Summer’s here. Since I’ve had a bit of free time on my hands, I’ve caught a few movies. (But no, I haven’t seen Wall-E, yet.)
1. Die Fälscher (The Counterfeiters)
Based on a real WW2 event, The Counterfeiters doesn’t draw the same “fantasyland” criticism that fellow Best Foreign Language Film winner The Lives of Others received. But TC’s presentation of the story seemed less compelling to me. While the film is a decent movie, the framing of the story detracts from the dilemmas the characters faced. As a result, what should have been supremely dramatic comes across as if someone held back on the gravitas. The characters were too straightforward; you knew what to expect from each one. And this combined with the framing, it just didn’t have the kick to make it very compelling for me.
2. Roman de Gare
A very strange French film. Starts as a suspense/thriller, movies into mystery, and ends nearly at romance. Still moderately entertaining, but it’s one of the things you should’t think about too much. However, the false flags are somewhat annoying. Yes it gives the movie suspense, but it just feels like the director/writer is lying to you and then throws a happy ending to make you go, “Awww. That’s cute.”
3. Up the Yangtze
Not what I was expecting from a documentary; I walked in thinking about something more clinical or the natural landscape. But the movie weaves together the a few short stories about people affected by the Three Gorges Dam with one main narrative about a poor family trying struggling to find a new place in the landscape transformed by the dam. At times, it’s somewhat painful to watch; how can anyone stay detached to film such a story. Yet, this is probably a story that numbers in the thousands (if not millions) all through China. Well worth a watch even if the scenary actually detracts a bit from the core events. (Or is just a subtle expression of the power of the state to alter lives?)
