movie reviews

So I've had a bit of down-time recently and have made the most of it to see some interesting movies.

First, I saw a dvd of ELIZABETHTOWN, which is one of those chickflicks that actually has a quirky side to it that makes it quite good. Maybe it was the quirky characters in it, played by Orlando Bloom and Kirsten Dunst. Any movie plot that revolves around a guy rediscovering his life at his father's funeral and an 'out there' air hostess who keeps appearing to cheer him up helped, or the road trip at the end across small town america... more than just an 'aww, sweet' film...

Then, last night, for an arty, intellectual evening, I saw EL LOBO, a Spanish film about ETA terrorists in the Basque region in the early 1970's, based on a true story. Good film. Refreshing to watch a movie in Spanish for a change, and good to see Patrick Bruel doing more than just singing (ageing French rock star, yes they do exist!). Also, good to discover Eduardo Noriega with his smouldering Latino looks, even though he does die his hair blonde for part of the film.

Having studied foreign films as part of my degree, it's always good to keep up with European cinema. Just as Amélie was a cool French success, mostly because it wasn't your classic 'French' movie, this was a bit of a hit precisely because it wasn't your classic 'Spanish' movie. And that was refreshing, even if there was the usual mix of violence, death, sex etc (well it was a thriller about terrorists, what you do you expect?)

Still, the film makes a point about people who really believe that bloodshed will get you what you want. Quite scary to think that there are people who are prepared to go to any lengths to get what they want in this world. Usual story, could be about so many different separatist groups in this world. It seems we never learn...