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AMERICAN SNIPER ***
Celebrating 60 years of career as an actor, about 50 of those as an icon of heroism, Clint Eastwood is a living American trademark, who became the greatest, most thoughtful and accurate director of his generation, making films that depicts the ambitions of American culture and tradition, finding a way to talk universally, grabbing audiences worldwide. He has confirmed himself as a great visionary, capable of deeply exploring human emotions as an aspect of reconciling generations, nations and diversities. At the age of 84, Mr. Eastwood delivers his second film in a year. If in summer he promoted a nostalgic trip through the lives of the musical group Jersey Boys, in winter he demonstrates concern on security, on maintain innocent people spared from the catastrophes the world has been experiencing lately, unfortunately. Eastwood investigates the emotions of a proud young man, who believes he can do much better with his life, joining forces to fight terrorism, after the 9/11 attacks. He brilliantly manages the explosive material, punctuating the narrative with a continuously climatic atmosphere, cutting scenes from a war zone combat, to memories, and reactions back home. Bradley Cooper is fantastic as US Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, considered the most lethal sniper in US History. Although there’s something exaggerated about his Texan accent, he embodies the male figure with bravery and determination, reflecting perhaps on the great heroes Eastwood used to play. And then master filmmaker Eastwood enthralls the audience with a shocking tale about the absurdity of modern conflicts, with a convenient and reasonable mixed message: it’s pro and against war, yet its core is on everyone’s need of protection, especially family. The film investigates Kyle’s reasons and motivations and also the consequences of his decisions, affecting his closest one, played by a charming Sienna Miller. You Gotta love Eastwood and give him credits for remaining truthful to his cinematic perspectives, the good-hearted patriotic themes, his powerful, accurate, sensitive and unforgettable stories that touch everyone. This one is a heart-pounding suspense, a devastating real story, and it is no different.
WHEN EVENING FALLS ON BUCHAREST OR METABOLISM ***
Romanian director Corneliu Porumboiu’s third feature film is a meditation on the passionate relationship between a man and a woman, while they discuss the process of art creation, the meaning of life and their expectations. The narrative style seems like a Godard movie, following the meetings of a director and his actress, preparing for a nude scene while dealing with their own separate lives. Through sharp and raw dialogs investigating social issues, art and love, Porumboiu creates an intense and metaphorical fable about the vivid sense of fresh art willing to be heard. (Playing at Film Society of Lincoln Center)
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