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American Women's Club of Hamburg  Film Reviews -- July 2007Reviews by members of the AWC Film Group of films slated to open in Hamburg in July 2007.
(Becky T) Opening July 5, 2007 This slow southern film made in Tennessee, USA, combines sex, religion, and music. Lazarus (Samuel L. Jackson) loses his wife after 12 years of marriage to no one other than his own brother. After a short fit of anger, he retires to his simple house in the country to tend to his crops, where he finds a half-dead, half-naked girl. She is Rae (Christina Ricci), the local white trash tramp, on the prowl for men since her boyfriend left for the army. He takes her into his house, treats her wounds and finally chains her to the radiator to prevent a return to her previous lifestyle. Lazarus doesn’t have this Biblical name for nothing. He calls on the Lord for strength and says, “God seen fit to put you in my path.” He engages his local friend and pastor to “break the hold the devil got on you.” Gradually she faces her demons, which reach back to childhood abuse and a non-supportive mother. In the end she marries boyfriend Ronnie (Justin Timberlake), and they drive off into the sunset to an uncertain future, as both of them will probably never be stable enough to survive without help. This film by director/writer Craig Brewer continues his Hustle & Flow preoccupation with the American south and the relationship between unlike personalities, in this case one black and fervently religious and the other white and self-destructively out of control. There are 27 songs, mostly blues, some sung by Jackson, Ricci and S. Epatha Merkerson (who plays Lazarus’ new girlfriend Miss Angie). I thought the film was too long and repetitious, but one real highlight is the metamorphosis of Christine Ricci from plump brunette (Ice Storm, 1997; Buffalo 66, 1998) to a very svelte, skinny blond in this film. Black Snake Moan was one of the song titles, but I still don’t know what it actually means.
(Becky T) Opening July 5, 2007 Sharon Waxman wrote (NY Times, April 26, 2007) that Hollywood is no longer making movies for women forty years and older. Forget Hollywood! From Sweden comes a wonderful film which should delight women of all ages. Elizabeth (Helena Bergström) is a divorced gynacologist; Gudrun (Maria Lundqvist) a traffic warden. After three chance encounters, they become friends. Encounter one: Gudrun writes Elizabeth a parking ticket, which results in a huge argument. Encounter two: Gudrun goes to a gynacologist at her daughter’s urging. The doctor is none other than Elizabeth. Encounter three: Elizabeth decides to have fun in a disco (in the Heartbreak Hotel of course) after her divorce. She spies Gudrun sitting morosely on a bar stool where she is having no fun at all, but again she is there at her daughter’s urging. Both are single, over forty, and “tenil” (senile teenagers, according to Elizabeth’s son). Their friendship grows, at first unevenly with Elizabeth the driving power. Soon Gudrun catches up and arranges blind dates for them with motorcyclists; here Gudrun is the strong one and Elizabeth falls apart with a vengeance (my favorite scene). I enjoyed this film immensely; I recognized myself and my friends. It’s hard to imagine that a man could be behind it, but director Colin Nutley is a man, albeit smart enough to encourage input from Berström (his wife and actress in eleven of his films), as well as from Lundqvist, one of Sweden’s top actresses. There are many scenes which could stand alone as skits, and they are deftly put together to flow smoothly (editor: Perry Schaffer). The music is boppy with three songs from Sweden’s top singer, Jill Johnson, who plays a small role; there are no dull moments. My only reservation is that Elizabeth and Gudrun were out to have fun, but why did they want to date after disappointing experiences with their husbands? Maybe men, even weak ones, are necessary after all. This humorous film was a big hit at the 2006 Filmfest Hamburg, where it won an audience prize over six other European films. (Becky T) Opening July 12, 2007 Twelve years after the successful film Clerks, writer-director-actor Kevin Smith comes back with a sequel, which is always a courageous move unless it’s The Godfather. Here, the old Quickstop general store has closed due to a ferocious fire. Dante (Brian O’Halloran) and Randall (Jeff Anderson) take up employment in the local Mooby’s, which is a knock off of a MacDonald’s fast-food restaurant. They go through all the paces familiar from Clerks. Silent Bob (Smith) and Jay (Jason Mewes) take up position outside. Randall gives running commentary on drugs, the Bible, the handicapped, The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, sex, racism, and Helen Keller whom he calls Anne Frank or vice versa. All this while insulting the clientele, complaining “This job sucks,” and micro-managing the lives of his friends. Dante still doesn’t understand women. He paints Becky’s (Rosario Dawson) toe nails, but plans to marry someone else. “Paint” was a running joke in the original. In an interview Kevin Smith (Mallrats, Chasing Amy) said that he had no plans to make another low budget New Jersey film, but after experiencing “high budget” with all the trappings and excessive expectations and controls of Hollywood, e.g., Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez in Jersey Girl, he yearned for the good old days. The sequel is in bright orange, green, purple and red (vs. black and white in the original). The old gang has returned to do homage to their director Kevin Smith, but we can’t ignore that they are all thirteen years older. Jason Mewes’ participation was questionable as he had sunk to drugs, rehab, and clashes with the law. Clerks fans will be happy that the show does go on – with a vengeance, such as a pornographic performance of a man and a large animal. However, to me, adolescent 20-year-old guys without ambition might have been funny in 1995. Now they are 32 and still hopeless, which is no longer amusing. I have several similar relatives on both sides of the family. They would feel validated by Clerks II, but the rest of us find them needy and pitiful. Get a life.
(Kara W) Opening July 12, 2007 In the fifth installment of the Harry Potter series, Harry is thrown into a world of secrecy, confusion, and suspicion after the death of Cedric Diggory. Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) finds himself suddenly defending himself against random attacks from Dementors and running a high risk of expulsion from Hogwarts. After saving not only his life, but the life of his cousin Dudley as well, Harry receives word from the Ministry of Magic that he will await great consequences for the use of magic from an under-age wizard in front of a Muggle. Later that same night, he is rescued by a familiar face, Mad-Eye Moody (Brendan Gleeson), and brought to the secret headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, where there are more familiar characters such as his godfather, Sirius Black (Gary Oldman), Hermione (Emma Watson), Ron (Rupert Grint), and the rest of the Weasley clan. These are dark times in the world of magic as it is Harry’s word against the Ministry of Magic about the return of Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes). All is not well with Harry as he realizes that Dumbledore is avoiding him, his classmates are suspicious of his every move, and as he continues having disturbing dreams that lead him to believe he is connected to Lord Voldemort’s mind. As it has been with every other school year, Hogwarts has a new addition to fill the position of teacher for the Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton), a Ministry of Magic official, makes a colorful addition (as she only wears pink from head to toe) to the teaching staff. Always sunshine and happiness, this Donna Reed-like woman with a high taste for sadism and makes it apparent that any false moves within Hogwarts will allow the Ministry of Magic to take over the school and push Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) out the door. Storms are brewing as the school year continues. Harry and the other children must learn to protect themselves against an evil they are unsure exists. Director David Yates has no problem whatsoever keeping up with the pace that author J.K. Rowling sets in her book series. Through fantastic special effects, exquisite acting, and a leave-you-on-the-edge-of-your-seat plot, he manages to bring life to the book on the big screen, adding a new flavor to the already so well-written and beloved characters. New, sure-to-be-unforgettable characters are the flighty, eccentric Luna Lovegood (Evanna Lynch) and Hagrid’s half-brother Grawp (Tony Maudsley). The most action-packed Harry Potter film yet, this literally makes the magic tangible as fast-paced fight scenes are performed right before you. The actors manage to portray the complications associated with teenagers while making their experiences as wizards and witches all the more understandable and unique. Though some scenes might not be suitable for younger children, this film is a must-see for families or even for die hard adult Harry Potter fans. The cast and crew have made a true winner with this newest addition, and the moviegoer is guaranteed to be impatient to see what happens next.
(Shelly S) Opening July 12, 2007 Opening with a bad B-movie about a monstrous wonder which the public hated, the film then cuts to Director Bruno (Silvio Orlando), who explains that his film was a hit in Poland. He tells why he hasn’t made any recent movies, and adds that he will do so soon, one about Christopher Columbus. As he leaves, a young woman, Teresa (Jasmine Trinca), hands him a script and begs him to read it. With one leap from the frying pan into the fire, Bruno faces trouble on all fronts: his long-term employees quit, the bank wants to close his business down and his wife demands a separation. Only his kids are loyal, as he soon finds himself displaced and forced to live in his office. Bruno begins to read the script from Theresa, which is a political thriller. He is convinced this is a film that needs to be made, and the timing is perfect. The film is about Berlusconi and his media empire along with his political career, a subject that most of the Italians are afraid to touch. But Bruno must really go out on a limb for this film since literally no one wants to be the main actor. It also looks at how Italians face their problems and how difficult it is for them to directly deal with those problems. The movie has its ups and downs but uses humor as a vehicle for political self criticism. This film by director Nanni Moretti was in competition at the Cannes film festival this year.
(Becky T) Opening July 12, 2007 In World War I, a 30,000-man Japanese army invaded a German army base in Qingdao, China. They won the battle and captured 4700 German soldiers. This posed an unforeseen dilemma. Any self-respecting Japanese warrior would have committee harakiri before giving himself up, thus eliminating the need for a prisoner-of-war camp. The Germans were not so forthcoming and remained alive. They suffered terribly until someone took pity on their plight and, in 1917, transferred them to Bando POW Camp in Naruto City, in the Tokushima area, to await the end of the war. Thanks to the camp director Toyohisa Matsue (Ken Matsudaira), they interacted with the locals, started small businesses, a newspaper and an orchestra, wrote letters and met their wives. Many learned Japanese. In November 1918 the war ended, the treaty was signed June 28, 1919, and Emperor Wihelm II abdicated. This so depressed the imprisoned German leader, Major General Heinrich (Bruno Ganz) that he attempted suicide. He was rescued and encouraged to set an example for the demoralized spirits of his men. Before their return to Germany, the soldiers organized a huge party for the villagers. The highlight is a performance of Ode to Joy from Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, supposedly the first time this work was ever performed in Japan. Since then it has become the most-liked piece of music in that country. This film is kitschy and full of clichés (one soldier refuses to shoot because he has a Japanese wife and child; one Japanese servant refuses to accept his boss’ leniency towards the enemy since his own son had fallen in the war), and I sobbed through most of it. The press conference following the film (which was to kick off a five-day Japanese film festival in Hamburg) shed light and understanding, and I soon realized that this is a Japanese film for Japanese viewers, made according to Japanese standards. Kitsch – think Hello Kitty – is an ingrained part of the society. From this point of view, it is not important that the Germans spoke a stilted 1950s film German. It is logical that Commander Matsue’s goodness comes from a deprived childhood, when he was also as a displaced person, or that they go singing into the woods to cut trees like so many dwarves from Snow White. The ending shows thousands of Japanese chorus members singing Ode to Joy. At the Hamburg press conference, producer Usuke Okada said that the film earned ten million euro in Japan. (His comments were simultaneously translated into German by a beautiful, charismatic young Eurasian man; why not put him in a film?). Also present at the press conference were Riko Takashima (very beautiful in a kimono), Oliver Bootz, Bruno Ganz, and Henry Arnold. Oliver Bootz plays Karl, a German soldier who repeatedly flees until Matsue puts him in charge of the camp bakery. This man, in real life, stayed in Japan and established a bakery, which grew into the successful Juchheim bakery chain in Japan, where you can “get sehr guter Baumkuchen” today. The film by Masanobu Deme is very much worth your while, especially if you are interested in Japanese cinema. It is an optimistic example of international understanding, and who could criticize that? (Jenny M) Opening July 19, 2007 Dear oh dear, how can so many talented people squander their talents in such an awful movie? Six words are all that are needed to sum it up: bad language, bad jokes, bad plot. Screenwriter Dean Craig has lots of well-to-do people meeting in one of those gorgeous English country houses that you only see in American movies. A funeral is about to take place in the house. Daniel (Matthew MacFadyen) and Robert (Rupert Graves) are mourning their father whilst feuding with each other. Daniel has promised his wife Jane (Keeley Hawes) a down payment on a flat, but he has nothing left after paying for the funeral. He asks Robert to contribute half of the cost and is dismayed to learn that his famous author brother, living the high life in N.Y.C., is broke. The behaviour of their cousins, Troy (Kris Marshall) and Martha (Daisy Donovan), provide much of the story. Their father, Victor (Peter Egan), abhors Martha’s fiancé Simon (Alan Tudyk). Simon’s strange behaviour after being given a Valium, which is actually a cocktail of hallucinatory drugs, does nothing to endear him to his future father-in-law. The bottle of Valium, the people who swallow its contents and the sinister stranger who tries to blackmail Daniel and Robert provide much of the so-called humour of the movie. The acting is wonderful and the plot has many twists and turns, but it all falls flat. Director Frank Oz doesn’t seem to realise that puerile bathroom jokes and foul language aren’t appreciated by the audiences a movie such as this usually hopes to attract.
(Rita P-S) Opening July 19, 2007 As a tribute to 1970s schlock horror movies, director Quentin Tarantino’s latest offering is not bad but the fantastic dialogue, good actors (Sydney Tamiia Poitier, Vanessa Ferlito, Tracie Thoms, Rosario Dawson, and Zoë Bell), great soundtrack and kickass driving sequences don’t justify the hype. The film is a “girls slumber party” comedy, albeit one with cars instead of sleeping bags. Specifically, Death Proof is a tale of two road trips gone wrong. Part One introduces us to hot and easy chicks tooling around Austin in a red Honda. While gearing up for a weekend at the lake, the girls dance, drink, and swap intimate details. All is well until they meet Stuntman Mike. Kurt Russell is terrific as the archetypal loner/avenging cowboy, albeit a teetotaler with a penchant for murdering women with what he calls “mom’s car”. In Part Two Mike is still doing what he likes best, but this time he gets his comeuppance. Instead of targeting a drunken posse, he zeroes in on four women from the entertainment industry, i.e. women not girls, including two fast-talking stuntwomen, a makeup artist and a model. This time the girls use their car, guns and wits to terminate Stuntman Mike. The final drive to the death was furious and fun. However, even in this comedy, there is no escape from the world we live in. The aria of dismemberment that closes the film’s first vignette calls to mind the work of suicide bombers and exploding mines we read about everyday. Can Mr. Tarantino be telling us that even in the U.S., distorted self-righteousness kills? (Jenny M) Opening July 26, 2007 You may be forgiven for thinking that after watching The Simpsons on T.V. for the last twenty years there couldn’t be anything new to say about America’s most famous dysfunctional family. Top marks, then, to Matt Groening, the creator and executive producer, for making a movie which is fresh, funny and very entertaining. From the first minute until the very end of the credits, I promise that you’ll be laughing out loud. Mr. Groening’s satire seems sharper, and his humour is darker and more risqué here than it is in the T.V. series, and this may be why the movie was given a PG-13 rating in the U.S. Arnie is in the White House (“I don’t read, I lead”), and he has unwittingly given the Environmental Protection Agency untold power. Activist Lisa, true to form, tries to get Springfield’s residents to start caring about the pollution in their town. Nobody takes the slightest notice of her campaign, least of all her father. Homer continues to use Lake Springfield as a dumping ground, and when something hops out of Lake Springfield which has a direct link to Homer, he’s bound to be in big trouble with his daughter and the E.P.A., isn’t he? And so another day in the Simpson household begins. Homer falls in love (surprisingly) and so does Lisa. Marge tries to assert her authority and impose order on chaos, and at last baby Maggie removes her comforter and says her first word, which, not surprisingly, begins with s. Bart, who continues to be that exasperating mixture of nasty little kid and little boy lost that you love to hate, is the catalyst linking everything and everyone together in the fast moving plot. Mr. Groening’s fellow producers are Oscar winner James L. Brooks, Al Jean, Mike Scully and Richard Sakai. They must have had as much fun making this movie as you’ll have watching it.
(Birgit S) Opening July 26, 2007 This ambitious movie by Marion Hänsel, who also wrote the script, should be understood as a parable of the hopelessness of a whole continent. After she read the book Chamelle by French author Marc Durin-Valois, for which he received the “Prix de la Francophonie”, Marion Hänsel was immediately taken by the story of Rahe and his family who have no access to drinking water, a fate he is sharing with millions of people who die due to limited or no access to water. “It could as well be a documentary,” she says. “I had the strong desire to show the suffering of real people behind the impersonal news bulletins. Instead of bland words that don’t touch us any longer and seem to be banal and meaningless, I would like to replace the mere abstractions with a heartfelt empathy.” For this film project she has collected EUR 3.7 million from various financial sources and sponsors, among them ZDF/arte. Rahe (Issaka Sawadogo) and his wife Mouna (Carole Kremera) live with daughter Shasha (Asma Nouman Aden) and their two sons Ako and Ravil (Said Abdallah Mohamed, Ahmed Ibrahim Mohamed) in a small village somewhere in Africa. Every year the desert is spreading further, drying out wells and forcing people to leave their homes in search of water. Rahe has no choice but to leave and take his family on an arduous track to try his luck. A journey through flat, dry land and inhospitable, stony landscape follows. Whenever they arrive at a well, whole clans with their herds are already there, pushing and fighting for a canister of water. The military are in control, ready to make a deal with anyone able to pay. It is a frustrating situation. The little family with their meagre herd of goats and one camel is driven on. But even in these barren, hostile surroundings they have to fear for their lives; trigger-happy rebels attack them. It is heartbreaking to see Rahe’s eldest son driven off by rebels in exchange for the family’s safety. Suffering from heat and exhaustion they move on, always in the hope of finding water. More hardship follows: drunken, marauding bandits block the way and senselessly shoot the youngest son. Devastated and exhausted they stumble on and on. The ending of the film does not offer a solution – only a temporary relief. Despite the touching story, I felt irritated in more than once instance by the clean and immaculate clothing draped around the characters – after marching for days in the heat – giving it a “staged” feeling, which was very distracting. I am aware of the film’s aim and the bigger issues regarding a shortage and/or squandering of water resources. Living in a cultivated area of Northern Europe, where clean water is easily available by switching on a tap, one looks on helplessly when whole villages are forced to leave their home country to become refugees because their well has dried out.
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Black Snake Moan 
Heartbreak Hotel (Schwedisch für Fortgeschrittene) 
Clerks II 
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter und der Orden des Phoenix) 
Der Italiener (Il Caimano) 
The Ode to Joy (Ode an die Freude, Baruto no gakuen) 
Sterben für Anfänger (Death at a Funeral) 
Death Proof - Todsicher 
The Simpsons Movie (Die Simpsons - Der Film) 
Sounds of Sand (Als der Wind den Sand berührte, Si le vent soulève les sables) 
Questions?