frankish-1

I watched this movie on cable television. They always keep broadcasting the same things but i never grow tired of "The Believer". The Bulgarian translation is "Tvurda Vqra" - "True Faith".

Not that this is very appropriate because one of the main themes in the film is the inability of Danny to decide who he really is - a jew or a Nazi. The really strange thing is that he somehow manages to be both in the coarse of the entire film. And somehow it makes sense. I never really thought of this while i was watching. If someone had told me that this is possible i wouldn't have believed. But the director did a great job. He also wrote the screenplay. But the biggest surprise of all is the acting of Ryan Gosling.

He is brilliant in this film. I remember him since he was in this dumb teen TV show - "Breaker High". And i couldn't believe it's the same person. I still can't. And i heard he was in Mickey Mouse Club too. And still he is one of the greatest Young actors around - maybe second after Gael Garcia Bernal. His brilliant characterization is what makes Danny believable. He is to blame for carrying the whole massage of the film - unbelievable as it may seem. A Nazi Jew - who can play that? It's like a fascist hippie or a really calm and peaceful balkan. I bet he can't play the last one.

As a whole - a great film. Everything was really great, the cinematography (a little bit documentary style), especially the screenplay, the acting (i should mention Summer Phoenix). Watch it if you can. But it's definitely not for everybody. There are some really appalling scenes and the subject matter is not so usual. I have to say it really sparked my interest in Jewish history and Judaism.

I have watched this film numerous times on the cable televisions not because it's so good, but because it's not as bad as the other films they broadcast constantly. "An American Rhapsody" is an interesting movie but nothing more.

I watched it mainly because i heard Nasstasja Kinski was in it. I'm a big fan of hers but she isn't so great here and i think it's not her fault. It's the script actually. There's one awful moment in particular that i recall now and it always makes laugh but not because it's funny - it's really stupid actually. It's the scene where the little Zsuzsi says "shit" at the party, something that her sister has thought her - it's really one stupid and predictable situation and it's not funny at all. The conversations are also too standard sometimes and although the core story is really interesting i don't think the director has managed to justify it. I also didn't like Scarlett Johansson in the role of Zsuzsi. She is really boring in this film.

Nevertheless the film is still very interesting at times. As i've already said the core story is really good, there are several very good scenes, Nastassja Kinski is still very attractive, the girl that plays Zsuzsi as a kid is very sweet and fun to watch. I also liked the depiction of America in the 50's and also the life behind the Iron Curtain. There are still some very interesting ideas. I especially liked the scenes when Zsuzsi return to Hungary as a teenager and the story that her grandmother tells her, when she realizes what her mother went through to secure her a good life. But Johansson really wasn't for that part. I don't understand why didn't they get an Eastern European actress. It would have been so much easier and much more efficient. But you know - it's an American film after all.

Watch this film if you are in the mood of a good drama but don't really bother if you have something better to do.

There is a Bulgarian rap group called "Upsurt" and they made a song called "I tvoita maika sushto" (the Bulgarian translation of the title) which is dedicated or i even heard somewhere that the song is from the soundtrack of this movie. But since this is almost impossible, i'll accept that the song is just inspired by the film.

Nevermind. I just wanted to say that that's how i first heard of this movie. And i admit that i hadn't had big expectations before i saw it for the first time. As a matter of fact this first time i didn't actually watch the whole film 'cause my parents kept walking into the room and you know that you really shouldn't watch this film with your parents. But then i was alone at home one afternoon and i decided to try to watch it again and the least i can do is to tell you that i was pleasantly surprised.

I have watched "Y tu mama tambien" at least five times by now. It really shocked me how much the Mexican style of life resembles that of my country. What also shocked me is the fact that i was really experiencing some kind deja vu watching these two guys. It was like i was watching i film about me and my friends, only in Spanish. The funny thing is that the language is the only difference because the mentality, the way of talking, the dreams and hopes they have, are the same. I especially liked Julio because he somehow looks and lives the same way i do. So this film really stroke a chord on me (i'm not sure if that's the exact meaning of the expression).I was so repelled watching "Kids" for example, but somehow Julio and Tenoch seemed so innocent to me, even when they were masturbating by the pool. As I've already said the Mexican mentality somehow seems so close to me and i never really knew this before i watched this film. Now i feel like my ultimate dream is to go there.

As for the film itself, there's no point in telling you it's great. I'm sure that the people who would really like it, have already watched or intend to watch it in the future. If you are cool, at least by my standards, which means if you feel the highest point you can reach is freedom and if you are dedicating your life to get to that point, then don't waste your time - watch it. The film feels really liberating and is very sincere in its depiction of young people's lives, especially in Latin and in my opinion Balkan and even some arab countries. Also it deals the current iconomic and social realities in Mexico and with the problem of human sexuality too.

The acting is great, especially by one of the greatest young actors nowadays - Gael Garcia Bernal and also by Maribel Verdu. The story is simple and well written, the direction and cinematography are great too.

It's also a must-see for all of who are sick by the majority of American cinema nowadays.