After the Wedding-Movie Review *** 08/01/2013
Posted by dbinder in Academy Awards, Bodil Awards, Danish language film, Drama, Emotional Drama, European Film Awards, Highly recommended, Palm Springs International Film Festival, Rouen Nordic Film Festival.Tags: european film awards, oscars, palm springs international film festival
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After the Wedding (Danish) 2006 ***
Efter brylluppet
Directed by Susanne Bier
Starring Mads Mikkelsen, Rolf Lassgård, Sidse Babett Knudsen, and Stine Fischer Christensen
Among other awards and nominations:
NOMINATED, Best Foreign Language Film, Academy Awards
WINNER, Best Supporting Actress (Christensen); NOMINATED, Best Actor (Lassgård); Best Actress (Knudsen); Best Film (Bier), Bodil Awards
NOMINATED, Best Actor (Mikkelsen); Best Director (Bier), European Film Awards
WINNER, FIPRESCI Prize-Best Actor (Mikkelsen), Palm Springs International Film Festival
WINNER, Best Actress (Knudsen), Rouen Nordic Film Festival
Jacob (Mikkelsen) has dedicated his life to working in a Bombay orphanage. In order to secure funding from wealthy businessman Jorgen (Lassgård), Jacob is summoned back to Denmark. There, at the mercy of the manipulative Jorgen, Jacob is forced to confront his complicated and dissolute past.
Mikkelsen will likely be a familiar face, as he has appeared in movies such as Casino Royale and more recently A Royal Affair. He starred as Ivan in the 2005 crime comedy, Adam’s Apples (see my review of that film).
Highly recommended.
120 min. Rated R.
A Separation-Movie Review *** 04/11/2013
Posted by Films to consider in Academy Awards, Asian Film Awards, César Awards, Drama, Emotional Drama, Fajr Film Festival, Golden Globes, Iranian language film, Movies, New York Film Critics Circle Awards, Pula Film Festival.Tags: best foreign film, new york film critics circle awards, oscars
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A SEPARATION (Iranian) 2011 ***
Jodaeiye Nader az Simin
Directed by Asghar Farhadi
Starring Peyman Moadi, Leila Hatami, and Sarina Farhadi
Among many other awards and nominations, here are a few:
WINNER, Best Foreign Language Film; NOMINATED, Best Original Screenplay, Academy Awards
WINNER, Best Director; Best Editor; Best Film; Best Screenwriter; NOMINATED, Best Actress (Hatami), Asian Film Awards
WINNER, Best Foreign Film (Farhadi), César Awards
WINNER, Audience Award-Best Film; Crystal Simorgh-Best Cinematography; Best Director; Best Screenplay, Fajr Film Festival
WINNER, Best Foreign Language Film, Golden Globes
WINNER, Best Foreign Language Film, New York Film Critics Circle Awards
WINNER, Golden Arena-International Competition (Best Film), Pula Film Festival
Nadir (Moadi) and Simin (Hatami) are a couple facing separation and possible divorce when the wife wants to leave the country to provide a better life for their teenage daughter Termeh (Farhadi). After Simin moves back into her parents’ house, Nadir, who has been caring for his ailing father, gets embroiled in a possible murder charge when the housekeeper he hires suffers a miscarriage.
Very compelling performances by all parties, with the lack of a soundtrack contributing to the authenticity of the emotions portrayed.
The film was a big award winner in many international competitions (above are just a few examples). In the interview with the director, Farhadi provides insights about the culture behind the dilemma faced by the participants. Also, the girl who plays Termeh (Sarina Farhadi) is the director’s daughter and has appeared in some of his previous films.
Highly recommended.
123 min. Rated PG-13.
Il Divo-Movie Review 12/16/2012
Posted by Films to consider in Academy Awards, Based on true events, British Independent Film Awards, Cannes Film Festival, David di Donatello Awards, European Film Awards, Golden Globes, Italian language film, Italy, Movies, Paolo Sorrentino.Tags: cannes film festival, european film awards, oscars
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Il Divo (Italian) 2008
Il Divo: La spettacolare vita di Giulio Andreotti
Based on true events
Written and directed by Paolo Sorrentino
Starring Toni Servillo, Anna Bonaiuto, and Giulio Bosetti
Among other awards and nominations:
NOMINATED, Best Achievement in Makeup, Academy Awards
NOMINATED, Best Foreign Film, British Independent Film Awards
WINNER, Jury Prize (Sorrentino), NOMINATED, Palme D’Or (Sorrentino), Cannes Film Festival
WINNER, David Award, Best Actor (Servillo); Best Cinematography; and five other awards; NOMINATED, Best Director; Best Film; Best Screenplay; and five others, David di Donatello Awards
WINNER, Best Actor (Servillo); NOMINATED, Best Cinematographer; Best Director; Best Film; Best Screenwriter, European Film Awards
WINNER, Best Screenplay; NOMINATED, Best Director, Golden Globes, Italy
Please note that this is not a music DVD!
Among other government posts, Giulio Andreotti (Servillo) served as Prime Minister of Italy for several terms during the 1970s and early 90s. Il Divo (the star) was one of the many nicknames associated with him.
Via a compelling performance by actor Toni Servillo, director Sorrentino delivers a sense of the personality behind the man, keeping the controversies that surrounded him as a series of montages in the background.
In 2003, Andreotti was in the news when he was cleared of a murder charge.
110 min. Not rated. Violence.
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