Hearat Shulayim

English Title: Footnote

Joseph Cedar, Israel, 20011, imdb

Review: 3.5 Uchuvas

Comment:

It took me all these time to comment in this film because my fellow companions watching this film didn't like it as much as I did.
Yes, It's not as good as I thought it would be. The trailers tricked me on that! I just thought that with such a great subject how can you missed to create a good film! Maybe they messed up the edition? You must say that the script was good... the idea was brilliant! and the actors were good. But yes, they were tones of information that didn't end anywhere! and, in fact, the film didn't end anywhere either!! (that end guys!! that end!! uuggrr!!) However, I still like it a lot. I enjoyed the drama and the general development. 

La Doppia Ora

English Title: The Double Hour

Giuseppe Capotondi, Italy, 2009, imdb

Review: 3.5 Uchuvas

Comment:

The script's idea is so so so good!! I really don't know what happened!! Everything was very intriguing, confusing, suspenseful and suddenly you have everything there ... even the end!!! What a waste!!! It's worth watching anyway! Acting is great! Music is very nice! an scrip... really good if they would have gotten a few more months to work on ;)
(btw, first time director)

Castaway to the Moon

English Title: Castaway to the Moon

Hae-jun Lee, South Korea, 2009, imdb

Review: 3.5 Uchuvas

Comment:

As usual with South Korean's films, when I started watching this, I was deadly scare! Scare to see my 5th South Korean film as, with them, you never know how bizarre they can be!!  Although I went back to see the list of the other 4 films I've seen and the only one that it's really REALLY something is "Old Boy" the other ones are nicely bizarre.
Anyway, Castaway has some good, funny, bizarre moments but, unfortunately, few cheesy ones that kill the film for me. It's very disappointing that there are still directors that want to have that Hollywood little, predictable touch that makes a great film a blockbuster one! This is the case for this film. Everything was going fine until the last 15 minutes.  The script was good (although wilson's "lookalike" is unforgivable!), the actors were fine too. You guys have a go... still is a well spend time.

Fish Tank

English Title: Fish Tank

Andrea Arnold, UK, 2009, imdb

Review: 3.5 Uchuvas

Comment:

The script is quite good. It's a tough and rough history. Unexpected development, which was quite good. Acting was good as well. I really don't know why it didn't got me more... but it's a good film to watch.  I just realized that it's the same director as Red Road and yes... they are quite in the same line.  Como diriamos en mi familia: pero que bonita familia!!

Meduzot

English Title: Jellyfish

Shira Geffen, Israel+others, 2007, imdb

Review: 3.5 Uchuvas

Comment:
It's kind of a weird feeling after watching this film. It is, indeed, very sad but some how it's not THAT depressing considering that none of the 4 stories is slightly happy. The actors weren't that good but the stories were nicely sad, nicely told and well edited (although sometimes the sequence should have been longer... well, from my humble point of view).

Zelary

English Title: Zelary

Ondrej Trojan, Czech Republic+others, 2003, imdb

Review: 3.5 Uchuvas

Comment:

It is a good film with very nice cinematography and good acting in general. A story that turns upside down nicely.

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...

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...

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!

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 !

Los Brazos Rotos

English Title: Broken Embraces

Pedro Almodovar, Spain, 2009, imdb

Review: 3.5 Uchuvas
Comment: Since I heard the rumors that Almodovar was making a new film, I was dying to see it! Unfortunately I was a bit disappointed. I guessed the plot after the first 30 minutes of the film and that killed the rest for me. Without any doubt a good film but not a great film. As always in Almodovar's films, the cinematography is superb! Penelope is great as she normally is in spanish films. The rest of the actors.... really, really good!

Cache

English Title: Cache

Michael Haneke, France, 2005, imdb

Review: 3.5 Uchuvas
Comment: I saw this film few years ago but I fell asleep. I liked the parts I remember so I rent it again but I fell asleep again! So, I decided to have a third go and try not to fall sleep. I finally managed and saw until the last scene! I liked it but it wasn't my cup of tea. Now I understand why I fall sleep every time! some scenes, where nothing happens, are endless! I feel that the film is a bit too long! They should put a note that reads: "Not recommended for tired people"

Lost in La Mancha

English Title: Lost in La Mancha

Keith Fulton-Louis Pepe, UK-US, 2002, imdb

Review: 3.5 Uchuvas
Comment: It needs to be said that this film is a documentary and the film it self was never made ("The Man Who Killed Don Quixote"). In the beginning the documentary was a bit boring but it turns out to be painful, sad and good. It was very sad to see how the Terry Gilliam's dream became a complete nightmare! What was really sad about the "disaster" is that most of the problems during the shooting were for weather and health conditions! Nobody can really predict that. I'm glad that at least the documentary was well known.

Fa yeung nin wa

English Title: In the mood for Love

Kar Wai Wong, Hong Kong, 2000, imdb

Review: 3.5 Uchuvas
Comment: Without any doubt the cinematography of this film is 10/10; it's incredibly beautiful, but I have to say that it's the second time that I fall asleep trying to see the film. It's super slow and after the first 30 minutes I feel that nothing happens, just amazing photographs! Maybe I'll need to see it for 3rd time to make a better judgment and understand how has won so many awards.

Anonyma-Eine Frau in Berlin

English Title: A Woman in Berlin

Max Farberbock, Germany, 2009, imdb

Review: 3.5 Uchuvas
Comment: I think is a bit low the number of Uchuvas but I really can't give more to a film that made me feel bored in the middle of it. I just kept thinking: "ok, move on.... what else are you going to show".  The film become very repetitive at some point. The story is really good but a bit too long.

Bin-jip

English Title: 3 Iron

Ki-duk Kim, South Korea, 2004, imdb

Review: 3.5 Uchuvas
Comment: Here with my second Korean film in the blog.  Against any prediction, this film was surprisedly soft and delicate (considering the idea I have of Korean cinematography).  With almost any dialogue at all (apart of my friends' comments during the film asking who is that guy? whose house is this? "that part is important so pay attention!", or, "he doesn't talk in the whole film" ;) this film doesn't have any special photography or effects or acting; it's just a nice and soft story with a nice ending that is open for you to guess it; the nicest you get your guess the nicest the film is.  Thanks Hrishi for hosting!

Le Scaphandre et le Papillon

English Title: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Julian Schnabel, France, 2007, imdb

Review: 3.5 Uchuvas
Comment: I remember that when I went to the theatre to watch this film I had so many expectations! so many that I end up totally disappointed.  I guess the story itself is so bloody sad that when you go to watch a film that you know it's deeply sad it doesn't make you feel that sad anymore unless it's a super great production which I think it's not the case here.  Maybe I'm wrong but from my point of view this film it's no much that a general sad film with no much of interesting factors on it. The only thing that it was really good and I still remember after these years, was the sound when the main character is "talking" or thinking. Plus the eyes scenes are deadly strong!

La Stanza del figlio

English Title: The Son's room

Nanni Moretti, Italy+France, 2001, imdb

Review: 3.5 Uchuvas
Comment: It's not my cup of tea but it's a worth watching film ONLY if you are in a mood to watch sad films.  In my case, it didn't touch me that much, I really don't know why as the acting is really good.  The story is super sad but what it's nice about it is how the strong emotions are well shown by the great acting.

Gomorra

English Title: Gomorrah

Matteo Garrone, Italy, 2008, imdb

Review: 3.5 Uchuvas
Comment: I was waiting for so long to see this film that I was a bit disappointed when I saw it as I had a lot of expectations, so maybe I'm a bit tough with the review... I even fall sleep a couple of times!!! and that never happens to me in a theater!!! no even while watching The Love in the times of Cholera! But anyway.... It has won some good awards and nominated several times, so have a look and judge your self. 

Todo Sobre mi Madre

English Title: All About my Mother

Pedro Almodovar, Spain, 1999, imdb

Review: 3.5 Uchuvas
Comment: For now, this will be my last posting of the mini Almodovar's festival I did during the last month. 

I think the story is a bit too much! to top the terrible performance of Cecilia Roth playing the main character, kills the film for me. She is really terrible! she over acts so much!... really really bad! Trying to forget about her (although being the main character is impossible to) I have to say that the cinematography is soo nice... Almodovar is great on this... just G R E A T and that's basically why I gave more than 3 Uchuvas!  To finish this post I'll  quote one special shoot that I think is the most beautiful shoot in the whole film: when Manuela (Cecilia Roth) is waiting for his son in front of a huge poster of a "famous" actress... really nice!