F6: Circumstance-Directed by Maryam Keshavarz

"I remember when you used to sing to me."

 

This provocative film is set in present day Iran and follows the bubbling sexual chemistry between two best friends, Shireen and Atafeh. In a place where a viperous "Morality Police" is lurking around every corner and a punctilious theocracy controls most aspects of everyday life, their rebellious love for each other is perilous to say the least. Enter Atafeh's brother, Mehran, home from a stint in rehab. He has returned bent on atoning for his personal mistakes by joining the Morality Police and attempting to unveil the mistakes of all those around him. As Mehran starts to decode the seductive bond between Shireen and Atafeh, his resolve to purify those around him threatens the blossoming love of the two girls.

 

I really enjoyed the way this film drops you off in the middle of a culture so vastly different from ours. Freedom of speech and expression are often taken for granted and I love the way this movie makes you stop and think about the liberties we enjoy everyday. Director Maryam Keshavarz uses low lighting and macro lensing to tell this story in a way that seems all too real. Underground partying, hidden agendas and despicable policing create an edgy tone that will give you something to think about. Movies that take on a life of their on own and become something that you can actually fathom, to me, are definitely worth watching. It probably isn't playing at many theaters, but I can understand why it won the Audience Award at Sundance this past year. See for yourself.

F5: The Debt-Directed by John Madden

"Truth is a luxury."

Talk about entertaining. This movie is seriously coiled tight and will keep you on the edge of your seat for the duration. Being a big fan of Helen Mirren and her presence on screen, her role as the aged Mossad agent is worth watching in itself. The action was riveting, the acting gripping and the fluid transition between scenes from the 60's and present were remarkable to watch.

This film follows the roller coaster relationship of three Israeli Intelligence agents tabbed for capturing Dieter Vogel, aka The Surgeon of Birkenau. Their mission is to capture Vogel and return with him alive to Israel, where a trail for him awaits. Madden flits between present day time and actual time of the mission under the cover of the release of a new book detailing the account, written by Helen Mirren's daughter. Madden's gritty style of storytelling unfolds naturally and leaves you awaiting what is around the next corner. While this film shoulders the weight of the Holocaust, the repercussions of not being honest lie at its core. All three members of the team are forced to finally deal with their actions and all go about it in divergent ways. I strongly recommend seeing this film as it will be sure to keep you engaged, right up to its thrilling climax. You will not be disappointed.

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