Small update:
Saya - 7/50 books | 73/50 movies
Books:
Raven's Shadow: Blood Song - Anthony Ryan - ★★★★½
Solid fantasy novel. Doesn't waste time and cuts all the fat. Glad to have read a fantasy novel from the point of view of mostly one character for a change. It's a fast, entertaining read set in a rich world and some nice prose. Great characters and the story is as good as it gets.
Movies:
Sleep Tight [Mientras duermes] (Jaume Balagueró, 2011) - ★★★★
This Spanish horror/thriller film is one of the most disturbing films Ive seen lately. Its truly something unique for me and I thought it was quite effective in creating suspense. Sleep Tight follows a concierge of an apartment building named Cesar who works his shift during the days, but at night, when people are sleeping soundly, uses his wide access around the building to enter their apartments to observe them. He falls in love with a young woman who lives in the building as well and develops a crazy obsession with her which turns ugly at first and frankly quite terrifying later on. Its such a simple concept, bordering on the ridiculous, but for me this worked. The film has a touches of dark humor and cast is great, Cesar played by Luis Tosar is truly creepy and has a Norman Bates vibe going on. Good film.
War Witch (Kim Nguyen, 2012) - ★★★★
Set in African country of which specifically Im not sure of, War Witch tells the story of a little young black girl who is captured from her village by rebels and forced to become a child soldier. Her captors believe she has magical powers and elevate her to be their war witch, a sort of shaman which guides the rebels spiritually. Its a story based on real elements that are unfortunately common in those countries torn apart by rebel groups and civil wars. Despite the harsh subject matter of the film, most of the cruelty associated with child soldiering is implied. I found it remarkable how the director was able to carefully manoeuvre the film around this. Nevertheless, the meaning and intentions come through quite well. The film is beautifully shot, and the performances by the young cast are also very good. I loved the addition of ghosts and spirits in the film which compliment the spiritual and supernatural culture of the region the film is set in. Yeah, overall, I quite liked this.
The Devils (Ken Russell, 1971) - ★★★★
Ok, so Ken Russells infamous The Devils, which was banned and/or heavily censored in several countries was pretty crazy but also fascinating, visually spectacular, fast paced, and extremely energetic. The Devils is a historical drama based on the real life story of a 17th century priest named Urbain Grandier, played by Oliver Reed in a masterful and commanding role, who was burned to death because on the accusation of witchcraft. Although I do not agree with banning films or censorship, I can see why the establishment and the church would object. The film features quite a lot of violence, implied and shown, and I think the nudity and sexual content was quite graphic for its time too. There is a hallucination scene in which Jesus comes down from his cross and makes love to a woman, scenes of masturbating nuns that could involve a statue of Jesus, graphic torture scenes, and more nakedness. I think all these scenes add up to create a delirious atmosphere filled with sexual repression and hidden desires. The dramatic intrigue is alright, but the real winner here are the themes, the visuals and the pacing. And for me, it worked quite well.
Night of the Demons (Kevin S. Tenney, 1988) - ★★★
A quite amusing campy 80s horror film. Its kinda stupid and silly, but it doesnt take itself very seriously and keeps a humorous tone throughout the film that makes it quite enjoyable. While the acting is terribly awesome, the actors seem to enjoy themselves and there is a cheery attitude to the whole film. Special effects were not that bad, and there is some good gore in it.
Maniac (Franck Khalfoun, 2012) - ★★
I find first-person POV's honestly tiring to watch and a whole film in that style was difficult to sit through. It's the most interesting stylish element about the film and what sets it apart from other slashers. But as a result it lessened my enjoyment of the film and I found it hard to finish to be fair. Elijah Wood was an inspiring choice to have as the killer though and the gory scenes are very effective. If one can tolerate the first-person POV than I think this can be quite an interesting and entertaining little horror film.
Amour (Michael Haneke, 2012) - ★★★★
Amour was impeccably made, you cannot deny the craft that went into this film. It solidifies the fact that Michael Haneke is one of the most talented and interesting directors working today, well, at least for me. In Amour questions are raised about how far we are willing to go for love, suffering and pain. We know from the beginning what will happen and overall the story is quite simple. The strength of the film lays in the performances and that the film is relatable to almost everyone who has experienced caring for an ailing family member. The film has truly wonderful performances by Riva and Trintignant. Riva was especially great as her condition slowly deteriorated, it was very painful to see. I think the location of the film also added a very important claustrophobic, and almost suffocating, element to the film. This connected greatly to the atmosphere that developed in their apartment. All in all, pretty good film.
The Great Happiness Space: Tale of an Osaka Love Thief (Jake Clennell, 2006) - ★★★½
This was a very interesting theme for a documentary. The film covers the subject of the Japanese host industry. Japanese hosts are trendy young men who accompany women while drinking, talking, partying, and sometimes sleeping. Although there are host and hostess clubs, this film focuses on the point of view of the male hosts in a club in Osaka for the most part. I found it a fascinating subject because this industry covers a grey area between prostitution and companionship. The documentary sheds light into the motivations of these young men hosts, and also interviews women who frequent these kind of clubs. Halfway through the film there is an interesting twist of some sorts which adds a darker perspective on this industry. While the subject was well thought of, I thought the quality of the production was a bit sloppy and lacking. I had the feeling some aspects could've been explored a bit more, such as their female counterparts, national regulations, etc. Some interviews ran a bit too long and it felt as if it was filmed in only a few days. I think it could've been produced a bit tidier, but all in all it is something unique and fascinating. It's entertaining throughout.
Winnie the Pooh (Stephen J. Anderson & Don Hall, 2011) - ★★★★
This new film of Winnie the Pooh was very charming, sweet, funny, heartwarming, and beautifully animated. I'm somewhat disappointed it bombed hard at the box office (I believe it was released at the same time as one of the Harry Potter films, so that could explain a lot) and that it is not more known around the world. It's perfect for children and adults alike and totally harmless classic entertainment. I enjoyed the voice cast, Zooey Deschanel's opening song and the other musical parts, and the whole family friendly atmosphere of the film. Overall, I wish it was a bit longer but I quite liked it and it was a fun nostalgic trip to the shelter of my childhood.
Repulsion (Roman Polanski, 1965) - ★★★½
Roman Polanski's Repulsion was an interesting experience, I wouldn't say I was blown away by it on this first viewing though. To be honest, I found the first half of this film somewhat slow and hard to get into. However, the second half was so much better and the final scene and shot basically tied the whole film together. There are some amazing scenes in the film and Carol's breakdown was captured well enough. Some of the special effects were kinda cheesy to me though, but I got what Polanski was going for. I do find it kind of weird how all of Carol's mental problems seem to manifest itself that quickly. Catharine DeNeuve's performance was great though and I liked how she portrayed all these little and complex emotions through her eyes and her body movements. Best part of the film was the final shot. So distressing and it spoke volumes.