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Posted by: Insomnio 23rd July 2015, 10:48 AM

I just opened this topic about drama films. I guess that it will not be popular as other genres but I think that these films totally deserve to have a place here. Besides, I think that we all love a little bit of drama.. I will post my reviews here. My first will be "The Disappearance of Elinor Rigby: Her".

"The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby" is a sentimental drama which was released in my country three months ago. Essentially, it consists of three films, "Him", "Her" and "Them", which separately shows each of the events of the story. "Him" and "Her" made their official premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival two years ago while "Them" was screened in the "Un Certain Regard" section at last year's Cannes Film Festival. All the versions won several good reviews and there were many who wrote positive words for the interpretation of the heroine Jessica Chastain.
"The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby / Her" presents the events of the story through the perspective of the central heroine, Eleanor Rigby. After the tragic death of her child, Eleanor Rigby tries to commit suicide because she can't stand the loss of her child. She returns to her parent’s home and she continues her studies in the university to further her education. On the other hand, her husband works regularly in the restaurant and everyone pulls away separately. However, both are trying to redefine their relationship and find their old selves. The title of the film is purely symbolic. To be honest, I hadn't read the plot of the story, but I had seen the official trailer at least twice. You do not understand much from the beginning, since there are numerous scenes in which the protagonist of the film casually walked in the streets of New York. In addition, the second roles were indifferent and meaningless, except that of Viola Davis, while the evolution of the film had no climax. Periodically, the story had some flashbacks showing intimate moments of the couple. Ned Benson not only wrote the script of the film but also took over the directing. It is his first film since he has previously only dealt with short films. I think that it was a smart move, to turn the same story in three different versions, but I think the content was not the nicest. He could have done it with a more interesting script idea that would keep undiminished the interest of the viewer. However, his movie had nice interpretations from the two main actors (Jessica Chastain & James McAvoy) and the soundtrack was very good!
"The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby" is definitely one of the most boring / lukewarm films I saw at the cinema in recent months. I might blame this on the fact that I did not see all the versions of the story so to have a comprehensive view. However, I feel that something was missing in its story and so I wasn't satisfied with the result. If it had more substantive dialogues and interesting characters, it could have made the difference but according to what I saw, it had little impact on me.

Posted by: Insomnio 24th July 2015, 10:04 AM

"Stray Dogs" is a Taiwanese-French production which was released in my country’s theaters three months ago. It was originally screened at the Venice Film Festival in 2013, where it won the "Grand Jury Prize". Even though we did not know much about this movie, we went to see it just for the honor of distinction. Although in my opinion, the Festival of Venice cannot be compared with anything, in value, to the equivalent of Cannes.
A homeless alcoholic supports his two children, working as a man-sign in the streets of Taipei. They live in very poor conditions and have temporarily found a deserted space to sleep. A rainy day will make them move to another place and a lonely woman who works as a clerk in a supermarket will take them into her home. From that moment on, their lives will change for the better. When reading the synopsis, the first thing to realize is that it is a purely social film. However, the eccentric director / screenwriter Tsai Ming-liang made sure to test our patience and our nerves. From the beginning, the viewers figure out the extended takes/long shots, the dismal picture, the long silences and the minimal dialogues. With this specific story, Tsai Ming-liang emphasizes on the human misery that prevails in the Taiwanese capital, where people living on the margins, they scrape out an existence day by day. Despair is literally painted on the look of the protagonist who resorts to alcohol to forget his problems. And while up to a point, the film is seen tirelessly and lightly, having some very funny scenes, its last half hour was mildly unacceptable. The pace of the film fell even more since there was one long, static shot that lasted over 14 minutes. The plot became even weaker, while the interpretations reminded of us those in silent cinema. I honestly cannot understand how this particular film received positive reviews from the committee of the Venice Film Festival. As I should have suspected it, since "A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence" won the last year's "Golden Lion". Obviously, the committee of this festival prefers boring and tedious movies when occasionally, there are incredibly good films that go unnoticed.
"Stray Dogs" is already one of my worst choices at the cinema. I made the mistake of choosing it based on its reputation in film circles. However, I do not want to be a victim in my life, I'll be more careful next time. The film definitely stands out from the other movies I saw this year on the big screen, but what can we do it when it stands out in a bad way?

Posted by: Insomnio 9th October 2015, 11:28 AM

The new film adaptation of "Madame Bovary" was released in my country four months ago. It was based on the famous novel by French writer Gustave Flaubert, who became widely known in his time. I have not read the book yet -although I'm not a fan of this particular kind of book genre- nor have I seen its old versions on TV. So, I thought it was just a good option to watch it in a neighborhood cinema to get a good taste for the famous female figure of literature.
The main heroine of the story, Emma, lives with her father in a farm in Northern France. Basically, in Normandy. However, her life will change for the better when she gets married to a rich doctor from her region, Charles Bovary. Nevertheless, she will soon realize that her life is not as she had imagined and boredom will push her to become more impulsive in her personal life. The acquaintances with some single people in her region, will play a catalytic role in her psychology. Combined with the huge debts she will have because of irrational waste on clothes and objects, will cause her to take a desperate step. The Franco-American Sophie Barthes was not limited to the directorial piece of "Madame Bovary" but she wrote the script along with Rose Barreneche. Sophie Barthes seems particularly fascinated by the specific character of world literature since she assisted in the production of the film too. Her aim was not to direct an alternative film version of "Madame Bovary" as Joe Wright had done in "Anna Karenina"a few years ago. She preferred not to deviate too much from novel, although sometimes she did it based on her own words. However, it seemed to me that she didn't develop the main character as it should be and maybe it's not her fault. Since it would be very difficult to accommodate the 329 pages of the novel into her film in less than two hours. Having said that, she could have come more quickly in the main case after the first half hour / fourty-five minutes. We saw mainly the melancholy gaze of the protagonist and some dull shots of French countryside. But from the second half of the course, it had more interest and "Madame Bovary" acquired the multidimensional personality of the book. The protagonist of the film is the talented Australian actress Mia Wasikowska who usually participates in period films. Previously, Keira Knightley had this honor but it seems that movie studios now found a worthy replacement for her. Though I still prefer Keira. The other interpretations were quite good with top honors to Rhys Ifans who impersonated Monsieur Lheureux. "Madame Bovary" was directed nicely, it had beautiful photography, good cinematography and fine period costumes. It is a meticulous production but I guess that it does not make a difference from the other film adaptations of its kind. It might be blamed on the fact that it resembled soap opera in several scenes. However, it is seen pleasantly by all ages and it spreads many social messages with the tragic story of the heroine.
"Madame Bovary" was released at a time when the majority of films struggle to make decent numbers in my country. However, it is a dramatic story that will thrill the audience enough. Especially women. The film received mixed reviews after its premiere and garnered a mediocre average score in IMDb (5,7). I imagine that those who have read the book, are not so interested or fascinated with the new film version of the famous madame of literature. In my opinion, it would be better that if these stories be better adapted as a mini TV series as the successful BBC Films knows to make them greatly!

Posted by: Insomnio 10th November 2015, 10:45 PM

"The Railway Man" is a British-Australian production that was released in my country in July of last year. However, a neighborhood open air cinema chose it during last July and we seized the opportunity to watch it on the big screen. "The Railway Man" made its official premiere at the Toronto Film Festival two years ago and it is based on the homonymous autobiographical book by Eric Lomax, which became a best seller in 1995!
"The Railway Man" takes place during the World War II. The central character of the story is Eric Lomax, a British officer, who was taken prisoner along with thousands of other compatriots and Australian soldiers in the Malaysian jungle. They were transported to a Japanese concentration camp and forced to build a railway line that connected Thailand with Burma under very poor conditions. Unfortunately, Eric Lomax is brutally tortured by the Japanese, who were brutally famous for their sadistic techniques. It is not a coincidence that they collaborated with the Nazis in the World War II in order to subjugate the entire planet. They had common minds. However, Eric Lomax managed to survive, but he carried traumatic stress his entire life. His acquaintance with Patti Wallace, was decisive, since she was the only one who helped him to overcome the bad memories that haunted him for so long. "The Railway Man" is essentially a story of reconciliation, which could also be a big example to many people who have been subjected to torture in times of war and other bad situations. However, I would say that I'm not a fan of this particular mindset as I have always been fascinated by stories based on revenge (Kill Bill, The Brave One etc) or vindication (The Hurricane, Woman in Gold etc). Despite this, I cannot say that I did not like what I saw. "The Railway Man" is a pretty good production that fully respects the story of Eric Lomax and it’s quite enlightening with its content. It didn’t intend to shock viewers for impression as Angelina Jolie did in her own film “Unbroken”, but mostly it wants to feature the shocking story of a silent hero of World War II. Director of the movie is the Australian Jonathan Teplitzky, who does not have a particular filmography under his belt but did famously in "The Railway Man". The interpretations of the main actors were very good (Colin Firth, Jeremy Irvine and Nicole Kidman) and they played a significant role to the overall effect of the film. "The Railway Man" had also beautiful photography, great cinematography and remarkable soundtrack. Nevertheless, I cannot forget that its development was moving very slowly and there were some emotional clichés certainly in the ending.
"The Railway Man" is a pretty good movie without really making itself stand out from other films of its kind. We have seen similar stories in the past and I wonder how many others we will see in the near future. If any survivor from World War II wrote a book about his experiences, I guess that there would be at least one film studio which would make a film about it. However, this does not offer anything innovative in cinema and pushes viewers to alternative forms of entertainment. Having said that, "The Railway Man did not fare badly, since it managed to earn $22,000,000 mainly due to the expected success in Australia and UK. In other countries, however, it didn’t have huge box office numbers though. I will recommend it mainly to fans of true stories that combine military events.

Posted by: Insomnio 4th January 2016, 04:33 PM

"Miss Julie" is a drama which was released in my country at the beginning of last April. It is based on the homonymous play by August Strindberg Swedish and it made its official premiere at last year's Toronto film festival in the Special Presentations section. I didn’t know anything about the content of its story, but neither had I seen its official trailer on a movie site. I had the impression that this film went unnoticed in my country but nevertheless a neighborhood open air cinema chose it for the last weekend of August!
"Miss Julie" takes place in Northern Ireland during the summer solstice in 1890! The main character of the story is Miss Julie, the daughter of a nobleman, who tries to seduce the servant of her father, as the latter will be missing from his mansion for a short time. The relationship will develop with Miss Julie and the servant, which reaches the end and will result in a dramatic and tragic ending. The fact that "Miss Julie" is based on a theatrical text means that it contains too many dialogues and gives mainly focus on the characters of the story. The actress-director Liv Ullmann did a pretty good job adapting it in a convincing way to the big screen. However, the restriction of outdoor scenes and lengthy dialogues created an unbearable atmosphere during the film. Let alone that the last half hour was pretty boring, tedious and overdramatic so I wanted urgently to get out of the cinema. However, despite this, it had very good performances, the script was well written and it had beautiful photography. Jessica Chastain was excellent as Miss Julie while Colin Farrell was worthy of the occasion. Equally good was Samantha Morton who interpreted the cook / John’s fiance. Miss Julie is a great play that initially intrigued the curiosity of the viewer but unfortunately, tired with its evolution. Towards the end of the film I had laminated yawns and I lost all my interest with the turn that took.
To be honest I was never charmed by the theater as a spectacle and I always prefer to watch movies. "Miss Julie" does not touch me at all although the overall result was not bad. Nevertheless, the constant clashes between the two sides and the extensive dialogues that they had caused me many unpleasant feelings. I cannot say that I regretted that I went and saw it but certainly I will try to avoid similar films of this genre in the future. Last but not least, "Miss Julie" failed to distract the attention of critics so that to be indistinguishable at some international film festivals and it has also gathered a relatively low score by IMDb users. I will only recommend it to theatre lovers.

Posted by: Insomnio 5th January 2016, 11:03 PM

"Irrational Man" is the latest film by acclaimed writer-director Woody Allen. It was released in my country in the last week of August and it was chosen by many cinemas. Moreover, Woody Allen is very popular in my country and his films always sell many tickets. Having seen his last 6 movies on the big screen, including Whatever Works, You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, Midnight in Paris, To Rome with Love, Blue Jasmine and Magic in the Moonlight, there was no way to miss his new work! I think this man is a genius and I really envy his talent and intelligence!
"Irrational Man" is based on an original script idea that emphasizes on basic philosophical theorems. Woody Allen has always a tendency to be occupied with these issues and always trying to tell us something with each of his stories. Maybe in this way he finds the answers which he searches for himself. "Irrational Man" perfectly combines mystery, drama and comedy and it spreads many messages to the viewers. It had very good directing - some shots were exceptional- interesting script, well structured characters, beautiful photography and elaborate editing. The performances of the two protagonists, Joaquin Phoenix and Emma Stone, were very good and helped decisively to the overall result. I can say that its evolution puzzled me enough and it made me think many things when the movie ended. Having watched countless films in recent years, I can say with confidence that there are only a few movies have affected me so much. "Irrational Man" won me over perfectly and I'd like to see it again for a second time after a period of time. It is one of those films that require particular attention during its screen time but in the end would have come to a meaningful end. In contrast to, of course, with similar movies of its kinds which do not end up almost anywhere.
"Irrational Man" had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival without participating in the official competition section. It has received mixed reviews from experts in the film industry and it has garnered a mediocre rating from IMDb users (6,7). However, I enjoyed it a lot and I would highly recommend it to everyone! It is one of the most intriguing movies of the last year.

Posted by: UltraChristmas 5th January 2016, 11:20 PM

Want to see all of The Railway Man, Miss Julie & Irrational Man!

Posted by: Insomnio 6th February 2016, 01:01 PM

Irrational Man was one of my favourite movies of last year! I suggest you watch it.

Posted by: Insomnio 6th February 2016, 07:44 PM

"Hungry Hearts" is an Italian dramatic film that was released in my country over four months ago! Firstly, it was screened at the 71st Venice Film Festival, claiming the Golden Lion along with 19 other movies! Although, it did not win the biggest prize of the festival, the protagonists of the film, Adam Driver and Alba Rohrwacher, respectively won the Volvi Cup for Best Actor and Best Actress! "Hungry Hearts" was also screened at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival and received mostly positive reviews from critics worldwide!
Mina and Jude is a young couple with different backgrounds. Mina is an Italian, who lives in New York and Jude is an American who has been working there in recent years. When they meet by chance in the toilet of a Chinese restaurant, their acquaintance will prove to be decisive. In a very short time, Mina will become pregnant and once the child is born, all the problems will start in their relationship. "Hungry Hearts" is a social film that wants to spread a lot of messages to viewers. The Italian director Saverio Costanzo dealt further with the script of the film, after the story was inspired by the novel "Il Bambino Indaco" (The Indigo Child) by Marco Franzoso. He did a meticulous job and declined to use the familiar clichés of the genre, which several of his colleagues tend to make when dealing with family tragedies. "Hungry Hearts" had good directing, very interesting scenario and well-structured characters! Saverio Costanzo emphasized on the personalities of the couple, which differ considerably from each other. Jude uses logic while Mina uses her emotions and in this case the second proved dangerous for their baby's life. Costanzo uses very aptly this particular story, managing to puzzle the audience, that can have devastating effects on a relationship that does not have the necessary foundations. Additionally, the film had excellent performances, beautiful photography and a touching soundtrack!
"Hungry Hearts" is one of the best movies that I saw last year! It was pleasant view and it kept our interest undiminished in its whole duration! I liked the story enough and finally I saw a movie that had something to tell us, without becoming boring and eccentric because of the creator. Despite this, it has amassed a moderate rating on IMDb (6,3), which I consider totally unjustified under the remarkable result. I will highly recommend it to everyone!

Posted by: Insomnio 10th June 2016, 09:23 AM

"Court" is an Indian courtroom drama that was released in my country over eight months ago. It made its official debut at the 71st Venice International Film Festival in the Horizons category and it won the Best Film Award and Lion of the Future Award. The latter is awarded to the best debut film regardless of the section in which it was submitted to. Moreover, "Court" won the Best Film at the National Film Awards in India and it was the official proposal by India for the Oscar for the Best Foreign Language Film! I had not previously seen the official trailer of the movie, but I knew the plot, which seemed quite special to me.
An elderly songwriter is arrested by local police on charges that the lyrics of a revolutionary song prompted a worker of the sewerage network to commit suicide at work. A young lawyer will undertake the case, who believes that his client is wrongly accused in the dock and he tries to convince the judge and the prosecutor that it is an insubstantial accusation against him. The film contains several scenes in the court but the Indian director, Chaitanya Tamhane, made sure to enrich it with several outdoor shootings. Moreover, he was the one who wrote the script and he was fully aware what he wanted to tell us with this story. Essentially, "Court" highlights the way in which cases are solved within the Indian courts but also highlights the lack of freedom of expression that prevails in the country. Also, the main initiator of the story, Chaitanya Tamhane, shows us the daily life of the judge and lawyers outside the courtroom. "Court" was well-directed, it had beautiful photography and it had very good performances. Despite this, I think the scenario of the film was the strong point since the film wanted to spread a lot of messages to viewers. However, in many places, the film resembled a documentary and it wanted to blast the Indian legal system than touch viewers’ hearts. Of course, the latter is not considered necessarily bad although I personally prefer movies that cause me some strong emotion.
"Court" is a remarkable film which is quite enlightening with its content. It received very positive reviews and it won many awards worldwide. It was the second candidate film for the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film that I watched up to that time and it was too early to give it a high classification. However, something told me that maybe it would be one of the five nominated films, on the one hand because it made sense whenever it was released and on the other hand, it had been some time since an Indian film had won the attention of critics worldwide. However, it’s a shame that this film did lousy in Greek cinemas, at a time where viewers should have been more selective -and more puzzled- with their choices.

Posted by: Insomnio 14th June 2016, 10:23 AM

"45 Years" is a dramatic social film that was released in my country’s cinemas during last autumn. However, the film made its official premiere in my city under the 21th Athens International Film Festival 'Opening Nights’ last September. Initially, it premiered at the 65th Berlin International Film Festival where it competed in the main part of the festival, claiming the biggest prize which is the Golden Bear. Although this award went to the Iranian "Taxi", "45 Years" was honored with two major awards: "Best Actor" and "Best Actress".
"45 Years" is based on the short story "In Another Country" by David Constantine. The central characters of the story are Jeff and Kate, who have been married for 45 years, which is real achievement and they are getting ready to celebrate their anniversary, having a party for family and friends. However, a news story on Jeff will cause their long relationship to get turned upside down. As preparations for the anniversary will continue, Jeff will start to change his behavior and habits and Kate’s confidence will begin to falter. Even though "45 Years" seems like a dull and melancholy story, I can tell you that it kept my interest from beginning to end. It had a very interesting development and the script was well written. Andrew Haigh not only took over the directorial piece of film but further developed the short story of David Constadine. Andrew Haigh made his particular job to shake somehow the audience. Nothing can be safe in human relations and usually all couples keep their guilty secrets. However, when they come to the surface over time, can they stay together or the separation occurs as a result? Is the one that has invested the most always gets hurt the most? Moreover, the director/writer wants to tell us about the length of time a relationship can be. The number by itself does not say much although the majority of people believe the opposite. "45 Years" also stands out for well-structured characters and very strong interpretations. Charlotte Rampling was excellent in the role of Kate and also great was Tom Courtenay in the role of Jeff. "45 Years" may have been simple and unadorned when it comes to directing but the story was filled with meaning and substance.
"45 Years" is a remarkable film that has to convey several messages to viewers. It has received very positive feedback worldwide and many critics believed that Charlotte Rampling was definitely one of the big favorites for the Oscar for Best Actress. The film has won some film festival awards and was nominated in three categories at the European Film Awards, including Best European Actor, Best European Actress and Best European Screenwriter! It is a story that will certainly cause concern to the audience, of course, provided that they are matured enough to understand it.

Posted by: Insomnio 15th June 2016, 09:11 AM

"El Club" is a Chilean production which was released in my country last November. It originally participated on the 65th Berlin International Film Festival where it won the Silver Bear-Jury Grand Prix and received very positive feedback on its content. Later, it was proposed as the official submission by Chile for the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film and excelled in some other film festivals. It was the second time that I saw a Chilean movie on the big screen, after the amazing "No” and I can say that this country has pretty good cinema.
"El Club" evolves in a small beach town of Chile. There, a group of elderly priests live isolated in a home and they are away from the circles of the Catholic Church because they each sinned in a different way. A nun cohabits with them who supervises them and cares for them in an everyday level. However, when a new priest requests space in their home, who also carries a sinner / guilty past, he will have ups and downs in this particular "club". "El Club" is a very interesting film that aims to highlight the hypocrisy and corruption of the Catholic Church. The director Pablo Larrain was not only limited to the visual part of the film but he also wrote the script with Guillermo Calderón and Daniel Villalobos. He participated in the production too. Having seen his earlier cinematic work, "No" (2012), I conclude that this man has a remarkable talent and he always wants to tell us something with his respective films. He used very aptly this dramatic story, in order to criticize the wrongs of the Catholic Church, but of all religions in general. "El Club" had a particular direction, caustic script, good performances and beautiful photography. However, it had some provocative scenes and strong language that will certainly offense an amount of viewers, especially the very conservative. Yet, it is a great film that rightly received positive reviews and has dealt with a problem that has shocked many times the public such as child abuse by priests, selling babies to rich families, etc. Besides, there are very few movies, which traded a serious issue in the cinema in the last 15 years so "El Club" is an ideal choice for all those who looking for a little more in terms of religious beliefs.
"El Club" is a remarkable film that deserves the attention of viewers. It is one of the best films I saw last year and it could have been one of the five nominated films in the category for "Best Foreign Language Film”. Although, in this category, there have been "crimes" in the past such as "La Grande Bellezza", "Ida" etc. It has received very good reviews from various newspapers and magazines worldwide and it has acquired a high average score by IMDb users (7,3). Finally, in my country, it had a satisfactory course collections and it was displayed in some selected cinemas for a long time.

Posted by: Insomnio 6th August 2016, 08:24 AM

"El botón de nácar" or "The Pearl Button" is a Chilean documentary which was released in my country last December! It made its official premiere at the 65th Berlin Inrternational Festival where it won the Silver Bear for Best Script and the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury! It was only the third time in my life that I watched a documentary on the big screen after "Fahreneit 9/11" by Michael Moore and "Smyrna, the destruction of a cosmopolitan city 1900-1922" by Maria Ilioú! However, I have seen several documentaries in the Eugenides Foundation, at the Athens Planetarium, which has always had very attentive productions.
What secrets can two buttons hide found deep in the ocean? The answer is given though in this documentary by the Chilean filmmaker Patricio Guzmán. "The Pearl Button" begins with the natural beauty of Chile and the geographical specificity of it. Those who do not know, Chile extends for more than 4300 km from north to south and the maximum width from west to east is no more than 350 km. So, that alone, makes this country quite special. The director continues with the importance of water in the lives of Chilean residents but also in the lives of all people in general. Moreover most of the human body consists of water and without it we cannot live. However, water has a voice and it has a memory too. And for the latter, the director devotes most of his time on it. Guzmán makes particular reference to the first natives of the country who were decimated by the Spanish conquistadors. He puts great emphasis on their everyday life, which had always been associated with water, and records the personal testimonies of three remaining Kawesqars. It continues with the political turmoil that existed in the country during the 20th century and ends with the horrific crimes that were committed during the Pinochet dictatorship.
"The Pearl Button" is a remarkable production that will surely fascinate the thinking public. It's a magical journey through time that will cause you a variety of emotions throughout its duration. Patricio Guzmán made an enviable job and it was no coincidence that he won two awards at the Berlin Festival! "The Pearl Button" has a gorgeous photography, elaborate montage and its content is proved highly instructive. I highly recommend it!

Posted by: Insomnio 14th October 2016, 08:56 AM

"Trumbo" is a biographical movie that was shown in my country's cinemas during February. It is based on the biography "Dalton Trumbo" by American author and journalist Bruce Alexander Cook. I knew absolutely nothing about this particular personality although he was one of the biggest names in Hollywood at that time. Dalton Trumbo was one of the most acclaimed writers of his generation, winning twice the Academy Award for “Best Screenplay” for "Roman Holiday" and "The Brave One".
The film takes place during the 1940's. Dalton Trumbo is already a successful author / screenwriter and he lives with his family in harmony in a suburb of Hollywood. However, when the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) invites him to testify along with other nine scriptwriters for their political beliefs, Trumbo will refuse to give explanations thus lead to prison. When he serves his imprisonment for several months, he will face the refusal of the Big Studios to hire him again as screenwriter while his colleagues and friends will shun him constantly. "Trumbo" is a fascinating biographical film which is presented in the best way on the big screen. Jay Roach took over the directing of the film and John McNamara wrote the script. Both emphasized on the events that occurred in 1947, when Trumbo was persecuted for his radical beliefs. Do not forget that at that time, the Americans had very bad relations with the Soviets and there was always the fear of the Second Red Scare. "Trumbo" had remarkable directing, clever dialogues, caustic humor and beautiful photography. However, the biggest advantage of the film is undoubtedly the flawless interpretation of Bryan Cranston in the leading role. Cranston gave us one of the best performances of last year and for this reason he was proposed in famous film organizations, such as Oscars, Baftas, Golden Globes etc. Equally appalling was Helen Mirren who impersonated the cantankerous, anti-Communist, gossip columnist Hedda Hopper. The remaining performances were good and the film is seen pleasantly throughout its duration.
"Trumbo" is certainly one of the most interesting biographies that I have seen in recent years! It has been well received by critics and it has amassed a quite good rating of 7,5 by IMDb users. Despite this, the overall revenues were quite low and it did not fare well either in my country's Box Office. Which I think is very unfair considering the great result of the film. "Trumbo" spreads many messages to viewers and let us to get to know better a charismatic personality who went against the Establishment of that time.

Posted by: Insomnio 26th May 2017, 11:11 AM

"Taxi" is an Iranian docuftion that was released in my country in the middle of last year's March. It won the Golden Bear at the 65th Berlin International Film Festival and the award of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI)! The initiator of the docufiction is the acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi -whose earlier existence I did not know about - while the film's cast consisted of "ordinary people" in Tehran. Personally, I saw the film based on its discrimination which won in the Berlin Festival, so I had high expectations for its content. However, the result was not very satisfactory, but of course this does not mean that "Taxi" was not worth mentioning.
"Taxi" is a mixing of film and documentary where the filmmaker Jafar Panahi plays a taxi driver. He has placed hidden cameras covering all the points of the vehicle and he starts conversations with his respective clients when they get in. The film is essentially a recording of contemporary society of Iran today, which is far away -even today- from the respective societies of the Western World. To be honest, the conception of the director/screenwriter reminded me of the homonymous Greek tv-show with Markos Seferlis from two decades ago, so I did not find it in no way original. However, the intentions of the two artists -Panahi and Seferlis- are quite different. The film contained strongly political and social messages and the director aptly used dialogues with his taxi passengers as promotion tool on key problems that exist in his country. The Iranian regime has forbidden Jafar Panahi to make films because of his political beliefs as he has been banned from exiting the country. As a result, he did not receive the Golden Bear by the committee but his little nephew, who participated with her presence in the whole venture. Though the film is seen pleasantly throughout its course and there are some very funny scenes that you will never forget.
"Taxi" is an alternative cinematic proposal that was loved by the domestic hipster audience. Despite this, the film looks pretty homemade as a total result and I think that some films such as "Victoria" and "El Club" were wronged enough at last year's Berlin film festival. They could have made an honorary award to the Iranian director, who loves what he does and he never gives up despite the restrictions and repressions received from his own country. "Taxi" received very positive feedback from experts of the film industry, as it was expected, since they feed special love for the Iranian cinema.

Posted by: Insomnio 27th May 2017, 09:23 AM

"Where to Invade Next" is the latest work by the American documentary filmmaker Michael Moore. Having seen his older movies like "Bowling for Columbine" for the rampant gun ownership in America and "Fahrenheit 9/11" for the tragic events of September 11, I can say that this man is very talented and he always finds original ways to explain to the public his views, as he perceives them himself. Of course, there are many who oppose him, trying in every way to tarnish his name, but Moore did not give a shit and he continues to do what he really does better. "Where to Invade Next" was screened at the 40th Toronto International Film Festival while in my country, it premiered in only one cinema hall in the center of Athens.
"Where to Invade Next" is based on a clever script idea by Michael Moore, who -this time- has nothing to do with wars and terrorist attacks but with administrative systems in various areas. Michael Moore "invaded" some countries in Europe and North Africa, in order to see close up the positive aspects of these countries and to present them with simplistic way to the American public. So, the viewer will see Moore visiting Italy, France, Finland, Slovenia, Portugal, Germany, Norway, Tunisia and Iceland. Each country differs in some areas of their system, for example Italy-labor rights, Finland-education, and the American filmmaker derives information from various citizens such as teachers, social workers and politicians. The documentary is seen pleasantly from beginning to end and the content is highly informative. However, I think that a portion of the Greek public that does not know exactly what is happening in these countries, will be disappointed even more with those prevailing in their country. We want to be Europeans god damn it. I think that we have more in common with the disappointing American system than the European.
"Where to Invade Next" is a well made documentary that combines entertainment and information with smart directorial way. Unfortunately, it had disappointing revenues in the Worldwide Box Office, which indicates that the average viewer does not search for it. Or maybe, Moore is not regarded so cool by hipsters as it happened thirteen years ago. However, this does not change the result of his work although some local internet sites wrote their stupid opinions about him for breaking out. I would highly recommend it to everyone! Stop watching bullshit!

Posted by: Insomnio 2nd June 2017, 09:37 AM

"Felix et Meira" is a dramatic film which was released in my country's cinemas during last year's March. The film was originally screened at the 39th Toronto International Film Festival and it won the "Canada Goose Award" for the best Canadian feature film. Some months later, it was chosen as the Canadian official submission for the Academy Award for "Best Foreign Language Film". I had previously seen the official trailer of the film in a neighbourhood cinema. After watching it, my sense of curiosity really spiked to watch this movie on the silver screen. Taking into account, of course, that the film would have a wacky scenario. By the way, I did not see the specific I mentioned here. However, "Felix et Meira" is mainly a drama in which sadness, boredom and melancholy prevail.
The main characters of the film are Felix and Meira, who meet by chance for the first time in a Montreal's restaurant. Felix has a bachelor's life while Meira is a married Jewish woman from the Hassidic community and mother of a child. Moreover, Felix has recently lost his father and he feels remorseful that he did not have a good relationship with him while Meira feels trapped in her marriage after her husband follows the strict rules of their religion. However, Felix and Meira will secretly meet on a daily basis and they will develop a special relationship between them. The film moves with a low rhythm while the dialogues are few and frugal. Furthermore "Felix et Meira" had many pauses and the director focused more on the actors' expressions, so do not expect to see a movie that will keep your interest steady from the beginning to the end. Unless, of course, you enjoy such films. The interpretations of the actors were nice and the photography of the film was quite good. The Canadian Maxime Giroux made his full-length directorial debut with this movie and he co-wrote the screenplay along with Alexandre Laferrière. His intentions may have been good and pure but he could have added more tension to the plot of his movie. Moreover, the story emphasizes on the morals and traditions of the Jews and it was the third official submission for the Oscars' 'Best Foreign Language Film", which it had a direct or indirect relationship with its ethnoreligious group. At least, from those that I had seen so far -the Oscar winning Hungarian film "Son of Saul and the German" The Labyrinth of Lies”. Personally, I have no problem with these people – I really like them- but I have noticed an obsession from directors/screenwriters to turn movies based on the history and religion of the Jews. The writers should make the difference, writing scripts with characters that originate from countries less known to the general public. But you will tell me now who Christian or Jew would finance them?
"Felix et Meira" was so sluggish that you need to drink at least a very strong coffee before you watch it. The result was certainly not bad, but the evolution of the story did not have anything special. If you exclude the spasmodic husband of Meira. However, if you compare it with other proposed Canadian films in the past like Mommy or Monsieur Lazhar, "Felix et Meira" looks like a poor relative. Very likely, the film was proposed at the Oscars because of non-existent competition. "Felix et Meira" is recommended for those who suffer from insomnia. You will heal it in 105 minutes.

Posted by: KatMus 7th June 2017, 02:55 PM

Collateral Beauty

Successful, charismatic, creative boss of the New York advertising agency Howard Inlet is going through difficult times. After the loss of a child, he experiences a deep depression, withdrew into himself and does not notice the world around him. Now Howard does not see any sense in his existence. He lost all interest in work, in communication with friends, in everything. The only thing that helps a little - the letters in which Howard sets out his thoughts and feelings. True, these letters are addressed not to the departed daughter and not to the Almighty. Seeing the sufferings of Howard, friends decide to intervene, for which they are developing a whole plan that will help the guy come to himself.