TOO SWEET

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Chinese cinema tends to steer in two major opposite extremes. While Hong Kong revolves around brutal action packed crime stories, mainland Sino-cinema embraces artistic expression. ”The road home” is one of those artsy flicks, with a story about love and dedication between the young village school teacher and its student.

In theory, everything sounds correct. On the big screen, story is pretty thin and elongated. Photography is fine, but there is a lot of overacting as well.

”The road home” is one decent attempt, but nothing more than that. It could have been a lot better. It should have been a lot better.

THE ROAD HOME - 4/10

GOD BLESS INDIE!

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Small indie-movies are the thing to watch over when it comes to competing with three world’s major cinemas, American, British and French. ”’71” comes from Ireland and tells the story about an desolated British soldier that becomes separated from its fellow comrades during the street riots in Belfast. Action is well packed, tensions are high and the overall atmosphere is pretty grim.

Script is based on the true events, but manages to deviate a little from the mainstream British-fueled political view of the entire Northern Ireland history, especially at the very end.

”’71” is a quality indie-flick with all of its advantages and misdemeanors.

'71 - 7/10

OVERDONE

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Indian movies are something completely different, whether you come from North America or Europe. Singing, dancing and overacting will make an average Hollywood spectator turn its head away from the elongated flicks coming from Bollywood.

”3 idiots” is a classical Indian comedy with elements of romance and dash of drama. It is over two and a half hours long and there is a lot of singing. Aamir Khan is there as well, making this one of the highest rated and critically acclaimed Indian flicks in this century.

That’s all if you’re an Indian. Otherwise, ”3 idiots” is just simply one of those overcooked Asian flicks.

3 IDIOTS - 4/10

NOT YOUR AVERAGE FOOTBALL MOVIE

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Sport movies are basically very pathetic. Story of success from the gutter is a specially fertile ground for too sweet of emotions. Or it should be like that. When you watch Venezuelan ”Hermano” this will surely not be the case.

Backdrop is pretty much the usual one. Two brothers make their way from the bottom of favela lowest soccer league to the jersey of glorified FC Caracas. All the temptations are there along the way: crime, drugs, violence, temptatious women with some serious family tragedy as well.

”Hermano” will follow that well paved path all the way to the last scene. That last scene is what makes this movie excellent with its horrific twist. That last scene is the thing that you just don’t expect.

Without any doubt, ”Hermano” is one of the best ”sport” movies ever made.

HERMANO - 9/10

TRIUMPH OF CONSISTENCY

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Iranian cinematography is one the Asian’s most influential film industries. Its reputation is primarily being built on heavy drama genre and ”Children of heaven” is one of those dramas.

The story is quite simple. Brother and a sister must share a pair of sneakers due to his clumsiness that lead to the losing of her repaired shoes. Overall atmosphere is grim and heavy economical situation is the basis of the plot.

On the other hand, both kid actors are just adoring and the script is really consistent in its basic punch line. Director Majid Majidi follows that consistency with its camera and action sequences (mostly running) all the way to a bit of disappointing ending.

”Children of heaven” is a powerful and timeless ”family drama” for the entire family that will make you stop taking things for granted.

CHILDREN OF HEAVEN - 9/10 

ART OF DARKNESS

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Alejandro Gonzales innaritu is the man of the cinema. Every single one of his flicks is a small masterpiece and ”Biutiful” doesn’t fail to achieve the greatness of its predecessors.

This time, the main role goes to the back streets of Barcelona and its inhabitants, Chinese and African immigrants fighting for survival. Amongst them is the terminally ill man (fantastic Javier Bardem) with the rare gift of seeing the dead ones before they go to the heavens.

Photography is just plain amazing and as with every good Mexican director (Del Torro, Cuaron), moments of horror are there as well. Script is just too heavy for a reiterative watching of this quality flick.

”Biutiful” is just another one of those Innaritu’s ”biutiful” movies.

BIUTIFUL - 8/10

FALLING SHORT

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Romanians can make a good real-life drama with little or literally no money. But that just not the case when it comes to ”Child’s pose” and its story about the merciless mother that tries to protect the ungrateful son that has killed a village boy in the car accident through the corrupted Romanian society in transition. There is no tension and no spark between the main characters and the redemption at the end just isn’t enough to bail out the whole flick from the taste of average.

Emotional intensity just keeps falling short throughout the movie only to give some indulgence at the ending scene.

”Child’s pose” has a good concept, but somehow clumsy development.

CHILD'S POSE - 3/10

VANITY OF EMPTINESS

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Being artistic doesn’t always mean you have made the decent flick. Sometimes, the artistic can be so arrogant that it suffocates decent story. This is just the case with Austrian ”Revanche”, an incredibly dull and slow movie coming from nowhere and leading nowhere.

Nothing is right here. The naïve and empty script, empty long cuts and pretentious acting tend to irritate rather than to suck the viewer inside the revenge story in rural Austria.

”Revanche” is one overprized and vanity-filled flick.

REVANCHE – 2/10

CLASSIC KOREAN

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Koreans sure know how to make a good thriller and a credible crime story. This time, the subject is a accidental hit and run case that comes to haunt the messed-up detective. Elements of the comedy are there, but drama and deviant segment is getting more serious as the script unwinds.

The twist itself is pretty decent, but that can’t  be always said about the acting of the main male roles. Suspension is pretty strong and there are some unmemorable action sequences (i.e. crane and the car).

All said and done, ”A hard day” is one good and fun action-packed thriller for a Sunday afternoon.

A HARD DAY – 6/10