Neighbors (2014)

Neighbors (2014)

USA – 97 min – comedy

Written by Andrew J. Cohen and Brendan O’Brien

Directed by Nicholas Stoller

 

As the average life expectancy increased with the advances in medicine and technology that is supposed to make us live longer, healthier and better, the moment to finally break up with your childhood and take responsibility of yourself also has moved in the time. There are quite lots of movies about 30- or so years-old teenagers (or, should I say, babies?) that refuse to fly out of their family nests and start a true adult existence.

Yet there’s another story. A married couple of about the mentioned age tries to find balance between taking care of their baby girl (gosh, what a cutie! >.<) and keeping up with their friends a.k.a. proving they didn’t become boring. Duh. Surprisingly (or not, if you’ve seen the trailer or read the descritpion somewhere), a fraternity moves in to the nearby house . This can only mean one. Parties. Wild, noisy parties.

The parents try to act cool asking the new neighbours to keep down the music. Aaand… you saw it coming, nights were not silent. This means war, in which our characters can redefine themselves and learn who are they now and what makes them happy.

Now that’s a modern story of growing up!

Movie’s funny, not ‘Naked Gun’- funny, but still amusing. And truly astonishing at a few moments.

My rate: 7,5/10

P.S. Seems like a whole lot of words in brackets. Hope that isn’t the sign of my style of writing getting older and mature.

Persepolis (2007)

Persepolis (2007)

France – 96 min – drama, comedy, biography
Written and directed by Vincent Paronnaud and Marjane Satrapi (also the author of the comic)

In one word?
Jewel.
Definitely one of the best I’ve seen lately.

Persepolis is an animated illustration of the life of Marjane Satrapi, the writer and director. Her childhood and adolescence coincided with major political and social changes in her homeland, Iran. First, the overthrow of the Shah, dreams of freedom, then Islamic Revolution, war with Iraq, tightening the standards of clothing and mores. We learn about these from the perspective of a girl, then teenager and finally a young woman. Marjane has been raised in an intelligent family, whose members are proud of their beliefs, even though it might lead them to prison.

The movie is a diary of a young, rebellious soul that tries to find her place in this crazy, inexplicable and ever changing world. This ain’t no easy, neither in her own land, where she is suddenly told to wear hijab and holding hands with a boy became a crime, nor in Austria, where no one seems to understand the heroine.

But wait a second!
The film is NOT one of the dramatic, heavy tearjerkers. You can burst into tears as well as into laughter!
The extraordinary, smooth graphics nicely combines with fascinating story, filled with important life and history lessons, amusement and satire.
And some melting mood.

I recommend it to watch whenever you have time, however you feel. Just watch!

My rate: 9,5/10