Domestic (2012)

Directed by: Adrian Sitaru
Country: Romania

Review: “Domestic” is a Romanian comedy with touches of drama, which tries to create funny scenarios of homely coexistence between people and animals. Divided in two different parts that I couldn’t differentiate in terms of relevance and interest, the film is a muddle of parents-sons relationships, collected animals, law matters, reconciliations, death, and many unconnected dialogues among family members, which involve UFO’s, technology, tourism, religious matters, odd dreams, and many more. Sitaru’s way of filmmaking wasn't unfavorable, reminding me the 80’s, but the floating concept used in the plot could have been funnier if not so insistent on continual discussions between kids and their parents regarding the animals, which vary from rabbits, hens, cats, dogs and pigeons. In these discussions, everybody speaks at the same time, creating a surprising effect at first, but soon becoming annoying. Adrift and lacking real funny moments, “Domestic” showed dispersion on its characters’ delineation, leaving me in a state of apathy most of the time. This tale of life and death is nothing but a Noah’s ark condemned to sink.

Picture Day (2013)

Directed by: Kate Miles Melville
Country: Canada

Review: “Picture Day” is a well-intended, yet modest coming-of-age tale about 18 year-old Claire (Tatiana Maslany), an irreverent girl who is repeating the last year of High School. Known for missing classes and having promiscuous sexual adventures, Claire escapes from her boring quotidian life by hanging out with Jim (Steven McCarthy), a 33 year-old rock singer she met in a concert. Simultaneously, she finds out that Henry (Spencer Van Wyck), a genius boy whom she used to babysit when he was a kid, attends the same school and just like her, is a sort of an outcast. They become true friends after smoking a joint together,  helping each other from then on, in problems so identifiable with adolescence. Newcomer director Kate Melville creates a realistic scenario of irreverent youth with predictable romanticism, where the weight of different family backgrounds can be sensed in the way that the main characters reacted to the responsibilities of growing up. A direct and delicate approach was assumed, in a mildly entertaining film that despite clear in its message, seemed too distant to involve.

A Few Hours Of Spring (2012)

Directed by: Stéphane Brizé
Country: France

Review: “A Few Hours Of Spring” is a compelling drama that depicts the relationship between Alain, an ex-con man who is trying to rebuild his life from the ground, and his mother, Ivétte, who is struggling with cancer. After 18 months in prison, Alain had to return temporarily to his mother’s place, but there is a visible distance between them, with every attempt of conversation ending up in a quarrel. Upset and frustrated with his life,  Alain leaves home and asks for shelter in a neighbor’s. Before that, he found out that his mother had signed the papers to die without suffering in Switzerland by assisted suicide. I felt a great joy when the pride of mother and son eventually fades out and they reconnect again, even if the means that made it possible have been reproachable. This is a powerful film from a psychological point of view; a bittersweet story, which conveys not only a heaviness that is naturally associated to its theme, but also the beauty of understanding and forgiveness. The nominated for French César awards, Vincent Lindon and Hélène Vincent, were memorable in their roles, in a movie that has the honesty as its main strength. The excruciating final moments crushed my heart, though, despite the uneasiness you might feel, the idea of a calm and comfortable departure is rewarding.

Spring Breakers (2012)

Directed by: Harmony Korine
Country: USA

Review: Harmony Korine, the writer of Larry Clark’s emblematic movies about youth, “Kids” and “Ken Park”, presents us a new story that he directed himself, giving us a very somber idea of what a Spring Break may become, especially if we consider the unbalanced personality of its characters. Korine creates hypnotic and provocative images at the sound of hip-hop, to portray the story of four student girls who decide to break their monotony by robbing a restaurant in order to fulfill their whimsical urge of having real fun at spring break. In truth, their eagerness for action will be put to test after an encounter with Alien, a ruthless gangster whose honesty about himself left some of the girls even more excited. As usual, Korine’s writing was meant to shock us continually, but this time any attempt of making a psychological study was hampered by its own excesses. The film is too repetitive in its saturated images and torpid words, never reaching the depth wanted. This formulaic and too stylized approach was able to allure us occasionally for what was going on, but then came some moments of pure dullness, like when Alien sang a song by Britney Spears, showing his romantic side. "Spring Breakers" has not much to offer beyond cheap madness and a stylish presentation of the underworld of crime that rarely reached satisfactory levels.

Disconnect (2012)

Directed by: Henry Alex Rubin
Country: USA

Review: After two documentaries, director Henry Alex Rubin has a promising start on fiction with a story written by Andrew Stern. The film's structure is familiar, consisting in four different stories that intersect one another at some point, with the single purpose to show how the disconnection among people may lead to tragic consequences. The idea is bold, and the truth is that Rubin did a great job, presenting us the stories in such a way, that the focus and intensity in every one of them were always maintained. With a strong relation with the exposed above, the plot also makes us aware of the perils associated to modern technology through themes such as cyber bullying and Internet frauds. Although evincing melodramatic tones from time to time, “Disconnect” puts a lot of involvement on the screen, exposing the loneliness of common people who are suffering from lack of attention by the ones they trust more, even if those circumstances have been created in an unconscious manner. The performances were determinant to catch our attention, in a film that could have been better polished in terms of screenwriting, including a less obtuse conclusion in one of the stories. Nevertheless, that fact didn’t remove its strong message, which endures in our minds after watching it.

Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

Directed by: J.J. Abrams
Country: USA

Review: Rigorous Mr. Spock and impulsive Captain Kirk continue their spatial adventures in “Star Trek Into Darkness”, the most engrossing film from J.J.Abrams so far. This time they reunite forces to hunt John Harrison, a member of their own crew who became a villain, revealing to have a superior intelligence and a huge capacity of resilience. Better than any kind of monster or exuberant creature, Harrison is a real human with no fancy name for a change, accused of perpetrating massive attacks in London and in Starfleet Command. Ending up captured by the starship USS Enterprise, Harrison surrenders to Captain Kirk, unveiling secrets that will incriminate other characters who would be improbable malefactors at the first thought. This sequel is a good example on how technology should be used, leading to breathtaking battles and striking action, without surpass the sense of story. Of course that the plot revealed some scenes built in common ground but its twists were more than enough to maintain the grip and cause surprise. “Star Trek Into Darkness” is a pleasurable and adventurous manhunt that accomplishes its purpose to entertain, using the vastness of space as background. From a sci-fi perspective, we cannot demand much more. I just would have made some slight adjustments on some deviations of the plot, those involving internal confrontations among the crew.

The Delay (2012)

Directed by: Rodrigo Plá
Country: Uruguay / Mexico / France

Review: After the good results obtained with “Desierto Adentro” e “La Zona”, Uruguayan-born filmmaker living in Mexico Rodrigo Plá, works once again with the screenwriter Laura Santullo. This time the story is set in Montevideo, depicting an obnoxious episode involving Maria, a single mother who works at home for a textile factory to sustain the family, and Augustin, her aged, fragile, and often forgetful father who needs care and attention.  Each day with less time to work due to her father’s condition, Maria is visibly tired and in a verge of a nervous breakdown, trying all the possible ways to get rid of him yet without success. First she tries her sister who refuses to take care of him, and then the social security services but without much hope; that’s when Maria decides to abandon him in a park bench in plain winter. “The Delay” is slow, meticulous, and emotionally strong, depicting the despair and regret of a woman who, in a moment of madness, was capable of a premeditated cruelty with disturbing cold blood. I confess that I was expecting something more from its ending, but the film deals very realistically with the problems of conscience and social gaps in a modern society. The acting by Roxana Blanco and Carlos Vallarino are worth mentioning, while the direction is aesthetically valuable with precise close-ups that easily bring out the weight of the circumstances.

Augustine (2012)

Directed by: Alice Winocour
Country: France

Review: “Augustine” is a fresh period drama that enraptures us, as much as shocks us, with its story of lust covered in gothic tones. Augustine is a simple servant of 19 years old, who has been experiencing crisis of hysteria, ending up in a hospital of the specialty with her right side completely paralyzed. She starts to be seen by professor Charcot, an expert in the disease who got intrigued with her case. His intention was to make a public demonstration of Augustine having a crisis, which would be induced through hypnosis. That way he will be able to prove that hysteria is related to a brain malfunction instead of sorcery or supernatural causes, obtaining the support of the Academy of Medicine to continue his studies. However, a secret and dangerous fascination grows slowly on both doctor and patient, leading to harmful consequences. The outstanding performances by Soko (also a singer) and Vincent Landin, one of the most complete actors coming from France, contrasted with the modest role played by Chiara Mastroianni as Charcot's wife. “Augustine” was wrote with intelligence and shot with accuracy by debutant Alice Winocur, well backed up by George Chenaptois’ keen cinematography and Jocelyn Pook's penetrating music, which were essential to achieve the impressive final results. This story of complicity, intimate secrets, opportunism, and forbidden desires, deserves to be seen, defying ethics and morals.

90 Minutes (2012)

Directed by: Eva Sorhaug
Country: Norway

Review: Eva Sorhaug’s second feature film aims to make a psychological study of three men through three different unrelated stories, which ended up in murder. The first story follows a man putting an end to his newspaper subscription and negotiating to get rid of his house. His behavior makes us suspect of financial problems and the sadness in his face is quite evident. The second story is about a disturbed man who doesn’t live with his family anymore, but keeps visiting them often. He has a strange look, and playing with his children seems to leave his ex-wife frightened. The final story depicts a shameful case of domestic violence, starting with a disgusting scene of a tied woman being raped by a man who is addicted to drugs. This is the most violent story, the most painful to watch, and slightly more interesting than the others, since we get to know a little more about the man in question. It’s hard to know what Sorhaug intended to show us with so underdeveloped characters and poor script. Broken homes? Hidden sickness? Evilness? The heavy stuff was so explicit, but the motives or what led to the actions are left aside, since nothing was said or shown about the characters’ past. Despite the vague hints that it might suggest, I got unsatisfied about the lack of depth in the characters' fabrication. The competent direction and convincing performances were the positive aspects of “90 Minutes”, a depressing and feeble analysis of three disturbing minds.

Inside (2012)

Directed by: Zeki Demirkubuz
Country: Turkey

Review: Adapted from the novel “Notes from Underground” by Dostoievsky, “Inside” takes us through a dark journey in the life of Muharrem, a restless man tied in his mundane world of pettiness, prostitutes, and loneliness. We can follow his questionable advices and conversations with Turkan, the maid of an elder neighbor who is losing his mind and constantly threatens to fire her; the fantastic speeches and dialogues in the presence of his friends whom he despise, especially Cevat, an awarded writer who he envies and accuses of being a thief of ideas; his eventual relationship with a prostitute he met after got drunk in Cevat’s party; and finally in his secretive world of paranoia, strange desires, and peculiar behaviors, which left me perplexed and intrigued. These uncomfortable situations were depicted in a Kafkian style through brilliantly photographed frames that show how tormented and fastidious was Muharrem’s existence. We could sense the suffering, every time that a close-up from his eyes showed that he had to woke up from turbulent nightmares and face the reality again. The ending unveils an exhausted man who shows to be too fragile and corrupted to recover from his existential pain and solitude. “Inside” is a poignant and devastating character-study, brightly directed by Demirkubuz, and performed with heart and passion by Engin Gunaydin.

White Elephant (2012)

Directed by: Pablo Trapero
Country: Argentina / Spain / France

Review: “White Elephant” depicts the paths taken by two priests while on mission in a poor and dangerous slum of Buenos Aires. Accurately photographed by Guillermo Nieto, the film shows the frightful conditions lived by the inhabitants of the village. Most of the population lives outraged without a decent home, protesting against governmental injustices, and involved in violence, drug consumption, and criminal gangs. Ricardo Darin and Jeremie Renier constructed their characters with sincerity, showing the constant struggle among external concerns and internal dilemmas. This is a story about the courage and determination of two men who abandoned a comfortable life to dedicate themselves to the less fortunate, becoming exposed to different kinds of dangers. Its noble principle is here dispersed on other themes such as faith, love, sacrifice, and sin, from a Christian perspective. Though likeable and interesting, some scenes didn’t put all the excitement possible, evincing some difficulties on maintaining an easy flow and denoting some ups and downs in the narrative. This clerical-narcotraffic interaction achieved its purposes, not with distinctiveness but in a satisfactory way, making us realize how wounded these souls become by witnessing so much misery.

Iron Man 3 (2013)

Directed by: Shane Black
Country: USA

Review: Jon Favreau misses the direction of “The Iron Man 3” to the less experienced Shane Black (“Kiss Kiss Bang Bang”), with the consolation of having participated as actor in the small role of the unlucky security man Happy Hogan. The result is more and more action, but less consistency in the story, being very far from the great first movie from 2008. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) continues available and ready for action though a bit less spirited. Now he has the difficult mission of liberate his beloved Pepper (Gwyneth Paltrow) and the American president from the hands of an evasive villain named The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley), a mix of Chinese warrior and Taliban terrorist who was the most remarkable character in the film. Some sparse funny situations, like Stark’s anxiety attacks, were added to a panoply of special effects, fierce scenes, and incredible stunts that will take Marvel’s fans to heaven, but in terms of script the film didn’t show strength or cleverness enough to stand aside from other movies of the genre. Shane Black’s eagerness for action was so exposed that it ended up making me tired in the last third part. There were too many Iron Men for my taste, as well as some stupid scenes, with Pepper revealing an unconvincing violent side as new heroin. The chaotic “Iron Man 3” is minimally amusing and doesn't add practically anything relevant to its prior sagas.

Capital (2012)

Directed by: Costa Gavras
Country: France

Review: Costa Gavras gives a crushing vision about greed and capitalism in his new political thriller “Capital”. Marc Tourneuil (Gad Elmaleh) is an unscrupulous and ambitious man who was designated CEO of a large European Bank. Regardless the fierce opposition of the board of directors, he will take control of everything in an obsessive way, trying to introduce a new ethic vision and attitude in the company. However, a fraudulent alliance with an American hedge fund will lead him to make dangerous moves, putting the entire company and its shareholders in jeopardy. Gavras uses every detail (maybe even in excess) to denounce the bad conduct, corruption, and opulence, associated to these money suckers. Sex and lust are also depicted through two eminent affairs that Marc will handle in opposite ways; one with Nassim, a provocative and greedy supermodel, and other with an honest and intelligent financial writer named Maud Baron. The notion of tax haven and the concept that money is the master, are pretty clear. Among its moral lessons, “Capital” is a cerebral exposure of socio-economical turbulences, adding a sort of ironic mockery that is entirely new in the filmmaker’s career. Although not totally unpredictable or balanced, and far from the supremacy of other times (“Z”, “State Of Siege”), we can still sense Gavras’ joy in denouncing the hypocrisy of capitalist domains.

Zaytoun (2012)

Directed by: Eran Riklis
Country: Israel / UK

Review: “Zaytoun” is set in Beirut, Lebanon, and depicts an improbable cooperation and friendship between Fahed, a12 year-old Palestinian refugee who becomes an orphan, and Yoni, a sensitive Israeli pilot whose plane was shot down. The initial mistrust between them will change after they decide to help each other in order to cross the border to return to their homes. Eran Riklin, who directed two emblematic and interesting films about the Arab-Israeli conflict, “The Syrian Bride” and “The Lemon Tree”, was able to show Fahed’s loss of innocence and thirst for revenge, although as a whole this sentimental story did not seem so credible. Some scenes and conversations were just meant to push out the viewers' emotions, being sometimes manipulative and unconvincing. The plot, written by debutant Nader Rizq, didn’t catch me, while Rikli’s direction and the acting by Stephen Dorff and the young Abdallah El Akal, were competent. Among pale colors and destroyed landscapes, “Zaytoun” gives a completely different perspective of the conflict, gathering all the conditions to affect us in a positive way, but its urge in sensitize our hearts led to a sensation of falseness.

What Richard Did (2012)

Directed by: Lenny Abrahamson
Country: Ireland

Review: Leonard Abrahamson had impressed me with 2007’s “Garage”, a tragicomic tale set in a rural Ireland, about a gas-station attendant. “What Richard Did” comes in a totally different line, but also evinces realism and an interesting storytelling. As the university approaches, the idolized 18 year-old Richard Karlsen and his school friends decide to spend time together in the countryside. After meeting Lara, Richard instantly falls in love with her, but shows an uncontrollable jealousy particularly when his schoolmate Conor is around. During a night party, a fight between the two boys will cause irreversible consequences in Richard’s life. Based on Kevin Power’s novel “Bad Day in Blackrock”, “What Richard Did” interestingly depicts the psychological effects associated to an accidental killing, the transformations in the relationships, the importance of family, and leaves in the air the question: is it possible to live a lie forever? This low-key film counted with an admirable performance by Jack Reynor, who showed guilt and fear in a believable way. Immutable in pace and mood, the film never loses significance but also does not enrapture us with intense emotions.

Foxfire (2012)

Directed by: Laurent Cantet
Country: France

Review: This overextended second adaptation of Joyce Carol Oates’ novel “Foxfire” by the talented French filmmaker Laurent Cantet, ended up being considerably better than the first version from 1996 with Angelina Jolie, but could have been much more interesting if better edited and if had shown further expansiveness in terms of emotions. Lacking strength and vitality in several moments, the film minimally caught my interest, especially due to Raven Adamson’s performance in the role of Legs, a smart, dangerous, and feminist revolutionary leader who gathered the girl-gang Foxfire in 1955’s upstate New York. The story started with a very encouraging rhythm, but after the anti-capitalist gang having become obsessed with money, the big adventure fell in typical and questionable situations, conducting its radical feminist ideas to common places. With a suitable score that tries to create more vividness among the mild action scenes, “Foxfire” is often disconcerting and ultimately limited. It’s a shame that its initial intensity have degenerated into scenes where the girls' actions weren’t capable of making this blood sisterhood against men, more convincing and memorable. A sturdy direction and appreciable production design helped making Cantet’s seventh film a watchable-yet-non-rigorous slice of armed revolution.

The Almost Man (2012)

Directed by: Martin Lund
Country: Norway

Review: “The Almost Man” presents us a character study that isn't so penetrating, leaving me expecting something more. Henrik is 35, and apparently have a happy life. He has a good job, friends who care for him, and seems to have a very stable and joyful relationship with his girlfriend, who is expecting his baby. But these first moments of the story revealed to be deceitful, since Henrik denoted an erratic behavior, immaturity, and selfishness. His adventures are everything but normal, filled with odd episodes such as piss inside his girlfriend’s friend’s car, partying without control, or attack a workmate. Besides, he is completely unable to have a decent conversation or understand his partner’s needs, always with a stupid joke ready to say in the worst moments. Impatient in his job, he ended up quitting in a childish way, after spend some time hiding in corridors and fooling around. The funniest moment of the film was when Henrik abandoned his squash mates, grumbling and sulking like a kid, and went to a bus stop, refusing their ride. This scene showed clearly his personality, rejoicing with the foolish situation created in the middle of the road. Not so anarchic as its obnoxious main character, Martin Lund’s second feature film has exposed promising situations but not always concluded them in the most satisfying way.

Everybody In Our Family (2012)

Directed by: Radu Jude
Country: Romania / Netherlands

Review: “Everybody In Our Family” belongs to those typical Romanian films with lots of tension, quarrels, and action, where nobody is innocent, and madness takes possession of its characters. The story follows Marius, an unstable dental technician, who leads a disorganized life after having lost his wife to her accountant, as well as the custody of his five year-old daughter Sofia. However, having the right to spend some time with Sofia, he planned a holiday trip to the seaside with her. But things go wrong from the beginning, first when he asks for his dad's car, and then when he went to his ex-mother-in-law’s place to fetch his daughter. The film has plenty of funny situations, even when the verbal excesses and aggressions take hold of the story. Its dysfunctional characters were very well conceived, often sulking, accusing themselves, and evincing deranged behaviors. A strong scene is when Marius, completely out of his mind, starts to tell his daughter what he thinks about her mom, who was tied and gagged in front of them along with her new boyfriend. What started as a plausible family drama, ended up in a battlefield, with hostages, police involved, and a lot of turmoil. “Everybody In Our Family” never discards its frantic rhythm, being filled with poignant humor and extremely entertaining situations; some of them are stupid and exaggerated, but entertaining anyway. Impeccable direction and acting, in one of the craziest movies of the year.

Sun Don't Shine (2012)

Directed by: Amy Seimetz
Country: USA

Review: Actress Amy Seimetz has an interesting debut as director with “Sun Don’t Shine”, an atmospheric road trip through central Florida and another hymn to the deviations of the human mind. After the first tense moments, when we watch a couple fighting in a muddy field, we get to know that they are involved in a murder of a man whose body they carry in the car trunk. Along the trip, their characters start to take shape. While Leo is ponderous, meticulous, and always worried about not to be noticed or what to do next; Crystal reveals to be immature, insecure, jealous, whimsical, and mostly unbalanced. Kate Lyn Sheil’s performance was outstanding, and the moving camera often lingers on her expressions and deliriums. Seimetz’s approach evinced similarities with “Upstream Color”, a fact that is not so surprising, if we considered her participation on that new cult film as main actress. The silences alternate with different types of sounds, sometimes subtle and distant, sometimes sudden and loud, combining with haunting images to form almost a plotless thriller that intrigues but not excites us so much. Among imperfections and inaccuracies, this indie film ended up being enjoyable, thanks to the performances and to a very funny ending, which represented a cool down in the suffocating heat of Florida.

The Broken Circle Breakdown (2012)

Directed by: Felix Van Groeningen
Country: Belgium / Netherlands

Review: A couple pursues balance on their relationship after the death of their little daughter due to cancer, mixing tears of joy and sadness in a dramatic story containing a rich musical side. The same hippie mood and Ruben Impens' cinematography, are the noticeable common aspects with “The Misfortunates”, Van Groeningen’s previous film, but here we are dealing with a much more intimate and sensitive matter. Even using a non-linear structure, we can divide this story in two different parts. In the first one, we get to know Didier, a bluegrass musician, his tattooed wife Elise, who owns a tattoo-parlor and also sings in the band, and their cancerous six year-old daughter Maybelle. This part is all about hope, the ups and downs related to Maybelle’s sickness, and a dive in the couple’s past. The second part is associated with the pain that remained after the child’s death, depression, and the ways found to deal with extreme suffering. The bluegrass music works as a vehicle of expressing feelings, enhancing the circumstantial happiness or sadness. At the same time that the film tries to avoid sentimental manipulation, it leaves a sensation of familiarity, with its faith issues, and shattered American dreams. The ending keeps up the intensity: sadness, depth, but also beauty.