Category Archives: International

2013 Films, Drama, French, Independent, Independent Drama, International, International Drama, Persian

The Past-2013

September 16, 2014 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Past-2013

Director Asghar Farhadi

Starring Bérénice Bejo, Tahar Rahim, Ali Mosaffa

Scott’s Review #171

Reviewed September 16, 2014

Grade: B+

The Past (2013) is an international film directed by acclaimed Iranian director Asghar Farhadi, who directed the brilliant A Separation in 2012.

Despite being directed by an Iranian director, the film is written in French and set in France.

While not quite on the level of A Separation, The Past is still a good, layered, and compelling film, though admittedly slow-paced in spots, like real life.

The film centers on a couple, Marie (Bérénice Bejo) and Ahmad (Ali Mosaffa), amid a divorce.

Marie lives in France with her two daughters from a relationship before Ahmad, so they have no children together. He lives in Iran and comes to visit and finalize the divorce proceedings.

Further complicating the situation is that Marie is in a relationship with another man, Samir (Tahar Rahim), who has a son with his current wife, who is a vegetable in a coma after a suicide attempt.

What were the events that led her to attempt suicide? Did someone reveal something of importance to her? If so, who?

Questions such as these compel viewers to invest in the characters.

The Past is an excellent family drama done right; it has no needless stereotypes, and the children serve a purpose beyond being cute or attractive wallpaper, as in many family dramas.

Each child involved- there are 3- has real feelings and realistically expresses themselves. All three principal adult characters are mature, complicated, and have depth.

Nobody is the villain, and the intent is not to make the audience root for one couple over the other. The film is more mysterious than that.

Instead, the audience spends the film trying to uncover the secrets the characters keep.

Is Marie ready to divorce Ahmad or does she still love him? Does Samir blame Marie for his wife’s condition? Why does the oldest daughter hate Samir so much?

These are questions that arise more and more as The Past unfolds.

Another interesting facet of the film is that it introduces no red herrings to manipulate the viewer. The film is simply a detailed, complex drama.

All three leads give wonderful performances, though I’m not sure why Bejo’s stands out.

After watching and reflecting, I noticed many similarities to A Separation.

The Past (2013) is a good, solid family drama, with rich writing and honest, compelling situations.

1956 Films, Drama, Fantasy, French, International, International Fantasy, Shorts

The Red Balloon-1956

September 15, 2014 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Red Balloon-1956

Director Albert Lamorisse

Starring Pascal Lamorisse

Scott’s Review #170

Reviewed September 15, 2014

Grade: A

The Red Balloon (1956) is a poignant short film (thirty-four-minute running time) in its innocence and creativity.

Directed by acclaimed French filmmaker Albert Lamorisse, it tells the story of a young Parisian boy named Pascal who befriends a special red balloon that arrives and greets him one day.

Amazingly, the balloon follows him everywhere, and they become inseparable friends. The balloon has a mind of its own and protects Pascal from schoolyard bullies and others who do not understand or care about his bond with it.

The balloon does not leave his side, and he waits outside during school hours and sleeping hours.

Director Lamorisse’s children play Pascal and a little girl with a similar blue balloon.

The film is shot in Paris and features many beautiful city glimpses. Unfortunately, the neighborhood (Belleville) where most of the adventure takes place, where little Pascal and his balloon meander through the streets to and from school, no longer exists and was destroyed in the 1960s due to decay.

It is a bleak, melancholy neighborhood that perfectly contrasts the extreme brightness of the balloon.

The Red Balloon is a thought-provoking short film and contains almost no dialogue. None is needed as a powerful message of friendship, heartbreak, and loyalty is portrayed.

The climax of the film is heartbreaking yet uplifting.

The Red Balloon is a film that people of all ages can enjoy and fall in love with. In fact, for many years, educators have shown it to children.

The Red Balloon is the only short film to win the Academy Award for Best Writing (Original Screenplay).

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Screenplay-Original (won)

2012 Films, Chilean, Drama, International, International Drama

Gloria-2012

September 10, 2014 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Gloria-2012

Director Sebastián Lelio

Starring Paulina García

Scott’s Review #167

Reviewed September 10, 2014

Grade: B+

The subject matter of Gloria (2012) is so unusual in this day-and-age, clichéd, youth-obsessed world of Hollywood that it is incredibly refreshing and pleasing to watch.

Gloria tells the story of the title character, a middle-aged (50s) divorced woman living in Chile, who lives life to the fullest.

She loves and embraces new experiences. She tries smoking pot, sings along to disco songs, and dances the nights away.

Gloria is looking for love, but she is not a depressed or dowdy woman. She is stable, attractive, intelligent, and funny.

She lives!!

Gloria meets and begins a relationship with Rodolfo, a similar-aged divorced man with a family full of baggage, whom she meets in a nightclub. His ex-wife and two daughters live with him and depend on him.

The film wisely doesn’t feature Rodolfo’s family until the very end, which adds to the character’s mystique. Gloria and Rodolfo begin a series of trials and tribulations involving both of their families.

Gloria introduces Rodolfo to her family at a birthday party, where her ex-husband and his current wife are in attendance.

Her family is very close, including her relationship with her ex-husband and his new wife. They take a wine-induced trip down memory lane.

This is too much for Rodolfo, and he bails. He is constantly barraged with phone calls from his family during alone time with Gloria.

They continue to have ups and downs.

The audience wonders: will they find their way to a happily ever after? Is Rodolfo really a cad? Does Gloria want to settle down? An event ruins a moment of bliss at an expensive hotel, and the audience’s heart breaks for Gloria.

How wonderful that this film dares to feature more than one explicit nude scene between these two middle-aged people in a classy, tender style.

This is not common in American films, so happily, foreign-language films are not as rigid or prudish in their sexuality.

Unfortunately, Paulina Garcia received little recognition for this role. She deserved an Oscar nomination as she relays an enormous level of complex emotions- she feels the loss, she is betrayed, she is giddy, she is silly, and the list goes on and on.

Gloria (2012) is admittedly slow-paced at times, but the film and story are a breath of fresh air.

The film is a character-driven, tender tale centering on mature, intelligent people.

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best International Film

2013 Films, Documentary, French, International, International Documentary

The Missing Picture-2013

August 21, 2014 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Missing Picture-2013

Director Rithy Panh

Scott’s Review #157

Reviewed August 21, 2014

Grade: C+

One question kept going through my mind while watching The Missing Picture (2013). Is it a documentary or a foreign language film?

It is a documentary, but strangely, the film was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar.

I hate to say this, but after about fifteen minutes, I found the film quite dull.

I respect the creative, expressionist clay figures and enjoy the black-and-white real-life clips of the horrific events from 1970’s Cambodia.

But I found the narration as dull as dishwater.

I watched forty-five minutes of the one-hour-and-thirty-five-minute runtime and deduced that I had gotten the film’s point.

It does not take away from the importance of the subject, but the presentation could have been a bit more exciting.

This is a common occurrence in the documentary genre.

Oscar Nominations: Best Foreign Language Film

2012 Films, Drama, French, Independent, Independent Drama, International, International Drama, Romantic Drama

Rust and Bone-2012

July 26, 2014 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Rust and Bone-2012

Director Jacques Audiard

Starring Marion Cotillard, Matthias Schoenaerts

Scott’s Review #137

Reviewed July 26, 2014

Grade: B+

Rust and Bone (2012) is a French-language film that tells the difficult love story of a successful, cultured whale trainer (Stephanie) who is seriously injured in an accident and left without legs.

She has an unlikely romance with an unemployed former boxer (Ali), who leads a troubled life providing for his young son.

Marion Cotillard and Matthias Schoenaerts give outstanding performances as the two leads.

Their powerhouse performances are the main reason to watch this film. They are amazingly convincing, and Cotillard’s performance alone is astonishing.

Cotillard, who has already won an Oscar for La Vie En Rose (2007), is one of the best younger actresses around, and Schoenaerts showed great promise in 2011’s Bullhead.

The film is character-driven as both leads have difficult, challenge-filled existences. Ali attempts to return to boxing, and Stephanie attempts to cope with life after losing limbs.

Together they slowly bond and a love story blossoms.

Slow-paced, realistic, and complex, the relationship between the two is at the heart of the film.

The one negative I found is that the story meanders into several different plots, some even unnecessary to the main story, so much so that it becomes unclear what the main story is supposed to be.

This results in an uneven viewing experience.

Still, beyond that flaw, Rust and Bone (2012) is well worth the price of admission for its superb acting and wonderful love story.

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best International Film

2011 Films, Comedy, Drama, French, International, International Comedy, International Drama, Paris

The Intouchables-2011

July 26, 2014 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Intouchables-2011

Director Olivier Nakache, Éric Toledano

Starring Francois Cluzet, Omar Sy

Scott’s Review #135

Reviewed July 26, 2014

Grade: C

The Intouchables (2011) is a French comedy-drama that tells the story of a wealthy, intelligent quadriplegic man named Philippe (Olivier Nakache), who hires a poor, angry black man named Driss (Omar Sy), who is uninterested in the position, as his caregiver.

The film is a story about their bond and friendship, and it’s a buddy movie.

What starts as simply an employer/employee relationship turns into something much deeper.

The Intouchables received rave reviews and was a huge hit in France, but for me, it disappoints, and I am not getting the love for this movie.

I found the message and theme of the story dated- yet another film about a wealthy, sophisticated white man taking a working-class, volatile black man under his wing and the black man helping him achieve some self-fulfillment.

The Blind Side (2009) and Driving Miss Daisy (1989) have done this before, along with countless other films.

Yes, they become close friends, but the stereotypical racial dynamic is prevalent. How many more times must modern film show this dynamic?

This is not to say that the film is poorly made. The relationship between the two men and the blend of their respective cultures is charming and, at times, heartwarming.

The way Driss helps Philippe find the courage to meet a woman he has been writing letters a is nice.

The views of Paris are lovely and plentiful.

But overall, The Intouchables (2011) comes across as a stereotypical, safe, predictable film.

2013 Films, Arabic, Drama, International, International Drama

Omar-2013

July 24, 2014 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Omar-2013

Director Hany Abu-Assad

Starring Adam Bakri

Scott’s Review #132

Reviewed July 24, 2014

Grade: B

Omar is a 2013 Best Foreign Language Film Oscar nominee.

Omar tells the story of a young Palestinian man living in the political unrest of Israel, personally conflicted, and a freedom fighter, sympathetic to the other side.

He is in love with a young girl whose brother is a leader in the freedom fight, and their romance eventually becomes a love triangle.

Once Omar is arrested on suspicion of murdering a soldier, a series of events take place that makes the audience wonder what side of the fence he is on and who his allegiance lies with.

The film starts slowly and has too much emphasis on the romantic story- seemingly endless scenes of Omar and Nadia professing their love and passing notes to each other.

The film seems unsure whether it wants to be a political thriller or a romance film.

About thirty minutes in, it kicks into high gear as the arrest and the political cat-and-mouse aspects come to the forefront.

The ending is unexpected and excellent.

At times, though, the story is a bit unrealistic and implausible, especially in some prison scenes. Would a Palestinian traitor be given a second chance and not killed instantly? Would the prisoner and interrogator become friends?

Certain aspects of the film seem plot-driven and too convenient to be realistic, but I was enraptured with the story overall, minus the romance, which seemed overextended and sappy.

Oscar Nominations: Best Foreign Language Film

2012 Films, Chilean, Drama, Historical Drama, International, International Drama

No-2012

July 17, 2014 scottmet99 Leave a comment

No-2012

Director Pablo Larraín

Starring Gael García Bernal

Scott’s Review #119

Reviewed July 17, 2014

Grade: B

No is a 2012 Best Foreign Language film nominee that centers around a Chilean ad executive’s campaign to oust a powerful Chilean dictator (Pinochet) from power circa 1988.

The ad executive (played by Gael García Bernal) struggles to create a powerful campaign to influence the media and the voters.

The movie has a documentary-style look and is visually interesting.

You experience firsthand how difficult it was to build a successful campaign amid the political unrest in Chile at the time.

The fact that the film is based on a true story adds a level of interest.

While watching the film, it felt like 1988, and I felt transported back in time, unlike many period films where sets look dressed up for the period.

A detraction of No (2012) was its painfully slow pace, which occasionally made it drag.

Oscar Nominations: Best Foreign Language Film

1987 Films, Horror, International, International Horror, Italian, Italian Horror

Opera-1987

July 11, 2014 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Opera-1987

Director Dario Argento

Starring Cristina Marsillach, Ian Charleson

Scott’s Review #104

Reviewed July 11, 2014

Grade: B+

Opera is a 1987 Italian horror film directed by Dario Argento.

The story revolves around a theatrical production of Giuseppe Verdi’s Italian opera, “Macbeth,” as the understudy takes on the lead role of Lady Macbeth after the star is hit by a car, and strange, horrific events begin to unfold.

The film contains traditional Argento elements- stylistic, extreme close-ups, and weird camera angles.

Members of the cast are systematically murdered as the killer forces the film’s heroine to watch- aided by a device which, if she blinks, sharp nails will go through her eyes.

The ending is killer- no pun intended. I love surprise endings in horror films, and this one was dynamite.

My main criticism of the film is the horrendous dubbing, which distracted me a great deal. It has a muffled, hard-to-hear quality to it and no subtitles.

I’d rather it had been available in Italian with English subtitles. The film needs to be upgraded to Blu-ray ASAP.

Another odd aspect of the film is the mixture of operatic and heavy metal music at each kill. It did not seem to fit the film at all.

Not Argento’s best- Suspiria (1977) and Deep Red (1975) have that honor, but it’s a very good, enjoyable cinematic horror film.

2012 Films, Belgian, Drama, Independent, Independent Drama, International, International Drama, Romantic Drama

The Broken Circle Breakdown-2012

July 3, 2014 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Broken Circle Breakdown-2012

Director Felix Van Groeningen

Starring Veerle Baetens, Johan Heldenbergh

Scott’s Review #91

Reviewed July 3, 2014

Grade: B+

The Broken Circle Breakdown is a 2012 Belgian film nominated for the Best Foreign Language Oscar.

It tells a dark story of a couple with very different religious beliefs- one atheist, the other a devout catholic- whose six-year-old daughter is battling cancer.

Their differences escalate over time as life circumstances change.

The film begins in 2006 but constantly goes back and forth in time from when the couple meets and falls in love and begins performing in a bluegrass band together to their current dire situation in the present.

This is a clever aspect of the film.

It is far from a by-the-numbers happy-couple-with-sick-daughter type of film. It is much deeper than that and quite depressing and dreary overall.

The pain and hardships this family goes through are heart-wrenching, especially as the film focuses on the happy time in their lives to contrast the pain.

In the second half, the film explores politics and religion, including the then-controversial (2002) topic of stem cell research.

As dark as this film is to watch, it is also important because it steps outside the box and tackles difficult subject matter.

I wish more films would do the same.

Oscar Nominations: Best Foreign Language Film

1959 Films, Art, Drama, French, International, International Drama

The 400 Blows-1959

July 2, 2014 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The 400 Blows-1959

Director Francois Truffaut

Starring Jean-Pierre Léaud

Scott’s Review #88

Reviewed July 2, 2014

Grade: A

The 400 Blows is a French New Wave masterpiece from 1959, heartbreaking yet beautiful in its storytelling.

It tells the story of Antoine, a kindhearted yet hardened teen forced to live a tough life on the streets of Paris.

It is autobiographical as director Francois Truffaut suffered a childhood similar to that of the boy.

Misunderstood and mistreated by his parents and schoolteachers, Antoine must survive and thrive as a teenage runaway who cannot get a break in life.

Shot in Paris and featuring gorgeous cityscapes, the black-and-white cinematography adds to the bleakness and coldness of this young boy’s life. Truffaut was the first to use the familiar still-frame close-up of angst. The scenes of Antoine running from the city along the beach are some of the most beautiful in film history.

Truffaut influenced a generation of directors with his very personal brand of storytelling.

The 400 Blows (1959) is not always a pleasant film, but an important and influential work of art cinema.

Young actor Jean-Pierre Leaud gives an excellent performance.

Oscar Nominations: Best Story and Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen

2012 Films, Adventure, Drama, Historical Drama, International, International Adventure, International Drama, Norwegian

Kon-Tiki-2012

June 28, 2014 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Kon-Tiki-2012

Directors Joachim Rønning, Espen Sandberg

Starring Pål Sverre Hagen

Scott’s Review #78

Reviewed June 28, 2014

Grade: C+

I don’t know what’s happened to the nominating process for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar (it’s been controversial for years). Still, you used to be able to count on any of the five nominated films to be interesting, edgy, and even controversial.

These days, a few of the nominated films barely squeak through, rise above mediocrity, and are such mainstream stories.

Kon-Tiki (2012) is one such film.

It tells the tale of a Norwegian scientist determined to sail, via raft, from Peru to the Polynesian islands to prove a Sun God, centuries ago, made the same voyage.

He forms a team and off they go.

Supposedly based on a true story, the team faces the typical challenges in an oceanic adventure: bad weather, sharks, the raft in peril, and dissent among the ranks.

These high-sea clichés have gotten to me recently. The film is similar in context to Life of Pi, also made in 2012.

It’s not a bad film, but there is nothing special about it either, and it has glossy and safe written all over it- the score is Spielberg to the nines, who has nothing to do with this film.

The five adventurers are bronzed with buff bodies when nobody was buff in the 1940s when this film is set, and the scruffy beards, after months of sailing, look perfectly phony.

For the top-tier foreign language group, I expected something more cutting-edge and with more substance.

Oscar Nominations: Best Foreign Language Film

2001 Films, Comedy, French, International, International Comedy, International Romantic Comedy, Romantic Comedy

Amelie-2001

June 27, 2014 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Amelie-2001

Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet

Starring Audrey Tatou

Scott’s Review #74

Reviewed June 27, 2014

Grade: C+

Amelie (2001) was a major disappointment for me. Critically acclaimed and admired, I did not get this movie at all.

First, the positives: this film is French, which gives it an edge for its beautiful language and French setting.

The cinematography, art direction, and set design are inventive and unique. The movie has a magical, whimsical feel that is appealing.

The story, however, is an enormous drawback.

The central character, a waif-like, sweet waitress, is lonely and feels unloved, yet avoids meeting the man of her dreams by playing a cat-and-mouse game of leaving silly notes and sending him on wild goose chases because she is afraid of happiness. Yet, she does everything she can to ensure others find happiness.

The story did not work for me at all, but I admire the film’s creativity.

Perhaps I should allow myself a second viewing, as this film received much fanfare.

Oscar Nominations: Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen/Original Screenplay, Best Foreign Language Film, Best Sound, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: 1 win-Best Foreign Film (won)

1974 Films, Drama, International, International Drama, Italian

Swept Away-1974

June 27, 2014 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Swept Away-1974

Director Lina Wertmüller

Starring Giancarlo Giannini, Mariangela Melato

Scott’s Review #72

Reviewed June 27, 2014

Grade: B+

Swept Away (1974) is an Italian version of the film, remade in 2004 starring Madonna.

A wealthy, spoiled woman is stranded on a deserted island with her male servant.

The 1974 film is superb and, at times, deeply disturbing, as scenes of humiliation are almost too much to watch.

The theme is about the class system- the haves and the have-nots, and what happens when roles are reversed, and individuals are stripped of titles, is interesting, shocking, and, at times, troubling.

I was stunned, yet mesmerized, by a very animalistic scene in which a man beats a woman. At first, the man is the sympathetic one and the woman is despised, then the roles are shockingly reversed.

Amazingly, the film was directed by a woman, Lina Wertmüller, a brave, underappreciated German director.

When the pair is inevitably rescued and returns to normalcy, the plot takes a dynamic turn.

2012 Films, Danish, Drama, Independent, Independent Drama, International, International Drama, Psychological Drama

The Hunt-2012

June 17, 2014 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Hunt-2012

Director Thomas Vinterberg

Starring Mads Mikkelsen

Scott’s Review #29

Reviewed June 17, 2014

Grade: A-

Nominated for the 2013 Best Foreign Language Oscar, this controversial Danish film, The Hunt (2012), centers on pedophilia and is powerful and gripping.

Mads Mikkelsen stars as a kindergarten teacher falsely accused of inappropriate behavior with a five-year-old female student.

This sets off a small-town witch hunt that stirred up emotions in me, mostly disdain for the fellow teachers and principal who so easily “gang up” on the teacher, seemingly unable to believe he may be innocent.

The principal blurts out “children never lie”.

Um, yes they do!

I love how the film goes deeper than the obvious content. The accused son is featured. The student is the accused best friend’s daughter.

When one supporter of the accused rips into the five-year-old, it is intense to watch.

The Hunt (2012) is a layered, multi-faceted film worth seeing.

The ending is great, but the alternate ending is even better, and I wish the director, Thomas Vinterberg, had used that instead; overall, it’s an exceptional film.

Oscar Nominations: Best Foreign Language Film

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best International Film

2013 Films, Camp, Comedy, Independent, Independent Comedy, International, International Comedy, Spanish

I’m So Excited-2013

June 17, 2014 scottmet99 Leave a comment

I’m So Excited-2013

Director Pedro Almodovar

Starring Javier Cámara, Antonio de la Torre

Scott’s Review #25

Reviewed June 17, 2014

Grade: B-

The latest offering by superb Spanish director Pedro Almodovar, who directed the brilliantly disturbing The Skin I Live In (2011) a few years ago, returns with a vast departure.

He delves into a campy, lighthearted yarn about a group of passengers and crew aboard a troubled flight in I’m So Excited (2013).

The group turns to booze and drugs to console themselves, and a circus ensues.

Someone described this as the gay Airplane! (1980), and that is fitting. Everyone on board is gay, bi-curious, or otherwise sexually confused, and the one-liners keep coming.

The premise sounds hysterical, but sadly, the film does not measure up to expectations.

FYI: I felt Airplane! was overrated.

Funny moments, but the “over-the-topness” was too much to take remotely seriously and somehow did not hold my attention throughout.

Not Almodóvar’s best work by a long shot.

2013 Films, Art, Best International Film Oscar Winners, Drama, Independent, Independent Drama, International, International Drama, Italian

The Great Beauty-2013

June 17, 2014 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Great Beauty-2013

Director Paolo Sorrentino

Starring Toni Servillo

Scott’s Review #16

Reviewed June 17, 2014

Grade: A

The Great Beauty is an Italian film and winner of the 2013 Best Foreign Language Oscar and, in my opinion, well deserved.

The film is hardly conventional- it is thoughtful, character-driven, and quite Fellini-influenced.

It takes some time to get into- the first thirty minutes are mostly people dancing and partying wildly.

Set in present-day Rome, it follows a successful sixty-five-year-old journalist as he reflects on his life, past and present.

The film explores themes of loss and loneliness, and while cynical, it is not a downer.

Quite the contrary, one party after another is thrown, and the nightlife and excesses of Rome are the centerpieces.

A main aspect of The Great Beauty is that all the money and success in the world do not measure happiness, something that many people forget.

The main character loses people close to him, and many of his wealthy friends are bored and alone. This film is about life and its complexities.

It left me thinking long after the credits rolled and is a huge testament to its power. Rarely, a film like this comes along any longer.

I felt like I was watching a masterpiece.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Foreign Language Film (won)

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best International Film

1972 Films, Best International Film Oscar Winners, Comedy, Dark Comedy, French, International, Satire

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie-1972

June 17, 2014 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie-1972

Director Luis Buñuel

Starring Fernando Rey, Paul Frankeur

Scott’s Review #13

Reviewed June 17, 2014

Grade: A-

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972) is a wonderful French satire by Director Luis Buñuel.

The movie is very strange- three well-to-do couples meander from dinner party to dinner party and, due to circumstances beyond their control (an incorrect date, a mysterious corpse, and a military raid), never end up sitting down and enjoying a meal together.

Their wealth is a bit vague, though there is mention of drug smuggling.

It’s unclear who is matched with whom, since frolicking among them is commonplace. Several of them experience odd fantasy/dream sequences throughout and are often seen wandering down the road.

The entire film is tongue-in-cheek, poking fun at the wealthy class.

It’s offbeat but delightful.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Screenplay Based on Factual Material or Material Not Previously Produced or Published, Best Foreign Language Film (won)

Golden Globe Nominations: Best Foreign Film (Foreign Language)

Welcome to my blog!1,555 reviews posted so far! I'm Scott Segrell and I reside in Stamford, CT. My site features hundreds of film reviews I have written since I launched the site in 2014. I hope you enjoy reading my latest reviews or searching for your own favorites to see if we agree. Please see my Recent Posts section, and don't forget to utilize the tags and category links.