Pasha's Film Reviews Etc.

10/10 Max has a sixtieth birthday coming up. The problem is he is broke, divorced and depressed. When a group of his best friends show up at his doorstep to help him celebrate, he reluctantly agrees to spend a few days with them, but won’t explain what’s going on in his personal life. When ones darkest moments come, will friendship conquer all? Seven years after the breakout success of the film Little White Lies (Les Petits Mouchoirs) comes the long anticipated sequel and it is worth the wait. The success of WE’LL END UP TOGETHER is not in its rather predictable plot, but the chemistry on screen, the characters that we recognise ourselves and our friends in, and the amazing warm atmosphere that makes one believe there’s no problem a good dinner with friends won’t sort out.  Written and directed by much loved French actor and director  Guillaume Canet this movie feels like a welcome return home to those who have seen the original and will also welcome new viewership - t...

10/10 Bruno and Malik couldn’t be too different. Bruno is Jewish, Malik is Arab. Bruno is a loner Malik is a family man. But they are united to help children with autism. And this passion drives every day of their life. We often forget what a definition of a good person is. In THE EXTRAORDINARY it’s those who don’t look away and don’t give up when things get hard. Once again the duo Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano (The Intouchables) wrote and directed a film about real people standing up to great hardships, and they’ve done it with a lot of heart, humour and no preaching.  The film’s first shot could be one from a thriller - a young girl is running from her pursuers through the city steers, only to be caught and drugged into a van, which quickly drives away. This is a common theme of the film - a fight with preconceptions. What seems like a kidnapping is actually a rescue mission. Nakache and Toledano created a perfect style of story telling - through small character story...

6/10 Alice is a philosopher who is invited to work for  the Mayor of Lyon.  Paul, the Mayor has reached the time in his life where he is suffering from a lack of new ideas, both political and of any other kind. Alice, unknowingly to herself is also having a crisis of self belief. Can these two very different people complete each other? What are the defining characteristics of a real friendship? ALICE AND THE MAYOR is a slice of life gentle sort of film that touches lightly upon serious problems. There are no higher stakes and dramatic turns. But it’s a timely reminder that those are often not needed to have a turmoil in one’s soul. The main focus of the film is in dialogue. It is swift, precise, somewhat intellectual but never snobbish.  There are many characters, some are memorable even though they fleetingly enter and leave the scene. Fabrice Luchini, as the mayor, is warm, with not being overly friendly, and stern in a way that comes out as gentle. It’s a com...

8/10 Commissar Yacoub Daoud knows his multicultural community. In fact he was one of those migrants himself once upon a time, but now calls northern France home. We follow him through his busy days on the job as he investigates a disappearance, an arson and a murder with some unexpected results. Director Arnaud Desplechin does slightly provocative serious dramas with a lot of dialogue. He had had mixed results over the years, with his film Ismael’s Ghosts being a confusing mess according to some. Here, however the artistry gives way to an intelligent cop movie, where  the realism hits a sour spot. While OH MERCY! feels fresh, there’s nothing innovative about its approach. This is how they made procedural police films in the 80’s, only instead of Roschdy Zem you would have gotten Lino Ventura. Talking about Roschdy Zem, this is one of the most versatile modern French actors, who has a unique presence in action, comedy or serious drama. He and Lea Seydoux, who plays one of...

7/10 Pierre takes over his fathers farm at the age of twenty five. He loves the land and his family, wife and two children. They are a happy tightly knit unit and it seems there’s no hardship they cannot overcome. But as the debts mount and the business spirals out of control, how long will it be until Pierre breaks under the pressure? IN THE NAME OF THR LAND is an unflinching look at what it is to be a farmer in France. The beauty, the isolation, the rewarding hard work and the financial reward that doesn’t always match the effort that was put in. The best thing about the film is the acting. Guillaume Canet deserves an Oscar for his portrayal of a good man in crisis.  Eduardo Bergeron is a documentary director and the film at times feels as such. You almost expect a voice over commenting on what’s going on. Bergeron does not use the shaky camera move or first person shots to make the movie feel real. The tension and drama here comes solely through the performances and su...

6/10 Sibyl wants to stop her psychiatry practice in order to write the next great French novel. But not before she agrees to treat a pregnant girl who is in love with a famous actor. Fast forward a few weeks, and Sybil is suddenly in the middle of a Love triangle (or is it trapezium?), that opens old wounds and make her question her perception of reality. Who needs therapy now? Independent director Justine Triet has been praised by the critics for her previous works that underline social and political problems. Here we deal with a crisis of a domestic nature and one wonders if the film is based on the director's personal experience. SYBIL cannot be called feminist even though it features plenty of strong women making tough choices. The problem is that those female characters are all despicable and hardly inspire any sympathy from the viewer. The story is patchworky and, while intriguing, it takes a long time to get to the meat of things. Erotic scenes while well made seem irre...

10/10 Victor and Marianne are in their early seventies. While Marianne refuses to grow up Victor struggles to adapt to a modern world full of gadgets and the virtual reality of the internet. A present from his son - a successful media businessman turns his life upside down as he is allowed to relive the best days of his youth.  Once again a romantic comedy where the protagonist tries another chance with his past. However this time around the premise does not include literal time travel or rewriting of history. If TRUMAN SHOW was a romantic comedy you’d get LA BELLE EPOQUE. It is also refreshing to see French acting royalty Daniel Auteuil and Fanny Ardant in the main roles. Sparks fly when they are together on screen and it is realistic, exciting and intense. The script is extremely clever, well paced and filled with hilarious situations.  Sometimes everything comes together in a film - the music, the acting, the direction, all supporting an original story that digs ...

5/10 Raphael has everything a man needs for a happy life - a successful writing career, plenty of fans and a devoted wife Olivia. He doesn’t seem to understand the sacrifices Olivia has made to help him build his career, putting aside her own ambition... until one day Raphael wakes up in a world where he is a humble school teacher and Olivia is a world famous concert pianist. More than this - she doesn’t even know who Raphael is. Will they be able to reunite? And at what cost? The “What if” premise is the signature style of a French romantic comedy. LOVE AT SECOND SIGHT, however, examines an interesting dilemma - does one of the spouses always have to sacrifice his or her own ambition for the other to succeed? And can the cycle be broken?  Apart from this interesting premise the film doesn’t have much in store. Action does not propel  the protagonists’ relationship forward and there’s a lack of quirky hilarious and engaging situations that make romantic comedy...

6/10 Pierre lives with his radio host mother and a scientist brother in a small town where nothing ever happens. When Juliette has her car stolen it’s Pierre’s job as a policeman to find it. On their amusing journey to solve the mystery of a stolen vehicle they connect, they fight and discover the truth about each other that they never wanted to face. PERDRIX is a romantic comedy with a particular style that can be only described as a farce. The characters that populate the film are caricatures and nothing should be taken at face value. The performances are great all around in particular Fanny Ardant as the matriarch of a family, and who depends on one of her sons more than she cares to admit. The problem is the script. While full of clever imagery and funny episodes it is slow to unfold and there are plenty of scenes that don't serve the narrative or character development.  Dealing with many interesting themes the story has its own, not always comprehensive, appro...

6/10 George has reached a crossroad. Quitting his family life he is searching for a higher calling. This comes to him as soon as he obtains a Deer skin jacket. Everything seems clearer now. Especially when his jacket starts talking to him. Sharing its ultimate dream of being the only jacket in the world.  DEERSKIN steps into the rather tricky territory of a middle age crisis and treats it like no other movies have done before. Jean Dujardin is perfect as  a slightly unhinged man whose search for purpose in life goes to the extreme. His partner in crime Denise (Adele Haenel) is seemingly clueless and adoring but has her own secrets in store. Their tandem is not unlike the one of Bonnie and Clyde. They ooze chemistry and a sense of approaching doom.   The film’s genre is hard to define. It’s too black to be a comedy. Too cheerful to be a horror movie and too grotesque to be a serious drama.  The Director Quentin Dupieux, famous for his thriller RUBBER a...

10/10 There’s a library in a French provincial town that holds the manuscripts refused by the publishers. Among those lies a book of gold - a novel that resonates with the public and becomes a bestseller. The author is Henri Pick - a man who hadn’t been seen writing or reading a novel in his life time. When famous literary critic (Fabrice Luchini) claims Henri Pick had not actually written the book the public is enraged. As a result he loses his tv job and his marriage. It is now an obsession for him to prove he was right and he embarks on a hilarious journey to find the truth. Fabrice Luchini is fantastic in the main role of literary critic gone astray, the role feels written specifically for him. If the film was made in the 80’s the role could be played by Pierre Richard. Just like Richard, Luchini has a perfect balance of hilarious and dramatic and the film draws on this talent in every frame he is in. Part intellectual mystery, part comedy, part love story, part a s...

5/10 In Haiti of 1962 a man is forced into slave labour. Modern days, a girl in an exclusive boarding school is trying to fit in. When she reveals the truth about her family origins a chain of events leads to a terrifying encounter that bring the past and the present together in a disturbing and dangerous way. ZOMBI CHILD is a strange beast of static camera work and incomprehensible storytelling. But the most surprising thing about it is that the film works.  By defying all the plot standards of modern film making it becomes unpredictable.  Switching between time frames, a disorderly Haiti of the past century and an orderly life of upper class French teenagers,  it is hard to tell where the movie is going. And what is it trying to tell? Who are the real zombies? The ones under a voodoo curse who escape within an inch of their life, or the french youths confined in a jail-like school, forced to follow the traditions they don’t believe in? Is it about the irreleva...

7/10 When her grandson suddenly appears on her doorstep Muriel rejoices. She is a successful horse breeder and her life is beautiful in a simple way, her corner of the world as stunning as it is remote. But with the arrival of her grandson a dark suspicion creeps in. Will Muriel be able to take a stand against the imminent danger to her grandson? And what does it mean to truly save someone? The grim reality of radicalised youngsters in France is showcased in an unlikely surrounding. The French countryside seems to be the furthest place from the raging Syrian war, but the evil spreads its tentacles everywhere. The radicalised Muslims are shown in unflinchingly brutal way although it’s never a secret that the kids who found themselves in this situation are out of their depth. Without prejudice the movie delivers both sides of the argument, showcasing how exactly one can become brainwashed in a modern unreliable world with no real values. Catherine Deneuve is marvellous in t...

7/10 When a high school girl is given an old fashioned Polaroid camera she gets more than she bargained for. Quickly realising that everyone who has been photographed is about to die its’s up to our teenage protagonist to figure out how to stop the curse or die trying. The not entirely new concept delivers a slick and picture perfect PG13 horror. POLAROID has a 90s feel. It was fun to see a TV siren Madeleine Pestch (Riverdale) in the teaser scene. Inhabited by happy teenagers the movie plays safe, no teenage angst no social dilemmas of 13 Reasons Why. The kids live in a simplified gothic horror black and white world and this is not necessarily  a bad thing.  Instead of following the popular route of vengeful ghost the movie is inspired by the likes of Nightmare On Elm street and Shocker. The origins of its monster are in the right place. CHILD’S PLAY remake director Lars Klevberg knows how to build an atmosphere and delivers clever set pieces in the absence of straightfo...

9/10 It’s hard to be a single mother. Leigh id running a business when her husband is in jail and standing by her delinquent son who has blinded another boy in the eye. When a man breaks down into Leigh’s garage it ends in his death. Inspite of everything Leigh is a good person. Would it be her undoing? Modern indie films always plays safe. If you examine most of low budget genre films they are the repeat of what has been done before. Then you stumble on a gem like BLOOD ON HER NAME and realise what independent cinema is really about. Always challenging the viewer, always keeping a mystery card up its sleeve, the film confidently leads us towards the heartbreaking finale. BLOOD ON HER NAME is all good news. The acting is superb. Particularly from Bill Patton, who makes the film. His energy carries it forward and his character has a few surprises in store.  The lead Bethany Anne Lind is believable as a woman who is not perfect but who has everything to lose. At the same time ...

8/10 A kidnapped girl is found 15 years after her abduction. A celebrated psychiatrist is trying to deal with her trauma and a retired detective who only has hours to live is ready to put it all on the line to find a vicious killer. Will he be able to succeed? And who is the real villain? Donato Carrisi adapts his rather complex and at times convoluted plot to a film that makes surprising sense. That alone is an achievement. This is chronologically the third book in the series which makes it a particularly difficult adaptation. The good news - it works out well.  Writers rarely makes good directors. Carrisi is an exception. Choosing carefully his colour pallet he nods to the “giallo” sub-genre of the 80s and draws inspiration from the likes of Dario Argento (Suspiria). The whole movie feels like a dream-like sequence, although it is more procedural crime fiction than anything else.  What makes the movie feel focused is its great performances. Dustin Hoffman as Dr Gree...

6/10 Sarah lives in her own world. She works at a crafts shop where she is loved by her colleagues. She loves horses and is looking after a friend with a disability. Seemingly she lives a full life... but the threads of obsession are pulled out of the fabric of her everyday life and everything falls apart. Is she being haunted by some supernatural or intergalactic presence, or is she finally succumbing to the madness that runs in her family?  The HORSE GIRL creates a realistic portrait of a psychological disorder that makes us identify with the protagonist. But is it that simple? Helmed by Jeff Baena who wrote the script for I HEART HACKABEES, the story is not an easy one. There are elements of mystery, sci fi and even horror. Most importantly it is full of little details that have a key to the mystery but of a “if you blink you miss it” kind. Alison Brie as Sarah has a talent for comedy which is utilised well in this pretty tragic meaningful story. She owns the screen a...

8/10 Four young people rent a house in the middle of nowhere. As it happens this is a recipe for disaster. Haunted by the problems they tried, but never managed, to leave behind, their turbulent lives may be In danger as an unexpected guest knocks at their door... Home invasion movies all have the same structure, but it doesn’t make them less popular. HELL IS WHERE THE HOME IS appreciated style above the intrigue, but the way the story is laid out is hardly predictable. The director Orson Oblovitz seem to enjoy playing with highly damaged, slightly despicable characters, where the grief is mixed with betrayal, and a stressful situations make the worst of emotions surface.  Immaculately shot, and dialling up the gore when it matters, the movie creates a surreal atmosphere where terror comes for no apparent reason and this is the strongest find of the film. When the explanation comes, it is highly irrelevant, for it is clear - the movie’s primary concern is to shock. Shock is...

7/10 Miles is living a mindless life, stuck in a work-home-drink routine when a trio of brutes breaks into his house and knocks him out cold. When Miles wakes up he’s got the flesh of his hands moulded on to real guns and he is forced into participating in an online death game. Distraught and disoriented he has to fight for his life, which means he has to take on the evil people who forced him into this predicament in the first place. Jason Lei Howden has made a career creating visual effects for big productions such as War For The Planet Of The Apes and Avengers. GUNS AKIMBO is his second feature, a gun violence heavy action movie with tons of low grade humour that hits the mark more often than not.  GUNS AKIMBO is not to be taken seriously, the visuals are over the top, nasty but never quite realistic. All the car chases and the shootouts are designed to amuse rather than inspire awe. Yes with all its visual effects heaviness GUNS AKIMBO is a very small film, ...

9/10 Cecilia runs away from home. Her ultra modern seafront mansion is nothing but a large jail created to keep her in. But as she restarts her life outside of these walls, her abusive husband dead, someone is watching her from the shadows. Someone invisible. As the world around Cecilia starts to collapse, trying to bury everyone she cares about, she realises there’s only one way to gain her freedom - to fight tooth and nail. The sterile promotional campaign doesn't do the film justice. THE INVISIBLE MAN is gory, brutal and unbearably tense.  Shot on a tiny budget by Hollywood standards, 7 million dollars, the movie has a slick design, strong visual effects and memorable performances.  Elisabeth Moss as Cecilia is at her best, as for the most of the film she acts opposite an empty space and makes it look engaging. The effects are minimalistic, but when they are on display it’s glorious.  The film has a perfect mixture of silent moments of built up tension a...

8/10 Legendary dancer Carlos Acosta stars in his own biography. Raised by a controlling but loving father he is forced to start a ballet school even though he hates the idea. A coming of age story with a strong connection to the time and place, makes for unique viewing. Carlos Acosta has co-written the multilayered script with the Scottish writer Paul Laverty. It is mostly focused on Acosta’s childhood and his journey to accepting his true calling. The film is also a bittersweet testament to his father, a man with a turbulent personality who never stopped believing in his son’s talent.  Authentic and larger than life, and full of colourful scenery, the film always has another wonder in store. Slightly too long for an independent production it still has a coherent story to tell, about the purest of diamond found in the toughest of places.  I do not care much about ballet although my education had ensured I know a lot about it. YULI has plenty of ballet on display but...

8/10 James Murray (Mel Gibson) survives on obsession. His life goal is to compile the first English dictionary. With only a few tools at his disposal he relies on the help of strangers. One of these strangers is a murderer confined to a lunatic asylum - Doctor William Chester Minor (Sean Penn). The friendship between Murray and Minor shaped the English language the way it’s known today. THE PROFESSOR AND THE MADMAN is based on the biography by Simon Winchester, but is as exciting as any fictional story can be. The script that in any other circumstances would earn an Oscar nomination has sustained serious damage by various law suits and troubled production, which forced the director Farhad Safinia (a many time Mel Gibson collaborator) to take his name off the final cut. Yes, the film suffers from missing on the final comprehensive editing, where the rougher edges could be smoothed (and the length reduced) although as it is, there are not many faults to be found. The acting is su...