Tag Archives: Movies

World Cinema Series 2013 – Wrap up and Winner Announcement

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While I’ve not been an active participant in my own event, others have made quite a few contributions, especially Novia (Polychrome Interest) and Ruth (Flixchatter).

As I said at the beginning, the person who covered the most countries will win a DVD for up to 25$ or an amazon voucher.

And the winner is Novia from Polychrome Interest, who reviewed eitght movies from 6 different countries.

Congratulations!

Here are all the reviews

Intro posts

Novroz (Poychrome Interest)

Reviews

Austria

The Wall – Die Wand (2012) – Caroline (Beauty is a Sleeping Cat)

Chile

No (2012) – Fariz (Vampibots)

China

The Flowers of War – Novia (Polychroem Interest)

Red Cliff (2008) – Ruth (Flixchatter)

France

Those Who Remain – Ceux qui restent (2007) – Guy (His Futile Preoccupations)

Holy Motors (2012) – Ruth (Flixchatter)

The Untouchable (2011) – Novia (Polychrome Interest)

Germany

Three Penny Opera – Richard (Caravana de recuerdos)

Lola rennt – Run, Lola, Run (1998) – Akbar Saputra (Me on The Movie)

The Untouchables (2010) – Ruth (Flixchatter)

Funny Games (1997) – Novia (polychrome Interest)

The Edge of Heaven (2007) JoV (JoV’s Book Pyramid)

Indonesia

King – Dhitz (Across Dhitz Universe)

Belenggu (2013) – Akbar Saputra (Me on The Movie)

Iran

About Elly (2009) – Fariz (Vampibots)

Japan

Children Who Chase Lost Voices From Deep Below (2011) – Dhitz (Across Dhitz Universe)

Twilight Samurai – Novroz (Polychrome Interest)

Detroit Metal City – Novroz (Polychrome Interest)

Shinjuku Incident (2009) JoV (JoV’s Book Pyramid)

Korea

Perfect Number – Novroz (Polychrome Interest)

Norway

Headhunters (2011) – Ruth (Flixchatter)

Palestine

When Pigs Have Wings – Le Cochon de Gaza (2011) – JoV (JoV’s Book Pyramid)

South Korea

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter…. Spring (2003) – Akbar Saputra (Me on The Movie)

Spain

Bolano cercano – Richard (Caravana de recuerdos)

UK

The Beatles – Help – Novia (Polychrome Interest)

Monty Python and the Holy Grail – Novia (Polychrome Interest)

The 39 Steps – TBM (50 Year Project)

Her Majesty Mrs Brown (1997) – Ruth (Flixchatter)

Vietnam

The Scent of Green Papaya – TBM (50Year Project)

525 Free Movies Online – Classics, Indies, Noir, Western and Shorts

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Maybe I’m the last to find out about this but if I’m not, I’m sure a lot of you will be interested in this amazing resource. Open Culture provides links to 525 movies which you can watch for free online. Some on YouTube, some on their own page.

I’ve been meaning to watch some of the Tarkovsky movies like Solaris and Stalker again and they are available here. So are Ivan’s Childhood, and Mirror and some more.

Of course you’ll find many other movies and film directors too.

I also like that they included some short movies which won prizes like the French short J’attendrai le prochain which I included above. There are quite a few silent movies and documentaries too.

For people interested in film and film history, this is an invaluable site.

Should you not be interested in film, you may still have a look and find other interesting things like free courses and books. The categories are listed in the side bar.

World Cinema Series 2013

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I suppose one could say that the World Cinema Series is back by popular demand. When I posted the wrap up, I realized that there really were quite a lot of contributions and just because I wasn’t highly active, that didn’t mean others were equally inactive.

There were comments and questions about whether or not it would take place again. And so the World Cinema Series is back.

The rules are really simple. The idea is to watch movies from as many different countries as possible. It’s also possible to pick a lot of subtitled movies from one country like some of you have done last year. However in order to make points and win a prize, you would have to cover as many countries a possible.

Like last year, the person who covers the most countries will win a DVD or a 25$ amazon voucher.

I will collect all the reviews on the World Cinema Series 2013 page. Please leave your links there or in this post.

I hope for as many participants as possible and to discover a lot of great movies. And I also hope I will manage to review more than last year myself.

I would also like to post at least bimonthly wrap up posts.

Like last year, Richard from Caravana de recuerdos is hosting a similar event, the Foreign Film Festival. You are free to submit your reviews to both events.

To put you in the mood I attached a trailer of a movie I’d like to watch one of these days.

World Cinema Series – Wrap up and Winner Announcement

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I’m not sure what happened to my wish to watch a lot of foreign movies. I did for a while but didn’t review them and then I stopped. This means that my own participation in the  World Cinema Series and Richard’s (Caravana de recuerdos) Foreign Film Festivval  never really took off. While Richard and I were not that active, others were. Especially four people have contributed quite a lot of reviews. At the beginning of the year I had said that

At the end of the year  I will give away a DVD to the person who has managed to cover the most countries.

The winner can choose between a DVD for up to 25$ or an amazon voucher.

And the winner is Guy (Phoenix Cinema/His Futile Preoccupations) who has contributed reviews from 12 different countries.

Congratulations, Guy.

Collectively we have managed to cover over 30 countries. Not a bad result at all. Thanks to everyone who has participated. I hope you will join again next year.

Here are all of the reviews

Argentina

Bar “El Chino”  (2004) – Richard (Caravana de recuerdos)

Australia

Animal Kingdom (2010) – TBM (50 Year Project)

Austria

Klimt (2006) – Obooki (Obooki’s Obloquy)

Brazil 

At Midnight I Will Take Your Soul  (1963) – Obooki (Obooki’s Obloquy)

Besouro aka The Assailant (2009) – Nekoneko (Nekoneko’s Movie Litterbox)

Canada

Familia (2005) – Guy (Phoenix Cinema)

China

Sleepwalker 3D (2011 Hong Kong) – Nekoneko (Nekoneko’s Movie Litterbox)

House of Flying Daggers -rtm (Flixchatter)

The Road Home (2000) – Fiona (Popcorn Pictures)

In the Mood for Love (2000) – Fiona (Popcorn Pictures)

Happy Together (1997) – Fiona (Popcorn Pictures)

Colombia

Bolivar is me – Bolívar es yo (2002) Guy (Phoenix Cinema)

Czech Republic/ Fromer Czechoslovakia

Protektor (2009) – Guy (Phoenix Cinema)

Larks on a String (1969) – Dwight (A Common Reader)

Capricious Summer (1968) – Dwight (A Common Reader)

Denmark

In Your Hands (2004) – Fiona (Popcorn Pictures)

The Inheritance (2003) – Fiona (Popcorn Pictures)

Open Hearts (2002) – Fiona (Popcorn Pictures)

Pusher (1996) – Fiona (Popcorn Pictures)

Melancholia (2011) – Caroline (Beauty is a Sleeping Cat)

Aftermath (2004) – Fiona (Popcorn Pictures)

Dancers -Fiona (Popcorn Pictures)

Murk (2005) – Fiona (Popcorn Pictures)

France

C’est La Vie (1990) – Guy (Phoenix Cinema)

Love is my Profession – En cas he malheur (1958) – Guy (Phoenix Cinema)

La Ronde (1950) – Dwight (A Common Reader)

Amélie – TBM (50 Year Project)

Persepolis (2007) – Fiona (Popcorn Pictures)

When Pigs Have Wings (2011) – Fiona (Popcorn Pictures)

Germany

Soul Kitchen (2009) – Sarah (what we have here is a failure to communicate)

100 Years of Adolf Hitler (1989) – Obboki (Obooki’s Obloquy)

Little Dieter Wants to Fly (1998) – Séamus (Vapour Trails)

Der blaue Engel – The Blue Angel (1930) – Guy (Phoenix Cinema)

Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) Richard (Caravana de recuerdos)

NaPola (2004) – Novia (Polychrime Interest)

Hungary

Szinbád (1971) – Dwight (A Common Reader)

Iceland

Heima (2007) – Dwight (A Common Reader)

India

Shaapit:The Cursed (2010) – Nekoneko (Nekoneko’s Movie Litterbox)

Indonesia

The Raid: Redemption  (2011) – Novroz (Polychrome Interest)

Pintu Terlarang aka The Forbidden Door (2009 ) – Novroz (Polychrome Interest)

The Raid:Redemption (2012) – Nekoneko (Nekoneko’s Movie Litterbox)

Ireland

His and Hers – Ronan (Filmplicity)

The Guard (2011) – Sarah (what we have here is a failure to communicate)

Ireland (then and now) through Cillian Murphy’s movies The Wind that Shakes the Barley and Perrier’s Bounty – Novroz (Polychrome Interest)

Israel

Lemon Tree (2008) – Caroline Beauty is a Sleeping Cat)

Kalevet – Rabies (2010) – Nekoneko (Nekoneko’s Movie Litterbox)

Italy

Cinema Paradiso (1988) – rtm (Flixchatter)

Bicycle Thieves – Ladri di biciclette (1948) – Seamus (Vapour Trails)

Life is beautiful (1998) – Fiona (Popcorn Pictures)

Rome Open City – Roma città aperta (1945) Richard (Caravana de recuerdos)

The Conformist (1970) – Séamus (Vapour Trails)

Japan

Whisper of the Heart – Ronan (Filmplicity)

A Story of Floating Weeds (1934) – Dwight (A Common Reader)

13 Assassins (2010) – Novroz (Polychrome Interest)

Kuroneko (1968) – Richard (Caravana de recuerdos)

Woman in the Dunes (1964) Rise (in lieu of a field guide)

Way of Blue Sky – Slice of Life Teen Movie – Dhitzunako (Across Dhitz Universe)

Arrietty (2010) – Fiona (Popcorn Pictures)

Korea

The Fox Familiy – Gumiho gajok   – Obooki (obooki’s obloquy)

War of the Arrows (2011) – Nekoneko (Nekoneko’s Movie Litterbox)

Lebanon

Caramel – Sukkar banat – Caroline (Beauty is a Sleeping Cat)

Malaysia

Alamak…. Toyol (2011) – Nekoneko (Nekoneko’s Movie Litterbox)

Mexico

Miss Bala (2011) – Guy (Phoenix Cinema)

La Zona (2007) – Guy (Phoenix Cinema)

Norway

Happy Happy (2010) – Guy (Phoenix Cinema)

Peru

La ciudad y los perros – The City and the Dogs (1985) – Guy (His Futile Preoccupations)

Philippines

Aswang (2011) – Nekoneko (Nekoneko’s Movie Litterbox)

Poland

The Hour-Glass Sanatorium (1973) -Dwight (A Common Reader)

The Doll (1968) – Dwight (A Common Reader)

 Faithful River (1987) – Dwight (A Common Reader)

Ashes and Diamonds (1958) – Dwight (A Common Reader)

Katyn (2007) Fiona (The Book Coop aka Popcorn Pictures)

Russia

Torpedo Bomber  (1983) – Guy (Phoenix Cinema)

Shine, Shine, My Star – Gori, Gori, Moya zvezda (1969) – Guy (Phoenix Cinema)

Tsar – Ronan (Filmplicity)

Father & Son (2003) -TBM (50 Year Project)

Senegal

Moolaadé (2004) – Caroline (Beauty is a Sleeping Cat)

South Africa

District 9 (2009) – rtm (Flixchatter)

Spain

Cell 211 – Celda 211 (2009) – TBM (50Year Project)

Julia’s Eyes – Ronan (Filmplicity)

Cuadecuc, vampir (1971) – Obooki (obooki’s obloquy)

El abuelo- The Grandfather (1988) – Dwight ( A Common Reader)

La ciudad de los prodigos – City of Marvels (1999) – Diwght (A Common Reader)

Why Do They Call it Love When They Mean Sex? (1993) – Guy (Phoenix Cinema)

Sweden

Let the Right one In – Låt den rätte komma in (2008) – Novroz (Polychrome Interest)

Everlasting Moments – Eviga Ögonblick (2008) – Caroline (Beauty is a Sleeping Cat)

Thailand 

The Unborn Child (2011) – Nekoneko (Nekoneko’s Movie Litterbox)

Shutter (2004) – Fiona (Popcorn Pictures)

Turkey

Cehennem (2010) – Nekoneko (Nekoneko’s Movie Litterbox)

UK

Route Irish – Ronan (Filmplicity)

An Education (2009) – rtm (Flixchatter)

Nowhere Boy (2009) – rtm (Flixchatter)

Amazing Grace (2006) – Novroz (Polychrome Interest)

US

Prometheus (2012) – Novroz (Polychrome Interest)

Venezuela

Manuela Saénz (2001) – Guy (His Futile Preoccupations)

Yugoslavia

When Father Was Away on Business (1985) – Guy (Phoenix Cinema)

Paris in July 2012

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Paris in July was one of the events I enjoyed the most last year and I’m really glad that Karen from Book Bath and Tamara from Thyme for Tea are organizing it again.

The rules are very simple. If you’d like to join all you have to do is review a French book or movie or write about something French. Music, art, cuisine. Anything you like. It’s not a challenge so you don’t need to commit to anything. Details can be found here Book Bath and here Thyme for Tea and here is the sign up.

I’ve been reading quite a lot of French books recently which I haven’t even reviewed yet, so this is certainly something I’m going to do.

While we are free to choose any French books we like, I will focus on books set in Paris. Possible choices are

Zola’s The Belly of Paris – Le ventre de Paris

Fred Vargas’ Have Mercy On Us All – Pars vite et reviens tard. You cannot go wrong with Fred Vargas. She is one of the best crime writers writing today. If you haven’t read her yet, just pick any of her books.

Tatiana de Rosnay’s The House I Loved – Rose. While she is known as a French writer, this is one of the books she has written in English. It’s a historical novel set in 19th century Paris during the time when the city was undergoing major changes.

I hope to review a movie as well but I’m not sure yet which one it will be. Maybe it’s time to re-watch the movie which is possibly my favourite French film.

I know I will not be able to be as active as last year as July is also Spanish Literature Month.

Are you going to join? Do you already know what you will read?

Moolaadé (2004) World Cinema Series – Senegal

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I used to read a lot of African literature and watched a lot of documentaries as well but hardly any full-length movies at all. I had completely forgotten that Sembène Ousmane wasn’t only a great writer but also a highly acclaimed film director if Tom (Wuthering Expectations) hadn’t reminded me. I tried to find some of his movies and found the last film he made before his death.

Moolaadé is an exciting movie because it offers such an awesome combination of different elements. It is life-affirming, optimistic, critical, humanist and very esthetic at the same time.

Moolaadé is a movie about female circumcision, tradition, change and the status of women in a polygamous, patriarchal society. One cannot watch this movie without being profoundly disturbed but it’s thought-provoking and not depressing at all.

One day, four little girls, seek refuge in the compound of Collé. She is the favourite and second wife of her husband. It is known that her daughter is the only girl in the whole village who hasn’t been circumcised. Her daughter is the fiancé of the eldest son of the village chief who has studied in Paris and is soon to come home. Collé knows that there will be conflict if she shelters the girls. In order to protect them she pronounces Moolaadé, magical protection. As long as one person grants another one Moolaadé the person cannot be touched or the consequences would be fatal. In order to show that Moolaadé is at work, a coloured rope is tied over the entrance of the compound.

The uproar in the village is incredible. They threaten Collé but to no avail until her husband returns and they force him to whip her in public until she revokes the Moolaadé. She remains steadfast and is, at the end, helped by an outsider, a travelling salesman.

Moolaadé shows what a trap circumcision is. The girls know how painful it is, even lethal and that many will never be able to give birth without Cesarean section. Sex will always be agony for them. Still the men do not want to marry a woman who isn’t “purified”. The girls are afraid that they will never find a husband but even more afraid to be maimed for life.

The way the movie shows how horrible circumcision is, is well-done. We don’t see anything but what we see is enough to illustrate it. The most problematic figures in the film are the women who perform the circumcision. They are truly scary.

The strength of the movie however isn’t only to show all the aspects, beliefs, traditions and conflicting interests related to circumcision but to show a way, a solution. The women decide to not accept the horrors done to their bodies anymore. In the movie it’s the act of one courageous woman, who decides to break with tradition, who triggers a wave of change.

It’s a disturbing movie but it’s optimistic as well. There are not only  frustrating but a lot of comical moments too.

Western cinema, with a few exceptions seems to have forgotten that film making can be a means to trigger change, that there could be more to art than entertainment, that being engaged is an important value. Moolaadé reminded me of all this and much more.

It’s precisely movies like Moolaadé that I had in mind when I started the World Cinema Series. Movies that open a door to a world we hardly know. I liked it a lot and am pretty sure it will be one of my favourite movies this year.

Moolaadé is also a contribution to Richard’s Foreign Film Festival.

Everlasting Moments – Eviga Ögonblick (2008) World Cinema Series – Sweden

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At times bitter, at times beautiful, Everlasting Moments by Swedish filmmakerJan Troell is a movie like a painting. Filmed in sepia colored tones, it looks like one of those old photographs from the early 20th century. This is apt and artful at the same time as one of the major topics of the movie is photography. Photography as a means to capture moments, make them everlasting, but also photography as an art form and a source of hope in a bleak existence.

Based on a true story Everlasting Moments tells the story of Maria Larsson. She won a camera in a lottery, stored it somewhere in a cupboard and forgot all about it. Maria is a poor working woman, married to a brutal man, a drinker who hits her and their children. More than once she thinks of leaving him but after having asked the help of her father and been denied any, she slowly gives up. Her father tells her that in the eye of God it is a sin to leave your husband, no matter how he treats you.

Violence leads to her husband being arrested and when he is away, money gets scarce. She decides to sell the camera but Mr Pedersen, the owner of the camera shop, gives her some plates instead, and tells her to use it. What was it that made this gentle man realize that more than money, Maria needed something that would help her survive?

The only times in the movie in which Maria and her children lead a happy life is when the husband is in jail or enlists, when WWI breaks out. Unfortunately, every time, a few weeks after he has come back, she is pregnant again.

It is a slow movie, the shots are captivating, the music is in the background, quiet but underlines the pictures bu still it was hard to watch at times. The husband is so incredibly abusive and when Maria starts to make money with her shots, we do not understand why she stays with him. The same question is asked by her eldest daughter who narrates short parts.

I’m sure in an US movie, she would have left her husband and become a famous photographer. While stories like this do happen as well, the story of Maria Larsson, less grand, more quiet and hidden, is maybe more true to life.

Maria also finds solace in the friendship with Mr Pedersen. He sees the sadness in this woman, the potential and gives her the gift of an art form that will help her see beauty and make a little money. The actors, Maria Heiskanen as Maria, Mikael Persbrandt as her husband and Jesper Christensen as Mr Pedersen, are outstanding in their roles.

I read somewhere that Jan Troell was called a painterly director. This is an excellent expression but in this movie the shots often look like old photographs and are exquisite in all their details.

It was hard to watch how Maria’s man spoilt more than one moment but there was a lot of beauty in the movie. I found it particularly interesting to be reminded of how long it once took to take a picture. How careful you had to be, how complicated it was. Taking pictures was almost meditative, while now, it seems hundreds of images are taken in a very short time, and the process of really looking happens later, when they are sorted out.

Everlasting Moments is part of my World Cinema Series and a contribution to Richard’s Foreign Film Festival.