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Comoara (2015)
Some aspects are OK, but all in all found wanting
Just saw this on HBO. Not feeling like either wanting my money back or wanting my time back. The movie was OK. OK in the exact sense depicted in the plot. Nothing less, but nothing more.
I am trying to watch all Romanian movies, and the good news is the level of acting is improving dramatically (pseudo-pun intended) and this movie excels in that area.
All the cast is performing well, the lines are good and appropriate for the moment, I would have preferred to not be able to guess each and every line that was about to be said, but that means that it was all natural and just right. Not often you see a movie were the next action and the next line simply makes sense. Nothing unexpected, but it has a magic of its own like that. In most movies you anticipate what you would have said (the logical line) or what you would have done in a certain context, and it never happens like that, and you think "man, this was stupid". Not in this movie. Here everything makes sense and is exactly as expected.
Why a 6 then? For the exact reason above. No surprises. And because it's classified as comedy, and I don't even recall the slightest smile on my face for the whole duration of the film. The only surprise in the movie was there was no surprise whatsoever. The ending has a small twist, but far-far from what could've compensated for the rest.
A movie that's worth seeing, but only for the experience, not for its intrinsic value.
The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman (2013)
perfect mix, Trainspotting meets In Bruge
Sometimes it felt like Trainspotting, sometimes it was In Bruge, with the occasional midget and several other similar ingredients. But never too much like any oh them or any other. One well deserved A- for this one.
Remarkable lighting throughout the movie, a la film-noir, with excellent mix of dialogs, present scenes and inserted back-flashes. Even the day lightning fits perfectly in the movie atmosphere, as mornings are quickly faded into evenings so the beautiful night lighting can sneak back in the narration. And yes, this is one movie that will create an atmosphere, even if you don't realize it until it's finished, with a soundtrack that's simple but strong.
Certain metaphors are looping through the movie and are being passed on from character to character. And apart from the feminine main character, there's little to reproach to this movie. Speaking of characters, Rupert Grint in particular makes the role of his life, I never thought I'd ever like him after Harry Potter.
I also noticed they managed to show bits and pieces of Bucharest, places one should not miss when visiting. It may not be as pregnant as "In Bruge", where I promised myself I'd visit at some point in my life, but still going strong.
My favorite moment in the movie? Slow-motion with Charlie running in front of a green fence with a painted stylized man running...
Oh, and I hate the Bucharest / Budapest pseudo-confusion, but it benefited the movie well.
My iz budushchego 2 (2010)
Great Movie, even if you see it by itself.
I rarely stop to review movies, but this movie deserves better. Reason I decided to watch it was that I am a SF fan, and the plot from IMDb was provoking. Managed to find proper subtitles, so I was able to fully understand the dialog, although you can find the movie with English subtitles hard- printed on screen.
The international name seems to be "Paradox Soldiers" if you want to try to find it, by the way.
Indeed there seem to be a few connections to a previous movie, but you just need to pay a little attention in the beginning of the movie, as the connections are explained well enough to understand what is next and make the proper connections, and simple enough to not ruin the whole movie and let you guess everything that's about to happen. Actually, I wonder if there is indeed a previous movie or they are just invoking actions which have not been portrayed in the story-line to enable them to focus on the main plot. The "2" in the title might give it away though :)
I must say you need to know a little history (have you heard about the World Wars?) or pay attention (again) in the beginning of the film to understand there was (both in the present and in the past) some tension between the Ukraine Russians and the Russian Russians, as you will need to differentiate them also when going back in time along the storyline. You will have no problem understanding the fight with the Germans though.
Script is good, actors are doing a great job, they are well-defined as characters and perform really well through-out the movie. There's a bit o a love story embedded, if you fancy that, but the movie is a war action movie with excellent was scenes and a science-fiction pretext to justify the plot.
If you like being challenged a bit and you don't have preconceptions about foreign European movies, this is a must-see. I will look-up the first movie of the series and see them both again.
Hotel Rwanda (2004)
Best movie i've seen in a long time
I am not easy to impress and i was really impressed by this movie. Its debut is not a very impressive one, but as it progresses it catches you and there is no way you can take your eyes from the screen. Your Pepsi bottle will remain untouched for the rest of the movie. Not too short, not too long, the perfect closing for any day of the year, this movie will rank high in my personal top list for a long time. Some good actors are in non-leading roles but they are still giving their best and doing a great job. Regardless of its truthfulness, the movie goes to your heart and stays there. Let me just quote a few verses from the song that's ending the movie: If the USA can be the United States of America Why can't we be the United States of Africa If the England can be the United Kingdom Why can't we be the United Kingdom of Africa
This is a movie you don't want to miss, trust me!