WearetheMovies.com Selects
10 Films You Must See
Dubai International Film Festival 2008
(December 11-18, 2008)
For Dubai residents and tourists, the word “festival” conjures up images of many different things, not the least of which is sale blowouts and overflowing shopping carts. But in the month of December, this same word can mean something entirely different; the last month of the year is not just the time for Christmas-giving or Eid joy, or even a signaling of the end of the current year, but a month when casual movie goers and connoisseurs alike can freely indulge in that rare cultural phenomenon in the Middle East called a “film festival.” (Our film selections and trailers await you after the jump.)
The fifth year of the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) has an assortment of over 180 feature films, documentaries and shorts, a daunting portfolio of selections for anyone not keeping a close eye on the international festival circuit — but then that’s what we’re here for!
After a painstaking selection process (tallying and sub-tallying, arguments and counter-arguments), our team of crackpot movie lovers have short-listed what we think are the most essential, must-see movies of this year’s Dubai film festival.
3 Monkeys (Üç maymun)
Nuri Bilge Ceylan | Turkey | 2008
109 min
This film from Turkey won the Best Director award at Cannes this year, and is also the country’s official submission for Best Foreign Film at Oscars 2009. If last year’s phenomenal The Edge of Heaven was any indication, then it seems the Turkish continue their streak of visual metaphor and lyrical storytelling in 3 Monkeys (Üç maymun), an engrossing film about complicated family situations. Not to be confused with Terry Gilliam’s ground-breaking 12 Monkeys, also playing at the festival.
Che
Steven Soderbergh | USA | 2008
262 min
When was the last time you spent two hours watching a film? How about three hours? No big deal say you, fans of films from the Subcontinent? Well, then, how about four hours? Steven Soderberg’s Che, an all-encompassing biopic about the revolutionary Cuban leader (also, the very recognizable face on hipsters’ t-shirts), clocks in at close to four-and-a-half hours. When released conventionally, it is likely that Che will be split into two films — The Argentine and Guerilla — but in a commendable move, DIFF will screen it as one film; we are fortunate enough to be able see it as Soderbergh intended, in its entirety. Already acclaimed for its titular performance (Benicio Del Toro won unanimous praise and the Best Actor award at this year’s Cannes), Che should actually be listed under unmissable.
Genova
Michael Winterbottom | UK | 2008
108 min
British director Michael Winterbottom is no stranger to DIFF — his moving In This World played here during the first edition of the festival and his films have often dealt with topics that delve into the unglamorous side of living, but Genova returns him to his more traditional European roots in a story that seems part inspired by Nicolas Roeg’s frightening Don’t Look Now. Here too is a family coping with a loss and moving to an Italian town to deal with the aftermath. Expect another fierce performance from Colin Firth who as a grieving father has to come to terms with raising daughters without their mother…and then there’s this pesky business of seeing ghosts.
Gomorra
Matteo Garrone | Italy | 2008
135 min
This highly acclaimed Italian film was a big find at Cannes 2008, winning numerous awards there and at other festivals subsequently. A tell-all crime film about the Camorra, an organized crime syndicate, its realism has forced the author of the book, on which the film is based, into permanent hiding for fear of retribution from those he’s blown the whistle on. Expect a riveting saga of a little-known, but vastly dangerous criminal underworld of Naples, Italy.
Hunger
Steve McQueen | UK | 2008
96 min
Tracing an event of historical British significance is Hunger which recounts the last six weeks of hunger strike by Irish Republican Bobby Sands. The subject matter is grim yet intriguing; and it is probably curiosity of how much the film achieves that will drive many to watch it. Hunger has won almost universal acclaim for its lead actor, Michael Fassbender, and a slew of British Independent Film Awards.
Slumdog Millionaire
Danny Boyle | UK | 2008
120 min
In a setup that is almost tailor-made for the multi-ethnic audiences of DIFF, electrifying director Danny Boyle (forever cherished for his work in famed modern classics Trainspotting and 28 days Later) presents the story of a boy from the slums of Mumbai, who rises to become a star on the Indian version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire. Supposedly, it is part love story, part energetic India travelogue by way of Bollywood, and an unabashedly feel-good crowd pleaser!
The Song of Sparrows (Avaze Gonjeshk-ha)
Majid Majidi | Iran | 2008
96 min
Iranian cinema is unique. Their societal norms prevent their filmmakers from being as open as their counterparts in the rest of their world; but it is this very same challenge that makes films so fascinating to watch. Their love affair with neo-realism continues with this morality tale of a farmer who has to capture an Ostrich that escapes from the farm. Song of Sparrows is directed by famed Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi, whose film Children of Heaven was the first (and only) Iranian film to be nominated for a Best Foreign Film Oscar. If that wasn’t enough of a reason for you to prioritize a screening, we’ll give you another one: The Song of Sparrows also won its lead actor a Silver Bear at Berlin this year.
The Chaser (Choo Gyeok Ja)
Hong-jin Na | South Korea | 2008
123 min
South Korean films have been enjoying popularity abroad for many years with their raw, gritty and, generally, singular take on what a cinema experience should be like. If you’ve seen films such as OIdboy or The HostThe Chaser (which played at DIFF a couple of years ago), then you know exactly what to expect, or not to expect, from a Korean film about a pimp searching for his missing girls. And if you’ve never experienced Korean cinema, is arguably the best way to make an introduction.
The Class (Entre Les Murs)
Laurent Cantent | France | 2008
128 min
Hailed for its realistic, dogme-like look at public schools in France attended by impoverished children, “The Class” took home the coveted Palm D’or award at this year’s Cannes film festival. If recent winners are any indication (last year’s 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days; The Wind That Shakes The Barley the previous year, both excellent films), then this is a film that should not be given a pass.
The Wrestler
Darren Aronofsky | USA | 2008
105 min
You don’t look for “why” when going for a Darren Aronofsky film; you just need to find out “where” and “when.” The Wrestler is the first-ever Aronofsky film to be officially screened on any big screen either at Dubai generally or at DIFF specifically. Anyone who has ever seen an Aronofsky film (The Fountain, Requiem For A Dream) knows that this hard-hitting director never pulls the punches. Expect a visceral experience and another great score by regular composer Clint Mansell. Winner of the coveted Golden Lion at this year’s Venice film festival.
3 Honorable Mentions:
Owing to the overwhelming number of titles this year, it seems unfair that we should restrict a list to only 10 films. These were a few of the films that didn’t make it into the WearetheMovies.com Top 10 selections, but deserve their own special section.
Blindness
Fernando Meirelles | Canada, Brazil, Japan | 2008
121 min
Apocalyptic futures are always a hit with the masses. Blindness takes just such a bleak point of view, but it’s got an ace in the hole with director Fernando Meirelles, whose perfect body of work (City of God, The Constant Gardener) cries out for your attention. Tech geeks and aspiring cinematographers, make note that DP Cesar Charlone used three different film formats: Super 16mm, Super 35mm in 1.85:1 aspect ratio, and eight-perf VistaVision, a horizontal format that results in an image area about two-and-a-half times the size of a 35mm frame.
Ride the Wave, Johnny (Tera Kya Hoga, Johnny!)
Sudhir Mishra | India | 2008
120 min
Director Sudhir Mishra has always been a popular alternative to the colorful vibrancy of Bollywood to warrant a watch anytime. His successful mix of casting recognizable actors in off-beat stories has always worked in the past, be it in films as diverse as Khoya Khoya Chand, Chameli, Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi or Is Raat Ki Subah Nahin. This time round, Mishra explores another facet of his favorite subject: the harsh life of a child trying to survive on the mean streets of Mumbai.
Tokyo Sonata
Kiyoshi Kurosawa | Japan | 2008
119 min
In a time of financial uncertainty and economic gloom, this Japanese film, about a man who loses his job and tries to cope with it by pretending to lead a normal life in front of his family, should be a stirring viewing. Winner of the Un Certain Regard Jury Prize at this year’s Cannes.
To buy tickets visit www.difftickets.com or call them at +9714-3913378
