Sokout (Silence) by Makhmalbaf

(Another 10/10 movie by Mohsen Makhmalbaf...will surely write a review soon...this is the current draft under preparation)

This is my introductory movie in Iranian films..I was stunned! I got interested in Makhmalbad when I read some of his writings about originality in movies. He compared Indian directory Ray with other western directors and explained how Ray demonstrated very original views of Asian countries. I never thought of people viewing Ray's film in that dimension. Makhmalbaf started with "Pather Panchaali", how that touched him. Before this review I also read another review of "Pather Paanchaali" by someother modern western critic that these kind of movies are too narrow in thinking, too confied to a small place, doesn't have appeal for modern western audience. But Makhmalbaf explained in a very different language the insight of "Pather Panchali". I was stunned! So, I decided I must checkout movies of this director.

I got the chance in Sundance film festival video store in SaltLake City where they had a collection of Makhmalbaf. Got these two movies: Silence and Gabbeh. There were other movies too, but I liked these two a lot.

I still remember the sound: "Khorshid" , "Khorshid"..that little girl with colors, the friend of khorshid wanted him to tune perfectly the musical instruments. But Khorshid wasn't just a technician, he was an artist who looks for sound..Beautiful sound, sound of different frequency catches his ears..he forgets his way..Khorshid follows the sound! Khorshid follows the way of sound! The story follows next.

Its all about Khorshid, his search for sound, the beautiful colorful girl, her love for music, music of Iranian countries...his blindness was very important since otherwise he couldn't have followed sound and music so carefully...

Phörpa

Enemies are endless; so give up hatred!!

Phorpa is a simple and beautiful movie..it deserves more star than it got. This simple movie does not contain any gimmick, car chasing, fighting, evil spirit, hero-anti hero ( the conventional movie subjects ), but contains feelings expressed by very common people ( who are also political victim and list their country ). Its superb direction, since there was enough reason to show battles between countries, hatred among people and religion..but nothing was shown...in stead , it says: "Give up hatred, since you can't win over all the enemies..enemies are endless"..What a message!!! I hope the audience gets the above message since it comes directly from the sufferers who has lost their own country, yet you don't hear much against anything! This carefully drawn story teaches us lot while its objective was not teaching... Its superb, its terrific..gets a 10 out of 10 rating!

Nuit et jour

Joseph the poet! Julie the lover! Jack .....,

I have seen this movie so many times that I remember the scenes and conversation even after many years...yes, I liked it that much..its another 10/10 movie in my list. Its a beautiful poetry of love affair between Julie, Jack and Joseph.Joseph is truly a poet. Everything he says is a line of poetry. In fact, they should publish that as a work of poetry! Joesph came late in Julie's life. So what? Joseph doesn't believe in coming late is a sin. Joseph is ready to experiment with this triangle affair in a new dimension. He wants Julie to inform Jack about this relationship.This breaks the conventional thinking about being honest in love affair, being able to love both at the same time without hesitation. However, its hard to continue this affair in a society dictated by moral value of ours.Joesph is the character I like most when he says: "I love when streets are crowded. I love when its empty"..Joseph is a true lover of life, ambitious, confident! Jack on the other side looks sad, reads books, senses something wrong. Julie is the most interesting character and discovery of a new type: she is complex. Her smile makes you think about this moment of life; she loves to enjoy it, every moment of it. In fact, Joseph and Julie makes a perfect couple, I feel sorry for Jack though!

Nostalghia

Tarkovsky's Nostalghia is always in my wishlist to see again and again. Usage of still shots, slow moving camera, fog, pictures...All these made me so focused that I forgot the story line first time I saw it. Then I read reviews of other people, some were very disappointed/angry and some were upset that such a film is made. However, its truly an amazing move and one has the feeling at the end that I must see it again! Then I will get the story. There is not much story there though!
In the begining, I had a doubt on this approach: keeping the storyline confusing to audience! Is that one should do? Isn't simplicity the best way to reach people. But now I have changed my mind. Director has all the right to say things the way (s)he wants to say; if it doesn't reach the mass, so what? One may make movies just because he enjoys doing that...enjoys the experiment...people will see it only if they like...this sounds reasonable to me.
(anyway, it seems to me people like to watch movies about telling stories of repeatative nature e.g. good always wins at the end, happy ending, some formula elements like love story, wars, dance, car chasing, ...)

Mediterraneo by Gabriele Salvatores

10/10 in my list of movies. Movie begins with a team of Italian soldiers left in an apparently empty island; there weren't many people in that island and they weren't well connected with the civilization. Away from civilization, but happy, enjoyed the time: kind of escapist idea carried in the movie, but I liked it. This is probably the first time I liked a movie with a 10/10 rating based on escapism.
Many of the soldiers didn't want to return to civilization, they were happy, so was I...That they didn't feel the urge to return to civilization. But when they really returned things were different, political situation has changed! That's the interesting part in the movie; they probably wanted to go back to their escapist shelter!

Le Battement d'ailes du papillon: Amelie 2

Haven't seen it yet...
Its in my wishlist since its a movie similar to Run Lola, Run and its in French!

Will write then or remove it from here..drop a comment if u have seen this!

Smultronstället (Wild Strwaberries) : Bergman movie

wonderful!

loneliness, the isolation of a human being (Prof. Borg) on the verge of receiving a honorary degree from a reputed university is analyzed here with a sense of pessimism. My favourtie quote from this movie:

"In our relations with others we mainly criticize them"..
Prof. Borg in a Bergman movie "Wild Strawberries"

We mainly criticize others, that's why prof. Borg stayed away from people. But that made his life very isolated, disconnected from other people....

more later...

Le Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain: Amelie

10/10....
more later..

Babí léto (Autumn Spring)

This is the first time I feel like writing about a movie what I haven't seen completely...yes, so far its that spectacular...I am sure its going to be in my 10/10 list, but let's just wait and see...will see it shortly...

its a czech movie directed by Vladimir Michalek: so far I have seen deep friendship between two elderly guys; deep love between the husband and wife, even the judge can figure out the love in court of divorce..more later...

Mindwalk by Capra

Its written by Fritjof Capra and directed by Brent Capra (his brother). Liv Ulman had an outstanding performance in this movie, I am going to watch it again and write a review soon on this. This is 10/10 in my list of movies.

Caro diario: My Diary

I will write a complete review someday...
Its a fantastic Italian movie, these are the movies for which I keep looking for new type of italian movies...

Lola rennt: Run Lola, Run

What a movie!
I haven't seen a movie on the same idea. Lola has to bring some cache for her boyfriend...this movie shows how things could be different with minor set of changes in events..is it an experiment with chaos theory? I need to think it through before writing a review based on that line...

will write soon...surely a 10/10 movie

Ruby in Paradise: Sundance movie

What a performance by Ashle Judd in "Ruby in Paradise: First I saw in Sundance Film Festival and afterwards watched it many more times. Ruby, a single girl searching for meaning in life..why are people so busy? behave so crazy? going after what? This movie is about her search for something which is unclear to her (and to me too)...

A movie one will definitely like when they are in the same boat as Ruby or traveresed the same path.

Yi ge dou bu neng shao: Not One Less

A temporary school teacher in a chineese village needs to keep all the students of the class engaged, but one student left the school and went to city. The temporary teacher goes to city in seach of the student..Will she find the student? Will she be able to keep her temporary job? Will she find something else?
This search is very important in this movie, searching for something that we may not do normally...
I recomend watching the movie for serious movie watchers..

Vivre sa vie by Godard

Godard's best work! will write a review soon..

La Vita è bella : Life is beautiful

...will write shortly...

IL postino: The Postman

This is the movie I have seen maximum number of times in a movie hall..probably the only Italian movie I have seen running in USA movie halls for years (Life is beautiful too ran for long time). IL Postino is a very special movie in the way that character of Pablo Neruda is one of my favourite poet present in this movie, but he is not the hero of movie. The postman is truely the hero...
...more later...

Train de vie (Train of Life)

..pending review...

Un divan à New York by Akerman

Chantal Akerman is my favourite director, however this one is not best of her kind..I will recomend "Night and day" before seeing this movie...

Stanno tutti bene (Every body is fine)

Stanno tutti bene means Every body is fine is a wonderful movie by Tornatore...this is type of Italian movie I like a lot..must get a 10/10..will write a review soon.

Bacheha-Ye aseman: Majid Majidi

Simple but different


This is a simple but an excellent movie. Initially I thought just another of those "showing poor" style movie started. But as things go ahead, it was different. Ali lost his sister Zahra's shoes and the movie was a struggle to show that Ali wants to get back those shoes somehow.It was just not a struggle to get back shoes, but get back on our true life. If you love simplicity and want to get back on fundamentals of life, this is the movie.During this time I have seen a series of Iranian movies and quite impressed with the quality of the movies; I had no idea about the life of common people in Iran, the simplicity in their thoughts and the type of music, food, arts, beauty they like. These movies are really educating to me.

Rendez-vous de Paris, Les by Rohmer

...will write a review sometime....

Koyla

Friendship between a 5 year old russian boy and an elderly person is shown beautifully in this Czechoslovakian movie...I will surely write a review since this is 10/10 movie in my list

Reds by Warren Betty

...will write someday....I liked the movie..

Gabbeh

Mohsen Makhmalbaf is my favourite director , he makes movies of very different kind, based on simplicity, it appears oversimplification to some people...

I must write reviews of all his movies someday...wait...will see that soon..

La Condanna : The conviction

I liked it very much, I always like to see this kind of movies, the type of analysis it presents, what's forceful and what's intentional...

..will write a review someday..

Mari de la coiffeuse, Le: HairDresser's Husband

Another classical 10/10 type french movie of my liking; this is the typical surreal type french movie I like most. The combination of music with innovative dance, the feeling of a person to become a successful hairdresser and love someone in the same profession is very unique. Finding uniqueness among simple people with very simple desire is the outstanding work I liked!
....more later...

Leila

Another worth seeing Iranian movie by Mehjui, not like those outstanding movies of Mohsen , but still worth seeing...

Will write a review someday..

Nostalghia by Andrei Tarkovsky

My best pickup of Tarkovsky. The picture, the still photography, the slow movements..one has to watch several times to understand what's going on...10/10 in my list

Masculin, féminin: by Godard

Not the best of Godard, so will take longer time to write, but will write it anyway, since I liked the work