September 9, 2005
Transamerica (2005) ***
Munich (2005) ***
Steven Spielberg's ''Munich'' provoked quite a storm of controversy when it was released. The film was accused of excessively humanizing the Palestinian terrorists who organized the massacre of Israeli athletes during the 1972 Olympics. A Mossad hit squad is ordered (by Golda Meir herself) to find those terrorists and to kill them in retaliation. As the film progresses, the team leader (played by Eric Bana) becomes progressively disillusioned with his mission and eventually leaves not only Mossad, but even Israel, and moves to the United States. The last, very controversial, shot of the film shows the World Trade Centre, clearly suggesting that all those killing have only lead to more terrorist attacks, including 9/11. The defeatist tone of the film is compounded by the fact that Spielberg doesn’t offer any alternative solutions. His point seems to be that while the retaliation was totally useless, there was nothing else that the Israelis could have done anyway. Quite a depressing message. Overall, this is one of Spielberg’s weakest films, but it's never boring. Just a minor work of a major filmmaker.
Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire (2005) ***
It has a few big-budget action scenes, some fearsome dragons and a flying stagecoach, but it is the weakest of all Harry Potter films. Directed by Mike Newell.
Brick (2005) ***
Imagine a Humphrey Bogart's private-eye film like "The Maltese Falcon" or "The Big Sleep", only set in a suburban high-school circa 2005. That's "Brick", an original and fascinating pastiche of the noir genre.
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge Of The Sith (2005) ****
The best "Star Wars" movie since "The Empire Strikes Back".
Nuit noire, 17 octobre 1961 (2005) ***
Shocking film about a massacre of Algerian immigrants in Paris in 1961.
August 8, 2005
Les Poupées russes (2005) ***
A sequel to the 2002 international hit ''L’Auberge Espagnole'', ''Les Poupées russes'' is a cosmopolitan comedy of manners about sex and other forms of international relations. Directed by Cédric Klapisch with his trademark mix of gentle whimsy and sophisticated realism, the film paints a complex picture of a young generation of European yuppies struggling to find their place in an ever-changing world of sexual opportunities and economic hardships. Our hero, Xavier (Romain Douris) certainly has his hands full trying to juggle relationships with no less than 8 different women, including his ex (Audrey Tautou) who might still be in love with him, his lesbian friend (Cécile de France) on whose loyalty he can always count, a crazy Spanish girlfriend (Irene Montala) who loves to run completely naked in the streets at night, an exotic conquest (Aïssa Maïga) who's a bit bewildered by Xavier's revolving-door policy on women, various one-night-stands (Isabelle Joly and Anne Steffens) with weird quirks of their own, a gorgous top model (Lucy Gordon) whose romantic sincerity could be doubted, and a coy English lass (Kelly Reilly), who just might be ''the one''. Set in Paris, London and Sankt-Petersburg, ''Les Poupées russes'' isn't as sweet as ''L'Auberge espagnole'', but it more than makes up for it in eroticism and hedonistic wit.
July 7, 2005
2 Girls (2005) ***
According to a comment on imdb, ''this is one of those rare films we see in the world today that will change one's life. It is also a revolutionary film for the Turkish cinema, finally an intelligent and sensitive departure from the stupid slap sticks of the recent years toward bone dry reality about everyday Turkish life.'' The film in question is ''2 Girls'', directed by E. Kutlug Ataman. It tells a story of two young girls from Istanbul who develop a very close friendship. One girl, Behiye (Feride Cetin) is a rebellious lesbian firebrand with a shock of vermillion-colored hair, flaming purple lipstick and a temper to match. She falls in love with Handan (Vildan Atasever), a vivacious blonde raised by a single mother. Unfortunately, Handan is straight (complete with an asshole boyfriend), but that seems only to excite Behiye even more. So, instead of being a predictable melodrama about a pair of lesbians persecuted by a puritanical Islamic society, ''2 Girls'' is a complex, nuanced film about sexual attraction, unrequited love, jealousy and betrayal.
Sex And Philosophy (2005) ***
June 6, 2005
Mrs Henderson Presents (2005) ***
Those prudish Brits sure love movies about kinky plebeians: from "The Full Monty" to "Calendar Girls" and now "Mrs Henderson Presents". English directors seem to be particularly excited by erotic stories of ordinary people disrobing for a noble cause. This time, we are in World War II London. German bombs are falling. But brave men and women on Churchill’s island bravely resist the Nazis. And nobody resists more nobly and heroically than brave nude actresses at the Windmill Theatre (which remains open every day despite the Blitz) as they courageously disrobe to cheer the young soldiers as they go into battle. The film’s greatest and most touching scene takes place during an air raid, when a particularly heavy bombing briefly disrupts a performance, almost forcing most actresses to flee. But one girl (Kelly Reilly) quickly regains her composure and resumes her nude pose (while making a victory sign), and so all the other performers return on stage as well. This great "there is Jackson standing like a stone wall" moment is guaranteed to bring the tears to the eyes of any audience, while also being erotically arousing. Directed by Stephen Frears, "Mrs Henderson Presents" is a wonderful illustration of that famed British "stiff upper lip". Judi Dench and Bob Hoskins are both in particularly fine comic form, but it’s Kelly Reilly who really steals the show as a brave English lass who finds not only fame, but also glory and respect as London’s most famous nude performer.
May 5, 2005
These Girls (2005) ***
An uneven, but sexy Canadian comedy about three young women - Caroline Dhavernas (''Wonderfalls''), Holly Lewis and Amanda Walsh - who seduce a married man. They essentially blackmail the poor guy into sleeping with all of them on a rotating basis until he is no longer able to endure the situation. The film has a peculiar sense of morality - it is very sympathetic towards its oversexed vixen heroines, while the guy is criticized primarily for cheating on his wife. Directed by John Hazlett, ''These Girls" is far from being entirely successful - the third act goes off the rails and the ending is far from satisfactory - but the picture is still memorable for its sexual anarchy, deft touches of black humour and especially a bravura performance by Holly Lewis.
Les Voleurs d'enfance (2005) *
Very demagogic, often self-contradictory documentary about child protection service in Quebec.
April 4, 2005
Six Shooter (2005) ****
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