Play (2011)

Direcetd by: Ruben Ostlund
Country: Sweden

Plot: An astute observation based on real cases of bullying, occurred in central Gothenburg, Sweden.
Review: “Play” has a lot to say. Bullying is a very debated problem nowadays but certainly is very far away from being solved. After “Involuntary”, Ruben Ostlund returns to juvenile problem’s theme, being very objective in its message. This film is far more comprehensive than just bullying in Sweden. Different classes, inattentive parents, immigration problems, how the society faces this issue and trauma are some of the topics. Smart and sharp movie, with wonderful performances by all actors and a confident direction, “Play” happens to be a notable critical look to a specific problem and to society itself.
Relevant awards: Jury prize (Dublin); best director (Tokyo and Gijón); audience award (Tromso).

Burning Man (2011)

Directed by: Jonathan Teplitzky
Country: Australia / UK

Plot: An English chef with a chic restaurant on Bondi Beach trying to put his life back on track.
Review: Jonathan Teplitzky returns with “Burning Man”, eight years after his two first releases (“Better Than Sex” and “Gettin’ Square”) haven’t been very well accepted in general. There are significant improvements in this irreverent movie, showing how hard the life can be for a couple, when one of them is struggling with cancer. It showed something fresh and bold but perhaps its structure needed a different approach. The hero is Mathew Goode, who has an effervescent performance. Sufficient solidness.
Relevant awards: -

Girl Model (2011)

Directed by: David Redmon, Ashley Sabin
Country: USA

Plot: Follows a complex supply chain between Siberia, Japan, and the U.S. within the modeling industry.
Review: A kind of "indie" documentary, “Girl Model” makes its point regarding the business of model agencies throughout the world. The movie is centered in Nadya, a 13 year-old girl from Siberia, who after passing a first casting, is sent to Japan to do some jobs. Once there, nothing went as promised and her dreams, also shared by her family, fell apart. Other protagonist is Ashley Arbaugh, who tells us how she became a scout for modeling industry and how she isn’t proud for working in this field. Very honest woman, although being unable to quit a pretty profitable job. 
Relevant awards: -

Our Grand Despair (2011)

Directed by: Seyfi Teoman
Country: Turkey

Plot: The peaceful cohabitation of two 30-something bachelors is disrupted when they both fall in love with the charming young woman who moves in with them.
Review: Nominated for the Golden Berlin Bear, “Our Grand Despair” turned out to be a disillusion. The plot seemed promising at the beginning but never went further than that. Lacking passion, little by little becomes tedious until we feel completely indifferent to what might happen to its characters. By trying to play with so confusing emotions, the movie loses orientation and objectivity. Skip this one.
Relevant awards: Jury and people's choice award (Instanbul); Best film (Nuremberg).

The Eye Of The Storm (2011)

Directed by: Fred Schepisi
Country: Australia

Plot: Elizabeth Hunter controls all in her life-society, her staff, her children; but the once great beauty will now determine her most defiant act as she chooses her time to die.
Review: Veteran Fred Schepisi is a director with a vast different styles covered along his career, having made his best achievements with “The Devil’s Playground”, “The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith” and “A Cry in the Dark”. “The Eye of the Storm” is a pungent story that could have been harder to watch if it wasn’t so magnificently acted by Charlotte Rampling, Geoffrey Rush and Judy Davis. It gives an insight look at an Australian bourgeois’ family extending its criticism to the society itself. Mature cinema.
Relevant awards: Special award (Melbourne); jury award (Rome).

Punk's Not Dead (2011)

Directed by: Vladimir Blazevski
Country: Macedonia

Plot: A group of crotchety codgers attempt to revive the punk-rock band they all played in 17 years earlier.
Review: Very entertaining, “Punk’s Not Dead” celebrates a way of life and reawakens an out-of-date music genre. Beyond giving an exact idea of how theses punks live in Macedonia, it makes funny of the long disputes between Macedonians and Albanians. The accelerated rhythm will make you unrest, in the same way the punk music does. There are so many things going on here, in this funny and anarchic musical comedy.
Relevant awards: East of West award (Karlovy Vary).

A Better Life (2011)

Directed by: Chris Weitz
Country: USA

Plot: A gardener in East L.A. struggles to keep his son away from gangs and immigration agents while trying to give his son the opportunities he never had.
Review: Another recurrent theme and familiar story: the difficulties felt by illegal immigrants in the US. This picture shows the day-to-day struggle of a Mexican gardner living in L.A., having in mind a better life for his student son. The predictable plot has been seen for too many times before. Weitz still tried to pull out some adventure of it but everything was so obvious and completely expected. So, nothing much here to dig out, except a great performance by Demián Bichir, who was nominated for best actor by the Academy.
Relevant awards: Best actor (Santa Barbara Film Fest)

The Woman In The Fifth (2011)

Directed by: Pawel Pawlikowski
Country: France/UK/Poland

Plot: A college lecturer flees to Paris after a scandal costs him his job. In the City of Light, he meets a widow who might be involved in a series of murders.
Review: Inactive since 2004, polish director Pawel Pawlikowski ("Last Resort", "My Summer of Love") returns with “The Woman in the Fifth”, a french/british/polish co-production. A story where almost everything is left to explain, hardly will achieve success. Just David Lynch and a couple more directors are able to do that with consistency, playing with the images and sound to awake different kinds of emotion throughout the movie. In this pretentious and baffled plot, Pawlikowsi wasn’t able to grab my emotions. This is nothing more than a forgettable pseudo-thriller.
Relevant awards: -

Rose (2011)

Directed by: Wojciech Smarzowski
Country: Poland

Plot: A harrowing tale of survival centers on Rose, a Masurian woman, whose husband, a German soldier, was killed in the war.
Review: I have a great admiration for Wojciech Smarzowski's work. “Rose”, his new feature film, is even murkier than “Dark House”(2009). Not so dynamic or appealing as this last one, though very compelling. With a brutal story inspired from historical facts, we can understand how the Masurian people started disappearing along the time until become completely extinct. Bleak, with strong content, this is another movie to take into account in the very solid career of a remarkable director.
Relevant awards: Best film - audience and critics (Polish Film Fest.); best actor (Fantasporto).

Here (2011)

Directed by: Braden King
Country: USA

Plot: Cartographer Will Shepard hits the road for his latest job in Armenia. During his assignment, he forms a bond with an Armenian expatriate and art photographer.
Review: A very natural way was chosen to present the evolving relationship between an American man working temporarily in Armenia and a local woman who has recently returned from abroad. Both decide to cross the country, sharing experiences. With a simplistic story, a very slow pace and no startles to make you come out of the chair, this is a road-movie that should not be seen when tired or sleepy. Definitely not for everyone, the contemplative way of filming and acting may please the fans of the realistic genre but it will be labeled as boring by the ones looking for excitement. Give it a shot.
Relevant awards: CICAE award (Berlin).

The Road (2011)

Directed by: Yam Laranas
Country: Philippines

Plot: A 12 year old cold case is reopened when three teens are missing in an old abandoned road where a gruesome murder is left undiscovered for three decades.
Review: “The road”, a low-budget horror movie from Philippines, despite far from perfection, has left its mark. Yam Laranas is the brain behind it, showing up as writer, director, editor and director of photography. The scary scenes, instead of being stand-alone imagery trying to impress teen-agers, are supported with a good story. The narrative is quite absorbing and its spooky atmosphere result in one of the most satisfying horror movies recently released. When everybody speaks about a possible American remake, we can only congratulate Laranas for his best achievement so far.
Relevant awards: -

Wild Bill (2011)

Directed by: Dexter Fletcher
Country: UK

Plot: Out on parole after 8 years inside Bill Hayward returns home to find his now 11 and 15 year old sons abandoned by their mother and fending for themselves.
Review: Certainly this is not the most original movie but encloses every ingredient to be successful - the drama isn’t cheesy; the humor is subtle but efficient; and the action is wild and exciting. Furthermore, all the acting performances were noticeable and the direction was convincing. 46 year-old experienced actor Dexter Fletcher, inspired by Guy Ritchie’s “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels”, makes his debut in direction/writing, showing substantial capabilities to become a serious promise for the forthcoming works.
Relevant awards: -

Declaration of War (2011)

Directed by: Valérie Donzelli
Country: France

Plot: When their young son is diagnosed with a brain tumor, young parents Roméo and Juliette unite in the fight for his survival.
Review: Following “The Queen of Hearts”, “Declaration of War” is the second feature-film from Valérie Donzelli. Racing against time, a Parisian couple tries the best way to accept their baby’s brain malignant tumor. The movie depicts the importance of family and friends, as well as the parent’s concerns in having the best assistance for their son. The problem was maintaining the narrative levels throughout the story. An honest movie denoting some rhythm oscillations.
Relevant awards: Best film, actor and actress (Gijón); jury and audience award (Paris Cinema); best screenplay (Etoiles d'Or).

As If I Am Not There (2010)

Directed by: Juanita Wilson
Country: UK

Plot: A harsh dose of cinematic realism taken from true stories of Bosnian War.
Review: An appalling story depicting Balkan War with an enormous psychological burden. Much of the film shows destruction in many ways: villages burned, men killed, imprisoned women with wrecked self-esteem, mistreatments and sexual abuse. It is very hard to watch all this destruction without being affected and for most of the time this is what the movie has to show. Fortunately, the ending bestows signs of hope for the future in some very touching image sequences. We can then sigh with relief and smile.
Relevant awards: Best film and director (Irish Awards); FACE Award (Instanbul).

Bi, Don't Be Afraid (2010)

Directed by: Dang Di Phan
Country: Vietnam

Plot: In an old house in Hanoi, Bi, a 6-year-old child lives with his parents, his aunt and their cook.
Review: Delicious images emerged in this first feature film from Vietnamese Dang Di Phan.  Bi, a 6 year-old child observes with curiosity all members of his family: a busy mother, an aunt with a strange behavior, a drunk and absent father and a sick grandfather who returned home after many years abroad. Bi spends his time wandering between his home, the surrounding fields and an old ice factory, becoming more and more lonely. Magnificently directed with a lyrical style and with many answers to be sought.
Relevant awards: Best feature film (Cannes).

On The Ice (2011)

Directed by: Andrew Okpeaha MacLean
Country: USA

Plot: In Barrow, Alaska, teenagers Qalli and Aivaaq find their bond tested when a seal-hunting trip goes wrong, resulting in the death of their friend.
Review: This story about an accidental crime in Alaska was interesting to follow. Without anything really transcendent, it touches however in some points that deserve consideration – issues like alcohol and drugs abuse, night parties (despite of the sun never sets), friendship and family, in such an isolated village was well documented. The uneven acting was the main issue with this movie, but the coherence of the plot makes us watch it till the end without boring moments.
Relevant awards: Best debut film and Crystal Bear (Berlin); Jury Prize (Woodstock).

Trishna (2011)

Directed by: Michael Winterbottom
Country: UK

Plot: The story of a tragic relationship in India.
Review: Winterbottom is one of the most versatile filmmakers in active. His talent is undeniable and can be confirmed with works such as “24 hour party people”, “in this world”,“road to Guantanamo” or “the trip”.Switching between biographies, documentaries or fiction, he always has something to say. “Trishna”, based on a novel by Thomas Hardy, despite of showing the recurrent realistic approach, wasn’t so sparkling. Some inert moments end up in a final almost amateur-style. The images from India were what moved me most in this film.
Relevant awards: -

Altiplano (2009)

Directed by: Peter Brosens/Jessica H.Woodworth
Country: Belgium

Plot: A former war photographer and her physician husband are caught up in a riot in an Andean village.
Quick comment: Two women, one Peruvian and other Belgian, will cross paths. The former, is fighting a sickness that starts spreading across her village due to mercury spill in a mine exploration. The latter, is a photographer trying to recover from a traumatic situation. “Altiplano” delivers artsy images within a well-intentioned story but its approach isn't always totally satisfying. Despite of some narrative issues and the evident eagerness to be art-house, it still worth for its exceptional landscapes and mystic creeds.
Relevant awards: Golden Kinnaree (Bangkok).

2 Days in New York (2011)

Directed by: Julie Delpy
Country: France

Plot: Manhattan couple Marion and Mingus, find their comfortable family dynamic jostled by a visit from Marion's relatives.
Quick comment: “2 days in New York” follows 2007’s “2 days in Paris”. This time, famous actress/director Julie Delpy introduces a very peculiar French family in action, Chris Rock having long conversations with an Obama’s poster and even Vincent Gallo buying souls. It tries to look wacky and delivers some craziness that worked fine for a few times, but most of the situations were completely neurotic silliness. In sum, this is a confrontation between French and American cultures that doesn’t take us anywhere.
Relevant awards: -

Friends With Kids (2011)

Directed by: Jennifer Westfeldt
Country: USA

Plot: Two best friends decide to have a child together while keeping their relationship platonic.
Quick comment: Very few movies of this kind (comedy /drama/romance) had impact on me, excepting for the classics. In the latest years I can name “Punch-Drunk Love” or “Sideways”. On this one, the boring dialogs and little jokes about dating, sex, marriage and kids weren’t particularly amusing. For me this was like some TV-shows – when watching it, you have one or two laughs and then there's nothing to remember of. I tried to look for some message here, but there isn’t any. A vulnerable plot stuffed with rubbish talk.
Relevant awards: -