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Nothing to Declare (2010),
It was unimaginable that in the centre of Europe where two world wars took place, half a century later integration of economies and laws between the involved countries will happen. Nothing to Declare (Rien à déclarer) is a humorous take on the events leading up to the implementation of the eurozone. The Franco-Belgian comedy doesn’t take place in Brussels or Paris but in a small village that is part of both countries. The officers featured are not leaders, but two customs officers on the border checkposts. The film narrates how the commoners are affected by the noble ideals of the European Union. It gets a Ripe rating in Mangoidiots for…
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2 Alone in Paris (2008)
During the early days of the pandemic, we saw pictures of the roads of the busiest cities in the world being completely empty and with subsequent lockdowns, the scene became familiar. But to see the famous parts of Paris being deserted and void of people in 2008, when this film was made, should’ve been eerie. That’s the feeling the film, 2 Alone in Paris (Seuls Two), by Directors Ramzy Bedia and Eric Judor tries to create in the audience, unfortunately, the rest of the movie in the name of being a comedy comes out absurd and makes you feel stupid. Available on Netflix it gets my ‘Rotten’ rating. Gervais is…
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What We Wanted (2020)
What We Wanted (Was wir wollten), a German language drama from Austria covers the strained relationship of a married couple who are unable to have a baby. The lead pair of Lavinia Wilson and Elyas M’Barek make the film enjoyable, but the screenplay finds itself wanting in many places. Available on Netflix, I give the film a rating of Raw. Alice and Niklas are busy professionals with their individual jobs. They have been trying to conceive a baby for years and have exhausted the government-subsidized number of attempts (four) for fertility procedures. To take their minds off and rediscover the love in their lives they go on a vacation to…
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Spoiled Brats (2021)
Spoiled Brats (Pourris gâtés 2021), a French comedy is a film that is as simple as it gets. It is about a millionaire in Monaco pretending to be penniless so that he can teach his three children the value of money and the importance of working. The city-state looks stunning in the visuals. This was a feel-good film that was predictable yet entertaining and I liked it. Available on Netflix, it gets my Raw rating. Philippe Bartek (Artus), Alexandre Bartek (Louka Meliava) & Stella Bartek (Camille Lou) are the three children of a super-rich single dad Francis Bartek (Gerard Jugnot). The eldest, Philippe is a gourmet and comes with useless…
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Chocolat (2000)
Chocolat (2000) is a comedy-drama that happens in a small village in France during the 1950s. It follows Vianne Rocher, a chocolatier arriving in the quiet community resulting in residents opening up to new possibilities. I easily get interested in movies that cover tightly-knit communities and the dynamics within, so I liked the film. It had a predictable story and a slow screenplay that won’t be fancied by most. Chocolat is available on Netflix and scores a ‘Raw’. Vianne Rocher, a single woman and her daughter live like nomads moving from one town to another, staying in each place for some time but never burying their roots anywhere. During one…
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Chernobyl 1986 (2021)
Next to the horrific Hiroshima and Nagasaki atom bombs, when we think of nuclear disasters what comes to mind are the tragic incidents in Fukushima (Japan) and Chernobyl (in erstwhile USSR). Other than reading in the news about these, I knew very little about the human tragedies involved in these world-changing events. A few years ago, when I saw the film “The Seal of the Sun (2016)” it was unbelievable to see that the disciplined Japanese could’ve been so irresponsible in leading to the Fukushima meltdown and did very little to contain the damage. This led me interested in learning about the Chernobyl incident, so when I saw the listing…
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The Girl with a Bracelet (2019)
The Girl with a Bracelet aka La fille au bracelet (2019) is a french courtroom drama. It was about a teenage girl on trial for killing her best friend based on circumstantial evidence. The movie was not about who killed the girl, but the process of what happens when you are accused of a murder and how it affects your family. It was well taken and I enjoyed the film. I am happy to give it a Mangoidiots rating of ‘Ripe’. Be aware that there are visuals of blood and a dead body in the film. And there is obscenity in the dialogues. For a film that carefully avoids becoming…
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In Family I Trust (2019)
In Family I Trust (2019) is a Spanish romantic comedy that is available on Netflix. The familiar story of a lady professional getting heartbroken returning to her hometown to be with her loving family has been told warmly by Director Patricia Font. It was a fun movie to watch and gets a mangoidiots rating of ‘Raw’. Life has been going good for the young Bea, a steady boyfriend who has recently asked her to marry him, and a successful architect career. Then she discovers he had cheated on her. In a bit of rage, she gets herself fired and comes to her mother living in a small town. Her mother…
