15th Kolkata Film Festival 2009 – Day 4

It just gets better and better. All the 3 movies that I saw today were impressive to say the least. This year German movies are taking all the honors. I have seen 3 German movies and those 3 movies impressed me the most till now.

Now Andrzej Wajda is coming to Kolkata tomorrow from what I have heard. If it’s true, tomorrow is going to be special.



Made in Hungaria
Dir: Gergely Fonyo
Hungary/ 109 min

Finally a musical! Such a refreshing change from the other movies till now.

The film is about a small town in Hungary set in the early 1960s. Miki (Tamás Szabó Kimmel) along with his family returns from US and tries to make his own band and play music influenced by American artists. Being a communist country, Miki along with his band-mates faces objection from the authorities for playing American music.

First of all, the soundtrack (especially the songs) is phenomenal. That itself elevates the movie a few notches than average. There isn’t much to write about the story, as it is fairly predictable. But the movie is very enjoyable and pretty humorous. Since it is a commercial, mainstream film, several cinematic liberties are taken and in certain sequences the songs seem forced and doesn’t quite gel. Still even with those flaws, it is a good watch.




Cherry Blossoms – Hanami
Dir: Doris Dorrie
Germany/ 127 min

Sometimes one is dumbfounded after watching a movie. That is exactly what happened to me after I watch the movie.

The movie is about an elderly couple Rudi (Elmar Wepper) and Trudi (Hannelore Elsner) and what happens when suddenly Trudi dies. Rudi visits his son in Japan, as it was Trudi’s unfulfilled dream to visit Japan, watch Mt. Fuji, cherry blossoms and Butoh, a dance form of Japan. Rudi befriends Yu (Aya Irizuki), a Butoh dancer, while in Japan. The movie then becomes about their journey.

The storyline itself is the highlight of the film. Very few films deal with love between an elderly couple. But the trump card is the relationship between Rudi and Yu. The bonding they share becomes special.

I didn’t find a single flaw in the movie. Every scene felt like poetry. The cinematography and editing are just phenomenal. Aya Irizuki and Elmar Wepper are just outstanding. What performances!

The climax is one of the most fascinating climaxes I have seen in my lifetime. It provides one of the most exquisite unions of souls in the history of cinema.

Very highly recommended.



Moscow, Belgium
Dir: Christophe Van Rompaey
Belgium/ 102 min

Now this movie had the best reviews among the movies being played in the festival. So I expected a lot from it. Maybe that is why I was a tad disappointed.

The movie is about Matty (Barbara Sarafian), a mother of three, who is going through her separation with her husband and how she meets a truck driver Johnny (Jurgen Delnaet). Matty and Johnny starts to like each other but their relationship is opposed by her teenage daughter Vera (Anemone Valcke). Matty thus faces a dilemma between choosing Johnny and her husband.

The storyline is predictable, but what really makes the movie standout is the treatment. It seems very real. Of course the performances help. Barbara Sarafian is really good as the worn out, confused Matty. But to me, Anemone Valcke nailed it as Vera, the teenage daughter. There is not a single wrong expression. The movie is pretty funny too which makes it enjoyable.

Moscow, Belgium is a good film to watch mainly because of the treatment. However, its better if the expectations are low.