North Country

93/100 (126 min, 2005)
Plot: A fictionalized account of the first major successful sexual harassment case in the United States -- Jenson vs. Eveleth Mines, where a woman who endured a range of abuse while working as a miner filed and won the landmark 1984 lawsuit.
Director: Niki Caro
Writers: Michael Seitzman (screenplay), Clara Bingham (book)
Stars: Charlize Theron, Jeremy Renner and Frances McDormand

They can't do this to us

North Country is one of the most underrated movies of last decade - there are very few movies out there that not only have a great script but also such a tremendous group of actors in them. And here all of them have purpose, great work to deliver and each and every one of them delivers their best. Although the only two actors who got Academy Award nominations for this movie are Charlize Theron and Frances McDormand almost every single actor in the film should get more recognition for their work, most notably Woody Harrelson and Richard Jenkins.

Inspired by the real events North Country follows Josey Aimes, simple but headstrong woman who is looking for a way to support herself and her kids after she leaves her abusive husband. She goes back to her hometown to live with her parents (Sissy Spacek and Richard Jenkins). Her father works in a mine, which is a main source of income for most men and some of the women in the town. Josey decides to take a job there, after the encouragement from her friend Glory (Frances McDormand).

The Constant Gardener

(129 min, 2005)
Director: Fernando Meirelles
Writers: Jeffrey Caine (screenplay), John le Carré (based on the novel by)
Stars: Ralph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz and Danny Huston

The Ghost of Her.

“You want me to come home. But I am home.”

British diplomat Justin Quayle (Ralph Fiennes) meets the impulsive activist Tessa (Rachel Weisz), marries her quickly at her behest and takes her on diplomatic mission in Kenya. When Tessa is brutally murdered, Justin decides to investigate her death against the strong wish of his superiors to let the matter quietly disappear. He discovers a powerful mystery involving the members of the British High Commission and the not-so-savory business practices of the multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical industry. In the process of learning the secrets of his powerful enemies, Justin must learn all of his wife's many secrets as well and he finally gets to know her.

I saw “The Constant Gardener” years ago and it had a powerful impact on me. The movie is masterfully made and the story is complex but built around unique love, one that's not often seen in the movies. Justin and Tessa meet in passionate circumstances. He is peacefully giving the lecture and she suddenly starts yelling at him, demanding answers for why England is at war and why are diplomatic procedures ignored. Justin tries to answer her politely and calm her down, yet she keeps yelling. Everyone else leaves and embarrassed Tessa apologizes and invites him over for a drink. They talk, laugh, make love. Soon Tessa asks Justin to take her to Africa with him. Enchanted by interesting girl he agrees and they marry.

London

(92 min, 2005)
Director: Hunter Richards
Writer: Hunter Richards
Stars: Jessica Biel, Chris Evans and Jason Statham
 

The greatest conversation you'll ever have is with a stranger.

In New York, Syd (Chris Evans) is consumed by drinks and drugs - missing his girlfriend London (Jessica Biel), who broke up with him six months ago after a two-year relationship. When Syd finds out that London's friends throw a going away party for her, he decides to go to the party without an invitation. But first he meets the banker Bateman (Jason Statham), in a bar to buy coke, and he invites his new acquaintance to go to the party with him. While locked in the bathroom with Bateman snorting coke and drinking booze, Syd recalls moments of his relationship with London

If Woody Allen was born in late seventies or early eighties, in 2005 he would make the exact same movie. That was the first thought I had after seeing “London”. And for the last 30 minutes of film I had an intense feeling of shame as Jason Statham's fangirl – because I really underestimated his talent. And the punishment for that was the state of utter shock and amazement after the movie's most powerful scene.

This is the film that is dialogue-driven. And the dialogues are fantastic – the comparison to Allen comes from the fact that the subjects the movie touches are the same – sex, relationships, life, emptiness, God. It takes really amazing dialogues to keep you interested for 90 minutes of the movie – and the conversations the characters have are so interesting you don't have chance to be bored for even a second. The film largely takes place in one apartment, but it features flashbacks of character's experiences, mostly Syd and London's relationship, which tie in with party events nicely.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

(103 min, 2005)
Director: Shane Black
Writers: Brett Halliday (novel) (in part), Shane Black (screen story)
Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer and Michelle Monaghan

 

Harmony in chaos.

A petty thief posing as an actor (Robert Downey Jr.) is brought to Los Angeles for an unlikely audition and finds himself in the middle of a murder investigation along with his high school dream girl (Michelle Monaghan) and a detective (Val Kilmer) who's been training him for his upcoming role

It's almost impossible to label this one. Crime? Comedy? Black comedy? This is the movie were Robert Downey Jr. hangs from the bridge, holding on to dead guy's hand sticking out of the coffin, tiny dog swallows severed fingers, Val Kilmer plays gay detective and Laurence Fishborne provides voice for bear in the commercial and the movie ends with song sung by Downey Jr. himself, which feels very out of place and that's the whole point. It's insane, fast and very memorable. And also – it's a great film.

“No, she's just resting her eyes for a minute. Of course she's fucking dead, her neck's broken.”

The story is complex, filled with twists and turns and everything is here – aspiring, adorable actress, charming thief and loser in life being hopelessly in love, hilarious detective, city of sin, crazy Russian roulette scene and insane amount of quotable dialogues. It's difficult not to get lost in that labyrinth of plots and jokes, intrigues and lies, but if you pay close attention you will be rewarded in the end with thank you message from Robert and Val themselves. How often does this happen in movies?

Match Point

(124 min, 2005)
Director: Woody Allen
Writer: Woody Allen
Stars: Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Emily Mortimer
 

Game of lust.

(spoilers)

“All people seem to be divided into "ordinary" and "extraordinary". The ordinary people must lead a life of strict obedience and have no right to transgress the law because ... they are ordinary. Whereas the extraordinary people have the right to commit any crime they like and transgress the law in any way just because they happen to be extraordinary.”
- Fyodor Dostoevsky, “Crime and Punishment”

Tennis pro Chris Wilton (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) takes a job as a tennis instructor and hits it off immediately with one of his students, wealthy young Tom Hewitt (Matthew Goode). Tom introduces Chris to his family and Chris falls quickly into a romance with Tom's sister Chloe. But despite the growing certainty that Chris and Chloe will marry, and the enormous professional and financial advantages that come Chris's way through his relationship with the delighted Hewitt family, Chris becomes increasingly intrigued and eventually romantically involved with Tom's fiance, Nola Rice (Scarlett Johansson), a struggling American actress

Lust. One of the seven deadly sins, the force that drives people towards sex, success, greed. It's like fire, if you play with it without being careful – you will get burnt. The problem with the characters in “Match Point” is that no one is being careful – here are the people driven only by their selfish needs, without caring about others or the consequences of their actions.

Who would thought that Woody Allen will shot a thriller, let alone in London without many jokes in it and without one character that would be the standard one for Allen movies usually played by Woody himself. “Match Point” is viewed as something new in his work, although I've never looked at it like this – after all “Match Point” shares a lot, maybe even too much, with another Allen's movie “Crimes and Misdemeanors”. In fact the whole story, the crucial events in it, are almost exactly the same. There is a lot of irony in “Match Point” but the one surrounding the movie, the fact that most “original” Allen's movie made in years is yet again him recycling old ideas, is probably the funniest part.

The Secret life of Words

(115 min, 2005)
Director: Isabel Coixet
Writer: Isabel Coixet
Stars: Sarah Polley, Tim Robbins and Sverre Anker Ousdal

“Is that why they call me a sullen girl -- sullen girl
They don't know I used to sail the deep and tranquil sea
But he washed my shore and he took my pearl
And left an empty shell of me
And there's too much going on
But it's calm under the waves, in the blue of my oblivion
Under the waves in the blue of my oblivion”
Fiona Apple, “Sullen girl”

Measuring the pain.

Hannah (Sarah Polley), who wears a hearing aid, is forced to go on holiday. On holiday she manages to find a job: caring for Josef (Tim Robbins), a burn victim on an oil rig who temporarily lost his sight, until he's stable enough to be transferred. There is almost no one on the rig, except a cook, an oceanographer and a few others out at sea. Hannah tends to Josef and he slowly breaks her shell of silence

I only saw three movies by Isabel Coixet but she is slowly becoming one of my favorite directors. She portrays the stories in her films so tenderly and beautifully that I have fallen in love with each film of hers I saw. First it was “My life without me” also with Sarah Polley that dealt with the story of terminally ill girl who prepares herself for death and tries to make sure her family will be happy after she is gone. Then it was “Elegy” about strange and passionate love between a student and older professor, also with a lot of undertones of death, passing and pain. And now it's “The secret life of words” stunning and powerful tale of two hurt people who slowly discover each other and learn to trust others.

What immediately grabbed my attention was the main character – Hannah. She behaves in a very peculiar way – she doesn't talk to anyone, she doesn't wanna go on vacation. She uses the same bars of gray soap and she constantly eats the same things – chicken, rice and apples. Her apartment is incredibly modest and she seems lonely, sad and it's obvious from the first scenes that her behavior is a result of something horrible that happened to her. She calls a woman (Julie Christie) and doesn't even talk to the phone. Who is that woman? What happened to Hannah? Those questions rise quickly and we're going to have to wait for a long time before we find answers.

Revolver

(115 min, 2005)
Director: Guy Ritchie
Writers: Luc Besson (adaptation), Guy Ritchie
Stars: Jason Statham, Ray Liotta and Vincent Pastore

Well, fuck me, Guy. What have you been reading?

After seven years in solitary, Jake Green (Jason Statham) is released from prison. In the next two years, he amasses a lot of money by gambling. He's ready to seek his revenge on Dorothy (Mr. D) Macha (Ray Liotta), a violence-prone casino owner who sent Jake to prison. He humiliates Macha in front of Macha's lieutenants, leaves, and keels over. Doctors tell him he has a rare disease and will die in three days; Macha also puts a hit out on him.
After you see this movie you're gonna experience two things – headache and a feeling you saw wonderfully directed mess. After you read a little bit about the movie, you're still gonna have a headache and you'll discover something which will make it worse – there is no key, which is guaranteed to work, to unlock the secrets of this movie.

Apparently, to understand the plot you have to have rather wide knowledge about enlightenment and Buddhism. I have neither of those, because I don't particularly care. Don't get me wrong – I think every religion is interesting and I love reading about them but I hate when a movie, a separate art form, requires me to read books to understand it. I read “if you don't understand the movie don't worry, just read few books about Buddhism” in the opinions of people who actually got the movie. Well, I neither have the time nor “Revolver” is interesting enough for me to dwell in the religion and books to look for meanings. If I wanted to read a book about religion, It'd be a book about my religion. So apparently, Guy Ritchie made his movie for a very small number of people comparing to all the movie goers there are, and everyone else may be in pain during this spectacle.