Blue Caprice, by
Alexandre Moors, USA, 2012,
is about two loners (Isaiah
Washington and Tequan
Richmond), who shoot
innocent victims at random.The
film was inspired by actual
events, where the area around
Washington D.C. was terrorized,
because of these senseless
killings. It is a well made
film.
Emperor Visits the Hell,
by Tang Huang You Di Fu,
China/Canada, 2013, is based on
a 16th-century Chinese novel.
Although well received at the
Vancouver Film Festival, I found
it difficult to understand and
enjoy.
The Color of the Chameleon,
by Emil Christov,
Bulgaria, 2012, mocks spying, as
a weird man is recruited to spy
on members of a book club. It
makes fun of the the whole idea
of spying in society and the
avalanche of ridiculous spy
films. It is entertaining.
Kuf (Mold), by Ali
Aydin, Turkey/Germany, 2012,
is a fine film, about a widower
searching for information about
the disappearance of his son,
eighteen years before as a
university student. Ercan
Kesal is superb as the
father, who works as a railroad
inspector in this sad tale.
Tower, by Kazik
Radwanski, Canada, 2012,
consists mainly of close-ups of
an uninteresting young man in
his thirties, who works in an
uninspiring job, while carousing
at night. We follow his boring
life, which is dispiriting for
the viewer.
A Hijacking, by Tobias
Lindholm, Denmark, 2012, is
one of the most powerful films
of the series. Somali pirates
hijack a Danish cargo ship,
keeping the crew hostage for
months, as the owners try to
negotiate with the pirates. We
see the miserable conditions on
board the ship and the constant
fear of the crew being killed by
these heartless thugs. It is
realistic, expertly filmed. and
will leave a deep impression on
the viewer.
Burn it Up Djassa, by
Lonesome Solo, Ivory
Coast/France, 2012, is a grim
look at life in the ghetto,
consisting of gambling,
prostitution and violence. We
see a young man go to his tragic
end in this depressing view of
life
Rengaine, by Rachid
Djaidani, France, 2012, is
about a black African male
wanting to marry a white
Algerian woman in Paris. Both
families are against this
interracial marriage. It reveals
the deep prejudice in this
society.
The Shine of Day, by
Tizza Covi and Rainer
Frimmel, Austria, 2012, is
about a successful actor (Phillip
Hochmair), who suddenly
meets an unknown uncle (Walter
Saabel), a former circus
performer, and they form an
unlikely bond. It is also a
realistic look at the life in
the theatre. It is an unusual,
low key film, that features two
splendid performances by the two
actors.
The Act of Killing, by
Joshua Oppenheimer, Denmark,
2012 is a documentary, that
interviews paramilitary
soldiers, who think of
themselves as gangsters, and
were responsible for over a
million deaths in Indonesia
after the military takeover. It
is a tough film to watch. The
cruelty and lack of respect for
human dignity is appalling. It
is a well made film and deserves
to be seen. It will leave a deep
impression, not easy to erase.
Soldate Jeannette, by
Daniel Hoesl, Austria, 2012,
is about an elegant lady, who is
actually a con artist. When
evicted from her apartment, she
flees to the woods and takes
refuge on a farm. The film is
beautifully photographed and the
acting is superb.
Les Coquilettes, by
Sophie Letourneur, France,
2012, is about three young women
at the Locarno Film Festival,
looking to sleep with young men,
smoke, drink lots of alcohol and
behave in an immature way. They
never stop talking about their
idiotic problems, and one can
only hope they will grow up.
Leones, by Jazmin
Lopez, Argentina/France/The
Netherlands,2012, tells a
strange tale of five young
people wandering through a
forest. It, will end in tragedy.
It is slow moving and the
characters are uninteresting.
Reality by Matteo Garrone,
Italy, 2012, is about a
fishmonger, who auditions for a
television reality show.
Becoming obsessed with the idea
of winning fame and fortune, his
family life is shattered. It is
a scathing look at the
pernicious influence of the
reality shows on television and
their effect on much of the
population. It is an interesting
film.