Directors' Fortnight Retrospective

Place: Metropolis Cinema
Mood: Dreamy
Film: Japon * Carlos Reygadas

Anche Libero Va Bene / Along the Ridge
By Kim Rossi Stuart
Italy - 2006 - 108'
My Rating: 3 stars
The pro: Young Morace's performance is an unexpected tour de force and a highlight of the film.
The con: The director/actor is over-acting. And he sometimes kills the scenes.

40 x 15
By Olivier Jahan
France - 2008 - 90'
My Rating: 3 and a half stars
Pro: Very nice overview of the Directors' Fortnight.
Con: The second part of the film with Olivier Père slows the pace and is at times boring.





















Al Makhdu'un / The Dupes
By Tawfik Saleh
Syria / Egypt - 1972 - 107'
My Rating: 4 and a half stars
Pro: The second half of the film is sheer brilliance.
Con: The beginning is very slow and you might get lost as to where Saleh is taking you to.

Eldorado
By Bouli Lanners
Belgium - 2008 - 85'
My Rating: 2 and a half stars
Pro: Lanners directs and plays with his heart.
Con: Pointless if you ask me.

Faustrecht Der Freiheit / Fox and His Friends
By Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Germany - 1975 - 123'
My Rating: 3 stars
Pro: A typical Fassbinder film.
Con: Far from being his best.





















Honor de Cavalleria / Honour of the Knights
By Albert Serra
Spain - 2006 - 110'
My Rating: 3 and a half stars
Pro: the image. What an image!
Con: it is way too long for nothing.





















Le Diable Probablement / The Devil, Probably
By Robert Bresson
France - 1977 - 95'
My Rating: 2 and a half stars
Pro: The portrayal of the historic context in a powerful way.
Con: Uhm... No. I totally lost interest. I guess I was expecting much since it was Bresson after all.





















A Fost Sau n-a Fost? / 12:08 East of Bucharest
By Corneliu Porumboiu
Romania - 2006 - 89'
My Rating: 4 stars
Pro: Intelligent, sincere and doesn't pretend to be what it's not.
Con: The first part drags.





















Japon / Japan
By Carlos Reygadas
Mexico - 2002 - 129'
My Rating: 5 stars
Pro: I prefer to let the images of the film speak of their own beauty. Reygadas shines all the way through in this very intricate work. Mesmerizing, deep and a gem to the eye.
Con: none





















Be With Me
By Eric Khoo
Singapore - 2005 - 90'
My Rating: 4 and a half stars
Pro: The music and the deaf woman alone make the film a touching tale.
Con: I can't think of something very obvious.





















Un Homme Perdu / A Lost Man
By Danielle Arbid
Lebanon - 2007 - 97'
My Rating: 3 and a half stars
Pro: Arbid creates a very nice mood throughout the film.
Con: The Lebanese part which ends the film almost ruins it.





















Tarnation
By Jonathan Caouette
USA - 2004 - 89'
My Rating: 4 stars
Pro: To be able to film your whole life like that, just wow.
Con: Do I need as much problems in one film?