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Jesus Quintana
Reviews
Een ander zijn geluk (2005)
Amazing debut of a real talent
"Een Ander Zijn Geluk" (a.k.a. "Someone Else's Happiness") has received an enormous amount of acclaim at several prestigious international film festivals, but failed to make a big impression on critics and audiences in Belgium, its country of origin. That is particularly unfortunate since this excellent film marks the discovery of a truly gifted new filmmaker, a young woman named Fien Troch. In terrific cinemascope compositions, she paints a portrait of what happens in a small town community when a child is killed in a hit-and-run accident. This is a film filled with silences, but it manages to convey a heartwrenching sense of human sadness regardless of its lack of emotional outbursts or big dramatic moments. The ensemble cast shines in doing the most with a minimum of dialogue and really turns this bleak and potentially overly distant tale into a gripping illustration of human loneliness, isolation and inability to communicate. When David Eugene Edwards' beautifully tormented end credits song kicks in, you know you've seen something special. "Een Ander Zijn Geluk" reminded me of Atom Egoyan's and Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu's best work, and since it is Belgium's entry for the 2007 Academy Awards I wish it the best of luck - it deserves the highest praise.
Ôdishon (1999)
Cult potential !
Well, the least you can say about the controversial "Odishon" is that it's a fascinating movie that will leave nobody indifferent. Some people may think it's gratuitous or sick, but this is a fact: director Takashi Miike and writer Ryu Murakami know how to steadily build up a strangling suspense to end things up with a shocker last twenty minutes. This finale is what makes the movie, and is probably the only thing most viewers will remember in a year's time.
To be perfectly honest, the first hour or so of the film is not particularly memorable: it's well-acted, and there's some good father-and-son interaction scenes, but the directing feels a bit sloppy and the pacing is rather slow. But then strange, disturbing, almost Lynchian images start turning up between the regular scenes, and by the time the big climax comes along, you have already sensed something's very, very rotten in the state of Japan. Even so, the scene comes as something of a surprise, and the frenzied horror of it is beyond all expectations either way.
The things that were a tad feeble about the beginning of the film, become its greatest assets in its last twenty minutes. The directing is brilliant, making even the biggest gore fan fysically uncomfortable about the horrors on screen, and the pace at which they take place is little less than hellish.
In the end, its twisted sense of sick humour and its almost terrorizing, but genuinely entertaining, suspense will make "Odishon"s finale, and thus "Odishon" itself, a contemporary classic. It is sure to develop a cult following over the next few years.
Chasing Amy (1997)
Awful, awful, AWFUL
Hmmm, I won't waste much of my breath on this one. If you're into painfully awkward overacting, the most misplaced, half-witted sort of "humour" known to man, and dialogues that are meant to be snappy and clever but are actually just plain stupid, this is exactly what you're looking for. If, however, you have any hint of taste AT ALL, you better avoid this annoying turd. It's for your own good. Oh, and to everyone who compares Kevin Smith's screenwriting skills to Quentin Tarantino's: throwing in a "f**k" or a "b*tch" every two words is NOT the same thing as writing brilliant, witty dialogues. In one word: awful.
The Big Lebowski (1998)
Possibly the greatest comedy ever. A true gem.
As far as I'm concerned this is easily the very best movie the incredible Coen brothers have made to date. Comedy is one of the most difficult, demanding genres around, and in order for it to work it must be made with a professionalism that exceeds all imagination. Now that's one of the many great things about "The Big Lebowski". Everything in this movie is sheer genius, every detail is right, and the timing is perfect, but it feels so laidback you hardly notice the brilliance and skill.
What else can I say ? The Dude is just about the coolest main character you can possibly imagine, and he's surrounded by a hilarious troupe of supporting characters that make this film a truly worthwile event. Walter Sobchak, Donnie, the three nihilists, the Jesus, Maude, Jackie Treehorn, Brandt, Knox Harrington ... they're all hysterically funny. Same goes for the nonsensical situations The Dude gets into. The first appereance of the Jesus, the farret scene, the toilet scene ("Where's the money Lebowski ?"), the confrontation on the parking lot, the money handover, the beach scene, and so many more wonderful moments - I'll kick myself for not mentioning them later... they can make anyone with a sense of humour howl with laughter, again and again and again.
The cast is tremendous: Jeff Bridges is in my opinion one of the best American actors around and as The Dude, he finally got the chance to show what a remarkable comedian he really is. John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, John Turturro, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman... each and every one of them gives a new meaning to the word "delicious".
In short, this movie is such a feast of wonderful dialogues, hilarious characters and unbelievably funny scenes it's already a true classic. The Dude abides, man, The Dude abides...