Topic: March Around the World 2016

[Danae Cassandra]

Caramel
Year of Release: 2007
Directed By: Nadine Labaki
Starring: Nadine Labaki, Yasmine al Masri, Joanna Moukarzel, Gisele Aouad
Genre: Drama

Overview:
A Beirut beauty salon becomes a treasured meeting place for several generations of women, from various walks of life, to talk, seek advice and confide in one another.

My Thoughts:
This is a warm, romantic tale of love - love attained, love lost, love forbidden, mutual love, one-sided love, the hope of new love, the bitterness of dying love. It's also, and perhaps even more primarily, a tale of female friendship, a tale of women who stick by one another and support each other through the good times and the bad. The film starts quite slow and takes a while to get going. But if you give it a chance, about half way through you really start to connect with these women and really care about their lives. It's very much an ensemble, slice-of-life film, and recommended if you like that sort of film.

Bechdel Test: Pass

Overall: 3.5/5

[Danae Cassandra]

Alamar
Year of Release: 2009
Directed By: Pedro Gonzalez-Rubio
Starring: Jorge Machado, Roberta Palombini, Natan Machado Palombini, Nestor "Matraca" Marin
Genre: Drama

Overview:
Jorge has only a few weeks before his five-year-old son Natan leaves to live with his mother in Rome.  Intent on teaching Natan about their Mayan heritage, Jorge takes him to the pristine Chinchorra reef, and eases him into the rhythms of a fisherman's life.  As the bond between father and son grows stronger, Natan learns to live in harmony with life above and below the surface of the sea.

My Thoughts:
This is a lovely and touching portrait of the relationships between father and son, mostly the bonding between Jorge and Natan, but also touching on Jorge's relationship with his own father, and the relationship between the grandfather and Natan. There's not much plot here - it's all about the characters and the story of these few months Jorge has with his son before he leaves for Italy with his mom. It's also about the beauty of Banco Chinchorro, and the seemingly timeless way of life of Jorge's people. It's a very gentle film, a film about feelings rather than action, like a tone-poem almost. Recommended for the natural beauty and the loving relationships depicted here.

Bechdel Test: Fail

Overall: 3.5/5

[Danae Cassandra]

The Last Homecoming
Year of Release: 2008
Directed By: Corinna Avraamidou
Starring: Stavros Louras, Popi Avraam, Dimitris Xystras, Christopher Greco, Maria Kitsou, Christodoulous Martas
Genre: Drama

Overview:
During the course of what seems to be an idyllic Mediterranean summer, a Greek Cypriot family are asked to re-evaluate their relationships, as compelling desires and needs are beginning to unfold.  Passions, infidelities and betrayal emerge, while political mumblings are heard in the distance.  The year is 1974.  Soon their world is about to change forever.

Alexandra and Orestes, a handsome young couple, arrive from Athens to spend the summer holidays with Orestes' family at the beautiful seaside town of northern Cyprus, Kyrenia.  The year is 1974.  Phaedra, Orestes' mother is a passionate Greek literature teacher who decides to mount a performance of Euripides' "Trojan Women" with the help of the family and the townspeople.  Her husband Yiannis is a silent observer as her old lover Manolis follows closely her every move.  The political turbulence of the time is manifested as Manolis, a right-wing nationalist, dreams of the unification of Cyprus with Greece stating that the "Greekness" of the island is under threat by Turkey.  Nevertheless, the Turkish Cypriot gardener and neighbour Aziz and his deaf daughter Nellin are the closest friends of the family, having shared a life-time next to each other.  Meanwhile, Stefanos, Orestes' brother, who is a journalist and a political left-wing activist, also arrives at the house.  The differences between the two brothers are obvious.  Alexandra's restless nature leads to an inevitable attraction between her and Stefanos, while the whole community comes alive with the preparations for the play.  As the play climaxes with a triumphant opening night, Stefanos and Alexandra resolve to the urgency of their passion and Manolis takes part in the coup to overthrow the president Makarios – bringing to a climax the complex forces at play.  A superbly produced epic drama about love, loss and betrayal.

My Thoughts:
The Last Homecoming reminded me a lot of A Summer in La Goulette. Like the Tunisian film, it's about a group of neighbours who are good friends despite ethnic/religious differences, who are living their lives at the cusp of political turmoil. Here, what we see is a family on the verge of falling apart - long-married couples with underlying difficulties, a young couple without a strong connection. The family's difficulties are a mirror of the country's. The older son supports one political cause, his mother another, his father and brother want nothing to do with politics and just want to live in peace. Despite their hopes, things will come to a head, and solutions are not found. It's really quite a good film, but avoid if you cannot take an ambiguous ending.

Bechdel Test: Pass

Overall: 3.5/5

[Danae Cassandra]

Nostalgia for the Light
Year of Release: 2010
Directed By: Patricio Guzmán
Starring: Gaspar Galaz, Lautaro Núñez, Luís Henríquez
Genre: Documentary

Overview:
The legendary Chilean filmmaker Patricio Guzmán (THE BATTLE OF CHILE) travels to the Atacama Desert, where atop the mountains astronomers gather to observe the stars. The sky is so translucent that it allows them to see right to the boundaries of the universe.

The Atacama is also the driest place on earth, and the harsh heat of the sun keeps human remains intact: those of Pre-Columbian mummies; 19th century explorers and miners; and political prisoners, killed by the Chilean army after the military coup of September, 1973.

So while astronomers examine the most distant and oldest galaxies, at the foot of the mountain women, surviving relatives of the disappeared whose bodies were dumped here, search for the remains of their loved ones, hoping to reclaim their families' histories. Melding the celestial quest of the astronomers and the earthly one of the women, NOSTALGIA FOR THE LIGHT is a gorgeous and moving odyssey.

My Thoughts:
A powerful and moving portrait of man's search for meaning and answers in life, Nostalgia is the story of our struggles with memory and time. This is one of the most beautiful films I've ever seen. I'm not exaggerating, Nostalgia's cinematography is absolutely gorgeous. This is also one of the few films that after I had finished it, I could have watched it again. Immediately. Highly, highly recommended.

Bechdel Test: N/A

Overall: 5/5

[Danae Cassandra]

Le Quattro Volte
Year of Release: 2010
Directed By: Michelangelo Frammartino
Starring: Giuseppe Fuda
Genre: Director

Overview:
Le Quattro Volte (The Four Times) is an ineffably beautiful meditation on the mysterious cycles of life.  Set in Italy's mountainous region of Calabria, it traces the path of one goat herder's soul, as it passes from human to animal to vegetable to mineral.  Director Michelangelo Frammartino was inspired by Pythagoras' belief in "four-fold transmigration" of souls, but his film is far more physical than philosophical.  In gorgeous long takes, he captures the daily routines of the herder, a baby goat, an imperious tree and a humble charcoal kiln.  Plus there is a scene-stealing cameo from a stubborn sheep dog, who hilariously interrupts an Easter Procession.  Working as both a spiritual investigation and a documentary of Calabrian life, Le Quattro Volte's placid surface hids a complex understanding of humanity.  Everything is connected in Frammartino's sublimely mystical universe in which he finds both humor and pathos in the hypnotic rhythms of everyday life.

My Thoughts:
A meditation on the interconnectedness of life and death; of men, animals, plants, and minerals; of the natural world and the civilized world; of one soul to another. It's as much philosophy and poetry as film, and its questions and message are universal. There is a deep empathy and understanding for all life.

Bechdel Test: Fail

Overall: 4/5

[Danae Cassandra]

Kilometre Zero
Year of Release: 2005
Directed By: Hiner Saleem
Starring: Nazmi Kirik, Eyam Ekrem, Belcim Bilgin, Ehmed Qeladizeyi
Genre: Drama, War

Overview:
The first Iraqi film to be chosen to compete in the prestigious Palme d'Or competition at Cannes, KILOMETRE ZERO is a darkly humorous story about a Kurdish soldier and an Iraqi taxi driver who join together to return the body of a fallen soldier to his family, on the other side of the country. Featuring Belçim Bilgin, an ELLE cover girl in Turkey.

My Thoughts:
Here we have a common road movie trope: two men from disparate backgrounds forced on a trip together. So often with that trope the two men come to understand and appreciate each other and become friends. It's actually refreshing, and more realistic, that here they do not. A few days does not relieve years of bigotry.

Bechdel Test: Fail

Overall: 3/5

[Danae Cassandra]

On The Verge of a Fever  (Le gout des jeunes filles)
Year of Release: 2004
Directed By: John L'Ecuyer
Starring: Lansana Kourouma, Uly Darly, Mirelle Metellus, Koumba Ball
Genre: Drama

Overview:
Against a backdrop of poverty, fear, and the brutal dictatorship of Haiti in 1971, ON THE VERGE OF A FEVER (Le Gout des Jeunes Filles) tells the story of Fanfan, a 15-year-old boy who wants to experience life for huimself with his street-wise friend Gégé.  Having lived a sheltered life with his overprotective mother, Fanfan experiences a bizarre, terrifying incident with Haiti's secret police, the Tonton-Macoute.  He decides to hide out at the house of his beautiful neighbors.  There, he is trapped between his fear of getting caught and his desire to fulfill his deepest fantasy.  This colorful drama is based on Haitian novelist Dany Lafèrriere's Le Gout de Jeunes Filles.

My Thoughts:
Fanfan, a 15-year-old Haitian boy, sneaks out of the house and runs into trouble with the Tonton Macoute (the government's enforcers). On the run, he takes refuge in the house of several prostitutes he has admired from afar. Despite the interesting setup, I couldn't connect with this film. Fanfan was really the only developed character - everyone else was either just roughly sketched out, a stereotype, or both. There were subplots that were brought up - such as Miki's relationship with the photographer - and dropped with no resolution. The affectations of the film (on screen words, Dany Laferrière's overdubbed voice for poetry, the fourth-wall breaking) also really take away from the film experience. If they had left those out and only focused on Fanfan's story, and developed the other characters and their lives a bit more this could have had a lot of potential. As it stands, it's disappointing.

Bechdel Test: Fail

Overall: 2.5/5

[Danae Cassandra]

Travellers and Magicians
Year of Release: 2003
Directed By: Khyentse Norbu
Starring: Tshewang Dendup, Sonam Kinga, Lhakpa Dorji, Gomchen Penjor, Deki Yangzom
Genre: Drama, Adventure

Overview:
Mystical journeys of spiritual discovery are set against the spectacular, evocative landscape of the remote kingdom of Bhutan in Travellers & Magicians. Young government official Dondup (Tshewang Dendup) dreams of escaping to America while stuck in a ravishingly beautiful but isolated village. But when he misses his bus to the city (and an awaiting visa), Dondup is forced to hitchhike with an elderly apple seller, a sage young monk, and old man, and his beautiful daughter (Sonam Lhamo). Along the way, the mischievous monk tells Dondup a story of another young man who sought a land far away: a tale of lust, jealousy, and murder that holds up a mirror to the restless Dondup and his blossoming attraction to the innocent young woman.

Directed by Khyentse Norbu (AKA Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, one of Himalayan Buddism's most revered lamas), this critical and box-office  hit magnificently interwines twin love stories for an enchanting unforgettable film that is filled with heart, hope and humor.

My Thoughts:
A young man's dreams of an exciting life with more money lead him on a journey toward the US, but along the way he keeps company with a monk whose stories may help him realize that the grass isn't always greener. If that sounds a bit cliche, it is. The ending isn't as clear cut, leaving us to wonder if he will leave or stay. Bhutan is gorgeous though, and the film is almost a meditative fable. I enjoyed it quite a bit, but it's for slow film lovers.

Bechdel Test: Fail

Overall: 3.5/5

[Danae Cassandra]

Five Dedicated to Ozu
Year Released: 2004
Directed By: Abbas Kiarostami
Starring: nature
Genre: Documentary

Overview:
Acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami (A TASTE OF CHERRY, THROUGH THE OLIVE TREES) pays homage to Yasujiro Ozu, the brilliant Japanese filmmaker whose spare but evocative style has been a major influence on Kiarostami's work. Canny and sublime, the 74-minute film is comprised of five long, apparently single takes of a beach on the Caspian Sea, all focusing on the ocean, comprised of virtually no camera movement and enveloped in rapturous natural sound.

Richly poetic and shot on a hand-held DV camera, the film features five extended, apparently single-take sequences:

1. The camera accompanies a piece of wood with which the waves are toying, at the beach.
2. People are walking along, by the seaside. Older people stop, look at the waves, then walk away.
3. Indistinct shapes on a beach in winter. A group of dogs. A love story.
4. Ducks noisily cross the frame in one direction, then the other.
5. A pond. Nighttime. Frogs. A chorus of sounds. Then, a storm, and finally, dawn.

My Thoughts:
This is a tough film to review, and it definitely has a limited audience. I tried to describe it to a friend and he was like "I'm not seeing a point here." It's a visual meditation, an exploration of time - day moving to night, the timelessness of the sea contrasted with the finite span of living things. If that sounds interesting to you then watch this film. I thought it was beautiful.

Bechdel Test: Fail

Overall: 3/5

[Danae Cassandra]

L'Age d'or
Year of Release: 1930
Directed By: Luis Buñuel
Starring:
Genre: Drama, Fantasy

Overview:
Poetic, absurd, erotic, visionary and scandalous, L'ÂGE D'OR can still "provoke, baffle and delight" (New York Times) more than seventy years after its creation. "Contriving effronteries so offhanded you can't believe you've actually seen them' (Village Voice), L'ÂGE D'OR showcases the incomparably obsessive cinematic imagination of Luis Buñuel at its beginning and the celebrated surrealism of Salvador Dali at its peak.

In 1930, following their short film triumph UN CHIEN ANDALOU, Buñuel and Dali created an hour long avant-garde tour de force that1s both an aesthetic avalanche of boldness and a withering attack on a society that elevates pious morality over sexual freedom. As scorpions battle, partisans (led by famed surrealist painter Max Ernst) stumble and the forces of middle-class righteousness repeatedly interrupt two neurotic lovers, L'ÂGE D'OR delivers a gleeful fever dream of Freudian unease, bizarre humor and shocking imagery that once experienced cannot be forgotten. Skewering everything from Catholic piety to sexual fetishism, the film provoked riots, was denounced by Mussolini's ambassador, earned its backer a threat of excommunication and was banned by the French Police all within two weeks of its release.

A cherished inspiration for six decades of filmmakers from Hitchcock to David Lynch, Fellini to Monty Python, this justifiably lionized and excoriated masterpiece of 20th century cinema is now available on DVD to challenge, arouse, unnerve, amuse and galvanize the uninitiated for generations to come. Whether parody or polemic, artistic experiment or lurid shaggy-dog charade, L'ÂGE D'OR 'reassures us that as long as we have eyes, we will still be susceptible to shock' (New York Times).

My Thoughts:
Maybe I just wasn't in the right mood for this film. It's a series of vignettes, loosely strung together by following a man and woman who can't seem to manage to get enough privacy to have sex. There's a cow in the bed. She fellates a statue's toes and french kisses her father. It just gets weirder from there. It's a surrealist film, a collaboration with Salvador Dali, so that's not surprising. I didn't really enjoy it, and I usually appreciate this sort of thing, so I'll give it another try later on. Definitely not for those who want a linear story.

Bechdel Test: Fail

Overall: 2.5/5

[Danae Cassandra]

Angel on the Right  (Farishtay Kifty Rost)
Year of Release: 2002
Directed By: Djamshed Usmonov
Starring: Uktamoi Miyasarova, Maruf Pulodzoda, Kova Tilavpur, Malohat Maqsumova
Genre: Drama

Overview:
10 years after leaving Tajikistan, the Moscow-based gangster Hamro is tricked into returning to his home village, where he must confront old foes, debts, his tradition bound mother and a son that he didn't know he had. After seducing a beautiful nurse and finding legitimate work, Hamro has a chance to make good.

According to Islamic folk legend, an angel on a man's left shoulder records his bad deeds and the one on his right records the good, and these will be weighed on Judgment Day. Which angel will Hamro listen to?

My Thoughts:
This is an interesting character study of a pretty unlikable man. Hamro is a hard, unsympathetic man, but we do glimpse the economic reality that has made him that way. It's also a glimpse into the culture of a country that many people have never heard of. It's a grim, bleak little film - but there is a tiny ray of hope that Hamro may, someday, be a good man (by way of his relationship with the boy).

Bechdel Test: Fail

Overall: 3/5

[Danae Cassandra]

A New Day in Old Sana'a
Year of Release: 2006
Directed By: Bader Ben Hirsi
Starring: Nabil Saber, Dania Hammoud, Paolo Romano, Sahar Al Asbahi, Redha Khoder
Genre: Romance, Drama

Overview:
In this achingly romantic tale, handsome young Tariq is about to marry Bilquis, eldest daughter of a prominent and powerful judge.  But as he wanders the ancient city of Sana'a late one night, he spots a beautiful young woman dancing in the street and falls madly in love with her.  Before long, the young groom must choose between following his heart and protecting his family's honor.  Filmed entirely on location in the ancient city of Sana'a, this exquisite film is the first feature ever to come out of Yemen.

My Thoughts:
This is a sad, romantic film that's a tad on the melodramatic side. The plot is pretty standard and a lot of the characters are very one-dimensional. At the same time it's a fascinating look into Yemeni culture, and the old city of Sana'a is beautiful. That beauty makes the current situation in Yemen all the more heartbreaking.

I'm ambivalent about the character of the Italian photographer. I understand the purpose he serves here, as both someone for an outside audience to relate to and as a reason for Tariq's temptation to break with tradition, but he's also the least interesting character and ultimately doesn't matter to the plot. I would have much rather spent the time with the Yemeni characters. I also didn't like the duality of the ending. I would have rather seen Ines granted the same dignity of honor as Tariq.

All that aside, I'd still recommend it to lovers of world cinema, since this is likely the only Yemeni film you're going to be able to see for a very long time.

Bechdel Test: Pass

Overall: 3/5

[Danae Cassandra]

Margarette's Feast  (A Festa de Margarette)
Year of Release: 2002
Directed By: Renato Falcao
Starring: Hique Gomez, Ilana Kaplan, Carmen Silva
Genre: Comedy

Overview:
A modern silent masterpiece using the style and techniques of Brazil's cinematic past, Margarette's Feast tells an allegory of Brazil's social struggles without words while making dazzling use of exhilarating Brazilian music. After losing his job, goodhearted but penniless Pedro comes into possession of a miraculous suitcase that never runs out of money, allowing him to throw an extravagant birthday party for his wife.

My Thoughts:
This is an absurd silent comedy which is ultimately tragic. A poor man with a good heart and a happy family dreams of finding a suitcase full of money, which he uses to give his wife a grand birthday celebration. Along the way he shares his wealth with his fellow poor people and eludes the gangsters and authorities who wish to relieve him of his fortune. Ultimately it is, of course, a dream. The man is left with naught but the grocer's bill. It's still mostly a very amusing film, and recommended if you enjoy the style of silent comedy, but the ending brings us back to reality.

Bechdel Test: Fail

Overall: 3/5

[Danae Cassandra]

The Student of Prague  (Der Student von Prague)
Year of Release: 1913
Directed By: Stellen Rye
Starring: Paul Wegener, John Gottowt, Lyda Salmonova, Grete Berger
Genre: Drama, Horror

Overview:

Balduin (Paul Wegener) is a penniless student in 19th century Prague who, in a chance encounter, rescues the beautiful Countess Margit Schwarzenberg and becomes romantically obsessed with her. Scapinelli, the sorcerer, lures the student with a bargain - 100,000 gold pieces - a vast fortune - in return for which "...he shall take from this room whatsoever he chooseth for his own use..." and Balduin hastily signs the contract. Much to the student's astonishment, the old magician approaches a large mirror, extracts Balduin's reflection and departs with it! Intoxicated with his new-found wealth, the student is unaware that he is now doomed to a horrific fate.

With its Faustian theme, 1913's The Student Of Prague is one of the first "horror" movies and a true classic of German expressionist cinema. Alpha Video is pleased to present this landmark film with an original score by Paul David Bergel and completely restored title cards.

My Thoughts:
Early though this film may be, there's still a disquieting, uneasy atmosphere to it. The concept of the doppleganger is still frightening, and the scene where he is drawn out of the mirror is haunting. It's unfortunate that only Baldwin is well-developed as a character, and that the plot is only loosely held together. Also, as good a job as Paul Wegener did playing his character, he is really too old to be convincing as a student. That seems to be an issue for early films like this (Elmo Lincoln as Tarzan comes to mind here). Recommended if you like silent films, especially German Expressionism (as this is a precursor). The story concept is intriguing, and I look forward to watching the 1926 remake at some point in the future.

Bechdel Test: Fail

Overall: 3/5

[Danae Cassandra]

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter ... and Spring  (Bom yeoreum gaeul gyeoul geurigo bom)
Year of Release: 2003
Directed By: Kim Ki-Duk
Starring: Oh Young-Su, Kim Ki-Duk, Kim Young-Min, Seo Jae-Kyung, Ha Yeo-Jin
Genre: Drama

Overview:
A tiny Buddhist monastery floats on a raft amidst a breathtaking landscape, tended to by a solitary Monk. Into this serene setting comes a young child, who will become the Old Monk's protégé... and so begins a lifelong journey of hope, despair, passion and redemption in a film hailed as "a triumph of sheer cinematic craft," (Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald).

From the brash actions of youth, through the dawn of adolescence and the fullness of adulthood, one man's life lessons are learned as seasons pass, his emotional inner life changing as the landscape around him. Award-winning Korean writer/director/editor Kim Ki-duk has crafted a lushly exotic, yet universal story about the human spirit and its evolution, from Innocence to Love, Evil to Enlightenment, and ultimately to Rebirth that Elizabeth Weitzman of the New York Daily News calls "a beautifully composed canvas, the sort of film one falls into, resurfacing at the end with great reluctance."

My Thoughts:
This gorgeous Buddhist fable might be the film I've enjoyed most this month. It's a meditation on the seasons of the year, the seasons of life, and the price of wisdom. The old monk watches, seemingly impassive, as his apprentice makes mistakes. Only after does he work on lessons from the mistakes, showing the younger that his actions have consequences he must accept. But only through those mistakes, consequences and responsibility does wisdom come. Wonderful film for anyone wishing to know more about Buddhism, or for anyone walking a Pagan path. Highly recommended.

I now also want to visit Juwangsan National Park, because where this was filmed is spectacular.

Bechdel Test: Fail

Overall: 5/5