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h_jowhari
Reviews
Bad ma ra khahad bord (1999)
Three points about the movie
Many interesting observations and points about Kiarostami's work are mentioned here and indeed there is not much to say. I just want to bring up or maybe just emphasize some points that I think they might be useful.
First of I all, personally I think one shouldn't take Kiarostami's works or in general any movie so seriously and try to rationalize every thing that happens there. Kiarostami's films are very close to some sort of realism which are captured in artistic styles without any superficial attempt in amusing the audience. No surprise or emotionalizing. Also Iranian culture (even social issues), creative photography and poetic beauty are flavouring the whole set. It would be good to have some pre-knowledge about Kiarostami's cinema or Iranian culture but I am sure without that, there are much to enjoy.
Second, "The wind will carry us" is a great attempt to depict the artist's philosophy of life. It is simple and complicated at the same time. Our beautiful and mysterious world, the tight connection between human and nature (animals, soil, wind, trees), our obsession with death and meaning of life and so many other unanswered questions. Here is one observation. If you are familiar with Omar Khayyám, you can see the footprints of his philosophy in the film (actually one of his poems appears at the end).
Third, The location is great for the theme of the film. Kurdistan has so many locations like that which pose some unique and untouched culture even unknown in the region. The confrontation of the Kurdish and Persian culture is also one delicate side of the film though it is not the major point.
Another great movie by Kiarostami.
L'homme du train (2002)
A good movie with a simple story
The movie has a simple and short story. John an experienced bank rubber (acted by Johnny Hallyday) enters a small town to rub a bank. By accident, he meets an old school teacher, played by Jean Rochefort, that happens to be so kind that allow him to stay at his old antique place. Apparently these two guys have totally different backgrounds but they share a common thing. They are not happy. The old teacher is thirsty for adventure while the the experienced rubber is sick of it. This contrast is the essence of the story and in fact thats all what the movie is about. The main focus of the film is on the interaction between the main characters and the way they affect each other. Even though they don't really change their course of life but at the end, in a surreal scene, it seems that they really have wanted to change their places.
There are a few things that I like to mention about the movie. First it has a slow pace, building gradually without any intensity or complication. Definitely this is not always a good choice but the style perfectly fits the story. However to my opinion there are some parts that doesn't add any meaning to the whole. For example the scene where the other thieves are trying to steal a car to use it in the rubbery is really extra (maybe it was there just to advertise BMW cars) Another example is the mysterious driver that doesn't speak at all except for a short sentence at 10:00 am each day. I don't understand what is the point of putting this in the story? The choice of the actors is great. Specially Johnny Hallyday with his Wolfy-eyes doesn't need to put much effort into the act, we just believe it! At the other hand Jean Rochefort's act as expected is perfect. The music is beautiful. In some places, the sound of piano interleaves with the gangster-like theme that is quite clever. It also helps the director to better depict the atmosphere of the story.
In overall I enjoyed the movie. Good job!
Klimt (2006)
A good picture
Despite the opinion of many commenters, I really don't think that I wasted my time or money. In fact I enjoyed it a lot. I think the movie is just a series of beautiful shots with wonderful scenery and of course beautiful women and for that I declare it OK. I admit that it is not well-acted or there are many annoying parts (excessive use of sharp and noisy cuts) but it is an amusing work in its own way. I don't get it; why some people get disappointed when they see something that is not what they expect. Why it should be an accurate story of Klimt's life? The bottom line is if you are interested in painting or photography, you have to consider seeing this film.