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.