Of Gods and Men AKA Des hommes et des dieux (6/10) (2010)

A group of missionaries (monks of Tibhirine) living in Atlas mountains in Algeria peacefully near a muslim village in the 1990s when terrorists threaten the well being in general, and perhaps the Christian priests in particular. Its a slow moving movie as the situation warrants - with the priests deliberating whether they should leave and thinking what their mission is, what they are headed for and so on. There is always the possibility of their being kidnapped or killed. Some of them go through phases of wanting to leave, but a couple are steadfast that they won't including the medic priest.

The encounters are a bit documentary like because they are real but the acting is superb, and the icing is the bit during their "last supper" when they have all decided to stay - a piece from Tchaikovsky's ballet, Swan Lake (10th movement, the first from Act II: Scene: Moderato).

While the discussions of the priests are shown in fair detail, the other side is shown just in sketches, and their encounters have no discussion as such (perhaps as is likely to happen in a real-life situation when at least one side has its views fixed). I would have liked to see more on those lines though.

Of Gods and Men AKA
Des hommes et des dieux (6/10) (2010)

Le scaphandre et le papillon AKA The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007) (6/10)

Last evening as I was walking home I was contemplating about armchair universes and about moving cursors and hopefully even objects with thoughts. Why does one need the body? As my netflix queue was shrinking I looked around and found this French movie which I was able to stream.

It is based on a real story, and in that the story itself is impressive. A man losing all his body except for one eye, and thanks to good care, visionary therapists and a will to lie and generally be good humored about it, he manages to accomplish something which other souls handicapped by having too many things to do, do not.

But it is a story of an individual, and he dwelves in his past, the best he can do. Others can take courage from him that not all is lost when seemingly it is. After choosing to fight for it, it is upto each individual what to actually do. Sometimes too much may depend on those around you though.

Le scaphandre et le papillon AKA The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007) (6/10)

Les Quatre cents coups AKA 400 Blows (1959) (6/10)

A B&W story of a boy told in B&W. A subtle yet thorny issue is dealt in too short a time for a movie. How one thing leads to another driving the boy into things that he should not necessarily be doing. The movie is not slow, yet does not cover enough ground possibly as it goes in to some details in some sections. The end is not too enlightening.

Les Quatre cents coups AKA 400 Blows (1959) (6/10)

Auberge espagnole, L' aka The Spanish Apartment (2002) (5/10)

A movie about a French student moving to Madrid and spending an year there living with other students from other countries and also with two people he has met at the time of his arrival. His journey through the year and ups and downs are depicted.

Auberge espagnole, L' aka The Spanish Apartment (2002) (5/10)

Monsieur Ibrahim et les fleurs du Coran aka Monsieur Ibrahim (2003) (6/10)

A fairly straightforward plot (if you can call it that) and a triumph of nurture over nature with a bit of sex thrown in for taste. A French boy is groomed by a moslem and told that he gets all his answers from the Koran. What the answers are is never revealed, of course. It is really about love and people power than any religion. Or, in fact, it is the common denominator of all that is good in religions. Without the biased, selfish, oneupmanshipish part.

Monsieur Ibrahim et les fleurs du Coran aka Monsieur Ibrahim (2003) (6/10)

Le Déclin de l'empire américain aka The Decline of the American Empire (1986) (7/10)

This Canadian French movie is interesting. It is a very dialogue driven movie about sex or liberation through sex, or at least that feeling from before the time when people did not consider themselves liberated (do they now?). It almost gets boring in the first half. The second picks itself well, and though there is no explicit philosophising, it is clear that larger aspects of life are clearly linked. An obsessedness and yet a kind of detachedness, definition of an odd kind of continuity as stability or even love. It is intelligent rather than meaningless banter. My favourite part was the Woddy Alleny dance.

Le Déclin de l'empire américain aka The Decline of the American Empire (1986) (7/10)

À nous la liberté aka Liberty for us (1931) (6/10)

Two prisoners plan to escape. Can they survive in the treacherous world outside? Yes, at least until no one knows they have run away. Some parts are a bit stretched, and not in the same way cartoons are when they discover gravity. That kind of farfetchedness is natural. Not enterpreunership. The good parts involve an early exposure and farsightedness in terms of assembly line technology as well as the possible pitfalls. The end is rather vague and does not seem to take you anywhere.

À nous la liberté aka Liberty for us (1931) (6/10)

Journal d'un curé de campagne aka Diary of a country priest (1951) (5/10)

The movie starts off very promising and has some excellent performances, but unfortunately gets lost in its own melancholy tune. The sad priest does look sad and the townsmen do look menacing without appearing so. Indifferent. Nothing much seems to happen. If anything, its a version of a series of unfortunate events. The finale is the moment when the priest finally realises the ultimate truth. But then it is a bit late for him, and the others won't get enlightenment until they themselves experience it. A sad story of the entire history of humanity.

Journal d'un curé de campagne aka Diary of a country priest (1951) (5/10)