Other Media Movie Reviews

From the acclaimed director of A TIME FOR DRUNKEN HORSES comes a road movie with a playful sense of humour that defies what we have come to expect from Iranian cinema. During the Iran-Iraq war, an ageing Iranian-Kurd musician hears that his wife, a singer with a magical voice who deserted him for his best friend and fled to Iraq, is in trouble. He cons his two adult sons into accompanying him on the search for her, and they embark on an adventure filled with music, romance and danger. Ghobadi uses humour and wit to explore some of the most important dilemmas confronting contemporary Kurdish society.

Is it about a man's familial devotion to his former wife? Or is it about all the eccentric, comic-tragic, fascinating bit characters the protagonists meet on their far-fetched journey? Or is it a personal diatribe at a country's geopolitical quagmire at the expense of a fictional story? Whatever it is, Kurdish-Iranian filmmaker Bahman Ghobadi's Marooned in Iraq works at many levels to introduce the audience to an unknown landscape as important as the story that inhabits it.

Indeed, the backdrop of the film is sweeping in a manner that elevates the geography and scenery to the level of a main character. From the jagged, craggy mountains that line the Iran-Iraq border to the winter-swept, refugee-camp that dot regions of northern Iraq, the film plays upon the lay of the land as the truest introduction to life in that region.

But it is Ghobadi's interpretation of that life for the Iranian and Iraqi Kurds that is a most telling story of dark comedy, fortitude, anger, acceptance and resilience to the bitter end. We meet Barat, a sort of stoic Evil Knievel who travels along the border to meet his father, Mirza, and brother, Audeh. Mirza, an elderly, popular Kurdish singer, informs his sons that they must journey to Iraq to find his ex-wife Hanareh.

In a previous interview, Ghobadi said humor is the new weapon used by the Kurds: "They wear it on their weary bodies and minds to survive the hardships better." Perhaps that is the greatest gift the audience receives - that there is always a way handle life without losing all hope and faith.

Marooned in Iraq (Kurdish, with English subtitles) opens in New York on April 25th. It won the Gold Plaque at the 2002 Chicago International Film Festival.

I mean, a movie set in Reykjavik, Iceland???
Well, it's terrific, and filled with some of the most hilarious, memorable lines ever to come from the screen. My personal favorite was: But I've never cheated on my mother before!
101 Reykjavik focuses on the life of a chronic welfare recipient who lives his depressed life with his mother in a small apartment where the bathtub is 3 feet from the kitchen table. Enter: another woman, but both mother and son want her. Sit back, laugh, and enjoy this film of urban angst and aimlessness.

In the amusing film, "101 Reykjavik" Hlynur is a 30-ish male still living at home with his single mum. Hlynur is happily unemployed and would much rather not think about getting a job. He spends his evenings down at the local pub, parties a great deal with his strange friends, and basically slides away from any sort of commitment. Hlynur also has some sexual problems--but this does not discourage a rather determined girl who pursues him in spite of his low interest.

Hlynur obviously has some serious problems. His life is an existence--a substitution for the real thing. He even expresses a desire to watch fireworks from the television set rather than from his own balcony. Hlynur's life begins to change when his mum brings home Lola (a Spanish Flamenco teacher) for the Christmas holidays. When Hlynur's mum leaves, Lola and Hlynur are thrown together, and after a night of heavy drinking, well....one thing leads to another. Unfortunately, Lola is a lesbian--and she's Hlynur's mother's lover. This creates an odd love triangle and a moral dilemma for Hlynur.

The film was really at its rather original best with the character of Hlynur. He is simultaneously interesting, infuriating, and amusing. Some of the scenes at the parties, the annual family Christmas reunion, and in the pub were very witty--and the narration from Hlynur as he describes the flesh market community in the pub is nothing less than brilliant. The originality and sharp wit of these scenes really made me want to read the book the film is based on. Also the cinematography was marvellous--the stark beauty of Iceland was conveyed in its harsh climate and unforgiving landscape. I haven't seen many films set in Iceland, and just the photography alone made the film worth watching. The climate is part of the culture--the implication is inescapable.

Victoria Abril is one of my favourite actresses, but this was not her best role. In many ways she was simply a caricature of the passionate, free-spirited lesbian, and the character of Lola was rather flat. This was a bit problematic as Lola is the catalyst for change in this film. However, "101 Reykjavik" is quite entertaining and a pleasant discovery. There is some nudity--male and female, and due to the very adult themes, this is not one for the kiddies--displacedhuman.

Somehow, even the spaced out layabouts of Iceland are appealing in this film, set in the dark months of Reykjavik's winter. The main character, Hlynur, lives with his mother, provides the hash, does nothing. "What kind of nothing?" Hlynur's mother's girlfriend asks,and he replies, "The nothing kind."
Nothing much happens in the film either, but it's an interesting nothing, with a good soundtrack and curious images of the bleak winter streets and the bohemian cafes and bars of 101 Reykjavik. If you've been there, it's also fun to spot the places you know.
Mostly it's subtitles, but quite a bit of the film is in English. The sound quality seemed particularly good to me.

Knife in the Water features some great camerawork and manages to evoke an astonishing amount of tension in certain scenes. I can level no real complaints against it aesthetically, save that less is translated than I would've liked. But the ending is not particularly satisfying and the conflict is not played out as dramatically as you're led to believe. The DVD package is decent, though you'll no doubt be able to find better prices for it than here. You get an interview with Roman Polanski and his cinematographer, then a second disc of short films. Some of these are bit taxing on one's patience (i.e. When Angels Fall and The Fat and the Lean), but others are quite brilliant (The Lamp and Mammals). I'd say this is a positive treasure trove if you're a big fan of the director.

Polanski's classic is one of my all time favorite films and Criterion has done a fine job transferring it to DVD, hence the 5-star rating. Viewers should know, however, that at the request of the director, Criterion has disabled the step frame function as well as the ability to scan forward or backward. Only the chapter up and down feature is still functional as well as the ability to place the program in still frame without single frame advance or reverse. A liner note on the inside of the package alerts viewers only to the missing step frame feature but not to the fact that these other features have ALSO been disabled. And there is no mention made of ANY of these missing features anywhere on the outside of the packaging. Needless to say, not being able to scan forward or backward is a major inconvenience since it's impossible to review a scene without returning all the way to the beginning of the chapter. This is especially unfortunate with a subtitled film. If a line of dialogue flies by while you're busy admiring the visuals, you're out of luck since there's no easy way to back up quickly. All of this might have been less objectionable if the DVD had been more heavily chaptered, but alas, that is not the case, either. Let's hope that this is one very peculiar concession to a director that is not repeated any time soon.

Superb film and bonus interview with Polanski. Definitely a must for any Polanski fan or film student. Like one other reviewer here, I'm also disappointed not to be able to fast forward to review through the material - esp. as it's the sort of film that's worth analysing shot-by-shot.

Another best Foreign Film Oscar© winner, 1976's BLACK AND WHITE IN COLOR (Home Vision Entertainment) is a farce on racism and political chauvinism that's set in South Africa during World War I. When a group of inept French colonials learn their country is at war with Germany, they -- in a fit of idiotic patriotism -- decide to attack their German neighbors who reside up river, touching off a series of unfortunate events (as Lemony Snicket might say). A great extra is the documentary THE SKY ABOVE, THE MUD BELOW. Recommended.

This is a great black comedy about the blinders that Europeans wore while living in Africa during World War I. 6 months or so after the outbreak of World War I some French never-do-wells discover that their country is at war with the Germans. As proof of their patriotism they(with the help of uncomprehending African colonials who receive about one day's 'military training') decide to attack a German outpost across the river. What follows is a rout.
The other movie, The Sky Above, The Mud Below is also an enjoyable 'travelogue' of New Guinea over 40 years ago. It won an Academy Award for Best Documentary. What is surprising is that there is some male full frontal nudity in the movie. Evidently when showing the 'natives' it was permissible in those days.

In this 1980 film by Bruno Mattei, a young priest, played by Carlo De Mejo (Contamination, City of the Living Dead), is sent to a convent to investigate a series of bizarre and brutal murders. The nuns think Satan is to blame; the priest thinks the murders are the work of a psychopath. The truth turns out to be something in between.

The Other Hell has just about everything you could ever want in an Italian horror film: stylish direction by Mattei, a stunning performance by Franca Stoppi (who was even more brilliant in Joe D'Amato's Beyond the Darkness), and a pulse-pounding score by Goblin. Although not the very best of the genre, it's still a solid offering, and a worthy addition to any Italian-horror buff's DVD collection.

As always, Shriek Show delivers a solid product. The film transfer is surprisingly good, especially considering that it was shot in 16mm and blown up to 35mm. Although the sound is monaural, it's generally clear throughout. The DVD features a host of nice extras, too, including revealing interviews with Mattei and De Mejo and trailers from other Shriek Show DVD's.

Three out of five stars.

While Zus & Zo is not a movie that will make you laugh out loud or cause a downfall of tears it is a mildly touching and quietly entertaining portrait of life. It is an interesting and at times smirk-inspiring film, but with an all-to-tight ending that leaves too many questions about the future. The acting is fine and the cinematography is unobtrusive, but the emotional connections are few and far between. Once you begin to identify with a character, they are ripped away from you by an evil act, or quick phrase that turns your stomach. A beautiful montage, a great song over the closing credits (Sarah Bettens' "Someone to Say Hi To") are not enough to lift this movie to the heights of top ten lists for the year. This Acadamy Award Nominee, deserves a look, but for most one will be enough. My advise: Rent before you Buy.