7-20 December

Historic Centre (2012)-5/10-> Kaurismaki isn't anything special, he sticks to his usual recipe (if not a bit colder), which is not necessarily something bad.

Costa is disappointing, starting off with some of his usual picturality and continuing with a meaningless and dull part.

Erice is the most accomplished of all, sending off emotions and knowledge to the audience.

Oliveira has no plot whatsoever and it's there just for the sake of the director, probably.

Fortress (2012)-8/10-> One of the best documentaries I've seen in a while, Fortress is a humourous and also dark account of the Transnistrian country. Beautifully shot, very well made and wound together.

Quitting Smoking By Smoking (2012)-8.5/10-> One of the most honest and revealing films about smoking, Quitting Smoking By Smoking is not necessarily very personally made, which makes it even better to watch.

The Man With The Iron Fists (2012)-1.5/10-> The mix borrowed elements, terrible acting and haywire editing make this a really bad film, if not actually the worst of this year so far. 

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower (2012)-7.5/10-> It's mostly predictable, but the film has what not most of the films with teenagers have. It has a heart and an ability to actually capture the struggles of adolescence.

Pieta (2012)-6/10-> You might have seen this story in another form, but that doesn't  necessarily make Pieta a bad film. It's got some originality and the outcome is great.

22 November- 6 December

The Ruined Map (1968)-4/10->It nails an original atmosphere, but The Ruined Map is too incoherent and some moments are either too complex or either too stupid to understand.

Moara Cu Noroc (1955)-7/10->One of the few good adaptations of Romanian literature from that period, Moara Cu Noroc has good acting and a good script which respects the source material, but in my opinion it could have been bigger.

Something In The Air (2012)-8/10-> A powerful film, Assayas's latest is a beautiful piece on the French student movement of the early '70s.

More Than Honey (2012)-5/10->It's too slow and light,but otherwise More Than Honey is a good documentary.

The Details (2012)-5.5/10->A bit inconsistent, but otherwise The Details achieves its' black comedy standard, by becoming more shocking (not necessarily funny) as it goes along. And Maguire is a damned good pick for this role.

L'Enfer (1994)-4.5/10->Unexpectedly predictable and common, L'Enfer works as an OK film about jealousy with a good performance from Cluzet and that's it.

Gerry (2002)-8/10->It's very slow, but ultimately worth it.

EFA 2012: The Films and The Awards

Best Film

Winner: 

Amour

Nominees: 

• Barbara
• Cesare Deve Morire
• Jagten
• Shame 
• Intouchables

Did the winner deserve its' award? : Sure, "Amour" is pure cinema.

The other nominees : Except "Barbara", I didn't like any other film from the nominees for Best Film. I really hated "Intouchables" and the others aren't that bad, but they aren't that good either.

Omissions? : The biggest one is Benedek Fliegauf's "Just The Wind" (which is my favorite film of this year so far) and Paradise:Love.

Best Director

Winner:

Amour

Nominees:

• Once Upon A Time In Anatolia
• Shame
• Jagten
• Cesare Deve Morire

Did the winner deserve its' award? : Seeing the other nominees, yes. Seeing the fact that it also got Best Film, no.

The other nominees : Weak, weak competition for Haneke. I don't even see how "Anatolia" is still eligible.

Omissions? : I stand with the first two films I said in the first category. But I would also add "Holy Motors".

Best Actor

Winner:

Jean-Louis Trintignant for Amour

Nominees:

• Francois Cluzet & Omar Sy for Intouchables
• Michael Fassbender for Shame
• Mads Mikkelsen for Jagten
• Gary Oldman for Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

Did the winner deserve its' award? : Tough competition for Trintignant. But, yes, he gives one of the most compelling roles of the year.

The other nominees : Good actors giving good performances.

Omissions? : Yes. Schoenaerts for "Rust & Bone", Serban Pavlu for "Everybody in Our Family" and Denis Lavant for "Holy Motors".

Best Actress

Winner:

Emmanuelle Riva for Amour

Nominees:

• Emilie Dequenne for Our Children
• Nina Hoss for Barbara
• Margarethe Tiesel for Paradise:Love
• Kate Winslet for Carnage

Did the winner deserve its' award? : I liked Tiesel more, but Riva was just fine.

The other nominees : Good nominees, excepting Winslet.

Omissions? : Lola Creton for "Apres Mai" and Olga Dihovichnaya for "Twilight Portrait".

European Screenwriter

Winner:

Jagten

Nominees:

• Amour
• Carnage
• Intouchables
• Beyond The Hills

Did the winner deserve its' award? : The script is good, but not great.

The other nominees : "Amour" and "Beyond The Hills" are alright, "Carnage" is much lighter than it should be and "Intouchables" is atrocious.

Omissions? : "Just The Wind", "The Exchange" by Eran Kolirin, "Tabu" by Miguel Gomes and "Apres Mai" by Olivier Assayas.

Carlo Di Palma European Cinematographer Award

Winner:

Shame

Nominees:

• Faust
• Once Upon A Time In Anatolia
• Amour
• Tinker, Tailor, Soldier Spy

Did the winner deserve its' award? : Yes, the second best part about "Shame" is the cinematography.

The other nominees : "Once Upon A Time In Anatolia" and "Faust" are the most dazzling here, but "Amour" and "TTSS" aren't half bad either.

Omissions? : I don't know if they're eligible, but my favorites for 2012 are "Laurence Anyways" and "Post Tenebras Lux".

European Film Academy Animated Feature Film

Winner:

Alois Nebel

Nominees:

• The Pirates! In An Adventure With Scientists
• Arrugas 

Did the winner deserve its' award? : No, the film is beautiful visually, but otherwise it's a mess.

The other nominees : Well there's not much of a competition here. "Arrugas" is fine, haven't seen "The Pirates!" yet.

Omissions? : Haven't seen any good animations this year.

European Film Academy Short Film

Winner:

Superman, Spiderman or Batman

Nominees:

• The Ambassador & Me
• Back Of Beyond
• Beast
• How To Pick Berries
• In The Open
• Morning Of Saint Anthony's Day
• Objection VI
• Out Of Frame
• Silent
• Tomorrow It Will Be Good
• Two Hearts
• Two Ships
• Villa Antropoff

Did the winner deserve its' award? : Yes, of course. Not only this one of the best Romanian shorts I've seen this year along with "From Now On",  but one of the best shorts I've seen this year.

The other nominees : I have seen only a few of them; "How To Pick Berries" is pretty, "Morning Of Saint Anthony's Day" is weird,but good, I didn't get "Out Of Frame", "Silent" is a nicely done love story and "Villa Antropoff" is a funny critique on modern society.

Omissions? : No, not really.

(the categories I haven't commented are either the ones I haven't seen nothing from, or the ones I don't really know what to say about)

9-22 November

Magnolia(1999)-9/10->Overlong and a bit messy? Sure, but the whole complexity of the narrative and how it's wound together make up for that. Also,the cast is excellent, maybe one of the most impressive American casts to ever come together onto the screen.

Belle Toujours(2006)-7.5/10->While it does have the pace of the predecessor (and that's a flaw more or less), Belle Toujours shows us the point of view of the best, but neglected character from Bunuel's film, having a great script, filled with terrific dialogues.

Everyday(2012)-7/10->It's slow and predictable,but this is a very realistic, emotional and up front observation of a family.

POLA X(1999)-10/10->POLA X is definitely Carax's masterpiece,a strange,intense and dense film,starting as one film and ending up as a completely different.Excellent,but completely underrated.

Tokyo(2008)-5/10->Gondry takes too long to get to his overly cliched point,Carax serves up a plate of his usual bat-shit crazy originality and Joon-ho starts off with a great idea,but he goes into schmaltzy predictableness.

Lawless(2012)-2.5/10->Messy,not as well acted as it should be and it's more lifeless than the subject actually is.The pros are the ending and the cinematography.

In Another Country(2012)-7/10->A quirky and light film,"In Another Country" benefits mostly from Huppert's triple performance.

The Fly(1986)-5.5/10->Goldblum gives a great performance and Cronenberg succeeds in making the audience emphatize with its' characters,but it is too gory for its' own good.You either make a horror story or a love story.

Compliance(2012)-9/10->Tensionate,convincingly acted and minutely directed,Zobel brings out the sinister in the story and though he doesn't show us a lot,it shocks us with the gripping suspense and actions of the characters.

12 October-8 November

Killer Joe(2011)-7.5/10->A proper revival for Friedkin, this crazy and violent film shows McConaughey in his most convicing and absorbing role so far. Completely insane, completely worth it.

On The Road(2012)-5/10->Salles manages to nail most of the atmosphere of the book and the cinematography is great, but the characters and the film itself never are as daring or as open-minded as the terrific source material.

Berlin Calling(2008)-6.5/10->Starts off great,sending the audience an unique vibe and Kalkbrenner is fantastic (as an actor and as a musician), but it feels dull in some moments.

The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford(2007)-8/10->It's slow, but the runtime allows Dominik to properly build his characters and it gives the film a very contemplative and unsettling air (which Deakins helps to build), driven from classic westerns. Great performances from Pitt and Affleck.

Sin City(2005)-6/10->Beautifully violent and it contains some great moments of violent poetry. Fun,but rarely smart.

Something From Nothing:The Art Of Rap(2012)-6/10->It's nicely wound together, but the rappers should be aloud to speak more. Way too short in my opinion.

Mr. Nice(2010)-3/10->Has a great first half hour, but the acting and the cinematography are bad, and it never fully extents its' great plot.

Savages(2012)-4/10->Savages is often incoherent and tangled, the ending is bad and the film is way too long (like all Stone films), but the acting is amiable and it's sometimes refreshing to see Stone hasn't lost his talent of making fun, violent movies,which he showcased in "Natural Born Killers".

The Bay(2012)-6/10->It's not scary, the so-called scares being gruesome and very few, but The Bay relies more on suspense and originality of the story and outcome than most found-footage flicks.

The Watch(2012)-3/10->Rarely funny, relying mostly on dick jokes, but the cast helps the movie not ending up useless.

Mauvais Sang(1986)-10/10->A beautiful and unique film, Mauvais Sang is an original combination of Melville's suspense and poetry and Kubrick's imagination.

Rust And Bone(2012)-7/10->Cotillard doesn't do too much, it's often predictable, but Schoenaerts is fantastic, the ending is good and the camera work is terrific.

Ils(2006)-5.5/10->A chilling horror, Ils is a tense and scary film, with an unpredictable outcome, which will make the viewer shake in its' seat. 

Belle De Jour(1967)-6/10->A bit too passionless and dull for its' own good, Belle De Jour works mostly because of Deneuve's acting and charm.Also, Piccoli is a treat.

Les Films de Cannes A Bucarest:3rd edition 2012

Reality(2012)-4/10->Although the first part of the film is generic,at least it's energetic,but in the second part it loses its' energy and it becomes almost as absent-minded as reality television itself.Shame,for this is a great subject.

Gomorra(2008)-8.5/10->A bleak and unbelievably realistic film,Gomorra is a thorough portrait of the "Camorra".

Like Someone In Love(2012)-3/10->Great acting,but the whole film is lifeless and feels pointless.Also,the ending is really,really bad.

Holy Motors(2012)-8/10->The first half hour feels like a warmup and there's not much of a link between all of the "tasks",but Lavant proves once again he's a versatile actor and Carax proves once again that he's a genius,showing us that cinema is not dead.

Killing Them Softly(2012)-7/10->The first hour is great,the script is almost fantastic and the cast is terrific (especially Gandolfini),but in the last hour it feels like Dominik doesn't know how to get the film to its' end.Not saying that the ending scene isn't brilliant.

Ciulinii Baraganului(1958)-4/10->Though it starts off great,it was never a good idea to turn a 40 page novel into a two hour film.

Beasts Of The Southern Wild(2012)-8.5/10->Emotional and heart-warming,BOTSW is very childish,but beautifully told (and shot) and really imaginative.

Moonrise Kingdom(2012)-8/10->It's not very different from Anderson's previous work,but it still is a compassionate look at first love and childhood.Beautifully shot and the soundtrack is amazing.

Cosmopolis(2012)-2/10->There is some style,but otherwise Cronenberg bets on his dialogue.Not a good bet,because the film is tedious and the only cause is the unengaging dialogue.Mediocre acting,all around.

The Time That Remains(2009)-5.5/10->The deadpan humor is original,the acting is good and the cinematography is beautiful,but the film's narrative is farfetched.

Post Tenebras Lux(2012)-7/10->Much more complex than his previous work,Reygadas's latest will have you questioning yourself most of the time.Didn't understand it completely,but there's something about it for sure.Would give it an award for its' cinematography.

White Elephant(2012)-4/10->The acting is alright,but it's too damn predictable.

In The Fog(2012)-7/10->It's too long and Loznitsa has still got some problems with his narrative line,but it's beautifully shot,the acting is good and it comes together much more nicely than My Joy.

The Angels' Share(2012)-4/10->Unfunny and it seems like Ken Loach hasn't made something worth watching since "Looking For Eric".

Despues De Lucia(2012)-2/10->Works on a very simple system: (daughter does something bad,father cries about his dead wife/his daughter) x 20. Literally unwatchable.

Beyond The Hills(2012)-6.5/10->Overlong and the performance by Flutur isn't as great as it could be (most of the film she squirms), but it sends its' message about faith and just how far it can go,Stratan is very good and as always the camera work by Oleg Mutu is fantastic.

Anim'est International Animation Film Festival 2012:7th Edition

FEATURES

Arrugas(2011)-7/10->Arrugas is a fresh approach of the elder years,funny and sad,but even though the pace of the film helps the atmosphere,it still is quite slow.

Alois Nebel(2011)-5.5/10->The animation and tone of the film are very special,but the writing is a bit too thin.

The Lorax(2012)-5/10->The Lorax is beautifully told and it captures most of Seuss's spirit,except it's simplicity,that being lost in the unexpectedly Hollywood-ian elements.

Ronal The Barbarian(2011)-4/10->Ronal The Barbarian is funny,but it's predictable and most of the humor relies on gross-out gags.

Children Who Chase Lost Voices(2011)-6/10->It has an imaginative story and beautiful animation,but it borrows heavily from Japanese animation helmers like Kon or Miyazaki.

SHORTS

ROMANIAN COMPETITION

The Mobilphone(2012)-6/10->Concise,but light,The Mobilphone has intelligent humor.

Selfportrait(2012)-5/10->it has a good idea,but it doesn't make the most of it.

Face Factory(2012)-5/10->Predictable,but funny and the ending is somewhat smart.

Gang Up On Cupid(2012)-1/10->More of a ripoff of "Space Invaders" than a short,really.

The Envelope(2012)-6.5/10->Smart,but a bit too morbid for it's own good.

Metarmorphosis(2012)-1/10->An unfunny take on Kafka's novel.

Free(2011)-5/10->Some humourous moments can't make up for bad animation.

Cry In The Sky(2012)-1/10->A bad poem.

Playground(2011)-1/10->Predictable outcome and message.

Cloudman(2012)-1/10->Plain dumb.

Precious Thing(2012)-1/10->Weird and sinister,and the animation is horrible.

The Story Of Ipsum(2012)-2/10->Starts off interesting,but it becomes an incoherent jumble.

Super(2012)-1/10->Didn't understand this one.

Chinatown(2012)-1/10->This one either.

Bicycle Love(2012)-1/10->A bad idea to begin with.

Unarte(2012)-2/10->It has a good premise,but otherwise the animation is really bad,and it doesn't work too well as a commercial for that college.

Hunger(2010)-7/10->Hunger is smartly animated and creative.

O(2012)-3/10->Interestingly animated,but it's point of view of abstract.

Once Upon A Time There Was A Child(2012)-7/10->Cute and children's tale like.

Easy Is For Everyone(2012)-7/10->The story weaves fantastically and the animation is good,but it's a bit too long.

The Little Dark(2011)-1/10->Didn't understand it.

GUEST SCHOOL-HFF KONRAD WOLF

Never Drive A Car When You're Dead(2009)-10/10->An honest and harsh critique on modern society and death.

White,No White(2011)-4/10->It has a good idea,but it's too abstract for its own good.

Arachmaninoff(2010)-7/10->The creepy animation and the great ending make this worthwhile.

Hinterland(2010)-7/10->Hinterland is smart and really well animated.

The Changeling(2011)-6/10->Funny and nicely told.

House Wanders,Bird Water Full(2011)-8/10->Beautifully animated and very poetic.

Frog Weather(2011)-4/10->Too childish for its' own good.

Flamingo Pride(2011)-6/10->Hilarious,but that's about it.

28 September-11 October

Policeman(2011)-2/10->Lapid wanted to show a very realistic portrait of a cop (and of men,in general),but the result is a dull and badly acted film.

Reality(2012)-4/10->Although the first part of the film is generic,at least it's energetic,but in the second part it loses its' energy and it becomes almost as absent-minded as reality television itself.Shame,for this is a great subject.

Pusher(2012)-6/10->It brings the original a new atmosphere and all in all it's not a bad remake,but it's an unnecessary one.

Dark Horse(2011)-7/10->Even though it's not as thought provoking or as dark as Solondz' previous work,Dark Horse still is another great cynical look on life and love.

To Rome With Love(2012)-5/10->It has some of Allen's humour and a great cast,but it's clear he has lost his touch,the film being a hit-and-miss situation.

21-27 September

Cosmopolis(2012)-2/10->There is some style,but otherwise Cronenberg bets on his dialogue.Not a good bet,because the film is tedious and the only cause is the unengaging dialogue.Mediocre acting,all around.

Mekong Hotel(2012)-6/10->Very similar to Boonmee,it's a more soothing experience than the before mentioned one,but it still is quite unaccomplished.

The Hunt(2012)-6/10->Like last year's Venice Days "Guilty",it features a strong lead performance and it is well written,but unlike the french flick it never reaches the emotional strength,nor it does reach the height of the discussion of morals.

Moonrise Kingdom(2012)-8/10->It's not very different from Anderson's previous work,but it still is a compassionate look at first love and childhood.Beautifully shot and the soundtrack is amazing.

Berberian Sound Studio(2012)-6/10->An atmospheric film in which Strickland proves once again,it doesn't have to be a horror film in order to be effectively creepy.Good performance from Jones,but the editing is a bit scattered.

Sister(2012)-6/10->Almost a certified copy of last year's "The Kid With The Bike",the only differences are the darker nature of the story and the much better performances by Seydoux and Klein.

Unit 7(2012)-1/10->Stylish cinematography,yes,but this film literally has no beginning or ending.

In Darkness(2012)-4/10->Seeing its' subject matter,In Darkness is never as original or powerful as it should be.Good performances and cinematography.

Laurence Anyways(2012)-7/10->Overlong and like all Dolan films,messy,but Laurence Anyways is the accomplished vision of an artist,with a small plot which gets an epic treatment.Dolan's best?By far.

Hasta La Vista(2011)-5/10->Starts off great,loses itself in the middle,then picks itself up in the last 30 minutes and it is quite predictable,but there are some good performances from the cast and humourous moments.

TIFF 2012:Expect-O-Meter

The "HELL YEAH" tier

Amour (2012,Michael Haneke,Masters)-> 100%

The Master (2012,Paul Thomas Anderson,Special Presentation)-> 100%

Post Tenebras Lux (2012,Carlos Reygadas,Wavelengths)-> 90%

The Place Beyond The Pines (2012,Derek Cianfrance,Special Presentation)-> 85%

Spring Breakers (2012,Harmony Korine,Special Presentation)-> 85%

Like Someone In Love (2012,Abbas Kiarostami,Masters)-> 80%

Paradise:Love (2012,Ulrich Seidl,Contemporary World Cinema)-> 80%

The "YES PLEASE" tier

The ABCs Of Death (2012,Various,Midnight Madness)-> 75%

Barbara (2012,Christian Petzold,Contemporary World Cinema)-> 75%

Berberian Sound Studio (2012,Peter Strickland,Vanguard)-> 75%

Gebo And The Shadow (2012,Manoel de Oliveira,Masters)-> 75%

Looper (2012,Rian Johnson,Gala Presentation)-> 75%

Me And You (2012,Bernardo Bertolucci,Masters)-> 75%

No (2012,Pablo Larrain,Special Presentation)-> 75%

Outrage Beyond (2012,Takeshi Kitano,Special Presentation)-> 75%

Seven Psychopaths (2012,Martin McDonagh,Midnight Madness)-> 75%

Everyday (2012,Michael Winterbottom,Masters)-> 70%

Foxfire (2012,Laurent Cantet,Special Presentation)-> 70%

The Impossible (2012,Juan Antonio Bayona,Special Presentation)-> 70%

In The Fog (2012,Sergei Loznitsa,Contemporary World Cinema)->70%

The Land Of Hope (2012,Sion Sono,Contemporary World Cinema)->70%

Pusher (2012,Luis Prieto,Vanguard)-> 70%

Sightseers (2012,Ben Wheatley,Vanguard)-> 70%

The "WHY NOT?" tier

Byzantium (2012,Neil Jordan,Special Presentation)-> 65%
Dormant Beauty (2012,Marco Bellocchio,Special Presentation)-> 65%

The Hunt (2012,Thomas Vinterberg,Special Presentation)-> 65%

iLL Manors (2012,Ben Drew,Vanguard)-> 65%

Rebelle (2012,Kim Nguyen,Special Presentation)-> 65%

Room 237 (2012,Rodney Ascher,Vanguard)-> 65%

Something In The Air (2012,Olivier Assayas,Masters)-> 65%

Thy Womb (2012,Brilliante Mendoza,Contemporary World Cinema)-> 65%

The Last Time I Saw Macao (2012,Joao Pedro Rodrigues & Joao Guerro Da Mata,Wavelengths)-> 60%

Antiviral (2012,Brandon Cronenberg,Special Presentation)-> 60%

Capital (2012,Costa-Gavras,Special Presentation)-> 60%

Do Not Disturb (2012,Yvan Attal,Special Presentation)-> 60%

The End Of Time (2012,Peter Mettler,Masters)-> 60%

Ernest & Celestine (2012,Stephane Aubier & Vincent Patar & Benjamin Renner,TIFF Kids)-> 60%

The Iceman (2012,Ariel Vromen,Special Presentation)-> 60%

John Dies At The End (2012,Don Coscarelli,Midnight Madness)-> 60%

Leviathan (2012,Lucien Castaing-Taylor & Verena Paravel,Wavelengths)-> 60%

Museum Hours (2012,Jem Cohen,Contemporary World Cinema)-> 60%

On The Road (2012,Walter Salles,Special Presentation)-> 60%

The Pervert's Guide To Ideology (2012,Sophie Fiennes,Mavericks)-> 60%

Pieta (2012,Kim Ki-duk,Masters)-> 60%

Reality (2012,Matteo Garrone,Special Presentation)-> 60%

Stories We Tell (2012,Sarah Polley,Special Presentation)-> 60%

The "PURGATORY" tier

At Any Price (2012,Ramin Bahrani,Special Presentation)-> 55%

Frances Ha (2012,Noam Baumbach,Special Presentation)-> 55%

Hyde Park On Hudson (2012,Roger Michell,Gala Presentation)-> 55%

I Declare War (2012,Jason Lapeyre & Robert Wilson,Vanguard)-> 55%

A Late Quartet (2012,Yaron Zilberman,Special Presentation)-> 55%

Lines Of Wellington (2012,Valeria Sarmiento,Special Presentation)-> 55%

Penance (2012,Kiyoshi Kurosawa,Contemporary World Cinema)-> 55%

Reincarnation (2012,Andy Capper,TIFF Docs)-> 55%

A Royal Affair (2012,Nikolaj Arcel,Gala Presentation)-> 55%

The Sessions (2012,Ben Lewin,Special Presentation)-> 55%

To The Wonder (2012,Terrence Malick,Special Presentation)-> 55%

The We And The I (2012,Michel Gondry,Vanguard)-> 55%

Aftershock (2012,Nicolas Lopez,Midnight Madness)-> 50%

Argo (2012,Ben Affleck,Gala Presentation)-> 50%

Ginger And Rosa (2012,Sally Potter,Special Presentation)-> 50%

A Hi-Jacking (2012,Tobias Lindholm,Special Presentation)-> 50%

Iceberg Slim:The Portrait Of A Pimp (2012,Jorge Hinojosa,TIFF Docs)-> 50%

The Lords Of Salem (2012,Rob Zombie,Midnight Madness)-> 50%

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower (2012,Stephen Chbosky,Special Presentation)-> 50%

Rust And Bone (2012,Jacques Audiard,Special Presentation)-> 50%

Smashed (2012,James Ponsoldt,Contemporary World Cinema)-> 50%

The "ONLY IF I REALLY HAVE TO" tier

Beyond The Hills (2012,Cristian Mungiu,Masters)-> 40%

Fill The Void (2012,Rama Burhstein,Discovery)-> 40%

Jayne Mansfield's Car (2012,Billy Bob Thornton,Gala Presentation)-> 40%

Much Ado About Nothing (2012,Joss Whedon,Special Presentation)-> 40%

Passion (2012,Brian De Palma,Special Presentation)-> 40%

Silver Linings Playbook (2012,David O. Russell,Gala Presentation)-> 40%

Anna Karenina (2012,Joe Wright,Special Presentation)-> 35%

Cloud Atlas (2012,Lana & Andy Wachowski and Tom Tykwer,Special Presentation)-> 35%

Laurence Anyways (2012,Xavier Dolan,Special Presentation)-> 35%

After The Battle (2012,Yousry Nasrallah,Contemporary World Cinema)-> 30%

Bad 25 (2012,Spike Lee,Special Presentation)-> 30%

The Company You Keep (2012,Robert Redford,Gala Presentation)-> 30%

Dredd 3D (2012,Pete Travis,Midnight Madness)-> 30%

Love Is All You Need (2012,Susanne Bier,Special Presentation)-> 30%

THE "NOT IN THIS LIFETIME" tier

End Of Watch (2012,David Ayer,Special Presentation)-> 25%

Great Expectations (2012,Mike Newell,Gala Presentation)-> 25%

The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2012,Mira Nair,Gala Presentation)-> 25%

Dangerous Liaisons (2012,Hur Jin-ho,Gala Presentation)-> 20%

In Another Country (2012,Hong Sang-soo,Masters)-> 20%

The Paperboy (2012,Lee Daniels,Special Presentation)-> 20%

Hotel Transylvania (2012,Genndy Tartakovsky,TIFF Kids)-> 15%

6-12 July

Satan's Brew(1976)-10/10->Probably one of the strangest films ever made,Satan's Brew is a bat-shit crazy masterpiece,unusual from Fassbinder's usual.To label it as a dark comedy,would be little.

The Third Generation(1979)-8/10->It is episodic,often confusing and non-accessible,but Fassbinder has made a strange film about terrorism,with dark humor to underline his point of view.

The Marriage Of Maria Braun(1979)-8/10->A very different film for Fassbinder,not only in style,but also in approach,it contains some of his usual elements,but here he seems to have become a bit more dull because he mostly sticks to the rules,even though the irony,the profanity and the sex are still present.Fascinating central performance from Schygulla and also very intimate as a character study from Fassbinder,who usually prefers to keep his distance from his characters.

Dragonslayer(2011)-6.5/10->Although it has no clear narrative structure,Dragonslayer is an engaging,interesting and wonderfully shot film about a skater's life and just how shitty it got at a certain point

Himizu(2011)-9/10->It is a bit exaggerated in some moments,but Himizu is a harsh and dark look at the morals of human beings and why do they keep on living,depicting the story of troubled teenager after a big tsunami,Sono using this event to make the film even more tragic.Heartbreaking performances from Sometani and Nikaido.

Zero Killed(2012)-4/10->Zero Killed has a good premise and Kosakowski has succeeded in opening human psychology a bit,but not enough and after a half hour the film gets awfully repetitive.

Strictly Ballroom(1992)-5/10->It is funny and the acting is good,but Strictly Ballroom lacks coherence and the story is predictable and formulaic.

Porfirio(2011)-7.5/10->A slow,but powerful film,Porfirio takes an unknown subject and turns into a part-fiction and part-documentary film.The fiction is art,the documentary is insightful.

Clockers(1995)-5.5/10->Lee has directed a strong cast and he tells a compelling story,but he never focuses enough on his characters' personality and their problems.

The Doors(1991)-5/10->Kilmer gives a terrific performance,there are some great,but episodic performances from MacLachlan,Glover and Madsen,the cinematography is inspired and it mostly nails the atmosphere of those times and the band,but The Doors has problems with the coherence of the story,its overlongitude and the scenes that just don't have their place in there.

30 June-5 July

Fear Eats The Soul(1974)-9/10->Fassbinder mixes two very controversate subjects,into one story.The result?A sweet and sour love story,in which the director once again proves his unabashed love for his characters.

Extraterrestrial(2011)-5/10->Extraterrestrial starts off well,but the plot becomes too convoluted to be interesting.Also,like its characters it makes promises it can't keep.

Blow-Up(1966)-10/10->Clearly one of the best thrillers ever made,Antonioni's film is a complex portrayal of a photographer's mentality,who is brilliantly played by David Hemmings.Also,the film is a sheer delight to watch,because of the way Antonioni leaves little clues about his main character everywhere,but the audience must dedicate their full attention.

A Burning Hot Summer(2011)-3/10->Good moments are rare in this meandering and mostly wooden acted drama.Beautifully shot though.

Last Days(2005)-7.5/10->Different from Van Sant's previous work,Last Days is not only a film about what was going on in Cobain's head in his last days,but also what goes on in everyone's head,during tough times.The cinematography and the sound collapse beautifully.

The State Of Things(1982)-3/10->It has a good premise and like all Wenders movies the cinematography is spellbinding,but the film is a pretentious drag and it never shows any insight on the hardship of making a film.

The King Of Comedy(1982)-8.5/10->Even though it's effectively creepy The King Of Comedy is an underrated masterpiece.Funny,ambitious and with DeNiro at the top of his game as a likeable psychopath,it mostly works.

Casino(1995)-6.5/10->Sure,it's overlong and the actors don't give fantastic performances,but that is because they don't get much to work with from the beginning,but it is an insightful look at casinos and how they work,and also,it is a succesful representation of violence,vices and the power of money.

The Prefab People(1982)-7/10->Filmed as a documentary,The Prefab People is a tough and realistic film about the everyday life of two married people.Wonderfully acted,but like most Tarr films,plot-less.

Almanac Of Fall(1984)-8/10->Except for the constant,but usual (from Tarr) lack of a coherent plot,Almanac Of Fall is a beautifully shot,but bleak and slow film about relationships that just won't work.

Damnation(1988)-10/10->A bleak and masterful film about the human condition,it might not appeal to everyone,but to those who it will,it will probably remain on their minds for quite some time.Heavyweight cinema.

22-28 June

35 Rhums(2008)-10/10->A slow but masterful drama,35 Rhums is a very unusual film about an usual subject,which benefits from a fantastic performance by Descas.Claire Denis at her finest.

Wolfy(2009)-6/10->Wolfy is lighter than Sigarev's latest,Living,but it still is a poetic and beautiful film,because of the endearing story and the cinematography.

Crumb(1994)-6.5/10->Excepting the constant,but uncalled for,interventions of Crumb's work,the film is a vivid and strange portrayal,not only of the artist,but also his very intriguing family.

Memories Of Murder(2003)-6/10->Memories Of Murder is beautifully shot and Song gives a terrific performance as always,but Memories Of Murder feels much more conventional than the other work of director Joon-ho Bong.

Raging Bull(1980)-9/10->Raging Bull is a powerful film about an unlikable person,which is played by De Niro who gives the best performance in his career.

Hiroshima Mon Amour(1959)-7/10->It's often meandering and it there is too much dialogue,but it is wonderfully acted and Resnais tells this story beautifully.

The Devil Probably(1977)-10/10->The Devil Probably is another gripping and shaking masterpiece by Bresson,in which he uses,as usual,his characters,as doomed persons,which cannot escape their terrible fate.Terrifying film about suicide and spirituality.

Caravaggio(1986)-7/10->Jarman's storytelling is confusing,but otherwise Caravaggio is an insightful and original take on the painter's life.

Fucking Amal(1998)-3/10->Fucking Amal is a stupid and uninteresting film,filled with bad acting,no matter how authentic it feels.

1-7 June

Clerks(1994)-7.5/10->Clerks's smart and humorous script helps the movie overlook the seemingly bland premise.

Clerks II(2006)-5/10->Clerks II is not as original as the first one and even though it uses the same form of raunchy humor and it hits some good notes,but it never captures the freshness and smartness of the first one.

Loving Without Reason(2012)-6.5/10->The story is pretty basic and so are the characters,but LaFosse makes it emotional without forcing it and the acting is fantastic,especially the one from Dequenne.

Tony Manero(2008)-7/10->Tony Manero is a dark and odd look at Pinochet's regime and the way films influence people.Also,it features a lot of dark humor,which mostly works.

Prospero's Books(1999)-4/10->Prospero's Books is too chaotic and too derivative from it's source material to work,the photography being the best thing,which is done stunningly.

Hemingway & Gellhorn(2012)-1/10->Hemingway & Gellhorn has a bad script,wooden acting and technically,it's horribly made.Also,it lasts two hours and a half.Unbelievably excruciating.

Mother And Son(1997)-8/10->Mother And Son is a heartbreaking poem about the strange relationship between a mother and her son.

Moloch(1999)-6.5/10->Moloch is well written and acted,but it has moments of incoherence and it never thoroughly explores the connection between the two main characters. There is an exploration,but it is very basically done,it disappoints.

Taurus(2001)-6/10->Brilliantly photographed,Taurus is a slow,but intriguing portrayal of Lenin.Amiably acted.

25-31 May

Father Of Invention(2011)-3/10->You might grin at some parts and Spacey does a good job as always,but the humor is mostly stale and the story is formulaic and predictable.

julien donkey-boy(1999)-8/10->Korine's unique blend of his own style and the Dogme-95 one,make this one of his strangest films up-to-date,but also one of his best,like Gummo.

Iron Sky(2012)-5.5/10->Iron Sky is a fun and dumb,unpredictable film,in which the humor and satire usually works.

Involuntary(2008)-7/10->Involuntary is episodic and random,but Ostlund does succeed in making what he wanted:a harsh,but also darkly funny portrait of everyday Swedish life.

Slacker(1991)-2/10->Slacker is a meandering and pseudo-philosophical catastrophy of a film,probably one of the worst debuts ever made by one of the most important directors of independent American cinema.

Transilvania International Film Festival:11th Edition -> 1-10 June

Party Monster(2003)-7/10->It succeeds in re-creating the characters and Culkin pulls off a fantastic performance,but this doesn't quite match the depth of the directors's previous film,a documentary on the same subject.

Symbol(2009)-9/10->It has a really creative premise,it provides some sort of food-for-thought and the cinematography is quite beautiful,but the director's storytelling techniques are a bit questionable.Also,it's one of the funniest films I've ever seen.

Oslo,31 August(2011)-10/10->A powerful and gut-wrenching film,which benefits from Anders Danielsen Lie's performance,a smart script and mesmerizing cinematography.

Crulic:The Way To Beyond(2011)-4/10->Ivanov is spot-on as Crulic and the animation is fairly impressive,but it starts off messy,it ends up utterly incoherent and it tries too hard to be a poetic melodrama,even though there are some hilarious moments.

Best Intentions(2011)-10/10->http://moviereviewsbymarcsolomon.blogspot.com/2011/10/movie-reviewbest-intentions2011.html

Sleeping Beauty(2011)-3/10->Even though,it's a great idea,Sleeping Beauty ultimately fails in giving us a conclusion,Browning is terrible and it just turns out utterly grotesque.

Dreileben:Beats Being Dead(2011)-7/10->It's a very strange love story,that doesn't really hold back,with good acting and some beautiful cinematography,but the ending is very unnecessary,confusing and unsatisfying.

Dreileben:Don't Follow Me Around(2011)-6/10->It's interesting to watch the main story and the actual crime story weave together and the acting is good,but as its predecessor it has huge problems with its ending and it sort of loses the viewer's interest in the last 20 minutes.

Dreileben:One Minute Of Darkness(2011)-5/10->Even though,this finally takes it's criminal character and develops it a lot,it switches to another one in the end for no particular reason and does almost nothing with it.Could have been a great ending to this very bizarre trilogy.

Mildred Pierce(2011)-6/10->It's quite faithful to the original,Winslet gives a terrific performance and it brings some sort of soothing nostalgia,but Mildred Pierce gets really slow and boring by the end.

The Shining(1980)-8/10->Some moments might be confusing,some might be ridiculous and it takes out a lot of parts from King's novel,but it brings out the essential in the source material,Nicholson gives an unforgettable,genuinely mad performance and Kubrick builds a fantastic atmosphere,by combining the score with effective scares and some elegance.

Michael(2011)-9/10->Schleinzer borrows most of his elements from Haneke's films:the characters,the pace,the bleakness and the conclusion,which "wrecks" its characters.Consider it to be an homage,for he brings some originality to the well-known style and it grasps the essence of it.

Vorbitor(2011)-9/10->With an inspired premise and two smart directors,Vorbitor is an original documentary and probably,one of the best Romanian films of 2011.Also,besides it being an emotional and insightful documentary,it's quite humourous from time to time.

This Is Not A Film(2011)-10/10->A powerful introspection into a director's interminable struggles,This Is Not A Film is a subtle rebellious message towards the oppression in Iran.

Tyrannosaur(2011)-8/10->A gripping,dark and brutal character-study,with A-class performances from the leads,especially the one from Mullan.

Vampyr(1932)-10/10->A perfect vampire film,Vampyr has all the elements:the eerie atmosphere,the strange side-characters and the surprisingly well-done effects.Also,the film benefits from a strong narrative,great editing and poetic and beautiful imagery.

Hugo(2011)-5/10->It is well acted and it expresses its love for cinema,but Hugo is quite puerile and poorly written for a film by one of American's greatest film directors.

Fear And Desire(1953)-6/10->It has Kubrick written all over it and the camerawork is beautiful,but the script is mostly a mess.

Spartacus(1960)-2/10->Spartacus is too incoherent and ridiculous and the cast gives wooden performances.The only amiable thing is the cinematography.Kubrick's worst.

Dr. Strangelove or How I Stopped Worrying and Love The Bomb(1964)-8/10->Kubrick has made a biting satire which captures the strangeness that was the Cold War.

Headhunters(2011)-6/10->Headhunters is a smart and engaging action movie,that is also quite original.

The Ambassador(2011)-4/10->The Ambassador is obviously fake and the main character is unlikable,but the story and the outcome are interesting.

Alps(2011)-6/10->The acting and the script are good,but still Alps has some meandering and incoherent moments.Anyway,much better than Dogtooth.

Bonsai(2011)-5.5/10->Although the editing is fantastically done,the film suffers from too many jump-cuts,thus making the narrative of the film to be very fragmented.

The Delay(2012)-4/10->A dark and tedious film about old age,The Delay is a failed copy of De Sica's masterpiece,Umberto D..

Chapiteau Show(2011)-10/10->Chapiteau Show takes its seemingly simple four stories,connects them through the medium of the circus,and turns them into a surrealistic,emotional and humoristic ride.

Monsieur Lazhar(2011)-4/10->Monsieur Lazhar is a failed attempt to overcome the 2008 terrific teacher-student relation exploration,Entre Les Murs,because it is too discreet to exert its full potential.Still,impecably acted.

Las Acacias(2011)-8/10->Las Acacias is a slow,beautiful and intimate portrait of a relationship which grows more and more close,in the end,blooming into love.

Bestiaire(2012)-2/10->Bestiaire is beautifully shot,but spare your money for the ticket,because you can just go to the zoo and watch animals there.You'll have a more rewarding experience.That's how tedious it is.

Big Man Japan(2007)-5/10->Big Man Japan would've been better as a short film,seeing that only the fighting scenes and the creatures are original,because the rest of the story is confusing and boring.

Cafe De Flore(2011)-7/10->The narrative is incoherent at times,but Cafe De Flore is emotional,without being cheesy or formulaic,and very well acted.

Scabbard Samurai(2011)-7/10->Scabbard Samurai is another original and crazy film from actor/director Hitoshi Matsumoto.

Klip(2012)-8/10->Klip is an intimate and brutal look at adolescence and the growth of sexuality in that period of time.The editing and the acting are very good.

Thursday Till Sunday(2012)-5/10->The director  never gives the characters enough space to develop,thus the characters seem very one-sided and bland.Otherwise,their fate is unpredictable.

Without(2011)-7/10->A strange and unpredictable film,Jackson's debut speaks very widely and intelligently about solitude.Also,Jensen gives a top-notch performance.

The Other Side Of Sleep(2011)-4/10->It has a good premise and Campbell-Hughes is good,but Daly never makes the most of its' premise and never completely explores the fine line between reality and fantasy.Half of what it could have been.

The Exchange(2011)-8/10->Some might regard the film and the main character as absent-minded,but Kolirin's latest succeeds in putting us in the same state of mind as the character and just make us contemplate on how change affects us and the ones around us.

Either Way(2011)-6.5/10->Either Way is a fun and simple comedy,very nicely shot and told. It also has a great soundtrack.

Iron Sky(2012)-5.5/10->Iron Sky is a fun and dumb,unpredictable film,in which the humor and satire usually works.

Chasing Rainbows(2012)-4/10->Titieni gives a great performance and the film is beautifully shot,but the main actress is bad and the film is boring.

Just The Wind(2012)-10/10->Just The Wind is a powerful and impecably directed film,which makes the audience uncomfortable,not showing us anything shocking until the end.

Turn Me On,Goddammit!(2011)-3/10->Full of tasteless and strange humor,TMOG is a meandering and formulaic film.

Turn Off The Lights(2012)-5/10->It is very well-done as a documentary,but the narrative structure is confusing.

Twilight Portrait(2011)-6.5/10->Twilight Portrait is a tough film and the main character has no motivation for what it does,but the film is well acted and smart.

End Of The Night(2011)-4/10->It has some moments which are worthy of a Kitano film,but otherwise,the film is dull.

Killing Time(2012)-6/10->Killing Time is a competent melange of Tarantino wit and violence,and Romanian cinema,but Florin Piersic Jr. works much better just as a director and script-writer than an actor.

Stone Wedding(1972)-7/10->One of the segments chooses to be poetic,letting the cinematography build the story and the other one is lightweight,which bases itself more on humor and storytelling.

Of Snails And Men(2012)-7/10->Of Snails And Men is a smart comedy,which is very well written and the acting is mostly superb.

Elles(2011)-4/10->Elles is boring and unoriginal,never giving the audience enough insight on the subject or bringing something new to it.The only things which up the movie are Binoche's and Demoustier's performances and the cinematography.

18-24 May

Klip(2012)-8/10->Klip is an intimate and brutal look at adolescence and the growth of sexuality in that period of time.The editing and the acting are very good.

Thursday Till Sunday(2012)-5/10->The director  never gives the characters enough space to develop,thus the characters seem very one-sided and bland.Otherwise,their fate is unpredictable.

Import/Export(2007)-10/10->Import/Export is a bleak and tough film about life,never expressed from an optimistic point of view and the camerawork only helps the film get more bleak by showing us beautiful,yet miserable paintings.Raw,yet brilliant work.

Without(2011)-7/10->A strange and unpredictable film,Jackson's debut speaks very widely and intelligently about solitude.Also,Jensen gives a top-notch performance.

Sous Le Soleil De Satan(1987)-7/10->It treats religion very conventionally,but Depardieu gives a strong performance and Pialat knows how to keep the audience tensionate about the priest's beliefs.

The Other Side Of Sleep(2011)-4/10->It has a good premise and Campbell-Hughes is good,but Daly never makes the most of its' premise and never completely explores the fine line between reality and fantasy.Half of what it could have been.

The Exchange(2011)-8/10->Some might regard the film and the main character as absent-minded,but Kolirin's latest succeeds in putting us in the same state of mind as the character and just make us contemplate on how change affects us and the ones around us.

Either Way(2011)-6.5/10->Either Way is a fun and simple comedy,very nicely shot and told. It also has a great soundtrack.

My Joy(2010)-6/10->My Joy is often incoherent,but the beautiful cinematography and the bleak poetry of the story help the viewer overlook its' flaws.

11-17 May

Battle In Heaven(2005)-4/10->Too pretentious to be artsy or provocative,Battle In Heaven has some beautiful and poetic moments,but the rest of the film is tedious.

The Delay(2012)-4/10->A dark and tedious film about old age,The Delay is a failed copy of De Sica's masterpiece,Umberto D..

The Avengers(2012)-6/10->The Avengers is all bullets,but almost no brains and the movie is quite overlong,the first half being quite slow.

An Autumn Afternoon(1962)-9/10->Ozu's last film is great,showing us,yet again,scenes from real life,which are relatable,but interesting and this might be the film which sums up the greatness of his work.

Chapiteau Show(2011)-10/10->Chapiteau Show takes its seemingly simple four stories,connects them through the medium of the circus,and turns them into a surrealistic,emotional and humoristic ride.

Monsieur Lazhar(2011)-4/10->Monsieur Lazhar is a failed attempt to overcome the 2008 terrific teacher-student relation exploration,Entre Les Murs,because it is too discreet to exert its full potential.Still,impecably acted.

Las Acacias(2011)-8/10->Las Acacias is a slow,beautiful and intimate portrait of a relationship which grows more and more close,in the end,blooming into love.

Bestiaire(2012)-2/10->Bestiaire is beautifully shot,but spare your money for the ticket,because you can just go to the zoo and watch animals there.You'll have a more rewarding experience.That's how tedious it is.

Big Man Japan(2007)-5/10->Big Man Japan would've been better as a short film,seeing that only the fighting scenes and the creatures are original,because the rest of the story is confusing and boring.

Cafe De Flore(2011)-7/10->The narrative is incoherent at times,but Cafe De Flore is emotional,without being cheesy or formulaic,and very well acted.

Scabbard Samurai(2011)-7/10->Scabbard Samurai is another original and crazy film from actor/director Hitoshi Matsumoto.

EXPECT-O-METER:Cannes Film Festival 2012

UPDATED 22.05.2012

Here I use pretty much the same system from an online article (http://mubi.com/notebook/posts/premieres-cannes-2012-buzzometre),but here I give the percentage according to my expectations for the films which have been selected.
The films which do not appear,do not appear because I might have never heard about the director,or never seen one of his films,which is one of the main criterias I'm basing this meter on.

The "HELL YEAH" tier

Amour by Michael Haneke -> 100%
Post Tenebras Lux by Carlos Reygadas -> 100%
Like Someone In Love by Abbas Kiarostami -> 90%
Me And You by Bernardo Bertolucci -> 85%
Mud by Jeff Nichols -> 80%
Final Cut by Gyorgy Palfi -> 80%
No by Pablo Larrain -> 80%

The "WHY NOT" tier

Moonrise Kingdom by Wes Anderson -> 75%
Paradise:Love by Ulrich Seidl -> 75%

A Perdre La Raison by Joachim LaFosse -> 75%

7 Days In Havana by Benicio Del Toro,Pablo Trapero,Laurent Cantent,Gaspar Noe,Elia Suleiman,Julio Medem,Juan Carlos Tabio -> 70%

Cosmopolis by David Cronenberg -> 70%

Therese Desqueyroux by Claude Miller -> 70%

Sightseers by Ben Wheatley -> 70%
Room 237 by Rodney Ascher -> 70%

La Noche De Enfrente by Raoul Ruiz -> 70%
Reality by Matteo Garrone -> 65%
Vous N'Avez Encore Rien Vu by Alain Resnais -> 65%

Killing Them Softly by Andrew Dominik -> 65%

Journal De France by Raymond Depardon -> 65%
Student by Darezhan Omirbayev -> 65%
Holy Motors by Leos Carax -> 65%

The "PURGATORY" tier

White Elephant by Pablo Trapero -> 60%

Le Grand Soir by Benoit Delepine and Gustave Kervern -> 60%
Polluting Paradise by Fatih Akin -> 60%
In The Fog by Sergei Loznitsa -> 60%
Antiviral by Brandon Cronenberg -> 60%

Beasts Of The Southern Wild by Benh Zeitlin -> 55%

The Hunt by Thomas Vinterberg -> 55%

The We And The I by Michel Gondry -> 55%

On The Road by Walter Salles -> 50%

Rust And Bone by Jacques Audiard -> 45%

Beyond The Hills by Cristian Mungiu -> 45%
In Another Country by Hong Sangsoo -> 45%

Laurence Anyways by Xavier Dolan -> 35%

Lawless by John Hillcoat -> 35%

The "NOT IN THIS LIFETIME" tier

The Angels' Share by Ken Loach -> 30%
After The Battle by Yousry Nasrallah -> 30%
Trois Mondes by Catherine Corsini -> 20%

The Paperboy by Lee Daniels -> 15%
Confession Of A Child Of The Century by Sylvie Verheide -> 15%
Mekong Hotel by Apichatpong Weerasethakul -> 10%

4-10 May

The Man Who Will Come(2009)-3/10->It is well acted and the plot is interesting,but The Man Who Will Come is too dull and episodic.

Fright Night(2011)-5/10->Fright Night is a gory film,with good performances from Yelchin and Farrell,but for dumb entertainment,it feels too long. 

Siegfried(1924)-4/10->Siegfried is long and dull,but it's impressive from a production-value point of view.

Crazy,Stupid,Love(2011)-5/10->Crazy,Stupid,Love is a smartly written comedy,but the film isn't as crazy or as good as the debut of Requa and Ficarra.

L'Age Atomique(2012)-6/10->Atomic Age is a succesful mash-up of Gus Van Sant's honesty and up-close way with which he treats his characters' sexuality with,and minimalism,but it is very disjointed.

The Ambassador(2011)-4/10->The Ambassador is obviously fake and the main character is unlikable,but the story and the outcome are interesting.

Alps(2011)-6/10->The acting and the script are good,but still Alps has some meandering and incoherent moments.Anyway,much better than Dogtooth.

Bonsai(2011)-5.5/10->Although the editing is fantastically done,the film suffers from too many jump-cuts,thus making the narrative of the film to be very fragmented.

Get The Gringo(2012)-5/10->Get The Gringo shows us Mel Gibson at his best,but Get The Gringo is full of too many useless twists.

God Bless America(2011)-5/10->God Bless America starts off well with some smart satire,but in the last half,it fails in bringing something new or remotely funny.Also,the ending is predictable.

The Sitter(2011)-4/10->The Sitter is formulaic and Jonah Hill pulls off his usual performance,but the humor is OK.

Coriolanus(2011)-7/10->Fiennes's adaptation of Shakespeare's play is overlong,but it is fantastically acted and beautifully shot.A good adaptation.

The Color Wheel(2011)-7.5/10->The Color Wheel is full of fresh indie quirk and great characters,in a strange package.Possibly one of last year's most underrated indies.

27 April-3 May

Polisse(2011)-6/10->Even though the script tries to avoid telling its central story right,by building others,the cast is terrific and it's an emotional and touching film.

The Temptation Of St. Tony(2009)-10/10->This tribute to Lynch and Tarr might be slow,but Ounpuu combines the beautiful black-and-white imagery with smart satire and some of his own bizarre touches.A very interesting film.

Clouds Of May(1999)-6/10->Clouds Of May is very similar to Ceylan's previous film Kasaba,but he fails to deliver some new elements to it.The story is good,but very unengaging.

21 Jump Street(2012)-6/10->Miller and Lord deliver a comedy which is both fresh and emotional,trying to entertain the audience,while also making them feel some compassion for the characters and also identify with them.One of the few latest comedies which actually succeeds in doing that.

This Means War(2012)-2/10->This Means War is a formulaic and dumb film,with bad editing and bad performances from the otherwise,good cast.

Week-End(1967)-8/10->You never know in what kind of order does Godard choose to tell his story,but Weekend's surprising humor,its' message on consumerism and how the film has kept itself over the ages make this more than worth watching.

A Bout De Souffle(1960)-8/10->There always have to be some ruptures in a Godard movie and they are not always welcome,but A Bout De Souffle is an influential and unique love story with great performances from Belmondo and Seberg.

Intouchables(2011)-4/10->Intouchables is cheesy,predictable and cliched,so the good humor and the acceptable acting can't save the film.

20-26 April

Littlerock(2010)-7/10->Littlerock is a smart and emotional (if not a bit too familiar) film,with good performances from the cast,but the cinematography is quite bad.

Slow Motion(1980)-6/10->Even though it is incoherent and sometimes a bit too gratuitous,Slow Motion is a deep and thought-provoking film about sexuality.

J'ai Tue Ma Mere(2009)-4/10->The director probably accomplishes his vision (a thing which the viewer should respect), but the film is often incoherent and dull.Also,the acting is too theatrical to be good or believable.

Jesus Of Montreal(1989)-3/10->Arcand treats its subject matter with banality and absolutely no subtlety and the only thing that sort of saves the film is the acting.

The Tree Of Wooden Clogs(1978)-7/10->It's too long and the subject is overly complicated,but Olmi does a fantastic job in getting great performances out of the non-professional actors he uses and the film possesses some sort of pictural beauty which incapsulates that period of time in which the characters live in.

Folie Privee(2004)-10/10->Folie Privee is a Haneke-derived minimalist masterpiece,with ruthless performances from the leads.The bleakest cinema.

6-12 April

Faces(1968)-8/10->Although overlong and oftenly tedious,Faces is a very honest and detailed study of a marriage in a downfall.

Submarino(2010)-6/10->Submarino is predictable and formulaic,but a good performance from Cedergren and how Vinterberg dissecates the subject of guilt make the film worth a watch.

Festen(1998)-8/10->Festen is a darkly funny tragedy with a great performance from Thomsen and simple,yet smart scriptwriting and directing from Vinterberg. 

When Father Was Away On Business(1985)-6/10->Even though the story is very confusing at times,Kusturica succeeds in revealing most of the problems in the 1950's Yugoslavia.

Headhunters(2011)-6/10->Headhunters is a smart and engaging action movie,that is also quite original.

American Reunion(2012)-4/10->American Reunion tries a bit too hard to be funny;sometimes it is,sometimes it's not and this doesn't help the fact that it's utterly predictable.

Down By Law(1986)-8.5/10->Down By Law is a funny,impecably written film,benefiting from the great performances of the cast  and Jarmusch's strange,but appropriate atmosphere.

Mystery Train(1989)-7/10->Mystery Train is another special vision of America,the way Jarmusch sees it,but with a bit weaker story than "Stranger than Paradise".

Dead Man(1995)-2/10->Depp is awful and the film's story is tedious and meaningless.The only perk is the stunning black and white photography.

Broken Flowers(2005)-8/10->Murray is a perfect fit in Jarmusch's style,giving another one of his low-key,but fantastic performances in this moody,funny and more accessible than usual Jarmusch film.

The Limits Of Control(2009)-4/10->It is well acted and wonderfully shot,but The Limits Of Control is tedious,pretentious and quite incoherent.

Late Autumn(1960)-8/10->The construction of Ozu's characters is sensible and rewarding and that and the carefulness with which he directs make this a poetic and emotive film.

The Man Who Loved Women(1977)-5.5/10->It treats the subject of women psychology quite conventionally,but it is engaging and well acted.

The American Friend(1977)-4/10->Wenders builds up a proper atmosphere for a thriller,Muller's photography is beautiful and the two leads (Ganz and Hopper) give good performances,but the story is completely incoherent and sometimes ridiculous.

23 March-5 April

House Of Tolerance(2011)-2/10->The scenography is beautiful,but House Of Tolerance has no plot,wooden acting and nothing happens.

Rosetta(1999)-5.5/10->Rosetta is unflichingly realistic and the Dardennes have built a compelling drama about survival,but the main character is unlikable(even though the actress is very good) and the ending is dull.

Le Fils(2002)-7/10->It's a suspenseful,yet simple film,with a captivating performance from Gourmet,but just like in the previous film by the directors,the ending is dull.

Le Silence De Lorna(2008)-8/10->The Dardennes' most subtle and enigmatic film up to date,Le Silence De Lorna benefits from terrific performances from Dobroshi and Renier,but also a great script.

4:44 Last Day On Earth(2012)-6/10->Dafoe and Leigh give good performances and even though Ferrara script isn't too engaging,he succeeds in building an intimate portrait and how they deal with unavoidable doom.

Offside(2006)-9/10->Offside is an impecably directed film,which speaks about politics with humor and nimbleness.

One Man Up(2001)-5/10->Servillo and Renzi both give great performances and the cinematography is pretty well done,but the story is cliched and the movie is too slow for its own good.

The Consequences Of Love(2004)-7/10->The movie is a stylish and deep meditation on love,backed up by a great performance from Servillo,but it doesn't have much of a narrative.

The Family Friend(2006)-6/10->The film is beautifully shot and it has substance,but the story is very shallow.

Au Revoir Les Enfants(1987)-6.5/10->Even though it's well acted and beautifully told,Malle's film is too melodramatic and predictable.

Il Divo(2008)-8/10->Although it isn't too accessible to non-Italian viewers,Il Divo is an stylish,suspenseful and thorough account of an incredible true story.

The Decameron(1971)-7/10->Pasolini tells a lot of stories with humor and heart,but he never develops them to their full potential.

Three Days(1991)-3/10->Three Days is a pretentious,slow and dull film,its only perk being the photography.

Few Of Us(1996)-7/10->Few Of Us is a beautifully shot,but bleak,Tarkovsky-inspired movie,is a bit too slow,but other than that it succeeds in telling a story without dialogues,just through the desolate pictures and people.

NexT International Film Festival 6th Edition : Reviews

CRISTI & OTTO

FILMS BY CRISTIAN NEMESCU AND ANDREI TONCU

Kitschitoarele 2.FM(2000)->7/10

Mihai Si Cristina(2001)->8/10

Poveste La Scara C(2002)->8/10

Marilena De La P7(2006)->10/10

Lampa Cu Caciula(2006)->8/10

Remiza(2008)->7/10

Alinuta(2006)->8/10

California Dreamin:Endless(2007)->10/10

THEY WERE NEXT GENERATION TOO II

Hesher(2010)-6.5/10->The story is actually great,the dark humor is relentless and Levitt gives a good performance,but it could have been way better if Susser would have taken more interest in his characters.

SHORT MATTERS! I

Berik(2010)->8/10

Little Children,Big Words(2010)->8/10

Incident By A Bank(2009)->9/10

Derby(2010)->8/10

Jessi(2010)->6/10

The Wolves(2010)->10/10

SHORT MATTERS! II

The Unliving(2010)->7/10

Silent River(2010)->7/10

Paparazzi(2011)->6/10

La Gran Carrera(2010)->4/10

Dimanches(2011)->7/10

SHORT MATTERS! III

Out(2010)->9/10

Frozen Stories(2011)->6/10

Hypercrisis(2011)->8/10

The Wholly Family(2011)->8/10

COMPETITION I

Aglaee(2010)->7/10

Infernal Nuns(2011)->3/10

Audition(2010)->6/10

O Mie De Lucruri In Comun(2011)->3/10

Dia Estrelado(2011)->7/10

Power(2010)->8/10

COMPETITION II

Mediterranees(2011)->9/10

Chefu'(2011)->6/10

Aurora Borealis(2010)->7/10

Echo(2011)->8/10

Firmes(2010)->8/10

Sudd(2011)->7/10

COMPETITION III

In Privacy(2010)->6/10

Hello Kitty(2011)->5/10

Junior(2011)->8/10

Hell(2011)->4/10

Teardrop(2011)->7/10

Girl(2011)->7/10

NexT IMAGINARIA

Zing(2011)->7/10

Stones(2010)->5/10


Error 0036(2011)->8/10


Body Memory(2011)->10/10


Strange Love(2010)->6/10


Matasari(2011)->3/10


Fear(2011)->6/10


Death Of An Insect(2010)->5/10

COMPETITION IV

The Millionares(2011)->5/10

De Azi Inainte(2012)->8/10

Adentro(2011)->7/10

In Loving Memory(2011)->4/10

L'Arroseur(2011)->3/10

Walking Ghost Phase(2011)->4/10

FESTIVAL FRIENDS I

Gogu Contraataca(2011)->7/10

The Dreamer(2011)->1/10

My Tired Father(2011)->3/10

Eclipsa(2011)->1/10

Bear(2011)->8/10

Incearca Sa Nu Clipesti(2011)->7/10

Je Voulais Vous Dire(2011)->10/10

N-am Vrut Sa Te Trezesc(2011)->4/10

Superman,Spiderman sau Batman(2011)->8.5/10