Is it just me…

or are you also going insane waiting for these films to finally come to the big screen:

1. Alice in Wonderland

2. Nine

3. The Lovely Bones

Unfortunately, they keep taking the trailer out of YouTube.. So, if this one doesn’t work, try going to the Apple Trailers website and seeing it from there. I’m not too happy about Mark Wahlberg playing the dad here, but nothing is ever perfect (aside the casting for Nine, ha!). And I think Peter Jackson should have mentioned Saoirse Ronan along with the the “main names”. She *was* nominated for an Oscar for her work in Atonement… Oh well, it looks amazing! I hope I can read the book before the movie comes out.

. An Education

I really really love Peter Sasgaard. And there’s also Alfred Molina, Emma Thompson and the new comer Carrey Mulligan. And screenplay by Nick Hornby! Should be interesting to say the least. The trailer follows:

. The Invention of Lying

Ricky Gervais is hilarious! I would probably watch anything with him in it, so here’s the trailer for his new comedy.

***

And there are many more, but I guess this should be enough for today’s expectations. ;)

Good Dick (2008)

“If I wanted to have sex I’d go out and find someone who was actually sexy”.

- Woman.

Good Dick (2008) - ★★★★

Right now I’m going through my indie-film-mode of the year. At the beginning of 2009 I was obsessed with French cinema, which I intend to go back to shortly, but at the present moment I have the indie fase going on. I came to know this title through Sundance Film Festival. Not that I ever attended, since I live far far away (snif), but IMDB is kind enough to provide anyone with all the details for movies such as this.

Written and directed by Marianna Palka, who also stars in the film and the complicated woman, who never leaves her apartment, except to rent porn movies. And that’s how she meets Jason Ritter’s character (also nameless) who works there as a clerk. Right after their first encounter, quite an embarrassing one if I might say, the guy’s curiosity is sparkled and after looking for her address on the store’s database, he goes to her building pretending to have an aunt living there, and tries to ask her out for a coffee or something. Of course it doesn’t work at first, but with his persistence he starts visiting more often and eventually developing an weird relationship. If you could call it that.

The actors have amazing chemistry, maybe because they’ve been dating in real life for more than 9 years, but I think is more than that. They are both in tune with their characters feelings and reasons for acting as they do. It’s all very romantic, in an unconventional way. Ritter’s character is a one in a million kinda guy that actually does exist, and is looking for someone as out of this world as he, besides the fact that he seems to genuinely want to help this girl find joy and love in life.

It was a great surprise. Watch it if you can. The dvd will be out on September 1st!

Good Dick Trailer

What I’ve been watching this month…

Downloading Nancy (2008) - ★★

I’m sorry to say I expected more from this movie, but the problem is that I don’t know if I can blame the film. You see, it’s based on a real story and the thing with real life is that sometimes it’s incredibly dark and depressing, with no way out, no falling back in love, no wanting to get out of your dark place, and just being empty and tired of what’s going on in the world around you. And I guess that was my biggest problem with the movie. I wanted strong emotions and reactions in a way totally different. Maria Bello is wonderful, as always.

Downloading Nancy Trailer

**

Snow Angels (2007) - ★★

Another movie I had high expectations on, mainly because of the cast, which is not even that great, but I don’t know… I think Sam Rockwell is one incredible actor, and I also like Kate Beckinsale, and think she can deliver some good performances when she’s not anywhere near Ben Affleck. Ha! I wish the story would have payed more attention to Michael Angarano’s character, and his relationship with a new student, played by Juno’s Olivia Thirlby.

Snow Angels Trailer

**

Speak (2004) - ★★★

This is one movie that exceeded my expectations! Finally! I started watching once on the Tv and thought it would be another teen movie about a girl that used to be a slut, got raped in a party and then went through a transformation. But it’s much more than that. And I became aware of it, after reading the reviews on the ominous book by Laurie Halse Anderson.

Starring a young Kristen Stewart, now famous for the (terrible) Twilight series, she gives the character the depth needed to make you believe she’s a normal teenager suffering much more than the trauma itself. Along Kristen there’s an excellent supporting cast, including Elizabeth Perkins (wonderful as usual) as the mother, and Michael Angarano (again!) as a possible friend and inspiration for Stewart’s character.

Speak Trailer

Intimacy (2001)

“You know when you’re with someone there’s only a very short time when you can really give each other things for free… with neither of you having to ask. Because later on all you do is make demands of each other. Perhaps the only difference between her and all the rest is that she’s asking you for nothing”.

- Ian.

Intimacy (2001) – ★★★★

I’ve had this movie with me for such a long time but I never really took the time to watch it. So this week, which is probably my last one on “semi-vacation”, I decided to watch this Golden Berlin Bear – and Silver Berlin Bear – winner. I’m happy and relieved to say I didn’t waste my time, and I also felt like I gained something out of watching this movie. I don’t know exactly what, but perhaps in time of loneliness it makes sense to see how intimate one can be to a stranger who demands nothing of one’s self.

The acting is also precious, mainly concerning the two main characters, played by Mark Rylance and Kerry Fox. I found the supporting cast to be okay, only, but the main couple is simply formidable. They’re both so handsome and interesting in their own way that is disconcerting. The chemistry is there. And it had to be, otherwise it wouldn’t work, considering how much the movie supports itself on their sex interaction. Not that it has a relevance in the film’s merit, but as a curiosity, this was the first mainstream English language film, with unsimulated sex scenes, to be passed uncut in Great Britain. Good for them! It would be a shame to have this picture censored.

The plot revolves around their anonymous encounters every Wednesday. Jay is an unsuccessful musician who gave up his career and started managing bar tending. He also left his wife and two kids and now has a lonely existence, which he only shares with an old friend, the new bartender, and Claire, his anonymous affair. Things begin to change when Jay starts having interest in Claire’s life outside his apartment.

I really enjoyed watching it. A friend of mine commented on how Patrice Chéreau (the director) had better movies, but since I haven’t watched any of his other work, I’ll just recommend this one for now.

Cheers!

Je vais bien, ne t’en fais pas (2006)

Ja vais bien, ne t’en fais pas (2006) - ★★★★

I first started watching this movie about two years ago, after meeting my first real French friend. When I was about thirty minutes through the title I started feeling really bad, like I could be physically ill or something. So I stopped and never went back. That was until yesterday.

I probably wouldn’t have finished watching this movie if it wasn’t for the same friend that came to Brazil last Carnaval (February) and brought me the original French Dvd. So, yesterday I went home feeling a little bit lousy and couldn’t concentrate on another French movie I was trying to watch without subtitles – and I wonder why I couldn’t concentrate, or understand, for that matter – and decided to pick Je vais bien… from the shelf again. And that did it! I could concentrate, forget about *my* life, be transported to this other “universe”, be that little fly on the wall again. I didn’t feel sick this time at all, and the most important thing: I could finally appreciate the film, which is quite beautiful and sincere.

It tells the story of Lili, a 19-year-old student that comes back from a holiday in Spain to find that her twin brother has packed his things and left home after an argument with his dad. Lili, who is very close to her brother, can’t deal with the distance and starts having problems dealing with her brother’s absence. Here’s the part that left me physically ill and I stopped. I don’t really know why, but I have my guesses, and they are personal. So, let’s stop here and say that the movie will focus on Lili’s problems with her family, her pain, and her search for her brother Loïc. Saying any more than that would be to give spoilers away, and I’m not into spoilers warnings lately.

The movie is a rollercoster of intense sincere feelings between family members and friends. The hardness of missing someone that is very deeply loved, and our inability to protect the ones we love, for no one can predict or control de future. Mostly it is about having the courage and the strengh to move on with our lives, no matter how broken we are, we need to keep on living. It’s important to never give up. To gather strengh where you can, and keep on living. This is what the movie was about, for me. And I’m grateful for it, for its lesson. I’m glad I finally watched the whole thing, it was certainly worth it.

Je vais bien, ne t’en fais pas Trailer

Another winner? Maybe?

I never thought I’d say this, but after watching and loving Lars and the Real Girl (2007), I feel like this is just my type of movie. My “romantical comedy”, or a Julia Robert’s kind of movie (which I normally thinks it sucks). So, here I am, assuming I’m a big mushball over films with nutsos such as Adam (2009):

Adam (2009) Trailer

Palme D’or

Ok, Cannes Film Festival is coming. Which means some of the best films by the best directors are ready to come out and shock us. I love the fun of the Oscars, but here’s where the really good stuff usually is.

To prove my point, here are some of the films running for the biggest award of the ceremony:

Lars Von Trier’s Antichrist (2009)

Pedro Almodóvar’s Broken Embraces (Los abrazos rotos, 2009)

Ang Lee’s Taking Woodstock (2009)

Ken Loach’s Looking for Eric (2009)

Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds (2009)

And these are only the trailers available online! There are other “big names” in the run here, such as: Michael Haneke, Gaspar Noé, Jane Campion, Park Chan-wook, and Alan Resnais. To name a few.

So, I’ll be waiting (not so) patiently for these movies. Hopefully some of them will come to Rio’s Film Festival by September. But you never know…

Simonal – No one knows how hard it was (Simonal – Ninguém sabe o duro que dei, 2008)

This is the movie that has been keeping me away from my personal blog. Okay, not the exact truth, but very close since I’ve been working very hard on its release, dated for May 15th (Brazil). I’ve had the opportunity to watch the whole thing at least three times, so I believe I can give my sincere thoughts on the matter.

Simonal – No one knows how hard it was (Simonal – Ninguém sabe o duro que dei, 2008) – ★★★★

When I was hired I didn’t even know who Wilson Simonal was. Imagine that! Ok, if you’re not Brazilian you may be excused (a little), but otherwise it’s like not knowing who James Brown was, or something like that.

Simonal was one of Brazil’s greatest artists in the throughout the 60’s and the 70’s when his career suffered severe accusations that would erase him from our country’s musical history, which is a shame, no matter what the guy did. And yes, he was human, and he made a big mistake which should have earned its proper punishment. But instead he was charged of something much bigger and paid a sentence that led him to his death.

That’s the movie biggest triumph: to show that Simonal wasn’t a god, that yes, he could be arrogant, and make wrong decisions that should cost him. And at the same time, it has the good sense in arguing his sentence as something too harsh, and for the wrong reasons.

I do recommend the film to anyone who likes docummentaries, specially the ones that involve lots of music and popular culture. Here in Brazil the movie opens on May 15th. So if you have a chance to see it, don’t waste it. It’s really worth it.

Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008)

“I’m a guy. You give me a two popsicle sticks and a rubber band and I’ll find a way to fuck it like a filthy MacGyver!”

- Zack Brown

Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008) - ★★

Until I watched this movie I had in mind that Kevin Smith would never desapoint me. Oh well, I was wrong. Although some of his original sense of humor is still present in this film, it has no depth, no bigger picture, you know? Feels silly, in a way that’s not funny but dull. Even Seth Rogan can’t save this film and, to me, Seth Rogan can save almost anything just by showing his face!

I could spend more time doing this review, but I actually can’t think of anything to comment. The movie was so “bla”, so forgettable, that I really have other movies to write about.

You want some Kevin Smith stuff? Go watch Chasing Amy (1997), Clerks (1994) or Mallrats (1995). Those are good examples of what he does best!

Preview of Antichrist (2009)

A friend of my told me about this picture, this preview into Lars Von Trier’s new movie – Antichrist, featuring Charlotte Gainsbourg (yay!) and Williem Dafoe.

I don’t know about you but it looks pretty sweeeet (Cartman’s voice) to me. I’m a big fan of the director and both actors, so I have very high expectations on this supposed thriller about a couple who leave to a cabin in the woods to grief over their son’s death.

The release date is set to May 29 in Denmark. Which means I have no idea when I’ll be able to actually watch this. But I’m crossing my fingers, hoping it won’t take long!