Il Papà di Giovanna (2008)

Italy, 2008 – 104 min

Set in Bologna, the film spans 15 years, beginning in 1938. Michele (Silvio Orlando) is a high school art teacher, whose only desire is to make his socially inept daughter Giovanna (Alba Rohrwacher) happy. His beautiful wife Delia (Francesca Neri) – excluded from the father-daughter bond and infatuated with their attentive neighbour – fears the false hopes he gives the girl, rightfully so when they lead her to commit murder.

Prolific director Pupi Avati doesn’t compromise quantity with quality: his latest work is yet another profound drama, enriched by a pitch perfect cast. Rohrwacher is definitely one actress to keep an eye on for the future.

Vote: 7.5

Les Chansons d’Amour (2007)

France, 2007 – 100 min

“Love me less, but love me a long time.”

In the hope of sparking their stalled relationship, Ismael (Louis Garrel) and Julie (Ludivine Sagnier) enter a playful yet emotionally laced threesome with Alice (Clotilde Hesme). When tragedy strikes, these young Parisians are forced to deal with the fragility of life and love. For Ismael, this means negotiating through the advances of Julie’s sister (Chiara Mastroianni) and a young college student (Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet), one of whom may offer him redemption.

Directed by Christophe Honoré (Ma Mère, Dans Paris), Les Chansons d’Amour is an atypical music film. Its strength does not reside in its plot – which is actually pretty average – or in the catchy songs, but in its dark tones and in the intimate, moving honesty emanating from the actors’ performances. Through singing, Garrel & Co. truly open up their characters’ hearts, more than with dialogue. The result is a nice flick you might consider watching even if you usually dislike musicals.

Vote: 7

Hard Candy (2005)

USA, 2005 – 104 min

“Well, 4 out of 5 doctors agree that I am actually insane.”

After three weeks of flirtatious encounters in an online chat room, two people agree to meet for a coffee: a 32-year-old photographer (Patrick Wilson) and a 14-year-old girl (Ellen Page). They quickly advance to his house, where manipulation becomes the name of the game.

Before the success of Juno, young thesp Ellen Page shocked Sundance Film Festival with Hard Candy, a little indie gem ($ 1 mil. budget, filmed in 18 days) by David Spade. When Little Red Ridinghood fights the Big Black Wolf back, we are left wandering with no certainties and questioning our own ethics. Who’s the victim and who’s the perpetrator? Prepare yourself, ’cause the film is tough. The themes it touches, the cast performances and a particularly disturbing scene make it a real punch in the stomach.

Vote: 8

L’Idole (2002)

France, 2002 – 110 min

A young Australian woman (Leelee Sobieski), a struggling theater actress, arrives in a French neighborhood and forms a bond with her neighbor, an old Chinese man who’s considering moving into a rest home.

Beautiful and talented Leelee Sobieski delivers her most intense performance. The film – an artful drama about narcissism and barriers between cultures – might leave those of you who are not used to French movie style a little perplexed, but one thing is undiscussable: Ms. Sobieski did a brilliant job, skillfully mastering a very difficult and complex role.

Vote: 7.5

Paris, Je T’Aime (2006)

France, 2006 – 120 min

“I thought, if I don’t talk to you before I go, I’d be missing out on… something… important.”

18 amazing directors (the Coen Brothers, Isabel Coixet, Wes Craven, Gus Van Sant, just to name a few) and an infinite cast of A-list stars (Natalie Portman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gaspard Ulliel, Gena Rowlands, Elijah Wood, Fanny Ardant…) will take you through an unforgettable tour of the world’s most beautiful city. 18 short movies, 18 love stories, all set in a different district of Paris. Some are funny, some are heart breaking, some are visionary to say the least. But they’re all outstandingly touching and wonderful examples of great cinema.

Vote: 8.5