HIFF movies this year
I did mention planning on making a post about the movies I intend to see at the Helsinki International Film Festival (or more familiarly known as Rakkautta & Anarkiaa (=Love & Anarchy in English) which is starting later this week. Well, this is that post. I also do want to go back to posting more often in the future...
I'm planning on seeing 18 films in 10 days this year. The number of films might look like a lot, but it's actually about 2 films per day which isn't that bad. And since I'm on holiday for the next 2,5 weeks, I don't have work, so for that one week it's only movies, movies, movies. :)
So, the films I'm planning on seeing:
All these descriptions are based on the festival website and/or IMDB.
7 Sins Forgiven (7 Khoon Maaf; India 2011)
I've got this on DVD, but hadn't watched it yet, so I'm glad to see it on the big screen. I like how Priyanka Chopra's moving into more experimental and interesting roles from the glamour girl ones.
13 Assassins (Jûsan-nin no shikaku; Japan 2010)
I will forever be amused at the festival website's description of SMAP's Inagaki Goro as an "ultracool j-rocker". He plays the shogun's mad and sadistic stepson against whom the titular 13 samurai fight on a suicide mission.
The Beast Stalker (Ching yan; Hong Kong 2008)
A Hong Kong crime thriller with Nicholas Tse as the main character. He plays a perfectionist cop devastated when a stray bullet from his gun slays a young girl, but is determined to help the mother and sister of the dead girl.
The Bengali Detective (UK 2011)
Rajesh is a private detective in Kolkata.
Bollywood: The Greatest Love Story Ever Told (India 2011)
A documentary about Bollywood and the Indian cinema.
The Forgiveness of Blood (USA 2010)
Blood feud is still very much alive in rural Albania. This films tells how it can affect the life of a family, where all male children fall under the threat of death after the feud becomes active.
POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold (USA 2011)
Morgan Spurlock's take on product placement in the movies.
Headhunters (Norway 2011)
This is the only movie I'm seeing that will also have a theatrical release in Finland. I've seen a couple trailers and plenty of pictures in alexandral journal, so I was happy to see this in the festival programme. There is only one showing, and I see there are going to be some actors etc. present in it.
Let My People Go! (France 2011)
World premiere of a French-Finnish collaboration movie. The main character in this comedy is a gay guy who has been happily living with his boyfriend in Finland until a minor event causes his life to fall apart.
Parked (Ireland 2010)
40-ish Fred has moved from England back to Ireland and is living in his car. But he finds new love when another person parks beside him. The main character is played by Colm Meaney, who is also going to be a guest at the festival.
Poetry (Shi; South Korea 2010)
"A sixty-something woman, faced with the discovery of a heinous family crime and in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, finds strength and purpose when she enrolls in a poetry class." (Description from IMDB)
Restless (USA 2011)
"The story of a terminally ill teenage girl who falls for a boy who likes to attend funerals and their encounters with the ghost of a Japanese kamikaze pilot from WWII."> (Description from IMDB)
Robot (Endhiran; India 2010)
Tamil movie touted as the most expensive Indian movie ever, starring Aishwarya Rai and Rajnikanth.
The Salt of Life
(Gianni e le donne; Italy 2011)
Gianni is a 60-year-old who has noticed that he's becoming more invisible with age. He is not content to become just an old geezer and wants to find some more excitement in his life.
Tomboy (France 2011)
10-year-old Laure wants to be a boy. When her family moves to another town, she gets an opportunity to be one, aided by her little sister. But then her family finds out about it.
The Unjust (Bu-dang-geo-rae; South Korea 2010)
Crime thriller set around a serial killer hunting teenage girls and corruption in the society. An innocent man gets killed by the police and the system does it's best to cover it up.
Where Do We Go Now? (Et maintenant, on va où?; France 2010)
Set in an unnamed village, the women of the village try to ease the tensions between the hot-headed Muslim and Christian males of the village after an incident that threatens to make them take up arms against each other.
Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (India 2011)
Farhan Akhtar, Hrithik Roshan and Abhay Deol in the same movie? Directed by Zoya Akhtar (I loved Luck by Chance) On a pre-marriage road trip to Spain! No way am I going to miss this movie. :D
I'm actually happy to see so much Indian programming this year, and not just Hindi movies only, but with more diversity in it! And since this festival is (almost) my only chance to see Indian movies in a film theatre, I'm planning to enjoy myself to the full.
I'm planning on seeing 18 films in 10 days this year. The number of films might look like a lot, but it's actually about 2 films per day which isn't that bad. And since I'm on holiday for the next 2,5 weeks, I don't have work, so for that one week it's only movies, movies, movies. :)
So, the films I'm planning on seeing:
All these descriptions are based on the festival website and/or IMDB.
7 Sins Forgiven (7 Khoon Maaf; India 2011)
I've got this on DVD, but hadn't watched it yet, so I'm glad to see it on the big screen. I like how Priyanka Chopra's moving into more experimental and interesting roles from the glamour girl ones.
13 Assassins (Jûsan-nin no shikaku; Japan 2010)
I will forever be amused at the festival website's description of SMAP's Inagaki Goro as an "ultracool j-rocker". He plays the shogun's mad and sadistic stepson against whom the titular 13 samurai fight on a suicide mission.
The Beast Stalker (Ching yan; Hong Kong 2008)
A Hong Kong crime thriller with Nicholas Tse as the main character. He plays a perfectionist cop devastated when a stray bullet from his gun slays a young girl, but is determined to help the mother and sister of the dead girl.
The Bengali Detective (UK 2011)
Rajesh is a private detective in Kolkata.
Bollywood: The Greatest Love Story Ever Told (India 2011)
A documentary about Bollywood and the Indian cinema.
The Forgiveness of Blood (USA 2010)
Blood feud is still very much alive in rural Albania. This films tells how it can affect the life of a family, where all male children fall under the threat of death after the feud becomes active.
POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold (USA 2011)
Morgan Spurlock's take on product placement in the movies.
Headhunters (Norway 2011)
This is the only movie I'm seeing that will also have a theatrical release in Finland. I've seen a couple trailers and plenty of pictures in alexandral journal, so I was happy to see this in the festival programme. There is only one showing, and I see there are going to be some actors etc. present in it.
Let My People Go! (France 2011)
World premiere of a French-Finnish collaboration movie. The main character in this comedy is a gay guy who has been happily living with his boyfriend in Finland until a minor event causes his life to fall apart.
Parked (Ireland 2010)
40-ish Fred has moved from England back to Ireland and is living in his car. But he finds new love when another person parks beside him. The main character is played by Colm Meaney, who is also going to be a guest at the festival.
Poetry (Shi; South Korea 2010)
"A sixty-something woman, faced with the discovery of a heinous family crime and in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, finds strength and purpose when she enrolls in a poetry class." (Description from IMDB)
Restless (USA 2011)
"The story of a terminally ill teenage girl who falls for a boy who likes to attend funerals and their encounters with the ghost of a Japanese kamikaze pilot from WWII."> (Description from IMDB)
Robot (Endhiran; India 2010)
Tamil movie touted as the most expensive Indian movie ever, starring Aishwarya Rai and Rajnikanth.
The Salt of Life
(Gianni e le donne; Italy 2011)
Gianni is a 60-year-old who has noticed that he's becoming more invisible with age. He is not content to become just an old geezer and wants to find some more excitement in his life.
Tomboy (France 2011)
10-year-old Laure wants to be a boy. When her family moves to another town, she gets an opportunity to be one, aided by her little sister. But then her family finds out about it.
The Unjust (Bu-dang-geo-rae; South Korea 2010)
Crime thriller set around a serial killer hunting teenage girls and corruption in the society. An innocent man gets killed by the police and the system does it's best to cover it up.
Where Do We Go Now? (Et maintenant, on va où?; France 2010)
Set in an unnamed village, the women of the village try to ease the tensions between the hot-headed Muslim and Christian males of the village after an incident that threatens to make them take up arms against each other.
Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (India 2011)
Farhan Akhtar, Hrithik Roshan and Abhay Deol in the same movie? Directed by Zoya Akhtar (I loved Luck by Chance) On a pre-marriage road trip to Spain! No way am I going to miss this movie. :D
I'm actually happy to see so much Indian programming this year, and not just Hindi movies only, but with more diversity in it! And since this festival is (almost) my only chance to see Indian movies in a film theatre, I'm planning to enjoy myself to the full.