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Written by: Gilbert Seah

Parent Category: Articles

Category: Movie Reviews

Published: 23 February 2024

FILM REVIEWS:

 

500 DAYS IN THE WILD (Canada 2023) ***½

Directed by Dianne Whelan

 

Award-winning director and cinematographer Dianne Whelan is the only person to complete this epic journey of discovery—hiking, biking, paddling, snowshoeing and skiing across the country.

The film begins with a very angry woman throwing things into the fire one evening, She is full of disappointment and anger, mainly of the deaths of too many indigenous women.  The woman turns out to be filmmaker Diane Whelan who wants to get away from it all -  people and technology.  She sets to make a doc on the longest trail in the world, travelling from east to west (as to follow the sun, she says) starting from the TransCanada Highway in St. John’s Newfoundland,  The trail contains 487 different routes on water and land which she will travel by bike or canoe.

Whelan is not an extreme sportsperson but an extreme filmmaker.  Here she will be filming herself as she has filmed sports extremists in the past.  For a woman in her 50s who is not an extreme athlete, it was sometimes gruelling, occasionally harrowing, often exhilarating and always surprising. She started out alone, disillusioned with the state of the world and worried about climate change, to look for different ways of caring for the land and each other.  She ended the journey a bit wiser, more hopeful, in love and with a passion to share this story.

In case one is wondering about the filming process, Whelan makes it clear from the very start of her doc how this is done.  She is doing most of the filming on her own, as she carries a tripod and camera on her bicycle.  She mentions that she is also getting the help of friends with the filming as well as the use of drones.  The latter seems awkward as one of the purposes of other ventures is to get away from technology.  Guess, it is impossible to get away completely from technology,

Whelan also makes it clear that is is mighty dangerous out there.  First of all, she is a woman, not to mention being all alone most of the time.  She could be attacked by a bear or by nasty people.  And there is no lock on the tent which is her daily living quarters.

The most dangerous part of Whelan’s journey is by canoe through the world’s largest freshwater lake, Lake Superior.  She paddles by canoe while large shipwrecks of steel ships lie beneath its cold waters.  It is said that water is so cold that dead bodies do not float in the water. (Whether this is true needs to be examined as the density of water is at its maximum at 4C).

The journey takes Whelan to the famous Bruce Trail around Toronto.  It was then -18C and after crossing a stream she and her friend of 20 years, who was helping her along were both soaking wet.  Everything is frozen.  The trail is not a straight path, up and down hills and with fallen small trees often blocking the paths.

500 DAYS IN THE WILD is a beautiful film that also displays the beautiful country of Canada in all its 4 seasons and terrain.  Director Whelan also makes sure the message of getting connected with Mother Earth gets through to her audience.

Trailer: 

CODE 8 PART II (Canada 2023) ***

Directed by Jeff Chan

 

A sort of Canadian filmmaker’s dream come true, it all started with his 2016 short film called CODE 8, a science fiction action short film directed by Jeff Chan, co-written by Chan and Chris Paré.  The film is a futuristic vision taking place in a world where 4% of the population is born with some supernatural ability.  The idea is somewhat similar to the Marvel X-MEN comic book series where certain humans are harvested and schooled for their unique super-powers.  Instead of being billionaire superheroes, most ‘specials’ live in poverty and resort to crime, forcing the police to become more militarized.  Starring Robbie Amell, Stephen Amell (the Amells are cousins) and Sung Kang, the film was expanded into a feature-length project, also titled Code 8.

The feature film CODE 8 in 2019 is set in the early 21st century (could be the present), when the public becomes aware of people with superhuman abilities, known as Powers.  This results in the government passing a law requiring all Powers to register their abilities.  Although they are initially popular in the workforce, as the Third Industrial Revolution begins, Powers are marginalized.  A crime syndicate known as The Trust has flooded the streets with an addictive drug called Psyke, made from the spinal fluid of trafficked Powers. Police departments begin using drone-deployed robots, called Guardians, and facial recognition software to combat Power-related crime while a citywide Powers ban is debated.  Connor Reed (Robert Arnell), a 26-year-old Electric (electrokinetic) looks after his mother Mary, a Cryo (cryokinetic), whose ailment impedes her from controlling her powers.  In this film, he comes across baddie Garrett (Stephen Arnell) as well as crime boss Marcus.

All these characters and the identical background appear in the latest, CODE 8 PART II.  But it does not require watching the short of the first CODE 8 as the script is easy to follow.  Once again as stated by the opening credits the film centres around the 4% of people living in fictional Lincoln City who possess special abilities. It follows the journey of a teenage girl, Pavani (Sirena Gulamgaus) fighting to get justice for her slain brother at the hands of corrupt police officers., led by Sergeant ‘King’ Kingston (Alex Mallari Jr.).  After becoming a witness to the cover-up, she becomes a target and enlists the help of an ex-con, Conor and his former partner-in-crime Garrett.

Highlights of the film include the police robotic canines nicknamed K9.   Meticulously designed so that they function almost like real dogs but programmed so that they are almost perfect animal machines so that no crook, Powers included, can escape from their clutches or mechanical paws.

The film is a blend of sci-fi, action, super-hero action and drama and does not concentrate on any of these genres.  The film is a pleasant enough entertaining watch, suitable for the family with a possible message of the immense potential danger of A.I. and the subject of falsifying effective policing in a community. The producers are already thinking of another sequel, with the film’s ending priming for a continuation.  Why not, if Netflix is picking up the cost tag?

The film is shot around Toronto and Hamilton.  The film’s rights have been acquired by Netflix.  The film opens on Netflix for streaming on February 28th.

Trailer: 

DUNE PART 2 (USA 2024) ***

Directed by Denis Villeneuve

 

Frank Herbert’s novel DUNE is a complex and complicated novel not easily be transformed into a film.  The first attempt directed by David Lynch (MULHOLLAND DRIVE, BLUE VELVET) was a mess that most audiences could not understand.  When Canadian helmer Denis Villeneuve was offered the job, he negotiated a two-film deal due to the novel’s complexity.

Most of the story of DUNE PARTY 2 has been established in Villeneuve’s first DUNE in 2021.

At the end of DUNE Part 1, Baron Harkonnen gives command of the conquered Arrakis to his nephew, Rabban (Dave Bautista), and orders him to restart spice production to recoup the cost of the invasion that occurred in DUNE Part 1.   Paul Atreides (Timothee Chamalat) and Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) are found by Duncan and Kynes, and Paul discloses his plan to marry one of Shaddam's daughters to avert the civil war that would ensue from news of the Emperor's treachery.  Duncan sacrifices himself to enable Paul and Jessica to escape;  Kynes is mortally wounded and lures a sandworm to devour her and the Sardaukar. In the deep desert, Paul and Jessica encounter Stilgar's tribe, including Chani (Zendaya), the girl in Paul's visions. 

In DUNE PART 2, Paul Atreides continues his journey, united with Chani and the Fremen, as he seeks revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family, and endeavors to prevent a terrible future that only he can predict.

Director Villeneuve’s film lasts a full 2 and three-quarter hours.  The production sets, set decor and art direction are nothing short of stupendous making a watch on iMAX a solid must.

On the other hand, the film contains a lot of CGI special effects.  The film is a demonstration of CGI gone mad.  It is hard to get excited watching 20 thousand CGI figures battling another 20 thousand CGI figures on the big screen.  The film’s most exciting part is the old-fashioned hand-to-hand combat (between Butler and Chamalat) at the end.  Despite the main actor Chamalat’s emotional performance, the story can hardly be felt by any audience.  The first half of the film is boring as nothing much happens, the only pleasure derived from the film being the production values.

The all-star cast contains big names including Austin Butler (ELIVS), Florence Pugh, Josh Brolin and Javier Bardem, though a few of the faces are hardly recognizable under the makeup.

At best, DUNE PART 2 is visually stunning in all departments and despite its lack of a human story with emotional impact, the film should satisfy sci-fi space fans, hands-down.  As for the future, Villeneuve has expressed interest in making a third film based on Dune Messiah, the second novel in the series

The film’s production budget is listed as a hefty $120 -190 million.  With all the hyop]e of the DUNE book and this being the first blockbuster of 2024, DUNE PART 2 will most likely make a profit considering the first DUNE in 2021 made $440 million on a budget around the same size as this one.   The estimated gross for the first weekend is projected at $65 million.

DUNE PART 2 opens in theatres on March 1st.  See it in iMAX.

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MY NAME IS LOH KIWAN (South Korea 2024) ***

Directed by Kim Hee-Jin

 

For North Koreans trying to flee their country, making it often takes crossing the border to China that is only the beginning of a torturous journey toward freedom. That journey and the motivations of North Koreans who want to defect are the subject of the recent and excellent documentary called BEYOND UTOPIA.   The Chinese government has a hard-line policy of finding North Korean refugees, arresting them and detaining them and then forcibly sending them back to North Korea, where they will face investigation, torture and a range of harsh punishments.

MY NAME IS LOH KIWAN, based on the book of the same title tells the difficult story of fleeing North Korea to China and then to Belgium from the point of view of twenty-somethibg Loh Kiwan (Song Joong-ki).  Films on or about North Korea are few and far in-between and one knows very little about North Korea.  A film like MY NAME IS LOH KIWAN is a welcome entry to Netflix.  The recent refugee film IO CAPITANO which opened last week about two Senegaleses making a death-defying journey against all odds for a better life in Italy, this film also shows the difficulty in perilous joinery from a different adventurous look.

It is not mentioned in the film whether this is a true story, but it is, possibly partly.

When Loh tells his mother before his defection that he regrets putting her through all the hardship while is is still young and able, his mother replies: “Having a healthy son is all that every mother wants.”  Dialogue like this one tells a lot about the personalities of the characters and also sets the tone of the film.

Besides dialogue, a lot can be read from the actions of the characters.  When Loh just lands in Belgium and the broker waves him off, the broker gives Loh his card and tells him to call if he (Loh) ever wishes to return to China.  The next scene shows Loh crushing the card.  Loh walks past a litter bin on the street but he does not toss the crumpled paper away. Another scene at the film start has Loh wiping away what appears to be blood on the street.  Nothing is explained at this point

Escaping from China, North Korean defector Loh Kiwan sets out to fulfill his mother's dying wish, to find a place where he can truly own his name and live on his own terms. He travels to Belgium to seek refugee status but ends up being in limbo with no means to make a living or put a roof over his head. Marie, who used to represent the Belgian national shooting team and is now battling her inner demons, chances upon an exhausted Kiwan and steals his wallet. The two end up in a heated confrontation.

The film depicts Loh’s very difficult and tiring defection process showing his impoverished living conditions and the equally gruelling enrollment procedure for refugee status.  Mostly, the moving film credibly and effectively shows that life is not always dished out on a silver platter and one like Loh has to make do while taking one step at a time.

Director Kim appears to love the use of flashbacks.  He uses it once at the film’s start when he tells the story after Lot wipes away the blood on the street and again after the immigration officer questions if it is Loh’s mother who gave him the money to travel to Belgium.

Trailer:  

 

THE PARADES (Japan 2024) **

Directed by Michihito Fujii

 

What happens when one dies?  This is the magic question that many filmmakers examine,  from Albert Brooks’ excellent DEFENDING YORU LIFE in which the dead has to defend his or her life to move forward to the afterlife.  Albert Brooks falls in love with Meryl Streep at this point.  But another film that really surprises is the 1999 masterpiece Hirokazu Kore-eda's AFTER LIFE, a film that reaches out gently to the audience and challenges us: What is the single moment in our own lives we treasure the most?  In the film the dead is asked to recall the happiest moment, which is filmed and the dead will take this as a memory for eternity forgetting everything else.  This film put Kore-eda on the filmmaking map.  In THE PARADES, a similar premise holds.

Japanese director Michihito Fujii (HARD DAYS, THE LAST 10 YEARS) has hard shoes to fill.  The title of the film THE PARADES is so called because from the parades held every month, the deceased gather to find the person they long to see again, slowly reaching into the depths of everyone’s hearts.

Though the film takes 15 minutes or so to establish to the audience that the main character is already dead, those going into the film likely already know the fact.\, an thus have to play along patiently.  The film begins on a beach covered with trash, a sorry sight, where Minako (Masami Nagasawa) wakes up.  She is servicing her lost son Ryo, She frantically runs around asking anyone insight whether they have seen him.  She encounters Akira (played by Kentaro Sakaguchi), a former gang member Katsutoshi (played by Ryusei Yokohama), a former film producer Michael (played by Lily Franky), and their friends, only to realize that she has already passed away. She is unable to move on to “the beyond” due to unfinished business in this world, she is told.

Though intriguing as the plot can be, the story also dwells on the stories of the others, which tends to eclipse the main story of Minnako.  Unfortunately, there are too many other stories, and these including the story of Mink can hardly be described as terribly interesting.  Director Fiji’s director character might be a reflection of his own character, but he comes across as a person too full of himself.  His character is always able to get what he wants.  Even the Yakuza gangster, the most interesting of all the dead characters follows his advice.

THE PARADES is essentially a ghost story of regrets and redemption.  It has recently been done in ALL OF US STRANGERS and in other after-life films like DEFENDING YOUR IFE, AFTER LIFE and done much better,  The stories are also not convincing enough as they seem to be just put on for show.

As they say in many funerals, the film is a celebration of life rather than about the end of it.

The Netflix movie THE PARADES will be released globally on Thursday, February 29, 2024.

Trailer: 

SPACEMAN (USA 2024) **

Directed by Johan Renck

 

Tech space giants are charging an arm and a leg to travel into space.  Most vacancies have been filled.  But many do not really have the reality of the tedium and danger of such an excursion.  The recent disaster of the vessel designed to look at the Titanic shipwreck going bust is a case in point where millionaires have died while paying for the trip.  SPACEMAN illustrates and demonstrates the other side of space travel - dangerous, unhealthy, psychologically damaging and the possibility of other mishaps.

SPACEMAN  is a 2024 American science fiction drama film directed by Johan Renck and written by Colby Day.   It is based on the 2017 novel Spaceman of Bohemia by Jaroslav Kalfař.  The film stars Adam Sandler in a serious role, Carey Mulligan, Kunal Nayyar, Isabella Rossellini, and the voice of Paul Dano. As an astronaut, Jakub Procházka (Sandler) is sent to the edge of the solar system to collect mysterious ancient dust and finds his earthly life falling to pieces, he turns to the only voice who can help him try to put it back together.  It just so happens to belong to a creature, Hanus (voice of Don) in the shape of a spider from the beginning of time lurking in the shadows of his ship

Adam Sandler (Jakub) is not a happy camper.  To make things worse, the toilet isn’t working from the very start of the film.   When he asks for the toilet to be fixed, Control tells him the camera gets first priority.  (What is a Sandler movie without a toilet joke?)

The accents are out of the ordinary,  Sandler puts on a slight but weird Czech accent while Carey Mulligan as his wife, Lena keeps her British accent.  The rest of the cast spot a variety of different accents.  Jakub looks dishevelled owing to his beard throughout the film.  6 months apart insulation is enough to make anyone go mad.

The special effects and art decoration are worthy of mention.  Jakub is often seen floating in his cabin without the effect of gravity.  This is likely the first space film that shows how untidy and cluttered, again mentioning the malfunctioning toilet the inside living quarters of a spaceship can be, in contrast to neat, efficient and modern as in Stanley Kubrick’s 2001A SPACE ODYSSEY or any other space movie.  The reason is to emphasize the discomfort and monotony of a long flight into space.

Adam Sandler has proven his acting mettle in man-child comedies but in serious films like PUNCH DRUNK LOVE and UNCUT GEMS gaining the respect of critics that many comics do not have.  SPACEMAN adds to the list but unfortunately is not one of his better Sandler films.  Despite incidents occurring at a regular pace as the film progresses, the whole exercise involving the beginning and end of time and Jake’s realization of the failure of his marriage is a turgid affair.  The introduction of Hanus the talking spider does not help either.  No one is ever sure what is happening or what could happen.  The way life’s discovery and regrets for Jakub are realized is not convincing enough.  

SPACEMAN debuted in theatres beginning last week (the review was not posted then, as a link was not made available till this week) but opens for streaming on Netflix.  SPACEMAN is a Netflix original Adam Sandler film.

Trailer: 

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Details

Written by: Gilbert Seah

Parent Category: Articles

Category: Movie Reviews

Published: 20 February 2024

FILM REVIEWS:

 Lots of small-budget indies opening this week.  The standout of the lot is RIDDLE OF FIRE which premiered at Midnight Madness TIFF last year.

COMING TO YOU (South Korea 2021) ***

Directed by Gyiro Byun

 

A documentary from South Korea on personal LGBT issues!

Gyuri Byun's emotional heartfelt Korean documentary centres on two working-class mothers, Nabi and Vivian. Like many in South Korea, where there is a distinct lack of legal protections for queer communities and gay marriage remains illegal, neither women gave much thought to LGBTQ+ rights or its growing advocacy among the country's younger generations. Therefore, their lives and perceptions were upended when their respective children came out to them — Nabi's as trans, and Vivian's as gay. Reluctant to accept this news at first, both women's reactions reveal deep-rooted discriminatory beliefs about queerness. This is not uncommon in South Korean society, which makes their respective transformations all the more impactful — both women grew to not only accept their children's gender and sexuality but became activists in their own right as members of Parents, Families, and Allies of LGBTAIQ+ People in Korea. Both Nabi and Vivian grapple with the pain and loneliness their children feel, the struggle to access gender-affirming care, and the yearning for societal and familial acceptance. Without shying away from their initial discriminatory opinions, Byun's impressive film tells an unflinchingly honest story of hard-won allyship and gives faith to the idea that people can change their minds.

Director Byun’s doc can hardly be called groundbreaking as the issues of coming out have been covered countless times since the times when gays were ostracized till now when gays are largely accepted.  However, the emotions experienced by the 4 subjects (each given around equal screen time)  are still felt everywhere and it is still heartbreaking to see what the subjects went through.

The emotions and reactions are different.  Nabi’s trans wishes to do an FTM (female-to-male transition)but the mother disapproves initially.  She says on camera that she hates her mother.  After much thought and examination, the mother, Nabi finally relents.  An emotional “Thank you, Mother” means so much to Nabi after she is acknowledged.  The issue of how difficult the operation needs to be approved (needs to be approved by a judge; needs parental consent despite the fact that the person has come of age) is also observed in the film.   On the other hand, Vivian’s son still loves his mother.  The process of coming out to his mother is a curious one.  He leaves a letter to his parents while returning later.  The letter is a coming-out letter that describes how much he is going through.  The surprise for her is that the son has come out to his friends first.

Vivian 55, is a veteran firefighter while Nabi 50, is a flight attendant.  The process of acceptance of their LGBT children forms a major part of the film.  The climax of the film shows both of them at a support group meeting where they speak out.

  COMING TO YOU has won many documentary awards as it was screened in international festivals.  The film premieres via VOD and digital outlets on March 22nd, 2024

Trailer: 

 

DAD & STEP-DAD (USA 2022) **

Directed by Tynan Delong

 

DAD & STEP DAD is a micro-budget DIY (Do-it-yourself) movie that prided itself as a film with no script (actually not a thing to be proud of) while containing lots of improv.

An improv film suffers from a lose-lose situation.  If part of the film is changed because the improv did not work - then the film can no longer be considered improv.  On the other hand, if the entire film is improv, then it will have to include the parts that do not work.  A film that is planned and well-written would most likely turn out better than one that is unplanned.

DAD & STEP-DAD  comedy about family, communication, insecurity, and the fragility of the male ego, the film follows Jim and Dave, a dad and a step-dad, as they struggle with bonding during a weekend upstate with Branson, the son they share.

DAD & STEP-DAD first began as a series of improvised shorts created by DeLong, Colin Burgess, and Anthony Oberbeck in 2018, allowing the trio years to hone their characters and comedic sensibility before growing the project to feature-length. Inspired by cinéma vérité documentaries, ASMR, and Japanese environmental music, the formally and tonally unique character-driven slow-burn was shot in four days during the summer of 2021 with a production budget of $18,000 and is entirely improvised, based on a robust outline and several rehearsals.

The three actors are comedians with an impressive acting resume.  To their credit, they interact in their scenes credibly and the chemistry works well.  Though occasionally repetitive in their dialogue, expected for improv, it is what it is.  The characters of the dad and set-dad etch out different personalities.  The character of the mother appears unnecessary, except to put some tension in the relationship between the stepdad and the family.

The 13-year old son Branson is played by 30-year-old actor Brian Fiddyment.  Fiddyment looks 30 despite the way he is wardrobed in the film and not 13.  This is odd casting indeed.  One assumes the credibility of the characters is not of importance.

On the positive side, the film has garnished rave reviews for an improv film.  Already named one of “The Best Movies of 2024 (So Far)” by Esquire, DAD & STEP-DAD became an instant cult comedy hit and screened as part of the inaugural New/Next Film Fest in Baltimore, programmed by veteran curator and taste-maker Eric Allen Hatch, where Paste praised it as, “a movie made for next to nothing by a group of filmmaking friends, Dad & Step-Dad is the closest thing in body and spirit to the kind of DIY cinema that put New/Next’s forerunner, the Maryland Film Festival, on the map some 15 years ago.”

The film is released by NoBudge.  NoBudge, the premiere streaming platform for young and emerging filmmakers launched by filmmaker Kentucker Audley in 2018 —and where 15 of DeLong’s short films can currently be found— makes its first move into the realm of distribution

A year after a packed premiere in New York at the Nitehawk Cinema Prospect Park and a week of sold-out screenings at Spectacle theatre, DAD & STEP-DAD celebrates their long-awaited arrival to digital platforms worldwide on Friday, March 22.

Trailer: 

 

THE FOX (Les Fuchs) (Austria 2021) ****

Directed by Adrian Goiginger

 

An introverted young farm labourer (Simon Morzé), indentured and seemingly abandoned by his poor family as a child, volunteers for Austria's army but soon finds himself part of Nazi Germany's vast military machine. When he discovers an orphaned fox cub he adopts it and clings to it as the last vestige of his humanity amidst the carnage of WW2. Based on the true story of Franz Streitberger, the director's great-grandfather.

What is interesting to watch and also to note is the behaviour Franz under the circumstances of his youth.  Being sold by his father out of poverty to a richer farm for the reason that he is unable to fend for his son, Franz grew up solitary serving as a farmhand to his new owner till he reached his adult age he was then set free to go.  The scene where the son realizes that he is being sold and yet refuses and has to be taken kicking and screaming by his father is a scene defiantly difficult to forget.  Franz’s new owner wrote about Franz that he is of good character and a hard worker but not a happy one.  After enlisting in the army, his fellow soldier asks him to tell him a story to break away the monotony.  To his surprise, France is silent, giving absolutely no story to tell.  Franz has difficulty adjusting to his fellow soldiers causing him to go screaming in the forest on the first day after an incident regarding him keeping the cheese that is shared with the rest of the soldiers.

The transition of Franz from the boy to the adult is too abruptly done.  It takes a while for the audience to relate to the protagonist of the film.  One might initially wonder the reason for the full half hour of the film devoted to the boy when the rest of the film centres on the adult Franz.  The reason is clearer towards the end of the film, as the audience needs to understand the feelings of the boy.  The story is based on the true events of the director’s great-grandfather.

The story shifts to Franz as a soldier who discovers a fox cub with a broken paw.  Franz gets the paw healed and looks after the cub for a year or so.  And yes, the fox cub is so incredibly cute that anyone would fall in love with it.  But looking after the cub as a soldier out fighting in the war is a dauntless task.  The fox cub is extremely cute, in fact so cute that one can see the reason Franz decided to adopt it.  (It is difficult to dislike a movie with such a cute animal, believe me.

The war fought by Franz is with the Germans against France, Britain and their allies.  The evil of Hitler’s Third Reich clad the Nazis are never their issue here and omitted as it has nothing to do with the story of Franz and his fox cub.

There is a romance in the story as Franz, the solitary and socially awkward Franz deals with his romantic fling with a French girl.

The main purpose of the story is to relate Franz’s attachment to the fox cub to his childhood experience of being sold by his father to the richer farmer who could then tend and feed Franz.  The purpose is made clear as the film’s climax and is emotionally gut-wrenching.

THE FOX (LES FUCHS) is a gut-wrenching emotional true story set in WWII told with conviction and credibility.  From Austria, the film has garnered multiple awards and comes with this reviewer’s high recommendation.  The film opens on Prime and Apple TV on March 22nd.

Trailer: 

 

THE FRAGILE KING (South Africa 2022) ***½

Directed by Tristan Holmes 

 

The emotional drama based in part on the true events of the director’s relationship with his grandfather forms the basis of this low-budget but effective gut-wrenching film.   The film is not about royalty.   The ‘king’ referred to in the title happens to be the last name of a grandfather and son, the subjects of the story.  The story focuses on the relationship between two estranged characters Michael and his grandfather, Gerald King.

After the tragic death of his mother in a car accident, 15-year-old Michael King (Alex de la Rey) is sent to live with his grandfather Gerald (Andrew Buckland), whom he hardly knows. The emotional gulf between the traumatized boy and cantankerous old man is immense, but during a road trip across South Africa's Northern Cape to reunite Michael with his estranged father, a relationship of understanding and trust slowly emerges. After going their separate ways, the two reunite a year later, and through one final unexpected journey, the King men finally come to realize a true sense of love and belonging in each other.

It is hard not to get emotionally connected with a subject that is unloved by all including family.  Michael is loved by his mother but that love is soon lost.  His mother is not the ideal role model, a woman who brings her son bowling, skipping his school while she skips work at the same time.  Drunk often, Michael feels destitute and can be seen to long for a more responsible parent.  The longing is made worse when his mother dies in a car accident,  He meets his grandfather who had abandoned both his daughter and her son.  Unwanted, Michael is brought to the home of his biological father after a road trip and discovers he is not wanted by the father’s family as well.

Alex de La Rey plays the boy, who is the major focus of the story and film.  Needless to say, the success of the film lies solely on his shoulders.  Fortunately, Alex is a very talented, photogenic and convincing performer for his young age.  He also possesses an impressive bio as follows.  Alex de la Rey is a recent graduate from St John's College, South Africa, where he was enrolled for 10 years from the ages of 9 to 18.  THE FRAGILE KING was his debut in the film industry at the age of 15 in 2019 when the film got started.  Prior to this debut, Alex has been heavily involved in theatre both with and independently from his school.  He was the recipient of 'Best Director' and 'Best Playwright' for his student production "CO7ID" - which tackled the social problems and mental health issues within the privileged first class of South African scholars that arose as a result of quarantining - at the National Festival of Excellence in Dramatic Arts (FEDA).  This South African teen will definitely go far and be an actor to be reckoned with.

THE FRAGILE KING, winner of Best Director at the New Renaissance Film Festival and the Jury Prize for Best International Film at the Overcome Film Festival is a powerful tale of heartbreak, healing and self-discovery.

THE FRAGILE KING makes its North American premiere on SVOD Indiepix Unlimited on March 22, 2024.

Trailer: 

GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE (USA 2024) ***½

Directed by Gil Kenan

 

The GHOSTBUSTERS franchise has been super successful beginning with the first with GHOSTBUSTERS in 1984 with the cast of Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, the late Harold Ramis and Annie Potts.  Two successful sequels followed together with a most horrible reboot in 2016 also called GHOSTBUSTERS, a female version set in an alternate universe.  That was totally awful.  The original GHOSBUSTERS was fun but by no means a masterpiece so thankfully, this new and latest version entitled GHOSBUSTERS: FROZE EMPIRE succeeds easily as an entertaining sequel, also directed by Gil Kenan who also directed the second sequel GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE which is a sequel to it.  The film is co-produced by Jason Reitman, son of Ivan Reitman, the director and producer of the original film

The Ghostbusters franchise consists of American supernatural comedies, based on an original concept created by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis in 1984. The plot ostensibly centres around a group of eccentric New York City parapsychologists who investigate, encounter, and capture ghosts, paranormal manifestations, demigods and demons.

In GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE, the Spengler family decides to leave Summerville, Oklahoma and go back to where it all started – the iconic New York City firehouse – and help the original Ghostbusters, who've developed a top-secret research lab to take busting ghosts to the next level. But when the discovery of an ancient artifact unleashes an evil force, Ghostbusters new and old must join forces to protect their home and save the world from a second Ice Age.

The impressive casting includes the original cast of GHOSTBUSTERS, Bill Murray, Dan Skrpyd and Annie Potts and the cast of GHOSTBUSTERS III: AFTERLIFE which is a sequel of.  A big risk in casting is the introduction of a new character, the Firemaster played by comedian Kumail Nanjiani, best known for the rom-com THE BIG SICK to fight the evil ice villain.  Annoying initially, the Pakistani/American actor eventually proves himself funnier than most of the other cast members.

The film works for a variety of factors.  Firstly, the blend of comedy and scary effects works well, with the ghosts being scary fun while not too frightening for the kids.  The Splenger family (played by Paul Rudd, Carrie Coons, Finn Wolfhard and Mckenna Grace) are the heroes of the film, a family with normal problems with the kids having growing up problems like other families.  There is enough family in the story without boring audiences.  All the beloved in the GHOSTBUSTERS franchise is included, especially the equipment to aid in the capture and containment of ghosts.  Their equipment includes proton packs, used to control and lasso ghosts; ghost traps, used to capture ghosts; and PKE meters, handheld devices used to detect psychokinetic energy.  The famous and catchy GHOSTBUSTERS song is reserved for the end, a song that will have GHOSTBUSTERS fans cheering in their seats.  There is a subplot looking at the ghosts’ perspective of the afterlife with Mckenna Grace as a ghost needing to prove herself.  subplot.  Everything in this film appears to work, and fans and not-so-diehard fans should not be disappointed,

GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE is available to be viewed in iMAX and opens in theatres worldwide on March 22nd.

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GOLDEN YEARS (DIE GOLDENEN JAHRE)(Switzerland 2022) ***½

Directed by Barbara Kulcsar

 

GOLDEN YEARS is a sincere senior comedy-drama, unlike most Hollywood senior comedies in which the older stars still cannot get over their aging process.  The aging process in GOLDEN YEAYS is covered with heart and credibility, with the points of view of both the male and female gender.

Alice and Peter are celebrating their retirement – and with it, a new phase in their lives.  The film opens with Peter leaving his office after his retirement.  “Who is taking over the office?” he asks.  He finds out that it is going to be the room for a new computer server,  However, shortly after the couple’s retirement party, a sudden tragedy befalls Alice’s best friend Magalie.  The film shifts, comfortably from Peter to Alice as the film now clearly indicates that both points of view will be examined in the story.   Peter, sympathetic to the suffering of Magalie’s widower, Heinz, invites him on the retirement cruise their children gave them.  Alice had hoped this trip would infuse fresh life into their marriage, but instead of enjoying their time together, they find themselves drifting further apart.

The important question of sex still arises for Peter and Alice and indeed for many older couples as well.  Peter has lost interest in sex, period not particularly for Alice but for anyone.  Naturally, Alice is upset.

Thus, disappointed and hurt, Alice doesn’t reboard the cruise ship during a shore excursion and instead embarks on a journey of self-discovery, taking her across Southern Europe and bringing her into a community of older people finding joy outside traditional notions of gender, marriage, and the later years of one’s life.

During the retirement party at the film’s start, a friend talks about retirement and life’s three regrets.  `1)  I should not have worked so much.  2) I should have shown my true feelings and 3) I should have dared to live one's life.

For the first two regrets, Peter and Alice have those for sure.  As for the third, the film shows them daring to do what they should have done with their life.   As for Alice, this means abandoning the cruise ship and for Peter, to do what he enjoys without Alice’s nagging.  The insightful film shows that the two of them can still have the love they had shared throughout their marriage while still doing the things they wish, with a little separation - no harm done.

GOLDEN YEARS is a different look at one's senior years from both a husband's and wife's points of view, demonstrating that one does not expect that love can still exist through separation and the key is to be able to live one’s life joyously doing what one wants without nagging and restraint,  GOLDEN YEARS is funny, romantic, charming and also entertaining fare.

Barbara Kulcsar (The Two of Us, Blush) directs from a screenplay by Petra Volpe (Heidi, The Divine Order), skillfully balancing drama and comedy in an affectionate story of an older couple.

GOLDEN YEARS opens on digital on March 26th.

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IMMACULATE (USA 2024) **

Directed by Michael Mohan

 

Directed by Michael Morgan and written by Andrew Label this under 90-minute horror movie is short and not-so-sweet, but short because it is short of material, which means that the film requires more technique like atmosphere and anticipation to achieve satisfactory scares. 

A devoutly religious woman named Cecilia (Sydney Sweeney from the recent ANYONE BUT YOU) is offered a role at an illustrious convent in the Italian countryside. The explanation for her going to Rome is that her convent closed in the United States. But this eager young beaver is all devout and ready but does not realize what’s in store for her.  Her faith is to be put to the test. On her arrival and introduction to the Reverend Mother, she is warned by the other sisters of some nasty goings-on.   “Death is part of life here,” Cecilia is told.  When she sees that the place is crawling with patients who are not all there in the upstairs department, Cecilia is told to play along, unless the patients get violent.  The audience is put on horror anticipation mode, spoilt by silly jump scares, but a few chills still keep the audience's interest at bay,  Her seemingly picture-perfect new home is soon revealed to hold horrifying secrets.  Sister Cecilia becomes pregnant, apparently without intercourse, and the pregnancy is deemed a miracle by all.

The film, being set in Italy and shot in vivid colours like red, has the feel of an Italian Giallo film and also Roman Polanski’s classic ROSEMARY’S BABY, as Cecilia will eventually give birth to a devil baby.  What she is going to do with that has the same scare as the climax of ROSEMARY’S BABY.  The arrival of Cecelia at the Italian convent also felt similar to the arrival of the girl at the Music Academy, actually a witch’s haven in Dario Argento’s Giallo classic SUSPIRIA, which had been re-made horribly by Hollywood,  A girl alone in a scary and strange environment where evil lurks is an often fond and scary scenario for a horror film.

The film is mostly a one-handler with the success of the film largely lying on Sydney Sweeney’s shoulders.  But she can only do so much as what transpires onscreen has been seen at one time or another in a horror film.  It does not help that nothing is explained about the pregnancy.  The ending before the climax where the priest chases and attacks Cecilia plays like a cheap slasher film where the killer never dies.  The priest is burnt in an explosion in a room but is still able to come after Cecilia.   The climax *(not to be revealed here) sort of sums up the film, but it takes too long to reach this point,

The beginning scenes are effectively scary though they might’ve little to do with the story.  A sister desperately tries to escape the convent before the opening credits roll.  Her legs get caught in the railings of the front gate and the nuns pull her legs back breaking them,  The next scene has her in an enclosed space.  She lights up a match (indeed where would she get a match from at this point in time or place) and it is revealed that she is enclosed in a coffin.

IMMACULATE had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 12, 2024.  The film opens in theatres on March 22nd.

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PROBLEMISTA (USA 2024) ***½

Directed by Julio Torres

 

PROBLEMISTA is the story of Alejandro, as the voiceover narrates at the start of the film.

Alejandro is an aspiring toy designer from El Salvador struggling to bring his unusual ideas to life in NY.  He wishes to work for Hasbro, the world-famous toy manufacturer, responsible for toys like Lego.  He leaves El Salvador but needs to be sponsored by a company or employer in order to fulfill his dreams of working in the U.S.   As it goes, he gets fired from his first job for the reason that is to be seen to be believed - the segment that could appear as an SNL skit.  As time runs out on his work visa, a job assisting an erratic art-world outcast, Elizabeth (Tilda Swinton)  becomes his only hope to stay in the country.

There is the running joke of updating the file software in order to coordinate all of Elizabeth’s artwork which is quite funny, as is most of Torres's humour.

Julio Torres has the enormous gift of looking below 20 when his real age as of the day is 37.  He wrote, directed and starred as a preschool character in his debut feature PROBLEMISTA.  Who is this Julio Torre?

Julio Torres was born in 1987 in San Salvador, El Salvador. He says he has always wanted to pursue a career in writing for comedy.  Torres worked as a writer on The Chris Gethard Show before he was hired to write for Saturday Night Live.   He worked at SNL from 2016 to 2019, writing sketches including "Papyrus" and "Wells for Boys”  He was nominated for four Emmys as a member of the SNL writing team.  Torres is definitely a very gifted talent and this fact is evident in his debut feature.

Acting heavyweights Oscar Winner Tilda Swinton and Isabella Rossellini (narrating the film) lend their hands to the film, showing their faith in Torres.  Swinton is simply marvellous and unrecognizable as the neurotic Elizabeth.

There is an odd scene in the film where he is invited to an apartment to perform a cleaning that ends with him getting sucked off by the Asian employer.  He gets paid nonetheless and the gay issue is brushed off.  In life, Torres is gay.  He said in June 2020, a fact that is evident in the theme throughout his film, ”I never want to claim to speak for anybody else's experience. I am not here representing gear-paid immigrants. I am not here representing Salvadorians, Hispanics, or gay people. I can only share what's in me and that may or may not ring true with people, but I have never wanted to use any of those things as a calling card.

PROBLEMISTA has the feel of a Spike Jonze film though Torres’s film clearly has a distinction of his own.  Occasionally all over her place with a message that is left ambiguous, the film is still entertaining, inventive and playful showing PROBLEMISTA as a worthy debut for the talented JulioTorres, a new comedic filmmaker and a talent to be reckoned with.

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RIDDLE OF FIRE (USA 2023) ****

Directed by Weston Razooli

 

 

The film plays like a fairytale that contains witches, a princess with a castle and an enchanted forest,  and three ‘innocent’ children.  They get lost in the woods and encounter evil creatures.  But if one expects to watch a family-type Grimm’s fairy tale - no such luck.  But director Razooli’s film offers quite a surprise.  Director/writer Weston Razooli’s fresh and inventive neo-fairytale RIDDLE OF FIRE marks one of the best surprises this year at the cinema.

Three rascal children run afoul of an enigmatic coven in Weston Razooli’s whimsical neo-fairytale, which evokes a menagerie of esoteric genres and dreamy cult-film vibes.

The film begins with the three rascals riding their bikes and arming themselves with weapons that can hurt like a paintball gun  The three plan to hijack the latest video game from Otomo in a warehouse.  They call themselves the Three Immortal Reptiles, and are made up of two brothers and a girl. For Hazel (Charlie Stover), Alice (Phoebe Ferro), and Jodie (Skyler Peters).   But they are unable to play the game as their game console is password protected by the boys’ mother who is ill in bed with the flu.  The kids beg for the password but the mother utters a very stern no.  But the kids aim to win their mother’s heart and the password, by getting her favourite blueberry pie from the store.  The story goes all over the place - but in a good and humorous way and the kids end up having to bake the pie on their own after getting the ingredients that includes one speckled egg.  The search for the speckled egg ends up with the trio finding themselves whisked away through woodlands dark, running afoul with the infamous Enchanted Blade Gang, an enigmatic coven led by an honest-to-badness witch (Lio Tipton) who is able to cast spells to enchant others.

Director Razooli’s story takes place in the least of expected places for a fairy tale- in the area around Ribbon in Wyoming - which makes the film every weirder and dead-pan.  Razooli is clever enough to get his audience on this side of the kids.  All the adults are enemies or obstacles for the kids with the only adult that has a good heart being the mother with the ultimate prize of the password for the game console.  It is a kids adventure in the spirit of the Enid Blyton children’s books like The Famous Five but for adults in an adult setting.  RIDDLE OF FIRE is that rare film that can play both at a children's film festival and at the Midnight Madness section at TIFF.

The kids are not perfect kids.  They steal and lie and fight among themselves but they are real kids, more real than one can imagine - not like the goody-goody ones in the Disney world.  The dialogue among the adults, the kids and the fairytale poetry is often pricelessly funny.

RIDDLE OF FIRE premiered at the Director’s Fortnight at Cannes followed by screening at TIFF’s Midnight Madness section.  The film is not a horror movie but is more quirky than most.

RIDDLE OF FIRE film in theatres on March 22nd.

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SHAYDA (Australia 2023) ***

Directed by Noora Niasari.

 

Inspired by Niasari's childhood experiences, the story follows an Iranian immigrant woman in Australia, Shayda (Cannes Best Actress Winner for HOLY SPIDER, Zar Amir Ebrahimi) who is raising her young daughter in a women's shelter.

It takes a while for the film to set its footing and for the audience to determine what the story is in SHAYDA.  The audience soon learns that Shayda and her daughter have moved into a female shelter where she looks after her daughter with other mothers facing the same dire circumstances.  There is of course friction between mothers, between the young children, all heightened by the stress of leaving one’s home.  The audience soon learns that Shayda has been abused by her husband.  She is filing for divorce and he is filing for custody.  Presently, the child is with her.  In the preparation of the court case, the audience learns the details of the physical abuse.  He had grabbed Shayda and pushed her against a wall, thus having sex with her claiming that she would not leave him now that she would be pregnant with the second child.  Most of the important incidents are revealed secondhand through words, and not seen in its execution.  Yet the abuse can still be emotionally felt.

SHAYDA is being blamed for the abuse done to her by her husband and for her running away with her daughter.  This the audience learns from Shayda’s telephone call with her mother.  “People are talking,” the mother says.  “He is a good father.  After he graduates and becomes a doctor, he will get his life together.”   Everyone seems to have a good impression of doctors.  But in another scene, the husband tells the daughter that he wants to cure all the sick cows in Tehran.  So, whether he is studying to become a veterinarian or a human doctor is never made clear.

Women in Iran have been portrayed in a really bad light lately.  The film demonstrates the empowerment of women and sends a necessary and strong message that women must stand up and fight for what is right in their lives.  And men should know better and be more sympathetic.  The film picks up when Shayda attempts some normalcy in her.  She wears a shiny dress and goes dancing in a club, wearing what she wants to wear and not dictated by Iranian norms.  But the danger of her daughter being abducted and her worries about her abusive husband still loom in her mind,

SHAYDA has already made the film circuit through film festivals worldwide.  SHAYDA had its World Premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival on 19 January 2023, where it won the Audience Award in the World Cinema Dramatic competition.  In August 2023, it was screened as the opening film at the Melbourne International Film Festival for its Australian premiere, and it closed the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland. It was also scheduled for screening at the Toronto International Film Festival last September.  SHAYDA was also Australia’s entry for the Best International Feature Academy Award this year.  It opens in theatres on March 22nd.

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YOU’LL NEVER FIND ME (Australia 2023) ***

Directed by Josiah Allen and Indianna Bell

Patrick, a strange and lonely resident, lives in a mobile home at the back of an isolated caravan park.  After a violent thunderstorm erupts, a mysterious young woman appears at his door, seeking shelter from the weather. The longer the night wears on and the more the young woman discovers about Patrick, the more difficult she finds it to leave.  Soon she begins to question Patrick's intentions, while Patrick begins to question his own grip on reality.

The film is essentially a two-hander with two actors enclosed in a claustrophobic setting.  It is a simple premise and a low-budget production, but the directors prove that there can always be more than meets the eye.

So the story has two people stuck in a shack because of a furious storm that shows no relentless stopping.  The girl seeks shelter from the storm.  In an initial scene, she bangs on the door, to which the man responds with a loud: “Fuck Off”.  The man gives her shelter and the cat-and-mouse game begins.

Who is the predator?  It is the mean-looking loner who is different from the world?  Or is it the intruder?  Directors Allen and Bell keep their audience guessing from the very start.  He could be a serial killer hiding out in the woods away from civilization.  On the other hand, perhaps, the girl, the intruder knows the man and has planned a visit to exact an act of revenge.  The plot thickens with lots of lumps in the gravy.  It is near the two-third mark and more hints are given to the audience to bow the audience’s mind with no clear result in sight  It is a good tactic to keep interest at hand with the audience always wondering who the villain is.  Perhaps both of them are.  This could also be a possibility.

“Like I said, I think you will be here for a while.”   The power is out before flicking causing the light to go on and off and the music from the radio to sound intermittently.  All these effects create a more sinister atmosphere of dread and danger.

The title of the film YOU’LL NEVER FIND ME could refer to the old man’s lodging.  “What are you hiding from?” she asks him at one point in the film adding that wherever one might be, tap water will never taste differently.

The grounds where the man resides are locked.  “If the gate is locked, how did I get in?” quizzes the girl to the old man.  “That is exactly what I was going to ask you.” answers the man.  The conversation is left hanging.

“I would like to leave now, “ says the girl.” The gate’s locked,” the man retorts.  “I will find a way for you, “ she replies to which volunteers to take her there when the weather improves.  The question of her earrings comes into the discussion whence finally gets upset saying that she will then leave.

The ultimate segment comes when the two are stuck together in the house and playing cards.  “My name is Patrick, by the way,” the man volunteered his name to which she did not reply with her name.  “You look familiar,  Have we not met before?” he asks.

YOU’LL NEVER FIND ME has an excellent build-up - too good that it is hard to reach a climax that meets the audience’s anticipations.   Watch the film for the buildup anyway, and forget the muddled ending. The film streams on Shudder on March 22nd.

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YUNI (Singapore/Indonesia/Australia/France 2021) **
Directed by Kamila Andini 

The third film of director Andini to premiere at TIFF, YNUI is the story of an Indonesian teen school girl by the name of Yuni, played by Arawinda Kirana.  Yuni loves the colour of purple (not THE COLOUR PURPLE film), has a clique of close friends, and characteristically teenage views.  She longs to study in college, hopefully winning a scholarship in the process.  Her loving family is more bound to tradition than she is.  When her family receives the first one, then a second proposal of arranged marriage for her, Yuni’s grandmother urges her not to refuse this “blessing.”  With each passing day, at home and at school, Yuni sees her horizons closing in.  Director Anini paints a troubled teen life and the audience gets to learn what Indonesia is like as well as what teen girls have to face.  But director Andini  takes on a bit too many issues that include her literature teacher turning out gay and proposing to her as well.  Whether Yuni wins her scholarship is not the key issue of the story here, and one wonders what (the key issue) is after the film concludes with an open ending.  Perhaps director Andini wishes her audience to figure it out.

YUNI won TIFF’s Platform prize in 2021.  The film premieres on VOD and digital on March 22, 2024.

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Written by: Gilbert Seah

Parent Category: Articles

Category: Movie Reviews

Published: 18 February 2024

FILM REVIEWS:

 

578 MAGNUM (Vietnam 2023) ***

Directed by Dung Long Dinj

 

578 MAGNUM is, as the film title implies, an action film.  This one is from Vietnam!  Though not as fortunate as Hollywood action films blessed with large production budgets, 579 MAGNUM does its best with what it’s got - a modest budget.

After leaving the Special Forces, container truck driver and single father Hùng (Alexandre Nguyen) dedicates his life to raising his six-year-old daughter. But when she gets kidnapped and assaulted, Hùng relies on his martial arts training and combat skills to hunt down the twisted millionaire responsible.  His mission of vengeance takes him on a journey deep into the Vietnamese underworld, where he faces off against legions of bloodthirsty gangsters working for one of the world's most dangerous crime syndicates.

  The action set pieces are well staged including one where Hung fights his foes while moving under and out of a tractor-trailer.  Another well-staged piece deserving of mention is a hand-to-hand fight taking place atop the slippery top of a storage container during a heavy downpour.

There are a few points that differentiate this action flick from the ordinary.   There is more emotion in the story, the main one involving the father reuniting with his kidnapped daughter,  Director Dung milks the emotional impact for all it is worth.  The beauty of Vietnam is also on full display here, including the sea around the country.  The theme of the triumph of the human spirit is also on display here - the father, Hung going all out in the hopes of finding his daughter.  The theme of parent and child is also examined - both between the hero and his daughter and the billionaire villain and his son  “When my son cried at night as a baby, I stayed up all night,” says the villain.  The film also has a good build-up ending with the climactic fight between Hung and the billionaire villain.   There is also a side theme of being a good Samaritan,  hung aids a helpless female truck driver with truck trouble, who repays him later.

Award-winning director Dung Luong Dinh makes a 180-degree turn from his two previous films Father and Son and Drowsy City, to deliver an action flick from Vietnam, a welcome change,  The film features action sequences by Oh Sea Young (Avengers: Age of Ultron), 578 MAGNUM, nominated for the Grand Prix Award at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, was selected as Vietnam's 2023 official Oscar Entry for Best International Feature.

It is no surprise that the film did not even make the Oscar Best International Feature shortlist.  Every country in the world vies for the coveted award and it is hard to compete with countries like France, Italy, Denmark, and other wealthier Western countries.  Even France’s THE TASTE OF THINGS and Denmark’s THE PROMISED LAND made the shortlist but failed to make the 5 nominated films.  A martial arts action flick would be the least likely contender.  Even as an action flick, it is pale compared to this year’s already-released action flicks like THE BEEKEEPER.  But the film still holds its own.  The well-staged action set pieces and other differences like a plot with more emotional impact involving human courage make this Vietnamese action film stand out.

579 MAGNUM premieres via VOD, Digital and Film Movement Plus on February 23, 2024.

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ABOUT DRY GRASSES (Turkey/France/Germany/Sweden 2023) ***

Directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan

 

Dedicated teachers or just plain teachers and their demise have been favourite fodder for dramatic stories in films.  At TIFF alone this year, there are similar stories to be told in THE TEACHER’S LOUNGE and L’ETE DERNER (THE LAST SUMMER)but not so elaborate as Nuri Bilge Ceylon’s (WINTER SLEEP, ONCE UPON A TIME IN ANATOLIA) masses.  Elaborate it is as the film runs a full three hours and 20 minutes allowing Ceylon time to tell his take without rush or even urgency.

The film is set in a tight-knit community that seems to only experience two seasons, just summer and winter in Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s masterfully character-driven return to the screen probes into power dynamics and the darkest regions of the human soul, as reflected ninth film’s setting.

Middle-aged Samet (Deniz Celiloglu) is a quick-witted and quick-to-anger elementary school art teacher–cum–amateur photographer in a traditional village who dreams of a posting in his native Istanbul.   shares lodging with his more attractive and likable colleague Kenan (Musab Ekici) and spends his nihilistic days developing an inappropriate fixation on 14-year-old teacher’s pet Sevim (Ece Bagci).  When a love note written by Sevim is confiscated in a school-wide search, Samet’s rotten-to-the-core fantasies grow.  The search clearly violates personal privacy, an issue that will never be tolerated these days in North American or Western schools.  Meanwhile, Sevim, who suspects her teacher of stealing the letter, makes her heightened discomfort with his behaviour known to the school authorities and an investigation is launched. Enter Nuray (Merve Dizdar), a fellow teacher whose past political activism has rendered her disabled, allowing her to choose postings anywhere in the state — just the escape Samet needs. The only problem is that Nuray seems to favour Kenan.

The film is beautiful to look, at the vast ice and snow of the landscape and even the flowing river during summer.  The film is poetic and reflective of the emotions of its characters.  But the film is far too long, good as it is, and can be shortened without compromise.

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BRING HIM TO ME (Australia 2023) ***

Directed by Luke Sparke

 

In the film’s first 30 minutes, the camera shows a mole in the middle of the road.  The car skids pass barely missing it.  The scene has nothing to do with the story but the scene shows that there is some spirit and verve involved in the making of the movie.  Other notable camera work shows a man walking towards a car as seen in the car’s mirror and a closeup of the car’s glove compartment revealing a photo of a kid informing the audience that the protagonist has a son.  There are impressive night scenes of a lit-up fair and some neat editing in the way the story is introduced in flashbacks.  Director Sparke performs multiple film duties including editing and production design,

The title of the film tells the simple plot. Under orders from a ruthless crime boss, a getaway driver with no name (Barry Pepper) must battle his conscience and drive an unsuspecting crew member, also of no name (Jamie Costa) to an ambush execution. There is a long drive ahead.  The simple story sounds mundane enough and it is of no surprise that anyone watching the movie would have quite low expectations.  But truth be told, this Australian film that poses as an American film has its pleasures.  There are several Australian actors in the cast including Sam Neill (actually New Zealand) and Liam McIntyre but they all pass with their American accent.  Expect little and the film turns out better than expected.  This film certainly does. The film contains a solid script by Tom Evans and apt direction by Luke Sparke.

The lead is Barry Pepper playing the getaway driver.  Pepper spots an ugly beard and moustache and his 53 years of age is showing.  Pepper is an extremely handsome chap in his younger days and is Canadian-born (in British Columbia) and has always delivered solid performances in films like WE ARE SOLDIERS, THE THREE BURIALS OF MELQUIADES ESTRADA, FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS and TRUE GRIT among others).  Here it plays a driver with no name or unknown background who shows his mettle in a surprise scene where he beats up two assholes at a gas station.

The film is aided by the fact that it contains two likable characters, one veteran who can stand no nonsense and the other, a kid who is nothing but nonsense.  The two opposing personalities make good chemistry as crime partners.

One can tell that there are a few twists in the story.  The crime boss tells the driver: “Don’t trust him.”  “What did he do?” the driver asks the boss.  What are you gaping to do to him?”  What the kid apparently did is disclosed in time to the audience but it is again neat to note that the disclosure might not be the truth.

BRING HIM TO ME opens on February 23 on digital and on-demand (Apple TV, Cineplex, Bell, Google Play, Rogers, etc) and is certainly worth a watch.

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DRIVE-AWAY DOLLS (USA 2023) **

Directed by Ethan Cohen

 

DRIVE-AWAY DOLLS is a comedy caper with a nod to THELMA AND LOUISE that follows Jamie (Margaret Qualley, daughter of Andie MacDowell and with credit in films like POOR THINGS and SEBERG), an uninhibited free spirit bemoaning yet another breakup with a girlfriend Sukie (Beanie Feldstein), and her demure friend Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan) who desperately needs to loosen up.  In search of a fresh start, the two embark on an impromptu road trip to Tallahassee, but things quickly go awry when they cross paths with a group of inept criminals along the way.  No drugs are involved, just penises.

Ethan Coen goes solo without his brother Joel, in this raunchy comedy about two teenage lesbians as they take across the country,  There is obviously play of opportunity for high jinx, but these have to be inventive and funny.

DRIVE-AWAY DOLLS would be more appropriately titled DRIVE-AWAY DIKES as indicated at the end of the film, though many entering to see this movie would not think that this is a gay-themed film about two teen lesbians trying to find love in what might also be considered to be a partial coming-of-age movie.  The film is not bad with an atmosphere similar to the Coen Brothers’ RAISING ARIZONA but because of its downright outrageousness in the plot evolving penises, also bears similarity to the Farrelly Brother’s comedies such as THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT MARY.  Truth be told, DRIVE-AWAY DOLLS is not bad but a disappointment, considering that one has come to expect a lot from the Cohen Breathers, Ethan aside, nonetheless.

One flaw that can be noticed is the fact that the filmmakers particularly Cohen have tried too hard in what could also be a nod to the classic THELMA AND LOUISE and ROMY ND MICHELLE’S HIGH SCHOOL REUNION films.  The six penises, the simulated sex scenes, and the lesbian orgy are examples of extremes the film has taken to surprise the audience.  This is Cohen’s first film since THE BALLAD OF BUSTER SCRUGGS in 2018, he claimed that he was bored with the filmmaking process like his brother Joel was, though much more than him.  The boredom can be observed in the film which lacks fresh humour relying on gross dick/dildo jokes.

Matt Damon has a cameo at the end of the film as a senator with a questionable character, But the best cameo belongs to Bill Camp who plays a character called Curlie who is being called Curlie unless you know him well.

There is one huge error of miscasting at the end of the film.  The person who plays Marian’s aunt is clearly Afro American while an East Indian performs Marian.  It is as if audiences are not given credit for distinguishing different races of darker skinned races,

The best thing about the film that brings the most laughs and surprises is Beanie Feldstein (BOOKSMART) who plays Sarah’s ex-girlfriend, a hard-nosed cop.  The film soars whenever she appears on screen.

Despite efforts to be naughty and funny, DRIVE-AWAY DOLLs is a huge Ethan Cohen disappointment illustrating his statement that he had recently gotten bored with the filmmaking process.

HISTORY OF EVIL (USA 2022) **

Directed by Bo Mirhossen

 

HISTORY OF EVIL is set in a dystopian future of 2045 in the United States where chaos needs to be contained where evil arises.  It is the age-old fight between good and evil but now in a political setting. However, director Bo shows that evil can come from both human and the supernatural.

In the near future, war and corruption will plague America and turn it into a theocratic police state.  The opening words on the screen describe civil war and unrest, very similar to what one would expect if Trump got into power during the next election - with misuse of power, rise of the red-necks and loss of democracy.  But there is hope.

Against the oppression, ordinary citizens have formed a group called The Resistance. One such member, Alegre Dyer (Jackie Cruz, ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK), breaks out of political prison and reunites with her husband Ron (Paul Wesley, STAR TREK, STRANGE NEW WORLDS) and daughter Daria.  Daria does not recognize her mother upon seeing her.  On the run from the militia, the family takes shelter in a remote safe house.  Why this particular place?  Because the family is told, that no one wants to come near it.  Some audience anticipation is invoked that maybe this is a haunted mansion.  But their journey is far from over, as the house’s dark past begins to eat away at Ron, and his earnest desire to keep his family safe is overtaken by something much more sinister.

As in the spirit of Master of Suspense, Hitchcock, there is another audience anticipation scene of what is yet to come in a scene when Maria and her mum, Alegre is play a game of guessing how many fingers the mother has up behind her back.  Daria guesses right three times and when asked how she does it, Daria says that the boy behind her mother is helping her.  At that point in the film, there is no supernatural occurrences as yet.

But the film fails to satisfy the build-up of suspense and audience anticipation,. Not much is seen of the resistance fighters except for the family.

Director Bo Mirhossen has based this horror film on his past experiences.  Bo is an Iranian director living in the United States.  His parents were activists during the 1070s in Iran, during the revolution, a very dangerous period for his family.  He combines his experiences with his love for horror films to create HISTORY OF EVIL.

HISTORY OF EVIL is a horror film in a political setting in which horror exists in both human and supernatural forms.   Director Bo creates and intimidating atmosphere that a family has to overcome in order to survive as a family unit.  Unfortunately, the film does not come together as a whole, as the supernatural portion that occurs only during the last third of the film makes little sense.  Why the house is haunted and why the ghosts appear in the forms shown are never explained as a lot of other loose ends.  The film starts off well and slowly deteriorates which is a shame.

HISTORY OF EVIL (a Shudder original film) premieres on Shudder the horror streaming service on February 22nd.
Trailer: 

IO CAPITANO (Me, Cap[tain) (Italy 2023) ****

Directed by Matteo Garrone

 

Two teenagers, actually cousins, Seydou and Moussa (wonderfully portrayed with sincerity by non-professional actors), leave their home in Dakar for a hellish odyssey through hazardous seas, arid deserts (the Sahara), and a Libyan detention centre, all in pursuit of the dream of living in Europe.

The 2024 Oscar nominee for Best International Feature comes with a warning of Content advisory: explicit violence; scenes of surgery; crude content; frightening scenes and mature themes. These include a torture scene involving scorching of naked bodies, bodies hung from limbs as well as horrific scenes of men trapped in a boat's engine room.

Seydou and Moussa transit through Mali equipped with a false passport ()costing them a hefty $100 each) and, although the scam (the clothes worn in the passport photo are the same as the ones currently worn by them) is discovered by a policeman, they avoid prison in exchange for 50 dollars. Once in Niger, they face the desert until they enter Libya, where they are arrested and taken to separate detention centres.

Seydou is subjected to torture but manages to get out, as another inmate pushes him to offer himself as a bricklayer like him. Having worked well, both are released and their trip to Tripoli is paid for. In the Libyan capital, Seydou meets Moussa, with whom he resumes his journey toward Europe.

The last leg of the journey will not be revealed in this review, except to say that it is just as harrowing as the other parts of the journey.  But it is during this part that Seydou shows his true human courage and sympathy.

This review was written this review on Rotten Tomatoes.  “Kinda weird to center half of the movie's runtime on Libya.... with actors that are supposed to be Libyan, but don't speak Libyan and instead speak Algerian, which is not the same dialect nor the language nor the country at all.  Imagine if a movie was centered around Argentina, but every Argentinian character in it just spoke Castilian Spanish... Also, in one of the scenes, the characters were supposed to speak 'Libyan Arabic', but they were (no exaggeration at all) just making racist gibberish sounds and yelling 'yala' with guns... beyond disrespectful and disgusting.”  Being no expert in African languages, I am assuming that there might be some truth in his/her saying that put some downer points to Garrone’s  otherwise credible opus.

Garrone’s film also opens further questions.  When the two finally arrive in Italy, the film ends with what is assumed to be a happy ending.  But what is there to say these people will not be sent back to where they came from?  The two are neither refugees though they have done their fair share of suffering and they do not have immigration status.

Still, despite its flaws of the abrupt open ending, Garrone’s film is well researched, harrowing in its depiction of the joinery while keeping on its theme of the triumph of the human spirit,

IO CAPITANO the film is so titled for the reason that is explained at the end of the film  The film is Italy’s Academy Award   Entry for Best International Feature.  It has the shortlist and also the final 5 nominees,  It stands up to fight another film likely its main competitor, that deals with suffering, rescue and the triumph of the human spirit - Netflix’s SOCIETY OF THE SNOW.

IOP CAPITANO opens at the TIFF Lightbox on Friday, February 23rd.

Trailer: 

MEA CULPA (USA 2024) ***

Directed by Tyler Perry

 

MEA CULPA is a Tyler Perry film from Tyler Perry Studios.  Perry is one of the most successful black artists today - and a popular artist at that.  Tyler Perry is an American actor, filmmaker and playwright. He is the creator and performer of Mabel "Madea" Simmons, a tough elderly woman, and also portrays her brother Joe Simmons and her nephew Brian Simmons.  His films vary in style from orthodox filmmaking techniques to filmed productions of live stage plays, many of which have been subsequently adapted into feature films. Madea's first appearance was in Perry's play I Can Do Bad All by Myself staged in Chicago.

Tyler Perry is best known for his drag performance as Madea, a hard-hitting, no-nonsense often foul-mouthed middle-aged black woman who always has her say.  This character appears as Mea’s mother-in-law, but since this character is more acerbic than Madea, Perry has got someone to play her, instead of himself.

 

Tyler Perry knows comedy and he mixes it with real bitchiness in the mother-in-law segments.  She is hitting hard,”  the protagonist Mea Harper (Kelly Rowland) is told by her best friend, also her sister-in-law at her mother-in-law’s birthday dinner, only to add: “Don’t worry, she is really drunk and will pass out in time!”  The mother-in-law quips: “What did I miss over there?”  The mother-in-law is white a sort of clever reversal of black inclusion in a white cast movie.

MEA CULPA is Spanish for 'through my fault'.  The story turns into a murder thriller that follows Mea as an ambitious criminal defense attorney who, in her aspiration to be named partner, takes on the case of an artist accused of murdering his girlfriend.

Tyler Perry is known to be a born-again and practicing Christian and his films are sometimes preachy.  One wonders the message he is putting across with this latest film of his.  But MEA CULPA has a strong feminine presence.  The wife works today the bills while the husband is out of a job, spending the money.

What makes this thriller work, despite the questionably silly ending, is that it deals with down-to-earth issues that audiences can relate to.  Issues like husband and wife quarrels, mother-in-law problems, job conflicts of interest and feminine issues are all treated to the typical Tyler Perry touch.  This film moves more toward serious thriller territory.  His films might not win awards for artistic merit (though his films have won a few BET awards), but they are always entertaining to watch, MEA CULPA included.

Tyler Perry has already 3 more films in the making after MEA CULPER - MADEA’S DESTINATION WEDDING, BLACK WHITE AND BLUE and DIVORCE IN THE BLACK.

MEA CULPA, a Netflix original movie,  is open for streaming on Netflix from February 23rd.

Trailer: 

THE MONK AND THE GUN (Bhutan, France, United States of America, Taiwan 2023) ***

Directed by Pawo Choyning Dorji

 

THE MONK AND THE GUN is set in Bhutan and is a Bhutan production.

Bhutan is a landlocked country in South Asia situated in the Eastern Himalayas between China in the north and India in the south. With a population of over 727,145 and a territory of 38,394 square kilometres (14,824 sq mi), Bhutan ranks 133rd in land area and 160th in population. Bhutan is a constitutional monarchy with a king (Druk Gyalpo) as the head of state and a prime minister as the head of government. Vajrayana Buddhism is the state religion and the Je Khenpo is the head of the state religion.  For most people, Bhutan is known as a base for Mount Everest climbers and a place where lot of monks live and have an influence.

THE MONK AND THE GUN serves to educate audiences about Bhutan and its history of democracy while sending a message as well.

Set in 2006, when the Kingdom of Bhutan the film examines]its transition to democracy. Writer-director Pawo Choyning Dorji is a poignant parable about the impossibility of embracing modernity without reckoning with the past.

The year 2006 marked a historical turning point for the Kingdom of Bhutan: with the abdication of its King, it began its journey to becoming the world’s youngest democracy together as the last country to have television and the internet.  Following the adventures of monks, villagers, urbanites, and one hapless foreigner, this big-hearted ensemble drama captures that moment of transition in all its strangeness and wonder.

Government officials stage a mock election as a training exercise — though even registering folks to vote is a challenge in regions where people don’t know their birthdates. In the village of Ura, an elderly lama, recognizing the great change sweeping his country, instructs a monk (Tandin Wangchuk) to obtain a pair of guns. Meanwhile, Benji (Tandin Sonam) takes a gig hosting and translating for Ron (Harry Einhorn), an American antique arms collector who has come to purchase a coveted 19th-century rifle. With a tremendous fee on offer, Ron assumes the transaction will be a slam dunk. He fails to anticipate that, just as the Bhutanese are unfamiliar with democracy, they are also less persuadable when it comes to the laws of commerce.

One thing director Pawo portrays is the naivety of the Bhutan people to the point of spicily and occasional ignorance of the ways of the West.  But he also shows with naivety comes innocence, sincerity and human goodness.

Directed by Pawo Choyning Dorji, best known as the director of 2019’s Oscar-nominated Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom, which made the top 5 nominated International Features and set against Bhutan’s snaking streams and verdant hills, THE MONK AND THE GUN unfortunately did not make it to the top 5, a hard top 5 to beat.  There is a reference to a yak in this film as it is said to be worth two cows as the neighbour has sold two cows to buy a yak in order to show off his wealth.  For all that is worth, THE MONK AND THE GUN is an earnest and simply made film with heart and a message for peace that is well made and entertaining enough.

THE MONK AND THE GUN opens FEBRUARY 23 at the TIFF Lightbox on February 23rd.

Trailer: 

SEAGRASS (Canada 2023) ***

Directed by Meredith Hama-Brown

 

SEAGRASS has an idyllic opening on a ferry where two young sisters (Remy Marthaller and Nyha Huang Breitkreuz) playfully run around enjoying the view and the trip aboard the ferry.  They are going to a retreat with their parents traveling via the ferry.  The following scene shows the children in the back seat of the family car while the father drives off.  They sing the song: "When you are happy and you know it”, while the camera has a shot of the mother, suddenly frowning in the car’s passenger seat.  It is a beautiful beginning, also beautifully shot, displaying the beauty of the Canadian province, of British Columbia while sending a shiver down one’s spine from the mother’s frown that something ominous is about to occur.

Set in the mid-1990s, a Japanese Canadian woman, Judith  (Ally Maki, THE BIG DOOR PRIZE) grappling with the recent death of her mother brings her family to a self-development retreat. When her distressed relationship with her husband (Luke Roberts, GAME OF THRONES) begins to affect the children’s emotional security, the family is forever changed.  The film covers several key issues and explores questions relating to fear and security, it is about a distressed family, motherhood,  grief, shame, intergenerational trauma and racial identity.  It is about all these seemingly disparate things, but the thematic tissue that connects them all is “fear” and the various ways that uncertainty affects our relationships and sense of stability.  

Director Hama-Brown goes deep into the success and problems of a relationship and marriage,  At the retreat, Judith talks to a fellow retreater on the topic, where she confesses her unhappy marriage,  Does there need to be a reason to be unhappy?  There needs to be work in a relationship.  These are some of the questions asked She also talks about the duty of marriage reflecting back to other parents, about how unhappy they were.  A quote from Buddha is also mentioned for good measure  “A man who conquers himself is greater than one who conquers a thousand men in battle.”  The film slants more toward the female perspective.  Not much is revealed about how the husband feels.  The husband reacts, most of the time to the emotions of his wife.  

The child actors are marvellous.  Director Hama-Brown captures both the innocence and mischief of children, also showing both the fun and trouble kids can bring to the parents.  At one point, they break the closet door by accident causing Judith to question whether she is a good mother after scolding them.

The issue of racism is also covered in the subject of Judith’s parents being interned during WWII.  One of her children’s friends also remarks that she does not look ‘normal’ as she is mixed.

SEAGRASS is written and directed by Meredith Hama-Brown, the cinematographer is award-winning Norm Li, CSC (Beyond the Black Rainbow) and is produced by Experimental Forest Films' Tyler Hagan (The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open) and Ceroma Pictures' Sara Blake (Until Branches Bend) and distributed by Game Theory. The project was predominantly shot on Gabriola Island (BC) with a few additional days shot in Tofino and Ucluelet (BC).

Director Hama-Brown steers her relationship family drama into its emotional climax that includes a little suspense to boot in what can be termed s meticulously crafted gem.

Trailer: 

STOPMOTION (UK 2023) ***

Directed by Robert Morgan

 

A stop-motion animator, Ella Blake (Aisling Franciosi)  struggles to control her demons after the loss of her overbearing mother.  Suddenly alone in the world, she embarks upon the creation of a macabre new puppet film, which soon becomes the battleground for her sanity.  As Ella’s mind starts to fracture, the characters in her animated film take on a terrifying life of their own, and the unleashed power of her imagination threatens to destroy her.

The film opens with an odd-looking woman shown in flashes (like stop-motion) sneering and silently snickering on screen.

Stop motion is an animated filmmaking technique in which objects are physically manipulated in small increments between individually photographed frames so that they will appear to exhibit independent motion or change when the series of frames is played back. Any kind of object can thus be animated, but puppets with movable joints (puppet animation) or plasticine figures (clay animation or claymation) are most commonly used. Puppets, models or clay figures built around an armature (described as the skeleton in the film) are used in model animation.  The new British horror film STOPMOTION is about a girl, recently left alone after her domineering mother (Stella Gonet) (move it 1 millimetre; move it half a millimetre; is it too much to ask that we finish this film before I die?) is hospitalized from a stroke.

The animation that Ella is working on with her mum deals with a cyclops who has traded one eye in order to see her destiny only to see her own death.

When Ella shows a little girl (Coiling Springall) her work, the little girl says it is boring.  Little girl:  It must take forever.  Why bother?

Ella: It feels like bringing something back to life.

The little girl suggests that Ella re-do the whole story and start anew and they indulge in a  conversation,

Little Girl: There is a girl lost in the woods.

Ella: Why is it scary?

Little Girl: Because there is someone coming.  Someone no one wants to meet.

Before you know it, Ella re-does the stop-motion animation.  Then Ella shows the little girl the work:

Little girl: She does not look real

Ella: She is not supposed to look real.

The puppet of the girl lost in the woods is quite odd-looking and definitely scary for children to look at.  Director Morgan ups the ante in creating a scary gothic atmosphere by the use of multiple techniques including thumping and screeching sounds, colours, odd image and innovative camera angles.  Filming locations include director Morgan's sitting room.

Ella gets more obsessed with her work, refusing to eat and ignoring her boyfriend, Tom (Tom York) who eventually loses his patience with her.

One thing that can be said for sure about the atmosphere of Morgan’s film is that no one can be sure of what is actually happening, less guess what is going to happen.

STOPMOTION opens in theatres on February 23rd and everywhere for rent March 15th.  The film is also available on Shudder, the horror streaming service in May.

Trailer: 

 

YOUTH (SPRING) (Luxembourg/Franxe/Nerehrlands  2023) ***½

Directed by Wang Bing

 

Running at 3 hours and 30 monies. YOUTH (SPRING) is a candid examination of the youth garment workers working in the textile capital, Zhili, China.  Unlike the youth of Western countries, these young people live in closed and often filthy quarters, worn more than 8 hours a day, and away from their families.  Yet, they share the common trait of their Western counterparts of lively spirit, off flirting with the opposite sex and also running into mischief.  The work ethics of the textile companies also come into question.  The bosses are rude to the young workers, calling them morons and refusing to look at fir pay for their work.  Shot over the course of five years, from 2014 to 2019, in the city of Zhili, one of the main hubs of the country’s textile industry, the film condenses 2,600 hours of footage into a three-and-a-half-hour document of considerable visual strength and impact.  What emerges is a vivid portrait of not only a regional economy, but the love, tenderness, and friendship experienced by its young textile workers. These 20-year-olds have migrated from their hometowns to work for a period of time in the sweatshop capital of China. They share everything. They stay and eat in common dormitories, meet in corridors or on balconies, and, above all, spend 15 hours a day at work, the constant hum of sewing machines forming the soundtrack of their destinies. There is no story or narrative but what occurs onscreen tells more stories about human youth than anything else.

 

 

 

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Written by: Gilbert Seah

Parent Category: Articles

Category: Movie Reviews

Published: 10 February 2024

THE ABCS OF BOOK BANNING ***

Directed by Trish Adlesic, Nazenet Habtezghi and Sheila Nevins

 

In the United States, school boards across the country have banned children’s books from the curriculum and the library.  Some of the books are famous such as Margaret Atwood’s THE HANDMAID’S TALE.  The short begins with and is bookended by an invigorating speech by a 100-year-old woman speaking out against the school board.  She is the widow of a husband who died in the war defending America’s freedoms.  She claims, and with reason that words should never be banned and the banning prevents knowledge from being passed down.  The topics of the books being banned, restricted, or classified include Jewish persecution; LGBT issues, racism, and feminine and black issues.  Various children around the age of 10 also have a say through quite a few series of interviews.  What is missing is the rebuttal of the school board.  It would be definitely interesting to hear their defense.

THE AFTER (UK 2023) ***½

Directed by Mishan Harriman

 

There are two scenes in this 20-minute short that would affect one emotionally, the second one enough to get tears swelling in the eyes, and especially more so if one has experienced traumatic grief in the past.  Shot on location in London, one can see the Overground tube as the ride-share driver (David Oyelowo) drives his car around after the death of both his daughter and wife after a random stabbing  The random stabbing segment is shown and executed extremely well.  The segment in less capable hands would definitely look silly or unbelievable.  Actor Oyelowo is a terrace actor able to communicate tons with the use of minimal dialogue,  This is not the only short film nominated in this category about grief, the other being KNIGHT OF FORTUNE which looks at grief differently with deadpan humour.

Trailer: 

THE BARBER OF LITTLE ROCK (USA 2023) ***

Directed by John Hoffman and Christine Turner

 

THE BARBER OF LITTLE ROCK explores America's widening racial wealth gap through the story of Arlo Washington, a local barber whose visionary approach to a just economy can be found in the mission of People Trust, the nonprofit community bank he founded.  The short traces how Mr. Washington progressed from his barber shop to loaning the local black community loans before setting up the trust,  Experiencing the effects of generational poverty and structural racism firsthand, Arlo understands his hometown of Little Rock, Arkansas and the profound mistrust of financial institutions that have historically excluded his community from financial stability and economic mobility.  “Give me a chance.  I will succeed,” says a client.  Operating as the sole bank within a ten-mile radius, Arlo's People Trust fosters economic progress for underserved and underbanked residents, providing an economic beacon of hope that could reshape the future of banking.  Nothing spectacular but an earnest portrayal of the bias black people face in baking and all other facets of life.

Trailer:

THE ISLAND IN BETWEEN (USA 2023) ***

Directed by S. Leo Chiang

Filmmaker S. Leo Chiang reflects on his relationship with Taiwan, the United States and China from the islands of Kinmen, just a few miles from mainland China.  For seven decades, this small island of around 70,000 residents has been caught in the middle of a geopolitical power struggle. Kinmen is part of Taiwan, but is located hundreds of kilometres from Taipei, while just a few kilometres across the strait, visible through the haze, is mainland China.

In 1949, this island was the front line in a bloody civil war between the Communists and the Nationalists, which saw Kinmen separated from the Chinese mainland and become part of Taiwan.  Director Chiang shot his doc, essentially a home movie, during the Pandemic dealing with his feelings and how Taiwan, China and the United States are all vying for his attention like a quarrel among three parents.  THE LAST ISLAND is not particularly spectacular, and it would be a major surprise if this one won the Oscar.  Educational and informative though!

Trailer:  

THE LAST REPAIR SHOP (USA 2023) ***** Top 10

Directed by Kris Bowers and Ben Proudfoot

 

Spectacular, heart-breaking, moving and inspirational, THE LAST REPAIR SHOP gets my vote and is almost certain to win the Oscar for Best Doc Short.  It tells the story of four unassuming heroes who ensure no student in L.A. is deprived of the joy of music.  It is also a reminder of how music can be the best medicine, stress reliever and even an escape from poverty.  It has an unbelievable stupendous ending with the orchestra playing illustrating that music and instruments are everything.  “We do what we can to make sure that no child goes without an unprepared instrument,” so says the tireless and dedicated workers of the shop.  Interspersed with the intricate repair needed to fix the broken instruments, no matter how minute, the metaphor for fixing one’s life makes the point. The four stories of the repair staff, one of a gay man, another of a refugee and the young musicians who share their experiences add to the narrative.

Trailer: 

NAI NAI AND WAI PO (USA 2023) ***½

Directed by Sean Wang

 

In Mandarin, the words mean grandmother and old lady.  This short doc is a love letter of director Wang to his two grandmothers.  The doc was shot during the Pandemic.  The camera follows the two women, who are really close (they share the same bed) and enjoy each other’s company.  The audience sees their daily routines which include eating, sleeping, dancing and reminiscing about life.  One of them looks at old photographs daily.  The one who is 84 says she feels as if she was 20 while the 92=3 says she feels like a hundred,  They also talk about the sensitive topic of death, saying that many of their friends and loved ones have passed on.  They claim that they are not afraid of dying.

Trailer: 

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Written by: Gilbert Seah

Parent Category: Articles

Category: Movie Reviews

Published: 08 February 2024

INVINCIBLE (Canada 2022) *****

Directed by Vincent Rene-Lortie

 

“You know why nothing is going to happen to me?” asks the boy to his little sister.  “Because I am INVINCIBLE.  I will be back to annoy you, “ he continues as he gives her a big hug.  At this point, one wonders what is going on as it is after the scene where he had just driven a stolen car into the river and just emerged from the water in a completely different setting, not with his family by a lake.  Inspired by the true story of Marc-Antoine Bernier, a 14-year-old boy on a desperate quest for freedom.  According to the director, who was Marc’s good friend of the same age, for a year, Marc went from being a bright, curious, loving boy to an angry and troubled young man.  Marc’s death raised many complicated questions the powerful film dives into that dark, tragic abyss in order to better understand teenage mental health and behavioural issues.  Montreal Director Rene-Lorte uses dreamlike and surrealism to create a poetic tale that is both a mesmerizing and innovative look at a boy’s life.

Trailer:  

RED, WHITE AND BLUE (USA 2023) ****

Directed by Nazrin Choudury

 

Rachel (Brittany Snow) is a single mother living paycheck to paycheck with her young daughter of around 12 years and her son. When an unexpected pregnancy threatens to unravel her already precarious position, she's forced to cross state lines to Missouri in search of an abortion.   She takes Rachel to celebrate her birthday in a girl's out and contemplates the series of events that necessitated this journey and the obstacles placed in her path.  The short seems to go along smoothly with no hitches but a major shock is in store for the audience at the abortion clinic, not to reveal the twist in the story,   The film is extremely moving, emotional and tender which marks it as special enough to warrant an Oscar nomination.

Trailer: 

THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF HENRY SUGAR (USA 2023) ****

Directed by Wes Anderson

 

Currently on Netflix.  What is more wonderful than a short by both Wes Anderson and Roald Dahl?  The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More is a 1977 short story collection by British author Roald Dahl, aimed at a slightly older audience than many of Dahl's other children's novels.  The stories were written at varying times throughout his life. Henry Sugar, an independently wealthy man who enjoys gambling, finds and reads a doctor's report on a strange patient who called himself "The Man Who Sees Without Using His Eyes".  Henry learns how to read playing cards, and wins a large sum of money that he throws out his window only to cause a  riot in the street below.  A police officer (Ralph Fiennes) scolds Henry (“You are an idiot!)” and suggests that he find a more legal form of charity, and Henry vows to establish the most well-equipped and supportive orphanages on the planet.   Director Anderson makes sure his audience is always aware that they are watching a film with the props and sets moving around as in a studio set.   The same tactic is also used with actor Benedict Cumberbatch who plays Henry Sugar.  Ralph Fiennes plays the writer, who one assumes is the writer Roald Dahl himself.

Trailer: 

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Written by: Gilbert Seah

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Category: Movie Reviews

Published: 08 February 2024

I’M HIP (USA 2023) ***½

Directed by John Musker

 

The short I’M HIP tells a super kool cat that is totally hip - so hip that a totally new song and musical numbers are designed format by its director John Musker,  shows the cool cat (literally) fancies himself as the hippest in the room.  The gags come at a rapid pace and are all synchronized to the jazzy tune by co-writer and vocalist Dave Frishberg.  The short contains spirited colourful palettes and musical numbers that are fun to watch from start to end,  there is no story or narrative but who really cares as the short is entertaining just as it is.  Musker is known for working as half of the team that helped revolutionize Disney animation as co-director of The Little Mermaid, Aladdin and many others. This short confirms his talent for entertaining audiences.

 

LETTER TO A PIG (Israel/France 2022) ****

Directed by Tal Kontor

 

An extremely effective and emotionally animated short down largely in what looks like charcoal sketching tells about Haim, a Holocaust survivor who reads a letter to a classroom he wrote to the pig who saved his life. A young schoolgirl hears his testimony in class and sinks into a twisted dream where she confronts questions of identity, collective trauma, and the extremes of human nature. The film is divided into parts.  A venerable man, the survivor of Shoah, confessing his experience in a time of Nazi period, reading behind the students a letter to his saviour.  Teens reactions.  A girl is developing, in her thoughts, with imagination and sensitivity, the narrated story of old Haim. The teen reactions are mixed and one disturbing reaction stands out is one boy who makes fun of the whole matter and as a result, is sent out of the classroom.  This underlines words in Haim’s letter that humans are more inhuman than pigs, whom he first was taught to be disgusting and dirty till the one who took him in at the sty and treated him as one of his own,.  The third part is the most surreal while bringing the short to its conclusion.

Trailer:  

NINETY-FIVE SENSES (USA 2023) ***½

Directed by Jared Hess and Jerusha Hess

 

This 13-minute short is an ode to the body's five senses delivered by a man, Coy (voiced by Tim Blake Nelson, THE BALLAD OPF BUSTER SCRUGGS) with little time left to enjoy them as he is now in his senior years and serving time.  The five senses of smell, hearing, touch sight and taste are talked about as well as which sense goes first upon death.  Why is the short called ninety-five senses?   Because perhaps humans are endowed with a hundred senses only fire of which we experience when alive and the other ninety -five during the life after.  “That is a nice thought,” voices Coy at the end of the short.  It is a contemplating piece animated by 5 different animators, each for each sense, voiced with a stern accent as Coy (Nelson)is a hillbilly who claims that he has never used a cell phone inches life, the effect of which destroys sight.

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OUR UNIFORM (Iran 2023) ***½

Directed by Yegane Moghaddam:

 

In the film, an Iranian girl recalls school-age memories through the wrinkles and fabrics of her old uniform, quite literally. Rather than using paper, canvas, or a digital medium, Moghaddam painted directly on the cloth used for making school uniforms to tell the story of a character who dreams of a better future.  The director is against wearing the hajib, emphasizing that outside of Iran, they can wear and do practically anything the girls want.  Also, the girls paint lipstick on the lips of an Ayatollah painting.  Schoolchildren wear uniforms for a major part of their lives.

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PACHYDERME (France 2021) *****

Directed by Stéphanie Clément

 

When the short opens, the colours immediately remind one of the famous Van Gogh paintings.  This short is a meticulously crafted and ultimately most beautiful and nostalgic look at a child’s memories.  “I don’t like to be left alone.” says the 9-year-old girl, Louise left at her grandparents' for 10 days.  During the 10 days, the audience is whisked to a wonderful fairytale land of childhood memories that include both fascination (butterflies), fear (of monsters at night and eyes on the ceiling) staring at her and beauty.  At the same time, this little girl i growing up, as her grandfather removes the stabilizers of her bicycle for the very first time. The short is narrated by the adult Louise as heard in the voiceover throughout the short putting perspective to the story.

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THE WAR IS OVER! (UK 2023) ***½

Directed by Dave Mullins

 

In an alternate WWI reality, a heroic pigeon delivers messages across the battlefield, from one side to the other. The messages are exchanged by two soldiers on opposite sides (British and German), who, unaware of who their opponent is, are playing a game of chess against each other, each move transmitted by a carrier pigeon,  As the fighting and the game both escalate, they continue to exchange their chess moves, delivered by this brave pigeon, that flies amidst bomb explosions.  The beautifully crafted and moving short is inspired by the Music of John and Yoko that features John Lennon and Yoko Ono's peace anthem "Happy Christmas (War Is Over)".  A relevant piece considering the wars between Russia and the Ukraine, Israel and Hamas that are presently going on.  The short emphasizes the message that there are no winners in any war, only casualties like the poor innocent pigeon.

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WILD SUMMON (UK 2023) ***

Directed by Karni Arieli and Saul Freed

 

 

A natural history fantasy film, following the dramatic lifecycle of the wild salmon in human form.  Narrated by Marianne Faithful WILD SUMMON is an epic story of nature that all children should be told in one form or another - and this animated short intends to do so by humanizing the take of salmon spawning.  Salmon are born and travel to the sea but eventually travel back upstream against incredible odds to their place of lay new roe.  Dangers include Predators birds, and bears but worst of all mankind in terms of pollution that kills sea life.  The salmon are animated as human figures with pink wetsuit flippers and goggles that swim through the water complete with limbs.  One of these is tagged by scientists to study the breeding patterns.  The short is largely narrated with a voiceover that explains the entire spawning process. The shot is as informative as it can be but one still wonders the reason the filmmakers have decided not to represent the salmon and salmon.

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Written by: Gilbert Seah

Parent Category: Articles

Category: Movie Reviews

Published: 06 February 2024

FILM REVIEWS:

BOB MARLEY ONE LOVE (USA 2024) ***

Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green

 

Everyone knows who Bob Marley is as the words on the screen at the start of this Bob Marley biopic claim about the man: ‘the poorest who became the most important man in Jamaica’.  Robert Nesta Marley was a Jamaican reggae singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Considered one of the pioneers of the genre, his music fused elements of reggae, ska, and rocksteady, and he was renowned for his distinctive vocal and songwriting style. As the film shows, Marley’s contribution to music irrefutably increased the visibility of Jamaican music worldwide and made him a global figure in popular culture. 

He is also considered a global symbol of Jamaican music and culture and identity and was controversial in his outspoken support for democratic social reforms.  The film concentrates more on his political desire for peace and to bring to an end the internal conflict of the two opposing political parties after the British left Jamaica.  His concert of peace designed for this purpose forms the main story, that resulted almost in his death with a home assassination attempt.   

Marley also supported legislation for cannabis and advocated for Pan-Africanism.  This can be seen in a scene, that might be too disturbing for North American audiences, in which Marley smokes a joint flagrantly while driving and with his two kids at the back of the car.  In many North American states, weed is still illegal and driving and getting high is a no-no everywhere, not to mention the importance of setting a good example for children.

The actor who plays Marley is British.  He and most of the cast speak with a mild Jamaican accent throughout the film, which can be easily understood by North American audiences.   This is compared to the real thick Jamaican accent which is almost impossible to decipher.  Words like ‘raster’, a common colloquial term are often heard in the dialogue.

The film soars when Marley’s famous songs are heard and performed in the film.  Songs like “One Love”, : No Woman No Cry” and his version of Eric Clapton’s “I Shot the Sheriff” are examples.  The scene with the clip where Marley holds up the arms of the two political party opponents on stage in his peace concert is enough to inspire peace in the world.  “What is being rich like?”  Marley is asked at one point in the film.  “Richness is loving life,” is Marley’s answer.  It is not surprising he uttered these words as life came rather short for this man, who eventually died of cancer.

Though touted as a biopic, BOB MARLEY ONE LOVE is more of his work for peace and his struggle during only a few years of his life before being diagnosed with cancer.  It is easy to see the reason the filmmaker concentrated on these years, as they are the most inspirational and interesting part of his life.  His exile to Britain is largely ignored.

BOB MARLEY ONE LOVE opens in theatres on February 16th.

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EINSTEIN AND THE BOMB (UK 2023) ****½

Directed by  Anthony Pilipson

 

Three films based on the dreaded invention and use of the atomic bomb on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end the Second World War have made an impact this year,  The most notable of these is Christopher Nolan’s OPPENHEIMER, followed by the British documentary A PASSIONATE SPY and now yet another that ties the most famous Physicist of all time Albert Einstein, a Jew to the atomic bomb.

The doc attempts to inform what occurred with Einstein after he left Germany during the Second World War.  The film combines archival footage with dramatization (with actor Aidan McArdle playing Einstein) and explores key moments in science genius Einstein's life, and how his work has changed history's course.  Everything he says in the film is taken from the words he said or wrote.

The words claim at the start of the film that what is to be seen is based on true events and that all the words heard have in his lifetime, been written or said by Einstein.  One of these statements includes the one when he said if he knew that the Germans are not making an atomic bomb, he would not have opened Pandora’s Box.

Albert Einstein’s famous equation e = mc squared is the one used in atomic bombs where the difference in mass between two separate atomic particles and the one combined in the atom’s nucleus is multiplied by the speed of light (which is 3,000 million metres per second) is the energy generated.  A chain reaction of this energy would create the power of the atomic bomb that would destroy a complete city.

Among Einstein’s words:

I believe a simple and unassuming mind is best for the body and soul.

The Germans have been extremely violent towards my Jewish brothers.

To stay in Germany would be impossible for me, a pacifist.

I am a military pacifist.  I will fight for peace.

I believe that nature can be understood as a simple mathematical structure. 

And some with regard to Physics;

Time is relative.  An hour on our planet might be a century in another.

Time stretches and shrinks.

The doc is not without humour.  Einstein is given two lady bodyguards, who make light of the seriousness of their duties.

The doc’s re-enactments are done with a credible created period atmosphere and executed with conviction, humour and mystery making it an entertaining watch.  The doc opens for streaming on Netflix on Friday, February 16th.

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KILL ME IF YOU DARE (Zabij mnie, kochanie)(Poland 2023) *

Directed by Filip Zylber

 

KILL ME IF YOU DARE begins where most romantic comedies end.  The man is chasing and finally manages to get to the train station in time before his love leaves the platform.  He pros]poses to her to which she replies: “Till Death do Us part”.  This is a comedy in which a couple tries to kill each other after winning a lottery ticket.

Weronika Ksiazkiewiczand and Mateusz Banasiuk play the couple, Natalia and Piotr respectively.

KILL ME IF YOU DARE is an anti-romantic film that serves as something completely different for Valentine’s Day  The question asked is what one would do with such a large amount of money.  And what would you do if you were married and things were not as good as they could be?  In 1994, Andrew Bergman directed the Nicholas Cage comedy in which he shared the lottery winnings with a waitress played by.  Bridget Fonda much to the consternation of his wife, hilariously played by Rosie Perez immediately went to buy a fur coat only to get red paint splattered on her by animal protestors.  KILL ME IF YOU DARE takes the scenario of one stepfather with murder,  Well, perhaps not if each other thinks the other wants to murder them and take the money for themselves.

They get their winnings in cash and put it in a newly bought safe from their neighbour - a safe that needs two keys to unlock.  You need o trust each other,” the neighbour advises, “one can turn the nicest of wives into a murderer.:

A major segment has the couple with their two best friends who keep giving them incorrect advice, attending mountain vacation which has ample opportunity for each to do away with the other.  Opportunity is totally lost as the segment is long and boring, and less funny.  It does help that each of the best friends is totally annoying.

There is one scene nicely thought of that ends up a dud.  It is the dinner scene where the wife plans to poison him with almonds, as he is allergic to nuts.  He, on the other hand, intends to get her totally drunk and then skip on the floor of the room with tann=ing oil on the floor.  But what transpires ends up boring, unfunny and a chore to watch,

The film is interspersed with catchy English songs like “IlLove you Baby”, and  “What a Feeling:, from FLASHDANCE lifting the film’s mood and increasing its tackiness as well.  Throughout the film, the question is teased in the audience’s mind what if one won 5 million him or herself?

The film displays a modern Poland with new fashion, modern office space, and good-looking people wearing beautiful clothes.

KILL ME IF YOU DARE is a totally unfunny comedy with lots of missed opportunities for humour gone down the drain.  The only thing about the story is that the audience is kept guessing (though it does not take a genius to guess right) as to whether the couple will get together in the end,  But one has to sit through a grueling 90 minutes to fund out.

The film opens in Poland on February 14th and is also open for streaming on Netflix on Valentine’s Day.

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LAND OF BAD (USA 2023) **

Directed by William Eubank

The LAND OF BAD is the Philippines. The task of the Delta Force of the United States is the taking down of a stolen American military asset by enemy forces.  The Delta Force team is ambushed in enemy territory, their only hope lies with an Air Force drone pilot, nicknamed Reaper (Russell Crowe) to guide them through a brutal 48-hour battle for survival.

The lazy script skimps on the details.  The details of the stolen asset are not detailed.  The enemy identity is largely omitted and the real villain of the piece is left vague.  The enemy territory is the Philippines as stated by the words on the screen but the film is largely shot in the Gold Coast of Queensland in Australia.

There’s a lot of Aussie content in the film.  Besides being shot in Australia, the cast is largely Australian from the main lead, Russel Crowe to the two Hemsworth Brothers, Liam and Luke.  Australia is huge and has parts that can stand in for the Philippines.

The film is a mixed bag of tricks.  It does not start off well.  The first 30 minutes is unbelievably boring with little details given to the story and with editing moving to and fro between Reaper and Delta Force.  Nothing happens but if one can sit through the initial 30 minutes, there are some good suspenseful parts.

The last 30 minutes are quite suspenseful with Reaper rushing back (from grocery shopping, crazy as it may sound to the base to try to save Playboy (the nickname of the key Delta Force member).  To director Eubanks’ credit, he is able to wring out suspense in quite a many segments leaving the audience at the edge of the seats.  The script attempts a few funny moments like a choice of Frosty Flakes or Fruit Loops cereal and a few one-liners that are mildly amusing at best.  The trouble is the script that fails to explain the incidents and the details of the mission, who the enemy is and what the stolen asset is leaving the main plot vague and blurry.

L AND OF BAD opens in theatres on February 16th.

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THE PEASANTS (Poland 2023)

Directed by DK Welchman and Hugh Welchman

THE PEASANTS is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name by Reymont.  It has all the elements of a historical epic given a fairy tale look by the film’s animators.  There is poverty, the wealthy thriving on the poor, the quest for land, the hardship of farming the land, relationships and the dream of a better life.  The story is set in a Polish village and the story depicts that of the typical Polish villager.

The movie, like Reymont's novel, is divided into four parts corresponding to each of the four seasons. It takes place at the turn of the twentieth century, over the course of one year, in the village of Lipce.

Autumn. A beautiful, yet modest, young peasant Jagna Paczesiówna, with a talent for creating cutouts, is in love with Antek Boryna, the son of the richest peasant in the village, Maciej Boryna. However, Antek has a wife, Hanka, who has a hard time accepting her husband's advances towards another woman. In addition, Maciej, who is a widower looking for a new wife, decides to marry Jagna and give her six acres of land as a dowry.  Antek and Hanka disapprove of this decision. After a fight between Antek and Maciej the family's senior orders his son and daughter-in-law to leave the farm.

The film’s most magnificent scene is the wedding celebration segment where the old groom and young bride dance in circles.  There is also the effect of the camera zooming out of the celebrations showing the house from close up to afar to the land that the farm is situated on.

The animation of THE PEASANTS is quite astounding.  The film was produced using the painted animation technique over the production of five years, similar to the Welchman duo's previous film, LOVING VINCENT.  The film has a fairly tale look as the scenes share the look of the illustrations often found in children’s fairy tale books, though this is an adult tale.  Initially, the film was shot with the actors, and then more than a hundred painters in four studios in Poland, Lithuania, Ukraine, and Serbia painted oil paintings based on the shots, which became frames in the film. Animators then worked to supplement the paintings to make the whole film seamless. The artists spent over 200,000 hours in total working on the project.

The film’s world premiere took place at the Toronto International Film Festival. It was also invited to the 28th Busan International Film Festival in the 'Flash Forward' section.  The film was released in Polish cinemas on October 13, 2023, enjoying general critical acclaim. The Peasants recorded the biggest opening weekend for a Polish film in 2023 and is currently the most popular film in Poland for 2023.  The film is definitely worth a look!

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PERFECT DAYS (Japan 2023) ***1/2
Directed by Wim Wenders

PERFECT DAYS is an almost perfect little simple film about a simple man, content with his daily job as a public toilet cleaner.  He wears his form as a badge and does his job efficiently and diligently with pride and dignity.  One can also learn how to properly clean toilets from this man.  Kôji Yakusho, in one his best performances that won him the Best Actor prize at Cannes this year,  plays Hirayama, the cleaner of these toilets, named after the protagonist of Yasujiro Ozu’s last film, An Autumn Afternoon.  Hirayama lives alone in a small house full of plants, his days going by according to quiet rhythms that never seem to change.  But there is much surprise in store for the cleaner and the audience as German director Wim Wenders delivers another prized movie.

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A SOWETO LOVE STORY (Africa 2024) ***

Directed by Rolie Nikiwe

 

Two international comedies linked to the theme of romance open for streaming this week on Netflix in line with the Valentine’s Day celebrations.  Both are silly comedies.  One is KILL ME IF YOU DARE from Poland is about a couple attempting to kill each other after winning a lottery ticket.  Another, from Soweto, is called A SOWETO LVOE STORY.  While KILL ME IF YOU DARDE is silly and stupid, hardly generating any laughs, the one from Soweto is in contrast silly and occasionally smart and hilarious generating often a laugh-out-loud laugh per minute as can be enjoyed in the film’s first 5 minutes taking place in a church.  It is the keen observations of human behaviour that are milked for humour, something that audiences can relate to.  Coming in late during a hymn during a church service while finding a seat, praising the Lord while interjecting one’s successes and getting the spotlight in the church are all terrific funny moments.

In the film, the mother of three unmarried sons gives them an ultimatum:” Whoever gets married at the end of the year gets the house as a wedding present.”  Trouble is the one son who was supposed to propose to his girlfriend at his brother’s restaurant and gets dumped by his supposed fiancé after she finds a red bra at the back of his car.  The brother who owns the restaurant is not a worthy candidate for girls, says the eldest brother.  The third brother is assumed gay but the man keeps insisting: “I am not gay,” to which the other brother says:” It's okay to be gay.”  Mother wants to be recognized in church for a least one of her son’s weddings.  So there is a mad scramble for each of the sons to see who gets married first.  But things turn do not out right with failure after failure occurring for each of the three brothers.

Some of the humour has been used in similar films before - like dates that don’t work.  When fixed for blind dates, one laughs too annoyingly and loudly; another is too forward and yet another eats with food dribbling down her mouth.  The one who fixed the blind dates tells the man: “You are not that good-looking to be that fussy.”  the old jokes still manage to wring a laugh or two.  What works is the director’s comic timing which is passed down to both his actors and his filmed comedic pieces.

The film also suffered from the typical clichés including rushing to the airport before the flight takes off to save the romance.  Only this time it is the girl doing the chase.  It does not take a genius to guess the film’s ending, which one can likely guess though it will not be disclosed ninth review.  That aside, one still cannot help but root for the film’s happy ending.

This romantic comedy about A SOWETO LOVE STORY, actually three love stories in one is flawed with cliches with an overused storyline, but it still manages to pack quite a few laughs regardless, the biggest one involving the invoking of what is termed ‘force majeure’.  A satisfying Valentine’s Day pick.

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SWAY (Canada 2023) ***

Directed by Ramelan X Hamilton

 

SWAY is a Canadian gripping thriller wannabe but mostly a drama that is produced by Emmanuel Kabongo and directed by Ramelan X Hamilton.  The brisk 98-minute film follows the life of a prominent young Black community leader, nicknamed SWAY facing unexpected challenges that unravel his world.  As his brother, Cy goes missing after losing a bet of an undisclosed amount to a shady big boss character, Sway becomes ensnared in a web of blackmail orchestrated by a mysterious woman, and a murder puts his love and loyalty to the ultimate test.  The mysterious girl first appears in his bed one morning after Sway’s last rough night, though he does not remember what happened the night before or who this lady is.  Premiering in LA on Feb 8th and 10th, and in Toronto on Feb 17th, with Halifax dates to be announced in late February, SWAY promises an unforgettable cinematic experience.

The script contains a few interesting though not groundbreaking ideas.  The fight against crime is duly established and serves to be the main goal of the protagonist in the storyline,  “Crime is an occupation. It just sits on the opposite side of law and order.  Crime has to be driven out of Parkwood.” and so says Sway.  The success of the film depends mostly on the script which tends to be stage-bound.

It is important most of the time for the audience to have a likable protagonist to side with him and also the film.  Sway’s character is shown for both sides of the coin.  On his good side, he strives to do good for the foundation achieving what the press calls  40 under 40, which one assumes is the top 40 under 40 years of age.  He is concerned about his brother and loves his family.  The family is not seen in the film.  The film also shows his other side - short tempered with often use of foul language.  He also screams and mistreats his employees though one employee does deserve to be screamed at.  But there is a reason for the bad side to be shown as not to reveal any more of the plot, but some dirty goings-on are revealed to the audience about Sway at the mid-mark of the film.  The revelation occurs when his interviewer puts him in a corner when questioning an unexplained fire that occurred in one of the buildings at Parkdale.  Just when shit is about to hit the fan, the lady in his bed that morning calls him to blackmail him.  This is when the audience is forced to either take Sway’s side or do the opposite.

The film is a Canadian film shot in Toronto, though the setting is the United States. The high-rise building of Toronto can be seen throughout the film with many locations recognizable by Torontonians, 

SWAY premieres in LA on Feb 8th and 10th, and in Toronto on Feb 17th at Toronto’s Black Film Festival, with Halifax dates to be announced in late February.  The film has won an award: 2024 BAFGC (CBS Awards) Recipient: Best Film and Best Actor (SWAY).  For more information about Toronto’s Black Film Festival clink on the link: https://torontoblackfilm.com/2024-films/

Trailer: 

THE TASTE OF THINGS (THE POT-AU-FEU) (France 2023) ****

Directed by Anh Hung Tran

 

The film THE TASTE OF THINGS begins with an extended cooking scene amidst a breakfast that is enjoyed by both Eugénie (Juliette Binoche) and her boss of 20 years, Dodin (Benoît Magimel).  The audience is introduced to both Eugenie and Dodin as well as their two young helpers Pauline and Violette.  Though slow-moving and meticulously filmed, the total segment (not done with a single take but with frequent cuts, yet with the camera swirling around the kitchen) lasts more than 30 minutes and might require some patience to watch as well as to sit through this 2 hour-15 minute historical romance drama.  But the effort is well worth it.  From the gardens outside the residence where fresh vegetables are cultivated to the kitchen where all the stocks are made from scratch using exotic ingredients like crayfish, veal short ribs and quenelles, the film illustrates gastronomical delights.  Mouths will be watering as one can almost smell the fragrances of the cooking ingredients.  As the segment unfolds, the audience also learns about the couple.

The film is set in 1885 France.  Eugénie is an outstanding cook who, for 20 years has been working for the famous gourmet Dodin.  Together they create dishes, each more delicate and delicious than the previous ones.  From this union, a love affair has sprung, with Eugénie leaving her bedroom door unlocked at the manor where they live.  Although he’s proposed to Eugénie many times, she’s never wanted to marry.  So Dodin decides to do something he’s never done before – cook for her.

The film is an adult love story where the line between cooking or rather,  doing something special for the other person and love equate to the same thing.  The deed is clearly more important than one’s words and one’s deeds can surely demonstrate love, care and passion for the other person.

Three-star Michelin chef Pierre Gagnaire served as a food consultant, assisted by chef Michel Nave, with whom he worked for over 40 years.  Also starring are Galatea Bellugi as Dodin’s assistant cook, and Bonnie Chagneau-Ravoire as a natural talent who reminds Eugénie of her young self.  The film is loosely based on Marcel Rouff’s The Life and Passion of Dodin-Bouffant.   The current French title is LA PASSION DE DODIN BOUFFANT.

There is a lot of information dissipated in French gourmet cooking in the film.  One of the highlights is the ortolan eating.  The ortolan (Emberiza hortulana), also called ortolan bunting, is an Eurasian bird in the bunting family.  The ortolan is served in French cuisine, typically cooked and eaten whole.  As observed in the film, the diners cover their heads with a cloth while eating the delicacy.  The bird is so widely used that its French populations dropped dangerously low,

France surprisingly submitted THE TASTE OF THINGS for the 2024 Academy Awards Best International  Feature thus shunning the Golden Globe Winner for the Best International Feature, Justine Triet’s  L’ANATOMIE D’UNE CHUTE (The Anatomy of a Fall).  THE TASTE OF THINGS did not even make it to the final 5 nominees though it made it to the shortlist.  The film did win director Anh HungTran  (THE SCENT OF GREEN PAPAYA) the Cannes Prize for the Best Mise-en-Scene.  At the point of writing, the film has scored an impressive 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

THE TASTE OF THINGS opens February 16 in Toronto and Vancouver, February 23 in Ottawa and throughout the winter in other cities.

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Written by: Gilbert Seah

Parent Category: Articles

Category: Movie Reviews

Published: 25 January 2024

FILM REVIEWS:

 AFTER THE FIRE

Review, click the link:

(Effective French film that harnesses the fire of public outrage against a racist criminal justice system)

https://toronto-franco.com/article/21-cinema-movies/397-film-eview-avant-ques-les-flammes-ne-s-eteignent

ARGYLLE (UK/USA 2024) **

Directed by Matthew Vaughn

 

Bryce Dallas Howard (Jurassic World franchise and daughter of Ron Howard of HAPPY DAYS) is Elly Conway, the reclusive author of a series of best-selling espionage novels, whose idea of bliss is a night at home with her computer and her cat, Alfie. But when the plots of Elly's fictional books--which center on secret agent Argylle and his mission to unravel a global spy syndicate--begin to mirror the covert actions of a real-life spy organization, quiet evenings at home become a thing of the past. Accompanied by Aidan (Oscar® winner Sam Rockwell), a cat-allergic spy, Elly (carrying Alfie in her backpack) races across the world to stay one step ahead of the killers as the line between Elly's fictional world and her real one begins to blur.  Henry Cavill with outrageous hairdo and suit plays Agent Argyle in Elly’s novel.

As an action-packed comedy thriller, ARGYLL disappoints, mainly in the overuse of unrealistic CGI effects.  The escape by parachute from the train by the couple in one of the film’s key action scenes not only looks fake but looks pale in comparison to the Tom Cruise parachute escape in his recent MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: DEAD RECKONING.   The CGI action sequence at the film’s start with the motorbike is also crazily out of control.  The old-fashioned stunt work done in the past in the old action films before CGI is sadly missed.

Why is the film called Argylle?  Argyll, sometimes called Argyllshire, is a historic county and registration county of western Scotland. Argyll is of ancient origin and broadly corresponds to the ancient kingdom of Dál Riata less the parts which were in Ireland.  But in the film, the title refers to the name of the agent - Agent Argylle and nothing to do with the Scottish region.

There are a lot of things that make no sense in the film, like the use of the cat Alfie, used to generate laughs, that do not work most of the time.  Alfie looks cute but who needs ‘cute’ in a spy film?  The script by Jason Fuchs does not help in terms of entertaining.  For one, the story is too complicated compared to the other KINGSMAN films and the least funny.  The story feels something that Christopher Nolan could have come up with as in the spy film TENET which is almost impossible to follow - not that it matters.

Samuel L. Jackosn has a supporting role in the film and one that surprisingly does not allow him to use his trademark ‘motherfucker’ word in his dialogue.  But it is only Catherine O’Hara (from SCTV) and Sam Rockwell who shine in the movie.  Cavill is totally out of place as is John Cena.

With the overuse of plot twists and CGI-aided action sequences, the film eventually turns out to be a bore.  The film should have ended 15 minutes earlier and who cares what happens to Alfie the cat anyway?

ARGYLLE is the most terrible of the KINGSMAN franchise, the best still being the one with Elton John that was both action-packed and hilarious.This one is neither.

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DARIO ARGENTO PANICO (UK 2023) ***½

Directed by Simone Scafadi

 

Dario Argento speaks of pushing fear past the limit - into panic, hence the title of the documentary on Argento.

Dario Argento wrote his most famous films inside hotels, completely isolating himself from external reality and immersing himself in his own nightmares.  Argento is well-known for many horror Giallo films including his latest DARK GLASSES, OPERA (My personal favourite),  SUSPIRA (remade by Hollywood), THE CAT O’NINE TAILS, DEEP RED and most popular and arguably his best THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE.  After many years, advised by his agent, he decides to go back to a hotel to finish his new screenplay and to be interviewed, filmed and followed by a crew that is shooting a film about him. Within this structure, a wellness centre very far from the distressing places that characterize the cinema of the master of horror, Argento does not feel at ease and has difficulty both in finding the peace necessary to finish the screenplay, and in confiding his secrets to the crew who are interviewing him. But the demon of cinema, who has never abandoned him, will once again push him to give himself totally.

Fans of Dario Argento are in for a treat in this documentary on the Italian horror maestro of Giallo crimson slasher flicks.  The Master is also seen in many scenes in person, as he is still alive and well, working on his latest project where a documentary crew is also filming.  In the doc, the audience sees him at a hotel where he normally resides when writing for his latest film.  The man is in fine form and not without humour.

The best part of the doc is when clips of his old classics are screened with voiceover providing insight for fans and cineastes alike.  The film that is given the most attention is the slasher whodunit THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE starring Tony Musante.  This film went on to become the Italian film that became number one at the United States box office.  When the film attained such acclaim, Mutant and his producer praised Argento for the pleasure of working together.  Argento tells the audience in the doc that they were arguing with him half the time during filming and they wanted him fired from the picture.

As in all biopics, the doc includes the director’s background - from his childhood to the present.  His childhood is interesting enough - with lots of film industry background.  Dario’s mother was a photographer of the stars with clients including Gina Lollobrigida and Sophia Loren.  As a child, Dario would watch her mother work on the stars and makeup.  His father was a film producer who would travel a lot.

Three international film directors speak highly of Argento.  The three are Guillermo del Toro, Gaspar Noe and Nicolas Winding Refn.  Noe who made the disturbing film CARNE and SEUL CONTE TOUS, both films telling the story of how a father raped his retarded daughter to prevent her from losing her virginity to a stranger.  That was a real horror film that had a quarter of the audience walking out during the last 10 minutes.  Oddly enough, Noe speaks of Argento’s relationship with his daughter in the making of THE STENDHAL SYNDROME,  Others interviewed consist mainly of family members including his daughter Asia Argento.

More interesting to fans of Giallo horror and of Dario Argento, but the doc provides an informative and deeper look at both the master’s horror psyche and his work in horror cinema.  It shows both talent and perseverance are involved.  DARIO ARGENTO PANICO opens for streaming on Shudder on February 2nd.

FITTING IN (BLOODY HELL) (Canada 2023) ***
Directed by Molly McGlynn

 

Most people are still unfamiliar with the intersex and non-binary community.  Many documentaries serve to educate, and many films are now made to include intersex and non-binary characters.  At TIFF 2023, two films have had two non-binary characters as the protagonists, LA VENUS D'ARGENT (THE SPIRIT OF ECSTASY) and this one, BLOODY HELL, now renamed FITTING IN to suit the tamer title.

Lindy (Maddie Ziegler)  has moved into her grandmother’s old house with her single mom Rita (Emily Hampshire) and is in the early days of deciding whether to have sex with her boyfriend Adam (D’Pharoah Woon-A-Tai).  Things take a turn when she is brought to the doctor’s office to get a prescription for birth control.  One physical exam later, a cold and unfeeling male gynecologist delivers news that will turn Lindy’s world upside down.   Lyndy is the equivalent of a non-binary person with the rare reproductive abnormality called Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome, which means she does not have a uterus or cervix and has a shortened vaginal canal.  In short, she cannot get f***ed  properly for lack of a proper vagina.  While other high school kids are competing in sports, dating, having sex, and going to parties, Lindy is spiralling and pushing away all her previous sources of trust and comfort, like Adam, her best friend, and her starring track and field spot.

The film follows the overfamiliar Hollywood-cliched ending that one has already seen too much of.  In FITTING IN, as in all the docs and fictional films on such characters, the key point is that these people should not be considered abnormal, but normal but different.  They have to learn to accept their bodies (in 0.02% of the American population as stated in a recent documentary) and be proud of them.  Many now do and wish not to perform any surgery to have their body ‘normalized’ to the majority of the population.  In FITTING IN, the protagonist finally accepts her body and the lack of the proper female reproductive system and can announce it to her classmates without feeling any shame any longer.  She also settles with the person who loves her and gives her the sexual desire she craves - another female instead of a boy.  Though these two components of the ending are expected and run into the cliched territory, they are still well done and satisfactorily credible enough.  FITTING IN aptly deals with a sensitive and unfamiliar topic, so for audiences unfamiliar with intersex and non-binary people, the film should serve as an eye-opener.  Yes, God gave humans, these classes of people included, their bodies and bodies to be accepted and to be proud of.  The bodies should not be altered as permanent injury could result.

Both Ziegler and Hampshire deliver impressive convincing performances, especially in their confrontational scenes, the highlight of the movie.  

The film also delves deeper into Lindy’s desperation to enjoy sex like the others.  Her sexual encounter with Adam is awkward and reminds one of the sex scene in Alan J, Pakula’s 1969’s THE STERILE CUCKOO with Liza Minelli and Wendell Burton.

The film is beautifully shot around the lakes of Sudbury in Northern Ontario.

 

ORION AND THE DARK (USA 2024) ***½

Directed by Sean Charmatz

 

ORION AND THE DARK follows the adventures of Orion.  Orion seems a lot like your average elementary school kid – shy, unassuming, harbouring a secret crush for classmate Sally. But underneath his seemingly normal exterior, Orion is a ball of adolescent anxiety, completely consumed by irrational fears of bees, dogs, the ocean, cell phone waves, murderous gutter clowns, and even falling off of a cliff. But of all his fears, the thing he's the most afraid of is what he confronts on a nightly basis: the Dark. So when the literal embodiment of his worst fear pays a visit, the Dark whisks Orion away on a roller coaster ride around the world to prove there is nothing to be afraid of in the night. As the unlikely pair grows closer, Orion must decide if he can learn to accept the unknown – to stop letting fear control his life and finally embrace the joy of living.

The film is touted as a fantasy adventure and who is more appropriate to write it than Charlie Kaufman who wrote the screenplay though the film is based on the book of the same name.  Kaufman is responsible for film hits like ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THS SPOTLESS MIND,  BEING JOHN MALKOVICH and ADAPTATION to mention a few.  So there is much expectation in his foray into a child’s imagination.

As for animation, this animated feature contains animation within the imagination.  Or.` on keeps a sketchbook, as advised by his counselor to record all his fears.  There are sketches found in the book,  Whenever Orion goes into active imagination of his fears, these are realized in animated sequences - hence animation within animation.

There is something  endearing about a child’s fears.  Everyone in their childhood has his or her own fears, such as the fear of talking to the first person of the opposite sex, a crush on the first day of school, or of failing an exam for whatever reason.  Most children are afraid of the dark, so, ironically, onion meets a monster called Dark at night,

Orion is voiced by Canadian actor Jacob Tremblay.  Tremblay made his film debut as Blue in the live-action animated film The Smurfs 2 (2013). His breakout performance was in the dark drama ROOM (2015), for which he received critical acclaim.  Other heavyweights lending their talents to the voice characterizations include Angela Bassett, Colin Hanks (son of Tom Hanks) and director Werner Herzog.

The trick is never to let fear enter your life.  These are the typical messages that can be heard in the typical Disney movie.  However, there is one reference to author David Foster Wallace, when Orion asks his parent to read him a bedtime story holding a book written by him.  Wallace was an American novelist, short story writer, essayist, and university professor of English and creative writing. Wallace's 1996 novel Infinite Jest was cited by Time magazine as one of the 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to 2005

I know it is a bad story.  I ran out of ideas,  I do not know how it ends.  The story of ORION AND THE DARK is a story within a story - the one told by a father to his daughter to stop her from being afraid of the dark.  But Charlie Kaufman being Charlie Kaufman has good ideas in his storytelling including an intriguing timeline in which Orion meets his child, his daughter, who appears in his story -  sort of a childhood fantasy version of BEING JOHN MALKOVICH.  Not all the ideas turn to that well as expected and the film could have been funnier too, especially with all the dark entities.

ORION AND THE DARK is a Dreamworks and Netflix original movie that opens for streaming on February 2nd, 2024.

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LOS COLONOS (THE SETTLERS )( while 2023) ****

Directed by Felipe Gálvez Haberle

 

 

Chile, beginning of the 20th century. A wealthy landowner hires three horsemen to mark out the perimeter of his extensive property and open a route for his cattle to the Atlantic Ocean across vast Patagonia. The expedition, composed of a young Chilean half-blood, an American mercenary, and led by a reckless British lieutenant, soon turns into a “civilizing” raid.

It is a tough world of settlers depicted in the film.  It is a case of dog eats dog.  Noticeably too, is the absence of women in most of the film and story. At the 30-minute film mark, not one female has appeared on screen.  The first female appears only past the film’s halfway mark, and a beautiful cultured lady singing a song finally makes her appearance at the hour mark.  And when the latter lady opens to speak her mind, it is revealed that she is even more evil than her male counterparts,

Clearly, there are no heroes in the film.  Everyone is flawed.  If there is a villain, perhaps all the characters are as many bear bad traits.  And more so, no one can tell who the real enemy is.  Is it the Indians who are the indigenous people of the land?  Or is it the lieutenant the threat?  Or perhaps it is nature itself in the form of an uninviting mountain range covered with snow and danger.

The harshness of the land is emphasized many times.  Besides the audience constantly looking at the barren landscape, a character even remarks that nobody would want to fight for the useless land.  But the land is always a favourite topic in films, especially land that is stolen from films like THE KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON to THE BEASTS (BESTAS), two of last year’s top 10 films on my list.

Despite the straightforward plot, the script contains lots of surprises or rather, shocks.  A major supporting character, for example, can be suddenly killed off in a second  There is an expected sodomy scene that appears out of nowhere.  “Hush-a-bye, Don’t you Cry, Little Baby” is a lullaby that can be heard on the soundtrack, weird as it may be.

The indigenous people are given respect in the film.  The half-breed is given a full chapter in the film.  The half-breed is described in the film as having a delicate skull structure and would be more useful if he be educated in university and hired as an engineer than just working the land as a laborer.  The man is also a crack shot.  He remains largely silent in the film, so no one really knows what he is thinking.  There is a scene where he points his rifle at his boss who is killing off innocent indigenous Indians, but they turn the barrel up and shots into the sky

The film marks Chile’s entry for this year’s Academy Award for Best International Feature.  Despite it being a remarkable film experience, the film did not make the shortlist, unfortunately.  The film did win the FIREPSCI (the Critics) Award for Best Film at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.

THE SETTLERS is unsettling but in a good way.  Solid story, with solid characters in a harsh environment where anything can happen and mostly does.  An engrossing film that is definitely worth viewing. 

Trailer: 

WIL (Netherlands/Belgium/Poland 2023) ***

Directed by Tim Mielants

 

Antwerp is occupied by the Germans,  “We are the occupiers and we are winning the war,” the town folk is told.  They have two options: to be a German collaborator or be a resistance fighter and aid the Jews as they are slowly rounded up by the Germans.  The magic question the film asks is: “What would you do?”?

Wilfried Wils (Stef Sets) must survive as an auxiliary policeman during the Nazi occupation of Antwerp.  On his first duty, he and his partner accompany a German officer who needs to arrest someone for not working.  During the process, they witness considerable brutality that causes Will to kill the officer accidentally.  Rather germans then return to investigate what happened to the missing officer.  This is when the trouble starts and the catalyst to the story of the film.

The first introductory pep talk by a police chief to his men is always a delight to watch in many films, which many directors use for both humour and insight.  In Ladj Ly’s excellent 2019 LES MISERABLES about Parisian cops, the female police chief’s pep talk to the newbie cop for the suburbs was nothing short of brutal and hilarious.  In WIL, Wil’s police commissioner (Jan Bojvoet) introductory talk to the recruits informs them that their two and a half weeks of training is worthless and the most important thing is to observe (and perhaps do nothing.)  The advice could be for the audience too, to observe what goes on in this different type of cop film, a cop film set in Antwerp in 1942, in the Second World War.

Persecution of the Jews by the Germans is always shocking, whether seen in the past or the present, no matter how many times seen.  Director Ryan knows it and shows similar incidents a few times, to get the blood of his audience riling.  The tactic works as the emotional impact is gut-wrenching.  Wil is often a witness, forced to remain silent for fear of retaliation as well as fear of not knowing what to do.  Director Mielantls shows how much terror Will faces because he is helpless.

The period atmosphere of WWII is effectively captured by cinematographer Robrecht Heyvaert and together with director Milan’s, the film manages to work its magic.  Though the events of the evil deeds done by the Germans are not new, the film still feels fresh with new fears generated by the two policemen.

The only complaint is that what transpires on screen in this well-worn genre has been seen one time or another in films of similar genres, though the film still manages to shock and intensify the audience, thanks to excellent production aves with direction by Mielants.

WIL is a Netflix original film, a co-production of Poland, Belgium and the Netherlands and is available for streaming now on Netflix.

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Written by: Gilbert Seah

Parent Category: Articles

Category: Movie Reviews

Published: 25 January 2024

FILM REVIEWS:

FLOAT (Canada 2023) **½

Directed by Sherren Lee

 

 

FLOAT is an innocent enough title about a girl learning how to swim. A funny title that more accurately tells the story would be HOW TO LEARN HOW TO SWIM AND FALL IN LOVE IN THE PROCESS which basically is the premise of a rather simple love story that is set in the small seaside town of Holden in Florida.

The movie is based on Kate Merchant's popular Wattpad teen romance story which accumulated over 25.5 million reads on the user-generated fiction platform.  Wattpad is a website for reading and publishing original written fiction and connecting with fellow writers and readers. Its most popular genres are romance, teen fiction, and fan fiction.  As of November 2021, Wattpad has more than 90 million monthly users and there are over 665 million story uploads in total.  But having 25.5 million reads does not guarantee a good story or a good film.

Waverly (Andrea Bang) thought she had her future figured out.  She'd start her medical residency in Toronto after a summer visit to her parents in Taipei.  She feels rejected when her parents cancel her visit to Taipeh and skips Toronto, not telling them, visiting her Aunt Rachel in Holden instead. There, she meets local lifeguard Blake (Robbie Amell).  After he saves her from nearly drowning at a beach party, Blake offers to teach Waverly to swim, and as the lessons continue, the two unexpectedly find themselves falling in love.  But will Blake's ties to his past and Waverly's plans to begin a new job keep them apart once summer ends?  It does not take a genius to guess how the ending turns out.  The film also makes the point that going to medical school to advance a career as a doctor is not as important as puppy love.

The story in the film is quite different from the one in the book.  In the film, Waverly is sent to her Aunt Rachel but in the book, she makes an unannounced detour to her Aunt Rachel.  She is supposed to be in Toronto doing some coop in preparation for medical school.

For a teen romance, the story is corny and filled with cliches complete with obstacles to the romance and makeup at the end.  The Chemistry between the two actors does not quite work well, a factor being that actress Bang looks a bit too young for her age and her settling down to an adult forever relationship is too unbelievable.

Besides being a love story, the film is also one about relationships.  There are several relationships in the story - all estranged ones, of course.  One is between the lifeguard and his sister, another between Waverly’s aunt, Rachel and her mother and the all-important one between Waverly and her parents. which is the reason she has ended up in Holden instead of Toronto.  An addition alone involving two lesbians having a baby is also added for good measure.

The mediocre film has won a string of awards, mainly from the province of British  Columbia.  B.C. supports its own film industry, which is a good thing.  FLOAT opens in theatres, on-demand and on all major platforms on February 9th.

Trailer: 

HOW TO HAVE SEX (UK 2023) ****

Directed by Molly Walker

 

Like hundreds of others, three British teenage girls have come to party in the sun-drenched Cretan town of Malia.  Best holiday ever?  The three girls are awaiting their examination results.  The film is very British from the very start of the film - a good thing - as like many, I love everything British.  The film is based on director Walker’s own high school holiday experiences,  “My fags are all wet,”  cries one as she dips into the sea while the wave sweeps out her pack of cigarettes.  A hungry one cries: “I want big extra-large chips.” while another cries “Mum just called”.  Americans also use the term vacation instead of holidays.  The film is vibrant in the opening as the girls party it out and their enthusiasm and spirit are catching.

They decide the biggest room in their unit that overlooks the pool will belong to the one who manages to get the most sex during the vacation. And so the premise of the film is that the story is less important than the spirit of the movie.  But the premise then turns the film into a more serious setting - a rites-of-passage or coming-of-age story for the three heroines.   Indeed, it’s a rites-of-passage holiday that should be the best summer of their lives.  While awaiting their final exam results, the besties are ready to let loose and live it up, drink and hook up. 

The 3 females are Skye, Tara and Em.  Unlike Skye (Lara Peake) and Em (Enva Lewis), Tara (mesmerizing Mia McKenna-Bruce) is still a virgin.  Despite the girls being loud, crazy and all over the place, to her credit, Director Walker keeps the personalities of the three girls endearing and not annoying to the audience.  (Who should want to watch a bunch of annoying teenage girls?)  Director Walker also keeps the film smart, funny and moving.  Even the corny jokes are funny.  “Why doesn’t anyone see pigs hiding in a tree?  Answer: “Because they are pretty good at it.  Or: What is the difference between a rabbit and a plum?”  On the second day, before even the bikinis and lip gloss are barely unpacked when Tara spies the two slightly older British boys staying next door.  One is a friendly goof (Shaun Thomas, THE SELFISH GIANT) who shares Tara’s corny humour.  The other is a handsome asshole (Samuel Bottomley). 

Don’t let the film title fool you.  Despite its playful-sounding title, the film delves into serious territory and covers the material well and with flair.  Winner of the top prize in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes 2023, Molly Manning Walker’s stunning HOW TO HAVE SEX offers up a vibrant depiction of the agonies, ecstasies and ride-or-die glory of young female friendship.  The film also paints a painfully familiar portrait of how first sexual experiences play out.  Yes, the glories, fun and precociousness of youth!

  HOW TO HAVE SEX opens February 9 in Toronto at the TIFF Bell Lightbox, Vancouver and Montreal.

Trailer: 

LISA FRANKENSTEIN (USA 2023) **

Directed by Zelda Williams

 

The official synopsis of LISA FRANKENSTEIN the new horror comedy goes like this: In 1989, a misunderstood teenage goth girl named Lisa Swallows (Kathryn Newton) reanimates a handsome corpse (Cole Sprouse) from the Victorian era during a lightning storm and starts to rebuild him into the man of her dreams by using a broken tanning machine in her garage.  After going through a playfully horrific transformation, the romantic duo embarks on a murderous journey to find true love, happiness, and a few missing body parts along the way.

LISA FRANKENSTEIN plays like a teen comedy with a premise that follows along the line of WEIRD SCIENCE in which teen boys create the perfect female.  Here, a female teen creates her true love. 

Director Williams borrows and pays nods (probably more accurate than using the term ‘copy)’ from various classic films through the decades.  For one, the poster of LISA FRANKENSTEIN looks quite like that of WEIRD SCIENCE so one wonders if the poster was modeled from it.  Actress Kathryn Newton as Lisa shares the same goulash hair-do as Helena Bonham Carter, ex-wife of Tim Burton.  Director Williams’ film also plays like a Tim Burton movie notably BEETLEJUICE and EDWARD SCISSORHANDS.  In fact, the actor who plays the creature in the film looks like a replica of Johnny Depp in EDWARD SCISSORHANDS with makeup as in BEETLEJUICE.   There are nods to other film classes as well such as the B-horror flick THE CREATURE OF THE BLACK LAGOON, the poster of which can be seen hanging on Lisa’s room wall.  In fact the character of Lisa and her encounter with her step-sister and other girls in school also plays like a varied version of MEAN GIRLS.  One flaw of the movie is the description of Lisa’s heartthrob, Michael Trent (Henry Eikenberry) who is twice described in the film as not having the body of an athlete.  When shown in the bedroom later on in the film, Trent has quite a chiseled body. 

LISA FRANKENSTEIN is not very good - which is a real pity as the film excels in many departments like make-up and wardrobe - generally superior production values and a clever premise that does not translate well into funny comedy.  The humour is generally teenage infantile, but teenage infantile could be hilarious if executed well, as in films like LICENCE TO DRIVE, WEIRD SCIENCE and a whole bunch of John Hughes films.  For example in the upcoming teen sex comedy which is quite good called HOW TO HAVE SEX’, There is a joke: “Why can’t you see pigs hiding in a tree?”  Answer:  “Because they are quite good at it.”  A comedy is supposed to display comedic timing, surprise and inventiveness which this horror comedy unfortunately lacks.  The main flaw is that LISA FRANKENSTEIN is just not funny enough,

LISA FRANKENSTEIN opens February the 9th in theatres together with the other teen sex comedy HOW TO HAVE SEX.  Forget the former film, see the latter.

Trailer: 

LOVER, STALKER, KILLER (UK 2024) ***½

Directed by Sam Hobkinson

A twisted and different romance for Valentine's Day!

Lover, Stalker, Killer is a real-life crime documentary that tells the complicated story of love, dating, anger, and murder. The horrific crime is explored using interviews, circumstantial evidence and archive footage. This is from Netflix and the new crime documentary that opens Friday 9th, February on the streaming services a short and sharp crime thriller that will keep one glued to their seats from start to finish.

` The film begins with a great setup pushing the start button on audience anticipation.  The audience is told that this crime, according to the prosecutor is the most bizarre and twisted while the defending attorney claims that the murder might not even have happened.  There was no weapon, no body and no crime scene. making one of the strangest murder trails.  It is all caused by a love triangle gone awry.

The doc unfolds in true Hitchcock fashion in which director Hobkinson always keeps audience anticipation at its height.  The audience is set up for a murder in which they are kept guessing as to which one is the victim and who would be the stalker and killer.  The film is narrated by the guy, Dave, an auto-mechanic, so one might guess that he would not likely be the perpetrator.  Or could he be?

Though narrated by Dave Kroupa the docs largely a re-enactment with three actors playing Liz, Cari and Dave.

Here is the gist of the story.  Dave is a lonely guy who moves to Nebraska after a failed marriage tome with his kids.  Going a doing site, Dave gets to meet Liz.  Both connect, sharing the same interests like heavy metal and motorbikes.  Dave has one.  They decide to have a plutonic relationship.  But as they stay so close to each other, they see a lot of each other.  trouble beings brewing when Cari appears one day at Dave’s garage to have her car fixed.  Dave dates her after finding her profile on the dating website and hell slowly but surely reds lose.

No more should be said of the plot at this point but that it gets more and more interesting.  The police investigation also enters the story and one can see how they were initially fooled.

LOVER, STALKER, KILLER is one of the best crime docs to be streamed on Netflix - a completely compelling watch with strong Hitchcock tones in a true story that is almost too bizarre and twisted to believe.

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THE PROMISED LAND (BASTARDEN) (Denmark/Germany/Sweden 2023) ***** Top 10

Directed by Nikolaj Arcel

 

At the Toronto International Film Festival screening, director Nikolaj Arcel mentioned that Denmark had a population of only 5 million and had vast areas of land, like Jutland, the film’s setting, in the north that goes as far as the sea.  He also said that he wanted to make an epic and often there is not that much money available.   Be that as it may, THE PROMISED LAND comes across as an efficient enough epic, epic in emotional and storytelling proportions that come with an all-important message to boot.  The film returns to filmmaking at its best, in what is definitely one of the top movies of the year.  It is a gripping adventure drama, compelling and riveting from start to finish.

The film reunites Mads Mikkelsen with director Arcel, who previously directed him in A Royal Affair (TIFF ’12).

Mads Mikkelsen stars as Ludvig Kahlen, the illegitimate son of a maid and a nobleman, who defied his low status to succeed in Denmark’s military.  Hence, the Danish film title THE BASTARD.  He took 25 years to attain the position of captain whereas a nobleman with royal blood would have taken much, much less time.  Though many had already tried and failed to realize the hopes of King Frederik V for the wild heath of Jutland (the saying goes: the heath cannot be tamed) to be tamed and cultivated.  Kahlen believes he has the necessary mettle to triumph over the inhospitable soil, roving thieves, and many other obstacles.  His most formidable enemy proves to be Frederik de Schinkel (Simon Bennebjerg), the landowner who knows that any progress on the heath will cost him his power.  For all his stoic self-reliance, Kahlen soon realizes he cannot succeed without allies such as Ann Barbara (Amanda Collin), a worker who comes under his protection, and Edel Helene (Kristine Kujath Thorp), de Schinkel’s cousin and very reluctant betrothed.

The film is based on the book “The Captain and Barbara” but retaining this title would have given away some of the key points to the plot.  For this reason, the director chose to name his film BASTARDEN.

 BASTERDEN works as an excellent period epic full of spectacle, especially of the barren and almost impossible-to-be-tilled heath of Jutland.  Actor Mikkelsen is nothing short of superb in this role, carrying the film steadily with his serious-looking face, unable to give up his ambition.

Director Arcel does not shy away from violence, which is much needed to get his points across.  Despite the film’s setting of a male-dominated world - for example, de Schinkel rotates having sex with his different female staff, the women in the story particularly Ann Barber and de Schinkel’s cousin have major roles to play in the twists of the story.

There is also much history and geography to learn from the film, in terms of offering methods, instruments and apparatus for surveying and farming the land.  The cinematography depicting the harsh first and blowing winter snow and ice is also stunningly depicted.

THE PROMISED LAND aka BASTARDEN displays filmmaking at its best,  executed with verve and conviction, by a director and actor both at the top of their form. It is the Danish entry for the Best International Feature at the upcoming Oscars and made the shortlist.  The film opens in theatres on February 9th.

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