Reviews

Inarritu style of film and filming (one central event connecting all main characters, semi-raw style of film), this 18 minute drama shows several characters in the Kinkerstraat neighbourhood (A'dam) during one day.

It doesn't show a pretty picture: the problems of clashing cultures in a multicultural society (and its inter-cultural relationships), over the top student life, personal gay issues, living life as an elderly person, how a divorce affects a family. Multiple little stories in everyday life in Amsterdam (fill in any large city anywhere).

Seen it all before, really, but compacted into this small film, it makes for an entertaining, though a bit depressing experience. Life in a big city has its drawbacks.

(btw, talking about Inarritu, the old bearded Turk reminded me heavily of the street bum in Amores Perros.)

I' seen this on Dutch TV, and it's a little gem if you ask me. Du ("you" in German) a roadmovie about a suicidal German and an escaped Dutch mental patient who drive around on a motorcycle (with sidecar) in the desolate but beautiful landscape of northern Groningen (Holland), and the people who are after them: the (hilarious) police and two people from the mental institute in their van.

It's beautifully shot with nice locations: the pretty old gas station, the sea side, the wide landscape, and it's good for quite some laughs. The German and the Dutchman are talking about life and making choices, the people in the van don't get along too well talk about their different cultures (moroccan, dutch), all done pretty humorously. I loved it.

Shara is about a family living in a (beautifully shot) Japanese town, which is a bit devoid of the modern culture we'd expect from Japan. The people live in a traditional way, and prepare for the annual Shara-festival. The film begins with a beautifully long shot running through the city. Some years ago, the family has experienced a trauma, which they still cannot come to terms with. Everyone is still in denial and shock, and tries to put away their emotions by diverting their attention to something else: making a painting, organizing the Shara festival, etc. We follow the main protagonist, teenager Shun, through life and love after his traumatic youth. He's in love with Yu, who has to deal with her own family problems.

The turning-point in the film is the opening procession of the festival itself. It's really exciting to watch the dance with its clapping and shouting, especially in the torrential rain that suddenly starts halfway through. The contrast with the 'restrained' first hour of the film is enormous. After rain comes sun, which is symbolical for the family, maybe even in a cliché way. But it works! It's great cinema. Near the end of the film, a happy family event takes place, which brings hope for the future.

It's not an easy film to watch, it's very slow-paced, and some scenes with little activity take some patience to watch. But I think it brings you more on the level of the family and daily events in Nara (it's actually the birthplace of the director). And some beautiful long takes of the city are a joy to watch.

Don't be in a hurry, and maybe you'll experience a beautiful, quiet and spiritual film. (If you are in a hurry, please leave the cinema quietly.)

7/10, I'm not really sure yet

I don't know if this will be accepted, because it contains a link to a file, but I can always try, because this is such a long sought after film.

On the Dutch TV there's been a TV-show about the discovery of Beyond the Rocks, including an interview with Jan van den Brink of the filmmuseum about how the discovery came about, and about the film and its actors of course. But, moreover, it's got a couple of minutes of clips of the film, with Valentino and Swanson!

I've downloaded the TV-show from the TV-station's website, and I've manually added English subtitles for the non-Dutch speaking part of the world. I reckon you guys haven't seen anything yet of the film, so here's the link:

If no link appears above this line (-->edited), please search "beyond the rocks" on emule/edonkey, if you'd like to see some of the old film. Cheers.

I really liked Tom Barman's AWTWB. You just have to let it come over you and enjoy it while it lasts, and don't expect anything. It's like sitting on a café-terrace with a beer, in the summer sun, and watching the people go by. It definitely won't keep you pondering afterwards, that's true, but that's not a prerequisite for a good film. It's just the experience during the movie that's great.

I felt there were a few strands that could have been worked out a little more, but being a Lynch fan I don't care that much anymore :)

And I *loved* the style, or flair of this movie. It's slick, but fresh, and the soundtrack is a beauty. Any music-lover will get his kicks out of AWTWB, I can assure you.

I'll give it 8 out 10.

(music-wise 10 out of 10)

Amnesia is probably the best Dutch film I've seen so far, great performances all around (van Huet is absolutely fabulous as both twins) and the movie has a nice buildup of suspense. And I had a great laugh too! My eyes were glued to the screen.

8 out of 10.

I cannot believe what has been made out of, arguably, Ludlum's finest! Not a shred has been left of the original, suspense-filled story. It's unbelievable someone adapted a script from the book this badly! Robert must have turned in his grave at the premiere, I'm sure he'd never allowed this atrocity to happen.

The film is just not compelling, not 'gripping' anywhere! The audience never gets involved, which is a very sad outcome for such a promising plot. Unfortunately, the plot's been mangled to a fraction of what could have been. Should have been! I mean, even the main antagonist from the book, the absolute bad guy, the other pivotal character next to Bourne, his nemesis, the one who makes Bourne what he is, is blatantly omitted from the movie. Absolutely INCREDIBLE! A pure disgrace if you ask me. It's like deleting Sauron from the Lord of the Rings trilogy, or cutting Darth Vader from Star Wars!!! (believe me, it's that bad). At best, 10% is left of the original story.

Apart from some somewhat entertaining action-sequences, that never get your blood boiling because you're never emotionally attached to the main characters, it's like watching a documentary in fast forward. Not that the acting of Damon or "Lola" Potente is that bad, it just seems that every other character was brought in from amateur-night, and the script is even worse. The whole production just screams out: rush-job. As I've read the book 6 times, I came in to see this film with great expectations. Alas, the movie shockingly bored the hell out of me. Utter disappointment and a total rip-off.

One advice: read the phenomenal book cycle, forget the awful movie. They're in no way related.