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Days and Clouds-Movie Review 04/04/2015

Posted by Films to consider in David di Donatello Awards, Drama, Emotional Drama, Italian language film, Moscow International Film Festival, Movies, Rome Film Fest.
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Days and Clouds (Italian) 2007

From Film Movement
Directed by Silvio Soldini
Starring Margherita Buy, Antonio Albanese, Alba Rohrwacher, and Paolo Sassanelli

Among other awards and nominations:
WINNER, Best Actress (Buy); Best Supporting Actress (Rohrwacher); NOMINATED, Best Director, David Di Donatello Awards
WINNER, Best Actress, Moscow International Film Festival
WINNER, Premiere Prize-Special Mention (Soldini), Rome Film Fest

Elsa (Buy) and Michele (Albanese), a middle-aged couple in Genoa, face financial hardship when Michele loses his job. Their formerly well-to-do lifestyle must change, and as it does, their relationship changes as well.

Soldini, director of Agata and the Storm (2004), and Bread and Tulips (2000) presents a thought-provoking and engaging look at a relationship in crisis, this time from an economic impact that affects the couple’s individual identities as well.

115 min. Unrated. Adult themes.

 

Ariel-Movie Review 04/28/2013

Posted by Films to consider in Dark Comedy, Finnish language film, Light Drama, Moscow International Film Festival, Movies, National Society of Film Critics Awards, Romance, Swedish language film.
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ARIEL (Finnish) 1988
Written and directed by Aki Kaurismaki
Starring Turo Pajala and Susanna Haavisto

WINNER, Bronze St. George-Best Actor (Pajala); FIPRESCI Prize (Kaurismaki); NOMINATED Golden St. George (Kaurismaki), Moscow International Film Festival
WINNER, NFSC Award-Best Foreign Language Film, National Society of Film Critics Awards, USA

After the mine he was working in closes down and his father commits suicide, Taisto (Pajala) gets thrown in jail for a crime he didn’t commit. He escapes and leaves town, hoping to find a new life in a big southern city. Almost immediately he meets Irmeli (Haavisto); they strike up a very low-key romance, but soon Taisto gets caught up in trouble.

Dry and quirky humor. Not a big award winner, this short (only 73 min.) film definitely has the 80s look about it. It’s the second part of Kaurismäki’s Proletariat Trilogy, which also includes Shadows in Paradise and The Match Factory Girl.

73 min.

On IMDB:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094675/

Elena-Movie Review 04/20/2013

Posted by Films to consider in Cannes Film Festival, Drama, European Film Awards, Ghent International Film Festival, Moscow International Film Festival, Movies, Psychological Suspense, Russian language film, Suspense, Thriller.
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ELENA (Russian) 2011

Directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev
Starring Nadezhda Markina, Andrey Smirnov, and Elena Lyadova

Among other awards and nominations:
WINNER, Un Certain Regard-Special Jury Prize; NOMINATED, Un Certain Regard Award (both Zvyagintsev), Cannes Film Festival
NOMINATED, Best Actress (Markina), European Film Awards
WINNER, Grand Prix-Best Film, Ghent International Film Festival
WINNER, Russian Film Clubs Federation Award (Zvyagintsev), Moscow International Film Festival

Elena (Markina), a middle-aged woman, marries for a second time, and her husband Vladimir (Smirnov) turns out to be a domineering man who is wealthy but tight-fisted. Even after Vladimir has a heart attack and comes close to death, he refuses to help Elena’s son financially.

The director makes good use of striking images and outstandingly suspenseful music (Philip Glass). The film is labelled a thriller on the DVD case, but I’d consider it more of a psychological suspense.

109 min. Not rated. Adult themes.

Nora’s Will-Movie Review 09/16/2012

Posted by Films to consider in Argentinian Film Critics Association Awards, Ariel Awards, Biarritz International Festival of Latin Cinema, Dark Comedy, Light Drama, Mariana Chenillo, Mexican/Spanish language film, Miami Film Festival, Moscow International Film Festival, Movies.
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Nora’s Will (Mexican/Spanish) 2008
Cinco dias sin Nora

Directed by Mariana Chenillo
Starring Fernando Luján, Ari Brickman, Silvia Mariscal, and Angelina Peláez

Among other awards and nominations:
NOMINATED, Silver Condor-Best Foreign Film, Spanish language, Argentinian Film Critics Association Awards
WINNER, Golden Ariel (Chenillo); Silver Ariel-Best Actor (Luján); Best Screenplay; Best Supporting Actress (Peláez), Ariel Awards, Mexico
WINNER, AFCAE Award-Best Film (Chenillo), Biarritz International Festival of Latin Cinema
WINNER, Audience Award, Miami Film Festival
WINNER, Silver St. George-Best Director; NOMINATED, Golden St. George (Chenillo), Moscow International Film Festival

An entertaining family drama/comedy with slightly dark elements, as the story is set around the suicide and subsequent burial of Nora (Mariscal), ex-wife of the irreverent Jose (Luján).

Nora has controlled her Jewish family’s life for many years, through her ongoing mental illness and several failed suicide attempts. Now, her successful attempt leaves behind a religious dilemma surrounding her burial that her ex-husband and family must resolve.

92 min. Not rated.