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În Fiecare Zi Dumnezeu Ne Saruta Pe Gura * Sinisa Dragin * 2002

This film is best known by the English title “Every Day God Kisses Us On The Mouth”. This Romenian film tells the story of Dumitru who is both a slayer of animals (butcher) and slayer of men (because of his bad temper). We follow him when he goes drinking and gambling with his friends, his family-affairs and later how he goes looking for his father. It is a strange film. The story has large holes, but the scenes are quite slow. This gives a bit an idea of fast-slow. Because of the hopeless situation, drinking and violence, the film reminded me a bit of “One Were Warriors”. Shot in nice brown-colours making it an alright drama from a country you don’t get to see too much films from.

Im Toten Winkel * André Heller + Othmar Schmiderer * 2002

Not really a film, but a documentary, at least, that is how this film is presented. Actually this is not really a documentary in the normal sense of the word either. “Im Toten Winkel” is an interview with Traudl Junge (or Gertraud Junge) “Hitlers sekretärin”. Well, this isn’t 100% true either. In fact this documentary is a compilation of three interviews with Junge. One of two shot years ago and later Junge got to see the images again and sometimes has extra comments.

Anyway, the fact being that Junge was one of Hitler’s four secretaries is an interesting starting point. Junge speaks about Hitler’s personality in great detail and how she and those close to Hitler experienced the period between WWI and Hitler’s suicide. Not really a pleasure to watch, but highly informative. I saw this film without subtitles which was quite hard at times. Also I don’t know if this film is for sale or just for TV-stations. But if you are interested in a more in-depth view of the man Adolf Hitler and you get the chance to see “Im Toten Winkel”, don’t hesitate.

This documentary/interview was the basis of the popular film Der Untergang.

The I Inside * Roland Suso Richter * 2003

“The I Inside” starts as a “Memento” rip-off. A guy in the hospital has lost his short-term memory and has to figure out his life again. Then he starts jumping back and forth between the years 2000 and 2002. In both years he has been in the same hospital and it seems that he lost his memory of those two years. The film gets better when a few things become clear. Then new twists and turns are added and eventually there is a very weak conclusion. The idea obviously comes from “Memento” and there are elements from other popular themes in nowadays films. All in all not too bad, especially the middle part is enjoyable. Too bad about the weak conlusion.

Identity * James Mangold * 2003

I don’t think I knew this film until my girlfriend picked it out in the videostore. Mangold, the director of “Girl, Interrupted” and “Kate and Leopold” took the term “psychological thriller” very literary. The film starts with very short and speedily assembled scenes showing how different people end up in the same motel. Bad weather and most of all: bad luck. Then those people start to die one by one. Not too original you may think, but as a matter of fact, Mangold did (in my opinion) something very original. Unfortunately he gives away the clue about halfway the film, but still manages to keep “Identity” interesting and entertaining. I think the dark and rather grim atmosphere of the film adds to this. A very nice script and a good idea to make a not very original fact (people in the same place dying one by one) into a good film. -5/9/05–4-

I am Dina * Ole Bornedal * 2002

As a young girl Dina accidentally causes her mother to die a horrible death. Being blamed by her father and virtually banished in her own village and from the shock what has happened, Dina because a psychotic little girl with visions of her dead mother. When her father finally realises that this is no way to let a young girl grow up, he hires a teacher and Dina lives up again. Still she has but little control over her emotions and especially her above normal physical power. Especially when she doesn’t get things her way somebody has a problem. Later Dina gets married to a much older friend of her father and with better and worse period she grows up to be a woman.

“I am Dina” is a nice drama with a very pressing atmosphere which makes the film almost a thriller. Visions and flashback are brought nicely and even though the story is not too appealing, the final result is a film that I can suggest.

The Human Stain * Robert Benton * 2003

I hadn’t heard of this film, am not familiar with the director (however I know some of his many films as director or producer) and the box had a not too interesting story for this drama-film. On the other side, when Anthony Hopkins and Nicole Kidman sign for a film, there must be something to it. I suppose both wanted to show that they can still act, and they can. The film is about a man who is born a white negro and tries to hide his actual background. Late in his life he is accused of racism and his life is ruined. Then he meets a much younger woman with a terrible past.

The film is brought nicely and the not too original story slowly develops. All actors do great and the atmosphere makes “The Human Stain” an agreeable drama.

Hundstage * Ulrich Seidl (2001)

dog days

“Hundstage” means “dog days”. Webster defines “dog days” as: 1 : the period between early July and early September when the hot sultry weather of summer usually occurs in the northern hemisphere; 2 : a period of stagnation or inactivity”.
Also here it has been way too hot for a way too long period, so I found this a proper situation to watch this film. The film shows two days in some newly built villa district in Germany and simply shows what people do on such days. Just laying aside the pool or in the garden, nagging people who give you a lift, selling alarm systems, going to swingclubs, inviting the boyfriend in the house of the ex, haressing a woman, beating the girlfriend around because the boy is too jalous, etc. The film consists of short scenes without any order or structure and the viewer is left to guess who was who. Seidl is often compared to Michael Haneke and not without a reason. Also Seidl’s filming is very sharp, explicit, taboobreaking and yet it shows daily life in our current society. This can be both confronting and disarming. Of course a woman walks around in her underwear inside the house on a hot day, but you usually don’t see that. Of course a woman prepares the arrival of her lover by putting on sexy underwear and finding her best position, but you usually don’t see that. On the other hand, a lovesick and jealous boy tries to impress his girlfriend and gets angry when he thinks she has her way with someone else; and another young man with a crooked love-life falls in love with a woman who is nice to him. Like Haneke, Seidl ‘puts the finger on the sore spot’ and enlarges the situations which make them look both natural and absurd and mostly: makes you think about things that normally seem trivial.
“Hundstage” as a film is alright. There are some very strong scenes, but also many mediocre ones. The idea is nice, but many situations have nothing to do anymore with the “dog days” and could have taken place on any day. Just a nice film to see some time, especially when you like Haneke.

Honogurai mizu no soko kara * Hideo Nakata * 2002

Dark Water

This is something I already feared. Japanese horrors are nice, but too much the same and most are just nice and not really good. Nakata was at least the director that gave Japanese horror a place in the world of film with his “Ringu” and “Dark Water” is one of the earlier other films in this vein, but I saw it way too late. Anyway, the original “Ringu” is nice, but not as scary as “Ju-On” for example. “Dark Water” isn’t also one of the better films in this style, but still it is an enjoyable film. Again a cursed house, but as the title suggests, water plays a major part in it. The atmosphere is not as pressing as in the other mentioned films, so this is actually more of a thriller maybe. An alright film.

Herr Lehrmann * Leander Haussmann * 2003

In the Netherlands there is some kind of “German film tour” going on right now. In the local filmhouse there are a few who were or will be shown. We decided to go and see “Herr Lehrmann”.
The title refers to the main character who is the spill in a group of people doing not much more than drink too much alcohol, going from bar to bar and philosophise over trivial things. The story plays in 1989 in Berlin, the year the wall fell. This time -however- we get to see the life in the WEST part of Berlin, which doesn’t seem much more better than the East part. Overall an amusing, light comedy of people around their 30’ies, not knowing what to do with their lives and facing the problems of keeping to see life as one big party. After a book by Sven Regener by the way.

Henry VIII * Pete Travis * 2003

For a mere E 9,- I bought the DVDof these mini series. There are two episodes of 1,5 hour. Why they have to be on two DVDs is a think I don’t understand, but who cares? Ray Winstone is Henry VIII. Winstone played in films such as ‘King Arthur’, ‘Ripley’s Game’ and ‘Sexy Beast’. Even though the total running time is three hours, this production gives a rather shallow overview of the reigh of Henry VIII (1491-1547). Much stress is laid on the fact that at his deathbed, king Henry VII told his son that the most important thing to do was to produce a male heir. This proved to be a bigger problem than it sounds: Henry got nothing but daughters and one stilborn son. The will to live up to his fathers request, Henry switches wives frequently.
But there are also political sides to the story which make the film more interesting. First, Henry has to think off ways to be able to marry again. His first wife (Catherine of Aragon) was the choice of Henry’s father, since Aragon was Spanish. Henry had to find a legal way to be able to get a divorce, so Aragon was falsely accused and persecuted. Then Henry married Anne Boleyn, a young women who also proved unable to provide a son. She was also false accused and then decapitated. Bolyn was replaced by another young woman names Jane Seymour but she died giving birth to the only non-bastard son. It took a few years before Henry was over this sad fact, but then a (for his enemies) strategical marriage was arranged with Anne of Cleves from Germany. Inspite of the juridical heavy contract underlying this marriage, Henry found a way to sack her and marry the 30 years younger Kathryn Howard. Kathryn cheated on Henry with someone of her own age, so she had her head cut off. His last years, king Henry spent with Katherine Parr.
Besides all the intruigues of the kind himself, there are other interesting happenings in this part of history. For example: however Henry was a devout Catholic he was the drop Rome in order to be able to get a divorce. This is how the Church Of England came into existence. In the same period Protestantism spread throughout Europe, so the religious conflicts grew larger. Either or not on religious grounds, there were different people who wanted to get rid off king Henry, people closer to the king than he may have known. You get a nice view on how these ‘politics’ work(ed).
Like I said, sometimes the subjects are a bit too shallow. You may get the idea that the marriage with Parr lasted for only a few months, while it was actually four years. Still this is a nice history lesson. What happens here is just before “Bloody Mary” and the famous “virgin queen Elizabeth” (who are Henry’s daughters). For this price, not a bad buy at all!