Menelaos

This film is based on Andre Dubus III'S acclaimed novel "House of Sand and Fog". Dubus created a story of immense power about cultures and the gap between them, about human pain, about hope and ultimately about humanity and sometimes its tragic loss. Colonel Behrani (Sir Ben Kingsley) and his family, buy a house on the fictional area Pacific County, intending to ameliorate their lifestyle, as they have been banished from their home country, Iran. However, the previous owner of the house, a depressed young woman and recovering alcoholic, Kathy Lazaro (Jennifer Connelly), turns up and reclaims her property, which was taken from her because of a bureaucratic error. And when Kathy's boyfriend, Officer Lester Burdon (very effectively performed by Ron Eldard), a racist obsessed with the concept of justice decides to help her, all hell breaks loose. I cannot speak of the plot any further without spoiling it, so I will stop here. How can one tell a story and be more than a mere narrator? How can a book be adapted to film, without merely repeating what the book itself says? Not only does newcomer director Vadim Perelman answer this question, he gives us one of the best films of the past decade. Perelman doesn't waste a single detail. Everything is brought together to create an astonishing emotional impact. Like great directors such as Tarkovsky have done, Perelman approaches his every character and pierces through her/his soul. Every scene takes you deeper and deeper into the soul of the characters, without ever being slow moving or over descriptive. As for the performances, what can I say? Rarely if ever has a single performance moved me as much as Kingsley's. This gigantic actor delivers one of his best performances to date, he has immaculate control over every single aspect of his character, physically and emotionally. Connelly, one of the most talented actresses working today, is also breathtaking, creating a performance that is a quiet outburst of pain and regret. Shoreh Aghdashloo, portraying the most tragic character of the film (at least this is my view of her character), is heartbreaking. This is acting in its supreme form, I really don't think it gets better. She truly deserved an Oscar for this. Young Jonathan Ahdout is also excellent, we will definitely be seeing more of him in the future. However, I must warn you: If you are going to see this movie, prepare for an emotional breakdown. It is really one of the most devastating films of the past years and if you'd rather see a pleasant film, this isn't for you.

Most of you are familiar with this movie's plotline: In the 50s, in an uptight college for gifted young women, art professor Katherine Watson is trying to awaken her students to the fact that they have equal rights with men and that there are many roles for them to play, apart from that of the wife. First of all, this film features some of the most promising ladies in film today together, including Maggie Gyllenhal, Kirsten Dunst, Julia Stiles and more.

The problem with Mona Lisa Smile is that it tries to be too many things simultaneously: It tries to be a drama about a certain time, and a film about society, and then it tries to be an exploration of female nature and a romantic comedy as well. So, when that last element kicks in, the film just becomes loaded, and loses its point, but thankfully not for long. What I really enjoyed about this film is that the director has taken exquisite care of the details (even though sometimes there were small mistakes concerning the time period), in order to depict the characters' mood and the situation they're in, especially during the slideshow scenes. The surroundings are used ingeniously as well. The music is good, and the film features a cameo appearance of my favorite artist, Tori Amos. Now, let's get to the performances:Julia Roberts has demonstrated her excellent acting abilities in films like "Erin Brokovich", though I can't say I'm a fan of many films she has starred in, or romantic comedies in general. In this film, she does her best and gives a very convincing and powerful performance as Katherine. Kirsten Dunst's performance is very good, in terms of how the talented actress manages to portray her character's change throughout the film. Julia Stiles and Ginifer Goodwin are also very good. However, the one that gives us a performance to remember is Maggie Gyllenhal. Starring as the destructive, liberal and artistic Gisele, Gyllenhal is simply stunning, proving us why everyone is talking about her. The other performance that steals the show is that of Marcia Gay Harden as a repressed and depressed woman, Katherine's roommate. In general, it is an interesting film which I greatly enjoyed, but it was completely different from what I'd expected. Overall Mark: 7/10