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CONTENTS

Announcement ………………… 4

Six Biggest Movies ……………. 6

Festival de CANNES …………. 12

In Theater Now …………………. 19

Movie Reviews …………………... 21

Post Card from Israel ………… 26

Entertainer of the Month …… 27

ANNOUNCEMENT
Little
Bonobo's
Book Cafe©
www.littlebonobosbookcafe.blogspot.com
It gives me great pleasure and a great sense of
privileged to expose the works of an aspiring
young writer Jessica Green. Jessica, a native of
California, currently resides in United
Kingdom as a freelance editor and an aspiring
writer. Recently, she obtained her Master of
Arts in Creative Writing at University of
Sussex, England and completed her
undergraduate degree from University of
California, Santa Barbara where she majored
in English. Her blog Little Bonobo’s Book Café
highlights many of her accomplishments as an
aspiring writer. Through her blog, she posts
reading, writing, and other literature-related
works that indulges any reader of all ages the
understanding of critical thinking, grammar/
writing sources, group discussion interaction,
etc. Monte Pictures© encourages its members
and avid readers to participate through
Jessica’s blog, as you have done for us. We
wish the absolute best for Jessica as she
embarks on her unforgettable journey.
To contact Jessica Green, please email your
inquires to bonoboedit [at] gmail [dot] com
History
Monte Pictures was originally
founded by Javier Serrano in 2007.
Monte Pictures© is the subject to
the founder’s passion: to establish
a film company. Monte Pictures©
runs independently through
monthly newsletters composed by
the founder and his editor-in-chief
Julia Wieczorek.
Copyrights
© 2009 Monte Pictures. We
acknowledge all photographs
images, and icons are subject to
their original owners. Monte
Pictures© was created to express,
entertain and educate members of
Monte Pictures© the variety of
film selections available. We do
not sell our newsletters nor accept
donations of any kind; we are
neither a corporation nor non-
profit organization.
This newsletter
is dedicated to
Julia, and you,
the reader.
Every Movie Starts Here
Six Biggest
Movies of the Summer
 The
Twilight
Saga:
Eclipse

Dir. David Slade

Eclipse is the third film in the Twilight series, based on the Starring: Kristen
bestselling novels by Stephanie Meyer. The series tells the story of Stewart, Robert
Bella Swan, a teenager who moves to the town of Forks and falls in Pattison, Taylor
love with a vampire named Edward Cullen. In continuation to New
Launter
Moon, Edward and Bella discuss the complications of becoming an
immortal vampire. Bella expresses her aversion about the idea of
marrying so young, though Edward refuses to change Bella until
they’re married. All the while newborn vampires attempt to reek
havoc on Forks forcing the vampires and werewolves to fight
together. Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Launter
reprise their roles in this entertaining, adrenaline inducing, and
illuminating special effects feature.
The
A-Team
Dir. Joe
Carnahan

Starring: Liam
Neeson, Bradley
Cooper, Patrick
Wilson

One of the most anticipated films of this year, the A-Team delivers an
action-packed blockbuster film. The film follows the same basic plot
as the show, of course updated for current events. The A-Team is a
group of four elite soldiers with contrasting skills and personalities.
Currently serving in Iraq, opposed to Vietnam in the television series,
The A-Team carry out secret missions and tasks for the United States
government. Following the original television series’ success, this
newly adapted feature does not disappoint.
OCTOBER 22
 Toy
Story 3

Dir. Lee Unkrich

Starring: Tom
Hanks, Tim Allen,
Joan Cusack, and
Ned Beatty
Toy Story 3 joins the series as one of the most successful
animations of all time. Andy, now 17 years old, has outgrown
his toys and is preparing to move to college. He decides to
take Woody with him and packs the other toys in a garbage
bag, intending to store them in the attic, but Andy’s mother
puts the bag on the curb believing this is just a bag of trash.
This adventurous and fun-loving animation will definitely
win the audience. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen reprise their
roles as Woody and Buzz Lightyear.

Salt

Dir. Philip
Noyce

Starring:
Angelina Jolie,
Live
Schreiber,
Chiwetwel
Ejiofer Salt is an American action thriller film starring Angelina Jolie
as Evelyn Salt. Wrongly accused of being a sleeper agent, Salt
is on the run to clear her name as the CIA believe she is
plotting to assassinate the President of the United States.
Angelina Jolie’s performance as Salt rivals against Lara Croft
in Tomb Raider.
 Iron
Man 2
Dir. Jon Favreau

Starring: Robert
Downey Jr.,
Gwyneth Paltrow,
Scarlett
Johansson, Don
There are some sequels that are good and there some sequels Cheadle
you tell yourself, why? Iron Man 2 falls under the category of
good sequels. Robert Downey Jr. reprises his role as Tony
Stark. The story unfolds: Stark has revealed his identity as
Iron Man and declines to hand over the technology to the
U.S. Government. Meanwhile, Ivan Vanko, portrayed by
Mickey Rourke, has duplicated the technology and built new
weapons that are superior to Stark’s.

Inception
Dir. Christopher
Nolan

Starring:
Leonardo
DiCaprio, Ken
Watanabe, Ellen
Page, Joseph
Gordon-Levitt
It seems director Christopher Nolan is becoming a much
better writer/director as he progresses. Have you seen The
Dark knight? Of course, you have. Inception is utterly brilliant,
mesmerizing, and has all the qualities of a summer
blockbuster film. Leonardo DiCaprio is Dom Cobb, a man
who specializes in the subconscious by stealing his clients’
ideas while trying to also implant new ones. Don’t be
surprised if Inception receives an Oscar nomination or two.
CANNES
FESTIVAL DE
The 63rd annual Cannes Film Festival was held from May 12 to May 23,
2010, in Cannes, France. The Festival de Cannes, known as the most
recognized film festivals worldwide, was founded in 1946. This year’s
jury president for the international competition, American film director
Tim Burton, and other members of the jury were composed of actors,
directors, screenwriters, and composers. They included Kate Beckinsale,
Emmanuel Carrère, Benicio de Toro, and Alexandre Desplat.

The Palm d’Or award, the most prestigious award in the festival, has
acknowledged films across the globe from South Korea to the United
State and France to Southeast Asia. This year the award was won by
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, a Thai film directed by
Apichatpong Weerasethakul, it is the first Asian film to win the Palm
d’Or since 1997. French film Of Gods and Men was the runner up as it
won the Grand Prix award.
Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives was
the worthy winner of the most prestigious international award: the Palm d’Or
(Best Film) at the Cannes Film Festival. The President of the Jury Tim Burton and
the Jury selections chose wisely on a film that deals with emotions, life experience,
and past lives. Weerasethakul’s visionary film has all the characteristic styles:
quiet, mysterious, and magical that makes this movie-going experience
impeccable. Perhaps it’s the wordless opening that allures the audience into the
nature of film, the performances and the colors that captivate brilliantly on
screen. Boonmee is a middle-aged man, in need of a kidney transplant, who has
relocated to a remote forest to end his days as he recalls many past lives through
mystical flashbacks. Through his revealing flashbacks, we are encountered by his
dead wife and lost son. Boonmee searches for meaningful answers through
reincarnation and past experiences that leaves the audience to sympathize with
Boonmee, but feel no regret towards his character. Uncle Boonmee Who Can
Recall His Past Lives offers heartbreaks, and elements of life that are unpredictable
in nature.
 On Tour
Dir. Mathieu Amalric
Starring: Mathieu Amalric
Best Director
In the year of the French, On Tour is a
French comedy directed, written, and
starred by Mathieu Amalric. The story
unfolds as Amalric a producer who brings
an American Neo-Burlesque (New
Burlesque) cast to France. Amalric,
internationally known for starring in 2007,
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, captures
the Best Director award for On Tour.
Certified Copy
Dir. Abbas Kiarostami
Starring: Juliette Binoche, William
Shimell
Best Actress
One of France’s greatest actresses of all
time, Academy Award® winner Juliette
Binoche (The English Patient; Supp.
Actress) is unforgettable. The story is set
in Tuscany, Italy and focuses on a French
art gallery owner, played by Juliette, who
together with a man she just met
pretends to be her long-married
husband.
 Biutiful
Dir. Alejandro Gonzáles Iñárritu
(Mexico)
Starring: Javier Bardem, Blanca Portillo
Best Actor
The collaboration of director Alejandro
Gonzáles Iñárritu, producers Alfonso
Guarón and Guilermo del Toro and
actor Javier Bardem provides a unique
universal of Mexican and Spanish
cultures in a single film. In Biutiful,
Javier Bardem portrays a man who is
involved in illegal activity and is
confronted by an old childhood, who is
now a police officer. In response to
Javier’s mesmerizing performance, he
shared a Best Actor award at Cannes
Film Festival alongside with Raoul Bova.
La Nostra Vita
Dir. Daniele Luchetti
(Italy)
Starring: Raoul Bova
Best Actor
Even though La Nostra Vita lost the
Palm d’Or to Uncle Boonmee Who
Can Recall His Past Lives, its star
Raoul Bova won a Best Actor award,
sharing the prize with Javier
Bardem. In this unconditional
feature film, La Nostra Vita (Our
Life) is about a construction worker
with two kids, who after the sudden
death of his wife tries to provide for
his family by setting himself up as a
shady building contractor.
festival de Cannes
 Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Dir. Mike Newell
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Sir Ben Kingsley

We've watched Jake Gyllenhaal progress as a

good actor over the years. There's no doubt that
Jake is capable of starring in a lead role, but for
some reason this film lacks his acting abilities
and focuses more on physicality. When it comes
to blockbuster films, acting is less required as
explosions, violence and sex are characters of its
very own. In Prince of Persia, based upon the
same title, these qualities reflect the outcome of
the film. Grade: C
Sex and the City 2
Dir. Michael Patrick King
Starring: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim
Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon

Who would have expected a Sex and the

City 2? Set two years later from the first
film, Carrie (Parker) and the girls meet
up which turns out to be a flashback to
how Carrie first meets Samantha
(Cattrall), Charlotte (Davis) and Miranda
(Nixon) in 1986 in New York City. If
you’re a fan of the original television
series, then you won’t be disappointed
from the perhaps last installment of Sex
and the City series. Grade: C Robin Hood
Dir. Ridley Scott
Starring: Russell Crowe, Cate
Blanchett

Forget about Disney’s animation

version of a fox portraying Robin
Hood or Kevin Costner in Robin
Hood: Prince of Thieves. In this
newly updated version, director
Ridley Scott teams up with Russell
Crowe (Gladiator) in this highly
anticipated action film. In this
version, Robin Hood and his men
return to their homeland to restore
order from the vicious and ruthless
Sir Godfrey. Grade: B -
Movie Reviews
Donnie Darko
Directed by Richard Kelly; 2001
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone,
Drew Barrymore
In a world of unimaginative chaos, the surrealism and
metaphysics in Donnie Darko captivates a genre of its very
own. We learn the beginning of the film that Donnie is
afflicted with a mental illness. Like many psychological
thrillers, the premise of the film suggests that Donnie is
predicting the end of the world, though the plot leads to
many possibilities, including time travel, and the
marvelous use of special effects that illuminates perfectly
on screen. The core in the film is the encounter between
Donnie and his imaginary and demonic-looking rabbit,
which delicately whispers to Donnie and prompts him to
commit crimes in the neighborhood. The audiences are
allowed to consider Donnie as your average and ordinary
young man, possessed with deception, troubled by
complexities of philosophy, fear and loneliness.
The film explores the relationship between reality and
illusion, as Donnie continues to be haunted by this sinister
imaginary rabbit. The essential conflict in the film would
undoubtedly spark a discussion about the difference
between reality and illusion, and the complexities of fear.
Donnie challenges the school on its renewed philosophy
that, in its superficial presentation, fear should be
confronted and avoided, and is suspended from the
school. We learn that everyone in the town is actually
terribly afraid, and the ideology of “fear philosophy”
becomes meaningless. But that’s for us to decide. We
learn at the end of the film that Donnie in fact was not
hallucinating, and no one in the film has thought his
philosophy was adequate. Though the film does have a
sense of originality in its plot, and the shots of Donnie’s
maniacal eyes are enough to frighten the viewer, the
conclusion of the film was not as monumental one would
hope for.
Million Dollar Baby
Directed by Clint Eastwood; 2004
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank,
Morgan Freeman
Million Dollar Baby may appear to be a movie about
boxing, however this deeply intimate story prevails
personal triumph, choices, and the courage and
discipline to fulfill ambitions. The legendary Clint
Eastwood not only stars in Million Dollar Baby, but
produces and directs with such brilliance. Frankie
(Eastwood) and Eddie (Morgan Freeman), trainers well
past their prime, have a history of collaboration filled
with melancholy and past glory. When newcomer Maggie
(Hilary Swank) appears in their gym, Frankie immediately
refuses to train her because she’s a girl. At first, we
assume and accuse Frankie to be sexist, but we come to
learn he is afraid to take responsibility for a woman
getting hurt. Eventually, Maggie persuades and convinces
Frankie to take her under his wing and she becomes a
dominating force in women’s boxing.
The acting in the film is superbly crafted. Perhaps this is
the reason why the film garnered four Academy Awards,
including Best Picture, Director (Eastwood), Actress
(Swank), and Supporting Actor (Freeman). Eastwood,
Swank and Freeman’s performances are possibly their
best roles to date, creating classic character drama. The
beauty of Million Dollar Baby is that it doesn’t need to
educate the audience about boxing. Instead, the storyline
and excellent dramatization absorb the emotions of the
performances to the audience. Thanks to delicate
direction by Eastwood, a fantastic script (Paul Haggis;
who also directed Crash) and excellent acting all around,
Million Dollar Baby takes its rightful place among the
greatest boxing movies ever.

The Great Debaters
Directed by Denzel Washington; 2007
Starring: Denzel Washington, Forest Whitaker
In recent history, there have been films that truly
inspired moviegoers across the globe. One example, is
1989, Dead Poet Society. Fortunately, in today’s market,
there are independent films that still maintain its
reputation. Denzel Washington stars and direct (his
second feature) in this superbly acted, witty dialogue,
meaningful historical event, and powerful ethical
messages in The Great Debaters. While this may not be a
classic feature, it does stand strong with audiences and
critics alike. Racism and radicals are the central themes
in The Great Debaters; fortunately, we’re not expected to
feel pity nor sorrow for the characters, but the hope for
equality, as the film is set in 1930’s Texas.
Melvin Tolson (Washington) is a professor at Wiley
College in Texas. As he attempts to unify the local
sharecroppers with his strong public speaking abilities
and radical political views, he also coaches the debate
team at the college, hand-picked by him each year. The
team consists of Samantha Booke (Jurnee Smollett), the
first woman ever to make the team, Henry Lowe (Nate
Parker), a rebellious and outspoken student who spends
most of his time on the isolated lake, and James Farmer
Jr. (Forest Whitaker), a 14 year-old student who worries
about the inequality he constantly witnesses. The Wiley
team sets out to become the first colored debate team to
debate against white colored schools. Going undefeated
during their first nine debates, the team is invited by
Harvard to challenge their prestigious group.
The ongoing anticipation, violence and
racism that The Great Debaters examines is
its greatest development, one that almost
overshadows the student’s goals of
debating with Harvard elites. Witnessing
the many injustices of 1930’s Texas toward
colored people fuels Henry, Samantha and
Farmer Jr. to challenge the esteemed
Harvard team, but it affects each character
differently: Farmer struggles over
misinterpreting acceptable actions of
upholding peace, Henry pretends to
accept the viewing of a burning lynched
body, but cracks under the tormenting
imagery, and Samantha battles her feelings
for Henry and his mistakes with liquor.
The names that are in the film may escape
your notice initially, but a slight
smattering of history should have your
memory jogged. The names are notable in
history, and this delightful film captured
the spirit of the times remarkably well.
While his methods for teaching them may
have been questioned, the students always
knew where they stood with Tolson, and
with each other. Smollett and Parker
exude confidence, and tacit calm, with a
hint of ire beneath their composed
outward appearances. Forest Whitaker,
who plays James Farmer, Jr., is excellent in
a breakthrough performance. His
character undergoes a lot of troubling
circumstances, but they all end up shaping
him into the person he was.
 Funny Games
Directed by Michael Haneke; 2007
Starring: Naomi Watts, Tim Roth,
Michael Pitt

Funny Games, an English-language

remake of the 1997 film of the same
name and director, is a psycho-
thriller game initiated by Paul and Peter
(Michael Pitt and Brady Corbet) against a
vacationing upper class family. With the
overlay music cutting from a peaceful
classical song to a heavy-metal rock song
it
only explains the disturbance from the family’s normal vocation. The movie begins intensively as Ann,
George and Georgie (Naomi Watts, Tim Roth and Devon Gearhart) are just settling in at their cabin
when Peter drops by to borrow several eggs. We are expected that he is under the ruse that they are
staying next door with mutual friends. Ann is at first pleased to help then quickly gets irritated as Peter
drops the first batch of eggs and knocks her cell phone into a sink of dishwater. He finally leaves with
more eggs than expected only to have Paul return to demand more eggs since the family dog made Peter
drop the second batch. Ann’s patience becomes rattled by the fact that they refuse to leave. Up until
that moment the scenes are normal and tranquil, then with one fell swoop of a golf club the movie
turns into an uncomfortable “game” that Peter and Paul play out with horrific friendliness, always
polite and courteous. The director (Michael Haneke) weaves a tale of panic, helplessness, desperation
and hope that audience will find uncomfortable.

Match Point
Directed by Woody Allen; 2005
Starring: Jonathan Rhys-Meyers,
Scarlett Johansson

Woody Allen returns to his imperative

themes of relationships, infidelity, and life
choices. Fortunately, Allen’s direction and
mastery writing-style combined both thriller
and romantic elements to indulge the
audience in a modern version of 1987’s
Fatal Attraction. However, Match Point is no Annie Hall but Allen manages to create originality, suspense,
and eroticism between the characters that creates a state of frenzy. The story revolves around tennis pro
Chris Wilton (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers) who decides to give up his ambitions to become a championship-
level player. For his day job Chris instructs at a high-end luxury club near London where is introduced to
Tom (Mathew Goode), son of a wealthy business executive (Brian Cox), Tom’s intelligent, yet
dumbfounded sister Chloe (Emily Mortimer), and Tom’s irresistible and sexy girlfriend Nola (Scarlett
Johansson). Chris persuades Chloe into marrying him, thus creating a possible financial stability and class
to live a luxurious lifestyle that he so desperately wants. However, intimacies arise when his one night fling
with Nola becomes obsessive and neurotic leaving the audience in astonishment.
 over which he has no authority. In effect, the
whole story of Kane is being told through
3

flashbacks. With the use of flashbacks, Welles

offers the audience the opportunity to doubt
Kane’s perspective. Additionally, flashbacks act
like untrustworthy storytellers whose own
opinions and interpretations influence Kane’s
accuracy because the cast doubts Kane’s
recollections. With these particular innovations,
Welles leaves the audience with a lot of questions
regarding Kane’s character as a complicated man
who asks for sympathy. Lastly, shadows plague the
people in Kane's life because he is truly not happy.

Citizen Kane
Directed by Orson Welles; 1941
Starring: Orson Welles, Joseph Cotton, Dorothy
Comingore

Have you ever wondered what is the greatest

movie ever made? Majority of film critics, film
historians and moviegoers alike would agree that
Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane is perhaps the greatest
film ever made. Citizen Kane is presented with
Kane’s obituary newsreel, which expresses to the
audience his upbringings, purchase of a
newspaper, first marriage, political defeat, second
marriage, betrayal, and the infamous Xanadu. Of Deep focus photography: the visibility of
course, the chronic life of a fictionalized Charles four characters in one frame
Kane is based on the real life newspaper tycoon
William Randolph Hearst. However, what makes
Citizen Kane enthralling in terms of filmmaking?
After one failed marriage, he marries Susan and
Orson Welles uses light and shadow in Citizen
eventually she is surrounded by Kane's shadow at
Kane to enhance the mood of the film and give
a high angle shot when she becomes dissatisfied
the audience a constant emotion of the characters
with their lonely life in a mausoleum of a house
surrounding Kane. Recognizably, deep focus
(Xanadu). The audience knows early on that
photography illuminated a ground-breaking
Charles Kane will never measure up to the man
filmmaking technique in Citizen Kane. Its
he proclaims for himself. Citizen Kane has
mastermind Gregg Toland (Director of
influenced generations of filmmakers with its
Photography) placed the characters in frame and
many technical innovations, and Welles' use of
created a foreground focus. Having an exceptional
stark, and often mysterious, symbolism to depict
ability to combine lighting, composition, and his
the human triumphs and tragedies of the very
camera lens, Toland managed to produce the
great, but terribly flawed life.
desired effect and showcase overlapping actions.
With deep focus photography, the audience has a
clear view of the space Kane controls and the
space
 Greetings
from
Israel
(Left: Ronit Elkabetz, Lior Ashkenazi)
Late Marriage
Dir. Dover Kosashvili; 2001
Starring: Lior Ashkenazi, Ronit Elkabetz
Languages: Georgian-Hebrew
Undeniably entertaining and warm hearted,
Late Marriage tells a powerful story of family
traditions and intergenerational conflict
within Israel’s Jewish-Georgian society.
Most importantly, Late Marriage proves that
the appreciation of Israeli cinema has yet to
be known worldwide due to the lack of
theatrical release. Writer/director Dover
Kosashvili conveys attributes in Late
Marriage that illuminates impeccably on-
screen by maintaining family customs,
traditions and obligations that have begun
to diminish over the decades. The film
unfolds as Zaza (Lior Ashkenazi), a 31-
year-old Georgian-Israeli PhD student at
Tel Aviv University, family is trying to
arrange a marriage for him within the
Georgian community. When Zaza
arrives to the home of a possible match
with his mother and father he is clearly
unenthusiastic and discovers the young
woman is still in high school.
Surprisingly, after he drops his parents
off at their apartment building, Zaza
drives to a nearest pay phone and calls
his girlfriend Judith (Ronit Elkabetz), a
34-year-old Moroccan-Israeli divorcée
who he is secretly dating without his
parents’ knowledge. Zaza must choose
between family tradition and his love.
 Entertainer of the Month

Amy Adams

You’ll find Amy Adams film performances simply irresistible. Born in Italy and
raised in the states, Amy Adams has over ten years of acting experience under her
belt in the film industry. She is notably known for her versatile acting methods
from comedic to dramatic performances such as 1999, Drop Dead Gorgeous; 2007,
Enchanted; and 2008, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day to 2000, Cruel Intentions 2;
2002, Catch Me if You Can; 2009, Sunshine Cleaning; and her most widely known
performance in 2009, Julie & Julia. However, Amy has scored two Oscar
nominations, one for her sensitive, yet perky performance in 2005, Junebug (Best
Supporting Actress); and second, her mesmerizing, yet quiet and disturbed
performance, alongside Meryl Streep, in 2008, Doubt (Best Supporting Actress).
 THE END

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