The Thieves (2012)

Directed by: Choi Dong-Hoon
Country: South Korea

Review: Another big hit in South Korea, “The Thieves” is a typical heist-film with a lot of characters, expectant action, noisy shootings, and some jolly moments. It could have been called ‘Ocean’s Eleven from Asia’, taking into account its similarities with Soderbergh’s hit of 2001. However, here the impossible stunts are in much larger number, as well as the greedy battle among the thieves to snatch a valuable diamond. Some suspense could be felt, although its frequent twists-and-turns never induced much enthusiasm or astonishment. The film presents the usual key elements: bluffs, quarrels, bribes, greed, hypocrisy, personal revenges, and even love. Actually, the amorous relationships among thieves revealed to be a major key in the plot’s turn of events. It was a constant guessing if the feelings were honest or cunning, or if the diamond was real or fake. “The Thieves” can be stirring and electrifying, although many times is just show-off, making us anticipate some of its calculated tricks.

Masquerade (2012)

Directed by: Choo Chang-min
Country: South Korea

Review: “Masquerade” is making a resounding success in South Korea, becoming the eighth film to surpass the ten million admissions, in October 2012. The plot tells the adventures of Ha-Seon, a common man who has been chosen to work as the double of king Gwang-Hae, the 15th ruler of Korea’s Joseon Dinasty. Ha-Seon was accustomed to work as a clown, making fun of the King and his court, hence no one better than him to temporarily assume the throne when the King fell ill due to poisoning. The humanity and honesty demonstrated by Ha-Seon, will conquer the queen’s heart, as well as the trust of the court men who were truly concerned with the country’s future. The costume design, scenarios, and resolute image compositions, were clearly the strongest elements in the film, whereas the plot revealed sentimental tendencies and a commercial appeal, very common in this genre. Its eagerness in combining mystery, humor, drama, and action, all at once, didn’t bring the expected results to make this epic more surprising or thrilling. Lee Byung-hun’s performance, and a few funny dialogues and situations, made “Masquerade” entertaining but far from fundamental.

Stoker (2013)

Directed by: Park Chan-wook
Country: USA / UK

Review: “Stoker” was directed by the cult filmmaker Park Chan-wook, becoming in his first film to be made outside South Korea. The result is one of his best works in a decade. Dropping the sanguinary cruelty of “Oldboy” or "The Vengeance Trilogy", Chan-wook should continue to please his fans by means of a psychological violence filled with attitude and gloominess. “Stoker” evinces the morbidity of “Harold and Maude” without the joyful moments or the happy ending. Instead, it embarks in a path of sensuality and deadly coldness. Mia Masikowska has here one of her best performances as India Stoker, a lugubrious girl, whose father died in strange circumstances. Right after her father's funeral, the mysterious newcomer uncle Charlie (Matthew Goode) invites himself to stay with the family. His presence will have a strange effect in his niece, rousing innermost feelings that were hidden in secrecy. This sinister tale about a cursed family might leave you dazzled with its uncomfortable moments of malevolent hostility. Written by Wentworth Miller, actor in the television series Prison Break, “Stoker” revealed to be a catchy and consistent thriller.

Smashed (2012)

Directed by: James Ponsoldt
Country: USA

Review: “Smashed” is a drama centered on alcoholism. Kate and Charlie are apparently a happy couple, who have a lot of things in common. However, life will change when they become completely dependent on alcohol. Kate is a teacher, whose job is put on jeopardy due to several absences, improper behaviors, and lies. Her nights consist in pretty much the same: drinking in bars until late hours. One morning, she awoke in the middle of the street, after smoking crack with an unknown woman. Since that moment, Kate started to worry, becoming aware of her addiction and seeking help at AA meetings. Her husband Charlie, on the contrary, didn’t show any intention to quit. “Smashed” has interesting moments, especially those showing the decadent behaviors that a drunk person is capable of. Yet, I wasn’t particularly moved, having the impression that something was missing here. The plot deliberately assumed a time discontinuity, between Kate’s first relapse and the celebration of a whole year without drinking. This fact kept me wondering how the couple had coped with the situation meanwhile. On the other side, the open ending worked well, while the lesson it tries to pass is already known. Great performance by Mary Elizabeth Winstead.

The Bay (2012)

Directed by: Barry Levinson
Country: USA

Review: Barry Levinson is an American filmmaker who deserves all my respect. Works such as “Diner”, “Good Morning Vietnam”, “Rain Man”, or TV movie “You Don’t Know Jack” can’t be easily forgotten. But is also true that filmmakers with an immaculate career are very rare and Levinson was many times accused of using unsubstantial stories and commercial approaches. “Toys”, “Sphere”, “Envy” or “Man Of The Year”, fall in this group. The brand new “The Bay” is an experience on horror/thriller in the form of a fake documentary that happens to be unconvincing. Combining moments of seriousness with slight tones of mockery, the film never truly impresses in any other way than through gore imagery or brutal violence. I confess that in the beginning the story aroused my curiosity, startling me for a couple of times, but after a while its imperfections started to become too obvious. The hasty ending made me wonder what happened with bacteria that were ashore, once the bay waters were cleaned with chlorine. “The Bay” might be an intriguing experience on visuals, but its phony tone almost never reached satisfactory levels.

Florbela (2012)

Directed by: Vicente Alves do Ó
Country: Portugal

Review: “Florbela” was loosely based in the life of Portuguese poet Florbela Espanca, whose writings became symbols of love, eroticism and feminism. Filmed in Vila Viçosa, her hometown, and Lisbon, the film depicts the Portuguese 20’s by making use of an interesting cinematography that contrasts shadowy images with colorful tones of blue and yellow. The script just slightly mentions Florbela’s doubtful past, centering mostly on the peculiar relationship with her brother Apeles, for whom she had a special love, and with her patient husband Mário Lage. This trio of characters was very well performed by Dalila Carmo, Albano Jerónimo, and Ivo Canelas, who were capable to pass all the devouring jealousy and discomfort, on every interaction. The poet’s constant struggle was shown with clarity, when confronted with feelings, insecurity on writing, and in her search for recognition. I liked how the light was used to create intimate, warm images, along with the spirited, wordy dialogues. A couple of scenes, however, seemed utterly misplaced, as if coming from nowhere. Nothing really serious, in a movie that was never boring.

Love Is All You Need (2012)

Directed by: Susanne Bier
Country: Denmark / Italy / others

Review: “Love Is All You Need” signals Susanne Bier’s return to comedy, after several years evincing great eye and solid hand for drama (“Open Hearts”, “After The Wedding”, “In A Better World”). The result was extremely disappointing; her weakest work so far. Patrick and Astrid decided to leave Denmark to get married in an old villa in Italy, where their families will join them. It’s excused to say that a pile of conflicts, dilemmas and separations will occur. Groom’s dad (Pierce Brosnan) and bride’s mom (Tryne Tyrholm) will become the beneficiaries of this gathering. Consecutively, and using a recurrent cheesy tone, we can witness the deep transformations on every single member of both families involved. I wouldn’t have nothing against it, if the plot wasn’t simultaneously predictable, weepy and drastically messy.  This story falls between sloppy comedy and overdramatic romance, where all the tension created among the characters was wrapped in triviality. Dean Martin’s tune “That’s Amore” annoyingly fills our ears over and over again, in a movie that was only able to impress through its beautiful southern Italian landscapes.

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.