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