Inconscientes

English Title: Unconscious

Joaquin Oristrell, Spain, 2004, imdb

Review: 2.5 Uchuvas

Comment: How boring!!!!! the only thing really worth it from this film it's the Costume Design... beautiful!! However, if you want to have a go... do it! as it has won lots of awards.

Kirschbluten - Hanami

English Title: Cherry Blossoms

Doris Dorrie, Germany, 2008, imdb

Review: 3.0 Uchuvas

Comment: It took me a little longer to review this film as I was trying to find out if the film is a remake of beautiful "Tokyo Story" (film that I loved); Apparently it is not but hell if it feels the same film!! By far "Tokyo Story" is nicer and more beautiful and better acted and everything else! This film is touching but I think towards the middle of the film the director (or whoever!) tried very hard to make the film sad and you can't just push sadness... Sadness is a fact that flows in different ways. So, in other words, don't miss Tokyo Story and let this one pass...

the King's Speech

English Title: The King's Speech

Tom Hooper, UK, 2010, imdb

Review: 4.0 Uchuvas

Comment: Well... another British film!!(I'll ask for commission to the British academy!!) A great cast with a really really good performance! Firth is just perfect for the character! The cinematography makes his part too!! Beautiful shots! Beautiful color!! I particularly liked the microphone shots... sooooo pretty!! Anyway... a nice film well worth to watch.

Four Lions

English Title: Four Lions

Christopher Morris, UK, 2010, imdb

Review: 4.5 Uchuvas

Comment: This film is for the ones who like, enjoy AND understand British dark humor! It's brilliantly clever... Just be careful as it's maybe a bit too dark for such a delicate subject!: suicide bombers!! In any case the film, from my point of view, never cross the line to become grotesque (as it happened in Inglourious Basterds, film I hated!). Have a go! it's really funny!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!

HAPPY SECOND BIRTHDAY UCHUVA!!!!!!!

I didn't forget!! I was just waiting for the right moment to say Happy Long Life!!

A couple of Colombian films....

My correspondent in Colombia (my beloved sister) has sent a couple of Colombian's films that we need to keep in mind!! They haven't arrived and I doubt they will (at leas in theaters) but maybe if we are lucky enough we will rent them somewhere...

Pequenas Voces (Little Voices): It really looks great!! I read somewhere that it's similar to Waltz with Bashir and yes... it's a story told by 3 kids (and drawn by them too and then modify by the film makers' team) victims of the violence in the country. Have a look at the trailer here.

El vuelo del Cangrejo (Crab Trap): What I liked a lot of this trailer was the cinematography! reminds me a lot to this other beautiful Colombian film: Los viajes del viento I'm not sure that the acting is good (opinion only based on the trailer) but I definitely will keep this film in mind. Have a look at the trailer here

Nirgendwo in Africa

English Title: Nowhere in Africa

Caroline Link, Germany, 2001, imdb

Review: 3.5 Uchuvas

Comment: Somehow I felt that the film lost me from time to time; I think the edition was the one that didn't help much to the film to be more fluent; some scenes look like they were cut without being finished and then they jumped into another scene no related to the previous one. However it's a nice film, well acted and with beautiful landscape. No way this film should be an Oscar's winner but... what can you expect from the Oscar's anyway! just the fashion show I guess...

Madeo

English Title: Mother

Joon-ho Bong, South Korea, 2009, imdb

Review: 4.0 Uchuvas

Comment: It took me several months to have a go with this film!! First, I saw the trailers and it did scare me to dead!! second... oh well.... I'm in panic every time I see a South Korean film just because those films are in a league that you really need to have nerves to see them!! But I was wrong with my two feelings! The film is not scary at all!! not even the trailer! (I really don't know why it did scare me the first time). The film is so powerful and strong and delicate at the same time!! For me the whole film is one scene that broke my heart into peaces... but as I'm so against to talk about the film's details... I'm just going to leave it there. Edition is really really great!! and performances are superb too!

Frida

English Title: Frida

Julie Taymor, US+Canada+Mexico, 2002, imdb

Review: 4.0 Uchuvas

Comment: I'm not sure I should be posting this film but I just watched it recently again and it's so beautiful that I felt I had to post it. The film is really nice and very well acted!! Frida and Diego are just perfectly performed!! I totally loved the scenes change from portraits to reality and vs. Really amazing!! There are a couple of important characters that get lost during the film without any explanation but .. oh well... let's forget about it!

Los viajes del viento

English Title: The wind Journeys

Ciro Guerra, Colombia+others, 2009, imdb

Review: 5.0 Uchuvas

Comment: I'm going to be totally partial with this film just because it's the most beautiful Colombian film I've seen so far. When I saw the trailer I couldn't believe it was a Colombian film that finally was showing what's worth watching from Colombia: its landscape!! The film is delicate, well thought, simple and amazingly filmed. If you like slow films and if you like watching photographs displayed as films, well... this is a must film for you. Amazing photograph work! Amazing country!!! (If you are in US, it's on netflix, watch instantly!)

after a while....

Almost 3 months out but... here I am... trying to recap... although it will be impossible to remember all the films I've seen in the last months!!

Thanks to the ones asking about lauchuva lately! All of you've said: "I don't really read it but how is it going..." (hahaha) thanks anyway!!

I'll keep writing just for the fun of it...

Okuribito

English Title: Departures

Yojiro Takita, Japan, 2008, imdb

Review: 2.5 Uchuvas

Comment: It has a great great beginning!! but then it was soo soo soooooo sooooooo... mmmm... what word can I use.... maybe "cheesy"??!!! It's very disappointing that having such a great story you end up with such a terrible plot's development. What really got my nerves was that they played the game: "let's make them cry so they feel that the films has touched them" and in fact you cried a lot of times.... but I cried because the situation and the subject it self is sad ... ah! I also cry in the end for having waisted my time and tears!

Man som hatar Kvinnor

English Title: The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo

Niels Arden Oplev, Sweden+Denmak+others, 2009, imdb

Review: 3.5 Uchuvas

Comment: I don't know what to say... it wasn't a bad film but when you've seen a similar stories so many times, it's kind of boring.... Let's say that the beginning is very good; it has a good plot, good acting and good suspense; but then, all the investigation happens so easily that is totally unbelievable. It felt like a "1+1" american film where you know that the sum will be "2". This film is an adaptation of an award winning book with the same title by Stieg Larsoon (a Swedish author who died in 2004). It's the first book of a trilogy. The other two books' adaptations will be released soon in US (the girl who played with Fire and The Girl who kicked the Hornets' Nest). I guess I'll see them although I'm not dying to...

El Secreto de tus Ojos

English Title: The Secret in their Eyes

Juan Jose Campanella, Argentina, 2009, imdb

Review: 4.0 Uchuvas

Comment: No, I don't think this film is ANY better than Un Prophete or Ajami or no way better than The White Ribbon.... BUT it has the "magic formula" that a film needs to have to win a Oscar... I'm not saying it's a bad film but I don't think it's in the same level as the other Oscar's nominees (I haven't seen La Teta asustada thou). In any case the acting is really really good! With Ricardo Darin you are sure to see good acting and then Irene, playing "Soledad", did a superb job!! Also the rest of the crew is fantastic! The make up is astonishing! One of the best aging I've seen in the big screen (with a couple of exceptions). Edition is good too.

Le Pere de mes Enfants

English Title: The Father of my Children

Mia Hansen-Love, France, 2009, imdb

Review: 2.0 Uchuvas

Comment: After the first 1.5 hour of this film I thought: How much longer is going to be before something happens in this film!!! Now that I know this film last 1 hour 50 minutes I realized that the first 1.5 hour must has been only 50 min!! That being said, it's obvious how boring this film was!! I guess the director or screen player (or who knows who!!) wanted to defined the main character very well, which in fact they did!!! but in the first 10-15 minutes!!!.... The rest of the film is as boring as the first half and again... nothing happen at all!.... Nothing special to recall about the film... n o t h i n g

MicMacs a Tire-Larigot

English Title: Micmacs

Jean-Pierre Jeunet, France, 2009, imdb

Review: 4.0 Uchuvas

Comment: I guess as a follower of Jeunet's films (Delicatessen, the city of Lost Children, Amelie, A very long Engament), I can't give less that 4 Uchuvas to this film. I would have given less than four but I just can't with this director. His films (including this one) are cleaver, "light" and beautifully made! I liked better the other films (except Delicatessen that I didn't like that much) but his style is there, his magic is there and the colors (the same beloved green and red colors) are there!! I think this guy has a great style that he has been able to keep during his films without loosing originality in each one of them.

Hunger

English Title: Hunger

Steve McQueen, UK, 2008, imdb

Review: 5.0 Uchuvas

Comment: It took me over a month to dare watching this film. It was at home for over a month and I didn't want to see it as... well, you know... I've been watching too many depressing films and I knew this film was of that kind.... One day that I was in a great mood as I arrived home at 7pm for first time in ages!!! I decided to give it the go ahead before I return the film (with another one that I definitely didn't want to see for the same reason). Aaaaaanyway... the point here is that I saw the film, while eating!!! (big mistake!!) and yes... it is indeed super tough... I wouldn't call it depressing but tough enough to feel depress in the end!!!! So, stay away from it if you are not in depressing films mood but keep it in mind as it's amazing!!!!!! Actors, even the secondaries, are superb! the loose of weight it's impressively well done!!!! (was that for real?... I'll need to find out!!)

Exit Through the Gift Shop

English Title: Exit Through the Gift Shop

Banksy, UK+US, 2010, imdb

Review: 4.0 Uchuvas

Comment: When I was dragged to the theater I didn't even know the title of the film. I was super happy that in the end I could say that this "film" it's, indeed, one of my favorites within the last few months. I would say it's more a black comedy's documentary than a film itself. If you put together: This fabulous/sarcastic street artist + that other out of mind street artist and a great documentary's composicion... you will get what you can see here.... It's hilarious... DO NOT MISS IT!!

Depressing films... NO MORE!!!

I wonder where are all the light "5 Uchuvas" films? Most of the films I've seen this year (at least the 5 and 4.5 Uchuvas films) are super depressing!!!! S U P E R (just look at my last 8 postings!!)... so, I wonder.... where are the light good films??!!! Like Little Mrs Sunshine or so?? As I'm getting depress by watching all these films in a raw, I decided to stop watching depressing films for a while... Now, I'm dedicated to anything that is light... very light.... Any suggestion??!!!

Stellec Licht

English Title: Silent Light

Carlos Reygadas, Mexico, Netherlands+others, 2007, imdb

Review: 4.0 Uchuvas
Comment: I'm still trying to digest every long part of this film. The first "scene" is so long, so slow and so quiet than you soon realized that this film is for you to seat back, relax and enjoy a cinematography experience. Every single shot it's a masterpiece! With a few mistakes here and there but beautifully shown every scene on this film is worthwhile. What killed the film was the actors! I know some times nonprofessional actors makes a difference in a film (like The Class... those kids were amazing) but in this case they make such a terrible job that it's really annoying. Be aware that if you want to see this film, put your mind in blank, seat comfortable and be ready to enjoy everlastings silent beautiful scenes.

Red Road

English Title: Red Road

Andrea Arnold, UK+Denamark, 2006, imdb

Review: 4.0 Uchuvas
Comment: It was a bit bad that I saw this film after watching "Gigante" just for the fact that they have similar characters performing the same job and "Gigante" was a bit boring so I thought I would feel the same about this film. But it turns out to be a very tough and strong film very well performed. The story is not told until very late, fact that I liked a lot in films as they make you wonder all the way through.

Rosario Tijeras

English Title: Rosario Tijeras

Emilio Maille, Colombia, 2005, imdb

Review: 3.5 Uchuvas
Comment: If I had comment on this film few years back when I first saw it, I would have gave it 2 Uchuvas. This second time I thought the performance wasn't thaaaat bad....(I hated the film the first time for this reason) with exception of "Antonio" who is played terribly bad! The story is really tough, sad and impressively real. The book, in my opinion, is much better than the film as reflects much stronger the violence where the main character is involved. Read the book!

EL Violin

English Title: The Violin

Francico Vargas, Mexico, 2005, imdb

Review: 4.0 Uchuvas
Comment: After a great day I wanted to see a good film. So, I watched this film but I end up almost crying. It's a nice film but so sad; more than sad is touching. The main character is really well performed. Just by watching his figure is enough to understand his character. Casting was pretty good. Second black and white film that I've seen in a raw with such a beautiful cinematography. (sorry for the poster... couldn't find anything better)

Whisky

English Title: Wisky

Juan Pablo Rebella-Pablo Stoll, Uruguay+others, 2004, imdb

Review: 4.0 Uchuvas
Comment: Great film! The acting of the two main characters was really impressive; That helps a lot to give strength to a story that could have been boring. It was super cleaver they way they built the characters and their lives so quickly without feeling that it was made in a rush. Soft, cleaver and delicate.

Un Prophete

English Title: A Prophet

Jacques Audiard, France-Italy, 2009, imdb

Review: 5.0 Uchuvas
Comment: ........ jeez...................

Tim Burton at MOMA

And then, I can't leave today without mentioning Tim Burtun's exhibition at MOMA. If you are in NY or planning to come, don't miss the exhibition that ends in April. Go very early or late as it's packed most of the time. It's a nice exhibition full of great drawings (that takes most of your time), beautiful sculptures and funny videos.

An Education

English Title: An Education

Lone Scherfig, UK, 2009, imdb

Review: 3.5 Uchuvas
Comment: It's not a bad film but I can't give more Uchuvas because I need to keep consistance with the numbering... so... anyway. I think the acting is the piece to point out. The shot locations were super nice and the custome design too. Honestly, I don't see anything special about this film. I don't see why it has been so acclaimed. ...I almost forgot to mention that all the edition's mistakes they made (the weather's changes when they were in the car) are unforgivable !

Ajami

English Title: Ajami

Scandar Copti-Yaron Shani, Israel, 2009, imdb

Review: 4.5 Uchuvas
Comment: The greatest achievement of this film is without any doubt: the editing! Unavailable good!! The story is amazingly sad specially because what it is behind it in all levels (political and human). BTW: two new directors... Spot on!

Das weisse Band

English Title: The White Ribbon

Michael Haneke, Austria-Germany-others, 2009, imdb

Review: 5.0 Uchuvas
Comment: A nice way to start this year!!!!!!!! what a bloody good film!!! I could list a million reasons why this film is 5 Uchuvas but let's say just three: Amaaaaaazing actors, greeeeeeeat and strong Story and super super super SUPER amazing cinematography. Michael Haneke in the film: Cache, made a few shots that drove me crazy!!!: when the camera get freeze in a scene and nothing happen!!! Well, here he did the same thing but this time with such a meaning that I end up loving his style!!! The way of creating a stress and rigid mood throughout the film is just perfect! And the story... oh well... a long comment should follow but I don't like talking about the plot...