Okay let me be honest...I'm not really into sports but show me a film sports-related with a good story about those into the sports then it's likely I'll be into it!!!
Vasermil is one of those types of films. Unlike some Israeli films, two of the main characters aren't your typical Israelis. Adiel's family is from Ethiopia and Dima's family is Russian. These two teen boys represent the diversity of immigrants that have moved to Israeli. At home they still speak the family languages Amharic & Russian while elsewhere they usually speak Hebrew. This film qualifies as a multilingual film!!
Both boys have been missing school and they are given one last chance to redeem themselves. Every day they must report to Matan & attend soccer (European football) practice. Adiel was already on the team but because of prejudice he wasn't able to participate in playing and has been avoiding attending the soccer practices. The captain the soccer team is Schlomi, an Israeli boy who's had issues with Adiel but he also has his own challenges.
This is a great film about Israeli teens and the challenges they experience. Soccer is the segway to having them learn teamwork and get to know and appreciate each other's strengths.
If you like films about soccer, you might also like to watch a Mexican film that I reviewed called Rudo y Cursi about two friends from a small town who get drafted to play soccer.
Some info about the actors:
Adiel is portrayed by Adiel Zamro who has since acted in a number of other films. Funny that his real name is the same as his characters. Schlomi is portrayed by Nadir Eldad and Dima by David Taplitzky (also spelled 'Teplitzky).
Some Quotes from this film:
"You do everything I don't want to do."--Matan to Dima
"Blind is he who chooses not to see."---Dima to Adiel
"We Rastas believe that only serenity brings peace."---Adiel to Dima
"Doesn't Rasta tell you to fuck whoever wants to fuck you first?"---Dima to Adiel
"Don't think I don't see you selling ecstasy and stuff on Fridays."---Adiel to Dima
"Go sit in the stands and watch your brother make a life for himself."---Matan to Schlomi's brother
Herzl has a problem. He's in a weight-loss program but he keeps gaining weight. He's also been told that he's a bad influence on the others. On top of that, his boss also told him that he's been demoted from the front of the restaurant to the kitchen.
After quitting his job, Herzl finds a job at a Japanese restaurant as a dishwasher. His Japanese co-workers watch Sumo and they comment that Herzl is like a Sumo wrestler. The boss Kitano is a former Sumo referee. Fed up with the diet club and inspired by Sumo, Herzl is inspired to take up Sumo Wrestling. He enrolls his friends to participate and they all have other issues in their lives in addition to being "big." Aharon has problems with his marriage. Gidi is an in-the-closet gay "bear."
I don't want to say too much more about the plot and spoil it for anyone interested in watching it except that it's funny, entertaining, heart-warming and thought-provoking. I thought it was unusual to mix Israeli and Japanese culture.This is also a multilingual film with dialogue spoken in English, Japanese and Hebrew.
This film definitely deserved to win some awards and it did! It's a very enjoyable film directed by Sharon Maymon and Erez Tadmor. Sharon also worked on the screenplay. Those watching this film might also enjoy the soundtrack.
Herzl (which by the way in German means "little heart!') is played by Itzik Cohen and his love interest Zehava is played by Irit Kaplan. Kitano is played by Togo Igawa who lives in England and was the first Japanese actor to become a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company!
Here are some quotes from this film:
"Don't forget... with your mouth...we only talk."---Geula, diet club consultant
"Got married. Got divorced. Then got married again, then divorced...gained 10 kilos each time."---Zehava
"You're just a cook at a salad bar. So don't feel so heavy at the heart."---boss to Herzl
"But even on a diet you've got to eat. Do you want to starve to death?"--Herzl's mother to Herzl
"Hey, he looks just like a sumo wrestler!"---Japanese restaurant co-workers about Herzl
"No hot water again! And you call yourself a plumber!"---Aharon's wife
"It's crucial when and how much we eat. Cuz hunger is our slave, not our king."---Geula
"What's the deal? Does everyone have to be thin? You decided that fat is sick and we ate it all up. They're selling us self-hate here!"---Herzl
"So, should we get a little dirty?"---Zehava to Herzl
"Just since you haven't been able to fit in store-bought clothes."---Herzl's mother about her sewing
"Hope you don't like having sex in the dark."---Zehava
"When I was here in the sumo ring, I felt healthy for the first time in my life."---Herzl
"You think I'd cry about such nonsense? I've been hurt so many times before, I've lost count. I've got skin as thick as an elephants's."---Zehava
"I'm not wearing that. I'm no faggot."---Aharon
"My wife didn't cheat on me because I'm fat but because I'm a bad husband."---Aharon
Hector, played by Simon Pegg, is a London psychiatrist who decides to leave his work and girlfriend Clara (played by Rosamund Pike) to travel around to research happiness.
He heads first to China where he meets and hangs out with Edward, a wealthy banker played by Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgard and he also meets Ying Li, a beautiful young Chinese woman, played by Chinese actress Ming Zhao, (she's a soap opera actress in her first feature film role).
His travel leads him to a Buddhist monastery. From there, he travels to Africa where he assists his college friend Michael at a clinic. Then he goes to California where he sees his old girlfriend from college.
Throughout his journey he keeps notes in his journal.
Here are the main points related to happiness that he writes in his journal:
1. Making comparisons can spoil your happiness.
2. A lot of people thinking happiness means being richer or more important.
3. Many people only see happiness in their future.
4. Happiness could be the freedom to love more than one woman at the same time.
5. Sometimes happiness is not knowing the whole story.
6. Avoiding unhappiness...is not the road to happiness.
7. Does this person predominantly bring you a) up or b) down?
8. Happiness is answering your calling.
9. Happiness is being loved for who you are.
10. Sweet potato stew!
11. Fear is an impediment to happiness.
12. Happiness is feeling completely alive.
13. Happiness is knowing how to celebrate.
14. Listening is loving.
15. Nostalgia is not what it used to be.
There are some interesting characters played by a variety of actors. French actor Jean Reno plays Diego. German actress Veronica Ferres plays psychic Anjali who is one of Hector's clients. Toni Collette plays Agnes, Hector's ex-girlfriend from college. Canadian actor Christopher Plummer plays Professor Coreman.
This film is entertaining and thought-provoking. You'll laugh and cry!
Some quotes from this film:
"But I want a penis."---French woman to Hector at a party
"If you're going to do it, Hector, do it totally."---Clara
"Let me show you happy."---Edward
"Whoever said money can't buy happiness. Fuck you!"---Edward
"We're addicted, divorced, dead. What the hell.---Edward
"It's how much you pay who you know."---Doorman at Chinese club
"Oh Hector. The difference between those three ladies and me is that there's no shame in how they make their money. They can show their faces back home. I can't."---Ying Li
"If you look at this plane, you'll notice it's quite old. That means it's never crashed before. Should be quite reassuring."---African female passenger
"Forgive me but if your happiness causes other people's' unhappiness, then how can that be happiness?"---Hector
"What's in it for you?"---Diego
"You're in it for yourself, like everyone else."---Diego
"I bet what I farm makes more people happy than the crap you dish out."---Diego
"If you want to be happy, take care of your own."---Diego
"Excuse me. Excuse me. Take off your IPod. There's a lion really close by."---Hector
"I sometimes feel like psychiatry comes with affluence. You know, the richer the city, the more psychiatrists there are per square mile. What does that tell you?"---Hector
"The mind can hurt as much as the body."---Marcel
"Keep-It-Handy Travel Candy. Nice."---Hector
"It says that the evil you do in this life could cost your happiness in the next."---Hector
"People who are afraid of death are afraid of life."---Jamilla
"Hector wants to know the secret to a happy marriage."--Agnes
"Putting away your socks. Before taking care of every other aspect of your life."---Clara
"You're emotionally squeamish."---Agnes to Hector
"Everything in this world is going up but happiness is going down.---Professor Coreman
"The more we focus on our own personal happiness, the more it eludes us....We should concern ourselves not so much with the pursuit of happiness but the happiness of pursuit."---Professor Coreman
I saw this film quite a while ago and didn't write a review on it. But after telling someone about it, I realized, hey, I really should post a review on it. So here it is!
Carmo wants desperately to get away from her small town. She meets Marco, a lonely smuggler, when he rescues her from almost being raped. Marco is a paraplegic but you wouldn't know it from the way he can hold his own in a fight! She jumps at the chance to leave town with him.
Serrana, who is Carmo's mother and the local bank cashier and religious freak who's having a passionate affair with Alberto, a married man who's a local policeman keen to retire. The scenes of them together are quite hilarious!
There are some funny, outrageous and touching scenes throughout this film. You'll see lots of South American country as they travel Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina.
BTW, there is a nude scene in this film that I found quite touching, sensuous and heartfelt. I've always felt that when it's appropriate to the story, nudity is an important component in a film.
With a cast of colorful characters and a great soundtrack, this is an enjoyable, entertaining and romantic road trip film directed by Murilo Pasta who is an Italian-Brazilian film-maker. You'll see a bit of the South American landscape in Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil and Bolivia. Viewers will see Corumba National Park & the Andes. Watch for images of Jesus and Jesus (pronounced "Jay-zoo') being mentioned and the ever-present Luz who pops up in surprising places. You gotta love the cheap knock-off stereos labelled 'Pear' instead of 'Apple.' Check out Carmo's creative ways of handling some sticky situations.
About some of the Actors: Fele Martinez portrays Marco. If you think he looks at all familiar it's because he's a Spanish actor who acted in Pedro Almodovar's Bad Education. Carmo is brilliantly portrayed as a tough as nails woman who also has a very tender heart, by Brazilian actress Mariana Loureiro.
There really are some great songs on this film's soundtrack:
Is Portuguese singer Cesaria Evora on it? You bet! I heard a song that sounded like her and when I checked the credits I confirmed it. Online I found a video of her in concert. Even though this great Portuguese singer from Cape Verde passed on in 2011, her heartfelt music lives on! Here's the video of her in concert in 2004 and she performs the song that's on the soundtrack of this film as well as one of my favorites titled Besame Mucho!
There's also the great song Quase Nada (Almost Nothing) by Zeca Baleiro. Here's a video of him performing it in concert:
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Here are a few quotes from this film:
"This will get you as far as Bela Vista."---ticket agent to Carmo
"Trust me to pick up the village idiot."---Marco
"What is this? 'International Fuck-a-Paraplegic-in-the-Ass Week'?"---Marco
"It's Carmo. You must know her. The daughter of that religious freak that works at Banco do Brasil."---Lucio
"Don't stop! Don't stop, for the love of God!"---Alberto
"Hong Kong, Japan...It's all the same, isn't it?"---shop owner
"Do you think I'm ecstatic? About waking up every day after having been screwed by a stranger? Or about being pregnant and not knowing who the father is?"---Carmo
"By the way, have you left your wife or are you still leading my mum on?"---Carmo to Alberto
"I didn't love her father, the way I love you, you idiot."---Serrana to Alberto
This is a film by director Karan Johar about an Indian Muslim man with Asperger's Syndrome. Viewers see his life as an odd child with a mother who tries her best to guide her son. When he has trouble attending a regular school, she finds him a private tutor. One of his special talents is his ability to repair many items.
After his mother dies, Rizvan (played oddly enough by an actor with the same last name as his character -- Shah Rukh Khan)keeps his promise to her to go to America and reunites with his brother Zakir in San Francisco. He starts selling beauty products to salons.
He meets Mandira, a Indian Hindu (played by Kajol) hairdresser in one of the salons. They become friends, get married and live together happily with her son Sameer.
Tragedy strikes shortly after 9/11 happens and many American Muslims suffer repercussions including Rizvan's new family. Rizvan sets out on a solo journey across the country trying to meet the President.
Along the way, he meets many interesting people and has some adventures. In Georgia, he becomes friends with Funny Hair Joel (played by Adrian Kali Turner) and Mama Jenny (played by Jennifer Echols). When he hears that their little town has been flooded by a hurricane, he returns to help them.
This film has multiple spoken languages: English, Hindi, Arabic and Urdu. In some ways, I think it's quite exaggerated, a bit corny sometimes but also touching and funny. As there's some flipping back and forth in time since the character is telling a story, be sure to pay attention so you don't get confused.
Also beware of the violence & racism in this film This isn't gratuitous like in some films but an important part of the plot.
Some quotes from this film:
"My name is Khan and I'm not a terrorist."---Rizvan
"Oh, I think you recognized me. I am Rita Singh, ex-Miss India."---manager of salon
"You look so old. You must have been Miss India before I was born."---Rizvan
"A salesman and yet you speak the truth."---Mandira
"Mom, stop being filmy now. You're such a drama queen."---Sameer
"Fix Almost Anything"---Rizvan's sign
"...the way of Allah is of love, not of hatred and war."---Rizvan
Conversation:
"Mehnaz Herbal Beauty Products will make you glow like a newly-wed bride."---Rizvan to woman
"I'm divorced."--woman to Khan
"Uh-oh. We have nothing for the newly-divorced."---Rizvan
