Listed in reverse chronological order, more or less.
- Up in the Air
George Clooney picks up frequent flyer miles and casual sex as he travels across the country as a corporate axeman.
Accompanying him is a fresh-out-of-college know-it-all whose attempt to revolutionize that business is not going
down well with the axeman, so he's showing her the ropes, and dispensing his life's philosophy along the way
(which centers around not being at home). It's a great story with funny and not so funny moments, rather
poignant and very timely - excellent entertainment, and lots to think about.
- Sakurada mongai no hen
Another Berlinale film, this one about two gangs fighting for control of the street blocks of Taipei.
Brotherhood and friendship are sworn at young age, but not as easily kept as life progresses and lines of
allegiance blur. Scenes of great friendship and brutal fighting are close to one another, but in the end,
almost all of the good is gone, yet still the bad is more likely to triumph. Interesting look at what youths
are looking for when they join gangs, and how they try to hold on to that ideal in tough times.
- Bibliothèque Pascal
This Berlinale film is about the struggles of a single mother in Romania who moves to England as a prostitute
in order to earn money. It takes the shape of an adult fairy tale in which the protagonist imagines herself
to be more of a victim than an active actor in order to justify her life more easily. The life imagined takes
some fantastic and dreamlike turns that result in kitchy yet comprelling images.
- Silentium
A murder in Austria's high society is to be solved, and an ex-cop who's otherwise down on his luck takes up the case.
The Catholic church, Salzburg's prestigious music festival, sex for money, and more murders all play a role in this.
The movie paints a rather depressing picture of Austrian society, and not everything is resolved at the end,
but life goes on with the world being a somewhat better place; not so for the ex-cop, though, whose sense of right and
wrong remains shaken. Viewer beware: the Austrian accents make this a rather hard one to follow for people not accustomed to it.
- Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis
What in the trailer looks like making fun of a geographically remote region full of backwards folks
with funny accents turns out to be a rather entertaining -and even heartwarming- story of a man's exile in a
supposedly none too appealing corner of France. It helps that he has his personal and professional heart in
the right spot, of course. I'm sure lots of references got lost in translation, but millions of French folks
weren't wrong in watching this one.
- Soul Kitchen
Fatih Akin's latest flick tells a compelling story about a hard-upon restaurant manager who must cope with
professional, romantic and family challenges, and is trying to keep his business going. Various employees
and friends, as well a his brother, try to help with mixed results, but have their own issues that create
problems as well. Ultimately he prevails, but much happens along the way in a very entertaining movie.
- Avatar
Ten years in the making, James Cameron has develivered a visual spectacular that presents an alien world in lush
natural splendor. While the plot leaves a bit to be desired -predictability and all that- it combines ideas from
many genres and films; regular movie goers will be reminded of many and varied films, but it's still worthwhile seeing.
The 3D version didn't make a particular impression on me, but it does make for added spice in some of the fight scenes.
Movies I've Recently Seen