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Aurore, a review by RossRoy

Original Title: Aurore Year: 2005 Country: Canada (Quebec) Director: Luc Dionne Rating: 16+ Length: 110 Min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78:1 Audio: French: Dolby Digital 5.1, French: Dolby Digital Stereo, Commentary: Dolby Digital Stereo Subtitles: English, French

What they say - (translated from French)My Thoughts
Like the back cover of the DVD says, this story has touched everyone in Quebec in one way or another. Everybody is affected by this story. Of course, being such a relatively old story, it all happened at the beginning of the last century after all, it has been ingrained in our collective cultural heritage here in Quebec. Even before seeing this movie, or the one that came before it, or before reading about it, I was still very much aware of Aurore's suffering, and the collective indifference to her situation.

Unfortunately, movies being the beast they are, and the actual events taking place so long ago, there's no way to know how much of it real, and how much of it was romanced. Still, from what I've read of the case in the past, they couldn't be all that far. And that, makes it a movie that is hard to bear. You know it actually happened. You know a young girl had to go through this. You know she wasn't alone. You know she wasn't the first. You know she wasn't the last.

I may be reading more than I should into this movie. But I can't help it. I can't help but think of all these children who are being abused, to this day, by a parent and/or close relative, and nobody will say anything. So many kids have had their lives turned into hell, only because nobody will talk.

And that's what this movie is all about. Yes, it's telling Aurore's story in particular. Yes, it's easy to say that the movie may not be faithful to the actual event. Yes, it's also easy to say that the movie is flawed because it may have tried to show the stepmother as being mad, instead of just mean.

But that's not the point. That's not what the director intended.

Aurore's story is mean to an end. What he's doing, is showing how a full community becomes just as guilty as the parents, because they ignored the cries of the children. Everybody knew, yet nobody did anything until it was too late. Everybody had their suspicions. Nobody went in, or even confronted the parents. Even after Aurore was treated for a full month in a hospital.

That's the message of the movie. If you have reason to suspect something, say something. Don't wait until it's too late.

Rating:

(From RossRoy's Random Viewings on November 6th, 2008)

Nuovo Cinema Paradiso, a review by Achim

Title: Nuovo Cinema Paradiso
Year: 1989
Director: Giuseppe Tornatore
Rating: NR
Length: 168 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78:1
Audio: Italian: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo
Subtitles: Chinese, English

Stars:
Antonella Attili
Enzo Cannavale
Isa Danieli
Leo Gullotta
Marco Leonardi

Plot:
The story begins in the present as a Sicilian mother pines for her estranged son, who left many years ago and has since become a prominent Roman film director who has taken the advice of his mentor too literally. He finally returns to his home village to attend the funeral of the town's former film projectionist and, in so doing, embarks upon a journey into his boyhood just after WW II when he became the unofficial son of the town projectionist. In th dark confines of the Cinema Paradiso, the boy and the other townsfolk try to escape from the grim realities of post-war Italy. The town censor is also there to insure nothing untoward appears onscreen, invariably demanding that all kissing scenes be edited out. One day, Salvatore saves the projectionist's life agter a fire, and then befriends the new projectionist. A few years later, Salvatore falls in love with a beautiful girl who breaks his heart after he is inducted into the military. Thirty years later, Salvatore has come to say good-bye to his life-long friend, who has left him a little gift in a film can.

Extras:
Scene Access

The first hour was wonderful, as the lovely tribute to cinema unfolded with the little boy Toto being captivated by the moving pictures and as he befriends Alfredo the projectionist. Unfortunately, about 1 hour into the movie, Toto grows up into a teenager/young man and fall in love, which is where this film to a nose dive for me. He blindly runs after the girl who repeatedly rejects him Even worse is the third hour, when the middle-aged Toto returns to his hometown after 30 years to attend Alfredo's funeral (no spoiler, this is revealed during the opening minutes of the film). Nothing really happened anymore, other than Toto trying to find his lost love whom he could never forget. The film eventually ends on a lovely note, but that does not save it anymore for me.

Acting is fine, especially from Philippe Noiret (who appeared to have been dubbed) and the boy who plays Toto. Also several of the quirky side character were wonderfully portrayed.

I understand the disc I own is the Director's Cut, which at 168min is 13min longer than the original Italian Cut and even 44min longer than the International version. According to IMDb a good part of the 3rd hour is missing from the International Version.
I might want to find out that shorter version at some point, I might like it substantially more.


(first hour alone: )

(From Achim's entirely random reviews on July 17th, 2010)

Smallville Marathon #2, a review by DJ Doena

Synopsis: Jonathan has had an heart attack and Martha and Clark have brought him to the hospital. When they return from there, they nearly get hit by a car that is participating in illegal car races. The driver of this car is Pete who tries to emerge from Clark's shadow. Clark tries to warn him about the danger but when Pete realizes this danger, it's too late.

My Opinion: Episodes with illegal street races don't work for me because these "dangerous speeds" they are driving (100 mph in this episode) is my average cruising speed on the autobahn. Granted, I wouldn't drive that fast on a country road (and that would be forbidden even here) but still I am not really impressed. The other reason may be that I never was much into cars, for me they are a means of transportation from A to B.

Synopsis: During a visit of a LuthorCorp plant Clark is in an elevator with Alicia when the cable breaks and the elevator starts to fall down. Clark has to ram his hand through the wall to stop it. But Alicia has a secret of her own: She "beams" them out. Clark has finally found someone with whom he can be perfectly honest.

My Opinion: "To good to be true" would be the phrase here. I don't understand why Clark isn't allowed to be happy for more than one episode. I like Alicia and think they should have given her more time before she made her obsessed with Clark. But we will see her again and she will be an eye-opener.

Synopsis: Jonathan agrees to get a tripple bypass when Clark meets his friend Garrett in the hospital. Garrett's older brother is waiting for a new liver but then he dies. He is brought to Metropolis but suddenly reappears in Smallville - alive (sort of). But then he collapses again and Garrett takes hostages to get a liver for his brother.

My Opinion: Parents can be cruel. Garrett's actor's name is James Nichol Kirk. James Kirk. I don't want to imagine the childhood of that man.
As I said during my Stargate SG-1 marathon, I find it funny how you suddenly stumble over actors once you've come to know them. Back in Obscura Aaron Douglas (Chief Tyrol in Battlestar Galactica) played a deputy and now Tahmoh Penikett ("Helo" in BSG) played Garrett's older brother.
When I watched this episode for the first time (and the others before this) I had no idea that the serum could be connected to Clark's blood. Seems I am good at picking up details but making a line between two points is not my strong side.

Synopsis: Clark receives an emergency call from Lana but when he comes to the rescue she isn't in any danger at all. Clark didn't imagine it, there's a tape that proves that call was made. But who called if it wasn't Lana? Or from when did she call if it was (will be?) her?

My Opinion: None of the four episodes on this disc have impressed me very much. In this one I didn't really understood Adam's motivation to kill Lana.

(From Smallville Marathon #2 on May 31st, 2008)