Finally, they had a copy of “The Intouchables” at Redbox available today. The movie is BRILLIANT. I can see why it was always checked out. The friendship between Francois and Omar seems authentic and true. The unlikely bond is what makes you get lost in the story. Francois emotion of lost and yearnings are real. Omar’s zest for life is more precious than all of Francois money. Yet the true value is the friendship you see develop over time. This movies is a CLASSIC and MUST SEE MOVIE in my book.  And ladies there is a sweet little romance in the story too. BONUS!

You can find the movie at Redbox or Netflix.

MOVIES 2012: YEAR IN REVIEW

Setelah merampungkan INDONESIAN MOVIES 2012: YEAR IN REVIEW kayaknya memang kurang lengkap kalau saya tidak memberikan list 12 Film terbaik Internasional sepanjang tahun 2012 versi saya. Namun, untuk tahun ini saya menemukan banyak film yang berkesan. Sehingga saya putuskan untuk membagi dua: Film Drama dan Film Komedi/Musikal/Animasi terbaik masing-masing 12 film. Here we go!

12 FILM KOMEDI/MUSIKAL/ANIMASI TERBAIK SEPANJANG TAHUN 2012

01. 21 Jump Street

02. 50/50 

03. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

04. Intouchables

05. Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted

06. Men in Black III

07. Pitch Perfect 

08. Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

09. Ted

10. To Rome With Love

11. We Bought a Zoo

12. Wreck-It Ralph

12 FILM DRAMA/THRILLER/SCIFI TERBAIK SEPANJANG TAHUN 2012

01. A Separation

02. Argo

03. The Avengers

04. The Cabin in the Woods

05. Chronicle

06. The Dark Knight Rises

07. End of Watch

08 The Expendables 2

09. Life of Pi

10. Looper

11. The Perks of Being a Wallflower

12. Prometheus

Ya, mainstream banget memang listnya. Tapi inilah yang menurut saya terbaik dan remarkable di tahun 2012.

Selamat Tahun Baru 2013!

Title : Intouchables|  Year : 2011 | Genre : Comedy, Drama, Biography | Cast: François Cluzet, Omar Sy, Anne Le Ny, Audrey Fleurot, Clotilde Mollet, Alba Gaïa Kraghede Bellugi, Cyril Mendy, Christian Ameri, Grégoire Oestermann, Joséphine de Meaux, Dominique Daguier, Dorothée Brière| Director : Olivier Nakache, Eric Toledano |  Rate :

[Perhatian : Mungkin dari beberapa bagian di review ini mengandung spoiler]

Tak banyak film -film komedi Eropa terlebih film komedi Perancis yang bisa masuk dalam katagori film favorit saya. Mungkin hanya seri Asterix & Obelisk saja yang masih bisa dinikmati joke-jokenya, itu juga karena slapstick. Bagi saya, Intouchables adalah film komedi Perancis yang cerdas dengan pembawaan cerita yang apa adanya, jujur dan tidak neko-neko. Pertalian karakter yang baik antara dua tokoh utama di film ini menjadikan film ini salah satu film komedi terbaik versi saya tahun ini.

Intouchables diambil dari kisah nyata yang nama tokohnya kemudian diubah demi komersialitas film. Driss (Omar Sy) adalah seorang pemuda yang slengean dan menyukai musik. Hidup di lingkungan yang serba terbatas tak membuat dia lelah untuk mencari pekerjaan. Sampai Phillipe (François Cluzet), pengusaha kaya raya yang lumpuh total membutuhkan orang yang mampu merawat dia sehari-hari. Driss nekat melamar pekerjaan itu, siapa sangka dari assisten pribadi kemudian Driss merasa diangkat derajatnya oleh Phillipe, Driss menjadi sahabat Phillipe dalam menjalani hidupnya yang mulai membosankan. Driss membuka kembali kegembiraan di dalam diri Phillipe yang sempat hilang setelah kecelakaan yang menyebabkan dia lumpuh.

Hampir tak ada cela di film ini, semuanya mengalir dengan indah dan dinikmati dengan asyik scene per scene. Sebuah tema dari film Eropa yang jarang saya tonton sebelumnya, film ini dibuat dengan indah, dialuni oleh musik-musik klasik dan modern yang bisa menyatu dengan baik. Komedi yang hangat dan drama yang cukup emosional.[177/2012]

Directed by Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano, Based on a true story of a wealthy, physically disabled risk taker, the picture of established French nobility, who lost his wife in an accident and whose world is turned upside down when he hires a young, good-humored, black Muslim ex-con as his caretaker. Depicts an unlikely camaraderie rooted in honesty and humor between two individuals who, on the surface, would seem to have nothing in common, Their bond proves the power and omniscience that love and friendship can hold over all social and economic differences.

The Film: Le fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain [Amélie]

Breaking the third wall, flashbacks, animation — there are a lot of tricks here, unique to visual storytelling but they never seem to dominate the story, only enhance. There is an R-rating on this film which it doesn’t genuinely deserve. A character in the film works in a sex shop, but it’s inclusion isn’t at all related to the overall story. Another quick montage toward the beginning changes this film from a PG-13 and it’s rather sad that it might keep some from watching. There is so much here to love.

The film begins with a montage of the simple pleasures of childhood, a flood of heightened sensory amusements which continues through the layers of story. The little games Amelie plays, the world she imagines, the characters she meets. And Jeunet, along with his co-writer Guillaume Laurant , are masters of character. Never nuanced, but rather concentrated characters which somehow manages to make you like them more. In the vein of Wes Anderson. But French.

Is this a bad thing? I think not! They are entirely unforgettable. No one more than the title character herself. Every scene with the brilliant Audrey Tautou makes this film worth the reccomendation but in particular the scenes with Mathieu Kassovitz, as Nino. Their romantic chemistry glows in every interaction and balances the quirky world of the film with genuine sincerity.

The Food: Apple Sauce & Pancakes [from More With Less]
Speaking of simple pleasures. There is nothing so simple as this recipe. It’s as good for breakfast as it is for dinner. It doesn’t need any accompaniment as far as I’m concerned. And with the apple sauce, the usual suspects for pancake toppings stay in the cupboards and so do their sugary calories.

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes
Combine in a bowl and mix with a fork:
1 cup butter milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 egg
Add and mix only until moist:
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup white or brown rice flour
1/4 cup corn meal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Fry in hot, lightly greased skillet

Applesauce
Add to sauce pan
6 variety of apples, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons brown sugar (depending on the sweetness of the apples)
Cinnamon, to taste
Cook on low, covered, until apples are soft. Mash with fork or potato masher.

Drammatico / Thriller

Figlia di una coppia di macellai che abitano in una piccola cittadina di provincia, Mélanie a dieci anni mostra un grande talento nel suonare il pianoforte. Partecipa così al concorso per entrare al conservatorio, ma fallisce, turbata dall’atteggiamento disinvolto della presidentessa di giuria, una celebre pianista. Profondamente delusa, Mélanie abbandona lo studio del pianoforte.
Dieci anni più tardi, in occasione di uno stage, Mélanie incontra il signor Fouchécourt, il marito della donna che ha, senza ombra di dubbio, cambiato la sua vita. Rapidamente notata per la sua precisione e la sua abnegazione al lavoro, Mélanie viene assunta in casa del signor Fouchécourt per prendersi cura del figlio.
Il rapporto con la signora Fouchécourt è decisamente buono, perché Mélanie si mostra molto sensibile alla musica e si occupa di girarle le pagine.