Finding Neverland (2004)

Director: Marc Fordter
Writer: Allan knee (play) , David Magee (screenplay)
Cast: Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet, Julie Christie, Radha Mitchell, Dustin Hoffman

“Where will your imagination take you?”

Sir James Matthew Barrie ( Johney depp) is a playwright in England, early 1900s. His first work at the beginning of the movie, is a failure. He also is a loser in his marriage. James and his wife Mary (Radha Mitchell) talk seldom and sleep in different rooms. James spent most of his time writing plays and walking with his dog in the park, where someday he meets Sylvia (Kate Winslet) and her four sons.

After first meeting they see each other almost every day. James invites the family to dinner and starts dropping by their hose more often. He simply likes the kids and having fun with them. They play Indians and pirates and so many fairy tales that Jame’s creative imagination makes up. But after a short time rumours go around about the relationship between James – who is a married man – and Sylvia – who is a widow- and even about James and kids. These rumours make Sylvia’s mother forbid her daughter and her sons to receive James at their home any more.

Being with boys, helps James’ imagination to soar. He starts to write a play about some kids and their adventures in an imaginary world full of fairies, pirates, indians and flying childrens. In other words, James uses his experiences with kids to make Neverland, a dreamy land where he has always loved to be in. meanwhile, his wife leaves him for another man.

At the opening night, he invites Sylvia and her sons to watch the play. Sylvia has a immedicable illness that is getting worse everyday. She can’t come and kids stay with him, except Peter, who has started to write under influence of James. Sylvia asks him to go to play and tell her every details when he is back. The play is a success. everybody loves it, including 25 orphans who are invited by James to watch the play.

James knows Sylvia is dying. He has promised her to take her to Neverland someday. So he brings all actors and actresses to her place to play a special performance for her. He also changes the play to be the exact Neverland, where he’d promised to take her. He just wants to make Sylvia happy. They take her downstairs to watch the play that is a surprise, and she loves it.

Sylvia dies a day after. In her funeral, her mother informs james that she has requested a co-guardianship for the boys in her will: James and her mother. Sylvia’s mother asks James if he thinks he is not ready to accept the responsibility, but James says that he is not going to abandon these boys.

Breaking and Entering (2006)

Director: Anthony Minghella
Writer: Anthony Minghella
Cast: Jude Law, Robin Wright Penn, Martin Freeman, Juliette Binoche

” I don’t even know how to be honest. Maybe that’s why I like metaphors.”

Will (Jude Law) and Sandy (Martin Freeman) are two architecs who open an office downtown London. At the first night, after opening ceremony burglars break in and steal their computers. Miro (Rafi Gavron) is a teenage boy who sneaks in and opens the office’s door for others. He is a Serb-Bosnian boy who lost his father in Balkan’s war and lives in England with his mother as asylem seekers. When they break into the office for seconf time and Police is unable to track them, Will decides to stay in his car all night watching the office.

Meanwhile, Will must deal with other problems he has. His relationship with his living girlfriend Liv (Robin Wright Penn) is going down mostly becouse of Liv’s daughter’s illness. At the first night as watchman Will meets a hooker who companies him for several nights. finally, one night they see Miro, trying to get into office again. Will leaves his car to chase the boy and hooker steals his car.

Following Miro, Will finds the place he lives. A note on the door says some one does tailoring there. Instead of exposing boy, Will goes back there a day after, bringing some torn off jacket as an excuse and meets Amira (Juliette Binoche) who is Miro’s mother. After several meeting he falls in love with Amira. They go out and kiss.

Once when he is at Amira’s, Will leaves his businesscard there as a sign for Miro. Finding the card, Miro asks his mother about it. Amira tells him about the mysterious customer who is an architect and invited him to visit his office.  Miro, terrified starts to pack the stuffs he has still kept from Will’s office and as a result,  Amira finds out about the burglary.

Scared of Will exposing Miro, Amira decides to protect her son. She goes to Will and take him to her friend’s place and makes love with him. Then when Will is sleeping, she asks her friend to photograph them, sleeping together naked. A couple days later she reveals to Will what she has done. Will who really is in love with her gets annoyed and leaves. At the same day, Police tracks down Will’s computer and arrests Miro.

Amira calls Will and asks to see him. When they meet, Amira gives him her mobile phone’s memory stick  that contains their photos and begs him to help Miro. Will can help the boy, but for that he must attent the court and reveals his relationship with Amira that ruins his relationship with Liv completely. So he refuses to do so. But at that night, Will talks to Liv and confesses all about cheating on her. He says that he was looking for love and now he is afraid he has lost the love he did have. The love of his life. A day after, the trial day, they finally make up and go to courtroom together to testify to boy being innocent.

Certainly, breaking and entering is not an exellent movie, but you do not regret watching it!

I vitelloni (1953)

Director: Federico Fellini
Writer: Federico Fellini, Ennio Felaiano
Cast:Franci Interlenghi, Alberto sordi, Feranco Fabrizi, Leopoldo Trieste, Riccardo Fellini, Leonora Ruffo

I watched the movie once, when I was at high school (it seems ages ago) and I loved it so much. I never stopped wishing watch it again, so you can imagine how exiting it was when I saw the DVD on the library shelf this afternoon!

The story is about six friends from a small Italian town in 1950s. a group of young men who have nothing to do but drinking, playing games and going back home drunk after midnight! But they also have families, beloved ones and people who care about and also their own problems.

The main characters are Moraldo (Fraci Interlenghi), his sister Sandra (Leonora Ruffo) and Fausto (Feranco Fabrizi). Sandra is selected “Miss Siren of 1953″, but soon it is found out that she is pregnant. The guy is Fausto, a close friend of her brother Moraldo. Fausto tries to escape, but his father makes him to stay and marry Sandra. The families help them to settle down, but the promlem is Fausto Hasn’t still taken the responsibility of marriage. He is not faithful to his wife and at last he gets fire after he tries to force himself on his boss’s wife.

Sandra Believes whatever Fausto tells her and he lies about every mistake he makes. But finally she leaves home without saying a word, when Fausto comes home late night after having sex with an actress. They go every where in town all day to find her and her disappearance makes Fausto crazy. He finds how much he loves his wife and can’t live without her. Finally they find the girl at Fausto’s father’s.

Meanwhile we see other men facing their own challenges. Alberto (Alberto Sordi) has a sister who has an affair with a married man and one day runs away with him. Leopoldo ( Leopoldo Trieste) is a writer who dreams about his plays to be performed by great actors some day. His dreams come true but his favorite actor pulls his leg at the opening night and ruins every thing for Leopoldo. Other guys have their own stories, too.

There are some brilliant scene as well. For example The one with fausto’s father takes off his belt and beats him, or the one with beautiful woman sees Fausto at beach when he is looking for vanished Sandra and also the final scene with Moraldo leaving town probably for ever. I vitelloni is – as it is told by critics – a pivotal work in the director’s artistic evolution.

The page turner (2006)

Director: Denis Dercourt
Writer: Denis Dercourt , Jacques Sotty
Cast: Catherine Frot, Deborah Francois, Pascal Greggory

Melanie is a schoolgirl who aspires to a musical career, but during her conservatory audition, one of the judges, celebrated concert pianist Ariane Fouchecourt (Catherine Frot) unwittingly distract her, ruining her chance to take a place. as a result Melanie gives up music all together.

Ten years later, Melanie (Deborah Francois) is a beautiful young girl, working as law clerk in a law firm. The company director, Jean Fouchecourt needs a nanny to look after his son. Melany applies for job and Fouchecourt accepts her. He is Ariane’s husband. So Melanie moves into the home of the woman who ruined her musical career.

Ariane is trying hard to have her self confidence back after an accident about two years before. Her husband tells Melanie she must support Ariane because she is so fragile and gets stage fright that is quite crippling. Melanie tells Ariane that she can read music notes, so Ariane ask her to sit beside her and work for her as a page turner.

First concert for France Radio is a succes. The Melanie’s role is undeniable. After concert when everybody is congradulating Ariane, she goes to find Melanie who gave her self confidence enough to shine as an artist. When she finds her, Melanie kisses her cheek, close to lips.

Melanie also has a greate influence on Ariane’s son, Tristan. She convinces Trisan who is taking piano lessons to play faster, agains his mother advices not to do so. At the same time, the feelings between Ariane and Melanie is growing.

At the second concert that is vital for Ariane career, Melanie vanishes minutes before start, so as a result Ariane’s stage fright returns and she can’t perform perfectly and loses her chance to be a successful artist again. She is so mad of Melanie, but when finds her at parking, does nothing but kissing her hand. later on she has a confessen to her friend that she has strong feelings about Melanie but she is afraid her husband Jean may find out and pushes her out.

at that very night they have a farewell dinner in honour of Melanie becouse she is leaving tomorrow.   At the dinner table Melanie asks Ariane for a autographed photo of her. Later, at Ariane’s bedroom she is choosing a photo, writing on the back: “Melanie, I want to see you again. I love you. you’ve given me a new life.”  She puts the photo into an envelope and slides it into Melanies bedroom, where she finds it immidiately.

Next morning, Melanie leaves envelope on Ariane’s husband desk and leaves the house. Later on, when Ariane finds out that her son’s arm is aching becouse of fast practicing, recommended by Melanie and her marriage is over becouse Jean has found her love confession letter,Melanie is far enough, walking on the road, satisfied of her revenge.

Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)

Director: Mike Nichols

Writer: Edward Albee (play) , Ernest Lehman (screen play)

Cast: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, George Segal, Sandy Dennis

- “We all peel labels, sweetie. When you get through the skin, and through the muscles, and slosh aside the organs, down to the bone, you know what you do then?
- no!
-When you get down to the bone, you aren’t all the way. Something’s inside the bone. the marrow. That’s what you got to get at!”

I am not going to spoil it! This is a masterpiece that must be watched!

Taylor and Burton are brilliant.

Kramer Vs. Kramer (1979)

Director: Robert Benton
Writers: Avery Corman (novel) , Robert Benton (screenplay)
Cast: Dustin Huffman, Meryl Streep, Jane Alexander, Justin Henry

Ted Kramer (Dustin Huffman) comes home after a big success in his career when his wife (Joanna) tells him that she is leaving him. He tries to stop Joanna but she leaves without giving him any reasonable answer why she is doing this. nest morning, Ted is alone with their 7- year- old boy Billy (Justin Henry) and all problems and responsibilities that new job promotion brings to him.But Ted loves his son. He works hard as a father and as an employee as well, to bring order back to his life.

Almost one year after her disappearance, Joanna comes back to take her child with her. Ted doesn’t even want to talk about this. he goes to a lawyer, pay 15,000 dollars to keep billy. They encounter in court and after several trials, Ted loses the case. He make Billy – who is so upset because of leaving his father – ready to leave him and live with his mother. But when the day comes, Joanna decides to leave them alone since Billy is much more happy with his father.

Besides the fact that movie is an amazing masterwork, there are a couple of scenes that make you watch them again and again till you memorize them. The conversation between Ted and Margaret (Jane Alexander) his neighbour at the night Joanna leaves, the one that Ted and Billy have fight and their conversation in Billy’s bedroom when Ted says it is all his fault that Joanna has left, the scene that Ted is carrying his injured son to hospital, the quarrel between Ted and Joanna in restaurant and the last day of father and son being together are some of these powerfull touching scenes. Furthermore, Huffman and Streep’s roles and their performances are unforgettable.

OPEN YOUR EYES(1997)

Director: AleJandro Amenabar
Writers: Alejandro Amenabar, Mateo Gil
Cast: Eduardo Noriega, Penelope Cruz, Najwa Nimri

As it is said on the back of DVD box  “in this steamy, intriguingly complex, psychological thriller the line between reality and fantasy is hopelessly blurred. “

It is 1997 and Cesar (Eduardo Noriega) the only heir of a rich family, trying to dump his girlfriend Nuria (Najwa Nimri) meets Sofia (Penelope Cruz) at his birthday party and falls in love with her and spends night at her apartment. Next morning exiting from sofia’s place, he finds Nuria waiting for him. He gets in her car after she asks him to make love for last time. But Nuria has another plan. She crashes the car into a wall to take a revenge of Cesar. Nuria dies and Cesar’s face disfigures.

After accident the nightmare begins. Cesar finds Sofia again, but there is no love in sofia’s manner. During a club-night he gets drunk and falls on pavement unconscious. Next day he wakes up whilst sofia is kissing him. They make up again and after a while surgeons inform him that with new technologies, it becomes possible to fix his face. They do the operation and his face becomes as beautiful as what was before accident. Everything is going to be just fine, till one night he wakes up finding Nuria, instead of Sofia in his bed .

He tries to find Sofia. He hits Nuria when she is crying and claiming to be Sofia. Nobody believes what he says and Police warns him against hitting the girl again. He goes to Sofia’s place, seeing all Sofia’s pictures – even one he had drawn at the first night they were together – turn into Nuria’s figure. He finds out that he is living in a dream and all events are happening in his mind. he kills Nuria – who claims to be Sofia – after making love with her and his face becomes disfigured again.

They arrest Cesar and throw him into an asylem, where he meets a psychiatrist who tries to help him. After several sessions and once that psychiatrist hypnotizes Cesar, tracing the word “Eli” that Cesar says repeatedly in his dreams,  they find the real word is “L.E.”  standing for “Life Extension” that is a cryonics company.  They go there and find Cesar has signed a contract for cryonization after accident and then has committed suicide. Company has frozen his body and all have happened to him were just a dream, turning into a nightmare. He meets a guy from company who tells him it is 2145 now and surgeons can fix his face. He just need to wake up from his dream and for that he should kill himself again. He throws himself off the company’s building roof to die, or to wake up again in reality. He is awakened by the very voice that had made him awake in the first scene of the movie. A girl’s voice – Nuria or Sofia – that says :” open your eyes!”

White Oleander

2002
director: peter Kosminsky
writers: Janet Fitch (novel), Mary Agnes Donoghue (screenplay)
cast: Alison Lohman, Robin Wright Penn, Michelle Pfeiffer, Renee zellweger

oleander can be poisonous … so can a mother’s love!

Ingrid Magnussen (Michelle Pfeiffer) is a talented artist who is sentenced to spend 35 years in prison for murder her boyfriend . Children services takes her teenage daughter Astrid (Alison Lohman) to a house that is run by former alcoholic woman (star) who has turned to jesus as her survivor! she lives with her boyfriend (ray). Star tries to attract Astrid into Christianity, but in every meeting she has with her mother, Ingrid warns her about this people and how dangerous they can be. after a while, star starts to feel jealous about Astrid and ray’s relationship and at last one night in a pick of madness she shoots Astrid, trying to kill her.

They takes Astrid to a children centre, where she meets a boy (Paul) who has a talent in drawing as much as Astrid’s herself. they fall in love till a family accepts Astrid, trying to adopt her.

Astrid’s new step-mother is Claire Richards(Renee zellweger). An unsuccessful actress who is unable to bear a child of her own and has faild in her relationship with her husband. she loves Astrid and Astrid loves her as well. After a while Astrid finds out that Claire and Ingrid are corresponding and Ingrid wants to see her daughter’s new step-mother. That is what Astrid does not like it. Astrid knows her mother may feel jealous and says something to hurt Claire,but against her will two women meet.

In their meeting Ingrid mocks Claire to be unable to have her own children and being an unsuccessful artist. Then she asks Astrid to leave them alone to have a “grown up” conversation. Everything happens there, causes Claire to have a fight with her husband and later on committing suicide at that very night. the Claire’s death affects Astrid and changes her life and attitude about her mother.

Astrid changes into what her mother says in a meeting “a 20 dollars hooker in the back of a car”. in a meetting with her mother’s lawyer, Astrid agrees to lie for her mother in court but in some conditions:” I have a deal to make, a trade. you tell me the truth, I’ll lie for you in the court.” she ask Ingrid to tell her everything that she has kept from her, such as her real father and mysteries from her childhood. She tries to tell her mother that what she always claims as her love to her daughter, is not really love. It actually is a sense of ownership. Love is what Claire had.

“If I could I took it all back” Ingrid says. “I would”.
Astrid says:” then tell me you don’t want me to testify. tell me you don’t want me be like this.tell me you will sacrifice the rest of your life to have me back the way I was.” Ingrid hesitates to answer and Astrids leaves her. But when she is back to court to testify, nobody calls her in. later on when she asks her mother’s lawyer “don’t you need me to testify?” the lawyer goes:”your mother told me to leave you alone”. in fact, as Astrid tells paul later :”she let me go”, Ingrid sets her daughter free!

THE ISLAMIC REGIME OF IRAN IS MURDERING IRANIANS

tortured and killed by iran's islamic government

His name was Sohrab. Sohrab A’rabi, 19. He got caught about 20 days ago in a demonstration against coup government in Iran. Since then his mother started to investigate to find his place. After all she found out they had kept her son in Evin, an infamous prison in Tehran, where government keeps its opponents there.

On July 8, 2009 his mother was said by Iran’s revolutionary court he will be released on bail. She went bail for Sohrab. Every evening since then this worried mom spent on the street opposite of Evin’s closed doors, expecting her son’s appearance. She had a picture of his son with her, showing everybody who had been released, if they’d seen him or not.

Finally, judge Mortazavi’s office – this man is an innate murderer- declared that Sohrab A’rabi had been killed in prison and his mom could go for his body. At last the mom saw her young son!

Sohrab is not the first one who got tortured and killed in Islamic Republic of Iran and definitely will not be the last one. Torture, rape and execution are ordinary events in Islamic regime’s prisons. After recent election fraud and demonstrations followed by that, the rate of capturing, torturing and killing people went up dramatically. Hundreds of Iranians, who their relatives are imprisoned in Evin, gather everyday in front of this prison, looking for their beloved ones. That is exactly what Sohrab’s mom did. They all know about what is going on behind Evin’s walls and they all are worried about their sons, daughters, brothers, fathers and so on. These days, the heart of Iran is beating in Evin, under torture, agony and death.

THE DAY WILL COME

We call it in Persian “the fire beneath ashes”, refers to a situation that nothing is happening seemingly, but everybody can feel the tension behind the false peace! That is what is happening now in Iran. The name you probably have heard a lot in the news recently. The reminder keywords cam be election fraud, demonstration, where is my vote, shouting people in streets, Ahmadi nejad (the bastard who was mother fucker enough to remain president), Mousavi and so on! The whole story started when the election result was not what majority expected, considering this majority did not trust the ruling party in the first place. So they felt insulted and BOOOM! Protests started.

For those people who do not know much about Islamic Republic of Iran I have to say this regime does not care about any of those respectful principles of human right. They do not care about killing people any way, does not matter they are young or old, men or women or even children, guilty or innocent. As long as it is a matter of their benefits and they feel these benefits are in jeopardy, they definitely kill. Actually not only they have got used to it, but they have become “massacre experts”! This time also was not an exception. The supreme leader commanded protests to stop, therefore so many people got shot and much more got arrested, who their lives also are in danger in case of torture goes on in regime prisons.

Now everything looks under control. Repression symbols are everywhere: riot police, security guard, intelligence agents, basiji militia … and all armed and brute. The protest seems repressed. But the matter is people, millions of them are still alive, and the anger in their heart and the hatred they feel. We all know, and even the deaths men themselves know that it is not over. It is just the fire beneath ashes that will flame again someday. The day will come!