THE HEDGEHOG (Le Herisson, Fr.)

October 1, 2011

 Greetings again from the darkness. The directorial feature debut from Mona Achache is based on the French bestseller “The Elegance of the Hedgehog” by Muriel Barbery. The meticulous pace masks whirlwind of emotion and thought occurring in the three key characters. Three characters whom each of us might be guilty of overlooking on a daily basis.

For those who don’t know, the film defines a hedgehog as a prickly-on- the-outside, cuddly-on-the-inside critter that is often misjudged. Our three characters all fit this description in some manner. Paloma (Garance LeGuillermic) is an 11 year old artistic and observant girl who plans to kill herself on her 12th birthday because no one understands her.  Her life is filled with what are the minor inconveniences of being an 11 year old – her mother talks to plants more than she talks to her, her father is a distracted workaholic, and her self-centered teenage sister is, well, a self-centered teenager. Madame Renee Michel (Josiane Balasko) is the building’s caretaker. Self-described as old and ugly, she lives the life of quiet desperation, hiding with her cat and massive library of books and chocolate. The building’s new tenant is Kakuro Ozu (Togo Igawa), a mysterious and elegant man who immediately sees through Madame Michel’s prickly exterior.

 Paloma spends much of her day documenting by video camera the goings on in her life and of those in her building. She often adds her insightful and humorous narrative to the scene as it occurs. Her view on life and its possibilities begins to change as she observes and gets to know Madame Michel and Mr. Ozu, and more importantly, observes their interactions.

 The underlying storyline of an 11 year old girl contemplating suicide can be quite disturbing, but director Achache never really lets that occur. Instead we focus on very simple acts of kindness and subtle smiles and gestures that indicate life can be rewarding and worthwhile. I also found Madame Michel’s surrender to the state of invisibility to be quite disturbing, but her awakening to be fascinating. She had not been rejected by society as much as simply overlooked.

Unlike many French movies that bombard us with rapid fire, overlapping exchanges, this one instead relies on patience and a sharp eye … think of it as the slight squeeze while holding a loved one’s hand.

SEE THIS MOVIE IF: you are intrigued by a subtle intersection of three seemingly unrelated characters who happen to live in the same building and are brought together by a cat, goldfish, chocolate, books and a video camera.

SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: just the thought of a slow moving character drama in French with subtitles makes you yawn.

see the trailer:

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Posted by David Ferguson

THE LAST CIRCUS (Balada triste de trompets, Sp.)

August 28, 2011

 Greetings again from the darkness. Here’s hoping I don’t get booted from proper society for admitting a strange fascination and enjoyment from the latest directorial effort by Spanish cult favorite Alex de la Iglesia. The film is assembled with unequal parts: political parody, black comedy, dark horror, outlandish action and a bizarre love triangle. All of that plus some of the freakiest clowns you will ever see! I am not really familiar with Mr. De La Torre’s previous work but evidently he has quite a following in Spain, though he has found only limited success in the U.S. with The Day of the Beast. Neither am I an historical expert on the Spanish Civil War or the regime of Generalissimo Francisco Franco, both of which are on-screen targets of the director’s true feelings. Still, the movie is such that it kept me engaged and even enthralled the entire time … especially in Act I.

 The film begins in 1937 when a faction of the Republican Army crashes a kids’ circus performance and forces the performers to join in the crusade. One of the clowns leaves behind a young son while simultaneously picking up a machete and destroying a platoon almost single handedly – while still in women’s clown costume! It is a visual I have yet to erase from my memory.

Six year later, the clown is forced into servitude constructing the famed Valley of the Fallen. His son tracks him down and is offered “revenge” as the only redemptive action by his father. Flash forward to 1973 and the young boy is seen joining a traveling circus as the “sad clown”. This circus troupe is run by the ruthless and sadistic “funny clown” who is clearly the filmmakers representation of Franco. The foreshadowing scene comes in the initial meeting between the two clowns as ‘funny’ tells ‘sad’ if he weren’t a clown, he’d be a murderer. ‘Sad’ responds “me too”. Let the mayhem begin! The rivalry and violence escalates as Javier, the sad clown, is led on and falls for the acrobatic girlfriend of Sergio, the funny clown. As the story moves forward both Javier (Carlos Areces) and Sergio (Antonio de la Torre from Volver) become more grotesque and violent in their attempts to capture Natalia (Carolina Bang) the acrobat. It all ends with a breathtaking climb and operatic duel atop the memorial in the Valley of the Fallen.

 There is no way to describe the trip from machete clown to the tragic dance atop the cross. It is a mash-up of Inglorious Basterds, Freaks, Machete and Phantom of the Opera. Additionally, there are countless homages to classic films through the years (North By Northwest, Vertigo, and many more) and a nearly operatic feel to the story and some scenes. Singer Raphael‘s version of “Ballad of the Sad Trumpet” plays a role, as does a crumpled trumpet. I certainly see this one becoming a regular on the midnight movie circuit, and rightfully so. It has everything a viewer could possibly want … provided they are in an altered-state-stupor and looking for the best violent clown movie currently showing!

SEE THIS MOVIE IF: you are a fan of 1970’s horror films but have always wished they contained significantly more violence and a few demented clowns

SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: you are already frightened of clowns OR you are my mother

watch the RED BAND trailer (not suitable for under age 17):

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Posted by David Ferguson

THE GUARD

August 14, 2011

 Greetings again from the darkness. Writer/Director John Michael McDonagh is the brother of Martin McDonagh, who brought us the excellent In Bruges (which also starred Brendan Gleeson). I figured it best to say that upfront because there is no way to avoid comparisons of the two films. Clearly these men grew up in the same house and share the brilliant dialogue gene.

Brendan Gleeson delivers a powerful and hilarious performance as a local cop (Garda) in rural Ireland. His Sgt Gerry Boyle is quite an enigma – he gets along great with locals, yet struggles to fit into society. This is never more apparent than when FBI Agent Wendell Everett (Don Cheadle) hits town on a drug smuggling investigation. The key to their relationship is crystallized at the moment an exasperated Agent Everett says to Boyle, “I can’t tell if you are really smart or really dumb”. Of course, I am paraphrasing because the F-word gets literally worn out in this movie. There aren’t many lines I can actually quote in print. But the word rolls off Gleeson’s tongue as if it’s a work of art … especially in conversation with his ailing, equally colorful mother, played well by the always terrific Fionnula Flanagan.

 The international drug smugglers being chased are a trio led by Liam Cunningham and the always interesting Mark Strong. The endless rips, insults and jokes are fired rapidly at Americans, Brits and anyone unfortunate enough to hail from Dublin. Boyle uses his Irish background as a crutch for his racism and insensitivity. But he leaves no doubt about his expertise as a cop. Heck he even recognizes the importance of some 9 year old kid riding around on a pink bicycle. That’s just another example of the off-center approach to story telling offered by McDonagh.

 If you are a fan of In Bruges; Snatch; or Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, I think you will enjoy this one. It falls just short of that level, but not by much. Gleeson is outstanding and the story is simple enough, yet with plenty of twist, turns and hilarity.  However, it should come with a warning to viewers: tune in your ears quickly or the Irish/Gaelic dialect will leave you behind.

SEE THIS MOVIE IF: you enjoy the off-color cynicism of In Bruges, Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: you are easily offended OR you need movie dialogue to be easily understood

watch the trailer:

 

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Posted by David Ferguson

THE DOUBLE HOUR (La doppia hora, Italy)

June 24, 2011

 Greetings again from the darkness. Suspenseful thrillers, when well done, are just about as much fun as one can have at a theatre (unless you are Pee Wee Herman). The debut film from director Giusseppe Capotondi is very well acted, and pretty well written and filmed. It has some similarities to, but is not quite at the level of one of my Top 5 movies from 2008 – Tell No One.

Filmed in Italy (with English subtitles), the film does a terrific job of sucking us right in. Guido (Filippo Timi) and Sonia (Ksenrya Rappoport) meet at a speed dating event. He is a former cop now security guard, and she is a Slovenian immigrant working as a housekeeper at a swanky Italian hotel. Love blossoms for these two until the story takes a very dark turn. That’s when all the twists and turns and misdirection begin.

 Both lead actors are tremendous and I will seek out more of their work.  Really not possible to talk too much about what happens (without spoilers), other than to say the characters and events aren’t always what they seem. I really enjoyed the first two acts of the movie, but felt letdown a bit by the final act. Some of the visuals are very good, but the wrap up is just a bit disappointing. Still, the first 80 minutes or so are terrific and make the film worth watching.

SEE THIS MOVIE IF: you are addicted to suspense dramas, especially those involving personality twists and elaborate plans gone wrong

SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: you are only willing to read subtitles if the payoff is life-changing

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Posted by David Ferguson

IN A BETTER WORLD (Haevnen, Denmark)

April 26, 2011

 Greetings again from the darkness. As is customary, the Oscar winner for Best Foreign Language film finally makes it to Dallas in April, AFTER the awards show is long forgotten (well, except for the half-assed hosting job by James Franco). Denmark’s entry, directed by Susanne Bier (Things We Lost in the Fire), is overflowing with every human emotion one can imagine. However, the battle between two specific emotions is most prevalent: misplaced revenge and forgiveness.

At it’s core, this is a story of two fathers and two sons. The presentation is quite odd in that it tries desperately to tie in all spectrum of human emotion and economic standing. Anton (Mikael Persbrandt from the excellent 2008 Everlasting Moments) travels back and forth between an African refugee camp where he serves as a doctor, and his upscale Denmark home where he is separated from his wife and trying to set a good example for his son Elias (Markus Rygaard).

 The other father is Claus (Ulrich Thomsen) whose relationship with his son Christian (William Johnk Nielsen) is flat out terrible. Christian’s mother recently lost her battle with cancer and it has caused a rift between these two … and lit one heck of a fire of anger in young Christian.

Soon enough Christian stumbles upon Elias being bullied at school. His flaming temper sets the bully straight with a violent act, creating a bond between Elias and Christian. Sadly Christian continues to spin off axis and he drags Elias along.

 As a doctor in the camp, Anton constantly strives to repair the truly despicable acts of the local town bully. This is used to contrast with what’s going on with his own son at home. There are many parts of the film that are difficult to watch, especially as Christian just loses his grip on reality.

While I certainly see the excellence in the film, I believe the filmmakers tried too hard to stage the contrast. The story of the boys was plenty powerful enough to carry a film. Also, the doctor in the camp could have made a chilling movie on it’s own. Instead we gets bits of each and that’s fine … just not what it might have been.

SEE THIS MOVIE IF: you just haven’t seen enough struggling marriages or lousy father-son relationships OR you would like to witness what may be the longest list of human emotions ever seen in one film

SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: you believe horrible acts of human nature should be confined to the local and national news and that movies are purely for entertainment purposes.

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Posted by David Ferguson

CERTIFIED COPY (Copie Conforme, Fr)

April 26, 2011

 Greetings again from the darkness. OK, I feel terrible. This movie is a darling of the critics. Juliette Binoche won the highest acting award at Cannes for her performance. It’s the first film from outside of Iran by legendary writer/director Abbas Kiarostami (Under the Olive Tree). It is a technical masterpiece filled with various philosophies on art, love and life. It’s filmed in one of the most beautiful and historic areas in the world. The one thing it didn’t do very well was capture my interest. I know … I feel terrible.

In my defense, this is a very odd film. Is it about two people courting each other? Is it about two people role-playing? Is it about two people trying to re-capture or deflect a previous relationship? Is it all of those things? To make matters worse, it plays a bit like a grown-up Before Sunrise or Before Sunset. Brace yourself … I didn’t much like either of those Richard Linklater classics. Again, I feel terrible.

 Pretty much everything I have to say about this movie is positive. Ms. Binoche is outstanding and captivating. William Shimell is a long way from his British Opera fame, but does an admirable job as the less-than-enchanting writer and object of Ms. Binoche’s attention. The quaint Tuscan town of Lucignano comes off beautifully as the locale that newlyweds flock to for romance and photo ops. The sound editing is spectacular: birds chirping and flapping, water dripping from fountains, footsteps clattering … all of these make up the realistic backdrop for the barrage of verbal tangling. Even the camera work is expert. Sometimes we are POV with one of the  characters, while other times we are the eyes unto which they gaze. Both effects are startling.

All those pieces are very well done and technically expert. The two characters are interesting enough on their own, but the “story” or approach of having these two play-pretend just didn’t grab me. Yes, Yes, Yes … I feel just terrible about it.

SEE THIS MOVIE IF: you enjoy the endless jabbering between two people like what we heard in Before Sunrise and Before Sunset … only these two don’t play nicely.

SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: a beautiful Tuscan setting is just not quite enough for you.

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Posted by David Ferguson

OUTSIDE THE LAW (Algeria)

February 26, 2011

 Greetings again from the darkness. I am certainly not qualified to offer an expert opinion as to the historical accuracy of the film, but I can say that it provides a seemingly realistic view of the horrible situation and struggles endured by the Algerians during their fight for independence from France during WWII.

The story is a sequential sequel to director Rachid Bouchareb‘s film Paths of Glory and centers around 3 brothers who are separated during the horrible massacre at Setif. Messaoud (Roschdy Zem, who was the best thing about The Girl from Monaco) goes off to fight as a soldier for France; Said (Jamel Debbouze) takes his mother and moves to Shantytown in France and becomes quite the street hustler; while Abdelkadar (Sami Bouajila) is imprisoned and absorbs all that he sees.

 Each of the brothers endures much hardship until circumstances serve to reunite them in Shantytown.  That’s when the real mission begins. Abdelkadar becomes the driving force behind the Algerian’s FLN movement. He is the local figurehead and brains, while his brother Messaoud acts as the muscle and bodyguard. Brother Said continues his pursuit of money through shady night clubs and as a boxing promoter, but he is never far from his brothers’ sides – even if he isn’t quite as politically motivated.

I found all three brothers interesting in their own right, but the film is just so downbeat as it tells this story, that I just never felt engaged. That’s not to say the mission of the Algerian people during this two decade period isn’t amazing, because it certainly is. It’s just this film doesn’t really offer much in the form of telling the story. This one is nominated by the Academy for Best Foreign Film, so obviously many thought better of it than I.

SEE THIS MOVIE IF:  you want to keep your streak intact of seeing ALL Oscar nominated movies (yes, that’s me)

SKIP THIS MOVIE IF:  a downbeat movie about the Algerian struggle during WWII is not the pick-me-up you are seeking right now.

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Posted by David Ferguson

THE ILLUSIONIST (L’illusionniste)

February 6, 2011

 Greetings again from the darkness. While this animated feature absolutely stands on its own, a little background makes it even more interesting.

Jacques Tati is legendary among cinephiles. He is responsible for a small, but fascinating clump of films that span 25+ years. His best known are Mr. Hulot’s Holiday and Mon Oncle, the latter of which makes a quick appearance in this film. Tati wrote the original script in the 1950’s just prior to his career exploding in popularity. He intended the script to be filmed as a live action production, but he died in 1982 without ever getting around to making the film. Instead, his daughter held onto the script and eventually gave it to filmmaker Sylvain Chomet, who is responsible for the fantastic 2003 animated film The Triplets of Belleville.

Mr. Chomet’s animated version is quite the tribute to Tatis. The lead character shares not only Tatis’ birth name (Tatischeff) but also his look and mannerisms. He is a technically adept magician whose time has come and gone … his sly skills and popularity replaced by the obnoxious noise of rock stars. He is now confined to run down music halls and finally a department store showroom window. A true relic on display … ironically hocking the hottest items of the day.

 Along the way “down” he meets a girl who seems to worship what magic he has left. She cooks and cleans and caters to him. Her attention leads him to spend what little money he has on buying her new shoes and clothes. A sad spectacle played out in real life entirely too many times. The girl’s presence does give him a reason to go on … if for no other reason that to keep up with her whims.

Of course, nothing last forever. Neither the magician, nor the girl’s adoration. The details of Edinburgh and the characters are a tribute to both the Tatis script and the brilliant eye of Chomet. It is a rather sad and bleak story told with a most unusual pace and nearly no dialogue. The characters movements and the beautiful score leave little doubt what is occurring with each character and in each scene. This is wonderful animated filmmaking and it certainly deserves it’s Oscar nomination.

SEE THIS MOVIE IF: you have an appreciation for animated world cinema OR (like me) you believe The Triplets of Belleville to be one of the finest animated films ever made.

SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: you believe animated films need to be very wild, noisy and colorful to hold attention

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Posted by David Ferguson

ANOTHER YEAR

January 30, 2011

 Greetings again from the darkness. How DARE he? Mike Leigh is such a non-compliant filmmaker. He just refuses to follow the rules … and film goers are the benefactors of his daring. Mind you, his daring is not in the regards of special effects, stunt work or trick photography. No sir. His daring is with the subject, theme, tone and characters. He is … GASP … unafraid of real people! If you have seen Mr. Leigh’s work in Happy-Go-Lucky or Vera Drake, you understand that his films can be simplistic on the surface, while carrying multiple layers of commentary and observations. He also has the classic British sense of humor in that very few “punchlines” exist. Instead the humor comes in allowing the viewer to recognize the characters as someone they know, or God forbid, even their own self!

Mr. Leigh has a history of making films without a script … only broad based outlines for the characters. The actors then work to fill in the details of the individuals, which in turn, forms a story. This explains why the story does not follow the traditional arc. In fact, the story has no real beginning or ending. What we see are the interactions of people who are friends, relatives, co-workers, acquaintances and strangers.

The foundation of the film, as well as the foundation for most of the other characters in the film, is the happily married couple of Tom and Gerri, played by the terrific Jim Broadbent and Ruth Sheen. This is a couple who not only love and respect each other, but also enjoy being together. Their friends and family come in and out of their lives, but their bond is strong.

 Key amongst this group is their friend, and Gerri’s co-worker, Mary (Lesley Manville). Mary is someone we all recognize. She is single, not getting any younger, desperately trying to avoid loneliness (too often with a bottle), masking her fear through fake excitement, and latched onto the security blanket offered by Tom and Gerri’s friendship. Many felt Ms. Manville deserved an Oscar nom for this role, and I will say she is outstanding.

When family friend Ken (Peter Wight) makes a move on Mary, she shuns him because of his lack of perfection. She always thinks she can do better. When she begins fixating on Tom and Gerri’s son Joe (Oliver Maltman), we really feel her pain but just want to slap some sense into her. The relationships all take a hit when Mary shows up for dinner and is introduced to Joe’s new girlfriend … a wonderfully charming and talented Katie (Karina Fernandez). Mary acts the selfish fool and it drives a wedge between she and Gerri. There is even a line of dialogue earlier on … “never come between a mother and her son“! Another character we are witness to includes the great Imelda Staunton as a depressed middle-aged woman who comes to Gerri for professional guidance. We also meet David Bradley as Tom’s older brother, Ronnie, whose wife has recently passed. Mr. Bradley will be recognized as Argus Filch from the Harry Potter movies.

All of these situations and personalities are balanced by Tom and Gerri as they provide a stable environment … it’s as if they are a fountain of sanity from which everyone wishes to drink. As an added touch, none of the characters are Hollywood beauties. Broadbent and Ms. Sheen would never be mistaken for Brad and Angelina. Rather they are more likely to look like someone you know … and better yet, their characters live like people you WANT to know. So again I ask … How dare he?

SEE THIS MOVIE IF: you don’t mind a quick glance at characters who probably mirror you and your friends OR you can appreciate the British way of squeezing some humor out of someone’s pain

SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: you prefer fantastical stories and “big” Hollywood films to the intimacy of characters who could actually exist.

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Posted by David Ferguson

BIUTIFUL

January 30, 2011

 Greetings again from the darkness. If anyone tells you this film is a bit of a downer, never trust them again. It may be the bleakest, most dismal film I have ever seen (and that’s saying a lot!). A bit of downer does not do it justice. Still, I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen. Javier Bardem is captivating and truly encompasses the character of Uxbal – a father of two, who has a connection to the dead, and is headed there himself (quickly).

Already I am sure many are turned off by the subject matter and the fact that it’s not an inspirational, feel-good movie. I would make the point that despite the despair, it does show the journey of a man seeking redemption and trying, with everything he has, to do right by his kids.

Director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu is a master filmmaker as evidenced by his work in 21 Grams and Babel. He gives us a real feel for the grungy and claustrophobic world that these people inhabit. We absolutely feel their pain and resolve and desperation and panic. We feel it for the entire 2 and a half hours running time.  I should also mention that the film has what may be the most unusual score/soundtrack of any film in recent memory.  There is no real continuity, it’s as if music was written for individual scenes, rather than for the entire film.  Very effective, but very non-traditional.

 If you can take the filmed depression, the pay off is watching Bardem work. I have often recommended his fascinating work in The Sea Inside, but as much as it pains me to agree with Julia Roberts, his performance here is somehow better. It’s no wonder why he felt the need to escape with Eat Pray Love after filming this one. It should be noted that Bardem is the first ever Lead Actor nominee for a full Spanish speaking role.

SEE THIS MOVIE IF: you want to see a masterful performance by Javier Bardem OR you thought 21 Grams and Babel were just a bit too funny and light-hearted.

SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: you couldn’t care less about acting proficiency and just want your movies to be feel good and uplifting

Leave a Comment » | Drama, World Cinema/Foreign | Tagged: , | Permalink
Posted by David Ferguson

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