Water

Country: India 2005

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Seen 27 February 2006
Indian widows before independence. In this case the story revolves around the eight year old child widow, Chuyia. The moment her husband died, she was given away to an ashram specifically for widows. Her world changes and she has to adapt to her new status as an undesirable in Indian society. Fortunately she meets a kind hearted Brahmin widow, Shakuntala and the jewel of the ashram, a very pretty young widow, Kalyani. Kalyani is taken away to benefactors at night by the town pimp as a means of support for the ashram. This trade is sanctioned by the head widow, Didi. Things came to a head when Kalyani meets Ibrahim, a young law student. The situation at that time and events that followed ended the story on a melancholy note. There is still a long way for the widows of India to gain their rightful place as an equal member of society.

Sympathy for Lady Vengeance

Country: Korea 2005

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Seen 27 February 2006
A very appropriate title since almost everyone that lady, Lee Geum-ja has met tries to help her in her plan for revenge. She was in jail for thirteen years accused of a crime that was not her own doing. She was threatened by the real perpetrator that her daughter will be killed if she did not confess to the crimes. Her plan for revenge was elaborate to say the least but she managed to get her man in the end. Despite her success she still feels remorse about what happened to her daughter all those years ago. The daughter herself has accepted what happened in the past. Both mother and daughter will start a new life fresh and pure as the snow flakes that fall at the end of the film. Some scenes seem more like cultural symbols and might be better understood if we know more about the Korean psyche.

Crash

Country: USA 2005

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Details crashfilm

Seen 27 February 2006
The menacing feeling starts from the beginning of the film with the soundtrack adding to the burgeoning undercurrents. A film about our perceptions of others different from us, either through colour, race, religion or any other artificial barrier put up by humans since time immemorial. Interestingly, each character has a different side to him which surfaces when the need arises. This is especially highlighted with the scenes involving Thandi Newton and Matt Dillon. The director does not try to give a solution but just depicts everyday scenes heightened by the tensions simmering within each person.

Sunflower

Country: China 2005

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Seen 25 February 2006
Another father-son story. This time from China. Father is the typical Asian disciplinarian whereas the son grudgingly follows the father's wishes. The father's involvement in his son's life goes to the extent of taking a role in the son's love relationship. The father-son love hate relationship continues until the son reaches adulthood and has his own life. There was a scene when in the heat of an argument, the son mentioned that the father succeeded in his role as a family provider but failed miserably as a 'father'. The son only realises how much love the father has for him at the end of the story when he discovered a tape recording. The father never acknowledges openly his son's success or talent until the very end. Even then. it was just a handshake with minimal words of congratulations. Both father and son had the same stubborn streak but in the end, they did realise that despite all the differences throughout the years, there exists a strong bond between them.

You bet your life

Country: Austria/Switzerland 2005

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Seen 25 February 2006
This film gives us an interesting premise of taking chances with life by using a dice. A hard core gambler runs out of luck trying to pay off his debts. A chance encounter and a televison programme about using a dice to dictate each individual's decision started the gambler's new journey in life. He devised a system using the dice to win a few big winners. He used the dice system again as the basis for all his future decisions. This led to a roller coaster journey of discovery with a new girl friend. The end showed five other versions of the story's ending based on the other numbers on the dice. Perplexing. Mind boggling.

The Village Album

Country: Japan 2005

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Details 8th Shanghai IFF

Seen 25 February 2006
A Japanese father-son bonding against the backdrop of a small village soon to be replaced by a dam. Misty eyed after the first ten minutes. Then had to control the tears until the end. Misunderstanding between father and son. An estranged daughter who left the family fold. A father who is proud of his village even though he was going to make it big in the big city. The son realises bit by bit all that the father holds dear. Revelations by the family friend jolts the son to acknowledge that the father is such a special person, maybe even extraordinary to have survived in the village for a lifetime. The story goes at a steady pace until a half expected ending. But the director manages to pull all the right emotional strings. Very statisfrying watch.

Monday Morning Glory

Country: Malaysia 2005

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Details variety

Seen 24 February 2006
Malaysian take on the suicide bombers in the South East Asian region. The film tries to delve into the reasons behind the bombings. The director shows a typical public confession session staged for the media while the police are shown as succesful professionals in combating this new global threat. There seems to be a deliberate decision to make the film in a detached style.
I had the feeling that the actors purposely say out their lines in a deadpan manner. There were no facial expressions per se. They seem to be just the mouthpiece of each segment of society that was represented in the film - the terrorist/extremist, police/government, public/media. Maybe it is a reflection of what is happening, we are just parroting what the leaders say. Sacrificial lambs to a higher cause - the mighty or those who assumed they have the might..

Long winter without fire

Country: Switzerland 2004

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Details imdb

Seen 24 February 2006
How do parents cope with the untimely death of a child? A daughter killed in a fire accident left scars which takes a toll on both parents. The wife seeks psychiatric help while the husband tries his best to have a normal life. The presence of a female co-worker who happens to be a refugee from the war in Kosovo brings forth suppressed feelings of regret and helplessness. There doesn't seem to be an immediate solution to solve the lingering guilt felt by the parents. Maybe time will be of some help.

Gilaneh

Country: Iran 2005

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Details yahoo movies

Seen 24 February 2006
This is a mother extraordinaire. The story spans the years from the last years of the Iran-Iraq war until the years of the first Iraq war. The first part shows how she accompanies her pregnant daughter back to Teheran to find her son-in-law. The second part shows how she cares for her disabled son. Her strength and fortitude despite the odds seems superhuman. I'm sure there are many mothers who are in the same predicament. Their children will always be a priority. Gilaneh's sacrifices are further heightened by the times - the war which always affect the common folks the most.

Manslaughter

Country: Denmark 2005

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Seen 24 February 2006
A social studies professor's seemingly ideal life gets complicated when his girlfriend gets involved in a policeman's murder. His affair with the girlfriend is now public news and comes as a shock to his wife and son. The policeman's widow becomes a fixture in his life too through his involvement with the girlfriend. Friendship, loyalty, love and guilt surfaces in a heady mixture. The professor's remorse seems to find no solution as he struggles to carry on with his life in his newly found and self made predicament.

Cut Sleeve Boys

Country: Hong Kong/UK 2006

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Details fortissimofilms

Seen 23 February 2006
This is a fun take on the lives of two British Chinese gay men. Their relationships with other men and family seem so similar with any heterosexual life. The major difference would be the variations in the relationships as gaynes has its own specific codes. Do you accept someone who is softer than you as a lover? Someone who secretly wants to be a crossdresser? Young lover who becomes popular with others? Questions and dilemmas. But in the end they'll survive and make fun of the downs while making the most of the ups.

The Giant Buddhas

Country: Switzerland 2005

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Seen 23 February 2006
A documentary on the giant Buddhas in the Bamiyan Valley, Afghanistan. This was the famous statues destroyed by the Talibans when they ruled Afghanistan. The director showed the relevance of the statues to the local people, the archeologists, the media and an Afghan lady who lives abroad. There was also a Chinese connection since there was a journal by a monk who made a journey to the Bamiyan valley in the seventh century detailing the spectacle with mention of a grander statue nearby. All that is lost to us now. The Afghan lady laments that the statues were a part of her country's legacy but now there is a gap in their history. The people have lost a part of themselves. The past defined them as a people and country but the evidence is lost forever.

Dear Dakanda

Country: Thailand 2005

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Details ethaicd

Seen 23 February 2006
A Thai movie about a college boy who just wanted to take stock of his previous love life but found another. The hero in this case tends to be tight lipped about his feelings for his best girl friend. He was not sure about his feelings in the beginning but as time went on, the friendship evolved into love for the girl. But he was reluctant to tell the truth and he had found the courage only at the last moment when it was just a bit too late. He took a vacation to take a break from the hurt.
Here we find the hero still trying to come to terms with his feelings for the first girl even though another friendship has developed with a new girl. He writes a postcard every day to his first girl friend detailing his daily routine at the vacation spot. Through those postcards we see how his feelings evolved and wavered between the two girls. At the end, I think he made the right choice, choosing the right soul mate as his life partner.

Who the hell's Bonnie and Clyde

Country: Hungary 2004

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Seen 23 February 2006
The title relates to the girl in the story who read a wanted poster saying that she and her boyfriend are their country's version of Bonnie and Clyde. The country is Hungary and the story is based on actual events. The robbers did not plan their lives to be such a memorable event but their first meeting lead to their infamous reputation. The director uses scenes of the present in which both have been imprisoned in between showing their journey escaping from the law and enjoying the loot. The two who have been thrown into their predicament without any prior proper plans try their best to make the best of what they have. Their loyalty and love for each other were tested umpteen times throughout their travels together. Love conquers again? Perhaps.

Mean Creek

Country: USA 2004

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Details meancreekmovie

Seen 19 February 2006
The title itself gives an inkling of the plot. There is a mean streak in everyone. Alas, in this case, other feelings come alive even though the mean person in the story deserves what he gets. As usual our everyday lives is not what it seems on first glance. Everyone involved in the tragedy had to cope with the events that ensued. Mixed up feelings and questions on what is the next step. The camera lingers on each main character's facial expression. The thoughts that go through their mind is reflected in their eyes and the twitch in the facial muscles. Tight script and overall satisfactory ensemble act.

Broken flowers

Country: USA 2005

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Details brokenflowers

Seen 15 January 2006
Bill Murray is the main character and the story unfolds when he received a letter from one of his ex girl friends. The letter is not signed but just says that he has a son who might be searching for him. His neighbour is more interested in solving the mystery and arranges everything for Bill to start on his journey of discovery. Along the way, Bill discovers what has happened to his girl friends. All the ex girl friends lead their own lives after their affair with Bill. Bill himself comes to a sort of crossroad thinking of what his life has given him. A middle aged man with no family going through the motions of daily life. Is that all there is to life?

Duck season

Country: Mexico 2004
Language: Spanish

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Details temporadadepatos

Seen 31 Dec 2005
Main characters are two 14 year old boys, a 16 year old girl and a pizza delivery man. Events unfold when the electricity gets cut off. I'm unsure whether all the issues potrayed gets a decent hearing since some of them are perpetual dilemmas faced by all of us - relationships. This is an ongoing point faced by humanity. The film managed to draw the audience into the lives of the main characters but I doubt any of the problems that was highlighted found a satisfactory solution.

King Kong

Country: USA 2005

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Seen 30 December 2005
At last I managed to see the film after all the hype that preceeded this remake. It did not dissappoint as the director took another take on the story. It was an engrossing 3 hour thriller/romance. I particularly liked the eye contact between King Kong and Naomi Watts. The beauty and beast love affair.
The moral of the story - men are still the beast.

Hidden (Cache)

Country: Germany/France 2005
Language: French

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Details cache

Seen 29 December 2005
The other title for this French thriller is Cache. The past catches up with the main character who seems to be a typical intellectual with a wife and son.The film starts with him receiving a videotape showing the front of his house and the daily movements of his family. His memory is jolted back to the past when he received another videotape showing his birthplace.Now the pace moves a bit faster with events of the past mingling with his current dilemma. The dialogue shows how he has almost obliterated the past but the videotapes and drawings has nixed the peaceful family life.In the end, we're still unsure of who started the ball rolling to disturb the hidden past.

9 Naga

Country: Indonesia 2005
Language: Indonesian

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Seen 11 February 2006
What can I say about an Indonesian film that starts with images of water and a girl singing or lamenting about life on the soundtrack. I got hooked from the start. It is a frame by frame kind of film, no languid shots but more harsh reality. This is the real Indonesia. People try to make a living the best way they know how. That is how the three main characters started their vocation as hired killers. Unfortunately a tragic incident involving one of them turn events topsy turvy. This event became the catalyst for a review of the kind of life they had before and where they are leaading to in future. Each scene uses sparse dialogue but each phrase is loaded with undercurrents of the emotional state of the character. Most probably the version I saw is the censored version so some parts seems disjointed but the audience can still get the gist of the storyline. A marvelous acting ensemble made the film above average.

Rainbow Boys

Country: Thailand 2005
Language: Thai

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Seen 27 Nov 2005
Propaganda? Vehicle for those on the fringe of society, the misunderstood. They may have been through different paths but their true calling surfaces when circumstances take a leading role. There could have been a stronger hand at acting direction. Some scenes look too wooden but others were - love making - were done tastefully. Comparatively ordinary looking actors help the audience to focus on the story.

Love of May

Country: Taiwan 2004
Language: Mandarin

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Seen 27 Nov 2005
Missed the first 10 minutes so might have missed little details of the story. The lead actor and actress do carry a lot of weight in making the film a success. It is a long winded love story but there are layers of love potrayed. Love of your homeland, family ties, unexpected love through the internet. The soundtrack helped to bolster the mood.

Snakes and Ladders

Country: Mexico 1993
Language: Spanish

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Details nytimes movies

Seen 4 February 2006
The film starts with the focus on two girls, Valentina and Rebeca playing together. The rest of the film shows how the two girls' lives are intertwined in more ways than one. They had a blood pact when they were younger. They promise each other that they would never separate from each other and remain steadfast to each other for ever. Circumstances dictate otherwise. Events involving both the girls and their respective families make their lives go up and down as in the game of snakes and ladders.
The film also touches on Valentina's long suffering mother, who almost always turns a blind eye to her husband's philandering outside their matrimonial home. That stance came to an end when her husband's latest woman is someone so close to the family. There was a scene after this incident showing Valentina and her mother in the car while beside them a funeral procession was on its way along the same road. The look on the mother and daughter in addition to the funeral procession conveyed so much the feelings of the women at the hands of their beloved husband and father.
The husband in the story is the atypcial Latino man. He believes in the principle that you should always hold your head high in whatever situation. Nevertheless, even he succumbs to the torment of being a loser. His familiar stable family life and good social standing as an aspiring political candidate did not last last long. He had to pay for his past indiscretions in the end.
At the end, the two girls managed to surmount the turmoil of the difficult situation they were facing and remain steadfast friends.

Nana

Country: Japan 2005
Language: Japanese

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Details cinema.3yen

Seen: 27 November 2005
Poignat. As usual simple story lines seems to be the most effective way to convey a message. People are meant to be in love despite its pitfalls. How we transcend the dilemma of longing and our own ambitions are the highlights of the film. Superb actiing throughout by the cast brings the angst to the fore.

Innocence

Country: Thailand 2005
Language: Thai

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Details movieseer

Seen 17 October 2005
A documentary like no other. Cried a few times, many times because this is not fiction. The children come from under privilidged backgrounds and the boarding school gave them an opportunity to improve their lives. Some succeed but others will continue their livelihood as farmers. The close bond between the teachers who are guided by a benovalent principal helps tremendously in their quest for a better life. All the best.

The Journey

Country: India 2004
Language: Malayalam

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Seen: 17 October 2005
Two girls' love for each other. Kiran, the budding poet is more in touch with her emotional side when she pours her feelings towards Delilah in verse. The fact that they live in a society that does not approve love between same sexes spells doom for the relationship from the start. The director had a steady hand with a wonderful cast that conveyed the emotional upheaval building up towards a satisfactory ending.

Gol & Gincu

Country: Malaysia 2005
Language: Malay, English

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Details imdb

Seen: 19 August 2005
Subtitled “Is Love a Game?” seems an appropriate vehicle to show the lives of teenagers in Malaysia especially certain groups in Kuala Lumpur. The dialogue is spot-on most of the times reflecting the lingo and concerns of the younger population of the city. It is not all about teenage love and angst but some heavy stuff is touched on briefly for example gender stereotypes and sexual abuse. The film does not pretend to solve the perennial problems of love and friendship faced by ordinary folks especially teenagers but the premise of futsal, girls and love does make for a potent combination.
Acting wise the cast did a reasonably good job notwithstanding that most of them are first timers. The tight script and editing helped the film to move along at a respectable pace. At least the audience did not yawn in agony with melodramatic over the top scenes like those usually seen in Malay films.
Overall, it is a commendable effort from the whole team. Kudos are in order to the whole ensemble.

Ungu Violet

Country: Indonesia 2005
Language: Indonesian

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Details ungu-violet

Seen 7 August 2005
Another brilliant Indonesian film. The simple premise - boy meets girl, falls for her, leaves her, meets up with her again - is told in an engaging manner.
There were some moments of melodrama but we get back on the right track in the next scene.
I was interested to see how Dian Sastrowardoyo fareed after I saw her sterling performance in .Ada Apa Dengan Cinta'. She is still cast as the girl to die for while she herself seems to bury her true feelings towards the one tru love.
In this story, the true love is played by a newcomer, Rizky Hanggono. The name itself sounds so exotic like a long lost forbidden fruit. He did not have to muster a whole range of emotions but the few that was shown on screen is enough to bring forth his character.
I was pleasantly surprised to see Rima Melati as the grandmother. I have not seen her in films for a long time and I can still recall her tormented face when she played the unwanted fiancee in Salah Asuhan. That was acting par excellence. Her role in this film might seem small but it triggered events that changed Dian's character's perception of her first friend.
The Bahasa Malaysia subtitles helped in me understand the film so much better.

War of the Worlds

Country: USA 2005

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Details waroftheworlds

Seen 31 July 2005
I read the abridged version of the book when I was in school and have forgotten the finer details. That is fortunate in a way since I don't have any preconceived ideas of the story line. Maybe just a vague recollection of aliens invading earth.
The big pull was of course Tom Cruise and Spielberg. Big names that is supposed to deliver. Not too bad an effort. I was on edge most of the time even though they used the old trick of frightening the audience with silent moments accompanied by a very well written score.
The music background in this instance does contribute in a significant way to the build up of emotions of the main characters. Tom Cruise's daughter shrieks just like Drew Barrymore in ET. Is that a coincidence or a homage to an earlier 'alien' movie.
Overall, a satisfying watch. Just don't quibble with minor details. As usual the hero escapes everything bad thrown in his way. A heroic effort.

Fantastic Four

Country: USA 2005

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Details fantasticfourmovie

Seen: 24 July 2005
At last, one of my favourite comic book characters is on the big screen. The main draw for me was to see Jessica Alba as the Invicible Girl. She did not dissappoint. The four heroes and the villain had enough spunk in them to carry the strory through - good versus evil. There were one-liners galore. Nothing earth shattering but true to comics - fun and the audience roots for the good guys.
Of course there were poignat moments by way of the love triangle and the Thing's love for his wife. Those were the quiet seconds but most of the time we were entertained by the special effects and how the four try to save the community from the evil doings of their former employer and friend.
They won at the end of the story but there are inklings that the saga will be continued in the next episode.

Batman Begins

Country: USA 2005

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Seen 26 June 2005
Some friends liked the film while others felt dissappointed. I enjoyed the whole premise. Of course the action sequences could have been more dramatic to show off Batman's powers. The not so fulfilling action parts seems trivial when compared to the whole story line.
At least now I know how Batman became Batman. His past life illuminates the reasons behind his obsession to fight the evil doers who intend to do harm in Gotham City.
Christian Bale as Batman fits like a glove in the role. He has always taken a risk, taking unfamiliar and unpopular roles. It is a gamble but worth the risk when the right actor comes to the fore. He carries the role effortlessly and is in his element playing Batman's alter ego. The right mix of phatos, inner strength and vulnerability makes the role complete.

The Edukators

Country: Germany 2004
Language: German

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Seen 23 April 2005
Social activism gone wrong? The two boys and the girl seems like remnants of the peace loving movement of the sixties. Distributing leaflets on the inequality of income between the rich and poor nations of the world seems like a worthy cause. The boys take a step further by breaking into luxurious mansions of the rich and leaving messages that their days of opulence are numbered.
They wanted the owners to feel insecure. This strategy worked well until one night when the owner of the house came back too early This is not the usual target. The girl had damaged his car in an accident and is paying him with her miserably small wage.
The owner is knocked unconscious and the trio with their victim start a journey into the mountains where their beliefs and convictions unfold. The love triangle almost broke the friendship between the two boys. But the survival instinct helped the three of them make it through another day.

You I Love

Country: Russia 2003
Language: Russian

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Seen 23 April 2005
Another love triangle - Russian version. The premise is weird to say the least even if it happens in New York. A successful anchorwoman and advertising manager fall for each other but then comes the boy from the outbacks who completes the triangle.
The boy is ethereal in some ways. He doesn't have any qualms showing his tender side towards the man and the woman eventually accepts the status quo. The boy's family made concerted efforts to turn the boy around. The local doctor and their own faith healer couldn't help. The final solution is to kidnap the boy and send him to the army to make him a real man again.
But stability returns to the triangle after the boy is released from the army. I doubt this arrangement will work in reality but there may be successful cases which is unknown to society at large.

Head On

Country: Australia 1998

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Seen: 22 April 2005
How a teenager handles his sexuality and racial identity in the Australian melting pot. He has a good heart from the start. He just wants to live his life according to his beliefs but his Greek family background is takes a heavy toll on his shoulders.
He satisfies his sexual urges by having one night stands and sometimes violently. The sexual acts are enhanced by his drug taking habits. He is a casual/social drug user but there were moments that he wanted more to block out the reality at home. He is not close to his father and there is always a thread of animosity between the two of them whenever they're in the same room.
He does meet someone that would have made a good permanent love interest but he blundered. The drugs came at the wrong moment and he was thrown out. He realises that he has missed an opportunity to find some solid happiness but it was his own fault. He acknowledges the mistake and feels his life will continue as it is without any impact on others. But the family especially the mother will bear the pain.

Too much love

Country: Mexico 2002
Language: Spanish

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More details Brooklyn International Film Festival

Seen: 3 Feb 2006
The film starts with Beatriz sending off her sister, Laura to Spain. This is the start of their ambition to make it big in life. While Beatriz was nursing her drink at her usual coffee shop, she caught the eye of a good looking man. The man pays for her coffee and that started Beatriz's love for that particular one man. She has always had a negative outlook on herself until one day the flower lady told her that once one man picks her up, it would be the start of Beatriz being the centre of attention of all kinds of men. True enough. Beatriz had a string of men but her heart was with her first lover, Carlos. At the end, that success with men became a stumbling factor to her happiness with Carlos.
A very sad ending for Beatriz but she also wrote a letter to Laura with a faint streak of defiance. She also enclosed the collection of mementos of all the men she had known as a legacy for Laura's daughters.
The soundtrack helped a lot to convey the mood of each scene.

Prime

Country: USA 2005

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Seen: 3 Feb 2006
Rafi (Uma Thuman), a recently divorced 37 years old starts a relationship with 23 years old David (Bryan Greenberg). This state of affairs is complicated by the fact that Rafi's therapist Lisa (Meryl Streep) is David's mother. None of them knew of this 6th degrees of separation until much later. Rafi and David did try to make a success of their feelings for each other. But the chances were stacked against them. The age difference does play a significant role in certain circumstances, eg, attitudes towards life. The fact that Rafi was not Jewish and recently divorced was another minus point. The story did not end on a happy ever after finale but the lovers learnt a lesson or two along the way during their relationship.
Meryl Streep was brilliant in the scene when she finally realised that the man Rafi was talking about is her own son.

No one writes to the colonel

Country: Mexico 2000
Language: Spanish

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Seen: 2 Feb 2006
Throughout the film we see two events that make a regular appearance. The Colonel inquring whether there has been any letters about his overdue pension and his obsession with a fighting cock. Slowly we realise that he and his wife have remained frozen in time with the shadow of their dead son hovering in all aspects of their lives. They maintain a stubborn streak even in their times of need. The Colonel will always remember that he played a part during the fight between the Church and government umpteen years ago. Now he is forgotten by the government and has to carry on with his life in the best possible way while maintaining his dignity. The couple are destitutes but their pride had the upper hand most of the time. A few scenes depicted how the couple's love for each other remain strong despite all the hardship.
The story develops slowly and takes time to enfold so the audience has to be patient to follow what is happening until the end.

In her shoes

Country: USA 2005

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Seen: 2 Feb 2006
The film looks at two sisters and their relationship with each other as well as their own family. Maggie (Cameron Diaz) as the air head sister and Rose (Toni Collette) as the more sensible of the two are the main leads. The story gained momentum after an incident that was the straw that broke the camel's back, in this case Rose's back. The two sisters lead separate lives after that incident with Maggie finding solace and shelter with her previously unknown grandmother Ella (Shirley MacLaine). The story had bitter sweet moments whenever the focus was on Maggie discovering herself that she is much more than a bubbly party girl. Meanwhile, Rose realises that she is capable of continuing with her life after that incident involving Maggie. When they meet again, they realise that they are unable to forego the fact that they are a pair. Best friends, confidant, a helping hand in times of need and despair.
Maggie quoted a poem by ee cummings "i carry your heart with me" which sums up brilliantly the feelings felt between the two of them.
http://www.americanpoems.com/poets/eecummings/11913

Mallboy

Country: Australia 2000
Language: English

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More details imdb

Seen: 22 April 2005
Disturbing social drama with hit in the face acting by the ensemble. Swear words are peppered throughout most scenes. Maybe a reflection of the real language spoken by that part of Australian society. They're not the normal nicely brought up goody two shoes family. They have more than their fair share of ups and downs. More downs in this case.
The boy in the family, Shaun shoulders all this emotional baggage in the only way he knows. Befriending like minded youths with almost the same family background. He tries to cope with his absent father. Shaun even tries to reconnect with his father when the latter is released from prison but the father does not want the son in his life. The father's action might have been a disguise to save the son from venturing and continuing in the same mould. Noble gestures if done unconsciously.
The mother's love for the son is typical motherly love. She herself need straightening and the son is her life's anchor. She and the family will survive the boy's temporary absence from home. The social welfare has its heart in the right place and the boy might be able to change the course of his destiny.

After midnight

Country: Italy 2004
Language: Italian

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Seen: 22 April 2005
A simple premise. Love blossoms amidst the cinema museum in Turin, Italy. It might seem unlikely that a lovely girl who is the main squeeze of the car thief/leader of the criminal gang in the district had anything in common with the quiet and inward looking night watchman at the museum.
But it was not love per se. They found that they had something to share with each other. The girl is left in a dilemma after she emerges from her hiding. She wants the three of them to live happily ever after.
That was not meant to be. Someone had to bumped off. Tragicomedy in certain scenes but poignant in others. The lingering pan of the camera on the girl's face illuminates her inner strengh and beauty. She does seem to have everything that a man wants from a woman. She herself does not realise that she has that x-factor.

The year of living vicariously

Country: Malaysia 2005
Language: Malay

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More details:imdb

Seen: 13 March 2005
The director, Amir Muhammad says in a way it is a continuation of The Big Durian. Quite different in some aspects but there are similar threads here and there. We may be of the same racial stock as the Indonesians but the way we handle things are different. The difference may be appropriate since the circumstances are different.

Tokyo Magic Hour

Country: Malaysia 2004
Languaage: Malay, English

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Seen: 13 March 2005
Supposedly a love story but if there were no pantuns strewn throughout the film, the images can be interpreted in a million other ways. But it is true that the chosen pantuns do connote the erotic in the Malay culture. Hearing the pantun gives the film an almost pornographic feel. The Malay culture is such that the underlying meaning is so so much more than what it seems to be at first glance.

An unfinished life

Country: USA 2005
Language: English

Picture from imdb
More details an unfinished life

Seen: 1 Feb 2006
Einar (Robert Redford) as the father still carries the emotional baggage of losing his son a long time ago. Jean (Jennifer Lopez) as the daughter-in-law and his grand daughter Griff (Becca Gardner) appear one day on his farm to start a new life. She is escaping from a physically abusive boy friend. Her presence is not exactly welcomed but he gives her shelter nevertheless.
There is a sub plot involving a bear and Mitch (Morgan Freeman). The scenes with the bear has a bearing on how the humans behave with each other.
Acting wise, there seems to be a quiet method of conveying the story. A tight direction and short dialogues help the story continue to a satisfactory end.

Lan Yu

Country: Hong Kong 2001
Language: Mandarin

Picture frrom imdb
More details: lanyu

Seen: 1 Feb 2006
When two people know each other too well, it is time for them to separate. A phrase that resonates throughout the film.
Lan Yu (Liu Ye) who started sleeping with Handong (Hu Jun) for money eventually fell in love with his benefactor. But Handong has always had other plans - sleeping with other guys, getting married and having children. This is despite his deep feelings which are getting stronger for Lan Yu.
The first separation was over another boy. They met up again during the Tianmen Square demonstration of 1989. The second separation occurs when Handong fell in love with a woman working as an interpreter for his company.
Both of them lead separate lives after Handong's marriage but met up again after a few years.
When Handong fell into bad times, it is Lan Yu who gave his partner a helping hand. At last, Lan Yu can reciprocate whatever Handong has done to help him earlier.
Alas, things do not end on an entirely happy note.

The Big Durian

Country: Malaysia 2003
Language: Malay, English

Picture from filemkita
More details: thebigdurian

Seen: 13 March 2005
Amir Muhammad's take on Private Adam's amuk incident in 1987. Most probably will never be shown in mainstream cinemas. Content too provocative. Interestingly that reformasi symbol did play quite a significant role at that time. Maybe Amir should also tackle the subject of what has happened to the protagonist after all these years. There is bound to be stumbling blocks along the way, eg finding information but should be worth his while.