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Kukushka, a review by Danae Cassandra

Where We Are:  Russia
wikipedia

What We Watched:


Kukushka (The Cuckoo)
Year of Release:  2002
Directed By:  Aleksandr Rogozhkin
Starring:  Anni-Kristiina Juuso, Viktor Bychkov, Ville Haapasalo
Genres:  Drama, Comedy, War

Overview:
September 1944, in a land torn apart by war, a Finnish sniper is labeled a coward by his compatriots; as punishment, he is nailed to a rock and left to his own devices. Not long after, a disgraced Russian Captain, en route to his court martial, is injured in an accident. Both men are about to find out how they have one thing in common. Wounded and emotionally tortured, they are taken in by Anni, a young, resourceful war widow, who offers shelter to one while nursing the other back to health. None of them understands the others' languages, but it doesn't seem to matter. Isolated, the three unlikely roommates - a Finn, a Russian and a Lapp - overcome both comic and tragic misunderstandings to form a passionate three-way...relationship. Because after a day of hard work on Anni's farm, who needs words?

My Thoughts:
I must say, I'm glad Mom insisted we watch this one out of our Russian films.  We really enjoyed this film.  It has a stark kind of beauty to it, especially the landscape once the focus gets to Anni's farm by the lake.  It's also a powerful anti-war film.  In the featurette on the making of the film, Haapasalo talks about how once you get to know someone you can't go to war against them, for you see them as a human being just like yourself.  The film has the same message, in the eventual friendship between Ivan and Veikko.  That friendship, and their mutual friendships with Anni, however, are only so deep.  Though they find a way to communicate without language, and do come to understand each other to a certain degree, their relationships would have been much deeper and much stronger than they became.  The film really emphasized to me the fundamental importance of language in human relationships.  The language barrier led to several very humourous parts of the film, especially the sequence between Ivan and Anni about the mushrooms, but it was also the biggest tragedy between all of them.  Of course, had they been able to communicate we might not have gotten another valuable point the film tries to make - that one should not judge someone so quickly.  Ivan believes Veikko to be a fascist, when Veikko is trying to tell him that the war is over for him and all he wants is to go home and live in peace.

Ultimately, this is a film that promotes the idea that love, friendship, pleasure, and life are really what is important and what are really worth striving for.  The only thing I wasn't happy with was the ending.
I think I understand why the director chose to end it as he did though.  A wonderful film, though, and recommended.

Bechdel Test:  Fail

Overall: 3.75/5

(From Around the World in 86 Movies on September 2nd, 2013)

All About Steve, a review by Dragonfire

Since I tend to like Sandra Bullock, I decided to go see All About Steve even though I wasn't sure about it when I first saw previews.  I enjoyed the movie overall, but it isn't one for everyone.

Mary works constructing crossword puzzles for a newspaper, which is the perfect job for her since she loves the puzzles.  She knows all sorts of things that seem like useless trivia, but end up helping in various situations.  She had babble on about the things she knows, which turns some people off.  Some people even think she is crazy because of that.  She has moved back in with her parents temporally, and they set her up on a blind date with Steve, a cameraman for a news network.  Mary almost cancels the date, but she decides to go through with it and she is immediately attracted to Steve so much that she retreats to her room to adjust her outfit before they leave.  Once in the car, she pounces on him and while he is liking it at first, he quickly decides that she is nuts and fakes a call from work, saying he has to go to Boston to cover a story.  Mary believes they are starting a relationship and see takes an off hand comment he made literally and decides to follow him so they can be together.

This movie isn't going to appeal to everyone for a few reasons.  First of all, it is basically about a stalker, though she is more of a harmless stalker than a crazy dangerous stalker.  Second, there is some rather odd stuff going on and Mary herself is a bit odd even before she decides to chase after Steve.  Those things are going to turn some viewers off.  I did think the movie was entertaining.  There is a decent amount of humor, including several very funny moments that weren't in the trailers.  Some of the humor is a bit silly, which is another thing that will turn off some viewers. 

The movie might be considered a romantic comedy, but there really is only a tiny touch of romance to what is going on.  For me, the movie is just a comedy.  Most of the movie is focused on Mary chasing after Steve and the bizarre situations she ends up in.  I did like Sandra Bullock and Bradley Cooper in their parts.  Fans of the cast may find something enjoy.

I would give the movie 3.5 stars.

I did get a review up on Epinions.

All About Steve

(From All About Steve on September 13th, 2009)

Smallville Marathon, a review by addicted2dvd

5. COOL
He's the coolest guy in school - and a stone-cold danger to everyone he meets. A fall into icy, kryptonite-laced Crater Lake turns a student into a hypothermic monster who seeks to rob others of their body heat.

My Thoughts:
This is a real COOL episode!... sorry couldn't help myself. In this one Clark needs to save Chloe... my favorite character on Smallville. This one had some pretty decent special effects what with the freezing of the school pool and all. A good episode.... really enjoyed it.

6. HOURGLASS
A plunge into kryptonite-infused waters act like a fountain of youth for a retirement home resident, who is restored to the murderous ways of his sinister past. A fortune-teller foresees Lex in the Oval Office.

My Thoughts:
Yet another Freak of the Week episode. As always... someone close to Clark is in trouble... this time being his parents. Is a good episode... but I don't think I personally would rank it up there as a favorite of mine.

7. CRAVINGS
A teen's amazingly successful weight-loss regimen gives her a crazed hunger for high-fat munchies! So she munches on a deer here, a boyfriend there - she's a fat-sucking fiend and a menace to Smallville!

My Thoughts:
This one I enjoyed quite a bit. was a decent episode with some pretty cool effects. liked the way they did Jodi's jaw when she went to feed. In this episode Clark had to save Pete Ross.

8. JITTERS
an Ex-'LuthorCorp' employee insists that the spasmodic rages that sometimes grip him are a result lf an incident that occured on the plant's secret Level 3. But if there is a Level 3, why doesn't Lex know anything about it?

My Thoughts:
This one I really liked... and it co-stars a favorite actor of mine... one that does a lot of horror movies... Tony Todd. This time Clark has to save his whole class from the inside a hostage situation. This one I would say is one of my favorites.

(From Smallville Marathon on July 31st, 2007)