How prejudiced are you?

You Are Not Prejudiced

Not only are you color blind, but you're also ethnicity blind, gender blind, and sexual orientation blind. You don't judge someone until you truly know them. And even then, you're probably reluctant to judge. You try to treat everyone equally. Everyone has a fair chance with you. Good job - there's not a prejudiced bone in your body.

Are You Prejudiced?

Péril en la demeure (Michel Deville, 1985) 4/5

Woke up earlier today, nice and sunny and very windy, so at last have an opportunity to get the laundry dry.

First up today is Péril en la demeure (Michel Deville, 1985), a film I haven't seen before.

David, a guitar teacher his hired by a couple and embarks on an affair with the wife. Unknown to them, the affair is being filmed by the next door neighbour.

The Matador (Richard Shepard, 2005) 3/5

'Pierce Brosnan stars as Julian Noble, a no-longer-noble hit man who spends his free time getting drunk and chasing impossibly young skirts. In Mexico he meets Danny Wright (Greg Kinnear), an average Joe trying to land an important business deal. Jealous of Danny's simple life, Julian becomes friends with the Denver suburbanite, who married his high school sweetheart, Bean (Hope Davis), but lost his young son in a terrible accident. One day at a bullfight, Julian tells Danny what he does for a living, but Danny doesn't believe him until Julian shows him an example of his expertise. But when Julian asks Danny to help him with his next assignment, Danny is dead-set against it, and ready to end their brief friendship. Little does he know that he has not seen the last of the rather unique hit man.'

Not bad at all, could have done without the bull-fighting scenes, even though they didn't show much of it I still find the whole thing unbelievably cruel. Back to the film, it is quite entertaining, Brosnan obviously loves playing the part of the seedy 'fatality facilitator' and there are some funny moments.

Kukushka (Aleksandr Rogozhkin, 2002) 5/5

And this is the second film I watched today. I'm not quite sure how a film can be so entertaining when the only three protagonists don't understand a word the other is saying, but this film manages it in spades! Highly recommended!

'THE CUCKOO, from Russian director Alexander Rogozhkin, is about the friendship between three people from different countries at the end of World War II. Veiko (Ville Haapasalo), a Finn; Anni (Anni-Kristiina Juuso), a Lapp; and Ivan (Victor Bychkov), a Russian; come together, and although they are unable to speak each other's languages, they manage to communicate peace and understanding to one another.'

De particulier à particulier (Brice Cauvin, 2006) 5/5

Woke up very late today (12:15pm!), and it's pouring with rain, so a good excuse (not that I need one!) to curl up with a few films.
The first is:

'A husband and wife find an abandoned bag filled with money at a train station. After an initial feeling of good luck, doubt and guilt soon sours the celebrations.'

An enigmatic, cryptic, very beautiful and haunting film. It's original French title is more appropriate than it's English one!

Films I watched this week:

Alice in den Städten (Wim Wenders, 1974) 5/5
Qui a tué Bambi? (Gilles Marchand, 2003) 5/5
Milou en Mai (Louis Malle, 1990) 4/5
Michael Clayton (Tony Gilroy, 2007) 4/5
Ordet (Carl Theodor Dreyer (1955) 5/5
Jules et Jim (François Truffaut (1962) 5/5
Les Amants (Louis Malle, 1958) 5/5
L' Auberge espagnole (Cédric Klapisch, 2002) 5/5
Definitely, Maybe (Adam Brooks, 2008) 4/5

Elsker dig for evigt (Susanne Bier, 2002) 5/5

The fate of a young couple, Cecilie and Joachim, collides with that of an older married couple, Marie and Niels. This spirals into conflict turning their lives upside down. Dispensing with the conventions of film-making, Open Hearts is part of the Dogme95 movement.

Absolutely loved this, beautifully shot and directed, the acting was fantastic I totally forgot I was watching a film. Mads Mikkelsen is an immendsely talented actor (very easy on the eye too), but I think he's at his best in films from his native land.

Margaret's Museum (Mort Ransen, 1995) 5/5

A powerful period piece, set in a Canadian coal-mining community during the 1940s. Helena Bonham Carter is Margaret, whose father and brother have already perished down the mines, and who is determined that the new love in her life, a bagpipe-playing, Gaelic-speaking dishwasher, won't follow suit. But times are hard, jobs are scarce and history looks bound to repeat itself. Clive Russell and Kate Nelligan offer strong support, but it's Bonham Carter's film. The precise nature of the titular museum is only explained in the closing stages; suffice to say it consists of keepsakes from Margaret's lost loves.

I loved this film. It is moving and romantic whilst showing the harshness of life in mining communities in the 1940's. It's pretty obvious how the story is going to end, but that doesn't matter, it's an involving journey.

Naked (Mike Leigh, 1993) 4/5

David Thewlis is Johnny the ultimate anti-hero of the nineties - cold, cynical and immoral, yet at times both caring and passionate. His complex existence is sketched with the hand of a master, as violence and gentleness, comedy and tragedy go hand in hand through a landscape inhabited by the sort of characters that most choose to forget.

Not easy to watch in parts and difficult not to hate some of the characters, but a very good film by Mike Leigh.

Secrets and Lies (Mike Leigh, 1996) 5/5

A successful career woman who has just buried her adoptive parents decides to search out her real mother.

I've seen this film several times and it bears repeated watching. I'm a great lover of Mike Leigh's work in general, and this is one of my favourites.

Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself (Lone Scherfig, 2002) 4/5

The life he wanted to end, was just about to begin.

Subtle, irreverent gallows humour set in Glasgow.

Scenes From a Mall (Paul Mazursky, 1991) 2/5

Bette Midler and Woody Allen star in director Paul Mazursky's comedy as a professional Los Angeles couple--Deborah (Midler) is the author of a best-selling self-help book about marriage and has been wed to successful lawyer Nick (Allen) for 16 years. They live a high-pressure professional life, complete with matching Saabs, two kids, a house in the hills, beepers, cell phones, and a constant barrage of client phone calls. To celebrate their anniversary, they decide to embark on a spending spree at the Beverly Centre mall. But while there, each makes a startling revelation that rocks their marriage. Nick, following advice from his wife's book, kicks things off by announcing he's been having an affair. Deborah, staggered by the news, rebounds by requesting a divorce. The spoiled couple reconciles--until the author admits that she's been unfaithful herself. As Nick and Deborah wade their way through the mall, dodging a particularly annoying mime (clown Bill Irwin in a hilarious role), mariachi bands, and Christmas-carolling rappers, they are forced to realise the mistakes they've made along the way--all the while juggling the pros and cons of their marriage, dividing assets, and shooting off rapid rounds of compliments and insults. Midler and Allen make a terrific and suitably neurotic pair in Mazursky's hilarious satire of an outlandish Los Angles marriage.

Predictable, mildly funny in places.

Prête-moi ta main (Eric Lartigau, 2006) 4/5

A marriage-phobic man pays a woman to jilt him at the altar to get his overbearing mother and sisters off his back.

A predictable but entertaining romcom. Charlotte Gainsbourg a pleasure to watch, as always.

Trust the Man (Bart Freundlich, 2005) 1/5

After all the drama, cheating, and trial separations, two men (Crudup, Duchovny) fight to save their respective relationships.

Terrible. Bad acting (Julianne Moore, you are SO much better than this - why are you choosing such awful films now?), non-existent storyline, stereotypical characters and not at all funny. Very little rom and no com. BORING. Avoid at all costs!!!

Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (Andrew Dominik, 2007) 5/5

Robert Ford joins Jesse James's gang, only to become resentful of the legendary outlaw and hatch a plan to kill the fastest gun in the West.

This is beautiful to watch and a thoughtful, intelligent film. I thought the quality of the direction and cinematography was breathtaking - Pitt and Affleck both gave the best performances of their careers to date. A realistic portrayal that does not seek to glorify Jesse James as some films have in the past.

The Singer (Xavier Giannoli, 2006) 3/5

Alain Moreau is a singer who has been playing the provincial dance hall circuit for many years, with his ex-wife managing his career. One night, he meets Marion, a young, attractive but troubled woman, trying to rebuild her life with her son, after a failed marriage. It results in a night of passion, Marion soon regrets it but it leaves Alain quite enamoured. In trying to win back her affection, they soon realise how much they are alike and share a tentative bond that evidently brings them closer together.

Hm........I was rather disappointed with this. The central relationship was OK - if a little unbelievable, but I really hated the music and there is an awful lot of it in this film. For me, not one of GD's best.

Last Holiday (Henry Cass,1950) 5/5

Alec Guinness delivers a masterful, not-to-be-missed performance in a brilliant screenplay by J. B. Priestley that combines irony, humor, and tenderness. Shy George Bird (Guinness) learns his days are numbered, so he decides to take a "last holiday." He withdraws his life savings and dashes off to a fashionable seaside resort, where he is taken for a man of substance and becomes a favorite with his newfound aristocratic friends.

Lovely gentle film not at all gloomy, ideal for Sunday viewing. Great acting from the whole cast, well-written script (as you'd expect from Priestley) , and a twist at the end. A gem!

Mr Brooks (Bruce A. Evans, 2007) 4/5

Consider Mr. Brooks. A successful businessman, a generous philanthropist, a loving father and devoted husband. Seemingly, he's perfect. But Mr. Brooks has a secret - he is an insatiable serial killer, so lethally clever that no one has ever suspected him -- until now.Kevin Costner stars as Earl Brooks, a man who has managed to keep his two incompatible worlds from intersecting by controlling his cunning, wicked alter ego Marshall (William Hurt) whom he blames for his wrongdoings. But now, as Mr. Brooks succumbs to one last murderous urge, an amateur photographer (Dane Cook) witnesses the crime. Suddenly Brooks finds himself entangled in the dark agenda of an opportunistic bystander, as well as hunted by the unorthodox and tenacious detective Tracy Atwood (Demi Moore). Can Mr. Brooks outsmart his adversaries and conceal his shocking double life from his wife (Marg Helgenberger) and daughter (Danielle Panabaker) or will someone expose his crimes and his identity once and for all in this unpredictable and electrifying new thriller.

Very good film, Costner and Hurt excel in their roles, Demi Moore convincing too. Some nice twists along the way.

And When Did You Last See Your Father? (Anand Tucker, 2007) 4/5

And When Did You Last See Your Father? is Blake Morrison's moving and candid memoir of his father in the weeks leading up to his death.When Arthur Morrison was diagnosed with terminal cancer he had only a few weeks left to live. Blake Morrison traveled to Yorkshire to stay with his mother in the village where he grew up. He visits his father at the hospital where he had spent so much time with his own patients as a GP. As his father's condition worsened Morrison contemplates their shared experiences, the intimacies and the irritations of their relationship. After his father's death Morrison questions the nature of the bond between them, articulately expressing the contradictions, frustrations, love and loss bound into the complicated relationships which most of us have with our parents as we grow up.

A very tender film about a son's relationship with his father. I had read some very damning reviews of this film but decided to try it for myself. Having very low expectations, I was very pleasantly surprised. I thought the whole cast were excellent and the script well-written and at times very moving. Certainly nowhere near as bad as some of the critics would have us believe.

The Hoax (Lasse Hallstrom, 2006) 4/5

Richard Gere gives one of the best performances of his career in The Hoax, based on the true story of Clifford Irving, a struggling writer who convinces his publishers that he has landed the scoop of the century - access to reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes. With the help of his writer friend Dick Suskind (Alfred Molina), he tries to pull off the greatest literary hoax of the 20th century: Hughes' biography. Cider House Rules director Lasse Hallstrom deftly handles the complex material, which is headlined by a strong cast.