For Ellen (2012)

Directed by: So Yong Kim
Country: USA

Review: Korean filmmaker raised in L.A., So Yong Kim (“Treeless Mountain”), returns with another minimalist independent film. “For Ellen” tells the story of Joby Taylor, a long time traveling musician who drives into a small, snowy town to gather in court with his estranged wife, in order to sign the divorce papers. For a couple of hours, he is allowed to meet with his six-year-old daughter for the first time. This incident will change his life forever and nothing will be the same after that. Paul Dano has a terrific performance as a wobbly and repentant father, whose life has changed completely in a short period of time. The conversation with his daughter conveys a touching honesty that stayed with me for a while. There is also a strenuous scene that marks this film, when Dano dances completely drunk in a bar, at the sound of a Whitesnake’s rock song, leaving his lawyer perplexed. With a loose, nearly dreamlike cadence, “For Ellen” feels credible and genuine. Its leisurely pace might drive off many viewers, but actually, it manages to show sensitivity without being corny.

Sidewalls (2011)

Directed by: Gustavo Taretto
Country: Argentina / Spain / others

Review: “Sidewalls” starts by making an interesting parallel between the deficient architecture of Buenos Aires and states of mind on people. It depicts the long paths taken by two soul mates, before they finally meet. Martin is a phobic web designer, who is predestined to love Mariana, a depressed girl who's facing a four-year relationship rupture. Before they find each other, other amorous experiences will occur. The unhappiness and frustration that came out from those experiences were well conjugated with common issues of nowadays, such as: technology dependence, sedentary behaviors, and isolation. Debutant filmmaker Gustavo Taretto uses an immutable, unhurried ambiance, to depict loneliness and a bunch of psychological disorders. The dialogues weren’t so interesting, yet the film discoursed elaborated monologues, which tried to help us understand better the characters, the architecture, or the impact of technology on our lives. This particular aspect went through an over-explanatory tone that didn’t always work successfully. Despite its strangled spirit and implausible ending, “Sidewalls” still has its enjoyable moments, intercalated with riveting images of concrete, steel and glass.

Camille Rewinds (2012)

Directed by: Noémie Lvovsky
Country: France

Review: Noémie Lvovsky wrote, directed and acted in “Camille Rewinds”, a light French comedy that carries a little charm without being properly original. Displaying apparent similarities with “Peggy Sue Got Married”, and attempting to invoke Rivette’s moody surrealism of “Celine and Julie Go Boating”, the film tells the story of Camille, an alcoholic 40-year-old actress in the verge of a life crisis, after a painful separation from her husband, the man she always has loved. In the New Year’s Eve, Camille falls drunk, to be bizarrely transported to her past, when she was 16. In an inexplicably way, she continues with a mature woman's appearance, even having to go to high school again. Regardless the enjoyable music of the 80’s, the plot lingers too much time on teenager episodes, and often drags in the revived moments of passionate love. Sometimes ludicrous, sometimes sober, “Camille Rewinds” counts with a competent execution but stumbles in a borrowed back-to-the-future tale that will not stick in my memory.

A Hijacking (2012)

Directed by: Tobias Lindholm
Country: Denmark

Review: “A Hijacking” has a simple but effective plot regarding the capture of a Danish cargo ship by Somali pirates along the African coast. The story centers in two different fronts: on the ship, where the cook Mikkel struggles with fear and despair, and inside the naval-company premises in Copenhagen, where negotiations will take place in order to find a viable solution for both parts. The script rejected the usual violence or stirring situations, opting instead for a more psychological approach with proper doses of claustrophobia and impatience. Do not expect an electrifying film, since the negotiation process is slow, with ups and downs, and includes constant threats and bluffs. Whenever something atypical occurred, I expected some fierceness to arise. But that never happened. Hostile moments were scarce, only leading to stressful behaviors by the hijacked. The same cannot be said about the unexpected and shocking ending, which gave the final blow on the psychological study aimed by writer/director Tobias Lindholm. Despite the coldness and low profile maintained, “A Hijacking” cannot be disregarded, avoiding being manipulative and conveying a sensation of truthfulness.

Sound City (2013)

Directed by: Dave Grohl
Country: USA

Review: “Sound City” is a rockumentary that follows the first steps, golden years, and posterior decline of one of the most emblematic music studios in US. Dave Grohl, Nirvana’s former drummer and mentor of Foo Fighters, directed the film. He became a big fan of Sound City Studios while recording Nirvana's cult album ‘Nevermind’, in 1991. Amazed with the sound that was being produced, Grohl would come to buy some of the iconic gear to outfit his private studio, which included the famous Neve 8028 mixing console. Without great filmmaking skills, the presentation ran in good rhythm, almost boosted by the sound of great songs that were being presented. Big names of rock music, such as: Neil Young, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty, Trent Reznor, Paul McCartney or Rick Springfield, have participated by telling their stories or performing songs. Ably, the film also makes reference to the crucial turning point on musical technology, when the analog gave place to digital, an easier way to manage recordings, though less human. Staunch rock fans should be pleased with the vitality and intensity evinced in “Sound City”, while the others probably will remain indifferent.

Corpo Celeste (2011)

Directed by: Alice Rohrwacher
Country: Italy / Switzerland / France

Review: “Corpo Celeste” is contemplative and observant in its attempt to conjugate coming-of-age issues with religious deception. Marta is a 13 year-old girl who moved to a small village in Italy with her mother and older sister, after spending her childhood in Switzerland. Undergoing tough transformations, and feeling misplaced, Marta only socializes in catechism, where she is preparing for the Confirmation rite. Unfamiliar with religious matters, she becomes curious about the meaning of prayers, as well as attentive to the behaviors from those who were connected to Church. Her vision about the religious community will quickly become blurred. Many happenings contributed to increase her perplexity and frustration: the ambition showed by the village priest, the catechist's fanaticism, a brief conversation with an embittered man of God, and the witnessing of brutal animal killings. The final moments express a search for something alive and pure, a return to innocence, refusing the ungenerous ideas and rotten procedures that were associated with the Catholic Church. The restrained tension worked strikingly well, whereas minor flaws didn’t have significant expression in the final result. Rohrwacher and Yle Vianello, are to be congratulated in their debut direction and acting, respectively.

Bullet To The Head (2012)

Directed by: Walter Hill
Country: USA

Review: Sylvester Stallone plays the tough guy again, this time guided by the hand of Walter Hill, an experienced director on action movies, such as “The Driver”, “The Warriors”, “Southern Comfort” or “48 Hours”. “Bullet to The Head” is weak in many aspects and heavily clichéd, adopting a rough posture that had good results in the final 70’s and throughout the 80’s, but which no longer works. The plot consists in an unlikely and quite sentimental cooperation between an expert hitman (Stallone) and a young cop (Sung Kang), after members of a gang have shot their partners. Beyond the flat story, sloppy dialogues were used, where we can hear about tattoos or popular phrases such as: ‘guns don’t kill people, bullets do’. It even tried to make some humorous considerations about modern cell phones, or put some thrill with the kidnapping of Stallone’s only daughter, but everything was in vain. The choreographed fight scenes along with the final moments seemed too fabricated to impress, while the performances were drab. Totally outdated!

Everyday (2012)

Directed by: Michael Winterbottom
Country: UK

Review: Filmed in England for a five-year period, Michael Winterbottom’s “Everyday” adopts a realistic approach to depict the struggle of Karen (Shirley Henderson) whose husband Ian (John Simm) was arrested for smuggling drugs. The plot consists on the every day’s routine for this woman, who has to work hard but at the same time tries to give the best education to her four children, even if she has to leave them with neighbors for considerable periods of time. The frequent visits to prison to see her husband in addition with the specific days that he gets authorization to leave in parole, represent brief moments of joy and caring for all the family. But Karen often feels lonely and vulnerable, assuming a new love affair. With natural performances and a way of filmmaking that refuses to be standardized, “Everyday” feels authentic, mixing moments of intensity and pain, with other of tenderness and beauty. Just a remark: despite its short duration, I sensed that the film needed to be trimmed a little more, especially before its final moments. A well worthy film, anyway.

Porfirio (2011)

Directed by: Alejandro Landes
Country: Colombia / others

Review: “Porfirio” shows the real life of Porfirio Ramirez, a 55 year-old Colombian man who was shot in the spine by a police officer, becoming paraplegic. The film centers in his day-to-day life, showing not only the constant physical struggle to accomplish the most basic tasks, but also the dependence from his son’s help, as well as some intimate moments with his girlfriend. Porfirio is trying to sue the state without success; he wasn’t even granted with any type of rehab, and his compensation never arrived. In order to call the attention for his case, he tried to hijack a plane with two grenades concealed in his diaper. This docudrama represents his last hope for justice, after having been sentenced with eight years of house arrest. Alejandro Landes adopted the same slow pace and rawness that characterize the style of Mexican Carlos Reygadas, although with diminished doses of abstraction. The images are colorful, the humor is subtle and the heat can almost be felt from outside the screen. Without any shame or complex, "Porfirio" says a lot about humanity and justice, at the same time that points a finger at the incompetent Colombian state. 

Mea Maxima Culpa (2012)

Directed by: Alex Gibney
Country: USA

Review: Dedicated to the students of St.John’s School for the Deaf in Wisconsin, this documentary unveils the sexual abuses committed by Father Lawrence Murphy, who molested more than 200 minor deaf boys before 1975. Four former students describe in detail what happened, comparing the pedophile priest to a sly wolf, a predator who entered every night into the dormitory to pick one of the silent lambs. It didn’t stick only with this individual case and many other priests' names were mentioned, not just in US, but also in Ireland and Italy. It also discloses the stratagems of the Vatican to conceal the facts and protect the pedophiles from being properly tried, as criminals that they are. Not even the popes John Paul II or Benedict XVI were spared to criticism. The savvy director Alex Gibney, made the interviewees show their anger and indignation without exploiting them emotionally. Sufficiently explanatory to show the world the demonic crimes hidden by Catholic Church.

Mental (2012)

Directed by: P.J. Hogan
Country: Australia / USA

Review: “Mental” tries to parody on mental illness and traumatic lives, using colorful tones and nutty behaviors. It was written and directed by P.J.Hogan, an Australian filmmaker who has been devoting himself to comedies for over 20 years. The story centers on a dysfunctional family, constituted by a mother with a talent for singing, an absent and unfaithful father and five disturbed children. They all have a propensity for craziness and sometimes are conscious of that. When the mother leaves for a psychiatric hospital, a woman arrives to take care of the girls, but she will reveal herself even crazier than the rest of the team. Using unorthodox methods she ends up being an aid for the family, yet without set in order her own traumas. Some sarcastic humor worked ok once in a while and in isolated situations, but as a whole the film misses the point. It showed constant concerns on giving a frenetic image and impose madness everywhere and in everyone, to the point of becoming disarticulated and, not infrequently, ridicule. Not even suitable for crazies!

Children Of Sarajevo (2012)

Directed by: Aida Begic
Country: Bosnia and Herzegovina / others

Review: Aida Begic’s new feature film has clear intentions to denounce what is going on in today’s post-war Bosnia. Using a shaky hand camera, Bejic centers on the life of siblings Rahima and Nedim. Rahima works hard in the kitchen of a fancy restaurant, not only to pay her bills and rent but also to keep the custody of his younger brother Nedim, taken out recently from an orphanage. Nedim is diabetic, reckless and often behaves like a delinquent, but Rahima won’t give up on him. Even though nothing has been said about Rahima's past, it’s clear that the war is still present in her memory, while religious faith works as an attempt to redeem herself from the past. Everything is surrounded by misery due to the Balkan conflict and actual economic crisis, but Rahima’s love for her brother will give her strength and hope to fight for a decent and honest life. Even if she has to face social class differences, religious prejudices or slanders. “Children of Sarajevo” received a special distinction in Cannes' Un Certain Regard section.

Lore (2012)

Directed by: Cate Shortland

Country: Australia / Germany / UK

Review: Eight years after the heartfelt “Somersault”, Australian filmmaker Cate Shortland makes her second move on feature film, to depict a German Nazi family at the end of WWII. Lore was abandoned to her luck after her parents, two devotees of the Fuhrer, have left their refuge to escape from the Allied forces. Continuously struggling to feed her five younger siblings, Lore departs with them for a long and risky journey, trying to reach her grandmother’s house in Hamburg. What she didn’t expect was to receive help from someone she learned to abominate all her life: a Jewish young man. Don’t be discouraged by the familiar theme; this film has more than the usual stuff. Newcomer actress Saskia Rosendahl was simply brilliant, showing the rigidness of the Nazi pride in opposition to the discomfort resultant from unexpected feelings or desires. The disappointment felt by the zealous supporters of Hitler's regime was depicted with genuine bitterness, along with the images of a chaotic and devastated Germany. “Lore” is subtle but incisive, proving that no fuss is needed to make a competent film. Its meaningful story, acute images, and immense heart, were enough to make it special.

Blancanieves (2012)

Directed by: Pablo Berger
Country: Spain

Review: After the French “The Artist” has invoked recently the black and white silent films from the past, here is another one coming from Spain that took the idea in a serious way, bringing to mind the topnotch dramatic movies from those times. Inspired in “Snow White”, “Blancanieves” adapts the classic with creativity, making an original parallel with the typical Spanish culture, where the flamenco and bullfights have a prominent place. Set in the 20’s Andalusia, the film marks the return of Pablo Berger to filmmaking, nine years after the respected “Torremolinos 73”. Macarena Garcia put charm in the role of Spanish Snow White, but was Maribel Verdú who stood out as profligate and cruel stepmother. Regardless of the fact I loathe bullfights, Blancanieves should be seen for its confident direction, expressive performances, appealing visuals and well-crafted ideas. Even employing a primitive approach, it managed to bestow some freshness to an old and recurring tale.

It's A Disaster (2012)

Directed by: Todd Berger
Country: USA

Review: “It’s a Disaster” is a comedy that ridicules loving relationships, the end of the world and society in general. Todd Berger wrote, directed and also acted in a scene, for a couple of minutes. The story tells the adventures of four couples that join for a Sunday’s brunch when a radioactivity alert is emitted by the authorities. Stuck inside the house, they will use their remaining time to show more about their personalities, unveil some secrets and prepare for the end. Despite of the TV-series style adopted, the plot has its good surprises and shows some keen humor. Actually, there’s an awkward stupidity that works fine here. All characters show distinct behaviors that maintained me curious till the end. The characters' moods ranged from: frightened, in shock, paranoid, sad, frustrated, open-minded, indifferent, neurotic, frivolous or plainly crazy. “It’s A Disaster” didn't spark a lot of laughs but let out some amusing energy with its screwball tone and laudable finale.

Side Effects (2013)

Directed: Steven Soderbergh
Country: USA

Review: Soderbergh is known for not clinging to the same style or approach two times in a row. After the flamboyant “Magic Mike” or the experiment-on-action “Haywire”, he returns to the thriller genre with “Side Effects”, a film more in the line of “Contagion” but replacing the sci-fi factor for a psychological one. To tell the truth, “Side Effects” worked better than any of the movies mentioned before, mostly due to three aspects: unpredictability of the plot, stable pace with no low or weak moments, and precision in storytelling. The story centers in a woman with a long history of depression, who murders her husband. Having been medicated with a new antidepressant, she claims not to remember having committed the act. A question arises: is she guilty of a conscious homicide or a mere victim of medicine side effects? Soderbergh expressed his versatility through designed camera plans and magnificent close-ups, highlighting the coldness of the characters, but never neglecting the gripping atmosphere. Reliable side effects are guaranteed from watching this one.

Jayne Mansfield's Car (2012)

Directed by: Billy Bob Thornton
Country: USA / Russia

Review: It’s clear that Billy Bob Thornton is more successful in front of the camera than behind it. 1996’s “Sling Blade” is an exception to this fact, where he was brilliant on both sides. After 11 years without directing, he is back with “Jayne Mansfield’s Car”, a film with respected intentions despite of a somewhat messy plot. A woman’s funeral will join two families together in Alabama, one American and one English. Curiously, both of them have common problems that drag on for some time. Billy Bob creates its own vision on father-son relationships in addition to war traumas, but I believe this could have been done without a forced plot and using a less restrained execution. Most of the scenes didn't take advantage from the underlying tension created. It was a shame that the movie hadn’t totally assumed the weirdness suggested in some moments, opting instead for a more formulaic approach. Positive aspects: the performances, and Robert Duvall's magnificent trip on LSD. Recommended with reservations.

Dormant Beauty (2012)

Directed by: Marco Bellocchio
Country: Italy / France

Review: Veteran filmmaker Marco Bellocchio has always been relegated to a second plan, although he had presented us with some good films in the past, which were the cases of “Fists In The Pocket”, “Good Morning, Night”, “My Mother’s Smile” or “Vincere”. All of them, in one way or another, evinced political, social, religious or moral considerations. “Dormant Beauty” mixes all these aspects to deal with death, including the sensitive matter of euthanasia, but failed to surprise. The film sought inspiration in the real case of Eluana Englaro, an Italian woman who won the right to die after being 17 years in a vegetative state, to depict three different stories concerning the legitimacy of putting an end to a human life. Bellocchio shows in a taciturn way, how painful this can be for those who lost the joy of living, as well as for the people around them. Unstable and unemotional, "Dormant Beauty" counts with good performances but doesn't add anything relevant to the matters in question.

No (2012)

Directed by: Pablo Larraín
Country: Chile / France / USA

Review: Pablo Larraín deserves a place of merit among contemporary filmmakers. “Tony Manero” and “Post Mortem” confirm that. “No” represents a turning point on his career, since the movies mentioned above had obsession as theme, while this one is purely political. It covers the 1988’s advertising campaigns in Chile, in a time that the country was preparing to decide about the continuity of dictator Pinochet as president. Gael Garcia Bernal is the protagonist, playing a visionary advertiser that led the campaign of No against fear, not without some of it due to the threats received. Its start was not so strong, but the film evolved resolutely towards the overpowering final moments. “No” was able to depict the atmosphere lived in Chile at that time: the machinations, the intimidations, the suspicions, the thoughts, and the relentless anxiety or fear. A strange, dazzling light was used within a simple direction, in a respectable film where the ideas reign in detriment of technical details.

Naked Harbour (2012)

Directed by: Aku Louhimies
Country: Finland

Review: “Naked Harbour” gathers a bunch of characters to depict several different stories set in Vuosaari, a neighborhood in the city of Helsinki. Aku Louhimies put grown-ups and kids to interact in distinct problematic situations. All depicted with gloominess, we have: a couple of junkies with debts and no food, a divorced mother struggling with cancer, a married man who can’t put his sexual life in order and finds a lover, a bullied boy and his mother, a father who is obsessed with losing weight and torments his son, a 16-year old girl who lives with her dad and doesn’t want to be ordinary, and finally an American guy who goes to Finland to give some lectures. The stories are about love and pursuit for recognition, but all of them include a prolonged heaviness and cruelty, just to bring some indulgence and self-pity in the end at the sound of Robbie Williams’ “Feel”. Joyful moments aren’t abundant in a depressing film that carries ‘I can cope with my life’ as purpose.