I hope that I can do even more posts the next year and its also fun that I am closing in on 100 000 pageviews on this blog. An interesting coincidence! Thank you for watching so far!
This film is something that I had been wanting to watch for a while. The premise and plot of it sounded very enticing and I also appreciate Ellen Page's general acting style. A general theme on this blog, besides the films, is that of the human mind and expectations, and how it can dramatically change your experience of said films. I had, whether I liked it or not, painted a picture in my head about how this film would be, to a certain degree. It did not correspond with how I actually perceived the film and sometimes that's a good thing. It wasn't, this time.
Ellen Page plays the 14 year old girl Hayley who is exploring the fascinating internet and its possibilities. She chats with older men online and finds Jeff ( Patrick Wilson ) interesting for a particular reason. Hayley is the driving force behind them meeting up and she flirts shamelessly with him until they end up at his apartment. Jeff works as a photographer and shows her some of his work and Hayley is fast on picking that up as a subject that "defines" him. She is also very interested in getting on camera for him. In the meantime they have gotten themselves drinks and this is where the film takes an interesting twist.
This film deals with some large themes and without spoiling anything its very easy to take the perpetrator's side in all of it, which is quite uncommon, for obvious reasons. It's also about the constant battle of the sexes and power. So in conclusion I would say some parts of this film are good and some parts are really bad. You are therefore left with a sort of schizophrenic impression.
I usually like films that take an unexpected turn and are in themselves non-predictable but overall I didn't really like where this was going. It became the offspring of a tv-movie and a crim-show on television. Very poor acting, especially from Patrick Wilson, and I felt like it didn't really made an impression on me. It dabbles in the psychological thriller department somewhat, which has an element of "interesting" in it, but I expected more from this.
The re-enactment of a very interesting psychological experiment based off historical events.
Review:
The german teacher Rainer Wagner (Jurgen Vogel ) brings up the subject of autocracy to his students and engages them in an experiment. He wants to instill in them that autocracy is still and will always be a threat to democracy, even though his students are highly sceptical of that. They believe we have learned our lesson, so to speak.
As time passes he introduces uniforms, specific salutions and titles. The students, being quite disinterested at first, start to take a liking to the bonding experience they share. His experiment was inspired by what a class in California did in the 1960's which revolved around the individual and the collective as a whole.
This film is thought provoking and raises questions rather than answer them, making this a film worth watching. Its an interesting view into group-psychology and how we are, after all, social beings. And how we also may lose our values and "minds" when we are in a group, the group becomes more important than anything else.
We also get to follow some particular individuals up close aswell as the teacher and how he personally deals with it. The movement they form is called Die Welle which means the Wave in english. Dennis Gansel is the producer here and he is making his second Nazi-related film.
15 year old aspiring dancer finds herself in a strange situation when her mom finds a new boyfriend.
Review:
I heard good things about this one and had been wanting to see it for quite a while. I dont see alot of british film, perhaps because its, overall, low quality films or perhaps because it gets pushed away by the monster that is Hollywood. I'd like to think its a combination, but mostly the latter. It just seems so much easier for an american film to make it everywhere, I suppose its not really surprising, but why that is is subject for another post.
Katie Jarvis plays the role of Mia, who is quite a lonely and troubled teenager. She responds to the, in her view, hostile world with hostility. The way she has been brought up and the family life she finds herself in has certainly added to her sense of misery. Her mother ( Kierston Wareing ) almost seems to be an involuntary mother and lives on her life the way she did before she got children. Mia discovers alot of things that any teenager do in that age, but with a big carelessness. One day her mother brings home a new boyfriend ( Michael Fassbender) and it complicates Mia's life even more.
The only real goal and motivation in life Mia has is to become a dancer. Ergo, the timeless theme of breaking free from the negative shackles, that you did not ask for, to become "free". It is still a refreshing look at the dreams of a young individual, perhaps because its a so called "kitchen sink" drama. It juggles the everyday life and the dreams, at the same time, in a good way. Meaning there are nuances and subtleties, unlike most Hollywood films.
The dialogue is very interesting and well thought out. I read somewhere it would give Pulp Fiction a run for the money. I dont know if I would go that far, but there certainly is some great lines in this one aswell. Katie Jarvis is doing a great job acting and is the shining star in this film but I really like Michael Fassbender and he is always doing a good job even though he has a supporting role.
I just noticed there are, what could be seem as Hollywood flaming, in this review. That's not really my intention, but im just calling it like I see it. I think its a shame that films are not more provocative, interesting, strange et.c. than they are. Its a goddamn shame.
This low budget film with no recognisable characters and filmed with a Flip Cam (!) made it to the Sundance festival which obviously gave it big attention. The low-key and non pretentious vibe always sparks my interest with films so I thought I'd review it for you.
The somewhat conventional theme with a lonely 40 year old man is being carried up by the unconventional script and directing in this film. Kent Osborne ( Kent Osborne ) works as a freelance animator and spends most of his life being on the internet and smoking marijuana. He is not really happy with his situation and actually manages to meet someone on Chatroulette. Kate ( Jennifer Prediger) is a New York resident, works as a journalist but is actually already taken but the boyfriend is distant. She decides to go meet Kent on the other side of the country all the way in Los Angeles. Kent and Kate finds theirselves at a party and the circumstances that unfold is something that comes as a big surprise.
I read somewhere this film had a greater message : That the internet/video generation are waiting for life to happen to them instead of vice versa, that indidivuals in this generation grab a hold of life. That's one way of looking at it although it didnt strike me at first. The passivity of the younger people in society is probably a correct observation though.
I found this to be a humorous film and something that alot of people can relate to, not necessarely just if you are a 40 year old male. It speaks to everyone, I find, simply because its a quality film. I wish more films like these were made. The only reason this made it in to the viewing spectrum so to speak was probably because of the aforementioned film festival. I wonder how many other gems you miss?
The movie industry is interesting in that its very hard not to be affected by Hollywood and the common way of making a film. Sometimes the swedish film industry get carried away and just copy the american way of making films but most of the time, atleast the swedish films I see, stay away from that. And by stepping away from the american way of making films, you get very unpredictable and interesting films. Just by stepping away from the "how to make films manual" you distance yourself from the majority of the films made and you automatically become very different. Sebbe is not necessarely a completely unique film, in any sense, but it does something very rare, atleast up until the very end. But to speak of it would be to spoil the film.
Sebbe is a socialrealistic drama that centers around some heavy themes including poverty, alcoholism, bullying and general misery. ( Misery is something swedes do great on film, it comes as no surprise. ) Sebbe ( Sebastian Hiort af Ornäs ) is a young boy who lives with his mother Eva ( Eva Melander ) and they have a very strained relationship. Sebbe's father has left them and Eva is struggling to make ends meet and is handing out infomercials at night as their sole income. Sebbe has become the number one bully victim in his class and finds no peace in school and his presence there is declining. His main interest has become building mechanical and technological devices of different kinds and in doing this he atleast gets to be alone.
Sebbes mother Eva has a love/hate relationship for her son and often finds him to be a nuisance in this already somewhat grey and wretched world. His problems seem to pour over into her life and this is something she seem to find painful with her already having her own problems. Eva is also, perhaps because of this, an alcoholic. Her temper is quite irate and she often takes it out on Sebbe.
Babak Najafi is doing his feature film debut with this film and has also by this time made the sequel to another praised swedish film Snabba Cash. Babak has then obviously already proven to be one of the best contemporary swedish film makers. Phenomenal acting from both Sebastian and Eva, although very strong acting all across the board. Many of the actors are actually making their debut acting, including Sebbe, and are new "faces" to the audience, which I believe was crucial to a film like this ( And to films in general, I really support new faces ).
Sebbe is a very unpleasant film to watch and this is something I appreciate, when a film can actually have some sort of effect on you, even if it is a very "negative" effect. This obviously comes from the theme in the film, but also from the very real display of human interaction that all people involved have created. Its strength is also the ability to stay on the subjects of which it has taken upon itself to display. It does not shy away from going deep and exploring all the dark sides of our society.
A film based upon the classical novel by Vladimir Nabokov.
Plot:
Centers around the relationship between an older man and a young girl.
Review:
The novel has spawned two dramatizations, one that came 1962 and then this one, which came in 1997. Unfortunately I haven't seen the first one. Vladimirs novel has reached widespread critical acclaim and it stirred quite a controversy back in the day when it came. The subject which it revolves around is still today a touchy subject. That of pedophilia.
The history or reason behind the "older man" Humbert Humbert's ( Jeremy Irons ) fascination with the "younger girl" Lolita ( Dominique Swain ) is displayed in the beginning, as a flashback moment, wherein a young Humbert is mesmerized by an older girl. In Lolita, later in his life, he sees a spark of that girl and recognizes that feeling he felt when he was younger and in love.
Lolita is a curious and playful teenager on the verge of blossoming as a young woman. The interaction between these two characters is really fascinating and they both have complex layers. Do not get me wrong here, this is a film about lust. About how your sexuality can completely consume and control you. But this is also not a very blunt film. There is no sexual content thrown in your face the way it usually is in films nowadays. It is a subtle film, in alot of ways. A foreplay, of sorts.
There is a struggle here between these characters that might look like a cats play with a mouse. Lolita always seem to have the upper hand, of being in control, and Humbert quite the opposite. This is something that I feel is being revised, as the film goes. Perhaps Lolita is dependant on Humbert aswell? What she wants or needs from him is necessarely not as easy to understand. Perhaps its just classical affirmation of her worth due to being desired.
Perhaps due to its background in a novel being written quite a while ago, there is a retro feel to it. A film from a different era, is the impression I get, not that its made in 1997. I recommend this to any film lover!
Woman quits her job and finds herself in an awkward position being the only one in her circle of friends who doesn't have a "career".
Review:
Looking at the poster and reading the plot makes me quite, shall we say non-interested, in this film. Jennifer Aniston doesn't really help at all, she has done nothing but romantic comedies since the 90's. This is, however, quite a pleasant film. It follows my favourite theme, a slow paced somewhat uneventful film with an interesting dialogue. I also appreciate the fact that it is about people in their mid-lives living day to day and doing all the things we classify as "normal". In films this can seem "uneventful" and "boring". I find this quite exciting.
The main character is Olivia ( Jennifer Aniston ) who seems to have some sort of midlife-crisis where she quits her job as a teacher and start working as a maid. She meets all kinds of strange guys and smokes pot. Her social sphere recognizes something is up but approaches her gently. Franny ( Joan Cusack ) seems to be quite the opposite to Olivia. She is perfectly in balance, or atleast thats what it seems, with herself and everything around her. Christine ( Caroline Keener ) is a scripwriter and works alot with her husband. This seems to be quite the strain on their marriage and the often fight, passively aggressively, through reading the scripts. Quite comical. The last character in the woman quartet is Jane ( Frances Mcdormand ). Jane works as a clothing designer and has quite the temper and her husband's story( Simon Mcburney ) through the film is the question of whether or not he is a closet homosexual.
The non-dramatic approach is something that I appreciate quite alot. Its also a film of sublety and contradictions. One moment they all seem happy with what they have and then in the other they act out and seem to be quite the opposite. I believe this also has to do with the fact that what they show outwards and how they actually feel about themselves and their lives is two different things. As a consequence of this the characters are actually often times relatable and dare I say life-like. This is at the same time, ironically enough, the number one reason why I think it hasn't reached a big audience or credit.
Anette Benning and Julianne Moore plays a lesbian couple, Nic and Jules. They have two kids together, Laser and Joni. ( Played by ) They live quite the average suburban life and all that comes with that. As the kids have grown older they have been more and more interested in getting to know their biological father. They secretely contact him and meet him. They get to meet Paul ( Mark Ruffalo ) who portrays a very laid back and relaxed kind of guy who "didnt think they were gonna use his stuff anyway". He growns his own vegetables and has a restaurant. The two children get quite the split opinions about him but they continue on seeing him and tells their two mothers after a while. This is where things get interesting.
The single biggest issue I have with this movie is something that I expected not to be in it. I do not
feel like spoiling anything however. Even though I am linking a trailer I do not really recommend watching it because it gives you quite a strange view of this film. This is an interesting portrail of a different family setting that go through alot of the same issues as everyone else does. Its not full of clichees or anything along those lines, the only thing that this has in common with alot of other films in general is the cheating theme, which obviously always makes for good drama.
A big star also goes out to this film in regards to the fact that the homosexual people in this film are not portrayed in an extreme manner. Male homosexuals tend to be portrayed as "flamboyant" and "fabolous" with larger than life personalities. Female homosexuals tend to be portrayed as pretty much the opposite. Neither Benning nor Moore fits into this stereotype. Very refreshing.
Follows a group of homosexual men in the 1980's New York and the AIDS breakout in the West.
Review:
I saw this show on television when I was in highschool and I was very intrigued by it. When a show, documentary or film is genre-overlapping I automatically become very interested. It may be hard to balance that, which I think is why its so seldomly done, but when they get it right, its an absolute delight. The film Southland Tales is a good example of that, Angels in America is another. This is part play, part drama and part fantasy. And I would also recommend viewing it as such.
We get to follow a couple of interesting individuals who's lives intertwine. Roy Cohn ( Al Pacino ) is a successful lawyer who hides his real sexual orientation and his disease ( AIDS ) from other people. We also get to meet Joe ( Patrick Wilson ) who also is "in the closet" even though he's married to Harper ( Marie Louise Parker ). They have quite a miserable relationship and that has made Harper neurotic and bordering on psychotic and as a result started to abuse valium. Joe has a mother, Ethel and Meryl Streep is doing a fine job of acting in portraying her. in this show. Emma Thompson plays a small but interesting part, but of this I will not disclose further.
Got a few golden globes and I can see why. There are only 2 episodes of this mini series or tv-show which is quite an unorthodox format. I highly recommend it. It has a nice scope and deals with alot of subjects from politics to religion to the nature of our human existence.
Follows two boys who were molested by the same man growing up.
Review:
Despite the heavy theme this is not necesseraly, as you could expect, all that hard to watch. There might be a scene or two that one could define as uncomfortamble but overall it has an interesting and unexpected tone, even humorous at times. Greg Araki is the director behind this film who came out 2004.
In the 1980's a little-league baseball coach played by Bill Sage is a child molester and both Brian ( Brady Corbet ) and Neil ( Joseph Gordon Lewitt ) become his victims. At the time the two boys are only 8 years of age. We get to follow them in these younger years a short while and then we fastforward to the upper teenage/young adult age.These encounters has has two completely different impacts on these two boys, who are also friends. Neil has a positive attitude towards it and thinks of it as fine memory on how his sexual journey began. Having moved to New York, Neil has continued to have sex with men and has also become a prostitute/hustler. You do not get the impression he is any kind of victim here, despite all of this.
Brian on the other hand has repressed what happened to him and has had blackouts and noosebleeds as the only rememberance that "something happened", becomes asexual and develops the theory that he was abducted by aliens at a young age. Brian ends up staying in the town the boys grew up in and finds a fellow "abductee" in Avalynn ( Mary Lynn Rajskub ) in which he finds "companionship".
To go on further would probably spoil it. Not being a fan of Joseph Gordon Lewitt myself I was pleasantly surprised to see this film in which he truly does a good job portraying Neil. For some reason it seems like a 90's film. I dont really know why, but it does. It has that toned down quality in which the film doesn't aspire towards achieving some sort of status or appearance. Its "just" a film.
A wife searches for her supposed kidnapped and/or killed husband during the Balkan war.
Review:
Sarah Lloyd (Andie Mcdowell) travels to Croatia in the 1991's to find her journalist, whose mission it is to document the conflict, husband Harrison who presumably is dead( Brendan Gleeson). This is in a sense a somewhat classic "search and rescue" themed film but it does not necessarely center around it and actually is about the perspective of journalists trying to depict some sort of objective truth about something as, often anyway, complex, as war is.
Adrien Brody plays the paradoxical young journalist ( Kyle Morris ) who is both cynical and bitter and brave and idealistic at the same time and is in front line of the conflict. There are other supporting actors that are doing a excellent job aswell. I appreciate the fact that Andie Mcdowell's character is a bit complex and not always likeable. That to me shows a genuine portrait of someone who is searching for an important person in their life, far away from the safety of her her own country.
As for how it documents some sort of fair view concerning the both sides ( Croatian and Serbian) is not something I've gotten an impression of. As someone who isn't affected in any way, or know anyone who is, by this conflict, I could say "Its just a film" but im sure its a different story if you are or know someone who is. My experience watching this film is not that it puts emphasis on which side is good or bad, but rather, as I've already stated, a conflict from a journalists point of view.
A young teacher that leads a double life with his teaching by day and doing drugs by night.
Review:
Dan Dunne (Ryan Gosling) is a teacher in the innercity of New York. Being driven by a passion and typical leftwing ideas he's a well liked on the school in general. Like his own parents who were involved politically he too wants to make a change in society. Dan is a somewhat troubled individual, maybe due to direction the world is going in his eyes, and does drugs whenever he has free time. He has a girlfriend but that doesn't work out that well being disillusioned and addicted to drugs. One day the facade falls as a student (Shareeka Epps) finds him in a school toilet being induced but does not tell anyone and they form a different kind of teacher-student relationship.
I appreciate this young mans acting alot. Has done several interesting roles including this one and in The Believer. A somewhat quiet film and it avoids all the clichees of the theme "Teacher in innercity enviroment with all the struggles that comes with it". The focus is different than these typical films that we've seen before.
Half Nelson, the name, refers to a move in wrestling where you overpower your opponent in a certain way. If it has any relevance to the film whatsoever is something that is clouded in mystery. Unless they are refering to Goslings characters drug struggle which obviously might be possible.
A different take on the classical theme "Alien invasion".
Plot:
A journalist agrees to escort his boss's daughter from Mexico to The US through an "infection zone" that is said to contain aliens.
Review:
Six years years after NASA sends a probe to investigate extraterrestrial life in another galaxy Mexico is harboring alien lifeforms that followed the probe. The border to the US is enforced by a gigantic wall and the Mexican military as well as the USAF are doing bomb raids during the so called " infected zone". A somewhat cynical journalist by the name of Andrew Kaulder ( Scoot Mcnairy) is sent to Mexico on a mission to get some interesting photos (hopefully of the aliens). The boss of the company he works for has a daughter in Mexico, Samantha Wynden, ( Whitney Able) and her father decides that Andrew needs to get her back safe to the US.
This is not a classic action movie as the theme might suggest. It probably goes into the genre drama and has a slower pace than other films with the same theme and focuses alot more on the characters and the haunting atmosphere that an alien invasion might create and the director has captured this atmosphere in a brilliant way in my opinion.
This film has a very low budget and manages to reach through to the audience without the clichees and the dramatic scenes that go along with hollywood films. I got the feeling that this film grew in my mind even after I had seen it, which is something quite rare. I got totally surprised by this film ( this is a common theme among the films I review and perhaps thats why I appreciate them to the extent I do but thats for a different Psychology 101 post).
Vincent Gallo is the lead actor and director in this film.
Plot:
Man is released from prison and the first thing he does is kidnapping a girl and take her on an adventure.
Review:
The short plot sentence is quite enough as far as the story goes. Billy is a quirky and introverted person and comes from a very dysfunctional family and thats probably why he's had a troubled life. Layla (Christina Ricci) and Billy meets in town after Billys been released and he makes up a lie about him having a wife and thats part of the reason he's been away for five years. The other is that he was away living a successful life elsewhere and he's had his friend Goon write his parents the made up letters. He kidnaps Layla, with some mild resistance, and takes her home to meet the parents. Layla is an emotionally confused young woman who gets a touch of the stockholm syndrome.
Apparentely the typical Buffalo Individual that Gallo is portraying is spot on. He comes from there and should obviously then come somewhat close. This is a low budget film where he even used his old house as the house in the film.
This is quite a one man show from Gallo. Ricci does a good job indeed but it's really from start to finish about this man and the decisions he make. If you like obscure and grimy films that make an impression I recommend Buffalo 66.
When my broadband limit was reached and I went to a video store to rent some movies this is what I came home with.
Plot:
The medium Television.
Review:
Taking best film of 1976 doesn't mean I had high expectations on it. Films, as I've already mentioned in another post, tend to get less interesting as the years go by and it was a while since 1976.
This film evolves around Howard Beale (Peter Finch) who is an old tv-anchor whom, according to his network UBS, has seen his expiration date a long time ago. He gets a two week notice and does something quite unexpected. He goes on air and says he's going to kill himself. This then, also takes an unexpecting turn, as the networks falling ratings goes up dramatically. Diana Christensen (Faye Dunaway) and Frank Hackett (Robert Duvall) portrays the UBS executives that does a 180 spin and gives Howard Beale his own show on the network where he rants and raves like a madman. Howards friends clearly see this is an explotation of a mentally ill man. An interesting view on how far people in high positions can go to "sell" their product and how individual human lives are often just bricks in that scheme.
The Howard Beales ranting is a very genuine display of one mans view on the whole phenomenon of television and how people do everything that it tells them. These scenes really stand out for me in this film and its very close to a prediction over the years to come. Much like 1984 by George Orwell.
Belgian director Koen Mortier has made this very interesting film.
Plot:
Follows a couple of individuals who start a band together.
Review:
I was on a mission a year or so ago to look into the peripheral of films that exist. Which continent they came from was of second importance, as long as they had something that sparked an interest. Its always very pleasant to be surprised and Ex Drummer definetely surprised me in alot of ways. It also happens to be from Europe which often makes them lack the clichees used even in indie films coming from the US.
Having looked through some obscure list of films that may shy away from the public spotlight I found this film, Ex Drummer. Dries ( Vanhegen ) plays a famous writer who lives in a little town by the coast named Ostend in Belgium. Enjoying the good things in life Dries is not interested in living a quiet life and whether out of curiosity or for selfish reasons in mind he decides to accept an invitation to join a local band. The band comprises of three physically challenged. Two slightly different perspectives meet as the bandmembers and Dries have lived in different ways. Dries takes on the role of a leader, which is not so surprising, and finds himself trying to instigate everything in the band.
This is an non-politically correct film and has quite a harsh tone against basically every group in society and perhaps thats why it didnt reach a bigger crowd. Very unorthodox film in alot of ways, the characters, the dialogue and the plot are not at all what you would expect from watching a film. I do however find that this is a quality film with a high production value. It does not feel like a scruffy indie film.
Centers around a couple of young individuals in a small town in Ohio.
Review:
This film actually comes close to a documentary and we get to see upclose the somewhat nihilistic lives of some residents in Xenia in the midwest. There is not a traditional narrative or story in any sense of the word, this is merely an observation into what some may call a decadent and tragic existence. Somewhat disturbing at times and definetely not polished to fit a "casual" viewer.
Xenia has been struck by a tournado a couple of years ago. This has affected the town quite a bit. Alienation and isolation increased even more and a touch of hopelessness strikes its citizens. Tummler (Nick Sutton) and Solomon (Jacob Reynolds) are the two leading actors and we get to follow their everyday lives that only seem to get more and more bizarre. We follow three sisters ( Most well known actress in this film Chloe Sevigny plays one of them) that are the ones portraying the last beacon of what is left of decency and morale but even they are in danger of getting dragged down into the mud, so to speak. We also encounter various other characters that too are smitten by the existensial angst that is abundant in this seemingly travesty of a place.
I find this to be interesting partially because it is a different take on films from what one usually see. It tells its story in shorter clips almost like short-story format. It doesn't offer any morals, good dialogue or exciting adventure. Its quite plain in alot of ways, and some of the time lacks dialogue completely. Has several strong scenes regardless and its quite difficult to be indifferent about it which almost always is a good thing in my opinion.
Granted it was a while since I saw this film, could actually be as far back as the VHS days, I have to say its a big favourite of mine. It's quite a unique piece and I'm not interested in spoiling anything. It spans over multiple genres which include comedy, action and fantasy. Tries to incorporate alot into it which is somewhat signifcant for the 80's in my experience. I've read rumours about a remake and I cannot possibly understand how they could ever make it better.
All american truck driver Jack Burton (Kurt Russell) is in San Francisco's Chinatown for buisness and meets up his old friend Wang. They play some cards and Jack wins, making Wang (Denis Dun) run out of change for a taxi. Jack agrees to drive him to the airport to pick up Wangs fiance which he hasn't seen since they were kids. The fiance with her green eyes is believed to have magical qualities by an evil sorcerer and is kidnapped by his dangerous street gang and Jack and Wang finds themselves in an adventure trying to get her back.
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