thebeachlife

I watched Pine Cone at the London Flare festival in March 2024 and this one really made my day. This film met my expectations of what a decent Indian picture is supposed to look like: sentimental, colourful, filled with some action and plot twists. Additionally, it reflects our contemporary society - and not only Indian, far from it, plus gives some food for thought. The story revolves around a young and trendy Indian filmmaker who is involved in a romantic encounter but at some point starts behaving terribly and then the narrative gradually and thoroughly explains why. It's easy to feel for the characters and understand what motivates them to behave the way they do; and at the same time we are taught to try to learn from their mistakes and avoid our own. Educational!

A masterpiece impressing by its simplicity and perfection, this film received standing ovations in festivals and when I personally think of it, there is something inside me that smiles.

Mr Hirayama is a modest and somewhat old-school Tokyo toilet cleaner, who lives a life of austerity and has a great taste in books and music. Every day of his life is pretty much the same but every day is a new challenge. Little by little, from small details we are shown about his days, we learn more about him; but apart from that we are learning to appreciate life, make choices and be responsible for them, be honest and see things the way they are. Wenders managed to make a film about cleaning toilets so pure and immaculate, which is an incredible talent. Thank you!

It is quite difficult to write about this one without spoiling so I'll choose to write generally what this film evokes rather than start with the plot. In my opinion, there are two main topics here. The first one has to do with a relationship between the young husband and wife: this one, although it is set in the future, is timeless and always relevant. The second one, however, is more ethical and has been increasingly discussed in both art and technology: to what extent can AI be used? What are the consequences? Can and should human substitutes be treated as humans? Will our general opinion about it change as AI progresses? I believe if you're interested in ruminating on those questions, it would be a good idea to watch Foe because it does give some food for thought here. Great acting and poignant music (the very talented Agnes Obel among others).

Without laying up claims to be a breakthrough in Gondry's career, Le livre des solution is a sweet parody of himself and a beautiful thank you note to those faithful people working with him all along. With him, as well as other talented geniuses who lost their mind long ago but still continue working and even, miraculously enough, succeeding in bringing their eccentric and most daft ideas to reality. There is always a lot to mock in oneself, and Gondry very well knows what and how sometimes exaggerating to a jaw-dropping level but still managing to keep it sweet, light, funny and unpredictable.

Adam (that is "a man") is somewhat stuck in his life although he lives in a beautifully designed London apartment with a view and has a job he likes. The more we get into the film the better we understand why he is stuck and where. Somewhere in the middle of the film I came to a conclusion this was a wonderful picture about healing. However, it continued and I realized that this one is only about this eternal truth that all of us, strangers, desperately need to be loved, taken care of, accepted, hugged, seen, supported since we are very little, all of it unconditionally. If those basic needs aren't met, there'll be a lot to cope with. The power of love is endless and limitless.

Amazing acting of Andrew Scott, brilliant photography, simple yet to-the-point script. Bravo!

The long-married middle aged couple Beth and Don look great together, sound supportive and caring; even their son Elliot thinks they behave like a romantic couple who have just fallen in love. Yet, they, quite unwittingly, act it all out telling each other those white lies that they like each other's gifts, each other's work, taste etc. Just not to hurt each other's feelings. Interestingly, the idea of the movie is not to reveal the truth, or, to be precise, their lies to each other and us the viewers, but to show that this is a built-in part of the culture so it just can't stop existing. At some point, the partners open up to each other and talk honestly, own up to lying, explain why and admit their feelings were hurt, and it looks as if from now on, it's only truth and nothing but truth. However, what we see next proves they don't really want to change, they'll keep lying and they'll feel hurt when they find out about a new lie. And their feelings will still not be hurt when they hear a lie. And their feelings will be terribly hurt if they hear the truth.

Gives some food for thought and offers a choice to make.

This surreal picture revolves around a freaky-looking young woman Bella, who turns out to be a child in her mother's body. We very much see the world through her eyes; and this world is hustling and bustling, it is full of sensual pleasures and temptations, people and places as well as injustice and suffering, as she discovers during her eccentric and dramatic journey. Some people on her path look and behave like they are supportive, however, most of them take advantage of her in order to achieve their own filthy ambitions. But she's far from being a victim; she's more of an explorer of the world, which makes us see it at a different angle and then reflect on the numerous symbols and metaphors used in the picture. Amazing imagery brought into cinema, brilliant acting, gorgeous costumes, outstanding music. Bravo!

Frances is a loser, sorry, a young (?) dancing apprentice who's looking for her path in life, trying to make her ends meet and look beautiful, sophisticated and fun in the eyes of others, mostly her so-called friend Sophie and also her roommates who, to say the least, do not treat her with due respect just because she lets them. Frances is also quite stupid because she wastes her money while in debt and doesn't see obvious things under her nose. But! SHE IS ADORABLE! She (or the script writer?) has a great sense of humor and is extremely spontaneous and easygoing and fun. We nothing but fall in love with her minutes into the movie. We don't want her unfortunate (poor Frances!) adventures to end. We want this very much WoodyAllen movie to continue non-stop, savor these back and white scenes changing each other and enjoying Greta Gerwig before she became this ugh ... indigestible barbie.

I didn't have a lot of expectations about this one but I somehow knew I had to watch this one while in Belgium. So it exceeded those few I had, multiple times. The main character is a woman who, like all of us, is desperate for being loved; she is broken by war and its aftermath; she makes her ends meet and takes basic care of her little boy, or does she? Then she meets François, skillfully played by Vincent Lacoste, and then this story of several generations is gradually revealed to the viewer with all its subtleties and complexities. When the film ended, it took me a while to return to the world, to those rainy streets of Brussels. The world that still chooses to be at war, and maim itself, and hurt itself.

The Stranger Things guy is good, but oh my god, Julianne Moore is incredible. The movie wouldn't be nearly as good without her.

The movie is about the two generations who for some reason (and the reason is by the way wonderfully explained in the context of the film) refuse to see each other and take any interest in what the other finds important in life. We can see why that happens, what it does to the family, how it all makes them feel and what it can result in. And it also shows it is never late to try again and see things the way your significant other looks at things, just for a moment.

Great movie and perfect music!

The extremely unhealthy and toxic yet very loving and vulnerable relationship between a 25 year-old mother and her 11 year-old daughter is shown here with such delicacy and affection that I felt so moved throughout the whole time. The mother's fear and irrational behavior are definitely detrimental for the child, and we can see it clearly in every scene. However, we feel for the mother and are invited to sympathize with her and her helplessness.

I loved the music and the use of shades and color: this added to the intimacy of this little world that was created so that these fragile women could feel safe. A very delicate but confident debut!

I've read a few rave reviews on this one but personally I found it unnecessarily long and boring. We can definitely see the film claims to be deep and serious with the characters philosophizing on life and its values. But why would it matter if all of the characters are acting in a very weird and broken way doing absolutely nothing to make their life (be it in this abandoned Anatolian village or Istanbul or elsewhere) something. The woman is definitely interested in one of the characters romantically but sleeps with his so-called friend, one of the men is betrayed by his friend and keeps pretending that nothing happened, the main character is a child abuser, who tortures people's lives and gets away with it (and at the same time keeps pondering about life, hope and hopelessness). There is no metamorphosis. Does it mean there's no hope? Is that the idea?

After watching this one, I'd probably give hypnotherapy a try:-) Only joking.

Well, this is a very clever and absolutely hilarious comedy portraying such a serious issue as child humiliation by their parent in a playful and comic manner. Not only is it super funny, but it's extremely suspenseful, the acting is brilliant, the script is genius, I really enjoyed every minute and laughed out loud.

Don't want to spoil it but bottom line: it is how different it feels to be yourself and to be someone else or someone someone else wants you to be. Best movie from Norway this year without a shadow of a doubt!

I'll start by saying that I love cinematography because this visual art can take me to worlds I have never dared to imagine myself, and this is exactly the case with this film. The plot, being totally surreal, is extremely interesting, has a lot of suspense and gives food for thought from the very start.

I'll probably skip the bit explaining what happens (presumably, a lot of other reviews contain that), and say this is a wonderful lesson on symbolism. There are symbols everywhere, even, I dare say, in places where they were not planned by the creators to be ones. We the watchers are free to interpret them, and in my view, this is the most enjoyable part. The cast is great, the script is amazing, the photography superb. And the message of it: personally, I saw it as a film about love. That comes when you least expect. That lasts. That sometimes demands sacrifice. That can be stronger than many other things we know.

Without a shadow of a doubt I am saying this is the best movie I've seen in 2023 and I've seen a lot. Also, this is the first one on restorative justice (a program that bonds criminals and victims in order for criminals to become aware of the harm they inflicted, feel remorse and change), and it was a real eye-opener. It both opened my eyes to see the fruit of this hard work done by amazing people, a lot of them being volunteers, who believe in this system; and made these eyes cry. It takes a lot of courage and perseverance to keep going and do this work that might seem totally impossible at the outset.

I am thanking all the people involved in making this film because we need to know that this exists, that this works, and that broken lives (both the victims' and the criminals') can be mended, and start anew. Bravo! Je verrai toujours vos visages.

What was supposed to be a comedy was unfortunately not funny at all. To be honest, I'm not used to watching a lot of commercial Hollywood movies with a REALLY exaggerated amount of product placement, but I did watch this one because I promised to a friend.

And although I find the film bad and not funny, I don't regret watching it. I really like the two monologues towards the end of the movie where the main characters were serious and honest with their partner's parent each. It was quite odd to see it didn't lead anywhere though.

But anyway, the aftertaste is cool: the abusive older generation apologized and peace and love were restored. This sort of makes up for the whole body of this, sorry, bad movie with the gorgeous Lauren London as Amira. You don't have to watch it, but if you did, hopefully it gave you an idea of unity rather than arguing and hatred.

I laughed out loud almost in every scene, it's so simple and funny! Just loved it!

The feel is similar to Eight Women, even feels like it is a sort of a sequel, however the setting is different. The storyline turns unexpectedly, it's in a way similar to those absurd theater comedies though it doesn't look so. The acting is superb, grotesque-like style, especially when Isabelle Huppert appears all of a sudden, and then André Dussolier. And of course, under this being pseudo-light and superficial, there's definitely issues raised (and mocked, Ozon style): gender stereotypes, corrupt judicial system, personal values, etc. Enjoyed every minute of it and highly recommend!

BEAU IS AFRAID by Ari Aster is supposed to be a horror but turns out a comedy: what is horrifying for Beau, the main character, is a hilarious hyperbole for us viewers. All the fears, but above all - guilt, were imposed on him by his mother. In the film the fears and the guilt come alive as multiple mysterious, horrible and funny characters as well as circumstances, places, objects, etc. There's a lot of symbolism, which makes me want to re-watch it, in order to enjoy it even more. I really like movies where there is no limit to one's imagination and this is one by all means. The ending is somewhat abrupt, to my taste, and sad; but that only proves the message that at some point it is best to overcome the fears and eradicate the guilt to stream the imagination in a totally different direction. But that would be a different story.

The Dardenne brothers normally pick an acute topic, mainly a social one, then feed it with a story and they have never failed to very accurately reflect the reality we are living in bringing their message to our heads and our hearts and making us ruminate on lots of things.

This time, they opted for the topic of clandestine children smuggled to Europe, desperately trying to survive in the world they believe in. We can see to what extremes they are ready to go in order to stay here and we know this is no game and there is absolutely no way back.

Terrifyingly real, tragic, moving, eye-opening, brilliant.

This one is themed around a suicidal teen, who is actually not the main character in the film. His separated parents are (beautifully performed by the talented Hugh Jackman and Laura Dern) and we see this New York family drama through their eyes and in the end learn... how NOT to behave when your child shows signs of suicidal behavior. At first glance, they do look concerned, loving and even caring but, as one of the characters states later in the film, "love is not enough" so they will eventually have to face the music.

Although there were a couple of mismatches in the story imho, I would definitely recommend this one as a good family watch and a later talk-about.

Two Korean kids, a boy and a girl, spend most of their time together because the girl's mother wants her to 'get some life' before they emigrate to America (quite cruel of her, isn't it?). And then they leave, the girl changes her name and starts anew. Although it's the girl who's the crybaby in the story, she seems to be the one who can easily let go and turn over a page. We can't say the same about the boy though, which is why they meet again. And then again, and talk about past lives and their possible 'what-ifs' pretending to believe in fate yet knowing their life is mostly the result of a certain sequence of choices they made as they changed and progressed in life.

A bit of Seoul, but mostly New York, soft color, gentle music, Korean and American words and cultures woven into one another, but what is more important - so much patience, acceptance and honesty, which makes this film beautiful, sincere, elegant and subtle.

Thatcher's England. LGBTQ+ activists yet to start fighting for their rights throughout the country therefore homophobia is setting the rules damaging so many people's lives. At first glance, this film is a story of a sports teacher Jean whose internal homophobia consistently ruins her life. But there are so many other stories: the fragile yet sincere Lois, who's much less afraid but still bullied; the Bog fundraisers, who'll never let the more vulnerable ones starve or beg; Siobhan, the school bully, who vehemently seeks power and is extremely destructive and dangerous; Viv, who's brave and open but also pays her price; the homophobic sister, the family, the teachers, the neighbors, etc. Every member of this story is important because it makes us see this sorrowful whole so very clearly.

For the UK it's mostly history: homophobia and violence are a crime (no-one said they don't exist though), however, one can lose count of places in our world where it's the present, and unfortunately the future.

Bravo: brilliant, brave, intimate, accurate and... hopeful.

A mediocre writer is spending his vacation as well as his wealthy and quite unfriendly wife's money, in a fancy resort located in a fictional uncivilized country. The guests are not allowed out of the resort territory (barbed wire!) but they are tempted to do so by their new bold-looking friends, and here the horror begins. It's not a real horror movie, I mean I wasn't scared in spite of the very violent scenes that even involved children. I just didn't really get the hang of it. Well, the twists of the plot were interesting, the metaphors quite strong, the acting superb (omg, was Mia Goth playing at all?) but is it all made just for our visual pleasure (no strikethrough option here, sorry) or..?However well made, it felt like a film that didn't have a lot to say; the form outshone the content, therefore it will be soon put aside and forgotten.

A sculptor is quite nervous because her show is on Monday and there's a lot of work to do, her boiler broke down so there's no hot water, her cat caught and injured a pigeon, her dad won't listen, her troubled brother's genius is appreciated more than her own work, which, in its subtlety, reflects her nervousness and fragility.

Kelly Reichardt, as well as unglamorous Michelle Williams, and the other actors, both humans and animals, manage to show us so clearly the smallest details of these vulnerable and introverted moments in the life of an artist. Every moment of this slowed down pace is a peek into the process of making art, somewhat elusive yet very real and full of color, full of life itself.

Apart from the cinematographic pleasure, one can enjoy here the artwork of Cynthia Lahti (sculpture), Ethan Rose (ambient music), and so many others. Subtle and so skillful.

A very rigid set of rules and unwritten laws is something that is taken for granted in the Druze village where the main characters of this film have lived for ages. Even if cruel, they can't be shattered or replaced. The plot of this film, which revolves around a lot of pain from the past and the present, shows how a man chooses to resist this animal cruelty and injustice and how painfully much this will set him back.

Additionally, we can hear the war echoing back to these people and maiming their lives forever, causing nothing but suffering.

Amazing acting of Makram Khoury and Ruba Blal. Highly recommended!