Take This Waltz (2011)

Directed by: Sarah Polley
Country: USA

Plot: A happily married woman falls for the artist who lives across the street.
Review: Sarah Polley is best known as an actress, having participated in 54 movies so far, including Hal Hartley's "Exotica", Cronenberg's "ExistenZ", Coixet's "My Life Without Me"and Van Dormael's "Mr.Nobody", just to mention a few.  As director she received public acclamation in 2006 with "Away From Her" and now returns with "Take This Waltz". Although the story looks conventional, it is very well told and definitely has something to say about love, relationships and decisions. I believe it could have shown some more nerve in certain details, but has the ability to expose the natural changes that occur in amorous relationships and specially in people who are unsatisfied by nature. Deserves a peek.

Sound Of My Voice (2011)

Directed by: Zal Batmanglij
Country: USA

Plot: A journalist and his girlfriend get pulled in while they investigate a cult whose leader claims to be from the future.
Review: “Sound of My Voice” had enough power to make me get in the mood. Everything related with cult groups and the power of persuasion is scary and this movie shows you why. Some flaws are undeniable and emerge right before your eyes, but this fact was balanced with a few good details, always mixed with the right amount of ambiguity to make you be tangled up in the plot. Even the absurdity of its lies worked fine!, because believe it or not, there are people who join these sects. Represented in a realistic way, “Sound of My voice” can be tricky at the end. Just don’t let yourself be persuaded by anything from the future…
Relevant awards: -

Lena (2011)

Directed by: Christophe Van Rompaey
Country: Netherlands / Belgium

Plot: Lena is a lonely, adolescent girl, who starts a relationship with the popular but unreliable Daan.
Review: "Lena" is totally awkwardness. We can hardly find anyone or anything sane in it. Although the plot gathers conditions to make "Lena" enticing, I really couldn't feel any empathy with any of its characters. We may say this is a movie where the sun never shines. So, all you can find here are odd behaviors by miserable characters, sick relationships and much sorrow. The direction didn’t stand out but Emma Levie’s performance was pretty solid, making our attention directed to her upcoming work, “Snowpiercer”, directed by the Korean Joon Ho Bong. This is the second feature film from Cristophe Van Rompaey, after the fresher “Moscow, Belgium”(2008).
Relevant awards: Best actress (Fantasporto, Portugal).

Where Do We Go Now? (2011)

Directed by: Nadine Labaki
Country: Lebanon / others

Plot: A group of Lebanese women try to ease religious tensions between Christians and Muslims in their village.
Review: Battle of religions is the main subject in Nadine Labaki’s new movie. Fights between Christians and Muslims are eminent in a small Lebanese village, just when a group of girls arrive from East Europe. A movie made of laughs, tears and music/dance, which sometimes breaks the mood and somehow discredits the message to pass. We can complain about the abrupt tragic-comic changes of the plot but the biggest sin of Labaki was not to be able of balancing the heavy and light stuff in the right way. Nadine and her sister Caroline (costume design), also participate as actresses.
Relevant awards: Special mention (Cannes); audience award (Oslo and Toronto).

Wedding In Bessarabia (2009)

Directed by: Nap Toader
Country: Romania

Plot: Love and wedding business in the time of transition.
Review: Presented with a big dose of irony, “wedding at Bessarabia” is a well-disposed movie that parodies with the possible motives for a Romanian boy to get married with a Moldavian girl. All this happens in Bessarabia, a region of Eastern Europe that once was dominated by the soviets, and for several years was disputed between Romania and Moldova. The wedding has its peak with the lemon dance, but also contains other points of interest - the suspicion involving each family; a best man with a forbidden passion for the bride; and a lot of inspired jokes concerning the economical situation - are some of them. Despite of a finale in need of better inspiration, this is a lively movie.
Relevant awards: -

Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

Directed by: Wes Anderson
Country: USA

Plot: A pair of young lovers flee their town, which causes a local search party to fan out and find them.
Review: Adopting a kind of kitsch style (see Bill Murray's trousers), "Moonrise Kingdom" is another unpredictable comedy from the amazing director Wes Anderson ("Rushmore", "The Royal Tenenbaums", "Darjeeling Limited", "Fantastic Mr. Fox"). His typical style and awkward mood are recognizable at once, in a very engaging love story between two adolescents who ran away from their homes to live in an old refuge that once belonged to an indian tribe. The uncanny approach and poignant humor that is continuously taking out from Mr.Anderson's magical hat, wisely didn't leave the feelings or emotions behind. A cheerful piece of art.
Relevant awards: -

Cosmopolis (2012)

Directed by: David Cronenberg
Country: Canada / others

Plot: A 28-year-old billionaire start to see his world falling apart.
Review: "Cosmopolis" is an odd and complex movie. It lingers in abstraction for a lot of time, until we finally unfold what is going on. The movie didn't gain my admiration but let me tell you that the idea was bold and certainly found its inspiration in the world's current economical situation. A bored and depressed wealthy man, keeps wandering through the streets of NY, inside of a futuristic limo, having weird encounters with several people. His concerns are economy, sex and health. In a city inflamed by severe protests against capitalism, future and technology, will this man be able to get rid of the pressure? False espionage or simply prophecy, its monotone and tricky dialogs didn't catch me. 
Relevant awards: -

Chico & Rita (2010)

Directed by: Fernando Trueba
Country: Spain

Plot: Chico is a young piano player with big dreams. Rita is a beautiful singer with an extraordinary voice.
Review: What a joy was to realize that Spanish director Fernando Trueba returned to the big movies. "Belle Epoque" marked my adolescence and I will always remember it with yearning. The cuban-jazz of "Chico & Rita, sought some inspiration in some life details of Cuban pianist Bebo Valdés. The story was very well cooked and the option for animation was accomplished with success, conveying all the richness and colors of jazz blended with the passion of romance. As a jazz fan, I was delighted with the appearances of Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Ben Webster and Chano Pozo, even in animated shapes. A fulgurant story!
Relevant awards: Best animated film (Gaudí, Goya and European Film Awards).

Flying Swords of Dragon Gate (2011)

Directed by: Tsui Hark
Country: China

Plot: Set three years after Dragon Inn, innkeeper Jade has disappeared and a new inn has risen from the ashes.
Review: Tsui Hark is a respected chinese director, who usually combines entertaining storytelling, fantastic imagery and frantic action mostly based on martial arts. His last movie, however doesn't show much consistency in the plot. The huge number of characters make the viewer's job harder and only increase the mess of the story. I am convinced that Hark's only concern was to provide us with frantic action and computer manipulated imagery. Completely dispensable, "Flying Swords of Dragon Gate" is a step back when compared with 2010's "Detective Dee".
Relevant awards: -

Teddy Bear (2012)

Directed by: Mads Matthiesen
Country: Denmark

Plot: Dennis would really like to find true love. He has never had a girlfriend and lives alone with his mother in a suburb of Copenhagen.
Review: Dennis is a middle-aged bodybuilder, who lives with a possessive and dependent mother. His attempts to build solid relationships with women, are hampered by psychological problems related with sex. This frustration will lead him to plan a trip to Thailand, where according to his uncle, is easier to establish contact with a woman. The character of Dennis was very well projected and compellingly performed by Kim Kold. The fact that we can't guess what's coming next is the plot's biggest virtue. This is a simple but serious movie about maturity, willpower and the difficulty to break some dearest yet unhealthy family ties.
Relevant awards: Direction (Sundance).

Arbitrage (2012)

Diected by: Nicholas Jarecki
Country: USA

Plot: A troubled magnate is getting desperate to complete the sale of his trading empire.
Review: “Arbitrage” aims at New York wealthy class and belongs to those typical thrillers that do their job efficiently. The role of a man at the edge of collapse was well suited for Richard Gere, who was able to convey all his worries and tension to the viewer. We can almost sense his unease, when he was faced with bankruptcy, fraud, the death of his lover and family conflicts, all at once. This was the second feature film from the new director Nicholas Jarecki, who also wrote the screenplay and curiously was the author of 2002 best selling book entitled “Breaking in: How 20 Film Directors Got Their Start”.
Relevant awards: -

Red Hook Summer (2012)

Directed by: Spike Lee
Country: USA

Plot: A middle-class boy from Atlanta finds his worldview changed as he spends the summer in Red Hook with his deeply religious grandfather.
Review: Spike Lee turns his eyes to Red Hook, Brooklyn, to tell a story about a summer vacation with plenty of religion and social issues in the middle. Spike tries to claim our attention for some reproachable actions of the Church. However, the way he did wasn’t so appealing. I expected more from such delicate theme, and the movie only heats up after 80 minutes, where the quietness gives place to chaotic scenes and surprising revelations. Despite the courage in saying what needs to be said, there’s not much fervor in Spike’s preaching. 
Relevant awards: -

You Are The Apple Of My Eye (2011)

Directed by: Giddens Ko
Country: Taiwan

Plot: Ko-Teng has several close friends who had a crush on Shen Chia-Yi.
Review: This Taiwanese movie about coming-of-age is making a lot of success on its own country, as well as Hong Kong and Singapore, but actually didn’t work for me. Based on the semi-autobiographical novel from director Giddens Ko, this comedy/romance begins in 1994 and ends ten years later. One or two good jokes or funny situations, couldn't hide several issues. The direction didn't catch me, while the soundtrack was terribly cheesy. With respect to the story itself, I found it flabby with a lot of insipid characters. Moreover, the symbols constantly popping up on the screen, trying to look like a video game, were annoying and vulgar. Not recommendable.
Relevant awards: Best film (Hong Kong)

Wish You Were Here (2012)

Directed by: Kieran Darcy-Smith
Country: Australia

Plot: Four friends lose themselves in a carefree South-East Asian holiday.
Review: “Wish You Were here” is the directorial debut from Kieran Darcy-Smith, after some minor performances as an actor in two of the most successful Australian movies of the last years, such as: “Animal Kingdom” or “The Square”. The story guidelines basically deal with lie and guilt in very different ways. Structured with constant flashbacks, the movie was capable of sharpen my curiosity for a while but in the end, I had that strange sensation of wanting something more. It’s not a bad movie at all, just was not so emotional or intense as insinuated.
Relevant awards: -

Sing Your Song (2011)

Directed by: Susanne Rostock
Country: USA

Plot: Most people know the lasting legacy of Harry Belafonte, the entertainer.
Review: A movie that covers Harry Belafonte’s life since his birth in 1927, NY, until the current days. Narrated by Harry himself, we are elucidated about how he made his success in the show business, some details of his private life, but mainly about his political activism in US and throughout the world, playing an important role against race discrimination, war and poverty. Archive footage were intercalated with the narration of the story and several people were interviewed. I can’t say I am a fan of Harry’s music, but I surely identify myself with all he has been fighting for, throughout all these years.
Relevant awards: -

Prometheus (2012)

Directed by: Ridley Scott
Country: USA

Plot: A team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a journey to the darkest corners of the universe.
Review: “Prometheus” is another space odyssey by the hand of Ridley Scott. The similarities with “Alien” are obvious but not surprising, since Scott also directed that huge landmark of sci-fi cinema. The creators of mankind are the novelty, added to the usual humans, robots and aliens. The plot can’t hide some narrative issues and unexplained happenings, but on the other hand, the special effects are awesome and the moments of chaos are nicely crafted. Taking the end into account, it’s pretty obvious that a sequel is on its way, which I hope it will be as ravishing as this one.
Relevant awards: -

Warriors Of The Rainbow (2012)

Directed by: Wei Te-Sheng
Country: Taiwan

Plot: An indigenous clan-based people living in harmony with nature find their way of life threatened.
Review: More than 4 hours of cinema in Wei Te Sheng’s epic, concerning the Japanese occupation of Taiwan and the relentless opposition from the indigenous Seediq tribe. I believe that the duration could have been reduced as well as the number of chopped heads, but the movie gained my respect and consideration for all it conveys. I was touched by the bravery, courage, honor and creeds of this people. As true warriors, they chose to fight instead of being overwhelmed by the Japanese and lead a life of poverty and sadness. Lastly, I just wanted to mention the heavenly tribal chants, which left me in ecstasy. A fierce accomplishment.
Relevant awards: Best film (Golden Horse, Taiwan).

Nameless Gangster (2012)

Directed by: Yun Jong-Bin
Country: South Korea

Plot: On the verge of being fired, a corrupt customs official finds a haul of drugs and teams up with a vicious gangster to become the most powerful crime partnership in Busan.
Review: “Nameless Gangster” is an exciting movie. The story is all about power and follows a gangster whose bigger yearn is to become number one in the business. Choi Min-Sik ("Oldboy", "Lady Vengeance", "I Saw the Devil") was perfectly chosen for the main role, proving that he’s one of the most beloved and valuable Korean actors of the moment. Tension, action and humor are combined in the right proportions. Moreover, it’s all there: bribes, treason, violence, greed, lust, power and family…After all, this is a gangster’s movie!
Relevant awards: -

A Quiet Life (2010)

Directed by: Claudio Cupellini
Country: Italy

Plot: A man escapes to Germany and starts a new life, thinking he will finally enjoy a quiet life. All changes when his son arrives in town on a mission.
Review: In “A quiet life”, we can see Italian Mafia operating in Germany. This foreign “job” is seen by Diego as an opportunity to visit his father, Rosario, who fled from the Mafia fifteen years before, in order to start a new life. Everything goes badly when Rosario’s true identity is discovered, which forces him to take risky and radical decisions. The movie is stated in tepid tones and was never able to scoop any magical formula to surprise us. Although, far from the latest Italian movies about the same subject, such as "Gomorrah" or "Il Divo", it will still be able to provide minimum entertainment.
Relevant awards: -

Avé (2011)

Directed by: Konstantin Bojanov
Country: Bulgaria

Plot: Kamen is hitchhiking by the side of the road when he meets Avé.
Review: The idea for this movie was interesting but the outcome was not so unique or enthusiastic. It’s a road-movie, where a couple of lone teen-agers find their lives changing after met each other through hitchhiking. The young actors had confident performances, but somehow I started to lose some focus in the middle of the movie. Maybe due to its pace or the frequent little games and lies played by its characters, but something made me step back a little. Reinforcing my point of view: a plot with dashing ideas, yet without a glamorous execution. Watchable, though. 
Relevant awards: Best film (Fantasporto); best director (Sofia); FIPRESCI prize (Warsaw).