NO is the 3^rd film by Pablo Larraín and it is set in the last years of the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. In particular, it focuses on the advertising campaign conducted by the opposition to convince Chile to vote "No" in the plebiscite, called by the dictatorship, that would in fact end the Pinochet’s regime. 

Oblivion

It is the year 2077. An alien invasion has caused the destruction of the moon. Men have fought with what they had and have not hesitated to use nuclear bombs. Planet earth was sacrificed to save the human race. The remaining few have moved to Titan, a moon of Saturn, while a handful of men have remain on Earth supervising giant converters/mills that extract all the energy from the oceans and seas. 

The Machinist

The first thing that strikes you when watching “The machinist” is the extreme thinness of Christian Bale who plays the tormented Trevor Reznick. Anderson, the director, wants precisely this effect and we are bombarded with close-ups of the face of the protagonist being all consumed, his ribs and spine standing out.

Kon-Tiki

"Kon-Tiki" tells the story of the Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl and the adventure resulting from the decision to cross, with a raft of all-natural wood, the Pacific Ocean from Peru to Polynesia: the aim is to prove the theory that the South Americans were the first ones to step foot on this land (and not Asians, like the dominant theories say).

Outbreak

In 1967 Billy Ford (Morgan Freeman) discovers a virus in Zaire called "Motaba" with a death rate of 100% and which kills within 24 hours of infection. The U.S. government assumea that bombing the infected population will destroy the only outbreak.

Evil (Ondskan)

What are the limits of power? Who do we blame or point at as evil? Who deserves to be punished and how? These are just some of the questions raised by the Swedish film “Evil”. In Sweden, during the fifties, within a conservative and rigid society, the young Erik Ponti, played impeccably by Andreas Wilson, seems to be out of control because of his temper, violent and irascible. Despite this, at home he stands stoically the punches that, for whatever reason, his grim stepfather inflicts on him.

Moonrise Kingdom

Being an adult is to forget that the games of children, with their shared rules, their imaginary scenarios and their plastic guns, are a very serious thing. Fortunately for all, Wes Anderson, the same author who eleven years ago introduce us to The Royal Tenenbaums, never became an adult and his films have kept the atmosphere from a fantasy world built during school break.

The Impossible

A mother will do anything for her children. Starting from little things, like exchanging sits with the eldest of her three children on the plane that is taking the family to spend a nice holiday in Khao Lak, Thailand, so that he will not argue with his younger brother. This happens a few seconds before the sound of the turbine breaks the tranquility of a blue and cloudless sky, as if it were a warning. The unthinkable can alter what we see in a blink.

Looper

Clearly, the time travel issue is one of the most attractive that can be explored by fiction, to bring characters from different periods together, to witness to the life of someone or simply to address the perennial debate over whether changing something in the past creates a different timeline (something reflected brilliantly in an episode of the Simpsons by the way). However, in "Looper", time travel is a catalyst for the real story and not the backbone of it.

Silver Linings Playbook

"Silver Linings Playbook" was already an attractive movie thanks to its director and cast, especially the two main characters, two young stars with legions of fans; but interest further increased after its success at the Toronto Film Festival.

The Secret World of Arrietty

There is an ocean of difference between the animated films we usually see in our theaters and those produced by Studio Ghibli. Without detracting from the great work of Pixar or Dreamworks, the Japanese studio films possess a unique magic, not only because they still hand-draw their work, which is one of its greatest virtues, but also because of the way it addresses family stories from a fantastic, honest and spiritual perspective.

Argo

Most successful spy films usually develop around impossible missions, conducted with the most spectacular resources ever seen and with glamorous fighters capable of defeating a small army with their own hands as main characters. The actual espionage, I believe, cannot be like that.

Wreck-It Ralph

Those who used to jump with joy while going through all the worlds and adventures of Mario Bros and those who spent countless hours at the arcades are the ones who can especially and fully comprehend the beauty and nostalgia behind the extraordinary world shown in the movie Wreck-it Ralph.

Open Hearts (Elsker dig for evigt)

"Open Hearts" tells a heartbreaking story, for both the protagonists and spectators, at least for those who can identify themselves with one or more of its characters.

The story begins by showing how happy Cæcilie (Sonja Richter) and Joachim (Nikolaj Lie Kaas) are: this is not a perfect idyll, but a couple who gives and shows each other sincerity and tenderness; a handsome young couple who without being seducers has been seduced. By all accounts, this is a couple who will be facing a very long story.

Into the Wild

"Into the Wild" is the true story of Christopher McCandless, a young man who  breaks free from his parents and chooses a life devoid of material possessions and in constant movement.

Pieta

Bad people are bad, but they are people all the same. Do they deserve pity? Compassion? Sympathy? Empathy?

This movie, winner of the Golden Lion at the 69th Venice Film Festival, makes the viewer wonder about these questions. The self-investigation, in my case, was stirred by the continuous alternance of sweet and disturbing moments. The delicacy and intimacy of some feelings is crushed by the "disgustingness" that surrounds them, which, however, makes them seem all the more strong.

Venice Film Festival 2012

Here is, altough a bit late, the list of awards from the 69th Venice Film Festival:

GOLDEN LION for Best Film to PIETA by Kim Ki-duk (Republic of Korea)

 

SILVER LION for Best Director to THE MASTER by Paul Thomas Anderson (USA)

 

SPECIAL JURY PRIZE to Paradies: Glaube by Ulrich Seidl (Austria, Germany, France)

 

COPPA VOLPI for Best Actor to Philip Seymour Hoffman and Joaquin Phoenix

in the film THE MASTER by Paul Thomas Anderson (USA)

 

COPPA VOLPI for Best Actress Hadas Yaron

in the film LEMALE ET HA’CHALAL by Rama Bursthein (Israel)

 

MARCELLO MASTROIANNI AWARD for Best New Young Actor or Actress to Fabrizio Falco

in the films BELLA ADDORMENTATA by Marco Bellocchio (Italy) and È STATO IL FIGLIO by Daniele Ciprí (Italy)

 

AWARD FOR BEST SCREENPLAY to Olivier Assayas

for the film APRES MAI by Olivier Assayas (France)

 

AWARD FOR THE BEST TECHNICAL CONTRIBUTION (CINEMATOGRAPHY) to Daniele Ciprì

for the film È STATO IL FIGLIO by Daniele Ciprì (Italy)
 

 

 

• LION OF THE FUTURE – “LUIGI DE LAURENTIIS” VENICE AWARD FOR A DEBUT FILM to KÜF (MOLD) by Ali Aydin (Turkey, Germany) VENICE INTERNATIONAL FILM CRITICS’ WEEK

as well as a prize of 100,000 USD, donated by Filmauro di Aurelio e Luigi De Laurentiis to be divided equally between director and producer

 

 

 

• ORIZZONTI

 

ORIZZONTI AWARD FOR BEST FILM (full-length films) to

SAN ZIMEI by Wang Bing (France, Hong Kong)

 

SPECIAL ORIZZONTI JURY PRIZE (full-length films) to

TANGO LIBRE by Frédéric Fonteyne (France, Belgium, Luxembourg)

 

ORIZZONTI YOUTUBE AWARD FOR BEST SHORT FILM to

CHO-DE by Yoo Min-young (South Korea)

 

EUROPEAN FILM AWARDS 2012-EFA to

TITLOI TELOUS by Yorgos Zois (Greece)

Brave

Queen Elinor has summoned all clans, usually spread as wild sheeps in the green pastures of Scotland. The idea is to make a game in order to decide who is going to claim the princess as their wife, just as tradition wants.

Friends with Kids

This movie is a group of friends in which some couples start having kids and this starts changing everything for all of them. Jason (Scott) and Julie (Westfeldt), the last two singles of their group, observe how their friends relationships deteriorate and they decided to have a child together without starting a sentimental relationship, just two friends raising a child.

The Dark Knight Rises

The Dark Knight Rises, the third film of the trilogy directed by Christopher Nolan, without a doubt can be described as the darkest and most violent, and with enough adrenaline to leave the audience breathless and wanting for more. And all this after nearly three hours of footage, which go by flying and without feeling them.