally forgotten about this great thread. That\'s why I posted my review of \"a simple event\" under classic cinema forum. Well you can link it if you want.\r\n\r\nwpqx, where did you see The Hidden Half? So thi is the film for which the female director was imprisoned in Iran. I\'d love to see this! Has it a theatrical release?','eeca08583b98e3f62a0cb1c53f2b27ef',0,'','GdUJw5lX',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9689,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1131319260,1,0,1,1,1,1,'wpqx','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','Facet\'s in Chicago released it on VHS, I rented it from them.','c1ed4e218e0b657a841baf300e9d82f6',0,'','4ty76rhH',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9690,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1135566240,1,0,1,1,1,1,'wpqx','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','Moment of Innocence (1996) - Mohsen Makhmalbaf\r\n\r\nThere is a line between fiction and documentary set up long ago and adhered to by filmmakers the world round. Sure there are personal films and autobiographical tales of youth, but rarely has a national cinema been so disinterested in these distinctions as in Iran. Like Kiarostami\'s Close-Up before it, Moment of Innocence blends documentary and fiction so often that it\'s hard to tell what is part of the film and what is re-enacted life.\r\n\r\nThe story begins with a policeman appearing at Makhmalbaf\'s house. He wants to be an actor, and he was stabbed by Makhmalbaf twenty years ago. This much is true. Makhmalbaf was a radical in his early years, stabbed this officer for his gun, and spent 5 years in jail for his actions. The real policeman approached Makhmalbaf to be an actor earlier in his career. However the police officer here is not played by the real person, for Makhmalbaf didn\'t believe he could act. This is the first instance where fantasy and reality don\'t exactly interact.\r\n\r\nThe film is set up as a recreation of that event, with Makhmalbaf playing himself. Both he and the officer are looking for a young actor to play themselves, and once they find that actor they spend their time apart seperately training the little version of themselves. The police officer is given more screen time than Makhmalbaf, and we hear his story as one of humiliation, considering he quit being an officer after being stabbed. He also lost what he believed was the love of his life, a girl who kept stopping to ask him questions, who he believed loved him, but we\'ll get into her later.\r\n\r\nMakhmalbaf lets the younger version of himself have most of the screen time. He appears briefly and barely as a mentor, once he has his man, he casts the kid\'s cousin, who happens to be his real love interest, and then the attention is on them. Makhmalbaf remains out of the film, and the picture goes along. Not much actual filming is made, but a lot of rehearsing. The police officer is determined to be the good guy, because after all he was the one stabbed, he wasn\'t hurting anybody. However he was working for the Shah, and you can\'t be too surprised that he\'s a little misguided. He still believes that there was a love between him and that girl.\r\n\r\nHe throws tantrums throughout, and the biggest one comes when he discovers the reality of that girl he once loved. Once he sees a similar girl asking the younger version of himself for the time, he notices that she\'s part of the film, and therefore is with Makhmalbaf, therefore explaining the original connection. As usual though plot isn\'t as important as mood here. Makhmalbaf expands on the notion that an actor is just another job, just as a filmmaker. There is a notion in Iranian film that anyone can make a film and anyone can be in a film. He knows what he\'s doing here, and he expands this anything can happen mentality to include the fact that anything can be the subject of a movie.\r\n\r\nMakhmalbaf is imo the best of all Iranian filmmakers. His films speak volumes of truth to me. Moment of Innocence is certainly a plus in his catalogue, falling just short of his lyrical follow up Gabbeh. In this film he is showing more personally than ever his own life. How he changed his life and politics. Hard to believe that a man once a political prisoner in era of the Shah would have half or more of his films banned in modern Iran. He has disassociated himself with politics, and this film shows some of that. It is his way, more than the police man\'s idea to relive and reenact the past, to set things right.\r\n\r\nGrade A -','a8e61908958fb79387ffb12d4cd027bc',0,'','haAJeV3u',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9691,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1136259420,1,0,1,1,1,1,'wpqx','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','The Silence (1998) - Mohsen Makhmalbaf \r\n\r\nContinuing on a roll for Makhmalbaf came this film far removed from politics. Filmed outside of his native Iran, the story continues somewhat in tone from Gabbeh. The story is loosely comprised as an excuse to load the frame with beautiful imagery and color. Truthfully I don\'t think that color has been more abundant and radiant in any previous Iranian film. There is certainly a reference to making his lead actor blind, and showing us the hyper sensitive world that he can only feel and hear.\r\n\r\nNot surprisingly music does play a huge roll in this film, as a constant distraction, as a means to pay the bills, and as an ever present part of life. The motif of the film is Beethoven\'s 5th Symphony, and Khorshid (Tahmineh Normatova) seems to hear it everywhere. When he doesn\'t hear it, he makes people create those distinct opening notes. He is extremely easily distracted, and this I find to be a slight fault of the film. I mean I can\'t quite understand why this character who needs this job as the only source of income for his family that\'s about to get evicted, can\'t just get his ass to work. There is some deeper meaning to it, and it was thoroughly lost on me.\r\n\r\nRepresenting his eyes is Nadereh a pretty girl also working with Khorshid, who tries sometimes in vain to keep Khorshid employed. She symbolizes the beauty in the world and with nature. Wearing cherries for earrings and flower petals for fingernail polish. It is a world of sympathetic kids and cold adults. The landlord is ominous and unseen, and Khorshid\'s boss is ineffectual, and cranky. But you can hardly blame him when Khorshid is so awfully bad at his job. Almost never showing up on time and not even being able to tune the instruments properly. He is costing his boss customers, and it isn\'t surprising that he is going to be fired. Khorshid doesn\'t seem to do anything to keep his job, making this film somewhat depart from a state of practical reality.\r\n\r\nAs a piece of cinematic poetry The Silence succeeds on many levels. It is an allegory of modern life, and music in the world. It is an homage to the beauty of the world and nature. As a practical film with a narrative heart it is a failure. It\'s story does seem to be pointless, and is so badly told that we really wonder if there had to be any real plot at all. Perhaps the film could have worked better as a straight film of pictoral compositions, much in the way Sergei Paradjanov\'s films substituted shots for plot.\r\n\r\nGrade B','bfa355a7c800e1c99f0c24f4c0b1a5da',0,'','aigpxW8P',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9692,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1136316000,1,0,1,1,1,1,'A','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','Hi wpqx. \r\nI saw this some years ago, but it has stayed in my memory\r\nI agree with you on your assessment of the film. More poetry and less plot would have helped. But the poetic moments were really wonderful. \r\nWhat i would have liked better, would have been the substitution of Beethoven for some local tune.','44962e09a81bf9f427776dad9c58bfce',0,'','B61diFe8',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9693,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1137068640,1,0,1,1,1,1,'madhuban','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','Has anybody seen Kiarostami\'s \"Through the Olive Trees\"? A deceptively simple film, but which of Kiarostami\'s films isn\'t? I am looking forward to \"Tickets\" where Kiarostami, Olmi and Loach make films together. \r\n\r\nMy favourite Panahi is \"The Mirror\" where he takes a page out of Kiarostami\'s book but gives it a different spin. \r\n\r\nM','dd2e4e7c69800c8de0618b6d8fd36c48',0,'','epCAhrsH',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9694,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1137069180,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','Has anybody seen Kiarostami\'s \"Through the Olive Trees\"?\r\n\r\nYes and I have it on video, it\'s just one of many that are in my backlog. Kiaorstami does have his own thread which is looking a little meagre at the moment. Perhaps you would like to add your thoughts on this film or any for that matter.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','91f404d406315a362b1264c7e2cd9481',0,'','MlfL850c',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9695,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1143666480,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','Still to come.....\r\n\r\nA Time for Drunken Horses\r\nAt Five in the Afternoon\r\nThe Circle\r\nThe Colour of Paradise\r\nThe Day I Became a Woman\r\nDeserted Station\r\nThe Flying Misters\r\nKandahar\r\nOsama\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','3ccd492ce219653bd553adeb42733b6f',0,'','ygkY1PU0',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9696,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1143667020,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','Artificial Eye had a dvd release scheduled for \"A Silence Between Two Thoughts\" a while ago but it seems to have disappeared. Does anyone know what\'s become of it?\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','f692685e704fd8749702c5fa7fd79dad',0,'','Z83zUhlW',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9697,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1143701700,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','Artificial-Eye rescheduled it a couple of times, but ultimately they took it off their slate. I believe that they had difficulty obtaining the proper clearances for the DVD.','cc5413b017199edc39a1fa36fae8d583',0,'','1Nlp3ugW',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9698,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1152790020,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','Great news, Jafar Panahi\'s Offside is due to be screened in Cardiff at the Chapter, it wasn\'t initially on the schedule but has now been added. I\'m sure there\'s no need to add that I\'m really looking forward to this and promise to write a full report.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','83cf6579ebe1f58a302d2d743f4dfb5e',0,'','b6zGXNxP',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9699,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1152791640,1,0,1,1,1,1,'wpqx','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','Its been months since I\'ve seen anything from Iran, and this must surely change.','56fde802340f849c0fe1375aa63b1d63',0,'','Rt7yLBx9',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9700,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1152855780,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','Nice! We\'ll have to wait for Offside till early next year. Anyway, looking forward to your review.','e02ae87c0c76dace2ae95d54a4702c0a',0,'','LGYBoJCZ',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9701,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1160221920,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','My review of Offside\r\n\r\nCheers Trev','53f589bac86800727abafed0e7ea7eea',0,'','c8EYvwQ0',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9702,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1166460780,1,0,1,1,1,1,'madhuban','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','Moved to the classic board, Madhuban\'s view of Sohrab Shahid Saless\'s\r\nStill Life.','eebc179d57730f732ee957322db5c54b',0,'','GmNK3LXa',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9703,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1166485740,1,0,1,1,1,1,'wpqx','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','The Mirror (1998) - Jafar Panahi\r\n\r\nThere are a few times when a film fits perfectly into a movement or genre. The Iranian New Wave has become something of both. Not just a time in Iranian cinema, but also a distinct film style, blending fiction with documentary, professional with amateur, and stories so powerfully simple that its almost deceptive. Panahi\'s The Mirror fits this mold as exquisitely as few films have. Panahi\'s previous ventures were written by Abbas Kiarostami, and here Panahi borrows a page directly from the master\'s much revered Close-Up. It is remarkable that in the midst of this film even the audio plays tricks and cuts out, reminiscent of the bike ride at the conclusion of Kiarostami\'s film.\r\n\r\nThe twist in this film comes about half way through, and I must say for one that it was a welcome one. Watching the film I was having a moderate time keeping interested. Mina Mohammed-Khani\'s voice is dreadfully shrill and high pitched to a point of nearly instant irritation. Watching her plight of trying to get home in the beginning was growing thin. Simple plots can be evocative but occasionally you need more to stimulate something. You have a general interest in this girl getting home, but it isn\'t until the film changes course that you really get involved.\r\n\r\nHalf way through you here the phrase \"Don\'t look at the camera\" following a bout of silence from Mina who refuses to answer the bus driver. An almost instant smile of gratification comes on, because you know that this film has just broken the fourth wall. What makes the film ironic is how the second half directly parallels the first, but is given a completely different spin. It is shot at a distance, the shots are longer, and occasionally obstructed by passing cars that happen to stop briefly in direct line of the camera. Mina disappears sometimes behind trees, or crowds and it takes a minute or two for the film to find her again. It loses the professional gloss of the first half, but make no mistake about it, it is just as carefully rehearsed, and in many ways more so. Watching some of the scenes I surprisingly enough am recalling some of Michael Snow\'s work, or the very least Akerman\'s unobtrusive kino-eye.\r\n\r\nFor a sense of closure of course Mina has to make it home, but that is so dreadfully unimportant. Just like one hardly remembers the delivery of the notebook in Where is the Friend\'s Home? The film parallels itself in more ways than one. Notably the soccer score at the beginning and end of the film, as one score is made at the beginning and the final is revealed at the end of the film, roughly 90 minutes later, or the appropriate time of a match. Just as before the sound eventually cuts out and once Mina is home it becomes a silent picture, with the same static camera shot. I\'ve rarely seen such deliberate exploitation of cinematic equipment in a film, and the intention is clear to make us aware that a film is being shot. I have no direct knowledge of how much of the film has been improvised but it certainly feels like all of it is winged. First rate work from a film that got off to a bumpy and predictable start.\r\n\r\nGrade A','d34b534cf9d9f88dec6218f7508bd873',0,'','C41FfNLZ',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9704,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1166522220,1,0,1,1,1,1,'madhuban','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','Great review wpqx! I\'ve seen 5 films by Panahi till date - The White Balloon, Crimson Gold, The Circle, The Mirror and Offside - and The Mirror remains my firm favourite \r\n\r\nM','7621e148c9eca59cff7215a4253aa652',0,'','liEy4Bxe',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9705,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1166522760,1,0,1,1,1,1,'wpqx','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','I wasn\'t particularly wild about The Circle so this has certainly elevated my opinion.','4a54a2ab74f15e43746df1832c90b2c8',0,'','yMVfZ9Rz',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9706,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1166613240,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','The Mirror premiered at the 1997 Montreal film festival.','025c7227e612ae141eac3bf765ccf458',0,'','B8nZmdai',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9707,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1167044700,1,0,1,1,1,1,'wpqx','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','The White Balloon (1995) - Jafar Panahi \r\n\r\nWell I\'ll be honest as this film began I was a little bothered by it. I found the plot or what appeared to be a sad excuse for a plot pointless and disappointing. I thought \"Kiarostami is better than this\". However the films plods along at a good enough pace so that when the only thing standing in the way of getting the money back is how to pull it out, I started to care. So much of the film is frustrating, and you just want to smack some people in the face. The people in the film are both good and bad, but ultimately redemptive. I find it rewarding that the film is at its core humanistic. Even the loud, shouting would-be thieves all seem to be able to look in their heart for this little girl who\'s retarded beyond all human comprehension. Compared to the gloriously intricate Mirror, this film is a hug let down, and pardon the pun but my expectations were rapidly \"deflated\". Overall this is the type of hit or miss Iranian film that if you find yourself not caring you can easily disregard the whole picture.\r\n\r\nGrade C -','16ed45734f6880b5a6e7512d501fb55a',0,'','YEn1pKDJ',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9708,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1167221100,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','Interesting. What was so \"retarded\" about our young protagonist?','4174e0c668967f5f8ffbc0cdba411f50',0,'','DG8unCfr',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9709,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1167246900,1,0,1,1,1,1,'wpqx','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','Maybe its a cultural difference, but I couldn\'t help but shout at her, \"stop crying\", \"what the hell are you doing at the snake charmer\", \"ask for your money back\". It was frustrating watching her in action.','fe68fd63dd7b7de5fb1dd8ef091f9c94',0,'','apcw1by0',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9710,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1167305040,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','I thought she was resourceful enough to nearly have half of the block considering her dilemma. She didn\'t just run back to mommy for more tomans. Heck, I\'d also be scared if a snake charmer was performing nearby.','a8e4f180bd8ef04231d47137126d00cc',0,'','Xw5a6pg0',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9711,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1167311460,1,0,1,1,1,1,'wpqx','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','I still stand by my comment, and I personally wouldn\'t be anywhere near a snake charmer.','3ee77511baf561fdece25ca9e2450c0e',0,'','9wxinu1v',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9712,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1167349500,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','Well if nothing else wpqx, you\'ve made me dig out my old video of The White Balloon, I can\'t see myself agreeing with your comments though.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','c7497e53050ef5469930f65e0fa6b817',0,'','qnFBgUJh',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9713,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1168003980,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','BEAUTIFUL CITY (Iran / 2004)\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nIranian cinema has been criticized recently for its lack of ambition. And justifiably so because in many cases the filmmakers have not only retreaded familiar themes and subjects, but theyve approached them in a mode which lacks imagination. Films confined to discussing problems faced by either women, children or refugees are plentiful, and if a detached, ambiguous tone doesnt mire them, then its the heavy-handedness which does. So in that sense, Beautiful City (Shahr-e Ziba) feels like a breath of fresh air. While it confronts serious and pertinent issues surrounding Irans ancient and intricate capital punishment laws, it does so in a grounded, clear-eyed manner. Directed by Asghar Farhadi, a rising talent among the new generation of Iranian filmmakers, the film primarily revolves around the efforts of two individuals as they attempt to save the life of loved one. Only briefly seen at the beginning, Akbar (Hossein Farzi-Zadeh) was imprisoned in a youth facility as a 16-year-old after he committed a crime of passion. Two years later, hes transferred to an adult prison where he awaits his death sentence to be carried out. But the process cant be completed until the victims distressed father (Faramarz Gharibian) can raise the compensatory \"blood money\" which according to Islamic law places the value of a woman to be only half that of a man, thus requiring him to pay the difference. Determined to save his life, Akbars best friend, A\'la (Babak Ansari), a petty thief, and his beautiful, headstrong older sister, Firoozeh (Taraneh Alidoosti), join forces to beg the father for forgiveness on Akbars behalf. This complex predicament is handled with utmost compassion and sincerity by Farhadi. He allows the natural flow of events to account for his characters rationale, while they continually negotiate with their own lives as well. Credibly weaved into the narrative, moments of tenderness and humor surface\r\nthrough the burgeoning affection between A\'la and Firoozeh, which ultimately puts the onus on them and brings the film to quite a head. Beautiful City is one of the most compelling Iranian films of this decade.\r\n\r\n______________________\r\n\r\n*BEAUTIFUL CITY has played at numerous film festivals, including Fajr, Rotterdam, Warsaw and Montreal. It is not available on DVD at this point.\r\n\r\n*Asghar Farhadi\'s latest film, Fireworks Wednesday, won the Golden Hugo at the 2006 Chicago Film Festival.','b548dce216cf0861fb860943127e312e',0,'','7Md8mzNq',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9714,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1168004580,1,0,1,1,1,1,'madhuban','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','Nice review, arsaib. It makes me regret my dumb decision to watch Makhmalbaf\'s Scream of the Green Ants instead of Farhadi\'s Fireworks Wednesday. And to rub salt to injury, Fireworks Wednesday earned Farhadi a best director award at the festival! The lesson to learn from this experience is never to choose the umpteenth film from an ageing director going aesthetically and ideologically downhill (and has been seen to be treading uncertain ground in recent film ventures) over a highly recommended film from a talented, upcoming one. \r\n\r\nM','ac4fea0736cf4fada2116d52dc5cd9ad',0,'','hHB7806u',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9715,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1168045200,1,0,1,1,1,1,'wpqx','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','I probably would have gone for Makhmalbaf too, so don\'t worry you\'re not alone. I look forward to digging into more Iranian films, but lately there is just no end to the films I want to see. I just wish I could avoid eating, sleeping, school, and work for a month and do nothing but watch movies, just to catch up.','28a92aedce5b60a83dec5487b6d4f50b',0,'','z8QJePVi',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9716,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1168062180,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','Thanks, Madhuban. \r\n\r\nI\'ve also been forced to make similar decisions at various fests and retros. While it\'s always tempting to check out the work of an up-and-comer, it\'s also mighty difficult to pass up the opportunity to witness a proven auteur\'s latest endeavor. On top of that, other calculations have to be made regarding distribution, schedule, etc.\r\n\r\nI\'m in the same boat as you, wpqx, even though I\'ve watched more films lately. I don\'t recall the last time I covered two films in one week. I guess short reviews is the way to go in some cases.','e520ebec73bbb8fceb764f4d2176cfe3',0,'','ilh9u64f',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9717,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1168649100,1,0,1,1,1,1,'wpqx','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','The Color of Paradise (1999) - Majid Majidi\r\n\r\nWell situated between two masterpieces of Iranian cinema, Majidi\'s Color or Paradise is, as the title would suggest one of the series of lush lyrical Iranian films that were become fashionable in the late nineties. Like Makhmalbaf\'s The Silence, this film\'s protaganist is also a blind boy, and this is compensated with a sumptuous visual pallate. The story itself concerns a recently widowed father who has to look out for his blind son during the summer break from school. For a culture generally frowning upon deformity and handicapped people, he resents his son, and realizes that he will most likely have to spend the rest of his life taking care of him. The rest of his family, his normal daughters and the boy\'s grandmother are all delighted that the boy is there for the summer. Big surprise, the boy too is thrilled to be with his families company. The drama sets up later some primitive conflict, but the overall message is that a son is a son, and this boy is special and certainly brighter than the somewhat tone deaf instrument tuner of Makhmalbaf\'s film. I felt a believable characterization of sorts here, with behavior easily relatable, which contrasts it with quite a few other Iranian directors films with children.','474a398d5f6bdb0f72e130dfae654e0d',0,'','21pdU8C6',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9718,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1168689960,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','Easily relatable? I thought you wanted to decapitate the young girl from The White Balloon because she wasn\'t sharp enough.','15bfd5ce7ce971a5358c37f5d8e186da',0,'','TU6GXmQ9',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9719,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1168697580,1,0,1,1,1,1,'wpqx','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','I didn\'t find the same problem here. This blind kid was articulate, much more so than the one in Makhmalbaf\'s film.','d3b3d46fadf62234d961d8799be5d0cc',0,'','Zy7Tq23m',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9720,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1175233620,1,0,1,1,1,1,'wpqx','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','Watched The House is Black (1972) as well as Mohsen Makhmalbaf\'s The School That Was Blown Away. I\'m having a problem finding the year of Makhmalbaf\'s film, but both are rather intimate non-fiction films about seldom shown subjects. The House is Black is well regarded as a landmark in Iranian cinema, which is all about life in a leper colony, where everyone has some extreme deformity. The film is very confrontational and as the prologue says, forces you to notice this. Makhmalbaf\'s film is rather low-key and not about much, its really too short to carry much weight.','07a29d666360df8326a395f62d06e72b',0,'','9AJ50uHz',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9721,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1175234820,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','1997 is the year listed on Makhmalbaf\'s site.','ce6857d106066bb24d187fb6e786b61c',0,'','MGdElfAy',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9722,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1175238180,1,0,1,1,1,1,'wpqx','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','I saw \'96 as well. The DVD also includes his short film Qajar Dynasty (1993). This second film is half Svankmajer and half end of Andrei Rublev. Simply a look at photographs, but occasionally animated and broke apart. I\'d highly recommend the Facets release of The House is Black, which in addition to these three short films, features an interview and several articles about the filmmakers, including one from Jonathan Rosenbaum.','a359bc5e5f051e1769cc9f61e71f47fe',0,'','5g7Mu4B3',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9723,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1175238960,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','And Chris Marker. The House is Black is one of the greatest Iranian films I\'ve ever seen','849df52a42867753853c44b99072d057',0,'','jwW2LgrT',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9724,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1175239860,1,0,1,1,1,1,'wpqx','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','Kinda makes me want to go on an Iranian kick, but good lord I have so many movies I want to see, and so many different cycles of films to go through, I fear I\'ll develop cinematic schizophrenia.','a41fd7a2fe2ac6a3dd4ac4dd1f4a31f5',0,'','6VPZvoah',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9725,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1180838820,1,0,1,1,1,1,'JPaulie','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','ive been looking high and low for Turtles can fly\r\n\r\nanyone seen \'Paradise Now\' ?? Palestinian film, I loved it, it questions what suicide bombers go through before actually doing it, and what leads them to do it, and the cast is amazing! One of my favourite films!!','cf8dc5476b9278db13cad3d930e7a542',0,'','1u4DLnxU',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9726,1707,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1182149280,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: Middle Eastern Magic','Isnt it on DVD?\r\n\r\nPS: welcome onto this board ...','86a50855775292582ef4980c6deb552c',0,'','btV7o52v',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9727,1708,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1181811660,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Abderrahmane Sissako\'s Waiting for Happiness','.','5058f1af8388633f609cadb75a75dc9d',0,'','JK5ACTYh',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9728,1708,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1181812740,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Abderrahmane Sissako\'s Waiting for Happiness','WAITING FOR HAPPINESS (Mauritania-Fra / 2002)\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nThe fact that filmmaker Abderrahmane Sissako has often dealt with themes concerning sociocultural identity and displacement shouldnt come as a surprise. Sissako was born in Mali and raised in the neighboring Mauritania. Then he headed off to the Soviet Union to study film at Moscows famous VGIK Institute before making his debut while based in France, which remains his country of choice. In his first fiction feature, the hour-long French television-produced Life on Earth (1998), Sissako played a character who travels back to his Malian village on the eve of the millennium and discovers a place in a state of permanent transience. While the filmmaker doesnt star in his second, Waiting for Happiness (Heremakono), you cant help but feel that its protagonist, a melancholic young man who visits his mother in a seaside transit town in Mauritania before leaving for Europe, is his surrogate, one who feels estranged in his own homeland due to his deficiencies regarding the local dialect and customs he once knew. Waiting for Happiness is a quiet, contemplative mosaic which advances through a series of vignettes. It isnt as politically overt as Life on Earth, though the tension between tradition and modernity remains palpable. Sissako\'s richly symbolic images recall the best of what Iranian cinema has to offer (when I took it in consideration with the tone and the setting, Babak Payamis Secret Ballot [2001] is the film which immediately came to mind; needless to say, however, Kiarostami could also be found around the edges). In what is quite possibly an homage to Sembene (the filmmaker also pays one to Tsai), or, as its been stated, a radical formal declaration, Sissako sets a brief, expressionistic episode in Paris about midway through the film in which another displaced character tracks down her lover. Along with numerous other sequences, it helps validate Sissakos theory that happiness is nothing but a state of consciousness.\r\n\r\n_______________________\r\n\r\n*The film premiered at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival (Un Certain Regard), where it won the FIPRESCI Prize. A year later, it garnered the Best Film award at BAFICI (Buenos Aires).\r\n\r\n*Now available on DVD in the U.S. (New Yorker). Extra features include an interview with the filmmaker. Not sure if Sissako\'s intriguing early short, October, which is featured on the U.K. DVD (Artificial-Eye) is also part of the disc or not.\r\n\r\n*Sissako\'s latest effort, Bamako, is currently in limited release in the U.S. (New Yorker).','65e23ca2aa611440d44ba489dd3f588e',0,'','SPfb7M4K',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9729,1709,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1178508240,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Four Minutes (Vier Minuten) (2006) (Germany)','\r\n\r\nFour Minutes (Vier Minuten) (2006) (Germany) \r\n\r\nDirector: Chris Kraus\r\nCast: Monica Bleibtreu, Hannah Herzsprung\r\n\r\nJust wondering ... \r\n-- If I am correct, there are \"few\" reviews on the internet about it. Even the various sources in local newspapers and magazines did not list it as a highlight for SIFF. But frankly, it is really one of the better ones I have seen this festival! And for those who are not attuned to \"artsy\" films yet, this is definitely a nice addition to the festival ... \r\n-- Somehow, the film does not come across as a typical film festival kind of material, but I thought it was very well executed, with great acting and a great sountrack. HURRY ... distributors, non art film goers are not gonna be bored by it ... \r\n\r\nThe film begins with a lady inmate hanging herself. Unperturbed, the other inmate Jenny (Herzsprung) simply searched for any remaining cigarette from the corpse\'s pocket and started smoking. Only after that did she sound the alarm for the wardens ... The next morning, there was the arrival of a piano at the female prison. Miss Krueger (Monica Bleibtreu) was an old lady who taught the inmates piano lessons. Principled and old fashioned, she had an untold history. Upon realizing the potential in Jenny, she decided to teach this violent and rebellious girl ... \r\n\r\nAre you sighing at the \"predictability\" of the plot? ... Are you thinking it is just a film about underdogs who ultimately succeed? ... While you are not exactly wrong, the film is very well executed! In particular, the two female protagonists were great in their roles ... yet, they were not the \"magical\" teacher you expect (cf Dead Poets Society) nor the \"totally transformed\" to perfect student (in most such stories) ... they are full of problems ... they have their history ... they have their own agenda ... and they have unresolved differences ... Credited to the script, it well portrays complex human relationship and their thoughts ...\r\n\r\nAlso to be credited is the soundtrack and music ... yes, some are classical pieces ... some are \"negro music\" (i.e., using the movie terms) ... they always sound at the right moments and they are well integrated into different parts of the film ...\r\n\r\nConclusion:\r\nHighly recommended. Initially, the audience may assume that the material is \"trite\" as it looks like familiar stuff, possibly about an underdog which ultimately succeeds ... but hey, you may be surprised by how well it is executed ... and most importantly, how well it depicts the complexity of human relationship ... complemented with great music ...\r\n\r\nPS: Has \"A\" watched this film?!','413b5c48c4a81c9e663a976693baffde',0,'','Toqu150B',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9730,1709,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1178508420,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: Four Minutes (Vier Minuten) (2006) (Germany)','LATEST NEWS\r\nFour Minutes named best picture at German awards!\r\nCongrats!','ab349b5dde650bb0662476fe677783f9',0,'','e5m9Eku8',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9731,1709,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1178524800,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Four Minutes (Vier Minuten) (2006) (Germany)','I wonder if Monica Bleibtreu is related to good German actor Moritz (Run Lola Run, Das Experiment). \r\n\r\nIn any case, I\'m also interested in A\'s reaction to the film, and possibly his thoughts on the German academy\'s credibility (though I think I already know the answer to that).','090ea13ed578f0b822c2d8da2c5c8988',0,'','WQzmaG04',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9732,1709,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1181743200,1,0,1,1,1,1,'A','Re: Four Minutes (Vier Minuten) (2006) (Germany)','No I haven\'t seen the film. It seems that I miss too many German movies recently, and you guys have to remind me \r\nThe reception in the German press was pretty close to the assumptions hengcs describes in his review. But overall it was very popular with critics and the audience alike. A fellow student was the first person who told me about the film last year when we were talking about good German films from this decade. She had seen it at the film festival in Hof (an important national film festival for the display of German films) and it was her favorite picture of 2006.\r\nI\'ll try to watch it and tell you what I think in the future (I know I\'m saying this about a lot of stuff).\r\n\r\nMonica Bleibtreu is a well respected and very busy actress who has won some deserved recognition (e.g. in the form of awards) in recent years. And yes, arsaib is right, she is related to Moritz Bleibtreu. She\'s his mother. \r\n\r\nMy opinion on the credibility of the German academy hasn\'t changed though.','8f21c42d7145b190583b94fd1a19a48b',0,'','KZJjHGpa',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9733,1710,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1177080060,1,0,1,1,1,1,'justindeimen','Grbavica (2006) (Austria-Bosnia/Herzegovina)','Winning the Golden Bear at the 2006 Berlin International Film Festival, Bosnian writer-director Jasmila Zbanic arrives with an emotional belter in her debut feature, Grbavica. All the more relevant now in its quietly disconcerting post-wartime musings, the film packs all the wallop of a shotgun to the gut with the revelations sowed from the secrets held between a mother-daughter pairing of waitress, Esma (Mirjana Karanovic) and her pubescent daughter Sara (Luna Mijovic). Sara, a wartime baby, believes her father to be a hero for the cause and a monetary benefit that derives from that belief spurs her inquisitive nature that begins to unsettle Esma. Alluding to bankrupt masculine values in the region among other things, the films raison d\'etre is to remind audiences of the echoes of war and the numerous communal crises still facing its people. Grbavica falters when it shows too much leg and too little narrative flexibility when leading up to its devastating conclusion, marvelously acted upon by its leading ladies.\r\n\r\nRating: 3 out of 5','2477eecf0516d0ac976721c4517a7422',0,'','wLUVsDlT',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9734,1710,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1177413960,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: Grbavica (2006) (Austria-Bosnia/Herzegovina)','\r\n\r\nGrbavica (2005) (Austria/Bosnia-Herzegovina/Germany/Croatia)\r\n\r\nDirector: Jasmila Zbanic\r\nCast: Mirjana Karanovic, Luna Mijovic\r\n\r\nPatience is needed with this film. For many art film goers, the genre may not be exactly new ... So, for the first half of the film, many may wonder what makes this film so great ... the audience is introduced to these pair of mother (Mirjana Karanovi) and daughter (Luna Mijovi ) ... with a strong bond, but constantly undergoing strains with the daughter\'s rebellious streak ... more importantly, there seems to exist a secret from the past. To the attentive audience, hints are being dropped of the \"truth/twist\" in this film ...\r\n\r\nI like the film for these three reasons ... \r\n\r\nFirst, the two actresses ... they make you believe in their characters ... complex and contradictory but believable ...\r\n\r\nSecond, as usual, half the battle is won with a good message ... not just at the \"world/society\" level (with regards to peace, harmony, and different races, etc) but also at the family level (there is always tension and quarrel; yet, there is always love and care for one another) ...\r\n\r\nThird, with such controversial topic, it is not easy to have an ending that will please all ... however, in my humble opinion, it does have a well crafted ending that convey a much bigger message about humanity ... \r\n\r\nConclusion:\r\nRecommended. About half way through, some people may still wonder why it manages to clinch the top award at Berlin Film Fest. To me, the ending makes the major difference (demarcating it from a mediocre film) ... In particular, the positive outlook and the courage to face all odds make it a great film ... Yet, the ending does not seek to resolve all issues ...','6013bcc6f4c4528067e094656e7aeb64',0,'','U7SajD0y',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9735,1710,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1178104380,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Grbavica (2006) (Austria-Bosnia/Herzegovina)','Esmas Secret (UK release title) - Grbavica (2006) \r\n\r\nDirected by Jasmila Zbanic\r\n\r\nStarring Mirjana Karanovic, Luna Mijovic\r\n\r\nAlthough the emphasis of this story is firmly set on struggling mother Esma and her young teen daughter Sara, Esma in particular is indicative of a nation split asunder and still reeling from the effects of war. Her life is governed by trying to support Sara and herself, balancing the need to earn a living and to give her time and love to her daughter. \r\n\r\nLiving in Grbavica, an area of Sarajevo, every day is surrounded by reminders of the war that split the former Yugoslavia apart. Esma lives with the scars, particularly mental and her life is riddled of anxiety, guilt, fear and constant mistrust, she holds a secret that is a constant burden to any chance to move on from those painful years. Until she can open herself up to the truth, it will be extremely hard to let the healing process begin.\r\n\r\nFrom the perspective of the UK title, the story is accentuated firmly onto the mother/ daughter relationship, unfortunately in this case; the secret itself is very easy to determine, as friendly play between the two ends with Esma becoming very distraught. Its then just a case of the full story behind the secret slowly revealing itself.\r\n\r\nTaken from its original title, this is more about a nation that cannot forget the pain and atrocities of war, a generation that are finding it difficult to come to terms with the past, to move on, to cleanse itself from the horrors witnessed and felt.\r\n\r\nGrbavica as an area still bears the scars of war, indeed people are still being injured or killed from munitions and mines that remain there, talk of internment camps and mass graves along with other atrocities are common to modern wars but are no less painful for it. All they do illustrate is how little mankind has truly developed through the aeons.\r\n\r\nThe performances from the central pair are excellent, Mirjana Karanovic in the role of Esma carries the bulk of the film and gives a powerful performance with all the gravitas the subject deserves. The one problem for me was that the final section of the film, once Esma\'s secret had been fully disclosed was far too rushed and not given the time or depth it deserved, the final scene though is emotionally heart wrenching but not in a melodramatic way, very convincingly performed.\r\n\r\nWell worth seeing in my opinion, not a chick flick as the UK title would suggest but a film concerning the after effects of a war on the society that have lived through it and the generation born into it.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.\r\n\r\nBBFC rated 15\r\n\r\nR2 dvd released by Dogwoof Pictures.','ed4f2faa2c5cdd95535dae3c9cb6df24',0,'','VNU0wlxp',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9736,1710,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1178260560,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: Grbavica (2006) (Austria-Bosnia/Herzegovina)','Quote trevor, \"From the perspective of the UK title, the story is accentuated firmly onto the mother/ daughter relationship, ... Taken from its original title, this is more about a nation that cannot forget the pain and atrocities of war, a generation that are finding it difficult to come to terms with the past, to move on, to cleanse itself from the horrors witnessed and felt.\"\r\n\r\nagreed ...\r\n\r\nthat\'s the problem with translation ... but why did they even bother in the first place, given that it is the name of a locality ... not just some title in another language?!','ae2e7e888d95bb68b4d65cefcfae3ef1',0,'','GzHjNUAu',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9737,1710,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1178364660,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Grbavica (2006) (Austria-Bosnia/Herzegovina)','The simplest answer would be that very few people would know how to pronounce Grbavica.\r\n\r\nHowever, the renaming adds an almost sordid appeal, certainly one that would pique more of an interest to the casual observer than the original title, remember the excellent South Korean film Oh! Soo-jung , marketed in the West with the incredibly inflammatory and seedy sounding title of Virgin Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors!\r\n\r\nCheers Trev','16ce46a15606419cda92236b163f85e7',0,'','ETdDJh4v',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9738,1710,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1181541720,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Grbavica (2006) (Austria-Bosnia/Herzegovina)','Jasmila Zbanic\'s Grbavica: The Land of My Dreams is being released on DVD by Strand (U.S.) on June 12th.','1a60c331ce9e77526403fde1a90ded69',0,'','4D0BVG9o',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9739,1711,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1181292780,1,0,1,1,1,1,'wpqx','Marx Brothers Question','Anyone who has the new dvd of A Day at the Races can you tell me if the scene of them in blackface is on it? I\'ve resigned myself to the notion that it has been permanently removed, but I\'m not sure in today\'s modern \"historical accuracy\" wave if they won\'t include it.','e97a58b62ba82d99eb670727ff017f80',0,'','j2E73xvA',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9740,1711,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1181418600,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Marx Brothers Question','Which new release are you referring to? The box set?','7f1e9b6ee0fdcc3e5f916261e2de8042',0,'','2BNXuoW7',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9741,1711,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1181428200,1,0,1,1,1,1,'wpqx','Re: Marx Brothers Question','The MGM boxed set, which is probably two years old by now, but by my math that makes it new.','f262c979eeb79b3a44b6e525a3863d08',0,'','T3edhBGu',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9742,1711,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1202118900,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: Marx Brothers Question','moved.','2c6a795957427f5c1ef16c0b79a19267',0,'','59QUzGEA',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9743,1711,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1202170980,1,0,1,1,1,1,'wpqx','Re: Marx Brothers Question','Anyone have a +@+@*@@ answer?','d6a85f2b50c0fe8660f454d0926853e1',0,'','NqshSCe1',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9744,1711,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1202223960,1,0,1,1,1,1,'A','Re: Marx Brothers Question','Don\'t have the slightest idea.','7305c45c0d93fd54f9897bfdd9a03d07',0,'','tAYE1KUh',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9745,1712,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1118708520,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Don\'t Move - Non Ti Muovere 2004 (Italy)','An overhead view of a road traffic accident, the victim a young girl who has come off her bike is rushed to hospital and into surgery, her life obviously hangs in the balance as surgeons try to save her. This is the opening for Don\'t Move, directed by and starring Sergio Castellitto with Penelope Cruz as you\'ve never seen her before.\r\n\r\nSergio plays Timoteo a surgeon, the girl in the accident (Angela) is his daughter and all he can do is sit and wait while she is operated on. Something jogs his memory and the majority of the rest of the film is told through flashbacks of a doomed love affair he had.\r\n\r\nPenelope Cruz plays Italia, in flashback the other half of the doomed affair, with a mixture of make up and acting she attacks the role of one of society\'s casualties with aplomb, cheap tacky clothing, multi-coloured streaky hair, a bandy gawky walk and the attitude of a victim, great acting (and in Italian).\r\n\r\nWhat starts off near enough as rape ends up as a passionate affair. Italia, her house and life are the polar opposites to Timoteo\'s, his wife is very beautiful in a traditional sense, confident, well off and well educated, his house flows with beauty and serenity while Italia\'s is a sloven shack due to be demolished, he has a successful career and social life, she lives amongst and indeed is one of society\'s misfits. Several times through-out the film this disparity is clearly illustrated, the first time being when Timoteo is sat on Italia\'s bed trying to ring his home, we switch from the run down shambles to the luxurious bedroom at the other end of the line, silky curtains blowing in a gentle breeze, stylish furniture and calmness, this type of switch occurs again and again, sometimes to illustrate differences, sometimes because of similarities in circumstance . \r\n\r\nFrom what I can remember there was no background music as such, what appeared to be background music became part of the film whether played in a cafe, car etc this was unusual but worked well within the context of the film.\r\n\r\nThe story pretty much plays out as expected involving the usual suspects - passion, lust, pregnancy, bitterness, regret and of course death but just manages to steer the right side of mawkish melodrama. The story is fairly obvious and put to music would make a great opera, the acting especially from Ms Cruz holds you till the end.\r\n\r\nWorth seeing even if only to see Penelope Cruz act (as opposed to the recent crap she\'s done) and for those who like this traditional type of dramatic romance.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','f06cc10efd4ae419d1f2b3707d2492cb',0,'','q96rKbyU',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9746,1712,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1180867500,1,0,1,1,1,1,'JPaulie','Re: Don\'t Move - Non Ti Muovere 2004 (Italy)','Yes Penelope was excellent she really shines in films as such, and she held the film from when she entered to when it finished. A great film, I was suprised I wasnt hating Timoteo for what he did, very nice how the story and situation turned around on him and you start feeling sympathetic towards him. \r\n\r\nVery underrated and I dont know why she went not nominated by the Oscars when this came out, she should have been nominated and won over Reese Witherspoon for Walk The Line! Cruz at her finest!!','7736c76e3b4b28b7316278f5f8838851',0,'','FusADZSt',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9747,1712,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1180949220,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Don\'t Move - Non Ti Muovere 2004 (Italy)','You\'re right, Cruz was excellent in Don\'t Move; arguably her best performance to date. And it was due to this film, and not the latter Volver, that she was recognized as a skillfull dramatic actress. Cruz won the Italian academy award (\"David di Donatello\") for her troubles. None of her earlier performances had truly deserved such acclaim. I\'m looking forward to watching her alongside Adrian Brody in the upcoming drama, Manolete.','36d60408e1843210308707d9d1e12d9b',0,'','WsFJpGAR',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9748,1713,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1133163900,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Paradise Now (2005) (Palestine/France/Germany/Netherlands)','Director: Hany Abu-Assad\r\nCast: Kais Nashef, Ali Suliman, Lubna Azabal, Amer Hlehel, Hiam Abbass \r\n\r\nThe official website ...\r\nsee\r\nwip.warnerbros.com/paradisenow/\r\n\r\nAt the Berlin International Film Festival 2005, it garnered the Blue Angel Award \r\nIt has also been recently nominated in the Best Foreign Film category for Golden Globe Award.\r\n\r\n\r\nMy thoughts ...\r\n-- The ending scene was among the best ... and the credits started rolling ... in silence ... most audience would be rooted their seats ... probably in silence ... The starting scene also began in silence ... as the audience were made to worry if a bomb would trigger at the security pass ... hmmm, the scariness of silence ...\r\n-- Also commendable was its authenticity, the film looked realistic ... \r\n-- Finally, there were food for thoughts ... as the director and scriptwriter tried to portray the other side of the story ... that if the oppressors could portray themselves as victims ... so could the protagonists who were killers portray themselves as victims ... would the world change because of the suicide bombing? or would nothing change? ... would the bombings work? would the humanity programs work? or would anything work at all? ... of course the film would not have worked if the two main protagonists did not carry it thorugh ... most audience would note how different the characters have changed through the hours ... especially in their looks ... hiaks hiaks ... but also in their rationalizing ... and emotions ... as they stepped nearer towards their promised Paradise ...\r\n\r\nWhat could be better ...\r\n-- Hmmm, I am not sure if the car repair scenes were meant to be humorous or sad (in reality, it could happen) ... but it probably laid the foundation for them to be fired so that their family would believe they were going Israel to work ...\r\n-- As I expected a \"thriller\" (because many marketing and review seemed to suggest so), I have to admit that there were times when it was not as gripping ...\r\n\r\nConclusion:\r\nRecommended ... mainly for its message of peace and its authentic feel.','71d7d57a156d764a94a53f5d3e569942',0,'','a8qndZSb',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9749,1713,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1137489960,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: Paradise Now (2005) (Palestine/France/Germany/Netherlands)','\r\ncongrats on the Golden Globe win.\r\n\r\nBest Foreign Language Film','d1d41dac993273f0481ccf681460874d',0,'','v1YrcV8x',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9750,1713,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1180867260,1,0,1,1,1,1,'JPaulie','Re: Paradise Now (2005) (Palestine/France/Germany/Netherlands)','I love how it does take that stance and show how the oppressed feel, being in occupation by the Israeli and how they think they should deal with it. It was a gripping film for me, I loved the setting very realistic with a great cast especially Saif!!! \r\n\r\nThis is one film that everyone must see, its a real eye opener and seriously does leave you thinking about the world.\r\n\r\nAfter watching this you need to watch the docu\'s Tragedy in the Holy Land: The Second Uprising and Peace, Propaganda & the Promised Land which can be watch in full here\r\nvideo.google.com/videopla...8578139565','932f5732e73a5f7c2ca685f2b6ab6bb7',0,'','rJQp2hKU',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9751,1714,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1145080800,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Zozo (2005) (Sweden)','\r\n\r\nDirector: Josef Fares\r\nCast: Imad Creidi, Antoinette Turk, Viktor Axelsson\r\n\r\nThis film was submitted by Sweden for Oscar 2006 foreignfilms category.\r\n\r\nSynopsis:\r\nThe film is kind of semi-autobiographical of the director\'s own experience. The first half tells of a young boy\'s life in Beirut, Lebanon ... The second half tells of his life in Sweden ... I really think to say anything more would give the story away ... hee hee\r\n\r\nMy thoughts ...\r\n-- For those who like ... there are a few scenes which might be kind of dreamlike ... but for those who do not like ... these scenes may detract from the style of a serious drama ...\r\ne.g., the talking chicken ...\r\n(quite interesting ... hmmm ... do you remember when you were young?! do you ever talk to animals and toys?! and assume they do talk too?! )\r\ne.g., the dream sequences ...\r\n\r\n-- Two scenes will likely wrench the audience heart ...\r\n(i) the scenes of war\r\n(ii) the scenes of him trying to fit into the new environment ... and this contrasts with his original eagerness to go to Sweden when he was in Lebanon ...\r\n\r\n-- In terms of casting, I think the chemistry among the three kids when they were young are good ... also, I guess most people will find the grandfather very funny ... hee hee\r\n\r\n-- In terms of choreography, i like several of the scenes \r\ne.g., how the sky or stars changes ... \r\ne.g., how some scenes change from one to another\r\n\r\n-- It also has a nice soundtrack ...\r\n\r\nWhat could be better ...\r\n-- Given the difficulty of shuffling between funny moments and sad moments, it is not easy to be totally consistent or consistently engaging ...\r\n\r\n-- In terms of relationship, it is assumed but never explained why the bond between him and his mother is so much stronger than he and his family ... (i am okay with it though) ... Also, the young boy thinks of the girl (Rita) more often than he does of his friends (Amin, etc) in Lebanon whom he spent most of his time with ... hmmm ... is it because of the adolescence age? or is it because he met her during the war? or the director has accidentally forgotten to highlight the boy\'s thoughts about his friends ...\r\n\r\nConclusion:\r\n- Recommended. However, given the difficulty of shuffling between funny moments and sad moments, it is not easy to be totally consistent or consistently engaging ... \r\n\r\nNonetheless, the film is well done and most important of all, it really has a good take away (or lessons learnt) ... about life ...','90a92cec11e86c3b0ffa2fd3ff3c1ffe',0,'','JKUPa6eo',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9752,1714,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1180866900,1,0,1,1,1,1,'JPaulie','Re: Zozo (2005) (Sweden)','Oooo I love this film, I immediately purchased it because of the title, I have a cousin named Zozo. But this film is really simple, I really enjoyed it, Zozo is a wonderful actor. The film is really brought to life due to him and his story, how he deals with the problems that he has faced. Overall a great film with beautiful scenes, and an AMAZING lead!!!','952ff70cea79a1f63d614c7ec27af9bc',0,'','8M17HGnB',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9753,1715,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1133229180,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','The Wild Blue Yonder (2005 - USA)','The Wild Blue Yonder (2005)\r\n\r\nDirected by Werner Herzog\r\n\r\nStarring Brad Dourif\r\n\r\nThis is a strange amalgam of styles, the majority of the footage is from Nasa, inside the Space Shuttle and from an Antarctic diving expedition along with plenty of stock footage. There is very little filmed specifically for the film and what there is is pretty basic. \r\n\r\nThe soundtrack is pretty remarkable though, similar in style to another of his documentaries, The White Diamond featuring cellist Ernst Reijseger with Senegalese singer Mola Sylla also a Sardinian choir, a very eclectic mix which adds a genuine mystique to the proceedings.\r\n\r\nThe one constant is Brad Dourif, who although seen rarely, narrates throughout the film and is the nameless alien from the Andromeda system. Basically the whole story As told from an alien perspective concerns humanities over population and abuse of Earth forcing us to look to the stars for a new home. The aliens originally landed here from Andromeda, they looked to the Earth with envious eyes as their planet became a frozen wasteland and built a city with shopping malls (now a crumbling ruin) for their people, it failed miserably. The paradox is, the crew sent into space to find a new world have found one, a world encased in ice but suitable for human habitation, the planet Andromeda.\r\n\r\nDone with a touch of humour, this is a warning against the mass consumerism that is decimating the resources of Earth, Brad Dourif makes a good alien and his narration holds all the collective images together. As already said, the soundtrack is something else, very diverse and strange. Overall the project just about hangs together and works but has a very low budget rushed feel to it.\r\n\r\nThis was shown recently on BBC4, (the film was partly funded by the BBC) but to be honest, I would think it would be a totally different (far more inspirational and immersive) experience on the big screen.\r\n\r\nMy recommendation, if this has piqued your interest, try and catch it in the cinema where the images and sound will be far more potent.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','1ac2900725deb7118c10fb29bf383443',0,'','piSBVyrH',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9754,1715,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1140534060,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: The Wild Blue Yonder (2005 - USA)','One of those films that you like it or hate it.\r\n\r\nThe director basically pieces together different footages, and try to tell a \"coherent\" story about aliens, in about 10?! chapters ... it does have some messages/foot for thoughts ...\r\n\r\nIf you like the story, you will applaud him for being imaginative ... \r\n\r\nIf you do not buy the story, you will be upset that he manages to \"tweak\" what the original footages are about ...\r\n\r\nRegardless of your opinion, one cannot deny that there are a few footages that are very cinematographic ...','889a0b6c41218ff8bf94e899fc654f64',0,'','mk4NSfo7',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9755,1716,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1180032660,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Salty Air (L\'Aria Salata) (2007) (Italy)','\r\n\r\nDirector: Alessandro Angelini\r\nCast: Giorgio Pasotti, Michela Cescon, Giorgio Colangeli\r\n\r\nSynopsis\r\nFabio (Giorgio Pasotti), a social worker, gets assigned to a newly transfered murderer (Giorgio Colangeli), who has been sentenced to 20 years. Within several minutes of their initial meeting, Fabio was in shock ... why?! \r\n\r\n* note: nearly all synopsis gives this away, but i shan\'t *\r\n\r\nMy thoughts\r\nI am surprised few critics talk abt it ... although it does not boast of complicated plot twist, I think it excels in depicting human relationships, complex emotions, and a great performance by the two male protagonists and the female sup actress ... \r\n\r\nbelying the obvious plot, it also poses numerous philosophical questions, about life, about love, about family ... about understanding and misunderstanding, about caring and uncaring ... about reform, repent and the penal system ... in essence, about humanity ...\r\n\r\nConclusion\r\nHighly recommended ...','8244251f90ef7516e155a93f682a1e23',0,'','MoV2EDNt',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9756,1717,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1179935220,1,0,1,1,1,1,'justindeimen','Amazing Grace (2006) (UK/Michael Apted)','Review: \r\n\r\nTheres something noble but absent about Michael Apteds historical biography set in the late 18th Century Britain. Amazing Grace, a filmic beacon of sound Christian values is told through a familiar and conveniently transpicuous canvas of right and wrong with good and evil being played out by easily discernable white and black hats. Its larger than life premise, prefixed with a true story tips its hat to every humanitarian unthankfully slogging for long hours to change the status quo. \r\n\r\nAs a history lesson that regards the antislavery movement fought for by political firebrand William Wilberforce (Ioan Gruffudd), it is a reasonable adaptation of the facts with minimal flourishes. Recounting the pioneering efforts Wilberforce first led as a youthful, fresh-faced member in the House of Commons at a tender age of 21, the film moves on to his failures and the continued efforts to abolish the slave trade right into his weary, almost spent 30s. Apteds hagiographic gaze of admiration on Wilberforce borders on berthing the man sainthood, an attribute that makes the film feel more cinematic than it already is. But it is this very attribute that Apted rolls on with full steam ahead that makes the character an unyielding force of good with a singular imperative in a world that is ready to abandon the ideals he fervently extols. \r\n\r\nThe film is undeniably cluttered with religious imagery and spiritual rhetoric and it doesnt hide them. Its very nature of ascending the moral high ground is Apteds tribute to Wilberforce and refuses to address the unflattering notion that his need for change consumed him for the worst and that his political will has been said to have expedited the old British Empires decline. \r\n\r\nPerhaps its artlessness is cause for its success. While pretentious musings on contemporary slavery and Black People being exploited by the White Man have been filmed primarily to make an impression on audiences consciousness, most of them and in particular the recent Blood Diamond, has shown that it can moralise and offend at the same time by resorting to hysterics and reformed antiheroes to get its point across. Thank God for Hollywood archetypes like William Wilberforce, for mainly sticking it to the stiff upper-lipped patricians in large, circular venues so that claps ring louder and longer.','54a6539ab3b13bb9f2d54893cb1d99cf',0,'','kLMvqiYJ',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9757,1717,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1179941880,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: Amazing Grace (2006) (UK/Michael Apted)','if i am still around, i will catch it','dc5016e2c843ea1002c77bdff71053a8',0,'','sK0L6vjm',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9758,1718,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1179200520,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Priceless (Hors de prix) (2006) (France)','\r\n\r\nDirector:Pierre Salvadori\r\nCast: Gad Elmaleh, Audrey Tautou, Marie-Christine Adam, Vernon Dobtcheff\r\n\r\nSynopsis\r\nIrne (Audrey Tautou) hooks up with rich men, but is unfortunate enough to mistake a poor waiter, Jean (Gad Elmaleh) for one. Of course she dumps him immediately upon discovery. However, Jean is so keen on her that he will not let it go ... How will it all end ...\r\n\r\nMy 1 cent worth ...\r\n\r\n-- humorous in a \"French\" way ... not those hilarious over the top comedy ... but nonetheless, it will still make you laugh along the way ...\r\n\r\n-- both the lead did a great job ... and yup, even though Audrey Tautou is a gold digger, we still \"like\" her ... and even want both the lead to be together ... will they?! ... ha ha ha ... go watch ...\r\n\r\nConclusion\r\nEntertaining. Rather mainstream ...','5715f8fb1ee3c11af052a1ea9dd01252',0,'','meFjtTDl',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9759,1718,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1179658140,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Priceless (Hors de prix) (2006) (France)','\"-- humorous in a \"French\" way ... not those hilarious over the top comedy ... but nonetheless, it will still make you laugh along the way ...\"\r\n\r\nInteresting.\r\n\r\nAnyway, you may also like Salvadori\'s previous effort, Aprs vous.','743922316c171c05c9705b192d419204',0,'','G1BF2Vg0',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9760,1719,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1179563760,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Lee Yoon-ki\'s This Charming Girl (S. Korea / 2004)','[Moved from the Korean Korner / OP 08/08/05]\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nA delicate and nuanced study of self-imposed loneliness and internal suffering, This Charming Girl (Yeoja, Jeong-hye) is a confident debut feature from South Korean filmmaker Lee Yoon-ki. In the film, Lee\'s camera incessantly follows a twentysomething Seoul woman, Jeong-hae (a brilliant Kim Ji-soo), as she goes through her mundane daily routine which is primarily comprised of an early morning rise for a minor post-office job, regular lunches with friendly co-workers, and then a lonely walk home to her well-equipped apartment. As the films international title suggests, Jeong-hae is certainly charming but she is also a bit peculiar (which her co-worker also implies after learning that this otherwise neat woman likes second-hand smoke). Along with a few locks that decorate her apartment door, she has also instituted various alarm setups throughout her domicile even though she lives in the middle of suburbia. A few initial flashback sequences provide hints about her past: her supportive mother passed away after a painful illness, shes had a problem or two with her ex-husband. But the more deliberately intrusive Lees camera becomes, the more distant his protagonist gets. Then all of a sudden we find her in the middle of a street asking a young writer (Hwang Jung-min), a regular post-office visitor, to come over for dinner and a meeting with her newly adopted cat, the only thing shes having a hard time controlling. \r\n\r\nWinner of awards at Deauville, Berlin and Pusan (where the film had its premiere), this reticent, minimalist gem was shot hand-held by Lee, but it features a cool, bright look, much like its leading lady. It\'s quite refreshing to see this almost \"feminist\" film from a country which has exported an abundance of nihilistic masochism in recent years. As the final few somewhat awkwardly paced flashbacks convey the reason behind her current state, the film grows in immediacy and ultimately comes to quite a head. This Charming Girl certainly features some European art-house influences, none more so than in the final sequence where it becomes obvious that new filmmakers like Lee have already started paying homage to the Dardennes.\r\n\r\n__________________________\r\n\r\n*Available on English-subtitled Korean (Region-3/NTSC) DVD from Spectrum.','a9ae54b7f92b7ad4b07e5c68333c830e',0,'','sSDvKiJX',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9761,1719,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1179569820,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: Lee Yoon-ki\'s This Charming Girl (S. Korea / 2004)','His third film\r\n\r\nAd Lib Night','9912e498673cedc84613d6dabf2d8b1c',0,'','LhyKTaSG',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9762,1719,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1179570600,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Lee Yoon-ki\'s This Charming Girl (S. Korea / 2004)','I plan on watching Ad Lib Night very soon. Have you seen Lee\'s second effort, Love Talk?','b8714ff6aa7fab81415925f4301138ab',0,'','AGzEcl58',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9763,1719,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1179599040,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: Lee Yoon-ki\'s This Charming Girl (S. Korea / 2004)','I did not watch the second film because I think it did not make it to Singapore or San Francisco ... I have heard that reviews were bad ...','4384e0679344890554cffd11532aed66',0,'','c2BAzPKm',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9764,1719,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1179657240,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Lee Yoon-ki\'s This Charming Girl (S. Korea / 2004)','I\'ve gotten the same impression. But, as you know, I don\'t overly concern myself with mainstream \"critics,\" so if I get the opportunity, I\'ll go for it based on the strength of This Charming Girl. Quite often, the expectations created by great debut films work against the filmmakers for their follow-ups, regardless of the quality of the work. This has been proven time and time again.','c9ec57f120f8ded0fef70ec74b44797d',0,'','UYFb1kiq',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9768,1721,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1179227580,1,0,1,1,1,1,'nate','April Story (Japan, 1998)','\"The image of him in an open field strumming his guitar was fixed in my mind like a picture in a frame that was screwed to the wall and wouldn\'t come off.\" - Uzuki Nireno\r\n\r\nApril Story is a pensive drama that is written, edited and directed by Shunji Iwai. The movie only runs for 64 minutes, which is too short for a featured film but achieves a deeply charming movie. Watching April Story is like watching kittens drowsing; it\'s intoxicating charm and simple premise is shouting kawaii (japanese for cute) all through out the film. It\'s one of the movies I picked whenever I\'m in a bad mood.\r\n\r\nApril as a title connotes the blossoming of cherries in the Tokyo area (as seen in the first part when the protagonist reached Tokyo), the starts of the school year and rebirth. It was the perfect setting and theme for the movie.\r\n\r\nUzuki Nireno, our protagonist is eager, good-natured and a very shy girl. She likes playing record and as she describes is cheerful by nature. She\'s from the country side of Hokkaido and decides to study in a Musashino University in Tokyo. Too timid to deal with flirting boys, she\'s trying hard to fit it with everyone in the class. Wearing a sweater and awkwardly introduced to class and was unable to answer why she chooses Musashino University, Nireno embarrassed herself mostly by dealing with new things in school. She can\'t fit everything she wants in her small apartment, her neighbor won\'t talk to her with open doors, and she even had encounters with shady pervert.\r\n\r\nThe whole film revolves around Nireno, her inarticulateness, her timid approach to things and being an inexperienced girl in the big city. Everything about her is framed in the entire movie that Nireno became a symbol of charm and innocence.\r\n\r\nThe film moves slowly and in steady pace, helping the viewers to immerse him/herself into the life of Nireno. We can feel her isolation, her loneliness and also her eagerness and strength. The whole foundation of this charming film is something romantic. It presents the question of why the timid Nireno chose to moved in the university in Tokyo. The answer by the end of the film is like a fairy tale come true or perhaps a miracle for the shy girl Nireno.\r\n\r\nApril Story is a beautiful movie with great scenery and a cheerful story. The story and the characters feels authentic that guarantees a smile when the screen goes black and the end piano theme starts to play.','ad799b540b380a2a5e03cbb8787c1c16',0,'','j8flJLRM',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9769,1721,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1179419580,1,0,1,1,1,1,'siriusdan','Re: April Story (Japan, 1998)','i always thought that shunji iwai is japan\'s answer to lars von trier. ive seen april story and was moved my its simplicity and honesty. all about lily chou-chou should be the bible of all independent filmmaker. and the marvelous love letter is one of the most original story written on screen.','8bb5201f7271ca96f59d5091ca56307c',0,'','jY9nExtU',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9770,1721,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1179427980,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: April Story (Japan, 1998)','yup ... \r\n\r\n(i) Love Letter! \r\n\r\n(ii) Lily Chou Chou, I will have to rewatch again ...\r\n\r\n(iii) April Story ... I think I have the DVD but I have not watched it ...','105012ff8aa25601427570aa630aee8f',0,'','UFBXxtJ2',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9771,1722,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1179380820,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','The Boss Of It All (Direktren for det hel) (2006) (Denmark)','Director: Lars von Trier \r\nCast: Jens Albinus, Peter Gantzler, Fridrik Thor Fridriksson, Benedikt Erlingsson \r\n\r\nThe official site \r\nclick \r\nhttp://www.direktorenfordethele.dk/ \r\n\r\nSynopsis \r\nA man, Ravn, who heads a company has never revealed his identity. Instead, he gets the easy way out by simply blaming things on \"The Boss Of It All\". About to sell his company, he now needs someone to represent and pretend to be him. So, he hires a thespian, Kristoffer (Jens Albinus) but provides him with little material to work on … yup, this will bring audience moments of surprises and laughters … not to mention some \"tears\" and \"upsets\" too … \r\n\r\nConclusion \r\nWorth watching. With the well written script (esp. the voice over lines), I seriously think it would be awesome as a theatre play! Somehow, it does not fully capitalize on the technicalities/possibilities of a film … \r\n;)','cd55f043327df73e5ae3c0c57282c9d8',0,'','tZn96xKQ',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9772,1722,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1201157100,1,0,1,1,1,1,'sfdavide','Re: The Boss Of It All (Direktren for det hel) (2006) (Denmark)','I thought this was one of the funniest films I have seen in a long time','33c90b05a2b191ab8527c5d105e4808b',0,'','jvgofYGA',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9773,1722,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1202446440,1,0,1,1,1,1,'wpqx','Re: The Boss Of It All (Direktren for det hel) (2006) (Denmark)','I found it quite amusing and is a nice change of pace after the rather grim Maderlay.','873e6c5b1fdfe8e870c88a3ee5e39628',0,'','ulVvxoEW',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9774,1722,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1202992800,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: The Boss Of It All (Direktren for det hel) (2006) (Denmark)','great','acaa16770db76c1ffb9cee51c3cabfcf',0,'','2w8nqg1A',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9775,1723,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1179375060,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','A Friend Of Mine (Ein Freund von Mir) (2006) (Germany)','\r\n\r\nDirector: Sebastian Schipper\r\nCast: Daniel Brhl, Jrgen Vogel, Sabine Timoteo\r\n\r\nSynopsis\r\nDespite being a highflyer in his company, the pensive loner Karl (Daniel Brhl) is tasked to work as a car transfer driver at the airport simply to provoke him. He gets acquainted with a happy go lucky but loquacious Hans (Jrgen Vogel). How will the friendship develop? And will Karl life change at all?\r\n\r\nMy thoughts\r\n\r\n-- Although the pacing in the beginning is kind of slow, and audience who have not read the synopsis may be wondering where the film is going, the film soon seduces with its realistic, but hilarious and delightful depiction of a budding friendship. The scenes/events/dialogues are credibly familiar, and hey, it could happen at any country and any place between two friends ... ... Worth mentioning, I have to credit Jrgen Vogel for his marvellously portrayed persona (at least I think it is so different from The Free Will). As for Daniel Brhl, I think he has a tougher role, but he kinds of pull it off (though not a wow) ...\r\n\r\n-- Ok, this next para is going to be contentious ... as we debate again whether we should credit a film for what we can get out of it ... or whether the director has the intentions initially ... anyway, this will bring my rating of the film from \"worth watching\" to \"recommended\" instead ... without revealing the story too much ... the film may be \"re-interpreted\" as a story about Karl and his \"alternate\" self ... after all, the first scene begins with a scene from the later half of the film and it depicts a pensive Karl at the side of a heavy traffic with many cars speeding past ... \r\n\r\nthnks to the poster at imdb, he even suggested scenes of familiarity with The Fight Club ... \r\n\r\n* major spoiler *\r\nhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt0441762/board/nest/57987927\r\n* end of major spoiler *\r\n\r\nConclusion: \r\nSkimming the surface (and plain narrative), the film may simply pass of as \"worth watching\". Anyone who longs for a close friend will love the development of friendship between the two protagonists (largely credited to Jrgen Vogel). \r\n\r\nBut on deeper thoughts, if the film is reinterpreted by understanding Hans as the \"alternate\" Karl, we have to credit the director and script writers. ... But because it does not reveal this explicitly, many will simply walk away with the basic plot without pursuing further ... \r\n\r\nWhile some may love the film for its many comical moments, some may dismiss the film as familiar or cliche. For me, the film works slowly but by the end, I actually enjoyed the film ...','0daf0441b4886ad133eafe97f2feed40',0,'','fQt8lYoU',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9776,1724,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1179299640,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Aleksandr Sokurov\'s The Sun (Russia-Fra-Ita-Swi / 2005)','\r\n\r\nThe Sun (Solntse), the third chapter in Russian director Aleksandr Sokurovs projected tetrology about \"Men of Power,\" compellingly considers Japanese Emperor Hirohito and his actions at the end of World War II. Regarded as divine by the Japanese people through faith and tradition, Hirohito (Issei Ogata) is presented as a feeble, Chaplinesque figure (Sokurov makes sure that we get the reference) who is initially seen holed up in his well-equipped bunker underneath the imperial palace. The ritualization of his daily activities, no matter how minor, seem to have caused a dent or two in his demeanor. The one thing which does allow Hirohito some space however is his affection for biology (marine, in particular). He even indulges in its evolutionary aspects during a tense meeting with the war cabinet whose members offer a somewhat conflicted, albeit patriotic, view of the worsening situation.\r\n\r\nEven though the early sequences in the film exhibit the Emperors naivet regarding the war and Japanese history (he even draws a blank when his chamberlain alludes to the events of 1924), it slowly but surely becomes apparent that Hirohito has been profoundly affected by them. At one point, he recalls a mystical, apocalyptic vision in which a city gets firebombed by some menacing sea creatures (bringing to mind the war sequences from Howls Moving Castle [2004]); also, while pontificating the natural tendencies of a hermit crab in his laboratory, all of a sudden it occurs to him that the cause of the national shame in 1924 were Californias anti-immigration laws. And so it becomes evident that, for Sokurov, Hirohitos confounding emotional and psychological state in the initial post-war days reflected an inability to deal with the pertinent issues. Which perhaps makes his ultimate breakthrough all the more affecting.\r\n\r\n\"[The Sun] is not a documentary and not a political film,\" Sokurov has said. \"We all know what happened to Japan: Japan was very aggressive, invaded other countries and had to pay the price.\" While its debatable how much we all really know about the scale of the atrocities Japan committed during the years leading up to W.W.II (especially in the Second Sino-Japanese War), and how much control of the military the Emperor truly had, Sokurov and his primary screenwriter Yuri Arabov (who was also involved with Moloch [1999] and Taurus [2001], the first two chapters of the tetrology which portrayed Hitler and Lenin, respectively) have chosen not to delve into that subject. Instead, theyve attempted to seize the moment when Hirohito and U.S. General Douglas MacArthur (Robert Dawson) changed the fate of millions by thinking and acting progressively.\r\n\r\nStill, that wont be enough to satisfy many historically minded individuals, and perhaps rightfully so, but there shouldnt be any questions regarding what the filmmaker has achieved here in formal terms. Sokurov shot The Sun himself -- on digital video which was then transferred to film. The grainy, nebulously-lit sepia-toned images mark an exquisite canvas on which he has expressionistically displayed his visual panache (Sokurov has stated that the crepuscular look was inspired by the work of Rembrandt). The sound-design is just as rich and creative. The ambient, static-ridden vibrations give way to the sublimity of Bach and Wagner. \r\n\r\nSokurovs aesthetics are well complimented by those of Ogata. His facial tics, including constant mouthing of inaudible words, are meant to relay the strain of the divine monarchy, which Hirohito\'s actions altered forever. (Artistic depiction of the Emperor, who died in 1989 after leading the country for more than 62 years, is still a touchy subject in Japan. To avoid any problems with the right-wing groups, Sokurov didn\'t reveal the names of the Japanese cast members during production.) Ogata\'s remarkable performance ultimately renders what Sokurovs aim for his subject was to be: human.\r\n\r\n________________________\r\n\r\n*THE SUN premiered at the 2005 Berlin Film Festival (in-competition). It\'s still seeking distribution in the U.S. (My Best Undistributed Films (2006) list.) \r\n\r\n*Available on DVD in the U.K. (Artificial-Eye). (Special Features: Production notes by Sokurov, Filmographies, Theatrical trailer.)','9ef6e1849af97c3cc87d6a3547596a4b',0,'','pVvoTyxf',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9777,1725,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1179201120,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Out Of The Blue (2006) (New Zealand)','\r\n\r\nDirector: Robert Sarkies\r\nCast: Matthew Sunderland, Karl Urban\r\n\r\nThe caption on the poster reads ...\r\n\"From the last place on earth comes a true story of courage and love\"\r\n\r\nSynopsis\r\nThe film recounts the killing of 13 people at Aramoana on the fateful 13 and 14 November, 1990.\r\n\r\nMy thoughts\r\n-- Unlike many films that dwell with actual killings, this film does not go all out to shock you or over dramatize events ... instead, the director opts for a \"sincere\" approach ... the first killing will happen randomly (i.e., out of the blue) and so will many of the other ... the shock and sadness simply \"sizzles\" from the unfortunate event itself ...\r\n\r\n-- the performance by the lead is great ... although little is done to explain or rationalize the actions of the killer (prob \"out of the blue\") and maybe \"over possessive\" of his turf and maybe \"passion\" for guns ... maybe there is just little material to work with (and the director wants to remain faithful to the incident) ...\r\n\r\n-- notably, the director chooses to focus on the people ... the life of ordinary people in the first third of the film ... the reactions and courage of those affected/injured in the second third of the film ... and the police and their search in the last third ...\r\n\r\nConclusion\r\nRecommended. Basically a sincere film ...\r\n\r\n(1) Here is the song that is sounded at the end of the film ... \r\nvery meaningful and melancholic ...\r\nclick\r\nDon Mcglashan - I Will Not Let You Down\r\n\r\n(2) An interview with the director\r\nclick\r\nhttp://www.fighttimes.com/magazine/magazine.asp?article=576','4593321133ae2e37fc1bd93494c683fa',0,'','nCMmtWrb',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9778,1726,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1178030220,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Summer Palace (Yi He Yuan) (2006) (China)','\r\n\r\nDirector: Lou Ye\r\nCast: Hao Lei, Guo Xiaodong\r\n\r\nFirst, I would like to applaud our authority for allowing the film to be screened in its entirety, without any censorship ... *clap * ... and also, the distributor for releasing it commercially ... if i am correct, singapore is the second after france to have a commercial release (i.e., NOT incl. film festivals) ...\r\n\r\nNow ... to the film ... it premiered in Cannes Film Festival, but became \"controversial\" because the director and his producer was banned from making movies for 5 years ...\r\n\r\nThe story spans over a decade and more ... starting from 1987 ... and spans across many areas within China (Tumen, Beijing, Wuhan, Beidaihe, etc) ... and even Germany (Berlin) ... \r\n\r\nIn the beginning, Yu Hong (Hao Lei) is elated over her acceptance into the university in Beijing ... She parts with her love one there and gets herself madly in love with another at Beijing, Zhou Wei (Guo Xiao dong) ... Through her story, we get to comprehend youths of that period and time ... their love, their desire, their sexual explorations, their moods, their ideals, their loss, their liberations, etc ... Rather compelling & daring are the credible performance by both leads ... coming across as \"real\" people on the street rather than some \"renowned\" actors ...\r\n\r\nIncluded in the film are also real footage of historical moments such as the Tiananmen Square incident, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the dissolution of former USSR, the return of Hong Kong, etc ...\r\n\r\nIt is a film whereby the audience should just sit back and be immersed into the period and mood, experiencing the lives of the youth then ... to this, i have to credit part of the music/soundtrack ... there are two or three really great ones which aptly conveys the mood ... \r\n\r\nIn essence, if you like films such as The Dreamers, Regular Lovers, and the alike, you will probably like this too ... Otherwise, you may want to skip it ... for a film about 2 hrs and 20 min, at one point, many would have thought the film has ended ... but it continues ...\r\n\r\nConclusion:\r\nRecommended, only for those who like The Dreamers and Regular Lovers, etc ... Definitely an art film, NOT a mainstream kind of film ... so, do NOT expect a lot from its plot or pacing ...','364ac4ddb3534199adb9dcbba2282584',0,'','xm0J7su3',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9779,1726,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1178034600,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Summer Palace (Yi He Yuan) (2006) (China)','What is the position of the film on its home turf? I would assume it\'s been banned.\r\n\r\nSounds very interesting especially against the hyperbolic costume dramas which seem to be the chief mainstay of current Chinese cinema.\r\n\r\nYour comparison re: The Dreamers and Regular Lovers is interesting as these both tackle the same period but are poles apart in their approaches, which would be the fairer comparison?\r\n\r\nOne to look forward to if by chance it gets some sort of release in the UK.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','bd337300fd0c9004da03252ebba3ace6',0,'','8KFgTGci',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9780,1726,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1178044020,1,0,1,1,1,1,'justindeimen','Re: Summer Palace (Yi He Yuan) (2006) (China)','Courtesy of MX\r\n\r\nReview: \r\n\r\nIts a shame that Lou Yes Summer Palace finds its head and heart in too many places at once. Using the backdrop of Chinas bourgeoning social and political upheavals, romance and sensuality blossom and subsequently wither between Beijing students. A pensively dreary mood pervades its implicit study of contemporary Chinese history through the personal growth of Yu Hong (Hao Lei), a provincial lass who diffidently sheds that aspect of her life, including a childhood sweetheart and heads on to big city living by attending Beijing University in 1987 where she finds the rest of her life waiting. \r\n\r\nDespite rejecting the temptation to join the spate of anti-agitprop films emanating from a new wave of Chinese directors, Lou Yes invokes the restless political zeitgeist of the era to develop his characters foray into adulthood and their complicity in its generations evolving ideals that were heedlessly being driven into disillusionment by an inability to focus its euphoric states of cataclysms. Lou endeavours to repurpose the political climate of the country with the destructive and capricious nature of human interactions and dorm room politicking. \r\n\r\nAttempting to use these relationships to elucidate parallels between physical liberation and emotional repression, Lous directorial potency lies in the ability to craft intense and philosophically poignant sequences between his characters just through the understanding of the preceding context. He makes up for the overt pacification of his young lovers lack of emotional responses by the films explicit displays of sexuality, a trait shared by the storys ingnue, Yu, and her friends who Forrest Gump their way through crucial sociopolitical events in the 80s and 90s in China and Europe. \r\n\r\nIts hard to distinguish Lous film from merely being an uncompromising love story and from his almost obligatory social commentary by fecklessly situating his characters turmoil with a convenient political allegory. Already drawing criticisms and repercussions from the Chinese government when the film was shown in Cannes without authorisation from his motherland, the political spotlights are already aimed at Summer Palace. It could possibly recall The Dreamers in its looming thematic concerns but unlike Bertoluccis canvassing of the vive-le-revolucin backdrop, Lou does tend to trivialise the headlong collision of ideologies between youthful expressionism so as to reaffirm his audacity in depicting the ineffable Tiananmen Square event in 89. The artifice he constructs through his milieu is only enhanced by an enchanting performance by his leading lady. Hao brings a truth and vulnerability to her role that plays on a level far above the movie itself languors in.','db948f90cb55e0597d02d5848989feb9',0,'','fXeQYDC0',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9781,1726,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1178047140,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Summer Palace (Yi He Yuan) (2006) (China)','Great to have such varied opinions, I love the Forrest Gump reference btw.\r\n\r\nJust realised, the director also made Suzhou River which I loved.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','0aa2b5a4d76c4287affc0987cac6dd06',0,'','RVlAYkzg',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9782,1726,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1178269020,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Summer Palace (Yi He Yuan) (2006) (China)','\"...if i am correct, singapore is the second after france to have a commercial release (i.e., NOT incl. film festivals) ...\"\r\n\r\nI think Summer Palace has had a release in Hong Kong also, but I\'m not positive. Netherlands is coming up in a couple of weeks. It will also be distributed in Japan and the U.S.\r\n\r\nRegarding the ban, I posted this link in the Cannes \'06 thread.','9b0e411cce23a52e180c92453cfc2a13',0,'','1M6fLrZU',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9783,1726,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1178374560,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Summer Palace (Yi He Yuan) (2006) (China)','Thanks for the link, I was wondering if the ban was purely political or partially because of the sexual nature of the film. \r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','089e0500e2de692165fcb1b8fe0e7210',0,'','ri3Re7WP',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9784,1726,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1205023620,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Summer Palace (Yi He Yuan) (2006) (China)','Summer Palace will be released on DVD by Palm Pictures (U.S.) on March 11.','c7bbe2742d28e6a1c44323a0e48fd6f7',0,'','r91tWpPA',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9785,1727,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1178242980,1,0,1,1,1,1,'peppajaa','Local Hero -1983','Local Hero - 1983\r\n\r\nBusiness man MacIntyre (Peter Riegert) is sent by a massive Houston oil company to a secluded corner of Scotland to buy up a village for a future oil refinery. He gets the job on the strength of his supposed Scottish ancestry. Most of the villagers are quite excited about the money they are going to receive for selling; a few others would prefer to stay put. Against his own expectations, MacIntyre finds himself falling under the spell of this beautiful place - but can he really afford to turn this place he has grown to love into a huge, ugly oil refinery? A delightful Burt Lancaster as the quirky oil company executive with a obsessive love of astronomy. \r\n\r\nGreat cast. Surprising, delightful ending. Great soundtrack by Mark Knopfler. I loved this film.\r\n\r\nPeppa','6b859d0cb4669c06ebffff7f2b092af2',0,'','bFTUrfXv',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9786,1727,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1178255940,1,0,1,1,1,1,'wpqx','Re: Local Hero -1983','I liked it as well, but its been quite a while since I\'ve seen it.','88a8e8cf0b705632967de75ff470107c',0,'','q82MP6uV',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9787,1728,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1177827300,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','The Family Friend (L\' Amico di famiglia) (2006) (Italy)','\r\n\r\nThe Family Friend (L\' Amico di famiglia) (2006) (Italy)\r\n\r\nDirector: Paolo Sorrentino\r\nCast: Giacomo Rizzo, Laura Chiatti\r\n\r\nWow ... this is gonna be one of those movies that is rather divisive ... you either love it or hate it ... It triumphs on its surprisingly stylish scenes, amazing aural appeal, and literally likeable lines (contentious, cryptic, philosophical, and dark) ... Yet, it may fail on three aspects ... its beginning -- honestly, for many who have not read any synopsis (like me), the first 20 minutes or so introduces you to too many characters (confusing?! puzzling?!) and it takes quite a long while before all the characters get linked together ... its ending -- to some extent, many audience can anticipate what is to come ... And finally, rather subjective, some people may feel that he tries too hard in compressing too many things into one film (such that one viewing usually does not suffice) ...\r\n\r\nSo, why could so many characters emerge? The film basically revolves around the eccentric and maybe repulsive money lender ... Geremia (Giacomo Rizzo) ... who professes and convinces himself that he has a Heart-Of-Gold, addressing the females as \"Dear Heart\", etc ... How would his life change (if at all) when he finally meets the beauty queen and bride to be (Laura Chiatti) ... Better still, she is the daughter of a couple who are in debt (borrowing money for you guess what?! ... her wedding)\r\n\r\nConclusion:\r\nDont miss it if you are in for a very divisive film! You either love it or hate it ... Reasons to love -- surprisingly stylish scenes, amazing aural appeal, and literally likeable lines (contentious, cryptic, philosophical, and dark) ... Reasons to hate -- too many characters beginning, predictable ending and maybe, you think the director tries too hard ...','924177850893a50457a97806db56a490',0,'','HSDe7sFP',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9788,1728,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1177846680,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: The Family Friend (L\' Amico di famiglia) (2006) (Italy)','Wow ... this is gonna be one of those movies that is rather divisive ... you either love it or hate it ...\r\n\r\nWell I certainly won\'t disagree with that, though hate is maybe a little extreme. I just thought it was a terribly hackneyed plot which had a few humorous moments and some clever shots.\r\n\r\nIt felt like the anti-Consequences of Love, badly constructed and edited, a plot full of predictable moments and very one dimensional characters, everything pushed to the max without even the tiniest attempt at subtlety. I could take the randomness of the initial sequence, in fact that was by far the best part of the film but overall, the film lacked the cohesian and smartness of CoL. \r\n\r\nOther problems include a cast of totally unlikable characters, the only one I felt for was the girl sunbathing by the tree. The soundtrack which is one thing I wasn\'t too happy with in CoL was even worse this time, the theme at the start was a strange choice but did fit the demeanor of the film, the rest of it though was totally obtrusive, the dramatic \"Elgar\'s Cello Concerto\" thrown in at random moments, and even worse, overlayed with electronic bips and beeps.\r\n\r\nOh .... and I can\'t forget one of my pet hates, C+W music and line dancing.\r\n\r\nWheras CoL was beautifully paced, edited, performed and intriguing, The Family Friend feels like a clumpy mess strung together by a director trying far, far too hard.\r\n\r\nIt\'s strange how things play out, a few days ago I mentioned how few people walk out during screenings in the Chapter LINK, it is after all an arthouse theatre and people generally expect to see challenging and at times, disturbing films. During Battle in Heaven there were no walk outs, during the three hour Into Great Silence (which apparently had around 80% early exits when screened in London), again no walk outs and that can be said for the huge majority of screenings.\r\n\r\nThe Family Friend had an initial audience of twelve, by the time the credits rolled, four were left, and one of those was an elderly man who needed staff assistance to get into and out of the theatre............... nuff said \r\n\r\nYet another film that hengcs and I will have to agree to disagree on, though it\'s usually cheesy feelgood films that divide our opinion.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','9502c570ede2664ece30f4bd16a453a3',0,'','8w92N5E0',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9789,1729,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1157206920,1,0,1,1,1,1,'justindeimen','The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006)','\r\n\r\nWinner of the 2006 Palm d\'Or\r\n\r\nDirector: Ken Loach\r\nWriting: Paul Laverty\r\n\r\nReview:\r\n\r\nThe Wind That Shakes the Barley is Ken Loachs latest ode to those that had to betray their better angels for something they more or less believed in. Staunchly socialist and drawing criticisms for his success in Cannes, Loach thankfully refuses to pander to both sides. He sticks to his figurative guns by unapologetically crafting a one-sided view on a subject that he feels confident in, much like Land and Freedom. It does not support so much as condemn and shows how the violent trajectory of the IRAs policies and actions throughout the years came to be. In the end, it is not so much the political polemic as many as claim or hope it is, but a pointed political examination of the dread that war drums up amidst the quixotic ideals of patriotism and martyrdom.\r\n\r\nHope is the worst of evils, for it prolongs the torments of man. Nietzsche\r\n\r\nAn occupation starts to take shape in 1920s, Ireland when the British send in their military squads known as the Black and Tans. The film is keen to point out that these soldiers are remnants of the cruelty that World War I had left in its wake. The much-reviled British soldiers are caricatured as brutes, but in truth, they give off a sense of desperate senselessness by reluctantly laying their humanity on the line for a cause not all of them believe in. And that can very well be said for the Republicans as well. There are no winners. There are no saviours. There are only choices to be made. The lines that are crossed define these characters.\r\n\r\nDamien (Cillian Murphy), a young trainee doctor abandons a potentially fruitful career in London to join up with his brother, Teddy (Padraic Delany) a political firebrand for the local resistance movement, the last bastion of hope for many. After certain events, Damien is urged to join up and relent working for the Brits. Though sensitive and acquiescent in disposition, he gradually numbs himself to the sanguinary nature of rebellion and gives up his tourniquet for a rudimentary rifle. \r\n\r\nThe full-blooded cinematography is in stark contrast to the gray, bleak world that is being depicted. A quick check shows the unsurprising inclusion of frequent Loach collaborator, Barry Ackroyd, responsible for its masterful cinematography. Its pastoral simplicity is engulfed in a complex battle of principles as blood is shed indiscriminately upon its meadows. Hillside ambushes amidst the foliage lead to stained verdure and the deathly calm aftermath as the survivors tally the casualties. It starts to eat away at the vigilance of these men as it hauntingly signifies whats to come.\r\n\r\nSoon the subterfuge, clandestine assassinations and abuse their womenfolk receive by protecting them start to take their toll on these men. As soon as a truce is called, many of them rejoice even though they know that they are still not truly sovereign. But at least the violence ceases and the impunity lifted over the despicable abuses of power. The Anglo-Irish Peace Treaty is signed, forming the Irish Free State that remains under the dominion of the British Empire, and strictly loyal to the monarchy. Teddy, jaded from fighting the good fight, chooses the respite from the constant struggle. To complicate matters further, Damien is adamant that a truly independent state will only come if they shake off the British shackles. They are pitted against each others perfidy as tragic and powerful metaphors fuel the backdrop of their waning ambitions, slowly finding themselves fighting against something and forgetting what they were initially fighting for.\r\n\r\nIt rescinds on Michael Collinss historical role in establishing the Irish Free State, Loach takes the unorthodox approach in dismantling the self-serving romanticised paradox of freedom fighting from within. The terms, oppressors and victims are routinely switched around. Casual as that sounds, it truly signifies the futility of violence for the sake of ideology. They constantly feud while on the same side as the gasconading bravado of its masculine characters threaten to implode their united and spirited response towards their occupiers. It does begin by not fully romanticising the idea of rebellion and justice being served swiftly and without recrimination. But the temptation to do so never full dissipates as a burgeoning romance grows between Damien and Sinead (Orla Fitzgerald), a fiery character opposed to the aggression that ensues on both sides. Loach lingers on the violence and the cost of uprising against a battle that is there to be lost. The shots are measured from a distance, mourning the circumstances. Gracefully mixing up a downbeat sense of loss with a blend of impassioned rhetoric and cinematic brutality, it accomplishes an appropriately funereal atmosphere in each of its scenes.\r\n\r\nTime passes arbitrarily, while observing the ad hoc building of plans and situations, which is viewed with underwhelming anticipation. There is something so disconnecting in its quick scene after powerful scene. While the dialogue is seemingly crisp and natural between the Republicans, it is also unusually fast and highly derivative, commanding all attention. The dependence of the dialogue and inherently dragging pace threatens to overpower the raw intensity of the actions. The latter half does tend to veer towards melodrama, and over-wrought scenes of verbose, passionate speeches strangely switches allegiances of the fighters at the drop of a dime. It is most convincing, not by its words but by its actions as clearly seen in its opening minutes. That single event polarises young Damien into the politicised man we follow throughout the film. \r\n\r\nWhile the address on ideologies tends to overshadow the film itself, it does accomplish many moments of clarity with the strength of its performers. Loachs intimidating political affiliations aside, it is generally well made. Recreated with such insight and groundwork, his commitment shines through at every level. As with all his films, the ardent and sincere look at politics through his characters distinguishes them as people caught in a whirlpool of despair. They show lament, fear and even some apathy to the choices they have before them. \r\n\r\nIt draws undeniable parallels to contemporary deliberations about the conflict in the Middle East and insurgency against the US and Britain. There is a distinct disgust at the idea of militarism and clerical influence in the state. The urban guerilla freedom fighters are just ordinary folk caught in a landslide of activism, straddling the thin line overflowing with brutality and the excruciating agony of guilt while not becoming intoxicated by the violence. Entrenched with the an eye for an eye dogma, it signifies the mutually ruinous end of all. By accentuating the power of choices, it prods us to witness the inner struggle of finding a footing in the slippery slopes of warfare.\r\n\r\n4/5\r\n\r\nJustin Deimen','1ee44939fedd606e301e4ee20642741d',0,'','XNTDnv85',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9790,1729,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1157260800,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006)','i have been waiting to watch this film ...\r\n\r\njust wondering when it will be in singapore ...','a790aca5b3c2880ca3e4644da466735b',0,'','8VfgLuvo',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9791,1729,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1157281440,1,0,1,1,1,1,'justindeimen','Re: The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006)','No idea, to be fair it isn\'t even released in the States yet. I watched this in Thailand of all places.','1b822cd074bdbe3a1716d9b8d1a2614a',0,'','GNunfSsB',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9792,1729,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1157346960,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006)','I\'m looking forward to watching this film. It recently secured a distribution deal stateside through IFC Films. No release date announced yet.','c94d02746404856497e2d0836b95de2e',0,'','YfGj2eV8',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9793,1729,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1157372400,1,0,1,1,1,1,'justindeimen','Re: The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006)','IFC has been bringing in some great great films. I can only hope a local distro would step up like that.','939a6633e60dd9435389798cf5f0b6cc',0,'','T6WrLl5U',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9794,1729,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1174327680,1,0,1,1,1,1,'howardschumann(d)','Re: The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006)','THE WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY\r\n\r\nDirected by Ken Loach (2006), 123 minutes\r\n\r\nThe Wind that Shakes the Barley, directed by Ken Loach and written by Paul Laverty, deals with the Irish War of Independence of 1919-1921 and the subsequent civil war (1922-23) as experienced by two brothers, fighting on opposite sides of the conflict. The film, winner of the Palme dOr at Cannes in 2006, dramatizes the role played by the Black and Tan, a special auxiliary force formed by British ex-soldiers who acquired a reputation for violent reprisals against the civilian population in Ireland after attacks by the old Irish Republican Army (IRA). Many incidents in the film, according to Laverty, are based on true events though the characters may be composites. \r\n\r\nLoach was attacked by critics in Britain for his poisonous film that was called a travesty by another reviewer. Both reviewers later admitted that they had not seen the film. To Loach it is understandable that they try to cover things up, and for 80 years trying to patch these things over simply hasnt worked. As the film begins, after a hurling match in a rural village, a group of players are set upon by British soldiers who kill a young man because he is unable or unwilling to say his name in English. Damien ODonovan, played by the charismatic Cillian Murphy, a young medical student preparing to go to London, is shocked by this brutality. \r\n\r\nAfter another incident that occurs at a train station when a union engineer is beaten by British thugs, he decides to remain in County Cork and join his brother Teddy (Padraic Delaney), an active IRA member in forming a local flying column. The group trains for guerilla warfare with hockey sticks until they are able to steal some guns from a British stronghold. Damien soon learns the true cost of war when he is forced to execute a local lad who had given evidence to the British, resulting in the death of two IRA members and later admits to his girlfriend, I cant feel anything anymore. \r\n\r\nMany atrocities occur and Loach shows that they were not limited to the British. After one attack on a British patrol, an IRA commander tells his troops, If they bring their savagery over here, we will meet it with a savagery of our own. Weary of conflict, the IRA rejoices when a treaty is announced creating The Irish Free State in the South and leaving Northern Ireland under British rule but after details of the treaty are announced, the brothers find themselves on different sides. Teddy overrules the first true Irish court because he wants to remain on good terms with local business people who may be exploiting the poor people but who supply arms for the IRA. \r\n\r\nThis splits the group with one side believing that the solution offered by the British is the best that they can hope for, and the other side, led by Damien, vowing to continue the fight for a completely independent socialist nation, invoking the memory of socialist leader James Connolly who said \"If you remove the English army tomorrow and hoist the green flag over Dublin Castle, unless you set about the organization of the Socialist Republic, your efforts would be in vain. One volunteer says, Lads, we have freedom within our grasp. Were that close. Its just one inch but its still out of reach. And if we stop now, we will never again regain the power that I can feel in this room today. And if we stop short now, never in our lifetime will we see that energy again. Ever!\r\n\r\nWhile it is clear that Loach sides with those who wanted to continue the fight, the film deals with the substance of what happened. When Damien and his followers refuse to swear allegiance to the British monarchy, Teddy takes up arms for the Irish Free State and his army emulates the heavy-handed tactics of the former occupiers but their motivations are not fully explored and the sudden shift is confusing. While The Wind That Shakes the Barley is clear about the resistance that inevitably occurs when a powerful country occupies a weaker nation, to those unfamiliar with the historical details, it might have benefited from more information about the background of the conflict and its legacy in Ireland today. \r\n\r\nIn spite of a flat ending that should have been powerful and moving, The Wind That Shakes the Barley pulls no punches and makes a strong point that is very relevant to todays conflict in the Middle East. According to Loach, The British army in Ireland during 1920-21 did what armies of occupation do the world over adopt a racist attitude towards the people they are attacking and occupying. They destroy peoples houses, engage in acts of brutality and generally oppress the people and in Iraq thats exactly what the British army is doing. One can trust that their actions in Iraq will not be hidden for 80 years.\r\n\r\nGRADE: B+','3c7a3c4ae625f508031480c2dfbb9721',0,'','5KnN2dux',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9795,1729,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1174332120,1,0,1,1,1,1,'wpqx','Re: The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006)','This is coming out in April I believe so I\'ll try and catch it considering I\'m still rather weak with Loach.','6bc8f71eea06b5477f0af830e9741260',0,'','VmF4GUla',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9796,1729,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1177712220,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006)','Ha ha ... I am so glad that it is finally on commercial screening in Singapore ... \r\nI have just watched it too ...\r\n\r\nI will write more if time permits ...\r\n\r\nanyway ... \r\noverall, i think it is a great film ... i like it ... \r\na very sad story ... \r\n\r\nPS: nonetheless, one cant help but notice the \"one sided\" nasty portrayal of the military ...','02c7b5dfec9562adebb9383e07e8151f',0,'','4p1lbnc2',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9797,1730,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1177713060,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Red Road (2006) (UK / Denmark)','Red Road (2006)\r\n\r\nDirected by Andrea Arnold\r\n\r\nStarring Kate Dickie, Tony Curran\r\n\r\nThe first part of a trilogy of films under the moniker of The Advance Party another of Lars von Triers challenges, each film authored by a different director, using the same cast playing the same characters.\r\n\r\nFor once, a tale of revenge, retribution and redemption that is believable wrapped in a commentary on modern Britain.\r\n\r\nJackie, (Kate Dickie) a CCTV camera operator carries a world-weary look and leads a dull life with only the occasional sordid and loveless tryst with a married co-worker to look forward to.\r\n\r\nShe spends her days listlessly viewing the lives of others through the many screens before her, reporting anything suspicious to the police. Her life carries on in the same fashion, until the day she spies someone very familiar, somebody that has deeply affected her life in the past.\r\n\r\nFrom that moment she is gradually taken over by obsession, primarily as voyeur through the CCTV cameras to virtually becoming a stalker as she keeps track of every movement of this man. All that we know is that somehow, he has caused her a great deal of distress and that whatever he did, lead to him receiving a heavy gaol sentence. \r\n\r\nHer actions become even stranger as she gradually worms her way into his life, his apartment and his small circle of friends on the downbeat housing estate of Red Road. Why would she put herself into such a precarious position, what has this man, Clyde (Tony Curran) done that has had such a dramatic effect on her life?\r\n\r\nThe reasons for Jackies behaviour are gradually given, no information is easily imparted but this helps to add to the genuine sense of tension and confusion. Although at times her actions may seem at odds with common sense, they do ring true. Not once is there any form of the hyped up melodramatics were used to seeing in a film of this type. The cast keep everything tight and down to earth and the story pulls you in and grips you until the final denouement. \r\n\r\nThere may be problems for some audiences as far as the language and the sex scene are concerned; the language is realistic, peppered with coarse profanities and at times almost unintelligible because of the broad Glaswegian accent, subtitles may be necessary. The sex scene is also pretty graphic and realistic, certainly not glamorised in any way, reminicent of the scene in Nuri Bilge Ceylans Climates though not quite as aggressive.\r\n\r\nAll in all Red Road is a finely crafted gritty drama and a great example of independent British cinema. Apparently a lot of the script was improvised, this is always a risky move but unlike some other films, the cast keep it simple, honest realistic and natural, very well done. \r\n\r\nWell worth checking out.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.\r\n\r\nR2 dvd released by Drakes Avenue, surprisingly (for this particular distributor) there are extras.\r\n\r\nBehind the scenes, unfortunatey very short.\r\nExcerpts from interviews with the cast and director.\r\nTrailer.','6dfa6455b11a5e6c62ccbe574967eda7',0,'','S5vAih7E',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9798,1731,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1177609740,1,0,1,1,1,1,'justindeimen','Provoked (2006) (UK/India)','Courtesy of MX\r\n\r\nReview:\r\n\r\nThere are many reasons to like Provoked but there are also many reasons to dislike it as well. Casting Naveen Andrews and Aishwarya Rai who are probably the most well-known and recognisable South Asian actors in the West has a point, but Im sure but it wasnt for any specific creative reasons. Based on a true case (as the film does remind us incessantly) that changed the legal definition of Provocation in the UK especially by recognising battered-wife syndrome.\r\n\r\nA mixture of fear, anger and retribution drove Kiranjit Ahluwalia (Rai) to set fire to her sleeping husband, Deepak Ahluwalia (Andrews) in their London flat, hours after being abused. The film argues that sufficiently enough when the bulk of its narrative intercrosses flashbacks of the fire and the domestic abuses leading up to it, with high-handed courtroom drama and unbelievable prison bonding sessions. It all leads up to a surprisingly reasonable finale that actually manages to be sensitive despite its indiscretions. But what it does miss out on is the psychological perspectives leading up to it when Andrewss role is nothing more than an dubious caricature of sadistic masculinity that his very nature beggars belief. It is possible to imagine this Kiranjits story being told in an emotionally flamboyant film and thankfully, it does employ a wistful tone that props up the procedural aspects of it that forms a large part of the film.\r\n\r\nRais first de-glamourised role has an agenda surely, both in its marketing and the actresss attempt to successfully cross the pond. For a considerable part, shes got the role down pat as an emotionally ravaged woman but there are more than a few digressions in the performance that points as much to the scripting and direction as it does to her competent performance. Some of these asides include dialogue that is effusively passionate and strained in a way that is simply not convincing and that is dangerous territory for an actress mostly known for her glitz and panache in front of the camera, to give herself a complete overhaul in a lightweight screenplay.\r\n\r\nDespite occasionally faltering into scenes so overwrought that it threatens to exploit our empathy for beaten women, it does manage to avoid a you-go-girlism agenda that would have revelled in the revenge more than its conscionable reasons. Remarkably that restraint is borne by its director Jag Mundhra, who has by all accounts, made a career out of the Wests burgeoning sexual curiosity of Indian female exoticism by way of direct-to-video, inside the backroom, on the bottom of the shelf productions.','5da07cbe7ea1421adfc11d64d3e00376',0,'','X2glfsSc',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9799,1731,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1177645620,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Provoked (2006) (UK/India)','I\'m really surprised that this film hasn\'t had a very widespread release in the UK, I don\'t suppose it\'s an easy one to market but it hasn\'t even reached the arthouse theatres around here.\r\n\r\nNot sure of your overall feelings justin as you rightfully point out the strengths and weaknesses, does it get the thumbs up from you?\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','6ea033eab29f6a1932953d398628c2ca',0,'','o6kifmF5',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9800,1731,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1177679760,1,0,1,1,1,1,'justindeimen','Re: Provoked (2006) (UK/India)','Well that\'s hard to say in this film because it\'s a social issue movie wrapped in a courtroom drama not the other way around. Different people might react differently to it. I hope I\'m not the jaded sort but I can\'t get over how miscast Ms Rai is despite her commendable (but slightly OTT) performance. There were some scenes that didn\'t seem affected so that probably made it a decent viewing experience for me but I can\'t see too many people actually seeking it out for the narrative material but rather for Ms Rai, Naveen Andrews who\'s got quite an international following from \"Lost\" and Miranda Richardson. Possibly Robbie Coltrane as well in an extended cameo.','ea2c05fd145a705fa180f36a70799c5e',0,'','VZ7CPHsz',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9801,1732,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1177125000,1,0,1,1,1,1,'Hermit Purple','Need help on this film\'s title','I\'m trying to find out about a film\'s title from little of what I can remember of it.\r\n\r\nI saw it on Showcase (a broadcast channel in Canada) about 10 years ago (roughly 1998 ). I only remember certain events in the film such as a priest took out some sweets inside of his bible and offer them to a king. The king was extremely suspicious and couldn\'t decide whether to take the offer or not. He constantly switch between the sweets offered\r\nto him and the ones for priest himself, and eventually put the sweets in his mouth, but only to spit it out when the priest turns away.\r\n\r\nAnother scene was a queen of some sort arrest many young girls and kept them in a palace. She eventually kill all the girls and bath in their blood. No it\'s not Count Dracula, that I\'m pretty sure. One thing I remember was that the queen\'s servant dress like a boy but turn out to be a girl.\r\n\r\nThere are a lot of explicit nudity and sexual suggestive theme in the film, that\'s probably why I never see it on TV again.\r\n\r\nIf you can recall what this film is, please let me know!','f39bb2b01dddc5ba7b1e67b14c9ae5ca',0,'','nxysqwKp',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9802,1732,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1177154640,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Need help on this film\'s title','The second part re: bathing in the blood of virgins is definitely one of the sections from Immoral Tales (Contes Immoraux) (1974) directed by Walerian Borowczyk.\r\n\r\nI guess the other part must also be the same film but I can\'t remember it.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','4d3db593883ecc617b1edc9c3cc9c7eb',0,'','Zg7TGEMY',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9803,1732,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1177569660,1,0,1,1,1,1,'A','Re: Need help on this film\'s title','Trevor, you\'re dead right on one of my favorite directors. Oh, I\'d love to lay my hands on this film again. The first part with the two adolescents is some of the most erotic cinema ever produced. And Borowczyk is also so profound.','9c8dbadff2e96b5c004228b7382f0c41',0,'','9ZTucYHb',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9804,1732,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1177582560,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Need help on this film\'s title','I can remember the first part and agree with your thoughts A, I guess the other section in Hermit Purple\'s post must be the last section which (funnily enough after my comments re: Curse of the Golden Flower) had something to do with those historically reviled lovers of family games, the Borgia\'s.\r\n\r\nThe R2 dvd is evailable in the UK along with a few others including The Beast (La Bete), The only film I have is The Story of Sin.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.\r\nCheers Trev','659713eac699418321522bf4eaade174',0,'','5iNLjpPG',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9805,1732,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1177665900,1,0,1,1,1,1,'A','Re: Need help on this film\'s title','Ah you must watch this, \"The Story of Sin\" is one of his best. A perfect melodrama if there ever was one. Reminded me a lot of Zulawski. Some people claim its the best polish film ever.','ddb79101d0aa997debfe2f1cf90b4a1b',0,'','1EKCioGQ',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9806,1733,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1175247240,1,0,1,1,1,1,'wpqx','Mi Viaje Por la Pelcula espaola','Spirit of the Beehive (1973) - Victor Erice\r\n\r\nI have begun my voyage to spain with what has become perhaps the best known and admired of all Spanish cinema, Victor Erice\'s landmark Spirit of the Beehive. A film long considered the crowning jewel in a national cinema that was given a brief opportunity to at least appear liberal and even at times critical. Beginning with the groundbreaking Carlos Saura film The Hunt (1966), Spain entered a radical reformation, where Franco tried to elevate the international status of his nation\'s cinema. The result helped foster the return of Luis Bunuel, and gave a young Victor Erice the opportunity to make his first of only three feature films.\r\n\r\nSpirit of the Beehive is pure allegory. It feels the bitter aftertaste of the Civil War, without ever directly commenting on it. Instead the story takes us into the world of a young girl, and through her eyes it isn\'t surprising that the War would not seem an overbearing topic. Erice set the film in 1940, and began his film with the idea of someone\'s first reaction to cinema. In this case it was the film Frankenstein and how two girls would react to it. Neither seems particularly scared of the monster, but actually seek to find him. In one humerous scene where Isabel (Isabel Telleria) is telling her sister Ana (Ana Torrent) how to contact him, just then you hear the offscreen pacing of their father. Not being privaleged to the information we have, the girl\'s assume that it is the monster walking around their house. \r\n\r\nAll of the film is developed in a series of scenes, each unrelated to the one preceding it. Life goes on, and even in individual framings there is no real sense of a complete picture, just fragments. It is a film of memory, of anecdotes and things returning sporadically. In many ways, despite the change of genders, it is Erice\'s own childhood. things he remembered growing up, thrown together, without any prevalent theme. The style of images is composed in homage to painters rather than filmmakers, and many of the film\'s images look as though they could be snapshots in a family album. Perhaps not surprisingly Erice shows us some of his character\'s own family albums. \r\n\r\nIt is a personal, reminiscent cinema, and one that has captivated audiences for the last 34 years. Criterion\'s new DVD release of it has insured that another generation, warmed to Spanish language cinema after the triumph of Pan\'s Labyrinth will discover it. This film does anticipate Del Torro\'s film, in its female child protaganist, its nostalgic setting, and her escape into a world of fantasy. Del Torro goes much more in depth into that fantasy world, but Erice is showing a child\'s imagination, and fragments of what once went through his own mind as a child. Ana Torrent would appear in Carlos Saura\'s Cria two years later cementing her status as an iconographic child actress, and has continued to make movies ever since. Erice though has become something of a Spanish Terence Malick, making only two other films since Spirit. Two films I plan on adding to this Spanish film fest before too long.','44d2fa15538ce26362eb30117b9f4d4e',0,'','lpGVueNS',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9807,1733,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1177657140,1,0,1,1,1,1,'arsaib4','Re: Mi Viaje Por la Pelcula espaola','I hope that you continue your voyage. I plan on joining you at some point along the way.','3d95344edb0627c48e0603b5e1f8623b',0,'','yWJ1Qgt8',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9808,1734,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1160460480,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Orchestra Seats (aka Avenue Montaigne) (Fauteuils d\'orchestre) (2006) (France)','Director: Danile Thompson \r\nCast: Cecile De France, Albert Dupontel, Valerie Lemercier, Claude Brasseur, Suzanne Flon \r\n\r\nThis film is submitted by France for Oscar 2007 ! ;)\r\n\r\nThe official site \r\nsee \r\nhttp://www.marsdistribution.com/xml/flash.html?cfilm=51720 \r\n\r\nSynopsis: \r\nThe story revolves around a girl who tries to make it big in Paris, a talented but unhappy pianist, a dramatic soap actress who yearns for cinematic casting, and an old man who tries to auction off his collections … and many other characters … Believe it or not, they are all there because a classical concert, a Feydeau play and an art collection auction are all happening around the area in Paris … \r\n\r\nMy thoughts: \r\n\r\n-- The film opened great, with a voice over that narrates … how she loves diamonds, luxury, etc … and so she went to Paris … and decided to work for the Ritz … as a room cleaner … (Imagery: The screen gets lighted slowly, like diamonds … but they are actually the lights of Paris (aka The City of Lights …) \r\n\r\n… This opening also tied in remarkably with the ending scene … as the voice over narrates again … about daring to dream, and being risk taking … after all, it is your life! ;)\r\n\r\n-- What really stood out has to be the \"realism\" of its portrayal of life and characters, even though the plot is not as fast pace … it is light hearted and casually paced … but as you watch the film, you start to feel for the characters and you start to ponder about life … it covers all themes … from family to friends, from career to likes, etc … it deals with the ironies of life, but it all celebrates life … it brings laughters as well as tears … \r\n\r\n… Although it is NOT one of those films that will grip you from the beginning till the end (i.e., with its plot), it is one of those films that will allow you to \"experience\" life with its characters, chew at it, think about it, laugh at it …  ;)\r\n\r\n… and probably with a second viewing or more, you have a \"new\" realization … like \"Les Choristes\" and some other films, audience may or may not be gripped by it immediately … but at the end, they are most probably going to feel something for the film … \r\n\r\n-- If you find the story \"contrived\" (like in other films when they try to make all the characters somehow meet), at least go for the acting of the entire ensemble … they are all commendable, be it the \"highly exaggerated\" actress, the oppressed pianist, or the young girl, and the old grandmother, etc … they all carried their roles real well … \r\n\r\nConclusion: \r\nRecommended. Will it make it to one of the 5 nominees in oscar?! Ha ha … maybe the french knows the voting americans (cf. Les Choristes) … a movie that \"feels good\" at the end … or more simply, a film about LIFE! \r\n\r\n… it has something that all of us can likely identify with … \r\n\r\nPS: To sum it all, life is like choosing an orchestra seat, you always want the best seat; you want to get closer to the stage, but sometimes you are too near for comfort, and to see the whole picture … \r\n;)','af255e475c1e9dd6a73ea5931f0f8290',0,'','nH9dXZGN',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9809,1734,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1169540040,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: Orchestra Seats (aka Avenue Montaigne) (Fauteuils d\'orchestre) (2006) (France)','Hey,\r\nI have just realized that this film has two different English titles ...\r\n\r\nOrchestra Seats (Canada: English title) (festival title) \r\nAvenue Montaigne (USA)','05abcaa7d61b7ef1b7ecff614b7364d5',0,'','7v9EqxQm',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9810,1734,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1177541100,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Orchestra Seats (aka Avenue Montaigne) (Fauteuils d\'orchestre) (2006) (France)','Why oh why did you have to mention \"Les Choristes\" hengcs? Sorry but that\'s one film that I hope I never have to endure again... \r\n\r\nBack to the film in question \"Orchestra Seats\", unfortunately I didn\'t get the same glow from it as hengcs did, it isn\'t as sickly as that film that should never be mentioned again or, dare I say it, \"Joyeux Noel\". It is however very safe, slightly amusing, lightweight and comes as no surprise that it was the French Oscar selection.\r\n\r\nA multi-stranded ensemble piece revolving around Jessica (Ccile De France) with quite a well known French cast and Sydney Pollack. The film comes across as a mix of Amelie without the style and Bon Voyage (without the war). \r\n\r\nOrchestra Seats is sadly indistinct and so frothy that it doesnt leave any real lasting impression, I doubt Ill remember much of it in a few days time.\r\n\r\nOne thing that may jog my memory though is the rather inept editing during the climax of the film, the scene shifts from art auction to opening night of the play to the orchestral concert with very little effort to make any form of connection between the scenes or to try and smooth the transition. \r\n\r\nRecommended as light entertainment for its fun approach to life and its little problems but thats about all. Dont expect any real depth, or to find me rushing out for the dvd.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.\r\n\r\nR2 dvd is due to be released by Optimum Releasing in June.','cfb2b3c700fe0b0f83b4faba2af826b3',0,'','YAVD72PF',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9811,1734,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1177558020,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: Orchestra Seats (aka Avenue Montaigne) (Fauteuils d\'orchestre) (2006) (France)','Quote, \"Why oh why did you have to mention \"Les Choristes\" hengcs? Sorry but that\'s one film that I hope I never have to endure again ... Back to the film in question \"Orchestra Seats\", unfortunately I didn\'t get the same glow from it as hengcs did, it isn\'t as sickly as that film that should never be mentioned again or, dare I say it, \"Joyeux Noel\". It is however very safe, slightly amusing, lightweight and comes as no surprise that it was the French Oscar selection.\"\r\n\r\n(i) Ha ha ... now u know why i mention they know the VOTING COMMITTEE ... they r trying to target at them, rather than choose their best film ... ... Yup, all these films are targeted at the voting committee ... ha ah ha ... in order of my preference\r\n-- Les Choristes (like a lot, although the first half did not amuse me initially ...)\r\n-- Joyeux Noel (with repeated watching, u can see what the director is trying to bring out ... many many many commonalities amidst our differences ...)\r\n-- Orchestra Seats (agree that i have forgotten a lot of scenes ... except for the beginning and ending ... ha ha)\r\n\r\n(i) for les choristes ... if there was no server crashed, and u managed to see my old postings ... i did mention that the first half was pretty much like those other films on similar genre/issue ... but the moment the main protagonist started singing, i was like ... wow ... and the LYRICS were so meaningful ... and by the end, the audience may feel for them ... a FEEL GOOD movie ... \r\n\r\n(ii) Joyeux Noel ... another of those films that do NOT grip ... but tell u the \"plainest\" and \"realistic\" thoughts of pple who are so different and yet so similar ... if it was not based on a true event, i would have \"claimed\" that the singing at the trenches during war time sounded absurd ... but what bought me over at the end (again despite its non gripping plot) is that it has such a great message ... that we are all so different and yet so similar ... \r\n\r\n(iii) Orchestra Seats ... i also doubt it is the best film from France that year ... see me repeating NON gripping twice ... ha ha ha ... from the way i write, u can tell that i try to find some reasons to like the film ... and there are a few moments ... the beginning & ending ... and occasional \"feel calm/peaceful/mildly joyous\" moments ... it is one of those films that make u reflect what life is all abt ...','113de715c9397c8771fdaff3497c91b0',0,'','vdz7yG6D',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9812,1734,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1177621680,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Orchestra Seats (aka Avenue Montaigne) (Fauteuils d\'orchestre) (2006) (France)','There was one scene I think will stick, the pianist playing in a cancer hospital surrounded by patients including young children, it was the only scene that felt genuine and was quite moving. \r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','45ae2f7c209a4d5790ff6dd89a733906',0,'','D90cBhVu',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9813,1735,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1177178400,1,0,1,1,1,1,'justindeimen','After the Wedding (2006) (Denmark)','After the Wedding\r\n\r\nSweet sorrow permeates through Susanne Bier\'s Oscar nominated \"After the Wedding\", a quietly testing film that tepidly breaks free from the shackles of the Dogme manifestoes to deliver an incredibly subtle celebration of family. Paternal pacification is as good a reason as any to explore with overwhelming and eloquent sentimentality when Jacob (Mads Mikkelsen) is arm-twisted into returning to his native Denmark to seek out funds for his orphanage\'s young charges in India. He meets with the seemingly magnanimous Jorgen (Rolf Lassgard, filling the screen with his sheer presence), a millionaire that invites him to his daughter\'s wedding and in the process sets the wheels of redemption into motion. Bier\'s most prominent work thus far is also her most joyous when she bravely evokes the goodness in her characters, working the circumstances to peel away the layers of tacit human desires and destructive pride. Blessed with superlative performances across the board, a particularly inspired turn by Mikkelsen serves as Bier\'s dramatic lynchpin for her film\'s gentle twists and turns. But even its sudsy plot developments work well in Bier\'s kinetic and expertly crafted dreamworld, which despite its otherworldly state still manages to disclose the bare and conspicuous design of mortality and compassion.\r\n\r\nRating: 4 out of 5','fa0aa34246fc0aecc1630abbbef62c98',0,'','VqDpBkXx',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9814,1735,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1177287900,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: After the Wedding (2006) (Denmark)','After the Wedding should be in the Chapter till next Friday, I tried to purchase a ticket for it today but found out that the film hasn\'t even turned up yet! \r\n\r\nI\'m still hoping there\'s a chance it\'ll turn up by Tuesday at the latest.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','0a407aefabb9abe81824e77cf2c0f45d',0,'','1sTmFR0N',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9815,1735,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1177451040,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: After the Wedding (2006) (Denmark)','Unfortunately, After the Wedding was a no show. Thankfully this is a very rare occurance, hopefully I\'ll be able to catch it on dvd sometime.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','75e1f345ec29c37b7026be12c8397c7e',0,'','u7HFxQGC',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9816,1735,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1177471020,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: After the Wedding (2006) (Denmark)','What happened?','fa692d85f08c92a585ed8b3fed7f1d52',0,'','HY6ahRDL',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9817,1735,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1177501080,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: After the Wedding (2006) (Denmark)','I\'ve no idea as yet, I\'ll try and find out when I go to see Orchestra Seats today.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','ea93252911630fe10309267d27fb937f',0,'','isx4XWDz',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9818,1736,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1157263740,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Huang Jin Jia (Curse of The Golden Flower) (2006) (China/HK)','Director: Zhang Yi Mou\r\nCast: Chow Yun Fat, Gong Li, Jay Chou\r\n\r\nThe official website\r\nsee\r\nwww.sonyclassics.com/curs...denflower/\r\n\r\nand\r\nwww.apple.com/trailers/so...flower/hd/\r\n\r\nand\r\nwww.youtube.com/watch?v=i...ed&search=\r\n\r\nWhat a cast .. and director ... but who knows?!','ca491d5fcd83685f34ed10ac26d37eb5',0,'','2Cw8gLMt',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9819,1736,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1158956400,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: Huang Jin Jia (Curse of The Golden Flower) (2006) (China/HK)','I think this film will only be screened in Dec worldwide ...\r\nNonetheless, to qualify for Oscar,\r\nsome places in China has screened it ...\r\n\r\nApparently, most of the reviews are rather positive ...\r\ncrediting the cast as well as a good script ...\r\n\r\nBut who knows? ... till we watch the film ... hee hee','b232f20db085fda7557a98c423f26315',0,'','CdqVXbLQ',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9820,1736,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1167119460,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: Huang Jin Jia (Curse of The Golden Flower) (2006) (China/HK)','Hey,\r\n\r\nTime Magazine (Richard Corliss & Richard Schickel) ranked it as one of the top 10 this year ... \r\n\r\n1 Letters from Iwo Jima \r\n2 Borat \r\n3 The Departed \r\n4 United 93 \r\n5 The Queen \r\n6 Pan\'s Labyrinth \r\n7 The Good Shepherd \r\n8 Cars \r\n9 District B13 \r\n10 Curse of the Golden Flower \r\n\r\nI know I have to write the review ... ha ha ah','47733ba2d15cbd35134c89acdf558908',0,'','X4U3ezru',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9821,1736,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1167811920,1,0,1,1,1,1,'A','Re: Huang Jin Jia (Curse of The Golden Flower) (2006) (China/HK)','I noticed that too, and was quite surprised. The film didn`t officially start in the US already, did it?\r\n\r\nContrary to arsaib, I am a huge fan of Zhang Yimou, and very fond of the road he has taken. Having only seen, his last three films before \"Hero\" (2002), it was definitely a carrying on with the same topics and concerns while improving on them (only in a different guise) I think \"Hero\" and \"House of Flying Daggers\" are both masterpieces, and better than the films that came right before it. As I haven`t seen any of the older Yimou films from his \"rebellios\" period, but due to the praise they still receive, I would assume that Yimou might have run a bit out of steam with an always similar formula, and wanted some change. If some of the complains are about the pathos and melodrama, they were no less evident in \"Not One Less\" (199) and \"The Road Home\" (1999). \r\nI think Yimou succeeded so far with the way he has chosen, and I`m looking forward to his latest martial arts love story.\r\n\r\nChen Kaige is another story, though.','0e01fdea5d52ad50cef7c5778cb4ebaf',0,'','2n53SA0l',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9822,1736,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1167832980,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Huang Jin Jia (Curse of The Golden Flower) (2006) (China/HK)','A, I think you would find Zhang Yimou\'s earlier films made with his then muse Gong Li fascinating and utterly absorbing, I doubt he will ever reach the heights of \"Raise the Red Lantern, Ju Dou or any of the others again.\r\n\r\nPlease try and seek out these classics, I know you will find a lot to appreciate in them, enough to write an essay, certainly on the 2 I\'ve listed.\r\n\r\nNow they\'ve been brought to mind, I wish I had them available to watch again. \r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','88aab6a84c6b10fc95614540aba75e4d',0,'','sc01XxpB',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9823,1736,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1167883140,1,0,1,1,1,1,'A','Re: Huang Jin Jia (Curse of The Golden Flower) (2006) (China/HK)','I`m trying for some years already (though I could try harder ), but the only solution seems importing them. So far nothing of early Yimou is on German DVD, as far as I know. \r\nBut I`ll get to them eventually (what a nice word ). \r\nI`m sure I`ll love some of them, as Yimou is already one of my favorite directors. \r\n\r\nI`ll think about the essays.','ae3ed007fa80247ef2de975e00295faf',0,'','uDgKYS8B',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9824,1736,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1168065060,1,0,1,1,1,1,'wpqx','Re: Huang Jin Jia (Curse of The Golden Flower) (2006) (China/HK)','Well I seem to be the first person who\'s seen it, and I don\'t have time to review it, but good lord I @#%$ loved it. It\'s so deliciously decadent.','6c07e7e391fac3e1efe5c6ef76b27215',0,'','mY5ivk8c',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9825,1736,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1168075620,1,0,1,1,1,1,'hengcs','Re: Huang Jin Jia (Curse of The Golden Flower) (2006) (China/HK)','Oops, not to spoil your excitement ...\r\nBut I actually watched it on its opening ... 23 dec?! i think ...\r\nLikewise, I have little time to write reviews and during then, I presume I was more eager to write the one for Confession of Pain ... that\'s why ... hee hee\r\n\r\nAnyway, I am glad that you like it ...\r\n\r\nHi wpqx, \r\neagerly waiting for you more paragraphy review ...\r\nhere\'s my 1 cent worth\r\n\r\nWhat I like ...\r\n\r\n-- Topping the list has to be its ostentatious costumes (I hope it garners the Best Costume in Oscar), and to a large extent, its set design ... wow ... what a palace ... as usual, with Zhang Yi Mou ... Colors will dazzle and \"blind\" you ... they are VERY LOUD this time ...\r\n\r\n-- Next would be the great cast, but most notably, Gong Li ... you would be glad to know that she passed on the role in The Banquet (also reviewed in this board) to Zhang Ziyi ... A great decision because this film allows her to demo her entire range of emotions ... of course some pple would go for Chow Yun Fatt, or Liu Ye ... or for many Asian \"teens\", they would go for Jay Chou (a very popular singer) ...\r\n\r\n-- With rgds to the plot, some \"non Asians\" have likened it to a mix of some Shakespearean plays and tragedies ... but frankly, it was loosely based on a famous Chinese play \"Lei Yu (Thunderstorm)\" by Cao Yu (except the fact that it is transported to a different period and arena, i.e., the Tang dynasty) ... want to know what happens? watch the film ...\r\n\r\n-- Finally, some/many Asians actually like the song at the end by Jay Chou (and for your info, it is also subtitled in English ...) ... you guess it, they have their minds set on the Oscar too ...\r\n\r\nWhat I thought could be better ...\r\n\r\n-- The emotional engagement. The plot is good, there are twists, there are tragedies, etc ... but somehow, I did not care for who lives or who dies ... maybe that is why after a lot of contemplation, I prefer \"Confession of Pain\" ... at least it strikes a melancholic mood ...\r\n\r\nConclusion:\r\nRecommended. A commercial film that is laudable on its costume and set designs ... and maybe Gong Li.','28785753d8e15377ae9438dd56724527',0,'','WpzFnLlf',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9826,1736,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1168149840,1,0,1,1,1,1,'wpqx','Re: Huang Jin Jia (Curse of The Golden Flower) (2006) (China/HK)','Now it has been established that sometimes spectacle can be frowned upon. Some films are over the top, obviously so, and I therefore have a tendency to dismiss them. On other occasions though, the opposite is true. Some odes to Shakespeare may abound, but the film that to me is linked pictorally, dramatically, and in terms of quality would be William Wyler\'s Ben-Hur. Ben-Hur was Hollywood spectacle done right. A film of fabulous sets, thousands of extras, and so many dramatic set ups. With only two exceptions all of Yimou\'s film takes place within the confines of the Forbidden City and never before in film, does the city part of this ring true. The Foribden City never seems to end. Corridors, and passage ways never stop, and when troops show up, there never seems to be an end to them. It seems at times half the population of China resides withing the gates of the palace.\r\n\r\nThe beginning of the film establishes the splendor of everything, and at first there seems a very conscious attempt to impress. Having seen previews for the film, I knew this was going to happen, so you can relax. Let in the splendor, and then pay attention to everything else. This is the type of film that you imagine King Hu would h[bave made had he been given 100 million dollars to make a picture. The whole \"everyone can fight\" edict runs through and lends to the slightly surreal nature of the film, but completely in context within martial arts films. The story though begins to unravel, and the more it progresses the more engrossed I was. I think this soars higher than Yimou\'s previous martial arts epics, and like A I am very pleased with the direction he has gone. Sure this film doesn\'t have the emotional gravitas of To Live, but visually it is just as splendid as his first three films with Gong Li, and the enlarged scale works well. This film will no doubt make my top ten for the year, and now the question is just how high.\r\n\r\nGrade A','6c3e56ccc727ed6dd206662ff03fcbef',0,'','9eCyWkaj',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9827,1736,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1169073960,1,0,1,1,1,1,'A','Re: Huang Jin Jia (Curse of The Golden Flower) (2006) (China/HK)','I am now officially eagerly awaiting this one. \r\nBen-Hur is my favorite spectacle, so if this is in a similar vein.','8fe619ea7dd8eec05cd9f09947c2f6bb',0,'','BTjEo5r4',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9828,1736,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1177455120,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Huang Jin Jia (Curse of The Golden Flower) (2006) (China/HK)','More incestuous than a Borgia family reunion, more colourful than an explosion in a paint factory and bloodier than Caligula.\r\n\r\nZhang Yimou takes everything to excess including more cleavage than any other Chinese film you\'re ever likely to see, the words lurid, garish and gaudy could have been invented for this film, it makes most Bollywood productions look sublime in comparison.\r\n\r\nA plot that (despite hengcs\'s comment) feels like it\'s been ripped from Greek, Roman or Shakespearian tragedies, acted with greatest of exuberance by Gong Li et al.\r\n\r\nIf I\'d gone into this expecting any sort of reality based drama I\'d be shredding it to pieces, as it is, it was exactly as I expected, though unlike some, I prefered the subterfuge of the first half to the all out crescendo of battle and slaughter that fills the majority of the second half.\r\n\r\nDefinitely one for the big screen, just take your popcorn and leave your brain at home.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','31c2437eb32e4a135552e064005f9181',0,'','ieJQzhTj',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9829,1736,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1177458120,1,0,1,1,1,1,'wpqx','Re: Huang Jin Jia (Curse of The Golden Flower) (2006) (China/HK)','I loved it honestly, but sometimes its nice not to think.','7303e06421dea60d4b790de1a70db4e2',0,'','WwakoVyi',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9830,1736,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1177500660,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Huang Jin Jia (Curse of The Golden Flower) (2006) (China/HK)','While watching Curse of The Golden Flower, I couldn\'t help but wonder what on earth is this going to look like on T.V. I should think that even if you had a large high definition set the colour range and overall scale could look pretty messy.\r\n\r\nI saw it with one of my sons and both of us unknowingly drew the same parallels with Gong Li and Monica Bellucci. I can\'t remember the exact quote but it was to do with filming The Passion of the Christ where someone noted that it didn\'t matter how messy or dirty Monica was, she still radiated beauty, that is also very true of Gong Li, even at her most distressed, she was still gorgeous.\r\n\r\nThe girl who played Chan (the doctor\'s daughter) reminded me of the lovely Xun Zhou, Suzhou River, Beijing Bicycle both very similar facially.\r\n\r\nSpoiler Alert\r\n\r\nRe: the incest, I had to stifle a laugh way ahead of any denouement, simply because it was so obvious where the story was heading. \r\n\r\nThe nastiest part without a doubt had to be when Ping beat his son to death with his belt............. .\r\n\r\nEnd of spoiler\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','d66c5c2fcbd6909d1a98c6e610dea461',0,'','c09xmyDW',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9831,1737,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1118978040,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Japanese Journals - Jidaigeki','Jidaigeki is a genre of film and television in Japan. The name translates as period drama, in most cases, the Edo period of Japanese history. Set during the time span from 1600 to 1868 A.D., jidaigeki show the lives of the samurai, farmers, craftsmen and merchants of medieval Japan. Jidaigeki films are sometimes referred to as chambara movies, which derives from onomatopoeia for the slow, drum-heavy, march-like scores typical of the genre. (Dictionary definition)\r\n\r\nSome of the films commented on in this section are classics, some are cheesy but have influenced the likes of Tarantino et al. Some are dire and I will be honest with my opinions, good, bad or just plain ugly! So from the almost super hero like Zatoichi through the blood spurting Babycart films to the ultra realism of the Twilight Samurai, let\'s take a trip through the world of Jidaigeki.\r\n\r\nBecause they?ll be covered in their appropriate sections, I won?t be including films directed by Kurosawa, Mizoguchi or Kitano here.\r\n\r\nThe Zatoichi films already have their own thread, please use the following link:\r\n\r\nZatoichi, the Blind Swordsman comments\r\n\r\nPlease feel free to add your own comments, reviews, criticisms to this thread.\r\n\r\nINDEX - In alphabetical order.\r\n\r\nGohatto - 1999\r\n\r\nHana yori mo naho - 2006 review by Howard Schumann\r\n\r\nKill - 1968 comments by wpqx.\r\n\r\nLady Snowblood - 1973\r\n\r\nLone Wolf and Cub series 1972-74\r\n\r\nLove and Honor - 2006 Thread started by hengcs.\r\n\r\nSamurai Banners - 1968 comments by A.\r\n\r\nSamurai Rebellion - 1967 comments by wpqx.\r\n\r\nThe Shogun\'s Samurai - 1978 \r\n\r\nSword of Doom - 1965 comments started by A.\r\n\r\nSword of the Beast - 1965 comments by wpqx.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nTo be continued\r\n\r\nFor other sections of Japanese Journals, please use the links\r\n\r\n1.General\r\n\r\n2. Kurosawa, Ozu & Mizoguchi - The Classics\r\n\r\n3. Kitano, Tsukamoto & Miike - The Modern Cult Directors\r\n\r\n4. Anime\r\n\r\n5. Horror & Ghost Stories\r\n\r\n6. Jidaigeki (Chambara)\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.','543eb9358622805cf26813d7d884ee0e',0,'','KrcoUH9X',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9832,1737,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1118978340,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - Jidaigeki','Gohatto (1999) Taboo\r\n\r\nDirected by Nagisa Oshima\r\n\r\nStarring Takeshi Kitano, Tadanobu Asano, Shinji Takeda, Ryuhei Matsuda\r\n\r\nGohatto comes across as a samurai film where very little happens but dig beneath the surface and on top of the political upheaval and formality you have a seething pit of desire with a difference.\r\n\r\nSet in 1860s Kyoto, Sozaburo Kano and Hyozo Tashiro are enlisted to the Shinshigumi, a form of militia. Because of Kanos girlish looks Tashiro is drawn to him, unfortunately so are a few other samurai including those of higher rank. While they become lovers, several of the others try it on with Kano, some even succeeding in bedding him. Scheming and passions arise as others try to separate the lovers so they can attempt to seduce Kano. \r\n\r\nKano though has his own obsessions though unluckily for him the people he seems to fall for arent gay, for all his effeminate beauty, Kano is cruel and will use, betray and kill anyone who stands in his way. As the film rolls along the plots thicken, at times its difficult to work out who is gay, who is straight and who is plotting against whom but its worth sticking with it. \r\n\r\nThe film has no scenes of an explicit nature unlike Oshimas own In the Realm of the Senses and it works well without them, what it does have is depth, fine acting a strong cast and enough twists to tie you in knots.\r\n\r\nIf I had to find anything wrong, I\'d have to say everything is too pristine, a srange complaint maybe but even the streets and the peasant children looked too clean!\r\n\r\nRecommended viewing as an alternative samurai film with good re-watch value.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.\r\n\r\nBBFC rated 15','df567a69423fe18742ca6ec8f9083a42',0,'','CnGErfgU',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9833,1737,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1118979060,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - Jidaigeki','For When the last sword is drawn','16380a2b803980708335e30440bc9d6f',0,'','DwLiSAJX',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9834,1737,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1118979180,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - Jidaigeki','For Twilight Samurai','85bafd3440e8a93d5dc909b9680f700a',0,'','pvhG8Ltj',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9835,1737,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1118979240,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - Jidaigeki','The Shogun\'s Samurai (1978) Yagy ichizoku no inb\r\n\r\nDirected by Kinji Fukasaku\r\n\r\nStarring Sonny Chiba, Toshir Mifune\r\n\r\nA historically inaccurate tale using real characters from 17th Century feudal Japan, a tale of twisted politics, deceit, murder, tragedy and honour, all the ingredients for a really good story.\r\n\r\nAfter the suspicious death of the Shogun, his two sons go to war with each other to decide who will succeed to power. Each allies himself with various clans and skilled swordsmen in a war that could tear the very fabric of Japan apart.\r\n\r\nMeanwhile the Emperor and his courtiers are plotting and playing both sides in the hope that they will cause the ruination of each other leaving him as the major power. Apart from the major players, there is a lot of deception carrying through to the individual clans; some are used for their strength but also with the hope that they will be severely weakened in the forthcoming struggle for power \r\n\r\nLegendary ronins, (masterless samurai) ninjas and warriors of every type play their part in this tale of assassination, mass murder and political intrigue. The historical inaccuracies include the use of rifles, there may well have been firearms during that period but the guns used looked 19th or even 20th century, a lot of the central characters are based on real people but the story is more or less total fiction.\r\n\r\nThe acting is a sore point, some of it is off putting in its hamminess, it would be fine for a kabuki performance but is completely out of place within the structure of a film. There are far too many characters appearing and disappearing and despite having all the elements of a good story, its pretty boring and seems far too drawn out.\r\n\r\nThis may have made a good TV series but it failed to keep my attention as a two-hour plus film.\r\n\r\nOnly recommended for die-hard Jidaigeki fans.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.\r\n\r\nBBFC rated 15\r\n\r\nR2 Pal dvd available from Eureka, not their Masters of Cinema series.','caecabfcfcda61aef986e6bc62da6e69',0,'','5ilrWTuo',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9836,1737,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1118979300,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - Jidaigeki','For Azumi','479d82a3bbd88cd33d78b8c46bc30c8f',0,'','3Esoc1aJ',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9837,1737,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1118979360,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - Jidaigeki','The Lone Wolf and Cub series.\r\n\r\nKozure kami: Kowokashi udekashi tsukamatsuru (1972) Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance\r\n\r\nDirected by Kenji Misumi\r\n\r\nStarring Tomisaburo Wakayama\r\n\r\nBased on a manga from 1970 this Jidaigeki series tells the story of Ogami Itto and his baby son as he hacks his way across Japan.\r\n\r\nVolume 1: Sword of Vengeance shows how he was the official executioner to the Shogunate but was set up and accused of treason by the treachorous Yagyu clan. Instead of taking the noble way out and commiting seppuku, he takes his son and hits the road as an assassin for hire vowing revenge on the Yagyu.\r\n\r\nThis is definitely not Kurosawa, the fights are inventive but its not long before limbs are being severed and streams of blood are spurting everywhere. Because it is adapted from a manga, the weaponry and blood spillage can be more than a little over the top but it does have a fairly strong storyline as well.\r\n\r\nKozure kami: Sanzu no kawa no ubaguruma (1972) Lone Wolf and Cub: Perambulator of the River of Sanzu aka Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx \r\n\r\nVolume 2. Ogami Itto and his son clash with two ninja clans, one of which, the Akashi is an all female clan, both have been ordered by the head of the Yagyu to destroy Itto. Neither clan is successful and within a short space of time only the leader of the Akashi is left alive.\r\n\r\nAlso Ogami Itto has taken a contract as an assassin but his intended hit will be protected by the Bentenrai brothers, each a highly skilled close quarters fighter employed by the Shogunate, the two parties have great respect for each other but know they will inevitably clash. When it eventually happens its a bloody affair and the brothers and the hit are left for dead. Itto and son continue on their journey and their quest for vengeance.\r\n\r\nThe River of Sanzu - Japanese Buddhists believe the dead will cross it to pass into the afterlife. The change in title to the River Styx was obviously for a Western audience to relate to.\r\n\r\nKozure kami: Shinikazeni mukau ubaguruma (1972) Lone Wolf and Cub: Perambulator Against the Winds of Death aka Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart to Hades\r\n\r\nVolume 3. There are three strands to this episode:\r\n\r\n1. Itto saves a woman who has been sold from a life of prostitution.\r\n2. A samurai who seems to have lost his way seeks a duel and advice from him.\r\n3. As part of the payment for saving the womans life, Itto accepts an assassination job.\r\n\r\nAlthough Itto generally just slaughters his somewhat lacklustre opposition, when he has a duel with a skilled Samurai it adds a touch of class to the proceedings and there is a real show of skill and of the way of the warrior (Bushido). \r\n\r\nKozure kami: Oya no kokoro ko no kokoro (1972) Baby Cart in Peril\r\n\r\nDirected by Buichi Saito\r\n\r\nVolume4. Itto takes a contract on a highly trained and beautifully tatooed Besshikki-me (swordswoman) which is fulfllled but with honour to the hit.\r\n\r\nWe see some of the back story as to how Itto became the executioner for the Shogunate, this is because of a chance meeting with his opponent for the job, because of this there is a duel and Itto cuts of his opponents left arm but leaves him alive.\r\nA point thats good, we get to see a lot of the ceremony and normal life from that period in Japans history. \r\n\r\nKozure kami: Meifumando (1973) Baby Cart in the Land of Demons\r\n\r\nVolume 5. Quite complex assassination plot in this one, 5 clan vassals test Ittos abilities and once beaten give him part of the details of the hit, the Yagyu clan are again involved as they are obviously trying to become the most powerful clan in Japan.\r\n\r\nDaigoro again gets his own little adventure, ending in him getting a public beating because he has made a promise and wont go back on it.\r\n\r\nKozure kami: Jigoku e ikuzo! Daigoro (1974) Lone Wolf and Cub: White Heaven in Hell aka Baby Cart 6: Go to Hell, Daigoro!\r\n\r\nDirected by Yoshiyuki Kuroda\r\n\r\nVolume 6. The clan leader of the Yagyu has already seen three of his sons die at the hands of Ogami Itto so he sends his last heir to kill him, unfortunately she (yes his daughter!) doesnt last very long.\r\n\r\nMore innocent people die in this episode than all the others put together and this is down to three bizarre characters on the hunt for Itto, they know the only way they can hurt him is by killing every innocent person he comes into contact with. Annoyingly theres no resolution to the series.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.\r\n\r\nBBFC rated 18.\r\n\r\nInteresting points:\r\n\r\nThe films were produced by Katsu Production Co. Ltd who produced all the later Zatoichi films as well.\r\n\r\nKatsu Production Co. Ltd were owned by Shintar Katsu who of coarse played the role of Zatoichi in 26 films and a TV series.\r\n\r\nTomisaburo Wakayama and Shintar Katsu were brothers, I wonder if it ever crossed their minds to make a Zatoichi meets Lone Wolf & Cub film?','7944bc32ba2c970033736478de6494dd',0,'','gDfkW2Ts',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9838,1737,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1121111340,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - Jidaigeki','Shurayukihime (1973) Lady Snowblood\r\n\r\nDirected by Toshiya Fujita\r\n\r\nStarring Meiko Kaji, Toshio Kurosawa\r\n\r\nWithout doubt this film was the biggest influence and inspiration for Quentin Tarantinos Kill Bill, A revenge drama where a number of targets are tracked down one by one.\r\n\r\nSet in the Meiji period Yuki was born in a prison, her mother died shortly after giving birth but not before asking another inmate to raise her daughter and train her as an instrument of revenge!\r\n\r\nRevenge for what? Well Im certainly not going to put any spoilers except to say that she suffered heavy family losses and was roughly treated by a gang of three men and a woman. The mother had already dealt revenge to one of the gang before being imprisoned leaving three for her newborn child.\r\n\r\nThe comparisons with Kill Bill are multitudinous although Lady Snowblood doesnt have the black humour. It does have blood, unbelievable amounts of gushing/spurting liquid of the strangest hues and viscosities. The story is split into chapters, one for the build up and one for each of the intended victims, it also has a section of narration with each chapter relaying events and the thoughts of Yuki (Lady Snowblood) and some pretty dire 70s style film music as well.\r\n\r\nSo is it worth seeing? Id say its an above average film of its type, certainly far better than its sequel or Princess Blade. If you want to see the inspiration for Kill Bill, this is without a doubt the film.\r\n\r\nCheers Trev.\r\n\r\nBBFC rated 18','9ae323d37a27d01171063542a9fadc3f',0,'','LmPJshUV',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9839,1737,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1121270460,1,0,1,1,1,1,'A','Re: Japanese Journals - Jidaigeki','Fine seinng you mention Lady Snowblood. It\'s one of my favorite films, and imo also one of the best films of 1973. Very rich in exploring social and political issues. I\'ll probably watch it in Cinema next week','b3a82d5026473c9820da8a6a923984ec',0,'','eZXukbtH',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9840,1737,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1121274000,1,0,1,1,1,1,'trevor826','Re: Japanese Journals - Jidaigeki','Your right A, the film covers quite a bit of ground in terms of social and political issues, the Meiji period was a huge turning point in Japans history with the adaptation (because for some reason they were seen as superior) of western ideals, dress, weaponry etc. I didn\'t bring up these issues because I was so bowled over with how much Kill Bill had used from the story, Very good and interesting point though.','a1cb04c8fcf6edf2dc439606755f8ad9',0,'','sFEzq3ZP',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9841,1737,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1121902020,1,0,1,1,1,1,'A','Re: Japanese Journals - Jidaigeki','Furin kazan \"Flying Banners\" (Hiroshi Inagaki / Japan / 196 \r\n\r\nThis Samurai epic set in the 16th century of Japan, is about a former Ronin, magnificently played by Toshiro Mifune, who begind to serve at an already high age as an adviser of a strong warlord Takeda, and tries through his influence to unite Japan, which is divided in various territories, and in a state of civil war. \r\nDuring the ca. 167minutes we see how Takeda\'s clan wins battle after battle, continously expanding its territory. There is also a kind of \"love story\" in the film, which is handled in a mature way, as the whole film uses little melodramtics, and tells more through things unsaid, than through dialogue. This love Story is (besides the fantastic camera work) the most interesting aspect in the film, and gives it the much needed depth and tragedy, which otherwise would be almost missing\r\nThe camerawork is outstanding, using an interesting palette of colors, and lots of impressive shots of the nature, to tell its story shot in widescreen. The directing and the dialogue are also very good, as is the editing and the acting, and the music is also right, with a pathetic but restrained note that fits the thematic.\r\nThe only major problem is the a bit too glorifying portrayal of the warriors, and the reactionary standpoint of the characters, from which the director either doesn\'t know how, or doesn\'t want, to distance himself far enough.\r\nIf it weren\'t for this, the film might be compared to the late Akira Kurosawa epics, and I\'m sure Kurosawa was influenced by this film in the technical department.\r\nThe film is a mixture between chambara and jidai-geki, but has its moments of reflection and ambiguity towards the characters depicted. Luckily the end pulls the film in the right direction.\r\n\r\nIn the end I rated it \"only\" **1/2 / ****, so it\'s recommended, but one has to be careful with certain ideological aspects.','e60ac2c5a56f1f70040520b849cfc3ba',0,'','NsijemFM',1,0,'',0,0,0),(9842,1737,3,1,0,'69.120.114.47',1142323500,1,0,1,1,1,1,'wpqx','Re: Japanese Journals - Jidaigeki','Joiuchi aka Samurai Rebellion (1967) - Masaki Kobayashi \r\n\r\nSometimes when there\'s nothing to do, you need to raise a little hell. This may be the theme of Samurai Rebellion better than any other. It is a comment on blind obedience, humanity, the cruelty of tyrants, and a historical explanation of histories wars. Sometimes, like with WWI, a war was started basically because countries had armies, and things were too quiet. Samurai Rebellion starts in a relatively quiet period of Japanese history, where one particular clan has nothing to do. They can\'t even duel because they\'re worried that the shame of the loser\'s family would be too great. So they test their swords on dummies. It is peaceful and quiet and everyone bored as they may be is at least content.\r\n\r\nIsaburo (Toshiro Mifune) is regarded as the best swordsman in the clan, along with the gate keeper. He is getting on in years and is soon to retire. His son Yogoro (Go Kato) is not nearly as accomplished, but is a faithful servant to his lord. When the lord\'s mistress displeases him she is sent out to be married to Yogoro. The family accepts her begrudgingly, but they soon grow to love her. Before she was turned from the castle, Ichi (Yoko Tsukasa) bore the lord a child. It is decided that this child will be the heir to the lord and Ichi is ordered to abandon her new husband and family to return at once, and the family is supposed to actually request her to be returned. Yogoro, Ichi, and Isaburo on the other hand don\'t accept the plan, and here\'s where the story gets interesting.\r\n\r\nThere are numerous times to back down, but Isaboro and Yogoro have their integrity. Isaboro realizes that his life was without passion, purpose, and his marriage was without love. He is alive for the first time when he sees the love that his son has for his wonderful wife. If they won\'t stand up to their lord, he will for them. Mifune is remarkable in his role here and it is hard to think of another actor who could have had the right persona to pull this off. Odd to think that less than a year later he would be battling Lee Marvin in Hell in the Pacific, but he is every bit the elder swordsman here. He has a purpose, but of course his cause is a bit of a hopless one. No matter how good a swordsman, your chances aren\'t that good against an entire clan.\r\n\r\nThis was Kobayashi\'s first independent film as a producer, and it would be his last successful one. He was one of the four director\'s to produce Kurosawa\'s bomb Dodes ka-den, and that severely crippled his producing capabilities. The film is a direct compliment to Kobayashi\'s supreme masterpiece Hara-kiri, and the two films seem intertwined perfectly.\r\n\r\nGrade A -','76eb128dba66fbc940c36ef54543ca8b',0,'','dMBtyAJq',1,0,'',0,0,0),