Other Films seen in January Part II

Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée.

Written by Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack.

Dallas Buyers Club

I would compare Mr. Woodworf to someone like Schindler, except that the Texan saved a lot more people, way more. Like its character, this film goes straight to the point, there’s no time wasting, there’s no bullshit and it is refreshing and sometimes out of the ordinary to look at it because of that. It becomes quite an interesting film. At the end, what I take is that this early homophobe end up saving thousands of lives during the AIDS epidemic and taking a completely different turn to his life and his attitude towards life. It’s about being hit with odd chances and do something positive and life affirming about it. Dallas Buyers Club is about living. 
I should write a post just about the performances, especially by Jared Leto, who besides transforming himself physically, he is so raw and touching, he transcends. 

Written and directed by J.C. Chandor.

All is Lost

I would say this is a daring film, quite daring. Part of it it’s because it’s quite linear – a sailor tries to survive after his boat is crushed. It’s about a survivor. And it is a one man show.

At the end, I was so touched, I really appreciated the film, its story and I would say its boldness, really touching. It's a really great film and well made.

P.S. I prefer this film over Gravity, completely.

Written and directed by Joel and Ethan Cohen.

Inside Llewyn Davis

It is exceptional.

It feels both witty and melancholic or nostalgic. It is essentially nostalgic. It makes total sense if you watch this film more than once, because like many great films, Inside Llewyn Davis tells us a few things between the lines, so it feels like a simple film but it isn’t. There are a lot of things to look for in this story.

And now the question – just how many people can relate to Llewyn Davis these days? I would say a lot. Me included, absolutely.

Written by Tracy Letts.

Directed by John Wells.

August: Osage County

It is often boring, though I need to find another word other than boring, maybe unnecessary sometimes, maybe unbalanced, like Julia Robert’s shouting to her mother to eat her fish. It isn’t compelling.

Written by Gonzalo Maza and Sebastián Lelio.

Directed by Sebastián Lelio.

Gloria

Authentic portrait of a middle aged woman.

It is so interesting that this film is written and directed by men when the story is such a personal story of a woman’s journey through a particular time in her life. Though it is quite identifiable and true and worthy of praise, it is interesting that he decided to portray this Gloria, because it is a great portrait of a woman looking for happiness in her ordinary day life. He gets it.