La mujer sin piano - Javier Rebollo (2009)

There are films for everyone. There's an audience for everything. Those seems to be two of the most important laws in cinema.

There's a certain audience that likes the idea of "independent"* cinema.... meaning non-traditional, non-narrative, a bit pretentious too. This is a film for them.

We have a main character, she is very well played - the actress has a career as television comedian but here she manages to do very well in drama. It's not a performance problem. The film is about her.. the problem seems to be that we don't get to know a lot about her. Okay, she's fed up with her life, she wants something else... we don't know what or why. She just wanders around. She drinks cognac. There's nothing wrong with not telling everything. But you need to get the audience to empathise with her and really feel the way she is feeling and want to run away to. I think here is where it fails.

The photography/camera is very good. The lighting is very simple but very well done. Tidy. The movements are stylish, I'd call them meticulous to an immaculate level. 

Nice surprise** : the sound is also interesting. Lots of atmosphere sounds. Her character is mostly her heels. But she also comments she has a hearing problem... which isn't well used in the film. It could have been better. The music is well used... it represents her feelings, her drive, whatever it is that they are not telling us, the music gives us a hint. And it's used only for those moments. Good choice.

The ending... is the beginning of a new film, a more traditional film. Did I like La mujer sin piano? I didn't hate it but it isn't my kind of film. I like feeling together with the character, I wanted to cheer for her to do well. I didn't get involved in her story. You can do a non-narrative film an still convey emotions.


* I could start a rant about "independent" cinema, "independent" of what/whom... but I won't do it this time.
** Why should anyone be surprised to find good use of sound in a film?!

La mujer sin piano

The trailer. That's the film. That's all you get from it. 

Los abrazos rotos - Pedro Almodóvar (2009)

There are weak things about this film. Mainly the fact that key dramatic moments aren't told cinematographically but in dialogues. There's a character who keeps a few secrets... and she tells them while having dinner at a restaurant. And there was one left for breakfast in the morning. Instead of using them narratively in one dialogues everything is revealed. Poor, to say the least.

Is this a love story? I'm not sure. Obsession maybe? Not entirely. That's another weakness. It's more about relationships and memories of Almodóvar himself.

The real strength of this film is the visual aspect. It's all very colourful, impeccable art, not a hair out of place on anyone. That and the fact that actors are well directed. Even Penélope Cruz can act with the right guidance (and without the language barrier). Perhaps she's used to being an object of obsession? Anyway, she's okay. She doesn't even annoy you.

The thing I liked the most was how Almodóvar manages to quote himself. Isn't everyone familiar with Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios ? I would say so. I enjoyed how he can make fun of himself quoting his own personal biggest comedy (and I film that still makes me laugh).

Broken Embraces could be better, but it's not a bad film. Almodóvar has always been praised as a director but I think it was with maturity that he could become more solid at it.


Los abrazos rotos

Bellamy - Claude Chabrol (2009)

This poster is quite nice. The idea of this film is quite interesting: a policeman on holidays gets involved with a case out of curiosity. The policeman is Gerard Depardieu, the director is Chabrol. It sounds promising. Well I felt cheated. Instead of it becoming interesting it becomes boring. The problem isn't that it's slow, the problem is that there isn't enough there... There are also certain uses of zoom. I hate zooms, but it can be tolerable in certain films. Not in this case.

I'm disappointed. Maybe I should have expected less of Chabrol.

Bellamy

La Pivellina - Tizza Covvi / Rainer Frimmel (2009)

Everyone should see this film. Everyone should make this type of films. Human, simple, kind with its characters...  La Pivellina is like a cuddle.

The story is set somewhere in Rome, real people from the suburbs living in a trailer. Circus people who survive as they can. Patti and her red hair is all heart. Adorable. There are no words to describe how amazing that little girl is. The work they've done to make such a young child act is really impressive. She is the film.

Some people like to call it neo-neorealism, I prefer to see it as a fiction with the aesthetics of a documentary. It seems to have been filmed in a documentary way. The camera is a close witness, not an intrusive one, a friendly viewer in the middle of this world. It's like the camera of the Dardenne brothers... only gentle, warm and loving.

The sound is also borrowed from the documentary. Ambiences, the world they are in. Everything is diegetic. What I like the most is that there is no mood music, there's really no need for it.

The narrative is linear. The story and the characters are enough to keep us engaged. No need for any artifice.

I saw this film some time ago and it touched my heart. Months later, it still works. It's still as touching as the first time.

La Pivellina 

Je l'aimais - Z. Breitman (2009)

Perhaps I wasn't in the mood for this film.

It's nice to watch, the transitions in between scenes are very good, the actors are ok (you even believe the love affair between Daniel Auteil and the younger girl *and* his version of his old self). It's a film about the choice between love and comfort. Not excessively cheerful, not excessively romantic even, not excessively about the crisis of love... it either needed something else or I wasn't in the right mood for it.

Je l'aimais

Le Concert - Radu Mihaileanu (2009)

I enjoy both French and Russian films. So how can I be objective about this one?! It's a great mix of things I like. In any other film I would have not forgiven the fact that's full of stereotypes. 

Le Concert is a nice feel-good film, bits of comedy, bits of drama... it's fun. It's not a major drama like Les Choristes, but it's not a cheesy comedy like Amélie... it's somewhere in the middle and I think it works well.

The photography is nicely done, that always helps. The sound is also well done, not great when it comes to design but it does sound 5.1 and it's full of music. (In this case it works, as it is part of the story). Nothing bold but as I said, I am more tolerant with this film than I would be with any other. The Russian cast is very charming and they are all good in their roles (some a bit too stereotyped, but still effective).

Le Concert