YESTERDAY, TODAY, TOMORROW

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AIDS was a significant subject in cinematography ever since the wicked disease went public in the late 1980’s. Over the decades, it has also given the much needed and deserved recognition for some great (Tom Hanks) and some not so great film workers (Matthew McCounaghey).

South African ''Yesterday'' wasn’t that lucky, reaching only as far as foreign-language movie nom at ”Oscars” in 2004. This is truly a shame, because it is a great real-life drama and a harsh presentation of Zulu province, one of the most AIDS ravished areas in the world.

The story revolves around the young HIV-positive mother Yesterday (Leleti Khumalo) and her fight against the poverty, lack of medical, family and support from her local community. That fight is hard and dangerous, but Leleti manages to give us the hope that there is tomorrow after the yesterday and today.

”Yesterday” is a great and heart-moving drama with some astounding photography from Kwa-Zulu Natal province.

YESTERDAY – 7/10

CYCLING TO FREEDOM

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Position of the women in the Arabic world is a fascinating subject that isn’t adequately exploited inside the potentials that cinematography offers. Story about the little girl attending the harsh medressa is equally horrifying and entertaining. Main merits for that go to the young Waad Mohammed that plays charismatic Wadjda and all of her charms and wits on the big screen.

Script and camera belong to the first female cinematographer in Saudi Arabia, Haifaa Al-Mansour, which is a big milestone itself. Production mainly originates from abroad, which was clearly a must when it comes to seeing the light of the day for ”Wadjda” makers.

”Wadjda” has my warm recommendation for the true quality ”family drama” in every sense of the word.

WADJDA – 7/10

SLOW, BUT ARTISTIC

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Aki Kaurismaki is one of the visually most astonishing directors of the past couple of decades. Finnish movie maker blurs the line between the theatre and the cinema, as well as the one between comic books and movies. ”The man with no past” is no exception when it comes to color gamma and lighting.

The thing that represents the major issue with Kaurismaki’s flick is the script. It is too blunt and too shallow for a movie. Characters are pretty much flat from beginning to the end and their actions can be considered naïve by present standards. Same thing applies for the plot itself.

”The man without a past” is the feast for the eye, but sadly, not for the brain as well.

MAN WITHOUT A PAST – 3/10

SLOW, BUT TEPID

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Although it was considered a major runner for the foreign-language flick at this year’s ”Oscars”, ”Leviathan” isn’t a good movie. Its subject that depicts every possible stereotype about the Russian society is very politically favorable when it comes to American audience, but that’s not the worst aspect of this flick.

”Leviathan” is artistically astonishing, with all of its wide angles and stark landscape of northern Russia, but it is also one very, very slow and boring script with no beginning, no end and no point. Acting is pretty much mediocre, as well as the rare dialogues.

Russian modern cinema is in a big crisis and ”Leviathan” sure does not offer the light at the end of the tunnel.

LEVIATHAN - 2/10

SLOW, BUT BORING

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When a movie wins „Palme D’or” at Cannes film festival, it is natural to have big expectations from it. Turkish ”Winter sleep” came with the highest ratings and had it all on paper: stark Anadolian landscape as a backdrop and the tale about cultural differences between genders and economical classes in modern Turkish society. It had it all, but it blew it.

To be quite frank, ”Winter sleep” has an incredibly dull script, consisting of nothing but endless dialogues leading nowhere. And it lasts for almost three hours, tormenting the viewer with repeating camera swapping characters. And to be very precise, this isn’t a philosophical movie.

”Winter sleep” is just a plain boring movie. 

WINTER SLEEP - 1/10

SLOW, BUT DECENT

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Polish laureate for this year’s best foreign-language movie in Kodak theater isn’t a bad movie. It is slow, but it isn’t a bad one. There were better ones (Georgian ”Tangerines” and Spanish ”Divlje priče”), but there were also some worse flicks (Russian ”Leviathan”).

”Ida” is Pawel Pawlikowski'artistic expression in black and white and retro 4:3 format that follows young nun on her journey through inner transformation and exploration of the past time tragedy in the family. There is almost no music throughout the movie and the dialogues are stark. Agneta Trzebukowska is doing fine as the leading role, while the other characters are only sketches in the somehow empty script.

To summarize, ”Ida” is a slow, decent and a bit overprized movie.

IDA – 4/10

FAILED SCANDINAVIAN NOIR

Desolation, brutality, dark humor. Basic ingredients of every successful Scandinavian noir thriller, when skillfully mixed together.

„In the order of disappearance” has all the above mentioned, but not in the right amount and scale. Brutal crime is there, motif of father’s (Stellan Skarsgard) revenge as well. Humor is where the script tends to deviate into banality, only to totally collapse after the appearance of the Serbian mobsters led by Bruno Ganz and Sergej Trifunović.

From then on and all the way to the tragicomic finale, „In the order of disappearance” is just begging you to „disappear it” from your hard drive/player due to its shallow and caricature unfolding and acting.

Heavy failure, despite the great atmosphere of desolated Norwegian snowy landscape.

IN THE ORDER OF DISSAPEARANCE - 3/10

HEAVY, HEAVIER, DANISH

Danish cinematography has developed its oustanding reputation by directing some of the most intriguing dramas based on family relations. Unthinkable plots and developments between the members of the basic social unit shocked and awed the audiences worldwide while simultaneously promoting the Scandinavian behavioral norms via silver screen.

Downside of this is the heaviness of subject itself. And what can be heavier than the story of a child traumatized by the horrible loss of life? Two brothers (Gustav Fischer Kjerulff and Sebastian Bull Sarning) have each taken the toll differently, but with same devastating effects. Drama tends grow even heavier when the next generation is included in the consequences of the tragic event. Overall atmosphere is pretty grim, but partial happy end tends to downsize the heavy toll.

„Submarino” is a heavy drama with a big „D” and a brutal depiction of how much we are(n’t) actually formed by events and actions of our childhood.

SUBMARINO - 8/10