Reviews

`The Policewoman' is a perfect companion-piece to `Gloria' (1999, Manuela Viegas). Both Portuguese films deal with troubled childhood, cruelty, tragedy, and premature death. Both films have some memorable scenes in which a body is dragged through a dark forest, and have wonderful endings. Both films are atmospheric, and feelings and emotions in both films are conveyed through silence. It seems like `The Policewoman' is another part of `Gloria', and that is because both films are made by Joaquim Sapinho and Manuela Viegas. Sapinho directed `The Policewoman' and co-wrote `Gloria', while Viegas directed `Gloria' and co-edited `The Policewoman'.

However, though I like `The Policewoman' very much, I feel this film is not as daring and uncompromising as `Gloria'. The storyline of `The Policewoman' is much easier to follow, and the ending of `The Policewoman', though as abrupt as `Gloria', is not as enigmatic.

What makes me fall in love with `The Policewoman' is not the plot, but its obsession with dark forests and darkness. While I was watching `The Policewoman', I felt the sunlight in some scenes in this film was too strong. It was so strong that it irritated my eyes. I realized later that the sunlight in some scenes in this film was not too strong, but the viewers felt the sunlight was unbearable because this film left the viewers in darkness for such a long time that the viewers' eyes cannot adapt to bright light suddenly. I once had this kind of experience while I was watching `Zmej' (2002, Aleksai Muradov). When a character in `Zmej' switched on the light to drive away the darkness, I felt the light was too strong and very unwelcome. Both `Zmej' and `The Policewoman' belong to a wonderful kind of cinema-a cinema which makes your eyes hate sunlight and daytime.

Another thing that I like very much is the role of the policewoman in this film. The policewoman in this film behaves like an angel, but what I like very much is that the viewers rarely have a chance to look at her face clearly. The face of the policewoman was shown clearly on the screen for about one minute. She mostly stays in the darkness. Her face is hidden or half-hidden for most of the time. Yet, she has a very strong presence and an important role in this film. Her character, along with the character of the truck driver who plays football with Rato, give hope to the cruel world portrayed in this film. Though her character stays in the darkness physically, her character is really the bright light of hope, mercy, kindness and understanding.

I also like many other scenes in this film, including the scenes which show nearly empty roads and nearly empty landscapes. I also love the beginning of this film very much. This film starts with shots of beautiful landscapes, of a tree with a heart carved into it, of a hand caressing that tree, of a woman leaning on that tree, of the woman picking flowers, of the woman with the flower in a cemetery. All these scenes are wordless, yet can tell the story effectively. The sad feeling in these scenes are so strong. This film uses minimal expressions to convey maximal feelings.

Scenes that I like include every scene which shows the strong tension between Tania and Liliana, especially the scene in which Tania visits Liliana at the shop, and the scene in which Tania walks in front, Rato walks in the middle, and Liliana walks behind them. One can sense how much Tania and Liliana distrust each other. But the tension between them is conveyed very beautifully and in a restrained way.

Other scenes which are so deeply ingrained in my mind are the scene of Tania when she heard the news about her son, and the scene of Tania in front of a fireplace. These scenes are very sad and heartbreaking. And Tania is such a wonderful character. She may love her son too much and does too many stupid things for him, and it may be because she is just a human being--a human being who is prone to make mistakes, make bad choices, a victim of their own stupidity and stubbornness, a human being whose flame of hope won't die out easily during the downpour of bad lucks. Her character shares the same weakness with ‘Margaret Hall' (Tilda Swinton) in `The Deep End'. These women endanger themselves because they love their sons.

The eyes of Rato is another thing that I like. His eyes make his character more enigmatic. He is not a kid who wants his audience to feel pity for him, especially by the way he behaves near the end of the movie. Some viewers might feel both sad and relieved with the fate of Rato at the end of the film.

Other performers in the film don't have many chances to show their talents, but their scenes are memorable, thanks to the director. The scene of Liliana which I like very much is the scene in which she has some kind of reaction when she sees her uncle enters her cell in the prison. And the benign truck driver provides the warmest scene in this film. He plays football with Rato in the dark, using only lights from the truck. However, in this film, warm feelings can appear only briefly. Rato follows the football and disappears into the dark. That moment is unforgettable.

Joaquim Sapinho, together with Manuela Viegas, Manoel de Oliveira, Joao Pedro Rodrigues, Fernando Matos Silva, and Manuel Mozos, really makes me feel very enthusiastic for Portuguese cinema. I can't wait to see other films of all these directors.

***spoilers***spoilers***Some movies can make you cry while you're watching them, but few of them can even make you cry every time you think of them. For me, 'Before the Storm' belongs to the latter category. Yet, this heartbreakingly sad movie has one scene that is much more thrilling than most thrillers, and the joke about 'Kurosawa' is one of the most memorable lines in my memory.

'Before the Storm' poses very interesting questions about violence and moral dilemmas. Many characters in this film seem to do something wrong, but apart from Danne, can we actually call what Ali, Leo, the Courier, and Johan Sander do as totally wrong? They might do wrong things, but they have their own reasons. This movie seems to ask the viewers that if were put into these four characters' shoes, what would we decide to do? Would we decide to act differently if we were in the same dire situations as them? Ali and Leo face one of the most difficult choices in the world. If a young boy as Leo hadn't done what he did in this movie, the other choice he might have resorted to is committing suicide. It's up to each audience to decide for themselves if what Ali does is wrong or right. What this movie perfectly achieves is to make us understand very well why these characters do such a thing.

Not only the 'decision-making' of the characters that is worth pondering, some scenes also leave interesting questions in our mind. For example, the scene when the father and mother of Leo teach Leo about violence. Yet, Leo's father works in the truck plant. Does he know that he might be responsible for mass violence? From the conversation between the Courier and Ali, we can assume that her organization used to distribute leaflets about the military use of the trucks to the public, but that method couldn't stop Sander. That leads to another interesting question in the movie: if the converting of the trucks is no secret, why are the public only concerned about the loss of their jobs? Why are they not concerned about the loss of people's lives in other countries? Are we too interested in earning money for our families that we try to forget or ignore the fact about our 'indirect' roles in this kind of cruelty?

Another great thing about 'Before the Storm' is that it shows us the consequences of characters' actions. And consequences often come as a surprise to the characters. After Leo forced Danne to say an obscene word, Sara uses that exact word to call Leo. After Ali told Leo some sentences that influence Leo's decision, Leo repeats those sentences to Ali at the exact moment that would affect Ali's decision. Ali makes an arguably noble decision in the hospital, but considering the consequences, is his noble decision the right decision? 'Before the Storm' reflects the real world where the most villainous characters (Danne and Sander) are the survivors, and the most innocent characters (Ali's ex-wife and son) suffer the most.

In my opinion, the hospital scene and the ending scene are truly classic. During the thrilling hospital scene, I forget breathing and my heart pounds heavily. The thrill comes partly because of the music, and because we somehow identify ourselves with Ali in this extremely dangerous situation. We can't help imagining we were Ali, and asking ourselves what exactly we should do to Sander, to the bodyguard, to the Courier, to her grandchild, and most importantly, to Sander's father?

Because we feel so much involved in Ali's decision-making, the thrill comes not only because we fear that Ali might be in danger, but also because we fear that Ali might decide to bring danger to other characters. Thrilling scenes are effective if they can make the viewers feel as if they are not only the 'observers' of the scene, but also the 'participants' in the scene. Most thriller movies are not as thrilling as this scene in 'Before the Storm', because in most thrillers' climax scenes, we know exactly who is the villain and who is the innocent, who should be punished and who should be rewarded. The villains in other movies are so bad that the hero (and the viewers) never has any doubt in his (or our) mind(s) whether the hero should do the killing or not.(It is worth noting that Arnold Schwarzenegger is mentioned in 'Before the Storm'.) In those movies, the viewers can be sure that the hero will do only good things and we can decide very easily that the villains should be killed. Thus, the thrill in other movies relies on what the hero will do to get rid of the villains, whereas the thrill in 'Before the Storm' relies on whether the hero will kill or help the so-called villains, which villain he should help, and whether the hero is as evil as the villains and the villains are as innocent and pitiable as the hero. These questions apply to the conflict between Danne and Leo, too. This movie might be one of the most difficult movies for the viewers to decide whether the child protagonist (Leo) should be punished or rewarded. It's not the physical action, but it's the moral ambiguity behind the physical action that makes the hospital scene in 'Before the Storm' the most thrilling scene in my memory. Moreover, this scene might be the only thrilling scene that can make me cry at the same time. And I cry because of that face--the face of Sander's father lying on the floor, begging for his son's life. I even cry as I'm writing this down. This face will keep on haunting me for a long time.

The ending scene confirms this film as one of my most favorite films of all time. The strength of the ending scene relies on its marvelous editing, and I'm not even sure that what I saw in the ending scene is what really happens in the story or a part of it is a dream. In the ending scene, the narrative style differs a lot from the preceding scenes. There is no continuity of time and place. Fragments of various characters' lives are mixed and edited in such a way that has a tremendous impact on my emotion. Moreover, this ending scene can manage to tell the conclusion of so many characters' lives in very few minutes, and a lot of twists are in this scene. I cry a lot when the camera focuses on the hand of Ali's wife and hands of other characters, when I see Danne is alive, when Leo departs from his family, and particularly, when the bodyguard discovers that the Courier's grandchild is alive. How can Reza Parsa come up with a scene so emotionally powerful like this? I have never seen a scene like this in other movies before. This is a perfect ending, narratively and emotionally.

Minor characters also lend great charm to the movie, including Sara and Leo's mother, and particularly the Courier and the anti-Kurosawa little girl. Tintin Anderzon is perfect as Leo's mother. Sasha Becker can show how much Sara likes Danne by just using a glimpse from her meaningful eyes. The Courier surprises me with her talent as a spy. She can appear any minute, without warning, in any place or any situation. This character wouldn't look out of place at all if she appears in superb spy action/drama films such as 'La Femme Nikita'. My only disappointment is that she is defeated too easily, considering her great spying talent. One thing worth noting is that one fast-food chain plays an indirect part in her demise. Is the director trying to say that the Courier's mistake is letting her grandchild too immersed in consumerism? The little girl is an unforgettable character even though she might be on screen less than 5 minutes. She is not involved in the main plot, but in an interesting subplot concerning chains of unrequited love. Her role might be small, but poignant. Her happiness when she is together with Leo lasts very briefly. Something she says indicates that she hopes to be with Leo again, but she might have to wait forever, as the ending song suggests.

It's hard to find other movies to compare with such a superior film as 'Before the Storm'. The only one I can think about is Antonia Bird's 'Priest'. While these two movies are totally different in many ways, they are as moving and bring as many tears to my eyes. More importantly, the understanding and sympathy between Ali and the harassed boy in the bus scene reminds me of the understanding and sympathy between Father Greg and the harassed girl in 'Priest'.

SPOILERS: Deceptively titled Judex, the heart of the film actually belongs to the arch elegant enemy of the title character. This film shows many obstacles the supervillainess must overcome in order to get what she wants, instead of showing the obstacles the superhero must overcome. Thus, it's one of those rare films of which some audience will find themselves drawn to and siding with the villainess, cheering for her, and secretly praying that she would escape, survive, or win in most situations, and these audience will also ask themselves time and again while watching this film, 'Why is the boring heroine still alive? She should have been dead already.'

While the hero seems to have no trouble doing anything he wants especially in the first half of the movie, the villainess gets into tight and dangerous situations many times. Her clever plans always run into trouble, and she must improvise solutions to her problems. Though the villainess is punished in the end, those audience who cheer for her should still be satisfied, because she is not punished by the unimpressive hero, but by a character who is no less charming than her. The final fighting scene is very exciting, because it is not only about the hero versus the evil, but it involves some other characters who aren't exactly good or evil, thus the audience cannot guess the fate of these characters. While the audience can predict the fate of the hero, they are still thrilled to find out if other supporting characters will survive or not.

Many scenes are weirdly beautiful and unforgettable, including the mask party scene, the strange dance scene between the villainess and her lover, the scene when the villainess reveals what she wears inside the nun clothes, the scene when the heroine floats down the river, the scene when the detective reads a book about fighting nuns, and most importantly, the moment when the acrobat girl shows her delight in saying that her uncle was eaten by a lion.

I love this film very much, or to be exact, love the villainess and the last person she fights with. After watching 'Charlie's Angels' and 'The Heroic Trio', starring Maggie Cheung, I think some studios should consider making a new film inspired by the plot of 'Judex' with the help of some Hong Kong kung fu choreographers. If a new version is to be made, please let the villainess fly high and don't make the heroine helpless.

***SPOILERS*** ***SPOILERS*** I love every character in this film, and I rarely feel like this. I love them because they are so real. These are characters with imperfection and small details of characteristics that make them truly come alive. Every main character in this film seems to have their own interesting past, and though they don't talk much about it, they can make the audience feel it. Some of them seem to hide their own feelings or don't express them clearly. They seem to think about something that they don't fully speak out, but they can make the audience sense their hidden and fluctuating feelings and their hidden thoughts. These characters do everything as real human beings do, and that's one of the most difficult goals any filmmaker can ever achieve.

I also love nearly every detail in this film. These details seem to possess some special power inside: the power of real life. I love the blurred lights at the end of the film, the haunting piano score, very brief glimpses of an old woman who tries to search for something in her bag on a train or glimpses of some women who wait for someone or think about something, Stephanie's face when she says she's happy that William is out, her face when she lies that she's surprised at what Gregoire says, her bright smile outside the elevator, Madame Guerin's commercial smile, the living place of Agnes which feels so cold (though some rooms are painted in yellow with bright light) and alienating (Is that a part of the reasons why Gregoire decides to move to a small room?), the moment when the nun and Veronique nearly quarrel, the moment when William and Barbara nearly quarrel over cigarettes (and we learn later how William treasures his cigarettes), the moment when Gregoire stands near someone crazier than him in a bar, the discussion of the policy of forgetfulness, the moment when Agnes tells her little son everybody must die, the moment when Agnes remembers that she is boiling milk (some other instances also imply she is forgetful, but as forgetful as some normal human beings), and the moment when Gregoire refuses to talk. But what I like the most of all is the moment when Agnes changes her mind on an eclair and when she suddenly stops talking to think about something. (Is she thinking about a secret? Because Gregoire later says she is very secretive.)

The characters and the relationships in this film are very interesting and intriguing. Do they love each other or just don't know how to express their love? They don't clearly show that they hate each other, but they often show some signs of detachment (one good example is the glasses Louis wears when he is with Veronique), discontentment, anger, or irritation towards their loved ones, sometimes with many possible reasons. They often show some signs that they feel uneasy or uncomfortable. Maybe the word 'love' or 'hate' or any word in general are actually inadequate to describe what these characters or real human beings feel towards each other. There characters, as real human beings, and their feelings and emotions are too complicated to be defined by any word, their moods are in constant changing, and they and their reasons shouldn't be judged. I believe there are not many films that can portray these aspects of human beings as excellent as 'Pas de scandale'.

Jealousy or something close to jealousy is portrayed very well in this film. Apart from the envy that Louis, as famous as he is, might have towards his brother, it is very interesting that many characters seem to be frustrated when their loved one pay interest to unloved ones. While other films often portray jealousy between rivals in romantic relationship, 'Pas de scandale' chooses to explore other feelings that exist in everyday life but are hardly explored in other films. Does Louis feel bad that Gregoire leave their country house to the godmother's family? Why does William suddenly leave the restaurant? Is it because he doesn't like the presence of Barbara or Louis, both are outsiders to the love relationship between him and Stephanie? Why does Stephanie suddenly leave the bar? Is it because the presence of two women (also outsiders or unloved ones) or something William says? Why does Stephanie seem to be upset when she sees William and his male friend watching TV together? Both the friend and TV are unloved ones or outsiders to her relationship with William. Maybe she just feels bad about her 'adultery', or about the failure of her 'date'. I put these sentences into questions or use the word 'may' because there seem to be many possible reasons for these characters, as for real human beings, to act or feel like this. There is also a very interesting exception. While the presence of Louis (now unloved one to Laure) causes the male friend (or boyfriend?) of Laure to leave the room, it is very clear that he leaves voluntarily with no anger or frustration. That makes this very small character very special in this film.

However, it is noteworthy that not only the presence of an unloved one that can cause irritation, the presence of the loved one can also cause irritation in some cases. Agnes complains that she cannot play piano when Gregoire is near, and she complains to Stephanie that Gregoire likes to stay in too much. Agnes seems to be more at ease with Stephanie and Louis than with her husband. Does she still love her husband or not? Maybe she just requires a psychological space as other human beings do. And irritation sometimes is just a change of mood: Stephanie seems to be briefly disturbed by Barbara's question about last night, and her hostile reaction towards Gregoire lasts briefly too.

Gregoire is a very interesting character. He is not only different from the time before he was jailed, but what he does now is also different in each situation. He doesn't say anything on TV, but he tells strangers that he's out of jail and confesses about his kissing to everybody in front of Agnes. He moves to sleep in a small room, but seems to be disturbed when he was stuck in his car. Is he really claustrophobic or is it just an excuse to chat with Stephanie? He says he is guilty but not responsible for the crime. What does it mean? Does he really feel guilty for whatever he does, especially when he doesn't keep promises he gave to Louis and William? He sometimes gives interesting comments, particularly the one about people who don't need to be loved. But does he really fall in love with Stephanie? What does he really feel about William? It is worth noticing how he treats William in the morning and in the evening, the difference between the meeting of people from different class and the meeting of people in the same class, and how similarly or differently those two meetings end.

Luchini and Lindon have a great chance to shine in this film. Huppert and Giocante also give great performances. Aubry, Liotard, and Bas also show that they have talents to spare if they were allowed more screen time. After all, Benoit Jacquot deserves the most credit. He's a real wonder.

There are many reasons why I like this film very much. Firstly, the heroine (Kiberlain) is a very interesting character. She's not an ordinary heroine. She's not entirely virtuous nor evil. While she tries to protect herself from those greedy guys, she also does a very cruel thing to the pitiful Comtesse. However ruthless she is, I can't help cheering for her when she deals with those cunning guys with her quick wit.

Secondly, I think this movie is tremendously exciting. It moves with a relentlessly energetic pace. The excitement I get from this movie is as much as, if not more than, what I get from horror films. This movie makes me feel as if I am watching a horror film in which the heroine has to think fast, move fast, and act fast in order to survive. Instead of using murderous situations and physical fighting, False Servant uses love situations and verbal weapons. The heroine lives in a very risky situation, but her weapon here is her words, and sometimes her money. She must use her words or her lies to seduce, to convince, to persuade, or to cheat others, so that she can survive, or to be the last winner of this game.

I also like very much that the situations in this movie change very rapidly. Every time I think the heroine is safe and can control the game, the situation reverses. There are many times she nearly gets caught or unmasked by other characters, but she still outwits them time and again by creating new elaborate and convincing lies instantaneously. Moreover, the characters she deals with are not easy to cheat. They all have their own clever plans.

Another thing I like very much is the beauty of the dialogue. Most sentences said in this movie are very pretty and witty, and that quality is hard to find in other movies. I saw this movie 3 times, and I find that the more I see it, the more I adore its flowery dialogue and admire the person who translated it from French to English. I wonder how beautiful the original French dialogue is, because the dialogue in the English subtitle makes me feel overjoyed.

I also like that this movie doesn't try to be romantic. There are too many movies about a girl dressed as a boy and then falling in love with a boy. But in False Servant, the heroine doesn't disguise herself and fall in love. She does it in order to destroy the guy. Her disguise doesn't lead her to discover how nice the man is, but leads her to discover how crooked, untrustworthy, heartless, selfish, and greedy the man is. That's quite different from other movies, and that can relate very well to modern audience, I think.

Another thing that I like is that the movie relies solely on the power of its dialogue. The dialogue alone can make this movie much more entertaining than those movies with luxurious settings and costumes. I also like that this movie doesn't hide its fictitiousness. I think that quality goes very well with its insincere characters.

One technique used in this film is quite funny. It's when the characters turn their faces away from other characters and speak out what they think to the audience or the camera. One scene in this movie is also worth mentioning. It's the scene when Trivelin tells Lelio about what happens between the heroine and la Comtesse in the garden. I like that this movie doesn't have to show the garden scene to the audience directly. The audience can visualize that garden scene clearly just by listening to the words of Trivelin. This movie may be made with a very low budget, but it is really rich.

Moving is indeed one of the most moving films about children. It deals with a girl who seems unable to cope with her parents' separation. The movie is very successful in expressing the feelings of the girl, and it is not too sweet or sentimental. Though some scenes might lack originality, every scene is still extraordinary for me because of its overflowing streams of emotions.

Though every scene is excellent, there are two scenes which strike me much more strongly than others. One of them is the fire-in-laboratory scene. The feelings and emotions expressed in this scene is indescribably strong and remind me of my own childhood. Another scene which strikes me as severely is the scene when the mother tries to reach her self-confined daughter. The last 20 minutes of the film are superbly created. It truly reflects the mental state of the girl, and though I think this last part expresses something too obviously, I still love it because of its strange beauty and its tremendous power. And I think it really offers one of the best solutions to the problem.

While the movie mostly shows the traumatic experiences of the girl, it also offers a lot of sympathy for other characters. It's really hard to say whose fault it is in this delicate problem. The parents of the child seem to have done the best they can, and the child reacts in a much cleverer way than I would do if I were in her place. I really like her lovely-but-strongly-determined ways of protest. The girl who played this miserable child really deserves some performance awards. It is a very difficult task to play a girl who is both strong and fragile, and also in deep agony like this.

The editing is perfect and gives priority to emotional flows than narrative flows. The cinematography is dazzling, especially during the latter part of the film and in the last scene. I feel no surprise to find that the cinematographer is Toyomichi Kurita, who did a wonderful and unforgettable job in ‘The Moderns'.

There are two main reasons why I want to erase this film from my memory. Firstly, some scenes in this movie make me laugh every time I think of them, and I can't stop laughing even when I'm in public places. This film is going to drive me insane. After I saw this film, that night I spent about half an hour thinking of it, and laughing. Secondly, it makes me feel guilty every time I laugh. How can I laugh when the subject matter of this movie is about the cruelest thing that ever happened.

While many scenes is this film are oddly and extremely funny, there are two special scenes that I can't get out of my mind. They are the scene when the doctor tries to give the exact prescription, and the scene when Barbara keeps doing that thing. I wonder how Herbert Achternbusch can create such a scene like this. The doctor's scene make me laugh and feel very guilty at the same time. And the Barbara's scene is the funniest scene in the funniest movie by the funniest director. Achternbusch is not only my most favorite German director, but also one of the funniest directors for me. His films make me laugh the most, and Das letzte Loch might be one of his greatest works. While every film of his is excellent and tremendously funny, this one is also hypnotically powerful in its visual style and its use of music. Jorg Schmidt-Reitwein's cinematography here is beautiful, meaningful, and disturbing at the same time. And the music is incredibly strange.

Like other films by Achternbusch, I never understand what happens in this film. But like other films of his, to laugh and enjoy it requires no understanding. Every sentence spoken in this film is absurdly funny. I can't stop laughing at the dialogue though I can't make any sense out of it. Maybe one day I might understand it more if I have a chance to learn German and see it for the second or third time. Seeing any of Achternbusch's films for only one time is never enough.

The last part of the film when the characters go to Italy is the most impressive part for me. It is full of ludicrous ideas, and I really like the way it makes fun of names. But it is not only very funny, but also powerful, hypnotic, and poignant. Powerful and hypnotic for what Last Susn does in this scene. Poignant for what Nil discovers under the sand. I guess Nil is what one calls a tragicomic character. He makes me feel painful and sad. What should he do? Where should he run to? Is there any way for him to escape from his guilt and memory? I can't answer that, and I doubt if anyone can.

If I could nominate this film for some awards, I would like to nominate it for best film, best director, best supporting actress (Annamirl Bierbichler) , best screenplay, and best soundtrack. As for now, I want to forget this film before it drives me insane and overwhelms me with guilt.

The whole film is one of my most favorite British films of the last five years, because it is really entertaining and moving. There's not a minute in this movie which makes me feel bored. 'Mr. Cool' is cool. 'Horny' is very funny and lovely. 'My Father, the Liar' gives me some strangely undescribable feeling. 'Mouth' is amusing. 'A Bird in the Hand' is affecting. 'Rosebud' is pleasantly strange.

However, my most favorite films are 'Bone' and 'Steal Away', because they can move me to tears. 'Bone' gives me the tears of joy and make me feel elated after seeing it. I thought what the guy does is one of the most beautiful and impressive ways to express feelings. It is one of the most heartfelt moment in cinema and affects me nearly as strongly as the ending of Eric Rohmer's 'The Green Ray.'

As for 'Steal Away,' I can't help crying when the criminal turns to wash the feet of the foot-washer. I think this moment in 'Steal Away' has something in common with that moment in 'Bone.' In these two moments, there is some deep communication between characters without using words. While words tend to be deceptive or inadequate to express what one thinks or feels, what these two characters in different films do is communication from their hearts, and that leads to real understanding. Though the ending of 'Steal Away' is a little bit predictable, its effectiveness is not lessened. While other films give me a lot of laugh, I feel these two films speak directly to my heart.

This film is very exciting, touching, and beautiful. It belongs to one of my most favorite coming-of-age film. There are many reasons why I love this film so much. One of them is the terrific talents of Clement van den Bergh and Emmanuelle Bercot. I think it is very hard to play the leading role in this film. Nicolas is deeply troubled inside, and the actor has to keep it hidden inside to make it convincing why the kid has a lot of bizarre daydreams and nightmares. Though he has a sad face, he must not make his feelings too obvious. The actor has to make us understand that Nicolas cries for help all the time, but not by his voice or obvious expression, but by something hidden under his expression, something hidden in his eyes, and by his imagination. I think Clement van den Bergh is really successful in this difficult role.

Bercot is also excellent. She does not portray a stereotyped teacher. She really makes this role her own by expressing feelings and emotions of vulnerable human, and that makes this teacher a real person, not only a character. I was quite impressed with her talent in the latter part of the movie after the news of the crime starts spreading.

The story is really moving, especially when it deals with the growing friendship of the two boys, and the rollercoaster scene is strongly intriguing. More importantly, the atmosphere created in this film is excellent, and owes a lot to the superb cinematography, the haunting musical score, the appropriate location, and the rhythm of the story. The vast landscape is beautifully captured by the camera, and cleverly used to mirror the psychological aspect of the character. Each nightmarish scene is intense, and the scene when the boy is frozen to death keeps haunting me for a long time. This is one of the films which must be shown on the big screen so that its beautiful atmosphere can be appreciated fully; however, it has been shown in Thailand only once.

This film does not only excel at creating the atmosphere, but also at creating the excitement. While seeing it, I couldn't guess what would happen next. I couldn't guess if the story would turn out to be one of those children films in which everybody understands one another at the end, or if it would belong to a serial-killer genre. Sometimes I couldn't guess if the scene was just a dream or reality. The ending, though quite brutal to the feelings of the characters, is done in a surprisingly delicate manner. This film should be viewed together with Festen, which partly deals with the same subject matter but uses totally different approach. Yet I think both films are similarly effective in their own ways.

Though I can't say this film is innovative, original, or significant to the history of cinema, at least this film is really significant for me, judging by its tremendous impact on my feelings. Though this film deals a lot with painful experiences, I have to say I really enjoy the trip through this film. This trip is greatly rewarding.

While the story and the acting talent of Tina Engel impress me very much, what really impresses me the most in this film is the role of the bank teller played by Katharina Thalbach (who also gives a wonderful performance in 'Engel aus Eisen.') While other characters such as Christa Klages and her friends make me feel that their actions are somehow limited by reasons or easily-explainable feelings and emotions, the role of the bank teller makes me feel very excited because her actions are somehow unpredictable and not ordinary. I could not predict surely what she would do next and how her actions would affect Christa's life. And in my second viewing of this film, though the excitement caused by unpredictability had gone, I found that I still felt captivated by this character and felt I could identify with her. What a great character!

As for Christa Klages, she really deserves to be called 'heroine.' She is not only the central character, but she is strong and can learn to confront both the society and herself. She really gives inspiration. Though she sometimes does something wrong, it's difficult to lose sympathy for her. Tina Engel is perfect for this role. She can show both the strengths and the weaknesses of Christa. Oh, and what a great voice she has!

Apart from these two roles, I'm also impressed by the title of this film, the first sentence said in the film, and the ending. The long title really drew my attention in the first place, and I find it unforgettable. The ending of this film is also unforgettable, and has a very strong impact on me. I feel as if I were Christa herself in the final scene, and everytime I think of this ending, I can still feel what Christa felt. That feeling lasts so long after the film ends.

Les Creatures is marvelously created like all of Varda's films I've seen. There are many wonderful things about this exciting movie, especially the story, how it relates to real life, and the roles of the protagonist and the two Quellec sisters.

The story of Les Creatures is very impressing with its concern with free will, fatalism, and determinism. Moreover, it gives the impression of a myth and science fiction at the same time. And the idea about the live-chess game is very exciting. I really wish that someone should take this idea as a basis for a TV series or reality show. In Les Creatures, the game doesn't last as long as I want. I want to see it lasts for 30 hours or so. It's very enjoyable seeing characters' lives dramatically change after one character meets one another. (Maybe that's why I like `Melrose Place.') And I think some reality show can use this idea as well.

The idea about the abruptly changes of emotion and behavior is also intriguing. Though these sudden changes, which are cleverly emphasized by the changes of color, seem a little bit comical, I think they are an intelligent way of representing reality. Many people, including me, have experienced a lot of these abruptly changes of emotion in real life. Many times anger does arise suddenly, unexpectedly, involuntarily and seemingly unreasonably, and pass away very quickly, leaving only destruction and regret. This movie displays very well this part of real life. And it makes us think about some questions of life. While the characters in this movie suffer the volatility of emotion and behavior because they are the helpless victims of the scientist, does that mean we, who actually suffer severer volatility of emotion in real life, might be the victims of ourselves as `the scientist' lives within our mind? Are we as totally helpless as these characters? Can't we fight our bad impulses? Is it just one part of our mind that makes us suffer? And can that bad part, like the scientist, be destroyed by another part of our mind?

The role of the protagonist has so many interesting things about it. In one of the early scenes, he looks down from a high tower to the rising level of water. He lives in a secluded castle. He can scare the bad girl by his mere presence. He can talk to animals. In one scene, he even claims jokingly that he is something other than normal human being. When the game begins, we see his presence in many places. As a player in the game or as a writer, he can manipulate (real or fictional) lives. But the thing that impresses me the most about him is his reaction to the game when the old man harasses the girl. He can't tolerate this. He cannot let it happen without his intervention. He doesn't want to play the game any more if he cannot prevent things like this. He'd rather deny the role of life-manipulator than to let such things happen. However, the role of his wife, played by Deneuve, is quite passive. And I think it might be an interesting idea to compare the roles of Deneuve and Piccoli in this movie with their roles in `Belle de Jour.'

However, the characters who impress me the most are the Quellec sisters. In my opinion, they seem to be the true winner in this game of life though misfortunes sometimes befall them. The younger sister astonishes me, and can even surprises the scientist, by her reaction when she discovers the truth about her lover. This minor character wins a lot of respect from me, and will always remain outstanding in my memory. The older sister seemed boring at first. She made me assume beforehand that she was just a character easily found anywhere else – a woman who is foolishly in love. But this character surprisingly develops. She can learn the lesson of life. And at the end, she makes me feel like cheering for her when she reveals to whom her affection might turn.