guy-bellinger
Joined May 2004
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guy-bellinger's rating
For his first feature film, « Fils de », Spanish-French director Carlos Abascal Peiro had more than one ace up his sleeve: an interesting theme (finding a candidate who could broaden the electoral base to block the far right), a satire of the political world (its maneuvers, its scheming, its dirty tricks), a psychological basis rich in potential (the relationship between a son forced to reconnect with a father who never knew how to communicate with him), and a very good cast (leading actors such as François Cluzet, Alex Lutz, and Karine Viard, as well as talented supporting performers including Nathalie Richard, Francis Leplay, and Guilaine Londez). Unfortunately, the director, in his youthful enthusiasm, shows off with his camera and, while playing the technical virtuoso, strings together nerve-wrecking scenes lacking in depth: his satire is nothing but caricature, his politicians are mere puppets, and his convoluted plot awfully confusing. Peiro mistakes hysteria for rhythm, and his toilet humor is painful. That being, most of his lines fall flat. Add to that the forced acting of actors who usually shine in their restraint as well as a thunderous soundtrack, a headache and 105 minutes of boredom sure are in store.
Three words sum up « Seven Days », a poignant and enthralling film: dilemma, humanism, and suspense.
The dilemma presented is one of the most heart-wrenching imaginable: Maryam, an Iranian human rights and women's rights activist, released from prison for a week, must choose: return to prison at the end of her sick leave and continue her fight from within, or opt for exile and join her husband, her young son, and her teenage daughter in Hamburg, where she would be able to live a normal family life, while continuing to act from abroad.
The suspense begins as soon as Maryam accepts the offer to reunite with her family across the Iranian border: the unknown and danger loom large on the difficult and frightening road to freedom, with nighttime travel compounded by the discomfort of a snowy and stormy winter. And just when the heroine seems to be out of jeopardy, new twists and turns arise, and another race against time begins.
Well crafted and based on Maryam's almost incessant movement, the action nothing short of breathtaking. Which makes the humanist message very easy to digest. Hailing the activists who sacrifice their freedom and and times to defend democracy, it comes as no surprise that the screenplay was written by Mohammad Rasoulof, the well-known director of "The Wild Fig Tree"). He also analyzes very well family relationships, particularly in the case of Maryam's teenage daughter (played with great sensitivity by the young Tanaz Molaei) who rebels against her absent mother.
Director Ali Samadi Ahadi rises to the challenge of the screenplay. He knows how to create an atmosphere : the big city, the desolate landscapes, the night, the snow, the cold, and the rugged mountains convey the heroine's desperation. His direction of the actors is also impeccable: Vishka Asayeh, as determined as she is tortured, dominates a consistent cast, always convincing.
A deeply humanistic film, highly elevated, captivating from start to finish, and an absolute must-see.
The dilemma presented is one of the most heart-wrenching imaginable: Maryam, an Iranian human rights and women's rights activist, released from prison for a week, must choose: return to prison at the end of her sick leave and continue her fight from within, or opt for exile and join her husband, her young son, and her teenage daughter in Hamburg, where she would be able to live a normal family life, while continuing to act from abroad.
The suspense begins as soon as Maryam accepts the offer to reunite with her family across the Iranian border: the unknown and danger loom large on the difficult and frightening road to freedom, with nighttime travel compounded by the discomfort of a snowy and stormy winter. And just when the heroine seems to be out of jeopardy, new twists and turns arise, and another race against time begins.
Well crafted and based on Maryam's almost incessant movement, the action nothing short of breathtaking. Which makes the humanist message very easy to digest. Hailing the activists who sacrifice their freedom and and times to defend democracy, it comes as no surprise that the screenplay was written by Mohammad Rasoulof, the well-known director of "The Wild Fig Tree"). He also analyzes very well family relationships, particularly in the case of Maryam's teenage daughter (played with great sensitivity by the young Tanaz Molaei) who rebels against her absent mother.
Director Ali Samadi Ahadi rises to the challenge of the screenplay. He knows how to create an atmosphere : the big city, the desolate landscapes, the night, the snow, the cold, and the rugged mountains convey the heroine's desperation. His direction of the actors is also impeccable: Vishka Asayeh, as determined as she is tortured, dominates a consistent cast, always convincing.
A deeply humanistic film, highly elevated, captivating from start to finish, and an absolute must-see.
"Les Mots qu'elles eurent un jour" is a unique documentary. Few indeed are the documentaries that investigate... another documentary.
However, this is the case with this film, seeking to learn more about a filmed report made in 1962, shortly after the Evian Accords, which marked the end of the Algerian War. A number of women who were NLF (National Liberation Front) activists, with the exception of one, were released from prison in Rennes in March '62 and transported overnight to Paris, where they were welcomed at the premises of the CIMADE (Inter-Movement Committee for Evacuees). The politically committed filmmaker Yann Le Masson brought them all together and filmed their discussions on the role of women in independent Algeria. Unfortunately, the film mysteriously disappeared and when it was later found, it was without its soundtrack.
After Le Masson's death in 2012, his friend, director Stéphane Pillosio, undertook to give a voice back to these women, who had been silenced by the loss of the soundtrack But making their words audible was no easy task: with no names, no voices, and Le Masson's memories uncertain, with no notes taken, how could he proceed? Little by little, Pillosio pulled at the thread, finding trace of one woman after another. Several had died, while others, for personal or security reasons, preferred not to express themselves publicly. The filmmaker even had specialists read the participants' lips, but they could only reconstruct part of what they said.
What is almost certain is that at this point in their lives, these women hoped to have gained social equality and respect from their "brothers" in the NLF. Unfortunately, as after many wars or revolutions, the women who had fought bravely were sent back to their homes, while the men were busy vying for power.
Well although the puzzle remains incomplete in the end, the women filmed in black and white one day of march '62, are not overlooked any longer. They exist anew, young and beautiful each in their own way, dignified and respected. This magical interlude in their lives, captured between a period of imprisonment and the disappointing return home, will never disappear again.
However, this is the case with this film, seeking to learn more about a filmed report made in 1962, shortly after the Evian Accords, which marked the end of the Algerian War. A number of women who were NLF (National Liberation Front) activists, with the exception of one, were released from prison in Rennes in March '62 and transported overnight to Paris, where they were welcomed at the premises of the CIMADE (Inter-Movement Committee for Evacuees). The politically committed filmmaker Yann Le Masson brought them all together and filmed their discussions on the role of women in independent Algeria. Unfortunately, the film mysteriously disappeared and when it was later found, it was without its soundtrack.
After Le Masson's death in 2012, his friend, director Stéphane Pillosio, undertook to give a voice back to these women, who had been silenced by the loss of the soundtrack But making their words audible was no easy task: with no names, no voices, and Le Masson's memories uncertain, with no notes taken, how could he proceed? Little by little, Pillosio pulled at the thread, finding trace of one woman after another. Several had died, while others, for personal or security reasons, preferred not to express themselves publicly. The filmmaker even had specialists read the participants' lips, but they could only reconstruct part of what they said.
What is almost certain is that at this point in their lives, these women hoped to have gained social equality and respect from their "brothers" in the NLF. Unfortunately, as after many wars or revolutions, the women who had fought bravely were sent back to their homes, while the men were busy vying for power.
Well although the puzzle remains incomplete in the end, the women filmed in black and white one day of march '62, are not overlooked any longer. They exist anew, young and beautiful each in their own way, dignified and respected. This magical interlude in their lives, captured between a period of imprisonment and the disappointing return home, will never disappear again.