The Science of Sleep (2006)

Dreamy, multilingual, funny and completely wacked! Stéphane Miroux (Gael García Bernal) moves back to his mothers apartment in Paris after his father dies in Mexico. Completely absorbed in his own fantasy world, Stéphane has serious difficulties adapting to the real world and fit in with his new job.

The love story between Stéphane and Stéphanie (Charlotte Gainsbourg), the two next door neighbours, is a journey through both fantasy and reality. As he can't figure out how to be close to Stéphanie in reality, he creates a relationship in his dreamworld, leaving Stéphanie confused and frustrated.

The childish innocence of this movie fascinated me, filling the movie with a warm humour, but still with a sharp undertone. As it gets more and more difficult to separate his dreams from reality, you really feel for both of the main characters. It's a well made, sweet movie with great actors, though a bit on the odd side.

Runtime: 105 mins
Starring: Gael García Bernal, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Alain Chabat, Miou-Miou

Superbad (2007)

I love Michael Cera, and together with Christopher Mintz-Plasse he really does this movie. Unfortunately I can't say the same about Jonah Hill. This is going to be a very short an imprecise review, as the movie didn't do much for me.

Three high-school nerds trying to be cool, trying to get booze for their final graduation party, and most importantly trying to get laid. With a fake ID with the brilliant name McLovin, Fogell attempts to buy booze for the coolest party in town, and ends up in the middle of a robbery. Will they get the booze to the party in time to hook up with the girls??

I guess I'm just not the target group.

Runtime: 113 mins
Starring: Michael Cera, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Emma Stone

Roman Holiday (1953)

High time for a classic! I adore Audrey Hepburn, and this one was no exception.

Set in Rome right after WW2, Hepburn plays the young princess Ann on a tour of Europe who suddenly stumbles over an adventure of her own. Running away from her bedroom one night she meets Joe Bradley (Peck); an American journalist. Both pretending to be someone else, they spend the most wonderful day together in Rome.

The only problem is, Joe happens to be a journalist, and Ann happens to be a princess, and the story of her 'wild day' in Rome could be worth a lot of money...

I did like her better as the less serious Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's, but as their day progresses her, pixie-like charm is irresistable also in this one. Plus I like her opponent too. Peck is the personification of the ideal man in the 50s; older, tall, dark, generous and charming. And honest, if only at the very end...

Runtime: 118 min
Starring: Audrey Hepburn, Gregory Peck, Eddie Albert

The Darjeeling Limited (2007)

Feelgood indie comedy from Wes Anderson, characteristically bizarre. Three brothers set out on a spiritual journey through India to reconnect with eachother and find their slightly excentric mother. Francis (Wilson) arranges everything, organized in little laminated itineraries, but there's a lot of issues to be worked out before the brothers can start trusting eachother.

The movie is beautifully disorganized and odd, every brother with their strange quirks. All traumatized by their father's death, all stoned on Indian pharmaceuticals. And Brody of course is beautiful :)

To be honest I'm not very good with Wes Anderson. Much of his stuff go right over my head and I'm sure there's a lot of symbolism and hidden meanings that I didn't get in this one as well, but I still liked it. I liked the 'train of life' that their father (Bill Murray) missed at the beginning, the not-so-fictional characters of Jack's short stories, the family and parental issues...

Most of all I think I liked the cliché part where they run to catch the train of life, dropping their material belongings (alternatively the baggage their father left them) as they go. It's not important to bring the past with you, it'll just weigh you down. What's important is the present, and the people you love.

Runtime: 91 min

Starring: Adrien Brody, Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman