Carnage, 2011

Carnage, 2011
Director: Roman Polanski
Cast: Kate Winslet, Jodie Foster, Christoph Waltz, John C. Reilly



Stage: Home theatre. Substitute for the movie under stars at Ljubljana Castle. And got a fairly good quality.


Carnage in short: In Brooklyn Bridge Park, eleven year old Zachary Cowan strikes his eleven year old classmate Ethan Longstreet across the face with a stick after an argument. Among the more serious of Ethan's injuries is a permanently missing tooth and the possibility of a second tooth also being lost. Their respective parents learn of the altercation through Ethan's parents questioning him about his injuries. The Longstreet parents invite the Cowan parents to their Brooklyn apartment to deal with the incident in a civilized manner. They are: Penelope Longstreet, whose idea it was to invite the Cowans, she whose priorities in life include human rights and justice; Michael Longstreet, who tries to be as accommodating as possible to retain civility in any situation; Nancy Cowan, a nervous and emotionally stressed woman; and Alan Cowan, who is married more to his work as evidenced by the attachment he has to his cell phone and taking work calls at the most inopportune times..


Preps: I need to see this. It's Polanski. And I heard it's brilliant. I am not in the mood to make it up to the castle for this one. Fortunately, I can get it in one hour and almost start watching at the same moment :)


Reality: The beginning is somehow calm. The two families, trying to come to an agreement. I could never expect such an explosion of emotions is coming. Polanski took the scenery very serious, placed it very statically - this means we never get to leave the room these four people are locked in.
This is the hardest thing to do. Make a static scene interesting. Yet Polanski succeeds. I am out of breath from the first moment on.
The calm aristocratic family (and the other one, similar to the first one), start of civilized and friendly. In a way you would start a business conversation. However, with the conversation proceeding, they turn into wild things, animals for sure. I cannot believe the way the couples are behaving first towards complete strangers, then towards each other. The way women take sides against men is simply excellent and leaves me with a fresh breath of pure irony. Plus, the men and their habits that reveal. The four persons show themselves in the worst possible way. Completely without any limit, prejudicial, filled with depression they didn't express prior to this unique opportunity. The room is the place, where vomit literally breaks loose, fighting for your own existence and if they first wanted to make an impression (in a fashion of Keeping up Appearances and "lady of the house speaking", Hyacinth) on each other, later this is no longer important.
The worrying part is the fact that at the end, noone remembers why they gathered in the first place. The dispute they had is no longer relevant, only the blame and anger they nurture against each other. A drama that turns into a horror, leaves me breathless and with a deep respect for Polanski. Worth every minute.


My personal rating: 9,0 (excellent. Plus, 80 minutes, that seem like five).

Carnage on IMDB

The Silence of The Lambs, 1991

The Silence of The Lambs, 1991
Director: Jonathan Demme
Cast: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Lawrence A. Bonney



Stage: Home TV selection on a nice Saturday


Silence in short: Young FBI agent Clarice Starling is assigned to help find a missing woman to save her from a psychopathic serial killer who skins his victims. Clarice attempts to gain a better insight into the twisted mind of the killer by talking to another psychopath Hannibal Lecter, who used to be a respected psychiatrist. FBI agent Jack Crawford believes that Lecter who is also a very powerful and clever mind manipulator have the answers to their questions to help locate the killer. Clarice must first try and gain Lecter's confidence before he is to give away any information.


Preps: Ahhhh, a classic. Need to see it from time to time. One of the best thrillers ever made.



Reality: Well, Sir Hopkins rocks in this part. As an ex carnivor (in human sense, because he ate human flesh) and psychologist, he is tricky to be swollen by the spectator. We get to know him through Clarice, a young eager FBI agent, on her way to the stars.
He reveals his secrets through the psychoanalysis he is doing all the time. For no appareant reason, he likes Clarice and likes "hanging out" with her, if you can even call his sessions he has with her. An interesting trade - she reveals her deep childhood secrets and he tells her how to get to one man FBI is after.
I have never seen scenes so obscure and thrilling. You know something is going to happen, although with common sense, you cannot see how. But you sense it. The largest piece of contribution goes to the music (absolutely beautifully played for each perticular scene) and Sir Hopkins. Obviously he brought the best out of (at that time) still young Foster. I loved her in this part because she represented a kind of character (profession) I once wanted to be, therefore I could perfectly harmonize with her cast.
In general, I believe the three part movie (The Silence is the first from the threesome) is one of the best trilogies ever made. Still gets the creeps out of me. The story is awsome. Trading with really sick prisoner is breathtaking. The music gives me the chills and imagining things that are presented in this piece is unbelievable. Dresses out of human skin? Eating human flesh.. liver with a glass of Chianti. You find yourself worshiping Lector, and despising him at the same moment. Not a lot of pieces do this to you.

In any sense, a thriller worth seeing every now and then. Makes you believe Lecter is in the prison because he wants to be and not because his government wants him to. Also makes you sure about the next piece, the sequel, because the story doesn't end with the rescue. A normal setting for a sequel.

Sometimes you see one person make a movie and be notorious about it. In a good sense. Anthony Hopkins has this one as the milestone in his career. Absolutely great cast and great energy. He owns the stage.

My personal rating: 9,0 (a solid, strong thriller. I would claim an oldie goldie, even though the movie isn't really ancient).


The Silence on IMDB

Nell, 1994

Nell, 1994
Director: Michael Apted
Cast: Jodie Foster, Liam Neeson, Natasha Richardson


Stage: Home Theatre, lonely Friday evening


Nell in short: Nell is a girl who's been brought up in an isolated world. The only people she knew were her mother and twin sister. They lived together in a cottage in the forest. Nobody has ever met Nell. After her mother's death, she's discovered by the local doctor Jerome. He's fascinated by her, since she speaks a mangled language, developed by her sister and herself growing up, "twin speak" if you will. But Paula, a psychology student, wants her observed in a laboratory. The judge decides they get three months to observe her in the forest, after which he'll decide about Nell's future.



Preps: Wow, a long time since I took a shot at this one. Have seen this a long time ago and I need to review the position :) Plus, I am in the mood for Foster and Neeson.


Reality: A breathtaking drama, with some standards we are ready to pursue until the court, later on we see, they don't hold value. Is taking someone from the environment he's used to, justified.. I mean this with every breath of my spirit.. the movie shows how devalued our standards are and how ashamed we should sometimes feel with ourselves. On the other hand, the movie shows deep respect to simple life, simple ways and means. And a touching story of a girl (now a woman), left behind when the mother dies and she being discovered by accident.

The first half of the movie is dedicated to us, reminding us what the life could have been, without it being complicated with things we are familiar with nowadays, and even more, used to. Like electricity, running water, cable, etc. Nell lives without it. And manages to get by quite easily and in a life, rich with other values. Obviously the storyline of a wild thing being caught in a scenery that can be easily discovered by "well behaved society", is intriguing, yet it shows how we are forcing everyone live up to our standards. Yet noone asks him/herself, whether our standards are good or are they just intimidating to someone's way of living. Should Nell be brought into an institution or should she be like a wild beast, with us just observing her? This is the main story inside this piece. A side story, love romance, obviously happening between the two doctors. Could have been avoided, still it gets somehow inside the main stoy in the and, so I can feel good about it.

Nell is a good thinking about how we treat wild and unknown entities that come on our path. And I believe this outcome we see in movies cannot be real. Because we are worse, we would never have left a person like Nell intact. We would really bring her into an institution and let her rotten there. Sadly, but probably more true than what was shown in the piece. Still, loved it. Jodie Foster is brilliant in this role.


My personal rating: 7,0 (solid, good piece, makes you wonder what the real virtues are and what are we ready to fight about)


Nell on IMDB

Panic room, 2002

Panic room, 2002
Director: David Fincher
Cast: Jodie Foster, Kristen Stewart, Forest Whitaker




Stage: Home TV, late Saturday selection


Panic room in short: Recently divorced Meg Altman and her daughter Sarah have bought a new home in New York. On their tour around the mansion, they come across the panic room. A room so secure, that no one can get in. When three burglars break in, Meg makes a move to the panic room. But all her troubles don't stop there. The criminals know where she is, and what they require the most in the house is in that very room.



Preps: Hm. I have seen this piece at the movies in 2002, I liked it. Now I see it has Kristen Stewart, known for vampire saga Twilight as a beautiful Bella. Here I need to see her as a child.


Reality: Wow, beautiful Bella once really was a child. Here as Jodie Foster's diabetic daughter, she gains my confidence in her act. She was developing at that time, but least I see she has been working hard from the beginning (same thing as Drew Barrymore, for instance, starting off with ET.

Now, the Panic room is a perfect shelter for people that don't get excited in closed spaces. Ironically enough, Jodie Foster plays someone that really doesn't like closed rooms, nor supervision through cameras. An unusual story, where some leftovers are hidden after the last owner and aren't taken away quick enough. This is why the burglars come to claim the property, not knowing the house has been sold in the mean time and even more, has now new owners, actually living in the house. The threesome is amusing, showing underappreciation towards burglars. Maybe Finches' own fears or attempt to teach us about how things should be in this world. I doubt that most burglars come as a)fathers that want to give their son the best they can; b)really stupid coleric individuals that don't think two cm below their dicks or c) that they meet at the scene of the job with an armed really weird individual.

In any sense, the movie has a temper and energy, it will keep you high all the time and you will feel the need to ask yourself about the reality these characters are showing. Is it really impossible to get into the safe room? The only way to make the viewer believe is if you make an expert part of the burglar team, namely one that builds such cages. Even if the goal is to prevent burglars from getting into one of those.
Also, some tweeks, I don't buy. You just don't get your hand caught by steel doors and it is still there. It should be cut off. Maybe the choice of director to avoid 18+ rating. And some others.. barefeet people running on the glass not getting hurt is one of them. Hitting a man so hard and him still being conscious, another.. And a lot more. Still, a good showoff of what it might happen somewhere if..

The ending is a bit romantic and could be done a bit differently to get the tention to the peak, not to release it. I claim it to be a fairly good choice of a Sat night movie. It will make you think what would you do if you were in their shoes.


My personal grade: 6,0 (solid proof of concept for a Saturday night. Will get your blood running a bit faster. And you will rehearse the SOS code again :)


Panic room on IMDB

Contact, 1997

Contact, 1997
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Cast: Jodie Foster, Matthew McConnaughey, Tom Skerrit


Stage: Home TV selection

Contact in short: Astronomer Dr. Ellie Arroway has long been interested in contact to faraway lands, a love fostered in her childhood by her father, Ted Arroway, who passed away when she was nine years old leaving her then orphaned. Her current work in monitoring for extraterrestrial life is based on that love and is in part an homage to her father. Ever since funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) was pulled on her work, which is referred to some, including her NSF superior David Drumlin, as more science fiction than science, Ellie, with a few of her rogue scientist colleagues, have looked for funding from where ever they could get it to continue their work. When Ellie and her colleagues hear chatter originating from the vicinity of the star Vega, Ellie feels vindicated. But that vindication is short lived when others, including politicians, the military, religious leaders and other scientists such as Drumlin...

Preps: Nothing special, as I have already seen the piece and loved it.

Reality: Contact is one of Zemecki's greater works. The strong cast supports the ever lasting theme that is truly popular at any given moment. Now, 1997 was the time when those movies had some kind of romantic perspective and weren't made in a hard way, as we know them now. It is for a fact that ever since ET it has been hard to make an "ET"-like movie that would match Spielberg from a far distance. Well, this is one of the more successful attempts. Foster, playing a dedicated scientist, and McConnaughey, playing the political role inside this.

For what it's worth - this is more a movie about the politics than the movie about ET's. Which could be a good point, since we all want to have an insight into the dirty games the government is playing and the happenings behind the scenes. Here you are dragged right into the snakes pit and bit by lions that are drulling around someone else's work. In this case, Jodie Foster plays the role of a scientist that got f.. with. And was supposed to be left behind. Because of the nature of the character she's playing, she makes sure she's not left behind and turns herself into the role of the spectator. Not being able to influence much, but being able to see the happening behind the scenes. Like a narrator of some kind, or a hidden spectator. Take it as you will.

Now, what is the signal she received - we cannot tell and for sure are having fun while the people in the Nasa, institutions that are dedicated to extraterrestrials, are trying to figure out. With some tips from an outsourced intelligence, Jodie Foster comes up with a key to the riddle and makes things even more complicated.

As said, the movie is more a political movie, making a point about the ways the government works and the games they are playing in the real life field. All the extra terrestrial is placed in our minds as something good and positive. Not to forget, we aren't aware of what we have as neighbours and sometimes, snakes pits should be left alone.

No real revelations in this movie. However, a true perspective of the problem most of the individually driven scientists are facing nowadays. And the lack of respect for their work. Like in parliaments, also the forces here are divided by cash and influence someone has in government.

My personal rate: 7,5 (a good and solid political piece, with a distinction towards optimistical view of the extra terrestrials).

Contact on IMDB

The Silence of the Lambs, 1991

The Silence of the Lambs, 1991
Director: Jonathan Demme
Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Jodie Foster, Scott Glenn


Stage: Home TV selection on a Sunday night. A dozenth time to see this :)


Silence in short: Young FBI agent Clarice Starling is assigned to help find a missing woman to save her from a psychopathic serial killer who skins his victims. Clarice attempts to gain a better insight into the twisted mind of the killer by talking to another psychopath Hannibal Lecter, who used to be a respected psychiatrist. FBI agent Jack Crawford believes that Lecter who is also a very powerful and clever mind manipulator have the answers to their questions to help locate the killer. Clarice must first try and gain Lecter's confidence before he is to give away any information.
Preps: None in perticular. I have seen this at the movies as well as home several times. I know it serves to my needs this evening.


Reality: This piece is one of the greater achievements in this genre. A brilliant act of two main protagonists, Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins, makes this one an inspiring and thrilling experience. It is a simple crime story, however it takes a deep dive into psychological sphere, with the viewer not knowing what the devil has in mind (Hopkins), even though under bars. It's unimaginable, what imagination can do to you - even though the scenes are smartly hidden, you cannot wait to feel what hasn't been revealed. Quite an opposite from that kind, being filmed these days (a good example in the Saw).

Until the very end, you cannot tell, whether the girl is going to be found alive or not. Or where does the psycho under bars takes his wits (intelligence) and knowing where to seek and what to expect. And how to get under Jodie Foster's skin for that matter. Every time she tries to speak with him, you feel they are connected and that he's stripping her in front of the audience. A masterpiece, for sure. Worth seeing in any dimension possible. You will adore her and you will hate and love him at the same time. And be eager to save the young lady they are seeking for.

The idea of having a dress made out of skin was outrageous at that time. Now it's not really, we have seen this already repeatebly. However, at that point it was brilliant, unique and made sure the sits were full.

My personal rate: 9,0 (in my opinion, the beginner of several originals that followed, worth seeing and reconsidered from viewer's perspective)


The Silence of the Lambs on IMDB

Inside man, 2006

Inside man, 2006
Director: Spike Lee
Cast: Denzel Washington, Jodie Foster, Clive Owen, Christopher Plummer



Inside man in short: From a cell, a man tells us he has planned the perfect bank robbery; he invites us to watch. An efficient gang enters a Manhattan bank, locks the doors, and takes hostages. They work deliberately, without haste. Detective Frazier is assigned to negotiate, but half his mind is occupied with the corruption charges he is facing. The bank's president has something to protect in a safe deposit box, so he brings in Madaline, a high-power broker with a hidden agenda. With an army of police surrounding the bank, the thief, the cop, and the plutocrat's fixer enter high-stakes negotiations. Why are the robbers asking for a plane, if they are so competent and they know they won't get one? Why aren't they in more of a hurry? If the job's perfect, why is the thieves' leader in a cell?

Stage: home theatre, TV selection of the evening


Preps: seeing this many times, it is no challenge to see a good piece again and search for even deeper theme.


Reality: The perfect bank job, with a strange line of twitches, where sometimes the robbers run the game, on the other occasions, police. The time in the movie jumps from the time of theft, to the time after, and in between it involves the crimes from WW2 and keeping evidence from that time in the safe deposit boxes. The action, victims, resolving the crime and looking (pursuing) the crime from WW2 that just until the end doesn't get resolved.

The crime is profound, thought up to every last detail, however the villain is not accepted as a villain in the eyes of the viewer. He's too soft to be commiting a crime, however, does a great deal or goes a line extra to show (or to make it look like) he is a true bad person. But the observer of the movie will not take him as that, because Spike Lee does an extra project of making him look decent and human.

THere are some parallell stories, like making a person that is obviously someone from Middle East, a criminal right away and throwing some bad words immediately when he shows up, complaining that he gets a shitty treatment wherever he is just because his origin. Those stories make this piece extraordinary. Spike Lee's efforts with the camera are superb and his excellence shows also in the defilee, where all the main protagonists get their moment on the stage.

My personal rating: 8,0 (one of stronger pieces, in this genre, refreshened by Jodie Foster and Washington in his premium role as the guy that solves the day. A good piece to see once more).


Inside man on IMDB