An ex cop and his ex partner decide to follow up on investigation of a series of murders that ended their careers and shamed them, when identical murders begin again.
Wu Hongyan is a young woman working as a prison guard during executions of female convicts. She feels lonely after her husband died, and she takes a night train to another city to visit a ... See full summary »
The Runeberg family is an ordinary middle class family, with a house in a suburb, a car and three children. By vacationing in a rented house by the sea, the hope is that the tension and ... See full summary »
A Russian woman living in Memphis with a much older rock-'n'-roll legend experiences a personal awakening when her husband's estranged son comes to visit.
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Director:
Barbet Schroeder
Stars:
Germán Jaramillo,
Anderson Ballesteros,
Juan David Restrepo
They go from town to town, a big top on their backs, their show over their shoulder. They bring dreams and disorder to our lives. They are ogres, giants. They've devoured the theater and ... See full summary »
Director:
Léa Fehner
Stars:
François Fehner,
Marion Bouvarel,
Marc Barbé
When his long-time disappeared father is entering his life again, Jean-Luc, a successful doctor, has no option but to face his own life story. Will he ever be able to forget and forgive?
Director:
Anne Fontaine
Stars:
Michel Bouquet,
Charles Berling,
Natacha Régnier
An ex cop and his ex partner decide to follow up on investigation of a series of murders that ended their careers and shamed them, when identical murders begin again.
I have seen various Chinese films (specially during the '90s, the golden age of Hong Kong), but I think Black Coal, Thin Ice is the first (from what I have seen) genuinely Chinese movie, because it embraces the national idiosyncrasy and offers us a revealing look to the culture of that country. Black Coal, Thin Ice is also an excellent thriller on its own right. Its screenplay employs many elements of classic noir: the failed detective, a confusing but vaguely logical mystery and the obligatory femme fatale who might be guilty of the crimes or an innocent victim of circumstances. However, director and screenwriter Yi'nan Diao filters those components through his particular sensibility, and the result is so natural that it borders on the prosaic. For example, near the beginning of the film, there is a very short shootout, shot almost with apathy... the camera is midway and it barely moves; but the impact of the scene is tremendous, manifesting the easiness with which tragedy can come, completely lacking of the artifice and ornaments we see in many Hollywood films. This doesn't mean that Black Coal, Thin Ice feels flat or superficial. The "anti-style" of the scenes and their minimalistic aesthetic is obviously intentional, highlighting the characters' opaque lives and the bleak social setting of poverty and corruption, in which dignity and "political correction" are almost inexistent. And all that is framed by a grey wintry atmosphere, ready to trample human spirit even more. In conclusion, Black Coal, Thin Ice is an innovative and fascinating interpretation of contemporary neo-noir, deceiving us with false clues, obfuscating our perception and saving the revelations for an ending which is as austere and enigmatic as the rest of the film. Black Coal, Thin Ice might not be everyone's cup of tea, but whoever is willing to face the challenge of watching something new and unusual will surely appreciate Diao's intention and his strange ordinary/dreamlike style.
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I have seen various Chinese films (specially during the '90s, the golden age of Hong Kong), but I think Black Coal, Thin Ice is the first (from what I have seen) genuinely Chinese movie, because it embraces the national idiosyncrasy and offers us a revealing look to the culture of that country. Black Coal, Thin Ice is also an excellent thriller on its own right. Its screenplay employs many elements of classic noir: the failed detective, a confusing but vaguely logical mystery and the obligatory femme fatale who might be guilty of the crimes or an innocent victim of circumstances. However, director and screenwriter Yi'nan Diao filters those components through his particular sensibility, and the result is so natural that it borders on the prosaic. For example, near the beginning of the film, there is a very short shootout, shot almost with apathy... the camera is midway and it barely moves; but the impact of the scene is tremendous, manifesting the easiness with which tragedy can come, completely lacking of the artifice and ornaments we see in many Hollywood films. This doesn't mean that Black Coal, Thin Ice feels flat or superficial. The "anti-style" of the scenes and their minimalistic aesthetic is obviously intentional, highlighting the characters' opaque lives and the bleak social setting of poverty and corruption, in which dignity and "political correction" are almost inexistent. And all that is framed by a grey wintry atmosphere, ready to trample human spirit even more. In conclusion, Black Coal, Thin Ice is an innovative and fascinating interpretation of contemporary neo-noir, deceiving us with false clues, obfuscating our perception and saving the revelations for an ending which is as austere and enigmatic as the rest of the film. Black Coal, Thin Ice might not be everyone's cup of tea, but whoever is willing to face the challenge of watching something new and unusual will surely appreciate Diao's intention and his strange ordinary/dreamlike style.