Review CXXXI - The Little Prince

Review 131
The Little Prince (2015)

Somehow a friend and I got on the topic of Le petit prince (The Little Prince, but whenever I refer to it in French in this review, I'm referring to the book - let me make a distinction) back in February, and we agreed we would check out the film. Personally, I felt a little conflicted as I was worried the story would be warped to fit some social agenda, as Zootopia was (please see my review to see I'm not just talking out of my ass). But hey, a deal's a deal, right? At first I thought the film had come out, but then it turned out it hadn't... Thankfully my friend proposed that we watch it this week, and in fact, found it playing at a dollar cinema near his house. Being the frugal and little-business supporter I am, I was down, so down. Heading into an almost rundown mall, we proceeded with caution into the theatre... An old man greeted us with free popcorn since it was our first time, as well as one dollar snacks. The film ticket, practically priceless. Guys, if you know of a dollar cinema in your area, go. Anyway, the man told us to proceed to room two, and sneaking in, we were presented with a huge movie area, full of cinema chairs and, well, school chairs. We sat down, dying of laughter, and the film projected on to the screen with an audience of six, the other four being two mother-child pairs. Awesome. I was set for Mark Osborne's The Little Prince. (And yes, I did watch it in English given that the film was brought forth through an American company. I'm a bit of a purist, could you tell?)

The protagonist of our story is an aspiring young girl (voiced by Mackenzie Foy) with an equally ambitious mother (Rachel McAdams). After failing an entrance exam into the prestigious Werth Academy (which was apparently named after the child the book was dedicated to, but I'm sure the word itself has to do with it), the duo move into the neighbourhood to ensure entry. However, their crazy Aviator neighbour (Jeff Bridges) will change the little girl's life forever with the story Le petit prince.

I was pleasantly surprised by this guy. I was sure, sure I would find something to hate about it, but I have to say that I don't have many complaints. It's important to know that the film is not just the original novella telling - as you can tell from my synopsis - but the story of a little girl who needs to remember that she's a little girl. She, of course, accomplishes this through her neighbour who gives her the story of The Little Prince, which actually worked super well. The film misses out on some primary characters the little prince meets along the way, but it applies the one that fit well into it. Personally, I had no problem with this because the ones it keeps it portrays properly. Honestly, it keeps the adultness of the story while still appealing to a child. I mean, I think the story is maybe lost a bit on a super young child, but it definitely doesn't contain anything super creepy or scary that a young child couldn't handle. And honestly, this is more a critique of the novella which I think is absolutely fantastic in showing a child the depressing ways of the world, but nonetheless with a way that gives a clear, perhaps ambiguous, but happy ending. Honestly, I'm sorry that I didn't read this book as a child - for particular reasons, I avoided it. But I would cent pour cent recommend it for a child, as well as an adult. Just... perfect.

But before I go on too much of a tangent about the book, let me talk about the movie. The Little Prince succeeds in a more contemporary view of the loneliness and pressure a child may face now. Parents are pushing their children to become grown-ups and adding the stress of succeeding in school. Now, I am not saying this is bad - you need to teach your children discipline and you need to show them the value of education (or at least through my view), but as the movie shows, taking it to the extreme is not the way to go about it. It also shows the single-mother household, a growing reality that I can only imagine reflects the truth - a mother who is not necessarily home as often as she can be, with a child having to grow up before their time. The Little Prince shows the faults in this: one, that a child needs to live a little before growing up and actually having to take on major responsibilities, and two, the importance of a family relationship. It should always be a parent's duty to take care of their child, not the school system they are being put into. I also think it is important for a child to have both a mother and father influence, but I don't think this was necessarily intentional from the filmmaker's point of view, i.e. having the Aviator as a male. Anyway, the film really handled this well. It stresses the idea that growing up isn't the problem, but forgetting is. And honestly, I agree. That's a philosophy of my life where I feel like having an optimistic, sometimes naive view of the world is what let's you get by. And it keeps you young at heart and sincere. Obviously I'm not saying that you should neglect all duties of your life, but anyway, I'm not going to talk about my followings - I'll let you watch the film/read the book and let you make up your own mind.

As for the animation, I was, once again, pleasantly surprised. I thought the animation was going to be... cheap for whatever reason, but it wasn't. I personally absolutely loved the animation for the story time of the little prince - I loved the organic feel, and I loved the fox's tail, hehe. That really made the film for me. Otherwise, the animation was CGI - nothing stupendous, but it did its job. But that animation for the little prince... Awesome! A great way to separate reality from fiction... You know what I mean.

Now I will get back to one point of the book that shines through, and I was just so thankful for. The lesson of taming an animal in order to make it special. Guys, this message is just too true. I remember sitting in a psychology class of mine and the teacher saying that living in huge cities has really made "there are other fish in the sea" line a reality - now, it's so easy to give up on someone to find someone "better". Our disposable culture has constructed us to think that holding out is not a goal and that we should always think of ourselves. But this story - it really shows a truth. That psychology class really hit me as my teacher seemed convinced this was normal and should be the way to live. But the reality is, if you truly care about someone, you both "tame" each other and that is what makes them special. The little prince's conflict of finding out his rose was not the only one in the world was something I think everyone feels at some point, but the fox points out that it is the connection that makes them special, even if they aren't unique. Chasing Amy addresses this in a different way, but Alyssa (our lesbian protagonist who falls for Holden) hides the fact that she has been with other guys before in order to let Holden feel special in a way she feels he never would have understood. Sometimes it's hard just through words to believe, but Le petit prince really shows this, and I felt it such a relief. Of course, if you're with someone you don't belong with, I wouldn't say stay with them, but if you find someone worth keeping, it shouldn't be about trying to find someone more unique, but toughing it out and seeing how you two belong. And honestly, if that was the message from the book alone, I would be there. I would be behind it one hundred and ten percent. And don't worry, the movie keeps this real as well. And I feel it's more applicable than ever as I grow older. Just... wonderful.

The Little Prince is what our children should watch. Yeah, it used a female protagonist just because female protagonists are lacking, but whatever, I don't care - the film stays true to a classic book which teaches us to love and treasure those around us, and shows us that grown ups can be weird, but growing up is not something to fear. Definitely a great, great story. Merci, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Vraiment, merci. And thank you, Mark Osborne, for staying true to a classic.

Review CXXV - Capitão Falcão

Review 125
Capitão Falcão (2015)

Whew! I've been trying to write a review since I got back to school on the seventh, but between learning about Michelson-Morley's experiment and struggling to open a copper valve (those things are bad!), I've been rushing to send out job applications and attempt to stay on top of things, all while wearing a smile. A film I have long been anticipating finally became available sometime early in January, and my boyfriend, always the enthusiast, snatched it once we finally got a dubbed version. I am obviously talking about João Leitão's Capitão Falcão starring Gonçalo Waddington, David Chan Cordeiro, José Pinto, and Miguel Guilherme. ... You've never heard of it? Yeah, I'm not surprised. Apparently even the film was a box-office bomb in Portugal, but then what did I really expect from this plot:

Capitão Falcão (Gonçalo Waddington), Captain Falcon in English, is the communist-fighting superhero António de Oliveira Salazar, fascist prime minister of Portugal, has hired to protect him and their beloved country from communist, feminist, and all-around anti-patriotic threats. Along with his sidekick Puto Perdiz (David Chan Cordeiro), Partridge Kid in English, Portugal will be kept safe from the ominous threat that is left-winged. He is... Capitão Falcão!

I don't think I've ever encountered such a film, and I think this politically-driven comedy might have been a bit too much for the public. But honestly, guys, it was funny. I have some criticisms, and they're pretty major, but let's compliment the film first. As I said, I don't think I've ever seen such a film talking about fascism without it being labelled as an "f" word. This film really was unique. And it pulled it off. Most of the gags were pretty damn funny, leaving me smirking, and I really loved the subject matter. I loved the scene with the feminists burning their bras, as well as Puto Perdiz having to join Capitão Falcão on a final mission. But by far my favourite scene is the bank one right at the beginning where our heroes are attempting to figure out which guys are the communists. Gearing it close second is the talk Capitão Falcão has with his son about killing his wife first if she finds another lover. I was dying, and I would be down to watch that scene again.

Apart from its funny material, it also jabbed the viewer a bit by not just making fun of Salazar. The film doesn't just diss its fascist period, and I must say, that is pretty shocking and well receiving on my end. That is not to say I agree with a dictator-running state - I live pretty comfortably in my democratic, pretty socialist country - but I also believe fascist countries did implement some pretty logical laws and really did focus on trying to make their country great and respectable. The film points out that Salazar helped to keep Portugal out of World War II, which was definitely advantageous. I can't say I couldn't disagree with its points. Still, the film does poke fun at the reign. Capitão Falcão is patriotic beyond any reason, and at the end of the film, we get a pretty loving embrace. Still, I was impressed that the film didn't just hate on the whole thing.

I nonetheless have criticisms. One, some of the gags would just go on for way too long. For example, the interrogation scene with Capitão Falcão and the communist guy with the beam? That was fine for one joke, but it kept going on and on. Another one was the prison scene when Capitão Falcão is talking to everyone. I liked that one with the kid, but the other ones just made it too long since they barely had anything to say.

The second relates to the first, but still deserves its own category: the film was badly paced. Some scenes were okay, but others would just drag on for too long. Spoilers: Capitão Falcão gets turned into a communist, but he's able to get out of it eventually. But that whole sequence just went on for way too long. Some fighting scenes were way too long as well. Basically, the film could have cut out an extra ten or twenty minutes. This made the film very long toward the end, and I kept waiting to see the final credits. It didn't ruin the film, but instead of wanting to watch the film again, I'd rather get clips of the parts I found funny. And that's definitely not a good thing.

Overall, Capitão Falcão was pretty funny, but it is badly paced. I'd say it's worth at least one watch because it does have funny moments, but it lacks a good pace to give it re-watchablity. Have a good night!

English subtitles can be enabled for this one!

Review CXXIII - Love

Review 123
Love (2015)

Hey guys! I was all ready to rock 'n' roll with a couple of reviews before 2016, but unfortunately, I caught an absolutely awful gastro. Consequently, I only have an unedited review for you guys. I'll be sure to update it in 2016 and provide maybe a few more reviews before I return back to school. Happy New Year until then!

Ahh, 2015 is coming to a close, and I must say, it was a pretty shitty year. I guess I thought continuing my Gaspar Noé saga would be appropriate to thus close the New Year, not to mention he had a new film out this year. This one's called Love and it stars a bunch of random people you have never heard of in your life. Let's get to it!

Remember how much I hated Enter the Void? ... Yeah, I still desperately hate that movie, but Love somehow has less plot and makes less sense than Enter the Void. You'd think Gaspar Noé would up his game and maybe improve over time, but I guess he just gets worse. So why does Love suck such balls? Because it does just that: suck balls. That is, this is a freaking porn movie. An extra long porn movie with an attempt at culture, but it's porn nonetheless. We'll go from beginning to end with this shit fest, so strap in for a spoiler-induced review.

The film starts off with some announcement about putting on your 3D glasses. ... Okay. I'm not sure why this was included on my DVD copy of the movie, but whatever. What's the first scene? A man and woman jacking each other off. Great stuff. We get a full view of the woman, with the guy partially covered by the woman, although we still get a great shot of his dick. This lasts I think about three minutes. Then we cut to the same guy and a woman sleeping in the same bed. An alarm goes off... And then we get shitty, shitty monologue from the guy. This guy has a son, but immediately we're told that he feels "trapped" and a bunch of other shit typical of a guy that got a girl pregnant because he's a douche. Then he checks his voicemail after giving the baby to his mother, the woman he was laying in bed with. "Hello, this is Electra's mom. I haven't heard from her in two months - call me back," the message goes, with the woman possessing a thick French accent. Okay, before we go anywhere, let's point out the obviousness of the name Electra. Hm, that name is pretty uncommon... Could it be a reference to the Electra complex? Seems a bit stretched, but I think maybe it could be that. But don't worry, the obviousness continues when we see Murphy's law pop up and absorb the screen. "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong." Huh! Our protagonist's name is Murphy! I'm sure it's a coincidence, though. *rolls eyes* I love it when films take out any ambiguity from its depths so you walk away from the film without any questions. Well, I do have one: WHY AM I STILL WATCHING THIS?

We find out through a series of flashbacks that Murphy and Electra were going out and were so "madly in love". The two confess that sleeping with a blonde chick would up their relationship, and, oh look, the new neighbour is blonde and conveniently young (jailbait young)! After finding out she's pro-choice (plot anyone?) and enjoys smoking up (idiot anyone?), they invite her over. Ensue a threesome because everyone's a whore. However, one weekend when Electra's gone, Murphy goes over to the chick's house, has sex with her, but the condom breaks. And thus baby nine months later. But apparently Electra gets very angry and breaks up with him! Oh no :(( Electra, no :(( You're not that much of a whore :(( Anyway, so Murphy is furious, and tries to get her back, but it fails of course, and we cut back to present time. The film just jumps around, so I'll just discuss some scenes from here on out about the film that worth mentioning for rage.

Somewhere in the middle of the film - how I made it more than one minute in, I don't know - our lovely protagonist, Murphy, is talking to Electra and some whore at a party. "What is the number one goal in life?" he asks. The whore yells out, "Love!" Satisfied with the answer, Murphy then asks the second goal in life. "Sex!" the whore giggles, ready to pounce on his dee for no fathomable reason. Murphy excitedly agrees. "I want to make a film about sexual love. I've never seen a film like that!" As you can see, Gaspar Noé decided breaking-not-breaking the fourth wall would be a good idea, so we have Murphy basically telling us that this film is new, it's creative, it's grand. But I've also never seen a film focusing solely on decapitating babies, but does that mean it should exist? No. Not all ideas are good ideas, so I'm glad some freaking contemporary film student came out with some idea that hasn't been touched before. We're screwed. Anyway, that girl gets the dee from Murphy in the bathroom (why why why), but Electra finds out immediately as they are super loud about it, and, quite understandably, is super pissed off. Murphy claims she's sleeping with her ex (played by Gaspar Noé - he's damn short compared to Electra), and they argue in a taxi. "Calmez-vous!" the taxi driver tells them (it was bad acting). What follows is two aggressive sex scenes, one of them in a club. I don't know if they're connected, but to me, they're connected. I don't know when he says it, but Murphy claims his dick does not "think" and keeps "screwing things up". Apparently it does, but it doesn't because this guy CONTINUOUSLY CHEATS on his girlfriend and sex follows. Cheating is INEXCUSABLE. But this guy and film treat it as nothing. Sure, Electra gets pissed off, but they have mad sex after that. This girl must have the lowest self-confidence in the world to go back with a guy like this. Then again, she does hard drugs, and her mom finds them in one shot. That is, an IDIOT. And that scene was weird too, but eff it. What is this film?

I skipped through the end because there were too many sex scenes, too much random anger because everyone is an idiot, and too much melodrama from a guy who deserves castration. The film ends with Murphy taking a bath and crying to his baby, telling the baby that, "Life isn't easy :'((" Life isn't easy, but all these problems are brought on by HIMSELF. And then Electra is in the bath, they hug, and then the credits roll.

I missed some things, but I can sum it up: sex, sex, sex, sex, sex, and sex. We even got transvestite sex after Electra decides it would help them or something. I'm surprised there were no horses. And, just like in Enter the Void, we get a 3D penis-in-vagina scene. Great, just what I needed.

What about the acting? As was the case with Enter the Void, Love had absolutely SHIT acting. The acting was complete GARBAGE, except during the sex scenes, but it was actual sex, so I don't see how they could screw (heh) that up. Murphy was shit, Electra was god awful, the blonde chick was shit, Gaspar Noé was shit, every single character that said anything said it in such a robotic way, I felt like cutting my wrists. A film doesn't need the best acting in the world to be a good film, BUT DAMN, IT SHOULD BE VIEWABLE.

Was there anything redeemable about Love? No. It was atrocious. Even the name drives me up the wall. The film was not about love. The film didn't portray a story of love through sex. It was a shitty porno disguised as art so if your mom caught you fapping to it, you could tell her it was an "art" film. But it's not. I saw some reviewers saying there was more to this film than meets the eye. There isn't. Watch a porno and you'll get the same experience. Honestly, why do films like this get MADE? This one was even premiered at the Cannes festival. HOW. It was also produced by the same guy who did La vie d'Adèle. Why am I not surprised?

Sex should be an intimate show of affection, but Love and other films like it ruin every notion we should have about sex. I'm tired of garbage being labelled as "artsy" when it's really just bad. Don't watch it. I am beyond furious with this crap and beyond furious that this film wasn't burned at the reel at its first premier. God DAMN it.

Review CXXII - The Lobster

Review 122
The Lobster (2015)

Christmas is a time for family, for friends... It's a time where we take the time to be with those we love the most and try and think of a meaningful gift for them. So of course I went with Yorgos Lanthimos's The Lobster for the holiday season... Yeah, didn't I review Dogtooth not that long ago and say I didn't really get the film? Well, since The Lobster was an English film and I thought the plot was interesting, I was actually planning on watching it eventually. My boyfriend happened upon it recently, and with my words of encouragement, he was down. Thus, so was I. This one stars Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Ben Whishaw, Angeliki Papoulia (Dogtooth!), and Olivia Colman (whaaaat Hot Fuzz whaaat), among others.

David (Colin Farrell) lives in a society where companionship is a must. After realising he doesn't love his wife, he checks himself into a "love" hotel. In this hotel, you must find love in 45 days, or you are turned into an animal of your choice. Will David find love or turn into his chosen animal, the lobster?

Slight spoilers here. Honestly, the plot sums up only part of the film. It extends to so much more in the two hours it runs. It's like Martyrs in a way, where the film starts as one thing and turns into something else. I mean, I guess the film isn't as different as From Dusk Till Dawn let's say, but anyway, you get it.

The Lobster is a fine piece of cinema. I was a bit worried it would leave me feeling... odd and not sure, as was the case with Dogtooth, but in the end, with the film revolving around a global idea encompassing the world now, as well as the explanations from a particularly observant viewer, I got this one. But let's look into what I got from the movie. Here are maybe bigger spoilers for the movie in terms of plot analysis, so you have been warned. Basically, the film revolves around a more egocentric view of love. The limping man (Ben Whishaw) explains that his distinct characteristic is his limp. His dead wife had what? A limp. The man with the lisp (John C. Reilly) has his defining characteristic - a lisp. There's a woman with a frequent nosebleed (Jessica Barden), and a completely heartless/sadistic woman (Angeliki Papoulia). We never know them beyond this one characteristic. And this is what they search for in their partner. They are self-absorbed individuals who can only love those who are closest to them. The limping man, knowing he will be transformed in a short amount of time, fakes nosebleeds by bashing his head against walls, and ends up being paired up the nosebleed woman. A love based on a lie in order to not be alone - doesn't seem so unlikely, does it? Or at least, it doesn't from my experience. David also attempts to fake being heartless as he claims he has always been attracted to short-haired women and women with accents. However, the lie is quickly noticed after a particularly gruesome scene (akin to Dogtooth's cat scene), though he manages to escape the authorities. This is the way the society is made up, and if your defining characteristic sets you apart from the rest, you are transformed.

However, we have the opposite side of the equation with the loners. The loners, led by Léa Seydoux's character, have completely rejected this culture. They aren't allowed to have partners and must dig a grave and not risk getting the others in trouble. They cannot listen to music other than techno and must do it alone. They conduct missions where they attempt to ruin partners' lives. David joins them after escaping from the hotel. Of course, we see that there is a flaw in their being as well since completely rejecting love isn't a solution. It will only lead to their demise as the only way they can continue is to bring in others. However, David finds love in the group when he meets a woman who is short-sighted (Rachel Weisz) just as he is. They are found out eventually by the leader, and while the leader attempts to break them apart, we see that the two of them break the mold. They make sacrifices for the other, meaning they reject the programmed society they live in, something the leader could not have expected. They are the only ones who have truly found what love is. Of course, the ending is cringe worthy just as Dogtooth was, but it's a happy ending.

So why do I find The Lobster particularly meaningful? Love and marriage are not as they used to be. It is true that we get along best with those who are most similar to us, but we also have to be ready to make sacrifices and accept the differences we possess amongst each other. Nowadays, we are in a more "throw-away" culture where, if we have a problem with a partner, divorce is an option. Divorce is not bad if a partner is particular abusive, or if you are truly unhappy and have made an effort, but so often an effort is not made. It is hard for me to speak since I have never been married, but marriage isn't always easy and it's a learning experience. It seems wrong to me that we have a joining in love, have children in the middle, and then decide it isn't worth it. The Lobster shows this effortlessness with egotistical love. However, The Lobster shows us that the alternative, completely rejecting marriage is not a healthy option either. The movie presents an exaggerated portrayal of the current state of affairs, and it's something I have often discussed with my boyfriend. And thus, The Lobster has hung around with me. Even now, I still feel some heart strings tugging. Might I also say the acting was awkwardly adorable and just wonderful?

The Lobster is definitely unconventional, but totally worth a watch. Maybe not the most Christmas-y, but still worth a watch before the new year rears its ugly head, hehe. Merry Christmas guys!