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The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)
A sublime masterpiece
What can be said about this movie? The title (which I believe serves the movie in an excellent way) gives every plot point away from the beginning so what you're left with is to sit and enjoy the ride. This western is not all about shootouts and action, but the fatal relationship of mankind with betrayal, fame, myth and judgment.
The cinematography is amazing, the rendering magnificent. The long time it runs allows the viewer to travel at the locations and observe the characters from every possible angle. The vulnerabilities of each are portrayed in such a way that the viewer cannot choose a "side", and the relationship between Robert Ford and Jesse James is extremely exciting to watch unfold.
The best way to watch this movie is like observing a piece of art in a museum. It becomes asserted on the viewer, or as Stephanie Zacharek said "this film represents a breakthrough in the movie-going experience. It may be the first time we've been asked to watch a book on tape." Maybe visual poetry would be the only way to describe it.
The soundtrack of the movie signed by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis is just as magnificent and frames the movie amazingly.
Great performances by Sam Shepard, Mary-Louise Parker and Sam Rockwell, but the two protagonist's portrayals, Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck, are mesmerizing and steal the show. A must watch.
Suntan (2016)
A stunning composition
I saw this movie at its premiere, at Rotterdam International Film Festival 2016. The plot is a really simple story of a disappointed 40-something year old man, Kostis (Makis Papadimitriou, "Chevalier"), who, while working as a doctor in Antiparos island, falls passionately in love with a young Anna (Elli Trigkou). The movie is set in the beautiful, yet crazy scenery of Antiparos, and it portrays its atmosphere and hedonistic frenzy in a vivid and realistic way. The drunkenness of summer and the liberal power of youth, as captured by the lens of Argyris Papadimitropoulos ("Wasted Youth"), are constantly being collated with the awkward phase of the middle aged body and the protagonist's useless struggle of overlooking it. The photography and visuals of the movie are stunning. Each frame is carefully set in a way that the characters inner selves are revealed through nature. The documentary-like feel of some of them serves as a catalyst in enclosing the atmosphere of the place through the unfolding of the plot. The body, and the ways we perceive it are also part of the plot, so be prepared for a lot of nudism and strong language. Makis Papadimitriou seems to be the best choice of portraying the disappointed, dissatisfied man who falls victim of his own passions. His performance is excellent, realistic and never over the top. Elli Trigkou is also convincing as Anna, and the rest of the cast seems to be carefully chosen. All in all, this movie is the vivid and painful hymn of the coming of middle age. A must see.
Underground (1995)
Simply Amazing
The "Underground" is a masterpiece by all means. I've always been a fun of Emir Kusturica's movies but this one was a real blast. I really disagree with many who categorize this film as a comedy. Neither can a soft word as "drama" really describe a movie such as this one. The characters endlessly ache for their country which is suffering a fatal war. The more their ignorance is getting bigger as the plot develops (reminding us Plato's Allegory of the Cave) the more the characters become tragic. Salvation ( for both the audience and the characters) is not to come until the very end. As a cinematographer Emir Kusturica has always achieved to portray the Balkan spirit's madness and proximateness with the most touching way. Watching this film means crying, laughing, hating, forgiving, aching all along with the heroes (or the anti-heroes). The regular fast rhythms, the symbolization and the surreal ways Kusturica uses in order to lead the audience where he wants to are also miraculous. To end with, the actors are amazing, the soundtrack (by Goran Bregovic of course) is breathtaking and this movie should not be missed for whatever the reason. 10/10