let me in (matt reeves)

my problem with this was that i started watching it thinking i wasn't going to like it (american remake! vade retro satana!). but the truth is it's not that bad, especially if you haven't watched the fabulous original or read the book. but if you have, well, you can't possibly help comparing, can you? for me, this story is about the two kids, and i prefer the swedish ones. the original wee boy looks just so defenseless, and the girl is so freakish that they make the perfect partnership. i didn't feel the same with their american counterparts. yes, the girl is a bit 'warmer', but that's not necessarily good. it doesn't work as well for me. regarding the script, i was glad they got rid of secondary characters (mainly the drunks), and it was fun to see how they tried to include all 'the big scenes' anyway (like the burning girl in the hospital). the film as a whole looks good, there are some really beautiful scenes in it, but the cgi scenes with the girl jumping around as if she was a character in a videogame were truly horrible. what's wrong with filmmakers nowadays? it's so not necessary! it's as if they have justify the fx budget... grrrrr.

Rating: 6/10

my dog tulip (paul fierlinger, sandra fierlinger)

this is one of the sweetest and most honest films i've ever seen. i loved the sincerity and bluntness of the scatology, told in such a matter-of-fact way, simply beautiful. their relationship is just so warm and caring and deep. even though i'm not a big fan of the 'hand-drawn' style, it really works here, especially the sketchy backgrounds, and the schematic drawings on notebook paper. the story itself is so simple and told with so much love. my favourite bits were the poetic antropomorphic drawings, like when the dog delivered her litter, illustrated with the dressed-up dog delivering a parcel, taking out the puppy and eating the ribbon and wrapping paper... simply genius. i just couldn't help smiling for almost the whole duration of the film. i'll definitely watch this again.

Rating: 8.5/10

into eternity (michael madsen)

really interesting, especially the part where they discuss what to do for future generations after they finish building the nuclear waste cemetery: should they put danger signs outside or should they keep the location secret? and i loved the use of kraftwerk's 'radioactivity' at the biginning (i know, it might seem a bit obvious, but it works really well!). nonetheless, not everything is good news. i wasn't convinced at all by the guy himself, neither his narration nor his scenes talking to the camera with a burning much for added dramatic effect. mind you, had it been orson welles, with the same match and his amazing voice and diction, it would have been genius! but madsen is just 'a guy', and the result is just a bit wanky...trying, but not really getting there. but maybe it's just me! don't get me wrong, i really liked the documentary as such, the content is top notch and there are some really beautiful scenes in it, it's just the actual guy that annoys me a little bit...

Rating: 7/10

the crimson petal and the white (marc munden)

i wasn't 100% convinced when i saw the first installment, mainly because i had problems with chris o'dowd playing a dramatic character. i couldn't help but smile when i saw him. but after a while i kind of got used to it. as a whole, this is a brilliant adaptation. i'd even say that it might be better than the book. i liked the book, i enjoyed reading it, but i didn't think it was amazing (especially reading it after faber's far superior 'under the skin'), but i actually think the visuals added something to the story. i loved the colour palette, especially the burnt summer lights so present in the last two episodes, and it's always a joy to see actors like shirley henderson, richard e grant or... gillian anderson! (i know, i know, she's not the best actress in the world, but c'mon, she's scully!). Jokes aside, a very pleasant surprise.

Rating: 8/10

headwig and the angry inch (john cameron mitchell)

i can't believe it's already been ten years since this was first released. i rewatched it again last weekend and i'm glad to say it hasn't dated at all. hedwig will always be one of my favourite films and will always have a place in my heart. i love the aesthetics, the music, the acting, the clothes, the script, the story... everything. there are so many memorable moments in this film. hedwig is the personification of the beauty of the (im)perfect. all hail hedwig! hedwig, we love you.

"this is the best way that i've found to be the best you've ever seen"

Rating: 11/10

nanny mcphee (kirk jones)

again, thank you simon for showing me the magic of the nanny mcphee universe. i loved the second installment, and i loved this. nonetheless, i think this is kind of inferior compared to the sequel (even though it could very well be because i watched the second one first and it had a bigger impact on me). i really enjoyed this one, too, but i felt the beginning was a bit too obvious, a bit too disney, if you like. i guess the fact that i don't really like the actor who plays the older kid didn't help either. but once the story starts to unfold, you forget about everything  else and just enjoy the fun. oh, and, by the way, i was really jealous of colin firth's wardrobe.

Rating: 8/10

it happened one night (frank capra)

the more i think about this film, the more i like it. it's wondrously sweet and so funny. there are some scenes that will always stay with me: the (non) piggyback, the hitch-hicking... the chemistry between gable and colbert is incredible, you can see it grow and grow by the minute. i know it could seem a bit dated nowadays (i'm talking about social conventions and gender issues), but i'm sure it must have been rather revolutionary when it was released, let's not forget we are talking 1934. oh, and i want an autogyro.

Rating: 8/10