BLACK BOOK ( ZWARTBOEK )

The Dutch Director, Paul Verhouven, look likes contented with the nudity. That appears on previous two films, Basic Instinct and Showgirls. Now, he is going back to his country to direct a Nazi backgound film, Black Book (Zwartboek), and of course there's nudity on the film.

Though the story of it happened when Nazi conquer Europe, don't even think that the film will show the war action. It's about the struggle from Rachel Stein (astonishing role from Carice Van Houten) to rescuing her self from the genocide, because she is a jewish. She trapped into an intrict that makes her doesn' t believe to anybody. Do not believe what you see! this is can help you to see this film.

The film is more erotic thriller to war action. They try to drive us to "the other war" beneath a war. The other motive of Jewish Genocide.

Blonde hair and red shine lipstic, Carice van Houten became an attention we can't miss. With not much women appear on the film. Since the film began, she was play as a determined woman.

Previously we've seen a lot of common story that offered by Black Book. However the setting makes this film different. When the common story put on the different setting, the story goes differently too. Like Basic Instict, which has an ordinary stories, but there's Sharon Stone that make it unordinary.

This film is worth to see because it's Paul Verhoeven's. With well known seksual Dutch appereance. Fisically, Cerice van Houten is fresher than Sharon Stone, eventually the first scene of the film is drop the tension of it. It would be more thrill when the frist scene are kept. Perhaps, the Rachel Stein's aim to release her self would be enjoyable to see.

When you pay more attention, the building that used to be the NAZI's base is the same one that used on The Sound of Music. 3.5/5

(bilingual by marliy)

KNOCKED UP

Funny is relative. A film that can make me laugh, but for someone else is not. This is picturize Knocked Up. In America, where the film come from, this film is praise as the funniest film of the year, this is why I am interesting to see the film. When I saw it, I've wonder why this film said funny. In some scene, the film can make joke. When its compare with previous Judd Apatow's creation, 40 Year Old Virgin, that containing many smart dialogue, Knocked Up is stick out raw and vulgar humor, which is funny for some people.

Simple theme, and very popular to raise on Indonesian Sinetron, about pregnant before married. A moment that make confused for people that involved, plus the man that responsible for the pregnant is not the man we know well, with less of financial and pattern of mind.

This film is raised from a man that never grow up, a girl that mature on thinking and the frighten of commitment (married things). In the film we will see the character development from the main figure. The story teller direct the film become a romantic story, but it's little bit forced and do not impress me much.

For a comedy film, the film is too long for many things and there's is no conflict in it. The director try to show the vulgar scene to push the laugh button, but he did not make it, such as the earth quake scene, or the scene when the baby is about to come out.

Some part of the film is offering joke, such as choose the precise and comfort position. The fresh is come out because Katherine Heigl performance that nice to see and the appearance of some superstar.

After see the film, I'm thinking about the same theme that can produce in Indonesia, but of course the result would be different. For the imagination, the film would be like American Beauty, with darker comedy and a lot of satire. And hoping that the result would not be like Sally Marcellina's Kawin Muda and Akibat Hamil Muda. 2.5/5

(bilingual by Marliy)

MON MEILLEUR AMI (MY BEST FRIEND)

Inside our heart it’s very often come up the questions about friendship. Do we have a friend? Are we have friends enough? And do our friends is good to the other people. Seeing My Best Friend, that questions are coming up again. The idea is come from the TV show Who Wants to Be A Millionaire where one of the option is asking a friend. From the tagline, we actually already seen where the film is lead to. “It takes a lifetime to learn the meaning of friendship…Francois has 10 days.” Francois (Daniel Auteluil) an art gallery care taker. Describes as a man that appreciate things more than the living things around him. Until he have been asked by people if he has a friend?. Then Francois who had the high pride answer that he had a friend, of course. Something that will be not to believe by some one who asked the question even his own daughter. The next part is they got Francois on a bet to bring the friend that meant by him. The antique porcelain is the stake. A thing that is very important to Francois.

There is Bruno (Dany Boon), a cab driver who has the likeable face also nice personality. Bruno is describe a person that warm, sociable also has sensitive personality. A really different character with Francois. Beside that Bruno is describe knowing a lot of things and obsessed to follow the TV quiz. And the next is predictable which is both character is met. When Francois is asking Bruno how to make a friend.

It’s sad but interesting to see how Francois is seeing people that have qualified to be his friend. Contrary he got nothing but harsh word.

How he tried to be like Bruno, released his stiffness and try to melt like Bruno. They are actually had have the friendship but they seem don’t realize it. Until something is happening, something that untied their relationship. Francois isn’t have any friend and people is unwilling to hang with him. Realize that, Francois is begin to make changes and work on Bruno’s obsession which is present the Who Want to Be A Millionaire Quiz as the payback. The audience’s emotion is mixed by the story teller which present a relieved ending.

An enjoyable film, not because the theme that wrap by comedy but also the fit of the chemistry fro both main role. Daniel Auteuil is so well playing cool and arrogant person, like on his previous performance on Chache. Dany Boon with the innocent face is able to be the catalyst to Daniel Auteuil’s character.

The film will be more infatuated when we see it with our friends. And through the film, we can see that the strong friendship is come out naturally and unconditionally without noticed. The hard part is how we can survive our friendship. 3/5.

(bilingual by Marliy)

HAIRSPRAY

There are so many show bizz theme that lift on the musical film, so is Hairspray. Racial issue on this film remain us to Dreamgirls and Save the Last Dance. But Dreamgirls is darker than Hairspray that is so bright, cheerful, light, and entertain. This film is made for bring the joy to whom that saw it.

The film got to its point, specially to the teen, which is how to reach the goal and breakin' the rule to make changes for better tomorrow. If, just if, Bukan Bintang Biasa used the same theme like on this film, perhaps the result would not be so usual.

Hairspray become fresher with the mature stars and rookie stars colaboration. There're John Travolta, who play unusual role, Michelle Pfieiffer, Christoper Walken and Quenn Latifah as the mature stars. On the rookie, there're James Marsden, Amanda Bynes, Zac Effron, Brittany Snow, dan if Dreamgirls have Jennifer Hudson as the rising star, Hairspray have Nicky Blonsky who have the healthy shape either. And apparently that James Marsden had the quality to dance and to sing on this film.

Hairspray is telling us about a girl who had a healthy shape(fat) that struggle to chase her dream to appear on the TV show that sponsored by the Hairspray Company, The Corny Collins Show. In the end, when she could make it come true, she involved in a racis circumtances. A very sensitif issue on America at 1960's. The story goes to the fight of a girl with her friends to smashed the discrimination based on color. Adam Shankman, the director, is succes to represent the fresh show based on the racial theme. A choice that can be a risk, because it could be blurred the massage. Even not a masterpiece, this film is good to see for the teen as a motivation to make the dream come true.

There is the picture of parents here that interesting. The conservatif parents and the parents that will do anything to their son, even the dirties way, this film is giving a hope that picturize the ideal parents. Parents that take the son who he/she is, that teach the essence of good and bad, truth, that major is not always good. 3/5.

(bilingual by marliy)

PARADISE MURDERER

It’s like any other mysteri novel, massacre mysteri film is always attractive to follow. Attractive, because it’s challenge our intelligent to guess the criminal and his motive. A South Korean film is present the quality of mysteri film that make sense in recently is very rare.

To whom that expect a story with physically attractive from the role, this film is not a recommendation. The actor is not physically attractive, because all the actor is make up to dirty and rumpled, except for two young star. Thus, they just not bad for the criteria.

Even the film just only telling the murder mysteri on an island, the director is trying to wrap it with comedy. If we used to watch or read the mysteri story, we can predict the murderer when the film just a half play. What make the audience curious is the motive behind it.

The motive that used by the murderer here is enough to make the audience shake the head, because it’s not in though at all. This is because, the director is so cheap for giving the information about the background of the characters in the film. The box office film in its country,not bad to spend the free time. 2.5/5

(bilingual by Marliy)

MILYANG (SECRET SUNSHINE)

This film is attract me because of the succed of its main role of actress, Do-yeon Jeon, that achieved Best Actress on the Cannes Film Festival 2007. Besides that, this film also on list to represent South Korea on Oscar 2008. Secret Sunshine’s tittle direct to the place that Shin-ae’s (Do-yeon Jeon) to go, which is Miryang. She goes to Miryang because her husband used to dream that someday he will come to the place that he was born. When she goes to that place she hoped that she will vanish her sad of losing her husband. She stayed in Miryang with her son and opened a piano class for living.

There’s a scene that shows Shin-ae is from the rich family. But she has unhappy live, because her parents do not agreed with the decision that she made. Many things happened in her past, and it makes Shin-ae become lonely person, cynical, unbeliever, even with the existence of God.

Then a tragedy is come to her. That make her try to found a shelter. A place that can give something to hold to have the strenght to trough live. When she finally found the strenght, once again she trough a difficult time that test her faith.

Like others Korean Film, the plot is flowing so slow. Rumbling, and too ecxploiting the wipe of the main role. Luckly the scenario writer succeed to combine the unbored story which come up from a novel. The plot is succeed to tie up the viewers to stay put and watch what happen next to the main role.

Beside story, the strength of the film is in the first rate of the role of Do-Yeon Jeon. She did well playing the lonely, frustated, mad person but keep look shines when she has an enlightment. A scene when she roar in a community is very touching. She shows strong emotion when Sn-ae visited her enemy in jail and she found something beyond her will. The film is closing by a scene that Shin-ae cut her hair by her-self, then the shot is moving on to the ground where Shin-ae at. Never know what really meant of it. It’s obvious that Secret Sunshine is worth to see, beside the play from Do-yeon Jeon, it’s also remind us to our faith what we are believing. What still become a secret. 3.5/5.
(bilingual by Marliy)

DAS DAS LEBEN der ANDEREN (THE LIVES OF OTHERS)

We've often ask to ourselve, are we good people or bad people? Can we bacome a good one? This film perhaps can give us a little answer to the question. If we are willing to be good, so we can be good. Willing to do something good, open ourselve to the existense of others. Because of it we can see the other side of live. The film is winning on the Oscar Foreign Best Film that beat the Pan's Labiryrinth. And on the German Film Award, Das Leben took 11 nomines, such as director, story, and actor. A new record on the German Film Award. A beautiful film with the setting of the fall of the Berlin Wall, it's tell us Hauptmann Gerd Wiesler (Ulrich Muhe), a Statsi (State Secret Police), whom assign to spy a couple Georg Dreyman (Sebastian Koch) and Christa-Maria (Martina Gedeck) which assumed as West Germain Aktivis. Later, after Hauptmann know the real motives under the assignment, he gets more involved into the couple's live that he has to spy. He get his concest, the truth meaning of purpose of his live. It's very interesting to watch Hauptmann's character forward, that roled fantasticly by Ulrich Muhe.He can transform the ice cold man, into the warmly man because of the good things he have done. His cold character is strongly shown from the place he live in and how he express his sexual needs. An interesting scene shown when Hauptmann had to face direct interogation with Christa Maria under supervision by his boss. A very emotional and thrill scene for me. Score Sonata for A Good Man that arranged by Gabriel Yared give the film its soul. Sonata for A Good Man, should be the tittle for the film, but in the end they used The Lives of Others. Which is Sonata for A Good Man is more describe the content of the film. Georg Dreyman use the Sonata for A Good Man as the tittle on the book he wrote. Which he dedicated to a man who save his live. A sweet ending, as the sweet of Hauptmann's smile at the end of film. It's become the one of the good film that I saw in the year of 2007. 4.5/5

(bilingual by marliy)