agifarkas Reviews

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (2008)

Classic, well-written, brilliantly acted

[10/10 · 25 September 2008]

It's a general approach to dismiss comedy as light entertainment, "cute" at its best, and I saw that some reviews had made this mistake with Miss Pettigrew, too. Yet, it's a perfect piece of cinema, one of the best I've seen recently.

It has something of the theatre in it, it very much resembles stage productions, and all the better for it. Even the three classic unities (of time, space and action) are almost there, only space not being confined to just one drawing room.

The script is excellently written, both in terms of dialogue and pace. The former is funny and witty, and never becomes moralising (I think this niveau also recalls the theatre, pieces there are most often well-written, as they have to be, and rely heavily on dialogue :)). Not to mention that eloquent British English that really thrills me, both its wording and pronunciation.

The lavish scenery, the costumes and props perfectly catch the atmosphere of the pre-WW2 era in two different worlds: that of the haves and the have-nots. A special note should be made about the score here, which is an integral part of the movie, as much as the cinematography or the acting, and is simply brilliant (which, I dare say, not only swing-lovers like me are going to notice :)).

Still, the major strength of the movie is its absolutely perfect cast, and even better acting on the part of practically all the actors. I cannot name one who isn't up to the mark, there are only wonderful and more than wonderful performances. Frances McDormand and Amy Adams shine in their roles, both having excellent comic timing. Amy Adams has found an astonishing balance to deliver such a fake character credibly – nobody would ever normally behave in that affected manner, and still, she is as real as she has to be. Frances McDormand is understated, subtle and awkward, just the perfect Miss Pettigrew. Shirley Henderson is so credibly annoying, one is really left amazed at why on Earth Joe Bloomfield ever wanted to marry her. Which takes me to my absolute favourite among the actors: Ciarán Hinds. His Joe is simply magnetic. His embodiment of the "charmant" reserved gentleman, who is at the same time the greatest flatterer in London, is flawless, and their couple with McDormand works perfectly on the screen. In a way, he is the prince on a white horse, who enters the life of the heroine in a miraculously short time – just 24 hours. Yet so authentic that I've been looking for "Joe" ever since, being convinced that he exists – he must, I saw him. :) All in all, everything is there, still the film avoids being just an average well-put-together movie: it's unique, it lives, it has a soul to it. 10/10 and a must-see.

Trick or Treaters (2007)

Truly amazing classic tale for both children and grown-ups

[10/10 · 29 August 2008]

This animated film is one of the best I've seen recently, and there've been quite a lot which deserve praise (Horton, Kung-fu Panda, Wall-e etc.). Of course, this one is a far cry from the 3D-technique which is increasingly becoming a tradition now. The animation is as classical as the story line, and though the narrative elements are quite well-known (the little orphan girl who gets "kidnapped"; the three robbers, scary on the outside but in fact warmhearted, the cruel, suppressive lady as head of the orphanage, etc.), they are put together in a truly genuine way to create a tale which is enchanting for children and adults alike.

The success lies in the details of both the story and the resulting composition. I must mention the music of the film, which is so classical and at the same time really original, making the whole experience just even more enjoyable; the song of the robbers fits so inherently that you have the impression that if any robber wants to seem real, they can never sing anything else. The humour is also excellent, the colours sometimes extraordinarily bright and vivid. And though this is not a tale intended to provide multiple-layer meanings to exploit, there are some deeper levels, but these are left entirely for the audience to decipher, the story doesn't force them. The details accumulate and each one manages to take the movie one step further.

It is topped by a queer, bizarre, almost surreal ending, but it is so smoothly integrated into the development of the story, that it is not in the least too scary for children - not any scarier than, for example, the animated version of Snow White and the 7 dwarfs was.

At certain moments, I was reminded of Les Triplettes de Belleville, both in terms of the animation and the slightly peculiar atmosphere of especially the orphanage scenes. And though Les Triplettes was originally made for adults (and brilliantly for that), this film is thoroughly enjoyable for children, as well. I was sitting in a room half packed with adults, half with children, and both groups were giving out hearty laughs, most of the time simultaneously.

If you want to return to your childhood world of tales, or you'd like your children to know such stories not only from bedtime readings but also from the big screen, or if you just like tales as they are by definition, I can only recommend this little gem. It's an absolute 10.

Nearest to Heaven (2002)

A bit fuzzy at the beginning, but great acting, witty conversations and an unforgettable bar scene with Deneuve.

[7/10 · 21 July 2008]

I have read devastating reviews of the film, but as a Catherine Deneuve fan, of course I had to see it. Though I have to admit I can understand most of the critics' reservations concerning the script, I think the overall bashing of the movie was somewhat exaggerated.

As for the writing, it's true, in the first half of the film the scenes piled one on top of the other are way too loosely connected, so while the writers might have meant them to show Fannette's background, the faces popping up here and there form quite an amorphous mess and apart from us seeing them, they don't add much to the actual story. (As for her brother's appearance, it took me almost the whole scene to figure out the man was the brother, and even then I wasn't completely sure.) In addition, the daydreaming, hallucinating scenes about Philippe are sometimes long and tiresome. Though Deneuve is gorgeous and her acting is flawless, in this first part I felt a bit confused about what the creators were trying to get at.

BUT: when Fannette arrives in New York, it's as if we, too entered a completely different universe. Their duo with William Hurt works brilliantly on the screen, their conversations are witty and funny and even wittier and funnier the way they act them; the two of them together suddenly become interesting and within a moment you get involved in the story, forgetting about Philippe and the strenuous blurry images of the first half (as is, most probably, the case with Fannette, too:)). The pace gets more lively, and watching the film more enjoyable. Here the conversations are excellent, they are the real heart of the story and beautifully mirror the development of the relationship between the two people. Both actors are very convincing and do excellently in their roles, making the most of the opportunities the dialogues offer them - Deneuve is beautiful as the nonsensical woman who seemingly doesn't care, and Hurt is a heartthrob as the confident admirer of Fannette.

I simply loved the end, even though I'd have enjoyed just a bit more conventional ending this time. All in all, it's an enjoyable film with a bit confused first half and a funny, sensitive, romantic second one. On top of that, there are some scenes which are little gems in themselves (the cinema or the kimono scene), and I think the writers managed to create (and Deneuve and Hurt to act wonderfully) one of the most creative and sensual erotic scenes in movie history (the bar scene). To that I'd give 20 out of 10 :). The movie is 7/10.

La Vie En Rose (2007)

Disturbing, fascinating, heart-breaking, beautiful...

[10/10 · 20 August 2007]

I have just seen this movie about the life of Edith Piaf and it's difficult even to find words. As far as I'm concerned, pointing out weaknesses and negative points will be left for critics as I'm still spellbound by this absolute masterpiece, with the acting as well as the directing being way beyond the average. The script is wonderful, dialogue is subtle, even funny, which is in sharp contrast with the extraordinary and tragic fate of an exceptional woman, but at the same time renders the story absolutely authentic, unbelievable as it may seem at first sight that all that is shown was once reality. Dahan's choice to approach the two ends of Piaf's life also serves to highlight this contrast.

But most probably the person who is most responsible for the force with which the story draws you in and doesn't let you go is Marion Cotillard, of whom I can only speak in superlatives. She gave such a performance that I can say I've never seen in my life, and I could hardly believe a thirtysomething woman could bring to the screen. But she could, and she was amazingly convincing. If the film could be nominated for an Oscar, she would definitely deserve the one for lead actress.

Apart from that, the marvellous "chansons" of Piaf contribute a lot, obviously, to the overall effect. I think I have taken to this genre - but even if not for the songs, I can recommend it to everyone who likes sensitive movie-making, where the emotions are always real even when in the extreme, where words carefully picked, melodies and silence complete each other into a complex and meaningful whole. And the most beautiful thing about the film is perhaps that in spite of all the tragedies it shows, it's an unquestionable affirmation of the desire to live.

Immaculate - it's a ten.

Russian Dolls (2005)

No remake - excellent!

[10/10 · 30 April 2006]

I think this 2nd part could be so successful because it didn't want to be a remake of L'auberge Espagnol. 5 years having passed in the characters' lives, the approach of the movie is to show how they are after such a long time, in different situations, places and stages of personal development, instead of trying to force them into a new Erasmus experience. In my opinion, this was a very successful idea, because while we meet all the characters from the previous film, we don't have to struggle with the unpleasant feeling that we are being told a story we already know.

The actors, I think, are just perfect, personally I loved Roman Duris, Kelly Reilly, Cécile De France; and Kevin Bishop, of course, is a pleasant surprise, but the others are more than OK, too. They are real, and due to them, the story is so, too - if you are heading for 30, you will certainly be able to identify.

And if you love travelling and listening to different languages, this one will prove as satisfactory in this respect, as its predecessor. Strong recommendation!