Intouchables (2011)

Direced by: Olivier Nakache / Eric Toledano
Country: France

Plot: Affluent paraplegic Philippe develops an unexpectedly close bond with his gruff aide, Driss, in this affecting comedy drama inspired by a true story.
Quick comment: An improbable friendship is depicted by giving more emphasis on laughs rather than sentimentality. Despite some manipulations to please the masses it delivers some joy through funny situations. Great soundtrack (especially by Kool and the Gang) also helps. Without being great it guarantees a good dose of entertainment.
Relevant Awards: Grand Prix at Tokyo Film Festival, Japan; Cesar Award for best actor (Omar Sy), France.

The Grey (2011)

Directed by: Joe Carnahan
Country: USA

Plot: After their plane crashes in Alaska, seven oil workers are led by a skilled huntsman to survival, but a pack of merciless wolves haunts their every step.
Quick comment: Liam Neeson plays a grieved hunter who takes the lead in a survival journey through desolate landscapes full of hungry wolves. The scariest part was the plane crash. All the rest was just cliché stuff decorated with very bad dialogs. Not recommended.
Relevant Awards: -

Blood Of My Blood (2011)

Directed by: João Canijo
Country: Portugal

Plot: A regular family living in the outskirts of Lisbon sees the serenity of their lives shaken beyond any remedy within a week.
Quick comment: Internationally acclaimed this movie has motives to be the proud of modern portuguese cinema. João Canijo does a wonderful job in direction, the acting is sensational and the compelling script evolves to an unexpected and shocking final. Aside from Pedro Costa's trilogy about the Fontainhas neighbourhood, never before a typical low-class portuguese family had been so masterfully portrayed.
Relevant Awards: grand jury prize and special mention at Miami Film Festival, USA; etc.

Oranges And Sunshine (2010)

Directed by: Jim Loach
Country: Australia/UK

Plot: Set in 1980s Nottingham, social worker Margaret Humphreys holds the British government accountable for child migration schemes and reunite the children involved (now adults living mostly in Australia with their parents in Britain).
Quick comment: The movie tends to be scattered in the first 40 minutes. When it tries to get right back on track it is too late. The story is consistent and it’s visible the concern of being truthful to the facts. The problem is in the way it was done. Using the same old conventional approach it wasn’t able to be catchy.
Relevant Awards: -

The Last Rites of Joe May (2011)

Directed by: Joe Maggio
Country: USA

Plot: This movie chronicles the last days in the life of Joe May, an aging, short money hustler who always believed that a glorious destiny awaited him around every corner...
Quick comment: The character played by Dennis Farina as an old-fashioned gangster trying desperately to survive is very good. On the other hand the big-hearted crook story's development isn't novelty, making you guess what will happen next. Nevertheless the conflicts shown are realistic and little by little we become getting fond of Joe May.
Relevant Awards: -

Putty Hill (2010)

Directed by: Matthew Porterfield

Country: USA

Plot: A young man's untimely death unites a fractured family and their community through shared memory and loss.

Quick comment: The death of a young drug-addict from Baltimore was the inspiration for Porterfield to blend fiction and documentary in this "indie" production. Without making judgements, he directs the camera on family and friends of the deceased around his funeral date. The tough environment these people live are evident - they all seemed detached and somehow lost, having trouble in exteriorize their affections. Without a main character it has the ability of never losing interest.

Relevant Awards: -

Young Adult (2011)

Directed by: Jason Reitman
Country: USA

Plot: Soon after her divorce, a fiction writer returns to her home in small-town Minnesota, looking to rekindle a romance with her ex-boyfriend, who is now happily married and has a newborn daughter.
Quick comment: Reitman has accustomed us with the excellence of his scripts (“thank you for smoking”, “juno”, “up in the air”) and “young adult” is no different. A very smart movie that features loneliness, immaturity and frustration (all quite common these days!) disguised with light touches of dark humor. Charlize Theron has a terrific performance as a disturbingly depressive woman.
Relevant Awards: -

Mozart's Sister (2010)

Directed by: René Féret
Country: France

Plot: A re-imagined account of the early life of Maria Anna 'Nannerl' Mozart, five years older than Wolfgang and a musical prodigy in her own right.
Quick comment: A creative story that somehow turns out to be forgettable. The repressed Nannerl never clearly emerge with her emotions and as consequence the movie never gets close to its potential. Féret had directed 14 feature films before. None of them achieved notoriety.
Relevant Awards: -

Las Acacias (2011)

Directed by: Pablo Giorgelli
Country: Argentina

Plot: Rubén is a lonely truck driver who has been covering for years the motorway from Asunción del Paraguay to Buenos Aires, carrying wood. However, today's journey will be different.
Quick comment: Definitely not for everyone - minimal story; very slow pace. At first it’s really a test to your patience because almost anything happens for a long time. Slowly, it starts to unfold some warm feelings and we can catch a glimpse of romance that will arrive soon. Could have had a bit more of excitement but it’s still worth for its realism and authenticity.
Relevant Awards: Golden Camera at Cannes Film Festival, France.

Take Shelter (2011)

Directed by: Jeff Nichols
Country: USA

Plot: Plagued by a series of apocalyptic visions, a young husband and father questions whether to shelter his family from a coming storm, or from himself.
Quick comment: I usually don’t like this kind of movies (about catastrophes) but this one has something more. It takes good advantage of psychological factor and can deliver real panic and stressful situations. The cold and determined character played by Michael Shannon is excellent and enough to keep us startled till the final revelation.
Relevant Awards: Critics Week Grand Prize and SACD Award for best feature(Cannes, France); Special Jury Award (Gijon , Spain).

Once Upon A Time In Anatolia (2011)

Directed by: Nuri Bilge Ceylan

Country: Turkey

Plot: A group of men set out in search of a dead body in the Anatolian steppes.

Quick comment: The cinema of Nuri B.Ceylan is beautiful but requires some patience from the viewer due to its slow pace. A very detailed investigation of a murder is the excuse to disclose the different characters of the people involved – suspects, police officers, doctor and prosecutor. A cynical criticism is used to denounce fragilities in the turkish police and medical procedures.

Relevant Awards: Grand Prize of the Jury at Cannes Film Festival, France; Netpac Award at Karlovy Vary Fest., Czech Republic.

Faust (2011)

Directed by: Aleksandr Sokurov

Country: Russia

Plot: A version of the German legend in which a man sells his soul to the devil in exchange of knowledge.

Quick comment: Master direction from Sokurov in this loose and controversial, though captivating, adaptation of Goethe's literary work. Every frame is like a painting made with brush strokes of grotesque and profanity. As in most of his movies, the adopted style and mood are not easy to assimilate at once, whereas its creative approach has something to say in a time where fresh new ideas are very welcomed.

Relevant Awards: Golden Lion at Venice Film Festival, Italy.

Terraferma (2011)

Directed by: Emanuele Crialese
Country: Italy

Plot: A Sicilian family deals with the arrival of a group of immigrants on their island.
Quick comment: Crialese (“respiro”; “the golden door”) expose the issue of illegal immigration lived in the Sicily islands. It’s curious the dilemma that opposes the law of the fishermen to the law of the authorities concerning immigration. Despite some irrelevant scenes and an unfinished story, "terraferma" is worth seeing for its cinematography and to better understand the different sides taken by the inhabitants that live mostly from fishery and tourist activities.
Relevant Awards: Special Jury Prize and Pasinetti Award at Venice Film Festival, Italy.

The End (2008)

Directed by: Nicola Collins
Country: USA

Plot: The End reveals the bloody history and confessions of the cockney gangster.
Quick comment: A documentary presenting a few british gangsters boasting about deeds that they shouldn't be proud of. Both director and producer are daughters of the interviewed gangster Les Falco. Sometimes is funny.
Relevant Awards: -

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)

Directed by: Tomas Alfredson

Country: USA

Plot: In the bleak days of the Cold War, espionage veteran George Smiley is forced from semi-retirement to uncover a Soviet agent within MI6.

Quick comment: Based on the great novel by John Le Carré, this feature doesn't spread much intensity or enthusiasm. A too dense content and the uncountable connections become a bit hard to follow if you're not attentive. Even so I watched it with curiosity. From the swedish director of "let the right one in"(2008).

Relevant awards: best adapted screenplay at BAFTA Awards, UK.

The Adventures of Tintin (2011)

Directed by: Steven Spielberg

Country: USA

Plot: Intrepid reporter Tintin and Captain Haddock set off on a treasure hunt for a sunken ship commanded by Haddock's ancestor.

Quick comment: Inspired by one of the best known comics ever, "Tintin" reveals Spielberg's return to the ebullient times of "raiders of the lost ark". Expect lots of action, adventure and funny situations in a very well made adaptation. If "war horse" which was made in the same year was a disappointment, "tintin" cheered me up.

Relevant awards: -

Chronicle (2012)

Directed by: Josh Trank

Country: USA

Plot: Three high school friends gain superpowers after making an incredible discovery. Soon, though, they find their lives spinning out of control and their bond tested as they embrace their darker sides.

Quick comment: Presented as a false documentary, it tries to persuade us with super-powers stuff and a bunch of special effects. I wonder if this was made for grown-ups or just for kids. No, no...the chaos is not installed! It's just a movie full of crap.

Relevant Awards: -

The Artist (2011)

Directed by: Michel Hazanavicius

Country: France

Plot: Hollywood, 1927: As silent movie star George Valentin wonders if the arrival of talking pictures will cause him to fade into oblivion, he sparks with Peppy Miller, a young dancer set for a big break.

Quick comment: Very inventive and bold story, it manages to catch the audiences in an old fashioned way. I could feel the joy from the cinema of other times. The 5 oscars were deserved, including the one for Jean Dujardin for best performance in a leading role.

Relevant Awards: Best motion picture, actor and director at Academy Awards, USA and BAFTA Awards, UK; best actor at Cannes Film Festival, France; etc.

This Must Be The Place (2011)

Directed by: Paolo Sorrentino

Country: Italy/France/Ireland

Plot: A bored, retired rock star sets out to find his father's executioner, an ex-Nazi war criminal who is a refugee in the U.S.

Quick comment: Weird story and grey mood in a movie where Sean Penn looks like Robert Smith from the gothic-pop band "The Cure". Strong performances, solid direction and a great soundtrack in charge of David Byrne, contrasts with a doubtful and not so confident plot. From this italian director I highly recommend his masterpiece from 2004, "the consequences of love".

Relevant Awards: prize of the ecumenical jury at Cannes Film Festival, France.

The Flowers of War (2011)

Directed by: Zhang Yimou

Country: China

Plot: A Westerner finds refuge with a group of women in a church during Japan's rape of Nanking in 1937. Posing as a priest, he attempts to lead the women to safety.

Quick comment: I thought something decent would come out of this, regarding the career of director Zhang Yimou and actor Christian Bale. But I was completely wrong. It stands ridiculously out of reality and should be shortened for at least 1 hour. So my advice is: don’t waste your time on this. Instead I would recommend "city of life and death"(2009) which deals with the same subject.

Relevant Awards: -

Elena (2011)

Directed by: Andrei Zvyagintsev

Country: Russia

Plot: Elena and Vladimir are an older couple, they come from different backgrounds. Vladimir is a wealthy man, while Elena comes from a modest milieu and is a docile wife...

Quick comment: A relentlessly cold movie where nothing is given too quick or too slow. The perfect balance was found by Zvyagintsev to get our best attention in this realistic and shocking story. By using interesting subjects and having a fantastic sense of filmmaking (also evident in “the return” and “the banishment”) this is another gem of european modern cinema.

Relevant Awards: Un certain regard jury prize at Cannes Film Festival, France; best film at Ghent Film Festival, Belgium.

The Descendants (2011)

Directed by: Alexander Payne

Country: USA

Plot: A land baron tries to re-connect with his two daughters after his wife suffers a boating accident.

Quick comment: This hawaiian folk song directed by the acclaimed Alexander Payne, manages to be light and warm without getting too corny. Far from the poignant humor of “about Schmidt” or the sweet emotions of “sideways”, “the descendants” still is an enjoyable movie.

Relevant Awards: Best motion picture and best actor at Golden Golbes, USA.

War Horse (2011)

Directed by: Steven Spielberg

Country: USA

Plot: Young Albert enlists to serve in World War I after his beloved horse is sold to the cavalry. Albert's hopeful journey takes him out of England and across Europe as the war rages on.

Quick comment: The imagery is engaging but the unstimulating plot doesn’t follow the same path. A commercial movie which tries to awake your feelings. Perfectly watchable but instantly forgettable.

Relevant Awards: -

Carnage (2011)

Directed by: Roman Polanski

Country: USA

Plot: Two pairs of parents hold a cordial meeting after their sons are involved in a fight, though as their time together progresses, increasingly childish behavior throws the evening into chaos.

Quick comment: In the beginning, I really felt interested in this very peculiar gathering of 4 disturbed parents. However, the curious dialogs and tense behaviors suddenly became hysterically exaggerated. It was a shame that such a good and promising idea had been hampered by these constant variations.

Relevant Awards: Little Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival, Italy.

678 (2010)

Directed by: Mohamed Diab
Country: Egypt

Plot: Unfolds the poignant story of three women and their search for justice from the daily plight of sexual harassment in Egypt.
Quick comment: All the efforts made to denounce this typical situations in Egypt are to be praised. I would never have imagined that the men carried a lemon in their pockets just to start harassing the women. The bad part is that the storytelling falls in some kind of heroic melodrama and the connections made at the end are a bit forced.
Relevant Awards: Best actor and actress at Dubai Film Festival.