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Reviews
In Time (2011)
Robin Hood is back on stage!
Andrew Niccol obviously plays with Marxist ideas. What a nice example of how the profit-hungry Hollywood machinery ones more proves its dynamic flexibility by fulfilling the current demand for critical thoughts on our capitalist system.
Bearing in mind that In Time is a sci-fi, one should not be overcritical with small discrepancies, such as Amanda Seyfried always running with high heels. Comparing time with money, however, is not only a creative approach, in combination with surprisingly good (or at least acceptable good) actors and nice pictures this movie is definitely worth watching it.
Che! (1969)
ʀather than a documentary, this is politically motivated movie
What to expect of a "Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment" produced "documentary film" on Che Guevara in 1969? Certainly not the enthusiasm millions of left wing (or pro Latin America) people around the world share for the famous revolutionary until these days, but in this special case even not a sense of objectivity.
Instead, Che! portraits the historical figure as an aggressive, bloodthirsty guerrilla fighter, who steps in to shot (suspected) deserters within the own troops where Fidel Castro hesitates. Or a Che Guevara who prefers sitting in a dark room signing death sentences instead of celebrating the revolution with the masses on the street.
A fairly accurate story, mixed with poorly playing actors, and less South than rather North American perspectives on how the world should be (as an example, in one scene a Bolivian farmer talks in front of Che about the revolutionaries: "(They came) to free me? From what? Nobody asked what I want. Ever since you come to these mountains with your guns and your fighting, my goats, they not make milk. You frightened them. (...) Yes, I want to be free. Free from you..." and then pointing at the present Bolivian officer: "... and from you and all your kind. Why don't you just go away and let us live in peace?". This "judgement" pronounced by "the people" causes that Che deliberately stands up, passes the farmer and the officer to walk to his execution).
If your interested in the "anti Gue perspective", watch this movie. But even then you will get quickly bored by the badly made film.
Paréntesis (2005)
An impressive addition to Chile's youth wave
My nine stars for this movie can't be explained only by cinematographic aspects. The truly amazing part is in opinion rather the way the two young directors put Santiago de Chile in a heartwarming contemporary perspective.
The two young directors, Pablo Solís and Francisca Schweitzer, enjoy playing with many different effects that they learned at the School of Cinema of Chile, from which they graduated shortly before. Besides an interesting cinematography, Paréntesis is characterized by its experimental, impetuous style.
Further, the movie manages to build ideas with images. If you know Chile (and fell in love with it), you will share my enthusiasm. Paréntesis perfectly reflects a new (upper class) generation of Chilenians that grew up in the post dictatorship time, yearning for love and serious relationships, desperate with the loneliness that two decades of autocracy and one of the most pronounced free market systems ever caused.
An impressive addition to Chile's youth wave that was screened at Toronto, Philadelphia and Cannes film festivals.
Jamón Jamón (1992)
Masterpiece of early 90s Spanish cinema art
Jamón, jamón is one of my favorite Spanish movies. In my opinion it's simply a masterpiece of early 90s Spanish cinema art. It merges all aspects I appreciate in a good film: Excellent actors - Penélope Cruz's and Javier Bardem's first movies ever -, bursting sexual energy in combination of romantic relationships, an exaggerated but creative and profound story and sentimental pictures.
If you don't share this passion for Spanish movies, the exaggerations in the story line and characters and the thrilling sexuality might bother you. But still, for Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem alone it's worth to watch it.