I recommend: The Fall (2006)

Ever wondered how a story would look like on silver screen? Ever wondered how your childhood heros will be depicted in images? If you answer yes, then you definitely should see The Fall, a vibrant, colorful, exceptional movie. Watch how the story unfolds before your eyes and becomes deeper and deeper…

Trivia: Did you know the lead actress is Romanian ?

Film: The Fall
Director: Tarsem Singh
Cast: Catinca Untaru, Lee Pace, Sean Gilder, Kim Uylenbroek

Trailer: (perhaps it would be better to not view it)

I recommend: The Air I Breathe

Ever wondered how life has its own, magnificent way of assembling people and events at exactly the right time and place? Inspired after a chinese proverb, this film tells the story of life itself using four emotional cornerstones: happiness, pleasure, sorrow and love.

If you liked movies like “21 Grams” or “Crash”, The Air I Breathe is pushing the genre even farther with a beautifully told story. Cast is also great, every character being so rich and excellently played.

Film: The Air I Breathe
Directed by: Jiehoo Lee
Cast: Kevin Bacon, Forrest Whitaker, Andy Garcia, Brendan Frasier, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Julie Delpy

I recommend: Padre Pio

This is not just another film about religion. Furthermore, this is not a film about Padre Pio, although he is the main character. This is a film about the true nature of human spirit, a film about goodness and kindness, about struggle and sacrifice. There is so much beauty and pain in this life that sometimes human soul can’t handle it anymore. This film is made for such moments, when the soul needs its time to be replenished.

In my opinion, Padre Pio is a true masterpiece of European cinematography. Exceptional interpretation by Sergio Castellitto (photo right).  It also features a beautiful and immersive soundtrack composed by Paulo Buonvino.

Film: Padre Pio
Directed by Carlo Carlei
Cast: Sergio Castellitto

I recommend: The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

This is a different view on Nazi World War II period, depicted through the eyes of an eight-year old boy, son of the commander of a concentration camp. A strange friendship is developed between him and a jewish boy from the camp.
Everything is getting worse when the jewish boy’s father dissapears…

Film: The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
Written and directed by: Mark Herman
Cast: Asa Butterfield, David Thewlis

I recommend: Equilibrium

In a futuristic world (but not that far), some minds came to the conclusion that suppressing emotions will lead to a more stable world, where there is no pain and war. A special organization is in charge of destroying anything that can trigger human emotions and punishes people for not obeying the strict laws of the regime.

Film: Equilibrium
Written and directed by: Kurt Wimmer
Cast: Christian Bale, Sean Bean, William Fichtner

Christian Bale delivers a wonderful performance, as usual. Fight scenes are very nice coreographed, resembling a bit to those of Matrix, but with much more realism. Director Kurt Wimmer has managed to create very well the minimalistic alienating world, using both asian elements and symbols from the Nazi period. Lighting follow nicely the story course, but the whole light potential is perfectly used in the fighting scenes.

NOTE: If you like this movie, you should also read Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.