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Reviews
Sophiatown (2003)
Wish I could find it on DVD!
I'm an American who's married to a South African. I've been to SA many times and learn a little more about the country's history each time I go. I saw this film on the airplane on my last trip to SA and absolutely loved it! I watched it twice on the flight to and once on the flight back home. I know it sounds a bit clichéd but it made me laugh, cry and even dance in my seat. As soon as I got off the plane, I went to a CNA and bought the soundtrack! I hunted desperately to find it on DVD while I was there but to no avail. This was a year ago so I've been hoping that it will come out soon but still can't find it. Does anyone know if it's been released in SA or the UK on DVD? (I know it will be PAL format but that's fine because I can convert it to watch it in the USA.) Anyway, if anyone knows of a link that I could go to and buy Sophiatown on DVD, I would certainly appreciate it!
Elling (2001)
Brilliantly uplifting Norwegian film destined to be a classic.
I came accros "Elling" while searching for foreign films. (I'm a Yank!) I was actually looking for a French or German film to rent,to protest my countries involvement in Iraq, when I picked up "Elling". I read the brief description on the DVD jacket and decided it sounded amusing enough to spend the $3.50 to take it home for a few days. Of the three movies my wife and I rented, we watched Elling last, honestly, not expecting much from it.
Through the course of the movie, I howled with laughter, gritted my teeth with anger and blushed with embarrassment. I found it impossible to not get emotionally attached to the characters. The actors, especially the two lead roles, gave impecable performances. They did wonerful jobs of portraying the personalities of their characters, rather than just playing themselves with a different on-screen name (see Ben Affleck, Jennifer Anniston, Tom Cruise, Hugh Grant Sly Srallone, etc. etc.) It was the kind of movie that, once it ends,you feel a sense of loss as you wish the characters were real people so that you could go visit them on Saturday and catch up on the latest developements in their lives. (see Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump, Audrey Tautou as Amélie Poulain, James Earl Jones in anything he's ever played.) I watched this movie three times in two days and still felt regret for having to return it to the video store. It is a wondefully involving film that is supperbly directed and perfomed and leaves you feeling uplifted and cheerful,if only for a moment before you turn on the news and sink back into the reality that is life. When you watch it, don't be afraid of the pause button as you will want to read ALL of the sub-titles for there are some brilliant bits of dialogue that are easily missed if you don't read fast enough (That is, of course, unless you speak Norwegian!). I also suggest renting it when you have lots of time to spare, not only to allow time for the pause and read technique but to watch a few more times straight through to get the full effect of the delightful direction and performances as they are intended to be enjoyed. I could go on and on about Elling but I will stop here just short of saying it's a wonderful movie, I highly recommend renting it and I gaurantee you will be glad that you did.