If you thought great action movies exist only in Hollywood, think again. If you thought watching subtitled movies is a thing that only pretentious, boring, scarf wearing, money hating people do, then you need to think that over too. There are plenty of great action movies all around the world, and the Indonesian movie The Raid, coming to theaters in the U.S this week, is an excellent example. Here are 10 great contemporary foreign action movies from all around the world, proving that kicking and punching is a universal language:

10. Point Blank (2010) - France

Although it carries the same name, this movie has nothing to do with the 1967 Lee Marvin crime thriller. It is in the same spirit of Taken though, as it doesn’t offer much character development (unless running and shooting actually do contribute a lot to character development), but compensates for it with an extremely fast pace and numerous impressive chase scenes.

9. Matando Cabos (2004) - Mexico

Somewhat of a Mexican RocknRolla, it is as funny and exciting as the British film, but more bizarre and more Latin of course. Trivia fans, fans of everything bizarre and fans of bizarre trivia would be interested to know that this movie won the award for most bizarre sex scene in the Mexican MTV Movie Awards.

8. Chocolate (2008) - Thailand

Quentin Tarantino listed this film among the best movies of 2009 (I guess he saw it a year late because he was too busy making Inglorious Basterds, and if that’s really his excuse then it’s one of the best I’ve heard). In this completely implausible movie an autistic girl who’s also an expert martial artist fights some bad guys. If you’re wondering whether it’s closer to Rain Man or to Kill Bill, the picture above might give you a hint.

7. Singham (2011) - India

Singham is a hotshot hero like Shaft and Black Dynamite; he is an honest cop who fights injustice and corruption as determinately as Serpico. The center of the film is the uninhibited rivalry that develops between Singham and an evil criminal/politician named Jaykant Shikre (I didn’t have to mention his name, but I couldn’t resist it). It’s a very entertaining film that combines romance, crime and drama with some hilarious over the top action.

6. Let the Bullets Fly (2010) - China

Borrowing quite a lot from Sergio Leone movies, Let the Bullets Fly combines humor, adventure and action, all taking place in an environment reminiscent of classic westerns (didn’t you know classic westerns took place in China?) The plot revolves around a mind game between some well-intentioned bandits and a ruthless mobster. It is a clever, highly stylized and exciting epic film.

5. Max Manus (2008) - Norway

This captivating and suspenseful movie tells the story of a Norwegian resistance group who fought the Nazis in World War 2. In this true story, the group is lead by the courageous Max Manus who caused quite a lot of problems for the evil Germans. Two years after this movie, Norwegian action films moved on from fighting Nazis to fighting Trolls in The Troll Hunter.

4. A Dirty Carnival (2006) – South Korea

The film tracks a young wannabe gangster named Byung-doo on his way up the organized crime ladder and into a violent world filled with death. It’s a captivating tale about an ambitious criminal who rises to the top, where it’s never easy to stay. A Dirty Carnival borrows quite a lot from Scarface and Goodfellas - mainly the good parts.

3. Yip Man (2008) – Hong Kong

It’s not only a masterpiece of martial arts, but also a movie with historical importance, great character development and strong dramatic moments. But, put aside the historical importance, the movie is full of great ass-kicking scenes, referencing Fists of Fury (Bruce Lee classic) and Fist of Legend (Jet Li classic).

2. Zatoichi (2003) – Japan

Zatoichi is a blind samurai who goes from town to town, righting wrongs with his remarkable sword skills. This movie is so good that even blind people should see it. It is probably the best samurai film to come out during the last 10 years. It’s as stylized as any other Takeshi Kitano film and offers exciting swordfight scenes that wouldn’t shame the masterpieces of the genre, like the Lone Wolf and Cub movies, Yojimbo, The Seven Samurai and the Samurai 1, 2 and 3 trilogy.

1. The Raid (2011) - Indonesia

Hailed as one of the best action films to be released in a very long time, The Raid is the movie that will redeem action fans that were disappointed from Colombiana and thought that Drive and Haywire were action-less action movies (and who would have thought that redemption would come from Indonesia and not from Jason Statham’s foot?) Incredible fist fights, impressive visuals and an extremely fast pace make The Raid the best action film of the year.

Technorati Tags: Hollywood, subtitled movies, The Raid, Indonesian, foreign action movies, action movies, foreign movies, Point Blank, chase scenes, Matando Cabos, RocknRolla, bizarre, Chocolate, Kill Bill, Rain Man, Singham, Shaft, Black Dynamite, Let the Bullets Fly, Sergio Leone, Max Manus, World War 2, Troll Hunter, A Dirty Carnival, Scarface, Goodfellas, Yip Man, Fists of Fury, Fist of Legend, Zatoichi, samurai, Takeshi Kitano, Lone Wolf and Cub, Yojimbo, The Seven Samurai, The Raid, Colombiana, Drive, Haywire, Jason Statham

Popularity: 1% [?]

This year’s fairly predictable Oscar winners list  - with The Artist and Hugo dominating the field and scooping 5 awards each - shows the Academy’s deep infatuation with films about artists in general and filmmakers in particular.*

Both The Artist & Hugo are about cinema and its evolution – the end of the silent film era and a loving homage to the pioneers of the seventh art - while Midnight in Paris, winner for best original screenplay, follows a frustrated writer and features an amusing reference to the revered surrealist director Luis Buñuel.

In fact, the only one able to break into the top honors while not dealing with arts of any kind was Meryl Streep AKA The Iron Lady, who used the tried and true formula of appearing in an English head of state biography + Being Meryl Streep.

Hollywood’s tendency to reward films about artists isn’t such a new trait, as the following list will show.

8 1/2

Federico Fellini’s contemplative masterpiece about a director hitting midlife crisis while filming his new film won the best foreign language film award in 1963 and is still considered an essential and highly influential work.

Day for Night

Nothing goes right on the movie set that’s the heart of 1973’s best foreign language film winner. Actors fall in and out of love and the director  - played by the film’s actual director, the late great François Truffaut - face every conceivable obstacle, but almost all ends well in this clever and sentimental love letter to moviemaking and moviemakers.

Cinema Paradiso

Movies are at the core of this touching coming of age story which won the best foreign language film award in 1989, but this time it’s the movie going rather than the movie making experience that is depicted in a nostalgic and bittersweet way.

Sunset Boulevard

A biting film noir about the darker side of Hollywood brings together a desperate former actress and a down on his luck young screenwriter in a way that can only have deadly consequences. The more positive outcome of this encounter was two little golden statues.

The Bad and the Beautiful

Unlike this year’s Oscar winners it looks like early 1950s Hollywood took a much more  cynical look at itself. Only two years after Sunset Boulevard, Vincente Minnelli directed this story about a ruthless studio head whose ambition hurts those who surround him and finally brings his downfall.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

Mixing movies, murders and a goofy animated rabbit can surprisingly also create an Oscar winner, albeit a rather offbeat one, as shown by this original neo noir by Robert Zemeckis which created one of the oddest odd couples in filmic memory.

Ed Wood

Ever fascinated with misfits, Tim Burton left the realm of the fantastic for a look at the career of one of the most unique – to put it mildly – filmmakers in Hollywood’s history. The result was not only one of the highpoints of Burton’s filmography but also a much deserved Oscar for Martin Landau who played horror film actor Bela Lugosi.

Adaptation

One of a handful of mind bending Oscar winners, this collaboration between Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman about a neurotic screenwriter and his ambitious yet talentless twin brother is as offbeat as they come. No wonder the Oscar for the film went to Chris Cooper who played the only semi-normal person in the story.

King Kong

In perfect correspondence with its film in film content, this Peter Jackson epic which followed an expedition led by an obsessed director set to create the biggest most effects filled movie imaginable - and paid tribute to the 1933 classic - won a Oscar for visual effects.

Bullets Over Broadway

Astonishingly (or maybe not), this clever comedy by Woody Allen which won Dianne Wiest the best supporting actress award in 1994 focuses, not unlike Midnight in Paris, on a frustrated writer in a period setting. If only he had a time traveling car he could’ve escaped those menacing gangsters…

*This year’s Oscars saw a preliminary round of  the Israeli-Iranian conflict in which Iran’s A Separation defeated Israel’s Footnote and won the best foreign language film award. We do hope the next round will take place on the red carpet and not somewhere in the middle east.

Technorati Tags: Oscars, red carpet, Hollywood, The Artist, Hugo, 8 1/2, Day for Night, Cinema Paradiso, Sunset Boulevard, The Bad and the Beautiful, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Ed Wood, Adaptation, Bullets Over Broadway, A Separation, Footnote

Popularity: 2% [?]

The Oscar nominees were announced yesterday and surprisingly, Hugo leads with 11 nominations, ahead of The Artist with 10. A bit behind are Moneyball and War Horse with 6 nominations each, and The Descendants with 5. Life is never only black and white, so I’ve decided to mention at least one reason why each of the 9 movies nominated for best picture should win, and at least one reason why it shouldn’t. I did list them from worst to best (in my opinion anyway) so I won’t appear completely spineless:

Best Picture – Back to the Past (6 period films)

9. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Why should it win? Because it’s based on a book by Jonathan Safran Foer who is a really great writer. It’s an ambitious and stylized movie that benefits from a fantastic performance by Max Von Sydow.

Why shouldn’t it win? Because it’s extremely kitsch and feels incredibly self-important. It’s an exploitive movie in the sense that it tries to milk the viewer’s tears for a tragic historic event (9/11).

8. The Artist

Why should it win? Because it’s an imaginative, clever and stylized homage to the silent film era; it’s a love letter from director Michel Hazanavicious to cinema in general and to Hollywood in particular (Hollywood will probably repay the love letter with an Oscar in return).

Why shouldn’t it win? If a silent black and white film that was made in the 21st century will win the Oscar it could set a dangerous precedent: Next year we’ll be seeing Moving images that were produced on revolving drums or a movie that will be shown in a Kinetoscope (both inventions that came before the silent film era)…

7. Hugo

Why should it win? Because it’s magical, beautifully shot and naive in a good way. As the cliche goes, this movie is suitable for both children and adults alike. And as a bonus Hugo co-stars Sacha Baron Cohen.

Why shouldn’t it win? Because it’s a bit too long, and a bit too sad considering that kids are its main target audience.

6. The Tree of Life

Why should it win? Because you get to admire the guts Terrence Malick has, creating such a non-communicating movie (long sequences of exploding galaxies and quarreling dinosaurs come to mind). It’s also beautifully shot and directed.

Why shouldn’t it win? Because after you have rejoiced at the sight of people following 10 minutes of solar systems, you realize that you’re in for an uneasy viewing experience: a family with young children who are suffering under the hand of their abusive father.

5. War Horse

Why should it win? Because you just can’t be cynical about this movie, even if you try. It’s moving, nostalgic and even a bit uplifting. It’s kind of strange in the sense that it feels like a family oriented movie despite scenes of soldiers being executed and horses being shot in the head. Seems like Spielberg may have had some sort of an unlikely and impossible combination between E.T and Private Ryan in mind, and somehow it works.

Why shouldn’t it win? Because it’s basically a love story between a young man and a horse.

4. Midnight In Paris

Why should it win? Because after almost giving up on Woody Allen (When You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, Whatever Works and Scoop were all bad or mediocre), this movie brought many to believe in him again. It’s witty, clever, nostalgic and magical.

Why shouldn’t it win? Because Woody Allen doesn’t really care about the Oscars, he’s received many of them and one more wouldn’t really make him happy or even happier. He couldn’t care less whether he’ll get the Oscar this year or if Alvin and the Chipmunks 3 will (He didn’t even attend the Golden Globes ceremony).

3. The Help

Why should it win? Because it has a fantastic ensemble cast of female actors, all of them giving excellent performances; and also because it’s an uplifting movie that carries an important message in the spirit of Martin Luther King.

Why shouldn’t it win? Because the only reason the hilarious Bridesmaids wasn’t nominated for best picture is the fact that it had a scene of a woman pooping in the sink. Although no one from the female ensemble cast of The Help poops in the sink, one of them poops in a pie (poop = no Oscar).

2. Moneyball

Why should it win? Because many who don’t know a thing about baseball were still captivated throughout the entire film; Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill both give memorable performances, the dialogue is witty and cynical, the story fascinating and the pacing - perfect.

Why shouldn’t it win? Because Moneyball presents baseball as a game of numbers and not as a game of people; players are being traded as if they were objects.

1. The Descendants

Why should it win? Because it has a very intelligent and mature outlook on death, responsibility and loss; it manages to be emotional and moving and at the same time also very funny. The acting by every single actor in the movie is top notch.

Why shouldn’t it win? Because it’s a heartbreaking movie and our heart is a fragile organ.

Since there are still plenty of important categories, but only limited internet space, I’ll refer briefly to the other notable Oscar nominations:

Best Actor – Friendship on the Line

The two best performances this year belonged to the two buddies – George Clooney and Brad Pitt. While Clooney already won an Oscar (for best supporting actor), Pitt is still Oscar-less. Maybe if Clooney wins he’ll give up his Oscar and give it to Pitt - Oscars arrive every year, but true friends are sure hard to come by.

Should be: Brad Pitt or George Clooney

Will be: George Clooney

Best Actress – The Usual Suspect

When portraying Margaret Thatcher, it feels as though Meryl Streep decided to take on the role she played in Julie and Julia - Julia Child, and make her passionate about politics and leadership instead of cooking and food. And so, in The Iron Lady we have Meryl Streep playing Julia Child playing Margaret Thatcher. Is it an Oscar worthy performance? I think so.

Should be: Meryl Streep

Will be: Meryl Streep

Best Director – Payneful Decision

In The Descendants Alexander Payne constructed a wonderful movie that doesn’t have one unnecessary moment in it. He brought the best out of all the actors in his film, and created a beautiful and most of all humane movie. In The Tree of Life Terrence Malick directed an ultra-stylized, offbeat and ambitious (many would say pretentious) film. I don’t think he deserves the Oscar for it, but since it’s his first movie in six years, the Academy might grant him the reward as an incentive to keep making movies.

Should be: Alexander Payne

Will be: Terrence Malick

Best Original Screenplay – Wiig VS. Woody

Bridesmaids was outrageously snubbed, and wasn’t nominated for best picture or for best actress (Kristen Wiig gave a star making performance there). Winning the Oscar for best original screenplay would be the only just compensation for the horrid injustice. Midnight in Paris is the first brilliant Woody Allen film in years, and can also be regarded as a worthy candidate.

Should be: Bridesmaids or Midnight in Paris

Will be: Midnight in Paris

Best Adapted Screenplay – Alexander the Great (and Aaron Sorkin the greater)

Moneyball’s screenplay was written by one of the best screenwriters alive today – Aaron Sorkin. Just like in The Social Network, Moneyball also totes a witty, cynical and clever script that made me become fascinated about a subject that doesn’t really interest me (Baseball. I’m not really into Facebook either, and was also captivated by The Social Network). The Descendants also has a great script by Alexander Payne, but not as sharp as Moneyball’s.

Should be: Moneyball

Will be: The Descendants

Best Animated Movie – The Chameleon

After we surprisingly found out that The Adventures of Tintin wasn’t nominated, we were left with only one serious candidate in this category. Rango is funny, visually stunning, and witty. It’s great for a family outing, and great for fans of Westerns who can appreciate the many references to the classics of the genre.

Should be: Rango

Will be: Rango

Best Foreign Movie – Israel VS. Iran (Part 1?)

Winner of the best screenplay award at the Cannes Film Festival, Footnote is a psychological and clever movie about an ego clash between a father and his son, a clash between traditional and modern, between two methods of thinking, between two brilliant and eccentric professors. It is overwhelming proof that Israeli cinema has more to offer than just war movies. A Separation, which will probably be the winner in this category, is also a good and powerful drama, but a bit too slow for the average movie goer. Are the Americans going to give the Iranians an Oscar and take out their nuclear program? It’s a give and take I’m willing to accept.

Should be: Footnote

Will be: A Separation

Technorati Tags: Oscars, nominees, Hugo, The Artist, Moneyball, War Horse, The Descendants, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Jonathan Safran Foer, Max Von Sydow, silent film, Hollywood, Michel Hazanavicious, Sacha Baron Cohen, The Tree of Life, Terrence Malick, War Horse, Spielberg, Midnight In Paris, Woody Allen, The Help, Bridesmaids, Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, George Clooney, Meryl Streep, The Iron Lad, Alexander Payne, Kristen Wiig, Aaron Sorkin, Rango, Footnote, A Separation

Popularity: 3% [?]

Welcome to Sundance, where every filmmaker’s dream can come true. 10 days of a unique film festival, a place where small-scaled, intimate & offbeat movies can get meaningful screening time and recognition, and their creators can start dreaming big. All of the movies shown at Sundance are independent, without the funds and the backing of a big studio. The festival does not discriminate in its entries, screening fictional dramas, documentaries and shorts, from the US and abroad; and big budget studios come to shop around and fish for the next big hit, hoping to spread their wings over future great film prodigies. For 10 days in snowy Utah, a film-buff fest is happening, shining with vivid colors of freshness and originality.

Over the past years we see a lot of these “small” movies get not only rave reviews and wide acclamation, but also receive growing recognition from the more “mainstream” institutes, even within the Academy Awards. Movies like Precious, Winter’s Bone, The Cove, Frozen River and many more have received Oscar nods over the past years; world-wide audiences became familiar with these films and their once-unknown talented actors (like Paul Giamatti, Jennifer Lawrence, Melissa Leo, Ryan Gosling etc.) became big movie stars. For example (and also for future trivia) – even Vin Diesel, known mostly for his action-packed movies, was introduced in the festival with his own first feature film, Strays. The ones who make their first steps in the movie world at Sundance, could be the ones making the next big Hollywood blockbusters a few years from now.

Here is a review of some of the major films that have highlighted the Sundance festival over the past 10 years. The list doesn’t solely include the Grand Jury prize winners, but rather movies that were the most interesting and left us with the best lasting impression.

How does a guy cope with transforming his way of living and re-evaluating his personal commitments? L’Ultimo Bacio (The Last Kiss), an Italian romantic drama, follows this stage in life and the dilemmas ensuing within a group of Italian friends in their late twenties.

Carlo finds out that his girlfriend is pregnant, and that his life is about to take a 180 degree turn - its his time to settle down with his loved one, start a family and find stability. Although on the surface he appears ready for this new challenge, deep down inside he is hesitant and considers indulging himself with one last fling. He confides with his mates, who are facing different crossroads themselves. As a dramatic buddy film about adulthood, this movie doesn’t necessarily paint relationships and human & moral dilemmas with pretty colors. A few years later, Zach Braff made an American version of this film, with a slightly more Hollywood-ish ending.

This delightful fairytale-like movie from New Zealand about a girl’s coming of age, tells the story of a young Maori girl, who dares to defy the cultural traditions of her tribe. Pai was born to a strong Maori family line, a direct descendant of her ancestral tribe leaders. However, she cannot succeed her grandfather as the tribe’s chief, a role reserved only for men. Pai struggles against her family and her tribe for the fulfillment of her destiny as a leader in the upcoming times of crisis.

A standard day depicted in the movie - Morgan Spurlock enters a McDonald’s restaurant; he orders a meal – Big Mac, fries, coke; he has only 4 rules of thumb – eat three meals a day at McDonald’s, eat only from McDonald’s, try everything from the menu, and most importantly – whenever asked if he would like to super size his meal, he must reply ‘yes’.

Morgan tried this diet for a whole month, while preserving his normal lifestyle. He wanted to see the impact of everyday McDonald’s nutrition on his health, and consequently, at some point of the filming he was in real life-threatening danger. Super Size Me is a thought provoking and controversial documentary, with a witty twist of humor.

An intriguing stylized crime drama, and one of Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s best, back when he was still a well-respected actor in indie films and before transforming into a (well-respected) actor in big-budget movies. Brick is a clever and witty neo-noir film, but instead of shady offices and dark corners of the city, this movie occurs in the shady corners of the school and in the darker parts of suburbia. JGL is caught up in a murder investigation of his ex-girlfriend, which gradually leads him to discover a web of schemes and intrigues that hide underneath the surface; only in this case, the femme fatale and the amateur shrewd detective are teenagers.

Ryan Gosling has played in three of the most significant movies that came out this year – The Ides of March, Crazy Stupid Love and Drive. He is known as a multi-dimensional actor, and rightfully so; but everyone has to start gaining attention somewhere, and for him, the official quality stamp for his performances was given for Half Nelson.
Gosling is a dedicated teacher at a Brooklyn school, educating students who come from a rough background. His life and relationships are in turmoil, and he has a big skeleton in his closet – he is, to some degree, a drug addict. When one of his students, a young African-American girl, accidentally discovers his dark secret, they begin to form a supportive friendship. But events that happen to each of them start to deteriorate both their lives.

Half Nelson depicts a situation that only an indie movie can address properly. Although it hasn’t won any awards at Sundance, this film is well-worth mentioning, and its leading actor received his praise at the Academy Awards when he was nominated for an Oscar for his role.

This intimate musical drama, set in present day Ireland, shows the embroidering relationship between a daydreaming street musician and a hard-working & talented immigrant, a relationship based mainly on the love of creating and making beautiful music.
Director John Carney and lead actor Glen Hansard played in the same rock band – The Frames, and used some of their material in the film’s wonderful soundtrack, including the award winning song “Falling Slowly”. Both musicians and first-time actors – Glen Hansard & Markéta Irglová (who were romantically involved in real life) – proclaimed they would never act again in a fictional movie, so this is a good chance to see them in this mesmerizing sweet film.

Some people look for an adrenaline rush and try to live on the extreme, others defy restrictions and go against the rules. Philippe Petit, a high-wire artist, has found a way to combine both thrills – he would exhibit his art & perform his stunts on high-altitude landmarks (not necessarily with authorization). Towards 1974 he had already set his eyes on the World Trade Center – and aimed to be the first man to walk on a wire stretched between the Twin Towers’ rooftops, at the height of 1,368 feet.

Man on Wire documents, through recent interviews and rare archive footage, the efforts and difficulties faced towards completing his mission – from formulating the idea and assembling a team to actually sneaking into the World Trade Center. Spoiler - At the end of it all, Petit managed to perform one of the greatest stunts in history.

Asperger Syndrome is a disorder that makes it difficult to communicate and understand everyday social situations, or to decipher human emotions and reactions, such as facial expressions, sarcasm and non-verbal gestures. Nevertheless, people with Asperger live, work and build their lives like everyone else. Mozart and the Whale was a moving film that addressed Asperger; Adam is another unique example.

Adam’s (Hugh Dancy) pre-determined organized routine has been shattered – his father, who took care of him, died. Adam also lost his job. Now he has to try to adjust himself to the unfamiliar through the difficulties imposed by his Asperger Syndrome. Beth (Rose Byrne) has just moved into Adam’s apartment building, and her life is also a mess following a hard breakup. The two find each other, and this seemingly-impossible relationship blossoms slowly as they support one another but also face more distinctive difficulties than most couples do.

A crime drama from the land down under. A heroin overdose, a violent crime spree, armed robbery and drug dealing - all these are combined to form a tense and bleak crime film, where the young “J” gets unwillingly exposed to the life of his grandmother and relatives – a family of gangsters. A police detective is trying to salvage J and make him testify against his gangster family. This highly-acclaimed Australian film has slowly and steadily gained its well-deserved attention.

The tag line simply says it all – “I want you/I need you/I love you/I miss you/Like Crazy” – its all about the craziness you feel when you can’t be with the one you love, leading to contemplation if the affection is strong and meaningful enough to be worthy of the trouble & agony.

Anna and Jacob fall in love; they spend a romantic summer in Los Angeles together, madly in love. But Anna is on a student visa to the US, and when she returns briefly to England, she finds out she can’t come back to L.A. anymore. The couple starts their struggle to allow Anna re-entrance to the country, while trying to maintain a long-distance relationship, with all its difficulties, reflections and frustrations. And they miss each other, to be honest, like crazy. Can love be strong enough to overcome all the barriers in front of them? This anticipated romantic drama is coming out in wide release at the end of this month.

So after all these great movies of the past years, Sundance truly is a film festival to look forward to. Hopefully this year’s festival will bring a fine crop of good unique films, which we will be hearing about in the coming years, after their first test drive at Sundance. Great things (and films) are ahead of us.

Technorati Tags: Academy Awards, Alfred P. Sloan Prize, Directing Award for a Documentary, Documentary, Drama, Grand Jury Prize, Grand Jury prize winners, Half Nelson, Hollywood, independent films, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Like Crazy, Man on Wire, Morgan Spurlock, romantic drama, Ryan Gosling, Special Jury Prize for Originality of Vision, Sundance, Sundance Film Festival, Super Size Me, The Last Kiss, Whale Rider, World Cinema Audience Award, World Cinema Jury Prize

Popularity: 1% [?]

Nelson Mandela celebrated his birthday on July 18th, so I wanted to write something in honor of the great man. Because I felt that so many people have already written stuff about him being an inspiring leader and such, I tried to take a different angle and write something else about him that will be just as interesting and inspiring: He looks just like Morgan Freeman! Coincidently Josh Hartnett (21.7) and Terence Stamp (22.7) are also celebrating their birthdays this week, and they also look a lot like other people: Hartnett looks exactly like Ashton Kutcher and Stamp looks just like Malcolm McDowell. Here is a top 10 list of actors who we all suspect were separated at birth:

10. Tobey Maguire/Elijah Wood/ Jake Gyllenhaal

Is there proof they aren’t the same person? There is proof that Jake Gyllenhaal and Tobey Maguire aren’t the same person since they were both together in the movie Brothers. You can argue that it’s a stunt in the manner they pulled in The Social Network with the guy who played both of the Winklevoss brothers, but they both also attended events together. There is proof that Elijah Wood and Tobey Maguire aren’t the same person since they were both in The Ice Storm. No proof exists to show us that Jake Gyllenhaal and Elijah Wood aren’t the same person…

What is similar between them? All three are in their early 30s and have a slight tendency towards geekiness. They all have blue eyes, brown hair and a white, pale skin.

What makes them different? Jake Gyllenhaal is a bit taller than the other two; he also looks a bit tougher than Maguire and Wood that are almost synonyms to the term nerd.

9. Bradley Cooper/Josh Lucas/ Matthew Mcconaughey/ Patrick Wilson

Is there proof they aren’t the same person? McConaughey and Cooper were both in the movie Failure To Launch, McConaughey and Lucas were together in The Lincoln Lawyer, Cooper and Wilson were together in The A-Team. That leaves us with the possibilities that Matthew McConaughey and Patrick Wilson/Bradley Cooper and Josh Lucas/Josh Lucas and Patrick Wilson are in fact the same person.

What is similar between them? All are in their late 30’s/early 40’s, all probably go to a tanning salon and visit the gym regularly. All four have blue eyes and brown hair. The most amazing fact is that the four of them are almost exactly the same height: all range between 1.83 and 1.85 meters (just over 6 feet)!

What makes them different? The main thing that differentiates between them is their level of seriousness: Bradley Cooper is the least serious among the four, and then comes McConaughey, Patrick Wilson and finally the most serious one – Josh Lucas.

8. Amy Adams/ Isla Fisher/Jenna Fischer

Is there proof they aren’t the same person? The three of them never appeared in the same movie together, but after comprehensive research I found out that Amy Adams was in three episodes of The Office alongside Jenna Fischer so that rules out the possibility that they are the same person.

What is similar between them? Pale skin, hair color that’s somewhere between red and brown, all range in height from 1.60 to 1.65 (5″3- 5″5). All three are good comic actresses but can also play in dramatic roles as well, and all are in about the same age (35-37). Notice that two of them share almost the same last name…

What makes them different? You can tell the difference between them by the redness of their hair: Amy Adams has the reddest hair, then Isla Fischer and finally Jenna Fischer with her slightly reddish hair which is more brown than it is red.

7. Shia LeBeouf/Michael Angarano

Is there proof they aren’t the same person? No such proof exists.

What is similar between them? They are both almost the same age, have black hair and brown eyes. They both usually play in humorous and exciting movies that are intended for a family outing. In 2009 they were both in movies that the critics loved to hate – LeBeouf in Transformers 2 and Angarano in Gentlemen Broncos.

What makes them different? The main difference between them is probably the balance in their bank account – LeBeouf made a ton of money from The Transformers movies and from Indiana Jones 4, Angarano is also very rich of course, but far from being filthy rich like LeBeouf. Angarano also looks like a much nicer person, but that will probably change once he’s cast as LeBeouf’s replacement in The Transformers franchise.

6. John Lithgow/Terence Stamp/Malcolm McDowell

Is there proof they aren’t the same person? No, and this time I’m dead serious – I am almost certain that Terence Stamp and Malcolm McDowell are the same person. Lithgow might be his/their brother.

What is similar between them? All had grey hair since they were about 18; they have blue eyes with a crazed look and they have a smile that says: I can either be a nice grandfather figure for you, or I can kill you, it’s up to you.

What makes them different? Stamp and McDowell are British, Lithgow is American, and they also have different levels of toughness: Stamp is the toughest, McDowell is second and Lithgow third.

5. Geoffrey Rush/Stephen Rea

Is there proof they aren’t the same person? Not really.

What is similar between them? Apart from bad eye sight and a fondness for hats, they are both in their sixties; they are about the same height 1.81 meters (just under 6 feet), and most important of all, they both share almost the same label of quality.

What makes them different? Stephen Rea is Irish, Geoffrey Rush is Australian, Rush won an Oscar for his role in Shine (and deserved it for his role in The King’s Speech), Rea was just nominated for his role in The Crying Game (you can tell right away on an actor’s face whether he ever won an Oscar or not so it’s a good way to tell the difference between them).

4. Christopher Plummer/Michael Gambon/Ian McKellen

Is there proof they aren’t the same person? Plummer and Gambon were together in The Insider so they can’t be the same person, and if I try and use my logic I guess that that proves they all can’t really be the same person (I didn’t do very well in my Math classes and I wasn’t exactly an honor student in Philosophy, so it is possible that I’m wrong and they could actually be the same person).

What is similar between them? They are all over the age of seventy, all never won an Oscar despite being remarkable and praiseworthy actors, and as you can see all three had experience with roles that require very impressive beards.

What makes them different? McKellen and Gambon are British, Plummer is Canadian, Gambon and McKellen are about 10 years younger than Plummer, and the two Brits were both in highly successful fantasy franchises (McKellen in Lord of the Rings and Gambon in Harry Potter) while Plummer wasn’t. The difference between Gambon and McKellen is probably their attitude towards sex with men :).

3. Michael Madsen/Tom Sizemore

Is there proof they aren’t the same person? Yes, plenty. They worked together in the Western Wyatt Earp, and also in the quite unknown movies The Florentine and Welcome to America and in the upcoming movie Black Gold.

What is similar between them? First and foremost – toughness! They are two of the toughest American actors in existence. Both are also over 1.80 meters (5″10), around the age of 50, have black hair and blue eyes, and they both also carry a few extra pounds (but I would never dare say that to their faces).

What makes them different? Although Michael Madsen is remembered most of all as the psychopathic killer Mr. blonde from the movie Reservoir Dogs, it is actually Tom Sizemore who has had many more entanglements with the law. Madsen is not only the more well behaved one, he is also the harder working one: Madsen has 195 movie credits (!), while Sizemore has “only” 119.

2. Frances McDormand/Felicity Huffman

Is there proof they aren’t the same person? No, it was easy for Huffman to hide her true identity in the movie Transamerica because in real life she always has to hide her true identity (which is Frances McDormand).

What is similar between them? Both are 1.65 meters (5″4), blonde, have blue eyes and their first name starts with the letter F. Also, both are married to famous Hollywood nerds (McDormand to Joel Coen and Huffman to William H. Macy).

What makes them different? Felicity Huffman is five years younger, but the different birth year on her driver’s license doesn’t really convince me. It’s not really a problem to fake the birth year on official ID (just ask African soccer players).

1. Javier Bardem/Jeffrey Dean Morgan (sorry, I got confused; it’s Jeffrey Dean Morgan on the left and Javier Bardem on the right. I think)

Is there proof they aren’t the same person? Of course not, look at them, they are the same person.

What is similar between them? Everything is similar between them more or less, apart from the name. They share the same face, and almost the same age and height.

What makes them different? The nationality – Morgan is American, Bardem is Spanish, and the success – While Bardem won an Oscar and more than 70 other awards, Morgan didn’t really win anything except the reward of being in this post.

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