#1 - ALFIE
[Hmm, yes, well, blogger won't accept my image. Ah well, we'll put it down to fate - no Jude Law for you.]
Stars - Jude Law, Sienna Miller, Susan Sarandon
Director - Charles Shyer
Memorable Quote - 'Anyone in the mood for a little Alfie, straight-up?'
Review - Oh dear, poor Alfie - no one to love, no best friend, and no contact with his own child. Sob, sob. Yes, I know, the moral point of the film is that he lived his life wrong - still, I can't bring myself to feel sorry for him, considering he's just had the time of his life, while his loyal friend who never once cheated - or indeed had much fun - ended up getting cheated on anyway. Besides which, I don't think I like Jude Law. I used to, but after Doctor Parnassus and now this, I begin to see what everyone else's problem with him is. He actually can act, as shown in films like Sleuth and Closer, but sometimes, for some reason, he just doesn't. A very hit and miss actor, and this one's a miss, especially considering how actresses like Sarandon and Miller were simply shoved aside as mere bit-parts to his lead. Disappointing, not because I expected much from the film, but because I know it could have been better. 2/5
#2 - TAKE THE LEAD
Stars - Antonio Banderas, Rob Brown, Dante Basco, Yaya DaCosta, other people with ridiculous names
Director - Liz Friedlander
Memorable Quote - 'Ramos: What? ¿Tu no sabes? I can shake it.
Pierre Dulaine: Then I suggest you shake it with the partner that I assigned you.'
Review - A dance flick! Everyone loves a dance flick, right? Well, alright, maybe not everyone, but I do, and this one instantly made me want to take up tango. Antonio Banderas dancing the dance of passion? What's not to like? Anyway, it's based on a true story, which pretty much no one cares about, but here is represented well as a big old slice of fun. Not just fun all the way, though - this isn't a comedy, but includes a look at the harsh lives of inner-city kids a la 'Freedom Writers' and the rest of that genre. The dancing is fantastic, of course, and the portrayal of the rich kids as snobs is kind of admirable, considering that the normal way to go would be to show that everyone is equal when you take away the money, instead of portraying the poor kids as inherently nicer. Oh, and - trivia fact: Dante Basco, who plays Ramos, was not only in his thirties when this was filmed, but is also the voice of Zuko from Avatar. Who'd have thought it. 3.5/5
#3 - 4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS, 2 DAYS (4 luni, 3 saptamâni si 2 zile)
Stars - Anamaria Marinca, Laura Vasiliu, Vlad Ivanov, Alexandru Protocean
Director - Cristian Mungiu
Memorable Quote - 'We will never speak of this again, okay?'
Review - A Romanian movie, but not what one might call a Romanian delight. Make no mistake - this film is dark, very dark, with nothing of humour or happiness to relieve it. Following the story of a woman who wishes to have an illegal abortion, for which the price is high, the title may not make sense until actually watching it - it refers to how long she has been pregnant for. At first lying that it has only been two months, the strength of her lie is perhaps revealed most tellingly by the shot of the dead foetus towards the end of the movie. It is harrowing. Followed by a seemingly endless shot of the woman's friend trying to find a place to bury it, it is one of the most shocking film scenes that I for one have ever experienced, but one has to wonder at what expense. The whole film is beautifully treated with a sort of washed-out colour, and simple sound - when surrounded by the hubbub of her boyfriend's family around halfway through, the lead character is almost swallowed whole by the noise, and only comes into her own again when back in the silence of his room. Apart from this, though, the film is unrelentingly ugly, and the long, long scenes almost seem to stagnate at points. Also, despite being undeniably strong, the lead becomes almost a mouse when dealing with people of authority, and I almost begin to dislike her for this. A strong film but not an enjoyable experience, and certainly not one that I actually want to watch again. 2.5/5
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