Sibel Kekilli in "Gegen die Wand" [2004 Germany, Turkey]

It was a stroke of genius on the part of Fatih Akin when he cast Sibel Kekilli in his film, "Gegen die Wand" [Eng. Title: Head-On], a poignant romantic drama. It was as if Ms. Kekilli was born to play the role - you don't see an actress in the film, just the character. She would tell us later how much she could relate to some of her own personal experiences growing up within a Turkish family in Germany. She justifiably won a bucket full of awards the following year for her performance, and is now an established actress in world cinema. I'm purposefully avoiding her earlier work as it is irrelevant to this blog. Besides, we haven't even started talking about the film yet!

Storyline:
Cahit, a washed-up, 40-something 'bum' meets and marries pretty twenty year old Sibel under bizarre circumstances. It was meant to be a marriage of convenience, so that Sibel could get out of her overbearing family environment. The rest of the film is a story universal to generation 'X'. It beautifully captures the dilemma caused by reluctance of people to acknowledge feelings for one another and commit to a relationship - a self-preservation mechanism common among many. But just when Cahit and Sibel realise their feelings for one another, the drama begins. Cahit ends up serving time for manslaughter, and Sibel flees to Istanbul to escape from her family's wrath. By the time Cahit is released and comes looking for Sibel, a lot of water has flown under the bridge...

It is almost a perfect film. Because it is full of energy and has exquisite rhythm, like a masterfully choreographed dance. The pace, the timing of dialogues, the screenplay, the edits, the careful cinematography, and the eclectic soundtrack combine to tell a riveting story full of passion and love. It also has its little flaws here and there, but they could all be forgiven for its other strong virtues. Add to this, the performances by central actors are way above average. I saw the film first on TV, channel-hopping until bumping into it by chance - I couldn't get up until the end credits. This is a magnificent piece of cinema, and therefore, Highly Recommended Viewing..!

Amazon DVD Link





Compilation: Sibel Kekilli and Catrin Striebeck



Scene Guide:

• No nudity but sexy - Sibel and Cahit are married but live like platonic flatmates, and after she persuades him to take her dancing - he watches her being approached by a few young men - she'd later leave with one of them telling Cahit that she's getting laid.
• A drunk Cahit is woken up by his ex-wife's friend Maren and they spend the night together. She compliments him later on his lovemaking. Maren is played by Catrin Striebeck.
• Awesome scene as Sibel and Cahit decide to get to know each other better - he had been treating her as little more than a maid until then. But just when he's about to impregnate her, she stops him, reminding that by making love, it would be the consummation of their marriage and they'll become husband and wife for real. Their frustration says it all.
• Sibel, desperately lonely in Istanbul, decides to give herself a fix after an argument with her cousin and goes to a bar, offering the barman whatever he wanted in return. She later gets drunk and passes out. He helps himself to whatever he can and then mercilessly asks her to leave.
• After release from prison, Cahit comes looking for Sibel. But a lot had changed -Sibel's now married, and even has a child. She meets him when her husband goes away on business. And they finally make love.
• Sibel asks Cahit what he intends to do henceforth. He tells her that he wants to settle in his home town, and asks if she, along with the child would join him. They agree to meet at the bus station at an appointed time the following day (I've left some non-nude moments of silence in between some scenes as it makes no sense without it).

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Cristiana Capotondi in "Come tu mi Vuoi" [2007 Italy]

Volfango di Biasi's romantic comedy, "Come tu mi Vuoi" [Eng. Title: As You Want Me] is one of those average teen-targeted films that wouldn't normally feature here, but for one Cristiana Capotondi - an actress beautiful just as she's talented, but still confined to making light comedies.

I'll keep the storyline very brief as there's nothing special in this commercial film. Geeky Communications student Giada despises material culture until she meets fellow student, rich kid, and playboy Riccardo. He falls in love with her after her repeated rejections. She's eventually won over, and she too falls in love with the person whose kind she scorned at before. She then begins to appreciate some of the goodness in material things and uses it to advance her career (and love). The one aspect of production worth mentioning however, would have to be the make up - the effort put into making Cristiana Capotondi look 'plain', including her painted-in freckles is actually quite convincing (shown among the 'Making of' DVD extras).




Compilation: Cristiana Capotondi
There is only a single scene of nudity, about three minutes long. I therefore decided to include some of the short-of-nude best moments in the film to make it worthwhile.



Scene Guide:

• Giada gets ready for a date with Riccardo - who had found her 'fascinating' and decides to 'employ' her as his tutor, eventually asking her out for dinner. Giada of course, is played by signorina molto bellissima Cristiana Capotondi.
• The date - Riccardo does the deed, and Giada shows him a good time too.
• Fiamma, among Riccardo's circle of rich friends, felt bored and decides to help Giada fit into the 'it' crowd. And that includes a complete makeover, teaching the moves, pouting lips, and all the other girly paraphernalia. Fiamma is played by Giulia Steigerwalt.
• Equipped with all the confidence, Giada struts her stuff in front of the gob-smacked Riccardo. Later on in bed, they tell each other they'll still remain their old selves at heart - and he uses the 'L' word.

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Evangelina Sosa in "Ángel de Fuego" [1992 Mexico]

Dana Rotberg hasn't made that many feature films, and I keep wondering why. She is one of the most gifted female directors today, and I say this with conviction even if I have seen only two of her three features to date (the other one being Otilia Rauda). Her drama, "Ángel de Fuego" [Eng. Title: Angel of Fire] was made nearly twenty years ago - a heartfelt critique of the duplicitous nature of religion - claiming to redeem people from suffering on the one hand, while unforgiving and vicious on the other.

It is a passionate plea for tolerance and understanding, for reason to prevail over dogma. Set amongst the mundane and unattractive backdrop of an industrial rail yard on the impoverished outskirts of Mexico city, Rotberg has created haunting compositions that confronts and forces viewers out of their complacency. What the film is trying to tell may not be totally unique, but it is the manner in which it conveys the message that leave us speechless. It must have been tough making such a film at the time when Mexico wasn't yet a modern democracy. It is nevertheless a relentlessly unforgiving film - the first part would've put many people off, where a young acrobat has incestuous relations with her ailing father - it is shocking but handled delicately, considering the circumstances under which this happens. Some may also be put off by the catastrophic ending, but the bulk of the film however is all about redemption and salvation, asking pertinent questions like "when is love a sin", "doesn't God forgive all those who love" and so on. To the end we're left asking, who is the sinner in all this that require any redemption.

The film uses exquisite folk imagery like puppets, kitsch backdrops, and local beliefs to avidly capture the essence of a different, but altogether real Mexico. It speaks to me in so many levels, and it is also one of the socially important films to have come out of this fascinating country. It's hard to believe Dana Rotberg hasn't made many more films, she is one of her country's hidden treasures that should be more widely celebrated.

The characterisation and screenplay is well thought out, as is the delicate direction and cinematography. The soundtrack is haunting with a mixture of folk rhythms interspersed with sounds from nearby industry and distant barking (a symbol of human presence). Not least the magnetic performance of the beautiful Evangelina Sosa, who plays the melancholic and angelic Alma, a thirteen year old acrobat and fire breather using the titular name at a dilapidated circus. This is a gem of a film, and therefore, Highly Recommended Viewing..!

Amazon DVD Link
(there are some good deals going there at the time of this post)




Compilation: Evangelina Sosa
Made from several scenes. I felt compelled to enhance this compilation as the DVD was stamped predominantly for older television sets. Here's a snapshot from the original DVD (left), and my enhanced version (right).


It took my computer well over 9 hours to process this, that's not including my earlier unsuccessful attempts, but I hope it was all worth it..!



Scene Guide:

• In the circus called life, with a mother who'd run away long ago, the ailing father is the closest thing to love for Alma, which unfortunately spills into incest. Just when she learns of her pregnancy, her father dies. After discovering Alma's pregnancy, the wife of the circus owner asks her to get rid of the 'monster' if she wishes to stay in the circus.
• Alma seeks refuge with a travelling preacher/priestess, who with her 'prophet' son Sacramento and Noe, an orphan child, draw audiences with their puppet show. God had just spoken to the priestess, and as penance for her sin, Alma will have to endure heat, hunger, and public nudity, apart from having her unborn child aborted, so that the priestess' son Sacramento can be one more step closer to God.
• A disillusioned Alma returns to the circus, which she knows would also mean taking up additional duties like prostitution. Being dealt a cruel hand by fate, Alma finds it hard to come to terms with her loss.
• Alma visits Sacramento when he's alone for one more chance of salvation - she knows he likes her more than his mother did. But Sacramento desires Alma, for which 'sin' he had been torturing himself. She asks him why he is punishing himself if he was born without sin. But sin he commits, as he succumbs to his desire for Alma. While leaving, Alma asks little Noe not to believe if anyone said Sacramento was sinless.

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Mar Ulldemolins & Alícia Roy in "Mil Cretins" [2011 Spain]

Veteran Catalan director Ventura Pons is known for films with unusual characters (oddities almost), dark humour and kinky themes of a vicarious nature. He may have mellowed over the years, but his films still retain a refreshing frankness that's rare these days. Of course, Cataluña is renowned for its quirky artists (and that is an understatement), and it is only natural to see quirkiness manifested in its rich cinema too.

His recent film, "Mil Cretinos" [Orig Title: Mil Cretins, Eng Title: A Thousand Fools] is made of three parts, each with several chapters loosely connected either through one of the characters or an overall theme, a style of film making Sr. Pons has used more than once.

The first and third parts are set around an old people's home, and inevitably casts a pall over its characters - whether it is a family member about to die, or the end of a relationship. The second part is almost Decamerotic, even if these are staged as theatrical pieces, all chapters taken from folk and fairy tales but with either the roles reversed or with twisted endings. If you can sit through the first two chapters of the film, you'll begin to enjoy the rest. Having said that, I found one chapter particularly tedious where we follow a mature woman stripping her apartment of all belongings one by one with barely a dialogue or commentary - it may have worked well for a novella but perhaps not so on film. The soundtrack and cinematography is appealing, even if it's not exactly cutting-edge. While the film may not be in the same league as his earlier gems like "Carisias" or "El Porqué de las Cosas", it is still very well written, directed and performed by established actors.

Amazon DVD Link




Compilation: Mar Ulldemolins and Alícia Roy
Taken from two chapters from Part 1 and 2. The DVD comes with the option of the original Catalan soundtrack or in Spanish - even though I watched it with the Spanish dubbing, I've retained the original track for this compilation.



Scene Guide:

• Mar Ulldemolins as Gina. The more twisted and kinky of the two chapters, where care home receptionist Gina sends a letter to her ex-boyfriend (the poor sod is lying in a coffin by the time he receives it) explaining why she likes her life away from him. Her new boyfriend is apparently ready to please her whenever and wherever she wants, which inevitably include handing over her knickers and having sex in public, and the ensuing thrill of getting noticed. Add to this, she's now taken on another lover, which she admits might have made her boyfriend 'a little bit' jealous. She tells her ex that he doesn't have the balls to commit suicide as threatened earlier, and that if he were a proper man, he should be fondling a new woman's ass instead of spending all this effort trying to make her feel guilty for leaving him. Ouch..!
• Alícia Roy as the Sleeping Beauty. This is a straightforward scene that need no explaining - anyone with even the most basic knowledge of the fairy tale will understand this twisted version.

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Juliette Binoche in "Rendez-vous" [1985 France]

It's about time I started the filmography in this blog of one of France's most beautiful and talented actresses - Juliette Binoche. I'll begin with André Téchiné's romantic drama, "Rendez-vous", which is Mlle Binoche's earliest starring role and also features her first nude appearance. And what a grand debut it turned out to be..!

Storyline:
Eighteen year old Nina arrives in Paris with stars in her eyes - she wants to make a name for herself in theatre, and she takes up whatever minor roles she could get to keep her going. Free-spirited, she moves out of her theatre usher boyfriend's flat and meets letting agent Paulot, who instantly falls in love with her. But she prefers they remain platonic friends and falls for his flatmate Quentin instead. But Quentin has issues - he couldn't forgive himself for a past tragedy, and transmits his hatred to everyone close to him, to the extent that he wouldn't leave Nina alone even after he dies. His death unexpectedly acquaints Nina with a director Scrutzler, the father of Quentin's late girlfriend, who decides to cast her as the main character in his stage play, "Romeo and Juliet". Nina, who struggles at the beginning to understand the character she's playing, gradually learns what it is to fall in love, get hurt, and relate to the character she initially found so uninteresting.

This is a beautifully written film by Téchiné. We see glimpses of his brilliance in the manner in which he spins a elegant (and earthy) love story around the film's main theme, which is about the maturing of a raw actress from the provinces. Just as Nina samples, savours, and absorbs experiences from the people she meets, she begins to understand the character she plays - she begins to also understand and fall, in love. The sights and sounds of Paris, the screenplay, the uncompromising performances by all main actors, and the great ending is what makes this a true French film classic. Add to this, the amazing maturity shown by Juliette Binoche who plays Nina - she was only twenty one at the time - the film gives us a preview of what was to come from this gifted actress. Needless to say, Highly Recommended Viewing..!

Amazon DVD Link




Compilation: Juliette Binoche and Caroline Faro



Scene Guide:

• Paulot, having watched Nina's average performance in a play, goes up to the dressing room to congratulate, only to catch her being fondled by the boyfriend.
• Quentin, Paulot's flatmate invites Nina to a show where he performs in a different version of Romeo and Juliet in this outrageous scene - the not-too-pleased Nina leaves. 'Juliet' is performed by Caroline Faro.
• Paulot, unable to express how he feels properly, tries to grope Nina during a property viewing, and an angry Nina humiliates him by stripping and laying down, asking him how he'd like to take her.
• Quentin gets beaten up trying to protect Nina from a guy who wants her way with her. She rewards the bruised Quentin back at her flat.
• Paulot visits Nina's flat the following morning to drop off some groceries she might need, only to see his flatmate had been there first.To add insult to injury Quentin takes him inside and urges him to feel the sleeping Nina's crotch. She wakes up shocked, only to be further humiliated by Quentin - he sees them both as ignorant fools who can't realise they are in love.
• After some water under the bridge, Nina returns to see Paulot - she misses his attentions, and tries to win him back, but a hurt and angry Paulot takes his turn at humiliating her - dirty love, indeed..!

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