Tangerines (Mandariinid) (2013)

Director: Zaza Urushadze. Cast: Lembit Ulfsak, Elmo Nüganen, Giorgi Nakashidze, Misha Meskhi. 87 min. Estonia/Georgia. Drama/War.

"The world would be a much more peaceful place if ordinary people simply got to know one another." 

This was an IMDb quote I saw describing The Iran Job, but the concept is reflected much more strongly in this Oscar-nominated foreign film. During the 1990s Georgia-Apkhazeti War, an old man ends up taking care of two wounded soldiers from opposite sides of the war in his home. Will they see the good in each other and calm down? So now you already know the movie is preachy, and there are 'famous last words' where you know a character is going to die any second. But still, the simpleness in how the story unfolds makes this a pleasurable watch.

PS: Maryam ... thank you for the directions!

Mo says:

Pumping Iron (1977)

Director(s): George Butler, Robert Fiore. 85 min. Rated PG. Documentary.

The documentary that later put Arnold on the map (in lieu of a total talent void) as his era's most famous movie star. But the film has an additional interesting element in the form of Lou Ferrigno, also later renown as TV's Incredible Hulk, an underdog hoping to beat Arnold in his seventh and last bidding for Body Building Championship. Compared to nowadays, the documentary offers little introspection into the athletes' lives (some moments were later found to be staged), but it does picture Arnold as a shrewd businessman - as he proved in the 2000s to succeed as the Governator.

Mo says:

Everly (2014)

Director: Joe Lynch. Cast: Salma Hayek, Hiroyuki Watanabe. 92 min. Rated R. Action/Thriller.

The cover of a prostitute cooperating with the police to bring down a mob boss is blown, and she's attacked by numerous assassins in an apartment room. I have no problem with violence when there's a good story context, but a female grappling with rivers of blood and gore and an army of talking killers looks like a parody of Kill Bill (and Kill Bill was a parody itself). Still, give me a full-length movie happening in a single room any day, and funny/corny/cliche moments and all, I'll respect the effort.

Mo says:

Wolf Children (2012)

Director: Mamoru Hosoda. 117 min. Rated PG. Japan. Animation.

A cartoon about the love between a high school girl ... and a werewolf. It's rated PG, but as in innumerable other Japanese instances, it's actually a 2-hour adult-themed live-action film that is merely using animation as a conduit to tell its story. And indeed, some landscapes of the Japanese countryside pictured here are so advanced in detail, I could not discern if it was human/computer drawing, or live-action film. This is a fantasy for adults to relax, watch in awe, and enjoy.

PS: Thanks again, Ali S.!

Mo says:

Clouds of Sils Maria (2014)

Director: Olivier Assayas. Cast: Juliette Binoche, Kristen Stewart, Chloë Grace Moretz. 124 min. France/Switzerland/Germany/USA/Belgium. Drama.

A veteran actress is offered to perform in the same play that made her famous twenty years ago, opposite the character that made her famous twenty years ago. Dilemma: if she outshines her younger self, is it out of profession, or just an ego trip to prove she's still relevant? Similar to Birdman, it portrays issues artists struggle with their entire life. Wise choice of Stewart as the actress' assistant who rehearses with her, as Stewart's ever-monotonous performance intentionally confuses us whether they're truly rehearsing, or is this a real relationship playing out? But boy, is she a bad actress.

Mo says:

'71 (2014)

Director: Yann Demange. Cast: Jack O'Connell, Sam Reid, Sean Harris. 99 min. Rated R. UK. Action/Thriller.

During the chaos of a Belfast street riot, a young British soldier is separated from his unit, and hunted by the IRA through the night. If this is how Northern Ireland was in the 70s, then this is truly a shocking film, as the picture illustrated here is no different from an American soldier running for his life on the streets of Fallujah. Deservedly, there are a few breath-taking Bourne-type chase scenes, establishing the uncertainty of the soldier's chances making it alive till the morning. Even though I didn't understand half the Irish accent, this was well worth my time.

PS: Among more than 20 nominations and wins, the film is nominated this year for Best British Film and Outstanding Debut Director BAFTA Awards.

Mo says:

Time Lapse (2014)

Director: Bradley King. Cast: Danielle Panabaker, Matt O'Leary, George Finn. 104 min. Sci-Fi/Thriller. 

Three young people discover a huge camera next door to their apartment that has been taking daily pictures of them 24 hours into the future - so they plan to make monetary gain from their knowledge of the future. I found this very indie shoe-string budget film tense and engaging (and even a source of encouragement for people who want to crowd-fund their small projects), but the character decisions and motivations were quite questionable, and the story's time-travel logic was confusing to me long after the movie was done. Nice if you're looking for a "different" sci-fi.

Mo says:

Virunga (2014)

Director: Orlando von Einsiedel. 90 min. UK/Congo. Documentary.

Netflix's Leonardo DiCaprio-produced Oscar-nominated documentary takes a look at the Virunga National Park in Congo, home of the last surviving mountain gorillas, whose existence is threatened by a never-ending civil war and profit-hungry foreign oil investors. There are films (Blackfish, The Cove) that make you seriously care about wildlife; they make you react. With all of this film's journalistic merit (hidden cameras show actual bribes changing hands), it doesn't make a very strong case for the gorillas, as the investors promise universities, schools and roads for the destabilized, war-ravaged country. Curious how this ended up among the top five nominees.

Mo says:

Unbroken (2014)

Director: Angelina Jolie. Cast: Jack O'Connell, Takamasa Ishihara, Domhnall Gleeson. 137 min. Rated PG-13. Biography/War.

Coen Brothers-written WWII story of Olympian runner Louis Zamperini, who spent 47 days in a raft on the Pacific Ocean, and was caught and tortured by the Japanese army. Traces of other movies are numerous: from the Saving Private Ryan opening, to the Cast Away sea perils, to The Bridge on the River Kwai POW camp, to the Rescue Dawn fight for survival. Nothing's boring in this fascinating true story, but nothing's new in this formulaic movie either. Although a significant improvement compared to her first feature, it's safe to say Angelina Jolie doesn't want to take chances.

Mo says:

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014)

Director: Ana Lily Amirpour. Cast: Sheila Vand, Arash Marandi, Marshall Manesh. 99 min. Unrated. Horror.

Iranian vampire Western. It's tough to imagine these three words in the same sentence - let alone to describe a movie. And add to the mix the mood of the sex-and-violence-filled black-and-white B-movies of the Shah's time, and you're surprised to even get a coherent story (which this film actually has). If a young American-raised Iranian film-maker, heavily inspired by David Lynch (and to a lesser extent Tarantino), was to picture how she sees her delusional past generation, her hypocritical religious upbringing, and her vision of her own generation's doomed future ... this is exactly the movie she would make.

PS: 95% on the Tomatometer. Your call.

Mo says:

Big Eyes (2014)

Director: Tim Burton. Cast: Amy Adams, Christoph Waltz, Krysten Ritter, Jason Schwartzman, Danny Huston, Terence Stamp. 106 min. Rated PG-13. USA/Canada. Biography.

In 1950s San Francisco, a swindler claims credit for the work of Margaret Keane, the now-famous artist of paintings picturing sad, big-eyed children. Burton's latest is quite successful in establishing why the male-dominated exploitation went as far as it did, but since a charade of such magnitude is difficult to imagine happening nowadays in a developed country, the director's interest in the subject (except for his eye fetish) was lost on me. Waltz's theatricals (which honestly, are getting a little repetitious) during the climactic trial were so extravagant, I had to do some fact-checking to see how much was dramatized.

Mo says:

A Most Violent Year (2014)

Director: J.C. Chandor. Cast: Oscar Isaac, Jessica Chastain, David Oyelowo, Albert Brooks, Catalina Sandino Moreno. 125 min. Rated R. Crime/Drama.

In 1981, NYC's most violent year on record, a wanna-be Mafia boss is planning his last steps to become the biggest Mafia boss in the city, but hits major obstacles by rival groups. This is Michael Corleone, both in appearance and manner, trying not to step into the dark side - and the question till the very end, is whether he'll sell his soul to the devil like Michael did, or not. Although the high expectations from such an engaging context are unmet by the screenplay, both Isaac and Chastain glow with their overbearing presence in this otherwise darkly-lit, sobering movie.

PS: See? What did I tell you here about the young Pacino of our times? In addition to Chastain, add Isaac to the list of newcomers whose next movie I'm looking forward to. And I'm not just talking about the next Star Wars movie.

PPS: Margin Call, All is Lost, A Most Violent Year. Mojo scores on all of J.C. Chandor's first three features.

Mo says: