anvourl Reviews

Psalm 21 (2009)

An interesting film

[6/10 · 2 January 2023]

Even though a horror movie, with some strong scenes, it is not just that; I believe it is the director's personal journey to (re)discover his faith.

First the good parts: I loved the acting. Especially, Mr. Jonas Malmsjö is great, almost as if he is on stage. He succeeds in giving a tragic dimension to the priest who is obviously a tormented person; the viewer feels deep sympathy for him, almost from the first minute and you keep watching the film, because you care for father Henrik. I am also happy I had the chance I saw him and Mr. Björn Bengtsson in another work (I have "met" them in The Last Kingdom and I also enjoyed their performances).

Moreover, some scenes were frightening and atmospheric.

Some dialogues were very strong. I kept in my mind the conversation between father Henrik and Olle, where they exchanging verses from the Bible while talking about revenge versus love.

The last scene where we listen to a child reading the beautiful Psalm 148.

The negative parts of the film were the story plots that I still try to understand. For example, why did the father of the family continued to accept father Gabriel in his house after he found out the truth? The sermon, in the end of the film, seemed out of place. I mean how the events we watched inspired the priest to talk about judgement and crusaders (!) and he decided to step down from being a priest? It just seemed to me it was the director he wanted to make crystal clear his religious views (but there was nothing new there, at least for me, because I know God is love and forgiveness; I keep listening to the priests in my church repeating it).

To sum up: an interesting film with very good acting, not the typical horror movie, so I wouldn't expect everyone to like it. As I said, it looks like the director's personal quest for his faith and God and I really wish him a happy ending to this quest.

Old People (2022)

Very enjoyable thriller with powerful messages.

[8/10 · 16 October 2022]

I really enjoyed the movie and I don't understand the extremely negative reviews, especially when it comes to the actors.

We should respect our elderly people, we should support our family or our societies will collapse. And only Love can save the world! Those are the simple but powerful messages of the film.

Apart from that, it is a very atmospheric thriller with good acting and some scenes that get under your skin. For example, the old lady in the wedding dress. Some other scenes are not believable at all, but they don't ruin the overall experience. What I found negative is the extreme graphic violence.

Excellent acting from everyone, but the one who really stands out is the late Gerhard Bös! He uses only his eyes to deliver the messages, he barely says two phrases but his character haunts you!

Tribes of Europa (2021)

An excellent Sci-Fi series taking place in a dystopian Europe.

[10/10 · 13 March 2021]

I really enjoyed this series, the first dystopian Sci-Fi I watched that takes place in my "neighborhood", Europe, and not in USA. I liked very much the quick pace, the photograph, the story and the characters. I loved all the actors and I was really happy to see familiar faces from other series in Tribes of Europa (Oliver Masucci, Robert Finster, Matteo van der Grijn). @Melika Foroutan: how en earth did you walk on these shoes? 🙂

However, what I found most interesting in the series is the strong pro-Europe message it sends. There is a constant reference to the European ideal of freedom, the prosperity, the achievements of the infrastructures, sciences and arts across the continent. So the message is as simple as that: either we remain united and happy or we go back in slaughtering each other. It is not a coincidence that the tribes are a metaphor for the different periods of European history.

I really hope there will be a season 2.

Mary Queen of Scots (2018)

The curse of traveling back in time

[5/10 · 13 December 2020]

Oh God! The curse of traveling back in time to tell the history of the world from the perspective of the 21st century activists continuous! As a result, two of the most interesting and powerful women in History appear in this film as powerless, boring, tortured, insulted and controlled by the men in their royal courts. I am sure this is supposed to be a feminist film that tries to send the message if it were not for men, Mary and Elisabeth would have worked it out, but it utterly fails. Instead, It makes you wonder if these Queens were anything like the figurative Mary and Elizabeth in the film, why did the history bother to even keep a note of their name. Does Queen Elisabeth I, the female sovereign who changed the course of our world and civilization really need a feminist director to re-tell her story? And how is she presented in the film? She plays with horses, she makes flowers from ribbons and she just agrees to whatever her male counselors say! As a result of this chaos, the viewer does not understand why anyone does anything in the film, and the characters never develop properly. I feel sorry for the two gorgeous and talented ladies, Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie and for the rest of the great cast. Also, very beautiful costumes. That's why, I give 5-stars.

Mary Magdalene (2018)

A boring film that has nothing to do with Mary Magdalene

[1/10 · 26 April 2020]

I finally saw the film and I realised why Christians were disappointed. I keep wondering who was the target audience: definitely not the Christians. Extremely important events for them are completely re-written. The Last Supper, the Holy Eucharist, the Baptism just to name a few. Of course, the inspiring and so important dialogue between Mary of Magdalene and Jesus after His resurrection is also disappeared; in its place, we watch another meaningless boring dialogue.

And were do all these leave us? A film with postmodern, feminist and vegan preaching. Jesus preaches to a strictly female audience and he doesn't even know what to say. Then he decides to advise women to break free from the men; he gets angry in the Temple because they slaughter lambs; and on the cross, he dies in peace because he sees Mary Magdalene (I got the feeling that a love interest was implied between the two). Also, the Roman army was walking around slaughtering women and children for reasons beyond my understanding. In fact, Roman soldiers were talking to John the Baptist and Jesus himself had miraculously helped a Roman centurion. Back to the film, and to make things worse, the 12 disciples were idiots! Even after the resurrection they didn't understand a simple line and they were jealous and angry of Mary Magdalene! Fortunately for the billions of Christians, there was Mary Magdalene, Virgin Mary and the other women who left men behind, and Jesus did not die in vain. Yeah! Power to the women, that's the message in a nutshell. Let alone that if Mary Magdalene was not there to encourage Jesus, he would had walked away and wouldn't bother for the world's salvation (besides, as I already mentioned, everyone was so idiot in the movie-except women- that I wouldn't blame him). Instead of using a well known, powerful story, that has influenced and shaped so deeply our world, the creators of the movie could create an imaginary story and send their feminist, politically correct message! As for the information that in 2016, Mary Magdalene was claimed Apostle of the Apostles: there was nothing new there for me. It's a pity for the great actors! They diverse better films; oh and that unique beauty of Rooney Mara, straight out from a Renaissance painting!

Constantine (2005)

The eternal archetype...

[7/10 · 11 September 2005]

Since a lot of friends have already submitted their comments on the movie in details (I mention very briefly that I enjoyed the movie and both Keanu's and Rachel's acting), I'd like to comment on a different aspect of "Constantine".

I found the movie extremely interesting, because it shows us the eternal and mot popular archetype: The man who goes even to Hell, to the world of the dead, for the woman he loves. Like Odysseus did for his Penelope or Virgil for his Beatrice...This archetype lives through the centuries and has inspired every form of art. "Constantine" revives it once again in the 21st century. John Constantine may have saved the world but this is only a side effect of his decision to save Angela, the only ray of light in his dark and lonely life. We can clearly see Constantine's motives when Midnight prepares him to use the chair. Midnight asks John to tell him that this is not about the girl and John replies: "Definitely, mostly not about the girl" in the most unbelievable and ironic way. So, John Constantine was never interested in saving the world-the only thing he wanted was to save Angela from Mammon. He even chooses to offer his life so her beloved sister would go into Heaven and Angela will be happy and relieved of her qualms of conscience for abandoning Isabel.

On a second level, John Constantine knows how Hell looks like-it's not something theoretical for him like it is for us. He has seen the eternal tortures his soul will suffer. He also knows that he's going to Hell no matter what he does, he's condemned (Gabriel doesn't give him any hope at all, on the contrary (s)he confirms what Constantine already knows). Finally, he knows that he's dying young and he doesn't have much time. However, Constantine never gives up hoping and fighting for his place in Heaven. All that gives a sense of deep tragedy throughout the movie. The scene where John Constantine puts out his cigarette in his own blood is the ultimate definition of a desperate anti-hero.

Well, I guess not many people will find these comments useful, but I'd like to share my thoughts.

Captain Corelli's Mandolin (2001)

Lack of identity, poor acting, multi-language mess

[4/10 · 31 August 2002]

A very poor acting and lack of identity characterises this film. Penelope Cruz avoids expressing any kind of feeling, even that of love and she keeps having that extremely serious look on her face. Nicolas Cage on the contrary expresses his feelings so intensely that he becomes unbelievable;it's like saying "look, now I am a man who's happy for no apparent reason" or "now I am horrofied by Germans' brutallity". However, Irene Pappas was unique as the Greek mother and John Hurt as Pelagia's father. I also enjoyed Emilios Chilakis in his very short appearance as the Greek guerilla: he talked in a very determined way as a man who has decided not to surrender should talk. However, even though the represantation of the specifique era was quite good, hardly as the actors try, they don't succeed in their roles of the locals (needless to say that Greeks actors are excluded). The pronunciation was a very big disadvantage: Pelagia spoke English with a Spanish pronunciation, Correli spoke English sometimes with bad italian accent, sometimes with perfect american accent; however he can also speak perfect German and he can read a text written in Greek!!! And the story goes on with that multi-language mess. Also, watching the film you can hardly believe that there is a war going on: It seems that Greece had no problems during the Occupation (by the Germans and the Italians), since Italian soldiers were here to enjoy the sun. Thank God that Germans arrive on the island and we start to remember that we are during a war. And yet, the director makes it appear as if Italians and Greeks were allies against the German enemy. People of Cephalonia fought really hard against Itallians and Germans and many of them were executed; but it seems as if Italians fought for the shake of Greeks while the later were enjoying the italian music. Besides, there was a very poor reprasantation of fight and bombing. And during that events, Pelagia found the time to fall in love with Corelli, before we could realise it: She seems more in love with Mandras than with Corelli and she has hardly exchange a complete and meaningful dialogue with him; however she can't live without him. The director actually does focus neither on war events nor on the love affair and that ruins the movie. Also, I can't avoid mentioning that I got tired of watching Pelagia walking around with a basket. I assure you that women had much more to do even in that time of '40's.

***SPOILER*** Can someone explain to me why the guerillas executed Eleni (Pelagia's friend) for simply kissing a German on the cheek and Mandras denies even his mother's request to save her, while Pelagia (who had a love affair with an Italian soldier and everybody Knows it) has their help and approval?

Finish studing Medicine in two years? That's a record!

The Last Don II (1998)

Unacceptable morality

[4/10 · 18 August 2002]

Even though I am not a fan of Mafia movies, I have seen quite a lot of them. So, considering what I have seen so far, I think that The Last Don II has not given realistic Mafia characters. Also, I think that so many people from different places are presented in the film, e.g. Hollywood, the Catholic Church, that it's difficult to watch the plot as it is developing.

Also, what I found completely unacceptable is the moral approach of the director. Cross is the worst of all the criminals who surround him; Without the least hesitation, people are tortured and killed according to his orders.***SPOILER*** He doesn't show any kind of remorse or sorrow, he doesn't even spend a second thought on the death of the woman (based on his orders once again)that he kept telling her how much he loved her and that he couldn't bear the thought that she might get killed!And it is the woman who risked everything for keeping him save;and Cross knew that because if he didn't believe her he would change the dates of the upcoming attacks to protect himself against the FBI.

And yet he's presented to us as the sweetheart murderer, the criminal with the appearance of an angel. He lives in a palace, he uses expensive cars, he's dressed in the most elegant clothes, he orders the death of people and we are... "praying" that nothing bad happens to him because we couldn't stand it! The whole idea is completely outrageous!