Séraphine (2008)

A film based on the life of painter Seraphine de Senlis who was discovered by a famous German art collector in 1912. 

    A very French film, complete with long, uncut shots, complete silence, and gorgeous scenery. It is a haunting film about a haunting woman, whose genius was both interrupted and ignited by mental illness. It's a film for those used to how foreign films move (very slowly), but ideal for anyone who appreciates art and its painful mystery. My favorite scene is the very last one. I won't spoil it, you'll just have to see the whole movie to truly appreciate it in all its simple, heartbreaking beauty. 

Waking Sleeping Beauty (2009)

The story of how the Disney animation company went from outcast and forgotten to producing hugely successful animated movies in a period of ten years with moves like "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Little Mermaid."

   The Disney company fascinates me. It has influenced entire generations through their movies and changed the movie business forever. It was astounding to hear how the artists at the animation company went through a period of time where they were sure they were all going to lose their jobs and the animation division would be shut down. It was innovation that saved them. With people like Michael Eisner and Frank Wells, the old saying "What would Walt do" changed and things were done differently. My dad, who is an innovation educator and consultant was practically jumping up and down and scribbling notes. It was a very direct, focused movie, but not boring. Drawings by Disney artists were strewn through out to illustrate people and events and there were lots of videos. For anyone who loves Disney, this is the movie to watch. 

The Tempest (2010)

Shakespeare's final masterpiece about revenge and sorcery is adapted by Julie Taymor to feature Helen Mirren as "Prospera," the exiled wife of a duke who practices magic to lure those responsible for her exile to an exotic island thriving with spirits. 

     I've been waiting for this movie for so long. I adore Shakespeare, on stage or on film, and Julie Taymor is one of the few directors I would trust with it. Her decision to change the main character from male to female was terrifying to me at first, but when I read the cast bill that said "Helen Mirren," my dread turned to euphoria. I was not disappointed. She was magnificent. Her voice is feminine and powerful all at once, her eyes are like burning coals, and her experience with the language of Shakespeare ensures that she will perform it perfectly. Ben Wishaw as Ariel was also very good. He was bone-white, naked, without any sex organs. Sometimes it looked like he had a woman's body, but then not. He appeared in water, trees, fire, and air. His movements were not classical, they weren't him simply flying around, he was definitely part of whatever medium he was moving in. 

    What I was disappointed in was Caliban. He is the one of the most confusing and mysterious characters in Shakespeare. They call him "a monster," and he is the son of Sycorax, a witch who imprisoned the spirit Ariel in a tree. However, most modern editions of "The Tempest" cast Caliban as a black man, a native of the island who is mainly "monstrous" because of his skin color and lack of Western behaviors. This makes the relationship between Proserpo/Prospera and Caliban very interesting and blurs the line between villain and hero. In the movie though, Caliban was very straightforward in my mind. He was animal-like, not very smart, naive, and difficult to understand. His looks complicated his character, his skin is patched with whiteness, as if he's supposed to be both black and white, but it wasn't really explained in any way. I did like the tribute the text with giving him one blue eye, since Sycorax is described as "the blue-eyed hag." The other moment of confusion was when there is a moment where Prospera and Caliban face off, just staring at each other. The whole movie they have been enemies, there is no doubt. But in that moment, there's a feeling of loss, almost as if they somehow harbor affection for one another in some strange, unexplained way. I wish that would have been studied more in the film.

     The filming location was excellent, Hawaii, and the music was exceptional. It was weird and wide and deep and alive with different kinds of instruments. When there was a song written in the text, it was performed in the movie. Supporting actors were great, I didn't like Ferdinand very much, but I didn't like him in the play either, so he served his purpose. In a nutshell, it helps the experience to be very familiar with the play or at least a lover of great language and Helen Mirren, or else the movie would drag on and be hard to follow. I hope it gets recognition at this year's Academy Awards. 

Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader

The third installment of the Chronicles of Narnia series finds Lucy, Edmund and their obnoxious cousin Eustace drawn back to Narnia where Caspian, now the established king of Narnia, is voyaging on the sea to find the seven lords who were loyal to his dethroned father. 

     The thing about the Chronicles of Narnia movies is that they take many liberties with the plot C.S. Lewis established in the books. However, the movies are true to the spirit of Narnia and have even added many character layers that C.S. Lewis didn't include. "The Dawn Treader"  is a strong example of this kind of tweaking and adding, but it works. 

      The character of Lucy is greatly expanded upon, who in the other movies was seen as the young, unquestioning youngest sister. With Susan gone, Lucy now takes center stage as the front female character. The actress has aged well, and is able to maintain that wide-eyed adoration of all things Aslan in combination with new doubts and fears that arise with maturation. The other character that stands out is Eustace, the newest addition to Narnia. The actor is very good for his young age, capturing perfectly the "priggish" nature that the book lays out. The only weakness is the lack of a good transition; the character experiences a lot of growth, and the movie simply ran out of space to include it. A small, but I believe, important note, is the fact that Ben Barnes (Prince Caspian) has lost his HORRENDOUS Spanish accent and stays true to his English heritage. Thank heaven. 

     The movie has a good script and includes most of Aslan's original lines, which are really the most important in the book. He isn't present in the movie much, but his spirit is very much alive, and the use of filming his shadow and hearing a distant roar constantly remind the audience that he is the most important figure in Narnia. This movie changes the plot more than in "Prince Caspian," but it is much better. The acting is better, the characters are less frustrating, and the movie is more beautiful. Where "Prince Caspian" was all wet grass and shadow, "Dawn Treader" is sunlight on water, exotic islands, and one heck of a sea monster that again proved how close to the PG/PG-13 line these movies dance on. I can't wait to see how they do the next one.

Gegen die Wand (2004)

Drug addict Cahit decides to end it all by driving into a wall. While in therapy, he meets Sibel, an odd Turkish girl who wants to marry him to escape from her family. 

   I hated this movie. It was everything I dislike about modern German movies: bloody, sexually graphic, and random. The story itself was decent, nothing terribly interesting, but well-written. The problem was the lack of an obvious meaning or message. It was lost in a girl smashing a bottle and shoving it into her arm vein, drug-induced sex, and drunk, sweaty men. Blah. Interesting music, though.

The Stoning of Soraya M. (2008)

Based on a true story, this film details the tragic story of Soraya, a woman in Iran oppressed by a violent husband who arranges her execution by stoning in order to marry a 14-year old girl. 

    This is a powerful film. It makes you want to stand up and scream at the men who push and punch women and who teach their young sons to do the same. There needs to be change and justice. These kind of brutal crimes cannot go unrecognized.

      Shohreh Aghdashloo stars as the aunt of Soraya who tells her story to a journalist passing through. She is beautiful in the role with her strong personality even in a culture that represses women and furious love for her family. If there are women like this in the world, there is hope. Soraya is also good in her stillness, unable to move for fear of being struck, but she also harbors boldness that is punished with death. She is a martyr. 

    This movie is rated R for one scene. The stoning. It is truly brutal and seems to drag on and on. Her cries are absolutely heart-wrenching and the attitude of the crowd is to be abhorred. They will be receive their due in the afterlife, for sure.

Let the Right One In (2008)

Based on the best-selling Swedish book, "Let the Right One In" tells the story of Oskar, a young boy bullied by his classmates, who meets Eli, the mysterious girl next door who is not as innocent as she appears. 

     Best vampire movie ever. Absolutely breath-taking. The atmosphere is dark and chilly and gritty. The gore factor is relatively low for this kind of movie, but seeing beautiful little Eli with clotting blood all over her face is definitely disturbing. The little boy who plays Oskar is gorgeous, his skin is transparent and his hair the whitest of white-blond. It's the perfect contrast to Eli, who has dark hair and almost grayish, blueish skin. Their acting is exceptionally subtle, almost emotionless, which balances out the extreme, horrifying events of the movie. 

    The only flaw is there are lots of unanswered questions. For people who read the book, the movie makes perfect sense, but most of Eli's back-story is not stated in the film itself. This makes several things confusing. 

     This is such a good vampire story. You feel both terrified and enchanted by Eli, she's animal-like in her hunt for blood, but her tenderness towards Oskar is more human than many of the other characters. The movie questions the very nature of evil and innocence. What is a "vampire?"