Movie #102 Flame and Citron *2008*

Flame and Citron is a Danish film released in 2008.  It is a WWII film.  It deals with a group of Dutch civilians that form a united resistance to Hitler's Nazi party.  This group is lead by two men who's code names are Flame and Citron.

This film is based on actual events and the two title character are considered hero's in Denmark.  This film reminded me of the German film "The Lives of Others".  It had a very similar visual style.  The colors were bright, but soft on the edges.  The cinematography is great in this film.  As are the locations.  It is a beautiful film to look at and it is carefully directed. 

I really enjoyed this movie.  The lead actors are Thure Lindhardt as Flame (the red haired assassin) and Mads Milkkelsen as Citron (a family man disgusted by National Socialism).  Mads has been in several films that American audiences can see him in.  Lindhardt no so much and that is a shame.  Both actors were great in their roles respectively.  Another great performance came from Stine Stengade as a femme fatal that you never really can tell who's side she is on.  She is a true beauty on screen.  I instantly added a few of her films to my Netflix queue.

That is one of the great things about this movie.  You never know who is telling the truth and what is right and what is wrong.  I have never been a war situation, but I think this film captures the confusion that goes along with wanting to do the right thing, but not always knowing how to.  In that matter it reminds me a little of last years The Hurt Locker.

At worst this is another WWII film, but one told from a perspective I had never seen before.  At its best, it is a spy thriller for the ages.  I give Flame and Citron a 4/5 stars.  Check out the Trailer Park to see for yourself.

Movie #98 Inception *2010*

Your mind is the scene of the crime.

Last night I watched Inception with the kiddos on DVD.  I took them to see the movie at the IMAX when it was in theaters.  I also saw it a second time in IMAX with my special lady and a good friend. There is a huge difference between watching it the IMAX and at home.  And I have a very large plasma TV and a good sound system.

The film is about a group of handsome men that enter your dreams in an attempt to either steal or plant and idea in your head.  It is a sci-fi corporate espionage thriller.  The movie is filled with with twists and turns that are designed to keep you guessing.  The plot is a twisting maze much like the worlds that have to build within your head in order for the thieves to navigate.

The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page and Marion Cotillard.  It also has Joesph Gordon-Levitt, Cillian Murphy and Tom Hardy (these 3 being Year of Film favorites!).  There is also a host of other great character actors.  Most of the performances are solid to good.  I do feel sorry for Ellen Page.  She is the surrogate for the viewer.  Her job in the film is she is the architect of the dreams.  But really she is only there to say things like "You mean that..." and "Are you telling me that...".  She is there just to make sure that everyone is on board with the story.  One of the flaws of the film is that it thinks that is it smarter than it really is.

Another flaw, and a way that the film makers (directed by Christopher Nolan of Dar Knight and Mememto fame) tries to explain the movie is that it is filled to the gills with exposition.  The movie largely consists of people telling you what they are going to do and then doing it.  Strange that a movie that was sold so much on its visuals, which are fantastic, should spend so much time telling and not showing.

More on those visuals.  The trailer shows a scene where the street and the building seem to be rolling up on themselves.  That was one of the most impressive shots of all 2010.  People wanted to compare TRON Legacy to Avatar.  I think this film has far more comparison points.  There are so many fantastic scenes of both actual locations and CGI blends in this film that I think it is one of the most satisfying films of the year based solely on images. 

This film is so packed with stuff I could blog about it for hours.  Not everything works, but it is a solid action thriller worth the time investment. 

I give Inception a 4/5 stars. Check out the Trailer Park to see for yourself.