Takami-kun Series: Nijiiro no garasu (2009) - ★★★½

Director: Takeshi Yokoi
Stars: Kyosuke Hamao, Daisuke Watanabe,
Yukihiro Takiguchi, Yûta Takahashi, Kei Hosogai, Yûki Hiyori

This is the 2nd chapter of the Takami-kun series, an LGBT romance made in Japan. I quite liked the first instalment, but I'm happy to say that Nijiiro no garasu is an even better chapter of this young romance. It's well-made, beautiful, entertaining, and surprisingly emotional. At times it made my heart sing with glee, then it made me quite angry, but best of all, it made me feel heartbroken by the end. This is a show with a heart and soul. It tenderly displays the romance of a young, gay couple, and all the complications of their relationship.

Takami-kun and Gii have been going steady for the past year. The new year brings more drama in the form of a lover's quarrel, and a romance that blossoms in the midst of a terminal illness. 

You Are Beautiful (2009) - ★★★★

Director: Seong-Chang Hong

Writers: Jeong-eun Hong

Stars: Shin-Hye Park, Jang Keun Suk, Yong-hwa Jung, Hong-ki Lee, Ran Choi, Yu-jin Kim

One thing I love about Korean dramas is how airy-fairy, lovey-dovey they are. The cheesiness of it all just makes my heart sing with glee, and for the most part, 'You’re Beautiful' had that effect on me. It follows the same formula, with characters and dialogue that appear to have been taken straight out of a manga series. It’s just so whimsical. There’s an infectious charm to it that just made me laugh, writhe with elation, and cower from all the corniness. I enjoyed watching this show immensely, however, there were many things that I just couldn’t stand about it. It didn’t sweep me off my feet the way it should have, which is why I must disagree with those that call it the greatest K-Drama of all time. However, it's still one of the most wonderfully entertaining shows I've ever seen.

Brotherhood (2009) - ★★★½

Director: Nicolo Donato
Writers: Rasmus Birch, Nicolo Donato
Stars: Thure Lindhardt, David Dencik, Nicolas Bro, Morten Holst, Hanne Hedelund

Brotherhood is a well-made Danish film about the forbidden love between two members of a pro-Nazi group. It's extremely well acted, beautifully crafted, and sensitive in its portrayal of love and fear between two men. The only problem I had with the film is that I could tell what was going to happen, half an hour before it happened. If it was less predictable, or separate from the conventional themes most LGBT films share, then I could see it as a masterpiece. It certainly had the potential, with gorgeous scenes and a damn-good score by Jesper Mechlenburg. As it stands, Brotherhood is still one of the best LGBT films I've seen.

The Cove (2009) - ★★★★½

Director: Louie Psihoyos
Writer: Mark Monroe

The Cove won the Best Documentary Oscar at the 2009 Academy Awards, and it was a very well deserved win. It takes a special kind of film to evoke so much emotion out of me. By the end of the film, I was left speechless. There was so much that I wanted to say, but I couldn't, because I found it too hard to say anything without crying profusely. It's a very informative look at the cruelty towards dolphins, whether it be from captivity in aquariums, amusement parks, or the killing of them for meat. The primary focus of this film is to show the world the horrific slaughter of dolphins at a cove in Taijii, Japan. Not only do we see their suffering, but we hear their suffering too. It's one of the most powerful scenes in cinematic history, and a scene that moved me to tears.

Up in the Air (2009) - ★★★½

Director: Jason Reitman
Writers: Walter Kirn (Novel), Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner (Screenplay)
Stars: George Clooney, Anna Kendrick, Vera Farmiga, Jason Bateman, Melanie Lynskey, Danny McBride, Zach Galifianakis

Up in the Air is an intelligent and pretty funny dramedy. I found it really entertaining for the most part, but that's mostly to do with Anna Kendrick's electric performance. At times I found myself underwhelmed by the story, especially when Kendrick took a lengthy absence. Everyone gave brilliant performances and I found myself loving the dialogue. It's a solid film, but I'll never really get why people call this a masterpiece. I'll have to watch it again, but my final thought was "Meh."

Last Ride (2009) - ★★★

Director: Glendyn Ivin
Writers: Mac Gudgeon (Screenplay), Denise Young (Novel)
Stars: Hugo Weaving, Tom Russell, Anita Hegh, Kelton Pell

The Last Ride is an interesting, well-acted drama that is slow and tedious for the most part. It flatlined from start to finish, with hardly any light moments or exciting scenes. The cinematography is absolutely stunning, being the only thing here that's really noteworthy. I can't say that I enjoyed the film, nor would I watch it again. It's pretty good in a lot of aspects, but it failed to impress and maintain my interest.

The White Ribbon "Das weiße Band" (2009) - ★★★★

Director: Michael Haneke
Writer: Michael Haneke
Stars: Christian Friedel, Burghart Klaußner, Maria-Victoria Dragus, Leonard Proxauf, Leonie Benesch

Michael Haneke has officially made it onto my list as one of the greatest story writers in the history of cinema. The White Ribbon is an extremely interesting film. It's as if there is a darkness, an evil looming over the whole film that keeps us wanting to know what's going to happen next. However, it drags on way too much, saying things that could have been said at least 20 minutes quicker.

A Single Man (2009) – ★★★★½

Director: Tom Ford  |  Writers: Christopher Isherwood (novel), Tom Ford (Sceenplay)

Stars: Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Nicholas Hoult, Matthew Goode, Jon Kortajarena

This is an absolutely beautiful and sensitive movie about depression, suicide, and love. If ever there was a movie that someone should see if they are thinking of committing suicide, it is A Single Man. It hits the nail on the head with the issue of depression, and passionately displays the story of a gay man whose lover died in a car accident. It is a near perfect movie, and certainly one of the most underrated of this decade.

Fish Tank (2009) - ★★★★

Director: Andrea Arnold
Writer: Andrea Arnold
Stars: Katie Jarvis, Michael Fassbender, Kierston Wareing

This is a brilliant film. Its brutally honest realism sets it apart from most movies about troubled youth, which is achieved through what seems like effortless and meticulous acting, and an everyday girl's story in the suburbs of England just trying to get by. If they said it was based on a true story, I wouldn't blink.

Katie Jarvis plays the lead character, fifteen year-old Mia. The director discovered her when he saw her fighting with her boyfriend at a train station. Man oh man did he make the right choice in choosing her to play Mia. 

Mia is an angry, resentful and vulnerable teen that goes about her day either looking for a fight or for booze. It's not hard to see why when you see the mother (Koerston Wareing) who is an uncaring, boozy and irresponsible parent that clearly has no interest in raising kids. Mia's little sister is perhaps neglected the most, with no affection from either her mother or her older sister, which has turned her resentful also. Their lives take a strange turn when Conner (Michael Fassbender) joins the family as the mothers new boyfriend. He's nice, caring, and extremely handsome, which naturally draws Mia to develop a crush on him. The film has its sweet moments and its horrifying moments, mainly filled with an air of suspense for what will happen next.

The thing I liked most about this film is the way it clearly displayed the emotions of Mia. Jarvis did a great job in displaying the inner turmoil on her face and showing the vulnerability in Mia, even though she presented an angry exterior. You could really feel for her, because of the way she was raised and the hole she's stuck in with what seems like no way of escaping. At the beginning of the film you wonder why she's a bitch that drinks, smokes and fights people. The genius of Fish Tank is that it's self explanatory once you meet the mother, who clearly screwed Mia up as a child. You can also see good in Mia, for she sees a sick horse chained up over a fence and tries to feed and free it so that it may have a chance to live.

In the end, you're left wondering whether she will be ok or not. I think she will be. If I've learnt anything about Mia while watching Fish Tank, it's that she's a fighter and will do whatever it takes to get on her feet. This film is a testament to how parents are usually the root of the destruction of their children.