2014 Movie World Cup: Groups B, C and D

Group B: Spain (In the City of Sylvia) vs Holland (Borgman)

The Spanish and Dutch films end up following the current footballing philosophy of both national teams. In the City of Sylvia can be classified as tiki-taka, a film characterized by patient build up, slow movements leading up to a satisfying finish. On the other hand, Borgman contains some of the Total Football flexibility where people swap roles which leads to a flurry of movements and emotions. At times, it is hard to keep track of which character is good or which is evil as traditional good characters look to be taking an evil position, while the villains are made to look like decent human beings. Gradually, the line between good and evil blurs.

Although, in this film contest, tiki-taka easily prevails. There is a singular focus and beauty to In the City of Sylvia that is far more appealing the constantly switching gears of Borgman.

Spain wins 1-0 over Holland.

Group B: Chile (Tony Manero) vs Australia (Snowtown)

Through a complete coincidence, films from two different parts of the world end up sharing a common bond as both films can be observed as portrait of a serial killer. Of course, Tony Manero is a subset of Snowtown as the Chilean film features a singular character. Whereas, Snowtown shows how a single person can start a cult group of killers. The Australian film is based on true events while Tony Manero places a fictional character against the real background of Pinochet’s dictatorship and tries to explain the character’s behavior as a symptom of the dictatorship.

Both films are dark and feature a cold framework which prevents any rays of compassion to creep in. The larger scope of Snowtown ensures a multi-layered case study but Tony Manero is impressive in the mood it creates.

Too close to call. That means, the first draw of the 2014 Movie World Cup.

Chile 1-1 Australia.

Group C: Colombia (Crab Trap) vs Greece (Unfair World)

Both films try to outdo each other in terms of rhythm and pacing. Crab Trap and Unfair World borrow some elements from the Contemporary Contemplative Cinema playbook but use it for completely different purposes. Crab Trap shows a slice of life in a part of Colombia rarely seen on screen and illustrates how even a remote segment of the country can be impacted by struggles taking place across the nation. The Greek film ends up going the deadpan route akin to the cinema of Aki Kaurismäki.

Crab Trap and Unfair World are both very good films and a draw would be a fair result. However, the Greek film narrowly edges out for a win.

Colombia 0-1 Greece.

Group C: Ivory Coast (Adanggaman) vs Japan (Like Father, Like Son)

The two films embody some of the characteristics that were on display when the two nations met in the 2014 Soccer World Cup. Japan jumped to an early lead and displayed plenty of heart and patience while Ivory Coast used their aerial ability and strength to power home for a win.

Adanggaman is about the slave trade that took place generations ago in West Africa and shows how the physical attributes of the individuals played a big part in their selection. The film features fights where the strength of the main character is essential in survival.

Like Father, Like Son is all about emotions and is a tender film that warms up one’s heart. The film easily wins this contest.

Ivory Coast 0 - 1 Japan

Group D: Uruguay (A Useful Life) vs Costa Rica (Cold Water of the Sea)

Both films are about age, an aspect that can explain the result of the soccer match between both nations.

Even though A Useful Life is fiction, it touches upon the reality where cinemas are closing all across the world and many arthouses/cinematheques are becoming a thing of the past. The film shows how the main character Jorge spent most of his life working in the cinematheque but is now forced out in a world that does not respect films like the past did. When Jorge is forced to see a world without his beloved cinematheque, the film crosses the fourth wall into our present reality where flashy multiplexes are being built that carry only commercial movies which show no respect of cinematic history. In fact, the commercial movies remake films from a few years ago, in a race to constantly stay young and never age. Jorge has aged like cinema has and he is forced to live in a world where only new movies and weekend box-office totals matter.

Cold Water of the Sea is a coming of age film which shows that aspects of one's youth end up shaping their adult behavior. In order to understand the character's adult behavior, we have to examine their youth to understand how they ended up in a particular place.

Interestingly, the Uruguayan film deals with a topic that can explain the Uruguayan soccer team’s 1-3 loss to Costa Rica. The Uruguayan team is no longer young and therefore can’t press or attack with purpose like they did in the 2011 Copa America win. Instead, the younger Costa Rican team showed more energy and drive in the 2nd half to overturn a 1-0 deficit. Costa Rica’s best player in the match, Joel Campbell (an Arsenal player), is only 21 while Uruguay’s Diego Forlan is 35.

However, in the film contest, age is not a factor as A Useful Life easily wins over Cold Water of the Sea.

Uruguay 1-0 Costa Rica

Group D: England (Trishna) vs Italy (Le Quattro Volte)

Quite the exciting film match-up as both films have plenty of visual richness. Trishna infuses the frame with plenty of color as the film is set in India while Le Quattro Volte is mostly devoid of color given the Italian town’s surrounding and change of seasons. In contrast to many films shot in India, Trishna does not go through a check-list of sights/elements to show which is a welcome relief. Instead, at moments the camera just lets us observe events and understand the behavior of the characters. Both leads (Freida Pinto and Riz Ahmed) are excellent and their body language is enough to understand their character’s emotions.

Le Quattro Volte is not an acting driven film and is about nature and progression of the soul through four different stages. It still manages to feature plenty of emotion even though humans are largely absent.

A tough film contest to call but in the end, the Italian film narrowly wins 1-0.

2014 Movie World Cup, Group A

And we are off. The first few films of the 2014 Movie World Cup are from Group A, similar to the first two games of the 2014 Soccer World Cup.

Group A: Brazil (Neighboring Sounds) vs Croatia (Buick Riviera)

Neighboring Sounds (O som ao redor) (2012, Brazil, Kleber Mendonça Filho)

Aided by a rich sound design & visuals, Kleber Mendonça Filho’s film ensures an immersive cinematic experience. A viewer gets a ringside seat in one of Recife’s neighbourhoods to witness the daily activities of the residents, including their morning and nightly routines. Depicting the everyday reality would have been good enough, but Kleber Mendonça Filho enhances the experience by adding layers of memories and nightmares with a few smart cuts. As a result, the multi-layered film contains a subtle sense of dread but in a much subtler note than Michael Haneke's Caché. This means that even when viewers witness harmless events in and around an apartment complex, there is a sense that something sinister is going to happen. The viewer can't be passive and is instead forced to examine each frame and its accompanying sound to know what the characters are up to.

Buick Riviera (2008, Croatia, Goran Rusinovic)

Goran Rusinovic’s brilliant film illustrates how hatred can persist through generations and lay dormant until one day it is unleashed into a full fledged war. On the surface, the film appears to be about two strangers whose chance encounter leads to volatile consequences but it is clear that the film is about more than just two people. The two characters give us one example of how hatred can suddenly flare out of a seemingly harmless situation and result in bloody revenge. In this regard, the film can explain why fighting broke out in the former Yugoslavia or why other cultures/tribes are in a race to destroy each other.

Group A: Mexico (El Violin) vs Cameroon (A Trip to the Country)

El Violin (2005, Francisco Vargas)

El Violin depicts how the seeds of revolution are laid and passed on from generations. The film features three generations of a family that are impacted by the military and how each person continues the fight. Shot in gorgeous black and white, the film gets off to a shocking start with scenes of rape. The torture and violence is left out of the frame in most cases with the attention focused on the grandfather, Don Plutarco (Ángel Tavira, mesmerizing), and his efforts to transport ammunition under the noses of the soldiers. Even though this is a Mexican film, the setting and events depicted in the film could easily apply to any Latin American country where a military dictatorship crushed voices of dissent among the people by usage of rape, torture and violence. As a result, it is an essential work that can be added to the list of revolutionary cinema.

A Trip to the Country (2000, Jean-Marie Téno)

Jean-Marie Téno travels from the capital Yaoundé to the Cameroonian country side to highlight some concerns relevant to the local economy such as the decline in agriculture and lack of infrastructure and also examines attitudes related to the desire for westernization and emulation of the west. The film is highly relevant for the Movie World Cup because it depicts the infrastructural and organizational problems in African soccer. An example near the end can help one understand why why there is a dispute about bonuses with the Cameroonian soccer team before every World Cup. A Trip to the Country shows how a local soccer championship game is almost disrupted due to money issues. As narrated in the film, all local teams had to pay increased registration fees to enter a tournament where the winner would get a trophy and prize money. However, moments before the final's kick-off, the finalists are informed there's going to be no trophy nor any prize money handed out. The players are not happy but are told by the officials to play. If organizational and infrastructure problems can plague the national team, then it is not surprising to see these problems taking place at the root level of the game. Although such problems are not confined just to Cameroon but inflict many other African nations as well, thereby making it hard for an African team to mount a serious World cup challenge.

Results

Brazil (Neighboring Sounds) 1 - 0 Croatia (Buick Riviera)

Mexico (El Violin) 1 - 0 Cameroon (A Trip to the Country)

Both the film contests follow the same results as those of the Soccer World Cup. As strong as the Croatian film is, it offered no real contest to Brazil’s Neighbouring Sounds.

2014 World Cup

With less than a day until Brazil and Croatia kick off the 2014 World Cup, here are my predictions.

Group A: Brazil, Croatia, Mexico, Cameroon 

Brazil to win 1st, close fight between Croatia & Mexico for 2nd.

Croatia have a stronger midfield but not entirely sure of their ability to score goals. Still, will go with them to sneak in ahead of Mexico.

Group B: Spain, Holland, Chile, Australia 

Spain in 1st. The Dutch to narrowly take 2nd over Chile. If Chile were at full strength and had no injuries, I would have gone with them.

Group C: Colombia, Greece, Ivory Coast, Japan 

Colombia in 1st, Japan vs Greece for 2nd.

The Greeks are more organized but Japan are more creative. It will be close but I am picking Japan to progress.

Group D: Uruguay, Costa Rica, England, Italy 

The Group of Death. There is always one in every World Cup and 'D' is appropriately it. Three teams with an equal chance to progress although Costa Rica won't be pushovers. Goal difference might play a big part in this group's outcome.

When the draw was made back in December, I picked Uruguay to get 1st and Italy for 2nd. Now, I am not sure about Uruguay as much. Their defensive approach worked wonders in Copa America 2011 but the side is aging and Forlan can't run himself into the ground like he was able to. Also, I am not certain Luis Suárez is going to be firing on all cylinders after the incredible season he had. England for a change have opted to bring in a lot of young players which will surely give the team a different and a more adventurous feel. Also, they don't have as much pressure on them as in the past and that could be a huge advantage.

I expect to be wrong for this group but will still go with my original December 2013 pick of Uruguay in 1st, Italy in 2nd.

Group E: Switzerland, Ecuador, France, Honduras 

An absolutely dreadful joke of a group. Despite all their problems, France surely can't screw things up although I expect them to tie the Swiss 0-0. And France may only register 1-0 and 2-0 results in their other 2 games.

France in 1st, Switzerland 2nd after a series of 0-0, 1-0 games.

Group F: Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iran, Nigeria 

Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina progress easily in 1st and 2nd respectively.

Group G: Germany, Portugal, Ghana, USA 

The US will finally overcome Ghana but will they be able to get the extra point needed against Portugal or Germany to advance? It will be tough but if Cristiano Ronaldo is not fit, then Portugal could struggle.

Germany to win group, Portugal for 2nd. 

Group H: Belgium, Algeria, Russia, South Korea 

Injuries are certainly going to impact both Belgium and Russia but both should still progress from yet another weak group.

Belgium to take 1st, Russia for 2nd. 

Semi-Finalists: Brazil vs Germany, Spain vs Argentina. 

If Messi is fit and Ángel di María can reproduce his Real Madrid form, then Argentina could upset Spain. But for now, going with a repeat of last year's Confederations Cup final.

Final: Brazil vs Spain

If this is indeed the final, I expect Brazil to win. But if Argentina make the final vs Brazil, then it will be the most tense World Cup final I would have ever watched. And..I don't think I can stomach a Brazil vs Uruguay final.

The 2006 World Cup is the only one out of the last four World Cup tournaments that I was able to get most of my picks right. Therefore, I fully expect to be wrong this time around. But it should be fun, especially comparing these results to the 2014 Movie World Cup.

La Strada

La Strada (1954, Italy, Federico Fellini)

My review of La Strada is published on Wonders in the Dark as part of its Romantic Countdown.

2014 Movie World Cup

32 Nations. 96 films. One epic movie showdown. Ladies and gents, presenting the 2014 Movie World Cup.

In the past, finding even a single film nation for the 2006 and 2010 Movie World Cup spotlights proved to be a challenge given the lack of film distribution from many competing soccer nations. Therefore, it was a tall order finding three films from all the nations taking part in the 2014 World Cup and a target that I didn't expect to reach. In fact, until last month, I was on track for 92 films. But thankfully, some films appeared in the nick of time. Although, some films also disappeared. DVDs of two films that I had originally planned for the spotlight went missing from the local library, forcing a change in selection.

The delay in finding a lot of the films has meant that not all the viewing will be completed by the start of the Soccer World Cup on June 12. Therefore, this spotlight is likely to run past the end of the World Cup on July 13.

The 32 Nations and their 96 films are divided into the same 8 groups as the Soccer World Cup.

Group A: Brazil, Croatia, Mexico, Cameroon

Country	Film #1	Film #2	Film #3
Brazil	Neigboring Sounds (2012, Kleber Mendonça Filho)	Once Upon a Time Veronica (2012, Marcelo Gomes)	Entranced Earth (1967, Glauber Rocha)
Croatia	Buick Riviera (2009, Goran Rusinovic)	Karaula (2006, Rajko Grlic)	Witnesses (2003, Vinko Bresan)
Mexico	El Violin (2005, Francisco Vargas)	Post Tenebras Lux (2012, Carlos Reygadas)	Presagio (1975, Luis Alcoriza)
Cameroon	A Trip to the Country (2000, Jean-Marie Téno)	Aristotle’s Plan (2006, Jean-Pierre Bekolo)	Quartier Mozart (1992, Jean-Pierre Bekolo)

Group B: Spain, Holland, Chile, Australia

Country	Film #1	Film #2	Film #3
Spain	In the City of Sylvia (2007, José Luis Guerín)	Blancanieves (2012, Pablo Berger)	The Red Squirrel (1993, Julio Medem)
Holland	Borgman (2013, Alex van Warmerdam)	The Last Days of Emma Black (2009, Alex van Warmerdam)	The Northerners (1992, Alex van Warmerdam)
Chile	Tony Manero (2008, Pablo Larraín)	Old Cats (2010, Pedro Peirano/Sebastián Silva)	The Battle of Chile (1975-79, Patricio Guzmán)
Australia	Snowtown (2011, Justin Kurzel)	The Hunter (2011, Daniel Nettheim)	The Last Wave (1977, Peter Weir)

Group C: Colombia, Greece, Ivory Coast, Japan

Country	Film #1	Film #2	Film #3
Colombia	Crab Trap (2009, Oscar Ruiz Navia)	Dog Eat Dog (2008, Carlos Moreno)	Oedipus Mayor (1996, Jorge Alí Triana)
Greece	Unfair World (2011, Filippos Tsitos)	Dos (2011, Stathis Athanasiou)	Ghost of a Chance (2001, Vangelis Seitanidis)
Ivory Coast	Adanggaman (2000, Roger Gnoan M’Bala)	Black Diamond (2010, Pascale Lamche)	Burn it up Djassa (2012, Lonesome Solo)
Japan	Like Father, Like Son (2013, Hirokazu Koreeda)	Why Don’t You Play in Hell? (2013, Sion Sono)	When a Woman Ascends the Stairs (1960, Mikio Naruse)

Group D: Uruguay, Costa Rica, England, Italy 

Country	Film #1	Film #2	Film #3
Uruguay	A Useful Life (2010, Federico Veiroj)	Bad Day to go Fishing (2009, Álvaro Brechner)	Whisky (2004, Juan Pablo Rebella/Pablo Stoll)
Costa Rica	Cold Water of the Sea (2010, Paz Fabrega)	Gestacion (2009, Esteban Ramírez)	Caribe (2004, Esteban Ramírez)
England	Trishna (2011, Michael Winterbottom)	Two Years at Sea (2011, Ben Rivers)	If...(1968, Lindsay Anderson)
Italy	Le Quattro Volte (2010, Michelangelo Frammartino)	The Great Beauty (2013, Paolo Sorrentino)	Il Posto (1961, Ermanno Olmi)

Group E: Switzerland, Ecuador, France, Honduras 

Country	Film #1	Film #2	Film #3
Switzerland	Das Fraulein (2006, Andrea Staka)	We Are The Faithful (2005, Michael Koch)	Signer's Suitcase (1995, Peter Liechti)
Ecuador	Crónicas (2004, Sebastián Cordero)	Qué tan lejos (2006, Tania Hermida)	A Titan in the Ring (2002, Viviana Cordero)
France	Holy Motors (2012, Leos Carax)	Bastards (2013, Claire Denis)	L'Argent (1983, Robert Bresson)
Honduras	El Porvier (2008, Oscar Estrada)	Amor y frijoles (2009, Mathew Kodath/Hernan Pereira)	Mi Amigo Angel (1962, Sami Kafati)

Group F: Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iran, Nigeria 

Country	Film #1	Film #2	Film #3
Argentina	Gone Fishing (2012, Carlos Sorin)	Extraordinary Stories (2008, Mariano Llinás)	Invasion (1969, Hugo Santiago)
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Cirkus Colombia (2010, Danis Tanovic)	Belvedere (2010, Ahmed Imamović)	No Man's Land (2001, Danis Tanovic)
Iran	This is Not a Film (2011, Mojtaba Mirtahmasb/Jafar Panahi)	The White Meadows (2011, Mohammad Rasoulof)	Taste of Cherry (1997, Abbas Kiarostami)
Nigeria	Without Shame (2005, Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen)	Ezra (2007, Newton I. Aduaka)	Last Flight to Abuja (2012, Obi Emelonye)

Group G: Germany, Portugal, Ghana, United States 

Country	Film #1	Film #2	Film #3
Germany	Everyone Else (2009, Maren Ade)	Gerhard Richter - Painting (2011, Corinna Belz)	World on a Wire (1973, Rainer Werner Fassbinder)
Portugal	The Strange Case of Angelica (2010, Manoel de Oliveira)	Centro Histórico (2012, Pedro Costa/Manoel de Oliveira/Víctor Erice/Aki Kaurismäki)	Ossos (1997, Pedro Costa)
Ghana	The Perfect Picture (2010, Shirley Frimpong-Manso)	Sinking Sands (2011, Leila Djansi)	A Sting in a Tale (2009, Shirley Frimpong-Manso)
USA	Blue Ruin (2013, Jeremy Saulnier)	Blue Caprice (2013, Alexandre Moors)	Faces (1968, John Cassavetes)

Group H: Belgium, Algeria, Russia, South Korea

Country	Film #1	Film #2	Film #3
Belgium	The Referees (2009, Yves Hinant/Eric Cardot/Delphine Lehericey)	Eldorado (2008, Bouli Lanners)	La Promesse (1996, Jean-Pierre Dardenne/Luc Dardenne)
Algeria	Rachida (2002, Yamina Bachir)	Outside the Law (2010, Rachid Bouchareb)	Daughters of Keltoum (2001, Mehdi Charef)
Russia	Alexandra (2007, Aleksandr Sokurov)	The Edge (2010, Aleksey Uchitel)	Stalker (1979, Andrei Tarkovsky)
South Korea	In Another Country (2012, Hong Sang-soo)	The Day He Arrives (2011, Hong Sang-soo)	The Housemaid (1960, Ki-young Kim)

The Rules

Group Stage Points

In the Soccer World Cup, the maximum points a team can get from playing their 3 group games is 9. The same 9 points is also the maximum total that a country can achieve when its 3 films are pitted against other nations. The match-ups will be identical to the Soccer World Cup with the difference that Film #1 will only face another nation's Film #1, Film #2 will only go against another nation's Film #2.

Nation A, Film #1 vs Nation B, Film #1

A vote will be cast for a favorite film, thereby ensuring a 1-0 win. The winning nation will be awarded 3 points.

If both films are equally impressive and it is hard to pick a winner, a 1-1 tie will be declared, giving each nation 1 point each.

The top two nations will advance from each of the 8 groups.

If there is a tie for 1st or 2nd place, all 3 films from the tied nations will compete against each other. If after a head-to-head match-up, the nations cannot be separated, a coin toss will be used to pick a winner as a nod towards the Soccer World Cup which in the past used a coin toss as a tie-breaker.

Round of 16, Quarter-Round, Semi-Final, Final Criteria

The best film from all the 16 Nations advancing from the first round will be used in the Second Round.

A head-to-head match-up will be used to pick a winner based on either five or three categories.

Film A vs Film B [Five or Three categories]

If two Fictional films face each other, then the following five categories will be used:

Acting, Story, Cinematography, Direction, Production (Sound, Editing).

If a Documentary is put against a Fictional film, then the following three categories will be used for both films:

Cinematography, Direction, Production (Sound, Editing)

If film A is better than film B in a category, then film A will get 1 point and film B will get 0. If both film A and film B are equal in a category, then they each get 1 point.

If both films are tied 3-3 or 5-5 after all the scores are added up, the winning film will be decided by a subjective vote, which is similar to an emotional penalty shoot-out in soccer.

And finally..why a Soccer Film Spotlight

I first started a soccer film spotlight for the 2006 World Cup. Even though I never managed to find films from all the 32 nations, it was an exciting project which forced me to hunt for films from nations that are not often mentioned in film magazines or websites. For example, spending hours to hunt for films from Ivory Coast, Togo, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine helped shed a light on the state of cinema around the World and introduced me to many regional directors, whose work I could look forward to. The 2006 Movie World Cup helped fuel a love for cinema and opened my eyes to view films from any part of the world. In essence, it became a quest for Cinephilia and allowed me to believe a worthy film could come from any part of the World. As a result, I have been conducting these spotlights regularly not only for the World Cups (2010) but also for the European Championships (Euro 2008, 2012), Copa America (2007, 2011) and once for the African Cup of Nations.

Finding some films is certainly difficult but remarkably some films are easy to access but hidden away from plain sight. For example, the Ivorian film Burn it up Djassa is available to rent via iTunes Canada but it is not displayed anywhere in the Foreign films section. However, a search for the title on a hunch brought it up. Of course, if I was not searching for any films from Ivory Coast, I would have never been able to view this title. Already, I have seen one film that has reinforced the validity of this Movie World Cup. Jean-Pierre Bekolo's Aristotle’s Plan is love for cinema in all its 35mm glory and highlights the pull that filmmaking has for people. I have not come across a single critic who has mentioned this film yet this is a work that deserves to be praised and talked about. I hope to find many other such worthy films from this year's selection, especially those that the rest of the World wrongly ignores.

African Films

The 15 films from the 5 African Nations taking part in the 2014 Movie World Cup have been selected. Given the difficulty in finding African films, the year restrictions have been relaxed for Film #1 and #2 to be from the years 2000 - 2013 as opposed to 2005 - 2013. The following is the criteria for the three films.

Film 1: previously seen film from 2000 - 2013
Film 2: unseen film from 2000 - 2013
Film 3: film from 1960 - 2004

Algeria

Film 1: Rachida (2002, Yamina Bachir)
Film 2: Outside the Law (2010, Rachid Bouchareb)
Film 3: Daughters of Keltoum (2001, Mehdi Charef)

Cameroon: Two films by Jean-Pierre Bekolo are included. In fact, I was very close to picking all three films by him but A Trip to the Country has a relevant soccer segment making it a worthy selection.

Film 1: A Trip to the Country (2000, Jean-Marie Téno)
Film 2: Aristotle’s Plan (2006, Jean-Pierre Bekolo)
Film 3: Quartier Mozart (1992, Jean-Pierre Bekolo)

Ghana: Shirley Frimpong-Manso could have had all three films for Ghana but I have taken a gamble on Sinking Sands. Also, Ghana is the only nation to have two female directors represent all three films.

Film 1: The Perfect Picture (2010, Shirley Frimpong-Manso)
Film 2: Sinking Sands (2011, Leila Djansi)
Film 3: A Sting in a Tale (2009, Shirley Frimpong-Manso)

Ivory Coast

Film 1: Adanggaman (2000, Roger Gnoan M’Bala)
Film 2: Black Diamond (2010, Pascale Lamche)
Film 3: Burn it up Djassa (2012, Lonesome Solo)

Nigeria

Film 1: Without Shame (2005, Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen)
Film 2: Ezra (2007, Newton I. Aduaka)
Film 3: Last Flight to Abuja (2012, Obi Emelonye)

10th anniversary

I started this blog back on May 10, 2004 with the following entry:

As things begin, so must this blog. Here we go.
History will remind us how special this week was:
1) Valencia crowned Liga Champions after an astonishing collapse by Real. Nothing fake about the win there -- pure hardwork.
2) Arsenal remained unbeaten after 37 games. Thanks to Reyes -- the Spanish connection.
3) Werder Bremen won the Bundesliga in the best possible manner, a 3-1 win away to defending champs, Bayern Munich. The result left no doubt about the best team in Germany.
4) Milan & Roma take dives. But will it be enough for Perugia?
5) 5 in a row. Zoom Zoom.
6) 3-2 overtime win for the red hot Flames. Sharks or no sharks.
7) Stand off. Enough said!!!

More than 10 years have gone by since this blog was started. Initially, the purpose of this blog was to share notes about recent films I was viewing with a few friends who were doing the same. Therefore, this was purely a web film log, fitting in perfectly with the definition of a blog (web log). However as things turned out, my film friends stopped maintaining their blogs and decreased their film viewing around 2005-06 but I increased my film viewing substantially going from seeing 100-150 films a year to a record high of 445 films in 2008.

As I stopped discussing films with one group of friends, along the way, I made many other cinephile friends through the internet. Thankfully, I have been lucky to have met some of them in person. But there are many other film lovers that I have interacted with over the years without even knowing their name or where they live. Of course, not knowing someone's name or what they look like has not gotten in the way of meaningful discussion because cinema has been a common bond for us, therefore no other formal introduction was required.

Since I started this blog, I must have seen anywhere from 3000-4000 films. 2000-2500 of those films have some notes/reviews or are simply logged somewhere on this blog. I have also been fortunate to have traveled to many international film festivals and helped program films for multiple film festivals as well, tales of those adventures are also etched on "Scribbles and Ramblings". It has been an absolutely incredible cinematic journey, one that I hope to be able to continue for many more years to come.

A huge thanks to all the people that have taken the time to read this blog and share their thoughts over the last 10 years. Special mention goes out to Sam Juliano, Norman Crane and Nitesh Rohit for being such regular readers. Plus, I will be always grateful to Michael Guillen for his wonderful website and friendship. I can't forget some wonderful cinephiles with whom I mainly talk via twitter even though I discovered them through their websites: JAFB, Zach, Filipe and Omar. And finally...Acquarello is no longer online but Strictly Film School was the first film website I discovered back in 1996. Acquarello's website was a huge help when I was hunting for foreign films on VHS tapes. Yes, VHS tapes. I have gotten many useful nuggets of advice from Acquarello over the years that I will always cherish.

European Films

The 39 films representing the 13 European Nations taking part in the 2014 Movie World Cup have been selected. The three films from each nation follow the following criteria:

Film 1: previously seen film from 2005 - 2013
Film 2: unseen film from 2005 - 2013
Film 3: film from 1960 - 2004

Belgium

Film 1: The Referees (2009, Yves Hinant/Eric Cardot/Delphine Lehericey)
Film 2: Eldorado (2008, Bouli Lanners)
Film 3: La Promesse (1996, Jean-Pierre Dardenne/Luc Dardenne)

Bosnia: Two films by Danis Tanovic make the cut

Film 1: Cirkus Colombia (2010, Danis Tanovic)
Film 2: Belvedere (2010, Ahmed Imamović)
Film 3: No Man's Land (2001, Danis Tanovic)

Croatia

Film 1: Buick Riviera (2009, Goran Rusinovic)
Film 2: Karaula (2006, Rajko Grlic)
Film 3: Witnesses (2003, Vinko Bresan)

England

Film 1: Trishna (2011, Michael Winterbottom)
Film 2: Two Years at Sea (2011, Ben Rivers)
Film 3: If...(1968, Lindsay Anderson)

France

Film 1: Holy Motors (2012, Leos Carax)
Film 2: Bastards (2013, Claire Denis)
Film 3: L'Argent (1983, Robert Bresson)

Germany

The only nation to have three different formats for its film selection: fiction, documentary and TV Series.

Film 1: Everyone Else (2009, Maren Ade)
Film 2: Gerhard Richter - Painting (2011, Corinna Belz)
Film 3: World on a Wire (1973, Rainer Werner Fassbinder)

Greece

Film 1: Unfair World (2011, Filippos Tsitos)
Film 2: Dos (2011, Stathis Athanasiou)
Film 3: Ghost of a Chance (2001, Vangelis Seitanidis)

Holland

I have decided to put all the eggs in one basket by selecting all 3 films from Alex van Warmerdam. It could prove to be a costly mistake.

Film 1: Borgman (2013, Alex van Warmerdam)
Film 2: The Last Days of Emma Black (2009, Alex van Warmerdam)
Film 3: The Northerners (1992, Alex van Warmerdam)

Italy 

Film 1: Le Quattro Volte (2010, Michelangelo Frammartino)
Film 2: The Great Beauty (2013, Paolo Sorrentino)
Film 3: Il Posto (1961, Ermanno Olmi)

Portugal

Film 1: The Strange Case of Angelica (2010, Manoel de Oliveira)
Film 2: Centro Histórico (2012, Pedro Costa/Manoel de Oliveira/Víctor Erice/Aki Kaurismäki) Film 3: Ossos (1997, Pedro Costa)

Russia

Film 1: Alexandra (2007, Aleksandr Sokurov)
Film 2: The Edge (2010, Aleksey Uchitel)
Film 3: Stalker (1979, Andrei Tarkovsky)

Spain

Film 1: In the City of Sylvia (2007, José Luis Guerín)
Film 2: Blancanieves (2012, Pablo Berger)
Film 3: The Red Squirrel (1993, Julio Medem)

Switzerland

The only nation to have a short film in the competition. We Are The Faithful is such an appropriate film for a Movie World Cup that it was hard to ignore.

Film 1: Das Fraulein (2006, Andrea Staka)
Film 2: We Are The Faithful (2005, Michael Koch, short film 9 minutes)
Film 3: Signer's Suitcase (1995, Peter Liechti)

On paper, France, Italy, Portugal and Russia appear to be the strongest European representatives. Although, Belgium still have an excellent chance to go far. Picking three films from the Dardennes would have ensured Belgium a genuine chance at the Movie World Cup title but The Referees is present on merit as it finished #1 in my 2010 Year End List.

CONCACAF Films

When it comes to the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), USA and Mexico are head and shoulders above all the other nations. Both countries are expected to qualify for every World Cup. The two nations also have a healthy film industry which ensures there is no shortage of films to select from for these World Cup Film Festivals. On the flipside, there are always CONCACAF nations which have next to no film industry, making it hard to find even one film. Thankfully, that was not the case this year as the hard work of finding films from Honduras was done four years ago.

Costa Rica

Film 1: Cold Water of the Sea (2010, Paz Fabrega)
Film 2: Gestacion (2009, Esteban Ramírez)
Film 3: Caribe (2004, Esteban Ramírez)

Esteban Ramírez is the most recognizable name when it comes to searching for Costa Rican Cinema.

Honduras

Film 1: El Porvier (2008, Oscar Estrada)
Film 2: Amor y frijoles (2009, Mathew Kodath/Hernan Pereira)
Film 3: Mi Amigo Angel (1962, Sami Kafati, short film 31 minutes)

Mexico

Film 1: El Violin (2005, Francisco Vargas)
Film 2: Post Tenebras Lux (2012, Carlos Reygadas)
Film 3: Presagio (1975, Luis Alcoriza), based on a story by Gabriel García Márquez

USA

Film 1: Blue Ruin (2013, Jeremy Saulnier)
Film 2: Blue Caprice (2013, Alexandre Moors)
Film 3: Faces (1968, John Cassavetes)

For the US Film #3, the intention was to pick a film that fell outside of the studio system. John Cassavetes was an easy choice.

Asian Films

The 12 films from the Asian region of the 2014 Movie World Cup have been selected. Australia is now playing in the Asian zone and not Oceania for the World Cup. Therefore, its films are included along with the other three Asian nations.

The three films from the four nations are selected as per the following criteria:

Film 1: previously seen film from 2005 - 2013
Film 2: unseen film from 2005 - 2013
Film 3: film from 1960 - 2004

Australia 

Film 1: Snowtown (2011, Justin Kurzel)
Film 2: The Hunter (2011, Daniel Nettheim)
Film 3: The Last Wave (1977, Peter Weir)

Iran 

Film 1: This is Not a Film (2011, Mojtaba Mirtahmasb/Jafar Panahi)
Film 2: The White Meadows (2011, Mohammad Rasoulof)
Film 3: Taste of Cherry (1997, Abbas Kiarostami)

Japan

Film 1: Like Father, Like Son (2013, Hirokazu Koreeda)
Film 2: Why Don’t You Play in Hell? (2013, Sion Sono)
Film 3: When a Woman Ascends the Stairs (1960, Mikio Naruse)

South Korea

Film 1: In Another Country (2012, Hong Sang-soo)
Film 2: The Day He Arrives (2011, Hong Sang-soo)
Film 3: The Housemaid (1960, Ki-young Kim)

In contrast to previous World Cup tournaments, the Asian nations that have qualified have a good cinematic history. This will make for some excellent viewing.

On paper, out of the four nations, Iran appears to have the best chance of going furthest in the tournament. But there are a lot of films to watch. Plenty of chances for an upset or two.

The Dictator Novel

The recent death of Gabriel García Márquez is a huge loss to the literary world, especially Magic Realism. I owe my knowledge about this style to Márquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude which led me down a path of Magic Realism and the discovery of many other global authors. Even though Márquez is associated with Magic Realism, he was also a big part of the Dictator Novel. I first learned about the Dictator Novel genre when I read Augusto Roa Bastos' I Supreme as part of the 2011 Copa America Spotlight a few years back. Many references to Márquez's The General in His Labyrinth and The Autumn of the Patriarch appeared when discussing the roots of this genre in Central and South American literature. It is these two books that have been foremost in my mind since I heard of Márquez's passing.

The Dictator Novel is associated with Latin America given the number of dictatorships and generals that took power from the 1960's-70's but the genre can also apply to works about Africa. There are certainly similarities between Latin America and Africa in how some dictators rose to power and the ruthless methods they used to maintain their position. Yet, most of the official talk about this genre does not feature African literature or books about Africa.

Here are a few examples of books that highlight abuse of power in Africa and can be branched under The Dictator Novel, even though two of them are non-fiction.

1. Wizard of the Crow by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o;

Wizard of the Crow by Kenyan author Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o is pure magic realism in depicting the myth around an African ruler's hold on power. The book is set in a fictional country of Free Republic of Abruria but it incorporates elements that could apply to many African countries.

2. The Last King of Scotland by Giles Foden

Giles Foden's book meshes fact with fiction in depiction of Uganda's Idi Amin and is told from the perspective of a doctor.

3. The Emperor by Ryszard Kapuściński 

Ryszard Kapuściński's book about Haile Selassie's reign in Ethiopia is non-fiction but his beautiful writing paints such a vivid picture that most fiction authors fail to achieve.

4. In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz: Living on the Brink of Disaster in the Congo by Michela Wrong 

Like Kapuściński, Michela Wrong's writing about Africa is essential reading. Her debut book highlights Mobutu Sese Seko in Zaire.

Enemy

Enemy (2013, Canada/Spain, Denis Villeneuve)

Enemy transports José Saramago’s novel The Double to a David Cronenberg landscape and enhances the material with references to Kafka, George Orwell and Alfred Hitchcock. If that sounds overpowering, then rest assured it is not. The references don’t dominate proceedings but are appropriately stitched in the screenplay and don’t draw attention to themselves.

The entire film is a mystery that is quite open to interpretation yet there are enough clues to guide one along the way. One prominent clue is the repeated symbol of a creature at different points in the film. The others are the graffiti on the walls and the content of the lecture given by Adam Bell (Jake Gyllenhaal). Adam talks about dictatorship and that throughout history those in power kept the masses occupied with food and entertainment. The Romans he says used “bread and circuses”, words that mirror contemporary society and also the world depicted in the film. Adam comes to life when teaching his class but once he leaves the classroom, his life appears to follow a boring pattern. However, that pattern changes when a colleague recommends a locally produced movie for Adam to watch. Adam is captivated not by the movie but a few scenes where he notices an actor who looks just like him. It turns out that this actor Anthony lives in the same city. Adam manages to track him down and is shocked to see that this actor is an identical replica, right down to the voice. Adam wants to meet with Anthony and eventually convinces him via a series of phone calls but not before Anthony’s wife becomes suspicious of the phone calls. She manages to see Adam secretly from afar and is stunned to see the resemblance. But as she reveals to Anthony, there is a reason why Adam exists and puts the blame on Anthony. Her certainty about Adam’s existence furthers the mystery, something that is not fully solved out by the end.

The open nature of the ending has certainly fueled some of negative comments against this film, which is often the case for films that don’t explain everything. Also, some of the harsh criticism of Enemy is regarding the consequential nature of the plot where everything appears to be tied tightly together and follows one path after another. But that is not the case, especially since almost everyone in the film is a pawn while those in power hide in the shadows. Reading reviews about Saramago’s novel, it appears that the doppelgänger element is not fully explained either and instead the story is a recursive loop. Enemy is not a recursive loop but thanks to Javier Gullón and Denis Villeneuve’s screenplay, the film shifts into another genre altogether, thereby making it rich for interpretation. Nicolas Bolduc’s cinematography deserves a lot of credit as well because Toronto has never looked this sinister and terrifying. Also, shooting everything with grayish/brownish tints transforms the entire city into a futuristic world. The score by Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans (both worked on Martha Marcy May Marlene and Ruben Östlund’s Play) also adds to the nail-biting tension.

Enemy is one of the most exhilarating films I have seen in a cinema this year. It is a 2013 film but has only gotten an official Canadian theatrical release in 2014.

Best New TV Shows

After the success of 2013’s TV shows spotlight, it felt appropriate to do another spotlight in 2014 to catch up with more TV shows/series. The following six shows are part of this spotlight:

Justified, Season 4 (2013) 
House of Cards, Season 2 (2014) 
Orange is the New Black, Season 1 (2013) 
The Newsroom, Season 1 (2012) 
Six Feet Under, Season 1 (2001) 
True Detective, Season 1 (2014) 

With the exception of Six Feet Under, the remaining shows have been released within the last two years. The newest show is True Detective which concluded its 8 episode run on March 9, 2014 while all episodes of House of Cards Season 2 were released on Feb 14.

Justified Season 4 

Justified finished slightly behind Breaking Bad in last year’s TV show spotlight as the first 3 seasons proved to be quite remarkable. Since the ending of Season 3 offered a natural conclusion to the series, I didn’t see a relevance for Season 4. Therefore, it was not a surprise when the first few episodes of Season 4 turned out to be a let down. The structure of Season 4 certainly played a part in the disappointing start. In contrast to previous seasons, S4 consists of a single narrative arc and each episode gets one step closer to putting together all the pieces of a puzzle. The story revolves around an apparent accident that took place a few decades ago and incorporates present day events in unfolding an unsolved mystery around that incident. As the show focuses on elements of this older case, the first few S4 episodes don’t incorporate the dynamic office dialogues that lit up the first 3 seasons nor are key characters from previous seasons given much screen time.

Thankfully, half-way through Season 4, things finally start to pick up. Not surprisingly, the show gets intriguing when Raylan’s colleagues get involved and when Wynn Duffy (Jere Burns) enters the frame and brings the mafia with him. The presence of the mafia sets off a series of events which embodies similar momentum that the last few episodes of Breaking Bad’s S5 had when the show appeared to be heading towards an explosive conclusion. In the case of Justified, those anticipated mouth-watering sequences do arrive and even Limehouse (Mykelti Williamson, impressive as always) makes a vital appearance.

In the first 3 seasons, there were only 1-2 episodes that didn’t belong in the overall structure of Justified. However, Season 4 contains many throw away episodes which don’t add much to the overall story. Still, the show manages to end on a high note and partially redeems itself. Season 5 is currently underway and it will be a few months before I catch-up with that.

House of Cards Season 2

Season 1 of House of Cards was a slow burning chess match where Francis Underwood (Kevin Spacey) played his machiavellian moves in order to become vide-president, thereby putting him "one heartbeat away from the presidency". In S1, Underwood was always in control and ensured those around him acted according to his wishes. However, all that changes in S2 when everyone is aware of Underwood’s tactics. People can see right through him and start countering his tactics. On top of that, a powerful villain emerges in S2 who attacks Underwood from every single direction, including taking down Francis’ favourite rib joint. This villain Raymond Tusk (Gerald McRaney) had a small vital role in S1, but is the centre of all the action in S2.

The pace is relentless in S2 and episodes move at a breakneck speed with year/month long events unfolding in days. This quick unraveling of events is mostly because S2 condenses 2-3 seasons worth of material in just 13 episodes. As a result, there are many script jumps which require a huge suspension of belief. For example, Tusk is depicted as a man who bring down the entire nation whenever he desires. In order to demonstrate his power, Tusk shuts off power in an entire city with one phone call and takes America on the brink of international conflict with China. He also flows millions of dollars to either political party as he desires. Besides possessing incredible powers and an endless pot of money, Tusk is also omnipresent. Anytime someone calls his henchmen, no matter which part of the nation they are in, Tusk is present in the room. He also appears to know what exactly every character is thinking. Another example of a script convenience is a key live interview for Claire Underwood (Robin Wright) that goes on for hours, with extended breaks which allow swift resolution/action on topics that would normally takes days. There is a lot of material to cover so the script just cuts out the logical progression that would take place between two events.

On the positive side, Kevin Spacey owns the show like he did in S1. It is hard to imagine anyone else in the role of Francis Underwood. The characters of Doug Stamper (Michael Kelly) and Remy Danton (Mahershala Ali) are once again essential but even their characters are shown vulnerable in S2. The biggest addition to the show is Molly Parker whose character of Jackie Sharp demonstrates a blend of intelligence and grace. Jackie looks composed but can be ruthless if she desires. There are some motives about her character that are not revealed leading one to believe that she may be a key player in Season 3.

Many aspects of Season 2 of House of Cards are much more compelling than S1 but some of the events in S2 are a bit too ridiculous to digest.

Orange is the New Black 

Orange is the New Black is based on Piper Kerman’s memoir about her time served in prison for carrying a suitcase full of drug money. The opening minutes of Episode 1 catch one off guard in terms of expectations about a show set in a prison. Most prison TV shows or films show characters who are arrested, persecuted and transported handcuffed to prison. But in Orange is the New Black, Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling) is dropped off to prison by her fiancee and proceeds to voluntarily check herself in. Of course, once she checks in, the harsh reality of prison life descends and erases any comforts that Piper once knew. Dealing with prison is complicated enough but her life is made even troublesome when she finds out her ex-girlfriend Alex (Laura Prepon) is in prison as well. It was because of transporting Alex’s suitcase that Piper is serving her jail term. Therefore, there are plenty of emotional and unresolved issues that Piper must navigate, in addition to understanding the power dynamics and hierarchy of prison life.

Orange is the New Black is one of the best balanced shows made in recent years where each character is given an equal voice and adequate screen time. Plus, the writing is very strong and balances the brutality of prison life with enough moments of humor and compassion that allows one to care for each character. Piper is the focus of the series but the show does an excellent job of giving other characters ample screen time. The flashbacks, which are used to fill in the backstory of the characters, help make this show so rich and layered. In the flashbacks, a different and much nicer side is shown for each character which contrasts with their rougher persona in prison. Such a contrast illustrates how prison life transformed their core personalities. The reason for each character’s presence in prison is not revealed right away but gradual episodes fill in a portion of their past. This allows viewers to guess possible crimes but sometimes, the truth is more shocking than one’s imagination.

Season 2 will be released in the summer of 2014.

The Newsroom (HBO show, not the Canadian one)

HBO’s The Newsroom takes a fabulous premise of filtering real life events via fictional characters. This means, certain key events from 2010-2011 are used to propel the dramatic tension in the show. We get to see the frantic chaos that could have unfolded when the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill story first broke out. In a similar manner, the Egyptian Revolution and the capture of Osama Bin Laden are also given vital parts in the show. Also, The Newsroom deals with the ever present topic about how TV ratings impact coverage of relevant news and journalistic integrity. Of course, since this is an Aaron Sorkin show, it means characters talk without breathing and their words turn into actions even before the other person has processed the idea. Such back and forth snappy dialogues make for an addictive entertaining show but this method also distances the show from any semblance to reality even though the show’s goal is to depict real events.

Like House of Cards S2, the first season of The Newsroom packs too much in its 10 episodes. If some of the stories had been cut out, then the show could have taken the time to properly depict events. The show also tries to include a few romantic elements which really don’t any depth to the characters but instead weaken the show. There is much to admire in The Newsroom but sometimes the overblown ability of the characters to solve problems is hard to fathom.

True Detective

On the surface, True Detective looks to be heading down a path that has been covered by many films before: two cops with radically different personalities become partners to hunt down a serial killer. But after a few episodes, it becomes apparent True Detective is something entirely different. Even though the cops appear to be at polar opposites, the show takes time to outline their personalities. In addition, the show gives ample time to the swamp and other Louisiana surroundings making the locales a central character, something which takes away the focus from the two cops, Rust (Matthew McConaughey) and Marty (Woody Harrelson). As the season progresses, Rust and Marty appear to be minor characters compared to nature and become even smaller when the swamp area is viewed from above. Hints are given as to the larger scope of the show and this is clear near the end with talks of the universe and even a glimpse of a wormhole.

The entire show was shot on 35mm and that decision plays a vital part in the rich visual language of True Detective. It is quite rare to talk of TV shows from a visual perspective but True Detective extends beyond the narrow frames one finds in other TV shows. A perfect example of how the show shatters a normal TV show frame is depicted in Episode 4 with the now famous 6 minute tracking shot. Besides the tracking shot, episode 4 elevates the show to a higher level. This starts when Rust dives back into the underbelly of a criminal world, thereby plunging the show into dark territory. Interestingly, even though the show deals with dark material, for most of the episodes, it is daytime that appears to be terrifying. This point is hammered home in the nail biting finale where horror exists in the day while nighttime offers comfort.

Season 2 of True Detective will have a new director, new lead actors and likely a completely different setting. That is good news because whoever comes in to direct S2 can work from a blank canvas and not be tied down to events in Season 1. This gives the show much more flexibility than other TV Series.

Top Shows ranking 

Arranging the six shows in order of preference:

1. True Detective, S1 
2. Orange is the New Black, S1 
3. House of Cards, S2 
4. Justified, S4 
5. The Newsroom, S1 
6. Six Feet Under, S1 

As chance would have it, a show titled Six Feet Under lands up on the 6th spot. Six Feet Under S1 has plenty of witty dark humor and that is impressive given the grim setting of a funeral home. But the show premiered back in 2001 and feels more dated than the other shows.

In terms of story, Orange is the New Black is the best overall show but the visual language of True Detective is enough to edge it to the #1 spot. Plus, there are some irresistible moments of cinematic magic in True Detective.

Overall, best TV seasons 

As an experiment, I wanted to do a rough comparison of 29 complete seasons of the following 13 shows that I saw.

24, S1 and S8 
Boardwalk Empire, S1 
Breaking Bad, S1-5  
Game of Thrones, S1-2 
Homeland, S1
House of Cards (USA), S1-2 
Justified, S1-4 
Mad Men, S1-6 
The Newsroom, S1 
Orange is the New Black, S1 
Six Feet Under, S1 
True Detective, S1 
The Walking Dead, S1-S2 

Taking each season on its own and comparing the overall Excellence Per Minute (+EPM) & Soap Opera Moment (-SOM), the following is a rough preference order:

1. Breaking Bad, S4 
2. Mad Men, S4 
3. Breaking Bad, S3 
4. Mad Men, S1 
5. Breaking Bad, S5 
6. Justified, S1 
7. Justified, S3 
8. House of Cards, S1 
9. True Detective, S1 
10. Orange is the New Black, S1 

It is not a surprise that Breaking Bad (3 mentions), Mad Men (2) and Justified (2) occupy the top 7 spots in this list. House of Cards, True Detective and Orange is the New Black are excellent new additions to this list.

Next shows to be watched

The first half of Mad Men’s final season starts on April 13. Also, in the next month, I will be viewing the first two seasons of The Americans.