“Shame” is about Brandon (Michael Fassbender), a sex addict whose ill-kept personal life takes a downturn when his volatile and damaged sister Sissy (Carey Mulligan) visits. If you read this review just for the plot, then feel free to move on to the next section, for that is really all there is to it. Yet even with this simple premise, “Shame” haunted me for a week. It clutches on quietly, converting reality into lavish long shots and close-ups that brim the bold, powerful feature.
Stargazing has never been so devastating.
“Melancholia,” the latest work by controversial Danish director Lars von Trier (“Breaking the Waves,” “Dogville,” “Antichrist”) pieces together the final days before the end of the world through two sisters with opposite personalities, the impulsive but charming Justine (Kirsten Dunst) and the controlled, serious Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg). A visual feast, the film takes its title from the planet about to collide with and destroy Earth.
Warm, sentimental and funny, “Midnight In Paris” beautifully explores the clash of nostalgia and reality among fantastical encounters. Director Woody Allen takes us on an exquisite journey through time, spanning across the present, the 1890s and the 1920s — in the City of Light that reeks of wine, music, poignancy and genius, while effortlessly depicting conflicts inherent in the human nature. Only with such grace can the movie truly do Paris justice, and Allen doubtlessly did that, regardless of the extra crème layer on top.
Majesty does not even begin to capture the poignancy and exhilarating splendor that “Beasts of the Southern Wild” radiates in its narrative. Exquisiteness often belies timidity and risk-averse strategies, but even with its gritty background the film nevertheless manages to both feed your curiosity for an intriguing story and appeals to your sentimental side.
There are good movies, bad movies and weird movies. And once in a while there comes a movie that defies what you think you know about cinema. With chills running down your spine, you stare at the screen for the entire run. And when the lights finally come on, you sit still, stunned, every part of your body palpitating.
