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Reviews
Winterschläfer (1997)
I loved it
I loved this film. Tykwer weaves the white world, the green, and the red together in a fascinating manner. The skier/ski instructor, the nurturer/earth mother, and the nymphomaniac inhabit spheres that naturally conflict, but which are catalysts for the unusual story that may say something about events in recent German history. Blame, guilt, and punishment occur ironically in an unjust world where short-term memory loss is necessary to produce a new generation of innocence.
The filmmaker's art alone is worth spending the 2 hours for. Great cinematography, sound, and locations make for great eye and ear candy. All characters were intriguingly drawn, even if you don't like some of them. The ending was an unforgettable cinematic vision, beautifully realized.
SEE THIS MOVIE
For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story (2000)
Decent film, GREAT HDTV
The story of Sandoval's defection is rather melodramatic and highly propagandistic, with the fantastic music in the background. I would have preferred the music to have dominated the production. The acting, including Garcia and the stunning Mia Maestro, was fine; but someone needs to tell Andy that when you play the trumpet, you must breathe--randomly fingering the thing fails to convince. The supporting cast was excellent, and the scenes (filmed in Puerto Rico) at least somewhat suggestive of Cuba.
Of particular note was the high-definition TV version carried by satellite. The picture quality, viewed on appropriate projection equipment, is truly stunning. Amazing detail, profound color depth, and three-dimensionality were present; any noticeable video artifact was completely absent. The sound, in digital 2.0, was still quite convincing, rendering true timbres and dimensionality. I would assume that the DVD version will have 5.1 sound, but it cannot and will not have the same picture quality that 1080i offers.
Congratulations to HBO for creating an artistic success and a technical marvel.