Τρίτη 25 Φεβρουαρίου 2014

#Blogoscars – Best Direction

1. Alfonso Cuarón – Gravity

2. Ron Howard – Rush

3. Woody Allen – Blue Jasmine

4. Noah Baumbach – Frances Ha

5. J.C. Chandor – All is lost

6. Sarah Polley – Stories We Tell

7. Paolo Sorrentino – La Grande Bellezza

8. Ryan Coogler – Fruitvale Station

9. Spike Jonze – Her


10. Ethan Coen, Joel Coen – Inside Llewyn Davis

Δευτέρα 24 Φεβρουαρίου 2014

Dallas Buyers Club (2013)

Direction: Jean-Marc Vallée
Script: Craig Borten, Melisa Wallack
With: Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Jared Leto
Duration: 117'
Production: USA

In 1985 Dallas, electrician and hustler Ron Woodroof works around the system to help AIDS patients get the medication they need after he is himself diagnosed with the disease.

It is so undeniable obvious how ignorant people were at that time about AIDS, stripping it out from all the shame and terror it represented. Also the pharmaceutical (disgusting) business and their deals with hospitals for new uncertified treatments in order to earn money. They put people's misery and despair into their wallets. And along with that they banned everything else that could destroy their “kingdom” of treatments.

Here comes our hero, who after the shock of being sick, he quits his job and starts a small illegal business of treating HIV patients like himself with importing medicine from Mexico and other countries. His influence is big and his business brains will prove a priceless weapon for himself and everyone around him. Drugs and alcohol didn't manage to get out of his life though and his attitude towards other people keeps being mean and arrogant (and in times hilarious).

He meets Rayon, a drug addict trans who is also sick with HIV. Even though their first encounter is not really ideal, they turned out to be close partners and friends. The truth is that the relationship between Ron and Rayon is not given the proper time to flourish on screen. We follow them around the film quite scared of how Ron would behave towards Rayon, while there is not really a connection somewhere to prove that he actually accepted his partner. We just see the ending phase of this relationship, that they have become good and truthful friends.

While the character of Mathew McConaughey tries so hard to be rude and to build a sort of “protection” wall against other people, he also provokes an embarrassing laughter while his character acts like that. So tough and straight that to our eyes looks a bit ridiculous. But the character was real and his behavior and choices where also real. Many people who were like that existed back then, especially to a city like Dallas. And they probably still exist. So it is not really funny, but mostly depressing and disappointing.

Ron changes though, through all these business and especially through the disease. Even though he has so many bad elements as a person, he is still doing everything his own way only to help himself and other people. I would love to see more about the court procedures and all the decisions taken but here obviously is not about that. Here is about people trying to make amends with their harsh reality and try to decide what to do with the remaining time. Sometimes through McConaughey's performance we feel how his character feels, we understand in a peculiar way all his motives, fears and choices, while we subconsciously console him for the impact his actions have, even though they are racist, dysfunctional and completely irrational.

This movie has many faces, has many parts that wants to narrate. But does it actually manage to say what it wanted to say from the beginning? In an extent yes it does. Clearly the director tried to fit the small romance with Garner into the film unsuccessfully, but also the relationship with Rayon. It seems that everything is about Ron and the movie cannot escape from this. It is not necessarily bad, it is just enough. You see the gradual change into Ron, but you fail to separate his relationships and distinguish their progress through the plot.

Ron doesn't want you to like him. Actually he doesn't really care if you or anyone else likes him. He is very obnoxious but at the same time what he tries, and at the end manages to do, is extraordinary. Attempting to help sick people with effective medicine, attempting to ease their pain and mostly his pain. We do see him go through many sentimental turbulences and making amends at the end with his condition. He is strong and a fighter, a magnificent characteristic that is obvious not until the very end.


Dallas Buyers Club is a bit not sure where to confine itself, whether it is his genre (drama, comedy, political, historical, biography) or its story, but at the end you can see clearly what its purpose was; through Ron's story to talk about a matter that is still a taboo in many places in the world, to show how people can deal with their very own real and harsh problems and how a surprise in your life can turn out both inspirational and truthful for you and the others around you. 


#Blogoscars – Best Soundtrack

1. Her

2. Inside Llewyn Davis

3. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

4. The Great Gatsby



5. Gravity

#Blogoscars – Best Script



    3. La Grande Bellezza

    4. Stories We Tell

    5. Her

    6. The  Hunt

    7. Rush


    9. Nebraska

    10. Wadjda

Παρασκευή 7 Φεβρουαρίου 2014

Fruitvale Station (2013) (greek)

του Ryan Coogler με τους Michael B. Jordan, Melonie Diaz, Octavia Spencer (ΗΠΑ 85')

Η πρώτη μεγάλου μήκους ταινία του σκηνοθέτη έκανε πρεμιέρα πέρυσι στο φεστιβάλ του Sundance. Απέσπασε τα βραβεία της επιτροπής και του κοινού, ενώ συμμετείχε και στις Κάννες στο τμήμα “Ένα Κάποιο Βλέμμα”. Εξέπληξε πολλούς όταν και έλειπε από τις φετινές υποψηφιότητες των Όσκαρ, την στιγμή που περιμέναμε την Ακαδημία να κάνει την διαφορά. Κρίμα.

Ξημερώματα Πρωτοχρονιάς 2009. Ο Oscar Grant δολοφονείται από τον αξιωματικό Johannes Mehserle στον σιδηροδρομικό σταθμό Fruitvale στην Καλιφόρνια, μπροστά στα έκπληκτα μάτια εκατοντάδων επιβατών. Κινητά μαγνητοσκοπούν μία πρωτοφανή αστυνομική βία απέναντι στον Oscar και την παρέα του. Η συμμετοχή σε έναν καβγά αποδεικνύεται μοιραία.

Ο Oscar είναι ένας νεαρός που παλεύει να βάλει την ζωή του σε τάξη. Η φυλακή τον κράτησε μακριά, του έμαθε όμως να διαβάζει τον εαυτό του μέσα από τους άλλους. Η αποδοκιμασία της μητέρας του και η δυσπιστία της αρραβωνιαστικιάς του τον ωθούν στο να κοιτάξει τον εαυτό του κατάματα. Η κόρη του τον χρειάζεται περισσότερο από ποτέ.

Η τελευταία ημέρα της ζωής του Oscar δεν είναι τίποτε άλλο από θραύσματα του παρελθόντος που επανέρχονται στο τώρα. Η ανησυχία, με ένα μείγμα αμφιβολίας είναι εμφανής παντού, στο πρόσωπο, στις κινήσεις, στις λέξεις που χρησιμοποιεί. Κάθε κάδρο αποδεικνύει την σταδιακή αλλαγή των αποφάσεών του. Ο ίδιος, σαν να νιώθει τι θα συμβεί, κάνει μερικά βήματα προς τα πίσω. Μικρά βήματα που μπορούν να κάνουν τη διαφορά, κάτι που ο Oscar δείχνει να μαθαίνει.

Το εκπληκτικό σε αυτή την ταινία είναι ότι απουσιάζει κάθε προκατάληψη. Δεν προσπαθεί να διδάξει, ούτε να υποδείξει το σωστό και το λάθος. Αφήνει την τελική κρίση σε εμάς. Ποιος έφταιξε, τι έγινε, γιατί; Δυνατή, ειλικρινής και κυρίως συγκλονιστική για τις αλήθειες που κρύβει.

Εξαιρετικές ερμηνείες από την μοναδική Octavia Spencer και τον πρωτοεμφανιζόμενο Michael B. Jordan. Απολαύστε. 





Παρασκευή 31 Ιανουαρίου 2014

My week in movies #2

And after a long January and a tiring week, I present to you, my beloved readers, some of the latest movies I have watched this past week. Most of them are quite new, compared to my last list, where some oldies were there. So, read these small reviews and enjoy your weekend with some more cinema.

(You can find detailed plots through each title linking to Imdb)






Strong performances for a movie I thought was boring in the beginning. Then it got my attention and I watched it till the end. Reese Witherspoon is astonishing as June Carter and along with Joaquin Phoenix they created a burning couple trying to get through life's difficulties. The music and the drugs, the fall and the rise of a great musician and this wonderful woman's integrity, with which she managed to save him. Amazing. They loved each other till the end.





So lyrical and magnetic direction from this extremely intelligent woman, named Sarah Polley. The story of one family unravels so effortlessly, their feelings and sides of the same story are so different, but at the same time so alike. Very very very good documentary. So honest. Polley isn't afraid of the exposure it gives to her personal life and family, but instead she pushes everything to the limit, like a constant need to get it all out there. Maybe that way all of these people, among the director, can find peace with their past.

Extended film critique coming up soon.





As a traveler myself or at least one who is on “travel break” now, I deeply fell in love with this movie and the story of this guy. The freedom he felt, the rebel he deeply was and the kindness he offered where elements that make everyone envy this man. Even though he got defeated by what he loved deeply, he still teaches us great life lessons. Is officially in my favorite's list. Truthful cinema doesn't deserve anything less.





Unfortunately, it fails in every attempt to reveal the Butler's story in a decent way. The narration has gaps, the scenes change abruptly. There is no proper flow. The direction doesn't allow its characters to unfold properly. They are suffocated in a long and boring story. Except for the admiration one can feel for the real butler's integrity, there is not much that the character can tell us. A much more fascinating figure is his son and his actions, leaving the mother (a decent acting by Oprah) drift through fuzziness. Quite disappointing.





This true story of rivalry is so righteously presented that you cannot do anything but admire. Its essence is so strong and powerful. The direction is so intense that lets the story unfolds easily. Except some fast editing in the beginning this movie deserves more attention and acclaim. What a figure Niki Lauda is. What an athlete. 

Τρίτη 21 Ιανουαρίου 2014

Captain Phillips (2013)

Director: Paul Greengrass
Writer: Billy Ray (screenplay), Richard Phillips (based upon the book "A Captain's Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALS, and Dangerous Days at Sea" by)
With: Tom Hanks, Barkhad Abdi, Barkhad Abdirahman
Duration: 134'
Country: USA


One of the movies that claim the title “Movie of the Year” has already six Oscar nominations for this year, along with Best Achievement in Film Editing, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay and Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for Barkhad Abdi. Having almost 70 nominations, the movie has already claimed a position in the “favorites” list.

The screenplay (Billy Ray) of “Captain Phillips” is based on the the book “A Captain's Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea” (2010) by the real Richard Phillips who was taken hostage by Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean as part of the Maersk Alabama hijacking in 2009.

The US-flagged MV Maersk Alabama was the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years as IMDB informs us on the movie's page, where it has scored 8, 1 so far. With most of the nominations gained for the performance of Tom Hanks and his co-star Barkhad Abdi, “Captain Phillips” has become everyone's favorite action thriller of the year.

We follow the extraordinary story of a captain who, while on duty in the Indian Ocean, his cargo ship was hijacked by Somali pirates. We watch with extreme precision how the captain realized the menace and how he managed to prevent the hijacking by using all means from his crew, the ship and his own head.

While proving to be prepared with solutions for preventing the incident, he is unaware of what will follow next. The horror and fear he will face in the hands of these “fishermen”, who are nothing more than poor men in need for money for the boss who rules their lives.

Muse, the leader of this mission thinks that he got lucky choosing an American cargo ship. He believes its crew and captain will obey his orders and hand him the ship's money. But he miscalculates and soon realizes nothing is going to be easy with this captain.

The story unravels slow revealing its characters feelings. While we observe the growing tension we cannot help but notice this peculiar relationship created between Captain Phillips and the leader of the hijackers, Muse. 

Looking at each other deep in the eye, they are trying to show who is in control. Muse wants to impose his domination over his own crew, but mostly over the captain. Captain Phillips though, wants to preserve his own authority and is trying to maintain a neutral attitude towards the pirates. And he also tries the same thing: to show his own crew that he still has control.

After some serious incidents, everyone realizes that things have changed into worse. The pirates act recklessly doing the unthinkable. They kidnap Captain Phillips for at least two days, while the American coast guard along with trained marines await the appropriate moment to attack and disarm or better, eliminate them.

The negotiations fail to come to a desirable result and the USA justs wants to get rid of the targets. The morality that is hidden behind all these, the power America shows over anything named as terrorism or pirates is overwhelming. If you stand in front of the Americans as an obstacle, they will do anything to take you down in the name of national security. The movie tries hard to remind us this.

All this tension unraveling throughout the movie, bursts out at the last sequence, where Captain Phillips collapses. And here is where the sublime performance by Tom Hanks takes place. Weak and confused he gives up, he falls apart, he loses the control he fought for. His vulnerability is magnificent on screen. 

DiCaprio managed to steal the 'Best Actor in a Leading Role' nomination from Hanks, and me being a fan of both of them, cannot help but think this: Hanks has already proven his value, while DiCaprio still fights for a position in the Oscar Hall of Fame. Well, maybe Leo will get it this time.

One thing I admire in Paul Greengrass's direction is that he managed without any Hollywood tricks and effects to exhibit this slow growing tension and succeed in giving us a thrilling action movie with great performances (don't forget Barkhad Abdi's nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role).

One of the feelings I cannot hide for this movie, is my deep sadness over those poor Somali people who had no choice but to hijack, threaten, kidnap just to survive. They live in a world so different, where they grow up under war conditions. Even though this movie focuses on a more American way of dealing with things, it still makes us wonder why these people have no choice but turn to crime.