Though I really didn't rate the story so much here, I thought the performance from Emily Watson as "Bess" is formidable. She lives on a remote Scottish island and is to marry oil rig worker "Jan" (Stellan Skarsgård). Somewhat reluctantly, the islanders embrace this and all is happy until she feels the wrench of his return to the rig. Pining for him, she regularly has conversations with God in their small kirk. It's on one such occasion that she begs him to send her husband home to her. Well, he does - but following a tragic accident that has left him completely incapacitated. She is determined to care for him at all costs, but he has other plans and convinces her that she ought to seek another lover. Somehow, she gets it into her head that every sexual act she carries out improves his condition - and so, well you can guess what she succumbs to in her quest to restore him to health. Katrin Cartridge ("Dodo") and Adrian Rawlins ("Dr. Richardson") contribute well in support as this story of a loving, immature and caring character plumbs the depths before an ending that rather summed up for me the cruelty - and implausibility - of the story. What does he actually intend for his wife - whom he clearly adores? What it also takes is an unflinching swipe at is the supposedly charitable nature of a local "wee-free" clergy whose behaviour towards her at the denouement is little short of disgraceful. It also asks us to consider religiosity and the medical profession (or, certainly, it's efficacy) and again I found that annoyingly unrealistic. Miracles happen? Well perhaps, but here they were the wrong kind of miracles! The film is intensively shot, the photography creative and imaginative and it all has an intimacy to it that is largely down to an excellent Watson and a illustration of a small island mentality that is almost claustrophobic but entirely enthralling testament to this director's skilful ability to provoke thought!
**An ugly film on all levels that insults our intelligence.** For me, cinema is an art that tells good stories, whether fictional, true or a mix of fiction and real facts. It has a clear social role, often makes people think or raises difficult questions. However, there are directors who seem to live off controversy, that is, they try to use cinema to shock or impress, attracting attention for the worst and most selfish reasons. Lars von Trier is like that: he loves a good controversy and doesn't mind about criticism, as long as they talk about him. And that's why I don't like him and I don't consider him a good director. It's not enough to have talent, you need to know how to use it. As in many other films by this director, sex is the epicenter of this film: the script begins by introducing us to an incredibly naive and submissive woman, who lives in a kind of narrow-minded religious community in the North of Scotland. Anyone who likes to criticize Catholics for allegedly being followers of a conservatism that has no place today should get to know this Protestant religious community, where I, a conservative Catholic, would feel like I was in Iran or Afghanistan. It is clear that the director, a confessed atheist, wanted to show his horror towards religious dogmatics in general. It was a way to “caricature” religion and express a personal opinion. This young woman, whose innocence is so absolute that she would probably believe she could get pregnant just by sitting on a chair previously used by a man, marries a modern foreigner who works on an oil rig. And she discovers sex. And she loves sex, and gives herself to love. All this is beautiful until the day he suffers a serious accident. As he could lose his reproductive capacity, he asks her to meet and “relieve” herself with other men. Naturally, she is horrified, and he convinces her that this will help him heal. And against any rational logic, she believes, and becomes the biggest libertine in Scotland. We have to agree on one thing: this film proves that even the stupidest story wins awards at Cannes, and that there is an audience capable of consuming the most complete idiocy that a film can present to them. In addition to ridiculing religion in a way that is offensive to any believer, I believe, the film does not care about the rationality and logic of the decisions made by the characters. If I cut myself with a knife, of course I'm going to try to make sure it doesn't happen again because it's dangerous, but what the film proposes is that I do the opposite and intentionally cut myself, believing that I'm curing a loved one's cancer by doing so. This is so stupid that it doesn't deserve qualification. Von Trier, in an act of absolute intellectual arrogance, insults our intelligence. I don't even need to talk about the clumsy and distorted way in which the film approaches love and the most genuine human feelings. Technically, it's a cheap film. Cheaper than the worst indie films. We don't have a production worthy of the name, the cinematography is horrible, the filming is so amateurish that even I could do better. The rhythm is heavy, slow, like a mournful funeral. Stellan Skarsgard, an actor I respect, lends some renown to the film and shows talent, but his character deserves contempt. In an extraordinary dramatic effort, Emily Watson deserves praise for her commitment, but it is perhaps this actress' most forgettable film.
Young Jung quit midway through while becoming a Catholic priest. He now makes a living by driving cars for people who drank alcohol. One day, he meets a customer who asks to go to Pyongyang, North Korea. On that night, Young Jung meets Catholic priest Joon Young and they have a drink together. Then, a mysterious woman named So Won joins them. Young Jung becomes interested in So Won.
Movie Star Rating : 0 Read More
Five low-life people find themselves trapped in a public toilet.
Movie Star Rating : 0 Read More
After cheating on his wife with a prostitute, Peter must try and forge ahead with his idyllic family surroundings while carrying the guilt, but that doesn't stop his wandering eye or the temptation to do it again. Meanwhile, his wife Katarina receives mysterious text messages that might be indicative of her own indiscretions. As the two drift further apart while living in secret, their teenage daughter takes after their behavior while exploring her own sexuality, careful not to divulge too much information to her parents. A portrait of a family in a constant state of calm before the inevitable storm of discontent and discovered lies.
Movie Star Rating : 0 Read More
Mario King (Vonii Bristow) is an inspirational speaker in the constant pursuit of fame. Though his grandfather (Cameron Arnett) always instilled the importance of living a life of integrity, Mario's affluent lifestyle leads to temptation, sending him down a path of destruction fueled by his own greed and arrogance. Disgraced and humiliated, Mario picks up a delivery job in a small town in North Carolina hoping to make ends meet. When a speeding ticket threatens his livelihood and freedom, Mario must take on community service work at Safe Harbor homeless shelter. While reluctant at first, Mario soon finds his calling in helping others with the encouragement of Olivia McBride (Morgan Graham) and Steven Young (Cornelius Muller). As Mario re-discovers the true meaning of "making Him famous," he begins to feel as if his past life is pulling him back.
Movie Star Rating : 10 Read More
Lithuanian photographer, the legend of Soviet Sixties' generation Vitas Luckus tragically passed away in 1987. Yet the life and times of the talented rebel still impassion and lead us to a journey questioning why, at all times, we are wary of those who are really free.
Movie Star Rating : 7.8 Read More
Roro, a foreign worker in Swedish parks, loves his girlfriend but is about to marry another girl to prevent her from being sent back to Lebanon. Meanwhile, Roro's best friend, Måns, has serious problems getting an erection.
Movie Star Rating : 6.3 Read More
In 1950s Los Angeles, a special crime squad of the LAPD investigates the murder of a young woman.
Movie Star Rating : 5.9 Read More
The Braid 2023 - Movies (Apr 18th)
A Royal Christmas Surprise 2023 - Movies (Apr 18th)
Civil War 2024 - Movies (Apr 18th)
The First Omen 2024 - Movies (Apr 18th)
All You Need Is Death 2023 - Movies (Apr 17th)
The Dive 2023 - Movies (Apr 17th)
Bad Hombres 2024 - Movies (Apr 17th)
Ghostbusters Frozen Empire 2024 - Movies (Apr 17th)
Immaculate 2024 - Movies (Apr 16th)
An American Bombing The Road to April 19th 2024 - Movies (Apr 17th)
Red Island 2023 - Movies (Apr 16th)
Eddie Murphy Hollywoods Black King 2023 - Movies (Apr 16th)
Himalaya 2024 - Movies (Apr 16th)
Dune Part Two 2024 - Movies (Apr 14th)
The Deadly Swarm 2024 - Movies (Apr 16th)
Jimmy Carr Natural Born Killer 2024 - Movies (Apr 16th)
Brain Tumor 2024 - Movies (Apr 16th)
Sweet Dreams 2024 - Movies (Apr 16th)
Roommate Regret 2024 - Movies (Apr 15th)
Killer Fortune Teller 2024 - Movies (Apr 15th)
Pure O 2023 - Movies (Apr 15th)
Money for Nothing - (Apr 18th)
Tipping Point Australia - (Apr 18th)
Gogglebox Australia - (Apr 18th)
Nature - (Apr 18th)
Hudson and Rex - (Apr 18th)
Foreign Correspondent - (Apr 18th)
WWE The Bump - (Apr 18th)
After Midnight - (Apr 18th)
Renters - (Apr 18th)
Dinner with the Parents - (Apr 18th)
The Bidding Room - (Apr 18th)
Police Interceptors- Pursuit and Capture - (Apr 18th)
Four in a Bed - (Apr 18th)
Raw Talk - (Apr 18th)
Red Flags - (Apr 18th)
Deal or No Deal - (Apr 18th)
The Chase Australia - (Apr 18th)
Motorway Patrol - (Apr 18th)
The 11th Hour with Stephanie Ruhle - (Apr 18th)
Abbott Elementary - (Apr 18th)