THE YEAR MY PARENTS WENT ON VACATION

Original title: O Ano em Que Meus Pais Sairam de Férias
In Portuguese, Yiddish and German with English subtitles.

BACKGROUND
The República Federativa do Brasil is the fifth-largest country in the world by geographical area. The official language is Portuguese. Catholicism is the predominant religion. Republican democracy ended on April 1, 1964 with a successful military coup d’état. Anti-government manifestations particularily left-wing resulted in brutal repressive measures. Return to a democratic constitution officially began with the inauguration of a President on March 15, 1985.

In politics the left refers to those who advocate social equality as a political end. In the Western World the term left-wing is most often associated with social democracy. In other parts of the world including Brazil it takes the form of Communism or anti-imperialism.

The most prestigious international football competition is the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup held every four years. This event is the most widely viewed in the world with an audience twice that of the summer Olympic Games. This football competition is known as soccer in some countries and in 1970 was the first ever held outside South America and Europe. Mexico hosted it. The Brazilian team featured the likes of Pelé, Carlos Alberto, Gérson, Jairzinho, Rivelino and Tostão. Together they are regarded as the greatest attacking World Cup team ever.

São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil with a population in excess of 10 million people. As in all of Brazil, people of different religions and cultures mix with each other producing a multi-ethnic society. Today, people of 100 different ethnicities make the city their home. The Bom Retiro borough is typical comprising both a large Jewish and active Italian community.

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Michel Joelsas: 12-year-old Mauro
Eduardo Moreira: his Jewish father Daniel
Simone Spoladore: his Catholic mother Bia
Paulo Autran: Mauro’s grandfather Mótel, a barber
Germano Haiut: Schlomo, the grandfather's elderly next-door neighbour
Daniela Piepszyk: a young girl (11-year-old?) Hanna, the upstairs neighbour
Liliana Castro: Irene, a pretty waitress
Caio Blat: her boyfriend Ítalo, a politically active university student

REVIEW
Low-budget movies have their place amidst the mainstream offerings. Often set in foreign countries they provide a window to another way of life and offer a different perspective on the world as we see it. When combined with a touching story and some really fine performances this kind of movie makes for a pleasant diversion.

However it could benefit from some editing with too much of Mauro just hanging out in his grandfather’s apartment. There are other ways to convey the passage to time without subjecting the audience to lengthy expositions.

CLASSIFICATION
for thematic material, mild language, brief suggestive content, some violence and smoking.

P.S.
Goy:
Hebrew and Yiddish term for a non-Jewish person; synonymous with "gentile." Usually neutral, despite persistent untrue rumors that it is derogatory.

CARAMEL

Original title: Sukkar banat
In Arabic and French with English subtitles

BACKGROUND
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. There are wide-ranging estimates of Beirut's population, from as low as 938,940 people to a high of 2,012,000. The lack of an exact figure is due to the fact that no "comprehensive" population census has been taken in Lebanon since 1932.

It is usually referred to by Lebanese people by its French name, Beyrouth and is one of the most religiously diverse cities in all of the Middle East. There are nine major religious sects in Beirut: Sunni Muslim, Shiite Muslim, Druze, Maronite Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Greek Catholic, Armenian Orthodox, Armenian Catholic, and Protestant. Family matters such as marriage, divorce and inheritance are still handled by the religious authorities representing a person's faith.

Travel and Leisure magazine’s World’s Best Awards for 2006 ranked Beirut the 9th best city in the world, falling just short of New York City but coming ahead of San Francisco.

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Nadine Labaki: Layale, 30-year-old owner of the Si Belle beauty salon
Aziza Semaan: Lili, a bit of an odd-ball
Sihame Haddad: her younger sister Rose, a seamstress
Adel Karam: motorcycle policeman Youssef
Yasmine Elmasri: hair stylist Nisrine
Ismaïl Antar: her fiancé Bassam
Gisèle Aouad: aspiring actress Jamale
Joanna Moukarze: the shop’s shampooist Rima
Dimitri Staneofski: an elderly gentleman Charles

REVIEW
A film about women providing support to one another is not that unusual. What sets this one apart is the fact it takes place in a foreign country where the usual raft of problems is exacerbated by cultural and religious values.

Well acted throughout with plenty of funny situations and lots of love, even if it’s not the kind they were looking for. Some of the camera work is very unusual, a fresh look so to speak.

One minor complaint: Jamale is called upon to play the wanna-be actress almost as a cartoon character and her screen test goes on far too long.

CLASSIFICATION
for thematic elements involving sexuality, language and some smoking.

VANTAGE POINT

Political thriller

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Sigourney Weaver: GNN News producer Rex Brooks
Dennis Quaid: Secret Service agent Thomas Barnes
Mathew Fox: fellow agent Kent Taylor
William Hurt: William Ashton, President of the United States
Forest Whitaker: Howard Lewis, an American tourist
Eduardo Noriega: Spanish cop Enrique
Ayelet Zurer: his girlfriend Veronica
Saïd Taghmaoui: Suarez, one of Veronica's friends

REVIEW
At the risk of alienating the audience completely the same event is replayed four or five times. With each showing from a different vantage point there are additional clues to help solve the riddle of what is taking place. Not a bad way to start.

As with all movies of this genre some suspension of disbelief is required for it to work. But it shouldn’t be with the acting: both agent Barnes and Lewis give it a little too much. There are enough plot twists and turns, unexpected developments and the like to keep things moving along. The requisite car chases are well done and the action fast-paced.

All in all not a bad movie but not one likely to become a classic.

CLASSIFICATION
for sequences of intense violence and action, some disturbing images and brief strong language.

FOR NITPICKERS ONLY
 Agent Barnes sustains a cut and when first seen extends from his sideburns and runs down his cheek at a 45° angle. During the scenes that follow sometimes it does not touch his sideburns, other times it is at a more acute angle.
 Anyone on the 7th floor of the hotel would not be looking directly down into the large public square where these events take place, as it is quiet some distance away.
 Although the blue car strikes any number of vehicles in pursuit of the ambulance, it remains pristine with undamaged fenders looking like it just came out of the showroom.
 The driver too. Pristine that is.

P.S.
Agent Barnes shoots off at least a dozen rounds without reloading while running after the bad guys. I thought I had a nitpick since the last time I checked the maximum number of bullets in a magazine clip was just nine in this type of gun. However I now find out that now the make of semi-automatic pistol most commonly carried by law enforcement in the USA is a Glock. The Model 22 magazine holds 15 bullets and the Model 23 has a capacity of 13. You can’t win ‘em all.

THE GRAND

Comedy

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Woody Harrelson: "One-Eyed" Jack Faro, owner of the seedy Rabbit’s Foot casino
Michael McKean: an evil developer
David Cross: Larry Schwartzman
Cheryl Hines: his sister Lainie
Gabe Kaplan: Larry and Lainie’s father
Ray Romano: Lainie’s husband
Chris Parnell: Harold
Werner Herzog: "The German"

REVIEW
Set in Las Vegas, the self-promoted gambling capital of the world, I wouldn’t bet on it (ha, ha…get it?) but my guess is that this movie will only appeal to those
a) Who are poker fanatics
b) Who think someone describing their home town as the “Frostbite Amputation Capital of the Midwest” is a really funny one-liner.

For the rest of us this televised poker competition is not only boring it is a complete waste of time.

CLASSIFICATION
for profanity and frequent drug use.

TAXI TO THE DARK SIDE

Documentary

REVIEW
Anyone who has read a newspaper or watched a newscast since the Bush Administration’s so-called war on terror began knows full well that certain liberties with the truth have been taken at the highest echelon of authority. And we know also that the leaders of the world’s greatest military power have exercised their “right” to ignore their own laws (as well as International agreements) regarding the treatment of prisoners of war and they do pretty much as they see fit.

But this film does more than rehash what has already been said. There are photos and film clips never previously seen along with interviews with some of the people who took part in these events. It is the most severe condemnation of the Bush administration to date.

CLASSIFICATION
for disturbing images involving torture and graphic nudity.

MARRIED LIFE

Drama

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Chris Cooper: middle-aged executive Harry Allen
Pierce Brosnan: his best friend Richard Langley
Rachel McAdams: Harry’s friend Kay Nesbitt
Patricia Clarkson: Harry’s wife Pat

REVIEW
All four leads turn in excellent performances and the story about relationships (in and out of marriage) has enough nuances to keep you engaged. Consistent with the movie making style of the period, the film editing generally comprises long takes which slows down the pace a tad. Certainly entertaining enough, it is probably not one you would chose to see a second time.

CLASSIFICATION
for some thematic elements and a scene of sexuality.

FOR NITPICKERS ONLY
1. While Harry and Pat are sitting on the couch in the living room the camera is on Pat while idly stoking a dog by her side. She asks Harry a question and the camera position is now further back so we can see his response but no dog…it has vanished.
2. Pat keeps a blue bottle of Digestive Powder on the bedside table. From one shot to the next when Harry first comes in the bedroom it moves about the tray, although no one touches it.
3. The two male leads show their cultured upbringing by standing when a woman arrives at their table and their table manners are impeccable. So these two gentlemen would know it is considered proper for a man to remove his hat while on an elevator yet they fail to do so. Character flaw or nitpick? You know how I would vote.
4. Harry calls the telephone operator to report a problem with his home phone and tells her the number is 432 92. This can’t be right because the telephone number of Mrs. Walsh, his neighbour, is Radisson XXXX so you would dial 7XX XX not 4XX XX.
5. Also that telephone exchange was for the Duluth Minnesota area and not used in New York City where these events take place.

P.S.
When they give out awards for Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design this one has to be a contender. The “look” about the film is absolutely exquisite. And they have gone to great length to make it historically correct, even to the props. Upon seeing the big 20” television screen I thought I had a nitpick because the size of most TV screens back in 1949 was so small it could be entirely hidden with the current edition of Reader’s Digest magazine. But it turns out big screens were available, just not everyone could afford one.

SLEEPWALKING

Drama

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Charlize Theron: 30-something-year-old Joleen Reedy
AnnaSophia Robb: her 11-year-old daughter Tara
Nick Stahl: Joleen’s younger brother James
Woody Harrelson: his friend Randall
Dennis Hopper: the father of Joleen and James

REVIEW
If you’ve had a bad day yourself, pass on going to see this film. The central theme is simple enough: the choice one makes impacts not only ourselves but also others. And of course some people are prone to making bad choices more often than good ones. However all this reality can become depressing.

On the other hand it can provide an opportunity to see some really fine acting by a young person (Robb as Tara) especially during the time she is out on the farm.

The film editor has done an excellent job as virtually every shot we see advances the story, albeit at a rather turgid pace. Hardly anything can be edited out without some loss of story development.

Very little screen time is given to the more experienced actors (Theron and Hopper) but both pack a wallop in their performances.

CLASSIFICATION
for language and a scene of violence.

P.S.
Anyone a bit squeamish will want to avert their eyes during the episode in the barn of the very bloody birth of a stillborn calf.