Hays Reporting

Sleep Dealers is an interesting film focusing on future technology and how it will affect society. The plot follows a young man struggling to support his family after he inadvertently caused his father’s death. The technology plays a fascinating part in the movie with frighteningly feasible possibilities for civilization. People connect with each other through computer systems, which is easy to believe considering how much we rely on technology today for communication.
The movie also weaved a love story into the piece, which makes it easier to identify with the characters. Interesting concepts force the audience to think the movie through, but still enjoy the film with the lighter subject matter of love. Sleep Dealers deserves three stars.

Eli is a twelve-year-old girl nursing an insatiable thirst for blood. The movie catches the audience’s attention with the unlikely companionship developing between Eli and a neighborhood boy named Oskar. Eli struggles with the urge to hurt Oskar when she really wants to protect him. A young love story centered in violence and impossible desires makes for a captivating movie.
I greatly enjoyed this movie though I couldn’t escape an overwhelming sense of sadness watching the young vampire experience the small happiness Oskar provided in her desolate existence. The movie (directed by Tomas Alfredsson) is excellent at expressing details without words. You can see sorrow and regret etched on Eli’s face when she is forced to take a life for her survival. You also gain some grasp of her true age as brief flashes of an old woman’s face replace her own. I would rate Let The Right One In four stars.

Enlightened Blood is an interesting concept for a movie, but is an utter failure in conveying that idea to the audience. The character Mateo endures body changing experiences and struggles to adapt to each new life before he is forced into another body. There are a myriad of characters Mateo takes over who have vapid personalities that you just cannot identify with. This is really just an incoherent plot that is disappointing because it could have been fascinating with its originality.
This is a different take on phantasms, but the film lacks a proper explanation to what is happening. I didn’t understand what was going on until at least halfway through the movie. Perhaps an inner monologue of the lead character would have helped clarify the plot, but with no real explanation it is impossible to give Enlightened Blood a positive review. I give this film one and a half stars.

            Finally!  This is the first film I have seen at this festival that I have actually enjoyed.  The Lovers is a film fraught with passion and illicit affairs surrounding the leading lady, Jeanne Monroe.  She tries to escape her loveless marriage with the help of various handsome gentlemen.  She is experiencing constant confusion about the love she wishes she felt.  Her facial expressions convey her emotions perfectly and showcase her true talent as an actress.  You can’t help but hope for a happy ending for the adulterous character.

            The Lovers is an old black and white movie directed by Louis Malle that called on the Supreme Court to break censorship barriers in Hollywood.  The love scenes bordered on obscene during the time period this film was released to the public and effectively changed the way movies are made today.  This is a brilliant love story that I now consider a timeless classic and will happily include in my personal collection.  I rate The Lovers four stars. 

           This is a documentary directed by Miguel Kohan, which is cluttered with random scenes and endless music pieces.  While the music was good, I would have preferred to hear more about the music.  I could have just bought a tango CD and probably had a better experience. I would not have been subjected to the droning of random musicians babbling between the pauses in the music. 

            There was no structure to the documentary and if it had a point to it, it was lost on me.  I’m not embarrassed to say that I fell asleep during this film, as did the majority of my classmates.  If you’re looking for an interesting look at beautiful music, this is not the movie to see.  This documentary merits one star.

            A twisting tale of deceit, affairs, and “love” should be edge-of-your-seat captivating. Unfortunately the movie fell short for me on several levels.  Pierce Brosnan stars opposite Rachel McAdams as they both play a part in a confusing love triangle with a married couple.   Surprisingly enough for such talented actors, their emotions aren’t convincingly conveyed to the audience.  It is hard to understand why the characters would ruin both relationships and friendships on what appears to be just a fling.

            Most of the scenes involve the would-be couple seeming irritated with each other.  Even with the apparent lack of emotion, it is easy to predict the future happenings of the movie and the end is no real surprise.  This film, directed by Ira Sachs, is a depressing take on love and marriage and leaves the audience feeling cold.  I would rate Married Life two stars. 

The tragic story of a man and his dog being separated by anger and cruelty was portrayed in this film.  Shock is the first emotion evoked when a rich teenager and his friends shoot Av’s beloved dog Red.  Av then goes on a mission for justice.  A feud quickly springs up between Av and the party at fault.  Punishment for the kids is denied again and again as Av gets more obsessed with the idea of justice, which leads to a violent conclusion that is both disturbing and unsatisfying.

            The acting was excellent, but not even that could save this film.  Brian Cox is a celebrated actor who did his best with what little he was given.  Poor directing by Trygve Allister Diesen forces an uncomfortable love story into the plot that goes nowhere.  The movie was overall a disappointment.  I would rate it one star. 

Song of the Sparrow is an interestingly portrayed Iranian film focusing on a middle-aged lower class man making his living on an ostrich farm.  An ostrich makes its bid for freedom on Karim’s watch resulting in his immediate dismissal.  When faced with revealing his shame to his family, Karim avoids the subject and makes excuses for finding a new and better paying job.  He goes from journeying through a barren land in search of a lost ostrich to fighting his way through the city with an unexpected new career.  It is a strange look at karma as Karim experiences a series of ups and downs with his job, his health, and his family.  It is a truly unusual and intriguing film that has many hidden meanings lying beneath the surface.

            When Karim is fired from his job at the ostrich farm he experiences dismay and disbelief as he says, “It’s not fair”.  This is the first sign of karma at work in his life.  All of the events in Karim’s life seem to result due to various decisions he makes based on his conscience.  There is true humor in the film when a happy mistake results in a stranger hopping on Karim’s motorcycle, which leads to Karim’s more prosperous career.  Sorrow is also evident as Karim is haunted by the job he lost which he clearly loved.  Heavy breathing and close-ups are common when he is confronted with an ostrich egg from the stray that cost him his job.  Directed by Majid Majidi, the movie is slow in parts, but you realize how full the movie is with a deeper meaning in later discussions. I would rate it 3 stars.

Hey, my name is Kelley and I’m a student here from the US.  My class is studying film and participating in the Edinburgh Film Festival.  I’m thrilled to be here and I will be posting blogs regularly on the films we see