Down in the Valley

It made me realise why all the fuss about Evan Rachel Wood.

Half Nelson

Ryan Gosling gives a mesmerising performance as a drug-addicted school teacher in an inner city school. He makes the character so human that you just want to step in and pull him out from the mess he is so steep in. It is poignant that his 12 year old student seems to be the only one who cares enough to give him the help that the tough journey might need.

Fear and Trembling

Can we claim that we know the cultures of a country if we speak its language? This hilariously funny film poses a poignant question as we witness the Belgium girl who can speak fluent Japanese sinks to the dark pit of a Japanese company.