Headhunters

Isn’t it odd.

If I go to see a film in a foreign language, with subtitles in English, I’m now in the habit of expecting a certain type of film. A different type of film from those which are to be found at the multiplexes.

And so Headhunters surprised me a little.  It’s clearly riding on the current UK success of Scandinavian film and ‘Nordic Noir’ TV shows, and no reason why not. It has the overhead shots of cars driving through the forest, the classy interior decor … you get the picture.

But it’s actually an action/thriller movie which would be very much at home in any multiplex if it were in the English language.

It’s a decent romp with a couple of twists and turns and one or two interesting characters. It was spoiled a little by some clunky plot points, and the fact that events had to be explained at the end left me wondering whether it hadn’t tried to be just a little too clever for its own good.

I should imagine that when Hollywood remakes this with a few more special effects, it will be a huge moneyspinner – and you can quote me on that!

Into The Abyss: A Tale of Death, A Tale of Life

In this documentary, director Werner Herzog interviews three prison inmates, two prison chaplains and the relative of two murder victims, and stiches the outcome together into a brilliantly touching view of humanity.

Herzog is never on screen, but his gentle questioning elicits admissions from those being interviewed which are revealing, and often very unexpected. 

He makes it quite clear from the start that he is against the death penalty, and shows immense respect for the humanity of every single person he interviews in the face of awful crimes. A brilliant documentary, mainly due to Herzog himself as the off-screen interviewer.

Carancho

Disclaimer: Ricardo Darín is a demi-god who can do no wrong 😉

A love story set in the murky underworld of traffic accident insurance scams may not sound like the most enticing of films.

But I was drawn in to the development of the relationship between the two main characters (played by Ricardo Darín and Martina Gusman) as they struggled to find a way out of events which seemed to overtake them.

The two characters had evidently experienced misfortune in the past, but we are given no explanation as to why they find themselves in such situations.  We are merely placed into the night time of Buenos Aires and allowed to watch as events play out.

There are scenes which are uplifting, charming, sad and violent, and there are places where you will definitely wince.

Give it a shot!