35 Rhums - Claire Denis (2008)

Let's agree it's not my kind of film. But if you read anything about this film, you're most likely to be expecting a masterpiece, I thought it might be more interesting when I rent it and everyone says great things about Claire Denis (and yes, I do have a soft spot for French films).

35 Rhums is the story of the relationship between a widowed father and his university student daughter, they share a flat and have a very close bond, almost too close bond. Almost. It's all father-daughter love.

That's it. That's all there is. I've mentioned before films that don't follow the traditional structure but might rely on the characters. Here, you know this father and daughter are very close but you don't get to know a lot of them. As if the director wanted to protect their privacy (which we can say is a bit silly). So you don't really engage on whatever is going on, you don't find that humanity, that something that makes you feel something for them and keeps you hooked to the drama. It's a bit disappointing. Something didn't work. I'll mention Mike Leigh again. In Another Year you witness these people's lives but they also touch your heart... these father and daughter aren't touching, you observe them without participating and that's not what I want from a film.

The camera work and cinematography are very nice. The pensive moments. But is that enough? Not for me anyway.


35 Shots of Rum

Genova - Michael Winterbottom (2008)

Sometimes little stories in films are necessary. This is a small story, nothing pretentious. Purely human drama: how will a father with his two girls cope with the sudden death of their mother?

The film shows how scary everything becomes... that feeling of life being so volatile is very well expressed. I think that's good storytelling, it keeps you engaged throughout the film. The problem is that the characters aren't too deep. The exception is the little girl, who has secrets, has things troubling her... is alive. We don't get to know a lot about anyone else. I don't expect to know everything or have all questions answered, but it's nice to ask myself questions and be moved somewhere by a story.

The photography is very  nice, the camera is very well done. But Winterbottom always makes pretty films. They might be hit and miss, but their photography isn't. He's very good at expressing visually what he wants to say with the story. He doesn't present a touristy vision of Genova, more like how the newcomers see it... though it has to be said, it is Genova but it could be any city in the world (it could be their own city changed after the death of the mother!).

The music is okay.. not great. The sound is fair... nothing exciting (which is disappointing as such a capable director could make way better use of sound).

Colin Firth. He's a good actor. He's got a very strong presence. He's not someone you just see, he's someone you probably expect to take over the film. In Genova his perfomance is reasonable, I think he's too much of an important presence for such a small film. It makes it a larger story than it really is (nothing wrong with simple stories, but they usually require actors who aren't so obviously visible). The girls are quite unknown and seem better suited - the youngest one is an amazing actress.

Genova was written by Laurence Coriat, who also wrote Wonderland (1999), another of his film that I quite enjoyed. That is a small film, nicely performed, simple stories... I think having a big star and an 'exotic' location didn't help this time.

It's not a great film, but I found it entertaining.  I like Winterbottom, I'm tolerant with him and he's such a
prolific director that he's allowed to miss sometimes.

Genova

A Film with Me in It - Ian Fitzgibbon (2008)

This film is advertised as a "black comedy". Surely it's black, but not that funny. I mean it has its moments and ideas but not really... I have to say I laughed in bits but I didn't think it's great. Not too bad, not too great. Average. Perhaps the characters fail again. Too many clichés, perhaps some of the situations are original.

Technically, it's correct. Not outstanding but not badly done. Isn't there are a worse thing for a film than being average in every aspect? At least when you strongly dislike a film you feel a certain way about it.

A Film with Me in It

Crazy Heart - Scott Cooper (2008)

Is slightly small American road-movie a genre? It should be one by now. This film follows that tradition.

Crazy Heart is beautifully photographed. Really warm colours... to match the warm characters. The actors are extremely well chosen. Particularly Jeff Bridges. He's an alcoholic but also a nice man. You feel you should stay by his side. Empathy. He falls in love with a girl... who happens to be Maggie Gyllenhaal who always seems like a nice simple woman who can see the best in people you wouldn't bet.

Three things about this film.

• The Screenplay. I was expecting the worse to happen at any time. I'm not sure if was me being negative or they really wanted me to constantly think "oh here it's where it goes wrong...". The ending was bittersweet. Is it happy? Is it unhappy? Is it a lot like real life?! 

• Why did it remind me so much of The Rain People? Is it the big car through the roads of America? Is it the characters who are all a bit helpless in their own way? Is it Robert Duvall?! I was surprised when he appears in the film... surprised that he wasn't doing little tricks on his police motorcycle any more, maybe. I wasn't surprised that he produced the film too. They are different films but still have a something in common that I can't figure out.

• The music. Okay. It's the story of a country singer, fine. But also country music seems to be generally the sound track of Southern America. So if you don't like country music... it can be a bit too much and ruin the film for you. Though Jeff Bridges sings very very well and I think his performance as a singer is great too.
(Apart from that the sound design isn't terribly good)

I liked this film. It's not superb, but it's a perfectly humble warm film for one of those days when you need a nice time.

Crazy Heart

Camino - Javier Fesser (2008)

This film talks about religion... and it's quite anti-religious.

It claims to be inspired by a true story of a girl who's in process of beatification. But it doesn't adjust to the fact. Does it matter? No. It works as a film in itself.

Visually it's very beautiful, I enjoyed the camera work a lot. It's also well performed. Still it's not a great film. The screenplay and the name games were too easy. The sound... isn't bad but it isn't creative either. Though the dubbing Spanish people seem to be obsessed with ruins everything. It would ruin anything.

It's a strange film. I found it a little disturbing. But perhaps it was because I could think of a few ultra-religious people I know and that's what disturbs me the most.

Camino

Kisses - Lance Daly (2008)

I am not sure what I was expecting from this film. I suppose I was hoping it'd be an interesting Irish drama... or just something about Ireland (I have a strange relationship with it).I'm still undecided what to make of it.

Positives:

• I didn't hate it, it passes the time
• It doesn't use the typical stereotypes. The way it shows Dublin is a very innovating one, not the touristy view that you'd normally find. I think that's what I enjoyed the most.
• The children are very natural
• The ending doesn't try to be uplifting

 Not so positives:

• The camera work is ok... but they tried to use a colour effect: from b/w to colour and back to b/w. It doesn't fit entirely right. Especially because the black and white isn't expressive or contrasted or anything. It just looks like a forced effect (which probably is)
• The story... isn't strong enough. It had a lack of something... and it was too shallow at times. Perhaps it is a pre-teen story and nothing else, and that's what I didn't get.
• The children are very natural but they don't feel the drama they are in. They have lovely faces that look pretty but don't convey feelings, if that makes sense. Again. Perhaps that's pre-teens. (But these are children who have lived a lot for their age). 
• The use of sound... is poor.  It's got songs... that's about it.

 Kisses