rolandpopp

Wow, I'm still totally flashed. I'm always rather cautious with films with such titles, because it's often boring arthouse fare winning big in Cannes, Berlin, et al., because it originates from a country with a repressive system, but artistically rather poor to mediocre (a negative example that, like this film, comes from Iran: "The Taste of the Cherry" - snaaaark).

OK, what are we dealing with? First with a family drama against a current background. A family man is promoted to investigating judge just as the riots triggered by the death of Jina Mahsa Amini (who allegedly did not wear her headscarf correctly) begin. The two daughters (14 and 21 years old) are expected to behave in accordance with the system so as not to endanger their father's position, but they recognize the injustice that is happening. Conflicts arise, the mother moderates, but mainly defends the husband's point of view ... who has been handed a weapon for self-defense which disappears one day. A tough struggle to find it begins. The conflicts are intensifying. The father becomes more and more paranoid and then the film turns in a direction that caught me off guard and ends in a showdown that left me speechless. The last few minutes pressed me into the seat so much that I couldn't get up until the last second of the credits. A masterpiece and I am so proud that the people in charge decided to submit the film as the German contribution to the Oscars (due to German participation in the production), because of course Iran would completely reject it. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will at least be nominated.

"Woah!" simply "Woah!" So far this year, no film can compete with it because of its bulkiness. No, not even "Dune 2". And you could accuse him of a lot: You are not provided with any background to this civil war - what are the political motives, how long has it been going on, how has it gone so far - except: Texas and California (!!) are fighting government troops and marching towards Washington D. C. and things are going badly. And in this chaos, the photographer/reporter team Lee + Joel (Kirsten Dunst + Wagner Moura) from NYC tries to get to the capital to conduct a (probably last) interview with the president (Nick Offerman). Whose brainchild he is is also not quite clear (even if a vague Trump vibe can be felt). Chance then washes the aging colleague/rival Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson) and the young, ambitious photographer Jessie into the car, with which they drive to DC via detours. A road movie, then, but what a road movie. The things that happen there (I'm just saying Jesse Plemons!), the pictures you get presented with (the burning forest!), the great music (as always Geoff Barrow + Ben Salisbury plus some exquisitely selected needle drops), ... breathtaking. When you arrive in Washington, there's no stopping you at all. I was almost completely pressed into the cinema seat for the last half hour, it was so nerve-wracking, but in my opinion it is not overwhelming cinema. And the aforementioned points of criticism, fuzziness and ambivalence ultimately prove to be an advantage, because the focus is clearly on the four main characters, all of whom are credibly written and excellently acted.

It's really a shame that Garland wants to retire from directing. I sincerely hope that he will change his mind.

A film crew travels to a remote area of Tibet to document that a snow leopard has entered a sheep enclosure, killed nine bucks and is still in it, threatening the rest of the herd. On the way, they pick up the budding monk and member of the affected Tsetsen Tashi family. He is considered a "snow leopard" monk because he is fascinated by the animals and pursues them - at least with his camera. The owner of the flock of sheep is totally upset and wants to kill the predator, but is persuaded to call in the regional authorities first and then the police - both of course occupied by Chinese. And with them he rattles against each other - up to physical arguments - since the animals are of course strictly protected. Meanwhile, the monk comes into contact with the snow leopard in dream-like sequences and a member of the film team is also infected by the fascination for the animal. Both try to calm the situation ... . ... so different, so beautiful; You immerse yourself in a completely different culture, the differences between occupiers and occupied are obvious, but the Tibetans are never showed as victims. They know very well how to defend themselves. And in the end, it's the spiritual component of the film that fascinates - including the mostly very convincingly CGI-animated snow leopard.