"Kukumi" is a Kosovar movie. Kosova is a country-wannabe struggling to retain its national identity. After a 20-year hiatus, Kosovar cinematography is the last thing that has been paid attention at, after the war. Therefore, I can conclude that "Kukumi" is one good movie with an excellent potential to be completely forgotten within a short period of time. The movie is intrinsically flawed both in scene chronology and subject relevance,while Kukumi (the main character), is an innocent victim of die-hard direction that takes advantage of the metaphoric approach to come up with unspoken messages. Madmen and women are unleashed of an asylum the day the war in Kosova ceases. Kukumi, Mara and another guy are split from the herd to embark into an exhausting, nerve-wrenching, 2-hour journey which aims at the railway station and ends to nowhere. Yes, nowhere, at all! Kukumi (Luan Jaha, who is quite convincing) seems to be the "brainiest" of the three with his insightful, quirky questions he raises and stories he narrates. Dialogue is meandering, events are incoherently combined and the cast is laden with unfilled gaps of character history and vaguely defined relationships. There is a scene where the madmen go to a village and after they mingle together for a while, a man comes out of a car with a huge set of sunglasses for sale. Remember: it is a village with less than 100 people, inhabited by traditionally-clothed elderly and children who spend their life grazing cows. And this guy offers them sunglasses in the very wake of war, in a time when they all had to be hundreds of miles away living as refugees and bracing for a massive comeback. This is such an incoherence and disloyalty to the reality like the one the movie takes place in, and, as such, it is utterly unwarrantable. However, Kukumi is beautiful all along. Breathtaking panoramas slide in between scenes and directorial absurdities. Albanian flag is seen several times. Extras look very unfitting to the scenes. A Chinese "investor" speaks to the cheering crowds that have mysteriously repopulated the village, which, as suggested by an incinerated school, should have had the same fate as other devastated and deserted villages all over Kosova. The movie was financed by the Ministry of Culture and several other sources, which speaks of the movie's being a mere step to open doors for the future of Kosovar cinematography towards the unpaved path of a once-prosperous industry.
Reviews
17 Reviews
Seven Samurai
(1954)
Memorable, life-changing...
23 March 2005
The Seven Samurai is the one and only film of Akira Kurosowa that I have seen by far. Well, it was pure masterpiece. A heavyweight piece of art, whose tones of realism and artistry reverberate the whole being of yours. I loved every moment of this oh-so-dear film just because I got to know more about Japanese history of living than I ever did before. I felt like I was embedded within the destitution of this isolated village which seemed to muster all its power and call for help but their cry would hardly reach the peak of the surrounding mountains.
The movie made me feel like I was the one seeking help and that I was one of those who'd feel the happiest if granted that help. And, yes, I really was happy when the Seven Samurai agreed to grant help to that in-the-middle-of-nowhere village, because I felt that, apart of the villagers, I was the only witness of what was about to occur so soon. I was made to breathe the way the village did and I was made to exude the very same feelings the villagers did when it came to crucial moments for their future.
There are so many great moments that would justify the film's being worth watching. The juxtaposition of power and poverty is so interesting that it seemed to me this was the key factor to loving this taped piece of Japanese life. The dignity of the family, the nobility of the Samurai and the fiendish cruelty of the bandits make up the triangle of success.
The movie made me feel like I was the one seeking help and that I was one of those who'd feel the happiest if granted that help. And, yes, I really was happy when the Seven Samurai agreed to grant help to that in-the-middle-of-nowhere village, because I felt that, apart of the villagers, I was the only witness of what was about to occur so soon. I was made to breathe the way the village did and I was made to exude the very same feelings the villagers did when it came to crucial moments for their future.
There are so many great moments that would justify the film's being worth watching. The juxtaposition of power and poverty is so interesting that it seemed to me this was the key factor to loving this taped piece of Japanese life. The dignity of the family, the nobility of the Samurai and the fiendish cruelty of the bandits make up the triangle of success.
What's Eating Gilbert Grape
(1993)
Watch one of the best performances of 1990s!
2 March 2005
I have hardly seen any movie which depicts the severity of fate so good. I am almost sure that no one would like to live the life of Gilbert Grape (Johnny Depp), which is so terrible and unbearable. Leonardo DiCaprio
please see this movie, please do! He shines in this one as he does in every single one he has done by now. He gives one of the BEST performances of the 1990s as a retarded brother of Gilbert, Arnie. He is utterly convincing and off-the-wall. I loved his pure and captivating skillfulness. Some scenes are so touching and
vulnerable
and they make your eyes sloppy...give it a try, if not for anything else, do it for Leo, even if you hate him
9/10
Tout un hiver sans feu
(2004)
mild, thoughtful and typically European
2 March 2005
The movie's Europeanism is so conspicuous right from the beginning until the very end. The overall surroundings and thematic undertones make room for no speculations and discussions. Such is the weight of a European movie, which, though decently acted and directed, lacks the technical and visual grandiosity which we are used to seeing in American projects. The movie is touching, with a storytelling confined within a very dull way of living. It focuses on the weary life of a Swiss family which struggles to get by in an unsettling environment of a low-key community. On the other hand, there is an Albanian family (brother & sister) which happens to be living in the same community after previously being evicted from their homeland, Kosovo.
Kosovo has suffered a bitter war with the ruling regime applying an ethnic cleansing and eventually taking reign of the province. The war is over now and the regime is out but its presence over the years has forced many ethnic Albanians to flee the ever threatening atmosphere and seek refuge wherever they encountered open doors. One of the open doors was Switzerland which boasts one of the biggest Albanian communities in Europe.
The family which the movie talks about has been warmly integrated in this community and now it's up to them to survive the demanding reality. Therefore, the Albanian man finds a job at a metal factory where he befriends the Swiss man who represents the native aspect of the story. So, the smart thing here is that the director has managed to find the commonness between the refugee and the native inhabitant whose weary lives have led them up to striving for the same thing: money for living! The native Swiss is a decent man, industrious by nature and characterized by a cold European-like reticence. Whereas, the Albanian is much of a lovely man, warm and friendly he is hard-working and intrinsically humane. The virtue that the director wants to give importance to from both characters is affection and dignity. He makes the characters to exhale their inner emotions whatever their visible traits seem to be. The men become good friends, they spend time together and they develop a sense of mutual belonging. During the film there are a couple of scenes which splendidly depict the way Albanians spend time together in mass gatherings celebrating and native-dancing. That's beautiful, for sure! These scenes also depict the nostalgia that they feel for their fatherland which they have been forcefully estranged from.
To mess the things up, the director plays with the pride of the Albanian man. He creates a secret relationship between two characters which will ultimately make things take an unintended direction, which in fact will happen to be very distracting.
As I said, this is a mild movie with a self-narrative storytelling. It is more about Albanians in Switzerland than the Swiss family itself. If you are curious to know about this, then this movie is worth watching. 6/10
Kosovo has suffered a bitter war with the ruling regime applying an ethnic cleansing and eventually taking reign of the province. The war is over now and the regime is out but its presence over the years has forced many ethnic Albanians to flee the ever threatening atmosphere and seek refuge wherever they encountered open doors. One of the open doors was Switzerland which boasts one of the biggest Albanian communities in Europe.
The family which the movie talks about has been warmly integrated in this community and now it's up to them to survive the demanding reality. Therefore, the Albanian man finds a job at a metal factory where he befriends the Swiss man who represents the native aspect of the story. So, the smart thing here is that the director has managed to find the commonness between the refugee and the native inhabitant whose weary lives have led them up to striving for the same thing: money for living! The native Swiss is a decent man, industrious by nature and characterized by a cold European-like reticence. Whereas, the Albanian is much of a lovely man, warm and friendly he is hard-working and intrinsically humane. The virtue that the director wants to give importance to from both characters is affection and dignity. He makes the characters to exhale their inner emotions whatever their visible traits seem to be. The men become good friends, they spend time together and they develop a sense of mutual belonging. During the film there are a couple of scenes which splendidly depict the way Albanians spend time together in mass gatherings celebrating and native-dancing. That's beautiful, for sure! These scenes also depict the nostalgia that they feel for their fatherland which they have been forcefully estranged from.
To mess the things up, the director plays with the pride of the Albanian man. He creates a secret relationship between two characters which will ultimately make things take an unintended direction, which in fact will happen to be very distracting.
As I said, this is a mild movie with a self-narrative storytelling. It is more about Albanians in Switzerland than the Swiss family itself. If you are curious to know about this, then this movie is worth watching. 6/10
The Brown Bunny
(2003)
Dull, purposeless
2 March 2005
Vincent Gallo is an artist. I know he's a painter, singer, actor, director, producer and whatever. I really like him for being so versatile and so expressive, but I think there must be some flaws relating to his approach in movie-making. I know he's eccentric, peculiar or whatever but I'd really appreciate if he tried to make some more sense when making movies. The Brown Bunny is a tapestry of his idiosyncrasy with nerve-wrenching idiocy. He tries to venture out of the mainstream film-making but if he exerted himself just a little bit more he could really make his works more comprehensible and down-to-earth. Well, I will attribute my annoyance to my not being a professional and my not being able to percept the profundities of art BUT still, I think movies are made for wider audiences and not only seasoned film craftsmen or "Rogerebertian" movie critics. I have seen Buffalo '66 of Vincent Gallo and though wearisome, it was lovable and interesting. It precisely showed Gallo's inclinations toward something new and uncommon. However, The Brown Bunny is off-putting and unbearable. The only thing I liked was the soundtrack Gordon Lightfoot Beautiful :) 4/10
Dog Day Afternoon
(1975)
A spark called Pacino
2 March 2005
It was so freshening and attractive to see His Majesty, Mr. Al Pacino, in this breathtaking movie of 1970s. The first thing that a discerning eye would notice throughout the film is the undying uniqueness of Pacino's originality. This was just another movie destined to reassuring viewers of Al's status of an icon. The movie itself is endearing and entertaining. Though the movie is supposed to appear like a bank robbing, and in a sense it is, but deep in the heart robbing is simply a way to achieve a totally different goal, of course other than money! It is about affection and mutual caring. It's about what situations a person is ready to embark into in order to show how much he cares for another one. And I guess this is the point of the whole movie, which is stylistically decorated with dozes of sarcasm and pleasantry with sporadic undertones of bravery. The characters are all innocent which innocence seems to relate them to each other. What I deem as very courageous here are the thematic elements, homosexuality. I guess the time when the movie was made the society had still been ruled by prejudiced mentalities that could really ruin this innocuous piece of art. For this, I praise the very daring Sidney Lumet, one of my favorite directors. 10/10
Apocalypse Now
(1979)
Philosophical, yet captivating!
2 March 2005
Well, I guess everyone who has once seen this move could not have denied its status of a masterpiece. I couldn't as well. Initially, the viewer is served with the captivating, overwhelming song "The End" by The Doors, which I am listening to right now. The song very much describes the imminence of the events about to ensue. The greatest amount of the movie's grandiosity lies in multiple separate, self-contained scenes. One of those is the air strike undertaken by Americans while the Wagner's "Flight of the Valkyries" is on and there is a splendid juxtaposition of horror over the Vietnamese and the exhilaration among the Americans. Another wholly self-descriptive scene is that of Marlon Brando confessing with his tremendously pervasive and piercing posture. Robert Duvall's peerless courage and uncommon decisiveness is another completely different, yet scathing, character. The movie is philosophic with events meandering here and there but never getting away from the target. 10/10
Sean Penn is the one to be proud of!
17 February 2005
When it comes to my favorite actor I find myself so challenged by the immensity of the acting skills that so many actors possess. Without mentioning other names, I want to say that Sean Penn has that inner strength which, when unleashed, roars so loud that ends up with such powerful and breathtaking performances. He has never hesitated to unleash his unique talent and he hasn't this time as well. The Assassination of Richard Nixon is the ultimate example of this indisputable talent of Mr. Sean Penn. "Sweet and Lowdown" was the first case when I saw this great, great actor perform so deeply...and this time I see him again. The movie concentrates on the everyday life of a struggling man who, because of a discouraging stream of personal failures, ends up being the assassin-wannabe of President Richard Nixon, for whom he expresses an unusual abhorrence. For me, it had very little to do with the assassination attempt itself since the entire movie talked about the ups and downs of this person who challenged to kick off a business out of an incomprehensible idea. The man is an eccentric of his own with odd mannerisms and open-mindedness which happens to be contradicted by his community. He is compassionate and caring but he finds himself radically opposed from people around him because of his peculiar mindset. I didn't adore the plot as much as I adored the acting...the acting which was so...so rare and strenuous and captivating. 10/10 (despite some flaws)
Being Julia
(2004)
It's about Annette Benign!
17 February 2005
Annette Benign, my favorite actress, the one who fills an entire screen with elegance, beauty and feminism, the one who seems to be reaching out for you whenever you are watching her act, shines in this not-so-great movie about an indulged and lovely thespian who takes advantage of her own reputation to simply have fun. She's funny, spoiled, and masters the stage but sometimes is characterized by an unusual naivety that in no way pertains with her diva status. Still, she's lovely. It seemed to me that the movie was more about Annette Benign's acting skills than the actual story. I don't want to deal a blow at the movie but, you know, it was all about Annette, she was there all along playing tricks and doing silly and funny stuff. Anyway, the movie is worth watching. 9/10
House of Flying Daggers
(2004)
Oh dear Cinematographer!
17 February 2005
"Oh dear Cinematographer
First of all I would like to tell you how happy I am that you exist and how grateful I am for the work you do
" Well, I started this comment by recognizing the magnificent work of the "House of Flying Daggers" cinematographer who is one of the few that has been able to have such an impact on my deciding the final evaluation for a movie as a whole. Generally, I evaluate movies depending how serious and powerful their acting or plot appear to me, but this time I found the cinematography the most influential and overwhelming. I loved the acting and the plot, too, but I bet that it was the way the whole movie looked like that added up so much to my adoring this splendid piece of art. House of Flying Daggers is a movie you will love unless you hate the kinds of "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon", "Hero", and "Zatoichi"
it contains loads of supernatural scenes with dazzling surroundings of numerous colors. Visual effects create a linking aura between the fights which occur from greenish and humid bamboo forests to sedate and colorful meadows. I am not really a fan of adventure or fantasy and don't happen to watch those kinds of flicks very much but truly, I adore martial arts films and they bring nothing less than sheer excitement. This is the only film to excel in cinematography since "Collateral" as of 2004. 9/10
The Godfather
(1972)
A masterpiece that lacks universalism
13 February 2005
The Godfather is literally the most highly rated movie of all time. I liked this movie, adored it. And with all the respect that I have for this heavyweight striking flick, my sub- conscience tells me that there seems to be an overrating that simply has been unable to be tamed down for years. First of all, this is a great gangster movie with the most common characteristics of a mafia circuit. Superb acting is harshly evident with a small dose of surrealism. This is everything a true-life movie needs to have. But, still, I think that this is somehow one-dimensional and self-appreciative. It doesn't have a universal sense of mafia mob but remains within the confines of a single direction of storytelling. It concentrates on the Italian mob, a single family and no further. It depicts, marvelously, the structure of that-time mafia entourage and the set of rules it was based upon. However, I think there have been several other movies which, if not as subtly as The Godfather, precisely have managed go beyond the classic understanding of mafia and grasped a wider span of this topic. Anyway, The Godfather, though overrated, still remains self-contained and deserves to be one of the best but with all this time having passed by, not the best one. 10/10
The 24th Day
(2004)
Great movie on prejudices!
13 February 2005
Warning: Spoilers
This is a mild thriller with drama undertones accompanied with some very thoughtful remarks. I found this movie heartbreaking and entertaining. The movie tells about a guy named Dan who initially is perceived to be a bi who fights to find the source of his supposed HIV contraction, which fight leads to holding his one-night-stand partner a captive for a suspect. It's very complex all they way with several explanations being considered, each omitting the previous. This is a fine movie about how a human is affected by the prejudices and misinterpretations. And not only this, there's also a message given out about the lack of knowledge that people have on pernicious diseases, like AIDS, which ultimately leads to unintentional wrongdoing. The acting was powerful and the screenplay as well. 9/10
Low tone and thoughtful
13 February 2005
With Magnolia being my all-time favorite, this one can't escape my circuit of most beloved movies. I happen to love these kinds of personal, loving, and smart flicks whose main point is to get into the privacy of the everyday life and grab out the beauty of it. The plot concentrates on the lives of several people and their being alone or struggling to get out of the barren reality surrounding their common lives. It deals with what every single man will face sometime during their lives let it be infidelity, career failure, loneliness or whatever. Everything is characterized with a low tone and nothing really is dramatizing, but still this is a slow, witty drama worth watching. 8/10
Magnolia
(1999)
Captivating, mesmerizing...
13 February 2005
Paul Thomas Anderson has proved himself to be one of the wittiest directors working today. His imagination has come up with a movie that encompasses so many aspects of life and unimaginable personalities. Magnolia, being one of my all-time favorite, has been made that way as you can't resist its catchy magic. With loads of smart ideas and suggestive remarks, Magnolia is laden with a dose of sarcasm, as well. The plot, itself, is very convoluted with perspectives drawn from complete different points of view. The plot is about the lives of several people around the San Fernando Valley each of whom come from unique, yet peculiar, backgrounds. The important fact, surely the most entertaining, about these people is that they share a bizarre connection between them. Some are close relatives, some are friends and others just happen to come across each other. The commonness that they share is so oddly unraveled with the time passing by and each moment the characters meet each other is accompanied by a set of grotesque, weird, extraordinary events which, in meaning, vary from incomprehensible to fanciful. But, it's exactly this peculiarity that entertains the most and that requires every bit of your mind be activated in order to receive the message that the stories convey.
Magnolia entices as much as it enrages. The bewilderment that it creates sometimes might feel nerve-racking but no way can it oust you from the circle of amusement. The cast is what makes all this plexus-tiring composition of ideas work. My all-time favorite actors John C. Reilly, William H. Macy and Philip Seymour Hoffman, were the most welcomed part of the entire movie. I should say that Tom Cruise did a marvelous job, as well, on playing an extremely eccentric person I think it's a waste of time to talk about the cinematography or screenplay they both caused a brilliant, sparking effect all along. 10/10
Magnolia entices as much as it enrages. The bewilderment that it creates sometimes might feel nerve-racking but no way can it oust you from the circle of amusement. The cast is what makes all this plexus-tiring composition of ideas work. My all-time favorite actors John C. Reilly, William H. Macy and Philip Seymour Hoffman, were the most welcomed part of the entire movie. I should say that Tom Cruise did a marvelous job, as well, on playing an extremely eccentric person I think it's a waste of time to talk about the cinematography or screenplay they both caused a brilliant, sparking effect all along. 10/10
The Motorcycle Diaries
(2004)
One of the best I've seen these recent years!
12 February 2005
First of all, I have to say that Gael Garcia Bernal and Rodrigo De La Serna shine altogether in this magnificent film. Their sincere and amazing performances are one of the key elements that make this movie a masterpiece. With an exquisite tour along the Latin America and a direct introduction to the native people of places like Argentina, Chile and Peru, this movie is not only a firsthand approach to the lives of the impoverished, which causes the most moving and breathtaking experience throughout the film, but also a fantastic depiction of Latin life and culture. And, still, this is only the first target at which the movie aims, and hits so hard, because there's also the life of the great, great Ernesto Guevara, who is one of the most remarkable personalities of human history. His ongoing joyfulness and admiration for others stands out at every moment. He is caring, compassionate, helpful and most of all generously humane. There are so many great scenes during the movie that say about all aspects of Ernesto's life and which need no explanation, since they speak for themselves. Even if you have never heard of Ernesto Guevara, which I truly doubt, I assure you'll get to know pretty much of his brave and daring personality. Technically, the cinematography is one of the main achievements of this film. 10/10
Iron Jawed Angels
(2004 TV Movie)
Breathtaking
12 February 2005
Little did I know about the women's suffrage movement in the beginnings of the last century, until I saw this brave and daring movie. All what I knew was that women once struggled to get their right to vote recognized and that ultimately they had to fight for it. But what I didn't know was that their fight meant not only lobbying and rallying but suffering and sacrificing as well. This splendid movie was able to depict aspects of this movement so convincingly that I shed a couple of tears during a scene, which in fact I found very surprising because it never really happens to me. The magnificent acting and marvelous cinematography just added up to this great movie. Finally, apart of being brave and emotional, this movie is lovely and bears a great deal of beauty and feminism alongside great costume design. Ten out of ten.
Coach Carter
(2005)
A movie about commitment, confidence and aspirations!
7 February 2005
Warning: Spoilers
The reason I adored Coach Carter is because it is about telling yourself that you can accomplish more than you actually think you can. It whetted my enthusiasm and made me question my confidence and if I could really manage to go beyond my limits of achievement that I previously never thought of transcending.
MIGHT CONTAIN SPOILERS******** The movie is about how a single man's audacious boldness and aplomb and commitment and humane intentions can contribute to uprooting wrong ideas and instilling new ones. POSSIBLE SPOILER****The newly hired basketball coach, Ken Carter, wants that jocks excel not only athletically but academically as well. He wants to change the ages-old way of educating youngsters whose primary interest is other than academic realm. And his mindset and his peculiar way of trying to accomplish his goal are radically opposed by the predominantly low-class community. Carter is an open-minded man. He's caring, willing to take risks, he behaves himself and is well-accepted at first. But at his workplace his strictness, his rigid set of rules and the severity of his punishments are simply incomprehensible to the community's level of understanding. And this is the point when the jarring effect of misunderstandings and objection leads to condemnation, attack, trial and finally closes up with regret and submission to the Carter's rules. He wanted smart kids and smart athletes. And he got them only when the parents and adults questioned their own selves if they wanted to live with smart kids & athletes and be proud of them or be surrounded by rascals and delinquents who could only help the rate of crime rise and jeopardize their own lives. The movie is very enjoyable, educative and witty so it deserves 10 out of 10.
MIGHT CONTAIN SPOILERS******** The movie is about how a single man's audacious boldness and aplomb and commitment and humane intentions can contribute to uprooting wrong ideas and instilling new ones. POSSIBLE SPOILER****The newly hired basketball coach, Ken Carter, wants that jocks excel not only athletically but academically as well. He wants to change the ages-old way of educating youngsters whose primary interest is other than academic realm. And his mindset and his peculiar way of trying to accomplish his goal are radically opposed by the predominantly low-class community. Carter is an open-minded man. He's caring, willing to take risks, he behaves himself and is well-accepted at first. But at his workplace his strictness, his rigid set of rules and the severity of his punishments are simply incomprehensible to the community's level of understanding. And this is the point when the jarring effect of misunderstandings and objection leads to condemnation, attack, trial and finally closes up with regret and submission to the Carter's rules. He wanted smart kids and smart athletes. And he got them only when the parents and adults questioned their own selves if they wanted to live with smart kids & athletes and be proud of them or be surrounded by rascals and delinquents who could only help the rate of crime rise and jeopardize their own lives. The movie is very enjoyable, educative and witty so it deserves 10 out of 10.
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