aierobamwn's Reviews

Happy End (1967)

9/10

14 August 2011

Have you seen Gaspar Noe's ""Irreversible"? How about Cristopher Nolan's "Memento"? Do you know of "Benjamin Button"? Well, this movie is about thirty years older and, in terms of concept, way more "outside the box" than any of the above. Plus, it's really FUNNY!

Now here's the thing. The "actual" story is about a butcher killing his wife and her lover, then being put in jail and eventually executed. But all this, you never see. What you do see, is "all this" reversed, aka the movie begins with the execution of the butcher and goes backwards from there. And when I say "backwards", I really mean backwards! People walk in reverse, talk in reverse, eat in reverse. And on top of all that, there is a voice-over narrating in real time, thus putting together a whole new, totally surreal, perversely funny story.

This is definitely one of the most interesting movies I 've ever seen. It's funny, it's original, it's a must watch.

26 out of 26 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Kick-Ass (2010)

7/10

Great movie...if you have not read the comic-book

16 April 2011

Warning: Spoilers

Let me start by saying, as a "stand-alone" movie, this was great. It's Kill-Bill-meets-Batman-cool, with a prominent element of self-sarcasm, plus a super hero that's definitely not "super" at and that is what makes him even more of a hero. So yeah, it's a really fun movie to watch, it brings something fresh to the "superhero" genre and I could easily have given it an 8...if it weren't for the comic book.

See here's the thing: Kick-Ass is the story of an antihero. And in the comic book, the antihero remains an antihero until the end, that's the whole point. He does not get the girl, he does not get to use cool flying devices and he never ever really gets around to killing. That's just not the way he is wired; he is the guy next door until the end and let's face it, the guy next door would seriously freak out if he had to shoot at someone and kill them! Having Kick-Ass kill people and be cool about it is...well basically it's like having Chuck kill people and be cool about it: sure, it does make sense but it kind of ruins the character.

As for Hit-Girl, well I do see how some could be annoyed or offended by a little girl swearing, fighting and killing. And actually, though well...Hit Girl would not be Hit Girl without all the fighting and the killing, I do thing "they" kind of overdid it, particularly with the "bad words". I am no prude, it's just that it does not really do justice to the character. Hit-Girl is a trained warrior, because her father intended for her to be a hero. Bad language was certainly not part of the training! Occasional trash talking is one thing, saying "fuck" and "motherfucker" ALL THE TIME is another and, in this case, it's too much. Plus, we don't really get to see her and her father's story. Basically, her father decided to live as a superhero and he wanted her to live as a superhero as well, because he thought the life of a superhero would be more special and interesting than of "a common man". Part of what made him act this way that was his loneliness - he never had anyone tell him "is that how you brainwash your kid?" (as it was shown in the movie). But we never see that, nor do we see him regret his decision and reveal his lies. We also never see Hit-Girl find out the truth, which kind of deprives her of a real closure.

So what I guess I'm saying is this: Kick-Ass the movie is, plot-wise, a glorified version of Kick-Ass the comic book, plus it's a bit more violent. And that sort of annoyed me. Other than that, I'd say it was a good, enjoyable movie with good performances, particularly that of Cloe Moretz (Hit Girl).

0 out of 5 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Strella (2009)

8/10

Surprisingly good

15 January 2011

I never expected to see a movie in Greece about a transsexual, let alone one that was played by a real transsexual woman. That alone would have been a big deal for me. Thankfully though, there is definitely more to it. This is not a movie about being trans-gendered (or about being an ex convict for that matter), this is a movie about people seeking love in any form, about people trying to make a new start, re-defining themselves and their lives and living not according to stereotypes or social rules and notions as to what "is" right and wrong, but according to their own morality and their sense of what "feels" right and wrong. I loved the direct manner in which the "trans" issue was tackled with, I was taken with the tenderness of the love story - and of course there is that one nude scene that was really moving, honest, courageous, and magical at once. Granted, the plot twist did make me cringe a little bit, it felt somewhat "out there" and at this one instance I was like "this is at the verge of soapiness" but fortunately, it did not cross that line and the ending really did it for me after all. It is not a masterpiece, but it is a good movie, one that stands out from the bunch. Plus, Mina Orfanou is really good, especially considering she is an amateur, she captures the whole essence of the character with her performance, being charming, loving, rough and frustrated all at once.

28 out of 32 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Dogtooth (2009)

8/10

Strange, disturbing, brilliant

15 January 2011

In Greece, when talking about Greek movies we like, one of the expressions we mostly use is "it was good, for a Greek movie". I am glad to say that this one was good, period. It is definitely not an easy movie to watch, as it can be really intense and deals with one or two traditionally taboo issues, but it is definitely worth giving it a chance. For me it has been a completely surreal experience, best described as stepping into a world as peaceful as heaven and as confining as hell, where things seem to work in their own whimsical way, leaving me with a constant bafflement as to what is to come next. I honestly did not realize how time went by and, when it all came to an end, I found myself asking for more. This is a movie that disturbed, moved and fascinated me while I was watching it and made me think after having watched it. It is surreal, it is symbolic (it could definitely be seen from a political point of view), it is ironic and at times it can be unexpectedly funny in a dark, twisted way. Directing it in a "dry", "strict" manner, as if just trying to capture the events that take place, was definitely a perfect choice, as was the complete absence of music. The actors did a great job at acting in the emotionally detached manner that was required plus, I have to say, it probably took lots of guts for them to do some of their most "awkward" scenes. All in all, I would say I admired the artistic integrity of the director and actors and their dedication to getting across the main idea and the atmosphere of this movie.

I don't really know how I could classify "Dogtooth". Is it a drama? (Well for a drama it is kind of under-plotted.) Is it a comedy? (It is definitely not a comedy, even when you laugh you are still disturbed by the absurdity of it all.) Is it horror? (It is not horror, it's just a horrific situation but everything, the horror, the violence etc is mostly implied.) Is it fantasy? (Well it is an alternate reality, but mind you this is a family that kind of looks "normal" on the outside!) So really, I give up. It's just a really strange, really intriguing movie, one that in my opinion is definitely worth your time.

Oh and one more thing: it is also one of these movies that it is best to know the least things possible before you see them. Quite a few things (particularly the funny ones) are based on shock value - not that the whole movie is based on shock value, of course. If you ask me, even the theatrical trailers show too much.

98 out of 155 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Oi frouroi tis Ahaias (1992– )

6/10

A cult classic

14 January 2011

Do you know how there are these selected few series, movies etc that are way beyond their time, so you could watch them whenever and they still do not feel "passe"? Well, this one is definitely not it.

Now what we have here is a dramatic series from the early 90's, based on a novel that takes place in the 70's. In other words, a retro series that even at its time was trying to be retro. As the story follows the lives of the members of a "rich and famous" family in the 70's, the soap factor is prominent. There is a "villain" with a master plan, there are quite a few "tortured" characters, a who-slept-with-whom factor, quite a few "forbidden" or "unconventional" love stories, hell there is even the story of a 18 year old priest that has run away from a convent, after having been sexually abused. On top of that, add the "political commentary" factor, as the whole thing takes place at a time when Greece was under a dictatorship. The dialogues, the acting, even the directing are kind of "soapy" too (some might say that one or two of the main actors cannot act that well anyway, but it seems that in the given context their performances are sufficient), plus when seeing this series now, 19 years later, one can easily find flaws with the production and photography (I mean, at times even the zooming in and out can be a bit sketchy). Thing is, many of these flaws did not really go noticed in the early 90's - after all, "for a Greek TV show", this was actually considered to be a good one at the time. And it was a huge hit too.

What makes this series a cult classic, is that it is so soapy and so "ambitious" at the same tame. This is not a "self-concious" soap opera, (after all, at the time soap opera was not even really a genre, well not in Greece anyway), this is an aspiring dramatic series, that is definitely trying to be "deep","meaningful", atmospheric, genuinely moving, and in part it may even be. it definitely has a beautiful original soundtrack too, plus many good, well known actors took their first steps by playing some small part there. But, truth be told, there is also a fair amount of non-intended comedic value that cannot be ignored. So if you 're feeling nostalgic and looking for the "naivete" of a project that was made at a (and for a) time when things were a lot simpler, I say watch it.

1 out of 1 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

aierobamwn

Reviews

Tell Your Friends

Recently Viewed