CRAWLING UP YOUR HEART

Russian candidate for this year’s foreign ”Oscar” is a typical European hard to watch and almost empty European kind of dramas, directed by the best director of the largest country in the world at this moment, Andrey Zvyagintsev.

Naively praised in the West as a portrayalist of a stark and bleak life in Russia at the beginning of the 21st century, Andrey managed to film yet another universal movie story that everybody can relate to, painting the emptiness and absence of any kind of emotion for our youngest.

Fanatically persistent in his empty shots, Zvyagintsev used two brilliant movie rookies and told a frightening script about selfishness and vanity that consequently lead to tragedy.

If you are into real life stories and have no problem with slow pace movie scripts, you should definitely watch ”Loveless”.

LOVELESS – 7/10

FOTO: static.rogerebert.com

ALMOST PERFECT

There are still some great ideas left in Hollywood, followed by some great actors and great directors. And sometimes, all of those people get combined together in something called a great drama about a mourning mother of a murdered daughter that decides to rock the small community in Ebbing, Missouri to its foundations in an attempt to restart the police investigation that is tapping in one place for months by criticizing the local law enforcement by leasing three billboards just outside the city limits.

On that road, magnificent Frances McDormand will receive some fierce (best Sam Rockwell in years) and some moderate opposition (always reliable Woody Harrelson), while one of the most gifted writers and directors of the younger generation (McDonagh) discreetly follows the unraveling of this peculiar social experiment. Trademark humor that we saw in ’’In Bruges’’ will be there as well, and everything will go smoothly till the beginning of the bottom third of the movie.

There, the script will dissipate, as well as the motivation and actions of the main characters, leading to the disappointing ending of this great movie story.

’’Three billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri’’ is, beyond any doubt, the best US movie this year, although plagued by some serious flaws and it will represent no surprise if it sweeps the ’’Oscars’’.

THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI – 8/10

FOTO: umlconnector.com

BEAUTIFUL AND PATHETIC HISTORICAL DISTORTION

Historical drama in modern day Hollywood is in a dead end that seems endless at this moment. There are just not some decent scripts left, even if they are depicting some of the most fascinating characters and events of our civilization.

Yes, not even the rise of Winston Churchill to power can give us a non-sweetened and real story without much distortion of historical facts. No, ’’Darkest hour’’ can’t even grant us with some decent acting, and if Gary Oldman receives the ’’Golden boy’’ for his somewhat parody-like portrayal of the greatest British politician of this century, it will represent a injustice, both to his impeccable career and his opponents in ’’Kodak Theater’’.

On the other hand, not everything will be dark in ’’Darkest hour’’, since Joe Wright will give us some really great focusing, light and overhead cuts, making it deservedly to all the major directing nominations.

’’Darkest hour’’ will represent the feast for the eye, but your brain will be pretty much annoyed during the entire course of the movie.

DARKEST HOUR – 4/10

FOTO: cwtheaters.com