Movies – Films

Superb  ****     Very Good  ***      Good **     Mediocre  *     Forget It   -

UNMISSABLES

Up In The Air ****     Suave, gliding through airports as though they were his home with his myriad privileged credit cards, George Clooney’s character flies around the country firing people for firms which don’t want to deal with the mess. He’s great at his job  and loves his unattached lifestyle.  Seamlessly directed by Jason Reitman (Thank You for Smoking and Juno), this deceptively subtle film is a metaphor for today’s modern, empty world – from a charged beginning to an uncertain end. Clooney is excellent, once again proving he’s not just a gorgeous guy. This is Oscar material all the way…

Brothers ****     Brodre, the gripping 2004 Danish film by Suzanne Bier has been transformed here into an American work and quite fittingly, as it concerns family tensions and the war in Afghanistan. With a strong cast including Natalie Portman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Tobey Maguire and Sam Shepard, directed by the Irish/American Jim Sheridan (of Oscar winners such as My Left Foot and In the Name of the Father), this has proven one fine import. The “good” brother goes off to war, while the bad-boy brother stays home and becomes close to the former’s wife and children. It’s austerely modern; it’s Greek tragedy and also Shakespearean. Won’t tell you more, just go see it. And rent the Danish film too.

A Single Man ***1/2     We’re terribly lucky this season – deluged with one fine film after the other. Here’s another one, amazingly polished by first-time director, Tom Ford, who is the highly successful men’s fashion designer. Being gay and stunning-looking himself, he has made a film about a teacher mourning the loss of his lover, set in the early 60s when homosexuality was still under wraps. The mood and look of the era are impeccably captured and Colin Firth, who has perfected the art of being contained and reserved, has never been so moving. And he’s never been so trim and well attired either, all due to Ford, of course. This is quite an aesthetic work of art by a newcomer to the field. But then the painter Julian Schnabel also traversed careers brilliantly, directing Basquiat, Before Night Falls and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. Once an artist, always an artist.

Invictus ***1/2     “I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul”. This quotation exemplifies the grandeur of Nelson Mandela’s life and his legacy for Africa (and in a smaller sense, the trajectory of director Clint Eastwood’s career). The film dwells mainly on Mandela’s efforts to unite his country behind its rugby team during the World Cup in 1994 and his strength and wisdom in going against the current. Morgan Freeman becomes Mandela and Eastwood does them both honor. From White Hunter, Black Heart and Bird to Bridges of Madison County and Letters from Iwo Jima, and now this tribute, Eastwood keeps proving his mastery of many genres, his understanding of diverse worlds and the control of his audience.

2 Brothers ***1/2  (vo Hebrew and English)  I’ve written this up before, but now it is finally being released in our area after garnering quite a few prizes in various festivals. It’s about two opposing brothers, this time in Israel. One is a peace activist living there and the other is a fanatic Orthodox Jew, who has moved back from New York. Their differences and struggles highlight the grave threat posed by the Orthodox community to peace in that region. Powerful and important, it is directed by Geneva-based Igaal Nidam.

It’s Complicated ***     Ah, to have a bit of fun in this sad and serious world! So here’s a film not to miss. First because it’s a love story about mature adults, second because it’s got such super actors as Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin and third, because a good romantic comedy is a rare thing. But director Nancy Meyers is an expert at the entertaining ones – such as What Women Want and Something’s Gotta’ Give. It’s a delight for the eyes and for many a belly laugh and it all makes giddy sense until the ending, which I personally did not like. But that’s only me – you and others may well think it should end in such a modern, egalitarian way….

Neptune Ingwersen

Bonnie Au Cinema, Entertainment & Fun cinema, Clint Eastwood, films, George Clooney, Meryll Streep, Morgan Freeman, movies, Neptune Ingwersen

**** Superb       *** Very Good       **  Good         *  Mediocre

UNMISSABLES

Océans ****   (vo French)  This spectacular documentary by Jacques Perrin (Le Peuple Migrateur) is absolute poetry in motion, and a visual gift depicting the beauties and peculiarities of the myriad marine species in our precious waters. It’s a must-see on the giant screen for the full effect of its glorious images and music. Simply breathtaking!

Sin Nombre ****  (vo Spanish)   Along with an incongruous love that develops atop a transport train, this violent and harrowing yet moving film shows the desperate ordeal of emigrants from Central America trying to reach the borders of the U.S. A powerful first film by Cary Joji Fukunaga, it has won awards at both the Sundance and Deauville festivals.

The Little Fugitive ****   This entrancing B&W, multi-awarded film from 1953 will be showing at the CAC Voltaire and should NOT be missed! It’s Brooklyn in the summer and boys will be naughty. When a widowed mother leaves to visit an ailing grandmother, her two sons are left alone for two days. And because little Joey is a pest for his older brother, they play a prank on him, turning Joey into a scared fugitive. A boy’s day out, the innocence yet gumption of a smart kid, and a holiday atmosphere on Coney Island – it’s all here in this independent American forerunner of the French Nouvelle Vague. Cunningly photographed and timeless in its simplicity and universality.

The Road ****   Not for the faint-hearted, here’s yet another end-of-the-world story, but one which is done with a sobriety and depth of feeling that will shake you to the core. The grayness of the desolate earth is given life through the overpowering acting of Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee as a father and son trying to survive in the barren wasteland that is left of the world. This tour-de-force which deals with the struggle between brutal survival and remaining “one of the good ones” is based on the celebrated novel by Cormac McCarthy (of No Country for Old Men) and directed by Australian/Canadian John Hillcoat.

Where the Wild Things Are  (Max et les Maximonstres) ***1/2   Based on the beloved children’s book, this Spike Jonze film is about a boy who feels no one really listens to him, so he creates his own strange kingdom with quirky and delightful creatures where he can rule and be heard. Superbly played by little Max Records and Catherine Keener as his mother, this charming tale is for those with heart, from 5 to 95.

Le Concert ***1/2 (vo Russian/French)   A renowned but politically-damaged Russian conductor gets a chance after 30 years to reunite his orchestra and give an impromptu concert in Paris. Can he manage against all odds, and get to perform with the young violin virtuoso with whom he has a connection from long ago? This delightfully constructed adventure by the Romanian Radu Mihaileanu has some silly and unnecessary moments, but as an old-fashioned crowd-pleaser it is saved by its heartwarming story and characters, and especially the lovely Melanie Laurent (last in Inglourious Basterds) as the violin soloist. The rousing concert finale will have you wanting an encore!

It’s Complicated (Pas si simple) **1/2   Here’s a film not to miss – first because it’s a love story about mature adults, second because it’s got such super actors as Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin and third, because a good romantic comedy is a rare thing. But director Nancy Meyers is an expert at the entertaining ones – such as What Women Want and Something’s Gotta’ Give. It’s a delight for the eyes and for many a belly laugh and it all makes giddy sense until the ending, which I personally did not like. But that’s only me – you and others may think it should end in such an American, equalitarian way…

WORTH YOUR WHILE

Bright Star ***   This beautifully-filmed period piece by Australia’s Jane Campion (The Piano) is about the difficult love story between the poet John Keats and his muse, Fanny Brawne. It truly conveys its era and the delicacy and discretion of feelings back then, when emotions hung on rapturous words and silences..

Loup **1/2 (vo Russian)   Nicolas Vanier (Le Dernier trappeur) takes us once again into the wild, this time to oriental Siberia. This saga of a young man, who has to take care of his troop of reindeer and also protect the family of wolves with whom he has become entranced, is an amazing feat of animal and nature photography.

Kérity, la maison des contes **1/2  (vo French)   Here’s a beautifully animated tale of a little boy who can’t read but is bequeathed a precious collection of books by his late auntie, narrated by Jeanne Moreau. Watch the classics come alive.

Mères et Filles **1/2  (vo French)   The tension between three generations of mothers and daughters is magnified by some dark family secrets. This melodrama is enhanced by the fine acting of Catherine Deneuve, Marina Hinds and Marie-Josée Croze.

WHY NOT ?

Le Siffleur **  (vo French)   What makes this film is its setting – the marvelous Côte d’Azur, and the light touch with which it presents its crooked cast of characters, played by the likes of Thierry Lhermitte, Alain Chabat and the indefatigable François Berléand, doubling as his own twin. They all seem to be having such fun down there, in that radiant climate and all the luxury….

Baba’s Song *1/2  (vo English and German)   This uneven mishmash about musicians in Africa, destitute orphans and a shady adoption deal even grapples with Aids. Wolfgang Panzer of the brilliant Broken Silence just can’t seem to recapture the magic of his earlier film. Some of the acting and dialogue is painfully amateur, but the saving grace is Baba and his wily little side-kick.

AT YOUR OWN RISK

Le père de mes enfants *1/2  (vo French)   This is a story that ends tragically about a film producer burdened by bankruptcy and depression. None of the drama will make a dent in your emotions, methinks. (One wonders if those intellos would feel better if they washed their hair…)

Le Dernier vol *1/2 (vo French)   Don’t bother with this endless search through the dunes of the Sahara. Even though it tries to emulate The English Patient, it doesn’t come close to the latter’s quality or intensity. And neither Marion Cotillard nor Guillaume Canet can save the dull scenario.

Limits of Control *1/2   What’s happened to the brilliant Jim Jarmusch (Night on Earth, Ghost Dog) here? A hit-man goes from locale to locale and meets some strange characters. To what end? And who cares finally?  It should be called The Limits of Patience.

Bazar * (vo French)   This tale of an autumn/spring romance between an older woman and her new young beau, filmed here in Geneva, would have been more interesting if it hadn’t succumbed to clichés and superficial solutions. A pity.

Paranormal Activity *   You and I could also make such a home movie, with slamming doors and moving sheets, about a possible entity in a young couple’s home. It’s not scary, just a creepy wool-over-your-eyes stunt. Don’t fall for the hype from the U.S.

Neptune Ingwersen

Bonnie Au Cinema cinema, films, It's Complicated, movies, Neptune Ingwersen, Sin Nombre, The Road

UP ****  ( A superb movie for all ages.)

It never fails – Pixar studios (now distributing through Disney) keep coming up with stellar works in animation, transcending the genre by making it intelligent art (Toy Story, The Incredibles, Cars, Ratatouille) that is both emotionally satisfying and super fun at the same time. This one, which is the story of an old man who flies away with his house to fulfill a life-long dream, melds two generations through nostalgia and effervescent adventure. The touching old fellow keeps remembering his departed wife, while the little boy scout who comes on board his flying home adds terrific enthusiasm to the whole shebang – a delight for kids from 5 to 95.

Neptune Ingwersen, European movie critic

Bonnie Across-generations cinema, Disney, Pixar studios, UP