Movies watched in 2017

This is the first Spanish movie I watched with Spanish subtitles. (Las Lilas library). It was about two women in comas and their partners taking care of them. There was quite a sensual scene with the comatose body. Did not really understand the film and it really seemed boring.

This is the second Spanish film that I have watched (with English subtitles)

I really enjoyed it. It is a very slow paced film about an elderly loveless couple who has different conversations with their tenants asking them to move out because the man is ill and they want to spend the rest of the time alone.

Each scene consists of a dialogue between two people, often interesting and very real. The ones I liked best:

1) Between the man landlord and the Spanish woman who taught French in Barcelona. She possessed a sensual and charming way when she spoke, in contrast with the meek and dull man who spent years working in the Opera and dressed up/still dresses up these days in women costumes. She said that people only really talk honestly when they are dying and asked him to just go for a stroll at night. He declined.

2) Between the lady landlord and the young handsome guard who has a gun with him. He was naked and put on his briefs when she knocked. They spoke and in the end, he asked her to stay and she watched him until he fell asleep, like her son.

I really like the rawness of the dialogues. Even the ending, when the man confessed to his wife (while they dressed up) that he had a one time affair with the young tenant and she is pregnant with their child. It was pure honesty and well, it is what it is....the film ended.

This is an uplifting and spirited film about a woman who suddenly went to Tuscany and bought a really old/rundown house there.

It is about "building a railway before the train arrived" She bought a house instinctively/impulsively in a country where she had no life and ended up creating a life there. She stood at a church and wished that there will be a wedding there and she would have a family - her wishes came true though not in the traditional sense that she wished for herself.

It is really about life's possibilities and surprises, and having that insanity/courage to just go with it, and allowing it to unfold. Letting go of the apprehension, the fear and just take it as it comes, one thing leads to another.

There is also a Fellini quote inside the film (translated to Spanish): Conserva siempre tu inocencia infantile, es lo mas importante. Something I believe in - to keep the magic/childlike wonder and wanting in one's life and never lose it.

I enjoyed it a lot. It is probably a movie that spoke to me at this crossroads of thinking about moving to Spain or wherever else in Europe.

I confess that I have never read the book.

Basically it is about a family of 5 girls and it is of great importance to marry them off. Two wealthy men came into town, and there were some "pride and prejudice" and misunderstanding that Elizabeth (lizzie) have of Mr Dacy and in the end, it was all cleared up and they loved each other and will marry. Happy ending.

Well, it was enjoyable though the plot is thin. Its different to hear the type of very formal English spoken during those times.

This is the third pelicula espanole I have watched.

A realistic portrayal of life - a woman takes care of her abusive husband (one word insult - you stupid woman to saying that he smelt another man on her) as he is in the hospital, while moving in to stay with her daughter who is working as a cleaner and ended up being knocked up.

The nice moments she shared enjoying a meal with her elderly neighbour, bringing food for him, cleaning him up when he *beep* himself without any shame or loss of dignity, is there even any contemplation on her part to choose another life? No, it is total acceptance of what it is, even if it is bleak....she knits for his doctor's child, she knits for her daughter.

There was a moving scene when the daughter and this elderly neighbour drank and chatted (after the mother moved out as the husband has been discharged from hospital - she died before ever fulfilling her promise that she will visit him - no phone/illerate) and she told him that she is pregnant and is lost. He offered give his pension and be the baby's godfather/grandfather since it is simple - she wants a child and he always wanted to be a grandfather (his own child died young). The movie ended with both of him and the new born visiting the mothers ashes, and having a lovely bond.

Over the years, I had borrowed this a few times as it is supposed to be one of the best movie ever made and I have finally managed to watch it.

It is film about a director with an artistic block failing to direct his next big film and it is one of those films that leaves you thinking. It is a somewhat frustrating experience watching it, just as life is sometimes. All the actors, producer, crew asking him what are their roles in this film and he could not tell them what he does know - I think it represents the different factors or consciousness/sub-consciousness in one's life and how we are constantly trying to make sense of it. The film weaves in memories from his past and fantasies in a linear realistic manner like it is happening in the same time frame - who we are/our lives is a sum of all these experiences and memories, even if they are not enough to form a credible film/life. The directors personal life is not going well too - no honesty with his wife and their relationship. There is a message in there that says unless you are honest, you can never find the answers. There is a particularly interesting scene which he finally whips all the women into place when they were rebelling - I see it as him finally taking control of some parts of his life and directing it as he wants it to be at that moment. "They say you are free, but you must learn to choose. You don't have much time. And you have to hurry." this resonated deeply. Also in the end (I think after he was honest - destroying the spaceship and shooting himself under the table when confronted by everyone after the so called movie), he somehow managed to direct the smaller cast in a circus manner. Maybe life don't have to be a grand façade when there is honesty, love and is not so serious after all. Towards the end, he was told that he does not know how to love repeatedly - that resonated too.

I did not enjoy this movie much. I understood that it was significant at that time and the style and jump shots were very different from what movies used to be.

It was shot in Paris. Handsome young guy is escaping from a crime, and spent time with his 20 years old American lover, and in the last scene when he did, she did not understand his final words.

The best scene in the movie was this lengthy bedroom scene of these two lovers just talking casually, very realistic. And the sense of carefree spirit that was captured, them just skipping around Paris. There was no weight of the crime at all.

In the end, she betrayed him, and her reasoning goes something like....if I betrayed you, then I cant have loved you and I always want to make something go wrong?

The plot is not what you would watch it for. It is just shot a man, then idle around Paris trying to look for a man who owns him money, and conversation about nothing here and there. She is quite captivating though.

I thought this film will be much more of a rediscovering life theme than what it is. It is basically about a professor who has taught the same course for 20 years, tired and bored of life....ending up in New York to present a paper (that he co-authored with his name) and ended up getting to know a black couple who are illegal immigrants. He taught him drums, he started loving it. Then he got caught while trying to jump the subway gates (he bought ticket one ticket for both of them) Detention centre, his mother came over while his son is inside, and one evening, they were for phantom of the opera together and in the end, he was deported and she will fly back to Syria too. They shared the night before just cuddled in bed and he sent her off.

It was alright, but quite a boring plot. Nothing memorable.

I really enjoyed this movie. Meryl Streep is simply so natural and captivating to watch. It is about a couple who spends a week doing for intensive marriage counselling sessions with a famous therapist.

I love the style of the counselling, with the straight faced mild counsellor in control, and their answers and progress.....sometimes vulnerable, open, awkward, trying, frustrated, anger, tears. It is a mixed of emotions yet maintaining the rather light tone of the movie, with attempts to rekindle their sexual intimacy. It was often funny how Arnold reacts those questions from a male.

The movie really flowed through therapy sessions and it was a happy ending in the end.

I love this movie. It was a period drama that was gripping from start to end. Jane Eyre worked as a governess in this gothic house and the master of the house ends up falling for her soul, despite their differences in status. Despite that and the rough childhood, she was well educated, witty and well spoken, and spirited. He longed for her soul. I love the scenes of both of them, Michael Fassbender and Mia, he was so handsome, commanding and brooding, and she had such a air and dignity about her. There was that spark that the other lady dressed in splendour could never have. The secret that his mental ex wife was in the other room, in the end the gothic house was burned down and he was blind but Jane Eyre went to him and he recognised the touch of her hand and scent. I like the idea of falling for a persons soul. The ending was too abrupt.

It was beautifully filmed, in the countryside, dark gothic house and grey skies and landscape. Thoroughly enjoyable and never a dull moment for someone who has never read the book, and just judge the movie as it is.

I wanted to watch it because Meryl Streep won an Oscar for it but this movie is really bad. There was no depth to the portrayal of a senile Margaret Thatcher, intertwined with brief footages of her time as Britain's Prime Minister. One does not get her significance during her prime years and it is merely an old lady thinking that her husband is still alive and having episodes of being senile while meeting visitors.

This reminds me of Before sunrise/After sunset trilogy of movies. Two people meeting at a subway station - she had lost her wallet and missed the last train back and she needed to dash back before her husband finds the harsh letter that she has written about his infidelity whereas he was in new York for a musical audition and bumped into his ex whom he could not get over after 6 years only to realise she is pregnant - at least now there was a conclusion. So they go around the city at night to try to retrieve her wallet and they talked and talked and talked. They kissed and in the end, I forgot the ending. One of those drifty movies except this one wasn't that good.

I dislike this movie. It was filmed in a very tacky way. Jude law could not save it. She is a married woman and went along with her feelings for Jude, scandal - no passion, no depth and in fact very cartoony.

Two middle age best friends take a one week road trip to visit the vineyards, a celebration of the last freedom before he is due to get married on Saturday. They are both midlife losers. He is a wine expert with nothing else to show for except his pseudo published author title and his friend just wants to get as much sex as possible before the marriage. They ended up hanging out with two women and of course managed to *beep* it up as he failed to disclose the fact that he is due to get married. He ended up going back home and getting married whereas he went back to look for the woman. Realistic portrayal and watchable movie.