Be Happy, It's An Order - Mutlu Ol, Bu Bir Emirdir

A brilliant Turkish short film about government efforts to control folk music. Directed by Sinan Çetin.

Abril Despedaçado - Behind the Sun (2001)

Abril Despedaçado is a film directed by the brilliant Brazilian Walter Salles, most famous for his excellent road movie "The Motorcycles Diaries". The film is inspired by the novel Broken Sun by the Albanian writer Ismail Kadare, about the honour culture in the North of Albania.

Behind the Sun tells a story about two families locked in a blood feud over sugar cane land in the 1910s somewhere in the north-east of Brazil. While showing the true face of poverty, Salles doesn't nourish the expectation with such corny stereotypes. Full of poetic imagery, dazzling photography and heartfelt performances, this is a wonderful portrayal of human pride and stubbornness along with love and duty. It shows the struggle between doing the right thing and doing the honourable thing.

This is a stunning piece of cinematography. A must see!

More info:
Official Website
IMDb
Wikipedia
Rotten Tomatoes

Trailer:

Utomlyonnye solntsem - Burnt by the Sun (1994)

Directed by Russian director and actor Nikita Mikhalkov, "Burnt by the Sun" is a powerful portrait of the viciousness during the Stalin era. It combines brilliantly history and drama, beautifully written and acted, it is a fantastic chronicle of love, family and the intrusion of politics.

Oleg Menshikov delivers an outstanding performance as Mitya, while the acting of Mikhalkov himself and his daughter, Nadezhda Mikhalkova, is also wonderful. Moreover, the photography of the Russian countryside is beautiful.

Overall, a great film about all those people "burnt by the sun" of revolution! Highly recommended!

There is a sequel coming out this year. Even though a sequel is usually a bad idea, Mikhalkov is a great director and you never know... :)

More info:
Wikipedia
IMDb
Rotten Tomatoes

The trailer is stupid, so here is a musical part from the beginning of the film:

Money as Debt

"Money as Debt" and "Money as Debt II: Promises Unleashed" are two animated documentaries by Paul Grignon about the monetary systems practised through modern banking. The films visually demonstrate the process of money creation by private corporations known as "banks", illustrate the historical background of this system and warn of its subsequent unsustainability. They explain in simple and straight forward language the true nature of money and the dysfunctional and undemocratic nature of the global banking system. Brilliant and entertaining!

Official Website

Money as Debt (for greek subtitles go here):


Money as Debt II: Promises Unleashed

Goodbye Zeros - Top 20 soundtracks

After voting for the top 20 films of the decade, it is now time to vote for the best soundtracks of the zeros. The voting is organised by elafini. In my opinion, Clint Mansell was the best composer of the decade with three top class soundtracks, all in my top 20 list. Nick Cave & Warren Ellis and Philip Glass composed fantastic scores. The scores from Requiem for a Dream and Amelie are probably the most recognisable soundtracks of the zeros!

The results of the voting are here!


20. Philip Glass and Yo-Yo Ma - Naqoyqatsi (2002)

Beautiful minimalism by Philip Glass, with cello solos by the great cellist Yo-Yo Ma. Not as good as The Hours or Koyaanisqatsi but still brilliant!


19. Nick Cave & Warren Ellis - The Proposition (2005)

Excellent modern day western. Awesome music by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis (The Bad Seeds, Dirty Three), their first great soundtrack of the decade. Could be higher!


18. Air - The Virgin Suicides (2000)

Decent movie by Sofia Coppola, great soundtrack by Air! Electronica at its best!


17. Eddie Vedder - Into the Wild (2007)

A great surprise by Pearl Jam's frontman!


16. Johan Söderqvist - Let the right one in (2008)

Fantastic music! I didn't know Söderqvist before this film. More


15. Björk - Selmasongs/Dancer in the dark (2000)

Great music and one of the best duets of the decade ("I've seen it all").


14. Your Hand in Mine - Every Night Dream (2008)

Music for Mikio Naruse's silent film. More


13. World's End Girlfriend - Air Doll (2009)

A masterpiece by Katsuhiko Maeda. More


12. Alberto Iglesias - Hable con ella (2002)

Excellent collaboration by Almodovar and Alberto Iglesias (once again!)

11. Clint Mansell - Moon (2009)

Masterpiece No.3 by Clint Mansell. More


10. Philip Glass - The Hours (2002)

Probably the best Glass since Koyaanisqatsi.


9. Javier Navarrete - Pan's Labyrinth (2006)

Dark and beautiful, just like the film!


8. Terence Blanchard - 25th Hour (2002)

Excellent! From this film I discovered Terence Blanchard.


7. Shigeru Umebayashi/Various - In the mood for love (2000)

Brilliant film, beautiful music! I wish I could have 2046 in this list as well.


6. Nick Cave & Warren Ellis - The Assassination of Jesse James by the coward Robert Ford (2007)

This is their best soundtrack! Looking forward for more. The music for "The Road" (2009) is also great!


5. Gustavo Santaolalla - The Motorcycle Diaries (2004)

Road movie and music for the road! Awesome!


4. Clint Mansell - Requiem for a dream (2000)

Everyone knows this melody! Clint Mansell's greatest success!


3. Yann Tiersen - Amelie (2001)

Extemely popular! This is the film that made Yann Tiersen well-known all over the world!


2. Yeon-wook Jo - Oldboy (2003)

Top-class film and top-class music! "The Last Waltz" is one of the best tracks of the decade. More


1. Clint Mansell - The Fountain (2006)

Clint Mansell, Kronos Quartet and Mogwai. No need to say anything more! The best soundtrack of the decade!

Das weisse Band - The White Ribbon (2009)

The White Ribbon is a drama film written and directed by the Austrian Michael Haneke, one of the greatest directors of the past 20 years. The screenplay focuses on the children in a German village just before World War I. According to Haneke, the film is about "the origin of every type of terrorism, be it of political or religious nature". It’s Haneke's least violent and most mature film – a masterpiece from a director who is increasingly making a habit of them ("Funny Games", "Cache", "La Pianiste" etc.).

As usual, Haneke explores the origins of human evil and whether individuals are responsible for evil acts or if they are born in a particular climate/society. In this movie, he is using his village as a microcosm to reflect Germany as a whole (similar with Lars Von Trier's Dogville).

The black and white photography is stunning. The direction is brilliant, as usual, and the acting is superb! A movie that can be heavy but thought-provoking and with a strong moral message! Highly recommended!

More info:
Official Website
IMDb
Rotten Tomatoes
Wikipedia

Trailer:

A Serious Man (2009)

A Serious Man is the new brilliant film by the Coen brothers. It's the story of an ordinary man's search for clarity in a universe where Jefferson Airplane is on the radio and F-Troop is on TV.  A Serious Man is a film to take seriously as art, but at the same time the Coen brothers make this a hilariously weird and awkward movie. One of their strangest and most thought-provoking films, this is a black comedy, a meditation on Jewishness, and a modern rethinking of the Book of Job in a world where "Hashem" (God) isn't just incomprehensible but largely imperceptible. Not being Jewish, I definitely missed some of the double-entendre and humour in the tradition.

A Serous Man is a proof of comedy's and tragedy’s close relationship; laugh-out-loud funny but also deeply serious! The direction is fantastic and elegant as usual. The characters and acting are all stunning. At the end, this is a film in which a Yoda-Rabbi quotes Jefferson Airplane! :)

Overall, combining dark humour with profoundly personal themes, the Coen brothers deliver one of their best films! A must-see for everyone!

More Info:
Official Website
IMDb
Wikipedia
Rotten Tomatoes

Trailer:

Goodbye Zeros - Top 100 films (results)

These are the results of the voting for the top movies of the decade, organised by seagazing (many thanks to inverted_a for his ideas/efforts). 121 bloggers voted their top 20 movies. My list is here.

The most successful directors were Clint Eastwood and Quentin Tarantino (4 movies in the top 100) and Darren Aronofsky, Michael Haneke and Alejandro González Iñárritu (with 3 movies in the list). I wouldn't say that Tarantino was that good in this decade but I totally agree with the other four choices.

A great list overall, most of the films are good.
Find those films you haven't watched and start watching now! :)

1. Oldboy (Chan-wook Park, 2003)
2. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Michel Gondry, 2004)
3. Mulholland Dr. (David Lynch, 2001)
4. Requiem for a Dream (Darren Aronofsky, 2000)
5. Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain (Jean-Pierre Jeunet, 2001)
6. Donnie Darko (Richard Kelly, 2001)
7. Cidade de Deus - City of God (Fernando Meirelles, 2002)
8. Fa yeung nin wa - In the Mood for Love (Kar Wai Wong, 2000)
9. Lost in Translation (Sofia Coppola, 2003)
10. Dogville (Lars von Trier, 2003)
11. Memento (Christopher Nolan, 2000)
12. 2046 (Kar Wai Wong, 2004)
13. The Royal Tenenbaums (Wes Anderson, 2001)
14. The Fountain (Darren Aronofsky, 2006)
15. El laberinto del fauno - Pan's Labyrinth (Guillermo del Toro, 2006)
-     Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (Quentin Tarantino, 2003)
17. Das Leben der Anderen - The Lives of Others (Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, 2006)
18. High Fidelity (Stephen Frears, 2000)
19. Amores Perros (Alejandro González Iñárritu, 2000)
20. Låt den rätte komma in - Let the Right One In (Tomas Alfredson, 2008)
21. There Will Be Blood (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2007)
22. Das weisse Band - The White Ribbon (Michael Haneke, 2009)
-     Synecdoche, New York (Charlie Kaufman, 2008)
24. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (Peter Jackson, 2003)
25. Million Dollar Baby (Clint Eastwood, 2004)
26. V for Vendetta (James McTeigue, 2005)
27. No Country for Old Men (Ethan & Joel Coen, 2007)
28. Gran Torino (Clint Eastwood, 2008)
29. Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi - Spirited Away (Hayao Miyazaki, 2001)
30. Vozvrashcheniye - The Return (Andrei Zvyagintsev, 2003)
-     Sin City (Frank Miller & Robert Rodriguez, 2005)
32. Caché - Hidden (Michael Haneke, 2005)
33. Match Point (Woody Allen, 2005)
34. Big Fish (Tim Burton, 2003)
35. Inland Empire (David Lynch, 2006)
36. Hedwig and the Angry Inch (John Cameron Mitchell, 2001)
37. The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan, 2008)
38. Hable con ella - Talk to Her (Pedro Almodóvar, 2002)
39. Dancer in the Dark (Lars von Trier, 2000)
40. Children of Men (Alfonso Cuarón, 2006)
41. 25th Hour (Spike Lee, 2002)
42. The Hours (Stephen Daldry, 2002)
-     WALL·E (Andrew Stanton, 2008)
44. Mystic River (Clint Eastwood, 2003)
45. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (Andrew Dominik, 2007)
46. Jeux d'enfants - Love Me If You Dare (Yann Samuell, 2003)
47. Gegen die Wand - Head-on (Fatih Akin, 2004)
48. Letters from Iwo Jima (Clint Eastwood, 2006)
49. Good Bye Lenin! (Wolfgang Becker, 2003)
50. 21 Grams (Alejandro González Iñárritu, 2003)
51. Bin-jip (Ki-duk Kim, 2004)
52. Inglourious Basterds (Quentin Tarantino, 2009)
53. Zodiac (David Fincher, 2007)
54. The Pianist (Roman Polanski, 2002)
55. La pianiste - The Piano Teacher (Michael Haneke, 2001)
-     Dolls (Takeshi Kitano, 2002)
57. Sånger från andra våningen - Songs from the Second Floor (Roy Andersson, 2000)
58. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (Peter Jackson, 2001)
59. Russkiy kovcheg - Russian Ark (Aleksandr Sokurov, 2002)
60. Bom yeoreum gaeul gyeoul geurigo bom - Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter ...and Spring (Ki-duk Kim, 2003)
61. Babel (Alejandro González Iñárritu, 2006)
-     Little Miss Sunshine (Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris, 2006)
63. 4 luni, 3 saptamâni si 2 zile - 4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days (Cristian Mungiu, 2007)
64. Ghost World (Terry Zwigoff, 2001)
-     Les invasions barbares - The Barbarian Invasions (Denys Arcand, 2003)
66. The Brown Bunny (Vincent Gallo, 2003)
-     Snatch (Guy Ritchie, 2000)
68. Vals Im Bashir - Waltz with Bashir (Ari Folman, 2008)
69. Irréversible (Gaspar Noé, 2002)
-     Moulin Rouge! (Baz Luhrmann, 2001)
71. Κυνόδοντας - Dogtooth (Giorgos Lanthimos, 2009)
72. Elephant (Gus Van Sant, 2003)
73. Shortbus (John Cameron Mitchell, 2006)
74. Corpse Bride (Tim Burton & Mike Johnson, 2005)
75. Brokeback Mountain (Ang Lee, 2005)
-     Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (Quentin Tarantino, 2004)
77. Closer (Mike Nichols, 2004)
78. Ratatouille (Brad Bird, 2007)
-     Αγέλαστος Πέτρα - Mourning Rock (Filippos Koutsaftis, 2001)
80. All the Real Girls (David Gordon Green, 2003)
-    The Wrestler (Darren Aronofsky, 2008)
-    Waking Life (Richard Linklater, 2001)
83. 24 Hour Party People (Michael Winterbottom, 2002)
-     Into the Wild (Sean Penn, 2007)
-     Mies vailla menneisyyttä - The man without past (Aki Kaurismäki, 2002)
86. The Departed (Martin Scorsese, 2006)
87. Y tu mamá también (Alfonso Cuarón, 2001)
88. Me and You and Everyone We Know (Miranda July, 2005)
89. Before Sunset (Richard Linklater, 2004)
-     Mar adentro - The Sea Inside (Alejandro Amenábar, 2004)
91. Persepolis (Vincent Paronnaud & Marjane Satrapi)
92. In Bruges (Martin McDonagh, 2008)
-     Love Actually (Richard Curtis, 2003)
-     The Constant Gardener (Fernando Meirelles, 2005)
95. Once (John Carney, 2006)
96. Death Proof (Quentin Tarantino, 2007)
-     Nochnoy dozor - Night Watch (Timur Bekmambetov, 2004)
-     Red Road (Andrea Arnold, 2006)
-     Volver (Pedro Almodóvar, 2006)
100. Finding Nemo (Andrew Stanton, 2003)
-      Le scaphandre et le papillon - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Julian Schnabel, 2007)
-      Reconstruction (Christoffer Boe, 2003)

Goodbye Zeros - Top 20 films

More than 100 - mainly Greek- bloggers take part in a voting for their favourite films of the decade (organised by seagazing). Today's post is my top-20 list, the first of a series of posts about the first decade of the 21st century and, also, for the year 2009.

In my opinion the zeros was a great decade for cinema! It is interesting to note that six out of the twenty movies in the list are the director's debut films. Looking for more in the future! Unfortunately, many fantastic films were left out of this list (Mulholland Dr., Paradise Now, Caché, Memento, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Hero, No Country for Old Men, In the Mood for Love etc.)

*** The results are here ***

20. House of Sand and Fog - Vadim Perelman (2003)

Some dreams can't be shared. A gripping, honest and powerful drama! Great debut by the Ukrainian director!
IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes

19. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter ...and Spring - Ki-duk Kim (2003)

This is more than a simple movie. A poetic piece of art by the amazing Korean minimalist. 3 Iron (2004) could easily be in this list!
IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes

18. Persepolis - Vincent Paronnaud/Marjane Satrapi (2007)

I agree that Pixar makes very nice animations. However, the best, most thought-provoking animations of the zeros were Persepolis and Waltz with Bashir (2008). Persepolis is a brilliant animated movie based on the Marjane Strapi's black and white comic.
IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes

17. Das Leben der Ander (The Lives of Others) - Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck (2006)

Sonata for a good man! A stunning debut from Germany!
IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes

16. The Wind That Shakes the Barley - Ken Loach (2006)

Ken Loach is the most honest director around. I love his films. This one shows how a political movie should be made. A must-see for people in my country, Cyprus (Greek-Cypriots and Turkish-Cypriots).
IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes

15. Cidade de Deus (City of God) - Fernando Meirelles/Kátia Lund(2002)

Breathtaking and terrifying! The masterpiece that introduced Fernando Meirelles to the rest of the world.
IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes

14. There will be blood - Paul Thomas Anderson (2007)

An epic movie about the underhanded "heroes" of capitalism. Daniel Day Lewis gives the best performance of the zeros, in my opinion (together with Bruno Ganz in The Downfall)
IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes

13. Hable con ella (Talk to Her) - Pedro Almodóvar (2002)

Pedro Almodovar's best movie.
IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes

12. Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain - Jean-Pierre Jeunet (2001)

Together with Little Miss Sunshine (2006), the best "feel-good" films of the decade! Outstanding music by Yann Tiersen!
IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes

11. Dead Man's Shoes - Shane Meadows (2004)

An amazing film about a man struggling to balance his desire for revenge and redemption. Stunning performance by Paddy Considine and direction by Shane Meadows (also great: This is England).
A Room to Breath In, IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes

10. Gegen die Wand (Head-on) - Fatih Akin (2004)

A raw, provocative drama about star-crossed love and the lives of immigrants caught between the traditional and modern. Fatih Akin is one of the most talented directors!
A Room to Breath In, IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes

9. Les invasions barbares (The Barbarian Invasions) - Denys Arcand (2003)

The occasion is death, but the movie is a joyous celebration of life!
A Room to Breath In, IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes

8. The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada - Tommy Lee Jones (2005)

Nobody is beyond redemption! Using Guillermo Arriaga's brilliant script, Tommy Lee Jones directed his first film, the best modern-day western of the decade. A tale of friendship, justice and redemption!
A Room to Breath In, IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes

7. Gran Torino - Clint Eastwood (2008)

A masterful piece of storytelling and a film which will rightly be regarded as a classic. Eastwood is on staggering form as an actor and equally inspiring as a director. Mystic River (2003) and A Million Dollar Baby (2004) could easily be in this list!
IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes

6. Vozvrashcheniye (The Return) - Andrei Zvyagintsev (2003)

One of the greatest surprises of the decade. A brilliant debut: breathtaking, emotional and disturbing. A quiet and disquieting masterpiece which gets under your skin and stays there long after you watch it!
A Room to Breath In, IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes

5. Låt den rätte komma in (Let the Right One In) - Tomas Alfredson (2008)

One of the most layered, atmospheric and textured movies of the decade. A dark poem! Beautiful to gaze at, achingly romantic, emotionally involving, unexpectedly terrifying.
A Room to Breath In, IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes

4. Amores Perros - Alejandro González Iñárritu (2000)

Alejandro González Iñárritu's debut was the first part of the best trilogy of the zeros (together with the great 21 Grams and Babel). A film that shows a deep understanding of people, stunningly made, raw and authentic!
IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes

3. El laberinto del fauno (Pan's Labyrinth) - Guillermo del Toro (2006)

"Pan's Labyrinth is Alice in Wonderland for grown-ups", the greatest dark fairy tale I've seen in my life! A pure masterpiece!
IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes

2. Requiem for a Dream - Darren Aronofsky (2000)

If you can't move your legs after the end of a film, that means you liked it! A shocking and one the most powerful films I have ever seen. Clint Mansell's score and Darren Aronofsky's brilliant direction haunted me for years! It could as well be at number one with Aronofsky's The Fountain (2006) and The Wrestler (2008) also capable to make this list!
IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes

1. Oldboy - Chan-wook Park (2003)

"Be it a rock or a grain of sand, in water they sink as the same". This phrase was at the title of this blog for a while. Together with no.2, the best films of the decade and, definitely, in my top movies of all time! A dark and thrillingly horrible tale of revenge; a flawless movie with amazing direction, acting and music!
A Room to Breath In, IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes

Les invasions barbares (2003)

Les Invasions barbares (The barbarian invasions) is a 2003 Canadian film directed by Denys Arcand. It is the sequel to Arcand's earlier film The Decline of the American Empire (1986) and is followed by Days of Darkness (2007). I haven't watched the other parts of the trilogy but this is a fantastic film. The plot revolves around Rémy's battle with terminal cancer and the efforts of Sébastien, his estranged son, to make his dying father more comfortable in his last days.

The film deals with the disillusionment with socialism, the disillusionment with capitalism as well as the death of a man who happened to have been a socialist professor in Montreal, while his son a millionaire. A political film, but also a film about friendship, love, life and death. The screenplay, acting and directing are all top-notch. It is at times funny, sad, tragic and thought-provoking. The dialogues are absolutely brilliant!

A wonderful movie! A must-see for everyone!

More info:
IMDb
Wikipedia
Rotten Tomatoes

Trailer (hate it, very Hollywood-like; there is a french one here)

The Last Farm

The Last Farm (Síðasti bærinn) is a 2005 Icelandic short film. It was directed by Rúnar Rúnarsson, and stars Icelandic actor Jón Sigurbjörnsson. Kjartan Sveinsson, the keyboardist for Sigur Rós, composed the music. Excellent!

Official Website
Check the comments to listen to the soundtrack.

Watch:

Underground (1995)

Emir Kusturica is a brilliant director and Underground is probably the best movie to represent his cinematography. It is based on a play by Dušan Kovačević. The film follows three characters through Yugoslavia's history, from World War II to the Cold War and finally the Yugoslav wars. It uses the epic story of two friends to symbolically depict and satirise the history of Yugoslavia since the Second World War.

In my opinion, the film is flawless! A mixture of black comedy with tragedy, Underground can really touch you deeply. It displays clearly the tragedy of war and the vanity of human nature. Don't get discouraged if you are not familiar with Balkan history. People are all alike; you'll recognise the patterns easily.

Finally, the music is great. Goran Bregović wrote on of his best soundtracks! Some songs, such as "Mesecina" and "Kalasnjikov", are already classic!

A moving requiem for a dying country. A cult film that will probably mark the history of cinema forever…

More info:
IMDb
Kustupedia
Wikipedia
Rotten Tomatoes

Trailer:

La Maison en petits cubes

La Maison en petits cubes is a Japanese animated short film created by Kunio Katō, with music by Kondo Kenji. It won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 2009. A brilliant film!

More info:
IMDb
Wikipedia
Anime News Network

Watch:


[Via veror.blogspot.com]

The Cat Piano

In a city of singing cats, a lonely beat poet falls for a beautiful siren. When a mysterious dark figure emerges, kidnapping the town’s singers for his twisted musical plans, the poet must save his muse and put an end to the nefarious tune that threatens to destroy the city.

The Cat Piano is a brilliant animated short film directed by Eddie White and Ari Gibson. It features the voice of Nick Cave narrating a poem written by Eddie White. The poem blends Jack Kerouac inspired beat poetry with the romantic and haunting poems of Edgar Allen Poe.

Everyone must watch this one! Absolutely brilliant!

More info:
The Cat Piano official website
The poem
Wikipedia
The People's Republic of Animation (production)
IMDb

Watch:

Errant Home

Errant Home is a film about exile and longing for home. It is an impressionist portrait of Iraq through the eyes of four well-known Iraqi artists and intellectuals: an Iraq of culture, art, diversity, tolerance, daily pleasures, perfumes and food. An Iraq lost for the time being, but not forever. Forced into exile, the protagonists - the sculptor Mohamad Ghani Hekmat, the artist Balasem Mohamad, the journalist Maysoon Al-Mousawi and Amal Al-Khodairy patron of the arts - talk, remember and dream of return.
A great short film directed by Nada Doumani.

View this movie at cultureunplugged.com

Watch with greek subtitles at TVXS.gr