Cinema, Aspirins and Vultures (Cinema, Aspirinas e Urubus) - Amazon.com Exclusive

An Understated Gem About Choosing Your Own Future
2005's "Cinema, Aspirins, and Vultures" is a surprisingly straightforward, simple and understated story. Its power derives from the fact that it is underplayed to perfection. Set in 1942, the tale introduces a German traveling salesman who befriends a local on the road. The two form a tentative bond as they traverse the country from small town to small town. As world news starts to invade their idyllic lifestyle, the salesman and his new companion must make some important decisions about what the future holds for them both. Both actors are terrific in subtle performances--and the underlying sadness that interrupts their journey is so strong because it is largely left under the surface and not dealt with in a melodramatic fashion. KGHarris, 8/11.
Sweet Brazilian Road Movie
I was totally charmed by this Brazilian movie at the Palm Springs Film Festival. Just get it, and you will see. If you liked "Central Station," you will love this movie.

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A Wonderful Night in Split (Ta Divna Splitska Noc) - Amazon.com Exclusive

A ...not so Wonderful Night In Split
This Croatian import from 2005 is a well handled debut from director Arsen Anton Ostojic. The film's promoters seemed to want to tout it as a Tarantinoesque thriller, where all of a city's underbelly is exposed in one seemingly endless night. And don't get me wrong, that isn't a bad description, but I felt that, like most true pieces of art-house cinema, it's best to watch without expectation and let the film absorb you. This is something that Ostojic seems both suited to and qualified for. Straight away the audience dives or is driven, depending on your sensibilities, deep into the heart of this medieval Central European city on a modern New Years eve. Using relatively simple black and white photography Ostojic and his crew show us an enviroment of tight back alleys, dingy bars, seedy inns, and a town square brimming with citizens for midnight concert. The later serves as the esential base of the film where all major characters pass through or connect, all be it unwittingly, as they...
Indie surprise!
A group of unknown's make a really wonderful impact with this flick. Not wishing to give the story away, suffice to say you will be entertained regardless of the seemingly unpopular style in which the movie is presented. I was pleasantly surprised by the talents displayed.
A trio of stories the interlink with a most splendiferous outcome - hence, the surprise. Some times it might be good to include that this movie is cerebral, not what many movie goers seem to like. But well worth watching for certain.

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Fine Dead Girls (Fine Mertve Djevojke) - Amazon.com Exclusive

Beautifully filmed, with an important message
I purchased this DVD as a result of seeing a report on Kittredge Cherry's "Jesus in Love" blog spot that a poster advertising the play derived from the movie had caused uproar. As Cherry reported:

"According to Croatian news reports, the mayor of Zagreb ordered theater director Darko Stazic to remove the poster from all public areas after an unprecedented campaign against it by Catholic and other religious groups. They denounced the poster as blasphemy."

Interestingly, the blasphemy issue arose because the poster showed two women in long robes, one of which might have been construed to be the Virgin Mary, in a tender embrace. Apparently the sexuality of the story was not the issue as much as the suggestion that the Virgin might accept the loving embrace of a woman. Interestingly enough, for me the famous picture (and sculpture) by Thomas Blackshear entitled "Forgiven", which shows Jesus embracing and uplifting a presumably repentant sinner at the moment of...
Slavic Identity After the Dissolution of Yugoslavia - Croatia
I have been sitting for 4 days, thinking about this 2002 movie from Croatia. I have decided that I did like the movie, but many people may find offense at the portrayals of Slavs of the former nation of Yugoslavia, especially Croatians.

The story (set in Zagreb) is told through Iva, one of two women who rent an apartment from an older couple. The wife (Olga) is a nosy-body who is constantly looking for her son to marry. The movie begins with Iva, who has gone to the building with a police detective to look for her 4-year-old son, who she swears was kidnapped by the old woman. Iva, unable to find her son, tells the detective that the tenants are lying, and gives a story (most of movie told in flashback) about what happened with her and Marija, her lover and about the other tenants.

The movie goes back in time, with Iva and Marija, lesbians, moving in and being watched by a strange man. The movie then spirals into a big, insane, phantasmagorical narrative,...
Worth watching - Spoiler alert
I will keep this brief, as the previous review sets the bar quite high. I know nothing about Eastern Europe, but I do know I thing or two about homoerotic representations in film. This plot does nothing to advance gay rights (not that it has to), as it has the same moral message as a gay Fatal Attraction (i.e. don't deviate from monogamy and heterosexuality or else). The leading actress makes a poor choice (lesbianism) and her life is turned upside down. Eventually, she abandons her degenerate lifestyle leaving a few dead bodies behind. She marries her ex-boyfriend, has a child and a beautiful house. Her past comes back to haunt her (ergo the movie) but eventually all turns out well and the happy family walks into the sunset. She will not tell her husband about her "secret past", because nobody ever truly knows their family. Makes sense. A good movie, if you can tolerate the sexist and homophobic message.
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WHISKY (2004)(Sub)

Uruguayan Gem
A quietly powerful and touching film. Aside from giving North American viewers a rare and fascinating glimpse of a country (Uruguay) that has for so long languished in the shadow of bigger neighbors Argentina and Brazil, Whisky delivers an antidote to the photogenic violence and exoticized romance that in recent decades have tended to dominate both international distribution of Latin American cinema and (perhaps as a consequence) the North's perception of the region. At the same time, this impeccably acted and directed film offers a timely but low-key critique of the effects of the global economy on the kind of marginally poor--but not destitute or violent--people that comprise the majority of Latin America's inhabitants. The film does so without caving in to the demands of the market, which explains its slow pace and also its failure get nominated for an Oscar--a nomination it most certainly deserved.
A tour de force through the Uruguayan world.
Juan Pablo Rebella, the director of this movie, committed suicide on July 5th 2006, a couple of months after the big hit in Cannes. It seems to me, this movie was really his opera prima and terminal film at the same time. Extraordinary lethargic piece of art. Honest and simple, the two hardest thing to do in filmmaking. I only wish we could have enjoyed more of his work and talent. Descansa en Paz amigo Rebella.
Deadpan Uruguayan comedy is worth seeing
This droll, deadpan comedy from Uruguay, clearly influenced by directors such as Jarmusch and Kaurismaki, is a real find. Directors Rebella (who killed himself shortly after this film was released) and Stoll, tells the story of two middle aged Jewish brothers. The elder brother has remained in Uruguay, running a decrepit sock factory, and acts taciturn and resentful, feeling life has cheated on him. The younger, more easy going brother, has moved to Brazil, where he has raised a family and runs a succesful textile factory in the Sao Paulo area. When their mother dies, the brother in Brazil returns to Uruguay for the funeral. So that his younger brother will not pity him, his older brethren asks a middle aged, somewhat plump employee to pretend to be his wife when his brother returns (this plot point is not really very believable, but in the cinema you sort of accept it). There is little else plotwise to the movie, as the brothers and the fake wife tour some of the deserted, sunless...
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Dam Street (Hong Yan) - Amazon.com Exclusive

DAM STREET: Grim Bleak But Compelling
Life in the post Mao era of the 1980s in China has the well deserved reputation of unrelieved grimness. DAM STREET is the visual affirmation of a culture that seems intent on punishing anyone who goes against the crowd. Director Yu Li uses stark images of a town located directly on a river that functions as a dam, literally holding back the potential energy of the swirling waters beyond and figuratively trapping the kinetic energy of the residents, all of whom are involved with avoiding being crushed by uncaring others or crushing those who cannot get out of the way fast enough. Sister Yun (Liu Yi) is a sixteen year old school girl who commits the unpardonable sin of getting pregnant by her boyfriend Wang Fen (Liu Rui). Their indiscretion is blared over the school's loudspeaker. Both are expelled. Wang Fen shows little gumption as he quickly accepts his disgrace and leaves town to become a carpenter's apprentice. Sister Yun has to face the hostility of the town totally alone...
A Bleak And Lovely Film That Loses Power By Pulling Away From Dramatics With Exposition
There is a really compelling story at the heart of "Dam Street." In some hands, the film could have been turned into a melodramatic weepie about sacrifice and mother love. But it's matter-of-fact tone keeps it relatively grounded in reality. While this is a strength, it also serves as somewhat of a weakness keeping the viewer aloof to the central characters. Every time some big dramatic act takes place, the film cuts away to a narration to explain what happens next instead of showcasing the actual aftermath. So the emotional payoff is consistently shortchanged as we never stay close enough to the action.

The film does boasts solid performances. When a sixteen year old student becomes pregnant, a moral code all but ostracizes her from acceptable society. Forced to give the child up, and later told it is dead, she unwittingly befriends a boy ten years later who may have closer connections than she is aware of. The lead character is appropriately conflicted throughout...
Love's Labor Lost in Sichuan
I have traveled to Sichuan China several times in the last few years, where this movie is set. Despite the outward progress of capitalism in a Communist country, the status of women has changed very little -- especially when a single woman's daughter becomes pregnant. In order to "protect" the daughter, the new born son is reported doa, but is secretly raised through the intervention of the daughter's mother. Interesting relationships develop over the years involving all three members of this broken family. There is heart-breaking opportunities to accept responsibility for the actions of mother and daughter, built around the son, but too many hardships and delusions get in the way. A powerful portrait of the shame and lost love between mother (the ever-beautiful Li Kechun, whose acting is superb) and daughter is uneasy, but worth the closing scene. High recommendation.
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Fuse (Gori Vatra) - Amazon.com Exclusive

Liked Kusturica? you'll love this one!
Fast paced, hilarious yet deep - this movie very realisticly describes the Bosnia I've come to live in and love during the war.

Been looking for this on DVD since I've seen the movie 3 years ago.

Go for it, you wont regret it!
Fantastic little piece.
Although I agree with each of the other reviews, do not let them make you think that this movie is (all) a downer--it has some wonderful, funny moments. A lit of them, actually. As sad and touching and surreal... like life. Do yourself a favor and watch this movie... does any one know where I can get the soundtrack?
Excellent movie
One of the best movies from Bosnia (former Yugoslavia).
It will break your heart and make you think...how fragile we humans are.
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On Each Side (A Cada Lado) - Amazon.com Exclusive

On Each Side
On Each Side - First Run Features

"On Each Side" (A Cada Lado) is quite an interesting film. It takes you along and, by the end, you are trying to figure out what the plot was, but you are satisfied anyway. Director Hugo Grosso ably captured a particular place in time and its people, creating a unique and captivating document of our times.

The story - or stories, for that matter - takes place in the cities of Victoria and Rosario, in Argentina, while a bridge to connect both cites, which are separated by the Paraná River, is being constructed. This is a colossal project which will affect the lives of the people in both towns, as well as the rest of the country. The film starts just when the bridge's construction is at its first stages and ends when it opens the public. While all this takes place, we meet an assortment of characters that live at both sides of the river, and whose lives will be affected by this enterprise. The main one, we might think, is a...
I didn't care about these characters
Little in this caught my attention, though it does evoke a place in the world I know nothing about. The character development is weak. We are never given a real reason to care about anyone in this film. The point seems to be something vaguely unclear about people who are separated by various things, some invisible, some emotional, some temporal. It's kind of high concept, really. But the plot is absent. The photography is good and so is the film technique.

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Max and Mona (Amazon.com Exclusive)

Max and Mona
This movie is truly a blend of urbanistic selfishness and cultural burden to emmancipation. One has to balance himself on top to escape these two opposite but selfish environments.


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Enough! (Bakarat!) - Amazon.com Exclusive

A Very Human Story Set Amidst Political Turmoil and Very Realistic.
This is a film about the political strife in Algeria during the 1990's, and its impact upon ordinary lives. Amel, a Westernized woman, is also a doctor married to a journalist who is missing. It is understood that this is related to a series of articles he published condemning the current political situation.

Together with another woman from the hospital where she works, Amel goes in search of her husband, whom she believes fundamentalists have kidnapped and hidden in a remote section of mountains. Amel's companion is also a veteran of the war with France, and tries to use her connections with her previous comrades to trace Amel's husband. Throughout the movie we watch how these highly educated women are abused by men and treated with no respect.

The film is beautifully made, the actors terrific and the Algerian scenery quite spectacular. The ending is a little ambiguous. Why the writer/director did that is not clear. The ending certainly does not add to...


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Kept and Dreamless (Las Mantenidas Sin Sueos) - Amazon.com Exclusive

coming of age in Argentina
A film very similar to "Mas que a Nada en el Mundo" about a 9-year-old girl struggling to cope with her drug-dependent mother during Argentina's economic crisis. There is a certain amount of humour, but the situations are still fairly grim - the film opens with a sequence in which the mother takes the money her own mother has given her to have an abortion to pay off a drug-dealer. The girl's father is absent and her attempts to meet him form an important through-line in the film. To be classified with those many other films in which the daughter is more mature than the mother. Unrated but equivalent to 'M' for language, drug references, and sexual situations. There is one extraordinary scene towards the very end of the film in which the girl's grandmother teaches her to insert a pad - although the camera maintains a respectful distance, it is still a full frontal nude scene of a young girl exploring herself and may be offensive to delicate US sensibilities (but presumably perfectly...


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Of Love and Eggs (Rindu Kami Padamu) - Amazon.com Exclusive

Review
While I anticipate 'Of Love and Eggs' will be too slow for many, if not most, viewers, others will find value in its humanity. Set in a working-class Muslim neighborhood in Jakarta, Indonesia, the film revolves around the lives of three children.

After a short introduction by Rindu (Raisa Pramesi), a deaf girl, the film opens with Bimo's story. Bimo (Sakurta H. Ginting) lives and works with his older brother, Seno, as an egg seller in the shop opened by their mother who is now deceased (along with their father). He longs for the love of a mother and in trying to win over the young woman who lives across the street and also happens to like his brother provides the comedic moments in the film.

The film then moves on to Asih (Putri Mulia) whose mother left her and her father to presumably escape the abuse from Asih's father. Asih struggles with the loss of her mother.

Most poignant of all is Rindu's story and her reaction to the fundamentalists'...


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The Night of Truth (La Nuit de la Verite) - Amazon.com Exclusive

Tragic consequences of a civil war
The Night of Truth DVD exemplifies the tragic aftermath of African civil wars on its people. Memories and recollections of the unjustified killings,amputations,mutilation and other horrors of the war can be an exceedingly difficult and painful challenge for both opponents after the war when peace,forgiveness and reconciliation become the issue to tackle which is absolutely necessary for the rehabilitation,stabilization and reconstruction of their country. This recollection of atrocities committed is an extremely difficult challenge particularly to those who lost their loved ones during the conflict,let alone when they find themselves face to face with the perpetrators of the ghastly deed committed on their friends or family. Forgive or not forgive, forgive and forget,forgive but not forget,etc,in a variety of "flavors" affront the victims of the war. The French language with English subtitles just makes this movie more authentic,more interesting and more true-to-life. That is how we...
Memorable, brutal, as a murderer begs forgiveness.
This 2004 film is not for the light-hearted, as it deals with the horrific atrocities happened through the last ten years with two different groups of people in Africa. And more recently, there was a brutal slaughter of people one night. The two groups in the African country the Nayak and the Bonandés, will come together one night for a celebration of peace, and we follow the activities in preparation for the celebration, anticipating peace after a decade.

Forgiveness
The wife of the President of the Nayak national army, Edna is not forgiving person, haunted by the knowledge that her young son was horrifically murdered by cutting off his testicles and stuffing them in his mouth. She feels her dead son is not at rest until his death is avenged. Will she, and can she forgive as she confronts the man who begs her forgiveness that he horrifically murdered her son?

The film is tense, and you cannot help but watch the entire length, as the events unfold,...
the light beyond the endless night
Subtly directed, beautifully written, breathtakingly executed. "The Night of the Truth" (La nuit de la vérité) is a fictional story of two ethnic groups who are sawing the seeds of reconciliation after a ten year civil war. But it could very well be the real story of Rwanda, Burundi, Sierra Leone or Liberia. Possibly conceived for an African audience by the rising African director Fanta Régina Nacro, the message behind the movie is simple and considerate: an African solution for an Africa problem is what can and will work best for the African people.

The storyline is simple. The movie starts at dawn the day in which a reconciliation pact will be signed between two fictional ethnic groups the Bonandé and the Nayak. The camera acts as a silent intruder in the lives of the two main actors and orchestrators of the war: the Nayak president (Adama Ouédraougo) and the Bonandé rebel leader, Colonel Theo (Commandant Moussa Cissé)...
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The Fish Fall in Love (Mahiha Ashegh Mishavand) - Amazon.com Exclusive

charming film about interrupted love
This is a gentle film about lives and loves disrupted, the consequences of political exile, good food lovingly prepared, and a charming town on the Caspian sea. Contrary to a previous reviewer'r's opinion, it is not at all ambiguous if you watch and listen carefully. I've watched it three times so far and I like it more each time... The place itself is so seductive, I keep wanting to just be there...
Entertaining movie but not a must see
The movie is is about an Iranian woman who has a restaurant on the property of her ex fiance and when he suddenly returns she's afraid he'll take away everything. It's entertaining but I think it ends abruptly without giving closure for the story.
Important Subjects but Mediocre Rendering
Some important subjects were alluded to pertaining to the role of women in Iranian society but a lackluster, mediocre and incomplete rendering of those subjects left this audience confused and empty. The writer & director, if they are going to tell a story, they should finish their story however they think is appropriate and not leave it up to the audience to create their own ending. This ambiguity laden story telling style is a self-righteous attempt to be clever, intelligent and complex. But instead shows a lack of direction. The acting was flat, lacking emotion and depth. The story seemed to plod through many scenes and lacked impact where many opportunities to showcase Iranian culture presented themselves.
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Kilometre Zero (Amazon.com Exclusive)

"Our Past Is Sad..., Our Present Is Tragic..., Luckily We Have No Future" ~ Ode To Iraq
Note: French with English subtitles.

Released in '05 `Kilometre Zero' is a slow moving but darkly fascinating look into the cultural divide and national uncertainty pervading Iraq just prior to the fall of the Sadam Husein regime and the occupation of Bagdad.

Synopsis: The storyline centers around Ako (Nazmi Kirik) a desperate young Kurdish husband and father who dreams of escaping his homeland with his wife Selma (Elle model Belcim Bilgin) and infant son to someplace far away from the violence, death and hopelessness that has enveloped his country. When he is forced into the military and sent to the front line he waits for his chance to escape and his chance comes with the death of another soldier. He is assigned to escort the body back to the deceased mans family with the help of an Arab taxi driver. It's during their long drive that Ako makes his quest for freedom a reality.

Critique: While this film is rather lacking in entertainment value it does...


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Buffalo Boy (Amazon.com Exclusive)

Excellent Movie!
I expected the movie to be slow, but it was quite fast and entertaining. I liked how the movie did not touch on any political agenda. This is the one to watch for the beautiful scenary and excellent cinematography. I am glad this Vietnamese movie was introduced to the world audience.
buffalo boy
It's amazing!! scenery of landscapes are great!!! Story is really sad and much reflecting from the colonized time of Vietnam. Also having chance to see the big scale of many buffalos when they moved for foods!!The sound of water is beautiful when the buffalos moved on... Should be seen!!
Beautiful scenery with its remarkable sounds.
If you are interested in watching scenes of rural Vietnam, this may serve to become one of your collection. The sounds of rivers and water buffaloes which are blended with the rural landscape appear to be in harmony which sometimes make the viewer feel that he is in there. Although the cinematography is well worth it,the plot is rather weak and some of the scenes appear dragging which reminds me of some articles in National Geographic Magazines. However, the actors and actresses I think did their part well. We would welcome more movies about Vietnam.
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Stolen Life (Amazon.com Exclusive)

A Psychologically Abused Woman in Modern China: A Very Slight Spoiler
Without spoiling the film, I'd like to add only slightly to Amazon's "Product Description":

Yanni, the main actress in the movie is living with her extended family who sees her as a waste of a person with little to no future. To everyone's surprise she is accepted to a college in Beijing. She goes, life opens up, the wonders of the world are hers to discover. For those who have visited China's Universities, all the sights are there, particularly those incredibly cramped (with sometimes as many as 7 student) dorm rooms. A wonderful and slightly older delivery man sights her, makes his move and they are in love. Soon Yanni finds out she is pregnant. Not surprisingly, while her lover remains committed, we are slowly taken out of the bright dorm rooms and even the streets of this "New China". The couple move to dwellings underground and we begin to wonder what this delivery man's intentions really are.

This is a powerful feminist movie, where you (man or woman,...
Sad but compelling independent film from China
Zhou Xun is one of the most compelling actresses working today and she grabs you right from the start in this film. She plays a young woman whose parents, intellectuals from the previous generation, have abandoned her for the most part, shuffling her off to live in near poverty with her granny and aunt. Then she's accepted into university, raising her class status momentarily, but falls in love with a truck driver, gets pregnant and her life unravels. There's subtle and deep social commentary embracing this extremely sad tale of family, love, and one woman's struggle to survive in modern China. I was very surprised by the script. It's softly brutal.
Sad but Probably True to Life
I enjoyed this movie if you can use the word enjoyed for something so tragic. It's a portrait of a blatant betrayal of trust. SPOILER ALERT: A girl leaves her dysfunctional home and gets involved with a boy. She becomes pregnant and the boyfriend talks her into having the baby by alluding to the fact that they will have a nice family together and somehow manage to make it financially even though they are totally broke. Nothing could be further from the truth as he has plans all along to sell the baby to another couple once it is born and then ditch the girl and find another woman to use the same ruse on. He is the perfect con artist and evil trickster. I found the movie interesting to get a glimpse of the gritty, underground world that many Chinese people live in which is no doubt all too true to life. The place they live underground in Beijing not only has little seedy apartments but also shops and places making food. A rather different and engaging movie. An eye opening view of one...
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