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: 

Nueve Reinas

English Title: Nine Queens

Fabian Bielinsky, Argentina, 2000, imdb

Review: 4.5 Uchuvas

Comment: Great film! I still don't get the maths in the first scene when "juan" trick the girl in the shop...

Crna macka, beli macor

English Title: Black Cat White Cat

Emir Kusturica, Yugoslavia +others, 1998, imdb

Review: 4.5 Uchuvas

Comment: The first time I saw this movie I wasn't very sure I liked it because it's so bloody bizarre that I wasn't sure what all that mess was about!! But the second time I saw it I just couldn't stop laughing, What a master piece! One of my favorites movies now.

La Lengua de las Mariposas

English Title: Butterfly's Tongue

Jose Luis Cuerda, Spain, 1999, imdb

Review: 4.5 Uchuvas

Comment: It's a very tough movie, sweet but very tough. I like the way the movie turns, there is where all my Uchuvas go. The boy is great! I like the title a lot (not a very profound comment but...I like it)

Old Boy

English Title: Old Boy

Chan-wook Park, South Korea, 2003, imdb

Review: 5 Uchuvas

Comment: Ok, with this film I will only say: watch it in a beautiful sunny day so when it's finish you can remember that it's nothing more than a film!! 

The most stressful film I've seen!!! Great!

RocknRolla

English Title: RocknRolla

Guy Ritchie, UK, 2008, imdb

Review: 2.5 Uchuvas

Comment: Same subject?! again?! Boring! Maybe I am a bit unfair with this review as the movie is not that bad but tbh I'll expect that Guy Ritchie comes with something new! By far, Snatch and Two Smoking are so much better!...b y f a r! To top I was watching the film with this guy behind me that didn't stop laughing without a reason!!!!!uuugggrrr!!!!what a pain!

Bikur Ha-Tizmoret

English Title: The Band's Visit

Eran Kolirin, Israel, 2007, imdb

Review: 4.5 Uchuvas

Comment: Only for the ridiculous situation that the band is in, it's worth watching! So funny! The acting is really great; they are the ones that makes the film real, as the situation is not!

Reprise

English Title: Reprise

Joachim Trier, Norway, 2006, imdb

Review: 4.5 Uchuvas

Comment: What I like from this movie a lot is that the story is very simple but is told in a very detailed way. It doesn't follow linear time (which I loved in movies) but you get every single part of the whole story. I guess this dynamism is the reason why I gave 4.5 Uchuvas to the film. Also, the film is so delicate. It's funny how a movie can make you feel cold by the color of it. 

Bacheha-Ye aseman

English Title: Children of Heaven

Majid Majidi, Iran, 1997, imdb

Review: LaUchuva d'Or

Comment: This has been the movie I've liked the most so far in ages! I'd dare to say not only in ages but in my entire life. The story is very original; it made my heart shrink but also made me laugh so much. The movie is intelligent, delicate, soft, tough, funny, sad...It has it all (in a really good way) . The acting of the two kids is just incredible! I just LOVED when the little girl, without looking at his brother's eyes and pretending she's writing, talk to him in whispers: "aaallllliiii...."