Garden State [2004]

Written and directed by Zach Braff, Garden State is a weird, rather pretentious movie that failed to really impress me. Everything seemed too perfectly awkward and amazingly hipster, with a large dose of misunderstood melancholic state that absolutely didn't feel realistic, and not even a little bit adorable.

OK, maybe I'm being too harsh on it, let's go back to the beginning. Garden State tells the story of Andrew Largeman, a wannabe actor who is forced to return to his hometown in order to witness the burial of his mother. He then gets reacquainted with some old high school friends (Peter Sarsgaard being one of them) and meets a sweet, wacky girl, named Sam (Natalie Portman). It's basically a character development story; you may even called it a coming of age one, and usually I'm all up for it, because I love these kinds of scripts, but this was just....slightly unbearable. If I were the quitting type, I would have done it by minute 15, but I'm not, so I stayed until the end, and I don't regret it that much, since I did see a couple of scenes I liked. I understand and appreciate the fact that it is a personal story for Braff and that it is, in a way, autobiographical, but sometimes just didn't click for me.

From a filmmaking point of view, there's nothing particular to say about the direction or the cinematography- they didn't stand out, good or bad. As for the screenplay, as you might imagine, I'm not that positive about it. I understood where he was going with the story, with the idea of quitting drugs and finally experiencing life, but I thought most of the dialogue was a tad too clicheic, if that is a word, and even a little bit lame. Again, it was almost screaming from every letter and phrase, "look at me, I'm so awkward and melancholic and misunderstood, but underneath all that I'm such a cool, beautiful person". Now, I'm not applying this to the whole movie- I actually liked the screaming into abyss scene and the bath one between the two lovers (that was an honest, sweet moment); it actually started getting interesting in his last day in town, with the whole hunting for Large's present but overall, yeah, it didn't do it for me. I did love the soundtrack, that was definitely a strong point.

As for the acting, I won't dwell too much on it, but I will talk a bit about Natalie Portman's character. Most of time, I really didn't knew if I absolutely loved or hated her. Sometimes she would be sweet and caring, other times her forced wackiness would just completely put me off. I still don't how I feel about her. What did you think of her character?

In conclusion, if you want to watch Garden State, I suggest you don't. Please, just try something else: when's the last time you saw a 1950s movie? Or a musical? Just rent Beauty and the Beast, I 'm 100% sure you will like it more than this.

Vera Drake [2004]

Written and directed by Mike Leigh, Vera Drake is a 2004 British film which tells the story of an older woman who performs abortions in the 50s. It is quiet, subdued and heartbreaking at points, as she must ultimately face the consequences of her actions.

Vera Drake is portrayed as an incredibly positive, outgoing and slightly naive person, with a heart of gold, who is available and willing to help anyone who requires it. Married with two children, a son and a shy, introvert daughter, she goes on her day to day life, cleaning houses as a way to pay the bills. The harsh discrepancy comes when we find out Vera is also known, to many women, as the lady who performs abortions. She does it because she thinks she is helping girls out whenever they can't manage, and because she has been doing it for such a long time without any problems and without receiving any money for it, she is sincerely upset when one of her "patients" is admitted to the hospital in terrible conditions after it.

Misses Drake's world collapses when, in the day of her daughter's engagement, the police come knocking on her door, demanding information about her rituals, after the sick girl's mother tells the police Vera's name. That scene when the detectives come to confront the woman is probably one of the most moving, heartbreaking moments of the whole movie. We can easily see the change as she realises what she has done and what might await for her, we can feel her emotions, her terror, and her performance was quite extraordinary. I loved the fact that everything was quiet, there were no shouted accusations or cheeky attitude, there were only silent voices and normal conversation, as she admits to the detective and the police that she "help girls out, when they can't manage"; she answers the questions, but her mind always goes back to her family and her children in the other room.

Vera Drake is a bleak, rather slow movie- it seems like it's just waiting to burst, but there is no fire, not even at the end. The cinematography and the direction are wonderful and they perfectly use the 50s sets and costumes, which are all realistic, and I always smiled at the use of the very British language (Ta, crikey, be back in a jiffy). The supporting cast is very good, especially Richard Graham who plays her husband, the insanely talented Eddie Marsan as Reg, and I do have to mention the dorky Chris O'Dowd, as well, even though he had a very small part.

Imelda Staunton, portraying the main character, is, as expected, absolutely brilliant. She brings so much joy and kindness to her part at the beginning, but so much angst and fear after the reveal, and she does it with conviction, passion and immense talent. I was impressed by her performance, especially in scenes like the one where she had to take off the wedding ring.

Overall, Vera Drake is a very well made film, with a great lead performance and a sensible topic, but that might bore or unsatisfy some, just because of its slow, rather bleak rhythm. I liked it, but I wouldn't recommend whole hearted to everyone, it depends on what people usually like.

Before Sunrise/Before Sunset

Before Sunrise [1995]

Jesse and Celine meet on a train, have a quick chat and then decide to spend the rest of the day and night in Vienna- this without even knowing each other's names.

It may seem strange and maybe, a little bit stupid or dangerous, but it isn't, not in this case, anyway. Their stories, adventures, conversations, the way the look at each other, how they kiss and laugh- everything is realistic, mostly believable and you can't help falling for them and their story.

Jesse is an American, a rather pragmatic, simple, yet very introspective guy, who wants to get away from his problems and himself, whilst Celine is a beautiful French woman, a dreamer, but a fighter, a seeker (like the palm reader says), who looks at the world with different eyes, and always surprises you. You don't instantly see the connection or the attraction, but it is there and, while they are somehow opposite from one another, they still find a way to relate, more easily then you can imagine. It's so interesting and nice to see a relationship form and evolve, and their interaction is so sweet.

One of my favorite things about this movie was the dialogue or the conversations Jesse and Celine had. Some where funny, some were very serious, others were just a way of getting to know each other better (come on, the first thing you ask a girl when you want to know more about her is "What were your first sexual feelings?").

Top 3 scenes of Before Sunrise
1. The fake phone call to their respective best friends
2. Sound booth at the record store- I just loved the tension between them , the way they awkwardly look at each other, not knowing what to do
3. The good bye- the slight desperation of both of them at the thought of not seeing one another; it was sweet and endearing

Overall, Before Sunrise is a very good romantic film that you should see. Now, I am very curious to see how their relationship will evolve in Before Sunset and how will they react when they see each other after a long time.

Before Sunset [2004]

This one wasn't as romantic as the first one- they have matured, they have changed, in some predictable ways (Celine is now an activist for environmental rights), or rather interesting ways (Jesse is a writer, married with a kid).

The focus of the film is no longer on the romance or the first-time aspect of a relationship, but on love, loss, time, feelings and desires. They are not discovering each other, they are trying to reconnect and see if the flame is still there- and it is.

Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy have the same chemistry, but of course, more relaxed and subdued, as time and wisdom do that to most people. They talk about life, the world around them, but most importantly, they talk about their past and their present, and that is the most interesting part of the story.

You, as a viewer, don't reconnect with the characters that easily, at the beginning; maybe it's the changes they have gone through, maybe it's the awkwardness between them, so it takes a little time to adjust. I, personally, thought Celine was a little bit neurotic and whinny at some points, but that's just the way she is.

By the end, you realise that they have two things in common: they never forgot that night in Vienna, and the present doesn't bring them happiness. The movie takes you through different stages, up and down, like a rollercoaster.

At first, you see the obvious changes in both of them: Celine is more outgoing, more pragmatic and fierce, while Jesse is more relaxed and more optimistic, trying to find the good in everything- it seems like that night changed them forever, each one getting the other's main quality or dominant feature. But, as time passes, you can see that Celine still dreams of passion and love, while Jesse is still very much aware of the world around him and what is good or bad- they just chose to bury it and focus on more important things- Celine, on her job, Jesse, on his responsibility for his son.

At first, it seems like Celine has put that night behind her and moved on, even forgetting details of their encounter, just trying to minimize the effect he had on her. But, yet again, it is proven otherwise: she still longs for the way Jesse made her feel that night, she has never forgotten him, nor will she.


Top 3 scenes of Before Sunrise
1. The discussion in the car, especially the last part, where Jesse talks about his dreams
2. The song Celine performs for Jesse
3. "Baby, you are gonna miss that plane" "I know"



The second one does not have the charm or sweetness of the first one, but it excels in some ways the first one didn't, digging more into the characters and their motivations. There are many layers and feelings that should be shared, but I don't want to give out too much. You really do need to see both of them, one after the other, to appreciate the whole story. I really enjoyed it, and I think you will, too!

Passion of Christ[2004]

Where do I begin talking about this film? It is about religion, about the story of Jesus Christ and what he went through. It is directed by Mel Gibson and it stars James Caviezel, Monica Belluci, Maia Morgenstern and others. It is a very special film.

Mel Gibson decided to write, produce and direct a movie about a delicate subject! How can you properly explain this story in motion picture without being too Hollywood or exagerated in some parts? You can't, because you don't actually know what happened, you have only the Bible to guide you. It had its flaws, I am sure some hated it and at certain times the violence was too much, but you can't not be touched by it, by the way it was portrayed.

Religion is not something I talk about because I do not consider myself a religious person, but I can say about me that when something moves me, when I can relate or feel or understand the emotions it is trying to transmit, it can have a great impact over me. I cried during Passion of Christ two times: first, when Mary gets close to Jesus in his way to the crucification point, after John takes her there, and the second time, when he arrives and they pint him to the cross. It is one of the most disturbing, moving scenes I have ever seen. Sometimes I wonder: am I that easy to manipulate? am I weak? I hope I am not, because that scene should raise some emotions in everyone's heart.

I don't want to get into details and say Mel Gibson didn't follow the exact Testament or that he got something wrong, after all it is a movie. I found it interesting, but appropriate, that he used the original language for it- that must have been an extra point of pressure for the actors. If we should start discussing and disecting this movie, it would take ages and this is not a place for it- I don't think we have enough knowledge or wisdom to do it!

What we can do is enjoy a great movie and be impressed by its actors. James Caviezel is fantastic- I can't even begin to imagine the pressure of the role and how demanding it must have been to play that part. Just think about the emotional conection and the pain he had to portray for it; I respect him just for that, just for trying. Sure, it wasn't perfect, sometimes it looked overacted, by I understand him.

Another amazing performance is Mary, played by Maia Morgenstern. Now, I can proudly say that this wonderful woman is a known and loved Romanian actress and I had the chance to meet her at a local event. She is so elegant, kind and inspiring and has a special aura about her that attracts people. I thought she delivered a great performance.

Now it's time to see what IMDb has to say!The Oscars nominated it just for Make-up and Sound?Really?Why?I mean, why not acknowledge the passion and commitment of James Caviezel, if not Maia Morgenstern? Is it because of Mel Gibson?

Anyway, as you can see, I was touched by it and I loved it!

Did you see it?What did it do for you?