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Journey to Kafiristan

Journey to Kafiristan

List Price: $24.95
Your Price: $22.46
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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Truth in a photograph
Review: A true story from more than sixty years ago, yet it could have happened yesterday in much the same part of the globe. Slow, melodic, and like a day dream, no one denies the exquisite erotic tension that exists here. Neither can it be denied that this perfume is found in a patriarchal world of imminent violence. In one extraordinary scene after another, where communication cannot be had by the exchange of words, a rapport is obtained between the inhabitants of this world despite the inexorable progress to war.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Truth in a photograph
Review: A true story from more than sixty years ago, yet it could have happened yesterday in much the same part of the globe. Slow, melodic, and like a day dream, no one denies the exquisite erotic tension that exists here. Neither can it be denied that this perfume is found in a patriarchal world of imminent violence. In one extraordinary scene after another, where communication cannot be had by the exchange of words, a rapport is obtained between the inhabitants of this world despite the inexorable progress to war.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Journey To Ka-Boring-Stan
Review: After catching the advertisement for this one in the Advocate, I bought this movie as a surprise gift for my fiancee, thinking we would have a gem of a time viewing the cross-dressing butchies Journey to Karfiristan, rich with sublime desert imagery and steamy lesbian action.

No such luck. ...

THIS MOVIE IS A BORE and ABSOLUTELY NOTHING HAPPENS!!!

I don't care if this is a divine chronicle of some notable women I have never heard of before or since...The movie seems little more than an exercise in free foreign travel for those who star in it, despite the actors best efforts to make something out of nothing.

With every frame that passes, you will wait... and wait... and wait... for SOMETHING to happen.
You will be amazed and become bewildered at just how very little of nothing ever happens.
And then you will become so very frustrated that you wasted your time waiting... and waiting... and waiting... for SOMETHING to happen, and once you have reached the end of this boring film and are absolutely distraught with disappointment, you will realize that you should have trusted me, and saved yourself the two-hours-plus you spent WAITING during this film.

Spend your time in this life wisely, and skip this trip.

...

F.W.I. - I wanted to give NO STARS for this one, because it SUCKED SO TERRIBLY, but Amazon made me give at least one star to write this review.

:)

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Journey to where?
Review: I hated this movie...I don't think I can come up with anything nice to say at the moment about this it. It was slow...boring...and well...odd. Unfortunately we purchased this movie, so now we're stuck with it! :(

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Journey to where?
Review: I hated this movie...I don't think I can come up with anything nice to say at the moment about this it. It was slow...boring...and well...odd. Unfortunately we purchased this movie, so now we're stuck with it! :(

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Here's what i think...
Review: I sat and pondered what made me buy this movie. I saw it twice for two separate reasons: One for the story, and the other for the cinematic executions. Both were well executed, though the latter is well superior over the other.

Story: Modestly articulated, involving two gifted individuals in the middle of WWII. The irony, as i see it, is that these two souls coming together looking for solace and answer to a life they once knew and at the same time looking for means and passage to a brand new "life" amidst the trial and turmoil of a world at war. That it didn't matter what the world was going through, emphasizes the beauty of so called, "selfishness".

Emotions aside, the movie potrayed Annemarie as distant, lost and lacking articulation. But that is beautifully captured by Jeanette Hain and knowing that Anne herself was a writer; reinforced her character by being more of a thinker than a speaker. They potrayed Ella as a power hungry, fame seeker.

What I fail to understand is the confusing chemistry between the two. I couldn't pinpoint if they were "attracted" to each other, or they were just "testing the waters" to see who "comes out" being a homosexual first. Another thing was what the objective of this movie was in the first place. Then I saw it again, and I realized that was just it. It was a journey to find themselves and that never actually happened because supposedly "Hitler invaded Poland". A little anti-climax but maybe that was just there is to it.

Cinematic execution: Most definitely a prodigy of the usual, cheesy movies (of gay/lesbian themed) - long pauses, scenes with absolute silence, wide camera angles - an art film most definitely. Myriads of beautiful forms, colours and gorgeous landscapes to appease the audience who might feel a little deprived of "action" .

Since it is unfair to just give an overall "impression" to the movie, here are a brief rundown to the ratings:

No star for the lack of "goodies" on the DVD. A complete let-down.

3 stars for the lack of development to both storyline and character appreciation.

4 stars to the lead actresses (especially Jeanette) for outstanding performance that gave the word "tension" a whole different meaning.

5 stars for the execution.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: "OUR JOURNEY WAS THE DEVIATION"
Review: In the months leading up to the Second World War, two women travel from Switzerland to Afghanistan to study an elusive nomadic tribe in Kafiristan. Writer Annamarie Schwartzenbach and researcher Ella Maillart embark on a journey that is both physical and emotional as they discover their own hopes and dreams. Unfortunately this film failed to capture my interest and was rather dull. Aside from the stunning cinematography of the Middle East and the (very) sexy Annamarie, JOURNEY TO KAFIRISTAN is a slow story with little insights of the human condition to offer the audience. I hesitate to recommend this film to others.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Dunno how to put it...
Review: Okay, so the movie wasn't that great. Storyline's a little monotonous and slow (supposedly art film.. LOADS of breathtaking images...) as well as confusing.. Lots of scenes were not justified, plenty of metaphors and symbols in their exchange of dialogues with no end or, what we say, conclusion to it... But there definitely was tension..

Put it like this, if i'm homosexual (yea yea.. so?) and i actually fork out cold hard cash to get a woman on woman DVD, i do wanna see some frolicking antics to keep me at the edge of my seat... But Journey To Kafiristan makes you wait forEVER (and i meant that...) for a little something to happen.... but nothing happens... not even the slightest peck on the cheek (so to say, decent..)

One way to describe watching the movie:

Its like faking it. You get high high high, then you let out a really loud sigh, not out of unadulterated pleasure, but out of sheer disappointment coz their "eroticism" and sexual tension just fail to hit off...

It was a good movie nonetheless.. because of three VERY GOOD reasons..

Reason #1
Jeanette Hain

Reason #2
Jeanette Hain

Reason #3
Jeanette Hain

... 'nuff said..

Disclaimer:
The 5 stars are for Jeanette.. Not the movie.. Movie = 2.5 out of 5 ..

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Tension tension
Review: This is an excellent movie. Slightly confusing at times, but the scenery, sexual tension, and the very sexy Annemarie make it worth 5 stars.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Journey to WHERE?
Review: We went out on a limb buy ordering this movie without anyone we knew ever seeing it. We did the same when we purchased "Amiee & Jaguar". A & J was a wonderful foreign film! This one unfortunately was not. Through the whole movie we were awaiting something...anything of excitement to happen - nothing ever did. The scenery was ok but not fantastic and definitely not cool enough to overshadow the boring script.

We say DON'T BUY with this one. Borrow it from someone else who was brave enough to buy it and save your $20!


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