Movies watched recently 6

New York Stories: These three stories are very different in all aspects, and they make an interesting puzzle. Martin Scorsese's segment is perfectly directed and excels at portraying obsessions; the acting here is also very good, and the relationships between characters are affecting. Coppola's part lacks in content what it has in style: the story and acting are pleasant, I really don't care for the direction, but the visuals are arresting. The last story, Woody Allen's is simply hilarious. The acting is very good, the story is absurd, filled with clever lines and interesting characters. This is worth watching.

La Messa È Finita: This movie lacks the joy, humanity, and positive feeling of other Nanni Moretti films. I found it boring and the leading character annoyed me, but as a social portrait it's good. The story is too sketchy and I didn't find it gripping but some if the secondary dramas are interesting. The acting was good, all the actors were believable. The direction adopted a gritty, very fitting style, it was probably the best thing in the movie. Technically, this is decent and the soundtrack is good.
Les Quatre Cents Coups: This is an unique movie about growing up misunderstood. It is subtle, poetic and beautifully told. It feels honest and realistic: the screenplay is very simple but thoughtful and with strong characters and true emotions. The direction is breath-taking, with amazing shots that convey a lot of thoughts and feelings. The acting is brilliant: Jean-Pierre Léaud is incredibly natural and poignant and all the supporting cast is perfectly chosen. The simple, fluid editing fits and pulls you in, the touching soundtrack makes you relate to the characters and the cinematography is simply amazing.

Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix: This movie is worse than the book, as expected, and I didn't like all of it. The screenplay follows the main lines of the book, even if it doesn't live up to its potential. The acting is very good:Imelda Staunton delivers the best performance yet in a Harry Potter movie, being deliciously malicious and wholly capturing her character. She eclipsed everyone else every time she was on screen. Evanna Lynch, Helena Bonham Carter and Matthew Lewis also capture their characters well, which was quite difficult. Rupert Grint keeps the same awkward charm of always, and Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson's acting is getting better. The direction has some great moments, such as the beginning, but it gets worse and the ending has way too much CGI and not enough magic. The art direction, is, as usual, gorgeous and the cinematography is very good.The pace is fast, and the editing is pretentious. This is just for Potterheads like me.

Shrek the Third: This is probably the worst of the Shrek movies, though it's still funny and very watchable. The biggest problem is that the story should have been simpler. Other problem is that the jokes are getting repetitive. Even so, the animation and voice work is good, and most of the jokes work. This means it's enjoyable and quite fun to watch.

New York Stories

Books read recently 2

The Nanny Diaries by Nicola Kraus and Emma McLaughlin: This is an enjoyable summer read. It's not too sugar-coated, the plot is simple but with substance, the characters are believable and the writing is straight to the point. The leading character is sympathetic and her struggles feel true, the kid she takes care of is realistic and Mrs. Ex is enkoyably mean. The mesage is positive and it's really upbeat. Even so, sometimes the story drags and gets repetitive and the writing can feel like a telegram.


Vernon God Little by DBC Pierre: I really didn't like this book: to say the truth, it annoyed me a lot. The leading character is stupid and doesn't seem to have feelings, so his writing style is really irritating. The story was silly and not subtle at all. The turns of the story felt forced and the supporting characters didn't have dimension. It's boring and disinteresting.

The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson: This is a delightful memoir that's huge fun. Bryson's writing style is addictive: he has a great sense of humor, he transmits the feeling of being a kid while describing America precisely. There are many funny scenes and it's easy to relate to the characters, so this is never boring. I really recommend it, it's a treat!

Skin and Other Stories by Roald Dahl: This book has some brilliant stories, with remarkable twists, dark humor and hilarious characters: these are chilling and terrifically enjoyable. Other stories are unremarkable, but still quite nice reads with interesting concepts and ideas. One or two stories aren't good, frankly: they aren't any fun to read and the story is messy. There isn't a connection between stories. If you get a chance, pick this up, but it's not Roald Dahl's best.


The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger: This is a unique, incredibly original love story that's profoundly touching. The science fiction concept is easy to follow but it makes you think and creates a lot of suspense; you really care for the characters and understand them. Their development feels real and all the situations they face are well-described, even if sometimes they could have been more developed. The plot has a lot of heartbreaking moments and the ending is very poignant. The writing is simple but effective, and both voices used are distinctive and beautiful, as they change and develop. A very good read.

Movies watched recently 5

Little Manhattan: This is an unpretentious, lovely romantic comedy about first love. The story is simple and everyone can relate to it. The emotions, situations and characters are realistic. The dialogs are intelligent and funny, reminding me of Woody Allen. The physical humor and Gabe's imagination work well on context. I really liked the ending: it was positive and not sappy at all. The voice-over manages to get you into the character's head and it's well-done. The acting is very good: both the young actors are charismatic and natural, reminding you of people you actually know. The direction is decent, and the soundtrack, using pop songs, is not over-used and it's very fitting. The cinematography is sweet-looking, giving the movie an happy, child-like tonality.This is a great movie to watch with the whole family, because it's just a sweet, original movie.
How To Irritate People: This is a truly hilarious, very instructive, rightfully irritating comedy. Technically, this purely sucks. Even so, it has a brilliant screenplay and very funny acting. Some gags are far better than others, though at their best they are genius and at their worst amusing.It's highly quotable (The wings are not on fire). The characters are great, reminding you of actual people. The delivery is brilliant, they create funny, realistic characters with ease. It can get a bit annoying but it's worth it and you'll learn how to irritate people.

Marie Antoinette: I loved this movie. It's as great as both the other Sofia Coppola's movies. The screenplay is slow and focused on the leading character: it subtly captures her emotions and humanizes her. It 's thought-provoking and it also criticizes the party-girls of today.The film innovative because it's not a traditional biopic, it's not historically accurate but it makes you understand Marie Antoinette and her point of view. The direction is mind-blowing, breath-taking: it captures the gorgeous sets and scenery in a unique way while having raw shots to highlight feelings. The acting is very good: I've heard complaints about the accents but that didn't bug me. Kirsten Dunst probably delivered her best performance, she embodied the character. The soundtrack was brilliantly chosen, the pop tunes perfectly fitted the story . The costumes were amazing, the cinematography was beautiful and the editing made this exciting. I consider this a masterpiece.

The Sheltering Sky: This movie loses when you compare it to the book, but it's still good. The screenplay follows the book closely, which makes the storyline and characters very solid, while at the same time it has a different meaning and interpretation. The narration and dialogs feel awkward:the first is rarely used, so the dialogs translate the narration, which makes them seem rather weird and unrealistic. The direction should have been better, I think this needed a bigger focus on the sky, but it was fine and there were some perfect shots. There was a marvelous performance by John Malkovich, who was breath-taking, Debra Winger delivered a nuanced performance with some weak moments (she didn't seem fragile enough, though she captured every emotion perfectly). The cinematography is gorgeous, capturing the arid desert, and the music explores the difference betwen cultures in an original way.

Books read recently

A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby: This is an excellent read, because it handles serious, thought-provoking subjects with humor, in a unique way. It's really amusing , and it covers a wide range of emotions. It's easy to relate to the characters, who are very humane, flawed and believable, while also being fascinating. I think their voices weren't very well-handled: sometimes they sounded all the same, but the use of their voices made me understand exactly what was going inside of their heads. The cultural references and criticism to our society was interesting.
The Tale Of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo: This is a good children's book. It has a simple story that reminds you of fairy tales, while using more modern, simple, even if beautiful and language. The characters are convincing, I just thought Miggery Sow was too badly treated. The storyline was interesting, with a simple, interesting story, various points of view, mystery and suspense and a good climax. The illustrations are gorgeous and they focus on the differences between light and darkness, a subject that's important in the book.

The Ivy Chronicles by Karen Quinn: This book was really very bad. It reads like the dreams of an immature, ignorant, disinteresting 40-year-old, filled with descriptions of being rich and very lucky without deserving it (that last part is my opinion). It is so ridiculous it's laughable. The leading character is shallow and despicable (I felt like slapping her, and you are supposed to relate and like her) and all the others are boring and lack dimension. It's badly written, without beauty or feeling: it feels like a telegram. The narrative is very fast and some aspects are forgotten and then picked up far later. The only fine aspect was the leading character's professional aspect, with funny characters such as the kids and their parents: this is not explored enough, though.

The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles: This is a great, innovative, impressive piece of fiction. It tells a gritty, thought-provoking story using precise, descriptive, and at the same time ethereal writing. The characters are fascinating, as is their quest for a perfect zero, perfectly mirrored in the arid desert's descriptions. The foreign culture is well-captured, with detail and a personal vision. This is not an easy read: it's disturbing, very thought-provoking, innovative and brilliant.

A Home At The End Of The World by Michael Cunningham: I liked this book, even if it's one of Cunningham's worst. The writing is poetic and beautiful, but not as much as in his other books, the characters are fascinating and their point of view is interesting, but this isn't as gripping as his other stuff. I blame this on the storyline, which drabs a bit at the beginning and doesn't develop the most interesting subjects here. The characters were a bit annoying sometimes, also. I had high expectations and I was disappointed, but this is still a good book.

The Hiding Place By Trezza Azzopardi: I enjoyed this book. The story of a poor family of immigrants facing trouble has been told many times, and this isn't unique. Even so, it is interestingly written: the entire book is composed of few important, detailed scenes that chronicle the progressive deterioration of the family. The writing is somewhat poetic and metaphoric, giving the story an ethereal feeling. The characters are mostly developed and very humane, except for the father, who's a cliché. The storyline is fine, but not any original. It's worth a read, but by no means an obligatory book.

Life Of Pi by Yann Martel: I liked this book a lot. It tells a surprising, scary, gripping, hugely imaginative tale with security and intelligence. It uses a wild, gory adventure that seems perfectly believable (thanks to the writing) to create a profound reflection about animals, men's capacity to survive and religion. It has affecting segments, with hallucinations and a shocking ending twist that leaves you thinking about what actually happened. The leading character is interesting, the descriptions are breath-taking (you see what's described) and the action keeps you hooked. It's a great book.


Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer: I adored this book. It made me cry, it made me laugh, it made me think. This has a very beautiful message about family, grief, growing up and love, which is reached in a non-sappy, very touching way. Besides, it's also a subtle meditation on the open wounds of today's society. The characters are realistic, flawed and very likable, their voices are humane, distinctive and unique, the relation between them is subtly portrayed and affecting. I found the book very innovative: there were several different points of view, pages with only a sentence, others with numbers, photographs (the ending is breathtaking), colored words and underlining, amongst others. It's a gripping, moving read that I wholeheartedly recommend.

Movies watched recently 4

Volver: This is a very beautiful, original movie. The screenplay is great: realistic characters and emotions, a melodrama feeling, a burlesque comedy background and a satire to Spanish society. It's very well-shot, in a way that highlights the characters emotions, it has an excellent cinematography, very lively and gorgeous. The acting is brilliant: Penelope Cruz shows vulnerability with ease ad gives a very natural performance; all the rest of the cast is also excellent and very believable. The music is fitting and the editing keeps the pace interesting. This is a beautiful story.

Le Dernier des Fous: I HATED this movie. There's no plot, no characters (just sketches), no meaning, and it's predictable, boring and over-cooked. The screenplay is a piece of turd: not just it's meaningless and lacks characters, the dialogs and scenes don't make sense. The editing makes it dull and the scenes seem just sticked in no particular order. The acting was very bad, specially the leading kid who held the same expression through the whole movie.The only redeeming qualities were some beautiful shots, the cinematography that transmits the boiling hot temperature and the choice of not adding any music (makes the movie atmospheric).

Angel: This is an original dramedy about a delusional young woman who lives in a fantasy world. It's very well done: it gets you into her point of view, being appropriately sappy at times and very funny. The screenplay is good, with interesting characters, dialogs and scenes. As the action is a mix of imagination with the real world, it escapes the clichés of historical/biographic films. The direction is unique and it's the core of the movie: the shots seem luxurious, but at the same time dream-like. The cinematography captures the strong tonalities of Angel's imagination. The acting is good: Romola Garai captures the essence of her character in an intriguing way.It's a very original, worthwhile pic.

Traffic: Traffic is a good movie about drug traffic, though it has some fragilities. It covers almost all the parts of drug traffic, with different approaches. I liked the different colors and style used in each segment, because it made each story look more realistic. Soderbergh did an excellent job at directing. The screenplay is of variable quality: I thought the Benicio del Toro segment was contrived and with a complicated plot, but all the others had very interesting characters, dilemmas and plot lines. The acting was always very good: Catherine Zeta-Jones shows her character evolving believably, Erika Christensen is impressively expressive and Michael Douglas creates a very humane, real character. All the others are also worth watching. The editing is fast and it works. The soundtrack helps expressing what's happening. This is worth watching.
Coffee and Cigarettes: This is a group of shorts with people talking while having coffee and cigarettes. It's not an equilibrated movie, because some segments are far better than others. Mostly, the dialogs are interesting and the characters are believable. It's by turns funny, sad or bittersweet. The direction is very simple but effective, the cinematography is beautiful, and there are a few really good performances (Cate Blanchett is the best). It's fun to see famous actors and singers in small parts playing themselves: Iggy Pop, Tom Waits, Bill Murray, Alfred Molina, Steve Coogan, Cate Blanchett, The White Stripes, etc.

Rumble Fish: It's a great movie about being a teenager, trying to find yourself and relationships between people. I haven't read the original novel, but I found this screenplay very interesting: the characters are tortured but feel real, the plot had a lot of double-meanings, and the relationships are developed. The direction is brilliant: the shots are atmospheric, and the choice of black and white with only colored fish works as a metaphor and gets you in The Motorcycle Boy's point of view. The acting is great: Mickey Rourke gives a unique performance as the mentally affected older brother and Matt Damon is perfect as the impulsive younger brother. The soundtrack and sound manipulation give the movie its alienated feeling, and the cinematography captures the dirty lives of these people. It's an intriguing piece of cinema.
Dear Frankie: This is a beautiful, typically British movie about family relationships and growing up. It will make you feel good: the screenplay presents flawed but lovely characters, a happy ending that's not sappy, and mostly believable dialogs. Frankie's voice-over gives the movie sweetness, and all the acting feels authentic; the actors seem to truly love their characters. My favorite was Emily Mortimer. The direction and cinematography capture gorgeous scenery as well as day-to-day life and emotional moments. The soundtrack is fitting, and the editing gives the movie an involving pace. Don't miss it, it's a sweet, honest story.
Se7en: I was very disappointed by this movie. I was expecting a brilliant, original thriller with a surprising end and a fabulous direction. I found the first part of the movie, before the chases start, a Hitchcock-ian tension build-up, with good character development and shot with precision. The story was interesting and horrifying, it sent a chill down my spine. Then, with all the chasing, the movie lost all credibility and I was pulled out of it. I started laughing at the wrong times and I guessed the twist. The direction, the editing and the screenplay are variable in quality, the acting is quite good (Morgan Freeman gives another strong performance, creating a very humane character) and the cinematography captures the feeling of fear. Overall, it's technically good but very over-hyped.

Kurt Cobain: About A Son: This is an intriguing film. It's narrated by Kurt Cobain, though it's not about him but about his generation and growing up in America at that time. It mixes the haunting narration with images of day-to-day life in the places Cobain was. These images are poetic: it's a beautifully shot documentary, with a dream-like color and good editing. The interviews are well-chosen and Kurt's voice is perfect for this. The soundtrack is very well-chosen and it has magnificent rock songs.

Caro Diario: This movie is very pleasant and funny. It has a truly enjoyable story, with really funny moments that will have you laughing out loud. Besides, as it's autobiographical, so the dialogs and characters feel natural. Moretti's voice and quirkiness give the movie its identity. It's beautifully directed, with lovely shots and the lively color is perfect.

Bonnie and Clyde: This story, based on real life bank-robbers Bonnie and Clyde, is a fascinating object and a romanticized metaphor of the hippie movement. The characters are original and feel true, the story develops at an exciting pace, and there's a lot of food for thought. The climax is really violent: the movie develops in a spiral of violence, it gets bigger and bigger. The direction is mind-blowing: every shot is perfect and the climax is haunting. The acting is brilliant: there's a great supporting cast and the two leads create fleshed-out characters that are fascinating. The cinematography helps to create the suspenseful ambiance, and the editing keeps the pace chilling. This is an innovative, unforgettable movie.

Room Service: This is a fine short dark comedy. The characters are sweet, the situations they cause and their way of solving them are hilarious, but sometimes it gets repetitive. There are some great, highly quotable lines. The acting by the Marx brothers is really quirky and fun, and all the other actors are enjoyable too. Overall, this is not great, but it's a nice, forgettable film.



The Grapes of Wrath: This is a good adaptation of a great novel. It's not as good as the book, but it keeps its atmosphere and major plot, reducing the book to the essential. Even if it's once or twice preachy and some of the characters should have been better developed, it's still a good screenplay. The acting is great, with Henry Fonda and Jane Darwell delivering powerful, realistic performances. The direction works perfectly- the wide shots of the sky give the movie an epic feeling, and the cinematography captures the grim, dark times of the story. The soundtrack helps us understand the characters' feelings and doesn't feel sappy.This should not be missed.

Bend It Like Beckham: This is a great, fun feel-good movie about following your dreams and about British society. The screenplay is a gem: well-developed characters, funny moments and a satire to Indian culture in the UK. The acting is universally great, with a strong cast, that mostly delivers fresh, believable performances. The soundtrack misses decent bubblegum pop with traditional Indian music, reaching a great effect. The technicals aren't particularly good. This will make you feel happy, it's just a delightful movie that begs to be watched.

Black Cat, White Cat: I didn't like this surrealist comedy. It barely didn't make me laugh, even if the characters are burlesque and some situations have potential, I found it a bit gross and it lacked magic. It's well shot, with good, with natural acting, a decent soundtrack and a good cinematography, though it's not an enjoyable movie and it hasn't much to say.
Citizen Kane: This is a great, innovative film about capitalist societies and how money affects people. It's technically very innovative, with the use of flashbacks, original shots, inventive cinematography and editing. The screenplay is very interesting and the characters feel real; the direction is inspired and beautiful; the acting is great by everyone, capturing the characters perfectly (Welles is the best); and the technicals are very well-handed, particularly the editing, which is ahead of its time. This is a true masterpiece and it hasn't aged.

Movies watched recently 3

The Crying Game: I hated this movie. I found it meaningless and I couldn't think of a single reason to shoot this story. The IRA part of the plot (the first part of the movie) is interesting, but not great and the Dil part just sucks. I didn't find it realistic, the characters annoyed me, the story rushed and it was predictable. I enjoyed Forest Withaker's acting, but as I found the rest of the characters irritating, I also didn't like the acting. The cinematography and direction are good, but I just couldn't stand this movie.

Johnny Guitar: This is a pure classic. It's ambitious, beautiful, technically perfect, and a joy to watch. The screenplay is able to get realistic characters and issues into a story with a lot of surreal moments. The acting is great, particularly by Joan Crawford, who creates a strong, believable character. It's very well-shot , with breath-taking images filled with meaning.

Groundhog Day: This is a genuinely funny, sweet story, that asks a lot of good philosophical questions. The acting is remarkable, particularly Bill Murray's unforgettable comic timing. The screenplay is truly outstanding, offering an original concept, that's well developed, laugh-out-loud scenes, quirky supporting characters and a cute love story. This is an unmissable comedy.

Mars Attacks!: This is a fun movie, a parody to the action movies and the sci-fi from the 50's. Its silliness will have you laughing out loud,a nd that's about it. The direction is good, as is the acting: a great cast with a good comic timing. I recommend this is you want to watch something entertaining and hilarious.

Secrets and Lies: This is pure british cinema and about the best of it. It's a character-driven story about families and, as the title says, their secrets and lies. The dialog is very strong and the characters are real people. The acting is mind.blowing, specially by Brenda Blethyn, who lives her character. The chemistry between actors is great, and you learn a lot about their relationships without any speaking. This is truly beautiful and original.
The Shawshank Redemption: This is a beautiful stroy about redemption. It's a calmly good movie, that explores life in prison decently and has a lot of sweet moments. You like the characters and the ending is beautiful. The acting is great by everyone, but the best were Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins, who perfectly capture the essence of their characters. The technical aspects are good.

The 25th Hour: This is a morally ambiguous, uncomfortable, but poignant tale. The screenplay perfectly explores modern society, the characters are very realistic and the final solution is poignant and touching. Edward Norton, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rosario Dawson, Barry Pepper, Brian Cox and Anna Paquin all give amazing performances, the best being Ed Norton and Philip Seymour Hofman, whose performances are just exceptional.The direction bravely captures fear, anxiety, paranoia and other feeling in our society. The cinematography and editing are also fine.

A Fish Called Wanda: A comedy classic, this has one of the best screenplays ever. It's hilarious nad you won't stop laughing for a second . The actors do an excellent job and create unique, subversive characters. All the technical aspects are good, this is a true gem and a favorite. You need to watch it to understand.
Corpse Bride (re-watchment): This is one of my favorite animated movies. The gothic ambiance is fascinating, the characters are lovely and the story is heartbreakingly poetic. The voice-overs are perfect, and the screenplay also has a lot of genuinely funny moments of satire. The sets, music, gorgeous camera angles and color make this movie a huge joy to watch. I just love it.

You Can Count On Me: This is a very beautiful, honest movie about ordinary lives and human relationships. The screenplay is excellent with great character development, realistic dialogue and situations. The acting brings the movie the life: Laura Linney creates a character to whom you can relate without overacting, Mark Ruffalo gives Terry a painful rawness which is rarely seen in movies and Rory Culkin delivers a very natural child performance. The direction is good, giving the movie an intimist feeling.
The Piano: The Piano is avery acclaimed movie, and even if I didn't like it it's a technically well-made movie. All actors deliver very good performances: Holly Hunter can express her feelings without saying a word and Anna Paquin shows a lot of talent in a dificult part. It's beautifully shot and it has a gorgeous cinematography, but I disliked the screenplay. Even if it has some interesting ideas about dealing with love and adapting to a different culture, its secondary characters are very flawed, and I found many scenes pointless and repetitive in a pretencious way.

To Have and To Have Not: This Hollywood classic is a movie with a lot of charm and sensuality. The story is a typical adventure of the 40's, which is not great, but the acting and direction make this a thrilling experience. Lauren Bacall gives one of the sexiest performances ever and delivers her lines perfectly: she's the best thing about the movie. The camera angles are often beautiful, and the black and white color gives it a lot of glamour.

Aprile: A very sweet movie about life. It's easy to relate with the people portrayed, and the story is quite touching. There are a lot of funny moments, and technically this movie is great: gorgeously shot, with fitting music, beautiful cinematography. This will make you smile with its positive, colourful view of life.

Sleepy Hollow: This is pure Tim Burton: tongue-in-cheek horror with a beautiful romance, wonderful sets and lots of funny characters. The direction is very good, keeping you excited, the acting by a group ofaclaimed actors is excellent and delivers laughs and twists, the screenplay is very funny and, at the same time, romantic and frightening. The cinematogrpahy, special effects, music and sets are all just amazing and create an unique ambience. It's a true joy to watch.