Hidden (France, 2005) 117´. 26/04/2012.

Michael Haneke directed Hidden. The film tells the story of Georges Laurent (Daniel Auteuil), a successful host of a French literary TV programme, who lives with his wife Anne ( Juliette Binoche), a book publisher, and their school-age son Pierrot (Lester Makedonsky). The quiet life of this Paris family is disturbed when they receive a series of surveillance tapes of their own residence from an anonymous source. This tapes show extended observation of their home's exterior from a static street camera that is never noticed. At first passive and harmless, but later accompanied by crude, disturbing crayon drawings, the tapes lead to questions about Georges' early life that disrupt both his work and marriage.


The film was a success. It won several prizes: Best Director at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival and Best European Actor at the 2005 European Film Awards among them. It was also highly acclaimed by the critics.
"Don't bother getting comfortable when you sit down for Michael Haneke's Hidden (Cache). Soon as this quietly terrifying film starts, the unease starts to fester." Matthew Leyland. BBC. 23/01/2006.
See the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_w0J9myz14I

Agora. (Spain 2006) 126´. 19/04/2012. Science Festival in Edinburgh.

"Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there--on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam."
A pale blue dot. Carl Sagan. 1994.

Being inspired by the TV serie Cosmos by the astrophysicist Carl Sagan, Alejandro Amenábar directed Agora. The biopic stars Rachel Weisz as Hypatia, a female mathematician, philosopher and astronomer in late 4th century Roman Egypt, a transforamtive and tumultuous period that was in many ways (cultural, social, religious and political) the end of the Ancient History.



The film was controversional.
"I went to see "Agora" expecting an epic with swords, sandals and sex. I found swords and sandals, some unexpected opinions about sex, and a great deal more. This is a movie about ideas, a drama based on the ancient war between science and superstition." Roger Ebert. Chicago Sun-Times. 22/07/2010.
See the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbuEhwselE0

Be ware that the film contains some violent scenes.

Caramel (Lebanon, 2007) 96´. 12/04/2012

A Beirut beauty salon serves as a microcosm of modern society of Lebanon. While single Layale (Nadine Labaki, who also is the director of the film) struggles with her growing attraction to a married man, Muslim Nisrine (Yasmine Al Masri) is going to be marry, and Rima (Joanna Moukarzel) wages a futile war against her lesbian instincts. As with many women who frequent the salon, Jamale (Gisèle Aouad)  does everything within her power to reverse the visible effects of aging. As Rose (Sihame Haddad) laments the fact that she has sacrificed her own happiness in order to care for her older sister.

The film won several awards, in San Sebastian Film Festival of 2007 it received Youth Award , TCM Audience Award and Sebastiane Award. On the other hand, it has had good reviews.
"It is sweet but not saccharine, an intimate film that doesn't stint on the desperation and anxiety that go along with the search for love." Kenneth Turan. Los Angeles Time. (01/02/2008).
See the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbKy__9g4MQ

American History X (USA, 1998). 118´ 05/04/2012

Directed by Tony Kaye, the film tells the story of two brothers, Derek Vinyard (Edward Norton) and Daniel "Danny" Vinyard (Edward Furlong) of Venice Beach in Los Angeles, California. Both are intelligent and charismatic students. Their father, a firefighter, is murdered by a black drug dealer while trying to extinguish a fire in a South Central neighborhood of Los Angeles, and Derek is drawn into the neo-Nazi movement.


Edward Norton was nominated for an Academy Award for the Best Actor for his performance and the film received critical acclaim.
"Though its story elements are all too easily reduced to a simple outline, ''American History X'' has enough fiery acting and provocative bombast to make its impact felt. For one thing, its willingness to take on ugly political realities gives it a substantial raison d'etre. For another, it has been directed with a mixture of handsome photo-realism and visceral punch." Janet Maslin. New York Times. 01/01/2000
See the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXaZENPQrsw

Please be aware that this film contains sexual and violent images.