Well, hello there, kind folks. If you’re visiting this blog of mine, I presume that you have a certain interest in the cinema. As for me, even since my early childhood, I have had a deep love of everything related to movies and television. As far as I can remember, I have been more at ease in front of a screen than in the yard, outside, playing. It is a great way to travel, though other people’s stories, without having to foot any kind of steep bill. Over the years, I feel that movie-watching has even fuelled my own creativity.

All that being said, I welcome you in my Cinephile’s Nest. I hope you enjoy it here, feel free to come back at any time. Here you will find reviews of current movies and older ones. TV shows also. Some classics that have remained some of my favourites, some that have disappointed me. I will use a very basic star (*) system to grade them from 1 to 5 (5 being sliced bread level). Remember, these are just my tastes. I will try to explain in each review what I liked about these particular movies, without giving spoilers.

Il y aura aussi des critiques en français pour les films francophones, car j'aime également le cinéma dans ma langue maternelle. Avant d'apprendre l'anglais, plus jeune, je louais des tonnes de films traduits en français, surtout ceux de Bud Spencer et Terrence Hill. Ma mère a eu le choc de sa vie lorsqu'un jour, dans la boîte d'un de ces films, Deep Throat avait malencontreusement inséré. Une expérience formatrice pour le jeune cinéphile que je suis.

Bienvenue à tous, amusez-vous bien.

I welcome you all here, enjoy yourself.

Monday, May 4, 2015

The Source (2011)

Genre: Drama / Comedy
Directed by: Radu Mihaileanu
Starring: Leïla Bekhti, Hafsia Herzi
Running time: 124 minutes



The original title of this film is La Source des femmes, since it was produced in France, but, because I viewed it with English subtitles, I will review it in that language.

The Source tells the story of a group of women in North Africa who are forced by tradition to climb the mountain to a distant source to fetch water every day, all the while their husbands stay home, drink tea and discuss between friends. One day, after one woman falls and loses her child, the idea of a love strike comes up. So, the men will not get any affection in the bedroom before things change.

As they say, the man may wear the pants, but the woman decides when he gets to take them off.

This brilliant film covers a very important subject in the impact of religion and tradition on the treatment of women in certain areas of the world, and it does so with a good dose of humor. Some women are victims of violence because of their decision to impose a strike, but the focus is not put on that. We see the determination of a few to see that things change for the better for all of them. When people want to change old traditions, it is rarely accepted without resistance.

The acting is superb here on everybody’s part. Even though I didn’t understand the language spoken, I totally got the emotions conveyed. I first thought that the story dragged on a bit towards the end, but, when it got to the conclusion, I totally understood why it needed to last so long. It had to go where it needed to go.

Rating: «««««

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