10 March 2010
Day 5 PIFF
Day 5 I sacrificed and didn't go to the movies so that I could eat dinner with some friends and watch Lost.
18 February 2010
PIFF Day 4
Day four was a good day for films.
6. Protector from Czech Republic directed by Marek Najbrt. Set in 1930s Nazi occupied Prague, this is a stylish drama about the marriage between a journalist and his wife who is Jewish. 98 minutes. This movie explores loyalty (governmental and marital), methods of protesting during this era, and the risks people took. I rarely meet a Czech movie I don't like and I did like this one, certainly. I would probably see this again.
FINAL GRADE: A
7. For the love of movies from the US directed by Gerald Peary. A documentary about film critics, a brief history of movies, and the evolution of film criticism as well as the media they use to convey their message. 81 minutes. At times the quality seemed very low budget but I really enjoyed learning about film criticism through the last 100 years. I took out some paper and a pen during the film and jotted down a number of names of critics, directors and titles of movies to later explore. It was like a crash course in film criticism.
FINAL GRADE: B
8. A Prophet from France directed by Jacques Audiard.
"Frenchman Malik El Djebena, part Arab, part Corsican, is condemned to six years in prison." 150 minutes. Malik is a young man sentenced to prison and because he is part Arab the Arab gang in the prison tries to recruit him, but because he is also part Corsican, that gang also tries to recruit him. He ends up working for both of them and when confronted about this he answers that he works for no one but himself and everyone is like, "uh, ok". The storyline evolves when the interests of both groups comes to a point and Malik needs to make some choices that will determine his future. All of the characters are criminals but the viewer comes to cheer for them, especially Malik.
FINAL GRADE: A+
6. Protector from Czech Republic directed by Marek Najbrt. Set in 1930s Nazi occupied Prague, this is a stylish drama about the marriage between a journalist and his wife who is Jewish. 98 minutes. This movie explores loyalty (governmental and marital), methods of protesting during this era, and the risks people took. I rarely meet a Czech movie I don't like and I did like this one, certainly. I would probably see this again.
FINAL GRADE: A
7. For the love of movies from the US directed by Gerald Peary. A documentary about film critics, a brief history of movies, and the evolution of film criticism as well as the media they use to convey their message. 81 minutes. At times the quality seemed very low budget but I really enjoyed learning about film criticism through the last 100 years. I took out some paper and a pen during the film and jotted down a number of names of critics, directors and titles of movies to later explore. It was like a crash course in film criticism.
FINAL GRADE: B
8. A Prophet from France directed by Jacques Audiard.
"Frenchman Malik El Djebena, part Arab, part Corsican, is condemned to six years in prison." 150 minutes. Malik is a young man sentenced to prison and because he is part Arab the Arab gang in the prison tries to recruit him, but because he is also part Corsican, that gang also tries to recruit him. He ends up working for both of them and when confronted about this he answers that he works for no one but himself and everyone is like, "uh, ok". The storyline evolves when the interests of both groups comes to a point and Malik needs to make some choices that will determine his future. All of the characters are criminals but the viewer comes to cheer for them, especially Malik.
FINAL GRADE: A+
PIFF Day 3
4. Shine of Rainbows from Ireland directed by Vic Sarin. "Set on the beautiful Irish coast, Sarin's warm, emotional film tells a story of acceptance, kindness and the healing power of love." 100 minutes. An orphan boy in England who is quiet and gentle, ostracized by his peers, is suddenly adopted by a beautiful woman and taken to a tiny village in Ireland. The boy begins to make friends and adapt to his new home but he and his new father do not warm to each other as easily. The movie overall is rather joyful and beautiful, although there is a tragedy late in the film. But for me the saddest couple of parts were when the boy felt he might be rejected. The feelings of disappointment and impending rejection were palpable for me. Aside from that it was a beautiful and touching film. I would consider seeing it again but since I'm not a huge fan of sad movies I would hesitate slightly.
FINAL GRADE: B
5. Home from Switzerland directed by Ursula Meier. "An ordinary middle class family lives an ordinary life in their ordinary house that sits next to an unused highway." The parents and three children seem quite happy to use the closed highway as their parking lot, barbecue area, sports field area, beach area to tan, area to sit and smoke. The family begins to panic when the highway reopens and the noise begins to drive them literally crazy and seeks to find a way to block out the sound from the house because the mother especially refuses to leave their house and move "again". I felt like overall this was a rather unintelligent film and certainly not as creative as I'd hoped it would be. A very hopeless kind of ending as well, which I do not enjoy.
FINAL GRADE: D
FINAL GRADE: B
5. Home from Switzerland directed by Ursula Meier. "An ordinary middle class family lives an ordinary life in their ordinary house that sits next to an unused highway." The parents and three children seem quite happy to use the closed highway as their parking lot, barbecue area, sports field area, beach area to tan, area to sit and smoke. The family begins to panic when the highway reopens and the noise begins to drive them literally crazy and seeks to find a way to block out the sound from the house because the mother especially refuses to leave their house and move "again". I felt like overall this was a rather unintelligent film and certainly not as creative as I'd hoped it would be. A very hopeless kind of ending as well, which I do not enjoy.
FINAL GRADE: D
PIFF Day 2
3. Through a glass, darkly from Norway directed by Jesper W. Nielsen. "Adapted from Jostein Gaarder's acclaimed novel, Through a glass, darkly is the sensitive, moving story of how an otherworldly presence helps a young girl come to terms with her serious illness." 85 minutes. A girl remembers her family's summer vacation and the boy she met, meanwhile it is now winter and she is quite sick. An angel visits her and asks what it's like to be human. This was quite a sad movie although it is considered a children's movie. The book is written by one of my favorite authors but I haven't read this book yet. The title comes from the idea that here in this life we don't see clearly we only see through a dark glass and this life is only temporary. I like the overall message but it was a bit too depressing for me (especially after seeing the previous two films the day before) so my
Final Grade: C (borderline B)
Final Grade: C (borderline B)
13 February 2010
Portland International Film Festiva Day 1
The 33rd Portland International Film Festival 11-27 February 2010.
My grading system:
A= I would see it again
B= I enjoyed it
C= I liked it
D= I did not like it
F= It made me want to walk out
1. Terribly Happy from Denmark directed by Henrik Ruben Genz. “A southern Danish village hides as many secrets as the nearby bog in this blackly comic thriller about the universal nature of compromise and corruption.” This year’s Danish submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. 95 minutes. A policeman is transferred to a village and as he tries to get to know the secretive towns people his attempts at operating by the book create problems. I really enjoyed this movie for two main reasons, it was a story that kept you guessing with surprising turns and it was clever in the way it subtly mixed various genres. But I give it a B for one particular scene in which someone dies that I do not wish to see the film again. It’s how the person dies not the fact that they die that turned me off.
Final Grade: B
UPDATE: I like this movie a little more now and might say it's a borderline A. It was a good storyline despite the dark elements.
2. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo from Sweden directed by Niels Arden Oplev. “An international crime thriller involving corporate intrigue, serial murder and powerful Old World dynasties, Oplev’s taut film is based on the international bestselling novel by Stieg Larsson and will have you on the edge of your seat.” 152 minutes. This movie also contains graphic sexual assault. It was a story that did not drag at all during the more than two and a half hours, but the two or three major incidents of graphic sexual assault were enough that I was thinking I would not want to see it again. But then the Director was there to answer questions at the end. I am now a fan of Niels, he was funny and entertaining and made me want to read the books, which are a trilogy. Niels gave us some background on the casting process and filming the assault scenes. He also informed us that Swedish tv made the foolhardy decsision to make this first film for the film screen but the two others for television and he declined to direct the other two because of time and money constraints that were being placed on their productions. I would consider seeing the movie again but fast forwarding through the assault scenes.
Final Grade: B
UPDATE: I might see this movie again on DVD and fast forward through the three rapes, and I would definitely read the book and skip the offending passages. But the movie did give me nightmares. It is actually excellent story telling with a message about awareness of crimes against women and a message of outrage and protest against these crimes. The original story is not meant to glorify it and I don't think the movie does that, but it was extremely difficult to sit through ( I had my ears plugged and eyes squeezed shut). (updated grade would be borderline C)
My grading system:
A= I would see it again
B= I enjoyed it
C= I liked it
D= I did not like it
F= It made me want to walk out
1. Terribly Happy from Denmark directed by Henrik Ruben Genz. “A southern Danish village hides as many secrets as the nearby bog in this blackly comic thriller about the universal nature of compromise and corruption.” This year’s Danish submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. 95 minutes. A policeman is transferred to a village and as he tries to get to know the secretive towns people his attempts at operating by the book create problems. I really enjoyed this movie for two main reasons, it was a story that kept you guessing with surprising turns and it was clever in the way it subtly mixed various genres. But I give it a B for one particular scene in which someone dies that I do not wish to see the film again. It’s how the person dies not the fact that they die that turned me off.
Final Grade: B
UPDATE: I like this movie a little more now and might say it's a borderline A. It was a good storyline despite the dark elements.
2. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo from Sweden directed by Niels Arden Oplev. “An international crime thriller involving corporate intrigue, serial murder and powerful Old World dynasties, Oplev’s taut film is based on the international bestselling novel by Stieg Larsson and will have you on the edge of your seat.” 152 minutes. This movie also contains graphic sexual assault. It was a story that did not drag at all during the more than two and a half hours, but the two or three major incidents of graphic sexual assault were enough that I was thinking I would not want to see it again. But then the Director was there to answer questions at the end. I am now a fan of Niels, he was funny and entertaining and made me want to read the books, which are a trilogy. Niels gave us some background on the casting process and filming the assault scenes. He also informed us that Swedish tv made the foolhardy decsision to make this first film for the film screen but the two others for television and he declined to direct the other two because of time and money constraints that were being placed on their productions. I would consider seeing the movie again but fast forwarding through the assault scenes.
Final Grade: B
UPDATE: I might see this movie again on DVD and fast forward through the three rapes, and I would definitely read the book and skip the offending passages. But the movie did give me nightmares. It is actually excellent story telling with a message about awareness of crimes against women and a message of outrage and protest against these crimes. The original story is not meant to glorify it and I don't think the movie does that, but it was extremely difficult to sit through ( I had my ears plugged and eyes squeezed shut). (updated grade would be borderline C)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
