"El Gran Vazquez"
A light-hearted romp set in 1960's Barcelona, this film concerns the misguided morality of a newspaper cartoonist, Manuel Vazquez Gallego. Not much to like but also hard to dislike, he's a moocher, a liar, a poor father, and a philanderer on a grand scale...
I enjoyed this mainly as an antidote for last night's Chicogrande and for its escapist entertainment...
This will not likely be a contender for our jury's consideration.
"I Saw the Devil"
A South Korean horror film with a capital "H"...
A cop tracks down a ruthless serial killer who was responsible for murdering his fiancee...
This is one bloody and overtly violent film. Blood, blood, and more blood... Not for my taste and certainly not for our jury but this is a most professional production that has done mucho mucho box office in its home country...
"Colors in the Dark"
My favorite film so far...
This is a film that I wished I would have made. Bruno Ganz stars as the husband diagnosed with prostate cancer. Though not suffering (at least physically) yet, he chooses to forego treatment so as not to spend the rest of his life visiting doctors and seeking treatment.
His wife of 50 years at first rebels and then decides to join him on his particular journey of choice.
This is a story foremost about family, including the reactions (or non-reactions) of a son, a daughter, and a grand-daughter.
The grand-daughter asks the most direct, the most honest questions and makes us wonder why the couple's children couldn't ask these same questions themselves.
Yes, this is a love story but it is also a story that is becoming more and more prevalent in our culture that is increasingly designed to avoid suffering.
"Neds"
Set in one of the rougher sections of Glasgow in the early 1970's, this is an authentic tale of how easy it is for a young man with a future to fall prey to peer pressure and begin a downward spiral towards drugs, crime, and general rebellion...
Excellent film that was written, directed, and produced by Peter Mullan ("The Magdalene Sisters").
Ned stands for "non-educated delinquent".
John McGill is a smart kid and has great potential for getting out of the hood and attending university. However, he bows to peer pressure and follows the path of his older brother towards delinquency.
His slow descent is handled with great skill by the filmmaker and is thoroughly believable.
Brutally honest and difficult to understand at times (due to the harsh Scottish brogue), this is another violent film that sparks much thought on the social conditions that may lay underneath...
Kudos...
Kudos...
