Lovely Movies: An / Sweat Bean

I've always wanted to see a Naomi Kawase film, and when I heard about her new film "An" I was determined to not let this opportunity pass me by. So with a likeminded friend I went and saw it very soon after it came out.

"An" tells the story of a Japanese pancake stand and three people that work and/or eat there. It's not a highly original plot (and could have done with less symbolism), but it's a beautiful movie that left me quite warm and fuzzy, as well as hungry.

I tend to really enjoy these films about ordinary people that really see the beauty in everyday life. Not every film needs to be incredibly eventful to be interesting. And the pacing of "An" was actually perfect. Slow enough to prove its point, yet not so much as to leave its viewers bored. And it definitely made me want to catch up on the director's other films!

P.S. If you've already seen this movie and crave something similar, definitely check out "Megane";)

Lovely Movies: Love is Strange

Had I not seen the trailer, but had someone just told me there was an arthouse movie about an older couple played by Alfred Molina and John Lithgow, that tiny bit of info alone would have sold me on this. I mean, what's not to love?

Was it as great as it sounds? Yes, in fact, I was already moved to tears about 10 minutes into the film. The story did eventually go down a slightly different road than I was expecting, not in a disappointing way though, just different.

I have to say that there was absolutely phenomenal acting in this film. I don't think I've ever seen a more believable bond in any on-screen relationship than the one between these two long-time partners. It was absolutely amazing!

Lovely Movies: A Weekend in Paris

After being cooped up for so long, I really started to miss going to the cinema. So I decided to just go and see what was on. It turned out to be A Weekend in Paris, a film I had heard of but that had slipped my mind completely.

So many movies pass me by and I could have easily missed this little gem. It made me laugh, but made me a little sad at times too. And having been to Paris a few times, I could relate to some of the travel-things in as well.

Anyway, go see this. This is so much more interesting than the same old young-couple Hollywood story. This is real people, mistakes, quirks and all. How they might grow apart but are still bound to each other. It was lovely!

Lovely Movies: Nebraska

This movie was a little less "lovely" than I was expecting. It was also better, just not as friendly as I would have guessed from the trailer. It is still a road movie and it leaves you feeling good, but it was also very realistic.

In fact there are few movies in which families feel so real as in this one. I love how unglamorous and kinda boring it was. And especially how it dealt with those relatives you hardly ever see and don't really know.

It was also very casual about love and marriage. It doesn't add to that idea that finding someone and tying the knot is the end of all your problems, in fact it acknowledges that it actually creates some new ones too.

All in all it's a slow yet intriguing film that turns the story of a not so special family into a pretty special journey.

Lovely Movies: Frances Ha

Frances Ha is a black and white jewel of a movie. It is so quirky and realistic! Since I had won two tickets, I seriously considered going twice myself, as I knew I would love it. I took my mom though, but I might still have to go again.

Greta Gerwig does a phenomenal job. It didn't even feel like watching actors at work, all characters could be real people. They had inside jokes, made mistakes, acted quirky and got drunk in not so sexy ways.

It's mostly a feel-good movie, but it also shows the sadder parts of life, like that feeling of being absolutely stuck while everyone else seems to be moving on and getting somewhere. So it did make me a bit blue, but mostly really happy.

One scene in particular -the little tid-bit in Paris at the theater- made me laugh for at least 10 minutes because it was so recognizable. Needless to say, I highly recommend you go see it.

Lovely Movies: Wadjda

This is a wonderful film about a sweet and determined little girl. Wadjda has one simple wish:to ride a bike, just like the boys do. But in Saudi Arabia, that is not so easily arranged...

Despite the fact that it shows some things of the Saudi Arabian culture that will probably come across as very rigid or perhaps crazy even, this film manages to stay positive and have you leaving the cinema with a smile on your face.

Don't watch till after 1:30!

It shows that, although the world may be filled with cultures that have lots of differences, most of us just want the same things. To be free and loved.

Wadjda is actually the first movie ever shot in Saudi Arabia. And from the first female director of the country as well.

Lovely Movies: I Wish

I recently came across a buy-one-get-one sale on Asian movies. Needless to say, I stocked up. It was such an amazing opportunity to finally get to see some true gems I know will never air on television. One of those was "I Wish".

It tells the story of two brothers that got seperated because of their parents' divorce. They keep in touch by telephone, but still long to live together again. Hence the pursuit of this magic moment they believe will grant that wish.

It's not a sad story though, nor is it about magic. It's just an amazing, road movie-esque film about kids being kids -and more mature than adults in some ways-, everyday adventures and making the most of whatever life throws at you.

If you ever get the chance to see this, I suggest you leap at the opportunity. I promise it'll be worth it!

Lovely Movies: Breakfast with Scot

Seeing the trailer for this movie, it looked like a comedy. Reading the synopsis, it honestly sounded like a bit of a downer. But when I watched it it turned out to be my favorite kind of movie: a bittersweet film with a big silver lining.

I loved the amount of quirky kids in this film. It's so nice to see some unique personalities every once in a while. And despite the fact that the adults weren't too pleased with them, they did learn the important lesson of just taking people as they are, even if they themselves are too afraid to actually be themselves.

Anyway, I highly recommend Breakfast with Scot. It's different and lovely and, well... refreshing. Enjoy!

Lovely Movies: the Perks of Being a Wallflower

Though I knew the book is very popular, I had never looked into it, let alone read it. But when I saw the trailer of the movie I just had to go see it. As I tend to miss the movies I want to see most, I figured I had to do it soon. So I went yesterday.

It was amazing! The vibe is a bit similar to Restless, but there are so many more facets to this story that the comparison has to end there. I've always loved films that were like this, but I felt that -despite not having had anything to do with most of the themes- I somehow connected with this one the most emotionally.

One minute rule definitely applies here!

The cast is phenomenal. Logan Lerman nails this lead, Emma Watson did such a great job that I wasn't once reminded of Harry Potter, I always seem to like Mae Whitman, and Ezra Miller, oh Ezra Miller... He was my absolute favorite! Paul Rudd has a small part as well and it was just that bit of icing on the cake.

Also, if you're a fan of the book you won't be let down by the movie, as the actual author did, not only the screenplay, but the directing as well.

Long story short: GO SEE THIS FILM!

Lovely Movies: Restless

This was one of those movies I desperately wanted to see on the big screen, but miraculously missed. Thankfully that seemed like a good excuse to pick up the dvd.

As mesmerized as I was by the trailer and as much as I was looking forward to this film, part of me was afraid that it would be a bit of a downer after a certain point. I feared that what started out as an upbeat, quirky story, would abruptly end in a sad and inevitable cliché. Thankfully that wasn't the case. The whole thing was perfect.

You can bend my one minute rule a little bit. Maybe watch a minute and a half. Or just watch it a few weeks before actually seeing the movie...

Anyway, this is an instant favorite of mine. It has great humor. It's sweet, but not too sweet. It has characters you haven't seen before. Mia Wasikowska is magnificent as always. Oh, and it makes you want to dust of your old game of battleship too.

Go see it!

Lovely Movies: Pom Poko

By now you must know that I'm a huge Studio Ghibli fan, and though I haven't seen all of the movies yet, I'm definitely getting there. The latest one to cross of my list was Pom Poko.

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If you've ever been to Japan I'm sure you saw the Tanuki statues in front of people's doors. Well, those are the raccoons that inspired this film. They are shapeshifting creatures that like to play pranks on people *cough* and make music with their genitals *cough* and, in this case, are determined to save their forest.

I really enjoyed this movie! And I have to say that the English version was pretty good as well. I always try to watch the original, but the subtitles were annoying so I switched half way through.

Anyway, despite the massive amount of bizarre things, I think most people would actually enjoy this film. And it's one of those stories that's entertaining for all ages. It even had a nice message: to cherish nature. Also, it was pretty darn cute.

Lovely Movies: Jesus Henry Christ

When you watch a lot of movies you might reach a point of not thinking you'll ever find a movie so amazing and so unique that it'll beat some of your old favorites from their ancient spots. That's the place I'd been in for ages, when all of a sudden I watched Jesus Henry Christ.

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The trailer doesn't do it enough justice. I didn't even watch it before renting the movie. And if you feel we have similar taste in movies I suggest you skip it and just watch the whole thing too.

It was bizarre, it was funny, it was bitter and it was pretty freakin' fantastic. And the fact that the cute kid from Sunshine Cleaning had the leading part made it even better.

Also, I was pretty surprised to find out it was produced by Julia Roberts. To my knowledge, it is completely unlike anything she's ever been involved with. But then again, it's pretty unlike any other movie in general.

Lovely Movies: Intouchables

Intouchables has turned into a big art house hype, and rightfully so. It is one of the best movies I've ever seen. In fact, it's such a special story that I could hardly believe anyone can just walk in a theater and see it. It's such a special one of a kind movie that it gives me the odd feeling that I'm the only one in the world tho have seen it. Weird, I know!

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Honestly I think you should just take my word, skip the trailer and watch this film straight away. But if you can't help yourself, you know my one minute rule:

If you're ever in a low mood and need some hope and inspiration, these two are your men. I promise you they'll deliver.

Lovely Movies: Le Havre

This was a truly special film! And despite it being recent, it has a very old, kind of Hitchcock feel to it. I was quite surprised when I suddenly saw euros in the actors' hands.

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It was heartwarming and showed how kind people can be, even in a sometimes cruel world. And it does such a great job at getting you to relate to all the people in this movie.

Though I wouldn't call this a funny movie, it definitely had some funny moments. And it was just so unbelievably good.

I highly recommend Le Havre! If you have can find it, either in a small cinema or somehow on dvd, I suggest you watch it. Especially if you're a lover of old or foreign cinema! This film had an atmosphere that's extremely rare these days.

Lovely Movies: Megane

If you're ever sad or stressed out, go watch Megane! It's one of the best movies I've seen in ages and it's all about being happy in the here and now. It's a very slow movie and it does take some getting used to, but if you hang in there you will be rewarded.

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A woman takes a vacation and ends up in this place where people just "are", they don't do anything and there is nothing to do. This drives her nuts at first, but slowly she starts to realise that she can be just as happy and content as they are.

It is filled with lovely scenes, amazing music and these fantastic daily "grattitude" morning exercises I want to try out too.

Also, every single person in this movie wears glasses. Have you ever seen that before? And doesn't that make this movie even more amazing?

Enjoy!

Lovely Movies: Mongolian Ping Pong

When the dvd of Mongolian Ping Pong caught my eye I couldn't help but take it home with me.

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It's about a boy that finds a ping pong ball and doesn't know what it is. Eventually someone tells him it's the national ball of China and then he decides he has to return it as they must really be missing it.

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You understand I had to see that, right?

Well, it's a really slow movie, but if you're ok with that, I'm sure you'll enjoy it just as much as I did. Also, the ending is genius!

Lovely Movies: Grave of the Fireflies

Ever since I read something about this movie years ago, it has been on my list of things to watch. I finally did and I have to say, it definitely left an impression. It is the cutest and saddest film I have ever seen.

If you are still unsure about animation movies, you will be blown away. It is so very human, so beautiful and so emotional too. And I have no shame at all in saying I had to cry.

Ok, so maybe I got really depressed and thought the world wasn't a great place at all, but I don't regret watching it. And... I will never look at Japanese hard candy the same, because it will always remind me of little Setsuko.

Oh, and one word of advice, watch it in Japanese. I saw bits of it in English and it just takes a whole dimension away.

Dance, dance, otherwise we are lost

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Someone recently told me I had to go see "Pina", the trailer seemed gorgeous, but somewhat odd as well. However I trusted her judgement and I went. The first few minutes were somewhat excentric, but after that I soon fell in love with the amazing way of filming, the sets, the music(take a listen to the song above!) and the overall magical vibe.

It's basically a collection of interviews and dance pieces that have been weaved together very fluently to make one marvelous film. Though I felt a tad bit uncomfortable at times(those dancers cross so many bounderies for the sake of the choreography), I came out of the cinema feeling very inspired. And not just to dance. Wim Wenders has created a unique minimalistic luxurious world for this film, that makes you want to cling onto as long you can.

Lovely Movies: Eden

"Eden" was a pleasure to watch. Such a fresh concept, special story and also beautifully filmed.

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It might be hard to find, it certainly is on the internet. The only trailer I could find has Dutch subtitles(which isn't a problem for me but it might be for you if you don't speak German and can't read Dutch).

So I'll explain the story too. It's about a waitress(the adorable Charlotte Roche) with a little daughter that has Down Syndrom. She crosses paths with an amazing chef whose delicious food is very addicting and has strange effects on people. The two develop a friendship, which makes Eden's husband quite anxious. This all leads up to a sometimes unfortunate chain of events. Though it is still a cute and quite innocent movie.

If you are into international art house you will probably love this film. Do not let the somewhat strange beginning put you off, it gets way better after that.