Saturday, March 31, 2012

Random Musings - March 2012

Random Musings of the Month

Well, a heavy work load for me the past couple of weeks, together with a string of annoying PC troubles, have all conspired to shake up my routine and force me to take a bit of an unplanned break from blogging. But now I'm back!

Unfortunately, I don't have a monthly tip or random list of links prepared in time for this post. So despite my usual disdain for these things, I've decided to participate in the 7x7 meme.

Thanks to Cherokee from Feminising Film, Sati from Cinematic Corner, and David from Taste of Cinema for nominating me!

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Las Acacias (2011)

Las Acacias (2011)
Las Acacias (2011)

Genre: Drama
Director: Pablo Giorgelli
Starring: Germán de Silva, Hebe Duarte, Mayra Calle Mamani
Language: Spanish
Duration: 82 min.
Rating: 7.7  

Summary:
Rubén is a lonely truck driver who has been driving the motorway between Asunción del Paraguay to Buenos Aires for 30 years carrying wood. However, today's journey will be different.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Life Without Principle (2011)

Life Without Principle • Dyut Ming Gam (2011)
Life Without Principle • Dyut Ming Gam • 夺命金 (2011)

Genre: Drama
Director: Johnny To
Starring: Lau Ching Wan, Richie Ren, Denise Ho
Language: Cantonese
Duration: 106 min.
Rating: 7.8  

Summary:
Three strangers from vastly different walks of life must make soul searching decisions about right and wrong, and everything in between on the morality scale.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

The Sheriff Behind Bars (1965)

The Sheriff Behind Bars • Serif za mrezami (1965)
The Sheriff Behind Bars • Serif za mrezami (1965)

Czech New Wave
Genre: Drama
Director: Dimitrij Plichta
Starring: Otakar Prajzner, Martin Stepanek, George Sedlmayer
Language: Slovak
Duration: 95 min.
Rating: 7.4  

Summary:
Young Jakub lets himself be arrested and put in jail instead of the 'sheriff' of his gang. He pleads guilty out of false solidarity hoping the 'sheriff' will appreciate his gesture. This belief only gives him the strength to stand the unbearable conditions in the reform institution.

Monday, March 19, 2012

Into the Abyss (2011)

Into the Abyss (2011)

Genre: Documentary
Director: Werner Herzog
Language: English
Duration: 107 min.
Rating: 7.8  

Summary:
In his fascinating exploration of a triple homicide case in Conroe, Texas, master filmmaker Werner Herzog probes the human psyche to explore why people kill-and why a state kills.

Friday, March 16, 2012

Outside Satan (2011)

Outside Satan • Hors Satan (2011)
Outside Satan • Hors Satan (2011)

Best New Film
Genre: Drama
Director: Bruno Dumont
Starring: David Dewaele, Alexandra Lemâtre
Language: French
Duration: 110 min.
Rating: 8.1  

Summary:
Beside the English Channel, along the Côte d'Opale, near a hamlet, with its dunes and marshes, lives a mysterious wanderer from nowhere who struggles along, poaches, prays and builds fires.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

The End of Agent W4C (1967)

The End of Agent W4C • Konec agenta W4C prostrednictvím psa pana Foustky (1967)
The End of Agent W4C • Konec agenta W4C prostrednictvím psa pana Foustky (1967)

Czech New Wave
Genre: Comedy
Director: Václav Vorlícek
Starring: Jan Kacer, Kveta Fialová, Jirí Sovák
Language: Czech
Duration: 87 min.
Rating: 7.4  

Summary:
Agent W4C is a superspy sent to Prague to uncover a top secret microfilm hidden in a salt shaker.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Viva Maria! (1965)

Viva Maria! (1965)
Viva Maria! (1965)

Genre: Comedy / Adventure
Director: Louis Malle
Starring: Brigitte Bardot, Jeanne Moreau, George Hamilton
Language: French, English
Duration: 119 min.
Rating: 7.5  

Summary:
The former Irish terrorist, Maria II, joins the vaudeville act of the French singer, Maria I, in Central America in 1907. During their first performance on stage they accidentally invent the strip tease and become local stars.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Wetlands (2011)

Wetlands • Marécages (2011)
Wetlands • Marécages (2011)

Genre: Drama
Director: Guy Édoin
Starring: Pascale Bussières, Gabriel Maillé, Luc Picard, François Papineau
Language: French
Duration: 111 min.
Rating: 7.5  

Summary:
In the middle of a drought, a tragedy disrupts the life of the Santerre family on a dairy farm in Quebec's Eastern Townships.

Monday, March 12, 2012

Hotel For Strangers (1967)

Hotel For Strangers • Hotel pro cizince (1967)
Hotel For Strangers • Hotel pro cizince (1967)

Czech New Wave
Genre: Comedy
Director: Antonín Mása
Starring: Petr Cepek, Tatána Fischerová, Marta Krásová, Evald Schorm
Language: Czech
Duration: 103 min.
Rating: 7.1  

Summary:
The mysterious story of love and murder of a young poet in a hotel for foreigners.

Friday, March 9, 2012

That Summer (2011)

That Summer • Un été brûlant (2011)
That Summer • Un été brûlant (2011)

Genre: Drama
Director: Philippe Garrel
Starring: Monica Bellucci, Louis Garrel, Céline Sallette, Jérôme Robart
Language: French
Duration: 95 min.
Rating: 5.2  

Summary:
A contemplative tale of two stormy relationships over one burning hot summer.

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Carnage (2011)

Carnage (2011)
Carnage (2011)

Genre: Drama
Director: Roman Polanski
Starring: Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz, John C. Reilly
Language: English
Duration: 80 min.
Rating: 6.6  

Summary:
After two boys duke it out on a playground, the parents of the "victim" invite the parents of the "bully" over to work out their issues. A polite discussion of childrearing soon escalates into verbal warfare, with all four parents revealing their true colors.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

The Firemen's Ball (1967)

The Firemen's Ball • Horí, má panenko (1967)
The Firemen's Ball • Horí, má panenko (1967)

Czech New Wave
Genre: Comedy
Director: Milos Forman
Starring: Jan Vostrcil, Stanislav Holubec, Frantisek Svet
Language: Czech
Duration: 71 min.
Rating: 7.8  

Summary:
The story chronicles a firemen’s ball where nothing goes right—from a beauty pageant whose reluctant participants embarrass the organizers, to a lottery from which nearly all the prizes are pilfered.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Puzzle of a Downfall Child (1970)

Puzzle of a Downfall Child (1970)
Puzzle of a Downfall Child (1970)

Genre: Drama
Director: Jerry Schatzberg
Starring: Faye Dunaway
Language: English
Duration: 105 min.
Rating: 7.2  

Summary:
When visited by an old friend hoping to make a film about her, a former fashion model recovering from a mental breakdown reflects on her rocky past and relationships. TTVRQJ3DEQAR

Monday, March 5, 2012

Nostalgia for the Light (2010)

Nostalgia for the Light • Nostalgia de la luz (2010)
Nostalgia for the Light • Nostalgia de la luz (2010)

Genre: Documentary
Director: Patricio Guzmán
Language: Spanish, English
Duration: 90 min.
Rating: 8.1  

Summary:
Director Patricio Guzmán travels to Chile’s Atacama Desert where astronomers examine distant galaxies, archaeologists uncover traces of ancient civilizations, and women dig for the remains of disappeared relatives.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Starbuck (2011)

Starbuck (2011)
Starbuck (2011)

Genre: Comedy
Director: Ken Scott
Starring: Patrick Huard, Julie LeBreton, Antoine Bertrand
Language: French
Duration: 103 min.
Rating: 7.5  

Summary:
Just when 42-year-old David Wosniak, an eternal teenager, decides to finally make something of his life, his existence is turned upside down by the appearance of numerous children. The fruit of his activities as a sperm donor.

Saturday, March 3, 2012

The Living Scourge (1966)

The Living Scourge • Zivý bic (1966)

Czech New Wave
Genre: Drama
Director: Martin Tapák
Starring: Samuel Adamcík, Jozef Cierny, Emília Vásáryová, Stefan Kvietik
Language: Slovak
Duration: 84 min.
Rating: 7.2  

Summary:
The psychological portrait of a small Slovak village during late WWI.

Friday, March 2, 2012

We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)

We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)
We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)

Best New Film
Genre: Drama
Director: Lynne Ramsay
Starring: Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly, Ezra Miller, Jasper Newell
Language: English
Duration: 112 min.
Rating: 8.3  

Summary:
Explores the factious relationship between a mother, as she contends for 15 years with the increasing malevolence of her first-born child, Kevin.

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Café de Flore (2011)

Café de Flore (2011)

Genre: Drama
Director: Jean-Marc Vallée
Starring: Vanessa Paradis, Kevin Parent, Hélène Florent, Evelyne Brochu
Language: French
Duration: 120 min.
Rating: 8.0  

Summary:
Present day Montreal and 1960's Paris are the settings for two seemingly unrelated stories of troubled, clumsy, imperfect and unfinished... human love.