Fish Tank [2009]

Fish Tank is a 2009 British film written and produced by a brilliant individual called Andrea Arnold. It takes you through the life of Mia (Katie Jarvis), a 15 year old with a big mouth and a bad temper, who likes to dance. Her ordinary life changes when Connor (Michael Fassbender) comes into the picture, as he becomes her mother's boyfriend. The man, unknownly, changes their life, in a way, as he becomes a father figure and husband for a short period....and in Mia's case, maybe something more. I'll try to be spoiler free, as I usually tend to give out important details, although I don't do it intentionally.

I would describe this film to be...British. I don't know how to properly explain it, but it has that feeling, that look, and of course, the language that immediately reminds you of the UK. In some cases, I was actually put off by the extreme behavior and language of Mia, Tyler (her sister) and their mother- I couldn't help asking myself "Is this considered normal in some parts of London or UK? do 10 year-olds really smoke and swear worse than a 40 year old?"

Anyway, that was probably one of the very few weak points of Fish Tank. Besides that aspect, which might be just a thing of perspective and personal belief, everything else was quite remarkable and beautiful.

80% of the cinematography was just wonderful (the remaining 20% are negative just because of some shaky camera shots that annoyed me); I especially loved the slow motion moments, like the wind blowing the shirts away, or Mia being undressed. My favorite scene happens around the middle to the end of the movie, when Mia shows Michael Connor her audition dance- I loved the lighting, the music, her innocence and the performances. What happened after? well, that was a bit shocking- I thought he was just the father figure she needed in her life, but I guess he had different feelings for her, after all. That scene went up and down for me: at first, I liked the fact that she let her guard down and finally opened herself to Connor; when he made her move on her, I was shocked, but found the continuation to be quite erotic, which again, made me feel bad, because what was happening wasn't right (maybe that was just the Fassy effect, he is one sexy man).

Another thing I was surprised by were some the directions Andrea Arnold took when it came down to the script. First of all, although I do like Harry Treadway (he was great in Control, too), I think his storyline was pretty useless, except for, of course, the end- sometimes, unnecessary characters or actions in a movie bug me. Second of all, I was pretty shocked and didn't quite understand Mia's choice of action when she found out the truth about Connor- I know she was hurt and trying to get back him in way or another, but that? it was a rash decision that didn't got her anywhere. Yes, I know it's a normal reaction and that was the first thing she thought of doing, still...

But then again, that didn't put me off. I still think it is a wonderful coming-of-age movie; yes, it is more raw and extreme than most, but it has a similar effect on the audience and on the characters. The end is bittersweet, and I can't really say she has evolved or grown to be a better person, but at least she has changed and even matured, a little. What will happen to her? Is she going to go to school or get a proper job? I don't think so, but at least she got something out from this whole experience.

Overall, I though Fish Tank was a solid movie, with good performances by Fassbender and Jarvis and well- written and directed by Andrea Arnold [ Jury Prize winner in Cannes for FT in 2010, and she won an Oscar for her short film, Wasp, in 2003,  which I saw in a festival years ago (it has a very similar vibe to Fish Tank, you should check it out, maybe on youtube), and I will definitely watch Wuthering Heights soon, as well!]  The Brits have done it again!

A dangerous method [2011]

My David Cronenberg mini marathon continued with "A dangerous method" and I was pleasantly surprised, for I saw some interesting differences between his earlier movies and this one.

First of all, the beginning was much more intense and its pace helped get into the story very quickly and start understanding the characters and the situation right away. But, I still knew it was a Cronenberg movie when I realised 16 minutes have passed, but it felt like an hour- how does he do that?

Second of all, the script was better and more diverse, featuring some very introspective and thought-provoking subjects, as expected, since the movie is about the evolution of psychoanalysis. I loved the conversations between Freud and Jung and the experiments, and it was nice to see the interaction between the two doctors, especially when they realised they have opposite opinions, which of course, led to friction and interuption of their friendship- Jung wanted to move forward and research daring topics, whilst Freud never dared to question the wonders of the world around him.

One of the highlights of this film, for me anyway, was Vincent Cassel- his character, Otto Gross, was, by far, one of the most complex and interesting, and his charming presence made the story even more fascinating and appealing. Otto had a great take on monogamy, as he considered it to be a stressful concept and his motto was "Never repress anything" (case in point, his suicidal patient); he also comes up with the brilliant explanation of why Freud is obsessed with sexuality ("He is not getting any"). But, some great things never last long, so he dissapperead rather quickly.

Viggo Mortensen, as Freud, is good, and surprisingly unrecognisable; I wasn't very keen on his performance, mainly because his character doesn't evolve, and his strict mind holds him back. I thought Michael Fassbender was great, but I never stoped to analyse him or think about what he is doing- it felt like he was a driver for the story and for the other individuals, and maybe that is a very good thing. As for Keira Knightley, I still don't know what to think of it- was it exceptionally good or bad? I can't really tell, but overall, she delivered and it fitted the situation; special mention goes to Jung's wife, wonderfully played by Sarah Gadon.

"A dangerous method" is a good movie and one that raises many interesting questions, and for people interested in psycology and psychoanalysis, it will be a treat, but I think most will think of it as being quite boring. I don't recommend it to everyone, but if you have the patience and the willingness to see a movie about these topics, go for it!

...and the Golden Globe goes to:

As I did in the last few years, I stayed up and watched the Golden Globes. Although I said I wouldn't tweet about it, I broke my rule for about 6-10 times, but below is my...how to say it?.."full coverage"? "semi-live blogging"?

My comments and notes from this year's Golden Globes:


Red carpet
- Charlize Theron is absolutely stunning and her dress is beautiful!
- Was it just me or did Angelina look nervous whilst being interviewed by Seacrest? She looked stunning, she always does!
- Too many interviews with Glee stars and D-listers! Bring on Clooney and DiCaprio
- Jenna Dewan is wearing a Romanian designer dress- I'm proud :)

Best dressed list: Julie Bowen, Angelina Jolie, Charlize Theron, Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel, Jessica Alba, Tilda Swinton, Emily Blunt, Reese Witherspoon

Award show

Supporting Actor Motion Picture: Christopher Plummer- well deserved and I love him; he is a fantastic person, an elegant, adequate, stylish man and his speech was very sweet, mentioning Ewan McGregor


Actress-TV series Comedy: Laura Dern
Miniseries/TV movie: awkward intro of Julianne Moore(stunning, and she is 51!!)&Rob Lowe for Miss Globe, then winner Downtown Abbey
Actress Miniseries/TV movie: Kate Winslet- great speech, but too long

Totally useless speech by HFPA president- but then again Jeremy Irons was there, and he is always charming


Actor- TV series drama: Kelsey Grammar- uhm, wtf?
TV Series Drama: Homeland- nice surprise, Game of Thrones would have been nice, too!


Best Score: The Artist. Surprising, NO trent reznor?, also"I'm sorry, I'm french" genius quote
Best Song: Masterpiece-Madonna- of course she won, she had to be there; "Uhm, uhm, I'm not French, I have no excuse"- you got that right. Long speech!

Another useless speech  by a turkish actress

Actor miniseries/tv movie: Idris Elba- Rock'n Rolla badass, good for him!
Brad Pitt introducing Ides of March - of course the camera were on Clooney  and Jolie, who was looking beautifully to him, as he was the only man in the world- perfect performance or true love?


Actress Comedy: Michelle Williams- obvious choice; I loved her speech, she has very sweet and charming, sincere and short.

*Fashion note: what is Sarah Michelle Gellar wearing? oh my god- horrible
Supporting Actor tv series: Peter Dinklage- obvious choice, I love him and the show
Clooney introduction of Pitt movie, just like Pitt introduced Clooney movie- smart move, charming men


Animated Feature Film: Tintin- Spielberg had to win, right?

Clive Owen *swoon*
Screenplay: Midnight in Paris- Woody Allen

Felicity Huffman&William H.Macy introducing through one cute song- nicest couple ever
Supporting Actress tv series: Jessica Lange
Madonna comes back with a mean comment to Gervais- funny?!?!!?
Foreign language film: A separation- considering the love for certain Hollywood celebrities, I was sure Jolie's film will get it, but I guess I was wrong
Actress Tv drama: Claire Danes- Homeland
Actor TV comedy: Matt LeBlanc


Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer- hello fruntrunner, goodbye Jessica Chastain- sweet woman, too many names

Reese Witherspoon is hot- she is, what? 40? kudos to her

Cecil B.Demile: Introduced by Sidney Potier and Helen Mirren, the award went to the fantastic Morgan Freeman- he deserves it and I am glad to see him in so many great movies (Seven, Shawshank Redemption etc, but Casket video was one of funniest thing I have ever seen). His speech was surprisingly short and sweet and funny!

When Angelina Jolie comes in, you can see Brad Pitt is one proud man, and he should be, AJ is flawless!
Director: Martin Scorsese- Hugo- hmm, interesting! Oh, and Leonardo DiCaprio just smiled- for the first and probably last time tonight- he's too cool for school, but nothing beats his BFF Marty
Comedy TV series: Modern Family

Actor Comedy: Jean Dujardin- The Artist- he is even trying to joke, gotta admire his french charming style

Actress Drama: Meryl Streep- Iron Lady- a little surprising, but I loved her impromptu speech, naming all of the great performers.

Comedy: The Artist

Oh come one, so many Smash and The Voice commercials, they are made up to be the God of television

Actor Drama- George Clooney- not surprised, but i'm not happy! Got to give him credit for Fassy and Pitt appreciation!

Picture Drama: The Descendants- no surprise for me here, but I doubt it will win the Oscar, just a hunch! Remember Social Network win last year?

Overall, I thought the pace was great, I wasn't bored, but I was dissapointed by Gervais, he was softer than last year! Who is willing to bet that Crystal is going to outperform him?

Congratulations to everyone! Bring on the Oscars!

P.S. Read my Shame review, I spent a lot of time on it and the movie is really good! This is the 4 am tired and hungry?!? Diana doing shameless promotion for her blog!

P.S.2. In a naughty, shameless game of Fuck, Marry, Kill, as I said on twitter, I would Fuck Fassbender, Marry Pitt and Kill Clooney! What about you?

Thank you and good night!

Shame[2011/2012]

[SPOILER ALERT- I discuss most of the important scenes, but don't give out the ending]

Today I finally saw Shame- I have been anxiously waiting for it for over 6 months and now, that my wait is over, I can actually talk about it and say my opinion, I don't have to read about it anymore (so many articles and spoilers out there, I stopped reading after a while).

First of all, let me just say this is a very good movie- quality and beauty in every aspect of it: acting, music, directing, cinematography etc. Yet again, Steve McQueen takes this movie ten times over its potential and it's old news to me now the absolutely fantastic way he directs movies- Hunger was a perfect example and Shame is not only a great follow-up, but you can also see the improvement, the progress he has made. The scenes are much clearer, with more substance and visually more attractive (not that Hunger wasn't, it's just this one is better). I loved the fact that the talks between Brandon and Sissy are mostly shot from behind, the camera over their shoulders, it feels like an intrusion into their conversation, like you are watching a couple fighting in front of you in line. I like the sex scene at the end where he shoots the women and Brandon from completely unusual, different angles, or the way he shot the subway parts. On an end note to the technical, filmmaking aspect of it, I have to mention the use of music or lack of it- the soundtrack and sound editing were appropriate to every situation and gave it more power and sensibility in some cases (the beginning and end part, Brandon's song by Harry Escot, or the New York interpretation of Carey Mulligan's character).

There is so much depth and tragedy in this story and movie that I could talk about. Where should I start? Let's talk about his sex addiction- the thing that struck me is that, not for one moment, did I see pleasure or happiness in his eyes or expression; it felt like a burden, like a automatic thing he is used to do every day, a thing that he can not control and that he needs to do, like eating or drinking. I think one of the main problems of Sissy's appearance is the fact that he can't continue his usual, secret, yet very addictive way of life; that, plus his past relationship with his sister, cause him to derail, to go in such state of misery and desperation, that he gives into all of his fears, in one night of destructiveness that nearly kills him, physically and mentally.

It all started with a failed attempt of having sex with a woman at work he liked; the same one who, 30 minutes before, tried to have normal dinner and conversation with; but he couldn't, because he can't relate to someone, he can't get attached to a human being. Most would say it is because of his addiction, I say it all goes back to his childhood and his family problems. Funny how, after she leaves, the hooker can immediately take him to the edge. He can't get off a possible sentimental fling, but a complete stranger can- after all, he just craves for the act itself, not the person who is with him.

After that failed attempt, he decides to go out and that's when all of his world goes down and we witness one of the most dramatic and disturbing meltdowns in film- some where shocked by the way he blatantly touched a woman in public, others by the gay action in a underground club, but I was surprised by the three-way in the apartment. At first, I was a little disturbed not by the actual scene, but the length of it, I thought it was too much, but it all made sense when he saw Brandon's expression- that pure state of despair, of craziness and loss of control over his body and urges. It looks like it almost hurts, like it could kill him. That was, indeed, shocking and it wrapped up his whole character, finally showing us what he is going through.

The last minutes of the film, of the night, the passing back and forth between his apartment, the club, the subway ride, it was masterfully shot and edited, one of the best scenes I have seen. Kudos not only for McQueen and the cinematographer, but also for Michael.

Because, honestly, you can't say that Fassbender was anything short than fantastic, it was like nothing I have ever seen. At the beginning I was a little skeptical, but that was because of the ordinary, quite boring actions he was put through (the script allowed it), but the second part of the film is truly a work of art. I believe, understand and sympathize with everything he does, I worry for him, I feel his desperation, or his anxiety when he runs for Sissy, and I am 100% with him on the rainy day, near the water. Fassbender deserves a Golden Globe, a Bafta, an Oscar and more. Will he get it? Probably not, the Clooney and Pitts of Hollywood have more charisma and apparent value on the market, but he should be recognized, at least at one of them (probably Baftas).

Another surprise for me was Carey Mulligan- the part of Sissy is very different from what we normally see of her, but she nailed it and gave it so much substance and power. The lovely scene where she sings New York was revealing, at least from my perspective- I felt like her life, personality and story just translated through her eyes and that song, it has hauntingly beautiful. Brandon's relationship with Sissy is hard to define, you can't really tell if he actually loves her, or cares about her, or is afraid. There was definitely something going on between them, but the closest thing to really discovering the truth was the discussion they had on the couch, near the end, and that didn't reveal too much, either. There is tension, there are repressed feelings, and probably love, as well, but Brandon is uncapable of showing his real emotions. It's like he is almost imune to all that is happening in his environment, to his world.

There are so many other things worth mentioning that I probably forgot, little details that made this movie better in so many way- script-wise, performance-wise or something else entirely. I can't disect all of it, but I am sure you will find other blogs who have noticed different aspects of it. After you read this review, go check out the others.

In the end, Shame is the kind of movie you don't like or appreciate immediately after the credits start rolling. I didn't. But then, you start thinking about it, remember certain scenes and then it hits you- that movie was great.... Fassbender was perfect...the subject was interesting and dramatic....the situations were extreme and sometimes pornographic.....but then again it's about sex addiction.....which is almost like a disease, a terrible situation to be in.....wow, that was powerful! I know I wasn't the only one, my friends got out of the theater rather disappointed, but afterwards, we started talking about it and we all realized it is a great movie!

Shame is worth your 10 pounds or 10 dollars or whatever currency you have! Believe the hype! Go see it!

HUNGER [2008]

Director: Steve McQueen

Writers: Enda Walsh, Steve McQueen

Stars:  Michael Fassbender, Stuart Graham, Laine Megaw and Brian Milligan

„I have my belief. And in all its simplicity that is the most powerful thing”  Bobby Sands

This tragic movie is just the story of a man willing to die for his beliefs, unable to determine the right or right thing to do because of the hate, oppression and conditions he was put through the years.

Michael Fassbender, as the political prisoner who decides to go on a hunger strike, portrays the character in such a way that it conveys all of the emotions and sorrow and despair of a true victim of this kind of situation. It was so real and moving, that it took the already amazing direction, cinematography and sound to the next level. He gave one of the best performances.

But the real star of the movie, for me anyway, was Steve McQueen- his directing style is so good, original and I love the fact that he knows how to emphasize every important aspect of the story in a subtle, yet moving way. Every shot and angle had a meaning, every little detail had its purpose; to give an example, I loved the scene where one of the prisoners receives a new cell- you can see his fear, feel it in his breathing.

Another aspect I liked, although it is unusual and not suitable for every movie, was the fact that it had no music, or very little- here, it brings out the story much better, the tragedy and the importance of it.

Hunger also delivered two, actually three, of the most disturbing scenes I have ever seen: the check up for hidden objects, the shooting scene(just for the surprise element) and the starving process of Bobby Sands (Fassbender had to loose a lot of weight for it and I can only imagine how difficult it must have been mentally to portrays this state of mind)- I won’t go into details, but trust me when I say it was shocking.

One more thing I would like to talk about- dialogue. This movie, as unusual as it is, in many ways, doesn’t really have dialogue, with the exception of one scene. A priest comes into the prison, trying to change Bobby’s minds about the hunger strike. And from that point you have 20 minutes of one the best dialogue scenes I have seen- one angle, two actors, with no cutting- brilliant. The angle shot changes after 20 minutes and you can really see, for the first time, Bobby Sands, with his fears, his beliefs, his passion.

All in all, it is a great movie and I highly recommend it. But you have to be in the mood for it- it’s not an easy one, but it’s worth it!

JANE EYRE [2011]

Director: Cary Fukunaga

Writer: Charlotte Brontë (novel), Moira Buffini(screenplay)

Starring:  Mia Wasikowska, Michael Fassbender and Jamie Bell

„It’s you, you rare, unearthly thing”- Mr. Rochester

„You, sir, are the most fantome-like of all”- Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre is one of my favourite books and I think their love story is one of the most intriguing, interesting and passionate I have ever read or seen! You can compare it to Heathcliff and Cathy, or Elizabeth Bennett and Mister Darcy and many more! Speaking of these two in particular, it has the romantic side of the Jane Austen novel, but also the seriousness and bitterness of the Bronte one. It is trully special and I love it because the characters are complex, unique and when they come together, it may seem strange, but it feels so right!

Being a big fan of the Charlotte Bronte novel, you can’t not love this movie. It follows almost perfectly the book, with the exception of the flashbacks and the omission of some minor details that are not so important.

As the 1996 version, the story moves rather fast in the begining, but director Cary Fukunaga focuses mainly on the love story between the characters, which is the most appealing of all. Unlike the last version, now you have their conversations, their little moments in the garden in which you can learn more about them and see the relationship developing as the story goes on. I love that!

This adaptation is wonderfully done, starting with the beautiful cinematography and lighting, all the way to the casting. Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender perfectly portray their parts and I have to give a special mention to Jamie Bell, for that, as well.

It is similar to Pride and Predjudice in some ways, and I discovered I love that period of time, where women always stood tall, acted like ladies, where the gentlemen were real men, on which you can count on, and honour,trust and family were highly considered.

If you read the book, or if, like myself, love the 1800s, you should see it! It is wonderful!