Getting up to date!
Well I haven’t posted in a while, mostly because I don’t feel comfortable doing a huge text about movies lately so instead I’m gonna make a quick review of the latest movies I’ve seen and what I thought of them :p
I know that Asmodai likes to put trailer links but I hate being spoiled something when watching a bad one so as a general standard I won’t put any trailer 
Let’s start by Poetry,
Directed by Lee Chang-Dong, With Yoon Jung-hee, David Lee, Kim Hira …
Country : South Korea, Genre : Drama, Production yeah 2009, Length : 2h19min
Best Screenplay Award at the 63rd Cannes Film Festival
imdb link : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1287878/
I was wondering about this movie as it had so many good critics it felt like too much to be true but I will admit I fell for it.
Poetry is a korean movie filled with subtlety, everything is said without words. You follow Mija, a grandmother trying to make ends meet while taking care of her grandson. But life takes her on a rough path where her beloved kin and his friends have raped a young girl who then committed suicide. Their parents meet and try to find a solution, Mija will have to find money to save her grandson. Before this struggle she had decided to follow a poetry class and this will help her find a way to bear her pain and incomprehension.
More than a regular drama story, there is a lot of layers added to that story, poetry gives a new take on the appreciation of a simple life and a very emotionnal path to redemption. It’s interesting to see how movies are sold in different countries, the french poster turns to life and vibrant colours whilst the korean focuses on the main character in a darker way.
Amore, original title ( Io sono l’Amore), french title (Amore)
Directed by Luca Guadagnino, With Tilda Swinton, Alba Rohrwacher …
Country : Italy, Genre : Drama, Production yeah 2009, Length : 1h58min
I like how the english poster is so pink 
and the original (french goes with the same font) shows exhuberance in a more subtle way circling around the character of Tilda Swinton. And if you do read critics on posters, you’ll see that it is supposed to be “the best sex you’ll get all year”! Just that ?!
This movie slowly grows on you it starts as a very rich family would expose itself, in a very cold way which slowly melts and let you enter a very rich environment filled up with power struggles to rule the Recchi emporium. Grandpa rules everything, he has to name a successor but instead of daddy he goes for the younger son, who himself aspires for simpler things like a restaurant. Amidst the men is the family mother, Emma, a russian woman who completely integrated the attitude to play pretendof the italian haute bourgeoisie, putting aside herself and her desire. Everything starts to fall apart when the son introduces her to the future cook of his restaurant,a passion will form between the two and will make you feel for her, the movie then starts to be very emotionnal and involves you somehow in a tornado.
I will not spoil too much, but I will just say that Tilda Swinton amazed me in this movie, she is so fit for the frenzy that it builds the tension of this drama majestically. I’ve always found her a particuliar grace and always knew she was a good actress and yet i was stunned by her performance, the end scene with the family fills you with emotions!
The Housemaid, original title : Hanyo
Directed by Im Sang-Soo, With Jeon Do-Yeon, Lee Jung-Jae, Youn Yuh-jung…
Country : South Korea, Genre : Drama, Production yeah 2010, Length : 1h47min
No I’m not addicted to korean movies, though I could be if they were all that good ! Once again when you look at different posters, different perspectives on the movie koreans care about the girl and we (in this case it’s the french one :p) care about what she does!
The housemaid, Euny is hired to assist the housekeeper of a very wealthy family, she is a simple and naive woman who will fall for the charming husband and will have to deal with the consequences for her and her future baby.
Though the plot is simple, its treatment is very subtle, the movie shows a lot of sensibility and portrays very strong ideas. The wealthy consider everything and everyone as objects you can buy, opposite are two employees who follow different paths toward this predetermined order. one follows and is involved in that game and the other tries to find a way out, keeping her freedom and her baby.
Of course such a drama cannot end lightly but it takes a very dark path, being a remake of a classic korean movie (that I did not see) I cannot compare the two, I thought it went overboard, not necessarily a bad thing but certainly goes far.
The set of this wealthy environment is gorgeous and the main actres does an excellent job to portray the struggle of her character.
That will be it for tonight, an exotic selection but all the subjects are urban and deep in our modern society, oddly I now realize I selected 3 different struggles and 3 women carving a path through freedom. Each at her own pace they will take you with them so just enjoy the ride !
