Category Archives: 8,0-8,9

“Toni Erdmann” by Maren Ade (Germany, 2016)

Toni Erdmann (2)

Very surprising movie / Strong direction
A father and a daughter who haven’t much to say to each other, a
 father and a daughter that so much separates and that so much unites.

Cast: Peter Simonischek, Sandra Hüller, Lucy Russell, Vlad Ivanov, Hadewych Minis
Director: Maren Ade
Writer: Maren Ade
Cinematographer: Patrick Orth
Editor: Heike Parplies

“The Forest For The Trees” by Maren Ade (Germany, 2003)

the forest for the trees

An uncompromising view on the life of a young teacher full of hope and ideals, but who slowly sinks into despair (a painful experience that will remind many teachers of their rookie years) / A movie that proves that what we make of our life is greater than the sum of all the elements our life is made of!

Cast: Eva Löbau, Daniela Holtz, Jan Neumann
Director: Maren Ade
Writer: Maren Ade
Music by Nellis Du Biel, Ina Siefert
Cinematography by Nikolai von Graevenitz
Film Editing by Heike Parplies

“The Girl In The Book” by Marya Cohn (USA, 2015)

First feature

The Girl In The Book

Story nicely told in the present, paralleled with flashbacks
Excellent acting, extremely poised direction, sober but right to the point

A movie that makes you fathom some of the consequences of child abuse

Cast: Emily VanCamp, Courtney Daniels, Jordan Lage
Director: Marya Cohn
Writer: Marya Cohn
Music by Will Bates
Cinematography by Trevor Forrest
Film Editing by Jessica Brunetto

“The Matrix” by Lana & Lilly Wachowski (USA, 1999)

The Art of the Wachowski (sisters)

The Matrix

Nice wink to the music of Bernard Hermann during the pursuit on the roof / fantastic visual effects
But why on earth would the Wachowsky sisters call the last human city ‘Zion’? It wouldn’t have anything to do with Hollywood, would it, Zion being a synonym of Jerusalem?
It’s a pity the movie ends up in a gun battle in which the “Bad guys fire thousands of rounds, but are unable to hit the good guy,” followed by a “final showdown between good and evil, a martial arts battle in which the good guy gets pounded until he’s almost dead, before he finds the inner will to fight back.” [Roger Ebert]

Cast: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, Joe Pantoliano, Gloria Foster
Written and Directed by Lana and Lilly Wachowski
Music by Don Davis
Cinematography by Bill Pope
Film Editing by Zach Staenberg

“The Matrix Reloaded” by Lana & Lilly Wachowski (USA, 2003)

The Art of the Wachowski (sisters)

The Matrix Reloaded

The people of Zion are in the future what the people of Zion were in the past.
Excellent love scene mixed with voluptuous dancing
The love relationships that were completely absent in the first Matrix now play a central role. The fight sequences are a bit too long!

Cast: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Hugo Weaving, Carrie-Anne Moss, Gloria Foster, Jada Pinkett Smith, Nona Gaye, Harry Lennix, Harold Perrineau, Monica Bellucci
Written and Directed by Lana and Lilly Wachowski
Music by Don Davis
Cinematography by Bill Pope
Film Editing by Zach Staenberg

“The Matrix Revolutions” by Lana & Lilly Wachowski (Australia, 2003)

The Art of the Wachowski (sisters)

The Matrix Revolutions

Now that the philosophical hype has faded into oblivion, let’s enjoy the amazing visual effects and the good action in which most key roles are attributed to women, especially in this last pane of the trilogy.
An all-powerful Deus Ex Machina saves the show!

Cast: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Jada Pinkett Smith, Carrie-Anne Moss, Helmut Bakaitis, Hugo Weaving, Mary Alice, Monica Bellucci, Harry J. Lennix, Ian Bliss
Written and directed by Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski
Music by Don Davis
Cinematography by Bill Pope
Film Editing by Zach Staenberg

“Cloud Atlas” by Tom Tykwer, Lana & Lilly Wachowski (USA, 2012)

The Art of the Wachowski (sisters)

Cloud Atlas

So many layers, so rich in visual surprises! As Roger Ebert put it, citing Churchill: “it is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.”

Cast: Halle Berry, Hugh Grant, Jim Broadbent, Hugh Weaving, Susan Sarandon, Tom Hanks
Directors: Tom Tykwer, Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski
Writers: David Mitchell (novel); Lana Wachowski, Tom Tykwer, Lilly Wachowski
Music by Reinhold Heil, Johnny Klimek, Tom Tykwer
Cinematography by Frank Griebe, John Toll
Film Editing by Alexander Berner, Claus Wehlisch

“Agora” by Alejandro Amenabar (Spain, 2009)

Agora.PNG

This movie shows that both science and religion are motivated by faith. Ultimately, however, religion becomes a political power, science not. It also shows that all power feeds itself on minorities!

Cast: Rachel Weisz, Max Minghella, Oscar Isaac, Ashraf Barhom, Rupert Evans, Michael Lonsdale
Directed by Alejandro Amenabar
Written by Amenabar, Mateo Gil
Music by Dario Marianelli
Cinematography by Xavi Giménez
Film Editing by Nacho Ruiz Capillas

“The Florida Project” by Sean Baker (USA, 2017)

The Florida Project

In what is supposed to be the paradise of children and one of the symbols of the American dream, a single mother struggles to make end come for her and her young daughter (6). To survive, both mother and daughter manipulate people around them. Left behind by the economic bonanza, they fight for the right to have their place in the sun.

Cast: Brooklynn Prince, Willem Dafoe, Bria Vinaite, Christopher Rivera, Valeria Cotto, Caleb Landry Jones, Macon Blair
Director: Sean Baker
Writer: Sean Baker, Chris Bergoch
Cinematographer: Alexis Zabe
Editor: Sean Baker