35 Shots of Rhum (France)
International Film magazine Sight and Sound declared Claire Denis as the finest film director working today and I can see why. There are a couple of reasons why 35 Shots of Rhum is a magnificent little film and Claire Denis is a master director.
1) It is a French modern day drama without being a typical "French” film meaning characters don’t sit and randomly talk about philosophy and life and relationships.
2) It handles delicately a father-daughter relationship, something that is absolutely non existent in contemporary cinema. The culture today has very little time for older people and in turn, cinema has very little time for older characters as Guardian’s Ann Bilson talked about recently. So it was refreshing to see a film about 4 principal characters, 2 of who belong to the older generation.
3) It is set in modern day France but has an all black cast and yet never even makes a glancing blow towards making it clear “look I am making a film in France about black people.
A Prophet (France)
Winner of the Grand Prix at Cannes 2009, A Prophet was quickly being touted as the finest crime saga since The Godfather. A Prophet came in a year where World Cinema was at its very best, which perhaps explains why it did not win the Golden Palme at Cannes nor the Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars. That speaks more about the quality of cinema in year 2009 than anything else.
Nonetheless A Prophet is a masterpiece of epic proportions. Jacques Audiard delivers a visceral and compelling film about the coming of age of a young Arab journey through prison and life and beyond.
Tahar Rahim as Malik El DJebena in the central role is a revelation. Those of you who think the crime genre has more or less reached its end need to see this to see how when a master director is at the helm, every genre gets a new life.
Accident (Hong Kong)
How is it that a bloated, rich industry like Hollywood can only churn franchises and sequels and Asian cinema comes up with gems one after another? Accident ranks among the best modern thrillers to come out of Hong Kong. Multiple viewings is a must to appreciate and explore the sub textual philosophical and moral questions the film poses about the nature of accidents, destiny, free will and human nature in general. How we see others is merely a reflection of our own nature. This film does an excellent job of making that point.
I saw this film without knowing anything about it and that is the best approach for a great viewing experience. This is a must watch.
Ajami (Israel)
The multiple plot structure of the film is reminiscent of Crash (2004) and Traffic (2000) but that is where the similarity ends. Ajami is a fantastic film that has strong legs to stand on its own. I saw this a while ago and writing about it now, while I remember the scenes and characters make me want to see this film again.
Five separate stories set in Ajami, a poor Arab neighbourhood situated in the city of Tel-Aviv/Yafo. The many characters are played mostly by non professionals, and the result gives a documentary feel to the film. This film is the Israeli entry for the Oscars 2009. I was initially a bit apprehensive about watching a film dealing so directly with the Arab-Jewish conflict but at its heart it is a human story about human conflict and suffering.
Directed by two newcomers on the cinema scene Scandar Copti and Yaron Shani, it is acted most of the time in Arabic and deals with a world that many Israelis know only from the news - the crime and poverty dominated Arab districts at the periphery of the Israeli big cities.The name of the film is of one of these areas, in Jaffo, south and close to the shining lights of the Tel Aviv metropolis. This film is a must watch for anyone who wants to understand the conflict.
Ip Man 2 (Hong Kong)
Ip Man 2, the sequel to the highly successful biopic Ip Man (2008) is yet another delight for martial arts fans. Based on the life of Ip Man, a grandmaster of the martial art Wing Chun and the first person to teach the art openly. One of his students was the widely influential and acclaimed martial artist and filmmaker Bruce Lee. I am not sure how historically accurate the film is or how honestly it portrays the incidents of that time but as a film, it packs the punches in the right places and strikes at the right chords. A must watch for Asian martial arts fans.
Micmacs (France)
What an outstanding film, what an outstanding director, what an outstanding body of work. In case people don’t know, the director I am talking about is Jean Pierre Jeunet, director of such fantastic films like Amelie, A Very Long Engagement and City of Lost Children. Now anyone familiar with even one of those films will know that Jeunet has his own very distinct filmmaking and storytelling style and even if he picks what might seem an old genre or a predictable plot or known characters, he still manages to make a totally unpredictable and refreshingly original film. Micmacs is no different.
The film tackles serious issues like weapons industry, international warfare and vigilantism yet does this in a very Jeunet sort of way, quirky, refreshing and funny at times. This is one of the best films of the year, one of my all time favourite films and a must watch.
No One Knows About Persian Cats (Iran)
This is a beautiful, fresh and unique way of looking into the lives and struggles of Iranian citizens in their day to day lives under a strict and totalitarian regime. The film presents to us two musicians who are looking for more band members and a visa that would allow them to perform at concerts overseas and fulfil their dream of being musicians. Shot in documentary style, it takes us along with the two main characters along a journey through Iran, in search of band members and in the process explore various facets of contemporary Iranian society.
Samson and Delilah (Australia)
There is a reason why cinema is so important to my life. It enriches and enlightens me. This film is a shining example. It took me to a side of Australia I was absolutely unfamiliar with despite living in Australia for almost 5 years now. Debutante director Warwick Thornton takes us to this other world, and manages to intrigue, disturb and emotionally drain us by the end of the film with very little dialogue and conversation. This is a minimalist film of the highest order and places emphasis on mannerisms, ambiance, atmosphere, eyes.
The film gives a snapshot of the effects of substance abuse, extreme poverty, the violence within aboriginal society as well as the violence directed at it and worse of all the general apathy of the white population to these issues. The acting is unpretentious, the soundtrack sparse and conversation is absent.
Following the story of two star crossed lovers and the reality of Aboriginal life in the Territories, this is a film that should be shown widely and help to dispel the myth that the Australian film industry is somehow lacking - with films like this being produced, it's certainly not - we just need to see more of it.
Sin Nombre (Mexico)
Why are Mexican films so awesome? How do they keep making gems one after another? Let's be clear from the outset, this is a dark, bleak and violent movie, at times reminiscent of Brazilian masterpiece City of God.
Today when terms like ‘illegal immigrants’ still exist, when issues about asylum seekers are still opportunities for political parties to score points, I cannot overstate the importance of films like Sin Nombre. Maybe, just maybe, watching this movie will at least give people a glimpse into the lives, backgrounds and destinies of these people, who are abused, mistreated and forgotten by almost everybody, people who basically have come to symbolize a type of disposable human garbage, that truly are without a face and identity, just another label ranging from terrorists to illegal immigrants to asylum seekers.
As a film, it scores in all the right areas, beautifully shot, acted and executed. Everyone should go see this as soon as they can. Great, great first film.
Soul Kitchen (Germany)
Fatih Akin (The Edge of Heaven, Head On) is one of my most favourite of World Cinema directors. If I had to make a list of 5 directors of the world today from the current generation, I know his name would one of the first be on that list.
With Soul Kitchen, he delves into unfamiliar territory – light hearted breezy comedy, although it isn't laugh-out-loud funny. I read an interview where he talked about his apprehensions in doing a comedy after the mature and much lauded film The Edge of Heaven but I am glad he did because Soul Kitchen is a delight. The story revolves around a restaurant/club called Soul Kitchen and the troublesome life of its respectful owner Zinos. He has to overcome many struggles involving his girlfriend, his brother and the authorities. The film is set in the heart of the diverse northern German city of Hamburg.
Most of the films that are highly acclaimed and lauded in World Cinema are of a more serious kind, often falling in the genre of drama. Many of them, including many on this list are quite disturbing and emotionally draining. Soul Kitchen is a complete anti thesis of that. It is a positive breath of fresh air and enjoyable affair yet at the same time it manages to encapsulate the unpredictable randomness of life.
Fatih Akin has a keen ear for music and most of his films have great soundtracks so the fact that the soundtrack of this film was so awesome did not surprise me at all. It makes great use of colours and textures and draws a fine analogy between cooking and life. Watching Head On, I got the impression that Fatih Akin is someone who takes a special interest in cooking and recipes and this film where the protagonist is a cook and an owner of a restaurant is perhaps a culmination of that.
The White Ribbon (Germany)
Michael Haneke (Cache, The Piano Teacher) once said that his films were a reaction to contemporary cinema, cinema that already exists. He feels a large part of contemporary cinema resorts to appeasing and reassuring. He finds that misleading hence he attempts through his cinema to disturb and disorient the viewer. He went so far as to say he wants to ‘rape’ the audience.
That is perhaps what makes The White Ribbon so difficult to watch, and even more difficult to review.
Filmed beautifully in black and white with subtitles, The White Ribbon is a movie that will leave viewers with a lasting residue long after it ends. The film portrays the residents of a northern German village, dominated by a baron, sometime before World War I. A number of unexplained accidents beset the town’s schoolchildren and their parents. Violence plagues the town, as observed by a school teacher, who for most part of the film remains a silent spectator, an outsider who observes everything yet is to feeble or powerless to do anything. All he succeeds in doing is narrating the story to us. It is perhaps best to not know anything else about the film and let it just flow freely.
Winner of The Golden Palm at Cannes 2009, this film along with A Prophet and The Secret In Their Eyes just raised the bar for cinema to a whole new level in 2009.
The Secret in Their Eyes (Argentina)
Very rarely do I find myself agreeing with the Oscar results. In that regard, 2009 was even worse because I disagreed with almost all the winners until I watched this film. Competing with The White Ribbon and A Prophet, both of which had won at Cannes and garnered huge praise and acclaim, the film shocked everyone when it won the Best Foreign Language film. Many people, most of who had not even seen the film snickered and dismissed the Academy.
Being someone who prefers to watch a film before forming an opinion, I decided to check it out. By the time the film was over, not only did I wholeheartedly agree with the Academy, I found myself ready to see the film all over again. My only complaint was that it ended. Hence, despite appreciating The White Ribbon, despite A Prophet being one of my most favourite films, this will be my pick of the year.
It is a multi-layered, noirish thriller set in modern day Argentina about a murder that took place in 1974. he story is split between two time periods: the investigation by the three main characters of the rape and murder of a young woman in 1974, and the reunion of two of those characters today. Benjamin (Ricardo Darin) is writing a novel about the 25 year-old case that ended with an unfavourable outcome, and in the course of recounting what happened, we learn about the past events and the rather complicated past that Benjamin had with his superior, Irena (Soledad Villamil).
Elegantly shot with the Red One Digital camera, the film is aided by competent performances by the lead cast. Director Campallena never loses grip even for a second and in the end film is one rewarding experience with a fitting ending. Very seldom does a director manage to balance style and substance so eloquently and Campallena does so in this film so beautifully that it looks effortless.
The eyes being the window to the soul is perhaps a major theme of the film and due importance is paid to filming the eyes. The two main characters never speak their mind to each other yet we know their thoughts through their eyes. The murder mystery in the end is solved through secrets in the eyes as well.
Film critics and cinephiles the world over are talking about the rise and rise of Latin American cinema. This is one of the finest examples of that rise.
Thirst (South Korea)
In my books, among the younger directors, Chan Wook Park is the best director working in the world today. Oldboy, Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance, Lady Vengeance, Joint Security Area, I am yet to see a bad film by him. He played a major role in bringing Korean cinema on to the world stage. His latest venture, Thirst is a vampire story.
Corrupted by crappy Hollywood films, the moment I heard of this film, I was a bit apprehensive. I still had enough faith in Chan Wook Park to give the film a chance. Well, as it happens, it is not the genre, it is the master behind the camera who determines the film.
As a result, despite not being a fan of this genre, I absolutely loved the movie. If you love Chan-wook Park, you know what to expect. His films are brutal, poetic, tragic, and artistic, with splashes of very grim humour. Starting with the cinematography (every shot is gorgeous and creative) to the story, which blends Shakespearean tragedy, murderous love, Gothic horror, and layered character drama, this is yet another masterpiece from South Korea.
Sang-hyun, a priest working for a hospital, selflessly volunteers for a secret vaccine development project intended to eradicate a deadly virus. However, the virus eventually takes over the priest. He nearly dies, but makes a miraculous recovery by an accidental transfusion of vampire blood. What starts of as a standard vampire story quickly develops into a poetic take on romance, religion, madness and ultimately human nature.
The World Is Big and Salvation Lurks Around the Corner (Bulgaria)
Like Soul Kitchen, this film also helps balance out the serious quotient of World Cinema without compromising on the integrity. Nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars last year, this film had only an outside chance against some of the bigger films by bigger directors. Nevertheless, this is a beautiful film about self discovery.
The subject matter might be clichéd and done before but when clichés are done with conviction, they work. A young man (Aleksandar) who has lost his memories and parents in a car accident is guided by his charismatic grandfather (Bai Dan) to regain his memories by travelling around Europe, retracing the path the young man and his parents once took when they had illegally migrated from Bulgaria to Germany for a new life. This is the premise of this movie.
But this is more than a tale of two people on the road to self discovery. The movie explores into the political situation of Bulgaria during the 1980s. Aleksandar's father, Vasko, gets into trouble with a local communist who wants him to spy on Bai Dan, his father-in-law. He refuses and worrying about the consequences he decides to leave Bulgaria and flee to Germany with his wife and son. We get to see the troubles that they face during their migration and the problems they and the other immigrants from different countries face in the refugee camp.
This is the first Bulgarian film I have seen and it was Bulgary’s official entry for the Oscars last year. This film is struggling to find a theatrical release in most of the major countries and markets. Nevertheless, try to find it wherever you can and watch because it is truly a beautiful film.
Vengeance (Hong Kong)
A French chef swears revenge after a violent attack on his daughter's family in Hong Kong, during which her husband and her two children are murdered. To help him find the killers, he hires three local hit-men working for the mafia.
Johnny To is a big name in Hong Kong cinema and is a cult name among fans of action and crime films. This is a pretty standard revenge tale where an outsider is forced to rely on three strangers to extract revenge. To make matters complicated, he suffers a “Memento-esque” condition of short term memory loss.
Despite a few predictable elements, Vengeance makes its impact thanks to Johnny To’s stylish execution and shoot outs that would make Michael Mann or John Woo proud. While the characters lack background, the story successfully builds up the camaraderie between the protagonists, which is necessary since much of the film spends time with them as they carry out their mission.
It is perhaps not as polished as a Mann or a Woo or even a To film, but overall it is a hugely entertaining affair. Fans of action thrillers should not give this a miss.
Honourable Mentions:
Broken Embraces (Spain)
Everlasting Moments (Sweden)
Lorna’s Silence (Belgium)
Welcome (France)
