listingmovies

[listingmovies]

Top 5 FOOD scenes

This list combines the two loves of my life- movies and food. You know these movies that make you crave something, start drooling, until you finally have to pause the damn thing and run to the kitchen to get yourself a snack. And even then, it’s not enough. Because there’s a shocker: your snacks will never be as good as the food you’re seeing on screen. I don’t know whether it’s the actors faking how good it is. Maybe there’s a 3 stars Michelin cook hiding behind a projector somewhere on set. Anyway so many movies where I wished I could penetrate the screen, get rid of the actor and take a bite… right… there… But no. Sadly, you have to stay in your couch and eat your grim canned peas and carrots. Ugh. Hardest thing I’ve ever had to deal with. Let’s share the suffering shall we? Here’s my top 5 food scenes that’ll make you WANNA DIE. Now, as you might have noticed, I might get a little creepy during the process. Try not to mind me. Me and food go a long way…

5-      588 Rue Paradis, Henri Verneuil (1992)

The movie and its prequel Mayrig (1991) are about the struggles of an Armenian family that emigrates to France from Turkey after the Armenian Genocide of 1915. The narrator is Azad, the son of the family. While the scene in question is simply heartbreaking and not at all fun, we – food lovers – can’t possibly avoid an opportunity of drooling over food, even in the most depressing subjects such as a genocide. In this scene, Azad reminisces the day a classmate invited him to his birthday party, while he was never friends with him or any of the other boys. His parents decide to cook a traditional Armenian dessert to take with him to the party. The preparation of the Baklava is not only mouthwatering but it’s also very endearing. It is a symbol of the generosity of spirit, encrypted in the Armenian identity. The altruistic and warm hearts of the Armenian family - who spends a full day preparing this very complicated recipe - creates a contrast with the coldness of the French snobbish family. Drowned in the poverty of their tiny apartment, they manage to make our stomachs rumble at the sight of the sugary treat, full of calories and dedication.

4-      Inglorious Basterds, Quentin Tarantino (2009)

In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a group of Jewish U.S. soldiers plan to assassinate Nazi leaders, while a theatre owner's, Shosanna, wants revenge and plans for the same. The scene I chose is quite an interesting one given that food is not its priority. And surprisingly, while its main goal is to be terrifying, you can’t help finding it frustratingly delicious. Here, Shosanna is being interrogated by the Nazi she’s been hiding from her whole life, around two apple strudels. May I grab this opportunity to say how talented Christoph Waltz is in this scene. I mean you just wanna slap him right there in the face, and that’s what makes him so brilliant. The way he eats that apple strudel while he questions her is ingeniously horrifying. But more importantly, the stubborn chewing sounds which animate the sequence create a build up of tension, on top of the many close ups that keep sustaining the stressful suspense throughout the whole scene. And while you may have goosebumps waiting for the ending to unravel, I’ll bet you will never see the apple strudel in the same way.

3-      Eat, Pray, Love, Ryan Murphy (2010)

A married woman realizes how unhappy her marriage really is, and that her life needs to go in a different direction. After a painful divorce, she takes off on a round-the-world journey to "find herself". And she finds herself in front of a pasta platter. Now this is probably the least frustrating example among this list, given that pasta is probably all you cook at home. Nevertheless, the sequence is a series of extreme close ups on the wiggly Italian drops of heaven, squirming in a red Pomodoro sauce, and soaked in Parmesan sprinkles. I believe that eating can be liberating and powerful and it’s probably what the whole sequence is about. The deliverance of Julia Roberts’ character is spectacularly unleashed in this scene as she is relishing her very symbolic pasta. It’s only a 1 minute sequence and my pasta already tastes like peas and carrots compared to hers.  

2-      Chocolat, Lasse Hallström (2000)

Vianne and her daughter open a chocolate shop in a small French village that shakes up the rigid morality of the community during Lent. That’s just the synopsis and I can already see you getting weaker. Chocolate… Movie… Movie about chocolate. Get me? As I am the devil who may be awakening in you a hidden love for chocolate, it is my duty to warn you. The whole movie will give you weird fantasies about chocolate, and so choosing the perfect scene was hard. At last we have our winner. The party preparations scene: Vianne prepares a dinner party for the villagers. And God forbid that she would invite us to the festivities. Dear readers, this is gonna hurt...prepare yourself for a scene of pure torture. Chocolate in all its forms. With chicken, seafood, soups, berries and let’s not forget the cakes. The scene is composed of delectable camera angles that magnify the chocolate’s importance. The music is however the main tool to help convey the very special mood of the sequence. Smooth, energetic and languorous, it follows the exquisite wobbliness of chocolate. Because in this movie, Chocolate is the main character. It is portrayed like an immense source of pleasure that has the ability to bewilder you. Mysterious and dominating, it will grab you by the tongue and conquer your heart. Good luck watching that without finding yourself suddenly surrounded on your couch by tablets of chocolate. So before moving on to our next point, make sure you go get your bars. I’ll wait.

1-      Babette’s feast, Gabriel Axel (1987)

In a remote 19th-century Danish village, two sisters lead a rigid life centered around their father, the local minister, and their church. One day, they take in French refugee, Babette Hersant, who agrees to work as their servant. After winning the lottery, Babette wants to repay the sisters for their kindness and offers to cook a French meal for them and their friends on the 100th anniversary of their father's birth. It proves to be an eye-opening experience for everyone. For me too. After I watched the movie the first time, I found myself watching that crucial scene many times in the following days. Like I would skip the whole movie just to watch this. Because it’s too much. Really. People wonder why they can’t find true love like we see it in movies. I only want to have dinner like these guys did. What is interesting about the sequence is that given that the villagers are very religious conservative people, they don’t think it’s appropriate to describe how good the food is. Only they find themselves slowly being dragged into the spellbinding power of the food they’re eating and gradually start abandoning themselves to nothing else than a foodgasm (I told you I was gonna get creepy). And trust me, the way the guests savor and enjoy their food with the most extreme pleasure will make you so jealous that you’ll curse the foolish you who brought these sad peas and carrots into your plate.

[listingmovies]

Top 5 DANCE moments in non-dance movies

Because why not start dancing unexpectedly even if we’re not making a musical? Movies and dance. What could be better than this?  Come on, I dare ya!

5-      Mean Girls, Mark Water (2004)

MOST GIRLY

Ah the cult teen movie! Where Cady Heron is a hit with The Plastics, the A-list girl clique at her new school, until she makes the mistake of falling for Aaron Samuels, the ex-boyfriend of their “queen’’ Regina George. And this scene takes place during the school’s Christmas talent show where the girls are presenting the same routine they do every year, but this time with Cady. And the whole vibe the scene conveys is just so ridiculously hilarious. The girly shallow superficial world of this movie can be summed up with this dance only. A dance that shocks innocent Cady’s parents, while Regina’s mother knows all the steps by heart. Pathetic dance, but we just love it! If you don’t, then #youcan’tsitwithus.

4-      Pride and Prejudice, Joe Wright (2005)

MOST FRUSTRATING

Sparks fly when spirited Elizabeth Bennet meets single, rich, and proud Mr. Darcy. But Darcy reluctantly finds himself falling in love with her, while she’s beneath his class. The scene is a sequence typically representing pride... and prejudice (Gee! What a coincidence!), subtly expressed through dance. It is a lovely playful seduction game, based on back and forth movements of Elizabeth and William, approaching each other, escaping from each other, slightly brushing each other, while other guests keep separating them, then reuniting them again, through the tradition of a 19-century ball. The frustration that is stemming from this sequence is almost suffocating. The brief shy looks that they exchange portray the romantic mood of that century and convey the discreet flirting floating in the air. *Sigh* Compare that to dancing in a hot disgusting nightclub, with lingering odors of smoke and alcohol, and strangers trying to get you to dance with them. Oh boy, things really were different in my time.

3-     High heels, Pedro Almodovar (1991)  

MOST ECCENTRIC

Becky returns after 15 years to find her daughter, Rebecca, has married one of her  mother's old boyfriends. They try to mend their broken mother/daughter relationship and deal with their common lover. We, movie lovers, are all familiar with Almodovar’s crazy vibe. But I judge this one - and I allow you not agree with me - to be the most insane one. When Rebecca goes to prison, many women unexpectedly come out of nowhere, they form a group and they start dancing on a sudden music. They’re all wearing joyful and colorful clothes, and the weird choreography follows a vivid rhythmic music. I don’t know what came through Almodovar’s mind when he decided of this scene, but I kinda like the fact that we don’t get any explanation whatsoever. This scene is like a parenthesis to the story. We don’t know why it’s here, and we probably never will. But that’s the goal itself of this brief colorful eccentric dance moment.No reason. Just dance. 

2-      Little Miss Sunshine, Jonathan Dayton - Valerie Faris (2006)

MOST ENDEARING

A family determined to get their young daughter Olive into the finals of a beauty pageant take a cross-country trip in their VW bus. And it’s a wrecked family who goes to the extreme, against all obstacles, out of love for their little girl. Each of them carry their own personal baggage, but we follow them onto this crazy journey. Through the whole film, we always hear of Olive practicing with her grandpa on her routine for the pageant. But we never get to watch the dance until the end. The build up of unfortunate events getting in their way naturally makes us expect something outstanding at the end. Plus, the story is so close to the heart, and the characters so endearing that we get attached to them; so when the fatal scene is here, we are ready for anything. And while we're waiting for something spectacular, we know deep inside that something unusual is going to happen, given the family’s natural attraction for troubles. Olive scandalizes and horrifies most of the audience and pageant judges with a burlesque performance that she joyfully performs. When the pageant judges demand that she gets off the stage, the whole family gets on the stage with Olive as a sign of protest. And this is what makes the scene a magma of sweetness and humor... A sad exhausted family reunited in love and tenderness, standing together through that grotesque dance against the world. I don’t know about you but I’m not sure my parents would have done the same for me. Nevertheless, little Olive’s dance dedicated to her dirty-minded grandpa is the cutest sexy dance (weird combination) I’ve ever seen.

1- Scent of a woman, Martin Brest (1992)

MOST ELEGANT

A prep school student needing money agrees to "babysit" a blind man, but the job is not at all what he anticipated. For me, the story reaches some sort of climax with this sequence. Actually, this scene fully embodies the extent of Al Pacino’s talent. Don’t ask me how that’s possible but his starring blind eyes manage to be both empty and expressive. The way he guides the beautiful woman with the movements of his body gives the scene an elegant awkwardness. He holds on to her on every step, loosing and gaining balance, while her fear of him slowly becomes blind trust, along with happy giggles. The beautiful tango music wraps them up in a cozy soft dance moment which gives the movie a sprinkle of bittersweet surprise. And here I am, still waiting for my Al Pacino to ask me to dance, when I’m in a random restaurant. This is just sad.

[listingmovies]

Top 5 verbal FIGHT scenes

Who doesn’t like a good fight scene ? You know, with some popcorn, watching your character get virtual slaps in his face and laughing your ass off... Nothing better. Come on, stop playing innocent. We all have that wicked interior self who loves watching people going at each other’s throats. Maybe it’s because fights are so unpleasant in real life, that it’s a relief to experience them on screen when you’re not part of them. However, dialogue-based fights are probably the hardest parts to write in a script. And when they’re really elaborate, it strengthens the credibility of your movie in no time. So let me tell you about some of my favorite fight scenes in movies.

5- Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Woody Allen (2008)

WEIRDEST

Two girlfriends, Vicky and Cristina, on a summer holiday in Spain become enamored with the same painter, Juan Antonio. Cristina eventually moves in with him, unaware that his ex-wife, Maria Elena, with whom he has a complicated relationship, is about to make her comeback. However, Scarlett Johannson’s character manages to welcome Maria Elena into their lives and they start having a three-way relationship. This scene is when she calls it off with them. Yea don’t feel weird, it really is the strangest situation ever. I mean, breaking up with someone is already hard. How about breaking up with two people? Oh boy. Weirdly enough (no it’s not weird actually, I love this guy), Allen manages to put in all the ingredients to make this scene a realistic one. We unconsciously feel that the fight is only stemming from a great attachment between the characters. The scene is a mix between frustration, incomprehension but also deep love, and that’s why the situation explodes into a fight. It’s a very interesting approach of the anger here, since the fight seems to be only superficial. Words are practically useless. They’re not strong enough to expose the characters’ feelings and that’s exactly why they say them. In order to hide behind their insecurities. Morality of the story: don’t have threesomes. Because I’m guessing a three-way is not that fun after all.

4- Huit Femmes, François Ozon (2002)

SEXIEST

At an isolated mansion in the snowy countryside of 1950s France, a family is gathered for the holiday season. But there will be no celebration because the beloved only man in the family has been murdered. The killer can only be one of the eight women closest to the man of the house. Tricky situations arise with the revelations of dark family secrets, through the suspenseful search of the murderess. Along with the different interactions between the characters, we witness a growing attraction between the victim’s wife and his sister. And while the build up of tension surrounds the eight women, Gaby and Pierrette try to resist the growing pressure they’re facing. But when they discover that they shared the same lover, they start fighting, until the fight becomes a kiss, pouring out the burning attraction, which they have been trying to ignore ever since they met. Now it’s a bit what the hell is happening moment. I mean one second they’re like tigers with heels, dresses and a gun and next thing you know they are kissing passionately on the floor. But I like surprises. I mean, seeing Fanny Ardant and Catherine Deneuve kiss? You don’t see that every day. Hmm...What if there was a plot twist to this ? Like here I am praising the scene and it turns out Ozon made it, only because sex sells. And since the only man in the house was killed, he had to improvise with the means at hand! I tell you, you never know with these directors!

3- The Family Stone, Thomas Bezucha (2005)

MOST AWKWARD

An uptight, conservative businesswoman accompanies her boyfriend to his eccentric and outgoing family's annual Christmas celebration and finds that she's a fish out of water in their free-spirited way of life. So when the awkward Meredith sits down for Christmas dinner with them, you can imagine she’s gonna drop some sort of bomb, given how obstructive she is. She starts asking questions about “the gay thing’’, knowing that one of her fiance's brothers is gay. And she starts babbling about sordid theories, getting confused, and manages to look racist in front of the whole family who gangs up on her. The scene is so awkward that you’ll actually feel embarrassed yourself, but it is also an expression of love, a portrayal of an raging tenderness, a glue of affection that holds this family together. The scene conceals throughout this fight a furious need within the characters: a need for love. And a need to defend one another against he who hurts them.   And then, they ask me why I don’t bring my boyfriend over for family dinner.

2-      Blue is the warmest color, Abdellatif Kechiche (2013)

MOST HEARTBREAKING

Adèle's life is changed when she meets Emma, a young woman with blue hair, who will allow her to discover desire and to assert herself as a woman and as an adult. The touching story of Adèle who is portrayed as a child trying to learn about life, discovering how it is to love, accepting herself for she is, and trying to go through life without hesitating, is an overview on the upturns and downturns of life. When Adèle gets confused after cheating on her girlfriend, we witness the most horrible movie breakup ever made. Adèle Exarchopoulos and Léa Seydoux offer us an intense and honest intimate interaction. They look so natural together that you can literally feel their pain is real. Their tears break our hearts and their anger is understandable, yet very disturbing and poignant. Compared to that, my breakups look like a day at the beach.

(I couldn’t find the scene anywhere, but that’ll teach you to watch good movies if you don’t know what I’m talking about.  No but really. You should watch it).

1-  Revolutionary Road, Sam Mendes (2008)

MOST REALISTIC

A young couple living in a Connecticut suburb during the mid-1950s struggle to come to terms with their personal problems while trying to raise their two children. It’s probably the movie that managed to explore a couple’s problem in the most sensible realistic way. The incredible chemistry between Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio’s performances probably helped a lot, but I spy, in addition to that, a deep development of the characters. The many fights in the movie are each more real than the other. The dialogues are scrupulously based on a brilliant characterization of each personality. In fact, Frank and April couldn’t be more opposite, and so here they are, nurturing a dubious relationship between each other, that bursts out in anger and frustration at every fight. The following scene articulates those feelings of bitterness and irritation with perfection. Also, may I mention that this movie made me abandon any marriage plans for myself forever. Except if it’s DiCaprio. I wouldn’t mind. Even if it’s for fighting. 

[listingmovies]

TOP 5 MOVIES the director HAD to star in

In my constant obsession about wanting to make a contribution, that is purely original, I find it hard to think every time of a list that hasn’t been made yet. Unfortunately for me, we live in times where the internet can provide us with any information about any subject whatsoever. Kind of hard to be original when you can actually google “why does my husband fart so much” (true story) and find an answer. So, I guess all we can do, is try to give a personal point of view that will be unique. Anyway, sorry if I’m sharing my existential-what-is-happening-to-the-world thoughts but, all this to say that you CAN find this list anywhere and it’s not original per se BUT I tried to find less obvious examples than what IMDb will probably give you. Who cares about my opinion? Well, I guess you do since you’re reading this. Either this or you don’t have a life. Anyway, here it goes. Directors that act in their own movies are not rare. Apart from the obvious ones, here are some weirder but in my opinion very successful examples.

5-      Woody Allen in To Rome with Love, 2012

See? I told you I wasn’t going to be obvious. To Rome with Love is certainly not the most acclaimed Allen movie, nor his most famous one. The story is told in four separate segments: a clerk who wakes up to find himself a celebrity, an architect who takes a trip back to the street he lived on as a student, a young couple on their honeymoon, and an Italian funeral director whose uncanny singing ability captures the attention of an American opera director portrayed by Woody Allen himself. The director has so many times been part of his cast, when the role allowed him to be, that we feel very close to him, as if we knew him. But in this movie, I found the character of Woody Allen so hilarious that it had to be him and no one else could play the neurotic and nervous “ahead of his time” opera producer. Then again, all Allen characters are neurotic and nervous. However, when Allen plays in his movies, he seems to be quite himself. As if he was just being natural. And in that movie, he does it with such normality, that he is probably the most convincing character I have ever seen on screen. No. Not exaggerating. (Leave me alone! It’s MY blog). 

And Woody Allen is just hilarious right there:

4-      Clint Eastwood in The Bridges of Madison County, 1995

HA! See? Still unexpected huh? You thought I was going to say Unforgiven or Million Dollar Baby. But, at the risk of sounding weird, I believe The Bridges of Madison County gave him his best role EVER, but is still to my taste an underrated movie. Sure, the story is quite simple, yet gives such dimension to the characters. Photographer Robert wanders into the life of housewife Francesca, for four days in the 1960s. Eastwood managed to get away from his western badass personality to appear as a romantic, very sensitive victim of an impossible love story. He was so convincing that I found myself falling for an old guy. And finding him hot ! The profound look on his face managed to hold the story all along and make it consistent. And no actor whatsoever could have achieved the elegant portrayal of the heart-broken photographer.

3-      Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Don Jon, 2013

Underrated movie as well. The story is quite original. A New Jersey guy dedicated to his family, friends, and church, develops unrealistic expectations from watching porn and works to find happiness with his potential true love. The director was so keen on how his character should be that no one could have done him in a better way. To the extent where you wonder if he’s playing his own self. Because the script, also written by him, hid a very determined intention. And while it is the case for every movie a director starred in, this movie was particular because Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s very nuanced and spirited acting was perfectly in place. Just what it needed to be in that very down to earth free adaptation of a Don Jon in a modern world.

2-      Ben Affleck in Argo, 2012

Acting under the cover of a Hollywood producer a CIA agent launches a dangerous operation to rescue six Americans out of Tehran during the U.S. hostage crisis in Iran in 1980. The director was perfect for his role as he portrayed the hopeless journalist with a pocketful of emotion. A story that meant a great deal to Affleck and helped him express the mixed emotions his character had to be showing. His gentle, humble acting made the movie what it is today and I don’t believe it would have been the same with someone else. He simply took the part because he felt so close to his characters that staying in a director’s chair would’ve only been frustrating to him. And it all worked out well for us, movie fans. You can’t say he wasn’t yummy with that beard.

1-      Alfred Hitchcock in… all his movies

 Alfred Hitchcock made a total of 39 cameos in his films over a 50-year period. Even if it doesn’t serve his stories, the director made his appearances unexpected and witty. The audience ended up looking for him in every new movie he made. If the master of suspense was known for his breathtaking thrillers, he also developed a sense of humor that was quite popular for its irony and sarcastic tone. Hiding in the corners of his stories, but careful not to disturb their flow, he managed to add with his presence a slight touch of comedy to his psychological and thrilling adventures. Therefore, would his movies turn out to be the same without him wandering about in some scenes? It probably wouldn’t have changed much, and the movies would still be masterpieces, but what started out as a sly cameo appearance, turned out to be the master’s signature. And it would be a shame to deny us that. After all, film critic John Russell Taylor described Hitchcock as "the most universally recognizable person in the world", and, may I add, so is his famous silhouette.

Have fun watching his cameos here (personally the one in Blackmail killed me):

[listingmovies]

TOP 5 LEBANESE MOVIES

So, I realize you can just google « Best Lebanese Movies » and have the internet sort them out for you, by box-office entries, prizes, notoriety etc. But see, these lists will probably be written by a very objective hand. I’m part Lebanese and as I have lived most of my life there, I know what movies are the most representative of that very special country, and are able to show its uniqueness (Trust me, I’m a film student). You see – and I’m not saying that only because I’m from there – Lebanon has an amazing artistic potential that is unfortunately not yet put forward. Plus, it’s marked by a complicated culture, a mix between an European influence, an Americanized Society and a very encrypted Arab identity. Lebanon has often been called the Switzerland of the Middle East. I don’t know how true that is, but what I do know is that it’s a complex country. Very lovable, yet hard to understand and to capture. The movie business in Lebanon is only now flourishing and in a very shy way. But I guess movies are a way to represent its tangled history. So, if you’re interested in discovering a new culture, here’s my top 5 to help you out.

Top 5 – Blind intersections, Lara Saba, 2012

Three protagonists, one city. Coming from different backgrounds, they pass each other but they never meet, though, the effect of one incident will drastically alter the lives of the three of them in just a matter of seconds. Unfortunately, this movie did not get the audience or the critical response it should have received. Therefore, you won’t find it in any other top Lebanese movies list (See? I turned out to be useful). The Lebanese public was so conditioned to either war movies or cheap comedies that they hardly accept any other style. However, the young generation of filmmakers claims that we’ve all had enough of these two genres and that it is time to try out different styles and stories. That is what Lara Saba tried to do with this very script-based movie. It might not be perfect, and maybe you’ll find it boring or think – what did I just get into? But in any case, it surely helped widen the Lebanese artistic scene to more diverse subjects.

Here’s a trailer. AND it’s well done for once (who’s working for ya?)

Top 4 – Bosta, Philippe Aractingi, 2005

Bosta is a story of young Lebanese artists who meet again, after being separated, and tour different cities of Lebanon in an old bus (Bosta in Arabic), performing a techno version of the dabkeh (the traditional Lebanese dance) that shocks conservatives, but moves forward towards the future.  Being a Lebanese version of a Bollywood film, it tends to deliver an atmosphere rather than a real script. Even though I’m a script fan, and I realize we still haven’t really achieved good scriptwriting skills in Lebanon, I still believe this movie is essential because feeling the Dabke mood is a must when trying to understand Lebanese traditions. The amount of craziness Lebanese people put into that dance is completely out of proportions and a vital part of our identity. And trust me, even the gloomiest man in the world (Putin…?) would want to visit our country after this movie, as it conveys such joy and spirit that it eventually gets to you.

Now I couldn’t find a trailer with English subtitles, but if you want to give the atmosphere a try before you watch it, here it is: 

Top 3 – West Beirut, Ziad Doueiri, 1998

Now I know all these names sound strange, almost barbaric to you. What if I told you that Ziad Doueiri was the director of Baron Noir, the Canal + French series that was critically acclaimed? There, now that I got your attention and you feel less a stranger in all this, you must know that Doueiri talked about the Lebanese war in the most sensible way. As I said before, we Lebanese people have been so obsessed with our big tragedy that you will mostly find, in our film catalogue, movies about this period of time. Under the bombs, Zozo, In the battlefield or Where do we go now are a few of the best examples (in case you don’t give a damn about my list and you just want to harm yourself with dramatic war movies). But Doueiri’s version of our tragedy is, for me, the most elaborate one. In April 1975, civil war breaks out; Beirut is divided along a Muslim-Christian line and is segregated into East and West Beirut. After the line was created, Tarek, a Muslim, is now considered to live in West Beirut (the Muslim part) and is in high school, making Super 8 movies with his friend, Omar. At first the war is a game for them, as the school gets closed; the violence is fascinating, and getting from West to East is a joke. Tarek starts spending time with May, a Christian, orphaned and living in his building. Later on, and as he comes of age, the war inevitably stops being an adventure and becomes a nationwide tragedy. As I said, Lebanon has been badly hurt by the 1975-1990 war, it has affected its people so much that we can’t ignore it in our process to discover the local culture. And West Beirut will probably be your best ally for that. Encrypted in the West-East division of the capital, the story of these 3 youngsters is harsh, touching and yet full of humor. A mix that Doueiri managed to cook in the wittiest way possible, away from useless melodrama.

Again, couldn’t find a proper trailer. Sorry, I realize I’m not really encouraging you to watch these. Anyway here’s an extract that you might like:

Top 2 – Caramel, Nadine Labaki, 2007

This is the movie that will describe best to you what living in Lebanon feels like. The film premiered at the 2007 Cannes Festival, in the Directors' Fortnight section and it ran for the Caméra d'Or. It was distributed in over 40 countries, easily becoming the most internationally acclaimed and exposed Lebanese film to date. The story focuses on the lives of five Lebanese women dealing with issues such as forbidden love, binding traditions, repressed sexuality, the struggle to accept the natural process of age, and duty versus desire. Labaki's film is unique for not showcasing a war-ravaged Beirut but rather a warm and inviting place where people deal with universal issues. The title Caramel refers to an epilation method that consists of heating sugar, water and lemon juice. Labaki obviously was inspired by an Almodovar touch, but also managed to put her story in a typical Lebanese frame. The movie is in every bit representative of our daily routines in Lebanon, dominated by the over presence of religion, the scare of getting old, the struggles of an unmarried couple and the fear of affirming one’s sexual orientation. In a mix between humor and a more dramatic tone, it managed to give a truthful spectrum of different women and their struggles in a conservative yet rebellious society.

YAS! A proper trailer with English subtitles! Who’s your favourite Lebanese movie blogger?

Top 1 – Very Big Shot, Mir-Jean Bou Chaaya, 2015

Listen to me. This movie is really worth watching. Because when I watched it, I found it very good and for the first time ever, not only compared to Lebanese standards. It was just plain good. Still not convinced? Well, it was screened in the Discovery section of the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival and was selected as the Lebanese entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 89th Academy Awards even though it was not nominated in the end. But it tells the story of brothers Ziad and Joe who run a small but lucrative drug-dealing business out of their takeout pizzeria in one of Beirut’s working-class districts. Ziad’s supplier, a powerful drug lord convinces the brothers who wanted to retire to take on one last job: smuggling a million-dollar shipment of amphetamine to Syria, where the drug is wildly popular with militia fighters. To succeed in it, they decide to hide it in cans of exposed film reels and to avoid raising doubts around them, the three brothers become the producers of a feature film directed by Charbel, a talentless filmmaker and customer in debt of their pizzeria. The script is smooth, the actors amazing, it is embedded in a very Lebanese nature but without overdoing it. And it’s just very smart. The very young filmmaker actually made a short version of it with the same story as his senior project in film school. And no, I didn’t get that information from the internet; believe it or not, everybody knows everybody in Lebanon, and I have met the filmmaker in person as we are both graduates from the same film school (very small country). Anyway, he approached the very common subject of drug-dealing in his own way. The film is so well-built that it drags you down to its very special atmosphere, and dishonest reckless characters. The whole is located in a third-world country where scam and cheat are the way to avoid authorities and get what you want.                      

Very good trailer. Why ? When did I ever give you bad ones?

[listingmovies]

TOP 5 most powerful TITLES

Ever since I became passionate about cinema, I grew a special love for movie titles. I believe a title has the power to influence the spectator, and to alter his state of mind while he’s watching the movie. A well-thought title can really put you in a certain condition, a position that will make you unconsciously more open to the story. Some of them seem to be the finishing touch of the film by enclosing an elegant tone, a sort of delicious cherry on top. So here are the top 5 movie titles that I find amazing.

5- Back to the future, Robert Zemeckis, 1985

Marty McFly, a 17-year-old high school student, is accidentally sent 30 years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his close friend, the eccentric scientist Doc Brown. Out of all time travel movies, I find this one to have the most creative title. The trilogy is a back-and-forth journey where barriers between past and future are taken down and time travelling becomes necessary as the characters are the cause to many butterfly effects. And Back to the Future has a nice ring to it. Executive Sidney Sheinberg wanted the title changed to Spaceman from Pluto, convinced no successful film ever had "future" in the title. Appalled by the new title that Sheinberg wanted to impose, Zemeckis asked producer Steven Spielberg for help. Spielberg wrote a note back to Sheinberg, pretending they thought his title was just a joke, thus embarrassing him into dropping the idea. And thank God he did. Back to the future is the perfect title to picture the bumpy adventure the protagonists are about to be taken on. Because the whole point of these movies is asserting the danger that time travel can unravel and the inevitable repercussions the past can have on the future, and vice versa. In other terms, time is represented as a circle, a fourth dimension that requires to be handled carefully, or more roughly, to be left alone. There. That ought to teach you not to play with space time continuum, next time you come across a Delorean. You’ve been warned.  

4- Kramer vs Kramer, Robert Benton, 1979

Kramer vs. Kramer reflected a cultural change which occurred during the 1970s, when ideas about motherhood and fatherhood were changing. Ted Kramer's wife, Joanna, leaves her husband, allowing for a lost bond to be rediscovered between Ted and his son, Billy. But a heated custody battle over Billy results in unraveling the silenced wounds of each of them. The title in itself puts you right in that middle neutral position, which you’ll have to deal with throughout the whole movie. Because the fact that it’s so hard to take sides with any one of them reflects the genius of the script. The title embodies the whole point of the story, an impossible confrontation between a mother and a father, and whoever is more vital to their son’s life. And we do get attached to both parents. We find that Ted is tenderly overwhelmed by his child, gradually making him a priority in his life; but on the other hand, we can feel the mother’s suffering that she’s had to put up with all these years and we can’t seem to be able to blame her. The film was in fact widely praised for the way in which it gave equal weight and importance to both Joanna and Ted's points of view. Divorce is a debatable question that hasn’t yet found its answer. Because who to choose between a Kramer and a Kramer? Oh dear, this reminds me of the question I was asked the most when I was little. Who do you love more? Mommy or Daddy?

3- Dial M for Murder, Alfred Hitchcock, 1954

An ex-tennis pro carries out a plot to murder his wife. When things go wrong, he improvises a brilliant plan B. When the plot is thought through, it is executed in the most classy and calm way possible, that is reflected in the title. Indeed, the husband does not hesitate once and always seems very relaxed and still. Not our usual wife murderer. The plot he’s imagined depends entirely on a telephone call: he’ll have to call his wife at a precise moment to have her come to the telephone and be killed by the man he hired for that. Dial M for Murder is therefore pure genius, a title that leaves just enough mystery that only makes sense at the climax of the movie. Because not only does the protagonist actually plans to have his wife murdered, but he also presses the button to trigger it. And the cold Englishman so happens to dial the M button on the old phone…M for Murder.

You can watch the genius sequence here (SPOILER ALERT):

The master of suspense is used to the extremes. He had a giant telephone prop built for the fatal shot which was vital for him. Hitchcock chose this ironic title as the finishing touch to his brilliant sneaky action, a crown at the top of his gloomy plot.

2- Slumdog millionaire, Danny Boyle, 2008                

A Mumbai teen explores his upbringing in the slums when he is accused of cheating on the Indian Version of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" The oxymoron of the title opposing the terms Slumdog and Millionaire is the central question mark of the movie. The question of whether a “Slumdog” has enough culture to be on this sort of show. But what is culture anyway? The very general, rather ambiguous word that is “knowledge” is personified here as the harsh obstacles you encounter in life. Living on the streets is portrayed as a vertiginous path, a startling journey carved in a series of perilous episodes, all very well captured in this movie. Because many stories have tried to examine these destiny-related interrogations, but this title is beyond doubt the most poetic way to express the unexpected turns life can take. The title alone seems to be confronting us to our dreams. Even a Slumdog can be a millionaire. Aaand why not you? (Just kidding. You’re not a movie character)

1- Requiem for a dream, Darren Aronofsky, 2000

The drug-induced utopias of four people are shattered when their addictions run deep. What an elegant title to a heart-wrenching, dizzy drama with depraved characters ! After reaching a climax where everything seems to be working out for them, the characters soon find themselves on the highway to hell. The movie is, in its whole, a requiem. A requiem for blessed times. A requiem for what these people used to be. A requiem for delusive dreams, the “American dream” as the writer described it. And the very disturbing voyage to hell is brought to life by Aronofsky’s unique filming technique. Concerned to show the subjective drug-induced states of his characters, he alternates between very close and very wide shots with a fish eye technique, in order to portray the descent of his characters, and their smashed dreams. The movie really is an ode to a slow death, a song of pure agony. No doubt that if this story was a music, it would be a mass for dead dreams.  

[listingmovies]

TOP 5 ACTORS stuck in their characters.

In television, film and theater, typecasting is the process by which a particular actor becomes strongly identified with a specific character. It usually happens when the actor was introduced to the audience with that role, or when the character was so strong that it is fixed in the public's imagination. And those actors often try to shake off their key roles by doing something radically different. But does that ever work? Could the audience bear to see the man who was once a religious figure, living a romantic drama in a different movie? Or better yet could we ever accept that these roles were just a performance? And that these actors are actually radically different from how we’ve seen them on-screen?

5-      Jim Caviezel in “The Passion of the Christ” (2004) & Robert Powell in “Jesus of Nazareth” (1977)

Most people don’t know his name and refer to him as “the Jesus in that Mel Gibson movie���. Did you know he also played in The Count of Monte Christo and The Thin Red Line? Actors that had a Jesus Role are usually bound to be remembered for that part only. Apparently, playing Jesus is a big deal – knowing he is not the only religious character movies have been made about. However, he remains the most represented historical character whether in books, paintings, movies etc. So how can you rebound from Jesus to another role? In fact, prior to filming, Gibson precisely warned Caviezel that playing Jesus would hurt his acting career. The actor later admitted that good roles had been hard to come by since, but stated he had no regrets about taking the role. He even starred in an advertisement while incarnating Jesus.

If Willem Dafoe managed to get out of Jesus’ robe after The Last Temptation of Christ by Martin Scorsese, it was a struggle for Robert Powell. His role in Jesus of Nazareth came almost by luck. The producers considered choosing a well-known star such as Dustin Hoffman or Al Pacino but chose Powell as he matched the popular perception of Jesus. He was subject to severe criticism from religious groups for 'living in sin' with his companion so the couple had to marry shortly before production began. But Powell's portrayal has since become an often-used image in popular devotional art, and historian James Houlden even claimed that the actor “defined the visual image of Christ in the minds of the audience... Perhaps more than any other Jesus film.”

4-      Audrey Tautou in “Le Fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain” (2001)

Tautou achieved international recognition for her lead role in the 2001 film Le fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain, which met with critical acclaim and was a major box-office success. If the character in Jean Pierre Jeunet’s movie was quite surreal and unique, Tautou seems to have dragged this weirdo attitude into all her roles. Even when she took on rather sexy parts, the little Amélie always seems to be right around the corner. Maybe it’s because the audience recognized that spirit in Tautou and doesn’t want to see her in something radically different since she achieved to be wonderfully weird. From a shy new actress, to an acclaimed star with this one film, Amélie’s unique character - that ate Tautou’s own personality - got Luc Besson to say: “I wish I had been the producer of that movie”.

3-      Tom Hulce in “Amadeus” (1984)

Amadeus is a fictionalized biography of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Antonio Salieri, an Italian composer contemporary of Mozart is so driven by jealousy of his talent and his success as a composer that he plans to kill him. He plots to pass off a Requiem - which he secretly commissioned from Mozart - as his own. Mozart is pictured as a very irrational and childish genius. It was imperative to give him a unique personality to contrast his talent with his foolish manners. Kenneth Brannagh was one of the finalists for the role of Mozart, but was dropped from consideration when Forman decided to make the film with an American cast. Hulce used many sources of inspiration to portray Mozart as an unpredictable genius with a lot of mood swings. And he put so much of his soul into this role that it’s hard to remember him in anything else. The unique and very special Mozart he was able to play gave the script an essential upturn. He may have lost the Oscar for best actor to his partner F. Murray Abraham who played Salieri but remains linked in our minds to the famous musician more than any other role.

2-      Clint Eastwood in Spaghetti Westerns (1960’s)

Now I realize I’m analyzing a giant here. Clint Eastwood, film actor, director, producer, and composer. has appeared in over 50 movies of the most several genres. But what really gets stuck in our heads with time is the Western Eastwood. In fact, I’m sure we all have the same picture of him in mind: him, his poncho, his hat, his cigarette, pulling out a fireproof vest from under his clothes and a zoom in on his squinted eyes. It’s a bit like the fast food/McDonald’s association. Anyway, so it’s pretty impressive how this guy spent over 50 years trying to make various movies, but still ends up being the Western guy. Some people even believe that Eastwood’s time is the authentic Western Movies era. While we all know (if you didn’t, I just saved you) that the real western movement started in the early 1900’s and was prominent in the time of director John Ford. What Sergio Leone did was making westerns only by changing their rules. The hero becomes for instance an anti-hero, that is far from perfect. But somehow, despite all that, Eastwood has been holding the “cool guy” label for decades now. It is a notable reference for Westerns, a lot more than John Wayne – John Ford’s favorite actor. In Back to the future 3, Marty goes back to the year 1885 and calls himself Eastwood because it’s the first Western name that pops into his head. Would you have thought of John Wayne?

1-      Carry Fisher in the ‘’Star Wars” series (started in 1977)

Carrie Frances Fisher actress, writer and humorist first became known for playing Princess Leia in the Star Wars film series. Princess Leia has been called a 1980s icon, a feminist hero and "an exemplary personification of female empowerment." The character has been referenced or parodied in several TV shows and films, and celebrated in cosplay. The scene where Fisher appeared in the Leia golden bikini has become a mythical moment. Legendary enough that Ross (in Friends) has fantasies over that outfit making his girlfriend Rachel forced to grant his wish and wear it in bed. Leia has also been used in a wide range of very popular Star Wars merchandise. No wonder Fisher could not assert her independence from the character with the bagel hair. In a 2011 interview, Fisher said:

“No one could have known the extent of the franchise. Not that I don’t think I’m cute or anything, but when I looked in the mirror, I didn’t think I was signing away anything of value. Lately I feel like I’m Minnie Mouse—the identity of Princess Leia so eclipses any other identity that I’ve ever had.” The world praised her when she died in 2016 of cardiac arrest. The devastated fans wrote all over social media “So long Princess Leia’’.

[listingmovies]

TOP 5 DISNEY MOVIES that still have meaning today.

Surely you remember how you used to watch animation movies in your childhood. First, you had to know from the start whose side you should be on. You didn’t care why, you just knew. But rediscovering a Disney Classic when grown up is something I highly recommend. You’ll watch it in a totally different light. Sometimes, you’ll even feel that the story (that you didn’t quite get when you were a child) actually sounds familiar in our times. In fact, I noticed that many children movies talk about a subject that we can still relate to today. So basically, we all grew up to these Disney movies (if you didn’t, you had a sad childhood) but why are they still contemporary?

Top 5 – One hundred and one Dalmatians (1961)

When Dalmatian puppies are abducted by Cruella de Vil, their owners must find them before she uses them for a diabolical fashion purpose. When watching the 101 Dalmatians at the age of 7, I clearly didn’t like Cruella. First of all, she was ugly. Our criterial choices were not that nuanced. Second of all, she wanted to kill those cute dogs. And that was enough for me. God, I hated her guts. But now that I’m older (a bit smarter too), I get that Cruella is bad because she wants the dogs’ fur. Call me crazy but doesn’t this sound like a vegan campaign to you? I mean, animals have really been the hot topic of the past few years. Fighting for animal pride seems like a priority these days, questioning the non-ethical methods within the meat industry, the beauty brands that test on animals, the clothing brands that sell fur, leather etc. I’m not against this movement of protest (actually, I would kill anyone who hurts my cat). In fact, the Pro animals community have interesting views about the relationship between children and animals. They claim that there is a reason children love animals so much and therefore enjoy movies that star animals. As they say, it is not right for the human being to want to hurt an animal and the innocent reaction of a child towards this cruelty is the natural, unbiased one. It is the one that is not influenced by society, the one that just follows the logic of Nature. And this is why it’s easy to hate Cruella, even when young. Because what she’s up to is, according to some people, counter-nature. Humans should not be against animals and protesters often use this argument to assess how unnatural it is to take part in the killing.

Top 4 – Alice in Wonderland (1951)

The movie is based on the tale by Lewis Caroll. On a riverbank, Alice spots a White Rabbit in a suit passing by, claiming that he is "late for a very important date". She gives chase, following him into a large rabbit hole. This hole takes her to the most delusional adventure, where Alice is subject to nothing else but hallucinations. To sum up: Kids, stay in school. Don’t do drugs. Now it hasn’t been clear what Alice had been taking. Probably LSD. But it’s rather interesting how a 5-year-old can believe such a story. He has no clue we’re talking about the largest and most dangerous epidemic phenomenon of our century. He just absorbs the story as if it was normal, while Alice is obviously…tripping. Still, what bothers me about this very down-to-earth interpretation of the tale is that I want to believe in this cooler funnier world Alice gets dragged into. And claiming that the only way to get to it is to be on drugs is rather sad. Can’t we pretend that Alice was a perfectly healthy little girl and had that much imagination without the help of any substance? This is why the movie is so compatible with our times. We live in a cruel harsh world. So why not imagine a Wonderland where everything is lighter? (Minus the annoying characters)

Top 3 – Robin Hood (1973)

It is based on a legend of the English Folklore, but uses animals as characters instead of people. The story follows the adventures of Robin Hood, Little John and the inhabitants of Nottingham as they fight against the excessive taxation of Prince John. So, in other terms, it’s about socialism vs capitalism. Which is basically what our world is about today. It seems like an endless debate too. We’ve been trying out different types of governments ever since politics were created. And so far, we still don’t know which is the ideal one. Stealing rich people’s money to give them to the poor might work in animation but I have a slight feeling it would be harder to put in practice. If Robin Hood proved to be an efficient proletarian, who practically brought the peace to the country, I don’t really see François Hollande pulling off a heroic act like that. I wish we could go back to Robin’s time where it was easy to solve poverty and unemployment. Can you imagine him making the world a Disney world? I wouldn’t want to miss Donald’s face when he does!

Top 2 – Mulan (1998)

The story is based on a Chinese legend. To save her father from death in the army, Mulan, a young maiden, secretly goes in his place and becomes one of China's greatest heroines in the process. Isn’t Mulan the best example of feminism among the Disney heroines? She is strong and feisty and proves to be the worth of men. I don’t know about you but this reminds me of a certain speech recently held at the UN. Two years ago, Emma Watson said at the launching of UN’s new feminist movement called HeForShe ‘’I think it is right that women be involved on my behalf in the policies and decision-making of my country. I think it is right that socially I am afforded the same respect as men.” Shame she and Mulan didn’t get to spend much time together. And however Disney-ish is the movie, I find it vital, in order to show the kids that women are capable of greatness too. In fact, there aren’t too many of those Disney heroines. Even though gender equality has improved, we’re still far from that goal, and Mulan is yet to be real. In fact, I believe we have a world full of Mulans, but how many of them have the chance to take action like she did?

Top 1 – The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

The story is adapted from a novel by Victor Hugo, a notable French writer. He tells the story of a deformed bell-ringer who must assert his independence from a vicious government minister. His rebellion starts by helping his friend, a gypsy dancer, named Esmeralda who he secretly falls in love with. Esmeralda’s community is a group of gypsies who are just wandering about in the capital. When government authorities threaten to fire them, they demand asylum at the Cathedral of Notre Dame. It is sad how not much has changed, in Paris or any city of the world. Groups of refugees are still flowing from all over the world, escaping wars and poverty and risking their lives to be welcomed in a safer land. If their condition today is not comparable to Hugo’s 1831 novel, the situation is still not pretty. Immigrants from here and there are still bound to the same misery. I don’t see any of them banging on the doors of Notre Dame but they’re here, among us. And we try to ignore them while we’re getting off to a busy day. But they’re here.

[listingmovies]

TOP 3 MOVIES that would be weird to pitch.

Why I chose this as my first subject? Because being a film student, I tend to always imagine the development part of a movie, from pitching an idea to writing the script. In my life, I have experienced that sometimes, you can be convinced with an amazing idea and yet – motivating people to get on board is not that easy. So, pitching an idea is hard. Persuading producers to spend money on that idea is even harder. Okay fine, I’ll admit it. Getting out there, in the movie business and becoming a producer, freaks me out. I keep wondering how I’ll get people to follow my (very) weird ideas. But then again, a lot of weird movies got made in the end. And the ones I’m about to mention are only a specimen. There are hundreds and millions of cases like that, where I thought to myself: “why…?” So, here’s a tiny selection of weird movies I wouldn’t want to be pitching in the business world.

TOP 3 – Inception (Christopher Nolan, 2010)

I won’t be too mean with that one because I usually like this director’s work. But, this one is really a challenge. How do you manage to convince big guys with cigars to produce a movie like that? How do you start pitching it? - Okay so I want to write about dreams. - Interesting subject… What’s the story? - The story is about people creating a dream. - Alright…then? - Then a dream inside the dream. - … - Then a dream inside the dream inside the dream. - Listen, Sir… - And then after 2 hours and half you discover that the whole story itself was a dream. - Damn. You a genius. Sold! Okay, I may be exaggerating. The story is actually about a thief, who steals corporate secrets through use of dream-sharing technology. So, on second thought, Nolan might be a lot smarter than I am (after watching it 7 times, I still don’t get the whole movie). Therefore, I admire it as a movie because honestly the part I was able to process was quite nice. I’m just interested in knowing how he got people to follow him on this one. Moreover, how did they understand the script to start with? Apparently, he presented to Warner Bros. a written 80-page treatment about a horror film based on lucid dreaming. He retired the project and the treatment was revised over (only) 6 months to be finally purchased by Warner in February 2009. After all, why wouldn’t it be? Nolan had already established his style made of complicated scripts and non-linear storylines in many of his movies such as Memento (2000) or Interstellar (2014). Plus, Hollywood never had problems selling and advertising some seriously tangled movies (Some of them almost made feel Lynch-ed).

Anyway, what bothers me about these movies is that the complication is not always justified. Sometimes I feel like the director is just laughing at me, knowing that I won’t understand a thing about his story, and he just wants me to nod along and go “wow”. And I hate feeling tricked like that. However, Nolan’s The Prestige, was to my surprise very well-structured and in this case, it had just enough complication to make the plot thrilling yet understandable. I’m just eager to find out what weird concept Nolan is going to pull out the next time. I guess some people aren’t afraid to follow their dreams.

TOP 2 – Crash (David Cronenberg, 1996)

Oh God. Where do I start? I know, I know. It won the Jury’s special prize at Cannes bla bla bla. I’m sorry. I really have trouble appreciating this movie. So apparently, there are people who get aroused by cars? Fine, not judging. And I might even get on board with the whole “it’s exciting to have car crashes” extravaganza. But seeing somebody masturbating against a car? Really?

The idea was so weird to me that I didn’t even get it at first. I was seriously waiting for something to happen and was overlooking the weird scenes where they would get turned on whenever a car was involved. Turns out these scenes were the story.

If you must know, it tells the story of a group of people who take sexual pleasure from car crashes, a notable form of paraphilia (yes, it has a name). And how exactly does one wake up one day and thinks “hmm. I should talk about sex with cars”. HOW? And WHY didn’t any of the producers stop him when he was pitching it to them? (starting to lose my temper here).

Anyway, no I won’t admit it’s a good movie. If that’s the subject you want to talk about, fine by me. But the tone of the story was pointlessly dramatic, and I was reluctant to the unhealthy atmosphere the whole movie conveyed. Again, I don’t mind car fans. But what was wrong with Fast and Furious again?

TOP 1 – Human Centipede (Tom Six, 2009)

Okay, now imagine this. “I want to make a movie about a crazy guy who connects 3 people by stitching them, mouth to anus. I really feel like this speaks to me. It’s been my dream since I was a little boy”. Yes, you read it right. The film tells the story of a German surgeon who kidnaps three tourists and joins them surgically forming a "human centipede" that he wanted as a pet.

I tell you – forget the pitching thing - I wouldn’t be surprised if Tom Six was put in an oven by his parents at the age of 5. Apparently, the idea came up when joking around with his friends. But not all jokes are made to be a movie, are they? Certainly, not a distasteful one like it’s the case here. I mean why would you want to develop such a useless concept? For me, the movie has no purpose whatsoever. Mind you, I’m not against a little craziness, as long as this craziness is well-founded. But in this movie, there is no question as to why this scientist is doing this, he just seems to be plain crazy. Surely, we weren’t going to appreciate him like we loved Dr Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs. Now, he was a sociopath all right. But weirdly enough, very lovable. The thing is you can’t create a disgusting character and expect to hook the audience just like that. Even the disgusting personas must find their way to touch the spectators somehow. That said, I think the plot is – not only delicate to pitch – but also really worthless. As I am passionate about production, my dream is that someday I’ll be able to accompany projects I deeply believe in. What did the producers believe in in this movie? The art of sewing? Among my researches, I discovered that the financers of The Human Centipede did not discover the full nature of the film until it was complete. YOU DON’T SAY? But that’s not the worst part. They actually made sequels to that grotesque idea. The Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence) and The Human Centipede 3 (Final Sequence) just keep adding up to the horror every time. If we are to be expecting more twisted ideas from this guy, may I suggest that he gently returns to his oven?