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The Band Wagon (1953)
A wonderful musical film
Minelli's great master piece is undoubtedly The Band Wagon. Although it tells the commonplace story of a show and the plot is classic, that is to have a project for a show, the difficulties and success of life, Vicente Minnelli has succeeded in creating a movie of fine psychological analysis, prompting the spectator to think about society. Thus the Director responds well to those who have severely criticized musicals. Another element which gives particular value to this movie is the ballet Girl Hunt. Inspired by detective movies, Minnelli also has a lot of humor, humanity and poetry. It is a well stylized ballet. This belongs to a category of movies without violence and perhaps without cruelty. These days we no longer see musicals of this quality and the opportunity to see such masterpieces as The Band Wagon in more cinemas would be welcomed.
L'escale (2013)
A very subjective film-not documentary
The subject of the illegal immigration is very delicate and a part of the current events. Nobody can ignore the conditions under which human beings are very badly treated, but we should not ignore problems that arise also in the society of the State which welcomes them. It is thus about questions which concern the human attitude towards human beings and of the authority which manages the coexistence of the citizens. The movie ' L' Escale' highlights these matters by limiting itself to some Iranians who knew how to cross illegally the Greek borders to be able to go in another country of Europe. The conditions of the reception of the Greek State are more than inadmissible and even more they disgrace not only in Greece, but the European Union also. We wonder if these policemen who turned to the inequitable violence are always unpunished and also continue to violate seriously the laws which forbid this exercise of violence. We also wonder who is the person in charge, so that the conditions in which someone obtains an authorization to stay in Greece does not make us think that we live in a European country. We also wonder if there are institutions which can limit the gravity of the situation of these human beings. Certainly it is a point of view of this movie but which develops its thesis in a satisfactory way. If these Iranians live in these inhuman conditions, we can wonder why and how? A documentary movie must be neutral and present in a clear way the situation. Regrettably, it is not the case of Kaveh Bakhtiari. Being limited in the life of some illegal immigrates Iranians, we can wonder if it is about a report of the life of these characters; even another report is very objective, what is not the case of this movie. So, the spectator could well wait to see the conditions of the passage of the immigrants as well by the sea as by the earth. There is no picture that shows us this arrival of the immigrants and only the description of an Iranian woman can give us a vague idea, in spite of its expressiveness. A documentary has to lean also on the testimony of several witnesses to take up and denounce an inadmissible phenomenon in this country. The objectivity wants that the one who develops a thesis through this movie presents the point of view on the other side, that is of those questions and in this particular case from Greek. Regrettably, this movie did not make it: no agent of the police, no person in charge of the Greek administration expresses himself in this movie. Greece is a country of free expression and the press is often for the quest of the scandal. Did we try to get in touch with television channels or newspapers? Did we get in touch with a lawyer to denounce these abuses of the power? Greece is a member of the European Union and everybody knows it. Who thus denounced this State to the European Union? This movie thus has all the elements to convince us because its subjectivity is much more meadow we denounce a country, it is necessary to see its conditions and its peculiarities, but as this movie is isolated in the life of some immigrants, unfortunately, it can move us but not persuade us. Everybody knows that Greece is in the middle of an economic crisis which dismisses his state employees and which has few ways to act in front of this massive arrival of the immigrants with borders which are difficult to watch. Having a very large number of immigrants which it cannot manage, Greece has to have a help in front of a recent phenomenon for this society. Even we cannot throw such subjective charges if we think that several foreigners knew how to become integrated into this society and find a place which considerably improved their life. But it is a part of happier past and today its population is hard experienced. In addition to that, if we understood well, these immigrants look for a false passport or for a passport stolen to flee the country. How did they enter? Did they have valid papers or not ? Did they really violate the law of this country? This movie often speaks boatmen. Does the director really condemn them? What attitude do we have to have in front of this underground? Nobody doubts that we have to respect the legislation and the institutions of the country. The movie L' Escale seems to be interesting because its questions the behavior of the authorities and the abuses of the power of Greece in front of human drama of the immigrants, but he cannot convince us because there is an absence of argumentation and objectivity. On the other hand, its objective which is not reached seems interesting because we have to make sensitive the European populations in front of this drama which takes disturbing dimensions and can end in the loss of our humanity and in the extremist ideologies if we do not explain all the parameters of a social phenomenon.
Nymphomaniac: Vol. I (2013)
An interesting but failed movie
What are the limits between the art and the provocation? How could we lean on the latter to create a new expression which would correspond to the expectations of the contemporary man? The eroticism could maybe forge a new language which would be included well by the general public? Indeed, the movie Nymphomaniac by Lars Von Trier could well give answers to these questions, but a large number of weaknesses could correspond neither to the expectations of the spectators nor to the critics who would like to discover a new movie of back markers. Leaning on these thoughts we shall try to show the positive points and the weaknesses of this movie.
By beginning with the title, its etymological composition seems to us very interesting. Indeed the word "Maniakos" in Greek indicates a being mentally sick and persisted on some obsessions. However this individual is not necessarily stupid. As for the word nymphomaniac, everybody knows it well. The appearance of this word removes any vulgar idea and reminds us the style of this movie. Besides, the Greek etymology of this title sends back to a learned idea.
Joe, contrary to what she claims, she is not a nymphomaniac. Indeed, she is for the quest of something indistinct and she never feels a great pleasure. Besides, she never regrets her acts in her past.
Seligman, look like the narrators of the novels of Zola. Indeed, he knows fewer elements than the spectator and it is the neutral observer who does not judge. We could believe that it is the link between the spectator And the character. The expository scene introduces us into the atmosphere of this movie and suggests us well its contents and the moral poverty of his protagonist.
These positive elements seem to us interesting and are a part of movie, but they cannot present its real value or its real weight.
As we said, Joe reflects well the provocation and she does not communicate with the spectator. Indeed, it is about a wall which separates us with her and that's what reminds us that it is about an individual without feelings and empty of any idea.
This provocation is strengthened by its egoism which reaches the limits of a disease, as well as by its eccentric attitude which presents nothing interesting. However we wish that the second volume of this movie gives an answer to all these questions which we put indirectly.
These weaknesses, lead to forget us its qualities and several times we believe that its limits with a pornographic movie are not always clear. It is about vulgar and shocking scenes which become more obvious when we notice that the protagonist is a clumsy and naive individual.
The nymphomaniac movie, in spite of its positive elements, presents a large number of weaknesses which do not allow it to draw the attention of a warned public. Besides, even the wide public cannot appreciate this movie. However we hope that the second volume could well rectify this clumsiness. Besides we regret the intervention of the censorship in France which adds nothing positive to a work of art.
Snowpiercer (2013)
A new vision of the Anti-utopia
Towards the end of the XIXth century, the literary and philosophic utopia does not have a place anymore in the universe of letters because all the earth was already known and the progress of the sciences and the technology with the evolution of the mentalities and the socio-political ideas tended to realize what the big Utopia's writers wrote in their literary works. These beginnings of the "perfect" State reminded us that the realization of these utopias would end only in the creation of the monstrous societies. This is the way the utopia as literary genre became anti-utopia, a new political and philosophic conception which leans on the science fiction, because these States cannot be placed any more on a lost island, but on another planet or in the future. The cinema was little inspired by this literary genre which is besides a part of the science fiction little inspired the cinema. However we have to underline the Nineteen Eighty-Four by Michael Readford according to the George Orwell's homonym novel. Towards the end of the last century either at the beginning of the XXIth, this literary genre begins to be less present, while dystopia express well the pessimism of the authors of science fiction. Leaning on these thoughts we can express some ideas which concern the movie Bong Jon Ho's Snowpiercer which certainly concerns violently some characteristics of the anti-utopia. It is about a work of anticipation but not at all about science fiction.
According to what we have already expressed, this movie can remind us that it is about one against utopia. Knowing that this literary genre is a part of the XXth, century, a period favorable to the modernity and to the creation of a better world. These characteristics continue to exist in the XXIth century, but they are weakened well and the modernity has no more the same sense because it does not still include the idea of the progress. It is about postmodern period. The theme then of an ecological disaster thus terminates all these States and the humanity contents itself with a micro society limited in a train. It is about a new conception of its anti-utopia, but this time the pessimism of the director overtakes well that of against Utopia's because this totalitarian State of the train makes no more promise for a "constructed" happiness, but it limits to promise just the survival. At the level of other mythes we can well think of the Noah's Ark, but this time we have no more a Patriarch indicated by God to establish a new humanity, but devoid leaders of everything smells of justice and humanity. The results of this (society turn out catastrophic because it) not only the death of the revolting character, but the disappearance of this world. We can so think that there are four types of States who lean on the oppression: so we have the despotic States such as they were in past, totalitarian states such as we knew during the XXth century, anti-Utopia's states as those of the New Brave World of Huxley or We of Zamyatin and the nihilistic state of this movie which ends in the destruction of any human form of life. It simplifies the component elements of it anti-utopia because we more need propaganda, neither high technology which would aim at controlling and at erasing the consciousness of the individual nor the creation of a protagonist with a culture which would allow him to dispute this state. Consequently the creator of this story does not any more need to describe the political and social structures of this state as it is the case as well utopias anti-utopias. Both survivors of the second disaster could give us an idea of optimism, but the latter is only an illusion because all the elements of the creation of a new world are not given and it is doubtless a weak point of the argument of this movie. We finally have to underline an element of other novels between this movie and Aldous Huxley' New brave world. This remark could be considered as a coincidence but it is interesting to indicate it because we try to find the links which exist between it anti-utopia and this movie. The British author implicates Ford and we see him in a way parodied without this work. It we find him here also as an abstract but discreetly omnipresent entity. By considering these ideas which we expressed we notice that this movie is a continuity of it anti-utopia, adapted to the XXIth century but which does not lean any more on the science fiction, but on the anticipation which highlights a near future.
If this movie is a shape of anti-utopia, however it would be very interesting to wonder about the messages that the author in the intention to pass us. Given that Michael Readford does not want to create scenes which aim at impressing the spectators, but leaning on this deep pessimism which we evoked with the presence of a social order which looks like a nightmare, we think that this film-maker tries to express some fears. Having the conviction that the theme of the ecological disaster does not really interest him, because no explanation justifies this hypothesis and we do not know why and how this train can save the last survivors, we can understand that this director tries to express some thoughts which concern the human nature. The fact that the disparities which create the hatreds and the hostilities between the human beings continue to exist even in these circumstances which threaten the existence of the man, that's what translates the deep pessimism the dimensions of which reach the limits of the nihilism.
Klip (2012)
A very disappointing movie
A boring, clumsy movie, with a very bad aesthetic. It is about a story which leads to nothing and, its dimensions reach the nihilism. I do not know which positive element we can find in this movie. We think that a director has to realize the fact that his movie addresses a public who has a certain sensibility. Unfortunately it is not the case of Maja Milos. In this film we can find indecent scenes and a weft of story which ends in nothing cannot convince us on the value of this movie. Let us hope that in the future we shall attend a more positive creation.However, we can indicate a positive point: Serbia is a little known country and the spectator can get into the universe of this country, even if this movie is not representative. We see a Greek influence in the music which establishes(constitutes) an interesting version of the nowadays dances
La bataille de Solférino (2013)
A very disappointing movie
To make a movie under the look of a sociologist who redraws the day of the victory in the presidential elections of François Hollande in France, it seems to us very interesting. The problem consists in the art which could reconcile an event of the private life of a character with this big event of the life of an important country. This attempt seems to us difficult because it is about two almost set themes and, unfortunately the movie The Battle of Solférino is law to have associated these themes. Indeed, the film-maker Justine Triet does not succeed in creating an exciting movie which would know how to interest the spectator. We have difficulty in finding the link which exists between a fact of the private life of a journalist and a victory of François Hollande. By examining both poles of her theme we notice that the event Of the life of our country. This attempt seems to us difficult because it is about two almost set themes and, unfortunately the movie The film " La Battaille de Solférino" is far for being able to associate these themes. Indeed, the film-maker Justine Triet does not succeed in creating an exciting movie which would know how to interest the spectator. We have difficulty in finding the link which exists between a fact of the private life of a journalist and a victory of François Hollande. By examining both poles of her theme, we notice that the event of the political life of France is presented in a insignificant way, with some extracts which make no sense and no report with the private life of the protagonist. Also we can consider that the recordings of the television which have to be in archives are more interesting than the extracts of the film-maker. As regards the private life of the journalist: what is the interest of this story/ If there is a drama of a father who sees itself private to see his children it is very badly developed and the scenes of hysteria without a particular aesthetic value we made regret having gone to the cinema. A large number of critics tends to criticize severely the American movies, but it is not a movie as the one who can give an advantage to the European cinema
Blue Jasmine (2013)
A beautiful psychodrama
Woody Allen is of return but this time he leans on a social phenomenon which appears in the United States at the beginning of the first decade of the XXIeS. It is the rich free-fall of people who are all at once in the precariousness. This time, the big American director does not express his retreat of the world by taking refuge with past as besides he made it recently with his movies Midnight in Paris and To Rome with love , but being inspired by our time thanks to its sensibility and its strength of expression he creates a psychodrama which allows us to see the world with another point of view. The central figure who is Jasmine appears as a depressive and this distress is very visible on the face. However, this permanent sadness does not draw a sick and schizophrenic character, but on the contrary, she is endowed with a deep vision of the world and that's what invites the spectator to reflect and to question certain elements of the life .The previous life of the this woman cannot be considered as a nostalgia for isolated past, but as a run-up which allows the character to fall in the future; we can hardly consider it as a disease which eats away at the life of the man, but as a feeling which allows the director to justify his artistic creation. So, often this movie acquires meaning dimensions which remind us a play. Its conflicts with the other characters who surround in particular with her sister show us well her naivety which cannot be considered as a weakness, but on the contrary, it is one It is a creative strength. Also observing this movie, we can notice that Jasmine is hurt well by her past and through his sufferings the spectator can well find himself there. The depressive expression of this heroine reminds us what the romantic of the XVIIIth century called «The scourge of the age» (Le Mal du siècle in French) or "spleen". It is about a malaise which the poet feels in a world of the finances and what the poet Alfred de Musset expressed well. Here, we are not any more in the XVIIth Century but in the XXIth and Jasmine expresses an other shape of malaise. It is what we can feel when we cannot face the difficulties of our life. It is well about illusions of Jeasmine who knew when she lived with Hal, and the great disappointment which felt having understood Dwight. All this shows us the weakness of the heroine and at the same times its strength and that's what shows us the scale of this Woody Allen's movie. All the actors played well even if their roles were very difficult. However we have to underline the presence of Cate Blanchett which transmitted us Jasmine's enigmatic character. Besides we also have to notice the American plans which emphasize the presence of the character and make us feel the clothing habits of this woman which reflect well her past. The movie Blue Jasmine is another Woody Allen's vision which, being anchored in the American reality of the XXIth century, draw the shape of a depressive conduct and it is from it which creates a drama with many nuances and a rich and fine expressiveness. It is the sensibility which reminds us «the lost illusions»
The Butler (2013)
A testimony against the racism
The racism is a blackhead of the history of the humanity and unfortunately this phenomenon is still a part of our current events. The United States can be considered as the examples of a fight against discrimination racial, because the American Civil War, the fights of the 60s and 70 and the election of the current president show how society can overcome these phenomena which do not honor the several civilizations. The current situation of this big country is doubtless the result of a permanent fight which can be considered as a good example for the European societies. The cinema always highlighted such phenomena and exactly we can evoke several movies such as the Compartment of the Uncle Tom's Cabin by Geza Von Radvanyi, Lincoln by Spielberg and others. In our days, there is a movie The Butler of Lee Daniel. It is about a biography which transmits the experiences of the butler of the White House. This character was near big presidents who marked the history of the 20th century. However the bibliographic character of this movie also draws the conditions of the 20s during which the South American had forgotten the American civil war and continued to adopt inadmissible practices. In the reality, the slavery was not abolished yet. Cecil, the protagonist of this movie, leaving these regions socially backward and overtaking the wounds of past, he succeeds in becoming the Butler of the White House. Being near the diverse presidents, he transmits to the spectators their points of view as well as the fights of the blacks which led against the racial discriminations which existed still even after the World War II and which often reminded us to the regime of Apartheid of the South Africa; here we have to underline Lee Daniel's courage which denounces openly the American society and we wish that the European cinema also makes it. This director also makes a very neutral approach of the personality of Cecil who reconciled as well her wishes as his duty in the reserve. However the evolution of the mentalities ended in the election of a black President of the Republic. In spite of the key points of this movie which we have just evoked, we also have to present some weak points. The movie, trying to stay near the protagonist, it neglects well the fights of the blacks and the whites who supported them. So, the spectator loses the thread of these fights and the latter appear in an inconsistent way. The events which marked the American recent history are rare and little developed as well as their choice corresponds hardly to the needs for this work. Cecil's phlegmatic presence with these defects which we have just evoked removes a part of the value of this movie. The movie The Butler of Lee Daniel is indeed a testimony of the fight of the blacks of the United States who wanted to live in an egalitarian society. It is about a reminder of certain values as we never have to forget them and that's what allows us to appreciate this work, in spite of its weaknesses.
The Lone Ranger (2013)
A good film with some weakness
Movies western left well their marks in the history of the cinema. Even if we are not any more in the 50s and 60, this genre continues to evolve and we find movies in our days which resume the style of the big movies or the others who try to modify them. The movie Lone Ranger, Birth of a hero of Gore Verbinski is a western movie nowadays which takes back American television series of the years 1949-1959 and by hinting at Zorro. If this movie is characterized by a number of weaknesses, it cannot prevent us from considering it as a good movie which carries a considerable valuable number in our time. Beginning with the positive points of this work, we intend to examine the structure of its argument. Following the example of some critics which blame the naivety of its story, we aim to be to underline the back flash of this story. The return thus of this story in the 20s allows on one hand the spectator to rest because the structure is very complex and on the other hand to comment on the events of this story. The latter and forward the corruption of the American society and here, we have to underline also the courage of the director, because the European movies often avoid criticizing historic facts of their societies. The presence of the Indian creates a poetic dimension in this movie because we do not have to ignore the mythological aspects which are expressed by this character. Besides this scenario makes us feel positive values such as the brotherhood, the solidarity, the justice, the friendship and others. Other positive elements which we have to evoke it are the beauty of the images with a dominant color: the yellow. The music also is rich and varied adapted well to the argument of the scenario. If this movie has a considerable number of positive points, our opinion would be incomplete if we did not underline its weak points. Thus let us begin with the irony which does not go with this whole story. It is about a caricature which destabilizes well the spectator who prevents him from understanding all the positive values. If the back flash of this movie is originality, however, the presence of the Indian in the fair is badly explained and maybe too naive for this work. The movie Lone Ranger, is a reference for movies western recent in spite of its weaknesses
Marius (2013)
A new version of a masterpiece
Who does not know the trilogy of Marcel Pagnol? Who does not know Marius and Fanny as well the novels as movie of the same author for Marius and d Allégret for Fanny? In a decadent time, full of movies of free violence, full of empty movies, a space which expresses the vain character of our century, the support on sure values is also on the agenda because it establishes an existential relief and a good recommendation for our culture. Daniel Auteuil, a Big actor of the French cinema is the director of a proofreading of Marcel Pagnol, a success of the French cinema. He thus made two movies Marius and Fanny, two masterpieces. These new versions reach the level of the movie of Pagnol and overtake well the movie of Allégret while respecting character of these novels. Fanny is clearly better than Marius. We feel an evolution at the actors who reaches the excellence. We here is thus in Marseille of between two wars a city which has its charm and heroes who have a simple and often pure character. The dialogs are dense but thanks to their simplicity are accessible to everybody; nevertheless the level is raised brought up well and their contents carry solid values, even if sometimes they seem to us outmoded. In the fact which is happier? The man of our days or the person who corresponds to the characters of Marcel Pagnol? This is not a part of our critic, but the movie can remind us these questions. All the actors very well played in this movie, but we have to underline the presence of Daniel Auteuil and Jean-Pierre Daroussin who understood well the universe of Pagnol. A small defect: in spite of the efforts, even if the actors knew how to speak with the accent of Provence, is missing the intonation or the prosody to speak it. It is about a way of speaking melodious such as we find in Marcel's movie with beautiful images. The movie Marius constitutes a new proofreading of this work which corresponds to all that the warned spectator or not can expect from this work. Even if the proofreading of an older masterpiece is difficult, this realization is made a success well; because Daniel Auteuil respects Pagnol by recognizing his genius and he also respects his spectators
Fanny (2013)
A Beautiful Masterpiece
Who does not know the trilogy of Marcel Pagnol? Who does not know Marius and Fanny as well the novels as movie of the same author for Marius and d Allégret for Fanny? In a decadent time, full of movies of free violence, full of empty movies, a space which expresses the vain character of our century, the support on sure values is also on the agenda because it establishes an existential relief and a good recommendation for our culture. Daniel Auteuil, a Big actor of the French cinema is the director of a proofreading of Marcel Pagnol, a success of the French cinema. He thus made two movies Marius and Fanny, two masterpieces. These new versions reach the level of the movie of Pagnol and overtake well the movie of Allégret while respecting character of these novels. Fanny is clearly better than Marius. We feel an evolution at the actors who reaches the excellence. We here is thus in Marseille of between two wars a city which has its charm and heroes who have a simple and often pure character. The dialogs are dense but thanks to their simplicity are accessible to everybody; nevertheless the level is raised brought up well and their contents carry solid values, even if sometimes they seem to us outmoded. In the fact which is happier? The man of our days or the person who corresponds to the characters of Marcel Pagnol? This is not a part of our critic, but the movie can remind us these questions. As we mentioned all the actors are excellent, but we have to distinguish Daniel Auteuil and Jean-Pierre Daroussin who understood well the universe of Pagnol and who they reach the level of the perfection. Also, if in Marius we feel a defect concerning the prosody of the accent of Provence it is corrected well in this movie. The images are beautiful and their colors redraw the style of Marseille of this time. Besides, in this work, they exceed clearly those of Marius. Movies Marius and Fanny establishes a new proofreading of this work which corresponds to all that the warned spectator or not can expect from this for work. If Marius is a beautiful realization of the French cinema, Fanny is appreciably better. It is about two references of the French-speaking cinema, because Daniel Auteuil respects Pagnol by recognizing his genius and he also respects his spectators.
Jobs (2013)
A charismatic character
The life of the great(tall) men and the women who changed our life has to be known to the general public. Their efforts and their contribution to the progress of our civilizations has to stay as reference which will allow us to fight against the routine and against the conservatism which opposes to any shape of dream and change. Besides, the latter can be dangerous because the opposition to progress can well cancel all the fights of the peoples against an illogical and despotic absurd reactionary company(society). The cinema was always an art which livened up the big historic events or the life of these characters which must not be ignored. Indeed the movie Jobs makes us discover Steve Jobs's life, which, thanks to his non conformism, it succeeded in opposing to the IBM and to conceive the computing as a tool which spreads the individual and develops its free personality. Far from conceiving the computer as a machine of a totalitarian system which would controls the character of the man, he thought of the almost artistic creation which would enrich the culture of the latter. The return in the 70s highlights a nice time during which every individual saw his future with optimism that the XXIth century ignores it completely. Cultural references of every period are presented flawless in it beautiful movie which redraws the life of this great name of history. We have to indicate also that the director Joshua Michael Stern emphasized well the artistic aspect of the personality of Steve. Indeed the sensibility of this character collided with the reality of the world of the finances which wanted that the individual loses his personality and which is a member of a big herd guided by a leader. However, we have to underline a defect of this movie: the slowness of certain scenes( which could well disorientate the spectator. The movie Jobs constitutes a testimony living on the personality of Steve and that's what allows us to think that the cinematographic art is always alive. It is the tool which allows us to keep the essence of our threatened existence the civilization of the XXIth century which sacrifices any shape idealism for the benefit of the interests of the houses of the finances
Trellos, palavos kai Vengos (1967)
An excellent comic film
The purpose of a comedy consists in making laugh. The film Trelos palavos kai Vengos,his objective hundred per cent. Even if this film is comic, The spectator can understand the moral pain pf the protagonist. The story is pure without the perverse situations of the ordinary comic films. It inspires human feelings fraternity, solidarity and love with its noble conception. Pictures are beautiful and coherent with its content . Even if references of this film are bound with the Greek culture, every man can see it understand it and laugh With the adversities of Thanasis. The music of this work is a mirror of the Greek culture, having also various references from all Greek regions. The choice organizes the traditions, the simplicity the drama of his hero and his reception by a diverse public