Tickets (2005)

Three episodes set on a moving train: (1) an elderly chemical engineer is aided by his assistant in finding transportation after a company meeting; she is much younger than him yet is romantically interested in him and lets him know it though not in so many words; (2) a young man accompanies an older lady who is going to attend a ceremony in honor of her late husband; she is very obnoxious and treats her escort like a slave; (3) three Scottish football fans are traveling to Italy to see a game of their favorite team; they meet a family of Albanian refugees; a problematic situation about a ticket arises.

The first episode is embarrassingly bad, even though minimally lifted by references to the post-9/11 state of paranoia. The other two episodes are interesting enough though not exactly brilliant. Episode number two has no social or political connection whatsoever that I have noticed; episode number three is very politically aware.

Rating: 47 (an average)

Saffo e Priapo (ca. 1922)

Ancient porno. Its age suffices to make it interesting.

Yihe yuan (2006)

English title: Summer Palace.

A young woman quits her small town to attend the university in Beijing. There she meets people and falls deeply in love.

Slightly annoying at points, basically because it is impossible to empathize with or even understand very well the main character, and also because of the amount of sex scenes which don't seem to add anything at all to the flow of the story or to the understanding of the characters. It appears that they were striving for a mix of Les amants réguliers and Dr. Zhivago, or something like that. It is mostly well directed and well acted, but there is little concern from the filmmaker to make these characters' personal ordeals accessible to us. The movie seems more interested in exploring the romantic angle, and the other dimensions of the drama (especially the political one) are subordinated to the romantic one.

Rating: 45

Confessions of a Superhero (2007)

Documentary about people who dress in superhero costumes and live on tips from tourists in Hollywood.

A really bad idea for a documentary. There's very little interest in these people's stories per se.

Rating: 14

Maria Full of Grace (2004)

A poor Mexican young woman quits her job at a flower factory and accepts to carry drugs in her stomach to the United States.

The first half is good. From then on, the plot veers gradually into absurdity (e.g. what's with the whole let's-give-our-money-to-someone-we-barely-know-so-she-can-give-someone-else-we-barely-knew-a-proper-funeral-even-though-we-are-in-deep-shit-and-could-use-the-money-ourselves thing?). All the performances are good.

Rating: 58

Vacancy (2007)

A couple has car problems on a deserted road and decides to spend the night at a motel.

Derivative and predictable, yet not totally devoid of entertainment value.

Rating: 37

Mon meilleur ami (2006/I)

English title: My Best Friend.

An egotistical antiques dealer is challenged by his business partner to present in a short period of time a person who would qualify as his best friend; they wager a precious vase on this.

The usual simplistic rendering of a complex theme.

Rating: 40

The Water Horse (2007)

In Scotland, during World War II, a boy who lives near a lake discovers a strange egg; a creature is born out of it, which the boy then raises as a pet.

Inane.

Rating: 32

My Blueberry Nights (2007)

Episodic film with a uniting segment about a woman and a bar owner she meets after she has been dumped by her boyfriend. She goes West to work as a waitress and meets an alcoholic customer who has been dumped by his wife, and then a compulsive gambler with whom she travels.

Very weak. Its dialogue has a certain amount of charm, the bare minimum to keep it from being unwatchable due to its lack of density.

Rating: 33

American Gangster (2007)

Based on true events, this film shows the rise of a drug dealer and the struggle of a policeman to arrest him.

The main reason for telling in dramatic detail the two converging stories of a cop and a criminal has to be to compare their symmetrical lives. The key line of the movie is perhaps the one said by his ex-wife (quoted from memory): "You are honest in your profession so that you can be excused from honesty in your personal life." (sorry for the inevitable imprecision). Whilst the gangster, being his opposite, is an exemplary family man and cruel and ruthless in his business. This is interesting, even though not exactly new after hundreds of films dealing with that theme in a more or less tangential manner.

Rating: 61

Comin' Round the Mountain (1951)

Two show business fellows meet a singer of rural origin. She reveals that one of the fellows is related to her and is the rightful heir to the family treasure which is being kept hidden by the family matriarch. The singer takes them to meet her country family which have a long lasting feud with a rival one (the McCoys vs. the Whitfields).

This is mostly unattractive and stale. I'm under the impression that the following verbal skit is repeated from another movie with the same duo of comedians:

-I can't marry her, I'm 30 and she is ten. I'm three times older than her!
-If you wait 10 years, she will be 20 and you will be 40, so you will only be twice her age.
-She's catching up! In time she will pass me and she will have to wait for me!

The sequence when Lou takes the larger bed but is forced to share it with an ever-growing number of cousins, being eventually dumped from it, is funny.

Rating: 31

I Am Legend (2007)

Based on the novel by Richard Matheson (1st ed. 1954).

After mankind has been almost completely wiped out from the planet due to a virus, an immune man spends his time surviving, trying to make contact with other survivors and researching a vaccine.

This is the third cinematic version of Matheson's novel. It is well produced and well directed, falling short only when characters are forced to interact and exhibit the typical illogical bursts of temper which have become the trademark of recent Hollywood films.

Rating: 51

Le temps qui reste (2005)

English title: Time to Leave.
Correct translation of the French title: The Time That Remains.

A man finds out he has terminal cancer.

Based on one sequence alone, a more than improbable threesome, one can safely dismiss this film as idiotic. As for the remainder of the film, although I found it generally not very convincing, it's just too superficial to be worthy of analysis. A few medical details bothered me though, and someone correct me if I am wrong: (1) the protagonist complains that some of the exams were painful. I don't know of any exams related to cancer diagnostic that could even remotely be called painful; (2) at a certain point, the protagonist asserts that his condition is not hereditary, "it's just disseminated cancer". This should probably not be held against the filmmaker, as it could be accounted for by this one character's ignorance, but just for the record he is not right in saying that his "disseminated cancer" is not hereditary before making some genetic tests which would reveal whether he has certain genes which are factors in the type of cancer he has; and since he had the disease at such an early age, the probability that he is genetically predisposed is very high indeed.

Rating: 32

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005)

Four teenage girls are inseparable, except now each is staying at a different place during their vacation. One is visiting her relatives in Greece, another goes to Mexico for a soccer tournament, a third one is reconnecting with her estranged father, and the last one stays home to finish her documentary. Each one of them will encounter new situations in their lives during that period.

Teen drama, with not much of a plot and stuffed with sappy songs. The performances are not bad, special mentions going to Ferrera and Tamblyn.

Rating: 35

Southland Tales (2006)

Some escatological events ravage the Earth. Several people looking chic or sexy are busy either keeping the system or taking it down.

If you really want to know what this film is about -- don't! just forget about it! no? okay, don't blame me later -- I must confess I had a little trouble myself -- even after watching it -- finding words to describe it. But almost every movie has a scene or a line which somehow holds the key to its meaning (or lack thereof) and this one is no exception. Suffice it to say that it mentions a fart which would blow up the world. There you have it, the purpose of it all: a two hour twenty minute long cinematical equivalent of a fart joke. It should be viewed as many times as it would take for one to convince oneself that one is a complete moron for viewing it. For me one viewing was enough.

Rating: 15

Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

A poor teenager is a contestant in a TV prize show. His high rate of right answers is seen with suspicion by the show makers.

I really don't have much to say about this watchable yet unremarkable melodrama. It has practically every frame shot at a stilted angle.

Rating: 39

When Will I Be Loved (2004)

A hustler tries to set up his rich girlfriend with a millionaire for a huge sum of money.

This seems like a draft, or a rehearsal, too sleazy or too sketchy to be taken too seriously. The final part of the film resents most from this, due to the serious lack of realism and plausibility in the way some crucial plot events occur. All these things having been said, there are elements here with potential to become a good film, if anyone would wish to rewrite it and remake it.

Rating: 35

Hell on Heels: The Battle of Mary Kay (2002) (TV)

Based on a true story, this film tells the story of the aging founder of a direct-sales cosmetics company, and the struggles of an ambitious competitor for leadership in their field of work.

Even though the storyline doesn't lend itself to flights of genius, the writing is solid and very much in the style of classic Hollywood; the direction is visually modern and energetic. The acting is uniformly phenomenal, from the two leads right down to the tiniest bit part.

Rating: 56

Inquietações de uma Mulher Casada (1978)

The film shows two days in the life of a woman who is dissatisfied with her married life; she goes through a series of experiences which help her take full awareness of her dissatisfaction.

Interesting drama, with a few imperfections perhaps, but which makes up for them with honesty and a focused narrative which I found mostly convincing on the psychological aspect.

Rating: 52

Vision Quest (1985)

A high school student who is a Greco-Roman wrestler for his school aims to compete for the championship in a smaller weight category, which will require him to fight an extremely difficult opponent. Concurrently he falls in love with an older woman.

Just another irrelevant instance of the teenage-competition-with-a-philosophical-message-and-some-romance-to-boot film.

Rating: 26

Note: The philosophical message which is spoken at the film's end sent me into a state of shock, not because of the message in itself, which is cute, but because I instantly recognized the words as almost exactly the same ones in a Brazilian song which was released in 1989 by the band Legião Urbana in their album As Quatro Estações and was very popular in Brazil. Compare:

Words in the movie: "And I guess that's why we ought to love those people who deserve it like there's no tomorrow -- 'cause when you get right down to it, there isn't." (note: the screenplay is by Darryl Ponicsan, based on a novel by Terry Davis)

Words from the song Pais e Filhos (credited authors: Dado Villa-Lobos, Renato Russo and Marcelo Bonfá): "É preciso amar as pessoas como se não houvesse amanhã -- porque se você parar pra pensar, na verdade não há."

A further curiosity: in the song "Índios", by Renato Russo, issued in Legião Urbana's album "Dois", the verse "o futuro não é mais como era antigamente" was, as far as I know, originally a boutade by Paul Valéry ("Même l'avenir n'est plus ce qu'il était."), and was, later than Valéry but earlier than Russo, heard from the mouth of Yogi Berra ("The future isn't what it used to be.").

Thunder Bay (1953)

An engineer convinces a businessman to finance the search for underwater oil in a bay, and faces the opposition of the small adjacent fishing community.

Melodrama which is not only filled with illogical behavior but also has a dated, distorted view of environmental issues.

Rating: 35

Altered States (1980)

A scientist uses himself in a series of psychological/biological experiments involving isolation and psychedelic drugs. His friends and wife worry about him. The main character was inspired in John Lilly.

"Science"-fiction . The film's dullness is in direct proportion to the hysteria displayed by its characters. A feeling of self-parody is pervasive throughout the movie, yet the tone is so unflinchingly serious that one can never be sure of the author's awareness of the ridiculousness of the whole thing.

Rating: 33

It's a Free World... (2007)

A woman gets fired from her job in a recruiting agency for temporary workers, and decides to open her own agency.

A typical exposé film, this time focusing on the inhumanity and corruption in the use of foreign laborers in England. As is the rule in exposés, verisimilitude is relaxed occasionally in favor of a fast moving plot which demonstrates inambiguously the point being made. All that being said, the film works (at least for me it did), and the subject it tackles deserves to be discussed and hopefully dealt with by leaders.

Rating: 54

Strangers with Candy (2005)

A 40-ish woman goes back to high school after serving time in prison.

Comedy which primordially relies on the performance of the leading actress and her quick succession of one-liners. The style is caricature, pure and simple. As such, it doesn't fare too badly.

Rating: 33

A Casa de Alice (2007)

English title: Alice's House.

A family and its many conflicts. The father is a taxi driver and has an affair with an adolescent girl, the mother works at a beauty parlor and becomes interested in a client's husband who is an old flame of hers, the oldest son is a prostitute, the middle son is a thief, the grandmother does all the house work.

Despite a certain mise-en-scene competence which is much welcome, especially in a Brazilian movie, this is an uninspired look at the lower middle class in Brazil; furthermore, the film is suffused with an arrogant attitude which is typical of someone who has little or no knowledge of real people in this social class. Real people are nothing like they showed in this movie. And at least one plot point suggests they must have been on acid while writing it: rest homes for the elderly --- even modest ones -- charge non-negligible fees and therefore would not be an option for a family like the one depicted in the film. Apart from showing how petty and despicable these people with little money are, the film goes pretty much nowhere and ends before anything really interesting happens.

Rating: 29

Shake Hands with the Devil (2007)

The Hutu-Tutsi conflict in Rwanda as seen by the head of the U.N. peace corps.

A good film, moving and informative. This is the third film I see about the Rwandan conflict, and it has intersecting plot points with the other two (Hotel Rwanda and Sometimes in April).

Rating: 69

Bad Company (1972)

A young man dodges drafting (from the North) when the Civil War in the U.S.A. breaks; he leaves home heading West and meets a gang of petty thieves whom he joins. His initial goal of establishing himself as a law abiding citizen in another place gradually disappears as his destiny becomes enmeshed with that of the gang's leader.

An intelligent little film, one rare example of stern realism in cinema which is also aesthetically enjoyable throughout. Bridges' performance is very fine, even finer than his usual; Savage is superb in a smaller role.

Rating: 61

Into the Wild (2007)

A college graduate abandons everything to become a drifter. His ultimate goal is to live in the wild regions of Alaska.

This is pretty episodic and dull, and its philosophy if any is ultimately hokey. What lifts the film are the invaluable presences of the ever wonderful Holbrook, and Dierker, who apparently is not a professional actor and gives a completely authentic performance.

Rating: 45

La terza madre (2007)

English title: Mother of Tears.

An ancient urn contained in a coffin is unearthed bringing to life a terrible witch who throws the world into a havoc.

Everything you want is here: skull bashing, throat slitting, bowel extraction (and eating, of course), impaling, public phone trashing...

Rating: 3

The Kite Runner (2007)

The story of an Afghan boy and his childhood friend whom he betrays, and his final redemption of sorts many years later.

Melodrama in its lowest dramatic form. It seems to imply that the Azara ethnicity should be spared from persecution because above all they make for ideal servants. If I were an intellectual I would say this should be disregarded as a pre-Marxist worldview.

Rating: 26

3:10 to Yuma (2007)

A poor farmer decides to join the group which will escort a dangerous criminal to the train which will take him to prison.

This is a remake of a beautiful film released in 1957. Anyway I found it beautiful when I saw it long ago. This remake is pretty lame, apart from the central idea which is indeed beautiful, a demonstration of the spirit which drove civilization forward in the old American West, but actually more universal than just that. Other than that, what we see here is a pretty formulaic first half which becomes progressively insaner after that.

Rating: 35

Hostage (2005/I)

(mild spoilers, maybe) A group of teenagers invade a luxury mansion and hold the family who lives there hostage. The house's owner is involved in some illegal activities and has a DVD wich he is supposed to deliver to the criminal organization for which he works. One of the cops who was handling the case is blackmailed to get the DVD and deliver it to the bad guys or else his family will be murdered.

Thriller that is watchable yet leaves much to be desired in regards to the depiction of the young kidnappers and their interaction with their hostages.

Rating: 40

Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Momentum (1956) (TV)

A man is mired in debt and in his desperation commits a crime which leads to another and from then on he just sinks deeper and deeper in his path of (self) destruction.

A very good episode, which should be taken as the comedy it is, in all its glorious inverisimilitude. As an illustration of its title, it is a very intellectual piece.