Rating: 
Summary: Beautiful, beautiful
Review: They spoke like characters out of a book. It was lovely. It made me feel good as a woman to watch as well. I wish it were more known, I think it has a lot to offer as far as opening eyes to the way cultures (all of them) see women.
Chocolat and Amelie were wonderful as well.
Rating: 
Summary: A mixed bag
Review: This film did indeed have some good points to it. It is definitely a celebration of life, but this celebration sometimes takes such a contrived form at times that it left me with a feeling of ambivilance.Although the movie covers a family over 4 generations, one is left sometimes with the feeling of being suspended in time. Other than the characters aging, one is left with no sense of the world around these characters ever changing. The post-war Europe is no more distinguishable than the Europe 30-40 years later. Also, the celebration of family seems diminished by the fact that the men in the family, or the absence thereof, seems to be of no more consequence to the family than whether or not they can grow a palm tree in the front yard. The men seemed to be little more than cardboard cutouts at time. That they might have some input in the rearing of the younger generations seems to be an issue not even to be considered, which struck me as odd. Apologists for this movie will point out the countless movies where women are either absent totally or are nothing more than props. That is a fair enough point, in and of itself. However, are the makers of this movie trying to even the score or make a good movie? Also, the outright selfishness that Antonia (with her decision to die) and her daughter (the decision to get pregnant) display made me wonder just how much of these womens' lives should be celebrated. If they are that self-absorbed, one wonders what they have really learned from life. I didn't hate this movie, but I felt that it could have been so much better. Movies that put an agenda above coherent story-telling do so at their own peril.
Rating:
Summary: A comic-dramatic film about the lifes of a family
Review: This film is not so much a look at the circle of life and death but the women who live it and the lives that they touch. It does not take the usual route of portraying their strength as products of a repressive society. Rather, they are each unique and strong because they are allowed to be who they are. The humorous and tragic moments in the film are doubly effective because it is so unexpected (kudos to the scriptwriter and director). For this reason, I will not give examples. You must see it! For those that do not like "women films," you might still want to give this movie a try because the movie is not about women but of women. Unlike some Hollywood productions, this film does not overtly try to tug at your heartstrings at every possible moment. The cast is also great. They are superb actors. And there are some very interesting supporting characters in this story. For example, the Mad Madonna who barks at the full moon.
Rating: 
Summary: Very Intriguing
Review: This German film takes you to a village where you learn about the life and line of one woman and her brood. It is a very charming film that was very interesting to watch. The only thing I did not like about it was the constant theme of rape that arose. I found that to be upsetting, even though, in the end the bad guy was done in, it didn't matter, it was still upsetting. Other than that, this is a good movie. Not as pleasant as French films, but still good nonetheless.
Rating:
Summary: The best foreign film I have ever seen.
Review: This is a great movie. The relationships that are exploredreveal their depth between all the characters.You see a love betweeneveryone, mother to daughter, grandmother to grandaughter and last but not least, lover to lover. There are those out there that might be offended by the rape scene and the frontal nudity but mainstream foreign filmmakers are not afraid to hide the naked body from their audience. I decided not long ago that I had to own this movie so I went out and bought it. It will always remain a part of my movie collection. END
Rating:
Summary: Bring a couple of hankies
Review: This is an incredibly seductive movie with a strong sense of the spirit of Demeter and Dionysus throughout. There's no Hollywood glamour here. Instead we have an unabashed celebration of life ("This is the only dance we dance") in which love, community and simple hard work prevail. The simple are seen as the equal of the gifted, and everybody (except for rapists and hypocrites) are appreciated for their strengths and forgiven their faults. Intellectualism is seen as quaint and unsocial (as in the person of Crooked Finger) possibly leading to a morbid cynicism. And brain power (as in the person of the prodigy Therese) is just another talent, like being able to laugh or to bale hay or to have lots of children. This is the Dionysian view of life that doesn't allow for Apollo, and there's a lot to be said for it. But I couldn't help but reflect that during the time span depicted in this movie--five generations in Holland during the twentieth century--Europe experienced some of the most horrific events known to humankind, two world wars, genocide, concentration camps, poison gas, fire bombings, political repression, and the death of millions of people. But perhaps that is director Marleen Gorris's point, to see life at its most elemental, locally and without the horror of war and the delusions of generals and politicians. What's not to like about that? Well, not to rain on anyone's love-fest, but we have vigilante justice here and a murder, seemingly justified and certainly agreeable to the audience since the victim was a brutal rapist. Men are not exactly banished, but they are put in their place, serving or (literally) servicing women. What is banished is orthodox religiosity in the form of a hypocritical cleric who (with his disciples, we are told) goes to town and becomes a social worker (!). This is also an ode to feminism and a deliberate tear-jerker that manipulates the emotions of the audience. Yet, somehow Gorris, who also wrote the script, manages not to offend my sensitivities. I think it is because the movie amounts to a very effective sermon against prejudice of any kind, and because of the gentle humanity of her tale. You'll forgive me, however, if I say that my favorite part was the handstand! It was just perfect.
Rating:
Summary: Sweet & Sublime. (Small minds need not apply.)
Review: This is one of those exquisite films that too many people will overlook because (1) it's a foreign film with English subtitles, and (2) the title and packaging make it look too esoteric. Personally I probably wouldn't have even seen this movie had I not come across it in our local library's nascent DVD collection, from which I was able to check it out for free. I'm so glad I did. "Antonia's Line" was one of the most sweet yet cerebral films I've seen in a long time. It's a 40-odd year "slice o' life" revolving around Antonia, a woman who returns to her little Dutch village, daughter in tow, after the end of World War II. As the years go by, Antonia gathers together a slowly growing extended family that includes some very colorful characters. There are moments of humor, surrealism, and sweet love ... but also moments of ugliness and sadness. Gay audiences will enjoy the matter-of-fact portrayal of a Lesbian couple, and feminists will enjoy the supreme strength of character of Antonia herself. Social conservatives would be advised to look elsewhere; they simply won't understand. When this little film simply ENDED in the way it must, I cried and cried. "Antonia's Line" is a very sweet, sublime film about the cycles of life. It's somewhat slow going at first, but the payoff is rich indeed.
Rating:
Summary: Great Film!
Review: This is the reason why I love foreign films. They do not offer the slapstick humor but no american film will offer a priest conducting unholy business in the confessional and then leaving the church and having 12 kids, or a mother arranging for her daughter to get a child without a marriage or anything like that. All of the characters are touching and poigant from the nihilist scholar to the farmer. This is an excellent and very funny film. Watch it and enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: how films should be.
Review: this movie is just wonderful. bah if that makes it or me sound corny, but it really is. it is so well-crafted. it is sumptuous in its simplicity, like the best cheeseburger in the world. it never gets lost in its own aspirations, and never gets bogged down in any one message, event, or moment. it's a beautifully naked story. best of all, it is a paean to women without being a torch song. the deep love that the women of the story have for one another, and their unapologetic independence, leaves barbie-spice notions of "girl power" spitting out dust in their magic vans and canopy beds. the women here are so full, they make me laugh with joy. stamp out cynicism. see this movie.
Rating:
Summary: Another excellent Dutch-Belgian result of high-quality movie
Review: This movie is proof of how intense, realistic, true and insightful the Flemish Belgians and their northern Dutch neighbours really are. It opens a cultural smorgasbord of ingenious screenwriting, superb and unsurpassable acting, and raw but meaningful history in the generational thread of this family. Americans should be exposed more to this breed of film.
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