joi, 26 ianuarie 2012

20-26 January


Stroszek(1977)-8.5/10->It is quite incoherent,but the acting in Stroszek is impecable,the ending is epic and even though the film portrays a miserable world,it has special characters and special moments.Contemplative,but not too pretentious.

The Descendants(2011)-7/10->The Descendants is a funny and moving film,which benefits from a good performance from Clooney and strong narrative,but the film is often boring and the characters don't feel as quirky or as special as the ones in Payne's previous films.

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.

The Enigma Of Kaspar Hauser(1974)-9/10->Emotional,slightly quirky and beautifully filmed,The Enigma Of Kaspar Hauser is another great film from helmer Werner Herzog,the thing shining the most in the film being Schleinstein's perfect acting.

Fallen Angels(1995)-4/10->Doyle's cinematography is as magical as ever and action scenes are well done,but Fallen Angels is utterly incoherent and quite stupid.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo(2011)-8/10->Fincher remains faithful to the novel and the original movie,but he also brings new things like the ensemble cast (which is much better than the original one) and a much,much darker atmosphere.

Johnny Guitar(1954)-8/10->Crawford and Hayden have chemistry and their acting is impecable,and Johnny Guitar would have been a perfect western,if not for the inferior acting of the rest cast.

vineri, 20 ianuarie 2012

13-19 January


Arizona Dream(1993)-5/10->Good performances from Depp and Gallo,some beautiful imagery and a great soundtrack can't make up for a incoherent,aberrant and meaningless script.

Underground(1995)-6.5/10->Although lacking coherence in some moments and being overlong and quite formulaic,Underground is a funny and strangely compelling film about friendship,which benefits from Manojlovic's and Ristovi's great performances and good cinematography.

Play It Again,Sam(1972)-8/10->A hilarious film,with a top-notch performance from Woody Allen and a script that doesn't concentrate only on gags,but also on its heartbreaking story.

Paranormal Activity 3(2011)-7/10->Even though the only new thing it brings to the trilogy (soon to be franchise) is another shocker ending,Paranormal Activity 3 has Joost and Schulman which try to balance effective scares with a suspenseful and still intriguing story.

Proba De Microfon(1980)-8/10->With cynical characters interpreted by great actors,Microphone Test is a very realistic and feisty film about the social life and its destruction during the communist era.

Cleo De 5 a 7(1962)-9.5/10->Although the main character isn't particulary one to root for,Cleo From 5 to 7 still is a beautiful and profound character study,backed up by a powerful performance from Corinne Marchand,and an ode to Paris.

Day Of Wrath(1942)-6.5/10->While it might be too slow and senseless to some,Day Of Wrath is a film to watch due to the actors' performances,the intriguing premise and the beautiful imagery.

sâmbătă, 14 ianuarie 2012

Retrospective:Abbas Kiarostami


Close-Up(1990)-10/10->The "strange" atmosphere Kiarostami builds with only a seemingly simple subject,the way he unravels it slowly and how realistic it is,these three things are main perks of this fantastic film.

Life,And Nothing More...(1991)-8.5/10->Even though the line between reality and fiction is very thin,the combination between an interesting and compelling story,and terrific performances which highlight humanism is a succes.Also,the sights in the film are stunning

Through The Olive Trees(1994)-7/10->While it does lack some substance and it's the weakest film in Kiarostami's trilogy,Through The Olive Trees still is a special little film to watch.

Taste Of Cherry(1997)-7/10->A moving film about life with some beautiful imagery,a subtle and unexpected ending and a great performance from the lead,but the film fails to answer most of the questions it asks.

The Wind Will Carry Us(1999)-9/10->Mysterious and slow-moving,yet very rewarding,Kiarostami's film is almost perfect because of his already distinct style and the way the plot unveils.

Ten(2002)-8.5/10->A very compelling character study and also an intriguing film about the hard way of life of women in Iran.Still,not as deep as Kiarostami's previous films.

Shirin(2008)-2/10->Although the concept might seem interesting and engaging,Shirin is frustratingly slow,pretentious and might only work as a short film.We've all been in a cinema.There is no need for a film to be made about that.

joi, 12 ianuarie 2012

31 December-12 January


The Double Life Of Veronique(1991)-4/10->Too slow and too illogical,the film does dazzle with its visuals,but there is nothing remotely interesting in the story.

Rampart(2011)-6.5/10->A very strange and interesting character study with one of the strongest performances of the year from Woody Harrelson,but the film has one major flaw:it goes nowhere.

The Flowers Of War(2011)-3/10->The battle scenes are fantastic and this is a good premise,but the acting is horrible and Yimou makes a big mistake,trying to combine two completely different things (too much melodrama and stylish violence) and he gets the one which is inappropiate for the movie,right.

Kill List(2011)-8/10->Labelling it as a horror would be a bit too much,seeing that there are no scares in the film,but Kill List still a very taut thriller which benefits from brutal moments,the score,the creepy atmosphere which Wheatley constructs and the ending which is completely uncalled for.

Tucker & Dale vs Evil(2011)-6/10->Blending humor,violence and emotions,Tucker & Dale vs Evil succeeds in being an above average comedy.


Dolphin Tale(2011)-1/10->Wooden acting,formulaic story and turnout,pointlessly melodramatic moments and the predictableness,shoot down the movie's seemingly likeable premise and make it an unbeareable experience.One of the worst films made in 2011.Avoid at all costs.

duminică, 1 ianuarie 2012

Top 10 (or more) Films Of 2011

1.Drive (Director:Nicolas Winding Refn)
2.La Piel Que Habito (Director:Pedro Almodovar)
3.A Separation (Director:Asghar Farhadi)
4.We Need To Talk About Kevin (Director:Lynne Ramsay)
5.Oslo,31 August (Director:Joachim Trier)
6.Melancholia (Director: Lars Von Trier)
7.Midnight In Paris (Director:Woody Allen) / The Guard (Director:John Michael McDonagh)
8.Le Havre (Director:Aki Kaurismaki) / Habemus Papam (Director:Nanni Moretti)
9.Michael (Director: Marcus Schleinzer)/Le Quattro Volte (Director:Michelangelo Frammartino)
10.This Is Not A Film (Director:Jafar Panahi) / The Artist (Director:Michel Hazanavicius)