Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)

Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)

Terrific play - on the screen (8*)

One can't escape the feeling that it's a play. Very little is invested in the setting - most of the film is in an office. But it stands in contrast with how much is invested in the acting.

All the main actors are really salesmen - with their typical salesmen problems. And their annoying habits of bothering their victims as much as possible. As the story unfolds, characters evolve properly. Some don't.

The dialogues are intense, as it is written for plays. The mind tricks the salesmen are pulling are just amazing and may be compared to scenes of other great movies like The Wolf of Wall Street.

The little substance of the plot - the sales team of a real estate office is put under pressure, as someone robbed it - is not annoying by the drama added. You can just feel Jack Lemon's tiredness of years and years of finding victims.

One thing was annoying: once you start to notice it's based on a play, you start to notice the limitations. Dialogues can be endless. There could have been more shots without dialogues. One knows that when one actor leaves the room, another is going to come in.

But it's still a very entertaining film for an interesting evening.

The Devils (1971)

The Devils (1971)

A roller-coaster ride in France's medieval corruption (8*)

"What am I watching?" Is a question you might ask frequently in this film. The story seems simple: in an attempt to centralise power in France, a cardinal orders the walls of a city to be brought down. To do this, a priest defending the city should be convicted of witchcraft.

If one would only see the written dialogues, the film could still be 'normal'. However, it isn't.

First of all, it's intense. Heavy-worded dialogues follow up on each other and are brought in an almost vicious way. Action happens quickly. The shots are cut at a very quick pace.

Second, the amount of nudity, sexual behaviour and profanity might shock many viewers. Their purpose is to show the corruptness of religion.

Third, the music is just... disturbing. It adds to the disorientation in the movie as well as the whole photography.

Now, the question is: was it all worth it? My opinion: yes. Although this film is not to be viewed by persons who are easily upset or have an aversion for 'weird' films.

The pace and profanity were even a little too much for me. But it fits the purpose: to show the hypocrisy and corruption in the heart of the church, leaving you wondering if it really was like that in that period in time.

Another thing that left me wondering: why are Cardinal Richelieu and one of his priests wearing John Lennon glasses that could only have been made in the 20th century?

The Longest Day (1962)

The Longest Day (1962)

Authentic WWII film (8*)

A film about just one day, but an important day. The film gives sometimes brilliant, sometimes anecdotal accounts of the 6th of June 1944.

Thanks to the personal focuses, involving many personal stories, forgotten details, important decisions, and many other insights, the film manages to fascinate.

The film is epic in its scale, with a lot of scenes in which many resources were invested. It is not epic in the sense of heroism, and that's a good thing. All levels of command are portrayed, each one with their own tough decisions to be made.

Another bonus is the absence of moral judgment, thanks to the often-lacking German points of view in WWII films. The inclusion of the French resistance is also noteworthy.

Acting is great, and history-lovers will have a great evening watching this film. I wish I could say this was the day that decided WWII, but I'd rather refer to the more recent film 'The Imitation Game'.

Coup de torchon (1981)

Coup de torchon (1981)

French comedy - or is it? (6*)

French humor is like coffee: you either like it or dislike it. As the film starts, one can quickly make up its mind about whether it's enjoyable to watch or not. But it isn't what it seems.

A corrupt cop in Western Africa with little respect or authority turns to vengeance. It describes the film perfectly. However, just like the description of French comedy, it isn't what it seems.

The dark humor, film-noir in a town filled with light, the little rhymes in the dialogues: it's been thought over, earning good ratings from critics. It's understandable, when it's mixed with symbolism, philosophical discussions and a very realistic scenery.

Add the blatant racism and the actors' excellent performances, and we're mixing too many things. For some reasons, it felt like watching a play at the theater, as well due to the intense dialogues.

However, it fails to capture the attention. The film misses direction. The actors seem distant. Despite so many good ingredients, the end result isn't convincing. But it is surely to those who like a mix of genres.

McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971)

McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971)

Atypical, thoughtful western (8*)

Don't expect a typical western in McCabe & Mrs. Miller. Shootings are limited, no unprotected town needs to be liberated from their villains. Welcome to the real Wild West.

The film makes a lot of efforts to make the background to the story as credible as possible. The firetruck is impressive, bars are real, tents are as you expect them, and we haven't talked yet about the costumes.

The setting is even more impressive as one can see the town expanding. The different seasons portrayed suggests it has been a tremendous effort to make it as realistic as possible.

The story in itself is multi-layered. Not everything is revealed, which increases the interest in the characters. Many scenes are suggestive, leaving room for interpretation. There are not so many twists in the story, but those that are present will keep you watching.

The camera work, with many close-ups, fits the story and almost forgets the excellent background. Leonard Cohen's music adds to the drama.

Some scenes may have inspired 'Once Upon a Time in America' from Scorcese, and for those who loved the movie I'd highly recommend the series 'Deadwood', which has the same sense of real as this movie.

A very good movie. Especially for history-lovers and those who enjoy non-Hollywood drama.

12 Angry Men (1997)

12 Angry Men (1997)

Good remake (8*)

One can't escape a comparison with the earlier same-titled film of 1957. The 1957 version was innovative - how can you keep 12 men in the same room for almost the whole movie? - and generally considered a masterpiece.

The 1997 movie is the updated version, close to the original. So don't expect too many surprises from that end.

Both movies are very thought-provoking. About the judicial system. About human relations. About prejudices. About justice. It makes it worth to watch at least one of them.

The film manages to capture your attention despite the limitation, both in time and space. Even though it is a remake, it leaves you smiling.

The story is rather simple: 12 members of the jury have to decide unanimously whether to convict a young man to death, or not.

If it weren't a remake, I'd give it a 9.

Europa Europa (1990)

Europa Europa (1990)

Interesting WWII film (7*)

Producing a film about Nazi Germany is easy and difficult at the same time. It is easy because many viewers are well-informed about the dramatic period in Germany's history, making the viewers' emotional involvement not too difficult. You don't name your son Adolf.

It is difficult because clichés are so easy to produce. The classical black-white versions of evil Germans versus glorious Allied forces is an obvious trap.

None of this in this film. It follows loosely a true story of a Jewish youngster hiding as a member of the Hitlerjugend - the Nazi youth movement. On top of his puberty, he has to face an identity crisis due to his choices to survive.

Other interesting parts of the story are a homosexual German soldier, a girl overly committed to her country and a Polish boy fighting for his catholic religion in communist Poland.

The way a part of difficult history books is mixed into the movie deserves to be mentioned, as well as the music. Sometimes though, overacting takes the upper hand.

But the fact remains that showing the true horror of the atrocities committed during that period is not fit for film, even in this German co-production, as only very few would be able to watch it.

However, it's still a very interesting film to watch.