When the term “monster movie” is thrown about, to some it evokes the shaky hand-held glimpses at the Gozilla-esque creature from Cloverfield. To some others, it brings back memories of the Godzilla-esque creature from 20 Million Miles to Earth. I’m sure somewhere it even evokes memories of Godzilla. But rarely does a monster movie find a way into the human psyche and human spirit.
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Starring: Olivier Gourmet, Morgan Marinne, Isabella Soupart
Director: Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne
Country: France
Genre: Foreign, Drama
Mesmerizing.
From the first frame of this film straight through to its last, it is nearly impossible to take your eyes away from this fascinating hyper-realistic drama. The performances are so matter-of-fact that it recalls the days of Italian Neorealism in casting non-actors to portray the afflicted protagonists. The Son is a tale of obsession, a tale of revenge, but above all a tale of unexpected choices. The suspense created in this film is unlike any I’ve ever experienced, completely unaware of what feelings should be coming to the surface. Most of the time a bubbling nervousness is abound, but it’s careful never to push into completely uncomfortable territory. The end product is a completely satisfying and unconventional. I don’t imagine this film is for anyone, but it might interest those who take a liking to the proletariat trend in modern American independent films.
Starring: Ivana Baquero, Sergi Lopez, Maribel Verdu
Director: Guillermo Del Toro
Country: Mexico
Genre: Foreign, Fantasy
The Grimm Bros have nothing on this dark fantasy.
Fairy tales have always been pretty dark at their core. Somewhere along the timeline of passing stories from generation to generation they have become sugar coated to shield children from the horrors of life, (does the current version of Hansel and Gretel have them pushing her into the oven, or do they all sit down and have a democratic discussion about their hardships? I’ve lost track.) With Pan’s Labyrinth, Guillermo Del Toro brings us all back to the reasons fairy tales exist… escapism, metaphors to understand our surroundings, pure hellish childhood delight. It’s as complex as Del Toro’s previous foray into his personal projects, (The Devil’s Backbone,) as it reflects the harsh reality of war with the mysterious curiosity of fantasy. The real star of the film is Del Toro’s imagination and the creations in which it manifests. Not since Jim Henson’s heyday has there been such enchanting creatures.
Starring: Rudy Youngblood, Raoul Trujillo
Director: Mel Gibson
Country: USA
Genre: Foreign, Epic
Not sure if this one was on the Mayan calendar… but it should be.
I’ll just come out and say it. Apocalypto is kind of badass. I was completely taken by surprise anticipating some sort of laborious experience, which probably stems from the endurance needed to get through Passion of the Christ. Gibson has crafted one hell of a fight-for-your-life chase movie. There’s something incredibly appealing about the savagery and primality of survival that I’m sure most meat eaters will respond to. One disconcerting thing was traveling to IMDb afterwards and coming to the obvious realization that some of the cast were actors, but that’s a compliment to the realism of the film, though Gerardo Taracena’s Klaus Kinski-eqsue performance should have been an indicator. Like most of Gibson’s films, it is not for the squeamish. There’s something extra nerve wracking when you’re dealing with near-naked characters fighting each other with sharp objects.
Starring: Ken Wantanabe, Kazunari Ninomiya
Director: Clint Eastwood
Country: USA, Japan
Genre: War, Drama
You scream. I scream. We all scream when we’re being shot at.
This companion piece to Eastwood’s lackluster Flags of Our Fathers is far superior in every way, which helps my theory that some of Eastwood’s films are great regardless of his abilities. But Letters from Iwo Jima is an incredible story, and quite an unconventional one for an American director to tell. It follows Japanese soldiers during the invasion of Iwo Jima. Like any great war film it shows that the men on both sides are equal in both their savagery and humanity. It lacks a strong anti-war theme, but doesn’t become overly patriotic either. It’s this balance of subject matter that really make the film effecting. The unbiased point of view allows for the viewer to project their own feelings or fears on war and patriotism.
Starring: Daniel Brühl, Diane Kruger, Guillaume Canet
Director: Christian Carion
Country: UK, Germany, France
Genre: Foreign, Holiday
French. German. Scots. Christmas!
Wow. If you’re all Scroogeish over the Holidays becoming commercialized, this could be the drop of elixir you’re looking for. While most Holiday films, even the best of them, have a commendable underlying message to them, they are so wrapped up in cookie frosting that it’s hard not to get a cavity swallowing all of the sugar. Joyeux Noël is the greatest example of what the Holidays should represent: a respect and love for your fellow man. It’s set on the front lines of World War I during Christmas Eve where German, Scottish and French forces are pitted against each other. I realize that It’s a Wonderful Life is a bold comparison, but Joyeux Noel is definitely one of the best Holiday films I’ve ever seen.
Starring: Seung-yeon Lee, Hyun-kyoon Lee
Director: Ki-duk Kim
Country: South Korea
Genre: Foreign, Romance
Chaplin. Keaton. Ki-duk Kim?
When a film of any country’s origin embraces the idea of images being a universal language, I tend to get a bit giddy, (don’t get me going on Chaplin films…) 3-Iron is so in touch with the idea that a story can be told without verbal language and still convey a wholly touching story, probably even better than most other films. To summarize it would take more words than I have room for here, but the first half of the film plays out a lot like Wall-E in two characters falling in love through excellently developed tender moments that never fall under schlocky, but remain in the cute realm that gives you butterflies. The second half of the film takes an unforeseen turn, but always stays true to the story being told. 3-Iron is absolutely one to be seen by any romance enthusiast.
Articles | this guy over here March 9, 2010 | 
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