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Short movie reviews by Adriana Popovici

Stranger than Fiction

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Stranger Than Fiction movie poster

Image source: Wikimedia

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Year of release: 2006
Director: Marc Forster
Writer: Zach Helm
Starring: Will Ferrell, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hoffman, Queen Latifah, Emma Thompson, etc.

For more information on “Stranger than Fiction”, visit Wikipedia and/or IMDb

 

General impression:
A delectable quirky movie with just enough sugar and spice to make it complete. The premise is risky: Will Ferrell as a fictional real IRS man who falls in love. But it’s simpler than it seems 🙂 and Ferrell proves he’s a good actor in general, not only a comedian. In a way, this movie is like a fairy tale for grown-ups. It is narrated as if it was a book, and in a way it really is. For this reason, but also because it is witty, bookish people could appreciate this film more than the average movie enthusiast.

Highlights:
Nice plot, good acting, flow.

Downside:
Throughout the film, there a constancy in rhythm that may prevent a stronger emotional response in the viewer.

Would I see it again? – Haha! I’ve already seen it several times, and will probably see it again soon 😀

My Rating (1 to 10): 9

Recommended: Yes!

Suggestion:
If you happen to write, get inspired by this movie and try this exercise: imagine that your main character is alive somewhere and you can dictate the course of his/her life in detail. Interesting and fun, isn’t it?

 

Valley of Flowers

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Year of release: 2006
Director: Pan Nalin
Writers: Pan Nalin, Sarah Besan Shennib, Anurag Kashyap
Starring: Milind Soman, Mylene Jampanoi, Nasseruddin Shah, etc.

For more information on “Valley of Flowers”, visit Wikipedia and/or IMDb

 

General impression:
From the Himalayas to Tokyo, this story unfolds at the collision point of two realms, exploring topics such as the human condition, reincarnation, and demons. Many of my favorite childhood stories were Asian, and watching “Valley of Flowers” (and Pan Nalin’s other excelent movie, “Samsara”) felt like reading those stories again, only upgraded to mesmerize the adult version of me. It is a story about balance, about how some things work their course and laws, not depending on our will or attempts to trick their natural order. It is also a beautiful love story, loaded with magic and adventure, the story of two bandit lovers who tried to steal their right to be together. How do you steal what you can’t have?

Highlights:
It’s flawless. You may like it or not, but it truly is a flawless artistic film, beyond the subjectivity of personal taste.

Downside:
The rating on IMDb is a joke and should not be taken seriously. This movie deserves a much wider audience and a louder recognition.

Would I see it again? – Yes, regularly

My Rating (1 to 10): 10

Recommended: Highly

Suggestion:
I’m not sure it works as a purely entertaining movie. Make sure you’re in the mood for thinking and dreaming, before you watch it.

 

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

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Image source: Wikimedia

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Year of release: 2006
Director: Mamoru Hosoda
Writers: Satoko Okudera (screenplay); Yasutaka Tsutsui (novel)
Starring: Riisa Naka / Emily Hirst, etc.

For more information on “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time”, visit Wikipedia and/or IMDb

 

General impression:
I enjoyed the story, and felt entertained. The main idea is cool, and the execution of the movie is great as well. It can make your afternoon more pleasant.

Highlights:
It is beautiful, and the spark of magic helps it stand out.

Downside:
The story seems to develop slowly, but, then again, that is how it unfolds.

Would I see it again? – Yes

My Rating (1 to 10): 7.5

Recommended: Yes

Suggestion:
You should watch the original version, in Japanese, with English subtitles.

 

Marie Antoinette

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Image source: Wikimedia

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Year of release: 2006
Director: Sofia Coppola
Writers: Sofia Coppola, Antonia Fraser (book)
Starring: Kirsten Dunst, Jason Schwartzman, etc.

For more information on “Marie Antoinette”, visit Wikipedia and/or IMDb

 

General impression:
A hundred times better than Sofia Coppola’s higher rated “Lost in Translation” (which I did not like), I loved “Marie Antoinette”. It turns a lifeless historical figure into a real, more comprehensible person, and it does so with exquisite femininity and artfulness. This movie speaks a modern language to explain times long gone and flat history book characters. Its colors are bright, the music seemingly misplaced in time, but, with subtlety and expressiveness, “Marie Antoinette” shows the inner and outer life of the young woman underneath the royal front. A young woman who has means of all kinds at her disposal, but, like any young woman no matter the century, also has emotions, sensuality, sorrow, passion, thirst for life – a heart.

Highlights:
This is one of those magnificent movies in which you can sense a beautiful piece of the director’s soul. It also looks awesome, but, far from being just a visual treat, it is full of poetry, and speaks of deeper issues – quietly. Kirsten Dunst is enchanting in her role.

Downside:
I don’t think everyone can resonate with this vision, and some may get caught in the colors, costumes and their preconceptions, not being able to fully grasp the feel and the ideas of this movie.

Would I see it again? – Yes. I’ve seen it twice, yet I would watch it again.

My Rating (1 to 10): 9.5

Recommended: Yes

Suggestion:
Read more about Queen Marie Antoinette on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Antoinette.

 

Blood Diamond

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Image source: Wikimedia

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Year of release: 2006
Director: Edward Zwick
Writer: Charles Leavitt
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou, Jennifer Connelly, Michael Sheen, Arnold Vosloo, etc.

For more information on “Blood Diamond”, visit Wikipedia and/or IMDb

 

General impression:
It made me sob, and that doesn’t happen every time I watch a movie. If all action movies would have a point like this one, and would be able to touch hearts and ignite thought in the middle of all the running and shooting, I would watch action movies more often.

Highlights:
Good subject, good acting.

Downside:
It’s sad, it’s brutal, it’s… true

Would I see it again? – Yes

My Rating (1 to 10): 9

Recommended: Yes

Suggestion:
If you’re not in the mood for some deep thinking, this movie will fail to entertain you.

 

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