SLIGHTLY NAIVE, BUT STILL UP TO DATE

Americans are the nation of pathetic patriotism, but not rarely mixed up with some more or less strong criticism of their own system and the greed it is based on. When you combine all those elements together, you get a story about a small man’s struggle against the system and money called ”Mr Smith goes to Washington”.

James Stewart is one of those actors who can carry this kind of role with ease, creating the sympathy of an average viewer, while the story remains everlasting, despite some rather naive and pathetic outcomes and subplots.

”Mr Smith goes to Washington” was a classic movie for the entire family and still pretty much is just that.

MR SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON – 6/10


FOTO: civiceducator.org

TOTAL ART

Nick Cave officially has no brakes.

One of the greatest songwriters and artists from the past couple of decades has elevated himself to a whole new level by filming a documentary about his last studio album ”The Skeleton Tree”, that simultaneously tells a story about his personal family tragedy, the one that no parent should endure in his/her lifetime, a loss of a child.

While the other artist only talk about total art with no boundaries between them and the viewer, Cave enforces it, without any hesitation or remorse. Literally falling apart in front of the camera, he tells the world about his feelings, trying to cope with them, transform them into music and lyrics, thus making one of the most personal albums of all times. And he does that in a profoundly sincere way, just like any other human being on this planet that is not a musical superstar.

”The Skeleton Tree” will move each and every human being, not just the fans of Nick Cave.

ONE MORE TIME WITH FEELING – 8/10

FOTO: www.nickcave.com

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

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THE NATION OF DRAMA

Iran is one harsh country and such harshness gives birth to some strong existential real life dramas.

„Life+1 day” is basically a filmed stage play, revolving around one family and its inner courtyard. Three brothers and two sisters will form the backbone of this thorough digging inside the Persian social system and norms, as well as the problems that each and every single family like this one has. True epicenter will be the Mohsan’s (phenomenal Navid Mohammadzadeh) drug addiction and young Somayeh’s arranged marriage to an Afghan.

There won’t be much action, but you won’t lack talking. And talking. And talking. Just like the old Hollywood, based on a strong backbone of every successful drama.

The SCRIPT.

And Saeed Roustayi’s script will make you think, laugh and cry, just so as the real life does. The real life, not imaginary and politically correct problems forced into the movie industry by wealthy producers. „Just” real life.

„Life+1day” is a great drama from a country that redefined drama genre outside Europe.

LIFE+1DAY – 8/10

FOTO: img.movietimes.com

DISCREET GENRE MASTER

Hirokazu Koreeda is the man of family drama. Period. Even when he doesn’t produce anything memorable, he still makes a really decent flick for the entire family.

Family is the word for Hirokazu and „After the storm” is no exception. Couple in the middle of the divorce, a child between them, a grandmother trying to patch the things and all that in the wake of another monsoon that ravages the Japanese islands for centuries.

There won’t be awesome memorable quotes or scenes, but the overall sense of warmth, human side of some difficult situations and choices and trademark solid acting of the cast selected will follow the overall strong creative control of the man who writes, directs and produces his films, Mr Hirokazu Koreeda.

„After the storm” is a solid family drama, as it is always when it comes from Hirokazu Koreeda.

AFTER THE STORM – 6/10

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ULTRA CONSERVATIVE

Iranian cinematography tends to deal with its subjects in a unique way, due to ultraconservative society and some serious limitations when it comes to censorship. Those circumstances lead to a development of some fine and delicate artistic expression between Persian movie directors, like Ashgar Farhadi.

However, he didn't succeed to develop the story about the attack on a woman of a school teacher in a satisfyingly interesting and original way with his script for „Salesman”. Yes, there will be heavy exposure of local customs concerning women and their relationship with men, but the situations and dilemmas that they create just won’t reach the heights of his previous work, namely the much acclaimed „Separation”. The outcome will follow the overall tempo and the taste of the movie, not awing the viewer like it was meant to do.

„Salesman” is „just” a solid drama from a drama renown cinematography.

SALESMAN – 5/10

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WEAK STORY, STRONG ACTING

Michael Fassbender will never be Jack Nicholson nor Daniel Day-Lewis. Michael Fassbender will also never be like Matt Damon or Ben Affleck. Michael Fassbender will be somewhere in between those two acting extremes, carefully balancing with his choice of roles that vary from mindless blockbusters to total indie. Total indie like the British story about an Irish family of lowlifes that harass the peaceful neighborhood with their heists and car chases.

The backbone of the script will be the twisted relationship between the authoritarian father (Brendan Gleeson) and his eldest son (Fassbender), but that spine will twist under the mediocre development until it finally snaps at he end of the movie. On the other hand, acting will be solid throughout the entire course of the flick, rewarding the viewer for the emptiness of the plot.

„Trespass against us” is a movie for the fans of Mr. Fassbender and not many more.

TRESPASS AGAINST US – 4/10

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SOME SERIOUS EXORCISM

Movies dealing with exorcism are rarely considered anywhere near of being serious when it comes to plot, twist and outcome. Unless they are being rendered by the Koreans.

„The Wailing” will start pretty casual, on the very brink of parody, but things are about to get pretty messy and scary as the twisting script unwinds. There will be no mercy, no happy end and no safe closures to this battle of the spirits in a God forsaken Korean village, following the well lit Korean path of no compromises.

„The Wailing” makes the entire subject of exorcism more than watchable.

THE WAILING – 6/10

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ELONGATED AND OVERRATED

Taiwanese cinematography is one of the more obscure Asian ones and „A one and a two” is its most acclaimed flick known to the wider public.

Edward Yang's script is pretty ambitious and follows its slow pace during the entire course of the movie (two and a half hours). Depiction of the the typical Taiwanese family will be done thoroughly, but not cutting into the core of the problems, as well as not giving any meaningful answers on the life questions raised.

„A one and a two” is just too long and too empty for its rating.

A ONE AND A TWO – 3/10

FOTO: jonathanrosenbaum.net

ARTIFICIALLY SWEETENED

Korean cinematography tends to deal intensively with the Korean war and its consequences, and so did the screenwriters of „Ode to my father”. However, most of the film makers also potentiate the pathetic and semi-realistic way of depicting the given subject.

Not to be misunderstood, there are some truly disturbing scenes in this war drama, especially the opening one, but the rest of this voyage through time will be just plain exaggerating.

„Ode to my father” is one of those war dramas that can be easily circumvented even if you are the genre lover.

ODE TO MY FATHER - 3/10

FOTO: image.tmdb.org

JUST SOLID

True stories are always a powerful tool when it comes to screenwriting, especially the unbeleivable ones. And the story about an entire Argentinian family that kidnapped and killed people for ransom in the name of a political organization is one of those stories. Hence, the movie mustn't be nothing short of a jawdropper.

In reality, „El Clan” is a solid piece of movie art, with a clear and predictable script and some good acting (Guillermo Francella). Everything is pretty much ok, but not many things are extraordinary, and that's the main problem.

„El Clan” is just a good thriller, but not a great one it should've been.

EL CLAN - 5/10


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PRETTY CONSISTENT

Coming from the prestigious category for Best foreign language movie of the year, „The second mother” brings us classic quality driven real life drama script about the caretaker (Val) deeply embedded in a dysfunctional wealthy Brazilian family. When Val's young and open minded daughter enters this community all hell breaks loose, only to resolve itself in the very end, the way that only non-American dramas can.

Regina Case as a female lead is consistent to the very end, leading a very solid casting to the much needed catharsis without any significant hiccups.

„The second mother” is a true family drama and a very decent one as well.

QUE HORAS QUE VOLTA - 5/10

FOTO: sensacionalista.com.br

TRUE JAPANESE, BUT SOMEWHAT EMPTY

Hirokazu Koreeda is a director and scriptwriter focused almost entirely on family relationships and when you hear he has a new title, you know it's going to be good, complicated and full of hope.

„Our little sister” will take you on a journey through both traditional, as well as the modern Japan, and will picture the entire society flawlessly. However, the story itself will not take you anywhere, besides some occasional laughs and not much more. Script about the young girl that decides to live with her three half-sisters after the death of the common father deserved a little more elaboration and conclusion.

„Our little sister” is a movie for hardcore lovers of Japanese culture and not many more.

OUR LITTLE SISTER - 4/10

FOTO: fest.rs

UNCONSISTENTLY SHARP

FOTO: static01.nyt.com

Swiss cinema is one of the less known European celuloid industries and as such represents an obscure treat for the movie lovers.

„Vitus” is a classic „wunderkind” story that tends to walk on both sides of the family/drama film for wide public. The main role (Teo Gheorghiu) brings the satisfying amount of charm to the script, but the plot and backing characters sadly do not.

„Vitus” could have been a great movie for the entire family, but it just isn't.

VITUS - 4/10

SMALL, BUT POWERFUL

FOTO: images.popmatters.com

Golan heights and the outcome of the conflict which took place on the southernmost occupied part of Syria is one of the most bizarre when it comes to freedom of people to move from one side of the border to the other one.

In the centre of this Golanese movie story is a young bride to be, and her adventure to join herself in the holy matrimony with her fiance on the Syrian side of the border. Her inability to enter Golan ever again will lead to several complicated inter family breakouts and some hilarious moments as well.

Script dribbles well through every circumstance, climaxing towards the end of the film with all the major characters being stranded between two border crossings, not being able to move forward or behind. Ending will promote somehow sidelined bride into focus, wrapping up this untypical film story the only way it was able to.

”The Syrian bride” is an powerful indie with unbelievable story whose existence major part of ”civilized” isn’t aware of.

THE SYRIAN BRIDE - 7/10

TRIUMPH OF CONSISTENCY

FOTO:presidiacreative.com

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 

FALLING SHORT

FOTO: www.cinemum.net

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