Cast: Paul Dano, Jon Heder, Jena Malone, Shaylena Mandigo.
Plot
Joby a self obsessed failed rock musician is going through a
rough divorce; he drives up north to sign the papers in person and discovers
that if he wants half the proceeds from the sale of the family home he will
have to give up custody of his six year old daughter Ellen.He decides he wants to spend time with Ellen,
and they have a day out together in town.
Review
This is a an American Indie film, and very much made in that
style, wonderfully observed and nuanced with fantastic performances by Paul
Dano (Joby) and star of the future Sahylena Mandigo (Ellen). Ultimately though,
this is a character study of a selfish and disturbed man who treats people with
no regard to their feelings and who is only really is able to have a deep
emotional conversation with a young girl.
The snowy landscape is beautifully filmed and emotes the
chilliness Joby's inner condition the only warmth coming from Ellen, and Joby's
lawyer (Heder) who offers him a home cooked meal and friendship, both thrown
aside with disdain by Joby.
It a simple story well told and if you want to witness some
amazing cinematic performances certainly one to see.
Cast: Matthias Schoenaerts, Frank Lammers, Jeanne Dandoy.
Languages: French, Dutch.
Plot
Jacky (Schonenaerts) is a cattle farmer who is involved in
the shady world of hormone trafficking. He uses the hormones on his cattle
causing them to be bigger and carry more meat, but he uses the hormones on
himself where the product has the same effect.He looks and acts like the most masculine of men. Then, a dodgy Vet gets
Jacky in on a deal with a Flemish beef trader, but a policeman is killed and he
unexpectedly meets an old friend from the past, which stirs memories of a dark
and life changing incident from childhood.
Review (with spoilers)
Essentially this is a film about a sensitive and gentle man
whose development is cruelly curtailed when a bully, in a particularly
horrendous scene, crushes the young Jacky’s testicles in effect castrating him
(or gelding him like a young bullock) Jacky has never come to terms with the
terrible incident, and now he has bulked himself up to a point where he is more
masculine than any of the men around him, presumably he also does this to
appeal to women.But the muscles have
the opposite effect on the one woman he has feelings for, she finds him ‘’too
muscle bound.''
But his big problem is that although he looks like a bulked
up grown man underneath he is an overly sensitive and his development seems to
have stopped both physically and mentally at the point at which the incident
occurred.His social skills are limited
and when he tries to get a date with the girl he likes, he frightens her, and
is uncommunicative.Laterhe comments that his natural inclinations,
that is, what he was born to do, get married and have children has been taken
away from him.Even his cattle can manage
to do what he cannot.
But of course this
is what is important to Jacky because he is a sensitive and kind man.His friend, Diederick on the other hand is
more interested in seducing a police officer to whom he informs.
The study of Jacky's character really makes the film,
singularly lonely character (Schonenaerts is outstanding as a sensitive man
robbed of everything that gives life meaning). His imposing presence and
violence at the start of the film falls away as the sensitive childlike inner
man expresses himself.
The film perhaps would have worked a little better without
the Hormone mafia element, the policeman’s death and sub plots of car mechanics
worried about a BMW incriminating wheels was distracting and uninteresting and
detracted from the real human drama that is at the heart of the film.The flashbacks break the flow of the film and
are traumatic and ghastly but equally the audience will not lose sight on what
must constantly be on Jacky's mind.
Budget: 2 million Euros (about 1.7 million pounds). Feature
film debut for writer/director.
Written and directed by Scott Lebrerecht Cast: Zak Kilberg, Maya Parish USA
Plot
Jacob a night security guard is not very well. His doctor thinks he might be suffering from anaemia, but Jacob is not so sure. He gets badly burned when he goes out into sunlight, and also he is hungry all the time. But none of the nationally void microwave meals he heats up satisfy him. Then he buys a steak, and he finds it is the blood left in the packaging which excites him, not the steak.
Eventually he hustles a butcher into selling him blood, which he drinks from a takeout coffee cup. So it's all sort of adding up too, Could he be a vampire?
Don't read further if you're worried about spoilers. He is a vampire. After much standing about looking like a catalogue model waiting for a bus, Jacob decides blood from the butcher is okay but doesn’t really hit the spot. He finds a fence for human blood, and slowly he learns how to be a vampire. But after he is implicated in the murder of a woman in a car park, he also begins to understand what being a vampire means.
His journey into vampirism is further complicated by a Mary with whom he begins a relationship, but he isn't sure she will accept his ''illness.''
Review
A bit on the tedious side, lots of wondering and sitting about by Jacob looking sensitive and deep. It takes him ages to figure out he is a vampire and it's never explained how he became one. It's certainly a different take in the low budget horror genre - low key realism - but the drama is predictable and there is no tension or excitement to keep audience attention.
The characters don't feel very real and are generally unlikeable. The script seems to always take the next logical step, rather than find an original or unexpected way to tell the story, the effect is predictability.
Nothing interesting in the setting or directorial style (except the last bloody shot which seems to be almost from a different more exciting film).
The acting is fine, the story is okay, but the film has nothing really to say.
This is a fascinating documentary by first time feature director David Gleb. The film follows the life of 85 year old Jiro Ono a man who has been in the sushi business an astonishing 75 years. In case you are not up on your sushi masters, Jiro is one of the worlds best, and he is the owner of Sukiyabashi Jiro a tiny restaurant located in a subway station in Tokyo. The restaurant has only ten covers, but 3 Micheline stars. Why Jiro had such an early start in his career, and the person it has made him, is the central focus of the film. He is, it seems, relentlessly driven to perfection and it has made him a master of his art. The documentary also explores the story of Jiro's older son and his relationship with his father. At the age of 50 Yoshikazu Ono has been working for his father for 30 years. He will inherit the business on his fathers retirement enabling him finally to fulfill his own potential as a sushi master. But his inheritance could be a double edged sword. Yoshikazu's sushi may always be judged inferior to his father's even if it is comparable, and there is a risk that the restaurant will loose customers and him, his inheritance.
Review
A film with sensitive story telling but also insight into Japanese culture. And a very interesting lesson in the delicate an art of sushi making in a high end restaurant, it takes 10 years to apprentice as a sushi master in Japan. Starting at the bottom means wringing out hot towels for a few weeks before you are even allowed to wash the fish (or massage the octupi). After ten years they let loose on the egg sushi. Thoughtfully filmed, with great insight to interesting characters. The trip to the fish market is a particular highlight, and it seems in the sushi business there is a chain of high standards from the fish vendors, to the customers plate. This film is well worth a look, but if you care about Octupi please stay at home or bring tissues.
Budget: Low Budget, the director is also the camera man. Red One camera.
Directed by, Aditya Datt. The film's name alludes to Article 21 of the Indian Constitution; ''Right to life.''
Plot
Beautiful, materialistic but poor married couple Vivaan (Rajeev Khandelwal) and Siya (Tena Desai) are celebrating their anniversary on the beautiful island of Fiji when they are invited, seemingly by chance, to take part in a ''game'' by mysterious restaurant owner Mr. Khan(Paresh Rawal). The game is to be telecast live to 8 million viewers via the internet earning Mr. Khan millions of hits and our couple an opportunity to be millionaires.
But there are rules; ''you cannot quit'' and ''if you lie, you die.'' Does that sound a little suspicious to you? ...
The game as you have probably surmised takes a turn for the worst and becomes increasingly violent and humiliating. Slowly through the use of flashbacks we begin to discover that Mr. Khan may have a vendetta against the couple (Mwahaha).
Subject matter. The film is anti-ragging; ragging is a practice in Indian university's and schools (and in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan) where existing students bully or rag on freshers.
Review Overall; The film works well as an anti-ragging treatise, and certainly the audience is left in no doubt about the seriousness of the practice and the danger of dismissing or trivializing the problem ''as just a game'' or ''the right'' of senior students.
In more detail; the film begins promisingly with a thrilling and intriguing if somewhat bloody suicide attempt reminiscent of Hollywood rather than Bollywood. Tensions rise further when we first meet the intriguingly sly Mr. Khan (a charismatic performance by Rawal), and the game begins. But the build up flat lines soon after and audiences will quickly figure out the slippery Mr. Kahn knows more than he is letting on.
Sympathy for Vivaan and Siya wains early due to their shallowness and materialism, more sympathy would highlight the complexity of ragging and heightened the drama at the end of the film, but both actors give very good and believable performances.
It's a low budget film but feels big budget; helicopter shots, speed boats and luxury hotels and the location of Figi (which looks truly spectacular). The photography really is beautiful and the colours are overwhelmingly vivid this is coupled unending sunshine. Unfortunately this works against the dark nature of the film arresting the impact and the shocking nature of the subject matter. The muted palette of the flashbacks work better in this respect. The Director also uses some inventive angles for shots some work, some don't.
Summary The film highlights a difficult problem but fails in areas of suspense and thrills. However, if you live in Scotland (like me,) and it's winter go and see the film. It may be the only sunshine you will see for 6 months.
Budget: low budget, subsidized by Fijian government
