Tag Archives: Golden Globe winner

Golden Globe Winner – In The Fade

drama, foreign films, suspense, , ,

Written and directed by Fatih Akin, In the Fade is the winner of the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Actress Festival De Cannes for Diane Kruger’s performance of Katija. Her life suddenly falls apart because out of nowhere her husband Nuri, played by Numan Acar, and little son Rocco, played by Rafael Santana, are killed in a bomb attack.  Kruger performance is so believable in these scenes it was hard for me to watch. Any wife and mother will relate to what it must be like to suddenly lose your family.

Katija friends and family try to give her the support she needs, and Katja somehow manages to make it through the funeral. But the mind-numbing search for the perpetrators and reasons behind the senseless killing complicate Katja’s painful mourning, opening wounds and doubts. The mourning is not too long and fits well with the storyline.

Danilo, played by Denis Moschitto, a lawyer and Nuri’s best friend, represents Katja in the eventual trial against the two suspects. The suspects are a young couple from the neo-Nazi scene. The trial pushes Katja to the edge, but there’s simply no alternative for her because she wants justice.

In the Fade is a political film that throws a lot of punches at the injustice of senseless killings to make a strong statement.  Kruger is a strong actress and brings believability to her role. There are situations in the film which explain the injustice but Katija doesn’t buy it and wants justice.

The film is in German with English subtitles. Special features include cast interviews, Behind In The Fade & Inside In The Fade.

 

High-Rise

book, drama, fantasy, indie, suspense, thriller, , , , , ,

high-riseHigh-Rise, from genre-bending director Ben Wheatley, is an attempt to adapt the classic J.G. Ballard novel of the same name with a brilliant and talented cast including Tom Hiddleston, Oscar winner Jeremy Irons, Sienna Miller, Luke Evans and Golden Globe winner Elisabeth Moss. If you watch the movie knowing it is dark satire, then you might not have a problem watching this movie. It is boring at times because the pacing is off, but the acting is what saves the movie.

But the message is clear and just as poignant today as it follows the inevitable result of a breakdown of social strata and public decorum, known as class warfare. The classic book is a dystopia with a very strong message, but the movie doesn’t even come near to the heart of the book.

Dr. Robert Laing, played pretty solid by Hiddleston, recently moved into a luxury, high-rise apartment building designed by the enigmatic Mr. Royal, played by Irons. With a literal divide of the classes, the wealthiest residents live on the upper floors with the best amenities while residents on the lower floors experience routine blackouts and other disruptions of basic services. As additional flaws in the building begin to emerge, both physically and socially, the lower floor residents revolt, turning the building into a battlefield for an all-out class warfare.

I wanted the movie to be good and worth seeing because the Ballard’s book tells a great story and the actors are really good. Yet, the script and editing could be tighter. It just dragged on and on with no reason.

The Blu-ray comes with some bonus features that includes a commentary from Tom Hiddleston, Ben Wheatley and Producer Jeremy Thomas, an in-depth look at adapting the beloved novel from the page to the screen, a look at the acclaimed film’s 70s set design, special effects, and more.