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Bom yeoreum gaeul gyeoul geurigo bom (2003)
The circle of nature and human life, simple but deep.
A movie astonishing in its beautiful portrayal of the nature through all the four seasons. Thought-provoking in its message of the journey of the hero: from joy and pleasure to lust, desire and anger. And finally coming full circle with redemption and contemplation.
The movie is indeed universal, as it shows the circle of life and the circle of the seasons. But there are many spiritual meanings to be found if you dig deeper and recognize the Buddhist signs.
It's a timeless masterpiece and a must-see film for everyone above the age of 16. It's not held back by a complex plot or difficult dialogues. It's simple, yet full of wisdom.
Walkabout (1971)
There's more to this story than meets the eye.
Walkabout (1971)
Story about deserted siblings in the Australian Outback, meeting an aborigine on his spiritual journey to manhood. But if you look closer, you'll also find a story about civilization, communication and the harsh beauty of nature. Close-ups of creatures dwelling in the desert reveal the circle of life. Death and life are closely related. But what makes us people different from these creatures? Our ability to speak perhaps? But what happens when you can't communicate? Through civilization we learn how to talk, how to walk and how to dress. But we don't learn how to survive in the harsh nature of the wilderness. Which boundaries can love transcend?
The characters have no names and very little background information is given. But that's a good thing. This is a timeless story and palpable for all viewers.
Great Movie, as rated by the late Roger Ebert. Highly recommended!
Raging Bull (1980)
Masterpiece about the physical strength but mental weakness of (some) men
Robert De Niro & Martin Scorsese are a brilliant duo, and this might be their best collaboration! De Niro portrays Jake LaMotta, a raging and self-destructive boxer, hence his nickname "The Raging Bull". But actually the film isn't about boxing, that's just the setting. The real themes are paranoia and jealousy; about how a man desires a beautiful woman at first, but due to insecurity loses his touch with reality and dwells into mistrusting every move she makes. Freud called it the Madonna-whore complex, look it up ;) The performances are great, and De Niro rightfully received an Oscar for best actor. During this movie he transforms from a fit young prizefighter to an overweight retired old man, gaining an astounding 33 kg! But everything is right in this movie; the directing, the editing, the use of black & white, the camera-work, the supporting actors. Without a doubt a Great Movie and one of the best of the '80.
My score: 9.5 out of 10 Rating: R / Kijkwijzer: 16
Groundhog Day (1993)
Carpe diem, seize the day, pluk de dag!
What a wonderful movie
This movie shows that no matter how boring and monotonous a day is, you should try to make the best out of it. Even if that means reliving the same cold winter day over and over again. That's what happens to the egocentric weather reporter Phil, who travels to the little picturesque town of Punxsutawney, where the annual Groundhog Day is celebrated. He finds himself trapped in a weird cycle: every morning he wakes up on the same day! But he's the only one who relives the day, for the rest it's all new. Little by little he learns about all the people; who they are, what they do, what makes them tick... At first, he uses this information to his benefit, thinking he can get away with anything, since nothing has consequences he reckons. He lives like there's no tomorrow, which is actually true. Using trial & error he gets almost everything he wants, except for one thing: the affection of his producer Rita. No matter how hard he tries, she won't give in... Disappointed by this failure Phil take another route, which leads to his self-destruction time after time. When and how will he find his redemption?
The Boy Mir (2011)
The tale of a young boy, growing up in post-Taliban Afghanistan. His hopes and dreams vs. the reality of a poor existence.
His father Abdul has a young daughter and makes a deal with Khoshdel, who has only his mother. Both families are poor and decide to make an exchange, Abdul marries Khoshdel's mother, and Khoshdel marries Abdul's daughter. It seems a win-win situation. Only nobody seems to wonder what the women have to say in this matter... Out of the marriage of Abdul and Khoshdel' mother, Mir is born. We meet Mir at the age of seven in the year 2001. A curious boy stares into the camera of the documentary film-maker Phil Grabsky, who realizes Mir is his protagonist.
Mir and his family are living in caves in Bamiyan, near the recently destroyed Buddha statues. In these harsh environments his family is trying to survive and make the best out of it. After a year they move back to their village in the north, where Mir goes to school. Here he has big ambitions and tells us he wants to become a teacher or maybe even a president. But because Khoshdel, Mir's half-brother, needs help farming, Mir has to do his part. And although everyone acknowledges the importance of education, the first priority is having food to survive in the first place. This dilemma grows each year, as Abdul claims he's too weak to work and Mir becomes older and stronger. Through the years Mir plows the country with his donkeys, herds goats and works in the mining, at the cost of skipping school classes. When a classmate asks him where Mir was instead of school, Mir doesn't like to admit he's been working... In the little spare time he finds, Mir plays soccer with other kids on the street. And with the help of Khoshdel, he saves money to get himself a bicycle and a few years later a motorcycle. As Mir grows up, he adjust his goals, realizing his impossibilities in the world. The most important thing for him becomes surviving.
This documentary shows ten years of Mir's hard knock life. From an innocent young happy boy with big dreams Mir changes to a young adult who's scarred through all the hard labor. What the future will bring to him is yet unknown, but it will once again be full of challenges Mir has to overcome. The documentary barely touches the effects of a decade of foreign military forces in Afghanistan. Since we're following a family in a small and remote village, they don't see any benefits right away, the only positive remark is the fact that there's no war anymore. What it does right, is the depiction of the change through the eyes of Mir. And also noteworthy, there are some nice landscape views of the beautiful mountains of Afghanistan. And as the years pass by, the cameras are upgraded and the picture quality is improved significantly.
My score: 7 out of 10. My rating: PG or 6 (NL)
Forrest Gump (1994)
Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you gonna get
With this wisdom the movie takes off and Forrest Gump introduces himself. He tells his life story to anyone who wants to hear it. And what a story it is. Although simple-minded, following the advice of his mother and childhood friend Jenny, Forrest gets places. His mother tells him he's the same as everyone else, and no different at all. And she makes sure he goes to a regular school, no matter what it takes. And on the school bus he meets his one and only girlfriend, Jenny. Together they're like peas and carrots. She tells him that whenever he's in trouble, he should run away. And she cheers him shouting 'Run, Forrest, run!'. He can run like the wind blows. It literally takes him anywhere. During his travels, he also meets up with various interesting people and gets involved in American history in the making.
Tom Hanks puts up a great performance and definitely pulls it off with flying colors. Robert Zemeckis, is a master of special effects, and uses it very effectively to include Forrest Gump into historical events. In the end, it's a wonderful and inspiring movie. Highly recommended.
Rating: PG-13 or 12 (NL)
Paul (2011)
A great mix of E.T.-esque sci-fi & hilariously comedy
(extended edition)
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost team up once more and have brilliant chemistry as usual. They start off as two British geeks at Comic Con, San Diego. On their grotesque voyage in their RV to Area 51 an alien riding a car literally crashed into them. Seth Rogen is the perfectly casted as the rude alien Paul. Or maybe the part is tailored to suit him... Paul is is like a midget Seth wearing an alien suit... Perhaps that makes him less special than E.T., but now at least he provides us with some good laughs. It's a great parody/homage with plenty of references to their source material. Along the way the trio meets up with a crazy bunch of people, I'll let you discover them yourself. It leads to a cat-and-mouse chase with some sidequests. In the end, this film is a successful sci-fi comedy, but mind the frequent swearing.
My score: 8 out of 10 My rating: PG-13 or 12(NL)
Hotaru no haka (1988)
A touching and sad story about survival during wartime
(ENG dub, ENG sub)
The story is about two young children; Seita, a young teenager, and his little sister Setsuko, around 4. Due to air raids their village gets burned down and they've to abandon their house. With their mother soon passing away because of heavy burns and their father in the navy, the two become orphans. They move in with their aunt, who rather soon starts to act cruel and give them less and less food. Being unwelcome and criticized, Seita decided to move once more and they choose the caves on the hills as their new house. There, they enjoy the light of the fireflies. But as the war continues, food becomes scarce. Pure out of desperation to feed Setsuko and himself, Seita starts stealing crops. But unfortunately the health of Setsuko is deteriorating fast due to malnutrition. Her smiles and laughs are gone; instead she becomes more and more quiet
The emotional story unfolds itself very slowly. A lot of effort is put in the seemingly unimportant events, which gives the characters more depth. It's great to see how Seita copes with the situation at hand. He has to be strong, not only for himself, but also for Setsuko. It's rare to see so much beauty in an animation. There are some breathtaking and dramatic scenes, which I won't spoil of course. It's safe to say, this animated movie will move you, it's that real!
My score: 9 out of 10 My rating: PG or 6 (NL)
Source Code (2011)
Relive the last 8 minutes and make it count!
Imagine you've 8 minutes to save the world. Imagine waking up in a train, inside a stranger's body, sitting opposite a beautiful woman, and still having 8 minutes before the train explodes. And now imagine being able to relive these 8 final minutes over and over
until you figure out who's the bomber and how to stop him.
That's basically the whole story of Source Code. But of course it takes more time to show the audience these trials. The story is puzzling, certainly in the beginning and gives your brain a nice exercise. And although somewhat predictable, it's still good entertainment value and is recommended!
R: PG-13 or 12 (NL)
Requiem for a Dream (2000)
A disturbing and striking movie about addiction, not just for drugs, but food as well.
(unrated version)
We meet Harry, a young and ambitious guy, who keeps on stealing and pawning his mother's television set to earn some quick cash. With that cash he and his buddy Tyrone score some drugs. And pretty soon also his love interest, the beautiful Marion, gets involved.
On the other hand Harold's mother, Sara Goldfarb, is hooked to her television and keeps rebuying it back from the pawn shop. In fact, she's so obsessed with the television, she would do anything to appear on stage in her beautiful red dress. But in order to fit her dress, she's to lose a lot of weight. On the advice of her 'friends' she tries a diet first, but pretty soon she turns to colorful pills, prescribed by a doctor. Not only does she lose weight, but also her mind. Not only because of the pills, but first and foremost because of the sugar withdrawal. And little by little we witness her downfall into isolation and hallucinations.
Aronofsky uses multiple techniques very effectively. Using close-ups in fast-motion he shows images of drugs, be it pills, coke or heroin. Then the way it's administered, be it swallowing, sniffing or injecting. And finally the dilatation of the user's pupils. It's all done very fast and loud, just like a quick fix. Furthermore he uses split-screen and headshots to really put the focus on the characters and their expressions. And as if that's not enough, some top-down views seal the deal.
Another special treat is the score by Clint Mansell. His soundtrack is just unforgettable. It gives chills down your spine every time you hear it. And since it's been used many times in different movie trailers, commercials etc, you probably have heard it a lot.
The performances of the actors are great as well. Not once does it feel like acting, it seems as if they've been using drugs for real. And as the story unfolds, their desperate destinations come closer inevitably. As a viewer you'll be touched and have a hard time not feeling sorry for them.
Rating: R/16
Tonari no Totoro (1988)
An inspiring and carefree adventure
A wonderful Japanese anime about two little girls and their coping with the sickness of their mother. Through letting loose their imagination and crawling through the rabbit hole, they discover a magnificent world. But unlike Alice in Wonderland, there's no evil in their world. Only totoros, spirit-like creatures only visible in the eyes of lucky children. The parents of the girls listen to their kids and don't accuse them of lying. They actually do the contrary and encourage them to have a vivid imagination. This is probably the best message for young children.
Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli present a classic but colorful world with great details. It's a treat for the beholders. Despite the fact the movie is made in 1988, it's still a joy to see. It's a great family film and highly recommended for all ages.
Sucker Punch (2011)
Too much eye candy and too little focus on the story itself
For this review, I've watched the extended edition. Snyder's put too much emphasis on visuals and over the top action scenes... Although the story is nice to begin with, after a while it seems the whole quest and fantasies are taking over. The first time it's kinda fresh and exciting, but it grows old real fast. Snyder has borrowed heavily from other sources, such as Killzone. Actually, the whole movie plays like a watered-down video game. But just like the girls in teeny skirts, it's all eye candy and very superficial. I had high hopes for this movie, especially being a fan of Snyder's previous work (300 and Watchmen). But unfortunately, this one falls short and gets the stamp mindless action flick.
The Fighter (2010)
A true story. About the 'comeback' of a local boxer, and his little brother, who's an upcoming boxer himself.
Micky, the younger of two, keeps it all in the family. His brother Dicky, former boxer, and a regular at the crack house, is his coach. And Alice, his mother of nine, is his manager. Dicky is lost between his comeback and his addiction, confusing the one for another. Micky, on the other hand, is too afraid to disappoint his family and takes punches for them, literally. Not until he meets Charlene, a former college drop-out, who works at the local bar, he starts to realize he should start to think different.
The story is a mix of multiple stories. First you got the expected Rocky-like story about a hero falling down, and rising out the ashes again. But more interesting and relevant, it's also the story about the effects of an addiction. Christian Bale proves once again he's a versatile actor. His portrayal of Dicky is engaging and doesn't look like acting. And finally, there's the tale of ma Alice, trying to run the dysfunctional family. Her two boys are fighters, while her seven daughters are like a pack of sheep, superficial and bleating all the time. Melissa Leo, really nails the role. It's a delight to see her, so full of passion.
Just for these dramatic stories and their depictions, it's an entertaining movie and recommended. Rating: R (restricted) / 16
Rango (2011)
Rango is a smart animated comedy, great for young & old!
Rango is a smart animated comedy, great for young & old! It has a lot of references to other movies, with the Hawaiian shirt Rango's wearing straight from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Visually brilliant, almost Pixar-esque. Proves 2D is still relevant. Really amazing shots, with time-lapses, motion blur and more... Great voice-cast & dialogue, with Johnny Depp as the main act. Great use of sound, especially with the classics Ride of the Valkyries & The Blue Danube combined with great western music. The story is nice, although pretty typical for a western. But at least it reaches a new and young audience.
Highly recommended, much better than the pile of sequels nowadays, also in animation. Rating: PG / 6
Baraka (1992)
This picture is truly worth (more than) a thousand words!
Baraka is a unique experience. Unlike anything else you've seen. It's a tale of 'blessings', told with images and sounds only. No dialogue. It's a journey through all the different aspects of humanity on Earth. We see different tribes, different religions with their temples and rituals, different ecological environments, and the effects of human intervention. We see the evolution of our species, from the ancient tribes to the modern man. Always on the run. But it's not all roses
From the mass production on the assembly lines we fall further down to the reality of poverty and war.
But this picture is truly worth (more than) a thousand words! The director, Ron Fricke, is the master of time-lapse photography and this is his treat to the viewers. They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but surely everybody will agree on this film.
Viewing this picture my thoughts wandered off to many related documentaries (BBC's Planet Earth, The Power of the Planet, Life), movies (Avatar, A Space Odyssey), games (Civilization, Uncharted, Journey) and music videos (Michael Jackson's Earth Song). If any of these excites or intrigues you, then you definitely should watch Baraka. Frankly if you're interested in humanity, you won't be disappointed. And although it's made in 1992, it's timeless and withstood the test of time wonderfully. It's a great source of inspiration.
Rating: PG-13 / 12