Procrastination. So easy to understand, but so hard to forgive, especially for a slave-driver such as myself. Sinking deeper into one's cushy sofa, relaxing all muscles and finding comfort in that most debilitating lie: "I'll do it tomorrow". That is what we do, without an inkling of shame or any sort of gastrointestinal disturbance, buying our own lie only because that entails no further effort for the day. This is all well and good when you're 8, but as the clock keeps ticking, as you bid farewell to your twenties while still harboring a crippling fascination for a nineteen year old girl, it becomes inexcusable. That is why I have now decided to become wholeheartedly involved in the two things that have the power to bring me happiness and spiritual fulfillment: writing and game design.
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Monday
Wake up at 7:07. Leave house at 7:35 after quick shower/breakfast, commute for 45-50 minutes (during which I feverishly, and shakily scribble my jumbled thoughts in a handy notepad) in order to start work at 8:20-8:25. No breaks in the morning, then a half-hour break for lunch. No breaks in the afternoon, then out of work at 4:30. After that, it's either a leisurely stroll to Concordia for a 5:15-5:30 screening, or a stressful jog for a 5:00 screening. Then, it's two more screenings in the evening, some of which required stressful taxi rides or extenuating runs between venues (the Cinémathèque being located annoyingly far from Concordia). Then, at around 11:00, it's another 45 minutes of commuting during which I scribble some more notes, trying desperately to make sense of the surge of images to which I've just now been subjected.
Tuesday
Repeat
Wednesday
Repeat
Thursday
Repeat
Friday
Repeat, but add one midnight screening.
Saturday
Wake up at 9:33. Take a few hours to try and organize over 35 pages of notes from one whole week of tightly-packed screenings, then off to Concordia for the noon screening of some animated, or family-oriented feature. After that, there's usually five more features to attend, the midnight screening usually being a must-see. This also means that I'm not out of there until 1:30-2:00 and will subsequently have to cope with a lengthy bus ride to reach home.
Sunday
Wake up at 9:06. Take a few hours to pursue organizing my thoughts, then off to Concordia for yet another noon screening. After that, there are usually four more screenings to attend, which leave me totally drained, panting for some relief that never comes...
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Obviously, there's a crushing feeling of solitude involved in all of this, even in those occasions where I managed to secure the companionship of one or two friends for a screening. After all, such temporary company merely exacerbated my subsequent loneliness, making it seem like I've suddenly LOST friends in pursuing my demented objectives. I remember hurting as the days and evenings lengthened, with each passing break filling me with an increasing sense of despair. All the while, I longed for the day where I would be free from this self-inflicted slavery to the screen. And when I finally did become free, I was immediately faced with the perspective of an ascetic retreat into my notepads so as to create sense out of all the squiggly thoughts and fleeting impressions I had laid down in there. I was also faced with the perspective of a long date with my computer screen, during which we would exchange languishing glances in which the reflexion of a lonesome twin would forever be thrown back at me. This perspective filled me with untold dread.
That said, it's easy to understand just how insurmountable the task of reviewing all of Fantasia 2012's films appeared to me when I first decided to tackle the ordeal. I did it successfully back in 2011, but that was only because I stuck to diminutive capsule reviews. But when I attempted to put some more meat on the bone, and add a few paragraphs to each review, I was almost immediately overwhelmed. That is why I only managed to cover the first four days of the festival. The other reviews remained in an infant state as a series of jumbled thoughts chaotically consigned in overflowing notepads and random Word documents. One of these latter documents actually contained some decent, pre-rated capsule reviews that needed minimal editing and which I have now decided to publish here, if only for removing some clutter from my desktop.
So, without further ado, here is a handful of reviews from the 2012 edition of the Fantasia film festival (the order is chronological):
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Hemorrhage
Synopsis: This diminutive psychological thriller chronicles the unorthodox love story between abortion clinic nurse Claire and mentally-unstable ex-murderer Oliver. When their first date skids out of control, Oliver ends up kidnapping the young woman, with the collaboration of whom he manages to make sense of the pressing voices in his head and to solve the mystery left by the untimely death of his neurosurgeon father.
Appreciation: This
forgettable indie film has greater ambitions than means, especially in the
acting department. Not only does the lead lack the charisma necessary to be a
lead, but he also lacks the conviction, the talent and the dedication to create
an affective performance, especially in such a complex, nuanced role. This
greatly jeopardizes the efficiency of the film as it is almost solely based on
the guy’s performance. The skeletal plot and obligatory twist ending do nothing
to elevate the ensemble, despite some pretensions at metaphysical and psychological depth.
1.5/5
 |
| Mesmerizing x-rays and a cryptic tagline fail to conceal the lack of depth within. |
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The Pact
Synopsis: Returning to their childhood home following the death of their mother, sisters Nicole and Annie finally get a chance to be reacquainted with the ghastly wallpaper from their most feverish memories. But when Nicole mysteriously disappears, Annie is left to investigate what lies beyond this wallpaper, uncovering a disturbing mystery that has plagued the local community for decades. Oh, and there's Casper Van Dien in there. He plays a charismatic, surprisingly helpful local cop who joins Annie in her quest. He was also live at the screening, where he proved very energetic and radiant. Mr. Van Dien was also in town to promote his own production of Starship Troopers: Invasion, an animated reboot of the original (!) and another chance for him to cash in on its popularity.
Appreciation: This masterfully crafted British horror feature, an extended version of the eponymous 2011 short, stars one of the great beauties of this world, lovely singer/dancer/actress/model/martial artist Caity Lotz (her photo in the program is absolutely atrocious, by the way). But aside from her delectable presence throughout, the film benefits from a strong hand at the helm, which delivers some extremely exciting action scenes featuring disembodied ghosts and skeletal serial killers. Add to that some neat set design and the perfect dose of dreary atmosphere, and you’ll completely forget about the familiar nature of the premise. This here is actually a perfect example of solid, universally appealing horror filmmaking. Unpretentious, straightforward and crowd-pleasing, The Pact is fully worth any admission price.
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| I love a woman who can kick my ass. |
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Resolution
Synopsis: After receiving a distressing video from his estranged best friend Chris, a hopeless crack addict living day-to-day without direction, clean-cut young professional Michael decides to intervene. Taking to the road in his shimmering vehicle, he finds Chris in a dilapidated shack on a Southern Native American reservation. That's where he decides to prove his friendship with some particularly tough love, tricking Chris and chaining him to a pipe, hence forcing him to quit drugs cold turkey. Now, keeping Chris from bellyaching excessively would seem like a arduous enough task for Michael, but that's notwithstanding the mystical nature of the shack's surroundings. Exploring the cluttered nearby ruins and meeting the eccentric locals, Michael is soon engulfed in a deepening mystery that coincides with increasing supernatural occurrences. Soon, it becomes unclear whether any one of the two protagonists will come out of the ordeal alive...
Appreciation: I had high expectations for this film, especially since Mitch Davis promised that it would make us shit our pants. This is probably why I was so underwhelmed by my experience. After all, Resolution is not such a bad film, relying on a great premise to create an engrossing mystery that gets increasingly intriguing as the narrative unfolds. The film also acts as an acute milieu study, depicting Native reservations as a cruel limbo at the confines of ethereal myths and the harsh reality of poverty. In that regard, its aesthetics of lost objects is almost reminiscent of Tarkovsky's, but without any grander aspirations. If anything, the film is marred by Vinny Curran’s bipolar performance as Chris, oscillating between outright comedy and serious drama. This greatly undermines the dramatic potential of the film, which is further sabotaged by the director's unwavering dedication to self-reflexivity as a goal in itself and not a means to help narrate a story. In the end, while Resolution is head and shoulders above its competition, it feels very like a missed opportunity, reveling in the simplest form of self-reflexivity as tantamount to genius. Hopefully, there's going to be a more enlightened follow-up from the same creative team.
2.5/5Appreciation: I had high expectations for this film, especially since Mitch Davis promised that it would make us shit our pants. This is probably why I was so underwhelmed by my experience. After all, Resolution is not such a bad film, relying on a great premise to create an engrossing mystery that gets increasingly intriguing as the narrative unfolds. The film also acts as an acute milieu study, depicting Native reservations as a cruel limbo at the confines of ethereal myths and the harsh reality of poverty. In that regard, its aesthetics of lost objects is almost reminiscent of Tarkovsky's, but without any grander aspirations. If anything, the film is marred by Vinny Curran’s bipolar performance as Chris, oscillating between outright comedy and serious drama. This greatly undermines the dramatic potential of the film, which is further sabotaged by the director's unwavering dedication to self-reflexivity as a goal in itself and not a means to help narrate a story. In the end, while Resolution is head and shoulders above its competition, it feels very like a missed opportunity, reveling in the simplest form of self-reflexivity as tantamount to genius. Hopefully, there's going to be a more enlightened follow-up from the same creative team.
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| Resolution's heart and mind collide insofar as the showcase of self-reflexivity comes at odds with prosaic dramatic concerns. |
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Toad Road
Synopsis: The Toad Road and its Seven Gates of Hell are a legend amongst the people of York, a backwater berg in the heartland of America. Aside from drugs, it is also one of the only escapes from reality available to its disenfranchised youth. But what happens when two of them decide to undertake the journey it suggests and only one of them returns?
Appreciation: One of the big winners, this year, Toad Road is an intriguing hybrid of the teenage problem film (as exemplified by the cinema of Larry Clark and Harmony Korine) and the supernatural horror genre. The integration of supernatural elements are actually quite relevant, crucial even to the narrative, as they suggest an imaginary dimension to teenage life, which is often overlooked in such would-be naturalistic efforts. More importantly, it suggests a novel dimension to drug use. The fact that drugs are herein depicted as having the potential to open up a whole new level of consciousness is quite refreshing, and a welcome departure from their general dismissal by a well-thinking bourgeoisie. It is quite hypocritical in my view, to praise such literary work as that of William Burroughs (which I myself consider to be criminally overrated) without praising the liberating potential of drugs. The makers of the present film bravely eschew that hypocrisy by making drug-use out to be a complex and revelatory activity. Praise goes out to them for creating a two-tier naturalistic/fantastic milieu study, the best of its ilk since Korine’s Gummo, with which it shares a definitive knack for photography and naturalistic acting.
3.5/5
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| Naturalistic expressionism in Toad Road. |
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A Night of Nightmares
Synopsis: Music critic Mark Lighthouse (indie hulk Marc Senter) goes out one night to conduct an interview with revered singer Ginger in a remote country cabin. That's where a bunch of bullshit supernatural events occur, moving the narrative forward like a prone child being dragged by the arm through a rocky plateau...
Appreciation: This infuriatingly uninspired new film by indie auteur Buddy Giovinnazo should be avoided at all costs, lest one wants to be bored out of his mind. Personally, I expected more from a 25-year veteran than a nearly endless string of shots/counter-shots featuring plain characters embodied without passion, caught in a dated premise containing little to no thrills. With ridiculous dialogue to boot, A Night of Nightmares is a dismal failure by any stretch of the imagination, a bland-looking, sluggish and ultimately silly foray into the fantastic for an author better suited for naturalistic dramas set in derelict urban settings (see Life is Hot in Cracktown, or Combat Shock instead).
BOMB
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| A befittingly lackluster poster for Buddy Giovinnazo's first foray into the world of pure genre cinema. |
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Inbred
Synopsis: A group of teenage reprobates, now a seemingly obligatory staple of British genre cinema (see Wilderness, Eden Lake, Heartless, Attack the Block, Donkey Punch...) are out for some community service in the bucolic countryside when they are captured by a bunch of inbred hicks who revel in making a grotesque spectacle out of the execution of strangers. Familiar tribulations ensue.
Appreciation: Half an hour into this dreadful, long-drawn, and entirely forgettable gore job, I found myself thinking: “The price of gore is very high indeed…” And you know what the price of gore is? It’s waiting endlessly for the initial set-up to end, and the slaughter to begin. It’s putting up with a bevy of annoying, flat characters who constantly challenge each other for the most witless line. It’s having to put up with the same vapid settings over, and over again. And all this for what? For a few snippets of inspired butchery intercut with some generic chase scenes or whatnot. Sure, the production values here are a little superior to the average horror film, but that doesn’t make the result palatable. Seek out the shit-pump scene if you really must, but steer clear of the rest.
1/5Appreciation: Half an hour into this dreadful, long-drawn, and entirely forgettable gore job, I found myself thinking: “The price of gore is very high indeed…” And you know what the price of gore is? It’s waiting endlessly for the initial set-up to end, and the slaughter to begin. It’s putting up with a bevy of annoying, flat characters who constantly challenge each other for the most witless line. It’s having to put up with the same vapid settings over, and over again. And all this for what? For a few snippets of inspired butchery intercut with some generic chase scenes or whatnot. Sure, the production values here are a little superior to the average horror film, but that doesn’t make the result palatable. Seek out the shit-pump scene if you really must, but steer clear of the rest.
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| Subtle as a 2x4. At least the makeup is good... |
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Mega Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy Legend – The Movie
Synopsis: For those who care about such a trite, needlessly convoluted storyline, here's the gist of what Mega Monster blah blah blah has to offer. After being offered a powerful monster-summoning sceptre by an alien named Zarab, evil Ultraman Belial comes back to fight his former Ultra fellowmen and freeze their entire home world, leaving three survivors (Ultraman, Ultra Seven and Ultraman Mebius) to regroup and strike back. For this, they will need to enlist Ray, a human/alien hybrid with the power to control monsters. Every subsequent issue is solved through lengthy fight scenes.
Appreciation: A silly title for a silly film... I was unfamiliar with the Ultraman universe before I watched this umpteenth episode. All I knew from it were those corny imitations my dad used to make while reminiscing from his childhood, way back when the show was still fresh and surprising. Now, after nearly 50 years, Ultraman seems incredibly dated. The present vehicle is also incredibly simplistic in almost every technical aspect: narrative construction, dramatic progression, art direction, acting... Its only strengths lie in the most basic tools of its trade: editing and choreography. Hence, we are treated to plenty of fast and furious action that often forwards the narrative instead of the screenplay, which seems more interested in multiplying the number of Ultraman types to cram into the over-saturated canon than in telling an honest, stand-alone story. This leaves us watching guys in ridiculous suits kick the shit out of each other in front of boring, monochrome sets for the better part of 95 minutes. Whether you like that kind of tat or not will entirely determine your appreciation of the final product.
2/5
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| Dismal art direction will only appeal to kids and die-hard completists. |
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Young Gun in the Time
Synopsis: Young Gun is an eccentric private eye, complete with an eye-catching Hawaiian shirt, a removable robot hand and some empty pockets. Unlike the hardened, self-styled gumshoe from the Hollywoodian heyday, he is also quite soft at heart for when a cute museum researcher attempts to enlist his help in trying to eliminate the owner of a precious watch, Young Gun refuses. But after witnessing the death and subsequent rebirth of the young woman, his interest in the case is quickly rekindled, which propels him on a wondrously amusing, refreshingly inventive time travel narrative that unfolds like the best of olden matinees.
Appreciation: Don’t be rebuked by the grammatical error in the title of this film for it is precisely the kind of exhilarating genre gem that one'd wish to unearth during a film festival. Following up on micro-budget winner Attack of Alien Bikini, director Oh Young-Doo brings his unlikely hero, Young Gun, back for encores. This time, he is a different kind of crime-fighter though, more of a comical gumshoe than a painfully timid martial artist. This allows the new narrative to branch into noir territory with great effect, especially since the staples of the genre are now laced with fantastic time-travel elements. Thanks to Oh Young-Doo’s clever screenplay and his innovative mise-en-scène, the heterogeneous mix of sci-fi, action and noir comes together particularly well, providing hilarious situations and exciting fight scenes in copious amounts. A great postmodern film and a consecration of its author as a force to be reckoned with in the genre arena.
3.5/5Appreciation: Don’t be rebuked by the grammatical error in the title of this film for it is precisely the kind of exhilarating genre gem that one'd wish to unearth during a film festival. Following up on micro-budget winner Attack of Alien Bikini, director Oh Young-Doo brings his unlikely hero, Young Gun, back for encores. This time, he is a different kind of crime-fighter though, more of a comical gumshoe than a painfully timid martial artist. This allows the new narrative to branch into noir territory with great effect, especially since the staples of the genre are now laced with fantastic time-travel elements. Thanks to Oh Young-Doo’s clever screenplay and his innovative mise-en-scène, the heterogeneous mix of sci-fi, action and noir comes together particularly well, providing hilarious situations and exciting fight scenes in copious amounts. A great postmodern film and a consecration of its author as a force to be reckoned with in the genre arena.
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| Oh Young-Doo's uncanny flair extends even to this promotional poster of the film. Gotta love that artisanal feel... |
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L’hypothèse du Mokélé-Mbembé
Synopsis: This film is the documentary account of French cryptozoologist Michel Ballot's investigation of the Sangha river in search of the elusive Mokélé-Mbembé, Cameroonian equivalent of the Loch Ness monster. Far from capturing any actual footage of the beast, the camera focuses instead on Ballot's patient observation of the river, the picturesque African landscapes and the socio-cultural organizations of local tribes, for whom the teachings of white colonists interpenetrate with their own ancestral beliefs to create the perfect breeding ground for mythological excess.
Appreciation: This was the
33rd film I had lined-up, but it featured the most breathtaking imagery of all, providing us with a privileged look into the rarely-seen African heartland, but without highlighting the sorry spectacle of "progress" (Darwin's Nightmare). Based on quiet observation, and featuring no talking heads, L'hypothèse du Mokélé-Mbembé is a true documentary feature and a rightful heir to the great
tradition of non-fiction cinema inherited form the Lumière studios in France,
Robert Flaherty in the US and John Grierson at the GPO. Stressing the
hypothetical nature of the titular beast by coupling it with the word
“hypothesis”, filmmaker Marie Voignier makes it abundantly clear that the film contains no actual proof of the beast's existence. What her film does vie to
depict is something far less tangible than a living remnant from the
prehistoric era, namely the nature of myths and the personal mental process involved in Ballot's endeavor. Hence, by filming the quiet river endlessly,
the film aims not to chronicle a certain story of ennui, but rather to emulate the experience of its subject, creating not merely an
observation of his work, but a total symbiosis therewith and a testament to the primordial goals of documentary filmmaking. Most interesting perhaps is the presence of many enlightening interventions from local indigenous tribesmen, whose idea of the beast stems from a surprising mixture of naive gullibility, confused sightings and lots of hear-say, some of which actually originate from Ballot himself in a perplexing display of the cyclical nature inherent to the oral dissemination of knowledge.
3.5/5 |
| The creation of myths is a collaborative process. |
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Arjun – The Warrior Prince
Synopsis: Loosely based on early Indian epic Mahabharata, the story focuses on the life of Arjun, warrior prince of the Pandavas and, well... major player in a pre-Christian tale of treachery and retribution, with entire kingdoms and loads of honor at stake. I don't remember any detail about this dusty, eon-old narrative, nor can I seem to find any satisfactory, let alone concise overview on the web. Suffice it to say that this is an epic adventure fueled by silly old values, an entertaining tale focused on the glitter of royalty and its power to affect impressionable children.
Appreciation: Despite a
total lack of positive expectations, I wasn’t displeased with
this Disney-sponsored Indian production. And while the limitations of
cel-shaded animation is made painfully obvious at every turn, especially within
the naturalistic settings where the narrative is cramped, it does
manage to create a distinct sense of excitement in its depiction of archery.
Unfortunately, everything else onscreen seems neither organic nor fantastic, lying
instead in some sort of expressive limbo wherein the entire narrative is
subsequently involved. While the shadowwork and rustling foliage help give a
sense of depth to the scenery, the awkwardness of the characters’ movement
(which often appears like broken clockwork) and the total staticity of the
elaborate backgrounds have the contrary effect, further heightening that sense
of limbo wherein the film is hopelessly stuck. What is left is a rather stale,
cold and impersonal affair. And the dated, mythology-inspired screenplay
doesn’t help one bit either. Being the story of two princes fighting over
daddy’s throne, Arjun revisits almost all the common grounds of the family war
epic without bringing anything new to the mill, but a weak curry flavor. With
nearly every relevant dramatic issue being underplayed, but by the heavy-handed
Bollywoodian soundtrack, the resulting effort is a forgettable, single-use
piece of entertainment that’s just exciting enough to warrant some cautious
recommendation.
2/5 |
| March of the mechanical army, or how to downplay the liberating power of animation. |
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Zombie 108
Synopsis: In this depressing viral zombie film set in a seedy Taipei neighborhood, a ragtag team of cops, civilians and gangsters see their destinies suddenly intertwine as they are forced to work together in order to survive the infection.
Appreciation: If I had to
recommend this film for a single reason, it would be for its sheer bleakness. Zombie
108 is indeed a
true, gutting, nearly exhausting horror film that leaves nearly no room for
hope or any other warm feeling, the likes of which usually help dissipate the
dark clouds of despair lingering over the horror movie spectator. As you
would’ve expected from the title, this Taiwanese import is indeed a zombie
invasion film. But it is no Shaun of the Dead. There is nothing humorous about it,
especially in light of the fact that the cast of survivors features not one,
but two psychos hellbent on murdering all the others. So, here you are, trying
to survive a zombie holocaust by surrounding yourself with what you can only
assume are like-minded human beings. What you hadn’t planned on however, is
that two of your running mates are actually trying to murder you all the while.
Talk about a wild card! The resulting narrative is an hyperkinetic rush through
the dirty bowels of Taipei, from dilapidated alley to dilapidated alley, with
the occasional stop in a dark and stuffy apartment filled with either man-eaters, rapists or killers. Everything here is ugly and
the sense of horror one derives from this ugliness is almost sickening. If
you think that horror should not be about entertainment, but about horror
itself, then you should definitely seek out this film.
2.5/5 |
| Ugly characters in ugly settings doing ugly things. That's what horror is all about. Or isn't it? |
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Affreux, sales et méchants (Down and Dirty)
Synopsis: This hysterical Italian family drama portrays a rich, but cheap patriarch's struggle to protect his hidden fortune, the fruit of a disability settlement, from his avaricious family. When he becomes enamored with a prostitute with whom he starts spending at an alarming rate, that's when his exasperated heirs decide to bring down the hammer and assassinate him. But will they succeed in taking down this tough old man?
Appreciation: What more
can be said about this venerable Cannes winner that hasn’t been said
before? In the film, Nino Manfredi gives a classic performance as an
exasperated patriarch living in a cramped shack atop one of the Roman mountains
with his family of 20, which director Ettore Scola frames with flawless
patience. Anyone who has seen the film will remember the opening credits and its lengthy tracking shot that probes the stuffy inside of the shack, lingering on
the sleeping bodies of a true armada, chaotically disposed over makeshift beds
crowding the room beyond words. Now, this is a true vision of Italy, homely and
chaotic, with close family ties making the impossible seem possible. Manfedi
himself is another true vision of Italy, grumpy and reactionary, with love in
his heart that needs to be pried out from underneath a tough veneer of pride. Luckily, he gets some help from the hilarious screenplay, which delivers such a barrage
of eccentric characters as to nearly disorient the spectator with pleasure.
There’s a certain joy to life in the slums, and a certain dignity too, as
exemplified by the proud matron who flaunts naked photos of her pin-up daughter
to local boys in a bid to emphasize the glamorous nature of her work. After all, be it in the resounding mansions of the aristocracy or the dark recesses of crass poverty, life always manages to prevail, along with all the seething emotions inherent to our flawed condition. And despite some soap opera antics, this is exactly what this heart-warming humanistic effort manages to prove, with flying colors I must add.
5/5 |
| A mustached matron flaunting naked photos of her daughter? Typically Italian... |
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Schoolgirl Apocalypse
Synopsis: Things go awry in Sakura's peaceful coastal village when a mysterious electronic signal suddenly turns all males into frenzied women killers. After seeing her parents kill each other during such a frenzy, Sakura has no choice, but to clinch her bow and arrows, and join fellow survivor Aoi in a quest to discover the otherworldly source of the nefarious signal.
Appreciation: Don’t be fooled by appearances here! The film may be set in Japan, with a Japanese cast and a typically Japanese title to
boot, but it was actually shot by a Westerner with a Hollywoodian outlook on filmmaking. This accounts for the shockingly anemic
mise-en-scène, which draws more excitement from its soundtrack than from any
actual onscreen element. The premise is certainly eccentric and appealing enough to draw you right in, with some intriguing developments along the way to a somewhat satisfying ending. But the uneventful and sluggish unfolding of the narrative does it almost unrepairable harm. In the end, Schoolgirl
Apocalypse is a
decent, but ultimately deceptive film.
2/5 |
| I personally appear on this photo. But which one of these exasperated spectators am I? |
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Robo-G
Synopsis: Scant days before the Robotics Fair in which they are to unveil a revolutionary new android to the world, Kimura Electrical drones Ota, Kobayahsi and Nagai are shocked to witness the "suicide" of their precious creation. Lacking the time necessary to elaborate a new prototype, they take the easy way out of their pickle, choosing to squeeze a live human being inside the android's empty shell and put on a choreographed show for the media. After holding a series of hilarious auditions, they are forced to select grumpy old Suzuki for the job. Unfortunately, the latter widow is constantly in need of attention and he decides to use this opportunity to attract all of the media's glare. After saving a young woman's life at the Fair, he immediately becomes the talk of the town, much to the dismay of his "creators" who start struggling to conceal their deceitful doings. Familiar tribulations ensue.
Appreciation: This heart-warming dramatic comedy revisits many staples of the genre, but it does so with genuine zeal, showcasing many flashes of comical genius in the process. And while the dramatic aspects of the screenplay may seem quite heavy-handed at times, they stem from some truly earnest humanism, especially in their dealings with the crippling solitude inherent to old age and the basic human need for agency. Unfortunately, the familiar story structure and dated plot twists dog the film's outlandish premise down to a prefabricated route well within the beaten path. As such, they offer very little surprise or excitement to the savvy genre fan. Even more disturbing is the fact that this simple "mistaken identity" caper drags on for an entirely unwarranted 120 minutes, an abrasive duration made even more jarring by the sober soundtrack and lackluster mise-en-scène. Obviously, the majority of jokes therein are based on duration, but this is hardly a worthy excuse for putting out such a sluggish comedy show.
Appreciation: This heart-warming dramatic comedy revisits many staples of the genre, but it does so with genuine zeal, showcasing many flashes of comical genius in the process. And while the dramatic aspects of the screenplay may seem quite heavy-handed at times, they stem from some truly earnest humanism, especially in their dealings with the crippling solitude inherent to old age and the basic human need for agency. Unfortunately, the familiar story structure and dated plot twists dog the film's outlandish premise down to a prefabricated route well within the beaten path. As such, they offer very little surprise or excitement to the savvy genre fan. Even more disturbing is the fact that this simple "mistaken identity" caper drags on for an entirely unwarranted 120 minutes, an abrasive duration made even more jarring by the sober soundtrack and lackluster mise-en-scène. Obviously, the majority of jokes therein are based on duration, but this is hardly a worthy excuse for putting out such a sluggish comedy show.
2.5/5
 |
| The obligatory urinal joke is made marginally palatable by the specific look on this salaryman's face. |
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Synopsis: A nasty serial killer is loose in the streets of Hong Kong, slaughtering pregnant women and carving out their unborn children, baffling the police all the while with his inhuman brutality and uncanny ability to evade capture. But who exactly is the bad guy in this scenario? Is it the deranged man-made murderer or the self-indulgent, self-righteous police officers after him? As the plot unfolds, delving deeper and deeper into the psyche of the aforementioned serial killer and exposing the roots of his madness, definite shades of gray begin to appear and the would-be distinct line separating good from evil becomes undeniably blurred.
Appreciation: Part police thriller, part revenge romp, this edgy HK import constantly plays with the spectator's expectations in order to create powerful affect without resorting to mindless exploitation. Some nice photography and a sober mise-en-scène further help this particularly brutal film steer clear of sensationalism, which finds its reflection only in the overly aggressive soundtrack. After all, it is drama that fuels the present narrative, and not the perspective of bloodletting. As the title suggests, we are witnesses to a love story here, a potentially liberating love story that is irremediably soured by the unrepentant lawlessness and disturbing impunity of the common cop, patronizing façade of state-sponsored injustice. But beyond its blunt political agenda, Revenge proves to be a simple and highly efficient little thriller, a beacon unto similar genre efforts. And while it often dabs in sappy Asian sentimentalism instead of taking of subtler clinical approach to its psychological material, the film is well served by a dedicated cast who perfectly convey that heated sentimentalism with plenty of gusto. As for the obligatory epilogue meant to expose the cyclical nature of violence, it seems absolutely futile insofar as we've just been subjected to a roller-coaster ride of self-destructive anger and disgusting outbursts of violence that only the most hardened of cop haters will find therapeutic.
3/5Appreciation: Part police thriller, part revenge romp, this edgy HK import constantly plays with the spectator's expectations in order to create powerful affect without resorting to mindless exploitation. Some nice photography and a sober mise-en-scène further help this particularly brutal film steer clear of sensationalism, which finds its reflection only in the overly aggressive soundtrack. After all, it is drama that fuels the present narrative, and not the perspective of bloodletting. As the title suggests, we are witnesses to a love story here, a potentially liberating love story that is irremediably soured by the unrepentant lawlessness and disturbing impunity of the common cop, patronizing façade of state-sponsored injustice. But beyond its blunt political agenda, Revenge proves to be a simple and highly efficient little thriller, a beacon unto similar genre efforts. And while it often dabs in sappy Asian sentimentalism instead of taking of subtler clinical approach to its psychological material, the film is well served by a dedicated cast who perfectly convey that heated sentimentalism with plenty of gusto. As for the obligatory epilogue meant to expose the cyclical nature of violence, it seems absolutely futile insofar as we've just been subjected to a roller-coaster ride of self-destructive anger and disgusting outbursts of violence that only the most hardened of cop haters will find therapeutic.
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| Revenge is exactly what happens when citizens are fed up with rampant police corruption. |
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Black’s Game
Synopsis: 1999 Iceland. Young reprobate Stebbi badly needs a lawyer when he's arrested during a drunken brawl and forced to appear in court. But after a chance encounter with childhood friend Toti, who volunteers some solid legal representation in exchange for a favor, it seems that everything is hunky-dory. Unfortunately, when something seems too good to be true, it usually is. That is how Stebbi ends up joining Toti's crew of thugs, slowly climbing the ladder of a larger crime syndicate headed by fearsome kingpin Bruno. The film thus chronicles not only the individual rise of Stebbi within the organization, but it also exposes the inner workings of the entire Icelandic gangsterdom at the turn of the millennium.
Appreciation: Obscured by the large shadows of mammoth mob biographers Scorsese and Winding Refn, under which it hoped to grow like magical fungus, Black's Game struggle to find its own voice despite the slightly exotic nature of its subject matter. Taking cues from Goodfellas in both its elliptical story structure and obligatory voice-over narration, the film throws in some didactic inserts to help dynamize the ensemble. As for Nicholas Winding Refn's production, it is far too slick and glamorous to capture the grittiness and intimacy of his own gangster films (and especially the Pusher trilogy, which spurred him on in the first place). And while it is on par with Drive in technical terms, the latter film is blessed with far superior narrative density. Luckily, the clever screenplay, adapted by Oskar Thor Axelsson and Stefan Mani from his own bestselling novel, always keeps things interesting by maintaining a brisk pace befitting of the gangster lifestyle and constantly putting colorful characters at odds with each other. As such, it is well served by a talented cast of actors, paramount of which is Damon Younger, who gives a chilling performance as sadistic ringleader Bruno. Overall, Black's Game is exactly what you'd expect from such an enterprise: a completely enjoyable, constantly intriguing venture into the criminal underground, which appeals to our childhood dreams of unrepentant lawlessness and glittering riches.
3/5
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| Don't trust the 2$ haircut. Bruno is a bona fide badass. Here he is being serviced by Stebbi's love interest during a decadent orgy. |
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Synopsis: Right after the accidental death of her father, young Momo and her mother are forced to leave their Tokyo home and relocate to a remote fishermen's village. Having left her father on a negative note following a heated confrontation, Momo is haunted by his memory, which dogs her to a tortured and solitary existence within the confines of her wood-covered new house. Luckily for her, three whimsical goblins soon intrude into her life to offer companionship, but also to teach her a valuable lesson about death and the afterlife.
Appreciation: Not unlike Miyazaki's, A Letter to Momo is one of those rare fantasy films from which you would never want to come out. The scenery, the characters, and the situations therein are all so beautiful and relevant that they make the real world appear hollow and terrifying. And God is that true! A mere step outside of the Hall building, one is immediately surrounded by the ugliness of trends and their disciples. And thus the dream quickly fades away in a cloud of cigarette smoke while the echo of children's laughter is drowned in a sea of mindless chatter. Gorgeously animated and genuinely engrossing, this film is the umpteenth proof of the Japanese hegemony in the animation arena. It is also proof of the profound respect that Japanese screenwriters hold for their young audiences, tackling mature subject matters with the all the seriousness that they warrant while still dazzling spectators with a colorful palette and numerous fairy tale characters. Looking back, the film still brings a tear to my eye, a pure and primordial tear that I shan’t hide. It stems from the powerful dramatic crux that the titular object represents. This item is actually a cryptic memento left by Momo's dead father, an incomplete letter that constantly stimulates the angst of knowing its actual meaning. When that meaning is finally revealed, one is bound to cry and give an outlet to those surging emotions gathered by the filmmakers through the duration of the film like so many bright berries plucked from our seething hearts. A Letter to Momo is a beautiful film, as beautiful as they get. It's also a momumental testament to Japanese humanism, the power of imagination and the power of love.
4/5
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| Despite its monstrous appearance, the Other often has valuable wisdom to impart on the open-minded individual. |
