October 11, 2008
Ce qu'il faut pour vivre
Ce qu'il faut pour vivre is a very interesting movie. An Inuit man is brought to Québec for healing tuberulosis. Along the way, we get to learn a lot about Inuit lore and culture, and we see his challenges in adapting to his environment. I really reccomend.
Posted by ma at 4:09 AM | TrackBack
September 30, 2008
Le Confessionnal
Le Confessionnal is another Robert Lepage movie. It won many awards and it deserves them.
Actually, its a bit boring, but the tale is so twisted and the directing is pretty well done that it deserves the attention. There some dirty stuff in there: a gay sauna scene, conversations in a strip club, adultery, stuff like that. It will tell you a few interesting things about 50's Québec though. And it makes me feel like watching some Hitchcock too :)
Posted by ma at 1:32 AM | TrackBack
Un 32 août sur terre
Un 32 août sur terre is a weird story. A model has a car accident, drops her job, and asks an old friend who has a crush on her to make her pregnant. He wants to say yes and no... so he says yes but it must happen in the desert.
Being the crazy girl she is, she books a flight to Salt Lake City the same day and the story continues.
It tells you a lot about Québec society that this movie was made... The guy lives with his girlfriend, but they've been together for 4 months only, complicated men-women relationship, the desire to have children at all costs, impulsiveness.
Warning: although nothing really happens in the movie, its not brother-friendly either.
Posted by ma at 1:27 AM | TrackBack
September 26, 2008
Nuremberg
Nuremberg has a few Québec actors in it, and its a good tale of everything about the trial of the century, with some learning about WW2 war crimes.
It lasts 3 hours, and if you like courtroom drama, then you'll have your fill.
Posted by ma at 6:42 AM | TrackBack
La face cachée de la lune
La face cachée de la lune is a Robert Lepage movie. Do I really need to say anything else?
No action scenes, the whole movie is based on two roles played by Lepage himself. Its an enjoyable movie, and you'll learn nice things about the Russian space program. But it is... well... kind of purposeless. I didn't feel anything prompting to action or reflection.
Weaved in this, there is a commentary about our culture that has some value.
On the plus side, the acting and directing is great, and the scene changes are superbly done. There is no real stop in the movie in that sense.
I relate a bit with the main character. He's an intellectual who's getting pressure to ditch his (unwelcomed) theory, and to go for a more materialistic lifestyle. But he sees that as wrong and pointless. There is an interesting scene with a bit of a debate on the nature of the space program: narcissism or self-discovery?
I personally think that you have a mix of pride and of inherent curiosity in there :)
Posted by ma at 6:22 AM | TrackBack
August 16, 2008
Taare Zameen Par
That means "stars on Earth", and its about a dyslexic child's troubles, and his teacher helping him overcome learning challenges. Its another Aamir Khan movie, and it won a few awards. It is worth watching.
Posted by ma at 4:58 AM | TrackBack
Black
Another Bachchan movie, Black deserves praise for being entirely story-driven. There is a tiny bit of romance thrown in for good measure (its a Hindi film after all), but its generally free of stupidity.
The acting is generally good, although overdone on some stuff... the way that Bachchan looks crazy schizophrenic when he has Alzheimer's is just one example. I liked that it gave me a window in the world of a blind and deaf person, and showing how determination can overcome even serious handicaps.
Posted by ma at 4:50 AM | TrackBack
Krrish
I love that one song in that movie. Otherwise, its a pain to watch. Plot holes the size of houses and lame romance are enough to kill this thing.
Here is Dil na diya, with French subtitles
Posted by ma at 4:39 AM | TrackBack
Jab We Met
Jab We Met is a hit movie of 2007. The song director did a great job on that one, and I have to say that I'm addicted to two songs. Too bad they got indecent on the last one though.
There was some character development, and the whole story was entertaining.
First favorite song: beat the drum!
Second favorite song: this love reminds of heaven
Posted by ma at 4:16 AM | TrackBack
Cheeni Kum
Cheeni Kum means less sugar in Hindi. Its an enjoyable love movie because it actually makes a little bit of sense that they fall in love with each other. After countless Bollywood movies when you don't understand why they shouldn't call them "lust movies" instead, that's kind of priceless.
Enjoy the official trailer. It doesn't have too much in the way of songs, too, so that's a good thing.
Posted by ma at 4:04 AM | TrackBack
Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gum
Another movie I saw a while back. I was excited when I saw the lineup of famous actors...
Yet, what a bad love movie. Seriously. No plot, overly done acting, too much songs. I can't count the number of times I said "not another song!"...
Here is a video. Warning: idolatry ahead
Posted by ma at 3:57 AM | TrackBack
Fanaa
To inaugurate the "movies" part of my blog, I'm starting with one which main song stuck in my head for a while now.
I saw this movie in Mumbai and I have to say that its the best hybrid between a love movie and a smart movie I saw in Bollywood. I like the morality side of the story, and the plot is somewhat decent.
Alas, too many songs. If it were an hour shorter, I would love it!!!
Here is the song stuck in my head, with French subtitles
Posted by ma at 3:43 AM | TrackBack
May 4, 2008
Khuda Kay Liye
This is the first Pakistani movie to air in India for decades, and it was worth it!
Khuda Kay Liye tells three stories that are related.
In short: insightful, thought-provoking, and NOT propaganda from the West. To purchase when the DVD comes out with subtitles.
One brother decides to re-commit himself to Islam, but ends up with the wrong imam. He drops his music, movies to the tribal areas, forcefully marries a woman, gets dragged into Jihad. A nice guy who wanted none of these things, but didn't have the spine to hold back against them.
The other goes to Chicago to study music, falls in love with an American girl, marries her, but ends up with the wrong Federal Agent after 9/11. He is questioned and beat up to a vegetative state before being deported.
The woman who was forced to marry grew up in London and was in love with a guy there. Her father schemed to get her married with a Muslim guy and make sure she couldn't do anything about it. They held her hand and forced her to put her fingerprint on the marriage certificate. She tried to run away, but her plan was foiled. Her husband was nice at first, but the imam told him to have sex with his wife, not matter what she thought about it. She had a daughter from that union. She managed to smuggle a letter to her boyfriend in London, and her mother came to Pakistan to raise enough trouble for the Army to come and get her.
There is a court hearing, on what is really Islam, a fight between two Imams with radically different visions, and the "good" imam doing a powerful speech full of cross references that make the judges take notes.
There are many things about this movie I like.
In London, there is a guy with real inter-cultural skills who helps the rescuing.
In New York, the Federal Agent has no inter-cultural skills whatsoever... didn't even know or accept that Urdu has the same script as Arabic, but that they don't understand it at all.
The bad imam and the Federal Agent get their goons to beat up both brothers. The scene puts them side by side, doing nothing to stop vicious violence. The message was clear: they are the same.
Overall, I was able to understand the story, even though I barely got a word here and there. The acting needs to be fantastic for that to happen.