Into the wild

Into the wild is a movie about the real story of Christopher McCandless, a young man who, after graduating university around 1990, donated his money to charity, destroyed his identifications and set off to explore the nature of North America without keeping in touch with his family. Disappointed by his parents and the materialism of the american dream, he travelled in Arizona, North Carolina, South Dakota, Colorado, Mexico, California, enjoying freedom and making several friends along the way. Much to everyone's sadness, he finally headed to Alaska, where he found an abandoned bus which he made his home. After a few months, living became harsher because of the lack of food. His attempt to return to civilisation failed because the river he had crossed in the winter had become violent due to the melting snow. Being trapped there, he eventually died from starvation, having realised that happiness is real when shared.

Sean Penn, who directed the film, seems to have dedicated to this movie the same kind of respect and power he gives to his roles. The gorgeous cinematography and the soundtrack mesh to present a slower America, as well as a natural, simple way of life that you feel you know but somehow you have forgotten. The narration is non-linear, yet clear, and the movie is long but not boring. Emile Hirsch is great portraying the idealist, adventurous Christopher McCandless.

This film is different from the usual american cinema because it neither deals with crime and violence, nor is sugarcoated. It is sweet as well as dramatic and sad, especially towards the end, but I just had to keep watching. There has been criticism that the film is too long and there are too many scenes with the hero alone, on the road or in nature etc. On the other hand, the hero spent two years travelling, and he did spend a lot of time doing things like that. So maybe there have to be many scenes like those so that we can put ourselves in his position, and see a good amount of images like he did. It's one of those movies that you feel that even if they may have flaws (not my opinion), they are meant to be there.

Goya's Ghosts

Goya's ghosts is a historical drama, set in Spain, at the late 18^th- early 19^th century. Francisco Goya was a spanish painter, considered now the first of the moderns, whose work was popular among both the spanish monarchs and the people, although not so much among the spanish church. In the movie, Goya's muse, Ines, is arrested by the church for heresy. Her father turns to Goya hoping that his connection with Brother Lorenzo, whom he is painting, can aid towards the release of his daughter..

Stellan Skarsgard, a swedish actor playing a spanish painter, was great as Goya, since he gave his character light, avoiding the pattern of the dark artist with the fixed eyes. Javier Bardem was also great as Lorenzo, natural and believable in his performance of a man who in a few years made a u-turn concerning his beliefs and his whole life. As for Natalie Portman, in her first scenes as pre-tortured Ines I can't say I was overwhelmed, since her playing a sweet innocent girl was not something new (I know, that's a bitchy comment). But later, as older Ines or as Alicia, she was pretty much outstanding.

The film deals with issues such as the religious oppression, the freedom (or lack of freedom) of speech, as well as the political changes taking place in the previous centuries, like the amazing similarly-themed movie El Greco. A difference between the two stories is that Goya is not the center of this movie, and he is presented more like a prominent person than a hero – after all, he was not trialed for anything. Actually, there isn't a particular star in this movie.

Watching well-made historical movies like this one makes me feel like I am in a museum or reading an illustrated encyclopedia with that paper smell (I mean that in a good way :P). Apart from that sentiment, though, the film gives you a lot to think about and feel through numerous powerful scenes, including the ending.

Milk

The movie Milk is about the first openly gay man that was elected to public office in the United States, Harvey Milk. The film describes the journey of Harvey Milk from the age of 40, when in 1972 he moved to San Francisco with his partner and started being more politically active, defending the rights of gay people at a time when they were stigmatized by conservative America, until he was assasinated in 1978.

I don't know if Gus Van Sant is my favorite director, but I definitely appreciate his style. In this film he describes many events at a brisk pace, never lagging. Among the scenes that were filmed now, real video bits from the '70s were also used. The music used in the movie came mostly from previous decades and dresses the movie in a scenical way. The storyline is not overshadowed by gay romantic scenes, since they start very early in the movie, leaving room for the 'important' parts of Harvey's journey to develop.

Sean Penn, as always, is terrific. In the film there is not even a tiny second that you have doubts about him as a gay activist man, or that you feel he overshadows the movie or the other actors. No need to say more about this, since he won an Oscar for this role. The rest of the cast is great, too. Josh Brolin, Emile Hirsch, James Franco, Alison Pill.. Although I am not sure if I did not like Diego Luna as Milk's second (in the movie) partner or I did not like his role.

A film worth seeing, since it presents socially important historical facts and people in an artistically wholesome way.

Favorite line: "Can two men reproduce?" "No, but God knows we keep trying."