Tag: new releases
IN A BETTER WORLD – The Review
It’s always interesting to a foreign perspective on an issue making headlines here in the United States. Bullying in school has been a topic of discussion here very recently in the wake of several suicides of children who were taunted over sexual orientation. I wonder if schools in Denmark have the same problems? The winner of the 2011 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language film, IN A BETTER WORLD answers that question. It also tackles the problems of war lords in impoverished African countries. This film attempts to connect several forms of bullying.
The film begins in Africa where Anton works as a traveling physician to several villages. Complicating his duties is a local warlord who cuts open the bellies of pregnant women in order to find out the gender of their babies. Anton is barely able to save the life of a young woman who is rushed into his make shift clinic. In London, Christian, a boy around ten years old, is reciting a poem at the funeral of his mother who lost her battle with cancer. He and his father Claus are moving to his grandmother’s home in Denmark. At his new school Christian witnesses another lad, Elias, being picked on by a pack of boys lead by the taller Sofus. In his new class Christian shares a desk with Elias. After school the pack returns to taunt Elias. When Christian speaks up, Sofus smashes his nose with a basketball. That night he lies to his father about the injury. Elias returns home to his mother Hanna and his kid brother Morten. Later they pick up his father, Anton, from the train station. There we find out that Anton and Hanna are separated. The next day on the school playground Christian sees Sofus follow Elias into the rest room. Christian follows and as Sofus grabs Elias, Christian sneaks up from behind and pummels Sofus with his bicycle tire pump. As Sofus writhes on the floor in pain, Christian pulls out a hunting knife, grabs Sofus by the back of the head, and threatens to kill him if he bothers either of them again. The boys soon dash away and Elias hides the knife. Presently the police are called in, then the parents of the two. The boys tell the principal that they will not fight anymore. Days later Anton takes his sons and Christian out for a day of boating. Whole getting some ice cream Anton hears Morten fighting with another boy at the swing set. As Anton pulls the boys apart, the other boy’s father, Lars, rushes up. He screams at Anton and slaps him in the face. The boys are stunned that Anton refuses to fight back. Anton explains that this is how wars are started and that he’ll not stoop to that man’s level. Later the boys spot Lars parking his work van near the auto body shop. When Christian finds some old fireworks in his grandparents’ garage he enlists Elias in a plan to exact revenge on Lars. Soon Anton is back in Africa where that same warlord who had been mutilating young women comes in to have his wounded leg treated. Should Anton help ” the big man’ ? And what will happen to his son’s scheme with Christian?
IN A BETTER WORLD tackles the difficult issue of how to respond to a bully. How much defensive force is too much. The young boys give strong, sensitive performances especially William Nielsen as Christian whose stoic face hides the intense pain of losing his mother. Mikael Persbrandt has the most complex role as Anton. At home he must decide to set a non-violent example to his sons while dealing the dissolution of his marriage. At work it’s the constant flow of patients and what to do about this brutal warlord. I appreciated the African scenes, but they take away from the compelling story of the two boys back home. The film is well acted story of the ways people can choose to deal with conflict.
Overall Rating: Three Out of Five Stars
Netflix Nuggets: Who’s Up For a Miramax Marathon?
Netflix has revolutionized the home movie experience for fans of film with its instant streaming technology. Netflix Nuggets is my way of spreading the word about independent, classic and foreign films made available by Netflix for instant streaming. Continue reading Netflix Nuggets: Who’s Up For a Miramax Marathon?
Netflix Nuggets: A Good Bunny, a Greedy Bull, and a Purple Biker Walk into a Dark Bar…
Netflix has revolutionized the home movie experience for fans of film with its instant streaming technology. Netflix Nuggets is my way of spreading the word about independent, classic and foreign films made available by Netflix for instant streaming. Continue reading Netflix Nuggets: A Good Bunny, a Greedy Bull, and a Purple Biker Walk into a Dark Bar…
OF GODS AND MEN – The Review
In most religious motion pictures the subject of faith is explored and discussed. Faith is at the heart of the new French film from director Xavier Beauvois OF GODS AND MEN based on real events in 1996. The faith of the men profiled is put to the ultimate test when a political uprising threatens their very existence.
The Trappist monks of the Tibhirine monastery lived in harmony with the mostly Muslim residents of the local Algerian village. These monks leds a simple life. Their days were spent dispensing medicine and medical advice to the villagers, bible study, worship, cleaning, tending the gardens and beehives, cooking, and selling their jars of honey at the local market. This life is disrupted by the emergence of a radical insurgent group, the Armed Islamic Group of Algeria. These guerrilla forces first attack and kill a group of Croatians constructing a highway. Christian, the monk’s leader ( Lambert Wilson ), is contacted by local government officials about stationing soldiers at the monastery. He refuses the offer of military protection. Hearing of this meeting, some of the other monks voice their dissatisfaction at not being asked their thoughts on this. Finally late at night the men’s slumber is ended when the guerrillas burst through the gates and demand their medicine supply. At their next group meeting the monks discuss and vote on what to do about this threat. Christian, the doctor Luc ( Michael Lonsdale ), and two others wish to remain there and take their chances against the unrest. Others wish to leave for France immediately. They do not believe that their possible martyrdom would have any impact. Still others think they should gradually abandon the monastery. While the men mull over these ideas they are shocked when the military controlled government begins harassing the villagers in order to find the insurgents. On Christmas Eve the rebels again storm the monastery and demand that the doctor return with them. Christian and the monks stand their ground and refuse to comply. After being given some food and medicine, the rebels return to the countryside. The monks know that the fighters will eventually return. Will they be able to stand up to them or should they leave the monastery and the village?
OF GODS AND MEN is a very moving story told with great skill by Beauvois and all the actors involved. The men portraying the monks take great care to show their individual quirks and very different opinions. Kudos to Lambert as the strong, but conflicted Christian and Lonsdale as the compassionate healer, Luc. The photography of the region is stunning. The rocky desert suddenly erupts into green, rolling countryside. The film is leisurely paced,which helps make the sudden appearances by the rebels more tense and suspenseful. Lovely hymns highlight the soundtrack. This is a well made story that will leave you thinking about the power of faith and how it can be strong when tested by violence.
Overall Rating: Four Out of Five Stars
RED RIDING HOOD – The Review
There’s a reason why many classic fairy tales have stood the test of time. From one century to the next, children find comfort in these stories which often include life lessons-don’t stray from the path, listen to your elders,and so on. Since the beginnings of cinema, filmmakers have used these tales for motion pictures. Most were adapted into short films until Walt Disney made his feature length animated film debut in 1937 with SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARVES. This opened the floodgates for other studios (and Disney himself) to bring these fables to theatres in full-length films. Aside from a 1963 Mexican live action version and a part of the animated HOODWINKED, Red has not gotten the full big budget screen treatment until now. But Red is not ” little ” this time out. The makers of RED RIDING HOOD have decided to explore more fully the sexual subtext of the tale and so the heroine is now a girl in her late teens on the cusp of womanhood. The big question is whether this simple story can be stretched over ninety minutes.
This fable begins many years ago in the village of Daggerhorn, tucked away in a snowy mountain range. The heroine, Valerie, is off to fetch water when she is surprised by her young friend Peter. They romp away into the forest where they find a rabbit that has been caged in their wooden trap. The two then dare each other to be the one to slit the bunny’s throat! Cut to the townspeople tying up a piglet to a tree stump in the town square. It is an offering to the wolf that haunts them during the time of the full moon. The story then picks up many years later when now teenage Valerie (Amanda Seyfried) surprises Peter (Shiloh Fernandez) as he takes a lunch break at his woodcutting job. It seems that their childhood friendship has blossomed into love. Unfortunately Valerie’s parents (Billy Burke and Virginia Madsen) have promised her to Henry (Max Irons), the son of a wealthy family. Later Valerie discusses this with her grandmother (Julie Christie) at her home away from the village, deep in the forest. Grandmother then gives her a bright crimson, hooded cloak. The next morning after the first full moon the villagers discover the wolf’s human victim: Valerie’s older sister! The young, jittery village priest, Father Auguste (Lukas Haas) announces that he has sent for an expert in destroying beasts. The men of the village will not wait. They will venture into the woods and kill the creature. Entering a dark, deep cave, the men are separated when the wolf appears. The next day at the tavern the men proudly display the wolf’s head on a spear. But their victory has come at a price – Henry’s father was killed by the beast. The celebrations are soon ended by the arrival of the “expert”, Father Solomon (Gary Oldman) along with his soldiers. He explains that the wolf is not the guilty party. A werewolf has been the cause of their troubles. When killed the wolf reverts back to it’s human form. Solomon then shows them the human hand of a werewolf he killed-his own wife! It turns out that the next few days is a particularly dangerous time. Every thirteen years the planets align to produce a red, or “blood”, moon. During this time anyone bitten will share the werewolf curse. Solomon believes that the werewolf lives among them in the village. The men brush off his claims and decide to have their big celebratory festival in the village square that night. Of course, there’s no way anything terrible will occur during their party!
First I should give a shout out to the positives of this film- the set direction and costuming are first rate. Daggenhorm is a vaguely Bavarian medieval town and the village square and cottages are right out of classic childrens’ book illustrations as are the clothing (which are not helped by the contemporary hairstyles). The rest of the film is a major misfire. Catherine Hardwicke has made some great modern day films (THIRTEEN and LORDS OF DOGTOWN), but really has a difficult time in this ancient setting and with the supernatural elements (as she did with TWILIGHT). She relies heavily on the old horror standbys of things jumping out from out of frame and cranked-up sound effects. David Johnson’s (ORPHAN) script clumsily goes from young lovers pulled apart by their folks to a “who’s the werewolf” mystery straight from the old 70’s B-movie THE BEAST MUST DIE. The many good actors involved here can’t save this disaster. Seyfried’s been an engaging screen presence especially in the adult, thriller CHLOE. Here’s she seems to have taken a couple of steps back in teen scream queen territory. Her large expressive eyes are always on full display here. Fernandez and Irons are the required sensitive bad boy and wimpy rich good boy respectively. Madsen is given little to do as the tough matriarch while Burke’s character is the ineffectual, drunken dad. The still radiant Christie is completely wasted in the role of the wise grandmother who knows more about the best than she admits. Oldman is always interesting to watch. Here he’s the only one in the cast affecting a vaguely German accent. Perhaps that was a way to keep himself interested in this project. He gets to flash his sword and bellow instructions to his crew, but his character is so completely evil as to be a parody. It’s a shame that the producers didn’t try to go for a bit more humor. As the film plays, all the humor is unintentional. Almost like one of Ed Wood’s epics. Unfortunately this film is not nearly as entertaining. What should be a fun riff on a classic story becomes a somber, sluggish march into teen supernatural romance land.
Overall Rating: 1.5 out of 5 stars
THE HOUSEMAID (2010) – The Review
In many ultra-affluent homes there’s an invisible , but clearly defined, line that separates the residents and the people hired to take care of them. Usually it’s a rigid code of conduct. This has been explored in TV shows like “Upstairs, Downstairs” and films such as THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE and DRIVING MISS DAISY. A source of dramatic conflict occurs when one or both cross that line. THE HOUSEMAID explores this conflict in reserved Asian society. The film shares the it’s title from an influential Korean film from 1960, but the results of this conflict in 2010 are very different from the earlier work.
This film begins on a busy evening at a downtown market. The bustling night is momentarily disrupted when a young woman leaps to her death from one of the buildings. A worker at one of the eateries, Eun-yi (Jeon Do-yeon), and her room mate try and get a better look at the body. The next morning, back at their apartment building, Eun-yi is visited by Miss Cho (Yoon Yeo-jeong), the maid of a rich family. Eun-yi has been hired as an au pair for the growing household. Eun-yi is taken to the opulent home and is introduced to the lady of the house, Hae Ra (Seo Woo). Hae Ra is due to give birth to twins in the next few months. Besides helping with the household chores, Eun-yi’s main responsibility will be looking after the seven year old daughter Nami (Ahn Seo-hyeon). Shortly Eun-yi meets the master of the house, Hoon (Lee Jung-jae), a powerful, successful businessman. Later Eun-yi is dazzled by Hoon’s skills at the piano. That night Hoon is frustrated by the unaccommodating Hae Ra in the bedroom. A few days later Eun-yi accompanies the family to a cottage in the woods. Late one night Hoon enters Eun-yi’s quarters. They share a bottle of wine and the bed. This becomes a regular occurrence upon their return to the main house. Miss Cho stumbles upon one of the trysts. Later, she observes changes to Eun-yi’s body-she must be pregnant. Miss Cho brings this to the attention of Hae-Ra’s domineering mother Mi-hee (Park Ji-young). Mi-hee swears that she will take care of this before the birth of her new grandchildren. What will become of Eun-yi and her baby? And will Hae Ra learn of her husband’s affair?
THE HOUSEMAID unfolds slowly as it presents this mansion’s opulence and the strict codes of conduct for the working women. The introduction of the affair is similar to an early Hollywood studio tearjerker. The performances are all very engaging. Do-yeon makes Eun-yi, a sweet, fragile young woman who is dazzled by all the trappings of wealth. Yeo-jeoung ‘s Miss Cho starts as very stern, hardened women but later becomes sympathetic when she has finally has endured enough in dealing with this family. The family is anchored by Jung-jae’s imperious, manipulative, cold Hoon. Woo’s Hae-Ra’s is a spoiled, uncaring brat, while her mother may be the film’s biggest villain. Ji-young turns her into an evil, Lady Macbeth-like harridan. The movie’s an interesting look at the class system in Korea. But, I should forewarn you that the film’s wildly over-the -top, almost operatic ending may seem out of place after the more realistic proceedings. If you can handle such abrupt changes in tone then you’ll appreciate THE HOUSEMAID.
Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
UNKNOWN – The Review
A popular theme of the mystery thriller film genre is the big conspiracy against one man. Sometimes the protagonist has amnesia and battles shadowy forces to find out his identity. Many times those forces are out to convince the authorities that the hero has lost his sanity. The makers of UNKNOWN twist those themes in order to add some variety to this type of action film. What if you woke up and all your loved ones did not recognize you?
As UNKNOWN begins Dr. Martin Harris ( Liam Neeson ) and his wife Elizabeth ( January Jones ) are flying into the Berlin airport. Martin is a prominent American botanist and is scheduled to present an address at an international agricultural summit. After landing, they load their bags into a taxi and head to the hotel. As Elizabeth checks in, Martin realizes that his briefcase was not in the cab. Without telling her, he hops in another taxi driven by Gina ( Diane Kruger ) and races back to the airport. Along the way they are involved in a horrific traffic accident and the taxi plunges off a bridge into an icy river. After pulling Martin out of the sinking car, Gina leaves him to the paramedics. A few days later, Martin wakes up in a hospital. He’s told that Elizabeth has not been in to see him. Against his doctor’s wishes, Martin races back to the hotel and spots her at a reception. With hotel security surrounding him, Martin confronts her. But she does not know him and is joined by her husband Dr. Martin Harris ( Aidan Quinn ) ! Martin #1 has no ID on him ( it was in that darn briefcase ) and is escorted out by security. Has he lost his mind? Maybe if he can find the cab driver and retrieve that case he’ll be able to prove his identity and get his life back. But those shadowy forces are not going to make it that easy for him.
UNKNOWN has a lot of things going for it that elevates it from the usual man on the run thriller. First off is the cast headed by the always interesting Liam Neeson. Here he’s somewhere in-between the tough guy from TAKEN and the cerebral scholar from KINSEY. He really has to use his brain and brawn fending off those conspirators all the while frustrated and sorrowful at the turn his life has taken. He’s got to return things back to normal. January Jones plays another variation of the icy blond that was a staple of Hitchcock film and injects a bit of her Betty Draper Mad Men TV persona. Aidan Quinn plays the second Martin with equal parts bewilderment and cold-bloodiness. Frank Langella sweeps in during the last act as a colleague that may be the real Martin’s salvation. Or is he? Diane Kruger brings great energy to her role as the somewhat, shady, feisty fraulein Gina, who wants nothing to do with Martin at first. The best support is given by veteran German film star Bruno Ganz as private detective Ernst Jurgen who’s an ex-officer of an elite East German secret police force. You might recognize Ganz from his performance as Hitler in DOWNFALL-footage of him ranting has been re-subtitled and purloined by many You Tube posters. He gives the world-weary old detective a quiet dignity and commands the screen in every scene he appears. Another thing going for this film is the Berlin locations. This is a locale we don’t get to see much in current films unlike LA or Toronto. Director Jaume Collet-Serra keeps things movingly along. There’s a couple of well executed car chases through crowded Berlin streets and some brutal hand-to-hand combat sequences. He wrings a lot of suspense from a drugged-up Martin trying to reach for a pair of scissors in one sequence. I wish the script would’ve offered up a few more surprises. I was able to figure out the big plan about a third of the way through. However the film’s strong cast, locations, and pacing set it above the typical crash-crash-explosion actioners that fill up the multiplex. Not anything groundbreaking , but a diverting couple of hours at the movies.
Overall Rating : Three and a Half Out of Five Stars
Review: THE ILLUSIONIST (2010)
Sometimes when an older idea or concept is told in a surprising new style by way of another medium, the result can be a something completely new. And in the case of this new film, something utterly charming. Sylvain Chomet has followed up his 2003’s THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE with this hand-drawn animated feature based on an unpublished story by the late Jacques Tati (MR. HULOT’S HOLIDAY ) called THE ILLUSIONIST. This tale harkins back to the simpler days of filmmaking while the animation techniques used to tell it are state of the hand-drawn art. It’s almost a leisurely trip back in time to a gentler world of wonder and magic.
THE ILLUSIONIST tells the story of an aging male magician (drawn to resemble Tati) who performs his act,accompanied by an ill-tempered rabbit, to small crowds at a Parisian vaudeville-style theatre. It is the early sixties and contemporary audiences have lost interest in his slight-of-hand and have embraced rock and roll-as embodied by Billy Boy and the Britoons. The magician is soon fired from his old performing home and, with his display poster, rabbit, and case of tricks, heads out to find a new place to work. Performing at a garden party, he attracts the attention of a Scotsman who hires him to entertain at his pub back home. At the island bar Alice, a teenage girl working as a maid, is mesmerized by the older gentleman. At the end of his engagement she sneaks aboard the ferry taking him to the mainland. He insists that she return, but Alice has decided that he needs her to take care of him. The old man relents and soon begins treating her as he would his own daughter. She begins housekeeping for him after he joins a theatre and rents a room at a performers’ hotel. He delights in giving her lavish presents and takes on second and third jobs to make ends meet. Their idyllic life is threatened by her blossoming into a young woman and her interest in a young man.
My words can’t begin to describe the beauty of the artwork in display in this film. The backgrounds are like lush, warm watercolors of the detailed landscapes and intricate old cities and streets. The design of all the characters-not only the main two- is delightful. I found myself awestruck by the details of all the people in scenes set at the ferry, the island, pub, the garden party, and in the theatre. The movement of them is fluid and naturalistic. There’s been some wonderful computer work on screen this year, but this more traditional hand-drawn animation more than holds it’s own. Jacques Tati was in the same mold as the classic silent movie comedians like Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. This style of storytelling and film making is reflected here. Once the characters have been established, they are used in many hilarious scenes and situations. I was particularly impressed with a gag involving a cookbook and an open window. Another scene with the magician working at an all night garage is very funny and inventive. Oh and be sure and stick around to the end of the credits for a bonus gag involving one of my favorite supporting players. There’s even a glimpse of the real Tati on screen at a movie house. No need to be concerned about subtitles, their actions explain everything so there’s no real dialogue. For any fans of animation or classic comedy, THE ILLUSIONIST is an absolute must-see. Like the song says, “Everything old becomes new again”.
Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Review: THE RITE
A woman fidgets in a chair outside a closed bedroom door. Two priests-one grayed, the other wide eyed and youthful-chant. A young woman, stapped to the bedpost, growls in low tones. These are parts of a horror film scene as familiar to moviegoers as a mad scientist’s lab full of test tubes and electrical devices, or a moonlit crypt with vampires emerging from their coffins. That familiarity is mostly due to William Friedkin’s 1973 film version of William Peter Blatty’s THE EXORCIST. Through the years we’ve seen many variations on the basic story of demon possession. There’s also been two sequels and a prequel to that milestone film. Now, the producers of THE RITE want us to revisit this scene with a couple of twists-the story is ” inspired by true events ” and features Hannibal Lechter himself, Anthony Hopkins, as the veteran exorcist. Can this new tale grab filmgoers by the throat like that nearly 40 year old shocker?
The main focus of THE RITE is actually a young priest in training. Michael Kovac (Colin O’Donoghue) is first seen preparing and cleaning bodies at his father’s Chicago funeral home. He tells a pal that’s he’ll be part of a parochial college scholarship program in order to get a psychology degree. He will drop out before he takes the vows ( he states before flirting with a pretty barmaid ). In his final days at college, he witnesses a horrific traffic accident. The dying cyclist pleads with him to give her the last rites. Seeing this, another priest, decides that Michael should further his studies (or, have his final grades withheld) and study further in Rome. The studies should concentrate on the rituals of exorcism. In he Rome takes a course taught by Father Xavier (Ciaran Hinds) and attended by a reporter, Angeline (Alice Braga). Xavier sends Michael to study with an exorcist living outside the city, Father Lucas (Anthony Hopkins). There Micheal observes the eccentric priest dealing with an unwed, pregnant sixteen year old who believes she is possessed by Satan. The young man is skeptical and thinks the young girl may have emotional problems. Lucas is adamant in his belief in demonic possession. Later Michael observes Lucas using some slight of hand trickery in counseling a mother and her young son. This adds to Micheal’s skepticism. Will someone close to him become possessed in order to make Michael a believer?
Unfortunately the filmmakers desire for a PG-13 rating dilutes most of what could be very shocking scenes. The camera will cut away to the priests’ reactions, while the music and sound effects are cranked up to an almost deafening level. They even use the old cliche of a cat jumping up on the opposite side of the window. Some of the scenes of the pregnant demon possessed girl are compelling, but there’s nothing there that Linda Blair’s Reagan didn’t do so many years ago. I guess they thought the side of her bulging belly would add another element of danger. The ads are a bit misleading as Hopkins doesn’t appear till nearly 20 minutes into the film. O’Donoghue’s dour, sullen Michael is just not compelling enough to carry us through this story. The film makers hint at a possible romance between Michael and Angeline, but there’s few sparks between them. Hopkins get to throw off some funny lines and shout with great fury as we’ve seen him do many times before. He’s so much better than this material.The final big confrontation between the two priests proves to be a big, loud letdown. I’d be very interested to see how close this movie mirrored those “true events”. It all seems like a noisy spook show exploiting a major religious group. Or as the saying goes-a tale full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. It doesn’t come close to that 73 classic.