Sommarnattens leende - Smiles of a Summer's Night (1955)

A "romantic comedy" by Ingmar Bergman. How, you might wonder, does a romantic comedy by Ingmar Bergman look? Oh, it's easy. Do keep the deep thoughts and concerned people, even the old wise ones, even the mean and the young desperate ones, just have them all laugh at each other; also set up some coincidences (my favourite scene is the one where trying to hang himself on an ill-chosen piece of tube, the son falls against the hidden knob that causes his secret love aka wife of his father, angelically sleeping in her bed, to slide into the room) --- and you're all set.

Paradise Now (2005)

Set in West Bank/Israel, this movie tells the story of two brothers who have volunteered to be suicide bombers. When they are told that the next day the mission is to be fulfilled in Tel-Aviv, their faith in Allah seems unshaken. Stepping in is a young, sort of enlightened (or enpeaced) and also very pretty woman who has grown up in France and Morocco; Her line goes along the critique of the old testament, "the Israelis will have to give in once we stop fighting back", whereas Said and Khaled understand the conflict more as a war, and the "imprisoned life" as pointless anyway. But on their way to Tel-Aviv some complications occur and they gain time to think about it. The movie won quite some awards (among which the Golden Calf). Possibly because of its pace which is very slow, creating an athmosphere that can be both very intimate and very tense. There's lots of time to observe in Said's face changes of thought - a very attentive movie, in that sense. Actually it's much more obvious that he's thinking hard than what it is he's deciding. Maybe that makes him a character to empathise with as it is obviously not obvious what to decide. I found interesting also how little talk takes place in terms of clarification. The frames in which they live are clear enough to everyone. The soldier lets you pass by a slight movement of the head. Also sending away a boy that begs for more money is done without words: there is a dialogue of glances, eyebrow lifts and slight head movements that settles the matter. Said seems to tell his mother about the suicide plan (which is supposed to stay secret even to the family) also by looks and slight head shaking... Showing a very close community. Also very calm and peaceful (again, the pace), not hateful or aggressive in any way, not even against Israelis (that part is somehow spared from the movie); the suicide bombing as a reasonable thing to do on the grounds of the common interpretation of Allah's word and facing the Israelis' thread. (I wonder why does that surprise me!? I probably expected the wild bearded guys.) Overall: recommended.

1408

What Mike Enslin would like to see the most is a ghost, but he never saw one even though he published lots of books about these paranormal phenomenos. He visits all places that seem to have ghosts but he always comes back disappointed. Then he gets this message, not to enter room 1408 in the "Dolphine Hotel". So of course he becomes curious but doesn´t really believe in anyhing authentic. But he isn´t able to rent the room, the owner of the hotel is acting very strange and wants to convince him to take another room. So of course he gets the room and after he has been inside the movie looses what I think belongs to a good horror movie. All these ghosts walking to the windows again and again to kill themselves, all his obvious fears that he was suppressing before, and the worst is when the ghost of his father appears, from whom we only know that he must have done something wrong with his son. Well, well, that´s more or less it, still some things happen that are weather logical nor scary (what is the essence of horror). So, don´t worry about missing it.

Surf´s Up

"Find your way cause that´s what winners do", since "Big Z", the most famous surfer spoke to him, Cody want´s to become like him. Not so easy if you work in a fish factory and live far away from where the sufer-competition takes place. But this year he is lucky and so he arrives at the beautiful beach far away from home and has to learn first that a big ego is not enough to win. Ashamed he hides from the others till he finds out what surfing is really about. And we get an impression about the philosophy of surfing. I liked this movie, it is really not exiting but sweet and made for big and small children with a good soundtrack which guides us through the waves.

Full Metal Village/ Ein Heimatfilm

Wacken. A small village in north germany. Many farmers, mainly old people. Young girls that dream of a model career, a lot of cows. Nothing special, nothing exiting. But then, once a year the metal fans from all over the world travel to this small unexiting small village to celebrate one of the most famous metal festivals worldwide. The idyll of the village is disturbed for a few days, the old ladys philosophise about blood rituals while they are having their cup of coffee and the metal fans run over the supermarket for beer. This movie from the japanese Sung-Hyung Cho shows two completely different worlds that meet once a year. When you bring patience for the slow motion you will enjoy it. It is absolutly worth watching.

Muxmäuschenstill

Mux wants to change the peoples mind. He wants to make a better world and gets help from Gerd who didn´t have a job ever. Gerd is holding a camera while Mux uses his very personal methods to help the offender regret his cirme. Graffiti sprayers have to come along with their own coulours in theis faces, burning in their eyes and it might happen they get killed by a train they obviously couldn´t see. Or a lady who has to eat the shit of her dog that she didn´t clean on the footpath. And Mux is successful, his "company" expanses and he becomes popular. But this sweet inocent girl he met is still on his mind, till he has to find out she is not the way he imagined her. And in the end (maybe even before) the spectator aks him/herself if Muxs is any better then the other offenders. A schocking realistic movie that comes along without any special effects.