Movies Ive Seen in 2007

Queen, The	Queen Elizabeth's actions after the death of Princess Diana are the central theme for this movie that studies the stoic British monarch. (Prince Phillip is really made to look like a pompous ass while Elizabeth manages to be sympathetic at times.)
Letters from Iwo Jima	Gritty WWII tale from director Clint Eastwood that depicts the battle for Iwo Jima from the point of view of its Japanese defenders. In Japanese with English subtitles.
La Strada	Classic Fellini film starring Anthony Quinn as a semi tragic circus strongman. Shown as part of the 50 Years of Janus Films presentation at the Music Box theatre in Chicago. In Italian with English subtitles.
High and Low	One of my favorite Kurosawa films shown as part of the 50 Years of Janus Films presentation at the Music Box theatre in Chicago. In Japanese with English subtitles.
Pan's Labyrinth	Sometimes horrific tale part fantasy and part harsh reality of 1930's era facist Spain. A young girl must past several tests to take claim her proper place as a princess of a mystical world. In Spanish with English subtitles.
Taste of Tea, The	Meandering Japanese film about a family doing some pretty mundane things in many cases but it has an interesting narrative and they manage to pull off a decent ending to a movie that goes nowhere in particular. In Japanese with English subtitles.
Lives of Others, The	This year's Oscar winner for Best Foreign Language film is a taut thriller that takes place in East Berlin prior to the fall of the wall. It may be improbable for a Stasi agent to have a change of heart in the way depicted but the story draws the viewer in the way a good Hitchcock movie would have done. In German with English subtitles.
Tears of the Black Tiger	I knew this Thai western was supposed to be campy. I wonder if the filmmakers knew that or whether it only seems campy by western standards. The vivid color palette was interesting but it was too long for how thin the story is and how poor the acting is. In Thai with English subtitles.
Host, The	Korean monster flick with action, humor, and you may be surprised at who gets killed. It's what Jurassic Park could have been. In Korean with English subtitles.
Into Great Silence	Do you think that a 2 hr 42 minute film, shot in a monastary in the mountains of France, featuring monks who rarely speak, and has no narrative would be mind numbingly boring? I'm here to tell you it is!! In French (when they do speak) with English Subtitles.
Mafioso	1962 film from Dino De Laurentis about a mid-level factory efficiency manager who works in the far north of Italy and is married to a beautiful blonde wife and who also has two little blonde girls. The fact that they are blondes is important because this man is from Sicily and they're going to his home town to meet his family who has never met his wife and children. The vacation is to be 12 days and it starts off badly because of the culture clash between north and south. His wife is miserable and his family doesn't think much of her. He, of course, is very excited about being back home. Home is where the local 'Don' is and Nino, the main character, was part of the local gang as a teenager. Soon, the Don get's the idea that Nino is the perfect candidate to do a job for the mob. He first settle's a local dispte between Nino's family and a land seller. The dispute is settled in the favor of Nino's family and Nino is very grateful. Of course, the Don just says that he's sure that Nino can do him a favor some day. Nowadays, we know what that means, but I'm sure this unfolded in a shocking way for viewers in 1962. The tension in the film transfers well even today and one wonders whether Nino will be able to do this favor and save his wife and daughters in the process. In Italian with English subtitles.
Abduction	Sad and disturbing story about Noth Korea abducting Japanese citizens from coastal areas for the purpose of training their espionage agents. In one case, a young girl is abducted and much of the movie is about the family's struggle to find her. When they discover that North Korea may be responsible, the story becomes even more frustrating because of the political wrangling that becomes involved.
Pilgrimage	Short film about an annual pilgramag that is made to one of the sites of Japanese internment camps from World War II era California. The pilgrims hope to keep the memory alive of what discrimination can lead too if we do not remain vigilant.
Bolinao 52	Short film of tragedy and survival as 110 Vietnamese set out in a small boat and end up spending 37 days adrift at sea before being rescued by fishermen in the Phillipines. Through the course of the journey 58 people die. The title refers to the number of survivors and the name of the town where they were rescued. Nineteen days into their voyage, they were encountered by a US Navy ship that refused to rescue them and they spent an additional 18 days at sea.
The Music Box presents: Sci-Fi Spectacular	The Music Box theatre in Chicago sponsors a program of Sci-Fi classics, shorts, cartoons, live bands, memorabilia sales, a costume contest and Ms. Patricia Neal, star of The Day the Earth Stood Still. It ran from noon to 2:00 AM. I caught the last bit of Metropolis, plus Forbidden Planet, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Serenity, the first Buck Rogers serial reel, the French silent classic Journey to the Moon, Bug's Bunny in Hareway to the Stars and Daffy Duck in Duck Dogers in the 24th 1/2 Century. Was Forbidden Planet meant to be that funny?
Disturbia	Decent teenage twist on Rear Window.
Hot Fuzz	Another black comedy featuring the two stars of Shaun of the Dead now as police partners in a small English town with a disturbing secret.
Black Book	Engaging WW II thriller set in Holland in the waning days of the Third Reich.
Paris Je t'aime	This film is a compilation of 5 minute vignettes set all around Paris, by a number of different directors. It works.
Fantastic Four - Rise of the Silver Surfer	One shouldn't over analyse comic book movies. This one is reasonably well done and gets a passing grade, but has its problems. Like Sue Storm being all panicky when she transfers powers with her brother.
Ratatouille	Fun animated film from the creator of The Incredibles, but I have to say it is hard for me to get past the fact that the main character is a rat, even an animated one. I wouldn't want to eat at a restaurant where the head chef is a rat, even though this one washes his hands frequently. The screening also included an animated short.
Transformers	This film is somewhat long and I had to park my car at a meter several blocks away. At one point, I had to leave the theatre and jog several blocks to feed the meter. I didn't feel that I missed much when I returned. The film is guilty pleasure and a bit of nostalia for people severla years younger than me.
Lady Chatterly	About what you'd expect in a film of this title. There is no one to dislike, but several people for whom you can feel sorry that their opportunities for true love and affection are lost. In French.
Shoot Em Up	This film lives up to its title with over the top action sequences, guns, cars, etc and cartoon like, tongue in cheek violence.
Silk	Period piece about a European silk merchant who travels to the inland of Japan at a time when foreigners would have been officially only allowed to visit a trading post in Nagasaki Bay and an infatuation that is developed for the concubine of the silk smuggler. Meanwhile, the good wife is back home ...
Jump!	Fun documentary about competitive rope jumping. Not as intense as Spellbound, as documentaries go, but still interesting. This was presented at the Chicago International Film Festival and the filmmaker was at the screening as were some of the subjects of the film.
Girl Who Could Jump Through Time, The	Anime for pre-teens. This was presented at the Chicago International Film Festival. In Japanese.
Animated Shorts Program	A variety of animated shorts . This was presented at the Chicago International Film Festival.
Under the Same Moon	Story of a young boy growing up in Mexico under the care of his grandmother. Hi mother lives and works illegally in the U.S. When the boy's grandmother dies, he undertakes a dangerous trek to be reunited with his mother in the U.S. The film has its moments but cheats a little with its hooks and has a Hollywood ending. This was presented at the Chicago International Film Festival. In Spanish and English language.
Weirdsville	The misadventures of the drug addicts on a cold night in Canada as they try to elude the mob, satan worshipers and others. Fun and goofy. This was presented at the Chicago International Film Festival.
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead	Two brothers, strapped for cash for different reasons, ultimately agree to knock off a suburban "mom and pop" jewelry store. Things go very wrong ...
Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten	Chronicles the life and moods of Joe Strummer. Lots of good music and a must for fans of The Clash. The movie made me want to see Rude Boy again.