A month of movies: August.

It's been one of those months that more than make up for previous ones. With trust in the film industry restored, I welcome a brilliant Iranian production into the club of 10/10s: "Nader & Simin, A Separation" (trailer). "Confessions" (trailer) being an equally demanding movie (yet in a very different way), this month's excellent performance is completed by recent DVD releases "Carlos" and "Never Let Me Go" (which I both liked more than most), as well as "Entre Les Murs", which I've been meaning to see for quite a while now. With all these, it's easy to dismiss Joaquin Phoenix' could-almost-have-passed-off-as-a-Jackass-episode "I'm Still Here" (trailer).

The short -
Go and see: Jodaeiye Nader Az Simin & Entre Les Murs (DVD).
Well worth watching: Kokuhaku, Carlos (DVD) & Never Let Me Go (DVD).
Also deserving a chance: Waste Land.
Average: Die Vaterlosen.
Forget about: I'm Still Here & Goethe! (DVD).

The long -

Along the Danube: Traveling companions.

Ein Widerspruch.

"Nicht der Ruhe wegen suchte der Einsiedler die Einsamkeit, denn wie das zufällig auf Brachland gefallene einzelne Weizenkorn sechzig Ähren bilden konnte, während das Korn auf dem Acker nur zwei hervorbrachte, weil es von Millionen anderen auf dem Boden eingeengt wurde, so konnte das Individuum, das nach einer reicheren Entwicklung als die übrigen strebte, nur in der Einöde wachsen."

(August Strindberg, in: "Am offenen Meer", S. 171)

"Man selber zu sein bedeutet, nicht jemand anderes zu sein. Und das ist alles! Aber nicht jemand anderes sein kann man nur inmitten von anderen."

(Andrzej Szczypiorski, in: "Eine Messe für die Stadt Arras", S. 139)

Along the Danube, stop #2: Novi Sad, untitleds.

Along the Danube, stop #2: Novi Sad, well-balanced.

Along the Danube, stop #2: Novi Sad, off-balance.

A month of movies: July.

It's been one of those months where if it wasn't for that one movie, I could lose faith in one of my favourite pastimes. We have major disappointments (especially everyone's darling "Four Lions" and Xavier Dolan's second feature "Les Amour Imaginaires", in which he convincingly defends himself from any allegations of being brilliant that might have come up after his excellent debut "J'ai Tué Ma Mère") and movies we didn't expect much from and which delivered just that ("Das Blaue Vom Himmel" being an excellent example). And then there's "Was Du Nicht Siehst", initially raising fears that we might have to endure yet another German social drama but quickly coming around and enchanting with great visuals and a haunting mood alike. If you have a chance to see it at a local cinema (people in Germany) or maybe during a festival (in other countries), give it a go.

The short -
Go and see: /
Well worth watching: Was Du Nicht Siehst (What You Don't See).
Also deserving a chance: Stalags, Micmacs À Tire-Larigot (Micmacs) (DVD) & Io Sono L'Amore (I Am Love) (DVD).
Average: Life In A Day, I Love You Phillip Morris (DVD), Four Lions & Das Blaue Vom Himmel.
Not Yet Over Hollywood?: Ocean's Thirteen (DVD), Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (DVD).
Not Yet Over Yugoslavia?: Žena Sa Slomljenim Nosem (The Woman With A Broken Nose).
Forget about: Les Amour Imaginaires (Heartbeats).

The long -