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Bialoruski walc (2007)
Hero or Anti-Hero?
I watched this documentary tonight on PBS, and I was *not* shocked by this xenophobic piece of propaganda. Not shocked because almost everything I watch on PBS nowadays is of a similar nature.
The protagonist of this documentary is ultra-nationalistic, misogynistic, anti-Semitic "artist". He is proud of his father who was Nazi collaborator during WWII. He paints pictures of the "heroes" in Nazi uniforms and displays them on the steps of the National Gallery on the Victory day. He abandons his pregnant wife because she's of a wrong nationality, and he's proud of this. He uses anti-Semitic slurs, which are, incidentally, *not* translated into English by the film creators.
By the way, the film was financed by the Norwegian company Piraya Film A/S. I'd like to ask these Norwegians, why don't they finance the films about nice Norwegian guys who collaborated with Nazis in Norway? Or maybe a good start would be a lighthearted documentary about Norway's own Anders Breivik? They can conveniently omit the actual shooting incident and just show Breivik's human sides. Let's take it out of context, show it to world which will wonder why is this guy serving life sentence.
But no, according to the West, such creeps are only allowed to be painted as heroes when they oppose West bogeymen like Putin or Lukashenko.
Don't get fooled by this film's narrative. Its hero is actually anti- hero.
The Worst Week of My Life (2004)
Good for Cheap Laughs Only
"The Worst Week of My Life" is okay as a mindless situational comedy. But, I think, the average viewer might want a bit more.
Let me explain.
I was enjoying the show's easy flow and cheap laughs, up until the beginning of the second season. This is where I paused for a moment and analyzed the protagonist's character. Almost immediately I realized that Ben Miller's hero does not have a single positive quality. He is self-centered pathological liar, has no principles, compassion or any particular talents, he's a terrible boss and co-worker, and his love for his bride / wife (the only decent emotion he has) seems to be purely egoistical.
In other words, he's totally unsympathetic. And the story suffers as a result, because in order for such a story to be compelling, we, the spectators, must be able to associate with the protagonist, which is completely impossible to do.
I gave the show five stars for its laughs. If you are not an analyzing type, you'll be fine, but because I thought *about* the show a bit, I was left with a bitter taste in my mouth.
Carnage (2011)
Drunken Mess of a Movie
This one is actually a typical Polanski's movie - *very* interesting idea; sub-par execution.
Who in the 21st century's ideologically divided society wouldn't want to see a delicious confrontation of classes and sexes? What happens in Carnage, though, about half of the movie's narrative is around a missing hamster and then all four main characters get really drunk from a sip of whiskey (which is played very weakly).
When it finally seems that the conversation turns to relevant socio-political topics, the film ends. If that's not enough, Kate Winslet's character is very poorly developed compared to other three. Her ignorance (or not) towards her child is neither confirmed nor denied; her occupation is barely mentioned; it remains unresolved why she was not supposed to drink alcohol, according to her husband; etcetera, etcetera.
I kind of liked Polanski's previous film, Ghostwriter, but now I understand that it was more an exception that confirms the rule - the guy's talent is overblown. I don't say I will not watch his new movies, but will definitely expect from him less next time.
Mr. Nobody (2009)
Not really an original, is it?
This movie borrows heavily from a myriad of other films... a boy can predict cataclysmic events... life progression changes depending whether a hero makes a train or not (remember "Sliding Doors"?)... "Life is a box of chocolates" type of philosophy... risqué teenage sex under parents' noses ("The Dreamers" Bertolucci)... CGI effects depicting future architecture and transportation... travel on Mars ("save 16,000 units!" - isn't this taken directly from my favorite "Total Recall"?)... etc. It is fine to borrow and bring it all together creating something new out of it. But this is where this movie fails.
Apart from a couple of interesting one-liners this long movie does not give us anything but annoyance. Especially irritating are the long and repetitive love story and people walking backwards to depict the reversal of time (apparently, the director thinks his audience are idiots).
This movie is one of those with a pretense of being artsy and significant, and many people take the bait, as they always do.
I hope this review will enable *YOU* not to.
Dogville (2003)
Masterpiece!
I remember reading Roger Ebert's review on this film. The guy freaked out. Ebert always freaks out when he does not understand something. And, I think, his misunderstanding is shared among many Americans on this forum and elsewhere, who think this film is anti-American. In fact, this film is as much just about Americans as Crime and Punishment is just about Russians and Notre-Dame de Paris is just about French. If they were, there would not be generations of people all over the world reading and analyzing these masterpieces.
This film is simply set in America, but it is about any humans regardless of their ethnicity. It's such a deep and compelling study of human character - I haven't seen a comparable film for a long-long time. No, this film is not for everyone - one needs to be used to watching art house films. Yes, the setting is theatre-like, so trust me, this will be the best theatrical performance you've ever seen. And yes, it *is* Nicole Kidman's best role! If you like films with substance, watch this one - it's one of the best out there!
Les petits mouchoirs (2010)
This pseudo-intellectual movie largely disappoints
There are very few lies, as there isn't much sophistication in this disappointing art-house movie (I can't call this "film"). It shows the dismal level of intellect modern French filmmakers possess. The movie is about people talking and discussing things, yet the most complicated philosophical concept in this movie is that "objects feel it when we talk poorly about them". Other than that, it's such a standard fare, without *any* twist or turn: somebody finds out she's pregnant, one boy gets a girl, another boy loses a girl. Everybody cries. Period.
No, not yet! There is the long funeral scene at the end of the movie, full of cheap sentimentalism. Friends are saying good bye to Ludo. There are lots of tears and statements on how important, helpful, selfless, etc. this guy supposedly was for each person in the group. We, the audience, have a very short chance in the opening sequence of the movie to meet Ludo. He's partying in a night club, apparently on drugs; we see him french-kissing friend's girlfriend whom he just met (the kiss is not entirely consensual, by the way); then he snatches up whiskey from friend's glass; then he drives off and is seriously injured in the traffic accident. That's about it. How are we supposed to believe that this guy was the centerpiece of this middle-aged middle-class group? No way, I say. The funeral scene is so awkward, it is definitely done Hollywood-style, but without the mastery of the Hollywood foot soldiers who produce these tear-jerkers.
Then I have to mention that all songs in the movie are in English. This really takes away from the authenticity. One of the characters' little daughter can speak Spanish, and at one point in the movie mother catches her speaking too much Spanish to her liking, and instructs the daughter, in an abrupt (are we supposed to be alarmed?) manner, to speak French. All-English songs on top of this scene, and this made me wondering if the director is a neo-liberal freak on a political mission; Sarkozy's faithful soldier?
Where the movie earns its stars, is Max's character. He's painted very realistically, and with a great sense of humor! Especially the moments when he tries too hard to organize the friends, for their own good, are hilarious and ringing so true! If only other characters were as much relevant and coherent...but they are not.
In conclusion, this movie sets very low standard as to what European art-house film is. And while more and more films produced in Europe are as poorly made as this one, there are great films that pop up occasionally. Look for them! Elsewhere.