December 2009
Cat O’ Nine Tails (Dario Argento) *** DVD
Gone (Ringan Ledridge) Sure to scare a few British backpackers off coming to Australia)
Away We Go (Sam Mendes) Oh Sam, Sam, what happened between Revolutionary Road and this piece of sentimental tripe?
Jamaica Inn (Alfred Hitchcock) *** DVD Not one of Hitchcock’s best
November 2009
Things We Lost in the Fire (Susanne Bier) *** DVD
The Box (Richard Kelly) I spent the entire film wondering what was wrong with Cameron Diaz’s face
Salute (Matt Norman)
A Serious Man (Coen Brothers) So Jewish, so black, so dry… what’s not to like?
The Boys are Back (Scott Hicks)
Fahrenheit 451 (Francois Truffaut) *** DVD
October 2009
Che: Part One (Steven Soderbergh)
Lonesome Jim (Steve Buscemi) *** DVD I loved this melancholy little film. And I think I’ve got a crush on Casey Affleck.
Moon (Duncan Jones)
Departures (Yojiro Takita) A lovely meditation on death, music, food and love
Grey Gardens (David & Albert Maysles) *** DVD. Fascinating documentary about “Big” and “Little” Edie Beale. Dysfunctional doesn’t even begin to describe their relationship
Whatever Works (Woody Allen) I love Larry David in Curb Your Enthusiasm but this movie Did Not Work for me. Whatever.
The Mirror (Andre Tarkovsky) *** DVD The imagery that Tarkovsky uses is indescribably beautiful; my favourite Russian director ever
Trouble (Harry Cleven) *** DVD
An Education (Loni Scherfig) Carey Mulligan is gorgeous
September 2009
Taking Woodstock (Ang Lee)
The Young Victoria (Jean-Marc Vallee)
Inglourious Basterds (Quentin Tarantino) I guess it was funny enough but did it have to be so long…… I mean really Quentin, two and a half hours?
The Damned (Joseph Losey) *** DVD The British made some awful films in the 60s and this is one of them. Oliver Reed was such a ham actor.
Blessed (Ana Kokkinos) I cried. Then I came home and cried some more. Very sad film.
Right Hand of the Devil (Aram Katcher) *** DVD
August 2009
Obsessed (Steve Shill)
Kleine Fische (Marco Antoniazzi)
Murderer (Roy Chow Hin-Yeung) Wonderfully over the top Chinese horror comedy. I screamed out loud twice in the first hour then spent the last hour laughing my head off
Perfect Stranger (James Foley) *** DVD
The International (Tom Tykwer)
Le Code a Change (Daniele Thompson)
Bronson (Nicolas Refn) Oh my. What to say about this dramatised biography except I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen. Horribly compelling.
District 9 (Neil Blomkamp) Scary, gory and a lot of fun
Beautiful Kate (Rachel Ward)
July 2009
The African Queen (John Huston) *** DVD Am I the only who thinks this film is terrible? Katherine Hepburn is great but Bogie’s performance made me cringe. And what’s with his terrifying tombstone teeth?
Coco avant Chanel (Anne Fontaine)
Vesnicko Ma Strediskova (Jiri Menzel) *** DVD. Another of the Czech films lent to me by a patient, not as good as Divided We Fall, but sweet and interesting. I think the Czech style of comedy takes a bit of getting used to.
Noodle (Ayelet Menahemi) A lovely little Israeli film
Another Day in Paradise (Larry Clark) *** DVD
Bruno (Larry Charles) After enjoying Borat I was disappointed and bored with what is basically just a series of linked sketches. The Palestine-Israel segment was embarrassing and all of the film’s funny bits can be seen in the trailer. What’s good about it? Bruno does have gorgeous arms, I’d like to lick them.
Winged Creatures (Rowan Woods)
Two Lovers (James Gray)
The Limits of Control (Jim Jarmusch) I know this film won’t be for everybody as it has no real plot but for me Jim Jarmusch can do no wrong. I loved it.
June 2009
Maria Full of Grace (Joshua Marston) *** DVD I’d seen this film before but it was well worth watching again
Gomorrah (Matteo Garrone) Violent but engrossing. I also really liked the soundtrack.
Horem Padem (Jan Hrebejk) *** DVD One of my Slovakian patients lent me this strange little fim. I’m not sure whether it was a comedy or a drama, but it’s very black. Quite odd but I liked it.
Divided We Fall (Jan Hrebejk) *** DVD Another film by the same director, this one was even better. With a twist.
Sunshine Cleaning (Christine Jeffs) I loved this film. Great acting, great story and a fabulous New Zealand director
Katyn (Andrzej Wajda) I’m ashamed to say I fell asleep in the middle of this film. I know it was a worthy film but I just couldn’t engage with the characters. Would have preferred to watch it as a one hour documentary rather than a two hour dramatisation.
12 and Holding (Michael Cuesta) *** DVD Really enjoyed this, the young actors were fabulous and the story sad but so engaging
The Mother (Roger Michell) *** DVD Have seen this film before and was no less uncomfortable watching it a second time. Everyone in it is so self centred, it’s like watching a car crash and you just can’t turn away. Daniel Craig is excellent as the handyman all the women fall for. Anne Reid’s role as the mother made me cringe. I hate watching women who try to smother a man with love and barter for his affection
Disgrace (Steve Jacobs) I loved this book but something about the film really alienated me. Critics are raving about John Malkovich’s performance but I thought his character abrasive and unsympathetic.
Backstage (Emmanuelle Bercot) *** DVD These people all deserved each other. Except for the baby, she didn’t deserve any of it.
May 2009
Eagle Eye (D J Caruso) *** DVD Anyone who knows me knows that this dvd was not my choice but I gave it my best shot. Preposterous.
Mary and Max (Adam Elliot) Clay animation at its best. I loved the quirky characters, especially Mary’s mother as played by Renee Geyer
The President’s Last Bang (Sang-su Im)
Samson and Delilah (Warwick Thornton) Fabulous, fabulous film.
The Home Song Stories (Tony Ayres) *** DVD I didn’t see this at the cinema when it came out which is a shame as the suburban shots would look great on a big screen. A sad story told well, Joan Chen is beautiful as the tragic mother, but the little boy steals the show.
Synecdoche, New York (Charlie Kaufman). Mesmerising. Can’t say that I understood it, though it seemed to be saying life is sad and then you die. I cried.
What Just Happened? (Barry Levinson) I read the book earlier this year and was irritated by the restaurant conversations that bookended the story. Thankfully they were missing from the film which is pretty funny and has revived my crush on De Niro.
Manderlay (Lars von Trier) *** DVD
My Year Without Sex (Sarah Watt)
Pups (Ash) *** DVD
April 2009
Of Time and the City (Terence Davies)
Wendy and Lucy (Kelly Reichardt)
Layer Cake (Matthew Vaughn) *** DVD
A Taste of Cherry (Abbas Kiarostami) *** DVD I was initially confused by this Iranian film but it stayed in my head for a couple of days and made me want to see more of the director’s work
The Portrait of a Lady (Jane Campion) *** DVD I’m not a fan of Nicole Kidman but I love Henry James and this novel of his makes a great film
Tulpan (Sergei Dvortsevoy) I loved this film. Why anyone would want to tend sheep and live in such a windy place as Kazakhastan is beyond my comprehension. The scene with a veterinarian is pretty funny and the kids are adorable. Just wish the little girl didn’t sing so much.
MARCH 2009
The Hard Word (Scott Roberts) *** DVD
Dean Spanley (Toa Fraser)
Suburban Mayhem (Paul Goldman) *** DVD Second time I’ve seen this movie and I still think it’s great. Emily Barclay is the wickedest sexy psychopath you never want to cross paths with.
Let the Right One In (Tomas Alfredson) Not usually a fan of the vampire genre but I think this is my favourite film of the year so far. The beautiful imagery reminded me of the films of Tarkovsky and the two child stars are just so good. I have a small issue with one scene towards the end which verged on farcical but otherwise it was nearly perfect 5/5
Red Eye (Wes Craven) *** DVD Too farfetched, Cillian Murphy looked ridiculous, don’t know how he played it with a straight face.
Duplicity (Tony Gilroy) Well I was mightily confused for most of the time but it was still enjoyable. Clive Owen is delectable.
FEBRUARY 2009
Doubt (John Patrick Shanley)
Revolutionary Road (Sam Mendes) Such a beautiful but sad movie
Levity (Ed Solomon) *** DVD
Entre les murs (The Class) (Laurent Cantent) I LOVED this film
The Reader (Stephen Daldry)
The Changeling (Clint Eastwood). Too long, but I liked this film more than I thought I would.
Frozen River (Courtney Hunt) Excellent. Melissa Leo should have won the Oscar for this.
JANUARY 2009
A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (Dito Montiel) *** DVD
Bad Education (Pedro Almodovar) *** DVD I first saw this on a huge screen at an outdoor theatre with a view of the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge but it didn’t lose any of its magic watching it again on DVD. My favourite Almodovar film and that’s really saying something
Dead Ringers (David Cronenberg) *** DVD I’ve also seen this movie before but Cronenberg is always rewarding and Jeremy Irons has nice legs
Frost/Nixon (Ron Howard) My first trip to the cinema for 2009 was a great way to start the year. Even knowing in advance how the interviews turn out doesn’t stop this film from being suspenseful right to the end. Frank Langella is amazing as Nixon. And the makeup artist deserves an Oscar too.
City of Ghosts (Matt Dillon) *** DVD
Rogue (Greg McLean) *** DVD
The Wrestler (Darren Aronofsky) Micky Rourke proves he’s still got balls
Clockwatchers (Jill Sprecher) *** DVD (A strange little film – definitely not the comedy it was billed as)
Gran Torino (Clint Eastwood) I don’t usually like CE but this was a very good movie. Loved the scene where Clint and his barber friend teach the Hmong boy how to talk like a man.
Slumdog Millionaire (Danny Boyle)
Milk (Gus Van Sant)
DECEMBER
Roman De Gare (Claude Lelouch) Farfetched but who cares? I loved it anyway
Gypo (Jan Dunn) *** DVD Do British hooligans really assault female Czech refugees in the street? I found this kitchen sink drama hard to watch, even with Paul McGann (Withnail and I) in it. Maybe I just don’t want to believe that people can behave this badly.
Em 4 Jay (Alkinos Tsilimidos) *** DVD Can’t imagine a lot of my readers wanting to watch this film because of its subject matter (junkies) but the acting is superb and the downward spiral so believable. Totally realistic and great soundtrack from the Black Keys.
I’ve Loved You So Long (Philippe Claudel) Kristin Scott Thomas is fabulous but the story is not very believable
Hairspray (Adam Shankman)*** DVD
Hairspray (John Waters)*** DVD I watched these two dvds back to back. they’re both fun but there’s no one quite like John Waters. Or Divine.
The World’s Fastest Indian (Roger Donaldson) *** DVD
Vicky Cristina Barcelona (Woody Allen)
Memoirs of a Geisha (Rob Marshall) *** DVD
NOVEMBER
Burn After Reading (Coen Brothers)
Clean (Olivier Assayas) *** DVD I wanted to like this but I just couldn’t
Celebrity: Dominick Dunne (Timothy Jolley & Kirsty De Garis) I love a good documentary and this one had the extra bonus of lots of Hollywood gossip and a villain or two as well)
Hunger (Steve McQueen) Fantastic film, great acting, great directing. I found it immensely moving but you’ll need a strong stomach for the violence depicted in the jail)
The Wackness (Jonathon Levine) I loved this film!!!!!
Let the Music Play (George Scott) Interesting but ultimately sad documentary about the life and music of Barry White. His death was particularly tragic with his family being denied hospital visitation rights by his partner at the time who had just given birth to a child. Many biographical sources on the net still list Barriana as one of his daughters but DNA testing later proved this to be incorrect.
American Teen ( Nanette Berstein)
OCTOBER
Final Cut (Ray Burdis and Dominic Anciano) *** DVD
This Filthy World (Jeff Garlin) *** DVD (John Waters always makes me laugh)
Jesus Camp (Heidi Ewing & Rachel Grady) *** DVD
Towelhead (Alan Ball) (Some great acting in this film and Summer Bishil is a joy to watch too)
After the Wedding (Susanne Bier) *** DVD
Man on Wire (James Marsh)
How to Eat your Watermelon in White Company (Joe Angio) *** DVD (Great documentary about Melvin Van Peebles. Maybe if he was still working on the stock market it would be in better shape 
)
The Chumscrubber (Arie Posin) *** DVD
SEPTEMBER
The Visitor (Thomas McCarthy)
Kurosawa (Adam Low) *** (DVD)
He Was a Quiet Man (Frank Cappello) *** (DVD) (very very weird film. but still intriguing)
Waltz With Bashir (Ari Folman) I LOVED this film
The Page Turner (Denis Dercourt) *** (DVD) I’m a sucker for slow French films with ambiguous endings
Two English Girls (Francois Truffaut) *** (DVD) Not one of his better films
Bitter and Twisted (Christopher Weekes)
In Bruges (Martin McDonagh)
Caramel (Nadine Labaki) Too saccharine for my taste
AUGUST
Up the Yangtze (Yung Chang)
The Bank Job (Roger Donaldson)
You, the Living (Roy Andersson)
Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden? (Morgan Spurlock)
Team America (Trey Parker) *** DVD
Look Both Ways (Sarah Watt) *** DVD
JULY
Finding Forrester (Gus Van Sant)
The Orphanage (Juan Antonio Bayona)
Untraceable (Gregory Hoblit) *** DVD – Nasty
21 (Robert Luketic) *** DVD – So predictable, there were no surprises at all in this formulaic plot
Happy Go Lucky (Mike Leigh) – I loved this movie
Married Life (Ira Sachs)
The Savages (Tamara Jenkins)
JUNE
Musica Surfica (Mick Sowry) *** DVD – One of the best things about blogging is that you ‘meet’ people you would never otherwise find. Mick sent me a copy of his doco after reading a comment I left on sexwax blog. his film is a fantastic mix of surfing (on finless boards) and ‘classical’ music arranged by the hugely talented violinist and surfer, Richard Tognetti. Highly recommended!
Surfwise (Doug Pray)
Annie Leibovitz: Life through a Lens (Barbara Leibovitz)
Enquete (Franck Mancusco)
The Counterfeiters (Stefan Ruzowitzky)
Vantage Point (Pete Travis) *** DVD I watched this on the plane to Barcelona – the worst film I´ve seen since I Am Legend. To be avoided.
Cleaner (Renny Harlin) *** DVD
Charlie Wilson´s War (Mike Nichols) *** DVD
Lisbon Story (Wim Wenders) *** DVD
MAY
This Divided State (Steven Greenstreet) *** DVD
Edge of Heaven (Fatih Akin)
Taxi To the Dark Side (Alex Gibney) – engrossing and deeply disturbing
Deception (Marcel Langenegger)
Que Tan Lejos (Tania Hermida)
Un Secret (Claude Miller)
Monique (Valerie Guignabodet) *** DVD
APRIL
The Shining (Stanley Kubrick) *** (DVD)
Lars and the Real Girl (Craig Gillespie)
Breach (Billy Ray) *** (DVD)
Crush (Alison Maclean) *** (DVD) – truly awful, to be avoided)
Hana-Bi (Takeshi Kitano) *** (DVD)
Hollywoodland (Allen Coulter) *** (DVD)
Gone Baby Gone (Ben Affleck)
Infamous (Douglas McGrath) *** (DVD)
The Music of Chance (Philip Haas) *** DVD
You Are Not Alone (Bernd Bohlich)
Stay (Marc Forster) *** DVD
Special Escort (Maggie Peren)
MARCH
In the Valley of Elah (Paul Haggis)
Gerry (Gus Van Sant – there is a retrospective of his films showing in sydney at the moment. I missed this one the first time round, was good to finally see it)
There Will Be Blood (Paul Thomas Anderson)
La Maison (Manuel Poirier)
Apres Lui (Gael Moral)
In the Shadow of the Moon (David Sington)
Stranger Than Fiction (Marc Forster)*** DVD
Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead (Sidney Lumet)
The Other Boleyn Girl (Justin Chadwick)
FEBRUARY
Lust, Caution (Ang Lee)
Sweeny Todd (Tim Burton)
Shelter (Jonah Markowitz)
U & Me & Tennessee (Paul Birchard)
JANUARY
Into the Wild (Sean Penn)
No Country for Old Men (Coen Bros)
Atonement (Joe Wright)
I’m Not There (Todd Haynes)
I Am Legend (dull dull dull – I don’t know why I let myself be persuaded to see this)
The Darjeeling Limited (Wes Anderson)
The Kite Runner (Marc Forster)
Narco: The Adventures of Gustave Klopp (Tristan Aurouet & Gilles Lellouche) *** (DVD)
2 Days in Paris (Julie Delpy)
Juno (Jason Reitman)
Will these all be films you see at the cinema this year, or will older films on dvd also be included?
I think I’ll just do cinema films. but you never know… if I watch a particularly good dvd it might get included.
I’ve changed my mind and included dvds as well because I watched so many when my internet connection was down for a whole month!
have you ever watched “THe Night Listener?” One of the best movies I’ve rented and had never even heard of it.
no I haven’t but I looked it up on imdb and am interested. plus I love toni collette. thanks for the recommendation
Check out She Loves Me She Loves Me Not or , in the original French “À la folie… pas du tout” with Audrey Tatou – I think you will enjoy … don’t read the reviews to the end though in adavnce of watching – it will spoil a greta last scene!
I’ve seen that and it’s good. have you seen Enduring Love? similar subject matter. great book too.
Do you recommend The Darjeeling Limited? It’s one of the few (three) films being shown here in English.
yes, it’s got a lot in it and is very funny in places. I just wish wes anderson had ended it after the funeral (I’m not giving anything away by mentioning a funeral – it’s not one of the main character’s)
go see it and tell me what you think
I Am Legend… Dull? What about the great ending? You know, where God saves us all from the Evil Scientists. Just like in the original story. Oh… it wasn’t in the original? You’re kidding!
I saw Sweeney Todd last night. It’s not too bad all things considered. I’m devastated that they removed the main song, but otherwise – Grand Guignol plus. So. Much. Blood.
A musical with blood. What could be better?
now reverend you know I abhor musicals as a rule (except for Get Ready to be Boyzvoiced) but I’m going to make another exception for Sweeney Todd.
It’s on the very top of my list
Boyzvoiced is a classic, but on the whole musicals suck. I’m waiting for Juno to hit dvd, it should be funny.
yeah boyzvoiced is not really a musical and it is really really funny isn’t it?
I wish I had a copy
No country is a great movie, Atonement excellent as well, but the topper is There will be Plasma( I think that’s the title……) and D.D.Lewis is simply the best actor of the year maybe the best single role in 10 years! That’s a go see don’t miss and don’t wait for the home screen, see it in a theater…..
There Will be Plasma is second on my list. hope it’s better than anaglyph’s recommendation. Even Johnny Depp couldn’t save Sweeny Todd for me.
I’d go see “Plasma” today but the Mardi Gras Film Festival is on so I’m going to watch gay boy sex instead of the history of oil.
Not to change the subject, but The Kiwi leaves our shores in a couple of days. I think he’ll be up your way in April…..;-)
I’ll be here
You must read the book The Night Listener by Armistead Maupin — can’t decide whether to recommend you read it before or after the movie … I read it before. Oh, and I managed to watch Sweeney Todd to the end despite all the blood! My son who hates musicals actually enjoyed it. Well, not enjoyed so much as got involved in the plot, and “appreciated its mood and artistic merits”, he said, expressing surprise that actors can actually sing!
I think I’d rather read it first. if I see the movie first I’m less inclined to read the book.
Spent a freezing Saturday watching DVDs: The Jane Austen Club, the happy ending of which made me cry and the crying made me realize how lonely I am. Then I watched Lust Caution and realized that some things are lost to me forever. Have a wonderful time in Spain.
Lust Caution had the same effect on me
Just caught Surfwise…..good flic. Doc has some interesting philosophies. Think I’ll pick up his book…
yeah it was certainly interesting. don´t know about doc and his wife having sex in the same room as their children every night though…..
You haven’t listed July movies yet……but I just saw Mongol. Loved it.
surftwin I couldn’t find any cinemas playing english language films in spain but now that I’m back home I’ll be doing a lot of catching up…..
Hi
thanks for commenting my blog, i just came to your page and have to say it is rare to find such a visually unique, stylish blog amongst the mess of uninteresting dreary pages you usually find. It is practically a work of art in itself!
Anyway i just want to recomend a film- have you seen Breaking the waves?
It is a bit of a tragedy. It looks like the most boring film you could imagine from the cover, but it will totally take you by surprise.
I loved that film! Lars Von Trier is one of my favourite directors
My son gave me a DVD of “California Dreamin’” (note the dropped ‘g’), a Romanian film. The young director died in a car accident before it was finished but it is an amazingly complete movie anyway. You would love it. Maybe you saw it last year — 2007? It’s not on your list.
No Daisy, I haven’t seen it. Maybe next time I come to melbourne we can have a dvd night?
better make that soon, havent seen you in yonks
how about a movie marathon on new years eve? we could stay in and spoil ourselves? I’ll book a plane if you’re going to available then…
available on NYE????? to stay in instead of raging?? what an absolutely aspiffing idea.
As a former evangelical Christian, and a recovering Pentecostal, Jesus Camp is a chilling, and shockingly familiar, tale . . .
And I loved Lars and the Real Girl. If there’s a right way to live out your faith, that movie captures it . . .
You’ve seen a bunch of my favorites. Cool . . .
Jesus Camp freaked me out…..
How come you were silent on what you thought of Burn After Reading? It was so much fun watching all those actors having the time of their lives, especially Brad Pitt. Oh and I finally managed to see The Diving Bell and the Butterfly in our local arthouse series, which, although poignant, also had a certain French arrogance which saved it from being maudlin. And just wait till you see the stockpile of DVDs we can choose from on NYE.
Oh I liked it, but not as much as No Country for Old Men. Great acting and pretty funny but ultimately not memorable enough for me.
ooooh – a stockpile – how exciting!
Gypo is a really cool choice
Nice movie
I was not too keen on Bad Education in comparison to Almodovars other films. I’ve always been partial to his film Live Flesh and Kika was fun. All About My Mother is a good one too.
Loved Dead Ringers. Cronenberg seems to have moved away from horror these days. Still a great director.
Must see The Wrestler, Frost Nixon and Gran Torino.
I think I have clockwatchers on DVD somewhere buried. It does capture the horrendous nature of office work. Scored it for dirt cheap years ago. Great little film.
hey ricardo – nice to see you on this page. All About My Mother is a VERY close second for me – wonderful film.
I love the earlier Cronenberg, am one of the few who disliked History of Violence with its cartoon characterisations of bad guys. though I thought Maria Bello was excellent in it and Viggio can do no wrong.
History of violence was a bit lopsided. It couldn’t figure out if it wanted to be a comic book or serious crime drama. It was an odd hybrid. I love The Fly and Videodrome. But even some of his really early stuff like Shivers and Rabid are fun in a B movie way. Marilyn Chambers on the motorcycle at the beginning of Rabid is HOT!
I think Maria Bello is great and I know many women love that Viggio. Some men too I’m sure.
Wow you see so much! More scribbling in my notebook.
Lars and the Real Girl is my favourite on your list.
Make sure you see The Complete History of my Sexual Failures! Reverend Anaglyph took me to it and I KNOW you will love it.
Lust, Caution was my favourite film of 2008. so far this year it’s been The Class.
your recommendation looks fabulous Pil!
Hi Nurse Myra!
I hope this finds you, and everyone you’re working with – *WELL*, busy and cheerful. My name is Paul Birchard – I’m the fellow who made the movie
U & ME & TENNESSEE – an American romance…
which I think you saw as part of the 2008 Mardi Gras Film Festival in Sydney…
I hope you enjoyed the picture, and Thanks for the listing on your EXCELLENT Antipodean blog! Yours aye, – Paul Birchard
Thanks Paul, I did enjoy your film
I loved “A Taste of Cherry”, but I went and saw it because I had previously seen Kiarostami’s masterpiece (IMHO) “Through the Olive Trees.” In fact, I’ve seen TTOT about 3 times. It gets better with each viewing, a couple of years apart.
another one to add to my ever growing list…. unless you have a copy? have you watched Abigail’s Party yet?
I’d forgoten “Divided We Fall.” Thanks for reminding me. I remember watching it in the cinema feeling that it was too lightweight, but I remember it with clarity and now realise that it was masterfully directed. I had expected a “Schindler’s List” experience but the lot of small town people in WWII was more mundane, more human than that. Captured with real insight in this lovely film.
I will definitely watch Horem Padem!
Have you seen “Burnt by the Sun”?
No I think I missed that one, are you recommending it?
Yes. Burnt By The Sun is a wonderful Russian film. Beautiful, violent, lyrical, moving, shocking – so many layers. I think it won an Oscar for Best Foreign film? But interestingly a Russian acquaintance at a party said that Russians themselves don’t like the film because they think it was deliberately made for a Western audience.
ok I’ve put it on my list
I want to know when Bran Nue Dae is coming to the USA.
I’ll ask missy if she knows…..
ooo, what was wrong with Cameron’s face????
It was a sort of mottled brown as if she were wearing really bad fake tan or had a pigment problem like chloasma. I also think she’s had some sort of cosmetic work, she just looks weird….
I’ve just received “Children of Heaven” on DVD from Amazon. Have you seen it? Iranian film from about 10 yrs ago.
I loved it so much when I saw it in the cinema – I wanted to see it again.
Movie night???
Yes, I loved Children of Heaven and I’m always up for a movie night at The Castle
The director of Children of Heaven also made “Baran”. Have you seen that?
It is so wonderful, so hard to describe. A masterpiece.
I should just have a massive Iranian movie night here at the Castle.
I preferred Children of Heaven to Baran. Got any Kiarostami?
Nurse M. this is currently showing here (NZ) and it is IMHO, a MUST SEE.
“AN Education”. 5 stars.
Yeah, I saw it in October. It was pretty good, Carey Mulligan was fabulous