Movies in English at Chamonix Cinema (10-30th August 2011)

Midnight in Paris, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Melancholia, and Submarine are all playing in original language English (V/O) with French subtitles, at Chamonix's Cinema Vox, August 10th - August 30th.

MIDNIGHT IN PARIS

Director Woody Allen's latest film, which premiered in Cannes this year, is a romantic comedy about a family travelling to Paris for business, including a young engaged couple. Our hero, one half of the couple, is unhappy, but not entirely sure how to amend his malcontent. During his rambling evening walks, our hero finds that he is transported to 1920's Paris every night at midnight when he stands at a certain place in the city. In this other age he meets many of his heroes, such as Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Dali, Bunuel, Picasso, Man Ray and Gertrude Stein. During these visits, our hero is forced to confront his illusion that a life different from his own is better, even as he also finds that some elements of his dreams are worth pursuing in his ‘real' life.

This film is not one of Allen's greats - Manhattan or Annie Hall or even The Mighty Aphrodite - but it is the best of recent years and absolutely worth watching. That said, it's not a film for everyone because of its literary and artistic references as well as its subtext of existentialism, but that's not to say that it's ‘high brow' or overly intellectual at all. Ultimately, Woody Allen's film is an homage to creativity and dreams as a reality rather than as an illusion. This reviewer left the cinema after watching this film feeling that "all things are possible."

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: Part II

The final chapter begins as Harry, Ron, and Hermione continue their quest to find and destroy Voldemort's three remaining Horcruxes, the magical items responsible for his immortality. But as the mystical Deathly Hallows are uncovered, and Voldemort finds out about their mission, the biggest battle begins and life as they know it will never be the same again.

The cosy trimmings of previous Harry Potter films - trains to school, lessons, quidditch matches - are not evident in this film, which is darker than the rest of the movies. Even as it doesn't rate as one of the best Harry Potter films, the lead actors are fine and it's another adventure in the popular series with the familiar characters. A must see for Harry Potter fans, particularly as it's the finale.

SUBMARINE

Oliver Tate is besotted with a feisty girl in his class at school, Jordana. But as he embarks on his first relationship, he also frets over the troubles in his parents' relationship, problems exacerbated by one of his mother's exes moving in down the street.

This is Richard Ayoade's directorial debut and he has hit it ‘right on the money' with savvy visual references, a good script and a great cast. Adapted from Joe Dunthorne's novel, the script is full of humour. Aiding the script are well-cast actors in all of the roles whose characters offset the quirky, dark tendencies of the movie with a warmth and likability.

This is a film that blends cool, quirky comedy with warm-hearted drama - a joy to watch.

MELANCHOLIA

Justine (Kirsten Dunst) and Michael (Alexander Skarsgard) are celebrating their marriage at an extravagant party in the home of her sister (Charlotte Gainsbourg) and brother-in-law (Kiefer Sutherland) just as the planet Melancholia is heading towards earth. As the planet threatens to collide with the earth, the two sisters find their relationship challenged and their sense of the world and their place in it in question.

Danish Director and Writer Lars von Trier is no stranger to difficult subject matter as seen in his previous films Dogville, Breaking the Waves, Dancer in the Dark and The Kingdom. Melancholia is about the tension between appearances and ‘reality,' happiness and sadness, ‘good' and ‘evil.' Von Trier is also a man who upsets people both with his work and his words - it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival this year (May) where it won Kirsten Dunst a Best Actress Award (a long way away from her role in Spiderman) even as Von Trier was ejected from the festival for offending someone with something he said.

However, as with Von Trier's previous films, the work speaks for itself: complex, gorgeously shot, beautifully scored, and wonderfully acted, this is a very good film.