This Is The End (2013)

Directed by: Seth Rogen / Evan Goldberg
Country: USA

Review: “This Is The End” came up from the minds of its two directors and screenwriters: Seth Rogen (also actor) and Evan Goldberg. Their idea was simply put six Hollywood young actors playing themselves in an end-of-the-world situation. Firstly they will get locked up inside the house of James Franco who was holding a party, and later they will be confronted by grotesque threats on the streets. In the meantime, the plot not wanting to stand only by the comedy standards, made an incursion in horror (with exorcism and cannibalism) and sci-fi (blue light beams coming from the sky and demonic creatures). The film, poorly directed, started with some suitable jokes, but then it fell in a cadence that was too stupid to be taken seriously and too dumb to be funny, like when six indelicate guys facing a delicate situation, put up a fight for a Milky Way. Even with some surprises, the impact was null, making this gaudy and often gross apocalyptic parody, a pointless bad joke. Its anarchic manners became messy at all levels, and I got bored most of the time, looking desperately to say ‘This Is The End’ of the movie. Comedy fanatics may say wonders about it, but for me this was nothing more than a decontextualized, hysterical, and imbecile film. Definitely, not my cup of tea!

The Bling Ring (2013)

Directed by: Sofia Coppola
Country: USA / UK / others

Review: Sofia Copolla’s “The Ring Bling” is an observant film in tones of mockery that exposes the whimsical state of mind of a group of five teenagers, whose obsession for fame and luxury led them to rob several celebrities' houses in L.A. The plot was based on the real events reported by TMZ in 2011, when they denounced burglaries that victimized Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Megan Fox, Audrina Patridge, and Orlando Bloom, among others. Although depicted with apparent superficiality, the characters were interesting to follow through their natural immaturity and mischievous behavior. I believe the filmmaker chose this type of characterization on purpose by following the assumption that there’s not much to show or dig in such frivolous characters, unless their stupid talks about clothes and shoes, and drug consumption. The natural and convincing performances from the young cast were fundamental for the film’s success, leading this modern society's satire to realistic levels that are worrying. Copolla did a great job by capturing all the relevant details that were important to create visual attractiveness. However, some more tension could have been added in several scenes, especially those inside the robbed houses. “The Bling Ring” certainly will not stand among her best works, but it didn’t disappoint me either, making me smile quite often with its sarcastic humor.

World War Z (2013)

Directed by: Marc Forster
Country: USA

Review: “World War Z” is a weak blockbuster based on Max Brook’s novel, about a zombie pandemic that starts threatening the world. It stars Brad Pitt as Gerry Lane, a privileged UN employee who will travel worldwide to put a stop on the troubles by learning how to deal with these raging creatures. Marc Forster, who already gave us some well-referenced movies like “Monster’s Ball” or “Stranger Than Fiction”, directed the film with such a pretentious attitude that discouraged me since the first moments. The lousy first half didn’t show anything unfamiliar, just reinforcing continuously my sensations of déjà-vu, while the second was slightly more thrilling but leading us to some terrible final scenes, such as when Lane walks through a laboratory corridor with a bunch of zombies running franticly in opposite direction without even touching him. The overdone images of thousands of zombies running and falling along the streets or even climbing walls, made quite noticeable the computer technology that was behind. With the main goal of impressing through chaotic situations and try to scare us with the zombies’ facial expressions (which weren’t so bad actually), “World War Z” left behind any concerns about involvement or depth of the story. This sensationalist crowd-pleaser is devoid of funny moments (maybe it would have gained something with some), becoming more silly than scary.

100 Bloody Acres (2012)

Directed by: Cameron and Colin Cairnes
Country: Australia

Review: The first feature film from Cairnes brothers is an outrageous and shocking exercise on gore and comedy, which let us foreseen an interesting career for the filmmakers, yet many things have to be rethought in the future in order to attain a more mature level. The story is basic and follows three friends whose car broke down in their way to a music Festival. Their lucky seemed about to change when they get a ride from Reg who was making deliveries in a van from the fertilizer's company ‘Morgan’s Organics’. But what they didn’t know is that Reg and his merciless brother Lindsay, the owners of that company, were using grinded human bodies as a secret ingredient to produce their successful fertilizer. Not everything worked fine in this formulaic comedy, in particular the romantic conflicts, which seemed more a soap opera obfuscated by the horrendous scenes. But despite the lack of depth of its characters, the film is worth for what it is: a feast of craziness filled with enough blood to please the gore fans, and hilarious scenes, which have more to do with sex, that probably will make you have a good laugh. The contrast obtained between the two brothers was funny, with Reg showing more heart and naivety, while the gruesome Lindsay will be remembered as a freak villain with very odd tastes. Ridiculously disgusting but entertaining, “100 Bloody Acres” is an uncomplicated film to watch in a Sunday afternoon, without the kids around.

Something In The Air (2012)

Directed by: Olivier Assayas
Country: France

Review: “Something In The Air” is a semi-autobiographical film by the French director Olivier Assayas. The story, set in the turbulent France of the early 70's, focuses on Gilles (Clément Métayer), a young radical high-school boy, whose time is basically spent in riotous student movements, painting, and amorous relationships, which would become meaningful in this crucial phase of his life. Therefore, a big emphasis is given to his early romances with Laure (Carole Combes), an aspiring actress who departed to London to get lost on drugs, and Christine (Lola Créton), his close mate on the revolution that students were trying to carry out. These were not impetuous romances, for sure, but they were depicted with an inherent sensibility and in a non-sorrowful way, which is commendable. Assayas knew what he wanted from the actors, whose expression and characterization reminded me some of the works by Christophe Honoré, but was his confident objectivity behind the camera that made the difference here, even if in some moments the film doesn’t get the appropriate vigor for better serving its intentions. In truth, excepting the fighting scenes between activists and police, the film runs in a passive tone that doesn’t provoke the viewer, making the revolutionary attitude of its characters get a bit lost on the screen. More personal and intellectual than properly striking or bold, this film certainly must have a huge sentimental value for its author, but for me it just became likeable and partly satisfying.

Mon Ami (2012)

Directed by: Rob Grant
Country: Canada

Review: Teddy (Mike Kovac) and Callum (Scott Wallis) are employees in Hal’s Hardware store and best friends since childhood. Aiming a better life, they decide to kidnap their boss’ beautiful daughter, Crystal (), but what was planned to be a simple and efficient plan, soon became a bloody nightmare. The jokes and attempts to create funny situations, do not always hit the target, but the addition of suspenseful elements to create horror scenes that were presented in tones of farce were satisfyingly amusing. Despite being more artisans of foolishness than of crime, these two friends can be considered psychopaths worthy of any horror movie, evincing a dark, sarcastic humor that reminded me the animated characters of Beavis and Butt-head but without any musical connotation. The tightness of their friendship could be seen through the constant covering up to any issue that might appear, as well as Cal’s jealousy regarding Teddy’s wife, whose appearance in the final moments seemed to take the craziness to extreme proportions. “Mon Ami” belongs to those kind of movies in which stupidity fits well, providing enough surprises to maintain the levels of interest. It’s a stirring comedy that has nothing new to say or show, but certainly provides some entertainment, which will be greater if watched in a crowded theater.

Redemption (2013)

Directed by: Steven Knight
Country: UK / USA

Review: “Redemption” is an action/thriller film that tells the story of Joey Jones (Jason Statham), a traumatized ex-soldier in Afghanistan war, who becomes homeless and starts begging in the streets of London. In a desperate attempt to run from a group of men who wanted to beat him, Joey enters in an empty apartment and steals the owner’s identity. A lucky strike that will give him strength to fight the London’s underworld crime and avenge his girlfriend’s death with the help of a young nun, Sister Cristina (Agata Buzek), who is also a survivor of her sad past. In terms of script, I must confess that I expected a lot more from debutant director Steven Knight, having in consideration his talented past as screenwriter, with works such as David Cronenberg’s “Eastern Promises” or Stephen Frears’ “Dirty Pretty Things”. The film was uninspired and occasionally messy, using a dark ambience to depict the scenes that were never exciting. The performances didn’t convince me either, particularly the Polish actress and former model Agata Buzek who played an awkward and unattractive character. The music by the Italian Dario Marianelli was the only aspect that stood out, creating a sort of tension that was never matched by what was happening on the screen. Unfunny, unstimulating, and emotionless, “Redemption” only stirred me up through its most violent scenes.

The East (2013)

Directed by: Zal Batmanglij
Country: USA / UK

Review: Not so thrilling as I was expecting, “The East” is the new incursion of filmmaker Zal Batmanglij in the world of cult groups, two years after his debut “Sound Of My Voice”. Batmanglij wrote both scripts in collaboration with the actress and producer Brit Marling, presenting the same style, mood, and pace. Only this time, the motives that led several people to join a cult group wasn't so suggestive or mysterious, since they embark in a sort of home terrorism to make justice by themselves. Better results would have been achieved without a few stereotyped scenes that transformed it in a less cerebral story and in a much more explicit and conventional thriller. Sarah’s dilemma about doing the job for what she had been paid for, and the growing attachment to the members of a dangerous but sympathetic group, is quite possible and could be sensed, but the film stumbles in little details that don’t bring any benefit to the story. The game of kissing and hugging played by the group members, along with the scene where the owner of an industry dives in contaminated waters, represent good examples of this, and might well have been suppressed without compromising the final goal. Despite gradually losing strength as it moves forward, “The East” still delivers some controversy and intrigue, gained mostly through the moral and ethical issues that raises.

Maniac (2012)

Directed by: Franck Khalfoun
Country: USA / France

Review: Franck Khalfoun’s “Maniac” is a remake of William Lustig’s film from 1980, but doesn’t add anything different to be considered satisfying. Its macabre start is just a drop in the ocean of blood that would be shed in the screens by the hands of Frank (Elijah Wood), a disturbed man who had a problematic childhood due to his mother’s behavior. Frank kills random women just for the pleasure of taking their scalp off and create similar mannequins that he keeps in his mother’s mannequin shop where he lives, maintaining the illusion of being always accompanied. A fortuitous encounter with Anna (Nora Arnezeder), a talented photographer who works with mannequins, will provoke a change in his routine. Most of the time, Khalfoun’s camera works as the eyes of the maniac, and I have to recognize the good work done in this aspect. Actually, its execution is not the problem here but the story’s lack of freshness and the familiarity of its narrative. Is the same old tale of a crazy guy with psychological problems, who we already have seen for a million times before. Even presenting raw and gore images in considerable quantity, the film didn’t provoke much chills, falling in a banality that emerged from the few surprises and due to a not scary Elijah Wood. The visceral ending was the culmination of its excesses, making “Maniac” a technically well-done remake, but certainly a non-essential one.

Much Ado About Nothing (2012)

Directed by: Joss Whedon
Country: USA

Review: Joss Whedon made a bold move, in his modern adaptation of William Shakespeare’s play “Much Ado About Nothing”. As you can imagine, the approach here nothing has to do with “Serenity” or “The Avengers”, his previous and successful experiences on sci-fi. The story, despite having been molded to fit in the current times, doesn’t get too far from the original, telling the adventures of two pairs of lovers: Benedick (Alexis Denisov) and Beatrice (Amy Acker), and Claudio (Fran Kranz) and Hero (Jillian Morgese), who will have to go a long way before decide to get married. With intensive dialogues and refined language expected from a play, Whedon was able to conceive a balanced cinematic adaptation, in which drama, comedy, and romance, are well intertwined. Occasionally, he overdid on some funny scenes, like when Beatrice falls stupidly down the stairs or skids on the kitchen floor, but others are superb with special relevance to those involving Dogberry and Verge, two clumsy but efficient watchmen, played by Nathan Fillon and Tom Lenk, respectively. Whedon’s camera was restless, presenting us the story through a huge amount of different angles and always searching for intimacy in his close-ups. I believe that “Much Ado About Nothing” could have given even more than it did, particularly on the emotional level, but it is certainly an enjoyable film, which I easily followed without distractions. In black and white.

Tepenin Ardi - Beyond The Hill (2012)

Directed by: Emin Alper
Country: Turkey / Greece

Review: “Beyond The Hill” is a Turkish thriller that marks Emin Alper’s debut on filmmaking and screenwriting, and should not be mistaken with the Romanian “Beyond The Hills” from the same year, directed by the acclaimed Cristian Mungiu. In a remote place, somewhere among the mountains of Anatolia, three generations of a quirky family are reunited to defend their land from a mysterious group of nomads who live behind the hill. Other people help the family maintaining the land in good conditions. However, the dispute with the nomads will serve as an excuse for everything bad that might happen to them, and the doubt about who are the real culprits is installed. These problematic people revealed to be obsessed, affected with loneliness, and evinced disturbed behaviors, which made me wonder if some of the incidents were real or hallucinations. Shots coming from nowhere just made the confusion and suspicion grow, but Alper constantly hid the truth from our eyes, leaving everything in suspension. With incisive silences, “Beyond The Hill” was emotionally detached, creating good moments of tension but without taking them to the next level. By playing with our senses, this illusive exercise on thriller, promised so much but let me down in its final moments. Nevertheless, it still deserves a good look, leaving me tuned for Alper’s coming works.

The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2012)

Directed by: Mira Nair
Country: USA / UK / others

Review: The best-seller novel by Mohsin Hamid deserved a better cinematic treatment than that given by one of the most admired Indian film directors of our times, Mira Nair (“Salaam Bombay”, “The Namesake”, “Monsoon Wedding”). Here, American finance and patriotism are mixed with Muslim fundamentalism, but the final result showed an aimless and indistinct point of view. The story is narrated by Changez Khan (Riz Ahmed), an ambitious Pakistani who achieved great success in New York, where he pursued his dream of working in the financial world of Wall Street. Yet, after the 9/11 attacks, his life and his family’s would be turned upside down, when he was accused of having connotations with the terrorists. Even the relationship with his girlfriend Erica (Kate Hudson) started to go in the wrong direction, compelling Khan to abandon a country that he always said he was in love with. Exhibiting a stable pace and exotic music, “The Reluctant Fundamentalist” was weak in its final moments and was never totally satisfying in its whole, despite having been filmed with accuracy. Most of its tense moments were inconsequent and the problematic romance was monotonous, ending up in ridiculous situations. Khan often says that looks can be deceitful, and that is exactly what happened to this film: it looks better than it really is.

Meanwhile (2011)

Directed by: Hal Hartley
Country: USA

Review: What a great joy to find that indie filmmaker Hal Hartley has returned to his best shape and style with “Meanwhile”, a film that is meant to portray New York City through the adventures of Joseph, a man whose assets were frozen by The State of NY due to an unpaid tax debt that went to the wrong address. With this incident Joseph seemed to start gaining conscience of other people’s problems, having deliberate and fortuitous encounters with a variety of New York's inhabitants that will mark his life. Hartley found a light and non-sentimental solution to look at not so positive aspects that characterize NYC, such as traffic problems, jobless and hungry people, suicide, police overzealousness, immigration, and the constant struggle to survive financially in a city where the hasty rhythm and restlessness are constant. The pursuance of success is often mentioned and depicted not just through the need of getting different jobs, but also through the business opportunities that arise. Magnificently shot, “Meanwhile” is a film of great humanity, being very funny at times, and showing objectivity on every encounter and dialogue. D.J.Mendel has a persuasive performance as film-producer-aspiring-to-be-drummer, in his fifth collaboration with Hal Hartley, while helmer’s wife Miho Nikaido also plays a small role as herself. In only 59 minutes, Hartley presents a meaningful film for everyone, but the New Yorkers certainly will feel it with much more heart than the rest of the viewers.

Unfinished Song (2012)

Directed by: Paul Andrew Williams
Country: UK / Germany

Review: Veteran actors Terence Stamp and Vanessa Redgrave try to give the best expression to “Unfinished Song”, a story that seemed familiar to me since its start, making me guess with very little error margins what would come next, at every point of the plot. After some minor exercises on horror, filmmaker Paul Andrew Williams continues searching for a convenient cinema that can bring him the desired success. His fourth feature film sought support on music to depict the drama of a stubborn old man who slowly realized he had to change his life as soon as possible, after the death of his wife. He will achieve that with the help of Elizabeth, the daring young leader of the local elderly choir. Terence Stamp was equal to himself in the role of the crabber widower, but was the joyous Gemma Arterton who stood out. The musical moments, alternating between rejoicing and profound, didn’t impose a convincing tone. In turn, the dramatic side produced a couple of tender moments that touched me, but the course of the story didn’t add anything that I wasn’t expecting, letting foreseen a happy ending on the horizon. The humor was nothing special either, and “Unfinished Song” got lost in the trap of good-hearted cinema with predictable twists and common conclusion, being recommended only for those sentimental viewers who don’t mind to watch recurrent dramatic plots, over and over again.

Man Of Steel (2013)

Directed by: Zack Snyder
Country: USA

Review: “Man Of Steel” marks the return of Superman by the hand of Zack Snyder, a filmmaker who is well known for graphical exaggerations, as can be confirmed in previous works such as “300”, “Watchmen” or “Sucker Punch”. This one is no exception, and most of the scenes rely on technically crafted visuals filled with special effects in order to construct futuristic scenarios and scenes of massive destruction. The film tells the story of Kryptonian Kal-El, sent to Earth by his parents after the planet Krypton has faced imminent destruction, to be adopted and raised by the Kent family who gave him the name Clark. Since childhood, Clark was aware of his super powers, becoming the great protector of our world under the name of Superman. The story showed potentiality, but the fierce action was always the first concern through images of crashing planes, buildings being smashed, and explosions everywhere throughout the sky and land. Funny moments would have been important to achieve the right balance but they were very scarce, and the sense of adventure was swallowed by raging battles against the immoral invaders commanded by General Zod. With an extremely high budget and a superb cast that wasn’t bad at all, this super production overdid the chaotic scenarios of the city and didn’t spread the joy needed to stand out. Amy Adams was my favorite as Lois Lane, in a roistering film that happened to be shallow.

Nancy, Please (2012)

Directed by: Andrew Semans
Country: USA

Review: Andrew Semans’ debut feature film “Nancy, Please” shapes an intense story of obsession and paranoia that was never inconvenient or wearisome. An agreeable surprise that owes its success to the resolute performance by Will Rogers, an actor with experience gained in TV series, well accompanied here by Eleonore Hendricks and Rebecca Lawrence. The central character is Paul (Rogers), a PhD candidate at Yale University, whose confidence and creativity strangely disappeared when he moved to a new house with his new girlfriend Jen (Hendricks). After an ultimatum to finish his dissertation, Paul becomes obsessed with his former roommate Nancy (Lawrence) and with the retrieval of “Little Dorrit” by Charles Dickens, an old book containing important notes for his work, which he had forgotten in her place. With an incredibly simple plot, Semans created an atmospheric drama of unchangeable tones and with a sort of weirdness associated that sometimes left me wondering if all the situations presented were real. Punctuated with dark humor, “Nancy, Please” drew a penetrating character study that risked to take a few scenes to the extreme or even close to ridiculousness. But in the end, the sensation was positive and I almost felt relieved when Paul, already with his career and relationship ruined, could have some solace and rest.

Lesson Of The Evil (2012)

Directed by: Takashi Miike
Country: Japan

Review: Versatile Japanese filmmaker Takashi Miike, remembers us that school attacks are an actual concern in our society by presenting a bloody movie filled with sarcastic humor, which often falls in exaggeration. This massive killing of teenagers by a popular teacher suffering from grave psychological disorders can be seen as a freaky parody that reunites many irreverent aspects of Miike’s style, yet without hiding certain weaknesses that let it aside from his best works. The film has a misguided start, showing dispersion and losing itself in jammed cell phones and bullying talks. In the first hour, Miike seemed to use a totally different approach in terms of pace and narrative, showing disconnection while introducing the characters and leaving us adrift for several moments. This phase was just the preparation for the violence that would come next, a fierce blood bath that despite energetic, is a non-suspenseful repetition of chaotic scenes involving teen students being killed by shotgun. At the sound of “Mack The Knife”, a song originally composed by Brecht/Weill for The Threepenny Opera, “Lesson Of The Evil” exposes illicit relationships between teachers and students, and constructs a portrait of an evil man disguised as good soul who no longer can refrain his dark side. Sometimes morbid, sometimes childish, its insensible posture adopted was able to shock at first, but after a while didn't bring about much pleasure.

Passion (2012)

Directed by: Brian De Palma
Country: Germany / France

Review: “Passion” is Brian De Palma’s remake of Alain Corneau’s “Love Crime”, that tries to mix sensuality, business, and murder, in a pseudo-stylish thriller that was not able to add anything relevant to the original version. The story begins with a love triangle formed by the subversive and whimsical Christine (Rachel McAdams), talented and secretive Isabelle (Noomi Rapace), and their unscrupulous lover Dirk (Paul Anderson). Later, they are joined by calculative Dani (Karoline Herfurth), in the last attempt to recover a movie that was always boring throughout the way. De Palma tried to give some fancy airs with a disconcerting ending, but it didn’t work as expected, failing to cause any involvement. The hidebound plot was set up with a few disjointed scenes that became totally unconvincing, especially those involving the work environment and little personal revenges. De Palma’s questionable options in direction, especially the split screens composed with unrelated frames of crime and ballet, were not favorable. Moreover, the performances didn’t stood out, making “Passion” a manipulative murder story that is placed miles away from other thrilling works from the filmmaker’s past. Revealing to be ineffective and disappointing, I would skip this unnecessary remake.

In The Fog (2012)

Directed by: Sergei Loznitsa
Country: Russia / others

Review: Sergei Loznitsa’s sophomore film “In The Fog” presents the same approach of “My Joy”, evincing the same depressive mood, the same desolated scenarios, cold interactions among the characters, and a strong psychological component, but without being so invigorating and opting for a dragging pace that leads to a difficult watching. Set in 1942, it tells the grim story of Sheshenya, an innocent Byelorussian rail worker, who was the only one to be freed by the Germans after being captured along with other three soviet partisans accused of derail a German train. This inexplicable fact made the partisans conclude that Sheshenya was a traitor. One day, without surprise, two partisans arrived to his place and took him to a forest to punish him with death, but along the way the plans were changed. Adapted from a short novel by Vasili Bykov, “In The Fog” presents an intriguing structure, reconstructing these men’s past in order to help us understand what was behind their actions. Even overlong and emotionally cold, its cinematography and non-moralistic story of despair, stick in our head and refuse to abandon us completely, which proves the strength of the tale. But when I think in its lack of pace, weighted delays, and excess of meticulousness, I see some limitations that could be easily avoided by shortening some long static shots and perhaps reduce the same grave silence used on every scene.

Call Me Kuchu (2012)

Directed by: Katherine Fairfax Wright / Malika Z. Worrall
Country: USA / Uganda

Review: In Uganda, Kuchu means queer, a word that has to be pronounced carefully due to the numerous threats and dangers that these people are exposed to. This documentary serves the purpose to denounce the persecutions made to LGBT people, at the same time that exposes the absurdity of a new bill against homosexuality created by David Bahati, an ultra-conservative politician. With this bill approved, the consequences of being gay in this extremist and problematic African country would be life imprisonment and death penalty for aggravated cases. Several testimonies and horrific stories of aggression and suffering are presented through many characters, including important contributions of LGBT activists with special emphasis on David Kato, the first openly gay man in Uganda, barbarously murdered for being a fighter of the cause. The editor manager of Rolling Stone, a local newspaper was for me the most shocking character, whose greatest joy was to publicly denounce gays through publishing their pictures, compromising their safety by inviting to hate and homophobia. His dull smile doesn’t hide the evil in him. Some other scenes show the battles in court, and religious fundamentalism expressed in many different ways. “Call Me Kuchu” was well edited by Katherine Fairfax Wright, using objective forms to express a complex matter, and making us realize that even the African vivid colors become pale with such limitations of the mind.