Review LXXV - Dawn of the Dead

Review LXXV
Dawn of the Dead (1978)

I'm sorry I vanished for so long. It's not even like I had an excuse as this semester has been ridiculously quiet. I've also been watching films, but, well, we'll see if I get around to those. Anyway, I'm continuing with another zombie film, this time a classic from George A. Romero, the original Dawn of the Dead. I felt like I should be reviewing more Christmas-ish films, but then I realised that, given this is the season of commercialism and the film deals with such subject matter, I guess I'm not completely off with reviewing with Dawn of the Dead. The film stars David Emge, Ken Foree, Scott J. Reiniger, Gaylen Ross, and the ever-wonderful Tom Savini (I don't care if he's super minor in the movie - he's so beast!). We got this, man! We got this by the ass!

The United States is in a mass panic with the growing epidemic of the dead returning to life with one goal in mind: eating human flesh. Francine, a television executive for a news station, tries to control her crew, but everyone has gone mad, with society having gone to ruins due to the plague. With no hope of survival in this part of the country, Francine and Stephen, her lover and traffic reporter, decide to steal a traffic helicopter in hopes of finding better lands. Meanwhile, a S.W.A.T. team raids an apartment building housing mostly immigrants, only to find that many rooms are filled with flesh-eating monsters. Roger, a S.W.A.T. member, meets another S.W.A.T. team associate, Peter, and they bond while destroying monsters. Roger explains that his friend Stephen has offered him an escape, inviting Peter to tag along. That night, the four escape in the helicopter and eventually seek refuge in a mall. This place has survival kits and any merchandise the group might need; however, this sanctuary might not be all it's cracked up to be...

I watched Night of the Living Dead the other day as I decided I had been missing out on that bit of culture for too long. Now, while I will compliment it on its strong black male character (great job, Duane Jones!) and its innovation for being the first zombie film of its kind, I found the film a bit slow. Again, I know it was going into the psychological horror of the individuals and it did spawn the zombie-horro sub-genre, so I can't do anything less than bow to it, but I think I had hyped myself up a bit too much for it. It was gory for the time (just as Psycho was gory as well), and I thought the gore was pretty well done, but the plot itself was not fully there. Maybe it's because the film was short, but either way, while it did have great bits, I think some parts could have been shortened or modified to be a bit more interesting. Dawn of the Dead? This one had everything I wanted. Let's take a look, shall we?

The plot really captures the zombie metaphor. The group stay in a mall where we often seen them growing ecstatic at taking commercial goods they probably wouldn't have been able to afford before, "stealing" money from a bank, and playing about like children. The zombies, of course, walk about the mall, staying somewhere they see as familiar to them. Not to mention the masculinity aspect this film has. Thankfully, Francine stands up for herself. If she would have gone into shock like Barbra (Judith O'Dea) did in Night of the Living Dead, I would have been a bit disappointed. The premise of the film was interesting, and the fact that they take refuge in a mall really made it interesting. There was so much the whole crew of the film could do with it, and they do. I suppose the end where the biker-survival gang comes in might be a bit rushed for some, but I enjoyed it and glad they included it in the film.

The gore is, well, hilarious. The blood is not dark and realistic - it's hyper-red, especially against the blu-ish white faces of the zombies. The iconic scene of the man's head exploding at the beginning of the film had me cracking up. I thought it was brilliant. The zombies themselves were grand, in my opinion. They were simple, but they worked with a certain campiness. The flesh-ripping, flesh-chewing was iconic to Night of the Living Dead, but in colour and more vividly shot. It was brilliant, absolutely brilliant. Thank you, Tom Savini, for being so awesome.

Dawn of the Dead is worth watching. It may be from 1978, but it really holds up. I have yet to see the remake, but honestly, watch the original - I'm sure it's probably better. It's an inventive zombie film with great characters, interesting lines, and phenomenal gore.

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Review LXXIV - 28 Days Later...

Review LXXIV
28 Days Later... (2002)

I completely missed out on Halloween, guys. I promised my friend I'd help him tackle his feminist course and ended up waking up ten minutes before I had to leave (five hours of sleep is over-powered). The rest of the day consisted of running around doing errands (and cracking jokes about politicians with my friend) before heading to my class which was from 18:00 until 22:00. I got home, completely exhausted, and watched Moon (probably won't review it, so in a nutshell, I guessed the plot early on, but it's still an interesting watch)... And went to bed at three in the morning. Yep, I missed out. Thus, I spent the early afternoon listening to Dave Brubeck Quartet, Foster the People, and Karkwa as I studied, and then proceeded to watch Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later... starring the ever wonderful Cillian Murphy and the great Naomie Harris, as well as Brendan Gleeson, Megan Burns, and Christopher Eccleston.

The film opens with three activists rescuing what they think are innocent primates being experimented on. However, upon opening up a cage - much to the protests of a scientist who says they are infected with "rage" (no, not the French word for rabies) - the primate lunges at one of the activists... Jim (Murphy) wakes up in a hospital in the UK, completely deserted. He quickly finds out what happened when he's attacked by a priest and several church-attendees who are no longer human. He's rescued by two individuals, Mark (Noah Huntley) and Selena (Harris), who inform that a virus spread through contact with blood and saliva has infected all of Britain and potentially the world. Now it is up to these last people standing to survive in a zombie-infected country.

As you know - or don't know - I love zombie films. Horror movies rarely cut it for me (since they're all so lame usually), but I really love the analogy zombies present and the gore that is associated with it. This film, while it doesn't have gore really, is a great take on the zombie series. The zombies in this film are not slow-walking, brain-eating moaners, but, instead, run as a normal person could, throw up blood to infect individuals, and enjoy feasting on the human body as whole. Yum, yum. Danny Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland decided to make the virus just propel the "rage" in individuals to an extreme, which is why they can run and all. They also decided to change the brain-eating bit, I think it was because they thought it was old-fashioned, but I could be wrong. Either way, I thought it was a cool idea. The zombies in this film aren't representing the sheep-driven, zombie-like mob human beings can be, but instead, exaggerate the anger and rage and animalistic nature they possess. Neat, eh? I think the metaphor is befitting, and the film handles it well. It also works well in showing how Jim develops as a character as well, but I'll let you watch the film to get that idea, hehe.

The characters were great. Jim, well, is great. I liked him with his ethics (and lack of) and beautiful eyes... I mean, character disposition. Cillian Murphy, you did a great job! Maybe you were a bit... emotionless at times, but I don't know, I ate up your character. But you know who I want to talk about? Selena. Oh, yes. She's not just there as a love interest, but instead, an interesting, well-developed, fierce, and strong woman lead who isn't afraid to fight fire with fire. Guys, I find it so rare for me to have a female character I legitimately like. Usually they're just there and don't do all that much, but Selena is grand. Her backup story is that she was forced to kill her parents in order to save her brother, only to find he was infected. This helps explain her rage (ah? See? Comparison to the zombies again), but her rage is not so extreme that I turned her down. No, she was human. Her rage and emotional intelligence and sadness show that she is a three-dimensional character. Oh, I loved her. Thank you, Naomie Harries. Please, I just wish there existed more characters like her in horror films, and not just woman-screaming as they run from a slasher. And guess what? This film provides me with another great female character! Hannah (Megan Burns) is also an adolescent who is strong and cunning. She doesn't get as much screentime as Selena, but she's still a great character. Again, a character I really enjoyed. I also like how the director plays on these strong-willed female characters in the mansion, but I don't wish to ruin anything, so I'll be quiet.

At first, I can't say I was really into the whole way the film was shot. When Jim is walking about, the camera shots seemed off to me (that zoom-in into the wall was really meh, I found), but it played out well in the end. I realise they were going for a more realistic feel, and I became more accepting of it as the film went on. I guess I'm just too used to smooth-cut films. The quality of the film also isn't the best (at least the one I watched), but apparently this should be expected. In the end, I can say I liked how it went about and how it was shot. Really authentic, guys.

Sigh, I really enjoyed this film. I'm sorry I didn't watch it earlier. While I wouldn't agree with the cover of the film as being super scary, it was interesting and well-done. It wasn't cheesy and the gore was limited, but I still really enjoyed it. It might not be Halloween anymore, and even be All Saints' Day, but check this film out. It's a really grand zombie film. Happy (belated) Halloween everyone!

Pirate Bay torrent (quality not the best, in my opinion, but anywho)

Review LXXIII - Encounters at the End of the World

Review LXXIII
Encounters at the End of the World (2007)

I got the chance to go to the Yukon, Canada this summer, and I thoroughly enjoyed my experience. I tanned very well given the sun is up for, oh, twenty hours per day, and it was very well, so if you're scared of going because of the cold, go in the summer - you'll be fine. That being said, I still adore the cold. My winters consist of snow, snow, and more snow, and I'd go to the Yukon in the wintertime in a heartbeat. I suppose that's why I took an interest to Werner Herzog's documentary Encounters at the End of the World. It involves a place not many people would ever imagine visiting, nor feel the inclination to go. Meanwhile, I'll be booking a one-way ticket, hehe.

Werner Harzog and Peter Zeitlinger, an Austrian cinematographer, hed to Antarctica in order to find out what is going on one of the most desolate places on the Earth. Along the way, they meet some pretty well-accomplished and interesting individuals, as well as capture extraordinary shots on film.

I went into this film biased, but I'd still like to think my opinion of it holds up. It's a... random documentary. It lacks a certain focus, I suppose you can say, given that it focuses on many different aspects, ranging from culture to neutrinos (love those guys!). However, right off the bat, you're warned that this film will get odd, as you start with Werner Harzog asking why a monkey doesn't just get atop a horse and ride off into the sunset. But I mean, this film is tackling the idea of Antarctica and what is going on there. I mean, while it is desolate, McMurdo Station - a research centre on the continent - houses many particular individuals who each have a story to tell. So, in the end, we're forced to hear many different stories. And I was totally fine with this. I thought it peeked my interest in many different fields of study, and, since I am in my pursuit of education, I really took a great interest in seeing where my education and career could one day take me. It was also kind of settling seeing all these different types of people coming together and studying something that, in the end, is to further understand the Earth and the creatures inhabiting it. As they say in Chinese, we're all 在天下, which literally translates to under the sky. Still, as a human species, we forget that we're connected in some way very often... Alright, I'll stop before I go all philosophical and naive in this post.

The cinematography was grand, as expected. I made sure to download a high-quality of the film, and I did not regret it. The underwater shots were great, and even the way the other scenes were shot were great. I liked the movie-within-a-movie when we get to watch Them on screen. Brilliant, just brilliant.

I thoroughly enjoyed the film. Again, it's pretty all over the place, but I nonetheless stand by it. It makes you feel almost despondent at the end and not happy-go-lucky, but documentaries are made to make you think, I suppose. Either way, if you're looking for something a bit different, quirky, but still pretty good, check it out.

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Review LXXII - Jagten

Review LXXII
Jagten (2012)

Ahhh, Mads Mikkelsen, you seem to follow me. Or, rather, I really enjoy your films, so if I'm looking for a good film, I'll look to your name. One of those films - which is also Denmark's entry for the Best Foreign Film at this year's Oscars - is Jagten, or The Hunt, as it is known to us English-speaking folks. It is directed by Thomas Vinterberg (who also directed Festen - that film was brutal) and stars, besides Mikkelsen himself, Thomas Bo Larsen and Alexandra Rapaport.

Lucas (Mikkelsen), a divorcé, lives in a small Danish community and works at a kindergarten, where he is very popular with the children. He enjoys hunting with his many friends, including Theo (Larsen), one of his childhood friends. He tries to convince his ex-wife to allow their son to live with him, and his efforts prove fruitful when his son agrees. He also becomes successful relationship-wise when a co-worker, Nadja (Rapaport), takes an interest to him. Lucas' life seems to have finally improved, but a small lie will prove to have a huge impact on his future.

I really, really enjoyed this film, and it wasn't just Mad Mikkelsen. I made sure not to ruin the film for myself, avoiding even finding out what the lie was, but if you've seen Festen, you can already guess Vinterberg will not shy away from the brutal details. Plus every trailer tells you, but I refuse to write it here! The film was original - I have yet to have seen a film that deals with such subject matter in this way. Off the bat, this was great. I'm sure there are other films that are very similar, but this is just from my experience. Even so, even if it's been done before, I doubt it's done this way often. Originality is not necessarily a bonus, but, in this case, it definitely was.

I'll dive straight into the acting. Guys, it was great. I have my bias toward Mikkelsen, but really, I thought this was probably his best acting job I've seen so far. His acting throughout the whole film was completely believable. I hope he continues to make films that test his acting as well as this one did because he can handle it fantastically. Rapaport was great - she spoke English, yay - but her screentime was limited, so I can't go ahead and bow down to it. Nonetheless, when she was there, it was good. Larsen was also great. I really bought into his character, and I thoroughly enjoyed his performance. Annika Wedderkopp was also very good in her role. I always feel better when you have a child who can act well in a film. She definitely did a great job.

I don't have that much else to say on the film, so I'll cut the review short. Honestly, I thought it was well done. I'm hoping it makes it as a nomination for Best Foreign film. I haven't seen the other entries, so I can't be sure, but I'm assuming it'll make it. Definitely check it out if you're looking to watch an interesting film! It's not a happy film, but it's very well done.

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Review LXXI - Gravity

Review LXXI
Gravity (2013)

It takes a lot to get me to go to the movies, especially as of late. Sure, school may be one excuse, but it's primarily because the films that are released on a weekly basis all look awful. When I saw the trailer for Bad Grandpa before seeing The World's End, I nearly walked out of the theatre. Instead, I should have taken it as foreshadowing for the film I was about to watch... But seriously, I'll enjoy a little piece of Hollywood extra-sweet fudge every once in a while. I did enjoy The Last Stand after all, and Con Air (directed by the same guy who directed the Rick Astley "Never Gonna Give You Up" video, Simon West) is one of my top films. Nonetheless, it's hard for me to actually pay to watch these films in theatres, and I'm still nitpicky as schnitzel when it comes to watching these bad films. When I heard that Alfonso Cuarón had directed Gravity, and I heard out-standing reviews for the film, I decided it was time to visit the theatre once again.

Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) and Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) are on their final spacewalk for their mission in fixing the Hubble Space Telescope (which will soon enough be replaced by the James Webb Space Telescope! The new telescope will focus on taking in infrared rays with a primary mirror being five times larger than that of the Hubble Space Telescope. The reason, by the way, that these telescopes are set in orbit is because the atmosphere does not allow for all types of electromagnetic waves to enter it. Thank you, Astrophysics! I knew you'd come in handy one day!). However, Mission Control warns that Kessler syndrome (chain reaction of destruction) is playing into effect after debris from a Russian missile have hit an old satellite. The Hubble Space Telescope is hit, and Stone is sent hurtling into space. Kowalski manages to get her back, but it comes to their realisation that they are the lone survivors. They desperately try to communicate with the ground crew in hopes they can hear them, however, they are soon faced with a difficult path in order to try and survive.

I'd just like to thank humankind for leaving junk, not only on the ground, but in space, as well. Earth may one day have rings, but they'll be made of garbage, not destroyed planets/moons because of the Roche limit. ... Now that that is out of the way, I'll just go ahead and compliment the film on its long shots, as expected from Alfonso Cuarón (who directed Children of Men, which I reviewed!). Of course, these long shots were filled with absolutely stunning cinematography. The view of the Earth was outstanding. It's kind of crazy when you think how far we've come in cinema - and space travel. But I digress... The cinematography was great, and I bought into it. My friend really enjoyed how the crew paid attention to detail on the space suits (I don't question his statement), as well. I'm also studying Chinese, so I was excited to recognise the characters for electricity (电) and power (力)! But seriously, it was well-filmed. Aesthetically, this film got it DOWN.

The acting was also great, but this was expected. My friend really enjoyed George Clooney's acting (or, maybe, it was really just his character), and I really enjoyed Sandra Bullock's. But, then again, this is expected. Sandra Bullock is a phenomenal actress, and George Clooney, well, he's good. He plays the manly character well - I'll give him that.

If you're looking to see a good film in theatres, take your chances on this one - it'll be showing up at the Oscars, I'm sure, and it's well done. You won't be wasting your money! I didn't see it in 3D, but it was made for it. If you can't sit through 3D films, don't worry, it's just as grand without the 3D effects.

Review LXX - Jiro Dreams of Sushi

Review LXX
Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)

My friend worked as a sous-chef for a sushi place at one point, and I learned how to make sushi from him. While we'd make completely debacled sushi where we'd mix the most outrageous ingredients together, turning out delicious, but not exactly kosher, sushi, I have the general connaissance to make sushi on my own now. That is, until I saw David Gelb's documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi.

Jiro Ono has been making sushi since his late childhood. He is now eighty-five years old, and his restaurant, Sukiyabashi Jiro, is sometimes called the best sushi restaurant in the whole world. He continues to work at improving his sushi-making methods to this day, and he hopes to one day pass on his legacy to his eldest son, Yoshikazu.

This is going to be a short review, partly because I'm just about to sit down and finish watching Microcosmos (les insectes sont trop mignons, hehe), and partly because there really isn't much to say about this one. While this film is a documentary, it specialises in getting the most beautiful shots. This includes the mouth-watering sushi, but also quite wonderful shots of the city, live stock, the trainees, everything. The content is interesting, but the reason you watch this film is for the absolutely stunning shots. If you're looking for an easy-going film about one man's passion, along with some superb shots, check out Jiro Dreams of Sushi.

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Review LXIX - The World's End

Review LXIX
The World's End (2013)

I remember when I first plopped down on my couch to watch Hot Fuzz. My British friend had mentioned it in passing in one of our conversations, so, of course, I checked it out. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and it started an Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, and Nick Frost following. I proceeded to watch Shaun of the Dead and Spaced. I checked out Scott Pilgrim vs. The World once I heard Edgar Wright was attached to the project. I watched Paul because Simon Pegg and Nick Frost wrote and starred in the film. I was not short in extending myself to watching the work that starred these guys. While I didn't like Paul in the least, I was impressed with everything else. Thus when I saw that The World's End was coming out, the last film in the Three Flavours Cornetto triology, I made a date with a friend to watch it.

Gary King (Pegg) was the king back in 1990. Him and his friends - Peter Page (Eddie Marsan, Oliver Chamberlain (Martin Freeman), Steven Prince (Paddy Considine, and Andy Knightley (Frost) - attempted the Golden Mile, a pub crawl consisting of twelve bars. A minimum of a pint of beer per bar was part of the challenge, but, sadly, the group never made it to the end - that is, The World's End, the last bar. While Peter, Ollie, Steven, and Andy have moved on with their lives, Gary continues to dwell on the Golden Mile. He manages to convince everyone to regroup to finish unfinished business, but the Golden Mile turns out to be even more difficult than the gang recalls.

When the film was over, my friend and I remained oddly silent. That is, until I told him I hadn't particularly liked it. Subsequently, we scratched our heads trying to figure out what we hadn't liked about the film. We were mostly left speechless, only saying that it didn't seem on par with the other two films. Now that I've had many days to sit down and think about the film, I think maybe I can explain myself a bit more clearly.

I think the biggest issue I had with the film was the rush feel I got from it. I'd have to watch Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz again, but somehow, the development of the characters didn't seem as rushed as in this film. This makes sense given that we were mostly building on two characters in those films. The World's End takes on five. Two of the characters - Oliver and Peter - aren't built on as much, but I still take them as main characters given that they get an opening bit at the beginning of the film. The third - Steven - gets a bit more attention given that a love interest is established for him, Oliver's sister, Sam (Rosamund Pike), but still, I felt that whole love interest part rushed, and otherwise, he felt underplayed. Andy, well, he was established a bit more, but again, I didn't feel super connected with him. The only thing I had going for him was the "incident" between him and Gary that has left him a teetotaler (which he quickly ABANDONS *sighs*) and extremely bitter, but the way the situation is eventually "solves" seemed so farfetched to me that I quickly shut it down. And, finally, Gary the king. I'm sure Simon Pegg had great fun acting out this guy - oh, man, I know I would have loved it. Plus Simon Pegg sported those clothes absolutely brilliantly. But, again, I felt this lack of a motive for wanting to complete the pub crawl. I mean, sure, he's an alcoholic, but I would have preferred a deeper meaning to this guy. I would have enjoyed seeing how the last twenty years have been so devoid of everything, but instead, it was just, "I'm an alcoholic, and I want to complete this pub crawl."

The plot itself also seemed rushed, or, at least, random. We went from a regular drama to a science fiction film pretty quickly, but, then again, this seems en style with the other films. You know what, I'm willing to accept all the random bits thrown at us, even though I thought it didn't fit together well, but the deus ex machina ending of "screw this shit" just bothered me to no end. I don't want to spoil it, but seriously, it seemed idiotic. I get the whole premise of the film is going for a "body snatchers" idea, and the body snatchers represent the rejection of globalisation and this static lack-of-a-move in small towns, but then why the ending? Why choose an ending like that? It felt like the film was trying to address the significance of human existence, and it felt completely messy. This rushedness made me not appreciate the humour as much as I could have. And even then, I felt the jokes to be not as sophisticated as in Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. Some were, definitely, but others seemed not as much. Still, I'm not going to beat on it in that respect because the jokes were not incredibly stupid. I'm also not sure if maybe I didn't find them as funny because I was bothered with the plot overall. Still, though, if I couldn't appreciate the jokes, then what was the point?

I'd really like to watch the film again now that I understand what I disliked because I'm sitting on a rating of seven stars. I mean, really, the film was not that bad, but it was mediocre, in my opinion, and I expected so much more from Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, and Nick Frost. Either I've gotten properly posh, or I was not in the right frame of mind when I watched it. Still, the soundtrack was fantastic. Thank you for that, at least!

Review LXVIII - Chasing Amy

Review LXVIII
Chasing Amy (1997)

While discussing the films Clerks II (which I totally reviewed already) and Dogma with my boyfriend, he asked me if I had ever seen Chasing Amy from the same director, Kevin Smith. I had not, so I quickly got to seeing that one given that he enjoyed refusing to tell me the explicit sexual dialogue in the film. Curiousity persists, my friends!

The film opens with Banky Edwards (Jason Lee) raging at a man at a comic convention who has declaired him a measly "tracer", instead of the inker/embellisher he is for the comic "Bluntman and Chronic". We then meet Holden McNeil (Ben Affleck, the artist of the comic, who is more relaxed and easy-going than his best friend and partner. While talking to fellow comic book artist, Hooper X (Dwight Ewell), Holden and Banky meet the lovely Alyssa (Joey Lauren Adams), who is also a comic book artist (getting redundant, isn't it?). Holden quickly falls for her and believes she is as well until he discovers she is a lesbian.

The sexual dialogue in this one is frequent, but man, it is completely accurate. I have argued the "do lesbians actually have sex?" argument with people before. I've also discussed other sexual topics brought up in the film. For that reason alone, I was able to relate. But that is something Kevin Smith really seems to hit on the head - his dialogue usually flows in a direction that either you have experienced or in a way that seems very real. Chasing Amy is no exception. I swear, if you're, minimum, in your teens, I'm sure you'll relate to the dialogue, even if you believe in sexual abstinence.

While the film has impeccable dialogue, the characters are not necessarily the most memorable. Jason Lee is pretty snazzy with that beard so I find it hard to forget him, but his character is not super developed. He's involved in interesting dialogue, but I didn't find him that present in the film. He's established as part of the duo, but when the whole mess with Alyssa comes up, he comes in maybe twice. The viewer is left to imagine that he is upset during the whole ordeal instead of actually being shown it. Not to mention that when we do see him, he doesn't seem that angry with everything. Holden was a "meh" character, in my opinion. He was a typical middle-middle guy who gets the girls. Otherwise, I can't really say much about him. Hooper X suffers the same thing as Banky. He's there, but not super there. I find he was more present than Banky and more developed, but he was still under-developed. Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob make an appearance, as usual, but you know how they always are. Alyssa is developed. I liked her character a lot. She's headstrong and interesting, instead of being vapid like so many female characters can be in movies. Yay for one developed character! Nonetheless, I was not disappointed with the film. Kevin Smith has always been about his dialogues. If he nails the dialogue, you'll enjoy yourself, even if the characters talking don't feel developed. In this case, he got the dialogue down, in my opinion. As a result, I really enjoyed myself.

I'd give the film seven point nine stars on ten. I really enjoyed it - especially the ending - but the lack of development in most of the characters was a bit bothersome. Definitely worth watching, though, if you like Kevin Smith's films. And if you don't, well, I'd still say go for it because how can you deny yourself dialogue like this?

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Review LXVII - Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom

Review LXVII
Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom (1976)

Oh, yes. Oh, yes... We'll be checking out Pier Paolo Pasolini's Salò today. But first, an anecdote! I've known about this film for a little while. I thought the premise seemed interesting - and quite grotesque - but I never got around to watching it. Then my latest boyfriend brought it up in one of our conversations about peculiar films, but, again, it was put on hold given the content. The other day, I went to bring my friend something at his school and he brought up Marquis de Sade, saying he had tried to read his novel "The 120 Days of Sodom". We had an elaborated discussion about the man whose named derived the word "sadism", and so, when I met up with my boyfriend later that day, I told him it was time to watch this film. My god, were we in for a doozy.

The film takes place in the Italian Social Republic, also known as the Republic of Salò. Just to explain quickly, even though the film mentions it briefly, the Italian Social Republic was a puppet state for Nazi Germany from 1943 to 1945. It was a Fascist state led by the infamous Mussolini (though the state relied heavily on German troops to maintain control) and set up in Northern Italy. While the capital of this state was Rome, it centered around Salò. The film starts with four men - the Duke (Paolo Bonacelli), the Bishop (Giorgio Cataldi), the Magistrate (Umberto Paolo Quintavalle), and the President (Aldo Valletti) - sitting around a table agreeing and signing a book of rules/regulations they have appeared to have written. We then cut to these men stopping various men and women in the republic and proceeding to take them away in handcuffs. These men and women soon learn they will be part of an experimentation of sexual fetishes and social degradation, consisting of three circles - the Circle of Maniacs, the Circle of Shit, and the Circle of Blood.

I'd like to say I'm not a prude when it comes to fetishes, but, my god, this takes ones I find a bit more extreme already and goes all the way. I'll go ahead right now and say that if you're squeamish, don't watch this film. Even me, who has visited the deepest corners of the Internet and frequented movie viewings of the utmost gore, covered my eyes watching this one. I'll go into brief detail of each circle. Spoilers, to an extent, but really, unless you watch it, you aren't being spoiled of the viewing. The Circle of Maniacs consists of putting down people socially, emotionally, psychologically... Women and men are forced to pretend to be dogs as they grab food with their mouths and forced to eat nails. The Circle of Shit is pretty self-explanatory. Yep, we get to enjoy coprophagia/philia and urophilia scenes. And no, the kidnapped people in the film are not masochists - one scene consists of a woman eating feces as she cries over the death of her mother. It was beautiful. Finally, the Circle of Blood is also pretty self-explanatory. We start off with a black mass (a Satanic mass of sorts) with the "marriages" of all the four men who organised this to cockmongers who were chosen to help out in this perverse orgy of sorts. We then proceed to see the horrific torture of those individuals who broke the rules established by the leading libertines.

While this doesn't necessarily sound that bad (there is some pretty messed up stuff on the Internet), the reason you cringe is because these four artistocratic men get gratification from these crazy acts of sexual perversion. As some man's tongue gets cut off, you see a man rubbing his pants. A whole group of individuals is forced into eating a huge pile of feces for supper. Some man just trips a woman and proceeds to have anal sex with her. I mean, c'mon, again, I'm willing to be open to certain fetishes, but these are taken to such an extreme (except for coprophilia - that one I refuse to accept to any extent) that you're baffled anyone could find this sexually arousing. But I suppose that is one point of the film (and perhaps the book) - losing control on your animalistic nature can be a very, very scary thing. Sex, of course, being this animalistic instict that humans can't seem to control sometimes (Freudian logic, guys?). Another view is, of course, political corruption and abuse of power. We have these men of higher class and power destroying the lives of the middle-class youngsters. The regulations are chosen by only those four men. The film can also represent the degradation and the fall of Fascist Italy. There were also many random interludes of monologues from the Duke and the others, but I had trouble following them given the extreme imagery I was being subjected to. Maybe I'll look into what they said, but, for now, I'm happy with my little comprehension of the movie.

It's hard to rate this one given the content. It wasn't a bad film, but jeez, a shocker. It really went far with its themes, but it... did it well? If you're looking for something really off-the-wall and extreme, check this one out, but again, if you get offended, don't say I didn't warn you. I'm definitely going to check out the book despite the warnings I've gotten from everyone. Happy viewing, guys!

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Review LXVI - Zombi Holocaust

Review LXVI
Zombi Holocaust (1980)

This film has a little anecdote to it. Well, even more so than usual. Anyway, my mother always mentioned a film she thought absolutely disgusting whenever I brought up horror films (my mom is not into horror films). She told me she was over at a friend's house with my father, and one of the friends had rented this film called Doctor Butcher, M.D., or Zombi(e) Holocaust, or Zombie 3 (low budget B-movie horror flicks always have a ton of various titles). She told me she found the bodies grotesque and the cannibalism, horrifying. She's told me about this film for years, but I'd always forget about it shortly after she'd share her experience. Not this time, muahaha! I decided to check out the film directed by "Frank Martin", or Marino Girolami as he is really known, and starring a bunch of actors and actresses who never got beyond the zombie genre and weird masochism-sadism porno films (no link for your protection).

The film opens up with a man sneaking into a morgue with a briefcase. He stops at a cadaver and lifts off the cover, revealing a middle-aged man. He places the briefcase on a table, opens it, and - big shocker - takes out a lengthy knife. He proceeds to cut off the left hand of the victim as if the man did not have any bones. He examines the hand and places it into the briefcase. The next day, a doctor and a nurse explain that someone has been stealing extremities from various corpses. They decide to not contact the police, but it proves to not be a problem as they soon find the culprit - a South Asian worker! He jumps out a window (that escalated quickly!) and, before dying, utters the terrible word "Kito". A gang of individuals - with two awesomely beautiful women - head to the Mollucas Islands in search of Kito, but soon run into a gang of flesh-eating cannibals and a doctor with a medical degree in MURDER (cue blood dripping from word) and resurrection.

All I can say is this film was not even close as to how bad my mother made it out to be. I mean, it was made in 1980, so I wasn't expecting anything superb, but I was sorely disappointed with the lack of gore in this movie. I got the super cheesy, "eerie" music, and I got the completely-unnecessary-but-expected nudity and undressing scenes, along with its own super cheesy, porno-style theme (it was the same one both times). I even got the awkward racist theme of "natives are all cannibals"! What this film did not have, though, was full-on crazy gore scenes. I can recall two pretty gorey scenes: one, where a guy's stomach is cut open and his entrails are eaten by natives; two, a girl's skull is cut open while she is alive. That first gore scene was lame because the natives ate chunky bits of his entrails and not his intestines, which were clearly pouring out of him. The second scene? It was ruined by the fact that the doctor removed the girl's vocal chords before proceeding with the operation. While I really hate listening to girls crying and screaming all the time in horror films (yeah, yeah, maybe it's symbolic of how women's cries are ignored in society, but screw that chick at the end of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre), you took out the defining element to revealing how painful the operation was! My guess is the girl couldn't act and also couldn't stand listening to screaming girls, so he decided to just add this bit in to save the viewer. Regardless, it was a bad move on their part. And again, that makes two super gorey scenes, and they weren't even that bad. If your film has a title containing "zombie", and you have cannibals, not zombies, AND you barely have any gore scenes, you really have a problem. At least I could make fun of the acting, which was atrocious, as well as the miserable dialogue. Guys, guys, I'll ruin the first scene because it just defines the film:

Doctor (not Dr. Butcher, just some regular doctor): Okay, it's time for anatomy class. Today we will examine the digestive system.
He lifts cover off of corpse sexy nurse brought in revealing a corpse with, gasp, no hand! The nurse and doctor look at each other quickly, but the doctor coughs and continues with the lesson.
Doctor: As I was saying, we will look at the digestive system.
The doctor proceeds to sound scientific and say duodenum in a way I never heard before.
Random medical student, male, turning to female peer: I bet you took the hand.
Female student: Why would you say that?
Male student: Didn't you say you wanted a hand to help you study?
The group erupts into laughter. The doctor proceeds to kick them all out for the bad joke - I mean, because they aren't taking the class seriously.

I don't think I need to even give this one a rating. That above scene illustrates the number of stars it deserves. Next movie!

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Review LXV - Leaving Las Vegas

Review LXV
Leaving Las Vegas (1995)

I've always defended Nicolas Cage when given the chance. Sure, he's been in terrible films, but those films always had a silver lining, and it was that they starred Nicolas Cage. Still, there are many good actors who have appeared in bad films, and I can definitely say that Nicolas Cage has played his part well in a number of films, one being Lord of War and another, where he actually won an Oscar for his performance, called Leaving Las Vegas. People don't seem to ever believe this, so I decided to check the film out; that way, I could actually give an opinion on his performance. The film was directed by Mike Figgis and stars Elisabeth Shue, who was nominated for an Oscar because of this film.

Ben Sanderson (Cage) is an alcoholic. His constant inebriated state has cost him his family - including his wife and son - his friends, and his job. As a result, he decides to literally give up his life in Los Angeles and move to Las Vegas where he will spend the rest of his days drinking. In a drunken state while driving, he nearly runs over Sera (Shue), a prostitute under the wing of an abusive Latvian pimp (Julian Sands). While their first meeting is rather hostile, the two eventually form a relationship. However, Sera is not allowed to ask Ben to lay off the booze, and Ben is not allowed to oppose Sera's choice of work. The awry relationship becomes even more complex when Sera finds herself falling in love with the dead man.

There isn't that much to say about this one as a whole. I can't say I thought the film was particularly filmed super well. There are a lot of slow-motion scenes which I found unnecessary, and it, overall, has a very nineties' feel. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it dates the film a bit. Regardless, though, I really enjoyed this one. The characters, or rather, Sera and Ben, are superb. I thoroughly enjoyed the scenes with both characters, but also those where they were by themselves. They were interesting and well-developed, and even if the plot could sometimes be a tad clichéd, I bought into it. Of course, the performances from both Elisabeth Shue and Nicolas Cage made the characters even better. I thought the chemistry between both of them was perfect, and I was cringing and squealing (yeah...) at every opportunity. Nicolas Cage deserved his Oscar - he acted really well. He took the performance to heart, and man, he did it so well. Elisabeth Shue? I'm sorry you didn't win an Oscar because you were great, too. I cared for Sera and I understood her. That can only be done when great acting is involved. All in all, while the film didn't necessarily contain the best cinematography and the plot could be very Hollywood-ish at times, the characters and acting were phenomenal.

I'd give the film eight stars. It is certainly worth a watch, and not even to just prove that Nicolar Cage can act. No, this film is worth a watch for its real-but-surreal characters. Plus you get Sting singing, so what more could you ask for?

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Reviex LXIV - The Third Man

Review LXIV
The Third Man (1949)

I actually came across this film while researching another film. I'm sure I've come across it before, but I spend much more time researching films than I do actually watching them, so I'll remember a movie poster or a plot, but not much else. Anyway, as soon as I saw this starred Orson Welles, I was intrigued. Joseph Cotten, who worked with Orson Welles quite a number of times, Alida Valli, and Trevor Howard also play a part in the cast of Carol Reed's The Third Man.

Holly Martins (Cotten), an American novelette writer, is excited to take the job his friend, Harry Lime (Welles), has offered him in Vienna. However, he discovers, as he reaches Lime's doorstep, that Lime was hit by a car, attended to by his two friends and, later, a doctor, and died shortly afterward. He attends the funeral and meets two British Army police officers, one of them being the crass Major Calloway (Howard). Major Calloway encourages Martins to depart from Vienna as soon as possible, but he is driven to the exact opposite when the other police officer, Sergeant Paine (Bernard Lee), speaks of his writing, resulting in Martins giving a lecture on "contemporary novels". While awaiting the lecture, Martins speaks to Lime's land owner and discovers that another man, aside from Lime's two friends, carried his friend across the street. This leads to Martins questioning whether the incident was purely accidental.

Praises to this film - oh, many praises. First off, I'll talk about the cinematography. My friend had never seen this one but said he had wanted to watch it as it looked "purdy". Guys, it is totally that. Do you ever tear up when you see black-and-white, highly contrasted photographs? Do you ever fall to your knees when you see a beautifully captured film? ... Maybe that's slightly exaggerated, but, regardless, this film is wonderfully filmed. The scenes are brilliantly shot - capturing every individual well - and I love the play with light. The scenes with the running of shadows and all were superb. I know people who are turned off by a film as soon as they see it is in black and white. It's a great shame because they miss great films, and this is one. It's film-noir, so we get the chiaroscuro to the boot. It's grand, real grand.

Now, even though a film can be pretty, it'll be hard to sit through if it's boring - which some of you may believe is the case with black-and-white films. Not with this one. I was pleasantly surprised when I let out a giggle when Martins finds out Lime is dead. While The Third Man is not a straight-up comedy in the least, it has catchy and quirky little lines and scenes (Major Calloway and Martins, please, you guys are fantastic together!). The music might have helped with that, but hey. When it doesn't have funny bits, it is still captive. The dialogue and story are interesting. Even when there were full on German bits with no subtitles (Ich spreche kein Deutsch, sniffle), I was still able to follow what was going on. Still, I'd suggest subtitles for those parts because I would have liked to follow them... Either way, the plot was engaging and not completely stock, and the discussions between characters was wonderful. It gets what needs to be done in 105 minutes, and then some.

Finally, and this will be short, the acting. Well, I suppose you can already guess what I'm going to say - it was great. Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Trevor Howard, and Orson Welles, as well as all the numerous side actors, all did a grand job at portraying their characters. I bought into the story because of these guys, and they were all cast appropriately.

I'd give the film eight point five stars on ten. I really, really enjoyed myself. This is a film to watch on a Saturday evening, when you don't feel like watching a complex film, but are still engaged enough to laugh at the characters and gawk at the fine, very fine, cinematography.

Pirate Bay torrent (with subtitles, apparently)

Review LXIII - Punch-Drunk Love

Review LXIII
Punch-Drunk Love (2002)

There's only one Adam Sandler film I can say I like, and that is Billy Madison. Mind you, I have not seen it in years, and, when I did re-watch it that second time many years ago, it was mostly just the nostalgic feeling I got that kept me from turning off the film. I don't necessarily recall The Wedding Singer being that bad, but I never watched it fully, so I'm not including it on the list. Anyway, all this is to say that Adam Sandler's films have been the pits. They focus on stupid humour, and, while I can appreciate stupid humour once in a blue moon, Grown Ups and the like really make me pull out my hair. Still, there is one film that Adam Sandler has appeared in that almost got him an Oscar nomination. Are we talking about the right guy here? Yes, we are, and the film is Paul Thomas Anderson's Punch-Drunk Love starring Adam Sandler, Emily Watson, Luis Guzmán, and Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Barry Egan (Adam Sandler), the owner of a company specialising in toilet plungers that are immune to breakage, witnesses an intense car accident one morning, along with the dropping of a harmonium. A woman, Lena Leonard (Emily Watson), also stops by as her car has broken down, asking if Barry would mind making sure the mechanic gets around to it. This encounter brings light into Barry Egan's life, amidst the crazy sex hotline worker out to get him and his seven arrogant and domineering sisters.

Considering this film sold itself as a romantic comedy-drama, I was a little surprised, at first, at how surreal this was. It definitely isn't your typical romantic comedy. I wouldn't even call it that comedic. It had some pretty outrageous scenes where you can't help but laugh, but, most of the time, I was cringing at how bad Barry was treated. Either way, this film is different, which is expected from Paul Thomas Anderson. The plot itself is very different. It had some weird dialogue, but given the peculiar characters, it fits well. The acting is done very well, and this might be because Adam Sandler is actually legitimately acting well. There was no cringing involved when he was in a scene, unless it was because I felt bad for his character. The rest of the acting I cannot complain about. It was well done. Again, they were all able to capture the surreal feel very well. The cinematrography is, I find, quite contrast-y, and was filmed with a speak stock film which gave a really strong shadow front. This also gives Punch-Drunk Love a very surreal touch to it. Still, if there is one thing I can praise the film for, it would be its shots. Oh my, there are some magnificent shots in this film. If you want to see a film that has wonderful cinematography, check this one out. Even if the plot doesn't catch your eye, and the characters, a bit flimsy, the way this movie was shot - it's a keeper.

I'd give the film seven point seven on ten. The plot wasn't the best, though the characters could be quite meaningful. Nonetheless, the cinematography is to die for. It's definitely worth a viewing if ever you're looking for a weird but slightly cute film.

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Review LXII - Otesánek

Review LXII
Otesánek (2000)

I can't remember if I ever spoke of Jan Svankmajer on here, but, if I haven't, well, this guy is odd. I first discovered him a few years back when I read about his adaptation of Alice in Wonderland, Alice. I soon watched a few of his shorts, and, well, I think Meat Love sums up his style well. Anyway, I was in the mood for something odd a little while back, and so I suggested to my movie-watcher friend that we check out Otesánek, or Little Otik or Greedy Guts as it is known in English. Trust me when I say it was definitely odd.

Bozena (Veronika Zilková) and Karel (Jan Hartl) desperately want a child, but, due to unfortunate medical circumstances, the couple will likely never have a child of their own. Karel, while fixing up his wife's and his cottage house, discovers a giant tree stump. He jokingly carves it to look like a baby. Bozena, however, takes the situation seriously, adopting the stump as a real child, naming him Otik, and begins faking pregnancy to bring him into their home permanently. However, as foretold in a fairy tale, Otik might be a bit more troublesome than the couple expected.

The synopsis alone, I think, can already foretell how weird this film will get. Still, while it was off the wall, I really enjoyed it. Why? I'll try and answer that since I'm not entirely sure why I loved it so much. For one, it is funny. I found myself laughing at the ridiculousness of the couple ("He's our son - we must stick by him!"), the random pedophile neighbour (Zdenek Kozák) and his scary hand-penis (you'll understand after watching the film), and little Otik himself. The film doesn't have a lot of the stop-motion Jan Svankmajer is known for, but, when you do get it, while it was creepy, you can't help but admire it. I'm a sucker for stop-motion, so I can't help but admire Jan Svankmajer's work. Again, though, I have to stress that this isn't stop-motion heavy at all, so if you're seeking such a style, check out his shorts or Alice. Still, it is easy to see it's a Jan Svankmajer film, and, given that I admire his work, that could be a second reason as to why I liked it. Finally, I really enjoyed the film because, while there was the surface story, there was one left to interpret. I'll go into deal in a new paragraph, so, if you're looking to have fun interpreting the film and avoiding any spoilers, just skip the next paragraph.

Okay, so for all of you who don't spoiling the film and its message, let's go in depth! The last English teacher I had in high school told me that, if ever you're given the chore of interpreting a story in college, just say it's about sex. Not surprisingly, this seems to work for films, as well! My friend and I decided that Otesánek is all about impotency and sex. Let's go with the father as an example given that he really displays the impotency bit well. First of all, at the beginning of the film, we can see Karel observing people getting babies in a charcuterie style. Not to mention there is a lot of emphasis on baby penises throughout the film, though especially in the beginning (it was a tad awkward). Yet, he and his wife are unable to have a child. Erectile dysfunction anyone? It seems he overcomes this baby issue when he produces the tree stump baby (with meticulous details of the penis again), but his wife soon takes it to another level and he loses control again. Every time he tries to tell his wife that the baby needs to go, even after it chews off part of her hair, eats a cat, and even starts eating people, he is unable to stop it. The first time, he's ready to take an axe, a phallic object n'est pas, to the baby, but he fails. Impotency strike one! Again, throughout all this, he tells his wife the baby needs to go, but always backs down. Finally, when he decides to take a stand given that two people have died, he asks his neighbour for a chainsaw - another phallic object, we shall say. He's asking for help, as well, which could mean something. Anyway, he goes to the basement, chainsaw in hand, ready to face the beast which has now grown to a ginormous size, and... he throws the chainsaw to the ground and gets eaten. Once again, an extraordinary example of impotency. The women in the film don't go unscathed, either. It seems that every woman who has the ability to have children is way off psychologically. The mother wants to have this tree stump baby so badly she fakes a pregnancy and is not put off by the fact that her "child" is eating people. In short, she's crazy. The little girl (Kristina Adamcová), who is lonely and extremely interested in babies and sex, feeds people to little Otik, and, after learning how Otik will be stopped, tries her best to prevent it. Finally, the little girl's mother (Jaroslava Kretschmerová) seems neglectful of her child, to an extent. However, when she notices people in the building are being killed, she locks her entire family in their apartment and stands watch. While in this particular instance it might make sense, it is still a slightly off reaction. The females, all within the age to be sexually active and have children - except for the pre-pubescent girl who is a little bit younger, though some girls at ten get their period - are all slightly off in the head. The girl and the mother are also entranced by "wood", where the word can also mean penis. Anyway, there are more details, but I think that is detailed enough for here.

The film was interesting, and I was really able to enjoy this one, so I'm giving it eight stars on ten. If you like peculiar films, definitely give this one a watch. Otherwise, make sure you have an open mind if you decide to check this one out.

Pirate Bay torrent (with English subtitles!)

Review LXI - Immortal Beloved

Review LXI
Immortal Beloved (1994)

I've been playing piano since I was three years old, so I think I can say that I have a bit more experience than most. This year, for my piano recital, I was performing a Beethoven piece. My piano teacher and I got on the subject of Beethoven's life when he mentioned that there was a Hollywood film about his life. He exclaimed, not verbatim, "It's no Amadeus, but it's good nonetheless!" I started watching the film a few months back when I wasn't too busy with school, but I fell asleep early on in the film. I decided to finally finish watching Immortal Beloved, directed by Bernard Rose, the same guy who did... Candyman?! I think that sums up the review, haha. Just kidding. Let's go!

The great composer Ludwig van Beethoven (Gary Oldman) is dead (Oh no!), but Beethoven's associate and secretary, Anton Schindler (Jeroen Krabbé), happens upon a letter to "Unsterbliche Geliebte", Immortal Beloved. This letter, written by Beethoven, leaves his entire estate to whoever this "Immortal Beloved" is. Schindler, thus, embarks on a journey to discover who this woman could be, revealing the major hardships the composer faced during his life.

The film is mostly accurate to Beethoven's life, or, at least, to what I've read about his life, aside from a few things. Then again, history is not always clear cut. Some things are up to speculation. For example, it has never been decided who Beethoven's Immortal Beloved really was. While most historians believe Josephine Brunsvik was the woman Beethoven cared for passionately, evidence leads to an inconclusive result. Still, if you're looking for a film that captures the essence of Beethoven and his life, this film seems to be pretty good in that aspect.

However, this film is definitely no Amadeus. I can't say it's a bad film, but it wasn't the most impressive, either. Still, I give it points for trying to depict Beethoven in a hot-tempered nature. Apparently he was angered easily and quite domineering, and the film was not afraid to show this. Unlike Lincoln which showed Abraham Lincoln in the most positive light, Immortal Beloved depicted Beethoven in a true fashion. I suppose we also have Gary Oldman to thank for that! At first, I wasn't so sure about the casting. I mean, they were showing Beethoven's promiscuous nature, and I wasn't sure I completely agreed with their choice to go with Gary Oldman. To be honest, I can't say I completely bought it, but his acting was not bad. He was able to get his nastiness across, but he still had his humble roots. Beethoven had a rough childhood, and Gary Oldman really demonstrated a hardened man as a consequence of this upbringing. Jeroen Krabbé was pretty good, as was Johanna ter Steege, Valeria Golino, and Isabella Rossellini. Nonettheless, while the acting was not bad, I still can't call this film that good. It was enjoyable, yes, but I doubt it'll leave a lasting impression. However, the scene where Beethoven lies his head on the piano was quite beautiful. Some of the cinematography was also quite beautiful, but overall, not the best film.

I'd give the film seven point eight stars on ten. I enjoyed it, but it isn't the best piece of cinema out there. Worth a watch if you want to establish a bit of a foundation on the history of Beethoven's life and if you enjoy a little romantic film, but again, nothing extraordinary.

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Review LX - Play It Again, Sam

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Review LIX - Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring

Review LIX
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring (2003)

That May 24th date really should have been extended, and it is not because I have not been watching movies. On the contrary, I've been watching quite a number of films! However, time always seemed to be a factor... Anyway, I won't catch up on all the films I watched, but I'll start off with a Korean film from director Kim Ki-duk called Bom yeoreum gaeul gyeoul geurigo bom or, as it is known in English, Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring. Let's continue to the review!

One day, a young apprentice monk (Seo Jae-kyeong, Kim Young-min, and Kim Ki-duk) takes pleasure in tying a rock to a fish, a frog, and a snake. His teacher, a wise old monk (Oh Yeong-su), observes this and places a rock on the boy's back. He tells him he will remove the rock if he releases all the animals from the rocks. He warns him that, should any of the animals be dead, the rock will be a permanent burden on his heart. When the child discovers that the fish and snake have died, he is distressed. This begins the tale of both the young apprentice and his teacher as many seasons pass, revealing the hardships of life and the stone that can hold a man down.

The acting in the film was definitely top notch. It should be noted that the film is not very dialogue-heavy. I mean, some scenes rely on conversations between characters, but it is mostly about camera shots and the actions occurring on screen. Demonstrating your character by their actions alone, even small little habits they have, is not an easy feat. Nonetheless, this film captures the characteristics of each person in this manner, and I applaud it for that. And since I'm on the topic of camera shots and scenes, well, let me tell you - they are extraordinary! The location of the floating buddhist temple was beautiful and chosen well. One of the last shots where the audience gets a view of the landscape was absolutely beautiful. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring definitely has great cinematography.

The plot is interestingly done, as well. It's a simple premise, focusing on the lives of these two men, but it tells a great story. The rock dragging the young monk's heart is consistently present, and each animal consequently represents a person the young man affects in his real-life. This is interestingly done, and it ties the film together well. It's not a happy film, but it demonstrates how our actions have reactions and how they can near-destroy us. I wish I could go more in depth, but seriously, you have to watch it to understand. I appreciated the older monk who was wise and understanding, in the face of the horrible deeds committed by his apprentice. You also learn to appreciate the young monk, though I'll still go ahead and say that I held a grudge against him for hurting those animals, hehe. Again, I can't go into too much depth of the plot without giving it away, so I'll leave it up to you to check it out.

The film was well made and definitely got its message across. I'd give the film eight stars on ten. The plot relies on a simple premise, which works well, but I have to say that, personally, I prefer something a bit more intense. Regardless, the film captures scenes very well, and, again, it tells its story well. I'd say check it out and try and appreciate it for what it's worth.

Hiatus Until End of May

Hi, all. I haven't died - I've just been busy with school and work. Honestly, April just flew right by... Final exams begin in less than a week, so I won't be back until the end of May. Nonetheless, I met an avid movie fan who analyses films like a pro, so I have a feeling I might have some interesting films to watch when I come back.

Happy movie watching!

Review LVIII - Amores perros

Review LVIII
Amores perros (2000)

Human beings are creatures that rely on others for comfort. We don't live as solitary beings, and instead have adopted a way of living that requires the love and caring from others in order to maintain a certain level of happiness. This could be via family, friends, or significant others. Alejandro González Iñárritu's Amores perros (or "Love's a Bitch" as it is sometimes translated into English) explores the love people think they perceive and demonstrates how it can lead to our downfall or our transcendence through a single event - a car crash. It stars Gael García Bernal, Vanessa Bauche, Álvaro Guerrero, Goya Toledo, Emilio Echevarría, and Lourdes Echevarría.

The film is separated into three segments. The first focuses on the tale of Octavio (Gael García Bernal) and Susana (Vanessa Bauche). Susana is a young mother who is married to Ramiro (Marco Pérez), a man who makes ends meet by robbing stores. Ramiro is abusive to Susana, and Octavio, Ramiro's brother, who also loves Susana, is angered by this. Octavio dreams of running away with her, and, through dog fighting, he holds the belief he will win her over.

The second segment focuses on Daniel (Álvaro Guerrero) and Valeria (Goya Toledo). Daniel was a unhappily married man with two daughters who wound up in an affair with the famous supermodel, Valeria. He leaves his family behind to grow this infatuation, but when Valeria severely injuries her leg in a car crash, their love will be tested.

The final segment focuses on El Chivo (Emilio Echevarría) and his daughter, Maru (Lourdes Echevarría). El Chivo, a hitman who poses as a homeless man, participated in guerrilla tactics and landed in jail because of them. A business man approaches and asks him to take out his partner. However, planned events become skewed following a car crash which will leave El Chivo debating the meaning of his existence.

If you know Alejandro González Iñárritu (and you may since he directed 21 Grams and Babel, both Oscar-nominated films, which are actually part of a trilogy of hard love, the first being Amores perros), then you already have a sense of how Amores perros will be executed. The film is more linear than 21 Grams, but it still revolves around a single event that captures the lives of different people. Personally, I find it pretty remarkable as a story because of this event. It shows how small the world can be and the basic concept that everything in this world is connected. I've yet to see Babel (though I read a summary written by a friend for an essay, so I know the story already), but I can definitely say I enjoyed 21 Grams and Amores perros a lot. I don't recall 21 Grams that much since I watched it when I was young, but I can definitely comment that Amores perros was well done. It was melancholic, and it captured that feature of life very well. The characters - Octavio, Susana, Daniel, Valeria, and El Chivo - are three-dimensional who think life is going one way but learn that it isn't what it's cracked up to be. Congratulations to all the actors - you definitely did a great job in your roles. Again, don't go into this film expecting something heart-warming because it isn't. It reveals the hardships of life, and I think it does a great job.

The plot is interesting, and it really showed desperation. Each segment captures a different point about love and, with every one, I was yelling out what the characters should do. But you realise that, if you're in that situation, you don't necessarily think straight. As they (yes, they) say, "Love is blind." I'm warning you now, though, that dogs are a prominent feature in the film (think what they could mean symbolically), and there is a lot of canine abuse. Obviously it's for symbolic purposes and I thought it aided in proving a point, but as a person who has grown up with animals, including dogs, and still has many animals, it was hard to watch sometimes. I'd say don't let the dog fighting and dog abuse prevent you from watching the film because, again, its symbolism is powerful, but I'd rather give a short warning so you don't turn off the film in disgust. It's worth a watch anyway.

The film was authentic and depressing, and it definitely deserved the Oscar nod it got for Best Foreign Film. I'd give the film eight stars on ten. It was interesting and well captured, and it made me cringe and feel, something very little films can do. Also, might I mention I love the play-on-words for the title?

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Review LVII - Efter brylluppet

Review LVII
Efter brylluppet (2006)

I find it hilarious that as soon as I hit my March break - after an endless amount of midterm examinations - I get sick. This happens nearly every year, so I'm not sure why I'm surprised. Regardless of my flu, I knew I was going to catch up on watching some films since I haven't watched any since my last review. For this reason, I decided to ease my way in with Susanne Bier's Efter bryllupet, or After the Wedding, as it is known in English.

The film opens up in India where we meet Jacob Peterson (Mads Mikkelsen), a Danish man who has dedicated his life to managing an orphanage. He loves working with the children, including Pramod, a young boy who Jacob is very attached to, and for this reason, he's extremely hesitant to meet the CEO, Jørgen Lennart Hannson (Rolf Lassgård), of a company in Denmark who wishes to donate a large amount of money to the orphanage. Jacob, eventually accepting as the orphanage faces bankruptcy, promises Pramod that he will be back in time for his eighth birthday. However, when Jacob is invited to Jørgen's daughter's wedding, he discovers that he's more connected to this man than he thought.

First off, I enjoyed the way the movie was filmed. Again, which seems to be typical of Anders Thomas Jensen films (he wrote the screenplay), there was quite a bit of symbolism, and the film aimed to capture this. There were a lot of close-ups of eyes, of mounted animal heads, and of different scenes, and this gives the film a certain essence. I thought it was interestingly captured as a result.

I thought the plot was interesting. It really got you emotionally invested in the characters, and the film has many different layers to it. At first, when you realise the first secret of the family (trying not to spoil anything!), you debate how it will go from there. The film, however, didn't follow a typical plot exposition (at least I found), and I applaud it for that. Nonetheless, I thought the reasoning behind Jørgen's obsession with Jacob was a bit... off. Alright, I'm going to spoil it because it's hard to explain what I mean with no context. Skip the remainder of this paragraph if you don't wish to see spoilers. We find out that Jørgen is dying (never explains what) and he feels compelled to make Jacob the one who will take his place given the fact that he is Anna's (Stine Fischer Christensen) real father. I mean, yes, Helene (Sidse Babett Knudsen), his wife, did have a child with this man, but that doesn't mean he has to remain the father... Had the plot revolved around the fact that Jørgen wanted to see if his wife would be happier off with Jacob, then I could see why he would push to have Jacob be part of his daughter's and his wife's lives. The fact that it's because he's terminally ill seemed odd to me. He doesn't seem convinced Helene will even live with Jacob after he dies as he asks her if she will. I don't even find it's necessarily completely implied at the end that Jacob stays with Helene. I mean, they hold hands, but Helene explains to Anna at one point that they were unhappy together. When they talk throughout the film, I got the idea that they were friends rather than lovers, and while maybe this is good enough for Jørgen, again, I'm assuming his intention was to make them fall in love again, or something of the sort. Either way, the way he goes about it seems odd to me. Not completely unbelievable, but odd. I also disliked the end since we learn Jørgen is dying, and then it seems like he dies ten minutes later. We get a whole scene of him crying out that he doesn't want to die, and then boom, he's gone. I thought it would have been better to see him actually go through the process of being sick and show how Jacob becomes part of the family. Instead, it's all assumed. I thought this was weak, and considering we spent all this time getting to know the characters, it seemed like a waste. It was still interesting overall, but I think the way it went about things wasn't very in depth when it should have been.

I'd give the film a seven point three on ten. I enjoyed it, but the plot really did suffer at the end. Still, it's worth a watch as it is beautifully captured, and, well, it has Mads Mikkelsen.

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Opinion on the Oscars

It's been a week since the Academy Awards, and I'm sure, if you did follow them, you've already heard a great number of opinions on them. However, since I haven't had time to watch any films (except for two in class, but I don't think they should count), and since I did go out of my way to watch all the films nominated for Best Picture, it would seem odd if I didn't at least write a little bit on what I thought of them and who won. So here I am at two in the morning taking time away from sleeping in order to write here. You can thank me later!

Well, the Oscars were incredibly predictable this year. All the big categories gave awards to those who were predicted to win. Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role went to Jennifer Lawrence, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role went to Daniel Day-Lewis, Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role went to Anne Hathaway, and Best Picture went to Argo. I was super excited to see Christoph Waltz win his second Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, though I would have been equally happy to see Philip Seymour Hoffman get it. I'm glad Life of Pi grabbed some Oscars - the most, actually, for one film this year, including Ang Lee winning for Best Director! Best Achievement in Cinematography was rightfully awarded to Claudio Miranda for his contribution to Life of Pi, and Mychael Danna wrote an awesome score for the film, so he deserved an Oscar for Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score. The theme to Skyfall won, and rightfully so. Searching for Sugar Man won for Best Documentary, and I thought Malik Bendjelloul was wonderful for claiming Rodriguez as the greatest musician in the world, hehe. Although I didn't see it, the creators of the winning Documentary Short Inocente were really inspiring and made me want to watch it... Really, I could go on, but sadly, I don't really have the time, and since we're all subject to our own opinions, me just gloating over everyone I was happy to see win really seems like a waste.

I was disappointed that everything was so straight-cut for the Oscars. I mean, while there were some films that deserved the position - like Amour for Best Foreign Film - I really would have liked to see Quvenzhané Wallis win for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role. It's also more interesting when a film that was almost guaranteed an Oscar according to the public loses to the underdog. Sadly, this year, nothing of the sort occured. The award ceremony itself, well, while it wasn't the worst, was not all that interesting. I thought some of the performances seemed super rushed, and the guests that came out to speak were not all that engaging. But anyway, I'm not here to judge that - I just watch the films.

Overall, I can't say I'm mad with who won, but I don't see any of the films that won really being extremely memorable. Hopefully 2013 brings out some creative genius that will be recognised for years to come.