Ordet

English title: Word (The)
Also known as: Parole (la)
Genre: religious drama (in black and white)
With: Henrik Malberg (Morten Borgen), Emil Hass Christensen (Mikkel, Morten’s eldest son), Birgitte Federspiel (Inger), Preben Lerdorff Rye (Johannes, Morten’s second son), Cay Kristiansen (Anders, Morten’s youngest son), Gerda Nielsen (Anne Petersen), Ejner Federspiel (Peter Petersen), Sylvia Eckhausen (Kirstin Petersen), Ove Rud (Pastor), Henry Skjær (the Doctor)
Director: Carl Theodor Dreyer
Screenplay: Kaj Munk (based on his play), with help from Carl Theodor Dreyer
Release: 1955
Studio: Palladium Film
Rating: -
MBiS score: 9.2/10



The Lord Giveth, and the Lord Taketh Away 



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Story-line: we find ourselves in 1925, on Morten Borgen’s farm in the Danish countryside. Morten, the widowed and deeply religious patriarch, is disappointed with the way his family has turned out. His eldest son, though happily married, has lost all faith in God. His second, whom he sent to study religion, has come home suffering from a messiah complex. Fortunately, there’s Anders, the youngest… except that Anders is secretly in love with the daughter of Morten's long-standing moral enemy, Petersen the tailor.   

Pluses: eminently serious and natural performances by a talented cast, dignified direction, a heartbreaking screenplay that patiently fleshes out its characters with its effective dialogues, modest but tasteful production values and a mighty musical theme.

Minuses: although slow and static (being based on a stage play), not very aesthetic (having been produced with little means) and austere (due to its subject matter), ORDET still manages to maintain interest right up to its stunningly powerful climax.

Comments: C.T. Dreyer has made few films but has attained legendary status for the high quality of his oeuvre. This Venice Film Festival winner, which matches Bergman’s best for human value, remains one of the richest and most uplifting movie experiences of all time. Once you’ve seen ORDET and other films of its calibre, you understand why many call cinema the “seventh art”.  



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Hours (The)

Genre: psychological drama
With: Julianne Moore (Laura Brown), Meryl Streep (Clarissa Vaughan), Nicole Kidman (Virginia Woolf), Stephen Dillane (Leonard Woolf), John C. Reilly (Dan Brown), Ed Harris (Richard), Miranda Richardson (Vanessa Bell), Toni Collette (Kitty)
Director: Stephen Daldry
Screenplay: David Hare (based on a novel by Michael Cunningham)
Release: 2002
Studio: Paramount Pictures, Miramax, Scott Rudin Productions
Rating: PG
MBiS score: 8.1/10


‟It's on this day. This day of all days. Her fate becomes clear to her.”

   

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Story-line: THE HOURS combines three stories – from 1923, 1951 and 2001 respectively – whose common thread is Mrs. Dalloway, a novel by Virginia Woolf. It follows (1) Virginia herself, as she was working on her novel; (2) Laura, a California housewife who is throwing a birthday party for her husband Dan; and (3) Clarissa, who will host a reception honouring her friend Richard, recipient of a literary prize.

Pluses: a robust cast led by marquee actors, competent direction, an astute and emotionally charged screenplay, a strong aesthetic focus, fine production values.

Minuses: as this film deals mostly with sentiments, personal conflicts and difficult life issues (sickness, depression and the like), some viewers may find it slow and rather sad.

Comments: as a matter of context, the main characters in Mrs. Dalloway are an upper-class Londoner reflecting on the choices she has made in life and a young man who has returned from the war with a trauma. THE HOURS builds upon this context to show how a book written well before our time can still move us and how human beings react similarly whatever the era they live in. As a study of literary issues and everyday life, Stephen Daldry’s critically-acclaimed film is a fine achievement – especially in its thought-provoking ending that gives new meaning to the overall narrative – but I wouldn’t urge you to see it if you’re feeling blue or looking for light entertainment.   



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That Hamilton Woman

Also known as: Lady Hamilton

Genre: period drama (in black and white)

With: Vivien Leigh (Emma Lady Hamilton), Alan Mowbray (Sir William Hamilton), Laurence Olivier (Lord Horatio Nelson), Sara Allgood (Mrs. Cadogan-Lyon, Emma’s mother), Gladys Cooper (Lady Frances), Henry Wilcoxon (Captain Hardy)

Director: Alexander Korda

Screenplay: Walter Reisch and R.C. Sherriff

Release: 1941

Studio: Alexander Korda Films, Inc., London Film Productions

Rating: PG

MBiS score: 8.3/10





I’ll Be Ready When My Ship Comes In  





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Story-line: the port of Calais, France, in the early 1800s. A wretched, miserable-looking Englishwoman is accused of stealing a bottle of liquor and taken into custody along with a bystander named Mary Smith. Once in jail, the poor woman introduces herself as Emma Lady Hamilton… a claim that Mary cannot believe since Lady Hamilton was an aristocrat and reputedly the most beautiful woman in the world.

Pluses: wonderful acting all around but especially by Vivien Leigh (as a character not unlike Scarlett O’Hara), Laurence Olivier (as the dashing Nelson), Alan Mowbray and Sara Allgood, an action-packed screenplay replete with fine dialogues, flawless direction and cinematography, sumptuous sets and costumes, convincing battle scenes and a fitting musical score by Miklós Rózsa.

Minuses: none I can think of.

Comments: THAT HAMILTON WOMAN tells the tale of an opportunistic London showgirl whose transition from dance halls to social balls didn’t shield her from disappointment and whose unexpected happiness was not meant to last. Alexander Korda’s dramatic and very romantic film is remarkable as a showcase for a strong female protagonist and one of cinema’s most glorious couples. This is what star power looks like, movie buffs! 





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Huo zhe

English title: To Live

Also known as: Vivre

Genre: personal epic

With: You Ge (Xu Fugui), Li Gong (his wife Jiazhen), Zhang Lu, Xiao Cong and Tianchi Liu (their daughter Fengxia as a child, teenager and adult respectively), Deng Fei (their son Youqing), Tao Guo (Chunsheng, Fugui’s partner), Ben Niu (the town chief), Wu Jiang (Wan Erxi), Zongluo Huang (Fugui’s father), Yanjin Liu (Fugui’s mother), Dahong Ni (Long'er, Fugui’s gambling opponent)

Director: Yimou Zhang

Screenplay: Wei Lu and Hua Yu (based on Hua Yu’s novel)

Release: 1994

Studio: ERA International, Shanghai Film Studios

Rating: -

MBiS score: 8.8/10





The Politics of Daily Life





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Story-line: China in the 1940s. After Xu Fugui’s passion for gambling sends himself, his pregnant wife, his young daughter and his parents spiralling toward bankruptcy, he has no other choice but to struggle for their survival.

Pluses: excellent acting from You Ge, Li Gong and a talented cast, a reasoned, well-written screenplay featuring endearing characters and several intriguing twists, outstanding direction and production values, breathtakingly beautiful visuals and a moving musical theme.

Minuses: none really.

Comments: personal chronicles can be tedious to watch but rarely have I seen one so skilful and gripping as TO LIVE. From one day to the next, Fugui’s family learns humility and resilience through personal misfortunes, war, political upheaval and bureaucratic insensitivity. Yimou Zhang’s ironic, sometimes severe and always impeccable film plays like a metaphor of man’s powerlessness in the face of events both private and collective.   





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Das Leben der Anderen

English title: Lives of Others (The)

Genre: political suspense

With: Sebastian Koch (Georg Dreyman), Martina Gedeck (Christa-Maria Sieland, his girlfriend), Ulrich Mühe (Capt Gerd Wiesler), Ulrich Tukur (Lt-Col Anton Grubitz, Wiesler's boss), Thomas Thieme (Bruno Hempf, the Minister of Culture), Hans-Uwe Bauer (Paul Hauser), Volkmar Kleinert (Albert Jerska), Charly Hübner (Lt Udo Leye), Herbert Knaup (Gregor Hessenstein)

Direction and screenplay: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck

Release: 2006

Studio: Wiedemann & Berg Filmproduktion, Bayerischer Rundfunk et al. 

Rating: 14A

MBiS score: 8.5/10

The Spy Who Came In from the Attic

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Story-line: THE LIVES OF OTHERS takes us back to 1984 when East Germans were subjected to continuous monitoring by Stasi, the country's secret police. As the story begins, Captain Wiesler, a zealous Stasi operative, gleefully accepts to spy on the ‟arrogant” Dreyman, one of the country's best-known writers for the stage.

Pluses: a strong cast of thespians (in particular Ulrich Mühe, who manages to convey his character's emotions while mostly stone-faced), able direction, a cold, methodical and increasingly potent screenplay that weaves political and personal issues into a formidable payoff in the last 15 minutes, well-made dialogues and an effective musical score by Stéphane Moucha and Gabriel Yared.

Minuses: one may be tempted to condemn East German authorities in the harshest manner for the excesses depicted here but, in truth, abuses are also committed in the West (via social media, among other channels) for the purpose of information gathering.

Comments: in some ways – and in one striking scene near the end – THE LIVES OF OTHERS pays tribute to another great surveillance film, Francis Ford Coppola's THE CONVERSATION, but without being a copycat. Don't miss this intelligent and memorable movie that bears witness to freedom everywhere.

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Martha Marcy May Marlene 

Genre: psychological drama 

With: Elizabeth Olsen (Martha), Sarah Paulson (her sister Lucy), Hugh Dancy (Ted, Lucy’s husband), John Hawkes (Patrick), Maria Dizzia (Katie), Julia Garner (Sarah), Louisa Krause (Zoe), Christopher Abbott (Max), Brady Corbet (Watts)

Director: Sean Durkin

Screenplay: Sean Durkin

Release: 2011

Studio: Fox Searchlight Pictures, Maybach Cunningham et al.

Rating: 14A

MBiS score: 8.0/10



‟Marcy! Marcy May! Where ya goin'?”


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Story-line: Martha, who lives in a commune with 20 or so other people, quietly leaves one morning carrying a knapsack. For some reason, she seems nervous, maybe even frightened. What is she planning to do?

Pluses: convincing performances by Elizabeth Olsen (notice her emotional range), Sarah Paulson, Hugh Dancy and John Hawkes, Sean Durkin’s unsettling screenplay and irreproachable helming, an astute storytelling style consisting of pertinent flashbacks and present-day events, attractive cinematography, consistent production values and a minimal but appropriate musical score.

Minuses: none… except for those panic-inducing phone calls.

Comments: MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE tells the story of a disoriented young woman who has found her place neither in our status-obsessed society nor in the alternative world she has chosen instead. As it reassembles the pieces of Martha’s shattered life, this fine film manages to make her all the more human and engaging. What Sean Durkin has crafted here is a very personal work, an original, unpredictable movie he can rightly be proud of. Let’s hope Martha can chase away her fears… and help us dispel our own.   

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Demoiselles de Rochefort (les)

English title: Young Girls of Rochefort (The)

Genre: musical

With: Catherine Deneuve (Delphine Garnier), Françoise Dorléac (her sister Solange), Danielle Darrieux (Yvonne, their mother), George Chakiris (Étienne), Grover Dale (Bill), Jacques Perrin (Maxence), Michel Piccoli (Simon Dame), Jacques Riberolles (Guillaume Lancien), Gene Kelly (Andy Miller)

Director: Jacques Demy

Screenplay, dialogues and songs: Jacques Demy

Music: Michel Legrand

Release: 1967

Studio: Madeleine Films, Parc Film

Rating: G

MBiS score: 8.5/10





‟We all seek our feminine ideal. He's not the only one.”





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Story-line: in Rochefort, a French town known mostly for its naval base, several people have reached a new chapter in their lives. The Garnier sisters are determined to leave for Paris to pursue artistic careers, their mother Yvonne is tired of slaving at a local café, Maxence is eager to quit the Navy and all of them – not to mention several other characters – are searching for a love that has escaped them so far. Meanwhile, a travelling fun fair is setting up in town and two of its carnies, Bill and Étienne, are very keen on meeting the locals…  

Pluses: splendid performances from a sterling cast of actors and dancers (even the lip-synching is utterly convincing), Jacques Demy’s admirable helming, whimsical screenplay and great songwriting, Norman Maen’s lively modern dance numbers and Gene Kelly’s marvellous moves, those lovely, colour-coded costumes and sets (pastel fire hydrants!), Ghislain Cloquet’s aesthetic camera work and the film’s joyous, sunny production values.

Minuses: ‟The Young Ladies of Rochefort” would have been a better title since Delphine and Solange are certainly not schoolgirls. Michel Legrand’s jazzy score, although energetic, is sometimes loud and uninspired in comparison to his other, superior compositions for film.

Comments: this strong picture brings back memories of WEST SIDE STORY – that masterpiece in which George Chakiris also starred – and LES PARAPLUIES DE CHERBOURG, Jacques Demy’s greatest cinematic achievement. In Rochefort, every piece of news, even sad or disquieting, is fodder for song and dance. Also for movie buffs, a rare opportunity to see Catherine Deneuve play alongside her sister Françoise, who passed away the same year this movie was released.  





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Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here

Genre: modern western

With: Robert Blake (Willie Boy), Katharine Ross (Lola), Robert Redford (Deputy Sheriff Christopher ‟Coop” Cooper), Susan Clark (Dr. Elizabeth Arnold), Barry Sullivan (Ray Calvert), John Vernon (George Hacker), Charles Aidman (Judge Benby), Charles McGraw (Sheriff Frank Wilson)

Director: Abraham Polonsky

Screenplay: Abraham Polonsky (based on a book by Harry Lawton)

Release: 1969

Studio: Universal Pictures

Rating: PG

MBiS score: 8.2/10





‟I didn't think they'd want me that bad. Maybe they're like me. Maybe it's you they want.”





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Story-line: the California desert, 1909. On his return to Banning after a work stint in another town, a young Paiute Indian gets involved in an altercation for which he must answer to white authorities.  

Pluses: strong performances by Robert Blake (the independent and taciturn Willie Boy), Katharine Ross, Susan Clark and Robert Redford (as a Deputy Sheriff you can like and dislike in equal amounts), a realistic screenplay that lays bare racist attitudes and ingrained stereotypes while developing an interesting subplot about President Taft, dialogues that are both terse and evocative, appropriate direction and production values, attractive cinematography and Dave Grusin’s fresh musical score.  

Minuses: none, except that the dialogues, in keeping with the story-line, are often demeaning.  

Comments: Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here, an atypical but appealing Western, has a bit of everything for movie buffs: a history lesson, cultural clashes, racial abuse, an extended chase and stormy characters who lack civility even in the throes of love. It commands respect for its efficiency (not one frame is wasted) and its well-structured story of defiance that leads to a stunning denouement. Another fine production from a golden era in American cinema. 





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El Norte

Genre: social drama

With: David Villalpando (Enrique Xuncax), Zaide Silvia Gutiérrez (Rosa or Rosita, his sister), Ernesto Gómez Cruz (Arturo, their father), Alicia del Lago (Lupe, their mother), Stella Quan (Josefita), Abel Franco (Raimundo), Trinidad Silva (Monte), Lupe Ontiveros (Nacha), Tony Plana (Carlos), Enrique Castillo (Jorge), Jo Marie Ward (Helen Rogers), Diane Civita (Alice Harper)

Director: Gregory Nava

Screenplay: Gregory Nava (story); Anna Thomas (writer)

Release: 1983

Studio: American Playhouse, Channel Four Films, Independent Productions, Island Alive, Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)

Rating: -

MBiS score: 8.5/10





‟The train only comes by once and this is it for you.”





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Story-line: when their father, a labourer, is targeted by the military because of his stand against poverty and exploitation, Enrique and Rosita flee Guatemala and head north to seek a better life in the United States.

Pluses: excellent performances by David Villalpando, Zaide Silvia Gutiérrez, Lupe Ontiveros and a very credible cast, a mature, realistic and touching screenplay, fine direction and production values, beautiful cinematography by James Glennon, lovely music (Los Folkloristas) and appropriate costumes (designed by Hilary Wright).

Minuses: none I can think of.

Comments: with its sympathetic characters and sincere story about courage in spite of life’s brutality, EL NORTE is one of cinema’s smaller wonders and a very important social statement about refugees. In every aspect of their adventures, Enrique and Rosita are driven by the fear of repression, the pursuit of happiness and their will to survive. Gregory Nava’s film stands as a topical and worthy addition to any movie buff’s list of treasurable movies.





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Vanity Fair

Genre: period drama

With: Reese Witherspoon (Becky Sharp), Romola Garai (Amelia Sedley), Jonathan Rhys Meyers (George Osborne), Bob Hoskins (Sir Pitt Crawley), Eileen Atkins (Miss Matilda Crawley), James Purefoy (Rawdon Crawley), Douglas Hodge (Pitt Crawley), Jim Broadbent (Mr. Osborne), Gabriel Byrne (Marquess of Steyne) Rhys Ifans (William Dobbin)

Director: Mira Nair

Screenplay: Matthew Faulk, Mark Skeet and Julian Fellowes (from a novel by William Thackeray, 1848)

Release: 2004

Studio: Focus Features, Tempesta Films, Granada Film Productions et al.

Rating: PG

MBiS score: 8.1/10





The Social Ladder and How to Climb It





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Story-line: London, the early 1800s. Becky, an orphaned girl of modest means, finds work as a governess and is noticed by several in good society.

Pluses: a splendid cast led by Reese Witherspoon as the plucky and ambitious Becky, Bob Hoskins (the delightfully vulgar Sir Pitt), Eileen Atkins and a magnetic James Purefoy, a solid, multi-character screenplay based on a classic piece of literature, one truly electric love scene, large-scale production values, beautiful cinematography and a satisfying ending.

Minuses: the pacing is a bit slow but unavoidably so, considering the many twists and turns in the story.

Comments: when you think about it, Becky Sharp has a lot in common with Scarlett O’Hara in GONE WITH THE WIND. Some critics have panned VANITY FAIR, calling it a regrettable mix of satire and romance and claiming that Reese Witherspoon lacked gravitas but I respectfully disagree on both counts; not all American actresses can manage British roles and, in this case, Reese Witherspoon does so with undeniable flair. Fear not… you will be thoroughly entertained by VANITY FAIR with its many surprises, romantic entanglements and engaging characters.





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All the King's Men

Genre: political drama

With: Broderick Crawford (Willie Stark), John Ireland (Jack Burden), Joanne Dru (Anne Stanton), John Derek (Tom Stark, Willie's son), Mercedes McCambridge (Sadie Burke), Shepperd Strudwick (Adam Stanton, Jack's friend), Ralph Dumke (Tiny Duffy), Anne Seymour (Lucy Stark)

Director: Robert Rossen

Screenplay: Robert Rossen (based on Robert Penn Warren's Pulitzer Prize winning novel)  

Release: 1949

Studio: Columbia Pictures

Rating: PG

MBiS score: 8.7/10

The More You Have, the More You Want

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Story-line: the American South in the late 1940s. Journalist Jack Burden is sent to Kanoma County to write about Willie Stark, a local politician who has a reputation for honesty and isn't afraid to denounce corruption in public office.  

Pluses: an impressive, Oscar-rewarded turn by Broderick Crawford (notice his conviction, charisma and firm voice), strong support from John Ireland, Joanne Dru and Mercedes McCambridge as an iron-willed political advisor, snappy and realistic dialogues, a full and flawless story providing great interplay between characters, top-notch direction and Al Clark’s expert editing.

Minuses: none I can think of... except that the movie is so truthful it's rather scary.

Comments: this Oscar-winning study of the political world – its targeted campaigns, high-risk strategies, dubious tactics and dangerous games – hasn't aged one bit in the last 70 years. It all comes down to this: you can't win without support... and support often has a price. Today, ALL THE KING'S MEN is still a remarkable motion picture... and an eye-opening lesson about populism and government.   

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Grande bouffe (la)

English title: Big Feast (The)

Genre: very black comedy 

With: Philippe Noiret (Philippe, a judge), Marcello Mastroianni (Marcello, the airline pilot), Ugo Tognazzi (Ugo, the master chef), Michel Piccoli (Michel, a TV producer), Andréa Ferréol (Andréa)

Director: Marco Ferreri

Screenplay and adaptation: Marco Ferreri and Rafael Azcona; dialogues by Francis Blanche

Release: 1973

Studio: Films 66, Mara Films, Capitolina Produzioni Cinematografiche

Rating: NC-17

MBiS score: 7.9/10

Pass the Pepto Please   

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Story-line: four friends share a secret wish: to commit suicide at a gourmet table.  

Pluses: savoury acting by a rich cast of epicureans, a daring and freewheeling screenplay that doesn't count calories, copious production values and full-bodied direction.

Minuses: certain scenes are truly disgusting and the menu includes sexual appetizers. The word ‟feast” used in the title is appropriate – same goes for the French ‟bouffe” – but it doesn’t fully prepare you for the ‟gorgetainment” you will witness.

Comments: LA GRANDE BOUFFE is not the most digestible movie ever made – nor the most edifying, since it offers little redeeming value – but, even today, it remains an audacious piece of work served with shock value and a dark streak craving for foie gras. Two words of caution: (1) never never never try this at home; (2) don't watch this one-of-a-kind film on a full stomach – the Pantagruelian final act may induce queasiness even in the bravest of movie buffs. What a ghastly gastronomic way to go!

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Before the Rain

Complete title: Before the Rain (a tale in three parts)

Genre: ethnic drama

With: Katrin Cartlidge (Anne Wentworth), Rade Serbedzija (Aleksandar Kirkov), Grégoire Colin (Kiril), Labina Mitevska (Zamira), Jay Villiers (Nick Wentworth), Silvija Stojanovska (Hana), Petar Mircevski (Zdrave), Ljupco Bresliski (Mitre), Ilko Stefanovski (Bojan), Abdurrahman Shala (Zekir), Vladimir Jacev (Alija), Phyllida Law (Anne's mother), Josif Josifovski (Father Marko)

Director: Milcho Manchevski

Screenplay: Milcho Manchevski

Release: 1994

Studio: Aim, British Screen Productions, European Co-production Fund et al.   

Rating: -

MBiS score: 8.6/10

‟It's important to take sides.”

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Story-line: a young monk facing a crisis, a London picture editor with marital problems and a globe-trotting photographer who has quit his job out of disgust are linked by fate to ethnic strife in Macedonia.

Pluses: quality performances by a uniformly convincing cast, tight direction, a brutal, first-class screenplay featuring spare dialogues and eloquent images, superb photography contrasting London's hustle and bustle with Macedonia's rugged beauty and poor countryside, an appropriate musical score and satisfying production values.

Minuses: none.

Comments: we can thank Milcho Manchevski for this essential film about a troubled, dangerous land where mistrust comes naturally, ethnic and religious lines are more tightly guarded than borders and guns are so prevalent that children use them as playthings. As a statement and a work of fiction, BEFORE THE RAIN is all the more powerful when you consider its narrative structure and how its characters are lured into an intractable conflict. A worthy co-winner at the Venice Film Festival.   

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King’s Speech (The)

Genre: historical and personal drama

With: Colin Firth (the Duke of York, a.k.a. Bertie), Helena Bonham Carter (his wife Elizabeth), Geoffrey Rush (Lionel Logue), Jennifer Ehle (Myrtle, Lionel’s wife), Michael Gambon (King George V), Guy Pearce (the future King Edward, a.k.a. David), Derek Jacobi (Archbishop Cosmo Lang), Eve Best (Wallis Simpson), Timothy Spall (Winston Churchill)

Director: Tom Hooper

Screenplay: David Seidler

Release: 2010

Studio: Momentum Pictures, See-Saw Films, Bedlam Productions et al.

Rating: PG

MBiS score: 8.2/10





The Man Who Shouldn’t Be King

  



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Story-line: in 1925, when asked to deliver a speech at Wembley Stadium, the Duke of York utters only one sentence before falling silent. Nine years later, still searching for a cure to his impediment, he is led to Lionel Logue, an unorthodox Australian therapist.  

Pluses: a splendid acting duel between Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush, excellent support from Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Gambon and Derek Jacobi, well-written dialogues tinged with startling cruelty and unexpected humour, a logical screenplay that features fresh insights and lovely set pieces, Tom Hooper’s flowing direction and Danny Cohen’s polished cinematography.

Minuses: the first 15 minutes are uninspiring but the story livens up once Lionel Logue makes his entrance. As a whole, this all-too-perfect film does feel like Oscar bait (it did win four statuettes, notably for Best Picture).  

Comments: if it had focused solely on the Duke’s stammering, THE KING’S SPEECH would have been a very competent albeit forgettable ‟disease” movie but, fortunately for us, other issues about the Duke – his personal ordeal, the political context of the times, the weight of royalty and conventions – elevate it above the routine. Its most effective segments – in my mind, anyway – involve little action, as when the two protagonists discuss life and try to help and/or upset each other. Of course, their mutual struggle is part of the well-worn ‟trials before triumph” formula…but one that yields fine results for Tom Hooper and crew.     




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Incendies

Genre: socio-political drama  

With: Lubna Azabal (Nawal Marwan), Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin (Jeanne Marwan), Maxim Gaudette (Simon Marwan), Rémy Girard (Notary Lebel), Dominique Briand (Professor Niv Cohen), Hamed Najem (Wahab), Majida Hussein (Nawal’s grandmother), Nabil Koni (Uncle Charbel), Zalfa Chelhot (Nouchine), Abdelghafour Elaaziz (Abou Tarek), Baya Belal (Maika), Allen Altman (Notary Maddad), Hussein Sami (Nihad at 5), Yousef Soufan (Nihad at 15), Mohamed Majd (Wallat Chamseddine)

Director: Denis Villeneuve

Screenplay: Denis Villeneuve with Valérie Beaugrand-Champagne (from a play by Wajdi Mouawad)

Release: 2010

Studio: micro_scope, TS Productions et al.

Rating: R

MBiS score: 8.6/10





It’s a Small World After All





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Story-line: after Nawal Marwan’s death, her twentysomething twins raised in Québec are thrown for a loop when they hear the contents of her last will and testament. Referring to a promise unkept, Nawal has left two letters for them to deliver, one to their father – whom they believed dead – and the other to a brother they never knew they had. Moreover, to fulfill the promise, they must travel to her country of origin, Lebanon, and delve into its troubled recent history. 
    

Pluses: a serious and intricate story, an airtight screenplay that provides effective flashbacks and fine dialogues, restrained performances by a competent group of actors (especially the Middle Eastern cast), Denis Villeneuve’s moderately paced direction that captures the mood and complexity of the story while keeping viewers interested throughout, impressive cinematography (most notably on location) and a hard-hitting ending.  


Minuses: you may need some time to get used to this heavy film but it all works out splendidly as its mysteries are unravelled.   


Comments: although INCENDIES (which means ‟Fires”) is excellent in every way, I have rarely seen a movie in which the story is so dominant a feature. Its potent themes (the search for one’s identity, the cycle of violence in the Middle East and the duty of memory) are exposed in a flawless, compelling and devastating way. Let Denis Villeneuve, a world-class director, and Wajdi Mouawad, the fearless playwright, take you to this other world, this other context we all need to understand wherever we live on this planet. INCENDIES, in my judgment, is one of the very best films ever produced in Québec.





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Der Untergang

English title: Downfall

Genre: war drama  

With: Alexandra Maria Lara (Traudl Junge), Bruno Ganz (Hitler), Juliane Köhler (Eva Braun), Ulrich Matthes (Joseph Goebbels, the officer in a brown uniform), Corinna Harfouch (Magda Goebbels, his wife), Christian Berkel (Schenck, the SS doctor), Ulrich Noethen (Himmler), Thomas Kretschmann (Hermann Fegelein, Himmler’s assistant), Heino Ferch (Speer, the architect), Götz Otto (Günsche), Donevan Gunia (Peter, a Hitler Youth)

Director: Oliver Hirschbiegel

Screenplay: Bernd Eichinger (based on a book by Traudl Junge and Melissa Müller and another by Joachim Fest)

Release: 2004

Studio: Constantin Film, Norddeutscher Rundfunk et al.

Rating: R

MBiS score: 8.1/10





Imagine You’re a Secretary… and Your Boss Is Adolf Hitler





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Story-line: in April 1945, Russian cannons are pounding Berlin and the capital will soon be surrounded. Traudl Junge, Hitler’s personal secretary, recalls those final days in his bunker underneath the Chancery.  

Pluses: a hallucinating turn by Bruno Ganz (notice his spastic left hand, stray lock of hair and violent opposition to ‟kapitulation”), solid acting support, a claustrophobic and competently structured screenplay, striking cinematography and able direction.

Minuses: you will need a little while to get acquainted with the film’s multiple characters but don’t expect much high-mindedness from them. As for subject matter, a number of reviewers have criticized DOWNFALL as too soft on its protagonists – considering their crimes against humanity – but the film does illustrate the Third Reich’s folly and cruelty even in its final days.

Comments: as you will see, some characters consider defeat as inevitable – while others are in denial – and several scenes border on the surreal (the communications breakdowns, a dilapidated hospital, the bargaining, those children manning the barricades). Inside the bunker, Traudl Junge plays a relatively minor role; the ones to watch are obviously Hitler, Eva Braun, Schenck, Himmler and the Goebbels (Joseph, the propaganda chief, and Magda, ‟the most courageous mother in Germany”). DOWNFALL is a disturbing yet useful story about hopelessness, a crushing wait and the ultimate defeat. In memory of Bruno Ganz (1941-2019).





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Solyaris

English title: Solaris

Genre: science fiction

With: Donatas Banionis (Kris Kelvin), Nikolay Grinko (Nik, his father), Olga Barnet (Anna, his mother), Vladislav Dvorzhetskiy (Anri Berton or Burton), Anatoliy Solonitsyn (Sartorius), Jüri Järvet (Snaut), Sos Sargsyan (Grybarian or Gibarian), Natalya Bondarchuk (Khari or Hari), Georgiy Teykh (Prof. Messendzher or Messenger)

Director: Andrei Tarkovsky

Screenplay: Fridrikh Gorenshteyn and Andrei Tarkovsky (based on a novel by Stanislaw Lem)

Release: 1972

Studio: Mosfilm, Chetvyortoe Tvorcheskoe Obedinenie

Rating: PG

MBiS score: 8.8/10





How It All Comes Back to Haunt You





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Story-line: as he prepares for a trip into space to investigate the failed Solaris mission, Kris Kelvin is forewarned of danger by a disgraced former mission member but insists that his investigation will be based on facts, not on ‟hallucinations”.

Pluses: solid performances by Donatas Banionis (as the conscientious Kelvin), Anatoliy Solonitsyn (the cold Sartorius), Jüri Järvet (the ultimately amiable Snaut) and Natalya Bondarchuk (the vulnerable Hari), outstanding direction that makes sense of a very confusing situation, a mysterious and detailed screenplay that produces subdued but efficient tension and a few darkly funny moments, several pointed comments about science and life, Vadim Yusov’s gorgeous cinematography, an eerie score by Eduard Artemev and a stunning, cryptic ending.

Minuses: none whatsoever.

Comments: there are inevitable comparisons to be drawn between this Cannes Grand Prix winner and Stanley Kubrick’s earlier 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY – similar mood, set design, use of classical music (Bach instead of waltzes) and villain (the ocean instead of Hal) – but their raison d’être is not the same. While Kubrick presents a grandiose spectacle of spaceships, special effects and enigmas about humanity, SOLARIS focuses on deeply personal matters, intellectual thought and the surreal. As such, it raises moral and metaphysical questions in an unexpected way. Part sci-fi drama, part Greek tragedy, Andrei Tarkovsky’s astonishing work is a symbolic and brilliant mind-bender on space discovery – yes – but even more on self-discovery.





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