" Solo Quiero Caminar "

Year: 2008
Director: Agustín Díaz Yanes
Verdict: 8/10
English version: Just Walking




Starring : Diego Luna
Elena Araya
Victoria Abril
Ariadna Gil
Pilar Lopez de Ayala





Synopsis:

A story of four women out for revenge and retribution, that would do anything
at all cost
to have a better life and for the sake of camaraderie.



Aurora,in prison for an earlier robbery, while the rest of her friends/gang mates,
Ana, her sister, Gloria and Palom are outside trying to figure out how to set their lives in
proportion, for them, life hasn't been easy.
One is an ex- prostitute who is also the sister of Aurora,
she has accepted a marriage proposal from a Mexican drug leader named Felix.
All seems to good to be true, until she realizes that her husband was a dangerous man,
powerful and would do everything for money.



So, she devised a plan, carefully laid out the details and persuaded her friends,
Paloma and Gloria to rob his office,
but before the big heist can be done, Ana was purposely thrown out
of the car by her husband Felix and was left into a vegetative state.
When Aurora found out about what happened to her sister,
devastated and tormented.
After serving at least 4months in prison.
She was out for revenge to catch a flight heading Mexico.
All seems well, until she met Felix's hit man, the devil's archangel named
Gabriel, played by Diego Luna.



Will the plan go smoothly or will it backfire?








Since Spanish isn't my native language and without the subtitles,
I had to view it twice to understand it better, a bit puzzling,
I thought there were flashbacks every now and then,
I couldn't get it at first till I realized there were none and that it was a fast paced film and
a well plotted story.
I think Diego Luna is without a doubt a charmer in this film, you couldn't get your eyes off him,
even in his dark and macabre character as the assasin,
he still has a soft spot for women. He fell for it.
The women on the other hand played it well too.
Ariadna Gil made you believe like she's the superwoman, the one with all the brains.
Victoria Abril, although a bit old already, still manages to portray her chraracter
as a seemingly doting mother while planning on a heist.
Although, there are some points that would made you re-think, whether or not the girls
could really do it, if they are really that smart to outwit a drug lord, I like the fact,
that it shows how courageous and at the same time, how desperate these women can be.
Although, I doubt what they're really aiming for was revenge, in the end,
it's all about money and greed.




hypnotic soundtrack played by Paco de lucia, ost
and beautiful setting of Mexico and Spain.



watch the trailer here :

" Comme les cinq doigts de la mains "

Verdict: 8/10
Year: 2010
un film de: Alexandre Arcady



Patrick Bruel
Vincent Elbaz
Pascal Elbe
Eric Caravaca
Matthieu Delarive



This is about 5 brothers and a doting mother in a family that has strong Jewish beliefs.
Each of them successful in their own careers, the eldest one, a restaurateur, the other, owning a pharmacy,
a professor and the youngest owns a gaming club.
But a story that seems atypical went complicated when one of the brothers, David, went to Marseilles and was involved
in drugs, violence and the mafia. Things got complicated and was soon wanted by the authorities.

David was the black sheep among them, he didn't have a good life and was in hiding for quite sometime and like any all-too perfect family,
there's always a secret that's unrevealed.
His father was once involved in this mess and only David and his mother knows about it, concealing the truth,
in order to protect their family and thereby risking his life.

As the story progresses, it's not David's life that is at stake anymore but all of them.
The brothers decided to take matters into their own hands.
It's about revenge and retribution, when the unreasonable becomes reasonable.




This film is about camaraderie and brotherhood.
I think what makes it more interesting was the powerhouse cast of actors who played superbly in their role.
Another thing, for a non-Jewish like me, I learned a lot of Jewish customs and its religion.
It is overall a movie that sets your pace, though some parts maybe a bit of cliche, but a good movie nonetheless.

" Le Grand Alibi "

Verdict: 8/10
Year: 2008
Directed by: Pascal Bonitzer

English version: The Grand Alibi

Based from the novel: Agatha Christie's The Hollow- "Le Vallon"




Set in the countryside, somewhere off Paris was the usual weekend get together
held by the Pages folks.
They all knew each other but not too well, as in every reunion, you get the odds and ends of each person, the awkward and aloof,
the others who may seem out of place, the meek but has deep angst inside him,
the bossy, the talker.






It looks anything but ordinary except for Dr. Collier, a womanizer with a disturbing past, suddenly murdered beside the pool on a quiet afternoon, uttering his final words Debra ( wife's name ), the main suspect as she was holding the smoking gun.
and so begins the mysterious thriller of whodunit.






It was what the french would say comme ci, comme ca, well plotted scenarios
and a great cast.
I watched this film not knowing it was an Agatha Christie inspired novel.
It was when the murder happened and the suspects started lining up that made me realized this seemed all too familiar, like reading it out from the book
and you never miss out on the author's attention to detail if you're a fan. ^-^
It would've been perfect except the famous Hercule Poirot detective wasn't in the picture, tsk, tsk and although, some of the characters and plots have been altered but the gist is still there and with a plausible ending.

" Salt "

Verdict : 7/10
Directed by: Phillip Noyce
Year: 2010

Angelina Jolie
Liev Schreiber

Who is Evelyn Salt ?
The intriguing question that leaves viewers guessing till the last second.

A non stop, fast paced action flick that's absorbing and gripping.













It was rumored tha the original pick was supposedly for Tom Cruise, but he turned down the script and
was played by Jolie instead.

The film was set in Washington which was stunning.
It involves russian spies vs the CIA government, totally mind boggling as the plot continues, you think Salt -
played by Jolie is a spy or an anti-CIA, accused and confused.
She doesn't know who to trust, what to believe and what's really happening,
because everything is a cover up.
She seems to be controlling the government, while the CIA hunts and chases her believing she
might be part of a serious plan to murder the Russian president.











Jolie does an excellent job as the heroine.
I must admit, i'm not a big fan of her, the one time i watched Tomb raider,
I fell asleep almost all throughout the film but not this one,
an entertainment not to be missed.

" The Ghostwriter "

Year: 2008
Directed: Roman Polanski
Verdict: 7/10



Directed by Roman Polanski, a master of psychological thriller in his acclaimed films like Macbeth (during the early years), Rosemary's baby (a chilling tale starring Mia Farrow) and the Ninth Gate (starring Johnny Depp).
Unlike other directors that sets off a full action packed with all its effect, the Polanski kind lets you into this slow pace speed like reading a book and each page you turn, the story gets more suspicious, exciting and gripping.
This is obviously a story of whodunit mystery.



This story is about a ghostwriter named Mike Namara who drowned off the coast mysteriously.
It was said to be an accident but wasn't otherwise. Another was assigned to this project to write a book in memoir of Adam lang, a stage actor turned politician who live somewhere off the coast in a secluded area.
He was a prime minister but was accused of many things one that concerns terrorism.
Ewan Mc Gregor, who played the part of a ghostwriter was reluctant to accept the job but finally agreed because it was highly paid and controversial.



One thing led to another as the mystery unfolds and secrets involving the CIA, more things became conspicuous that this wasn't an ordinary manuscript waiting to be fixed but a life threatening one that could almost cost his life.



The first bit was intriguing and then it went a bit dragging if not boring, but was soon saved by its climax.
This one takes patience.
The portrayal of Ewan Mc Gregor was phenomenal in his playful but anguish character.
The film had a dark, bleak an almost eerie sense in it.

Kim Cattrall, whom we all know, played as Samantha in Sex in the city, makes you forget that she once had a bitchy role.
Her role as an assistant to the ex prime minister was funny if not believable,
and how can we overlook Pierce Brosnan, who's dashing and debonair than ever.

" El Secreto de tus Ojos

French: dans ses yeux
International: the secret in their eyes
Year: 2009
Verdict: 9/10
Directed by: Juan José Campanella
Based on the novel: La pregunta de sus Ojos de Eduardo Sacheri
Played by: Ricardo Darín, Soledad Villamil



" In one's eyes...you can tell if the person's lying or telling the truth, you have to look deep into it. "





A provocative thriller that weaves a tale of compassion, secrets that slowly unravels as it unfolds, a story about murder, mysteries in life and love.
Like a novel, it's a page turner that will leave you watching till the end.
Don't confuse this as a spanish film because it's Argentinian.


" A certain man can change his whole appearance, his face, his job, even his lifestyle, but one thing you can never change in him is his Passion. "

The protagonist of this film is played by Ricardo Darin, who's Benjamin Esposito in this film, late 30's he's working in the justice dept. for a clerical job, along with his colleague named Sandoval, who's light headed, a good companion, but also has a bad habit of drinking.
One day, along comes a lady called Irene Menendez Hastings, played by Soledad Villamil, ravishing, has a goos family background, recently graduated and has a degree from Harvard law school.

Esposito was instantly head over heels but chose to remain silent and kept his feelings to himself, coming from different backgrounds, he doesn't think he will be good enough for her.
One afternoon, Benjamin was asked by one of the judges to look into the case of a Young lady, who was tortured, raped and killed.
He was reluctant at first and uninterested about it, but all that is about to change once he gets involve in this case, too involve that it suddenly looks like an obsession, ultimately, finding out who the real killer is.




I would love to tell you more about its details, unfortunately, that would spoil the story and the ending which is the best part.
It has some funny moments between Sandoval and Benjamin and heartbreaking scenes with Irene and benjamin but the must see part was around the football field, catching the killer and interrogating him afterwards.

The killer's motive is ruthless and senseless, yet we don't know how someone's mind changes and reacts to certain situations.
A tale about beginnings and changes, there's a lot of flashbacks and recollections that is vital in every scenario.

Kudos for them winning the Goya awards and the Oscar.
I think Ricardo Darin is a great actor, he can spill out emotions without any dialogue and he's work with this talented director also, J.J. Campanella, with films such as The Son of the Bride which is also a nice film.

Trailer:

Avance de El Secreto de tus Ojos en Yahoo! Video

here's winning this year's Oscar Awards.

El Secreto de sus Ojos gana el Oscar! en Yahoo! Video