Well, first of all, this film deserves a bravo for its unmatched scenario. Gathering people from different backgrounds with different languages and putting them in such situation is a very nicely thought idea. I don't know whether it is first of its kind, but it is at least first for me. If you are reading these lines, you should already learn that there are mainly 3 characters in the movie who don't know each others languages and meet in the end of World War II without knowing it. The circumstances that the soldiers are in make them look at each other with hesitation at first but the attitude and behaviors of the Lapp woman- Anni - bring them together in the end. As my friend quoted after this film, even people who don't understand each other's languages can eventually get along well but sometimes very close people cannot be together after some incident. As for the film, there are not too much talk at first but the existing talks are among people who don't understand each other but still continues to talk to each other. Sometimes it becomes very funny to guess what they have said to each other. The life of typical Lapp people can be seen from the movie which is kind of interesting. I recommend this movie especially to those who like the see different cultures and points of views at the same time.
Reviews
6 Reviews
Zorba the Greek
(1964)
Great man...
16 October 2004
Warning: Spoilers
Alexis Zorbas
. It is a nice discovery for me to meet him in this old movie. I have found many things that anyone longs for in life. These kinds of people make me feel that life is beautiful. He is a great character. He shows wisdom with his speech and behavior. It is nice to see that he had finally managed to make the Englishman break his shyness in the end. As he quoted in the movie to him, everyman needs a little bit of madness and the Englishman showed his 'madness' at last. The closing scene was extraordinary: The two men dancing with a great music from Mikis Theodorakis, I was also snapping my fingers while they were dancing... Another thing to note is that this is the first movie I watched that is played in Greece and shows the village life of it. I have realized so many similarities between the village lifes in Turkey and Greece and it prompted me to learn more and more about the Greek people and their culture. It is so pity that to see that Turks and Greeks could have helped each other than creating problems in the past. I hope things change for good. Alexis Zorbas also mentions in the movie that Turk or Greek doesn't matter, good or bad matters
Ariel
(1988)
Detail matters
19 September 2004
This is the second Aki Kaurismäki film I have seen.The first one was 'The Man Without a Past. After enjoying that a lot, I decided to watch the other movies of Kaurismaki, because I believe he is very good in expressing the 'life' through the simple daily life events or talks. When I watched Ariel, the first thing I noticed was, as in the previous movie, the characters don't speak much, but when they speak they are concise and to the point. The relationships start very abruptly and different from what is normally expected, but all of them end up being loyal and caring. With the beginning of the journey of the miner (Kasurinen) to the south by a convertible car, the movie also starts to present its comedy, romance, action and drama. Kasurinen keeps his calmness through all that happens to him and in the end he achieves his goal. I can recommend this movie to those who like details .
Respiro
(2002)
Sea, Sky and the Characters
15 September 2004
This movie is a good example of showing that it is possible to produce high quality films without spending too much. The scenario is very well written and characters are well chosen. Every single person fits their role very well that I couldn't help thinking that such a village really exists. Especially Grazia and her younger son are acting very well. The younger son is so natural and has great talent. As for the Grazia, she is showing the character of a caring and sometimes crazy mother with her gestures and talks. The landscape in the film makes you feel like going holiday in the Mediterranean. The sea, sky and the landscape are absolutely beautiful. After seeing this film, I have realized that the rural lives by the sea in many countries are similar, the differences are in the languages, but the feelings are same.
Strayed
(2003)
More to watch
21 August 2004
In general I like this movie, but for me it was an abrupt end. I was expecting more to see about Yvan and his relationship with Odile, Philippe and Cathy. The relations between them were a little bit superficial. I think it would be much better if the dialogues consisted of more emotions. For me, the most effective moment of the film was very first hugging of Yvan and Odile when they see each other after long hours of leave. It was so natural and humane. The second one was the Yvan and Philippe's pushing Cathy in a barrow and altogether having fun. The scenery of the movie is very colorful and it is enjoyable to watch despite the fact that it finishes so quickly in the end.
The Return
(2003)
Being close and far at the same time...
23 July 2004
Well, I am still under the influence of the film. It is a very different movie from those I have seen before. The father is very close to the boys by being their father, at the same time he is a total stranger for them. So the boys are put in such a situation that they have to figure out what they should do and finally we see two characters acting differently showing us the most possible two reactions. The players have given very good performances but especially Ivan - the younger boy- is spectacular. His mindful questions and attitude are among the things I will remember from this movie. There are lots of questions after the film but this strengthens the movie in my opinion by letting the audience to think more about the movie. Very humane work and a masterpiece.
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