deltoro12

this was definitely one of the best movies i've seen in a long time. a lot of people said it was grotesque and hard to watch because of the dogfights, but i think it was definitely refreshing (probably because i'm sick of american movies, but anyway...). dog violence aside, the actors were all incredible, especially gael garcia and emilio echevarria. and although the film is essentially three stories kinda woven into one, it does a good job of integrating the three stories without making a huge point of how the three stories relate to each other. the film implies, as does the title, that life isn't always pretty and things don't always turn out the way you want them to. overall i thought it was very thought-provoking and just a different take on the usual love stories everyone is so used to seeing.

you can count on me is definitely one of the best films i've seen in a long time. of course, it also barely got any attention whatsoever, apart from the oscar nomination for laura linney. the film is about two siblings, sammy and terry, who are basically just trying to get through the daily routines of their lives without screwing everything up beyond repair. it sounds simple but it's a lot more complicated than it seems. linney was excellent as sammy, and mark ruffalo was truly amazing in his role as terry. terry is the ultimate screw-up, but like most screw-ups, you have to see his situation from his point of view and eventually you just end up falling in love with him. all the performances are brilliant, and it also makes you think about the people you care about in your own life.

orphans is truly one of the best films i have seen in a long time. written and directed by peter mullan (who is already an amazing actor--miss julie, my name is joe), orphans takes us through the lives of four siblings who have to cope with the death of their mother. gary lewis (billy elliot) is the eldest, but most childish, son who cannot let go of mummy; stephen mccole (rushmore) is the juvenile delinquent of the family; rosemarie stevenson is their wheelchair-bound sister; and douglas henshall (twice upon a yesterday) is the adult of the lot who has to keep the family together. we see how each of the siblings deals with her death--whether it's by singing a song in a kareoke bar or getting into a brawl with another person, the siblings act on their emotions and often get into trouble.

the movie was a good mix of comedy (watch for the priceless scene with stephen mccole spying on a neighbour), drama, and action. douglas henshall was amazing, as he has to deal with his siblings as well as his own ex-wife and son while he is coping with mum's death. his character is so real and believeable. there are also many sweet scenes in the film, such as the scene in the beginning where they all remember being comforted by their mum during a storm. this movie kept me interested with its great script and acting, and everyone in it was excellent. stephen mccole especially did a great job--before orphans i knew his as just the mean scottish kid in rushmore. he represented the frustration of youth and also offered a lot of comic relief to the plot too. this is not your typical film, and i think it follows in the tradition of good scottish filmmaking. definitely check out orphans if you are looking for a dark comedy that is well-written with a cast of very talented actors. and it does come with subtitles, if you aren't good with scottish accents.