VOLVER

English Title: To Return

Pedro Almodovar, Spain, 2006, imdb

Review: 5.0 Uchuvas
Comment: I'm going to say goodbye to this year's comments with this film.  It wasn't a 5 Uchuvas film until before yesterday that I saw it for 3rd time. The story is very original. The acting is really good; I have to say that Penelope Cruz is great when acting in Spanish, she is great here and a "mamasita". I gave 5 Uchuvas for one particular reason: The song, Volver. The song is so beautiful!!!! so powerful!! the lyric is amazing!!! The song is from Carlos Gardel, I found the original video here   "...Vivir, con el alma aferrada a un dulce recuerdo que lloro otra vez" .... Love it!

Tesis

English Title: Tesis

Alejandro Amenabar, Spain, 1996, imdb

Review: 4.0 Uchuvas
Comment: Wow! 96??!! It's been 12 years since I saw this film! oh well... I really liked it. The story is really good and credible. Good suspense all the way.

Otac no sluzbenom putu

English Title: When Father was Away on Business

Emir Kusturica, Yugoslavia, 1985, imdb

Review: 3.5 Uchuvas
Comment: This movie is as crazy and caotic as Black Cat White Cat film; you really don't know when to laugh or when to get upset or when to ask: what the hell was that?! The kid's acting is good, in fact he made half of the film!

Ta'm e guilass

English Title: The taste of cherry

Abbas Kiarostami, Iran, 1997, imdb

Review: 4.0 Uchuvas
Comment: It's such a sad film. It's very powerful the way that the plot is developed.

Recommendation by Carlos Botero

Carlos Botero sent this comment about BRAZIL. As soon as he sent it I saw the film and review it here. Thanks! great film!

Here is Botero's comment:

"Extranamente casi nadie ha visto esa pelicula BRAZIL, solo conozco dos disenadore que un dia estaban hablando de ella, diciendo que el director Terry Gillian era disenador Industrial o algo asi y por eso me causo curiosidad, aunque en la biografia aparece como Producion Designer. No es la pelicula que te va a cambiar la vida ni es para cortarse las venas, pero es extremadamente creativa... es una reinvencion de tantos objetos cotidianos en segundo plano que pueden sorprender o pasar desapercibidos"

Der Krieger und die Kaiserin

English Title: The princess and The Warrior

Tom Tykwer, Germany, 2000, imdb

Review: 4.0 Uchuvas
Comment: A bizarre story, as all Tykwer's films, but a good one again! 

A la folie...pas du tout

English Title: He loves me He loves me not

Laetitia Colombani, France, 2002, imdb

Review: 4.0 Uchuvas
Comment: I love the plot of this film! I like the acting too (I like Toutou's acting in general...well, when speaking in French!). I like that the director makes you keep your attention all along the film. I like the edition too, a lot!  

Odishon

English Title: Auditon

Takashi Miike, Japan, 1999, imdb

Review: 0.01 Uchuvas
Comment: I'm just taking some time to write this down as I deeply believe it's my responsibility to warn you about this "film". Please, if you have nothing to do at home and want to see it... Please, DO NOT. If you still have nothing better to do than wasting your time, give me a call and I either lend you a film or pay your ticket to go to your closest cinema. Please...I'm telling you... is better to do the washing up!! 

Now that I did take the time to warn you about this film, I also want to include in this comment the title of the second film I have left before it was finished: "Canvas", please.......don't!

Mar Adentro

English Title: The Sea Inside

Alejandro Amenabar, Spain, 2004, imdb

Review: 5.0 Uchuvas
Comment: The person who likes films and hasn't seen this one... well, what the hell are you waiting for?! This director is really really really really TOO good!! Just to mention some other of his movies: Tesis, Abre los ojos (but the original one!), The Others... well, you can't say which one is better!!! and he is sooo young! same age as me!... soooo young!

Love Actually

English Title: Love Actually

Richard Curtis, UK, 2003, imdb

Review: 4.5 Uchuvas
Comment: Oh well, it's Christmas so here you go... Some of you might call it "cheesy" and some others might call it "chick-flick" but to be totally honest with you all I just Loved this film sooooo much that I don't give 5 Uchuvas only because some of you would end your friendship with me straight away! I think it's a funny cute movie. Maybe I've been in a good mood every time I've seen it, don't know, but I think it's really good. There is one scene that makes the whole film worth it: when one of the guys is buying a necklace for his "prospective" lover and "Mr. Bean" is the sales guy and helps him with the sale...a master piece's scene!

Recommendation by Hrishi

I haven't seen this film: Tokyo Monogatari or Tokyo Story; but Hrishi sent such a detailed comment that I thought I might included here. Thanks Hrishi! I let you know when I see it.

Hrishi's comment:

"5 Uchuvas. Most people here  think of Kurosawa (or more lately, Miyazaki) when they think of Japanese movies. But while Kurosawa primarily used a more dramatic idiom for his movies (kings, samurais, sharply drawn good/evil lines, etc.), Yasujiro Ozu dealt with universal, contemporary, everyman themes in an incredibly delicate and sensitive way. Tokyo Story is perhaps his best known work, and one of the most beautiful movies I have seen. This is a narrative which, though set in 50s Tokyo, is equally relevant in any other place at any other time - the distancing of children from their parents as they grow up and life gets in the way. I first saw it at an Ozu Festival in Berkeley and since then, I never miss a chance to see an Ozu film, anywhere. There's a plot synopsis on IMDB but I'd recommend not reading it and just watching the movie. It has been released by Criterion on DVD: http://www.criterion.com/films/284"

LaUchuva Film Night

LaUchuva film blog in partnership with 2 Washington Square Village and apt 7 J presentssssssss:

1st LaUchuva FILM NIGHT.

I'll proudly present for this opening night, my birthday's present: Death at a Funeral (check for LaUchuva's review and its profound comments here)

When: Thursday December 18th 2008

Time: If PAD's deadlines allow an 8pm start, I will start, if not, I will too.

Where: The partnership has offered the venue, so it will be there.

RSV: lauchuva@gmail.com

Popcorns and Uchuvas will be served (if founded)

C.R.A.Z.Y.

English Title: C.R.A.Z.Y.

Jean-Marc Vallee, Canada, 2005, imdb

Review: 5.0 Uchuvas
Comment: I loved this film! The actors are great, the casting was good, the little kid it's amazing! and when he grows up is amazing too! The story is great. It's funny, deep, delicate. The effects are good too. Summary: just loved it!

Idioterne

English Title: The Idiots

Lars von Trier, Denmark, 1998, imdb

Review: 1.0 Uchuvas
Comment: The only good thing that I remember about this film is that I went with at least 10 friends from University; after the first half part we couldn't stop laughing about the stupidity of the film; It's an icon film among us, that's why I end up loving the film to the point that I want to see it again to see if I like it better this time... who knows!

L' Enfant

English Title: The Child

Jean-Pierre Dardenne - Luc Dardenne, Belgium, 2005, imdb

Review: 4.5 Uchuvas
Comment: Super sad film but such a great film! 

Le Fate Ignoranti

English Title: His secret life

Ferzan Ozpetek, Italy, 2001, imdb

Review: 2.5 Uchuvas
Comment: I'm going to be tough with this film for one reason: I felt that the director wanted to make an Almodovar film and that, to start with, is really disappointed. There were a lot of empty spaces in the story where the characters end up in situations or doing things that didn't have much explanation.The story is good though.

at MOMA tonight!!

MILK + Q&A with Gus Van Sant

Gus Van Sant, USA, 2008, imdb

Check MOMA for information.

It's alway great having the opportunity to see a director talking about his film!!  The film was released recently, I haven't seen it but it has good reviews.

El Laberinto del Fauno

English Title: Pan's Labyrinth

Guillermo del Toro, Mexico-Spain, 2006, imdb

Review: 5.0 Uchuvas
Comment: Ok, I'm going to delete my previous comment on this film. "Someone" told me off as I was breaking my own golden rule: Make a comment without talking what's the film about. So I'm terribly sorry for the ones that read my previous comment (if anybody is reading them to start with!). So with this new comment I will only say that I don't give LaUchuva D'or to this film as I already have one film D'ore this year.

Lat den ratte komma in

English Title: Let the right one in

Tomas Alfredson, Sweden , 2008, imdb

Review: 5.0 Uchuvas
Comment: A great, great, great film! I'll include it as a candidate for LaUchuva d' Or 2009. I won't comment too much as I don't want to spoil the film but from my point of view there are 5 things I thought were great: 1. The story, (finally something different about that subject!) It's so well constructed! developed very, very delicately. 2. The actors and actress' performances were great. The girl couldn't be any better!! 3. The effects. There are A LOT of tiny details that you could miss but give so much power to the film (for example the noise of the girl's stomach or the change in her pupil in one scene, or ....) 4. The color, sooo appropriated! so much! 5. Somewhere I read that the music wasn't that good but I totally disagree with that. I like it, and I like it a lot!

So, now, go and see it!

Il y a longtemps que je t'aime

English Title: I've loved you for so long

Philippe Claudel, France, 2008, imdb

Review: 3.5 Uchuvas
Comment: I will be tough with the review but it's a good film. It's not that I didn't like it but somehow I didn't buy the sad history. Maybe it's because the "happiness" came to her life kind of too quick? and only cost her a couple of tears or maybe the actress' appearance was the one that got better too quick. I really don't know but, have a look, it's a nice film.

Perro come Perro

English Title: Dog eat Dog

Carlos Moreno, Colombia, 2008, imdb

Review: 3.0 Uchuvas
Comment: The film starts very well, in fact the film is good until the final 20 minutes when the movie gets converted into the most common cliche where the fighters never EVER die! They get punched and their bodies are full of bullets everywhere but no, they don't die that easily, no with "only" 5 bullets in their hearts and two more in each lung.

Still wondering what is an Uchuva?

Physalis Peruviana, 

Cape Gooseberry, 

Peruvian Groundcherry, 

Inca Berry, 

Poha

Brazil

English Title: Brazil

Terry Gilliam, UK, 1985, imdb

Review: 4.0 Uchuvas
Comment: When Botero told me to see this film he mentioned something about thinking that Gilliam is an Industrial Designer so I saw the film with that in mind (although following Gilliam's biography he did start studying physics and   then fine arts but finished politic sciences).  I'm glad that I saw the film thinking that it was more an artistic film than a story telling.  But without any doubt the story is also good, kind of funny and bizarre! I just totally loved the visual art of the film. Every set is so well made exaggerating the perspectives in such a way that creates incredible spaces! The mixture of reality and dreams are great too. There are so many funny and great things to mention! like the aesthetic surgeries, the great design of the ducts systems in the house (like a body with even a heart!!), the food in the restaurant... yes, a great film!

Les Triplettes de Belleville

English Title: The triplets of Belleville

Sylvain Chomet, France, 2003, imdb

Review: 5.0 Uchuvas
Comment: I have always enjoyed very much animated films. I think this was the first animated film I've seen that is not from Hollywood. The story is so funny! The characters are amazingly well developed a long the first half part of the film. Every one of them is such a powerful character! The grandma it's just superb! The dog's dreams: the cleverest part of the film!! just love them! And the most important point: the perfect set of drawings!!! What a drawings! Do you still believe in "mute" films? well, have a go with this one!

Persepolis

English Title: Persepolis

Vincent Paronnaud - Marjane Satrapi, France, 2007, imdb

Review: 4.5 Uchuvas
Comment: It's incredible how an animated movie made in black and white creates such a beautiful feeling of reality. Great, great, great drawings! A movie as good as the book. 

Dogvillle

English Title: Dogville

Lars Von Trier, UK, 2003, imdb

Review: 4.0 Uchuvas
Comment: It's great to see new ideas in films! This movie is a great case of creativity. It's a tough movie but the crazy set proposal is so great that the movie is worth watching only for that. I enjoyed very much how I had to get use to believe in a scenography that "didn't" exist, how to believe that a private space didn't need any wall around it;  in the end you  are totally free to create in your mind your own set if need it. You can propose your own walls, paths, colors, materials, surely very different from the ones any other will create.  It's tough looking at a movie with no set but some how it's not disturbing at all in the end!  Great proposal, great film!

Snatch

English Title: Snatch

Guy Ritchie, UK, 2000, imdb

Review: 4.5 Uchuvas
Comment: I've seen this film at least 4 times and every time I see it I enjoy it even more! I have to confess that the reason why I enjoy the movie more and more is because ONLY from the second time I saw it, I started to understand (finally) the super difficult assent (therefore what was going on in the film!) The captions helped but the movie is so quick and complex that you really need to keep an eye on every scene. The acting is superb! Pitt is brilliant! Just love the film! Do Not miss it!

Nuovo Cinema Paradiso

English Title: Cinema Paradiso

Giuseppe Tornatore, Italy, 1998, imdb

Review: 4.0 Uchuvas
Comment: I had to see this movie again so I can review it. I did like it a lot. It's a pity when the child character dissapears from the movie. I kind of think that more than half of the movie's success is the kid's acting (Salvatore Cascio), he is too good! I was trying to find what other movies he's done but apparently nothing worth mentioning at the moment.

Le Fabuleux destin d'Amelie Poulain

English Title: The Fabulous Destiny of Amelie Poulain

Jean-Pierre Jeunet, France, 2001, imdb

Review: 4.5 Uchuvas
Comment: Beautiful story with a great color's composition. Sweet and easy film. Great acting. I love the combination of the narrator with the quick shots.

High Fidelity

English Title: High Fidelity

Stephen Frears, UK, 2000, imdb

Review: 1.5 Uchuvas
Comment: I think this movie is very boring. Nothing really happens all along the film. The main character is too boring. The story is not attractive at all. I give all my credits (all of them!) to Jack Black (every single time that he appears, I laughed) without him in the film I would have gave "0" Uchuvas to it. 

Liam

English Title: Liam

Stephen Frears, UK, 2000, imdb

Review: 3.5 Uchuvas
Comment: I saw Far from Heaven's bonus film and I remember they mentioned something about how the design of the set was essential for some scenes as they helped to emphasize the character of the scene. Also I heard somewhere how the camera's location (how high, how low, how close, how far) is also essential when shooting the scene (which it's I guess a basic principle when filming).  All this crap was just to say that in this film the set and the camera's location were amazing. They just made the whole film, especially when talking about religion! BTW I don't know how we survived Catholic education!!! 

Delicatessen

English Title: Delicatessen

Marc Caro - Jean Pierre Jeunet, France, 1991, imdb

Review: 3.5 Uchuvas
Comment: I'm sorry for the Caro-Jeunet's lovers, I really don't know why I didn't like their super Delicatessen movie. What I did like from the film thou was: Dominique Pinon's acting, he's great (as he's in The City of Lost Children and Amelie). I loved the color. The scenography was superb! and the coustoms were a great complement (or vs). Maybe I wasn't in the mood for this movie when I saw it. I'll have another go in future as the movie has so many great reviews. If you haven't seen it, have a look! it's a French icon film!

4 luni, 3 saptamani si 2 zile

English Title: 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days

Cristian Mungiu, Romania, 2007, imdb

Review: 5.0 Uchuvas
Comment: It's very sad and tough, VERY! One of the greatest films I've seen this year.

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer

English Title: Perfume: The Story of a Murderer

Tom Tykwer, Germany, 2006, imdb

Review: 4.5 Uchuvas
Comment: Normally when a director wants to bring a novel to the big screen is because the book is really good. There is where the risk is taken! I think a book is a book and a film is a film. I've seen so many adaptation's disasters that I was very sad to see that The Perfume will become a movie too. To my big surprise the movie is as incredibly good as the book! The main actor (Ben Whishaw) is just amazing!!!

Kolja

English Title: Kolya

Jan Sverak, Czech Republic, 1996, imdb

Review: 4.0 Uchuvas
Comment: Yes, yes, I know 4 is too low for such a beautiful film and maybe deserves more but it's too sweet for my taste. The kid must be the sweetest little boy in all of the Czech Republic!

Death at a Funeral

English Title: Death at a Funeral

Frank Oz, UK, 2007, imdb

Review: 5.0 Uchuvas
Comment: I'm going to be very generous with my Uchuvas in this film only because I haven't laughed so much in a film for some time...so...there you go, 5 Uchuvas for making me laugh so much! Don't miss it!

Machuca

English Title: Machuca

Andres Wood, Chile, 2004, imdb

Review: 4.0 Uchuvas
Comment: I don't know what to say about Machuca. It's a good movie guys....have a look!

La Estrategia del Caracol

English Title: The strategy of the snail

Sergio Cabrera, Colombia, 1993, imdb

Review: 4.0 Uchuvas
Comment: I saw this movie a long time ago but I remember that it was very funny. The "situation" itself and the way that it gets resolved is so Colombian!

Lola rennt

English Title: Run Lola Run

Tom Tykwer, Germany, 1998, imdb

Review: 4.5 Uchuvas
Comment: So, here you go Yogeeta. One great film, very tiring I'd say. I like that the drama is ... weird? I also like how the sequences are so well made.

An email from Gadge:

No me pude aguantar la tentasion de poner este pedacito de un emial que un amigo en Medellin mando... que risa!: "...parce, te cuento que la ultima vez que rente una pelicula creo que fue en beta video rioclaro del Laureles...."  

Todavia me da risa cada que lo leo!!!... Para vos, Gadge, te recomiendo entonces Marecelino, Pan y Vino (Espana) o si la queres de "terror" y bien Hollywoodiana: "Carrie", seguro te las conseguis en beta las dos! 

La Sconosciuta

English Title: The Unknown Woman

Giuseppe Tornatore, Italy, 2006, imdb

Review: 5.0 Uchuvas
Comment: A great drama and mystery movie. Super well done!! I love that in order to understand the movie, they give you information little by little; that helps so much to keep the movie in suspense... Really well done!

Breaking the Waves

English Title: Breaking the Waves

Lars von Trier, Denmark, 1996, imdb

Review: 4.0 Uchuvas
Comment: I read somewhere that this is the first movie of the women drama trilogy from Lars von Trier (+"Dancing in the dark" and then "Dogville"...what a trio!!! I couldn't say which one is better!) This film is such a depressing drama! I think I cried more with this movie than with the last scene of Dancing in the Dark (and I could say that I don't cry with movies easily). Emily Watson is just astonishing here!! I always thought that this was the first Dogme film, but apparently is not... (Dogme 95). Please don't see this movie if you are down (not a bit).

Ne le dis a personne

English Title: Tell no one

Guillaume Canet, France, 2006, imdb

Review: 3.5 Uchuvas
Comment: The movie is great BUT it gets too complicated in the end! You will be told like 3 different versions of the truth , one of top the other one! The movie is an adaptation of a US novel, so I guess there is no way to change the ending when you follow the complete plot, isn't?. The acting is really good.

Yume

English Title: Dreams

Akira Kurosawa, Japan, 1990, imdb

Review: 5.0 Uchuvas
Comment: I saw this movie soooo long ago but I remember so well that after watching the film I was totally in zen mood. I just love it. Be aware that if you are looking for a film, film ... this is not the one; this is more like a piece of art to be contemplated more than to be watched (does it make sense?)

SAIFF 2008

South Asian International Film Festival (SAIFF)

Oct 22 through Oct 28 2008 in NYC.  A friend sent this info today, so here you go. Hope you can see some films. The Festival brings movies from: India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

La cite des enfants perdus

English Title: The city of Lost Children

Marc Caro-Jean Pierre Jeunet, France, 1995, imdb

Review: 4.5 Uchuvas
Comment: Green smoke...what a high!... Looooove it!

Dirty, Pretty Things

English Title: Dirty, Pretty Things

Stephen Frears, UK, 2002, imdb

Review: 3.5 Uchuvas
Comment: I can't believe this kind of things happen in real life! I liked Tautou's acting. I think the subject itself is really powerful.

Ten

English Title: Ten

Abbas Kiarostami, Iran, 2002, imdb
Review: 3.0 Uchuvas
Comment: This is one of the movies that I would love to hear your comments! I think the movie is not that bad (it's full of great reviews every where!) but tbh I gave only 3 Uchuvas because the boy's behaviour!! (which is, I KNOW, a stupid parameter point) I couldn't stop thinking during the whole film how much I would love to have that little freak boy at home for a week!!! he will listen to me!!!!

Naissance des pieuvres

English Title: Water Lilies
Celine Sciamma, France, 2007, imdb
Review: 4.0 Uchuvas
Comment: let's say that this movie has a special meaning to me. It's a great film! A complex subject developed from three different personalities. I love the acting of Anne (the chubby girl). I guess this girlish sport (synchronized swimming) was very appropriated for the movie.

Heaven

English Title: Heaven
Tom Tykwer, Germany, 2002, imdb
Review: 3.0 Uchuvas
Comment: I am not very sure about the fluency of the story; there are so many things that didn't have enough explanation; in fact I think that the story itself is not the point; If you see this movie with a Hollywood follower's eyes, the story should have had more guns, more shoots, more run, more drama, more blood, more, more, more. Maybe that's why I like it! because it's a perfect sequence of crime issues that allow me to concentrate more in facts like photography, colors, music, acting. The photography has 5 Uchuvas (the color reminds me of "far from heaven", a film I love!)

Bloody Sunday

English Title: Bloody Sunday

Paul Greengrass, UK, 2002, imdb

Review: 3.5 Uchuvas

Comment: I have to say that I could have seen this movie with mute on and it would have made the same effect on me, I didn't understand a word!!! (Let's say because the Irish accent, yeah right!). However, what I love from the movie is the way the story is told: the movie moves along the main story with short scenes of different characters. I think the scenes with the troops were the best achievements of the film, they seemed very real. I didn't like the acting much, especially the main character. ah! and I didn't like either that the camera over-moves in some scenes!

Son of Rambow

English Title: Son of Rambow

Garth Jennings, UK, 2007, imdb

Review: 4.5 Uchuvas

Comment: I wasn't very sure to go to see this movie for the only reason that I didn't like the title and the poster (what a reason!!) but I'm glad I didn't have much to see by that time and I went. The movie is great; The story is nice with a lot of bizarre scenes that add value to the film.

Satanas

English Title: Satan

Andres Baiz, Colombia, 2007, imdb

Review: 4.0 Uchuvas

Comment: I was very impressed by this movie as it is well done, great acting and good production. I like the way the director creates tension from the beginning and it's capable of keep it until de end. A terrible true events story, very worth watching.

Lista de espera

English Title: The waiting list

Juan Carlos Tabio, Cuba, 2000, imdb

Review: 4.0 Uchuvas

Comment: An eternal wait for a bus.... Yes! like the night buses in London ... sounds familiar?!

Central Do Brasil

English Title: Central Station

Walter Salles, Brazil, 1998, imdb

Review: 4.0 Uchuvas

Comment: