DAILY FILM DOSE: A Daily Film Appreciation and Review Blog: 2007 Films

Showing posts with label 2007 Films. Show all posts

Friday, 9 March 2012

The Namesake

The Namesake (2007) dir. Mira Nair
Starring: Kal Penn, Irfan Kahn, Tabu

***

By Alan Bacchus

The Namesake is a universal story about a second generation immigrant who feels the pressure and pull of his two cultures (his parents and his home). It’s a pressure many young people can relate to, particularly in North America, where much of the population has, within one or two generations, emigrated from a different culture. Mira Nair’s film hits all these buttons, sometimes too hard, but ultimately telling a relevant story rarely told in today’s cinema.

The film is structured in two defined halves. The first belongs to Ashoke Ganguli (Irfan Kahn), a Bengali Indian who, after suffering a near fatal train accident, decides to move to New York City to pursue his dreams. Ashoke’s story spans his years as a student to his traditional arranged marriage to his wife, Ashima (Tabu). Once in America, Ashoke and Ashima struggle with fitting into the Western lifestyle, but once their two children are born they finally feel comfortable and secure in their new home.

We are then introduced to their son, Gogol (Kal Penn), who is your typical Americanized youth. Gogol rolls his eyes at the cultural differences of his parents and prefers a traditional melting pot life. Throughout Gogol’s youth he is plagued with his unusual name. Gogol announces that he wants to change his name so he won't be judged on the basis of something unpronounceable on his resume. He faces the continued conflict between the expectations of his Indian culture, the expectations of his parents and the expectations he places on himself to lead a fulfilling life.

The title refers to Gogol's name and what seems like the hidden story behind it. The name should have been used as a metaphor for Gogol's inner conflict, but Nair keeps referring to the name over and over again - especially in the first half of the film. Therefore, we expect a dramatic reveal about the source of the name. The trailer also alludes to a dramatic reveal, but when Ashoke does tell Gogol where and why he chose the name, it's a letdown. The opening scene tells us everything Ashoke tells Gogol. As a result, we are left saying, "Is that it?"

Things get interesting in the second half when Gogol grows up and has to experience life on his own. This feels like a different film. The first half, which is essentially a long extended first act, tries to hit every beat in Ashoke's life. As a result, his story feels like a series of disconnected scenes. These scenes jump around across time without letting us get attached to a single subplot in the present. The film settles down and is allowed to grow and develop traditionally with the introduction of Kal Penn.

The theme of cultural conflict has been told before (e.g., Bend It Like Beckham), but Nair successfully dramatizes it without the comic support. Gogol's journey is not as simple or predictable as one might expect. His emotional conflict is not solved with his acceptance of his heritage. It's not a simple solution of marrying a Bengali to appease his parents. Nair makes it more difficult for Gogol, which, for the audience, means a more interesting and satisfying film. Enjoy.

Sunday, 12 April 2009

CONTINENTAL: A FILM WITHOUT GUNS

Continental: A Film Without Guns (2007) dir. Stephane Lafleur
Starring:Fanny Mallette, Réal Bossé, Marie-Ginette Guay, Gilbert Sicotte

*1/2

“Continental: A Film Without Guns” set a new benchmark for cinematic despair. It’s an inexplicable title to begin with – as obtuse as the characters in the film. There certainly are no guns, that's about the only thing the film gets right.

In the opening a sullen middle age man is driving home on a transit bus. He’s suddenly drawn to something outside. He gets off the bus in the middle nowhere and proceeds to walk into the bush. Days later his wife Lucette files a missing person’s report and spends the rest of the movie anxiously waiting for his return. Concurrent with Lucette’s inactivity is the life of Louis, an insurance salesman cold calling residents in the area about his life insurance plan. He wanders around dopey and depressed in his grade b Best Western style hotel room. The receptionist in the hotel room is equally depressed, she lives alone, without a boyfriend and spends most of her days wallowing in inactive self-pity. Lastly, there's Marcel, a divorced elderly man, who runs a pawn shop. He is uncomfortable with his growing age and his one desire is to get surgery on his gums, but without a dental plan he takes up video poker to score his big win.

That’s about all that happens. There’s nary a blip of hope or an ounce of humour. Lafleur manages to make Louis’ experimentation in a threesome with a hotel neighbour a depressing scene. Instead there's concerted attempt to create meaning from nothing.

At least Lafleur is consistent. He shoots the film with a selfconscious detached visual style complimenting the vacant emotions of the characters. He rarely changes camera angles off the four leads, always keep a fare distance from the scene and flattens the cinematography to portrait style framing.

Why even discuss this film? Well, "Continental, A Film Without Guns" was showered with Awards in Canada – Best Canadian First Feature Film at the Toronto International Film Festival, numerous Jutra wins (the best Quebec cinema), including Best Film as well as numerous Genie Award nominations. Obviously the film’s creative minimalism moved audiences, enough to garner this praise, unfortunately, at the expense of frustrating unsatisfactory visual tedium. Or perhaps I just completely missed the boat.

Monday, 16 March 2009

THINGS WE LOST IN THE FIRE

Things We Lost in the Fire (2007) dir. Susanne Bier
Starring: Halle Berry, Benicio Del Toro, David Duchovny, Alison Lohman

***

In the last scene of “Things We Lost in the Fire” Benicio Del Toro’s character Jerry Sunborne speaks to camera, repeating the line “one day at a time, one day at a time”. This mantra is the running theme in former Dogme 95 director Susanne Bier's first American film - an honest humanistic story about recovery from tragedy.

Jerry Sunborn is a recovering heroin addict and Halle Berry’s character, Audrey is recovering from the sudden death of her husband, Brian (David Duchovny). These details are carefully laid out to us in the opening act like a non-linear puzzle. The first scene takes place after Brian's death, when Audrey remembers she forgot to invite David’s childhood friend Jerry to the wake. Who is Jerry? Flashing back we see Brian and Jerry interact, revealing a pair going in opposite directions – Brian’s secure family life and Jerry’s irresponsible downward spiral of drug dependency.

When the characters and inciting events are unraveled we’re left with a woman with two children widowed and an addict lost without his own trustworthy friend. Instinctively Audrey invites Jerry to stay with her and the kids – in part to help around the house, but really to be someone to take Brian’s place. As Jerry becomes closer with Audrey’s children the more she realizes the irresponsibility of replacing their father as such.

The events of film, despite the heavy material, manages to eschew melodrama and surprisingly come out hopeful and optimistic. Off the top the films bears the heavy weight of Brian’s death – a man characterized as near saintly, well-educated family man, with an enviable moral core. There’s no tarnish on Brian to discover only an ideal life Audrey may never be able to find again.

And so Audrey’s actions are taken “one day at a time”. Her invitation to Jerry to stay is made with dishonesty, at one point she ponders trying heroin to provide her an escape from her pain. Actions and thoughts like this aren’t made with the long term in mind, but the day by day thought processes of someone struggling to fit themselves back into a previous life.

Jerry Sunborn’s recovery is not as complex. Jerry is too reactive, instead following Audrey, her kids and her friends, rarely questioning or conflicting substantially with her actions. Sunborn’s goals and desires are never broaded past his need to go straight. Bier and writer Allan Loeb even let the character off the hook when we learn that Jerry was a lawyer before his addiction – a revelation which easier allows the audience to accept Jerry’s recovery.

“Things We Lost in the Fire” was Susanne Bier’s first American film. If you haven’t seen her previous work, specifically her trilogy of intense humanistic Danish dramas (“Open Hearts”, “Brothers” and “After the Wedding”), best to start with these other titles. In this film her characters are never challenged strongly enough to think, despite the despair of the situation, they won’t come out stronger in the end. Specifically “Brothers”, is her most powerful film about a family torn apart by tragedy. Try and find that title.

“Things We Lost in the Fire” is available on Blu-Ray from Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment

Monday, 2 February 2009

ZODIAC DIR CUT (BLU-RAY)

Zodiac Dir Cut (2007) dir. David Fincher
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo, Chloe Sevigny

****

David Fincher's films are what high definition was made for. His high contrast underlit dark images barely held together on standard DVD, but now with the wide contrast range of the high resolution format the film can fully be experienced in all it's pristine glory.

"Zodiac" in standard definition is a frustrating experience. The opening scene takes place at night as we see the tragic first victims of the Zodiac's rampage of terror. In standard definition I found myself struggling with the contrast, brightness, and colour settings in order to see everything in this scene. As well, in standard def, Fincher's green tint seems to get amplified to gross levels on a plasma screen. Yuck.

And now with the release of Paramount's BLU-RAY version of the film, "Zodiac" can be viewed properly. It comes in the form of a 'director's cut'. Unfortunately after watching the cut, I didn't notice anything new in the film. I guess that's a good thing, because there was absolutely nothing wrong with the film in the first place. The best new addition is a conference call between Ruffalo and Edwards' characters and the District Attorney pleading for a search warrant for Arthur Leigh Allen's trailer. The scene reinforces the desperate frustration the characters feel in catching their killer.

The two lengthy documentaries fulfill the technical and historical backstories to the story. The making of documentary is told by the producer and writer of the film in an Errol Morris-style point of view against a white background. Unfortunately we never see Fincher discussing his film (you have to click on the audio commentary for that). Instead, Fincher's methods of madness are discussed at large by everyone involved in the film. Everyone gets their shot. The anecdotes of his obsessive pursuit of perfection are enjoyable, specifically Gyllenhaal's description of some 40-odd takes to catch a non-descript close-up cutaway of a book on the seat of his car - the kind of obsession that approaches Kubrickian heights.

The scene-by-scene analysis of the special effects are fascinating. A few of the effects clearly stand out as computer generated, but others, such as the crime scene after the taxi-cab murder is completely invisible - which showcases some more Fincher's at-all-costs approach to achieving his vision.

It's hard not to think of the similarities between Fincher and Robert Graysmith. The obsessions of Graysmith which resulted in two masterpieces of true crime is matched only by the meticulous detail Fincher applied in making his own masterpiece. And in High Definition the elements of the puzzle fit together for all to see in an obsessively perfect pristine picture. Enjoy.

Thursday, 25 December 2008

ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS

Alvin and the Chipmunks (2007) dir. Tim Hill
Starring: Jason Lee, David Cross, (voice of) Justin Long

**1/2

Guest Review By Greg Klymkiw

As far as family-friendly Christmas-themed movies go, “Alvin and the Chipmunks” is never going to be considered a perennial favourite in the mold of “It’s a Wonderful Life”, “A Christmas Carol” or “Miracle on 34th Street”, but it does provide solid entertainment for the kiddies (lots o’ laughs from anyone 10 or under) and mild entertainment for anyone older (lots o’ smiles and a few chuckles) – especially anyone old enough to have sentimental memories of the “original” Alvin hit songs and TV series from the late 50s/early 60s and the 80s animated revival.

Alvin, to the uninitiated, is the head of a squeaky-pitched trio of singing chipmunks who are pals with the loser songwriter David Seville who hits the big time when he stumbles upon the furry ear-shattering musical stylists. Seville, in the original cartoons, spends much of his time chipmunk-sitting his charges and keeping those pesky, but warm-hearted little songsters from getting into all manner of troublesome hijinx. He also bellows out the immortal, stern cry, “A-a-a-a-a-a-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-vin!!!!!” whenever he discovers something is amiss and realizes that it’s probably the work of the troublemaking-est chipmunk of them all.

The 2007 big screen rendering of these characters, is pretty much more of the same, only with live-action “adult” characters and digitally animated fur-balls. Within the confines of a simple, predictable feature-length tale, Dave (the mildly offensive, barely palatable Jason Lee) discovers the chipmunks, becomes their surrogate Dad and eventually loses them to smarmy Ian (a very funny David Cross), a dastardly music promoter. The sleaze ball, in familiar fashion, exploits the chipmunks, screws Dave, but gets his ultimate and well-deserved comeuppance when goodness prevails and all are reunited in grand fashion.

It’s quite the emotional whirlwind – for seven-year-olds, mostly.

What makes the movie relatively agreeable to less-discriminating adults (and those, like me, who should know better, but have a soft spot for squeaky-voiced chipmunks) is the genuinely funny and, at times, endearing musical numbers. In fact, that insane, insipid, and utterly insidious “classic” Chipmunks Christmas song “Christmas Don’t Be Late” will never leave my brain. Initially left behind in the fog of my wayward childhood, the song has been reintroduced to me by this movie and is now emblazoned, carved, burned and branded into my very soul. My God, I feel like Barbara Steele at the beginning of “Black Sunday” who receives the mark of Satan from a hooded executioner. My psyche has been thoroughly scarred forever by those trilling chipmunks. The fur-balls and their squealing, while never at the forefront of my thoughts, are lodged in there like an admittedly oxymoronic migraine of pleasure.

In case you’ve forgotten the lyrics, let me inflict them upon you. The tune will come ever so quickly to you and remain there forever. Besides, I shouldn’t have to suffer alone:

Christmas, Christmas time is near
Time for toys and time for cheer
We've been good, but we can't last
Hurry Christmas, hurry fast
Want a plane that loops the loop
Me, I want a hula hoop
We can hardly stand the wait
Please Christmas, don't be late

The brainchild behind the chipmunks was the late actor and songwriter Ross Bagdasarian and frankly, there’s no denying his impact upon popular American culture. As a young man, Bagdasarian appeared in the original (and legendary) Eddie Dowling Broadway stage production of William Saroyan’s Pulitzer-prizewinning play “The Time of Your Life”. Bagdasarian and Saroyan, cousins and fellow Armenian-Americans shared a love of the arts and most importantly, sentimentality and whimsy. (In fact, the cousins actually co-wrote the song “Come on-a My House” which became such a huge hit for the legendary songstress Rosemary Clooney.) Alas, unlike his more celebrated older cousin Saroyan, Bagdasarian won no Oscars or Pulitzers. He did, however, snafu a couple of Grammy awards, and in so doing, entertained and delighted millions of children (and a few of those aforementioned adults who should know better).

This particular legacy, which is nothing to be sneezed at, acquits itself very nicely in this fluffy, harmless feature. And for those inclined, the two-disc DVD version includes a handy-dandy digital copy of the movie suitable for iPods and iPhones. This is especially handy for chipmunk-obsessed kids on long car rides. Just make sure they’re watching with earphones so the journey can be chipmunk-free for the driver.

So feel free to stuff your little nipper’s stocking with the version that includes the digital copy. Whilst Alvin and his chipmunks yearn for a Christmas that does not come late, the rest of us can yearn for a Christmas that comes as early as possible and dissipates as quickly so that life, in all its splendour, can move on.

And maybe, just maybe, with the kids plugged into iPods, it can be a peaceful Christmas for all.

And to all, a goodnight.

“Alvin and the Chipmunks” is available on DVD from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.

Sunday, 7 December 2008

FRED CLAUS

Fred Claus (2007) dir. David Dobkin
Starring: Vince Vaughn, Paul Giamatti, John Michael Higgins, Kevin Spacey, Rachel Weisz

***

There’s a reason why films like “It’s a Wonderful Life”, and “A Christmas Story” get played year after year, it’s actually quite hard to make a great Christmas film. Last year’s big Christmas film was “Fred Claus”. A fine cast led by Vince Vaughn and Paul Giamatti put it a neck above the Tim Allen sort, but does it have the lasting power of “A Christmas Story” or even “Christmas Vacation”?

Vince Vaughn plays Fred Claus, the pathetic brother of Santa Claus (Paul Giamatti). Since childhood, he’s grown up in the shadow of his more famous, more successful and saintly younger brother. In the present he’s a ball-busting repo-man. His self-pity has also stunted his relationship with his girlfriend Wanda (Rachel Weisz). When he lands in jail without the ability to post bail, he calls up his brother Saint Nick for help.

In exchange for the bail money Fred agrees to help out Santa getting ready for Christmas. His working class forthrightness makes him a fish out of water and he quickly upsets the natural order of the North Pole. Meanwhile, a stuck-up ‘efficiency expert’ played by Kevin Spacey threatens to shut down the whole North Pole operation for good if they don’t improve and make their quota. Fred and Santa have to overcome their sibling rivalry in order to save Christmas.

Vaughn is credited as an associate producer, but fingerprints are all over the film. David Dobkin (“Wedding Crashers”) a frequent collaborator of Vaughn’s directs; John Michael Higgins (the scene stealer from “The Break-Up”) appears in a key role. It’s even set in his hometown of Chicago. Vaughn essentially plays the same character as in “Wedding Crashers” and “The Break-Up”, an obnoxious yet lovable motormouth who needs to overcome his own self-absorbed character flaws to achieve his goals. He’s interminably entertaining, cramming in gags and one-liners with natural ease.

Unfortunately like “The Break-Up” Vaughn’s presence is so commanding he dominates everyone around him, specifically the even better actor, Paul Giamatti. Giamatti is cast right as the neurotic worrisome Santa who’s suspect of his ability to continue as Santa. But any significant emotional attachment to his plight is overshadowed by Vaughn’s domineering.

It’s a Joel Silver (“The Matrix”, “Lethal Weapon”) production so much money has been put in front of the screen. The production values are high. Dobkin crafts a number of entertaining action set pieces including a rambunctious chase between Vince Vaughn and a horde of Salvation Army Santas. Many more expensive actors show up in supporting roles as well – an overcast Kevin Spacey performs well as the evil auditor, Rachel Weisz is lovely and endearing as Fred’s girlfriend, and Elizabeth Bank is the yummiest Santa’s Little Helper ever put to screen.

These subplots threaten to bloat and convolute the focus of the film. But Dobkin manages all the stars well, giving everyone enough screentime and barely avoiding breaking the holiday audience’s attention span.

When Christmas is saved in the end, Fred successfully redeems himself and everyone learns his or her lessons. The true meaning of Christmas is hit home once again with earnestness. It’s formulaic and corny, but it satisfies the needs of the genre. While the programming of “It’s a Wonderful Life” or “A Christmas Story” are not threatened by “Fred Claus”, you may want to pop this in the DVD player instead of the overplayed “Christmas Vacation”. Enjoy.

“Fred Claus” is available on Blu-Ray and DVD from Warner Home Video

Wednesday, 12 November 2008

LOU REED BERLIN

Lou Reed Berlin (2007) dir. Julian Schnabel
Documentary

**1/2

Lou Reed’s “Berlin” is one of rock music’s legendary albums – after his successful “Transformer” album former Velvet Underground lead man Lou Reed crafted an ambitious concept album about drug abuse and domestic violence, named "Berlin". The album failed commercially when released in 1973, after which Lou Reed quickly abandoned the material rarely played those songs throughout the rest of his career. The album stayed largely in cult-status circles.

But in 2007 Reed spent five nights in St. Anne’s Warehouse in New York playing the whole album live for the first time. A fellow Warhol-era New York artist and now director, Julian Schnabel ("Before Night Falls", "Basquiat") filmed the concert turning it into a feature concert film.

Schnabel is traditional with his treatment of the material. With the help of Michel Gondry's cinematographer Ellen Kuras he shoots the music with the usual language of concert cinema – certainly nothing to challenge, say, “Woodstock” or “Gimme Shelter” or “Stop Making Sense”. Intercut with the band is a smattering of abstract imagery featuring actress Emmanuelle Seigner (last seen in Schnabel’s “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”). It’s Schnabel material all the way, dreamlike pictures, adding an ethereal texture to the music instead of directly complimenting it.

Schnabel’s design of the stage is surprisingly practical and unintrusive. If I didn’t know anything about the film I wouldn’t know that the stage and background imagery were designed by a reknowned artist. Perhaps this is by design so as not to overshadow the music, but Schnabel's presence doesn't add any significant luster or artistic muscle to the film.

So the film is all about the music, and unfortunately for Lou Reed fans only. I was unfamiliar with the album and the songs, but it failed to heighten my emotions, straighten the hairs on the back of my neck, or even tap my foot. But personal thoughts on the music are moot because Lou Reed is one of the greats of popular music and the fact this long lost album is being played again is worth the feature film treatment. Enjoy.

“Lou Reed Berlin” is available on DVD from Alliance Films in Canada.

Friday, 7 November 2008

SOUTHLAND TALES

Southland Tales (2007) dir. Richard Kelly
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Seann William Scott, Miranda Richardson

*

"Southland Tales" is astonishingly bad. I'm actually impressed with how bad it is. It most certainly ranks in the upper reaches of my unregulated list of worst movies of all time. Without a traditional theatrical release the film was saved the dishonour of complete trashitude, but by it's disastrous Cannes screening in 2005, we all knew Richard Kelly's follow-up to "Donnie Darko" was a bomb.

How the film got into Cannes is a mystery and the programmers should really be embarrassed. There have been disastrous screenings before, but there is absolutely nothing of value to cling onto. It's the clear the cult of "Donnie Darko" had clouded everyone's opinions of Richard Kelly as a filmmaker, because even with 10 producers credits he seemed to have been given free reign to free associate his thoughts onto celluloid.

The plot is incomprehensible, but the broad strokes go like this: Its a couple years into the future and America has just suffered another terrorist attack. The country is divided into two extremes - ultra leftist revolutionary and ultra-right wing conservatives. A group of neo-Marxixts hatch a plan to subvert the Orwellian actions of the Government surveillance agency USIdent by infiltrating their organization and killing their leader (I think). Boxer Santaros (Dwayne Johnson), a Hollywood celeb and husband to the Vice-President has been kidnapped by the Marxists and used in their nefarious plans. He also holds the key to unlocking the secrets to a new form of alternate fuel as well as some form of fourth dimension/time travelling device.

Saying the film 'meanders wildly' is an understatement, but Kelly juggles dozens of characters, played by recognizable faces to hammer home a hodgepodge of ideological statements about the environment, the Patriot Act, terrorism, extremism, etc etc. Kelly attempts to make it all palatable with satircal humour, but it only comes across as absurd. Without a basis of reality, it all comes unglued fast.

The cast is as perplexing as the plot. Let me just roll off the names, other than the leads listed above who play significant roles in the film there's Mandy Moore, Christopher Lambert, John Larroquette, Will Sasso, Wallace Shawn, Justin Timberlake, as well as a number of SNL Alums, Nora Dunn, Amy Poehler, Janeane Garofalo, Cheri Oteri and Jon Lovitz. Oh yeah, that old lady from Poltergeist is in it as well. All of the actors actually perform as best they can, especially Dwayne Johnson's stone-faced lead performance.

Kelly's ambition is clearly longer than his reach. The film even has the audacity to begin with "Chapter IV" - a la Star Wars - telling us there's even more story to tell which he hasn't put on screen. The intertitles which are usually there to help us out, are even more idiosyncratic than the dialogue. The chapters are labelled: "Temptation Waits", "Memory Gospel" and "Wave of Mutiliation".

The grandiose failure of this film is impressive, because I'm sure at the script stage it barely made sense either. Since the actors performed as best they could with the material, there's no one else to blame for it's commercial failure than the producers who financed it. Clearly a lot of time and effort went into making the film, it's polished with all sorts of top notch special effects, graphics, music etc. Perhaps they thought Kelly with carte blanche could turn in his "Magnolia". It will be curious to see how this will affect his career. The straight-to-video release will surely quell the damage.

"Southland Tales" is available on DVD and Blu-Ray from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Saturday, 18 October 2008

MOTHER OF TEARS

Mother of Tears (2007) dir. Dario Argento
Starring: Asia Argento, Asia Argento, Cristian Solimeo, Adam James, Moran Atias, Udo Keir

*1/2

Dario Argento is back with another horror film – A noble attempt but bad execution of a gothic witch horror film. "It’s a sad reminder of once great filmmakers like John Carpenter who just can't make good movies anymore.

It’s present day Rome and by accident a construction crew unearths a medieval pandora’s box of sorts (ok, the characters don’t know it’s a ‘pandora’s box but we do). A gorgeous museum intern Sarah (Asia Argento) and her colleague open the box releasing supernatural demons which proceed to brutally kill the colleague.

Sarah’s investigation into the death (of course the police are baffled and ineffectual) reveals that the box released the spirit of an ancient witch - The Mother of Tears. But it so happens Sarah is the daughter of a once great witchkiller. Sarah’s latent anti-witch powers are the only way to stop a new horde of witches which is descending on Rome.

I can say that the opening credits are fantastic. Claudio Simonetti’s rather large baroque music, which recalls Jerry Goldsmith’s score the “Omen”, creates a great atmosphere of doom and gloom. But once the opening scenes fades in we’re witness to an exercise of b-grade gore and hokey thrills and chills.

Asia Argento’s good looks just can’t mask her inability to say the bad dialogue very well. At times her father, the director, is reaching really far to satisfy us. The opening kill is over-the-top, replete with arms and heads being ripped from the poor woman’s body – no suspense or intrigue, just some physical gore, bodyparts, slit throats and some blood. At one point a woman Sarah meets along her journey is a lesbian and we see a gratuitous scene are her having sex with her hot wife. And then Argento puts her own daughter naked in the shower! Talk about an awkward shooting day that must have been.

“Mother of Tears” in technically the final part of his ‘mothers’ trilogy following “Suspiria” and “Inferno”, so for Argento enthusiasts there’s may be some inside references to cling onto – for everyone else, it’s just some T&A and some blood.

“Mother of Tears” is available on DVD in Canada from Alliance Films

Friday, 17 October 2008

MONGOL

Mongol (2007) dir. Sergei Bodrov
Starring: Tadanobu Asano, Khulan Chuluun, Honglei Sun, Amadu Mamadakov

***1/2

The Russians do big epic stories very well. Another fine edition to this legacy is “Mongol” the first of a planned three films on Genghis Khan. “Mongol” has all the ingredients of what Hollywood would have done with the project, epic fighting, brother vs. brother battles and a romantic throughline which spans almost 40 years. The Russian/East Asian fusion involvement adds the authenticity which Hollywood would never be able to create.

Before Genghis Khan, he was known as Temudgin (Tadanobu Asano), introduced to us as a young boy living the traditional nomadic lifestyle of the Mongols. Everything is bliss for Temudgin especially after he successfully picks his young bride-to-be at the traditional age of 9. After a violent attack from the evil Merkit clan Temudgin’s father is killed. The Merkit warriors want to kill the boy as well before he can exact revenge on them, but according to tradition (there’s lots of tradition in this film), he can’t be killed until he is ‘of age’. Instead he’s enslaved to hard labour. Temudgin eventually escapes and he begins a long search to reunite his bride Borto (Khulan Chuluun).

Temudgin gets help along the way from a like-minded ambitious prince named Jamukha (Honglei Sun). They become blood borthers, helping each other rid the lands of the Merkit dominance. But Temudgin’s love for Borto breaks tradition and he makes an enemy of his former brother. And it will take bloody limp-hacking battle to decide who is the king of the Mongols.

The only other Hollywood version of Genghis Khan was that forgettable 1965 version with Stephen Boyd, Omar Sharif, James Mason and ahem.. Telly Savalas. The difference between two version and is like the equivalent of those two “War and Peace” movies – the King Vidor/Audrey Hepburn Hollywood version vs. the authentic Sergei Bondarchuk 1965 version.

Well, it seems authentic enough from North American eyes. Temudgin is played by a Japanese star Tadanobu Asano. Though he’s not Mongolian he’s fantastic – a soft spoken leader who we see change from timid boy to the charismatic and legendary Genghis Khan. His rival and brother, a Chinese actor, Honglei Sun, is even better. He’s even more unemotive than Asano, but his steely-eyed stare and distinct mannerisms make a worthy opponent.

The time-spanning love story is the anchor which makes the film completely accessible to international audiences. Great epic pictures are able to shift between moods of romance to testosterone-fueled bloody carnage. And for adrenaline junkies the battle scenes satisfy what is to be expected from a film about one of the greatest military leaders the world has ever known. And it’s better than “Alexander”. Enjoy.

“Mongol” is available on DVD in Canada from Alliance Films

Mongol

Friday, 26 September 2008

YOUNG@HEART

Young at Heart (2007) dir. Stephen Walker
Documentary

***

“Young@Heart” is a bit of a cheat. How is it possible to dislike a group of lovable old farts singing off-key pop tunes as a travelling chorus group? British filmmaker Stephen Walker tapped into this gold mine of quirky entertainment after seeing the group perform in London. It makes for a lovely film which pulls the heart strings without yanking him with sappy sentiment.

Young@Heart is not only the name of the film but a musical group of senior citizens from Northhampton Massachussetts who sing in a travelling chorus group not only in an effort to make good music but bring a light of joy to their debilitated lives. Bob Climan, a spunky 50-something, conducts the group and programs their eclectic musical selections. Climan gets the group to sing pop songs, which many of the members of the group have never even hear before. There's Coldplay, Sonic Youth, The Clash.

Walker’s traditional approach to the material gives the film the feeling of an old-style documentary – like Apted’s “Up Documentaries”. We hear Walker’s drole British voice guiding the film and informing the audience of what’s happening.

The music is OK at best, but we’re not here to hear good music. Walker centres in on a few key characters – the most lovable and cute of course. The film could easily have settled into a sappy ‘high on life’ affair, but Walker gets a little dirty with the story - just a little. The band’s director and conductor Bob Climan pushes his seniors to limit to get the best performance out of them. He’s not the sweet volunteer humanitarian painted with loving respect you’d think. The frustration of trying to teach 90-year olds Sonic Youth’s “Schizophrenia” is more than visible on his face.

The characters reign supreme above the cuteness. Fred Knittle’s “Fix You” overture provides a great climax to the film. The oxygen tank he carries around with him suggests some forced sympathy but when he belts out the Coldplay classic from his seated chair, we’re reminded of the late career of Johnny Cash, putting years of pain into the renditions of his songs. We get the same feeling from Mr. Knittles.

A great companion film to this is the wonderful Italian documentary, “From Mother to Daughter” which premed at the Toronto International Festival a couple weeks ago. In that story, we watch a group of elder former-rice patties farmers from Italy reunite and form a travelling folk-song group. One of the uniting themes between both these films is the respect of the youth to its elderly. The best scene in “Young@Heart” is a concert they perform to a group of prison inmates. There’s a truthful expression of respect and admiration by the prisoners which hit home as much as anything shown in the film.

“Young at Heart” is available on DVD from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Other relevant postings:
FROM MOTHER TO DAUGHTER

Thursday, 28 August 2008

MARRIED LIFE

Married Life (2008) dir. Ira Sachs
Starring: Chris Cooper, Pierce Brosnan, Rachel McAdams, Patricia Clarkson

**

There’s much good talent wasted in “Married Life”, a 50's period film about a philandering husband who conspires to off his wife. Hitchcock or the Coen Bros would make mince meat with the script. Mr. Sachs’s film is just an unformed slab of raw beef.

Harry Allen (Chris Cooper) is unhappy in his marriage. In fact he already has a mistress, a gorgeous gal half his age, Kay (Rachel McAdams). Harry confides in his buddy, Richard (Pierce Brosnan), about his other woman. But when Richard first meets Kay, he is instantly smitten with her as well. Unbeknownst to Harry, Richard quietly subverts their relationship by befriending Kay and gradually stealing her away from him.

Meanwhile Harry’s wife Pat (Patricia Clarkson) is also having an affair with a local studmuffin played by David Wenham. Unfortunately, Harry, thinking Pat is dedicated to him and couldn't take the news, decides to poison and kill her instead of just telling Kay the truth. Since no one knows each other’s true feelings, it becomes a complex game of domestic deception.

The central plot point is Harry’s decision to kill his wife. But it’s not an act of desperation, it stems from his lack of courage to tell Pat he’s not in love with her. It’s a big stretch of reality, which isn’t surmountable for Hollywood, but a dose of humour is needed to smooth over the logic.

This is Alfred Hitchcock territory. “Strangers on a Train” or “Dial M for Murder” were not comedies, but had a cinematic cleverness to their murder plans which elevated the situation beyond common sense reality. Sachs doesn’t have the chutzpah to pull it off. The story is designed to be character-driven, except Harry, Kay, Richard and Pat are portrayed as 'movie characters' as opposed to real people, and so there's a major disconnect.

Chris Cooper, a great actor, is unfortunately trapped with a fine performance in a bad film. Harry is deeply conflicted and frustrated, and so his decisions are clouded by his personal frailties. It’s a great characteristic for a protagonist to have, but the events are executed by Sachs with dullness, Cooper’s talent is wasted. Cooper gives a tremendous performance in the climatic scene as he’s about to find out if his wife is dead or not. His reaction is astonishing – something which will unfortunately be lost and little seen by anybody.

Sachs is careful with his mood and tone, setting the period atmosphere and getting the cadence of the quiet conversations just right at the expense of really hitting the film out of the ballpark. Perhaps it's too much Douglas Sirk, and not enough Coen Bros or Alfred Hitchcock.

"Married Life" is available on DVD from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Married Life

Tuesday, 26 August 2008

CHICAGO 10

Chicago 10 (2007) dir. Brett Morgen
Documentary

**

One of the most significant political events in the U.S. of the 60’s is the Democratic National Party protest of 1968. Unlike the peaceful protests of Martin Luther King, this rally had a much more militant and aggressive approach from both sides of the conflict. And the ensuing trial of the organizers was equally spirited. Brett Morgen (“The Kid Stays in the Picture”) has constructed a documentary both documenting and dramatizing these tumultuous events. The Paramount DVD release is timed perfectly with the current Democratic National Convention occurring this week, 40 years after 1968.

As background, in 1968, the Vietnam War was in full force which caused much political debate between the Government and it’s youthful citizens who were being drafted into the military. In August of ‘68, the Democratic National Convention was held in Chicago. A protest was assembled by a group of eight known as the ‘Yippies’, led by, among others, Abbie Hoffman, David Dellinger, Jerry Rubin and Bobby Seale. After some mutual agitation from both sides, the protest turned ugly, people were beaten and arrested, including the eight leaders, who came to be known as “The Chicago 8”. They were all tried in an equally raucous public trial.

Morgen has a two-pronged approach to the story. He recounts the events leading up to and during the protest using traditional archival footage. And intercut with the events is the trial, which is dramatized using animation with celebrity actors’ voices playing the parts of the key players.

The influence of the Chicago 8 has remained with the protest movement beyond 1968. The events in Chicago is a reminder, good and bad, of the action taken to disturb the WTO talks in Seattle in 1999. And so instead of using tired old 60’s protest songs to set the tone, Morgen uses a range of aggressive protest songs to bridge the past 40 years – Rage Against the Machine, Beastie Boys, MC5.

In “The Kid Stays in the Picture” Morgen used a distinct stylized visual design at a time when docmakers were still stuck using an uncreative Ken Burns-style stills and archival footage approach. Morgen once again attempts to break some new ground with his animation recreations. It’s a mixture of Bob Sabiston (“Waking Life”) and Ralph Bashki (“American Pop”) styles and so there’s more familiarity than innovation.

And unfortunately these trial scenes are the downfall of the film. They don’t merge completely with the traditional elements and so there’s a major disconnect between the protest events and the trial. While some of the actors give wonderful voiced performances (Jeffrey Wright as Bobby Seale and Mark Ruffalo as Jerry Rubin) other performances such as Roy Scheider’s Judge Julius Hoffman and Nick Nolte’s attorney Thomas Foran feel like a bad Saturday morning cartoon. Unfortunately these sequences are half the film and it’s more than just mere distraction.

I still don’t why the film is called “The Chicago 10” and not “The Chicago 8”, perhaps I missed that. In any case, Morgen’s film is an interesting technical experiment but in the end won’t entertain anybody other than an ideologically interested audience.

“Chicago 10” is available on DVD from Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment

Chicago 10

Wednesday, 20 August 2008

NO RESERVATIONS

No Reservations (2007) dir. Scott Hicks
Starring: Catherin Zeta-Jones, Aaron Eckhart, Abigail Breslin, Patricia Clarkson

***

Remember that restaurant-themed romantic-comedy starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Aaron Eckhart? I could barely remember it even though it only came out last summer, and on DVD this February. The marketing campaign screamed throwaway romantic comedy. In fact, “No Reservations” is based on the 2001 German film “Mostly Martha”, and many of the criticisms (an unwarranted 39% rotten on Rotten Tomatoes) were in comparison to the original. Since I hadn’t seen the original, it was a fresh experience for me. "No Reservations" is actually a really good film, a rare intelligent ‘drama’ (not romantic comedy) featuring a strong female lead character.

Kate (Catherine Zeta-Jones) is an executive chef at an esteemed Manhattan restaurant. Her career has trumped any family aspirations. She is single but living her self-important ‘Sex and the City lifestyle. When her sister dies in a tragic car accident she becomes the legal guardian of her niece Zoe (Abigail Breslin), which quickly turns her life upside down. Though she tries her best, mothering is difficult. She forgets to pick Zoe up from school, feeds her haute cuisine dishes instead of kid-friendly meals and often leaves her alone in her apartment while she’s working at the restaurant.

Adding fuel to her discontent is a new sous chef who filled in for Kate during her grieving period. Nick (Aaron Eckhart) has quickly made himself comfortable in the kitchen and ingratiated himself with the staff more than Kate ever could. He’s also impossibly goodlooking and charming. Kate tries her best to antagonize him, but just can’t help herself from falling in love. Of course, with love comes some pain too, especially with the two working closely together. When Nick’s career goals eventually conflict with Kate’s each of them must make a crucial life-changing decision for the good of them and Zoe.

Watch the opening credits carefully, because it’s none other than Phillip Glass who scores the film. I thought Mr. Glass was picky about his projects? I don’t know the man but going by his work he seems to choose films with either a clear artistic direction, or a subject close to his heart (ie. his work with Tibet). If “No Reservations” has the stamp of approval of Phillip Glass, it’s good enough for me. Though it’s not “the Hours” or “Kundun”, Glass has chosen an intelligent and entertaining film to collaborate with.

Scott Hicks directed the film. Remember him? He was once a coveted director after his successful Aussie film “Shine”. A couple of failures later (“Hearts in Atlantis” and “Snow Falling on Cedars”) he dropped off the buzz radar. Though it’s more conventional than his other films, he’s still has a talent for storytelling and character. It’s a fine looking film too. The anamorphic widescreen frame opens up the small confines of Kate's restaurant kitchen and apartment locations.

The DVD cover sets the wrong tone for the film. It's a shame. Hicks is clear to establish a melancholy and reflective mood. The tragedy in the first act never leaves the film. The presence of Zoe reminds us of Kate’s loss and the importance of her decisions in the present.

If anything Aaron Eckhart’s character is too perfect. He’s an idealized partner for Kate – no such person in Manhattan exists (especially in the cutthroat restaurant business), but Nick's purpose is to challenge Kate and force herself to change for the better. Don't let this smart and entertaining film disappear, you will be surprised. Enjoy.

Saturday, 16 August 2008

SHARKWATER

Sharkwater (2007) dir. Rob Stewart
Documentary

***1/2

Who knew sharks were so misunderstood. This is what director/underwater cinematographer Rob Stewart wanted to get across when he started shooting his documentary. The final film Stewart ended up with is not what he imagined. “Sharkwater” is both a beautifying underwater nature film about sharks as well as a tense and suspense journey into international politics and seedy black marketeering.

The best documentaries are often the ones that don’t go according to plan. Errol Morris’ “Thin Blue Line” was a happy accident – a case of false imprisonment discovered while researching a death row psychiatrist. Andrew Jarecki discovered his story of “Capturing the Friedmans” while doing a documentary on New York City clowns. While “Sharkwater” is still about sharks and not clowns the pleasant surprise is how Stewart is forced to put himself into his film.

In the opening Stewart tells us a lot about what we don’t know about sharks. First of all, they don’t eat people. Some statistics tell us how rare shark attacks are, and when they happen it's not for food. And even less rarely are people killed. Secondly, they’ve been at the top of the food chain evolved in their present form since before the dinosaurs! But now in the last half century sharks have been hunted down and killed with such efficiency they're threatened with extinction.

One of the world’s delicacies (especially in Asia) is Shark Fin Soup – basically, tasty soup with a real shark fin placed on top as a garnish. It adds nothing to the taste, just a symbol of the strength and guile of the shark. Stewart hooks up with the infamous “eco-warrior” (some would say eco-terrorist) Paul Watson and his Sea Shepherd Conservation Society to document the search for the illegal ‘finners’ who ply the oceans for sharks, capture them, cut off their fins and throw them back into the water to die a painful death. The footage of this process is downright horrific and cruel. And so when Watson starts to engage violently a group of Costa Rican finners it becomes a truly anger-fueled ocean battle. Stewart captures some astonishing footage of the two boats, crashing into one another and even firing sprays of water to help sink their boat.

Things go off schedule when Stewart and Watson are thrown into a Costa Rican prison for their actions. Their flight from jail is equally adventurous.

And so the film becomes more than just a film about sharks – a story of Stewart himself, a passionate conservationist and his fight for his beliefs. It helps that Stewart is likeable and engaging. With his boyish good looks he could be pegged as a 19 year old. He’s probably in his 30’s, but still a remarkable achievement.

There’s no doubt some stunning underwater photographer. A pristine Blu-Ray version of the film is available. Of course, we see underwater high-definition stuff all the time on the Discovery Channel, but Stewart makes his footage and his story big screen worthy.

Watch for the final shot which rolls over the credits. It’s one of the most astonishing unedited pieces of film I’ve seen. Stewart is being dragged just below the waterline presumably by a speedboat. The camera is mounted in front of him to capture astract imagery of the water rushing by his face with great force and speed. The shot has seemingly nothing to do with the film, but upon reflection is a clever thematic metaphor of the journey Stewart goes through to save his beloved sharks. Check it out.

Wednesday, 30 July 2008

FINISHING THE GAME

Finishing the Game (2007) dir. Justin Lin
Starring: Roger Fan, Sung Kang, Joseph McQueen, Josh Diamond, Sam Bottoms

*

"Game of Death", starring Bruce Lee is one of Hollywood's most curious stories. Prior to shooting "Enter the Dragon" Lee had filmed a portion of "Game of Death", but when "Enter the Dragon" was offered to him, Lee left mid-production. Of course, Bruce Lee died after shooting "Enter the Dragon" and thus, "Game of Death" was never finished. But in 1978, Hollywood capitalized on the immense popularity of Bruce Lee and finished the film using only 11mins of original footage and filming new scenes with new actors and a stand-in for Lee.

Now Justin Lin ("Better Luck Tomorrow" and "Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift") has embellished this ridiculous but true story into a comic mockumentary dramatizing how the re-casting process for Bruce Lee could have gone. Unfortunately despite good intentions, the film falls flat and generates little, if any, laughs.

The film starts by introducing the performers who are vying for the coveted role. We get to know a bunch of off-the-wall pathetic characters via mock-interviews, mock verite footage and mock archival footage. There’s a white guy who thinks he’s Chinese, an egomaniac Bruce Lee competitor named Breeze Lou, a doctor turned kung-fu action star and many others.

Most of the attempted humour is derived from the dead-pan patheticness of their self importance. None of the characters realize the depravity of attempting to ride the coattails of a dead celebrity. Other than the deadpan device, the situations are a series of gags which fail to hit the mark. Early on a lengthy dialogue about who the ego-maniac casting agent and the hack director would fuck of the actors auditioning stops the already dull film dead in it's tracks. It never recovers.

Lin also attempts to generate humour from the over-exposure tacky 70’s kitsch. But timing is everything in comedy and Lin is way too late with his concept. Freeze frames, pastel colours, split screen transitions were used first and with much greater ironic effect in "Boogie Nights”. Even the faded and grainy faux-archival footage was already done by the Grindhouse films. If this film had been made before the recent Christopher Guest films, before "Boogie Nights" and before "Grindhouse", the film would have been innovative and original. Ironically, it just feels dated now.

It's a shame, because there's a interesting story to be told about the typecasting and lack of opportunity for Asian actors in Hollywood. Lin incorporates this as a thematic subplot, but behind the non-laughs, it's all lost.

"Finishing the Game" is available on DVD in Canada from Alliance Films.

Friday, 25 July 2008

THE YEAR MY PARENTS WENT ON VACATION

The Year My Parents Went on Vacation (2007) dir. Cao Hamburger
Starring: Michel Joelsas, Germano Haiut, Simone Spoladore, Eduardo Moreira

**

“The Year My Parents Went on Vacation” is a coming of age drama set in a 1970 Sao Paulo Brazil. A young boy is left by his left-wing rebellious parents in an urban tenement building for the summer during Brazil’s victorious 1970 World Cup. There’s much potential in this coming-of-age story, but much of the drama from this interesting set-up goes unrealized.

It’s 1970 Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Mauro (Michel Joelsas) is an only child to Bia and Daniel, two seemingly grounded and caring parents. It’s the summer of the World Cup and Mauro is looking forward to cheering for their team led by the great Pele. Out of the blue, their parents hastily leave their home, for what they tell Mauro is a ‘vacation.’ Instead of taking Mauro with them, they leave him in the care of his grandfather in Sao Paulo.

When Mauro discovers his grandfather has died the day before, he’s finds himself left all alone in Sao Paulo with nowhere to go. Fortunately a kind elder neighbourhood man, Schlomo, takes the boy in. For the summer Mauro is taken in by Schlomo’s Jewish-Brazilian community as one of their own. Mauro attends Jewish ceremonies, plays soccer with the local kids and experiences many those cherished moments of childhood discovery in his adopted community.

The strength and weakness of the film is Mauro’s point of view. There’s an innate sense of dread which runs under the opening of the film. We sense there is something wrong with Bia and Daniel and that they are hiding some danger from the young boy. We’re never told explicitly why they are forced to leave, but since we’re adults watching the film, it’s obvious they are political dissidents on the run from the police. And so we enter an unknown world seen through the eyes of an innocent young boy. It’s a teasing intro.

Director Cao Hamburger employs a trendy realist style – grainy and handheld and employing almost exclusively mid to long lens sizes - which looks and feels like the work of the Dardennes Bros ("L'Enfant", "Le Fils").

Unfortunately, the final product is lacking the emotional drama of the Dardennes. Once Mauro is taken in by Schlomo and his community we forget about Mauro’s parents, and the fear of the situation leaves quite quickly. The film then moves into a familiar coming-of-age story which is considerably undramatic compared to the opening. Lead actor Michel Joelsas is capable as Mauro – he’s quiet but doesn’t quite connect to the audience in a warm paternal/maternal way. Perhaps this is because he is an inactive protagonist, a child to accepts everything that happens to him, with little complaint or even concern. In fact his chief concern is recovering his homemade toy goalkeepers for his table-top soccer game, which, of course, is meant as irony, but everything else Mauro is feeling is directed elsewhere.

The film might score with audiences who connect with the odd couple relationship of an elderly Rabbi and a goy kid. There’s some humourous interactions as they learn to live with each other in his small apartment, specifically a fun sequence where Schlomo discovers Mauro's a goy when he see his uncircumcised 'pee-pee' peeing in a flower pot. The two eventually find common ground in soccer and celebrate and dance together when their team wins their games.

A good comparison film could be “Under the Same Moon” (La Misma Luna) – a wonderful Mexican film about a young boy who ventures out on his own to find his mother. The childhood protag Carlito goes through numerous dramatic adventures before reuniting with his mother. Though it’s more Hollywood than realism, it’s more cinematic and engrossing. Even the Dardennes know how to inject cinematic story twists and turns to hook and audience.

“The Year My Parents Went On Vacation” is available on DVD from City Lights Pictures

Other related postings:
L'Enfant
Under the Same Moon

Wednesday, 16 July 2008

THE BAND'S VISIT

The Band’s Visit (2007) dir. Eran Kolirin
Starring: Sasson Gabai, Ronit Elkabetz, Saleh Bakri, Khalifa Natour

***1/2

"The Band’s Visit" tore up the festival circuit last year winning awards at Cannes (En Certain Regard Jury Prize), Tokyo (Grand Prix) Warsaw, Montreal, Munich, Zurich and more. An Egyptian band gets lost and stranded in a small Israeli town overnight where they're forced to ingratiate themselves with the locals. It’s a cross cultural comedy with a deliciously warm heart and a distinctly European comic sensibility.

The Alexandria Ceremonial Police Orchestra from Egypt arrives in Israel the day before a performance at the Arab Cultural Centre. At the airport, there is no greeting party, no bus, no cab or limo waiting to pick them up. Have they been forgotten about? The band leader, Lieutenant-Colonel Tawfiq Zacharya (Sasson Gabai) is so concerned with maintaining discipline and representing their country with pride and honour, no one makes a stink, or pulls a tantrum. They wind up walking to the nearest village, dragging their instruments behind them. It’s both pathetic and cute at the same time.

They arrive in a one-horse Israeli town, with little bus access. The locals are welcoming of the band and courteously put them up for the night. The local restaurant owner Dina (Ronit Elkabetz) houses Tawfiq and his trouble-making trumpet player Khaled. Other band members split up and bunk with some of the other locals. The film intercuts the interactions between the Israelis and Arabs over the course of the evening.

The interaction of Tawfiq and Rita turns into a coy sexual flirtation. Ronit Elkabetz, a gorgeous middle-aged actress, provides a wonderfully sexy performance contrast against Gabai’s drill sergeant persona who is so stuck up he won’t take off his hat. Khaled, the trumpeter, hangs out with local loser, Papi, and teaches the awkward youth the intricacies of how to pick-up a girl. Khaled and Papi provide the best scene in the film and perhaps one the most hilarious displays of female courtship.

"The Band's Visit" is not unfamiliar or original. The British, Irish and Scottish have perfected this small town fish out of water story. The logline reads as “The Englishman Who Came Up and Hill But Went Down a Mountain”, or “Waking Ned Devine”, or “Local Hero”, there’s a few oddballs which are familiar to these films, but an overall European - and to get specific, Scandinavian - flavour makes the film distinct.

Director Eran Kolirin sets a quiet tone – part sadness, part surrealism. The Israeli town is a desolate place, with imagery influenced by the Coen bros’s Fargo”. Kolirin shoots his scenes with an economical sparseness with no shot wasted. His camera is locked down and framed with portrait-style composition. The films of Swedish surreal-master Roy Andersson come to mind.

The performances are quiet too. A voice is never raised. And with very little overt conflict, a full arcing narrative is sustained and completed with lessons learned about each other and themselves. Kolirin never dumbs down the material or coaxes unwarranted tears or emotional revelations from the character.

By the end of the night the stranger vs. stranger tension is barely broken, but just enough be to be poignant without melodramatic. The band will likely never ever see the locals of the town again, but they will also never forget their night of unplanned cathartic adventure. Enjoy.

"The Band's Visit" is available on DVD from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Wednesday, 9 July 2008

UNDER THE SAME MOON

Under the Same Moon (2007) dir. Patricia Reggin
Starring: Adrian Alonso, Kate del Castillo, Eugenio Derbez, Maya Zapata

***1/2

“Under the Same Moon” or “La Misma Luna” an under-the-radar Mexican festival circuit film quietly arrived on video a couple weeks back. In this day and age of social realism and cynical cinema, this film never did find its audience. This is no surprise. It’s uncool, unhip, old fashioned, and a little corny. But its optimism and heart on your sleeve sentimentality is a welcomed breath of fresh air. This simple tale of a young Mexican boy's journey to be reunited with her mother across the border is a near perfect rendering of the classic Odyssey-style storytelling and a small unearthed gem waiting to be discovered.

The opening establishes the two main characters, nine year old Carlito and his mother Rosario. Rosario crossed the border illegally 4 years ago and now lives in LA, working as a maid so she can properly provide for her son. Carlito lives with his grandmother in Mexico. His life is safe and secure, but he’s brave enough to mask his desire to grow up in the company of his mother. Breaking the bond of mother and son creates such a strong cinematic hook, the real world plausibility or logic of such a situation becomes mute. A dramatic event at the first act turn occurs which puts puts his domestic situation in question.

Carlito goes on a journey to find his mother, a journey which takes him across the border via a series of interesting characters, some good, some not so good, who help at each stage along the way. The less you know about the specifics of the story the better, because despite the Hollywood conventions it’s an unpredictable series of narrative twists and turns - something new and exciting is discovered with every new beat, scene and act turn. If I were teaching a course on screenwriting, “Under the Same Moon” could be a case study on the perfect structure and execution of its genre.

The finale is unabashedly 'Hollywood', but still thoroughly cinematic and satisfying. The perfect ending for this special film.

The anchor is a remarkable performance from youngster Adrian Alonzo – an astonishing performance comparable to any of the acclaimed child performances in recent memory ie. Haley Joel Osment, Abigail Breslin, Dakota Fanning etc. But the lack of recognition for such work is equally astonishing. Young Adrian holds down the film with complete authenticity. His sad but strong eyes instantly give Carlito the street smarts the character needs for us believe that he could make this journey.

The characters he meets along the way are introduced casually but slowly developed under our noses. Check out the loathsome Enrique (Eugenio Derbez) who enters the picture as a fellow border crosser who has no need to hang around a little nine-year old while evading the INS ( I wouldn’t either). But surprisingly Enrique hangs around long enough to become an integral supporting character, who learns something about honour and friendship along the way.

It would be easy to dismiss the film for simplifying complex issues, or the fact it makes no overt political stance on border relations between Mexico and the U.S. The border exists purely as a cinematic device or barrier between mother and son. The film is bigger than the political issue, because it’s a pure form of storytelling, which in the annals of history will survive long past it’s “political divisive” contemporaries.

Please see this film. Enjoy.

"Under the Same Moon" is available on DVD from Fox Home Entertainment

Friday, 4 July 2008

PERSEPOLIS

Persepolis (2007) dir. Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud
Voices by: Chiara Mastroianni, Catherine Deneuve, Danielle Darrieux, Simon Abkarian

***

“Persepolis” is a film more to admire than to be truly entertained by. It's based on Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel about her own experience living in Iran during the 1979 revolution and the cultural identity problems of living in Vienna as a youth. A unique animation style and the unfamiliar political backstory make for a refreshing alternative to Hollywood animation, but the film is surprisingly empty and vacant emotionally.

Iranian youngster Marjane Satrapi and her family are the main characters who are animated in a unique 2-D B&W sharply contrast style. It’s 1978, the U.S.-based Shah of Iran rules, but seeds of a revolution are in place. Marjane is an only child and she was raised by secular intellectuals. And so when the government is replaced by religious fundamentalism of the Ayatollah Khomeni (his name isn’t mentioned for some reason), the Satrapi’s way of life is throw into upheaval.

Marjane is suddenly forced to wear a headscarve and she and all women in society are found to be lower class citizens. From this suppression Marjane develops her sense of independence and cultural revolt. ABBA and Michael Jackson records are traded on the street like drug deals, and Marjane is not afraid to experiment and experience the pop culture of the Western world. Marjane is sent by her parents to study in Vienna where she experiences a new world. Being uprooted though, Marjane losing her sense of home and identity. Her decision to return seems to weigh the lesser of two evils.

The simplicistic animation made up of strict black and white (there's not a speck of grey to be found) rudimentary, undetailed figures is a refreshing contrast to the photo realistic computer animation of Hollywood. The abstractness compliments the intellectual material. Certainly watching the Blu-Ray version is a glorious experience, since sharp lines and deep blacks are always represented best in high definition.

As a political statement and a piece of ideological discourse, it's an inspired creative endeavour, but as an engaging story it's an under-realized piece of cinema. The story feels like a series of vignettes roughly strung together with only the history timeline connecting the dots. There's very few emotional beats making her journey larger than the historical turmoil surrounding Marjane's life.

The DVD features the original French language audio track with English subtitles and an English audio track featuring the voices talents of Gena Rowlands and Sean Penn, who provides an especially lazy reading of his lines. I highly recommend going with the original French track, because without the whimsy of the French language, all poignant humour between the lines is lost.

The international success of "Persepolis" is no surprise, it's originality is more than enough to trump its faults. More films like this will find its way into theatres and DVD shelves. Watch for "Waltz with Bashir" a similar animated memoir, from the point of view of an Israeli soldier - to make a splash later in the year. Enjoy.

"Persepolis" is available on DVD and Blu-Ray from Sony Picture Home Entertainment

Persepolis

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