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:

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)

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 Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2005)

Written by Guillermo Arriaga, the writer of Iñárritu's masterpieces (Amores Perros, 21 Grams and Babel), this modern day western is another proof of the Mexican writer's talent. Tommy Lee Jones directs his first theatrical feature film and he also stars in a film that initiated a resurgence in his career, which continued with the great "In the Valley of Elah" and the latest Coen's masterpiece "No Country for Old Men".

This film is a beautifully written, directed and acted mini-epic about life and death. Profound and complex, it is a gripping film about real people; don't expect one-dimensional Hollywood characters.

Deep and spiritual, this tale of friendship, justice and redemption is a must-see for everyone!

More info:
Official Website
IMDb
Wikipedia
Rotten Tomatoes

Trailer:

Elling (2001)

Directed by Norwegian Petter Næss, Elling is a delightful, touching and heartwarming film that manages to avoid any cheap sentimentality. It is based on Ingvar Ambjørnsen's novel Brødre i blodet ("Blood brothers", 1996). Elling and Kjell Bjarne, who are mentally re-acclimating to society, live together and play off of each other's quirks evoking comedy and sympathy in a fine balance. The acting is suberb and the interaction between the characters is simply brilliant! A fantastic movie!

More info:
Wikipedia
IMDb

Trailer:

Vozvrashcheniye - The Return (2003)

The Return (Vozvrashcheniye) is a 2003 Russian film, directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev, which tells the story of two teenage boys whose father returns home suddenly after a twelve year absence. He takes the boys on a holiday to a remote island on a lake that turns into a test of manhood of almost mythic proportions. It is Andrey Zvyagintsev's debut film, whose father disappeared from his life when he was 6. So I guess it's a very personal movie as well.

There are no words to describe the brilliance of this film: breathtaking, emotional and disturbing. The actors, particularly the two boys, are fantastic and the photography is brilliant. An outstanding movie about growing up that everyone must see!

More info:
Official Website
IMDb
Wikipedia

Trailer (the movie is in Russian, couldn't find a Russian trailer):

Paradise Now (2005)

Directed by Hany Abu-Assad, Paradise Now is a film about two Palestinian men preparing for a suicide attack in Israel. "The film is an artistic point of view of that political issue," Abu-Assad said. "The politicians want to see it as black and white, good and evil, and art wants to see it as a human thing."

A powerful film. The director delivers a strong insight into a very difficult subject with brazen honesty and straight forwardness, while maintaining a tension and drama that makes it impossible not to be stirred by the film. Making this film without falling into the pitfalls of political correctness or propaganda is an achievement in itself.

Fantastic movie. A must see for everyone!

More info:
Official Website
IMDb
Wikipedia

Trailer:

Home (2009)

Home is a 2009 documentary by Yann Arthus-Bertrand. The film is almost entirely composed of aerial shots of various places on Earth. It shows the diversity of life on Earth and how humanity is threatening the ecological balance of the planet.

The aerial shots are really stunning and the music is simply brilliant! And, of course, the message is clear! Everyone must watch this documentary!

The film can be watched for free in its entirety on YouTube. It has no copyright; it can be downloaded, distributed, copied, uploaded without restrictions.
Watch

More Info:
Official Website
YouTube Channel
LegalTorrents download
Wikipedia
IMDb
GoodPlanet.org

Trailer:

La faute à Fidel! - Blame it on Fidel (2006)

This brilliant film was directed by Julie Gavras, daughter of the great politically committed director Costa Gavras. The plot revolves around little nine-year-old Anna whose life changes when her parents become radical political activists in 1970-71 Paris. A sweet, but also political, movie about childhood and the way our experiences shape us. The film's emotional power arises from Anna's transformation from close-minded bourgeois princess to open-hearted truth seeker and her gradual internalisation of what her parents, albeit clumsily, are trying to accomplish. Excellent film!

More info:
Wikipedia
IMDb

Trailer:

Gegen die Wand - Head-On (2004)

Head On (Gegen die Wand), winner of the top prize "Golden Bear" at the 2004 Berlin Festival, is a German/Turkish film directed by Fatih Akin. It's a bitter, heavy, unpleasant movie but, also, an original and realistic masterpiece!

The performance of the actors, especially that of the lead stars, Sibel Kekilli and Birol Unel, is absolutely brilliant. Two desperate people meet each other with little to lose and their chaotic, rootless life brings them closer. The direction is profound, not to mention the wonderful soundtrack (mostly hard-rock/punk music but, also, some traditional Turkish music!).

This movie makes every Hollywood film look like a child's movie. A modern masterpiece!

More Info:
Official Website (German)
Wikipedia
IMDb

Trailer:

Oldboy (2003)

There are some movies that keep you quiet for a few minutes after seeing them; Oldboy is definitely one of them. I am a bit biased since this is one of my favourite movies. Directed by Park Chan-Wook, it is based on a Japanese manga of the same name written by Nobuaki Minegishi and Garon Tsuchiya. Oldboy is the second installment of The Vengeance Trilogy, preceded by "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance"(2002) and followed by "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance"(2005). Both are great movies but this one is absolutely sublime. The film is violent and shocking but also amusing and visually stunning.

Finally, the music, a combination of classical and electronica, is simply amazing. Nearly all the music cues composed by Jo Yeong-Wook are titled after movies, many of them film noirs.
Check the comments to listen!

A hugely popular and critically-acclaimed movie. A must!

More Info:
Wikipedia
IMDb

Trailer:

Dead Man's Shoes (2004)

Dead Man's Shoes is a superb film directed by Shane Meadows. It's a movie about revenge, a straightforward morality tale: brutal, stark and nobody wins. The story is simple (but the message is timeless): a man goes back to his a small town to take revenge on a group of people who abused and tortured his mentally-retarded brother. Paddy Considine (also co-writer) delivers an absolutely convincing depiction of a man struggling to balance his desire for revenge and redemption.

Just like all Meadows' films, the soundtrack is spot on. Perfect songs used with impeccable timing create a distinct, moody atmosphere. Excellent movie!

More Info:
Wikipedia
IMDb
Shane Meadows (official website)

Trailer:

Vals Im Bashir - Waltz with Bashir (2008)

Waltz With Bashir is an animated documentary by Ari Folman, a disturbing comment on war and its consequences on both countries and people. It's a journey of self-discovery, cinema as psychoanalysis, a document about the past, a warning for the future: Waltz With Bashir is all those things and much more. It's a unique piece of cinema, unmatched in its seamless mixture of raw power and peculiar visual beauty.

The film story focuses on the first Lebanon war in 1982, particularly on the Sabra and Shatila massacre, in which Palestinian men, women and children were massacred by Christian Phalangists as revenge for the assassination of their leader Bashir Gemayel.

The film is a unique combination of the real and the unreal. When nightmares are dissipated, the deep-buried reality gets back - the massacres in the Palestinian camps become real on screen, and this is the only place where Folman uses fragments of filmed material rather than animation. Without ever leaving the personal and emotional plans, the political statement about a war with no winners is made loud and clear without the need of being explicit.

Finally, the music, which features rock, Bach, Chopin, Schubert and the original score by Max Richter, adds an incredible amount of depth and emotional impact to the film. A really must-see movie!

More Info:
Official Website
IMDb
Wikipedia
Also see: Closed Zone

Trailer:

Låt den rätte komma in - Let the right one in (2008)

Starting today, I am going to post one movie I like every week, not always a new movie!



"Let the right one in" is the last movie I've seen in the cinema. This Swedish film is the most amazing dark fantasy movie I've seen since "Pan's Labyrinth". Based on John Ajvide Lindqvist's bestselling book, director Tomas Alfredson creates a great movie about early adolescence, love, revenge and... vampires

I am not particularly fond of the vampire movies, but this one is so much more. It is artistic, poetic, and in many ways a very profound movie exploring the nature of good and evil. Highly recommended!

Official Website
IMDb

Trailer: