Monthly Archives: January 2013

Why words, when the cinema is magical – Tuvalu [1999 Germany]

Veit Helmer made quite a splash with his directorial debut “Tuvalu” – because he was actually delivering a love letter to cinema itself.
Storyline:
Set in a crumbling grand old bathhouse on the outskirts of Sofia, Bulgaria, youngest son Anton works … Continue reading

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Jealousy and Consequence explained in “Celos” [1999 Spain]

Vicente Aranda has never been known to mince words, at least as far as his films were concerned – he relishes exposing dirt from under the carpet, and his drama “Celos” [Eng. Title: Jealousy] is no different – Spanish … Continue reading

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Little Comfort for Southern Nymphets in Wartime Italy – “Ninfa Plebea” 1996

Lina Wertmüller adapts a traditional novel to create the edgy romantic drama “Ninfa Plebea” [Eng. Title: The Nymph]. Set in an impoverished Neapolitan village in wartime Italy, this Cinderella tale of a young girl finding love and advancing her … Continue reading

Posted in Italian Cinema, Lina Wertmüller, Stefania Sandrelli | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

A feverish kiss in the mouth to Recife – “A Febre do Rato” [2011 Brazil]

Cláudio Assis is no stranger to controversy – his previous two films, Amarelo Manga and Baixio das Bestas shocked film-goers with its in-your-face imagery and outrageous characterisation. While his latest offering doesn’t exactly fall short in its frankness, “A … Continue reading

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Toying with memory and time, Chilean style – “El Lenguaje del Tiempo” [2011 Chile]

Prior to this, I’d seen only one film by Sebastián Araya Serrano – Azul y Blanco, a football-gang themed romance that didn’t particularly win me over. However, his experimental film “El Lenguaje del Tiempo” [Eng. Title: The Language of … Continue reading

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