This year was much unlike last year where I had a huge list of films (42!) I wanted to see, and then ended up seeing significantly less of it (27). This year, I pretty much saw almost everything I wanted to see even though I “only” saw 20 films, except for the films that Pixelmatsch saw and blogged (Otouto, Enjo, Yukinojo Henge, The River, Mizu no koe o kiku, Que horas ela vola). There were a few more films which I considered but didn’t watch:
- Corbo – Canadian film about a radically activist boy, could have been wonderful or terrible
- Alice in den Städten – From the Wenders hommage, recommended by Gorp
- Der amerikanische Freund – From the Wenders hommage, not recommended by Gorp but I am irrationally interested in it
- Wonderful World End – Gothic lolita teen movie? Surely it will be on the internet one day
- Le dos rouge – Bonello sure does weird stuff; I totally think this film could be very awesome or very terrible, even Loris was interested in it
- Gone with the Bullets – My dad told me he didn’t like the movie and it’s so sad because it sounds great, so I refrained from seeing it
- Sworn Virgin – The old man I met waiting in line for tickets recommended this one to me, so technically I didn’t consider it beforehand but the description of the film did catch my eye
Besides Pixelmatsch’s films (which now all sound so attractive to me except “Dari Marusan”!), there are also tons of films that 6451 saw but I didn’t. I am surprised there actually ended up only being 5 of them:
- Mr. Holmes – I was going to watch this film too, but I didn’t want to use my precious Berlinale time for it. From the looks of it, it could be the best film of the year.
- Der letzte Sommer der Reichen – Weird Austrian black comedy on high society… or something, but I still think it sounds like fun
- Woman in Gold – If this was a German film, you’d think it’s a lame attempt at a “tu quoque” towards the Austrians who apparently were terrible about giving back stolen artwork
- El Club – 6451 said he wanted to see a film from Latin America, but since Pixelmatsch has always been disappointed in those films so far (minus Brazil, where movies are apparently awesome) I am not surprised he didn’t like “El Club” that much
- Tell spring not to come this year – Afghanistan documentary, apparently nice (it also got some awards)
Besides “Gone with the Wind”, there basically were no more Retrospective films I would have wanted to see. But amongst newer films, there are quite a few major productions which I hope to catch later on:
- Als wir träumten – This one is actually already in theaters, it’s about kids in the former GDR or something
- Are you here— A comedy by Matthew Weiner
- Every thing will be fine – The new Wim Wenders, though it did not do well with critics it seems
- Life – The new Corbijn, apparently people in Berlin were excited to see Robert Pattinson while I have never seen him on screen
- Little Forest – Based on a manga I really like, this would have been a must-watch if it hadn’t been shown in the culinary section (way too pricey)
- Nobody wants the night – The opening film of this year’s Berlinale did not gather a lot of good reviews, but I am mesmerized by the Greenland shots
- One & Two – Kiernan Shipka outside of “Mad Men”, I am so intrigued
- Queen of the Desert – The new Werner Herzog film; I have never actually seen anything by Herzog, but one has to start somewhere, right?