|
American Women's Club of Hamburg  Film Reviews -- December 2007Reviews by members of the AWC Film Group of films slated to open in Hamburg in December 2007.
(Karen P) Opening December 6, 2007 Through the eye of award-winning cinematographer Luc Montepellier, and with an intelligent screenplay, director Sarah Polley explores the topic of human memory in Away From Her. Polley’s narrative eloquently explores a wonderment of what memory looks like and why its loss is so important to understand. She puts a vivid face on the growing issues that surround victims of Alzheimer’s, their loved ones and the institutions that become primary caregivers. The weathered but romantic 50-year-marriage of Grant (Gordon Pinsent) and Fiona (Julie Christie) is threatened with the disease called Alzheimer’s. The portrayal of their matured love, sense of humor and tenderness becomes harder to hang onto as Fiona’s memory loss increases. The uncanny wedge in their deteriorating relationship is an increased memory of Grant’s unfaithfulness many years ago. The emotional roller coaster that Grant experiences is a hardly bearable penance. However, with the help of Marion (Olympia Dukakis) and her husband Aubrey (Michael Murphy), Grant makes a surprise discovery about the meaning of love, its non-traditional structure and the will to keep living. Already a well-known Canadian actress, Polley earns the filmmaker’s stamp of approval with her first feature, Away from Her. Polley was passionately driven to put her pen to paper for a screen write after reading Alice Munro’s short story, The Bear Came Over the Mountain. She desired to direct the film because, in her opinion, the narrative was the most beautiful love story she had ever read. Away From Her premiered at the 2006 Toronto film festival and proved to be the darling of both critics and the general public. Her first feature debut and its fame spread throughout the world including the U.S. (Sundance Film Festival) and Europe (Berlinale) in 2007.
(Natasha R) Opening December 6, 2007 Interesting about Für den unbekannten Hund are its layers of contrast which give this film its depth. Directors Dominik and Benjamin Reding used dramatic visual backdrops such as an intensely loud waterfall or a huge color-spurting fountain as a layer behind a story of a simple wandering tradesman (Lukas Steltner) who is on the run after having killed a fellow craftsman and whose running only leads him to himself. Layered upon this relatively unfamiliar theme about wandering craftsmen is a lot of in-your-face brutality including a tattoo needle continually puncturing skin, an open knife wound in the heart area, and on top of that, a weird kind of dry humor that demands laughter even during the most critical of scenes. Topped off with music from Motorhead, the Ramones, and 18th century court music, this movie packs visual and acoustic drama and will be enjoyed by those with an open mind ready to take a break from typical Hollywood overly-processed but marketable perfection.
(Osanna V) Opening December 6, 2007 Chris Weitz directs Dakota Blue Richards, Nicole Kidman, Sam Eliott and Daniel Craig, in the film based on Philip Pullman's bestseller Northern Lights, the first book in the His Dark Materials trilogy. Screenplay also by Chris Weitz. Lyra's (Richards) story takes place in a world parallel to our own; similar yet fundamentally different. Here human beings are accompanied by an outer manifestation of their soul, which takes on the appearance of an animal and is known as their “daemon”. Lyra lives at Jordan College in Oxford, where the buildings are familiar but the technology pretty much unrecognisable. Apparently an orphan, she has been put there by her enigmatic uncle, Lord Asriel (Craig), to be educated and to become a lady – both things Lyra is not very keen on. She prefers to hang out with her young friend Roger (Ben Walker) and other children she meets outside the college confines, despite the risk of being caught by the mysterious “Gobblers”, who are responsible for the disappearance of street kids. However, when the beautiful Marisa Coulter (Kidman) takes an interest in Lyra, the young girl agrees to visit her home for a while. Gradually, it becomes clear that all is not as it should be and that Mrs. Coulter harbours a dark secret. Lyra escapes and is taken under the wing of the Gyptians who have suffered the loss of many of their children to the Gobblers; and when she discovers that her friend Roger has also disappeared, she knows she has to act. Together with her daemon, Pan, her new friends and others she makes along the way, Lyra sets off for Bolvangar in the north, where the terrible secret of the disappearing children is revealed and a desperate rescue is attempted... The Golden Compass is a rather simplified version of Pullman's book, making it a film that young, fantasy-fan teenagers will probably enjoy, as long as they can accept it as an adaptation. The sets, special effects and overall look are stunning and the acting solid. (Karen P) Opening December 13, 2007 Film director James Mangold and his remake of Delmer Dave's 1957 western classic, 3:10 To Yuma, sheds fresh light on a story involving the capture of a dangerous outlaw, Ben Wade (Russell Crowe). The story of intrigue, however, is the journey of his transfer from a small Arizona county jail to the Yuma, Arizona state prison during the late 1800s, with a hired posse not fit for the job. Arizona rancher Dan Evans (Christian Bale), one of the volunteers hired by the deputy Marshall, reluctantly takes the job as a last resort to save his farm from financial debt and to purchase costly medicine needed for his youngest son. Evans’ eldest son, William (Logan Lerman), joins the posse against his father's wishes. Ironically, his presence is needed by both Evans and Wade to crystallize their own destiny. The original story by author Elmore Leonard is the backdrop for an action-packed western morality tale, aiming to fascinate more than the average western fan. Mangold’s remake, also called 3:10 to Yuma, allows the audience to empathize with the folk treading the wild western frontier and their daily choices, even at the cost of personal life, to do the right thing toward their fellow man: to uphold the law and ensure justice. Through his awe-inspiring cinematography coupled with seasoned actors, Mangold’s slow moving narrative brings to life the western frontier spirit of human bravery, often associated with the term known as the true pioneer spirit. You will thoroughly enjoy Mangold’s Wild West adventure and the attempt to meet his 3:10 train to Yuma. (Natasha R) Opening December 20, 2007 This animated Disney film is not what you think it is. Although it starts off in the kitschy faiytale land of Andalasia with its bambi-like forest and talking animals, it pulls lots of punches as it spoofs its way through every fairytale you've ever seen. Princess Giselle (Amy Adams), eager to meet her Prince, sings to a crescendo a melody which wafts its way to Prince Edward's (James Marsden) ears and draws him to her side. Love reigns and they plan to marry the next day. In order not to lose her crown to the woman her son will marry, the wicked Queen Narissa (Susan Sarandon) diverts Giselle on her way to the wedding, and, leading her to a magic wishing well, shoves her into its depths where she plunges down through the watery bowels of animated Andalasia and pops up out of a manhole smack-dab in the middle of rush-hour New York City, real world, USA. (Also known as “the world without happy endings”.) From this point on, all kinds of chaos ensues as a single and handsome divorce lawyer (Patrick Dempsey) tries to help the naïve Giselle back to her prince who has popped out of the manhole, along with other characters, in an attempt to get her back. Director Kevin Lima (The Lion King and Tarzan) cleverly and wittily takes classic scenes from all the old beloved fairytale films of our time and reworks them into an intelligent and very funny visual tale full of spoof and cliché as he unceremoniously pulls surprises at every turn, taking the audience on a mind trip through childhood fairytale memories of the past and keeps you cheering and snickering. Susan Sarandon, by the way, makes a great wicked queen. Just one last thing: as with all fairytales, Enchanted too, has its lesson to impart – remain naïve to the jadedness of the world, believe in true love, and true love will find its way to you! Enchanted is a highly amusing and entertaining film, perfect for both children and adults, and will be released as Disney's Christmas special.
(Karen E) Opening December 20, 2007 Sleuth, directed by Kenneth Branagh, is a stylized remake (or some say transformation) of a stage play by Anthony Schaffer. It is not the first time a film has been made based on Mr. Schaffer's play. Michael Caine, who stars in Mr. Branagh's adaptation also appeared in the original 1972 film of this well known play. I have never seen the stage play or the first film, so I did not have any pre-conceived notions about the film before I viewed it. The movie opens with Milo Tindle (Jude Law), a struggling hairdresser arriving at the country estate of Andrew Wyke (Caine), a successful novelist of thrillers. Milo's intention is to secure a divorce for Wyke's wife, with whom he has been having an affair. Behind the walls of Wyke's country estate we soon discover lurks a high-tech wonderland complete with surveillance cameras, sliding walls, and other hidden surprises. This serves as a wonderful setting for the bizarre mischief that takes place between the two men. Wyke will grant his wife a divorce, but only if he's certain he'll be rid of her for good, and given Tindle's profession and Wyke's spouse’s fondness for all things good and expensive, he suspects she'll come crawling back to him and his money before long. So Wyke has a proposal. He wants Tindle to "steal" some of his diamonds, unload them, and use the money to support his wife in the style that she is accustomed to. Wyke in turn gets the insurance money, and his wife will be out of his hair. But of course the plan is not as simple as it sounds, and everyone is not truly open about their real intentions. Wyke and Tindle begin to play games with each other, and we the audience are left to discover what the games are, who's playing them, and whether or not they are lethal. Harold Pinter, the renowned playwright, wrote the screenplay, and his dialogue sits well in the hands of Michael Caine and Jude Law. They make the movie worth watching with their witty, coy exchanges. Apparently, those that saw the original film are not so pleased with Mr. Branagh's attempt. However, as someone who is new to the story, I found Mr. Branagh's version quite simply fun. (Erica F Z) Opening December 27, 2007 The world of the Italian mafia in the U.S. was brought to life in the series of Godfather movies, but in this exciting thriller from director David Cronenberg the viewer gets a fascinating look at the world of Russian organized crime in London. Anna (Naomi Watts), a midwife at a London hospital, finds a Russian-language diary on the body of a young woman who dies in childbirth. The baby survives, and Anna dutifully wants to reunite it with its family. In the diary she finds a card for the Trans-Siberian restaurant, which is owned by Semyon (Armin Mueller-Stahl), who also happens to be a boss in the Russian Mafia. In attempting to get the diary translated, she goes to Semyon for help. This unknowingly puts her and her family in serious danger, as the diary contains incriminating evidence against Semyon and his volatile son, Kirill (Vincent Cassel). Semyon's and Kirill’s driver, Nikolai (Viggo Mortensen), serves as the family's enforcer, dumping dead bodies in the Thames River. His star rises within the mafia as he displays his loyalty to the family, but as he becomes involved with retrieving the diary from Anna, he inexplicably shows a more human side. He begins to assist Anna in her quest for information on the mother of the baby, leaving the viewer to wonder where his loyalties really lie. A series of plot twists keep the viewer engaged, as deceit and retribution abound and the body count increases. Who is really to be trusted? When two bad guys are fighting, which one should you root for? The film does contain some rather brutal violence, although it is not gratuitous, but nonetheless I did have to look away a few times. Many of the scenes are shot at night, in pouring rain or with damp streets, adding to the film’s dark and ominous feel. The ensemble acting is excellent, with Mortensen’s charismatic yet mysterious figure a sharp contrast to Cassel’s reckless and free-wheeling sunny-boy. Mueller-Stahl portrays a charming yet ruthless mafia boss who will stop at nothing to protect his family, although his Russian-ness seemed more generically European. Watts occasionally tends towards the whiny schoolgirl, and although Anna rides a motorcycle, her naiveté shows she is clearly in over her head. Many of the scenes achieve a powerful intimacy between the characters, with contests of wills adding suspense to the heightened drama. Not for the faint of heart, this dark film, which won the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto Film Festival, will keep you enthralled and wondering which bad guy is really bad.
(Vicki F-M) Opening December 27, 2007 I hope you had a chance to see this beautiful film over the holidays when it came out. I can imagine how wonderful a family outing could have been during holiday time for boys and girls, young and old. This feature film is a French production from Luc Jacquet, the director of The March of the Penguins,. who had the idea to make this film from his youth experiences. On the screen, you watch only one human being, a ten-year-old girl, observe and follow the fox, and, mostly you watch the magnificent nature. No silly animated creatures here, but amazing, simple nature in its workings. Not a lot of dialogue but a lot of communication. Especially nice for children, the message here is the respect for nature and to be wild. It is not often that a film comes along that is one of a kind. The Fox and the Child is one. A unique, adventurous 90-minute tour through breathtaking landscapes, witnesses the animal world as it is in nature and a gift of a film.
(Birgit S) Opening December 27, 2007 Who knows what suppressed desires and needs are hidden in another person’s heart – even in your husband’s? Marie has to find out the hard way. Marie (Nina Hoss), Thomas (Devid Striesow), and their two small children live a normal, comfortable life in a Hamburg suburb. Thomas, a musician, leaves for work every morning; Marie stays behind with the children – nothing unusual, except that Thomas leaves his home only to head for a similar house ten minutes away, where another woman awaits him. This is surely not considered normal. One morning, a silly joke of Thomas’ little daughter causes unsuspecting Marie to chase after her husband, thus discovering his secret double life. She is devastated. Within seconds her world slips from under her feet, leaving her emotionally paralysed and helpless. Why? Who is to blame? Finally, her curiosity and pride make her follow Thomas to a costume party in an old castle where he is engaged as a musician. By and by she finds out that her husband is leading a life completely foreign to her. When she confronts him, he angrily defends himself and calls her selfish. Does she know what his needs are? Did he ever want children? Their uncontrolled exchange of words is disrupted when a fire breaks up the party. A dazed Marie quietly walks away into the surrounding woods, followed by the gigolo Jonathan (Marc Hosemann). When a new morning dawns, Marie walks out of the forest having made her decision. Versatile actress Nina Hoss plays her role courageously and is sensitively guided by director Nicolette Krebitz, who also wrote the script. Other actors are Günther Maria Halmer, Monica Bleibtreu, Otto Sander, Franziska Petri and Angelika Taschen. Producer is Tom Tykwer for X Filme in cooperation with NDR.
|
||||||||||||||
Away from Her (An Ihrer Seite) 
Für den unbekannten Hund 
His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass (Der Goldene Kompass) 
3:10 to Yuma (Todeszug nach Yuma) 
Enchanted (Verwünscht) 
Sleuth (1 Mord für 2) 
Eastern Promises (Tödliche Versprechen - Eastern Promises) 
Der Fuchs und das Mädchen (The Fox and the Child, Le Renard et l’Enfant) 
The Heart is a Dark Forest (Das Herz ist ein dunkler Wald) 
Questions?