Grease

"You can't walk out of a drive-in!"

The quintessential teen musical. I think every high school choir has performed "We Go Together" to say goodbye to their seniors. The music is good, the characters are fun and it just makes you think about high school (so it's nostalgic). Plot wise the movie follows ten friends during their senior year of high school: the highs, the lows, the hookups and breakups, the friendships, and that BIG dance! The film takes place in the 50's when guys greased up their hair (thus the title) and girls wore poodle skirts (although none of the girls wear them...hmm). The five guys are car crazed, school hating, girl chasing, leather jacket wearing T-Birds (if you forget, just look at their jackets). And the girls are the Pink Ladies (they don't seem as unified as the guys). The story opens on the first day of school (well actually it starts at the beach, but i'll get to that later). Theres Kenickie (Jeff Conway) the leader of the group, Danny (Travolta) the ladies man, and the three stooges: Doody (Barry Pearl), Sonny (Michael Tucci) and Putzie (Kelly Ward). The Pink Ladies are Rizzo (Channing) the tough as nails leader, Frenchy (Didi Conn) the future beautician, Marty (Dinah Manoff) who is guy crazy, and Jan (Jamie Donnelly) who likes to eat, and newbie Sandy (Newton-John) who is "too pure to be pink".

Over the summer Danny and Sandy met and fell in love, but due to Danny's reputation he can't be seen dating her. While they decide if their relationship is worth fighting for, the rest of the gang pairs off (Kenickie & Rizzo, Doody & Frenchy, Sonny & Marty, and Putzie & Jan). Their relationships encounter obstacles and fights, as do their friendships. To the side, waiting to give advice or help are their teachers and their favorite waitress, along with a "fairygodmother" for Frenchy (played by Frankie Avalon).

Dude, it's quotable: you may need to censor some of the lyrics, but you'll be humming along and even quoting the characters in no time...

Rent it once: it's a teen classic (see if so you can understand why people sing "We Go Together")

Grease (1978) 110 minutes
Director: Randal Kleiser
Starring: John Travolta as Danny
Olivia Newton John as Sandy
Stockard Channing as Rizzo

Moulin Rouge!

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be love loved in return"

According to imdb.com, the plot of this musical was based off of 3 operas...personally I thought it was a modern day Romeo and Juliet, except with much less death (which is ironic since Baz Luhrmann also directed the newest version of Romeo & Juliet). Christian (McGregor) is an idealistic young writer (i.e. Romeo) who travels to France to write. He obsessed with the quest for love. Shortly after arriving he meets a strange group of Bohemians, led by Toulouse-Lautrec (John Leguizamo). They are trying to write a musical which will exemplify their Bohemian beliefs of Beauty, Truth, and Love. They are impressed by Christian and ask him to pitch their idea that evening. Together the men dress up and go into the underworld of the city to the Moulin Rouge (which is basically a whore house). While there, they set up a meeting with Satine (Kidman) the most beautiful courtesan. That evening Satine is supposed to meet a Duke (Richard Roxburgh) who wants to be their patron. After several scenes of mistaken identity, the Duke agrees to finance their show Spectacular, Spectacular and Christian and Satine fall in love. This film also stars Jim Broadbent as Harold Zidler, the owner of the Moulin Rouge.

The first 20 or so minutes of the movie are thrown at you, and you have to decide to either accept them or stop watching. If you accept them, you are eventually treated to a real plot line (which is easy to follow...and to predict the ending). The music featured in this film are modern songs (Madonna, David Bowie, Nirvana, etc), sung by the cast. Also, the song Lady Marmalade (which is sung at the Moulin Rouge) was recorded by Christina Aguillera, Little Kim, Pink, Mia, and Missy Elliot although they do not appear in the film. The only orginal song in the film was actually written for a different Baz Luhrmann film (ironically it was supposed to be used in Romeo & Juliet), "Come What May". The film is beautiful, and you get sucked in so that by the end your heart is completely broken and if you are female you fall in love with Ewan McGregor, ::sigh::

?...i wouldn't say this film is quotable, but the soundtrack is pretty sweet

Rent it multiple times: if you can survive it once, watch it again so you can completely enjoy it (or just watch the musical numbers). I would also suggest purchasing the soundtracks (I have both and they are wonderful!!)

Moulin Rouge! (2001) 127 minutes
Director: Baz Luhrmann
Starring: Ewan McGregor as Christian
Nicole Kidman as Satine

Chicago

"In this town, murder's a form of entertainment"

Ladies and gentlemen, please check your morals at the door! I saw Chicago the week it was released with a friend of mine. I picked the movie based on the fact that it was a musical...lets just say we were a bit scandalized by the time it was over. I suppose i should explain...main character Roxie (Zellweger) is a pretty, mechanics wife who dreams of showbiz. She starts messing around with a furniture salesman (Dominic West) who tells her he has connections and can get her a job singing at a bar. Within in the first few minutes of the film we learn that he lied just so she'd sleep with him. Roxie is so upset with him and mad at herself for believing him that she pulls her husbands gun and fires at him multiple times. When the police come she has her husband cover for her and say that the man was a robber and he shot him...after actually seeing the corpse he recognizes the man and he realizes what happened. Roxie is thrown in jail and confined to murders row where she meets the other women awaiting their murder trials. Among the women is actress Velma Kelly (Jones) who shot both her sister and husband (they were messing around and she caught them). After only a few talks the women realize they hate each other. The other colorful character are Momma Morton (Queen Latifah): the jailer who accepts bribes to make the prisoners more comfortable, Billy Flynn (Gere): the lawyer who hasn't lost a case (even if his methods are unconventional), Amos (John C. Reily): Roxie's simpleminded but sincere husband, and Mary Sunshine (Christine Baranski): the sentimental reporter who covers Roxie's case. While this film is a musical, director Rob Marshall chose to have all the musical numbers appear in Roxie's mind: she sees every interaction as a potential idea for a show. Introducing each of the numbers is the bandleader/pianist (played by Taye Diggs). Some of the scenes, such as the courtroom number "Razzle Dazzle", seem like daydreams.

The costumes show A LOT of skin, and no one shows remorse for their crimes or even hesitates to continue lying...it's hard to agree or even sympathize with the characters (in my opinion). Personally, the only character i like is Taye Diggs...but i like everything he's done so i suppose i'm biased. Anyway, you feel dirty after watching the film and incredibly guilty for actually enjoying watching it. If it wasn't a musical i probably wouldn't like it at all. Also, the original Velma Kelly (Chita Rivera), from the Broadway show, has a small cameo as a prisoner.

Watch while doing homework: personally i just like to watch the musical numbers

Rent it once: it's an interesting film, and worth seeing once, but just remember what it's about so you aren't shocked within the first 10 minutes

Chicago (2002) 113 minutes (PG-13)

Director: Rob Marshall

Starring: Renee Zellweger as Roxie

Catherine Zeta Jones as Velma

Richard Gere as Billy

Willy Wonka: the magic of chocolate

"Invention, my dear friends, is 93% perspiration, 6% electricity, 4% evaporation, and 2% butterscotch ripple"

"That's 105%!!"

Most books, well-loved classics, do not translate well to the screen. Regardless how faithful it remains to the book, some fans of the book won't be impressed with the film... As a child I remember curling up on the couch and reading Ronald Dahl's "Charlie & the Chocolate Factory". Sadly, over all these years i cannot separate my feelings about the book and my feelings about the film "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory": i enjoy them both. Doing a little research about the film (by watching the DVD extras) I discovered Ronald Dahl was not impressed by this film, in fact he never saw the whole thing...learning that, it makes me wonder why this film has been so popular, and why a more recent adaption of the film has been made (personally i didn't like the newer film as a whole...some parts were better, but for nostalgic reasons i perfer this one).

Just a disclaimer, I love musicals. While this film isn't usually performed on stage, I have always had a soft spot for this film. Although, I can sing most of the words by heart (although my pitch may be slightly off...especially if i have an audience) I am still struck by the humor of the spoken lines. Gene Wilder, who plays Wonka, delivers his punch lines and continues on, making it seem more realistic: he's mocking the others, but they don't pick it up.

The basic premise of the film is that eccentric candymaker Willy Wonka has hidden 5 golden tickets in his chocolate bars. The recepients of these tickets are granted a tour of Wonka's factory and a life supply of chocolate, and can be accompanied by a family member. The recepients are Augustus Gloop (German glutton), Veruca Salt (spoiled brat), Violet Beauregarde (proud gumchewer), Mike Teevee (annoying tv addict), and Charlie Bucket (humble, sweet boy). Wonka takes them all for a ride, "Little surprises around every corner, but nothing dangerous" while showing them his dream "If you want to view paradise, simply look around and view it".

This film differs from the book in several plot related devices, but i think it enhances the story...BEST LINE: "If God wanted us to walk he wouldn't have invented roller skates!"

Watch while doing homework: some parts drag, and even if you miss a large chunk of the film it is still possible to follow the story
Rent it once: see it once, just to say you've seen it...it isn't necessary to own it to enjoy it, but i love it:-)


Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1970) 100 minutes
Director: Mel Stuart
Starring: Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka
Jack Albertson as Grandpa Joe
Peter Ostrum as Charlie

The Magnificent Seven

"You think I am brave because I carry a gun; well, your fathers are much braver because they carry responsibility. And this responsibility is like a big rock that weighs a ton. It bends and it twists them until finally it buries them under the ground...I have never had this kind of courage"

Gunslingers have this mystique, it's hard to describe, but one looks at them with a mixture of awe and admiration. Are they role models, not at all, and yet they are considered heroes. The film "The Magnificent Seven" shows a different side to the life of a hired gun: the morality issues. A small Mexican town is run by the bandit Calvera (Wallach). Several times a year he rides into town, with his gang of bandits, and takes all the food the people have. The peasants reach their breaking point and decide to buy guns. Three of their men ride across the border where they meet gunslinger Chris (Brynner) who suggests "why don't you hire men? Men are cheaper than guns these days".

Chris agrees to help the men by assembling a team of gunslingers: seven in all. These men are the best of the best with their respective trades, but they are hardly the nicest men to be around. There is Vin (McQueen), O'Reily (Bronson), Harry (Dexter), Lee (Vaughn), Chico (Buchholz), and Britt (Coburn): each is his own biggest competition "if he's the best, with whom does he compete?", the answer is "himself". Each is flawed, hardened to this lifestyle which he hates but can never be rid of, with the exception of Chico (this is his first job). When Calvera rides into town he is met by 3 of the 7. Having a crew of 40, he is not worried and knows the village is poor (thus unable to hire many men). One by one the rest of the men make their presence known, and while he still isn't worried, he is shocked that so many professionals would help a poor village:

"We deal in lead friend"

"Me too, that makes us the same"

"Only as competitors"

...but his shock leads to outrage when they stand their ground and fight him. This is the best scene in the film: the dialogue as Calvera meets his competition, the battle, and the satisfied looks at the end (don't worry, the film doesn't end here), it doesn't get much better than that:)

This film has a little bit of everything, there is even a love story. As I was watching the film I was impressed that they added authentic cricket noises in the background...and then I realized my window was open. Each of the characters is flawed, but it's hard not to like them despite or perhaps because of their flaws. As Chico raves about their job, and how their gun has given them everything, they explain the things they don't have: a family, a home, security: the things so many people desire. Perhaps they don't have any enemies...alive, but they have to live with the decisions they've made. In the end, each character finds redemption: they may be bad men, but they are willing to risk everything, including their lives, to free this small village.

 
Dude, it's quotable: the dialogue is excellent...mmm, i love a film with good dialogue

Buy it without seeing it: it's a classic!!

The Magnificent Seven (1960) 128 minutes
Director: John Sturges
Starring: Yul Brynner as Chris Adams
Eli Wallach as Calvera
Steve McQueen as Vin Tanner
Horst Buchholz as Chico
Charles Bronson as Bernardo O'Reilly
Robert Vaughn as Lee Basset
James Coburn as Britt Avery
Brad Dexter as Harry Luck

Good Night, and Good Luck

"There's no news, boys, so go out there and make some news. Rob a bank, mug an old lady, whatever - just do something!!"

As a writer (who hopes to work for a newspaper in the near future) i was intrigued by this film... Writing is an art form: you need to persuade, inform and at times entertain. The film "Good Night, and Good Luck" is about the confrontations between Sen. McCarthy and the CBS news team, led by Edward Murrow (Strathairn). Murrow and his team watch in horror as men and women are accused of being communists (or sympathizing with the communists) and are brought to hearings, some where even blacklisted (they were banned from working). The "hearings" are presided by Sen. McCarthy, and his aim is to get the accused to admit to being communists and give details about other communists. Murrow and his team watch the trials, interview witnesses and then present their views of the charges during their evening show. Eventually they attack Sen. McCarthy himself, which many other newsmen consider a death warrant.

The film is shot in black and white, which makes it appear to be a tape from the archives chronicling the actual events. Choosing to shoot in black and white allows the actual footage of the trials to be added to the program without making it obvious. Unlike most modern films, "Good Night, and Good Luck" does not make any apparent statements about modern politics (although if it did i probably wouldn't understand the references...sorry, my interests are literature and films, NOT politics...or philosophy, but thats a different story). The majority of the film takes place at the CBS headquarters, with only a few scenes in the "real world". And although many of the actors and actresses are well-known figures, their reputations/personalities do not appear on screen: they are their characters (meaning George Clooney is Fred, not George Clooney playing George Clooney in the 50's).

Personally, i found this film to reenforce high school history lessons. I remembering learning about the McCarthy Era and watching a few of the actual trials, but i'm a visual person, so it didn't really sink in...and a few years ago i saw "The Majestic" which is a fictional portrayal of the same time period, but this was MUCH better. If you don't know anything about the timeperiod i'd suggest researching it before seeing the film, just so you don't get lost. Remember, it is a fictional film BASED on history (sorry, i took a class about politics in films, specifically about how history is portrayed in films..my advice, don't take movies as the gospel truth, they need to keep it interesting, not necessarily historically accurate). End Rant.

I don't have a good way to describe...whether you're interested in history or politics (or like me you don't really care) this film is definetly worth seeing...
Buy it b/c it's good: it feels like a classic, but is a recent film (black & white films just seem so classy!)


Good Night, and Good Luck (2005) 93 minutes
Director: George Clooney
Starring: David Strathairn as Edward Murrow
George Clooney as Fred Friendly

Cars

"I"m serious. He won 3 Piston Cups!"

"He did WHAT in a cup?"

So in general I LOVE Disney & Pixar movies. I was very excited about their newest film "Cars"...even though the reviews i read were unfavorable i decided to chance the $7 needed to see it in the theater. Thankfully i enjoyed the film!
The film focuses on a rookie racecar named Lightning (Wilson) who is in a 3 way tie for the Piston Cup (this major racing trophy). He is tied with the retiring champion (The King: Richard Petty) and an arrogant, mean car who always comes in second place (Chick Hicks: Michael Keaton). The three cars finish the race at the same time, so the judges decide to have a special race to determine who will win the Piston Cup. The 3 cars need to go to a different race track, and along the way Lightning gets separated from his truck (Mack: John Ratzenberger) and ends up wrecking a small town called Radiatore Springs. The resident judge (Doc: Newman) sentences Lightning to community service: fixing their road.
The movie is very funny, although younger kids may not understand all of the jokes. Larry the Cable Guy is funny as Mater, and he only uses his trademark "Git-r-done" once. The film is riddled with puns, and i know i didn't catch all of them... Also, the film does some interesting parodies of the racing industry (Dale Earnhart Jr does the voice of the number 8 car, and Darrell Waltrip is Darrell Cartrip), and pop culture in general (Jay Leno is talk show host Jay Limo). If you see this film make sure you stay and watch the credits b/c they have some funny parodies of previous Pixar movies: Toy Story, A Bugs Life, and Monster's Inc (all played by cars).
One of my favorite parts was when Mater and Lightning go cow tipping (the cows are spotted tractors): "Tractors are so dumb"...growing up in a hicktown i could totally appreciate little Radiatore Springs. "No! Don't leave me here, in hillbilly hell! My IQ's dropping by the second! I'm becoming one of them!"
Actually, there wasn't anything i didn't like about this film. See it!

Dude, it's quotable!: check out the quotes at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0317219/quotes
Buy it without seeing it!: this is already on my movie wish list

Cars (2006) 116 minutes
Directors: John Lasseter & Joe Ranft
Starring: Owen Wilson as Lightning
Paul Newman as Doc
Bonnie Hunt as Sally

Legally Blonde: stereotypically funny

"You're breaking up with me because I'm too... blonde"

Blondes everywhere, REJOICE!! Elle (Witherspoon) is a ditzy college girl who is waiting for her hunky boyfriend Warner (Davis) to propose. He takes her out to dinner, and calmly explains that they are breaking up because he needs a serious girlfriend, i.e. someone his family doesn't think is a complete waste of time. Heartbroken and confused (about Warner's grandmother "She loves me, she said I looked like Brittany Spears. Why would you say that to someone you didn't like?") Elle decides to win him back by going to Harvard as a "serious lawstudent". Her first day of classes she is mocked multiple times by her classmates and professors. After class she discovers her main tormentor is now engaged to Warner. After careful contemplation, and some major girl talk at the local beauty parlor, she decides to continue her studies at Harvard to show Warner she is serious. Over the course of her studies, and with some supportive new friends Elle finds a passion for law.

Interesting things:
1. character progression (bubbly airhead, to brainy beauty, to confident cutie...yes, i like alliteration): you truly believe she is changing (but are her reasons sound?)
2. colors (in L.A. everyone wears bright colors and is happy...at Harvard Elle stands out b/c everyone else is in drab boring colors. As she takes her law career seriously her colors fade to black and gray, especially when she joins the court case...but in the end she returns to her "signature color" of bright pink and combines her newfound wisdom with some old girl info)
3. was based off a book by Amanda Brown (apparently there is no Emmet...pity)
4. the final graduation scene was filmed 2 years after the rest of the film (Witherspoon and Wilson are wearing wigs b/c they changed hairstyles for other films).

Overall i love this film, it has Reese Witherspoon and Luke Wilson, she wears a lot of pink, and its all about beautiful blondes...what more could it have?

Legally Blonde (2001) 96 minutes
Director: Robert Luketic
Starring" Reese Witherspoon as Elle
Luke Wilson as Emmett
Matthew Davis as Warner

Buy it without seeing it: i'm blonde, so i guess i'm biased
Dude, it's quotable: yes, yes it is...

Mean Girl

"Well, I mean you wouldn't buy a skirt without asking your friends first if it looks good on you"

"I wouldn't?"

"Right. Oh, and it's the same with guys. Like, you may think you like someone, but you could be wrong"

They have a dresscode ("On Wednesdays we wear pink"), they have reputations ("She's a life ruiner"), they rule the school ("...she knows everything about everyone"), but mostly they are just MEAN. The teen flick Mean Girls shows the world of high school girls: the trials and tribulations of popularity (or the lack of it) by a girl who doesn't understand the system. Cady (Lohan) was born and raised in Africa and has been homeschooled her entire life. After this sheltered life, public high school is a rude awakening. Luckily for Cady she is a "regulation hottie" and quickly accepted into the popular group called the "plastics". She makes real friends with some of the less cool students who ask her to spy on the plastics so they can mock them in private...

This is a funny movie. I mean it is an exaggeration of the life and times of high school girls, but as a girl i could identify with the struggle to be and remain popular. Is popularity really worth it? Good question. There is this fascinating mystique associated with being popular...but if you have to follow all of these rules i don't think i could do it. I think the ending is a little too happy, too perfect but after all that drama it is probably necessary... Overall i like the film, but i would tend to say most guys wouldn't like it.


Mean Girls (2004) 97 minutes
Director: Mark Waters
Starring: Lindsay Lohan as Cady
Rachel McAdams as Regina
Tina Fey as Mrs. Norbury

Buy it b/c it's good OR Rent it multiple times: it's funny and there is always a place for funny films
Dude, it's quotable: i think it's pretty much self-explanatory

The Color of Paradise: Limiting our Perspectives

The Iranian film "The Color of Paradise" is a beautiful film. While the film has a good storyline and fun characters, the best part is the scenery. The majority of the film is cinematography shots: lots of nature imagery. It is impossible not to fall in love with the Iranian countryside after watching this film. Some of the best scenes in the film are the outdoor scenes: specifically when the characters are in the fields. The film also asks some interesting questions about life, focusing on the question "who is really limited?".

Mohammad, the main character is blind. He attends a special school in the city which teaches blind children how to live with their limitations. They write with special Braille equipment, and love listening to music recordings. As the film opens we see the joy in the children as they prepare to go home for a break. All the other children are promptly picked up, but Mohammad's father is late. While he waits for his father, he hears the distress call of a baby bird who has fallen from its nest. Mohammad eventually finds the bird and manages to find and climb the tree where the nest is, and then deposits it back in the next. As he places the bird into the nest a beautiful smile covers his face, and it is impossible not to completely love this character.

Sadly not everyone loves him. His father sees him as a problem. He is in the market for a new wife (Mohammad's mother recently died), and having a blind child is not a positive trait. In an effort to make himself look good, he makes Mohammad an apprentice to a blind carpenter. The women of Mohammad's family: his two sisters, and his grandmother, love Mohammad. When he arrives at their farm for his break, they run to him and hug him and go running through the fields as if nothing was wrong. They treat him like a normal child. Also, the grandmother allows Mohammad to go to school with his sisters, where he impresses the entire school by knowing their lesson better than everyone else.

Mohammad is physically limited by his inability to see. His father is limited by the belief that his son is a liability (because he is blind). HIs grandmother is limited because she cannot protect her grandson. The audience has a limited perception of reality: we can only see what the filmmaker wants us to see. In this film we also limited by the sounds we hear, focusing on the sounds Mohammad hears. Mohammad loves birds, and when he is alone in nature all we hear are the bird calls. I know this could be stretching it a bit, but Mohammad is also like a bird (well atleast the baby bird he rescued). He wants the ability to fly away, to do whatever he wants, BUT like the baby bird he needs a little help to get started.

The Color of Paradise [Rang-e khooda/] (1999) 90 minutes
Director: Majid Majidi
Starring: mohsen Ramezani as Mohammad
Hossein Mahjoub as Father
Salameh Feyzi as Grandmother

Buy it without seeing it: yes, it's that good...and its beautiful :-)
Dude, it's quotable: actually, it's one of those films you just like because it's beautiful

Yadon ilaheyya: Divine Intervention

"I think humour can be a poetic sight with a poetic dimension and this is something that cannot be captured by the dominant order" ~Elia Sulieman

What is humor? Is it the little absurd moments in daily life or something more? For Palestinian director Elia Sulieman humor can be found anywhere, even when you live in an area occupied by another country. His film "Divine Intervention" uses humor to comment on life in the Israeli occupied Palestine. The opening scene establishes the tone for the remainder of the film: a rocky hillside is shown. Then the camera follows a man dressed as Santa who is running up the hill. He is followed by three men. Ocassionally "Santa" turns around and throws candy at his pursuers, which only slows him down. As he reaches the top of the hill, he tries to seek refuge inside the building (which looks like a church of some kind) situated there, but his quest is ended when he is impaled with a knife. Overall the scene is funny, but it is a dark humor.

The scenes of the film are long looks at a character or event, but Sulieman wisely splits these scenes and intersperses them throughout the film. At first it is hard to follow, but the pattern becomes more apparent the longer you watch. Each of these scenes are a snapshot of life, but unlike a photograph which can only show one perspective, we are able to see multiple views and laugh at the absurdity of the moments. Also, each scene is like a poem...Poems are snapshots of life. The life can be real or a figment of the author's imagination. Regardless of its truth and origin, poetry is making a statement about life and belief, specifically those of the speaker. It can be broken apart and analyzed until nothing remains, but the meaning of the poem and the way it affects you change over time. I see "Divine Intervention" as a collection of connected poems. Each scene is a snapshot of E.S.'s world (the main character). The details of the scenes are what make them beautiful and funny, despite their bleak surroundings. In poems there isn't much dialogue, it's more about the the experience and language of the poet than the spoken words of the characters. More than anything i can appreciate this film as a journey of the imagination. The absurd scenes, the ones that are physically impossible, remind me of daydreams when anything is possible and just thinking about the "justice" that will be served is the most satisfying experience. I know it's not realistic, but that's what makes it appealing.
At the heart of the film, "Divine Intervention" is a love story (no pun intended): the story of E.S. (played by director Sulieman) and the unnamed woman he loves (Khader) who cannot be together. They are separated by an Israeli controlled checkpoint. Every day they drive to the checkpoint and sit in E.S.'s car, dreaming about crossing the border and being together, although this does not happen in the film.

Divine Intervention [Yadon ilaheyya](2002) 92 minutes
Director: Elia Sulieman
Starring Elia Sulimean as E.S.
Manal Khader as the Woman
NOTE: the film is Palestinian, so the film is in Arabic. There is minimal dialogue, which allows you to watch the film instead of starring at the subtitles at the bottom.

Rent it mutliple times: this film is complex and you need to see it at least twice before you can fully appreciate the film
Dude, it's quotable: ok, there isn't much dialogue, but this is my highest personal rating