Un Prophete (A Prophet)

Director: Jacques Audiard

Cast: Tahar Rahim, Niels Arestrup, Adel Bencherif

Year: 2009

Genre: Crime / Drama

Rating:

Cinema-Reader – 8.2

IMDB – 8.2

FilmAffinity – 7.5

(click picture for Trailer)

Cinema-Reader Synopsis:

Tale about the life of Malik El Djebena (Tahar Rahim); a 19-year-old that ends up discovering how though and hopeless can be life locked down in a prison of Paris. Forced by Corsican mafia within the prison to murder a rival leader of a Muslim clan, Malik gets trapped in drugs smuggling, rivalry rows among Italians that have adopted him as a member of the clan and Muslim, which has been his identity on his life so far.

Once sides have been chosen, Malik starts building up his own side from the shadow determined to get a profit from where people just can distinguish racial clashes and hierarchical established order.

Cinema-Reader Review:

What has been considered the modern version of a classy gansta movie that set the standard of the genre decades ago (De Palma’s Scarface), this French production is a new proof of how European cinema is able to produce a wide range of film further than the stereotype set by American industry about what is the cinema made onto the old continent: sex, inner cinema and spaghetti western.

Nominated for the Golden Globe for best foreign language production, prize stolen by german The White Ribbon, this year in which all nominees were Europe production in a sign that could foresee what is about to happen in the incoming Oscar Ceremony Awards.

European cinema has become a really good manufacturer of good movies and even greater stories in the last years in which many critics consider as the new European Golden Era.

Prolific and high quality films has shown up from European soil in recent years, such as Romanzo Criminale, Gomorra, La Vita e Bella and Manuale d’amore (Italy), Laberinto del Fauno, Mar Adentro and (according to some leaving me out completely) Almodovar’s (Spain); Der Untergang, The White Ribbon, Goodbye Lenin and The Life of Others (Germany), Amelie Poulain and Le diner de Cons (France) or Let the Right One In (Norway).

Besides that I do agree that this is one of the movies of the year just gone, can be a bit hasty saying this is the heir of a film with superb moments within film history such memorable shots as Pacino’s bliss when being about to get done.

Although the plot is a bit disjoint in some part of the movie, the whole story along with a breathtaking performance achieved by Tahar Rahim make it completely disappear, evoking the viewer in a fully enjoyment of a movie that will remain as one of the greatest European production in the decade that just came to an end.

Up in the Air

Director: Jason Reitman

Cast: George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, Jason Bateman

Year: 2009

Genre: Comedy / Drama

Rating:

Cinema-Reader – 7.6

IMDB – 8.1

FilmAffinity – 7.1

(click picture for Trailer)

Cinema-Reader Synopsis:

Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) has a job that forces him to be up in the air travelling throughout the country carrying with a small suitcase, and making suits of 5 stars hotels as his, sweet according to Ryan himself, home.

Living and in fact enjoying this check in-and-out life, he’ll find himself coping with something he didn’t expect, being settle in an office with 4 walls. And as result, a home.

All his beliefs and what he considers as a pretty enjoyable and fulfilled lifestyle will tremble.

As a last resort, and in order to avoid him settling in the boredom of a normal life, he will try desperately to show his young and brilliant co-worker Natalie (Anna Kendrick) that the job he does cannot be carried out from an office and through a computer.

Cinema-Reader Review:

Jason Reitman’s second piece after his first apprearence Juno, makes an approach to a modern and regular business guy trapped into a frenetic lifestyle; trips and hotel rooms, loyalty cards and on-air meals.

And carryout with this through a really well built screenplay (awarded in the last Golden Globe ceremony 2010) in which all plot developments falls into Clooney’s shoulders once again. However and even though if at first sight that might seem a lot for a single actor, the actor we are talking about is George Clooney, an actor that enjoys receiving all focus on him.

This won’t be his never forgotten performance ever, and having said I’m not a blind fan of him, is worthy acknowledging that Clooney feels more than comfy in this role, a charming and I-don’t-care-about-life cause I-got-whatever-I-want kind of character.

In fact, and focused on the race towards the Oscar, people got tired hearing about Clooney’s real chances of getting an award this year after this performance.

Nothing further than that.

If he looks just good (I repeat, just good) suited on the role is cause the script allows him to do so.

Also because the cast that comes along is gorgeous. Jason Bateman (that repeats after collaborating also in Juno with Reitman) and Anna Kendrick (that shown up in a first place with a supporting role in the Twilight Saga) make this film worth seeing and a proof that Hollywood goes further that huge budgeted blockbusters.

----------GOLDEN GLOBES 2010----------

Once again, and with the arrival of the New Year, film industry suits up in order to congratulate all those movies that have surprised us, entertained us and above all make us fully enjoy the wonders of this art.

Foremost the Golden Globes. What are considered as the little bro of Oscars, they are used as predictor for how Oscar will go on.

It is difficult to rate whether or not Golden Globes are more, less or as fair as Oscar are. Controversial will always come along.

Different opinions, as wide as the assortment of categories Golden Globes offers.

Best Motion Picture (Drama and Musical or Comedy), Best Director, Best Actor and Actress (Drama and Musical or Comedy)… are just some of the categories just regarding film as also TV is acknowledge on this ceremony.

This year Avatar can be considered as the winner.

James Cameron high-budgeted blockbuster has achieved the success in main categories, Best Motion Picture-Drama as well as Best Director (Cameron himself) as happened 10 years ago with the all time remembered Titanic.

However, and is something has to be highlighted of this years ceremony, could be the low quality of the movies in contest.

As a proof, The Hangover, a real fun and in certain way different comedy, made the way up to the top of the rank within Best Motion Picture-Musical or Comedy.

More than one included the one subscribing, claims when knowing this acknowledgement.

Don’t get me wrong. I did have a craic with this fresh approach to the comedy genre. However, Best Motion Picture? What the hell!!!

Ain’t that surprising after looking into all other contestants. It’s Complicated, Julie and Julia (both with the superb Maryl Steep), Nine (even more tedious that Chicago) and 500 days of Summer; the one I’d have bet for before owing brings a fresh reboot of rom-com genre.

However, not everything is as bad as it looks.

There are other categories is do reckon they are well deserved, not only for the awarded indeed but for the high quality of the rest of nominees.

For Best Performance by an actor in a Supporting Role there is no discussion.

Christoph Waltz is more that a fair winner with his role of a Nazi Official in Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds. His performance of the cultivated as well as merciless Nazi Commander is a new proof that European cinema have nothing to envy for to American. Even more, and after having a look to the other category I consider on the standard of quality enough onto this year’s Golden Globe ceremony, should be in the other way round.

The level set by Baaria (Italy), Broken Embraces (Spain), A prophet (France), The Maid (Chile) and the winner The white Ribbon (Germany), should push American industry to a deep self reflection of towards the cinema is going nowadays.

Nothing good can be accomplished if the efforts of the producers and directors are focused on X effects (no offence as I enjoyed Avatar) instead of the real ground in which any movie should be linen, the script.

If all scripts are weak and with no background further than the overused topics unfortunately we are get used to, any endeavour on actors side is completely useless.

Otherwise, which is the explanation Sandra Bullock shows up on Best Performance by an actress and actually gets the award? Are we fucked up?

How a woman that is barely able to move a single muscle of all those 300 we have on the face because of the excessive usage of Botox can even be beard in mind for a nomination of something but a Razzie or even imprisonment???

Cecil B. DeMille Award	Martin Scorsese
Best Motion Picture
Drama Comedy or Musical	Avatar The Hangover
Best Director	James Cameron (Avatar)
Best Performance by an Actor
Drama Comedy or Musical	Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart) Robert Downey Jr. (Sherlock Holmes)
Best Performance by an Actress
Drama Comedy or Musical	Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side) Meryl Steep (Julie & Julia)
Best Performance by an actor in a Supporting Role	Christoph Waltz (Inglorious Basterds)
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role	Mo’nique (Precious)
Best Animated Feature Film	Up
Best Foreign Language Film	The White Ribbon (Germany)
Best Screenplay	Up in the Air
Best Original Song	The Weary Kind (Crazy Heart)

For further information about the Golden Globes and the ceremony; click here

The Book of Eli

Director: Hughes Bros.

Cast: Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Mila Kunis, Toma Waits, Michael Gambon

Year: 2009

Genre: Sci-Fi / Action

Rating:

Cinema-Reader – 6.8

IMDB – 7.6

FilmAffinity – N/A

(click picture for Trailer)

Cinema-Reader Synopsis:

Within an apocalyptic future after a world wide war that has devastated the planet making core resources just essentials for surviving, a single man is on a trip heading west carrying with a priceless object, a book. The book of the books: the Holy Bible.

After the book was deemed as one of the triggers that caused the ultimate war on earth; Eli (Denzel Washington), its bearer, will protect what is believed to be the very last copy with his life if necessary and no thoughts of handling over to anyone else, above all to Carnegie (Gary Oldman), a self named governor of an small town that rules it with heavy hammer and willing to use the book as a weapon in order to spread out his ownership among the area.

Cinema-Reader Review:

With an atmosphere that evokes the pure style of the Sci-Fi classic Mad Max, the film is a well made action movie with a solid but not brilliant script.

Besides all factors can point out straight to this (genre, contest and plot), the movie doesn’t fall into the ease of the usage of X effects, overused in nowadays movies without measure.

This is some I am grateful of, due to is being some years since industry lost the north when talking of visual effects in action movie. Thus, and according my meek opinion, the point of actions movies and what makes me enjoy them might be the story; developing afterwards the effects around it and not in the other way round.

Despite this plus, something is missed out on the film.

Just the reliable pair heading the cast (even though if Oldman is far away from his always remembered performance of a corrupted cop in Leon) saves the movie in a way.

Sherlock Holmes

Director: Guy Ritchie

Cast: Robert Downey Jr. Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Mark Strong

Year: 2009

Genre: Adventure / Action

Rating:

Cinema-Reader – 7.5

IMDB – 7.7

FilmAffinity – 6.9

(click picture for Trailer)

Cinema-Reader Synopsis:

Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) is back on the business.

Now, and always alongside his loyal mate Dr. Watson (Jude Law), is determined to sort out another challenging mystery. In this case, what at a first sight seems the resurrection among the death of Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong), a mysterious black wizard who has threatened the British Crown and the order established on the Victorian London.

Cinema-Reader Review:

New adaptation of the adventures devised by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle but through a different looking glass, as now Holmes jumps around and punches as a real nowadays hero.

It’s certain that Ritchie has given his very own personal expression onto this 21st century version of one of the most famous detectives of all time.

Action scenes shot with Ritchie’s personal touch that evokes his finest pieces (Snatch and Lock, Stock and two smoking barrels) and makes the movie run as fast as the viewer entertain himself with the visual usage of the camera as well as light and darkness.
Movie fulfils with its primary outcome: Entertain.

The Road

Director: John Hillcoat

Cast: Viggo Mortensen, Charlize Theron, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Robert Duvall, Guy Pearce

Year: 2009

Genre: Drama

Rating:

Cinema-Reader – 7.9
IMDB – 8.0

FilmAffinity – 7.3

(click picture for Trailer)

Cinema-Reader Synopsis:

Life on earth is turning out for an unknown event as trees are about to die and water is corrupted. Food is limited if not vanished and last men standing have turn into cannibalism.

Under these apocalyptic circumstances, a man struggling with a rare disease (Viggo Mortensen) and his son (Kodi Smit-McPhee) are on a trip across an overwhelmed landscape heading the south with no food, a gun with two bullets, the memories of a former life and the hope of finding a future on the south coast; running away from cannibals and their very own fears.


Cinema-Reader Review:

Based on the book by the Pulitzer winner Cormac McCarthy (also responsible of No Country for old man), this post apocalyptic story tells the desperate trip of a man and his son towards the unknown.
The timeless context in which the plot is developing, no explanation about what caused the earth is about to collapse, makes a bit more disturbing , involving the viewer in a way that makes you feel in the boots of the 2 travelers, as you know as much as they know about that’s next; absolutely nothing.

Viggo Mortensen plays stunningly the role of the protective father who struggles to keep his son alive within a devastated world, along a cast of well-known names but however unacknowledged within the film as the great Robert Duvall.