Author: Joan Rapp

SLIFF 2010 Review: ROOM AND A HALF

ROOM AND A HALF is a look back on the life of Joseph Brodsky, as it might have happened. It starts out in Brodsky’s New York apartment with two crows sitting on a patio table. The narrator (Brodsky) tells you that they arrived upon the death of his father and his mother. He longs to return to the St. Petersburg homeland of his youth and memory. He decides to take a ship via Finland to try and re-enter the USSR. As Brodsky travels aboard ship, he reminisces about his childhood; his father’s return from Japan at the end of the war, his relationship with his mother and father, growing up, and St. Petersburg. The memories are shown in live action and sometimes by the use of cartoons. Most of the narration is in poetic form. Throughout it all there is a talking cartoon cat, who seems to be the personification of a poet.

The film is visually very interesting, for the first half, after that with the repeat of some of the same cinematic techniques, it becomes overly long (2-1/2 hours). Watching the film is difficult in spots as the translation whizzes by very fast and other times dialogue is not translated. Also, a working knowledge of Joseph Brodsky’s life is required. The film glosses over many details and it is difficult to figure out why some things happen. For example, Brodsky is kicked out of USSR but you don’t know why, and then he is a professor at the University in Michigan but as far as you know he only had a 7th grade education. He is asked one time mid-film if he is a poet, but he neither agrees or disagrees.

The last 30 minutes of the film clarifies most of the story, but it is a long time to wait to understand Brodsky’s life. I found the film intriguing and interesting at first but very long and convoluted. I would not recommend this film for anyone not well versed in Brodsky’s life or poetry but if you are interested in any way the ending is well worth its disclosures. ROOM AND A HALF was nominated at the Mar de Plata Film Festival for best film, but won for ACCA Jury Special Mention.

ROOM AND A HALF will play during the 19th Annual Stella Artois St. Louis International Film Festival on Monday, November 15th at 9:15 pm and Thursday, November 18th at 7:00 pm at the Hi-Pointe Theatre.

SLIFF 2010 Review: ANITA

It is morning,  Anita is being awoken by her mother with a kiss on the forehead, a mug of hot chocolate and vanilla biscuits. Anita is a young girl with Down’s Syndrome and this is her world; protected and loving. The film starts out slowly, you are introduced to Anita, her mother, her brother and sister-in-law. The family is very close knit but you get the impression that the brother loves his sister but really can not be counted on to participate in or help with Anita’s care.

Anita is severely handicapped and has a limited knowledge of life, for example at bath time her mother tells her to wash first one arm and then the other. Anita is not even allowed to stir a pot on the stove, as her mother says, “You will burn yourself.” Anita’s world is her mother’s world and the places that they go together whether it is the family store or to her father’s burial plot. On this particular day, Anita is left behind at the store as her mother goes off to collect Anita’s monthly government disability check. A sudden and horrific event occurs that jolts Anita onto a journey. She finds herself in a world to which she does not understand the people or places but she somehow finds  ways to cope.

Anita travels through neighborhoods and areas she never knew existed and this  will influence and affect  all the people she encounters along the way. Anita meets a drunken photo-journalist, who is so wrapped in the tradegy of his life that he can’t seem to figure out what he can do to help Anita. And, then Anita encounters a Chinese shop owner who can only see her as a thief until her elderly mother steps up to demand that her daughter help Anita. She meets up with street thieves who get her the only help that they believe is available. They take her one of the thief’s sister, who is nurse, to get her help but Anita ends up helping this women more. But through it all, Anita’s trusting and loving soul keeps her happy and content.

I found myself completely absorbed into this film. It was as if you were viewing the events from Anita’s perspective and you were unable to figure out the people or the events that were taking place. The movie is not confusing but rather insightful. It was a glimpse of the world from Anita’s view. You, as the viewer, are also put under Anita’s spell. You feel as if someone is going to step up and help Anita. The film was nominated by the Academy of Motion Pictures and Arts of Argentina in 2008 for Best Supporting Actress, Best New Actress, Best Screen Play (original) and Best Supporting Actress.  ANITA won for Best Supporting Actress.

ANITA will play during the 19th Annual Stella Artois St. Louis International Film Festival on Sunday, November 14th at 1:30 pm at Plaza Frontenac; and again on Wednesday, November 17th at 2:00 pm at Plaza Frontenac.

SLIFF 2010 Review: WOMEN WITHOUT MEN

WOMEN WITHOUT MEN is told from the point of view of four women. The time is Iran 1953 and there is political unrest and unrest of another kind brewing. Munis is a 30 year old unmarried woman living in her brother’s house. He wants her to marry but she does not want to marry. Munis is very upset and concerned about the events that are transpiring in her country. She is glued to the radio for news. Faezeh is Munis friend. She is love with Munis brother but he is going to marry someone else.

Farrokhlagha is a 50 year old woman unhappy in her marriage to a military man. She realizes just how unhappy she is when she encounters an old beau who has come back to Iran from the west. Zarin is a prostitute who is numb to life until she looks up and sees a man without a face at her bedside. Zarin flees from him, her life and the city; she stumbles upon an orchard as a refuge. Farrokhlagha  is longing to escape her marriage and decides to buy an orchard. Thus Farrokhlagha and Zarin’s life intersect.  Munis is bound to help the cause for her country’s freedom and in the wake of her quest her friend is raped. Somehow Munis knows about the orchard and she delivers Faezeh there. The three women find friendship and solace there. The unrest in the town is becoming more and more violent until the violence spills over into the orchard.

This film reminds me of Ingmar Bergman films; there is lots of walking through bleak landscapes aimlessly. The landscape seems to play off of the events that are occurring in the town; more unrest, bleaker landscapes. The film is interesting in that it reveals the repeat of history; a lone girl (Munis), in a mob, protesting the government which leads to a death and the allusion to more current events. The film is slow going in spots but the portrayal of the women and the men that they interact with is very telling about the society. The film is interesting to watch and the visuals are beautiful. The film was nominated for the Golden Lion Award and won for The Silver Lion Award and UNICEF at the Venice Film Festival.

WOMEN WITHOUT MEN will play during the 19th Annual Stella Artois St. Louis International Film Festival on Saturday, November 13th at 7:15 pm and Sunday, November 14th at 4:45 pm at the Plaza Frontenac Cinema.

SLIFF 2010 Review: THE MOTHER

THE MOTHER is a documentary set in the heartland of Russia. It is a strikingly beautiful portrait of a three-year period of a woman’s difficult life. We are introduced to the main character on a train ride through the countryside. She is reflecting on her life as you see the landscape slip by; her escape from an abusive husband, her work and how she raised her many children in the midst of extreme poverty and deteriorating health.

The harshness of this woman’s life is played out in the interactions that she has with other members of the dairy co-op and between members of her immediate family. But, through all of the misery and hard work, the woman’s strong determination to keep her family healthy and happy prevails.

The director’s use of scenery and imagery convene more than the surroundings, they also show the overpowering harshness and brutality of the environment, but through it all this woman’s love and concern shine for her children. I enjoyed this film very much. The film was nominated for best documentary in 2008 by the European Films Award and by the Swiss Film Prize.

THE MOTHER will play during the 19th Annual Stella Artois St. Louis International Film Festival on Saturday, November 13th at 1:00 pm at the Tivoli Theatre.

Review: THE SICILIAN GIRL

THE SICILIAN GIRL, La siciliana ribelle, is a Foreign Language film in Italian. It was directed by Marco Amenta and it has a running time of 115 minutes. The film is based on true events that brought about the arrest and conviction of members of the Sicilian Mafia.

The film starts out with a seventeen year old Sicilian girl, Rita (played by Veronica DAgostino) handing over a gun, which is the only memento she has from her deceased father. Jump back seven years and the story starts to unfold. It is 1985 and the church bells are tolling. Rita is a precocious 10 year old, whose mother does not like her but whose father adores her. They have a special relationship that excludes the mother. Her father takes her out on what appears to be an innocent motorcycle ride that turns ominous with a plume of black smoke rising in the distance. They stop to investigate and find a house aflame, a dead body and a distraught family. The father shields Rita from the horror but not really. This sets the tone for the movie of the violence that exists in the village just below the surface of ordinary life. It is well established that Rita father is a respected man in the village. Her father and uncle are encouraging her to learn to ride her bike at the same time they are talking about changing the family business over to the selling of narcotics. Rita father is against the change and so the story begins.

Rita is dressed for her First Communion, riding her new bike while her father looks on only to have him executed before her eyes. The town people disappear as shutters and doors are slammed shut against Rita cries for help. In her distress, Rita turns to her uncle for help only to have her much older brother pull her out of the meeting. Rita does not understand what has happened and insists that her brother take her back to get a promise of revenge from her uncle for her father death. The brother finally, in a fit of rage, tells her that the uncle is the one who had their father killed, and that they must be patient and wait until they can take out their revenge. He tells her that they must be quiet, watch and keep a record of what goes on in the village and family business. Rita begins her journals. She keeps a record of everything that she witnesses. Fast forward seven years, the brother has a plan in place to kill the uncle, but the plan goes awry and he is murdered. Rita understands now that the revenge that she wants can only be gotten by breaking the mafia code of silence and speaking to the anti- Mafia judge (Gerad Jugnot) . It is the first time someone from the Mafia world rebels and speaks out. Unbeknownst to Rita, with her journals, she is a perfect mole to disclose information that will put the Sicilian Mafia in jail and be a perfect witness for the prosecution. As the threats mount, and people around her are murdered, Rita’s will is almost broken to the point of discontinuing in the battle against the Mafia and her hometown. If I tell more it will spoil the film.

I enjoyed this film a lot. It is one that will be watched again and again. The violence of the events was alluded to but never fully shown. This helped to create the understanding of how the villagers and townspeople could be lulled into thinking that it was normal behavior. It is an interesting character study of how ones environment can influence behavior. Think of  THE GODFATHER and Good FELLAS. THE SICILIAN GIRL will be released in the US on October 15, 2010.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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New TV Spot: HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS – PART 1

I was surfing around on the net over the weekend and much to my surprise and delight I stumbled upon the newest trailer for HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 1.

And so the countdown begins. Only 77 days. This film is the first of two installments covering the seventh and final book in J.K. Rowling’s beloved series. The film is directed by David Yates. He has directed the last two films in the series; HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE and HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE. The anticipation for this film is almost as great as waiting for the novel to appear. The only down side is knowing that once again we will have to say goodbye to Harry and Company but that can wait until next year when Part 2 is released. See you in the queue!

Synopsis:

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 1, the seventh and final adventure in the Harry Potter film series, is a much-anticipated motion picture event to be told in two full-length parts. Part 1 begins as Harry, Ron and Hermione set out on their perilous mission to track down and destroy the secret to Voldemort’s immortality and destruction – the Horcruxes. On their own, without the guidance of their professors or the protection of Professor Dumbledore, the three friends must now rely on one another more than ever. But there are Dark Forces in their midst that threaten to tear them apart. Meanwhile, the wizarding world has become a dangerous place for all enemies of the Dark Lord.

The long-feared war has begun and Voldemort’s Death Eaters seize control of the Ministry of Magic and even Hogwarts, terrorizing and arresting anyone who might oppose them. But the one prize they still seek is the one most valuable to Voldemort: Harry Potter. The Chosen One has become the hunted one as the Death Eaters search for Harry with orders to bring him to Voldemort – alive. Harry’s only hope is to find the Horcruxes before Voldemort finds him. But as he searches for clues, he uncovers an old and almost forgotten tale, the legend of the Deathly Hallows. And if the legend turns out to be true, it could give Voldemort the ultimate power he seeks. Little does Harry know that his future has already been decided by his past when, on that fateful day, he became “the Boy Who Lived.” No longer just a boy, Harry Potter is drawing ever closer to the task for which he has been preparing since the day he first stepped into Hogwarts: the ultimate battle with Voldemort.

The film stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Ralph Fiennes, John Hurt, Rhys Ifans, Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Imelda Staunton, Jason Isaacs, Miranda Richardson, Warwick Davis, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Brendan Gleeson and Bill Nighy. Directed by David Yates, look for HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 1 from Warner Bros. Pictures in 3D and 2D in select theaters and IMAX theaters on November 19, 2010 followed by PART 2 next summer July 15, 2011.

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This film is not yet rated.

Review: FLIPPED

I couldn’t have thought of a better way to spend a weekday afternoon than at the screening for the new Rob Reiner film, FLIPPED. I thought back over past delightful hours spent in the company of other Rob Reiner films; WHEN HARRY MET SALLY, A FEW GOOD MEN, and an all time favorite, STAND BY ME. Then as the opening credits rolled and I saw, much to my delight, that the cast included many favorite actors, namely Anthony Edwards, from “ER,” John Mahoney, from “Fraser,” and Aidan Quinn from MICHAEL COLLINS, I was glad to think that I wouldn’t be let down by such a noteworthy cast.

*Heads-up: this is a spoiler-filled review*

The film is a coming of age story for the two main characters, Bryce (played by Callan McAuliffe) and Juli (played by Madeline Carroll). Somewhat in the vein of STAND BY ME. The action starts when Bryce moves in across the street from Juli at the beginning of second grade. Juli is completely taken by this handsome little boy, and Bryce can’t wait to escape from her company, and so the conflict begins. Juli is convinced that Bryce will be her first kiss. Bryce has other thoughts; to avoid her at all costs. He goes to many lengths to thwart her. Even to pretending to like her archenemy, Sherry. The story is told first from Juli’s point of view and then the same set of events is re-told from Bryce’s. This form of storytelling is interesting the first go round, but tedious as the film continues to unfold. The majority of the action takes place when the characters are in seventh grade. So girl likes boy and girl continues to like boy until he behaves so hateful toward her and her family that it turns her off. And guess what? No, you will never guess. Ok, I know you know; once the girl loses interest the boy is interested. What a new twist!! (Said with extreme sarcasm, in case you didn’t get it.) And, this contains a spoiler; the boy wins back the girl.

The film has a lot of faults. As a viewer you never really care or like the characters. The characters are one dimensional. Bryce’s father is intolerant. His grandfather doesn’t speak to Bryce, but he offers to help Juli with her yard work and yet no one asks why. Juli’s mother is thrilled at an invitation by Bryce’s family that is ten years in coming. Why would she want this? Even though you are hearing the story from Juli and Bryce’s points of view, you never get to know these characters. Juli is in love with Bryce, why? She is a deep thinker, an individual and Bryce is superficial, just a pretty face who doesn’t want to appear different from his classmates. He goes along with what others say whether he agrees or not. But once again, we don’t know why. The conflict between the families is further shown when one day Bryce’s father looks out their front window and complains about the disarray of Juli’s family’s home. Then Bryce’s grandfather (played by John Mahoney) explains that the neighbors are renting the house and supporting a mentally retarded uncle. Not sure why this story line was introduced as it was unnecessary and disrespectful.

The film was a total bore. I couldn’t wait for FLIPPED to end. To say that I was disappointed would be an understatement. Stay at home, watch an old Rob Reiner film (cough THE PRINCESS BRIDE cough) and hope that the next one out will be better.

1/2 out of 5 *****

Review: WILD GRASS

WILD GRASS is a French movie being released by Sony Classics to theaters in Saint Louis on August 6, 2010. It is the final film directed by Alan Resnais. He is well known for directing films in the French New Wave Movement. If you know and understand the French New Wave Movement, please disregard this review.

First let me tell you something about myself. I love movies and books. I am that person in the theater who figures out the ending of the movie before the half way point. I need to tell who I am with what I have figured out so that they know that I am right at the end. I also figure out the ending of books and write my thoughts down and the page that I figured it out on. I get foreshadowing and I understand clues. However, I did not understand this film. I guess that means I am not French enough.

The film’s action revolves around the theft of Marguerite Muir’s wallet and the finding of it by Georges Palet. The events unfold through the characters’ actions and reactions to each other’s actions thus elevating a small incident into ever larger ones. I couldn’t figure this movie out. I can’t tell you exactly what it was about because it was the weirdest movie I have ever seen. The plot is impossible to figure out. Is Georges Palet a thief, a serial murderer or a discontented middle aged man? Is Marguerite Muir happy or sad, good dentist or bad, and how does her love of flying figure in? Why do Georges’ wife and Marguerite’s friend play the roles they do? Are they important? What pull do Georges and Marguerite have over each other to cause them to have such an impact on each other’s lives? And, do we care? No, not really. The characters are so two-dimensional that you never connect with them. The film’s plot is so bizarre that it is impossible to figure out what is going on.

Visually, the film is beautiful and vibrant. The camera angles cause bewilderment and confusion. First the film is idyllic and then a crime murder scene – which is it? It is difficult to figure out what the montage of the grass throughout the film means overall and symbolically. Is it something to do with the title, or does it have something to do with ordinary life compared to the extra-ordinary? Why does one’s life take the turns that it does? Do you have control over the twists and turns? Or, is life just mischance?

Am I glad I saw it? Not sure really. It was an interesting experience that left me feeling confused. Would I watch it again? Not really sure. It is like having a really weird experience that you are sort of glad you had but wouldn’t waste a beautiful day on again. But a day with a snow storm, forced to stay in, cable is out and it is the only DVD available… maybe.

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

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