We're not up to feature film length yet.

New blog address

2008-12-23T16:21:00.001-02:00

http://rafaeladias.wordpress.com/

Yep, I sold myself...

Transylvania (2006)

2008-04-30T16:38:00.014-03:00

Okay, I've gotta admit I've been a little negligent with my dear blog, but fisrt you've got to understand that it's been a crazy week for me, with essays to deliever and documents to oficialize. Anyway, let's go right to business! And finally, here it is, my favorite Tony Gatlif movie: Transylvania!

Transylvania (2006) - ****

When this movie came out I didn't know anything about it, I didn't know the director, the actors (can you believe I didn't really know Asia Argento? Yeah, I know!), and for all that I cared it could even be a vampire movie. Such prejudice! I should've known better. Having said all that I must admit that I didn't watch transylvania at the show. And I don't know what surge came over me that made me look for it. Maybe it was the excellent reviews the movie received here in Brazil, who knows?

But the thing is, Transylvania is an incredible movie with such power and passion you'll feel changed afterwards. The movie starts with a pregnant Zingarina (Asia argento), accompanied her friend Marie (Amira Casar), searching for her deported lover, a musician named Milan (Marco Castoldi) who lives in Transylvania. That's the starting point of the film, but the movie really takes its course after the encounter.

(spoiler warning)

After being heartbroken by the musician Zingarina leaves her friend and her past and goes throught a soul searching journey. She feels abandoned and cursed, and along this journey she joins Tchangalo (Birol Ünel), and starts living on the road, and being taken as a gypsy for everyone else, including him.

The gypsy music (Gatlif's trade mark) will take along on a journey full of humanity, where human beings just wanna find love and human conection. And much of this intensity comes from Argento's perfomance! Undoubtedly her best one, very emotional, and not at all superficial. She'll take along with her frustation, her pain, and eventually her passion for simply being alive! This is one of those movies I strongly recommend, for it is one of those I won't ever get tired of (re)watching!

So, it's a wrap! And I'll be back with another review ASAP!

Lars and the Real Girl (2007)

2008-04-17T20:42:00.007-03:00

I know I wrote I'd probably do a review on one of Gatlif's movies, but I also said that it was very likely for me to be in a different mood by today. And the thing is, yesterday I was surprised (in a very good way) by this indie film starring Ryan Goslin and a breathtaking supporting cast, called Lars and the Real Girl.

Lars and The Real Girl (2007) - ****

The story is about this lonely boy (Goslin), living in the garage of his older brother and his wife, played by Paul Schneider and Emily Mortimer, who enters in a dellusional relashionship with a doll. Yep, that's right, a doll. And that's why the movie poster says it all: "The search for love starts outside the box". Actually, the whole movie counts on the spectator's mind being willing and able to think and even feel outside the box.

What it's different here is that at first, of course, everyone else is shocked by the nice boy who now talks and goes everyone with Bianca, the doll, but after the fisrt shock they show themselves as one big family that when in need knows how to care for each other. And that in itself makes this film worth watching. But that's not all. This movie is touching because we all fear being lonely, feeling obliged to learn to live without any consistent human conection. Bianca doesn't sound so bad after all does it?

There are a number of scenes that touched me: from Lars visits to the doctor (played by the always impressive Patricia Clarkson) to the bowling night, in which Lars accompanies his friend from work, who obviously has feelings for him, to a night of awkward fun. And I'm not even going into the doll scenes, which I'd rather let you find out for yourself. The movie is already being released in Dvd in the US, and I guess it's supposed to arrive here (BR) very soon.

The movie had one Oscar nomination: Best Writing (Screenplay written directly for the screen) for Nancy Oliver, who previously wrote seven episodes of my favorite drama series: Six Feet Under. I was happy for Diablo Cody, and Juno certainly deserved at least one statuette, but now, after watching this movie I don't know anymore. Maybe a tie between both scripts for they are both amazingly bright and very distinguishable.

So, to sum it up, Lars and the Real Girl is my newest beloved and of course I recommend it strongly! Free your mind, and you'll have one unforgetable ride. 'Till next Thrusday!

It's a wrap!

"So what's wrong with the Blueberry Pie?"

2008-04-15T11:03:00.008-03:00

Isn't it strange? A film by Wong Kar Wai starring Norah Jones? Yeah, I thought so too. But I'll centainly give it a try, specially because it's Kar Wai's, and look at the supporting cast: Rachel Weiz, Natalie Portman, David Strathairn, Jude Law and even a special appearance by Charlyn Marshall, aka Cat Power, herself (look out for Jude Law's ex-girlfriend if you don't know what's she like)!

Since most of my closet friends are big WKW fans, I already heard that this movie doesn't live up to the director's past movies such as In the Mood for Love, and its sequence 2046. But they all agree it is not bad either and that the cinematography is amazing as always and the supporting cast will make it worth your while. Of course I'm gonna go to the show and check it out, and by the end of the week I'll have something solid to say about this picture.

Last Thrusday I wasn't able to post the film of the week because my computer went nuts... but this week I'll be back with a proper review, which will probably be a Tony Gatlif's film. But who knows? I might be in another mood by the end of the week and post a classic or even a horror trash movie! Anyway... I'll be back later to update the blog.

It's a wrap and see you all later!

You can't stop what's coming...

2008-04-09T22:22:00.008-03:00

Michael Haneke is one of my favorite directors. His work includes movies such as The Piano teacher, Code Unknown, Hidden and many others worth renting on the nearest videostore. Films full of psychological charge, violence and transgression frame his filmography.

An intense director, no doubt, and that's why you can't stop what's coming our way, anytime soon, since it was already released in the States and was supposed to have started showing in theaters here (in Brazil) on March 28th.

Funny Games (2007) is a shot-by-shot remake of the original psychological drama Funny Games (1997) directed by Haneke himself. The production even used the blueprints from the original set to reconstitute the scenary with the same proportions! And I have to admit I still don't know why Haneke chose to do this. Maybe to reach another type of audience, or a broader one, which I'll explain better later on.

One thing I have to admit though is that the original movie, which I saw at the beggining of the year, is one of the most violent disturbing movies I saw in the last couple of years. Perhaps I'm being a little to radical but the point is: if this movie is anything like the previous one, it will certainly leave a mark on you. Make you squirm in your chair and maybe even look away or close your eyes on a scene or two. Thus, I am certain to say that I wait anxiously to see if this remake will make justice to its predecessor (Let's hope so!), which featured some spectacular acting from all the main cast, all very attuned with one another.

I'll probably take some time later to give one of Haneke's movie a proper review, since I don't consider this one. This is just me trying to warm our spirits up for his new film, which will probably reach a broader audience, like I mentioned before, for it stars high profiles such as Naomi Watts, Tim Roth and Michael Pitt. The fisrt Funny Games was set in Germany and the only actor you would probably know (specially if you watched the amazing Oscar winning The Life of Others, 2006) is Ulrich Mühe, who unfortunately died last year.

So, if my computer comes back from the dead I'll be pleased to post my next movie review tomorrow! I'm pretty excited about this blog thing, it's been great writing about something I'm so passionate about and I've also received some very complimentary feedback about it, which I'm very thankful for.

Okay, that's a wrap everybody!

What's HOT, and what's NOT!

2008-04-07T21:04:00.012-03:00

Here's my newest idea for the blog: movies that I've watched recently in the theaters that are either worth seeing or worth asking for your money back at the end of the screening. I won't go into details, specially because I'm not a big spoiler fan, and this is not a proper review (something that I'll leave for Thrusdays) but I'll be leaving tips for anyone who passes by and wonders what's hot and what's not at the show right now (more specifically in Brazil, but I'll try to be as "worldly" as I can!).

What's HOT: 2 Days in Paris (2007) - ***

Julie Delpy wrote and directed this sincere spontaneous movie starring herself and Adam Goldberg as a couple that on their travel through Europe come to stay for two days in Paris, where the girl's family is from. I don't even have to say that by the look of the movie you'll think immediately of Before Sunset, and you won't be all wrong, because this is the style that Delpy seems to have mastered: the neurotic french woman. All in all is a good movie, with some enlightening monologues and diologues, that will make you laugh, cry and think through. At least for me that's what happened!

What's NOT: Jumper (2008) - *

As a friend of mine described it: "It is Samuel L. Jackson running after Anakin, with perfomances by Billy Elliot and Sumer, from The O.C." But I tend to disagree, a little! First, I have to admit that I'm a Star Wars fan. Second: Billy Elliot is an Amazing movie, with an incredible perfomance by a young Jamie Bell, who by the way proved to be a good actor in the movie Hallam Foe (David Mackenzie). Third: err, let's leave it at that!

The first 15 minutes are okay. I'll admit I never thought this could be something more than a fun entertaining movie with some good action sequences. But far from it! It's Barbie and Ken on screen proclaiming their love through one dull diologue from one of the worst scripts of the year! If I gave this movie one star is because there are some good special effects, and that's about it. If I could I would have asked for my money back. This is one movie that I'll gladly erase from my momorie as soon as I finish this post.

And I guess this is it for today! I'll be back with my reviews and some more of "What's hot, and What's not"!

That's a wrap, my friends!

Hedwig and The Angry Inch (2001)

2008-04-03T20:01:00.023-03:00

"Don't you know me Kansas City? I'm the new Berlin Wall. Try and tear me down!" And I'll say it now: you won't be able to! Because Hedwig will come into your life like a force so powerful you won't know what hit you.

Hedwig and The Angry Inch (2001) - *****

I'm always a little bit bugged when people ask me what's my favorite movie of all time. I've watched so many movies (and still have so many to watch - thank god!), and thankfully there are many which were able to touch me in a special way, but whenever that awful question pops up the first movie that comes to me is the mind-blowing Hedwig and The Angry Inch.

I recollect seeing Hedwig's great reviews in the news at the time it hit Theaters around the world, gathering prizes everywere it went, and even getting John Cameron Mitchell a nomination for best actor in a musical on the Golden Globes (which is unusual for such an indie film with limited release). And I must say it took me a really long time to watch Hedwig. About six years! And now I can't remember my life b.H. (before Hedwig). Have I gotten into your head how good this movie is? If the answer is no, keep reading and I hope I'll have you by the end of the post.

Adapted from an off-Broadway play, the movie was written for the screen and directed by the amazing John Cameron Mitchell, who also plays the title role, as mentioned previously. It tells the story of a lonely young boy named Hansel living in Communist East Berlin with his mother in a tiny appartment. A boy who enjoys rock and roll and dreams of going away. And when that day comes, Hensel turns (with a little pushing) into Hedwig. But not before leaving something, some part of himself, behind. Literally! And when he achieves his dream of going away to a land of freedom and possibilities, with the man he loves, everything seems to fall apart and that's when Hedwig is split into two and has to find his way home again.

And the way this journey is shaped through some of the finest glam rock music you'll ever hear, along with an outstanding perfomance by Mr. Mitchell (I became a fan of his after this movie), accompanied by what seems to be childish animation, which is delightful and actually perfect for the tone of the movie. At first, this seems to be another story of a hurt soul looking for its other half, but Hedwig is so much more than that! Such a sensitive movie, with a well developed character that will make you sympathize and pity him and even make you think you he's dead on the inside. But Hedwig is far from dead. Actually he's fighting for life with all his being. He's fighting for love! What Hedwig himself doesn't realise untill the very end of the movie is that he's as much to "blame" for what happened to him as for the others he likes to find fault in. And aside from that, he's not gonna find his other half on another person, but within himself.

I think at the end, along with my favorite song of the movie, Midnight Radio, he sings the lyrics that summarize what the movie Hedwig and the Angry Inch is all about: "Know in your soul, like your blood knows the way, from your heart to your brain, know that you're whole". When I first saw this movie I was left in awe, blinded by tears, with goosebumps from the thrill of this amazing ride! And have no doubts, you WILL need to have the soundtrack, for it is unbelievably good! From the love ballad "Origin of Love" to the sarcastic "Sugar Daddy" you'll be joining in no sooner the wig leads you to sing-a-long! Thus, I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did, for this movie was the thing I didn't know I needed last year. It taught me so much about myself and gave me a new perspective on things and people all around me. Of course this movie could only be rated with five stars (for I cannot surpass that)!

And I guess that's a wrap! I'll be back next Thrusday, if not sooner!

What was left unsaid:

2008-03-31T19:41:00.012-03:00

What a terrible mystake I've made. Well, maybe not so terrible after all, I guess I'm just not used to this blog thing and I end up trying too hard, instead of really opening up to my own feelings and knownlegde of what I've studied, read, and learned, and to trust my own judgment in analysing films and arts in general.

So, let me make it up for the "cold" privious review by saying that Il Portiere di Notte came to me as a shock, though it shouldn't have, since I've known about its plot and controversity prior to watching it. I have heard and read about this movie for a while know, but it wasn't untill I watched Indie Sex - Extremes that I finally went in search of the movie.

My first impressions on the movie were: "How could someone make a movie mixing sadomasochism and Holocaust?", "Is is tasteful?", and after 15 minutes "Wow! I can't believe Charlotte Rampling was(is) that gorgeous!". But the thing is, the movie IS very tasteful, full of poetry and angst, and the sexual relationship is portrayed with such comprehension, and respect that is diffucult not to relate to these characters, or at least understand where they're coming from. After all, it's obvious that after WWII both of them are changed forever, and the path they chose to follow, in order to stay or feel alive, was the path of transgressive sex. The interesting thing is it's not always clear who is in charge of the situation, who's taking the lead as the dominant/top. At first we see Maximiliam as the SS oficer, watching her dance half-naked, but 15 years passed we see them exchanging places and enjoying that.

What a sensitive movie, portraying two of the richest, and most complexes characters you could have ever imagined. Yesterday while I was reading a book on sexuality on cinema* I found another interesting fact about this movie; Liliana Cavani and both actors were tried for obscenity, but were absolved when directors such as Luchino Visconti and Bernardo Bertulucci came to their defense.

Even if you don't undestand the purpose of such film or dislike its result you have to admit, what a courageous act, to produce such piece of art! I was flabbergasted by the whole idea, and consider this to be a breakthrough movie in terms of boundaries, sexuality, human interaction, repression, love, among many other subjects. Definetly a mark in film history, and as I said on my previous post, a must-see film by a talented italian director.

And... that's a wrap! I'll be back on Thursday for my next movie. Stay tuned!

* DUNCAN, Paul and KEESEY, Douglas. Erotic Cinema. Taschen.

Il portiere di notte (1974)

2008-03-24T23:18:00.001-03:00

I finally got the courage and the incentive I needed to get back here and to start writing about some of the movies that somehow left their mark on me. Since January 2008 I've watched over sixty five (65) movies, so it's a bit challenging to chose *the* one that will iniciate what I hope will became a tradition in this blog. So, enough with the drama, and let's go straight to my review on one of the most controversial films ever made:

IL PORTIERE DI NOTTE (1974) - ****

This amazing movie by italian director Liliana Cavani, brings the story of Maximiliam Theo Aldorfer (Dick Bogarde), a former Nazi SS officer, now working as a night porter at a Vienna hotel, who encounters Lucia Atherton, a concentration camp survivor (Charlotte Rampling).

(minor spoiler warning)

It's been thirteen years since WWII when the two meet again at the Hotel, and right at the beggining of the movie we get a glimpse of how good this is going to be based on the looks exchanged between the two leads. There's so much depth and confusion in their eyes that we know that whatever journey they're gonna follow it's not going to be an easy one. From their meeting on, the audience, is presented with flashbacks of a time when they were both trapped in a situation which would originate their sadomasoquistic relashionship. No need to say that this envolvement between tormentor/tormented in the Holocaust is still the main reason for its controversity. Nonetheless this movie was way ahead of its time, breaking new boundaries for acknowledging sexual transgression in cinema, and that in itself is reason enough for applause.

The film depicts their psychological torments, along with their transformed lives. I believe the movie makes it quite clear that after everything they went through they were changed forever. And I'm not talking only of the main two characters, but also of the ones involved in any way, from Maximiliam's former SS comrades to Lucia's husband, they are all changed and reshaped by a post-war Europe.

Both Bogarde and Rampling give away amazing touching perfomances, with a highlight for the scene where a half-naked Lucia, wearing an SScap, perfoms a Marlene Dietrich song in front of the whole troop. According to Rampling this was the first scene they filmed for the movie. Maybe Cavani was trying to set the tone for the movie, and I guess she was right, for it is one powerful scene. One that would later be emulated by Madonna on her Justify My Love video, as well as for many s&m performers.

After all being said I give this movie my highest praises for its visionary character, its courage, and its extreme sensibility to deal with such controversial matters. The movie esthetics is also tuned to its theme, painting a subtle shady Europe trying to restore its dignity. I hope you enjoyed this post and feel curious enough to track this movie down and watch it with an open mind, for I am sure you've never seen anything quite like it, and we're talking 1974 here!

And... that's a wrap!

Starting the blog

2008-03-16T21:55:00.001-03:00

I finally decided to sit down and create my own film blog. A place where I can write down my thoughts on some of my favorite, and of course least favorite, movies of all time. What I'm gonna do here is give movies a rating from 1 (*) to 5 stars (*****), followed by the reasons that led me to such decision.

Comments will be open for everybody, and I sincerely encourage people that disagree from my opinion and post their own, specially when it's followed by a solid argument. I love a good *healthy* movie discussion.

By the way, all posts will be written in english. I know it seems presumptious since my mother language is portuguese, and at first this blog will probably be visited by my closet friends. Still, I like to think big and I do have some friends that can only join in if I make this as "universal" as possible. I might change my mind someday, but I'm sticking to english for now.

And that's all (for today) folks!

to be continued...