Enjoy It While It Lasts
Project 365 here 365Pieces
Oct 2nd, 2011 @ 7:48 pm
March Movies
I’m telling you, alliterating the titles of these posts is so much fun!
As If I Am Not There
Directed and adapted by Juanita Wilson (who is Irish!!!!!!!), this film follows a teacher in Sarajevo called Samira and how, upon moving to teach in a mountainside village, she and all the other women in the village are captured by Serbian soldiers and the horrific treatment they’re subjected to. Rather than concerning itself with the politics of the war, the film focuses on how the war affected the people it didn’t concern. Its approach to the womens’ treatment is brave and unflinching and Natasa Petrovic’s performance as Samira is unforgettable. We see her accept an awful fate, struggle to escape and then the results of what happens to her all through Petrovic’s piercing eyes. Some of the best acting I’ve seen in a long time. I really hope this film doesn’t go unnoticed internationally because, as well as being important, it’s an extraordinary piece of art that should be seen. One of the best and most challenging of 2011 and probably the most personal war movies ever made.
4/5
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Rango
Despite trying too hard to please everyone, Rango mostly succeeds at being both swashbucklingly good fun and smart (like Fantastic Mr. Fox, only less so). The cinematography was some of the best you’ll see in an animated movie and its innumerable pop culture references were mostly great. A particularly memorable image was its Apocalypse Now reference. Overall, though, the film suffers an identity crisis much like its titular character and never quite establishes a solid tone. It’s either too clever or not as clever as it could be.
3/5
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The Adjustment Bureau
Pretty much a chick-flick but the chemistry between Matt Damon and Emily Blunt made it a worthwhile trip to the cinema. They worked together so naturally. I don’t usually care much for romances in films (especially not with big name stars) but TAB was a romantic thriller that had you both rooting for their love and on the edge of your seat. I still think the hat thing was ridiculous though.
3.5/5
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Submarine
Funny and clever and only slightly more up itself than I thought it would be. It thinks itself far cleverer than it is but some of the sequences were just too funny to make me dislike it for that. Also the way the screen would be stained with a different colour after each part was just so simple and clever and cinematic. I hope Ayoade directs more, he really shows promise here.
4/5
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Rewind
Didn’t have high expectations for this and it barely even met those. Below-par Irish drama with clunky direction and only or two one memorable shots. Performances were good but as a film it falls flat on its face when compared to other Irish movies from this year (AIIANT, Snap, One Hundred Mornings).
2/5
