cperry-3 Reviews

What a Wonderful World (2006)

What a wonderful movie !

[9/10 · 27 October 2006]

The director/lead actor, Faouzi Bensaidi, reckons this is mostly about having fun with movie genres, but it is also elegantly made and quite entrancing as a sight and sound romance happens, or not. For westerners it gives quite an insight into life in a modern Muslim city (more modern than Muslim as it is conventionally understood), particularly for women. The plot thread about efforts to get into Spain economically lays out all you need to know about the human dramas in each boatload with just a shot or two which stay in the memory. Good use of music works with the continuous succession of scenes which make great use of colour and form to draw you into the experience. Truly, it is more than just monkeying about with genres!

Adam's Apples (2005)

Well worth seeing

[7/10 · 24 January 2006]

I saw this at Sundance with no preconceptions about what it would be like and was riveted by its twists and turns. It is very funny at times while dealing with heavy subjects. There's no safety net of presumption that it will all turnout OK, redemption will happen. The acting is really good - just the right OTT edge to push it over the line into black farce, but not so far over that you stop fearing what might happen next. I guess there is a serious point being made about truth and delusion (rather than good and evil) though the director, who spoke after the film, seemed happy that we had mostly taken it as comedy. I definitely want to see it again, to see how it holds up to a second viewing.

La tragedia de Macario (2005)

A terrific and moving film

[9/10 · 22 January 2006]

Saw this at Sundance and was really impressed - Pablo Veliz is only 23 and this film, based on his father's experiences entering the US as well as the news clip at the end of the movie, is his first. He builds the life of Macario, his jokes, his loving but exasperated wife, Regina, their poverty, the disaster of losing his job, quite slowly so that by the time he and his friend make their attempt to cross the border, you really care about him. The magical realist elements of the 'visions' of the Virgin Mary worked for me. All the music was excellent, and the VM's singing was just lovely. The film gives a name and a face and a life story to just a couple of would-be immigrants to the US.