CPH:PIX Reviews – Part 1
Published on Apr 23rd, 2009 in Movies, Reviews.
Crap, it’s been forever since I’ve blogged. Been busy, I guess. Anyway, the film festival CPH:PIX is currently running in Copenhagen, ending this Sunday. I’ve seen eight movies so far, and I though I would write some small reviews of them.
Død Snø
Død Snø as a Norwegian zombie movie I’ve been looking forward to for a while. It was a late night screening in Glyptoteket, so the mood was set for some zombie action. I was actually surprised about how much I liked the movie, it’s more of a parody, well, a tribute, to zombie movies. The zombie make-up is amazing (which it has to be, when you’re working in full, snowblinding daylight), and the movie is filled with hilarious zombie-killing scenes.
At CPH:PIX:
24/04 23:59 Grand > KØB BILLET
25/04 21:30 Palads > KØB BILLET
Død Snø: 7/10
The Investigator (A nyomozó)
A Hungarian thriller, The Investigator follows Malkáv, a pathologist, who needs money for his mother’s surgery. When a man offers him €40.000 for killing a man, he quickly accepts, only to find out the man was his half-brother. A conspiracy slowly unfolds as the movie turns into a detective story. The character of Malkáv is very well acted, he doesn’t say much, and seems cold-hearted, but it becomes apparent that there are more layers to the man. Amazing movie, worth a watch.
At CPH:PIX:
No more screenings.
The Investigator: 8/10
State of Play
Based on a 2003 tv-series, State of Play follows reporters Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe) and Della Frye (Rachel McAdams) trying to uncover what lies behind the apparent suicide of Sonia Baker, a senate lead researcher and mistress of congressman Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck). I liked the movie, it has nice moments of suspense, surprising plot twists, and a decent story. However, it kind of goes to far in the end, and I would have preferred if it ended 10 minutes earlier, instead of revealing another, pretty ridiculous, twist.
At CPH:PIX:
No more screenings.
State of Play: 7/10
The Chaser (Chugyeogja)
I really need to see more South Korean films, as far as I remember, this is only the second one I’ve seen, the first being Oldboy. The Chaser follows Joong-ho Eom, a cop turned pimp, whose prostitutes have started disappearing. He discovers that it always happens in one area of town, with one customer, who he believes is selling the girls. The audience quickly discover that, that is not the case (the girls are brutally murdered), but Eom doesn’t know. First of all it’s refreshing to see a protagonist whose motivations are different from what we usually see. He’s losing money, and that’s why he wants to find the girls. Secondly, I just love Koreans, or the way the they act in movies anyway. Granted, I haven’t seen many movies, but their just funny. They always slap each other when they’re mad…
At CPH:PIX:
28/04 21:30 Cinemateket > BILLET: tel. 3374 3412
The Chaser: 7/10
Nord
Nord follows a depressed caretaker of a small ski lift, in a desolate, Norwegian area. When his home burns down he embarks on a journey to see his daughter and former wife. The movie reminded me of The Straight Story, and it is a similarly sweet and touching road movie. Most of the actors had never acted before, and the movie is shot on location, making it seem very natural, and real.
At CPH:PIX:
24/04 19:00 Vester Vov Vov > KØB BILLET
26/04 20:30 Empire Bio > KØB BILLET
Nord: 8/10
Mammut
Since I’m a huge fan of Lukas Moodyson (Fucking Åmål, Lilja 4-ever) I was really looking forward to his new movie, Mammut. Moodyson has been making some more experimental movies the recent years, and this is his return to more mainstream audiences, unfortunately it’s not a very good return. I have nothing against social realism, but this movie is excruciatingly boring, most of the conflicts are very minor, and some of the crucial choices of the characters seem unmotivated.
At CPH:PIX:
No more screenings.
Mammut: 5/10
Coraline (3D)
The master of stop motion, Henry Selick, returns after 13 years. In a time of where CGI has become common, it is very refreshing to see a movie like this. Selick is a mastermind, and I was so impressed by how incredible this movie looked. This was also my first feature-length film in 3D, and this is probably a perfect movie to see in 3D. It seemed more like a play, with the dolls prancing around on a stage. It’s also pretty cool to hear people’s reaction to seeing stuff in 3D for the first time. I was pleasantly surprised by the movie, it’s got a nice, scary story, and amazing voice acting.
At CPH:PIX:
No more screenings.
Coraline: 7/10
The Wrestler
I have looked forward to this movie for months. Danny Boyle and Darren Aronofsky are probably my favorite directors at the moment, but I wasn’t overjoyed with Slumdog Millionaire. The Wrestler did, however, fulfill my expectations, amazing acting, amazing story, solid movie.
At CPH:PIX:
No more screenings.
The Wrestler: 8/10
Tags: 3d, coraline, cph:pix, død snø, mammut, nord, state of play, the chaser, the investigator, the wrestler