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manoj252
Reviews
Winterschläfer (1997)
I would see it again
The film Winter Sleepers took the audience on a twisty-curvy journey through the experiences of five people, whose lives intersected in an ironic and sometimes tragic way. The plot was somewhat Mementoesque fashion, although the use of multiple flash-backs and flash-forwards weren't employed. I was impressed to see that that this film came out in 1997, several years before Memento; I wonder if the idea for Memento was somewhat inspired by this film.
The film did a good job of creating a setting that was enticing and believable. The scenery of small-town Bavaria in winter was very pastoral, and the mountain shots (presumably the Alps) were breathtaking. The lighting was soft and warm, creating the sensation of being snug despite the wintry beauty outside. The coziness and clutteredness of the character Rebecca's house also helped to create this illusion.
**Plot Spoilers Ahead** I felt that the plot and/or character development could have been a bit tighter. For instance, Theo's character seems to spin in circles for a good portion of the movie, and when he finally finds his direction and decides to take action, the action he decides to take is shocking and tragic. In a twist of fate, he ends up driving Marco off a cliff for committing a crime he didn't commit. I wasn't too sad to see Marco go, given his nasty habit of cheating on his girlfriend; however, I found Theo's actions to be implausible given the previous context of his character, and his character's identity essentially was undermined. In addition to this minor flaw, there was a general failure to resolve the conflicts set forth in the film in any meaningful way. When the film ended, I was left unsatisfied and a little disappointed. I know that European movies don't always end in the same perfect-world way that most American movies do; however, I still felt that more resolution could have been achieved in this film.
Overall, however, I did enjoy the film very much, and felt that the strong points outweighed the week points. I would give this film an 8 out of 10 for its ability to draw my attention with an interesting plot and likeable characters.
Once Were Warriors (1994)
The tumultuous struggle for a better life
I wasn't sure I'd like this film to begin with; the amount of violence and the desperation of this family's life is depressing. But once the plot developed it turned out to be a touching and inspirational story about a woman who rails against her husband and ultimately saves her family from his brutal excesses. The story itself has been done before, but the delivery is excellent; Rena Owen in particular gave a moving performance. This film is definitely worth a viewing, if you can get past the initial overload of testosterone.
Monsoon Wedding (2001)
Nice change of pace from the typical Bollywood film....
I really enjoyed Monsoon Wedding. Having had a lot of experience with Indian culture, I found it humorous and entertaining. I enjoyed the organic style of camera work that was used, and the acting was very good. I loved witnessing what goes on at an Indian wedding, and much of the family portrayals ring true. (PLOT SPOILER AHEAD) However, the situation that arises when it comes out that Ria has been molested by her uncle is very atypical from most Indian families' real-life reaction. I'm not sure exactly why that element was present in the film and why it appeared so late; perhaps to add a bit of seriousness and gravity to the plot. But all in all it was a very good movie.
Gouttes d'eau sur pierres brûlantes (2000)
A dud
This film got off to a good start but fizzled towards a disappointing and unrealistic ending. The acting was generally good but the plot was thoroughly not believable. The actions of Leopold, Anna, and Franz's mother during the last scenes were unexpected, so as to make the character development up to that point moot. Worst movie I've seen in a long time.