#1 - NE LE DIS A PERSONNE (Tell No One)
Stars - François Cluzet, Marie-Josée Croze, Kristin Scott Thomas
Director - Guillaume Canet
Memorable Quote - 'Now I'll tell you the truth.'
Review - Ahhh, a nice little French action/thriller. I consider it a compliment when I say that this film had all the potential of a Michael Haneke film, without the Haneke hallmarks - the most notable difference of course being the fact that the ending was resolved. It was thoroughly satisfying to watch Alexandre Beck racing through the streets to find his wife, and most importantly to find the answers; though it was perhaps strange to imagine that he could outrun the police even when injured, rather than being unrealistic it seemed inspiring. It was possible to believe that his desperation and love pushed him forwards. It was also interesting to try to solve it as the audience, trying to find out what the final solution was and wondering whether he would find her again. Though it was very safe and happy-happy at the end, that did not devalue it - it was a beautiful ending and well worth watching. Also kind of weird to see Kristin Scott Thomas speaking French, I always forget she can do that until she does. Anyway, I fully recommend it. 4.5/5
#2 - DONNIE DARKO
Stars - Jake Gyllenhaal, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Mary McDonnell, Drew Barrymore
Director - Richard Kelly
Memorable Quote - 'I promise, that one day, everything's going to be better for you. '
Review - Ahhh, I can't believe I hadn't seen this film until this week. What was I thinking? This is an amazing movie! I think what I love the most are the following two things: one, that Jake Gyllenhaal is actually a brilliant actor in this, and his facial expression and the way he speaks fit the character so perfectly as to give him a curious mix of charm, teenage boy angst and also insanity. Two, the fact that there is this whole big theory behind it all that you don't even need to know to get the film. If you don't know about this whole thing with agents and receivers and whatever else, you can still enjoy the storyline that is there. This is witty, thought-provoking, and character driven in a way that really makes you connect. It's easy to see why it graces 'best films ever' lists, and there's still nothing quite like it out there. What more can I say? If you haven't seen it, do so at your earliest opportunity, because it's fantastic. 5/5
#3 - OLDBOY
Stars - Min-sik Choi, Ji-tae Yu, Hye-jeong Kang
Director - Chan-wook Park
Memorable Quote - 'Even though I'm no more than a monster - don't I, too, have the right to live?'
Review - Phew. One thing is for certain, this is a very powerful film. A man is locked up for fifteen years; along with him we experience his descent into half-sanity, his coping methods, the joy of near-escape (ironically occuring immediately before his scheduled release). The film becomes more and more disturbing as we are pulled deeper and deeper into the plot, particularly hitting a spot as soon as you figure out who Dae-su Oh's daughter is. Watching him learn the truth becomes even harder when you know what is coming. You almost wish that you are wrong in your assumption, right until the moment when the truth is revealed. The attack scenes were great most of the time, and the dentistry scene is of course harrowing to watch, though it would all have been a bit more believable if, for example, the same guy didn't keep getting up in the corridor scene after we clearly see him get kneecapped with the hammer right at the start. The guy shouldn't be able to stand. Aaaanyway, they were all still well choreographed and filmed, and many of the scenes were given overwhelming feels by their mise en scene (the snow, her room, the penthouse, the internet cafe etc). I found it very hard to stomach his decision at the end - for me, I could not wipe that knowledge from my brain knowingly and just carry on. If something's wrong it's wrong, whether you can be hypnotized out of knowing that or not. Compelling though, and a very interesting watch, if not exactly for the fainthearted. 4.5/5
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