Syndromes and a Century premiered at the Venice Film Festival where it was nominated for the Golden Lion and went on to screen at many other festivals around the world but it was barely shown in its home-country of Thailand. Their Ministry of Culture wanted four scenes cut so it could be shown to native Thai speakers but director, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, decided to pull it from exhibition instead. This created controversy surrounding the film and Weerasethakul ended up agreeing to a limited release in Bangkok with a black screen replacing the cut scenes as a form of protest. The scenes that were found “offensive” were: a scene of two doctors kissing in a doctor's office, a group of doctors having a drink of whiskey in the hospital basement, a monk strumming an acoustic guitar and another monk playing with a remote-controlled flying saucer. Real incendiary stuff. Makes you wonder what happens to American films that are released there.
The film is composed of a thoughtful contemplation on memory. The film is cut in half and each part mirrors the other as if two different people are describing the same events in the way they remember them, but maybe not as they actually happened. Both halves center around two different doctors with certain events happening in similar ways but from different points of view and the details end up being entirely different. The first half takes place in a small hospital in the country and the second half takes place in a more modern city medical center. Memories are often unreliable and events jump from one to the other and sequences are sometimes left unresolved. A favorite sequence involves a dentist whose hobby is singing working on a monk's teeth when they strike up a conversation where the monk reveals he has had dreams of being a radio disc jockey. Later the singing dentist brings the monk a gift of his newest CD.
The film's cinematography is beautiful and displays the natural beauty of the Thailand countryside and city and the constant images of a giant stone Buddha that seems to exist in both places at once. The events in this film are simple but the film as a whole is complex. Its strange structure makes the viewer have to work out the story for themselves. There seems to be no continuity and the film unravels at its own pace with quiet grace. Meaning becomes interpretive by the viewer and the film is stronger for it. There is a dreamy atmosphere that pervades the entirety of the film where watching the minor instances shared by two becomes more important than an involved overarching plot. Weerasethakul is well known on the festival circuit with other films like Tropical Malady and Blissfully Yours while his newest film Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives won the Palme d'Or (Grand Prize) at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.
In an article in Time Magazine they spoke to the head of the Cultural Surveillance Department at the Ministry of Culture and she said the reasons for cuts like the ones inflicted on Syndromes and a Century was that Thai filmgoers are “not intellectuals – That's why we need ratings.” She went further to add, “Nobody goes to see films by Weerasethakul. Thai people want to see comedy. We like a laugh.” So they're in luck if they love light entertainment, not so much if they enjoy anything cerebral and inventive, or – God forbid – subversive. If I lived in Thailand I would probably be pretty irritated about this whole situation, especially with the kind of broad generalizations she makes, as if anyone can speak for a whole nation of citizens. So I am glad I was able to enjoy seeing such a great film by a modern auteur.
For the 21st Bond film based on Ian Fleming’s infamous MI6 secret agent, Daniel Craig was selected to play Agent 007. Casino Royale marked the first film for Craig as James Bond, and a much needed “reboot” of the entire series. For a fresh start on the Bond character, the film turned to Fleming’s first novel in the 007 series, Casino Royale. As the series of Bond moives has spanned across 3 decades, the films have gathered many die hard followers. The decision to cast Craig, and portray a fresh-faced and much more vulnerable James Bond, was risky. But the lucrative payoff of this decision is proof that simply adding a new twist to an old formula can breathe new life into a successful film series.
The film opens with a black and white flashback of an intense fistfight, ending with Bond killing the man by gunfire; Bond’s first kill as an MI6 agent. Back in real time, Bond confronts MI6 agent Dryden with accusations of selling MI6 secrets. Needless to say, Bond outsmarts Dryden, shooting him dead. With his second kill, Bond obtains his infamous Double-O status, now forever known as Agent 007. With the transition from black and white to color, Director Martin Campbell has shown the birth of 007, and the dawn of new era in Bond films.
With his newfound status as 007, Bond starts out on the trail of his first villain, France’s world famous terrorist financier known as Le Chiffre. Following leads from a local bomb-maker in Madagascar onto an associate of Le Chiffre in the Bahamas, Bond travels the world to these exotic locations in search the man financing international terrorism. Along the way he manages to find fast cars and beautiful women; some things never change.
Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelson) is the typical Bond villain, with a scar the size of his head and a laundry list of broken international laws. However, MI6 discovers that Le Chiffre has a weakness for gambling, as he enjoys putting his clients money on the line at high stakes poker tables. Instead of getting to Le Chiffre with the bullet, Bond takes his talents to the green felt tables. Her majesty’s government agrees to finance Bond in a high stakes no-limit Texas hold ‘em tournament. Beating Le Chiffre at his own game will simultaneously bankrupt the terrorists and place a price tag on the Frenchmen’s head.
However, M’s healthy distrust of Bond’s reckless methods prompts her to assign the beautiful Vesper Lynd as a representative of her majesty’s treasury department. Vesper is tasked with monitoring Bond’s every move, and in time falls for his charm and charisma. However, Vesper is not alone in her feelings, as Bond allows himself to fall in love and in turn questions his future as a secret agent. As we know from five decades of films, Bond must set aside his personal desires for the good of the mission.
Described by M, the head of MI6, as “half monk/half hitman,” Bond once again straddles the line in Casino Royale. This time around, however, Craig introduces a vulnerability that has rarely been portrayed throughout the James Bond film series. By allowing himself to become emotionally involved with the endearing Vesper, Bond glimpses a future without fast cars and ugly villains. Following Bond’s first kill, M exclaims, “Just because you’ve done something, doesn’t mean you have to keep doing it.” The tragedy of the character of James Bond, is that we as an audience know what he must do, and what he will become. Still, the humanity found in Daniel Craig’s Bond is a welcomed addition to the story of 007, and one that will prolong the film series for years to come.
Sorry, there was not an English trailer available.
Jia Zhangke rose to prominence through a decade of underground Chinese filmmaking sponsored by money from international sources and, until recently, his films went unseen in his own country. Still Life was approved (probably begrudgingly) by the government in his home-country and saw a limited theatrical run with low attendance but was heavily bootlegged as is the norm in China. The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival where it took the prestigious Golden Lion, the top prize of the event. Zhangke's work has been a favorite of the festival circuit with other popular films of his such as Platform, Unknown Pleasures and The World. His films are usually low budget and with a slow pace. He is also known for using non-actors or actors that are unknown to the general public.
The plot follows two people that are traveling to Fengjie, a small city outside the immense Three Gorges Dam, to find spouses that they have not seen for years. Their lives intersect in some ways but they never come face-to-face. They arrive to find the city in a state of deconstruction. The Three Gorges Dam project has already caused many in the city to lose their homes so when Han Sanming arrives he finds that his wife's family's home is already submerged underwater. Soon the water level will rise again forcing many more to have to relocate and the area shown in the film is filled with ruins of old tenement buildings and housing projects. There is an eeriness to the landscape as the buildings are set to disappear and be swallowed by the river with the natural beauty of the land taking everything back to a more natural state. Unfortunately, this is achieved at the expense of the relocation of over one million inhabitants who lose their homes and pasts. While Han waits to find his wife he takes a job doing demolition work, taking down the ruins. The focus is then shifted to Shen Hong, a nurse from another province, whose husband had ran out on her to the Three Gorges, where he is a sort of local gangster. Both Han and Shen need to decide why they have come to this area which will be submerged even more shortly and decide what they need to save and what they need to leave behind as far as their relationships with their spouses go.
The Three Gorges Dam project has seen much criticism in China as over one million citizens have had to relocate their homes and entire cities, especially Fengjie, with its 2,000 year history have been submerged. The themes and style of this film bring to mind the works of Pedro Costa (reviewed earlier on this blog with focus on Colossal Youth.) Both artists use minimalist plots with a slow stately pace to bring attention to a marginalized people who have been dispossessed of their homes and forced to relocate because of their inability to “get with the plan.” Almost all of the people shown in the film are people left behind by modernization and retain employment as demolition crewmen or coal miners. Women in the area are often sold to their husbands by their families as in the case of the main character, Han Sanming. Issues of legality in the town are blurred as gangsters work for the government project leaders and often use violence to enforce the new rules of demolition and relocation as shown by the murder of a young man Han meets. Jia shows some differences in style from Costa's more rigidly documentarian style by using simple computer graphics to mark the switch in focus between Han and Shen with a small UFO and the ruins of a building that blast off into space. He also portrays the influence of Chinese pop music through a young boy who sings pop songs throughout the film.
There is great beauty in Jia's portrayal of modern underclass Chinese life. His slow, deliberate pace creates a poetic and lyrical style and consists mostly of ruminations on daily life in an area that is decaying and will soon no longer exist. The use of high definition digital cameras give life and beauty to the rainy, ruined urban area with areas of natural beauty outside the city. There is also a tone of political dissent present, but not overt, which is preferable to being preached to. Like with the works of Pedro Costa, it is evident that Italian neorealism have influence on the works of Jia Zhangke and like all great films of that era, brings dignity to these people who may not have otherwise been given voices by a great work of art. With his mix of poetic lyricism, introspection and political criticism, Zhangke is one of the greatest filmmakers currently active.
Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s debut film, The Lives of Others, touches on one of the most pivotal time periods in Western Civilization. Earning the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, von Donnersmarck’s film humanizes the story of post-war East Berlin and fall of the Wall. Many would agree this is no small task. But, he does so by conveying the compassion that lies within all human beings, and the change that developed as a result; and the result that changed the world forever.
Prior to the fall of the Berlin Wall in the fall of 1989, East Germany, also known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), fervently attempted to maintain the socialist country they had preserved since the end of the Second World War. However, much like all attempts to suppress human growth and free will, a resistance was built over time against the socialist establishment. In direct opposition to the rapidly developing Western Germany, GDR was clearly falling behind the western world.
The film centers on Stasi Captain Gerd Wiesler, played by Ulrich Muhe. The Stasi were created as East Berlin secret police, made up of spies and informants for the socialist party. We are introduced to Captain Wiesler while he is teaching a class of Stasi recruits the brutal interrogations tactics of the secret police. Wiesler’s superior officer Anton Grubitz (Ulrich Tukur) endows him with the task of spying on the East Berlin social scene; most notably freelance playwright Georg Dreyman (Sebastian Koch) and his girlfriend, actress Christa-Maria Sieland (Martina Gedeck).
As Wiesler begins his spy operation on Dreyman, it soon becomes clear as to why he has been tasked with finding dirt on the popular playwright. GDR’s Minister of Culture, Bruno Hempf (Thomas Thieme), has his eye on Dreyman’s girlfriend and plans to exert his power to get what he wants.
Yet, as Wiesler begins to watch over the day-to-day life of Georg and Christa, he begins to develop sympathy. However, this sympathy is not born from their political affiliations, but rather from the simple compassion for the life of another human being. Wiesler’s empathy also appears to draw its strength from his solitude. Being the captain of the Stassi secret police does not bring many friendships or relationships, and we can clearly see the loneliness that troubles him.
For quite some time, Wiesler continues to cover up the activities of Georg and Christa by lying in his daily reports on the lives of each. Shortly after the suicide death of his favorite director and closest friend, Georg, using his only weapon to fight against the socialist government, decides to write an anonymous article in the German magazine Der Spiegel. In the article, Dreyman speaks to the apparent concealment of the strikingly high suicide rate in East Germany; second only to Hungry during this time period. Heartbreaking tragedy ensues following the decision of Wiesler to protect Georg and Christa, after it becomes clear that Georg will be accused of penning the article.
The tragedy that ensues as a result of the unkempt secrets and the relentless pressure of the Communist Party is overshadowed by the compassion of Gerd Wiesler. The example of his empathy becomes a microcosm for the collapse of the Communist Party and the unification of Berlin after the fall of the wall. In his attempt to intimidate Dreyman, Minister Hempf exclaims, “no matter how many times you say it in your plays, people do not change.” Cleary he is wrong. What is also clear is von Donnersmarck has created a masterpiece of dramatic film, which comes with our highest recommendation.
David Lynch is a modern day Renaissance man. He is a painter, cartoonist, musician, composer, Paris night club designer and even sells his own brand of coffee beans and designs and makes furniture. He also has a foundation that advocates transcendental meditation and research on its technique and its effects on learning. All that said, he is mostly known for his filmmaking and his unique style, which even has been termed “Lynchian” because while he does have influences on his work, his approach and technique are so singular. Most of his films have a strange sense of terror or dread and the plots follow dream logic which can be impenetrable to the uninitiated. He has been creating his own brand of cinema since he put out his first feature length film in 1977 with his surrealist masterpiece, Eraserhead, which became a cult classic and lead to many works with larger distribution but few compromises to his artistic integrity (Dune is the only thing that comes to mind.)
This brings us to his latest and (rumored) last feature, Inland Empire. The film is highly experimental in structure. It is difficult to explain the plot because I am not even sure I understand it all. In the words of Lynch, it is "about a woman in trouble, and it's a mystery, and that's all I want to say about it." I would also say there are elements of horror thrown in as well. The film follows an actress, played by Laura Dern, down the rabbit hole in a sort of waking dream as the lines between role and reality begin to blur and a murder may have occurred or is going to occur. It is difficult to tell tense as time and the visuals are heavily distorted and disjointed. This may be due to the way the film was made, as Lynch wrote the script scene by scene as he went along during the filming process. For a long time, he did not know how it would end or turn out as the filming took 2 ½ years. Laura Dern and Justin Theroux both play two characters each, so even they were confused about who they were portraying and how the film would turn out. This is the first time Lynch had worked this way, and it is also his first film made on standard definition digital video. The film also has other themes of adultery, jealousy and delusion similar to Lynch's own Lost Highway and Mulholland Dr.
The film can only be described as a nerve-shattering experience and is entirely unpredictable. I sat gripped by the film, anxious for the next scene but frightened by the possibilities that it could bring. Partly due to its length and the way the stress caused by the film never lets up, after the film was over I felt like I had gone through something harrowing. Literally anything could happen at anytime with no rulebook to guide the viewer through the film. Not even seeing other Lynch films can prepare you for this one. Most horror films use eerie or gory imagery to frighten the viewer. Instead, this film uses frightening ideas: you create your own horror with anticipation. I'm not sure my heart has ever felt more present inside my chest – I was sure I could feel it thumping – and sometimes I wanted to stop the film. The film manipulates you through distorted sight and sound to be frightened by things that would otherwise not be scary. Many things that happen are symbolic, sometimes for specific reasons and sometimes things are open to interpretation. I'm not going to pretend I understand everything that happens in this movie and I'm not even sure Lynch or the actors involved could. Some things will always remain a mystery and despite the frustrations that result, it is sometimes necessary. This is a experience where you just have to give yourself to the film and let it take you where it wants to. Go along for the ride and you may learn something about filmmaking. Who knows? Maybe you will even learn a little about yourself.
As far as influences, there are specific points of reference that I could tell you but it would mean little because Lynch's style is everpresent. Some people have refered to the film as his Sunset Boulevard, his Persona or his 8 ½ but I think its structure and form is very reminiscent of Alain Resnais' Last Year at Marienbad. Both films have a dream-like structure and a very divisive style that will either captivate or alienate. There really is no in-between. People have been simultaneously entranced and bewildered by that film for 50 years and it still firmly holds its secrets. The end credit sequence calls to mind the interpretive dance scene at the end of Claire Denis' Beau travail and is, in essence, just for fun. If the rumors are true, it seems as if Lynch knew he would retire from filmmaking after this because there are references to past works in the dance scene, with actors returning from them, such as Laura Harring and Laura Dern is wearing a dress from Blue Velvet. It would make a nice end cap to an distinguished career. It also seems to serve as a celebration or reward for enduring the preceding madness.
Inland Empire is an amazing experience and the work of a cinematic genius, but as much as I would like to recommend the film I think it would be more enjoyable and rewarding to become familiar with other works directed by the artist first. It isn’t for the uninitiated. Definitely see Lost Highway and Mulholland Dr. first because they share themes and form a sort of very loose thematic trilogy. Additionally, check out Blue Velvet, Eraserhead, The Elephant Man and Wild at Heart because they are all brilliant as well. Also, you know if this kind of thing is for you already if you can sit through a three hour film that does not explain itself whatsoever to you. The plot is in your head and you have to actively puzzle it out. The film does you no favors. I, myself, understand maybe a quarter of the film, and I may someday understand another quarter. Another quarter will probably remain a complete mystery to me and the final quarter was simply there to throw you off the right track. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Pedro Costa has been depicting the lives of the dispossessed of Portugal for over a decade by focusing his work on the ghetto neighborhood of Fontainhas in Lisbon, an area consisting of crowded, crumbling buildings where immigrants from Portugal's colonies and other desperate lives exist under depressed conditions. Poverty, mental illness, drug addiction and hopelessness rule the area with a tight grip and it seems none can escape its grasp. His Fontainhas catalogue consists of three feature films, two shorts and a museum piece depicting the community's life, death and what comes after as the area is torn down and the inhabitants are moved to new public housing projects. Now that this barrio is gone these films are almost certainly one of the few documents of its existence since many of the inhabitants haven't been given a voice outside their slum. Also, many are shown as being unable to read and write. Watching these films, it seems outrageous that a community could live in such third-world conditions in a first-world country.
Costa's first feature in Fontainhas was Ossos, released in 1997, in which a suicidal young woman has a baby, and when her attempts to kill herself and her baby fail, the baby's father takes it into the city to find a way to either sell or give the baby away. Both of the young parents become involved with a nurse living in the city who takes pity on them and tries to help them out. The film was shot on 35mm with a large crew and a professional cinematographer, Emmanuel Machuel, known for his work with director Robert Bresson. The look of the film is shadowy and washed out with much shot at night or on overcast days to emphasize the character's depressed state. The film seems realistic but follows a fictional narrative and seems to have many professional actors mixed in with locals playing smaller parts and filling the backgrounds. Ossos seems embryonic in the development of a style that will emerge in Costa's following films with its minimalist plot and long takes of subjects doing little. It also set the stages for the others because he met the characters that appear in the neighborhood during that first production.
Then came the release of In Vanda's Room, in 2000, revolving around a local girl and her sister, who both appeared in Ossos, who spend their time smoking heroin and talking in their room. The film also shows other heroin addicts shooting up in an adjacent house. These others are squatting in an abandoned building with no water, heat or electricity. Meanwhile, the neighborhood is slowly being torn down and everyone is worrying about where they will go. Costa abandoned the approach he made with his previous film and made this film with a skeleton crew, filming most of it himself with a small digital camera using mostly natural light with long static shots. Vanda and her sister Zita were locals to Fontainhas and both appeared in Ossos but had no other experience acting. Costa also chose not to use a script and just sat around filming what happened in the character's daily lives. Using digital cameras meant that he could shoot as much footage as he wanted without having to worry about the cost of film stock, so the film was much cheaper to produce and he could capture a reality that could only come from shooting without a preconceived notion of what would happen. His use of natural light has drawn comparisons to the painter, Vermeer, in his composition but digital filmmaking was still early in development so there is sacrifice in sharpness and clarity. As for substance, mostly characters just sat around talking and arguing about the heroin they were abusing while the sounds of construction crews knocking houses down can be heard in the distance. The film's running length is nearly three hours, making it a grueling ordeal to get through.
Colossal Youth is the third feature in this series, centered on an elderly Cape Verde immigrant named Ventura, in which the aftermath of the demolishment of the slum is depicted and he spends his days wandering the new projects seeking his old neighbors, whom he considers his “children.” Vanda, looking much older with a baby girl, returns and claims she has been clean for two years, but is still addicted to methadone. The film seems to contain a mix of unscripted real situations as they are happening similar to a documentary and some that are fictional. In a favorite scene that appears to be possibly recreated from reality, the film presents Ventura and some neighbors as they look on a funeral procession for Vanda's sister Zita and one man comments that “the usual poison” had taken her. Ventura remarks, “It wasn't the poison she took but the poison everyone took before she was born.” Vanda herself is unsure of her health and is afraid she will not be around long enough to raise her daughter.
Past and present also seem to blur together as Ventura seems to exist in both at the same moment. The only way to tell whether things are occurring in the present is whether they take place in the new projects with their graffiti-less white walls rather than the squalor of their old slum. In Fontainhas, Ventura lived with a young man and dictated a letter to him to write to his wife but he was illiterate so he could never write it down. Every time he repeated it, he added more so that the letter became quite long. Ventura may be mentally ill as he seems to operating in a different reality than that of his surroundings at times. In a scene, he and another neighbor describe what they “see” on the dirty walls of a house they are in and they seem to see images from their past. His neighbor remarks that they will not be able to “see” once “they give us those white rooms,” referring to their new homes in the projects with their clean, untarnished walls. There is a hint of sadness in having to leave their community despite its general state of decay.
Costa's use of the digital media does show growth since In Vanda's Room by showing a more sure hand as far as the composition of his images. The layout and editing is stronger and as a result the film is more beautiful and strange than it's predecessor. His style seems to take cues from the Dogme 95 movement in order to present a more realistic and truthful image of the ghetto he focuses on. Dogme 95 was an avant-garde movement in film that had a set of rules to create a more natural filmmaking style. He does violate some of their “Vows of Chastity” by using sound that is not produced at the time of filming as well as filming in a format other than 35mm and receiving credit as director but follows many of the other rules by using natural light, filming on location and only having music in scenes in which the music is actively being listened to. He avoids all special effects and gimmicks and even goes one step further by using only local non-actors as his cast.
Costa followed Colossal Youth with two shorts featuring Ventura for different film festivals. He spends his time hanging out with a homeless friend and a bit more of Portugal is shown as the features had no panorama views of the scenery and mostly took place indoors or the tight spaces of Fontainhas. One is titled Tarrafal, named for a Portuguese concentration camp in Cape Verde where African leaders were jailed for fighting against Portuguese colonialism, and the other is titled The Rabbit Hunters. Just before Colossal Youth he released a museum piece called Little Boy Male, Little Girl Female containing footage from both In Vanda's Room and Colossal Youth. Two films existed side by side, one showing interior shots and the other exterior shots in Fontainhas, while ambient outdoor sounds of people mingling and shouting are heard.
While In Vanda's Room is more realistic, it was a bit of a drag to get through, and while Colossal Youth has a similar long length it is a bit easier to watch. This could be attributed to the mix of realism and constructed premises to create something more interesting in form. I could still not call this work commercial at all. Like his piece that was created for a museum installation, his films may actually be better enjoyed if seen in an art museum as the entertainment factor on these is low. It will be hard for anyone that has never been exposed to avant-garde filmmaking to get through either of these films due their length and format. Ossos may be an easier watch but it is also inferior to both of its sequels in many ways, mainly because Costa's style was still in its formative stages. Outside of the documentary format, this is the closest you could get to the daily reality of those existing on the fringes of society which are often ignored by those more fortunate. Through Costa their tale is told and and their voices are heard, but their tale is full of heartbreak and despair even though the characters themselves never seem too introspective. It is unnecessary to see all three films if you have interest in one because their connection's are thin and in my opinion, Colossal Youth, is the director's most important work on this subject.
Raimunda (Cruz) is the struggling mother of teenage Paula with a deadbeat husband who, in the beginning scenes, loses his job so she must take on extra work. While at work, he comes onto his step-daughter Paula and she kills him in self-defense. At the same time her aunt Paula, for whom her daughter is named after, dies of old age, and her sister, Soledad (Lola Dueñas), must travel to a small village in La Mancha to attend her funeral. Things turn strange when their mother's ghost starts turning up and follows Soledad back to Madrid. A small restaurant becomes vacant and Raimunda starts it up again, unbeknownst to the owner, and keeps her husband's corpse in a freezer in the back, a plot device that recalls Arsenic and Old Lace. The film displays her and her family's endeavors to stay on top, while tragedy and family history threatens to haunt them.
Almodóvar, across a number topics, has maintained a unique approach of making light of unpleasant circumstances, but never belittling them. He is also known for having eccentric actors appear making him somewhat like a modern Federico Fellini. He is known for his other films, Talk to Her, All About My Mother, Law of Desire and Bad Education. Volver is up there with these great films as one of his best. His use of deep, saturated color makes it memorable and numbers as one of the greatest images in the history of recent color film. Very few films are willing to make colors pop like this. The movie reminds the viewer of an old three-strip technicolor film with its candy-colored images. Musicals must have been an influence as well, because there is a wonderful scene in which Cruz “sings” at a party being held at the restaurant her character runs. The film has a theme of strong relationships between women and the ways they band together in the face of adversity. You would never expect so much joy from a film whose main themes are so horrible, and while it can be sad at times, you inexplicably can't stop smiling.
With a few exceptions like Frankenstein, Jaws, Alien and the original King Kong, monster movies are a genre of film that is rarely discussed when talking about the best films of a year. Most horror films are looked down upon for different reasons, mainly because there are so many terrible ones, and many are unwilling to give them a chance due to their preconceived notions about what horror films are all about. On this blog, we feel it is important to not have bias against any one genre of film so all are on equal footing as we analyze them. Ignoring a genre would make the world of film lose some of its luster for us as well. The Host, by Bong Joon-ho, is so interesting and worth noting in this series of articles because while it can be taken as just another big monster movie in the vein of Godzilla or King Kong, it also has an entire political subtext based on U.S.-Korean relations.
The opening scene is taken from reality, where, in 2000, a U.S. Military employee ordered the dumping of toxic chemicals into a the sewer system that led to the Han River despite the protests of a South Korean subordinate. The government of South Korea attempted to prosecute the employee but the U.S. Military refused to hand him over and the Korean public was furious that their government could not enforce their laws on someone hurting their their environment within their borders. The Host's main characters are a normal, slightly dysfunctional family, that are powerless as a monster kidnaps one of their members, a little girl named Hyun-seo. They cannot get their government officials to listen to their pleas for help and the U.S. Military does not listen to them and is even openly hostile towards them. Confusion and misinformation among the military and its scientists lead them to believe the creature is the host of a virus so the family are held in quarantine. There, the father of the young girl, Gang-du, finds out there is no virus and the government officials are perpetuating the misinformation to cover up their mistake. This all happens while they are prepping him for brain surgery to “locate the viral infection.” In an strange turn-of-events, his lobotomy somehow cures his slow-wittedness and he is much more proactive for the rest of the film. They are completely at the mercy of the government and military which makes you wonder how you might be treated in a local disaster like a hurricane or viral outbreak. Can your rights be indiscriminately taken away as well?
While being a great monster movie first and foremost, The Host is filled with scenes of humor, drama and suspense as well as political commentary and the film becomes greater than the sum of its parts because all are presented equally well with little disconnect. In one great scene, a group funeral is taking place for the victims of the creature's attacks. The whole family gets together to mourn for the little girl thought dead and slowly becomes a slapstick fight between siblings as photographers from news outlets snap pictures. After the family gets a cell phone call from the young girl, they escape quarantine and go after the monster on their own. The escape and subsequent fight against the creature are full of edge-of-your-seat moments and you will be rooting for their success and hopeful for their reunion. The creature's introduction is deftly handled as, only ten minutes into the film it appears in broad daylight as opposed to sneaking around in the shadows for half of the running time (Peter Jackson's recent remake of King Kong had the monster not appear until 70 minutes in.)
Compared to an American film of this type, The Host was made on a shoestring budget of only 11 million dollars but that is actually a huge amount for a Korean movie. An American remake is in the works and will probably require a minimum of 100 million dollars if other big budget Hollywood movies are any indication. The remake will most likely remove the anti-colonial subtext and become just another big monster movie in the process. The CGI is surprisingly good for such a low budget and the monster looks like it has weight to it that is missing from some Hollywood monsters.
The Host is a highly imaginative mixture of genres and comes with highest recommendation. The look at this family coming together in a disaster is exciting, heartfelt, frightening and fun. Those that avoid horror because of gory violence will be happy that they are kept to a bare minimum. Horror is a staple of film and there are many greats to be found if one looks closely enough and keeps an open mind.
Quite possibly the most significant image of the 20th century, Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima embodies the pride of a nation and the collapse its enemy. The image symbolizes the fall of the Japanese empire, and the rise of the American super power. The photograph is so powerful; the list of symbols it exemplifies is endless. Taken atop Mount Suribachi, Joe Rosenthal’s photo captured the second flag raising on the morning of February 23, 1945; just after the 546-foot mountaintop was captured by the Americans. The significance of the victory at Iwo Jima and the popularity of the photo would resonate throughout the rest of the war and beyond.
Released two weeks apart, Flags of Our Fathers and Letters From Iwo Jima tell the story both sides of the epic battle of Iwo Jima, and the end of the beginning of the war in the Pacific. With their backs against the wall, the Japanese took a stand on the tiny island, 500 miles off the coast of mainland Japan. Heavily fortified, the Japanese entrenched themselves on the island to protect its three major airfields. For the American’s, Iwo Jima was the success they needed to set the stage for victory in the Pacific, and eventually the Second World War. Iwo Jima marked the first time the Americans invaded the Japanese on their own homeland, and it proved to be a costly battle for both proud countries.
In Flags of Our Fathers, Clint Eastwood focuses his camera on three of the flag raisers; Unites States Marine Corp servicemen John “Doc” Bradley (Ryan Phillippe), Rene Gagnon (Jesse Bradford), and Ira Hayes (Adam Beach). These three surviving members of the photograph are taken from the battlefield and brought back to the mainland to lead the campaign for the hearts and minds of the American public. As they travel together across the Unites States in an effort to sell war bonds and fund the last leg of the war, the three servicemen reflect on the battle of Iwo Jima and all the friends they lost during the bloodiest campaign of World War II.
The film tells much of the story through the flashbacks and memories of each of the soldiers, which is generally an effective technique in war films; and Eastwood’s film is no different. Rather than adopting the handheld camera shake of most modern World War II films, Eastwood builds the story of camaraderie and brotherhood among soldiers through the recollections of the survivors. While Eastwood’s film begins with an attempt to search for the truth behind the famous photograph, it ultimately shows a side of war that no picture can capture. The film attempts to portray the bond that develops between soldiers who depend on each other for survival, and the undying pain from the loss of their friends who did not make it out alive.
As a director, Clint Eastwood has never shied away from grand projects and epic storytelling, and Flags of Our Fathers,along with its companion piece Letters From Iwo Jima, certainly falls into such categories. But, where Letter From Iwo Jima succeeds and Flags of Our Fathers fails, is the depth of the characters we as an audience are meant to feel for emotionally. Each of the three servicemen display different methods of dealing with the horrors of combat, but the performances and the story fall short of the films ultimate goal; to demonstrate how the Second World War was not about propaganda, but real human beings fighting for their lives and for their friends.
Over this last summer, Iran's Olympic Women's Soccer Team was disqualified from a qualifying match for the 2012 London Olympics due the hijabs (Islamic headscarves) they wear while playing. Football's rules also prohibit religious statements in team uniforms. This is just one aspect of the problems women in Iran are having to deal with as displayed in the film, Offside. Only men are allowed in the Football Stadium in Tehran, and if women want to attend they must disguise themselves as men and try to sneak in at the risk of being arrested. This is precisely what a group of young girls decide to do and are all caught by the military that are policing the event. They spend the rest of the game in a holding tank outside the stadium arguing with a few soldiers their age. Jafar Panahi said the idea behind creating this film came because his 10-year old daughter wanted to go with him to a match at the stadium but was not allowed to attend. He tried to bring her but they were refused so she told him to go in and wait and then she snuck in and met him inside. The film won the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize at the Berlin Film Festival. Panahi is also known for his other critically acclaimed films, The Circle and Crimson Gold.
Offside is a study of gender roles in a country where men and women are separated and treated differently in every facet of society down to the way they can dress. While trying to sneak in, the young girls' apparel is looked at as odd and young men leer at them like they have never seen a female before but to an American, their clothes seem extremely conservative, even while in drag. All of them still cover their heads with scarves or hats. It is mentioned in the film that women are not allowed to attend film screenings either, and because this is my passion, I fully sympathize with these young girls wanting to pursue theirs. It is hard to imagine having to live with such divisive laws. It would be sad if I couldn't share my enthusiasm over something I love with my female friends and family, especially if I had a daughter. I would want all the same opportunities I was afforded to be shared by her as well. Film has been something of an education in my life, as it opens windows to other cultures and ways of life, and if that couldn't be experienced by just anyone, then it would be a shame.
The production values are extremely low budget but not terrible looking which is surprising considering this movie was made for an estimated $2500. The biggest influences on Offside's style appear to be from Italian Neorealism. The director told the young girls to show up in a disguise of their own making which lends a personal style to each girls appearance. Their personalities are all given screen-time and with nothing to lose they give the young soldiers assigned to imprison them hell. A favorite moment is when one of the young women convinces a soldier to take her to the men's room inside the stadium to use the bathroom. Some men rush the lone soldier to get to the stalls, letting her escape into the crowd. The interaction between the soldiers and their young prisoners is an interesting dynamic because, while they have to uphold their duty and imprison the girls, it is apparent they might not believe the law is so vital anyway. Their attraction towards each other slips through the arguing and yelling and sometimes the soldiers even begin to loosen up around their counterparts. The leader of the young soldiers seems to have much respect towards women, and is very protective towards them when a man who knows one of the girls shows up angry and wants to strike her. He feels they should be treated as if they were his mother or sisters.
Offside is a criticism on Iran's policies while still believing in the country and it's people to do the right thing. There is a great patriotic message in the film even if the message is at odd with a law set by the government. The message is never hateful or condescending but hopeful that social change can occur. It could be called respectful, or maybe it is just fearful, dissent. In countries outside the U.S., soccer is a big deal and the love of the game is shared by so many people because the team represents them to the outside world. When one country's soccer team goes up against another's and wins, the citizens of the winning country surge with national pride. The film is showing that women feel this way as much as men do and want to share that sense of victory together and show pride in their national identity. While watching this film you will root for these young girls to overcome their obstacles from finding this joy which is currently a male-only privilege in Iran. Offside was banned in it's home-country but hopefully won't have to be one day.
And here's the sad postscript: Jafar Panahi, one of Iran's leading filmmakers, has recently been arrested after making this film for “assembly and colluding with the intention to commit crimes against the country’s national security and propaganda against the Islamic Republic.” He was then given a six-year jail sentence and a 20-year ban on filmmaking, leaving the country or giving interviews. During his house arrest, he made a new film with a small handheld camera about his fears and thoughts on his arrest. He then had the film smuggled out of the country on a flash-drive hidden inside a birthday cake to France, where it premiered at last year's Cannes Film Festival. I strongly urge anyone opposed to censorship to check Offside out and see this wonderful film that exposes a human aspect of inequality in Iran.
Except for a short seven-year break, A Prairie Home Companion has been on the radio every week since 1974 and has an enormous fan base across the country. The show, created and hosted by Garrison Keillor, is a live variety show featuring American folk music and comedy with segments dedicated to monologues and radio dramas. Broadcast from Saint Paul, Minnesota, it is a show with very Midwestern sensibilities and a witty and warm sense of humor. The film, A Prairie Home Companion, is based on a fictional version of this show during it's last night on the air as a large corporation buys out the radio station and the theatre it is performed in and decides to shut it down. The film is written by Keillor and is the legendary director, Robert Altman's, last film as he died five months after its release. Altman is best known for his large ensemble cast films such as Nashville, MASH, Short Cuts, The Player and Gosford Park. He is also known for his films McCabe & Mrs. Miller, The Long Goodbye and 3 Women. Because of his age and his health, Paul Thomas Anderson was hired to watch the shooting and step in if Altman could not finish the job which, thankfully, never happened. A few years later, Anderson ended up dedicating his amazing film, There Will Be Blood, to Altman.
The film opens with Guy Noir, one of the real APHC show's most popular fictional characters and star of a weekly old-time radio drama portion of the show, narrating the feature and introducing the characters to us. Played by Kevin Kline, he is an out of work private detective, forced to take work as “Vice President of Security and, uh, Data Acquisition” at the theatre the show appears in. In other words he's a glorified doorman with delusions of grandeur but he is very funny as he chases Virginia Madsen playing a “Dangerous Woman” who might be the Angel of Death through the premises of the theatre throughout the film. Also present is Garrison Keillor himself as the host of the program, Meryl Streep and Lily Tomlin as Yolanda and Rhonda Johnson, the last two members of a family singing act, Yolanda's daughter Lola played by Lindsay Lohan, and Woody Harrelson and John C. Reilly as Dusty and Lefty, the singing cowboys. The singing cowboys are two more fictional characters from the radio show brought to life on film and it looks like the two stars had a lot of fun with these roles, making bad jokes with genuine chemistry on stage. Tommy Lee Jones plays the “Axeman,” a character representing the corporation who is here to cancel the show. The cast is rounded out by many musicians and actors brought over from the real radio program.
One would think Lindsay Lohan might bring the rest of the film down considering her current reputation but she does well in her role and even gets her own stand out moment at the end of the show. My favorite moment was the song an old cowboy, played by L.Q. Jones, sings and the events directly following with the Angel of Death coming for him. It is a sad moment but it also very heartfelt with his lover finding his body and embracing him one final time. Garrison Keillor is very good as the host of the program who always manages to drive his pregnant assistant crazy by telling endless stories and moseying up to the stage at the last possible second. Meryl Streep also plays a great character as as singer and former lover of G.K.'s and has a kind of scatter-brained demeanor which causes her to not be able to finish a thought. She does some great singing in the film as the lead of the two sisters (Lily Tomlin's voice is not that great, unfortunately) and she won the Best Supporting Actress Award from the National Society of Film Critics for her role.
The film is full of gentle beauty and heart with a joyful sense of humor that never insults. The laughs are based on witty repartee and corny old jokes. To fully appreciate the film you may have to listen to an episode of the program, which are archived on the shows website, or check out clips on Youtube to get an idea of what it's like. Even if you haven’t heard of the radio show before, you can still find something to enjoy whether its the great music, the funny dialogue or maybe even just the Midwestern ambiance and beautiful theatre setting. This is actually the real Fitzgerald Theatre in Saint Paul where the A Prairie Home Companion show is taped live every week, unless the company is on the road. St. Paul is also the hometown of Charles Schulz, creator of Peanuts, which I think shares a kinship with the radio program, being based on small-town living where life seems to go by a little slower. This film is recommendable as one of the warmest good films in recent memory.
Rating: 8/10
-Ryan Sallows
Next time: A review of Clint Eastwood's World War II film, Flags of Our Fathers, his companion-piece to, Letters from Iwo Jima, a film reviewed earlier by this blog.
