Liebe und Verlangen (Love and Desire)

This 2003 made for TV German production directed by Judith Kennel is a melodrama that revisit the mother of child falls for teacher story but brings not much new to the theme, except that this time the mother is also the school principal wife and with a hardly believable twist the husband role becomes crucial for the “happy” ending of the story.

Performances are not bad by the two leads, but the girl that spreads the news and sets the drama to become darker has a quite bad performance as she definitively over acts in most scenes. Then honestly the script is not well developed and tends to be on the very bad side. Still leads performances sort of save the movie even when they have to do not so credible dramatic and unnecessary things like the suicide attempt.

Tells about Karen, better known as Puppa that falls for English teacher Jeanne that went to the provincial small town from big city Cologne looking for peace and silence. Since the two meet attraction develops and after a night drinking Puppa awakes in Jeanne’s bed and does not remember a thing. But soon enough she recalls and for a TV movie definitively has some outstanding scenes with them making love. But the plot needed drama, so drama comes from an unexpected source and everything you see or believe is happening is really not and is until the end that you discover what really is happening. But the dramatic melodrama has a happy ending and that’s about what makes the film different from the frequent made for TV lesbian interest movies.

Not a masterpiece, but for entertainment purposes is acceptable; still and because the extraordinary good scenes when Puppa and Jeanne make love I definitively recommend the film.

Enjoy!

Selma

I was quite surprised with this made for TV mini series period drama in two one hour parts as definitively has an outstanding story told with surprising (for me) high productions values and great performances which definitively makes it one of the best TV productions that I have seen lately.

Directed by Erik Leijonborg the movie is inspired in the not long ago released to the public letters written by Selma Lagerlöf to her two “life companions” Sophie Elkan and Valborg Olander. The “inspired” mention is important as according to producers is more based on what the letters “does not really say” and consequently only tells about Selma’ relationship with both women, so there is not much about her as a writer. In the end becomes a daring story of love and jealousy with some of her political views and how she stands up to women’s rights.

If you are not familiar with whom Selma Lagerlöf is here is a brief summary about her. Selma Lagerlöf is the first woman to win the Nobel Prize for literature, she’s Swedish and according to what I read her prize came twelve years before women had the right to vote, she’s a historically important figure/icon in Sweden and her face is in their money. Her work covers huge spaces in the Sweden Public Library and it contained letters written by and to her that were sealed until finally published 50 years after her death in the early 40’s. These letters revealed the “love” affairs she had with Sophie and Valborg. I imagine that because of her stature not many are willing to acknowledge that the “love affairs” were not affairs, she was in love with those women that shared most of her life as very close partners, but I still have to read the letters, if I find them.

Anyway the miniseries in part one tell about Selma and Sophie arriving in Taormina, Italy and staying at a Scandinavian colony for artists were they alternate with other well-known artists. Selma looks really in love with Sophie but Sophie is reluctant and more interested in meeting a married French man. The climax of part one comes when Selma, after watching Sophie having sex with the man, encounters Matilda that she especially noticed at the train station when they arrived to Taormina, but you have to see what happens or I totally will spoil the story.

Part two starts fourteen years later, in 1909, when Selma is about to become the first woman to receive the Nobel Prize. At her side is now her constant companion Valborg Olander and you can see that Valborg is clearly in love with Selma but how Selma feels is not that obvious. When Sophie arrives to be there in her big day a lot of drama ensues as both women are constantly fighting for Selma’s attention. Things get more complicated when someone from Selma’s past -that you will meet in part one- shows up and threatens to ruin her reputation and career by making public some letters that Sophie wrote to her. For your information in those days homosexuality was punished with jail and Selma was about to receive the Nobel Prize!

Not surprisingly the film was very controversial in Sweden, with some scenes (especially Selma’s encounter with Matilda) provoking strong negative reactions among Lagerlöf living descendants. Perhaps -as some say- the miniseries has too many artistic licenses and not much historic accuracy; but definitively is an amazing and entertaining story that I do recommend especially to those that enjoy the lesbian interest genre.

I enjoyed the film quite a lot and made me really curious to learn more about the real remarkable woman; not many films and/or historic figures provoke this to me, but definitively I'll learn a lot more about Selma Lagerlöf work and life thanks to the motivation this movie gave me.

Enjoy!!!

38th Rotterdam International Film Festival Award Winners

The 2009 Tiger Awards were announced at the award ceremony that was last night and here are some of the winners.

VPRO Tiger Awards

Aram Bash Va Ta Haft Beshmar (Be Calm and Count to Seven), Ramtin Lavafipour, Iran, 2008
“For us, this film did what all films strive to do: it represented and dramatized a way of life in terms that were at once specific and universal, not to mention unfailingly vivid.”

Ddongpari (Breathless), Yang Ik-June, South Korea, 2008
“A powerfully rendered and acted film with a keen sense of reality in its portrayal of a situation that has been seldom seen in cinema. We were also surprised to see an extremely troubling subject matter treated with a welcome sense of warmth and humor.”

Uzak Ihtimal (Wrong Rosary), Mahmut Fazil Coskun, Turkey, 2009
“a uniquely creative film of the most eloquent simplicity, a film built from a feeling of immediacy, moment by moment, breath by breath; a film that builds an absolutely unique form of suspense; a film that stays true to itself from beginning to end.”

NETPAC Award: Dadi (The Land), He Jia, China, 2008
Special Mention: Agrarian Utopia, Uruphong Raksasad, Thailand, 2009

FIPRESCI Prize: Babi buta yang ingin terbang (Blind Pig Who Wants to Fly), Edwin, Indonesia, 2008

KNF Award: Tony Manero, Pablo Larraín, Chile and Brazil, 2008

MovieSquad Award: Slumdog Millionaire, Dany Boyle and Loveleen Tandan, UK, 2008 (amazing that "finally" a fest recognizes the co director)

To read the official press release with all the winners go here.

CineMart Awards
Prince Claus Film Grant: Birdie, Byamba Sakhya
ARTE France Cinema Award: Him, Lance Weiler
Lions Film Award: Francaise, Souad El-Bouhati

To learn about the CineMart awards given to film projects go here.

20th Trieste Film Festival Award Winners

Today in America two famous festivals begin, but in Italy there is a fest that also begins today and is described as “the most rich and articulated Italian film festival devoted to the cinema from Central and Eastern Europe and beyond”.

Competing for the Trieste Feature Film Award there are 12 long feature films produced within the last two years that best document and interpret more original and meaningful concepts, launching the cinematic production as a whole. All are Italian premieres.

33 SZENY Z ŻYCIA - Małgośka Szumowska
CZTERY NOCE Z ANNĄ - Jerzy Skolimowski
DELTA - Kornél Mundruczó
DIORTHOSI - Thanos Anastopoulos
KARAMAZOVI - Petr Zelenka
MÄRZ - Händl Klaus Special Mention
LAS MENINAS - Ihor Podolčak
PROGNOZA - Sophia Zornitsa
SNIJEG - Aida Begić Special Mention and Winner of the Audience Award
TULPAN - Sergej Dvorcevoj
TURNEJA - Goran Marković
WOLKE 9 - Andreas Dresen Winner of the Trieste Award for Best Film

All, except one, are Must Be Seen for me, especially those that I’m “dying” to be able to watch like Tulpan and Snijeg (Snow)! Then one of my favorite writers of all time is none other that James Joyce and the fest is going to honor the writer with a comprehensive homage called 1909-2009: FROM TRIESTE TO DUBLIN - JAMES JOYCE AND THE VOLTA CINEMA. The event curated by Elisabetta D’Erme, John McCourt and Erik Schneider includes an exhibition, a film retrospective, a convention and a screenplay contest. If only I could go to Italy…

To browse the fest site and the award winners in all categories go here.

44th Solothurn Film Festival Winners

While browsing the site of this fest I came to realize that I need to watch more Swiss films as since I started this blog haven’t seen that many. The fest runs from January 19 to 25 in Switzerland. These are the films competing for the Prix de Soleure.

Du Bruit dans la tête, Vincent Pluss
Happy New Year, Christoph Schaub
In die Welt, Constantin Wulff, documentary
Home, Ursula Meier (must be seen)
La Fortresse, Fernand Melgar, documentary
No More Smoke Signals, Fanny Brauning, documentary Winner of the Prix de Soleure 2009
Pausenlos, Dieter Granicher, documentary
März, Handi Klaus (must be seen)

Other Winner
Prix du Public: Maman est chez le coiffeur, Lea Pool, Canada

To check all the films in the fest go here. Be sure to check page 15 with all the information about the Léa Pool Retrospective that includes screening of Maman est Chez le Coiffeur, Anne Trister, Emporte-moi, Lost and Delirious, La Demoiselle Sauvage, Mouvements du Désir, A Corps Perdu, La Femme de l’Hôtel, Rispondetemi and Strass Café. If you live nearby I suggest you do not miss the rare opportunity of watching her earlier movies in the big screen, especially visually outstanding Anne Trister.

To browse the official site go here and select the language of your preference. All the winners are posted only in the French and German version of the site.

2008 Annie Awards Winners

Not exactly a genre that I really watch but this year there is a movie that it is a must be seen for me: Waltz With Bashir, so here are the nominated films for the only category I’m interested.

Best Animated Feature
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda Winner (??!!)
$9.99
Wall-E
Waltz With Bashir

The awards are presented by the International Animated Film Society, ASIFA-Hollywood. To check the nominees and winners in all the categories go here. The awards ceremony will be on January 30th, 2009.

Well, well... Kung Fu Panda winning is a surprise that I really do not know what it means as during the current awards season has not win that many awards if we compare it to Wall-E. So pehaps the Oscars could bring a surprise to what some believe was a sure win for Wall-E. I'm not surprised that Waltz With Bashir didn't make it, as the power of this film lies more within the story than the "animated" visuals; still the complete package is truly amazing!

Solar Flare

I really do not want to waste too many words with this awful film that has been marketed as lesbian interest when definitively is not at all and I have to agree with someone that commented that “just because an actress has played lesbian characters” does not mean that everything else she plays is “lesbian”. The person is referring to Michelle Clunie from the TV series Queer as Folk that plays one of the two female leads.

But worst is that here! Films (a well-known LGTB film company) releases a misleading movie poster and in the earlier synopsis included that Clunie character is a lesbian mother struggling to give her son an education that she never had, so her last job –she gets fired- is as a bouncer in a strip joint (??!!).

If you forget about all the lesbian interest stuff, then you have a below B-movie that is not worth even for TV as is terribly acted, special effects are really primitive/awful, and perhaps the only so-so thing is the story that probably those that like sci-fi movies could have liked if the production values were not so poor as in this movie, even when surely had a very low budget.

If you skip this movie you will not be missing a thing.

Bienvenido a Farewell-Gutmann (Welcome to Farewell-Gutmann)

A classic drama full of words and tight performances that follows three top executives that run for their promotion after the head of the Human Resources Department director (Ruiz) dies at the multinational pharmaceutical company. The film totally looks and feels like a stage play which makes it at times hard to watch as becomes a little boring to follow all the cliché power struggle between them that is filmed in a quite claustrophobic way that does not add to the narrative but makes it tiring to watch.

The Xavi Puebla film basically tells about the productive Adela, who fights for the recognition she’s been denied during years because of the dead director machismo; Lázaro, Ruiz’s left-hand, despises Adela professionally though he tries to sleep with her whenever he can and Fernando, lost in his alcoholism since his wife left him, does not have enough self-esteem to think of himself as a candidate. Their fragile relationships change when eccentric executive Luger arrives from the headquarters to choose who is going to lead the Department. But the not so imaginative twist is that each of the executives is interviewing prospects and what they do to them is similar to what Luger does to each executive.

The movie was around the fest circuit mainly in Europe where won 5 awards and had 11 nominations including Ana Fernandez (Adela) winning the Silver Biznaga at the 2008 Malaga fest and Xavi Puebla and Jesus Gil Vilda winning the Best Screenplay at the 2008 Montreal fest and at the 2008 Gaudi Awards. Perhaps the screenplay is not that bad, but I believe that the way the movie was constructed was not interesting or engaging thus making Puebla a not so good storyteller.

I cannot recommend this movie as definitively was not pleasant to watch, but if you like to see heavy and wordy stage dramas in the big screen perhaps you should give it a try. Still if you’re interested in movies that deal with high executives struggles I recommend you watch La Question Humaine that has a more interesting plot.

Estômago (Estômago: A Gastronomic Story)

As some may recall I’m a little scared of Brazilian films but decided to watch this movie that definitively has a very suggestive name, Stomach. Well not exactly what I imagined as seems that prison movies are “following” me. Yes this is a prison movie too but is in a male Brazilian prison that honestly looks worst than prisons from Argentina. Anyway the movie was quite surprising as is truly entertaining; it starts in the prison but soon crisscrosses to the past, so you have basically two movies that look and feel quite different one from the other.

Inspired by the short story “Presos pelo Estômago” by Lusa Silvestre this film directed by Marcos Jorge tells the story of Raimundo Nonato (João Miguel) that if the story was told sequentially will start with him arriving to the big city from a small city and finding that he has an extraordinary talent for cooking when he starts cooking at a small shop, he's so good that soon he’s “stolen” to a upper class Italian restaurant where he learns haute cuisine and the art of mixing ingredients. But something happen (and you will not know it until the end) and he ends up in a small prison cell with other 10 inmates, the only way he gains respect and ascends the ranks is to start cooking for his cell mates, so he does and the most exquisite dishes are prepared in that tiny cell full of men.

One word of advise, if you decide to watch this movie I strongly suggest you do it with a full stomach or you could get really hungry even when there are some dishes prepared in the most unclean conditions. But as you imagine this story is not only about cooking, is also about sex and power, and definitively Marcos Jorge is a great storyteller that found the most interesting way to tell this very unusual story.

The movie is funny especially because the amazing performance by João Miguel that really looks like a lost-in-the-city peasant and for those familiar with Brazil, let me tell you that the character comes from northern Brazil and people from that area are the object of many jokes, just as the ones that come from Galicia, Spain (Gallegos' jokes). So, he’s really funny both for the way he looks as for what he says. This is his film as he’s almost in every scene.

The film as a film has two different cinematography’s done clearly on purpose to show the lower and higher environments but honestly you do not pay much attention to the above production values as you really get into the story and your eyes follow the unbelievable Raimundo Nonato. But there are some moments in the movie that somehow made me recall the style of Fellini, especially in the most grotesque scenes. The films has 12 wins and 4 nominations in mainly Latin American and Spain festivals, including winning the Golden Spike, Best New Director, Youth Jury Award and Best Actor for Miguel in the 2008 Valladolid fest.

I tend to believe that this film is not for all audiences and probably is best suited for those familiar with Latin American traditions and cinema, as what you will see in the screen looks and feels like raw realism and those scenes that not is because they are really harsh. So definitely I’m unsure if I should or shouldn’t recommend it and if you decide to give it a try do it at your own risk.

I liked the movie even when I found the story quite predictable (many say the opposite, so go figure) and soon enough I guessed most of what happens, but the ride was entertaining and funny.

Enjoy!!

2009 Teddy Awards Jury

If you’re curious about whom the Jury members for this year awards are, then take a look at their brief bios.

Justine Barda born in 1970, is a programmer for the Seattle International Film Festival and a programming associate for the Sundance Film Festival. Previously she served as Director of Special Initiatives for Hedgebrook, a literary foundation and writers' retreat. She was also the director of Three Dollar Bill Cinema, which produces the Seattle Lesbian and Gay Film Festival. Barda has a Ph.D. in English with a specialization in Cinema Studies. She has written numerous film reviews and is currently working on a collection of short stories. She divides her time between Seattle and Paris.

Manny de Guerre born in 1972, works for the Side by Side International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, Saint Petersburg, Russia. She organizes and coordinates both their film programming and special events. She holds a degree in Cultural Studies and a Master’s degree in Russian Studies. Manny has carried out extensive research in Russia on the social, political and psychological significance of arts and culture. She has done volunteer work for a local LGBT community in the UK, designed and managed a regional community group’s website, as well as organizing various cultural events including an LGBT film society.

Rudi Fürstberger born in 1969, is the Programming Director of the Queer Film Festival Verzaubert, touring four German cities every year (Munich, Frankfurt, Cologne, and Berlin) and the Fantasy Film Festival Berlin. Before working for Sundance and publishing several articles on film, Fürstberger took drama classes at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute in New York. As a PR-Adviser he worked for the New York based agency Jeremy Walker & Associates, responsible for marketing such films as “American Psycho”, “Presque Rien”, “L.I.E”. and “Monster’s Ball”, as well as for NewFest, LGBT Film Festival, New York.

Stephen Kent Jusick born in 1969, is the Executive Director of MIX New York City Film Festival. He has been curating experimental film since 1989 and making films since 1992. In 1995 he founded Fever Films to distribute experimental film and video for public exhibition. Some of Jusick's Super-8 film work can be seen on the “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” DVD. Jusick's Super-8 documentation of bands include: the Scissor Sisters, Fischer Spooner, Le Tigre, Lou Reed, and Moby. In January 2001 he founded the CineSalon in New York City, which inspired John Cameron Mitchell’s film “Shortbus”, that Jusick appears in.

Mercedes Martín born in 1976, is the head of the International Film Festival on Gender and Sexual Diversity Llamale H, Uruguay. The festival was founded by Francisco Dalmao in 2006. It provides Uruguay with the opportunity to both participate in LGBT film culture and to exhibit queer cinema from all over the world. Martín Mercedes graduated with a degree in Psychology and Psycho-Drama.

Cosimo Santoro born in 1973, is the Programming Director of the Torino LGBT Film Festival, Italy. He graduated with a degree in Critical Film Theory in 1998. Since then he has published several articles and essays on film, collaborated with the Turin Media Center of Italian Independent Cinema, and worked for CinemAmbiente -Turin International Environment, Documentary in Europe, Cervino International, and Torino Film Festivals. He has curated queer programmes for the Madrid International, Batik Film Festival in Perugia, and for LGBT Festival Diversa Buenos Aires. He has served as a juror for LGBT Film Festivals at Frameline San Francisco, Mezipatra, and Queer Lisboa.

Kyle Stephan born in 1974, programmes for the British Film Institute’s London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival. She served as Guest Curator for the 2008 MIX Brasil Film Festival in São Paulo and as the Curatorial Fellow at SF Camerawork Gallery in San Francisco. She is a Los Angeles based curator, producer, and author, specialized in Latin American cinema, experimental film, and media art. As a producer, she has successfully developed numerous media art projects that have exhibited at various international festivals and venues. She is currently producing a feature-length documentary on the history of the Feminist Art Movement in the US. Her critical writing on film, art, and culture has appeared in numerous publications.

Emina Trumic born in 1986, is one of the four organizers of the first Queer Sarajevo Festival, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Trumic is an activist in Organization Q, the only active LGBTIQ organization in Bosnia and Herzegovina. She studied English and German and works as a freelance translator for Q and other organizations and events. Currently she is studying Radiological Technology in Sarajevo. During the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, along with others, she formed the caravan theater “Dromedar“ performing across Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as in Germany.

Now you know.

2009 Belinale Forum Lineup

Here is the incredibly long list of films that will be screened in the Forum section of the fest. There are more films in the Forum Expanded, Forum Expanded Shorts, Forum Expanded Exhibitions, and Forum Expanded Talk and Show.

Main Forum

(*)Aguas Verdes (Green Waters), Mariano De Rosa, Argentina, 2009
A Historyof Israeli Cinema, Raphaël Nadjari, Frane and Israel, 2009
Ai no mukidashi (Love Exposure), Sono Sion, Japan, 2008
Araya, Margot Benacerraf, Venezuela and France, 1959
Beewax, Andrew Bujalski, USA, 2009
Calimucho, Eugenie Jansen, Netherlands, 2008
(*)Cea mai fericită fată din lume (The Happiest Girl in the World), Radu Jude, Romania and Netherlands, 2009 (must be seen)
Chin yan (The Beast Stalker), Dante Lam, Hong Kong and China, 2008
D’Arusha à Arusha (From Arusha to Arusha), Christophe Gargot, France, Canada and Rwanda, 2008
Die koreanische Hochzeitstruhe (The Korean Wedding Chest), Ulrike Ottinger, Germany, 2009 (Yes this is the new Ottinger film!)
Die wundersame Welt der Waschkraft (The Wondrous World of Laundry), Hans-Christian Schmid, Germany, 2009
(*)Eoddeon gaien nal (The Day After), Lee Suk-Gyung, South Korea, 2009
Filmmakers Against Racism, various directors, South Africa, 2008
Generasi biru (The Blue Generation), Garin Nugroho, John De Rantau, Dosy Omar, Indonesia, 2009
Hashmatsa (Difamation, Yoav Shamir, Israel and Austria, 2009
Hayat var (My Only Sunshine), Reha Erdem, Turkey, Greece and Bulgaria, 2008
Heosuabideuleui ddang (Land of Scarecrows), Roh Gyeong-Tae, South Korea and France, 2008
H:r Landshövding (Mr Governor), Måns Månsson, Sweden, 2008
(*)Jangryesigeui member (Members of the Funeral), Baek Seung-Bin, South Korea, 2008
(*)Kan door huid heen (Can Go Through Skin), Esther Rots, Netherlands, 2009
Langsamer Sommer (Slow Summer), John Cook, Austria, 1976
La Sirena y el Buzo (The Mermaid and the Diver), Mercedes Moncada Rodríguez, Mexico, Spain and Nicaragua, 2009
L’Encerclement (Encirclement), Richard Brouillette, Canada, 2008
Letters to the President, Petr Lom, Canada and Iran, 2009
Ma dai fu de zhen suo (Doctor Ma’s Country Clinic), Cong Feng, China, 2008
Man tänker sitt (Burrowing), Fredrik Wenzel and Henrik Hellström, Sweden, 2009
(*)Marin Blue, Matthew Hysell, USA, 2009
Material, Thomas Heise, Germany, 2009
Meotjin haru (My Dear Enemy), Lee Yoon-Ki, South Korea, 2008
Mitte Ende August (Sometime in August), Sebastian Schipper, Germany, 2009
Mubobi (Naked of Defenses), Ichii Masahide, Japan, 2008
Ne me libérez pas, je m'en charge (My Greatest Escape), Fabienne Godet, France, 2009
Polamuang Juling (Citizen Juling), Kraisak Choonhavan, Manit Sriwanichpoom and Ing K, Thailand, 2008
Rachel, Simone Bitton, France and Belgium, 2009
Schwitzkasten (Clinch), John Cook, Austria, 1978
Seishin (Mental), Soda Kazuhiro, Japan, 2008
Semaan Bil Day’ia (The One Man Village), Simon El Habre, Lebanon, 2008
Soul Power, Jeffrey Levy-Hinte, USA, 2008
Sumashedshaya pomosh (Help Gone Mad), Boris Khlebnikov, Russia, 2009
Sweetgrass, Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Ilisa Barbash, USA, 2009
The Exploding Girl, Bradley Rust Gray, USA, 2009
Treeless Mountain, So Yong Kim, USA and South Korea, 2008
Un Chat Un Chat (Pardon My French), Sophie Fillières, France, 2009
When it was Blue, Jennifer Reeves, USA and Iceland, 2008
Winterstite (Winter Silence), Sonja Wyss, Netherlands and Switzerland, 2008
(*)Wu Shen Feng Ling (Soundless Wind Chime), Kit Hung, Hong Kong, China and Switzerland, 2009
Yanaka Boshoku (Deep in the Valley), Funahashi Atsushi, Japan, 2009
Zum Vergleich (By Comparison), Harun Farocki, Germany and Austria, 2009 (a movie without dialogue… must be seen for me!)

(*) From the 25 films nominated for the Best First Feature Award, seven (7) come from the Forum section and the asterisk identifies them in the above list . By the way the members of the Best First Feature Award Jury are: screenwriter Diablo Cody (USA), producer In-Ah Lee (Germany) and director Rafi Pitts (Iran/France).

For those not familiar with this section here is a brief description.

The International Forum of New Cinema – or Forum – is the most daring section of the Berlinale programme. Avant-garde, experimental, essays, lengthy observations, political reportages and yet-to-be-discovered cinematographers: in the Forum everything new or unconventional comes together and finds an audience known for its enthusiasm and discerning cinematic eye.

The Forum places emphasis on young filmmakers and works that push the limits of the medium and perception itself. Appropriately, all formats are welcome. Documentaries and feature films are treated equally. The Forum programme reflects a desire for a radical, impartial exploration of the grey area between genres. The Forum also shows unusually long films that would have little chance of being screened elsewhere. More than a few unforgettable late nights belong to the history of the festival. The Forum has always explored the boundaries between art and cinema.

Definitively one of the most interesting sections of the Berlinale (especially all that come from France and one from Romania) and a section that is screening many interesting films as the ones listed above, but there are many more that you can browse by going here and filter by Forum.

To check The International Forum of New Cinema own site go here. Also check the mobile guide here that definitively is a must have if you’re one of the luckiest people to visit Berlin during the festival.

Le Premier Jour du Reste de ta Vie (The First Day of the Rest of Your Life)

This is that type of movie that as you continue watching totally grows into you, as slowly not only develops the story but also takes you inside the story to become, in this case, another member of the family. In the beginning I kept on wondering -what is this? as “nothing” was happening in the screen. But started to notice that this movie is about milestones in regular/normal lives and the little/big dramas of everyday life, that’s when the movie began to totally captivate me.

There are not many movies about normal families (against that many about dysfunctional families) so this movie looks and feels like a fresh breeze that makes you feel real good, as probably you will be able to see you and/or your family members in this film. Well, you don’t have to be literal as this is a very French family, but all that’s is told is very international like the day your eldest son (or brother) leaves home to live alone, the time you (or your sister) believe she was in love and had sex for the first time, when a grandparent dies, the first sibling to marry, when your father (or husband) dies, etc.

But what amazed me more about this Rémi Bezançon film he wrote and directed is that this light drama has -especially in the beginning- the peculiar French humor and made me laugh quite often. That’s highly unusual, as I do not like French humor… even less than American humor, lol! But the story/movie is so nice and sweet that totally relaxes you and allows you to highly enjoy the ride. That does not mean that this film is sugary, not at all as there are some moments quite dramatic.

When watching the movie I also was wondering why this movie is nominated for the top Cesar award; but as soon as was over I totally understood. It is outstanding how a common/normal story could make you feel emotions and this is only possible with an excellent and out of the ordinary storyteller and actors’ outstanding performances. Definitively this movie has in Bezançon a remarkable storyteller that was able to transform a well-traveled story into an emotional and entertaining film, plus a cast of not known to me actors that all are highly credible and remarkable in whatever they do in the screen.

Just check the post of the César Award and you will find that the complete Duval family (except the mother and many are “upset” for her not being nominated) is nominated for an actor award, as well as the director and film. Unfortunately my vote for best actor goes to Vincent Cassel (up-to date) and I still have to see a few more movies to cast my vote for supporting roles and newcomers; but I particularly liked Marc-André Grondin (Raphaël the family middle child) performance and probably he will get my vote.

Not a masterpiece but an excellent and different “make you feel good” film that definitively is not common in French cinema and I highly recommend to those that know and like this country cinema, as we do not have to forget that definitively France has a particular (great) film style that this movie totally has. It is worth to mention that this unusual film has a clear beginning and end, plus you do not have to fill any gaps or think a lot about what you’re seeing, which absolutely makes it more accessible to international audiences.

Enjoy!!!

23rd Teddy Awards Lineup

Here is the list of films (up-to-today) that will be competing for the Teddy Awards at the 2009 Berlinale.

Feature Films

Ai no mukidashi (Love Exposure), Sono Sion, Japan, 2008 Section: Forum (it's a 237 min film! Check trailer here. Seems it has some lesbian interest scenes!)
Forced to confess his sins by his priest father, Yu devotes himself to wrongdoing and becomes a legend of sneak photography. Then he meets Yoko, and becomes involved with a mysterious religious cult… Takahiro Nishijima, Hikari Mitsushima, and Sakura Ando make a splendid ensemble in this epic love story.
An Englishman In New York, Richard Laxton, UK, 2008 Section: Panorama (The later years of Quentin Crisp's life in NY, gay interest, starring John Hurt, Cynthia Nixon... hmm!)
Ander, Roberto Castón, Spain, 2009 Section: Panorama (gay interest)
El Niño pez (The Fish Child), Lucía Puenzo, Argentina, France and Spain, 2009 Section: Panorama (is a Puezo film that makes it must be seen for me, but better as is of total Lesbian Interest!)
A desperate love story between two young girls of extremely social backgrounds who, unable to find a place for their love in the world they live in, are pushed to commit a crime.
End Of Love, Simon Chung, China, 2009 Section: Panorama (gay interest??)
Fig Trees, John Greyson, Canada, 2009 Section: Panorama (AIDS, gay interest?)
Fucking Different Tel Aviv, many directors, Israel and Germany, 2009 Section: Panorama (all Fucking Different films are lesbian and gay interest)
Ai-Mei (Ghosted), Monika Treut, Germany and Taiwan, 2009 Section: Panorama (total lesbian interest)
A mysterious love story between Hamburg and Taipeh. The unsolved murder of her young Taiwanese lover Ai-ling (Keru) leaves the Hamburg artist Sophie Schmitt (Inga Busch) completely disoriented. She dedicates a video-installation to her and shows it in Taipei. During the opening she is approached by a mysterious journalist. Sophie is fascinated at first glance by Mei-li, the young journalist. Mei-li takes her to visit the famous Taipei night markets and tries to seduce the artist. Sophie, still mourning her lost lover, rejects Mei-li and returns immediately to Hamburg. Shortly afterwards Mei-li shows up on her doorstep, unannounced. Sophie takes her in and finally falls for her. But soon she realises that her new lover is secretly investigating Ai-ling's death. Strange happenings occur, sudden flashes of recollection come and go, and then Sophie finds out that there is no Mei-Li working for a Taiwanese newspaper and that no one by that name ever entered Germany. Who is the mysterious Taiwanese woman?
Heosuabideuleui ddang (Land of Scarecrows), Roh Gyeong-Tae, South Korea and France, 2008 Section: Forum (lesbian interest, but not for all audiences as seems very arty -which is just great for me! check review with spoilers here)
Ji-young (Kim Sun-young), an artist-of-sorts who wants to become a man. Strapping her breasts and donning a suit, she visits the Philippines and returns with Rain (Phuong Thi Bich), a naive girl who discovers too late she has married a woman.
Jangryesigeui member aka Jang-rae-sig-ui member (Members of the Funeral), Baek Seung-Bin, South Korea, 2008 Section: Forum (??)
Miao Miao, Cheng Hsiao-Tse, Hong Kong and Taiwan, 2008 Section: Generation 14 (plus) (we already know is lesbian interest)
Milk, Gus van Sant, Section: Panorama
Pedro, Nick Oceano, USA, 2008, Section: Panorama (HIV related? probably gay interest)
Rabioso Sol, Rabioso Cielo (Raging Sun, Raging Sky aka Enraged Sun, Enraged Sky), Julián Hernández, Mexico, 2008 Section: Panorama (probably gay interest)
Rage, Sally Potter, UK and USA, 2009 Section: Competition (gay interest? but it is a must be seen for me because of the director and the cast)
The film is a bitterly funny exposé of the inner lives of individuals working at a New York fashion house – as if shot by a schoolboy on his cellphone camera - over seven days in which an accident on the runway becomes a murder investigation
Resident Alien, Jonathan Nossiter, USA, 1990 Section: Panorama (gay interest documentary)
Rückenwind (Light Gradient), Jan Krüger, Germany, 2009 Section: Panorama (gay interest)
Two young men, Johann and Robin, take a trip into the countryside. The more they walk the forests of Brandenburg, the stranger their adventure becomes...
Strella (A Woman's Way), Panos H. Koutras, Greece, 2009 Section: Panorama (gay interest)
George is released from prison after 14 years of incarceration for a murder he committed in his small Greek village. He spends his first night out in a cheap downtown hotel in Athens. There he meets Strella, a young transsexual prostitute. They spend the night together and soon they fall in love. But the past is catching up with George. With Strella on his side he will have to find a new way out.
Tapage nocturne (Nocturnal Uproar), Catherine Breillat, France, 1979 Section: Panorama (??)
The Countess, Julie Delpy, France and Germany, 2009 Section: Panorama (with Anamaria Marinca! in English and ???)
The Naked Civil Servant, Jack Gold, UK, 1979 Section: Panorama (gay interest)
Wu Sheng Feng Ling (Soundless Wind Chime), Wing Kit Hung, Section: Forum (gay interest)
Ricky leaves Hong Kong for Switzerland to look for the lost soul and the past of his deceased Swiss lover, Pascal. Ricky struggles with the confusion of memories, reality and illusion.

Some Short Films

Contre Jour, Christoph Girardet, Matthias Muller, Germany, 2009 (have to write this: Caution: not recommended for epileptics!)
A Horse is Not A Metaphor, Barbara Hammer, USA, 2008 (a must be seen, there are many more Barbara Hammer films in the Forum section, where there is also an Ulrike Ottinger new movie!!!)
Gevald, Netalie Braun, Israel, 2008
Dish, Brian Harris Krinsky, USA, 2008
575 Castro Street, Jenni Olson, USA, 2008
The Island, Trevor Anderson, Canada, 2009
Tanjong Rhu (The Casaurina Cove), Junfeg Boo, Singapore, 2008
Das Ende des Schweins ist der Anfang der Wurst (The End of the Pig is The Beginning of the Sausage), John Edward Heys, Germany, 2008 (such a funny title, lol!)

To check all the shorts and documentaries go here. I’ll be reviewing the site to see if they post more movies as soon as more information about the movies is available.

If Milk is competing then we all know which film has to win the top award and unless there is another outstanding movie, this movie truly deserves the award; but we have to learn a lot more about the other movies competing...

There are six (6) films that belong to the lesbian interest genre and other that do not but are must be seen, that's amazing! Most are going to My Wish List #1.

2009 Berlinale Panorama Lineup

The Panorama Main Program will screen 18 feature films that are generally a selection of international productions that have the potential to reach out to a large art-house audience.

Main Programme

Le Barbe Bleue (Blue Beard), Catherine Breillat, France, 2008
Dongbei, Donbei (A North Chinese Girl), Zou Peng, China, 2008
Fig Trees, John Greyson, Canada, 2008
Fucking Different Tel Aviv, Yair Hochner, Avital Barak, Stephanie Abramovich,Elad Zakai, Eran Koblik Kedar, Ricardo Rojstaczer, Nir Ne'Eman, Hila Ben Baruch, Yossi Brauman, Sivan Levy, Eyal Bromberg, Anat Salomon, Sie Gal, November Wanderin, Yasmin Max; Germany and Israel, 2008 (A must be seen, as well as the Germany and NY versions. All films are Lesbian and Gay interest)
Ghosted, Monika Treut, Germany and Taiwan, 2009 (A new Monika Treut film, must be seen!)
High Life, Gary Yates, Canada, 2009
Human Zoo, Rie Rasmussen, France, 2008
La Journée de la Jupe (Skirt Day), Jean-Paul Lilienfeld, France and Belgium, 2008 (with Isabelle Adjani, must be seen)
Laskar Pelangi (The Rainbow), Riri Riza, Indonesia, 2008
Rabioso Sol, Rabioso Cielo (Raging Sun, Raging Sky), Julián Hernández, Mexico, 2009
Rossiya 88 (Russia 88), Pavel Bardin, Russia, 2008
Rückenwind (Light Gradient), Jan Krüger, Germany, 2009
Schläft ein Lied in allen Dingen (Sleeping Songs), Andreas Struck, Germany, 2008
Strella (A Woman’s Way), Panos H. Koutras, Greece, 2008
Vingança (Retribution), Paulo Pons, Brazil, 2008
White Lightinin’, Dominic Murphy, UK, USA, Croatia, 2008
Yang Yang, Cheng Yu-Chieh, Taiwan, 2008

There are many more movies in the following Panorama program sections:

Panorama Dokumente (Documentary films)
Panorama Special (Major independent productions, as well as films by important American studios)
Panorama Shorts
Panorama Supporting Film
30 Years of Programming
10 Years of Panorama Audience Award

To check all the films in the other sections go here and filter by Panorama.

For those not familiar with this program here is the description:
Both in style and in content, the Panorama’s film selection is extremely diverse and open to all sides. Traditionally the so-called "Auteur" film is well represented. The program presents both new developments in the societies of the world as well as different lifestyles. It also enables a special focus on particular topics or countries.

Nothing But The Truth

I was attracted to this movie because I read about Kate Beckinsale good performance, which gave her some nominations in the current award season. Perhaps if I didn’t watch this movie after Leonera, I could have enjoyed it more as this is another women in prison movie… well, sort of. Still, this movie has written allover “commercial cinema” and the true value is basically entertainment.

Writen and directed by Rod Lurie (remember The Contender?) tells about reporter Rachel that writes a Pulitzer worth article about a woman spy (Vera Farmiga) that did a report concluding that Venezuela had nothing to do with the assassination attempt to the USA President and the report was dismissed by the authorities who attacked Venezuela. Rachel (Beckinsale) is the object of a special prosecutor (Matt Dillon) investigation to force her to tell her source, as because new security measures, her source is a traitor for revealing the identity of a CIA agent.

Rachel refuses to tell her source and goes to jail (btw thanks to this film now I know the difference between jail and prison in the USA, he, he). While in jail Beckinsale’s performance becomes interesting but not outstanding or remarkable, so now I understand why it didn’t have more nominations or awards. Anyway Rachel has a son and definitively there are many moments where the narrative plays with the character because she’s an incarcerated woman and a mother.

The movie is fiction, but it is inspired in the real life events of the famous Valerie Plame case and definitively is a story/film that exemplifies the USA Government absolute use (or abuse) of power thanks to the so-called home security safety measures.

Not a masterpiece, but an entertaining movie that could please some audiences that do not expect anything else but what Lurie says: “I tried to make a movie that’s a commercial thriller as well as being something that’s topical”. But if by any case you watch Leonera, I suggest that your next movie definitively should not be this one.

Enjoy.

2009 Berlinale Main Competition Lineup

Today the fest announced that 26 films will participate in the Competition program of the 59th Berlin International Film Festival with 18 films in competition for the Golden and Silver Bears. Of the 18 films, 14 are world premieres. For the first time I include a brief synopsis for each film when available.

In Competition

Alle Anderen, Maren Ade, Germany
Chéri, Stephen Freas, UK (with Michelle Pfeiffer… hmm!)
A romantic drama set in 1920s Paris, where the son of a courtesan retreats into a fantasy world after being forced to end his relationship with the older woman who educated him in the ways of love.
Darbareye Elly (About Elly) Asghar Farhadi, Iran (Must be seen, he did Fireworks Wednesday)
Gigante, Adrian Biniez, Uruguay, Germany and Argentina
Happy Tears, Mitchell Lichtenstein, USA (I love Parker Posey…)
Two sisters, Jayne (Parker Posey) and Laura (Demi Moore), return home to deal with their ailing father Joe (Rip Torn), only to face some surprising situations.
In the Electric Mist, Bertrand Tavernier, France and USA (Tavernier in English!?)
A detective in the deep South is led into a series of surreal encounters with a troop of Confederate soldiers. (Starring Tommy Lee Jones… hmm!)
Katalin Varga, Peter Strickland, Romania, UK and Hungary
La Teta Asustada (The Milk of Sorrow), Claudia Llosa, Spain and Peru (I just loved Madeinusa, Must Be Seen!)
Lille Sodat (Little Soldier), Anette K. Olesen, Denmark
Lotte is a soldier recently back from war. She drinks, and her apartment is a mess. When her father comes to see her he offers her a job. He turns out to make his living by offering the services of African prostitutes to those who want to buy. Lotte starts driving his girlfriend and main attraction Lily around town for house calls. Lotte determines that Lily needs her help (Interesting story!)
London River, Rachid Bouchareb, Algeria, France, UK
Mammoth, Lukas Moodysson, Sweden, Germany and Denmark (A new Moodysson movie, must be seen! Starring Michelle Williams…)
Mei Lanfang (Forever Enthralled), Chen Kaige, China
A biographical account of Mei Lanfang, China's greatest opera star. (Starring Ziyi Zhang. Must be seen.)
The Messenger, Oren Moverman, USA (perhaps…)
My One and Only, Richard Loncraine, USA
Rage, Sally Potter, UK and USA (starring Judi Dench! And she’s the fantastic Orlando director)
Ricky, François Ozon, France and Italy (A new Ozon movie, must be seen!)
Sturm (Storm), Hans-Christian Schmid, Germany and Demark (starring Anamaria Marinca!)
Tatarak (Sweet Rush), Andrzej Wajda, Poland

Out of Competition

Deutschland 09, Compilation film by Fatih Akin, Tom Tykwer, Wolfgang Becker, Sylke Enders, Dominik Graf, Romuald Karmakar, Nicolette Krebitz, Isabelle Stever, Hans Steinbichler, Hans Weingartner, Christoph Hochhäusler, Dani Levy and Angela Schanelec (Must be seen)
I Skoni Tou Chronou (The Dust of Time), Theo Angelopoulos, Greece, Germany, Italy and Russia (Angelopoulos new movie, must be seen; also starring Alexandra Maria Lara and Irene Jacob!)
Eden à l'ouest (Eden is West), Costa-Gravas, France, Grece and Italy (A new Costa-Gravas film! Must be seen)
Notorious, George Tillman Jr., USA
Pink Panther II, Harald Zwart, USA (Must be seen, Aish is here!)
The International, Tom Tykwer, USA
The Private Lives of Pippa Lee, Rebecca Miller, USA
At fifty, Pippa Lee positively glows with female serenity, the devoted wife of a brilliant publisher thirty years her senior, proud mother of successful twins and a lovely and adored friend and neighbor. But, when her husband spontaneously decides that they should leave New York for a retirement home as a "pre-emptive strike against decrepitude," and has an affair with someone even younger than she is, Pippa finds her beatific persona unraveling in alarming ways. The truth is, the gracious woman of the present day has seen more than her fair share of the wild side. She has finally found love and security in a family of her own. And now, that cozy world, too, is in danger. (this movie is lesbian interest as Julianne Moore plays Kat that supposedly is lesbian; but only with the amazing cast the movie has it is a must be seen)
The Reader, Stephen Daldry, USA and Germany

Wow! this year Berlinale is starting to look very interesting! Almost every movie is a must be seen for me, that means that I can look forward to eventually be able to watch great films. To read the official press releases go here, here and here. The official program is available only in German, but as soon as they publish in English I will post the link; but the complete program is available in the site here where you can browse the films in each section and read basic information about each film.

As there are many interesting films I will do one post for each section. I find that there are many USA films in this year fest, that's quite unusual... but at least means that films could be more accessible in this side of the world!

Leonera (Lion’s Den)

What do you expect from a women prison film? Whatever you do I believe you will be able to see it in this movie but with a Latin American touch. What makes this movie out of the ordinary is that everything happens in a sort of surreal maternity ward that at times really looks more like a kindergarten than a prison; but also great performance by Martina Gusman and because for more than half the movie has a documentary look and feel that absolutely makes this movie not your regular female prison movie. This is not to say that what you will be able to see is not harsh, raw and sometimes disturbing as definitively it is.

This Pablo Trapero movie is somehow mesmerizing as you can’t take your eyes from the screen especially when the story goes inside the prison, which by the way were filmed inside real Argentina prisons with real guards and female prisoners. Some situations may be cliché (like girls fights, naked showers, aggressive lesbian unrequited approaches, etc.) but I find that here these situations look and feel like raw realism instead of a dramatization of events and that’s why not only scenes are not pretty or dramatic but also become like a detailed document of life within a prison ward not often shown in the screen.

The film tells the story of Julia that wakes up to a room full of blood but as she was in a zombie state does not notice anything and goes to work or university, as she was a student. When she comes back home after work, she finds her boyfriend Nahuel dead body and Nahuel's boyfriend Ramiro still breathing. She goes into total shock, as she does not recall a thing. Both Julia and Ramiro are arrested and sent to preventive prison until their case is officially reviewed. But Julia is pregnant and she’s has to go to the maternity ward.

So you have the story that gives no answers about a woman accused and convicted for a murder that you will never know if she did it or not. You also have the story of high betrayal by Julia’s mother (that abandoned her but now comes back) and Ramiro that seems was not only Nahuel’s boyfriend but also Julia’s lover. Then also you have the story of how Julia survived inside the prison thanks to Marta who becomes her lover and in many ways her savior. But the main story is about a upper middle class young woman that ends up in jail with fellow prisoners very different to her, does not want her baby, as soon as the son is born maternal instincts prevail and she becomes a true lioness that wants and protects her son no matter what she needs to do.

As I mentioned, more than half the movie looks and feels like a documentary, but as soon as Marta leaves the prison the film changes and becomes a movie with a clear dramatic narrative that unfortunately resolves the story in a sort of fairy tale way; but after all you watched you really appreciate the “happy” ending that eases the ride into the mostly claustrophobic scenes construction with great camera work inside the prison.

Definitively this is a lesbian interest story but obviously is not dramatic –like in Bad Girls-, is not well developed as is not the main story (but it is essential to the plot), and is not pretty to watch as looks and feels more real than fictional. So with all that happens in the movie I believe that is not for general audiences that enjoy the lesbian interest genre. Still I definitively recommend this movie to some of my known readers.

The movie as a movie impressed me for the attention to details, above average outdoors and indoors cinematography, a pace that goes from slow to not slow according to the storytelling style, good editing, some great framed scenes, great children songs instead of ambient music and an outstanding closing scene that is just beautiful to watch.

The film premiered in competition for the Golden Palm at 2008 Cannes and since then has been collecting many honors including winning the Jury Special Prize, the SIGNIS Award at the Havana fest, with Martina Gusman winning Best Newcomer Actress at the 2008 Premio Sur and very recently the FIPRESCI Award for Best Actress in the 2009 Palm Springs fest. The movie was Argentina official submission to the Oscars.

I cannot say that I liked this movie, as this movie is not one to be liked when tells such a complex real situation about women giving birth inside a prison and keeping the child imprisoned with them. This situation is a true dilemma with a difficult taking sides decision. But definitively I do recommend the movie to those that are familiar with Latin American cinema and to those that dare to watch a well constructed film about an unusual women prison story.

Enjoy!!!

2009 Screen Actors Guild Awards Winners

Tonight show was definitively more entertaining than the Golden Globes as at least had clips from films and a remarkable In Memoriam where always I find actors that passed away and I was not aware. But this year the most remarkable thing about this remembrance was the absence of Heath Ledger that unless I blinked he was not included… I just found that the reason he was not there was because he was featured in the 2008 reel, but definitively looked like a huge omission in the 2009 reel, isn't?

There are some surprises among the winners suggesting that the Oscars could be more entertaining with categories that now does not seem will have a “sure” winner. So, here are some of the winners.

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role: Meryl Streep in Doubt
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role: Sean Penn in Milk
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role: Kate Winslet in The Reader
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role: Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight

To check the TV winners go here.

What I believe will be more interesting is to find who will win the best actress at the Oscars as there is no doubt that the race has to be between Kate Winslet and Meryl Streep and both won awards today for the same roles the are nominated at the Oscars. Also the sort of winning strike by Mickey Rourke is broken and now we have Sean Penn in competition.

2009 Producers Guild of America Nominations and Winners

Last Night the PGA had their award ceremony and here are some of the winners in red. I gather the winners from different sources as they have not posted in their site.

The Darryl F. Zanuck Producer of the Year Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Milk
*Slumdog Millionaire

The Producers Guild of America Producer of the Year Award in Documentary Theatrical Motion Pictures
*Man On Wire
Standard Operating Procedure
Trouble The Water

The Producers Guild of America Producer of the Year Award in Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
*WALL-E

To read the nominees in all categories go here and I assume that soon they will post the winners there; but if you want to read an article without mistakes (many articles seems to be written in a rush and have mistakes) I suggest you read the LA Times . The 20th Annual Producers Guild Awards ceremony was held on Saturday, January 24th, 2009 at the Hollywood Palladium.

Very interesting to see that The Dark Knight and Milk got nominations and most likely all the movies could be the five nominees at the Academy Awards (almost happened as only The Dark Knight didn't made it). But most interesting is learning that the top award went to Slumdog Millionaire as definitively the odds for this movie are starting to move in the race for the Oscars.

2009 Sundance Film Festival Award Winners - Final

Here are the awards winners for feature films.

U.S. Dramatic Competition
Grand Jury Prize: Push: Based on a novel by Sapphire, Lee Daniels; the film tells the redemptive story of Precious Jones, a young girl in Harlem struggling to overcome tremendous obstacles and discover her own voice.

Special Jury Prize for “Spirit of Independence”: Humpday, Lynn Shelton
Alfred P. Sloan Prize: Adam, Max Mayer press release.
Audience Award: Push: Based on the novel by Sapphire, Lee Daniels.
Excellence in Directing: Cary Joji Fukunaga for Sin Nombre; filmmaker Fukunaga's first-hand experiences with Mexican immigrants seeking the promise of the U.S. form the basis of this epic Spanish-language dramatic thriller.
Special Jury Prize For Acting: Mo’Nique, in Push: Based in a novel by Sapphire

World Dramatic Competition
Jury Prize: La Nana (The Maid), Sebastian Silva, Chile
Special Jury Prize for Originality: Louise-Michel, Benoit Delépine and Gustave de Kervern, France; about a group of disgruntled female French factory workers who, after the factory abruptly closes, pool their paltry compensation money to hire a hit man to knock off the corrupt executive behind the closure
Audience Award: An Education, Lone Scherfig, UK
Special Jury Prize: Catalina Saavedra in La Nana (The Maid)
Excellence in Directing: Oliver Hirschbiegel for Five Minutes of Heaven; UK and Ireland

Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Awards
Ciencias Morales (Moral Sciences), Diego Lerman, Argentina
The Girl, David Riker, USA
Speed Girl, Qurata Kenji, Japan
Evolution, Lucile Hadzihalilovic, France
press release

To check winners in Shorts Filmmaking go here and to check the winners in all the categories go here. Have to say that about the ONLY serious feature film competing in all the fest that is of lesbian interest winning the top award is amazing and now becomes a must be seen film because probably will have above production values and quality. Also is not often that the jury and audience award is given to the same movie as this is the second time. The only other movie to get the jury and audience top awards was gay interest Quinceañera.

The Secret Life of Bees

Based on the popular novel of the same by Sue Monk Kidd and directed/written by Gina Prince-Bythewood, the film is a sweet story and movie that surely will warm the hearts of many, but I find the story too sugary for my taste and well if it wasn’t for some extraordinary performances and the most beautiful cinematography, I probably will have called this movie only “nice” to watch.

But I was highly impressed by Sophie Okonedo performance playing a complex character with such an exquisite touch that totally grabbed my attention while she was on screen and made me wish she could have had longer screen time. Second have to admit that I enjoyed most of Dakota Fanning performance as with a few exceptions this child actor shows that she’s no longer a child and clearly demonstrates that as she grows and gets more interesting roles she’s an actress with a great future. I didn’t enjoy much Queen Latifah, Jennifer Hudson, and Alicia Keys performances, but I believe that it was due to the one-dimensional not well-developed characters, rather than only the way they performed.

Still I know that this is sort of a “girly” movie that will please and touch many women allover the world. The movie has five awards and 16 nominations, including Dakota Fanning winning the Rising Star Award at 2009 Palm Springs fest and Sophie Okonedo honored with a nomination at the Satellite Awards.

Not a masterpiece but an entertaining movie if you want to warm your heart and if you want to learn the story of a 4 years old girl that kills her mother and as she reaches her 14 years old birthday decides to find what really happened that day when her mother came back home after having left for good.

Enjoy.

15th Slamdance Film Festival Award Winners

Yesterday the fest announced the award winners and here are the winners from the Narrative Competition Features.

Best Narrative Feature: A Quiet Little Marriage, Mo Perkins
Special Jury Mention for Best Performance: Larry Fessenden in I Sell the Dead
Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature: Punching the Clown, Gregory Viens
Dos Equis “Most Interesting Film” Award: You Might as Well Live, Simon Ellis
IndieRoad Award: Punching the Clown, Gregory Viens

To check award winners in all the categories go here.

Le Silence de Lorna (Lorna’s Silence)

Another mesmerizing film by the Dardenne brothers that slowly, very slowly and majestically builds a story of immigration deception with many still camera takes, great coldish cinematography and some remarkable frames. Definitively after seeing so many American movies I needed a different and more enjoyable cinematic experience and this film didn’t dissapoint me at all and even surprised me as has some moments that can be a little thrilling which is totally strange in a Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne film, but as a viewer it was welcomed as a novelty to their particular style.

The film tells the story of Lorna a recent Albanian immigrant that married junkie Claudy to get the Belgian residence and be able to open the dream store with his also Albanian immigrant lover Sokol. The marriage was schemed by mob aspirant Fabio that wants Lorna to become his business, as he wants her to marry other men that will pay for the residence. When Fabio has a Russian customer willing to pay large amounts of money, he plans to kill Claudy with an overdose; but Lorna fakes husband abuse to accelerate the divorce from Claudy –and help him- and as expected in the Dardenne’s stories Lorna starts her redemption process.

Most interesting is that many things in the above brief summary and more that come after you will not be able to see, but still you will be able to easily understand this story that skips many things as the film totally follows Lorna that is in almost every scene of the movie; so, whatever happens when she’s not in the screen you will not see it. This is a little confusing the first time it happens, but soon enough you figure it out the style, as well as what you don't see.

Mesmerizing performance by Dardenne’s new discovery, Kosovo-born Arta Dobroshi that truly illuminates the screen and takes you into the her voyage from being a cold woman interested only in getting money for the store, to a woman that reconciles her nature and addresses her priorities no matter what, thus reaching her redemption; and she does it with such natural performance that fast enough you end up inside her character and living the everyday life situations she encounters. That’s exactly what I really love of European movies, where most stories and performances are able to take you inside the film.

The film premiered in competition at the 2008 Cannes fest where won the Best Screenplay, won the 2008 Lux Cinema Prize, won the Best Francophone Film at the 2009 Prix Lumieres and as of today is nominated for Best Foreign Film in the 2009 Cesar Awards. Also Arta Dobroshi was nominated as Best Actress in the 2008 European Film Awards.

Absolutely not for all audiences as you have to like the particular Dardenne brothers style (remember Rosetta and L’Enfant?) and the story doesn’t have a traditional ending, you have to select the end you wish. I liked the movie a lot and definitively I recommend it to everyone that enjoys great European cinema.

Enjoy!!!

2009 Oscars Trivia

You probably know that I’m a sucker for figures, statistics, etc., so no surprise that I’m reproducing here an article by Variety with figures that look like trivia, but some are truly interesting.

Each of the five best-pic contenders saw its director nominated -- which, incredibly, is only the fifth time that's ever happened.

"Button's" Kathleen Kennedy earned her sixth producing bid, tying her with Stanley Kramer and Steven Spielberg for the record for individual producers.

Stephen Daldry makes Oscar history by going three for three: With this year's "The Reader," he has scored a directing bid for the trio of films he's helmed ("The Hours," "Billy Elliot").

With a 15th bid for "Doubt," Meryl Streep maintains her easy lead in most acting noms. Runners-up are Katharine Hepburn and Jack Nicholson, with 12 apiece.

"Doubt" scored four acting noms, the first time that's happened since the 2002 "Chicago," another Miramax film.

A.R. Rahman ("Slumdog") is a triple nominee, for his music score and two songs: "Jai Ho" and "O Saya," which rep the third and fourth bids for songs not in the English language.

Andrew Stanton ("Wall-E") is only the fourth person to score a second bid in the animated feature category, which began in 2001. He also earned a citation in original screenplay as one of the scribes on the film.

Two best-pic contenders center around real-life TV shows: "Frost/Nixon" (the 1977 interviews) and "Slumdog Millionaire" (the India version of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire").

France maintains its lead in the foreign-language race, with its 35th bid for "The Class."

There are nine first-timers among the 20 acting contenders. Seven of the 10 lead actors are aged 45 or older.

Kate Winslet was nommed as leading actress in "Reader," though she won a Golden Globe as supporting actress for the same film.

Heath Ledger scored a supporting actor nom for "The Dark Knight" on the first anniversary of his death. This marks the seventh posthumous acting nomination, including the sole winner so far, Peter Finch ("Network").

Robert Downey Jr.'s nom ("Tropic Thunder") marks the first time since Laurence Olivier's 1965 "Othello" that an actor has been nommed for playing a role in blackface.

"Waltz With Bashir" is the first animated feature nominated for a foreign-language Oscar (though it's the 13th toon to be submitted in that race; last year's "Persepolis" didn't even make the short list).

Viola Davis and Michael Shannon are supporting contenders (for "Doubt" and "Revolutionary Road," respectively) though each has only about 10 minutes of screen time.

Michael Semanick was cited twice in the sound mixing race, for his work on "Benjamin Button" and "Wall-E." Ben Burtt is up for "Wall-E," in both sound editing and mixing.

Lora Hirschberg ("Dark Knight") becomes the third woman nominated in the sound mixing category.

To read the article at Variety please go here.

Also from the Associated Press

CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," with 13 Oscar nominations, has tied with eight other films to become the second-most-nominated movie in Academy Award history. First place is still held by "Titanic" (1997) and "All About Eve" (1950), with 14 nominations each.

THE STREEP STREAK: Meryl Streep continues to be Oscar's most nominated performer, with this year's nod for "Doubt" bringing her total to 15. That's three ahead of Katharine Hepburn and Jack Nicholson, who have 12 each. But Hepburn, who died in 2003, won four Oscars and Nicholson has won three, while Streep has two.

A NEW RECORD HOLDER: Kate Winslet is now the youngest person to garner six Oscar nominations. Winslet received her sixth nomination, for "The Reader," at 33, one year younger than Bette Davis was when she got her sixth in 1942 for "Now, Voyager."

REPEAT PERFORMER; Philip Seymour Hoffman is the only repeat Oscar nominee from last year. Hoffman, nominated Thursday for supporting actor for "Doubt," was nominated for supporting actor last year for "Charlie Wilson's War." He won the lead actor Oscar for 2005's "Capote."

POSTHUMOUS NOMINEES: With his supporting actor nomination for "The Dark Knight," Heath Ledger joins a handful of Hollywood notables to be so honored after their deaths. Others include James Dean ("East of Eden," 1955, and "Giant," 1956), Spencer Tracy ("Guess Who's Coming to Dinner," 1967), Peter Finch ("Network," 1976), Ralph Richardson ("Greystroke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes," 1984) and Massimo Troisi ("The Postman," 1995). Only Finch has gone on to win.

UNOFFICIAL NOMINEE: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences also lists Jeanne Eagles as an "unofficial" nominee for best actress for 1929's "The Letter," the year she died. Although only winners were announced that year, the Academy says records indicate Eagles was "under consideration" for an award.

CHANNELING A PRESIDENT: Frank Langella, nominated for "Frost/Nixon," becomes the second actor nominated for a best actor Oscar for portraying former President Richard Nixon. Anthony Hopkins was the first, for 1995's "Nixon."

BEEN THERE BEFORE: Five acting nominees in this year's Oscar competition are previous winners: Sean Penn, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Meryl Streep and Marisa Tomei.

34th César Awards Nominations

Today the Academy announced the nominations and here they are for the main categories.

Best Film
Entre Les Murs
Il y a Longtemps que je t’aime
Mesrine
Paris
Le Premier Jour du Reste de ta vie
Séraphine
Un conte de Noël

Best First Film
Home, Ursula Meier
Il y a longtemps que je t'aime, Philippe Claudel
Mascarades, Lyes Salem
Pour elle, Fred Cavaye
Versailles, Pierre Schoeller

Best Foreign Film
Eldorado, Bouli Lanners
Gomorra, Matteo Garrone
Into the wild, Sean Penn
Le silence de Lorna, Jean-Pierre et Luc Dardenne
There will be blood, Paul Thomas Anderson
Two lovers, par James Gray
Valse avec Bachir, Ari Folman

Best Director
Rémi Bezançon for Le premier jour du reste de ta vie
Laurent Cantet for Entre les murs
Arnaud Desplechin for Un conte de Noël
Martin Provost for Séraphine
Jean-François Richet for Mesrine

Best Actress
Catherine Frot in dans Le crime est notre affaire
Yolande Moreau in dans Séraphine
Kristin Scott Thomas in dans Il y a longtemps que je t'aime
Tilda Swinton in Julia
Sylvie Testud in Sagan

Best Actor
Vincent Cassel in Mesrine
François-Xavier Demaison in Coluche, l'histoire d'un mec
Guillaume Depardieu in Versailles
Albert Dupontel in dans Deux jours à tuer
Jacques Gamblin in Le premier jour du reste de ta vie

Best Supporting Actress
Jeanne Balibar in Sagan
Anne Consigny in Un conte de Noël
Edith Scob in L'heure d'été
Karin Viard in Paris
Elsa Zylberstein in Il y a longtemps que je t'aime

Best Supporting Actor
Benjamin Biolay in Stella
Claude Rich in Aide-toi, le ciel t'aidera
Jean-Paul Roussillon in Un conte de Noël
Pierre Vaneck in Deux jours à tuer
Roschdy Zem in La fille de Monaco

Best Female Newcomer
Marilou Berry in Vilaine
Louise Bourgoin in La fille de Monaco
Anaïs Demoustier in Les grandes personnes
Déborah François in Le premier jour du reste de ta vie
Léa Seydoux in La belle personne

Best Male Newcomer
Ralph Amoussou in Aide-toi, le ciel t'aidera
Laurent Capelluto in Un conte de Noël
Marc-André Grondin in Le premier jour du reste de ta vie
Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet in La belle personne
Pio Marmai in Le premier jour du reste de ta vie

To check nominees in all categories go here, available only in French and you have to download the file. The awards ceremony will be on February 27 and will be broadcasted live on Canal+.

There are many movies here that I’m simply “dying” to be able to see; still I’m happy that I have seen a few and so glad that in the Best Actress category I find actresses with truly remarkable roles Sylvie Testud, Tilda Swinton and Kristin Scott Thomas, but I also know that probably the winner will be Yolande Moreau.

I’m surprised to find Two Lovers in the best foreign film as I forgot about this movie, but definitively now I have to see this movie; soon I’ll be watching Le Silence de Lorna that absolutely is a must be seen and look forward to watch Eldorado.

As the Academy president says, 2008 was an extraordinary year for French cinema and definitively I do agree but proof comes that seven (7) films are nominated for Best Film this year and if you consider the Best First Film nominees, then you have twelve (12) films that are honored this year with nominations for the top awards. This is just fantastic for those -like me- that simply love French Cinema. If I want to enjoy the awards ceremony I have to do my best effort to be able to watch quite a few movies in about four weeks, that’s a task that I sort of accomplished for the Oscars and now I have to do for the Césars.