Year: 2018

Full Review: CHAPPAQUIDDICK (USA 2017) ***

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Chappaquiddick Poster
Trailer

Depicting Ted Kennedy’s involvement in the fatal 1969 car accident that claims the life of a young campaign strategist, Mary Jo Kopechne.

Director:

John Curran

Writers:

Taylor Allen, Andrew Logan

Stars:

Kate Mara, Clancy Brown, Olivia Thirlby

 

CHAPPAQUIDDICK is a story not many non-Americans are familiar with.  If this is not a story that needs be told, and if it is not an interesting one, it is one that questions the right thing that human beings should do.  The story has also been given a TV movie treatment a few years back, only now a full feature treatment.

A story that deals with a tragedy and with a character that is a coward relying on others to cover up his bad deeds is hardly material Hollywood would be interested in.  But the story is told with a twist, where the main character finally redeems himself and proves to others that he is a decent human being.  This character is Senator Ted Kennedy.

The film set in 1964, is also a meticulously crafted period piece with vintage vehicles.  The accident of the car going over the bridge into the water (a repeatedly visited scene) is well executed.

Presidents of the United States have always lied when confronted with catastrophe, Nixon and Clinton being the best examples.  This film questions the integrity of Ted Kennedy, which is correctly chosen to be the subject of the film.  This suspenseful historical drama examines the infamous 1969 incident when Senator Ted Kennedy (Jason Clarke) accidentally drove off a bridge, resulting in the death of campaign worker Mary Jo Kopechne (Kate Mara).  This become known as the Chappaquiddick Incident.  Kopechne was trapped in a car that Senator Ted Kennedy drove, following a night of festivities.  Kennedy patriarch Joe (Bruce Dern), however, always considered his youngest son a ne’er-do-well — and he never let Ted forget it.  The party on Chappaquiddick reunited the “Boiler Room Girls” who had served on Robert Kennedy’s 1968 presidential campaign, among them Mary Jo (Kate Mara). Ted whisks Mary Jo away for a reckless moonlight drive that ends in tragedy.  But the more profound malfeasance begins after the drowning — itself dramatized here in harrowing detail — when a battalion of spin doctors gets to work on covering up the incident, using the Apollo 11 moon landing as a distraction.

The acting honours go to veteran actor Bruce Dern as the patriarch of the Kennedy family.  Joe is wheelchair ridden and unable to speak due to a stroke.  His mannerisms and utterings bring a different perspective to the story.  Jason Clarke is also marvellous is the role of Ted Kennedy, evoking our anger in the beginning and later earning the audience’s sympathy even forgiving him.

The film clearly stays clear any material dealing with the possible affair between Kennedy and Mary Jo.  The film also avoids any issue with Kennedy’s wife, she only said to be not feeling well during the events.  Near the end of the film, however, director Curran allows multiple opinions to be voiced through staged interviewees on camera.  One lady accurately says, that not all the facts are revealed so the public never knows the whole story.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qG-c8DtOm9g

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Film Review: A QUIET PLACE (USA 2018) ***1/2

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A Quiet Place Poster
A family is forced to live in silence while hiding from creatures that hunt by sound.

Director:

John Krasinski

Writers:

Bryan Woods (screenplay by), Scott Beck (screenplay by) |3 more credits »

Stars:

Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Millicent Simmonds

A QUIET PLACE is actor John Krasinki’s third directorial effort, a horror film that premiered at the South by Southwest film festival.  Krasinski also co-write the script with Bryan Woods and Scott Beck based on their story.  His first two films (THE HOLLARS, BREIF INTERVIEWS WITH HIDEOUS MEN) were, to put it mildly, nothing to write home about .  A QUIET PLACE also stars Krasinki’s wife, Emily Blunt, which is a clear signal to stay away.  But DON’T.  A QUIET PLACE is his assured directorial piece that would put many horror directors to shame.  It is scary, suspenseful and even had the audience (at the promo I attended) cheering at the end.  These are signs of a good horror film, and the film has been getting rave reviews since its premiere.

The poster looks like David Cronenberg’s RABID.  A woman, bloodied lies in a bath tub.  The scene occurs in the middle of the film when Evelyn (Blunt) has to deliver a new born in silence while the monster attracted to sound lurks around the house.

The script concentrates on scary set-ups but omits details and history of the setting.  Nothing is mentioned on how the situation came about.  What brought about the destruction of the human race?  Where did these supposedly deaf creatures come from?  What is the reason the Abbott family is the only one that survived?  But one can argue that if the film works in its aim at scaring, no one should question these omissions in plot.  As Hitchcock as proven in many of his films, the same holds true in A QUIET PLACE.

The placement of an expecting mother having to give birth in silence for fear of monsters attracted to noise is nothing short of brilliant.  The delivery scene kept the audience at the edge of their seats, evident as I looked around the theatre during the segment.

A word of warning!  This film requires a very silent audience, so pick a seat away from others.  The screening I attended had a person bring his own snacks, and one could hear him crackling his packages open and cans of pop.  Really annoying.  The theatre should ban popcorn and snacks for the screening of this film.

The special effects and sound are impressive.  The monster with its big ears and dripping saliva moving around to the sound of a creaking door is sufficiently menacing.

It is well to note that Millicent Simmonds (Todd Hayne’s WONDERSTRUCK) who plays Regan the deaf daughter is deaf in real life.  Krasinksi did not want a non-deaf actress pretending to be deaf.  Most important is the fact that a deaf actress would help his knowledge and understanding of the situations tenfold.  Simmonds who communicates in American Sign Language in the film to avoid sound taught the actors ASL during the filming.  The authenticity comes through in the film.

A QUIET PLACE achieves what it aims at, a solid horror film with a message of strong family values that ends up satisfying entertainment for all. 

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9wE8dyzEJE

 

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Film Review: RUSSIAN DOLL (USA 2016) ***

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Russian Doll Poster
Russian Doll is a female-driven, sexy, edgy crime thriller about revenge. The story begins when a young woman discovers a murder plot, and calls 911. But seconds into the call, she’s …See full summary »

Director:

Ed Gaffney

Writer:

Ed Gaffney

Stars:

Melanie Brockmann Gaffney, Kristine Sutherland,Sarah Hollis

 

RUSSIAN DOLL begins with three excellent segments.  The first is the rehearsal of a play called RUSSIAN DOLL which ends with a character being shot.  The audience is fooled to think that was transpires on screen is real till the camera pulls back to reveal the audience watching the stage play.  The other is the cop, Viola Ames (Melanie Brockman Gaffney) who holds her own after being hassled in a redneck bar.  The third is the attack and abduction of a woman calling 911 to report a murder.

RUSSIAN DOLL has a solid story with a play within a film that has potential for more mysterious goings-on.   A Russian doll can be opened to reveal another smaller one which again can be opened to real yet another until the last one.  The characters in the story are not what they seem.  They have hidden layers which in most cases reveal a more sinister person.  The main lead is cop Viola Ames who appears tough on the outside, but is still mourning the death of her wife, constantly having nightmares every night.

The story begins when a young woman, Dalene (Aly Trasher) discovers a murder plot, and calls 911. But seconds into the call, she is attacked and abducted. The police investigation into the woman’s disappearance leads them to interrogate the cast and crew of a play called ‘The Russian Doll.’   What the cops don’t know is that like a Russian doll, one of the people they question is a killer hiding in plain sight, preparing to avenge a thirty-year-old crime by murdering a cast member on opening night.   This fact is revealed after the first half of the film.  And what they also do not know is that if they do not act quickly, the kidnapped woman will die, too.  Running throughout the movie is a subplot focused on the lead detective, Viola Ames. Viola’s wife died two years earlier, and Viola has never really recovered.  During her investigation, Viola meets a beautiful young lesbian named Faith.   The story ties the subplot to the main one by having Faith contribute a clue to the investigation.  One way of getting thought to a cop or detective is to provide a relevant clue.  As a result, Viola is strongly attracted to Faith, which allows the film to have a double happy ending.

The film also contains a beautiful original song “Memories of You” sung by a street singer, Travis as Viola tips him too much for singing her favourite song, bringing her back good memories of her passed way lover.

The film described appropriately as a sexy lesbian crime thriller lives to its catch phrase description.  It also accepts the lead character’s sexual orientation as a given.  Viola’s mother (Kristine Sutherland) fixes her daughter up with a dinner date with Faith (Marem Hassler).  Both mothers are present during the dinner and it could very well be a straight dinner date fix-up as a gay one.  The sexual orientation is not given any issue and taken as an accepted given, a sign of good progress that this film demonstrates.  This is in contrast to the soon to be released ALLURE where the writer/directors have to resort to unacceptable offensive dialogue like “fucking faggot” to make a point.

RUSSIAN DOLL is a satisfying, well made thriller, a compelling watch from start to end. 

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WnBM8CABlU

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Hot Docs 2018: THE ACCOUNTANT OF AUSCHWITZ (Canada 2017) ****

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The Accountant of Auschwitz Poster
Oskar Gröning, known as the “Accountant of Auschwitz,” was charged with the murder of 300,000 Jews. When he took the stand in 2015, at the age of 94, his trial made headlines worldwide.

Director:

Matthew Shoychet

Writer:

Ricki Gurwitz

Stars:

Jeff Ansell, Hedy Bohm, Hans-Jürgen Brennecke

This eye-opening doc, despite its well worn subject of Jews slaughtered in Nazi concentration camps is based on the 2015 trial of 94-year-old Oskar Groning, the Accountant of Auschwitz.  He went on trial in his home town in Luneburg, Germany for the murder of 300,000 people, way back in 1944.

The case made headlines around the world, as a frail old man took the stand to finally face justice for crimes committed long ago.  Director Shoychet shows two sides of the argument, that a precedent must be set for the murders of the past.  On the other hand, it could be argued that Groning, like many other Germans that followed served no purpose.  The photo of Groning as a young man in uniform makes the guilty man look so innocent, and his current photo at the age of 94, which bears no resemblance at all to the old photo stresses the relevance of prosecuting the man.  

The doc is quite different here, as many Germans are interviewed and have their say on camera.  The Germans get to debate both sides.  Survivors and Nazi hunters alike are therefore torn over whether he should be prosecuted at all.  The film also contains archive footage with relevant commentary on the Nuremberg Trials. 

 But the highlight of the film are the testimonies of the survivors, prosecutors and other interviewees whose words bring shivers regarding what have transited in the past.  Oskar Groning just passed away March of this year.

 

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Inside The Chaos: Rabia Khan and The Pilot Project

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“ I have a very low tolerance for bullshit,” states Rabia Khan when we begin our interview. It’s a great start to the next two hours of fascinating conversation as I hear all about Khan, the life that led her into the world of Canadian Film and Television, and her latest upcoming project: The Pilot Project.

 

But before we jump into The Pilot Project, I want to learn more about Rabia Khan. Born in Pakistan, Khan is a child of the world, having lived in San Francisco, Dubia, and England before moving to Canada. She started her professional life working as a flight attendant in British Airways. “I dress for the airport as though I might crash on an island” she remarks- a philosophy she has carried into other aspects of her life- that is to say, she is always prepared. Yet Khan was not destined to stay in world of air-travel.

 

“I lived in the Corporate world as well” she adds, remarking on her varied professional career. Her experiences have shown her that all industries always come down to the bottom lines: the consumers needs, and the resources available.

 

Which brought us to the topic of Canadian Film and Television. The Canadian film and television Industry, which generates two billion dollars annually in Toronto alone, is in an interesting and exciting place. Internationally, Canadian content doesn’t always get the attention it deserves. Khan has some strong ideas as to why. “We don’t push ourselves enough”, she explains. “Can you tell me what a Canadian Story is?”

I thought about the question. And I had to say I found a difficult to answer. American film congers up a very specific set of images, as does Indian films, Korean films, etc- but although I have no short supply of great Canadian-made movies that come to mind- I had a hard time conjuring up a general concept of what sorts of films are “Canadian” – without my mind jumping to a series of inaccurate cliches. Khan has a surprisingly response to that.

 

“There is no such thing as a Canadian Story.”  She explains, “What Canada has is a massive collection of human stories.” And when we think about it, Canada is a massive melting pot of diversity, that can pull from the cultural and historical influences of countless places across the globe, as well as from a rich history of the earliest peoples in this country. “I chose to come to Canada, because I could be myself in this country. I couldn’t be myself in my own country. So I am from Pakistan. But if I make a film, I am a Canadian Filmmaker…That’s the best way I can give back.”

 

Khan continues, “The Canadian industry creates very safe content, because we are pulling from the same sort of grants and funding bodies…But if we look at what the consumer wants and work backwards from that, we can see the desire in the audiences for the type of content that can attract private funding, more risks and ultimately stronger stories.”

 

The Pilot Project, founded and created by Khan, is a passionate attempt to address the need for bigger, better, bolder, stories within Canada. Now in its fourth cycle, The Pilot Project is a competition open to all writers in Canada who have a strong pilot script. The script is submitted and put through a rigorous set of criteria, if it scores high on all the areas of consideration (Originality, Clear sense of story, defined structure, etc) it moves forward to the finalist round. Finalists get the chance to have their work read by leading Canadian Content generators in the industry, with notable names like Karen Walton, Jeff Biederman, Adam Till and many more. The finalists also get coverage, notes and feedback from the panel, to help take their pilots to the next level.

 

What is truly special about this particular competition, outside of so many others, is that it is absolutely free. There is no entry fee, no submission costs, and Khan receives no profits from any part of the competition. Neither does the panel. Every single expert reading the scripts is volunteering their time, for no other reason than to help provide guidance and assistance to the next voice of Canadian storytellers.

 

“It’s all about creating pathways.” Explains Khan. “There are natural storytellers with amazing concepts who have good scripts, and might just not know what to do with the story, where to take it, or how to polish it up to get it the attention it needs. And there is a panel of leading Canadian professionals willing to volunteer their time and expertise to help make that pathway possible.”  Khan makes an excellent point. To a storyteller with drive and passion and unsure of how to tap into the world of writing for the Canadian Film and Television industry, the bubble seems unfathomably hard to burst. The Pilot Project seeks to break down that concept- because reaching out and getting feedback from a leading industry professional may only be one submission away.

 

So, what kind of writers should be submitting their work to The Pilot Project? Khan has a clear answer for that as well. “People who understand the craft, and feel confident in it, and have done their homework. They have a solid script that they feel reflects their ability to utilize that craft. They have a Pilot script for an idea and they think this NEEDS to be on TV!!! We want those people and we want those scripts. We need solid and completed Pilots, though. No treatments, no one pages, no bibles.”

 

Rabia does make a point to mention that only around 2%-5% of the scripts submitted make it to the finalist level, but says not to get discouraged by that number. “If you don’t make it to the finalist round, it doesn’t mean you’re a bad writer. It means keep going.”

 

The Pilot Project has two categories: 30 minute comedy and 60 minute drama. “It has to follow the format and structure of these two genres.” Khan notes, referring that the complete guidelines, checklist and breakdown for the competition can be found at the-pilot-project.simplesite.com. “Your piece may not be ready to be pitched, or it may need one more polish or set of revisions to hone your craft, but if you have a well structured piece you’ve put a lot of work into, then this competition is for you.”

 

To break it down for all interested writers:

 

WHO: Rabia Khan’s THE PILOT PROJECT (www.the-pilot-project.simplesite.com)

WHAT: A pilot competition, where finalists have the pilot read by top Canadian TV professionals, who will give feedback and notes on each piece.

WHERE:  Open to all interested writers in Canada

WHEN: Deadline opens April 15 and closes April 18 2018.

HOW: Submit your polished and completed pilot script to

The Pilot Project Submission Page

 

If you have a concept you love, have strong completed script for it, and are looking for the chance to get honest feedback from Industry professionals, The Pilot Project is the competition you are waiting for. Luck is what happens when preparation and opportunity meet. An opportunity approaches. Get your pens ready.

 

Full Review: THE CHINA HUSTLE (USA 2017) ***1/2

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The China Hustle Poster
Trailer

An unsettling and eye-opening Wall Street horror story about Chinese companies, the American stock market, and the opportunistic greed behind the biggest heist you’ve never heard of.

Director:

Jed Rothstein

Writer:

Jed Rothstein

Star:

Pat O’Brien

You can never trust the Chinese.  I am allowed to say that since I am Chinese.  The Chinese are all about money and THE CHINA HUSTLE, a doc about crooked Chinese emphasizes the point.  The Chinese have been exposed to many unethical money tactics.  The last time major information like this was dispersed was the doc where the target was Chinese companies operating under international names like Nokia.  In that documentary, the Chinese workers from the farms were shown abused.  They would work long hours staying at the company’s quarters at minimum pay under unbelievably bad conditions, while not allowed to visit home till after two years working in the company.  The companies would have 3 sets of accounting, one for the international owners, one for the Chinese government and the other, the real one for themselves.  Every factory has to so the same in order to survive.  That said, THE CHINA HUSTLE reveals more crooked practices.

Produced by Alex Gibney who directed ENRON: THE SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM about the last 2008 stock market crash, THE CHINA HUSTLE could be considered a sequel as well as warning to all stock traders.  As in his previous film, THE CHINA HUSTLE is an unsettling and eye-opening Wall Street horror story, though this time the target being the Chinese companies listed on  the American stock market.   The film opens with the main subject, whistleblower Dan David confessing: “There are no good guys in this story, including me.”   After the 2008 stock market crash, David — like almost everyone else in finance — was looking for ways to make big gains quickly. China became an appealing target. Hundreds of Chinese companies entered the US stock market through reverse takeovers with American companies. They boasted tremendous growth, had little oversight, and created a stock-market feeding frenzy. It seemed too good to be true and it was.  The film follows the same pattern as EVRON, interviewing the whistleblowers, with the subject of fraudulence revealed and angering the audience to boiling point.  Again, he has on camera, the poor unsuspecting investors, usually the retirees who have lost all if not a fair portion of their hard earned savings.  

The camera follows the filmmakers to China where there are huge but empty factories.  The lights are on at night and the only employees would be the security people at the gate preventing outsides from entering.  The factories make nothing but money invested on paper that will increase in value, hopefully.  Smart (and manipulative) stock people, would expose these companies forcing their stock price to drop, but not before selling short so that they benefit from the fall in stock price.

THE CHINA HUSTLE might not be as interesting to those who do not dabble in the stock market, but it is still general knowledge that is needs to be known.

The film is not as tight or strong as ENRON, bout it is till an engaging informative documentary.  All investors should put this doc down as a must-see!

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55892jT06aI

 

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Film Review: BLOCKERS (USA 2018)

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Blockers Poster
Trailer

Director:

Kay Cannon

Writers:

Brian Kehoe, Jim Kehoe

Stars:

John Cena, Leslie Mann, Kathryn Newton

The title and film poster are a reference to cock blocking (the rooster icon is put on top of the film title BLOCKERS in the poster).  But the film is just entitled in one word – BLOCKERS.   I first heard of the term cock blocker in London.  The term is referred to as the guy who stands for the one to prevent a good looking gay guy from being picked up by a not-so-good looking guy.  The cock blocker usually says he is the good looking guy’s boyfriend or partner.  In the film the blockers are the parents (2 fathers and a mother) trying their best to prevent their daughters from losing their virginity on Prom night.

Despite what one might think is a premise for lots of high-jinx comedy, the film is surprisingly short of laugh-out loud laughs.  Director Kay Cannon wrote all three of the PITCH PERFECT films and as one can expect, a lot of the humour is physical.  The funniest of these is the ass chugging contest – but the idea is funnier than its execution.

A lot of jokes fall flat.  The running joke of bulked up Mitchell (Michael Cena) getting teary-eyed not only does not cut it, but used way too often.  The FAST AND FURIOUS joke is pitiful.  Adult parents are treated as bumbling idiots while the teens are supposed to be the wise ones who make all the right decisions and have the correct emotions.

But despite the relatively innocent title, the film turns out quite raunchy since it is co-produced by Masters of Mischief, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg.  But more raunchy than funny, unfortunately.  Example are the naked sex scenes and the raunchy sex experiments of Mitchell’s ex and new boyfriend that are not that funny, not even the squeezing of Hunter’s balls.   More laughs are generated from the sly comments and smirk of one of the daughter’s dates, Connor (newcomer Miles Robbins). The film also suffers from having to go through the same incident three times, since there are three daughters and three parents.  Mitchell finds Kayla (Geraldine Viswanathan) having sex and has to deal with it.  Then, the audience has through a similar tiresome routine with the other two.

The tired script also goes through cliched territory of mother missing the daughter going away for college more than daughter missing the mother.  

Of the three parents, Hunter, played by Ike Barinholtz (he was the loud laughing clown in NEIGHBOURS 2) comes through as the funniest.  Reason is that he is the wildest card in the pack and given more free reign to do crazy things.  Leslie Mann could have been funnier, but not given much to do but to complain and worry.

The film most boring parts are the ones with the three daughters bonding.  One also wonders why their dates at the prom did not abandon them as they talk to each other more than to their dates.  There are a few, genuinely funny moments like the Korean student’s break dancing that always ends in disaster.  But these are few and far between.

The film aims at being politically current by having mixed couples like Mitchell and his wife and ex-wife with one of the daughters turning out to be gay.  But the comedy disappoints.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMDVa4yoCWw

 

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Film Review: FINAL PORTRAIT (USA/UK 2017) ***

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Final Portrait Poster
Trailer

The story of Swiss painter and sculptor Alberto Giacometti.

Director:

Stanley Tucci

Writer:

Stanley Tucci

Stars:

Armie Hammer, James Faulkner, Clémence Poésy

Actor Stanley Tucci has stepped into the director’s chair only a few times.  As in his previous features, whether as an actor or director, he is recognizable for his dead seriousness in he treats his subjects though his seriousness is often tainted with a wry sense of humour.  FINAL PORTRAIT is the story of the touching and offbeat friendship between American writer and art-lover James Lord (Armie Hammer) and Alberto Giacometti (Geoffrey Rush) with humour emancipating from the subtle relationship as well as Rush’s comical portrayal of the questionable genius.

The story unfolds through Lord’s eyes and revealing unique insight into the beauty, frustration, profundity and sometimes the chaos of the artistic process.   Set in 1964, while on a short trip to Paris, Lord is asked by his friend, Giacometti, to sit for a portrait.  Lord is promised that the sitting will be a short one, maybe two hours or maybe an afternoon.  9 days later….

Lord finally wonders “how much longer can it go on like this?”, as he keeps having to postpone his flight many times back to New York.  The funny thing is that when the portrait is almost finished, Giacimetti will take his large brush with grey paint and paint over the portrait therefore starting again, almost as if from scratch.  This process has been repeated so many times that Lord can predict when the process will occur again.  He finally finishes up the portrait by stopping Giacimetti from restarting again with the big brush and the grey paint.

Tucci is more interested1 in Giancimetti than in Lord.  Nothing is much known of Lord, of his living in New York or his family.  One scene in a cafe establishes that he is gay and that is about it.  Giacimetti’s life is outlined, however, in greater detail.  The audience sees the troubled relationship with him and his wife, as well as his relationship, a much happier one with his putain, Carolyn.

FINAL PORTRAIT will unfortunately be inevitably compared to the minor masterpiece, the 4-hour long LE BELLE NOISEUSE directed by Jacques Rivette about the relationship between a painter and his model.  FINAL PORTRAIT can nowhere be compared to this film – in fact nor can any film for that matter, so one can understand director Tucci going the easier comedic route.

Rush is pretty good as the temperamental artist while Hammer reprises another gay role after CALL ME BY YOUR NAME.  The film has some nice shots of Hammer in his skimpy swimming trunks.  Rush is an Academy Award Best Actor Winner for his role in the film SHINE.  But he is currently the latest victim under scrutiny for inappropriate (sexual) behaviour.

FINAL PORTRAIT was filmed entirely in France.  The American speaks both English and French while Rush gets away of being totally believable as a Frenchman fluent in French.  The film is shot in both English and French with English subtitles.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3iFt_lOxIw\

 

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Film Review: PANDAS (USA 2018) ****

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Pandas Poster
Trailer

In the mountains of Sichuan, China, a researcher forms a bond with Qian Qian, a panda who is about to experience nature for the first time.

Directors:

David Douglas, Drew Fellman

Writer:

Drew Fellman

Stars:

Kristen Bell, Wen Lei Bi, Rong Hou|

Warner Bros. Studios and IMAX take over Disney Studios duties by providing audiences with a spectacular documentary, complete with story about the most adorable animal in the world – PANDAS.

PANDAS is an IMAX original movie.  PANDAS is not a film comprised of short clips but one that contains a story with a solid narrative set in both Sichuan, China and New England, United States.

The story revolves around a Panda called Qian Qian.  She is the star.  And the audience will surely love her.  When the film opens, the narrative (voiced by Kristen Bell) informs of the diminishing number of pandas in the wild – less than two thousand.  Owing to humans destroying their natural habitat, they are forced further and further higher up the mountains in northern China.  It would have been miraculous if the film could have captured shots of wild Pandas.  The film then rests on Pandas born in captivity.  Qian Qian is one such panda.  The goal is to prepare captive born pandas for survival in the wild and let them increase the Panda population.  Qian Qian is chosen.  The film follows her training from cub to young adult.  The heroes of the story are the human being Panda experts Wen Lei Bu, Jacob Owens and Rong Hou who are involved in the training.   They also enlist the help of a New England black bear expert, Ben Kilham to train Qian Qian.  When Qian Qian is released into the wild in the mountains of Sichuan, a collar is put around her neck to monitor her movements and to know when she might be in distress.  This is the Panda story.

The film contains many candid shots.  The best of these is the one in the panda facility where human beings clad in medical outfit feed the 4 baby panda cubs with baby milk bottles.  One other is the panda star, Qian Qian injured up stuck in the tree.

Here are a few reasons to see PANDAS:

the pandas especially the baby cubs are cute beyond comparison and this is the only way to be able to see them play and up close.  (I went to the Toronto Zoo to see the pandas and the new cub.  The public was not allowed to see the cub as it was still too fragile  and the adult panda was too far in the pen to be observed clearly.)

the film is in glorious IMAX

the film provides a good solid story of pandas

the film is a feel good movie celebrating the bond between animals and human beings.  It is inspirational to see human beings devote themselves for the good of the animal Kingdom

a good perspective is given on the life of Pandas

stunning shots of the natural beauty and landscape of northern China

The doc is quite short with a running time of 50 minutes or so.  It is a question of quality vs. quantity.  PANDAS come highly recommended!

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3eaGCk2Acs

 

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Film Review: LEAN ON PETE (UK 2017) ***1/2

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Lean on Pete Poster
Trailer

A teenager gets a summer job working for a horse trainer and befriends the fading racehorse, Lean on Pete.

Director:

Andrew Haigh

Writers:

Andrew Haigh, Willy Vlautin (novel)

Stars:

Travis Fimmel, Steve Buscemi, Chloë Sevigny|

LEAN ON PETE is British drama film written for the screen and directed by Andrew Haigh (45 YEARS), based upon the novel of the same name by Willy Vlautin.  LEAN ON PETE is also the name of the horse that both changes and challenges the life of 16-year old Charlie (Charlie Plummer). 

The film is about a boy and a horse, but not for the whole duration of the movie.  When the film opens, the audience sees Charlie with his father and new girlfriend.  Being dependent on his father for a limited amount of money, Charlie befriends horse owner Del (Steve Buschemi) for a job.  He is introduced to a horse called LEAN ON PETE.  When the horse loses a race, coming in last, the horse is to be sold off to die.

The film benefits from the performance of its young lead, Charlie Plummer who has already proven himself in the role of the millionaire Paul Getty’s nephew in ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD, playing opposite Oscar Winner Christopher Plummer.  Charlie is no relation to Christopher Plummer despite the identical surnames.  Charlie Plummer captures the pain and desperation of a teen unwanted by both parents.  He has still the look of innocence that will have the audience on his side no matter the bad deed he commits.  In one scene, he suspects that he might go to jail, but heaven forbid if he does!  When the film screened in the main competition section of the 74th Venice International Film Festival, Plummer won the Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actor or Actress. Besides Plummer, Buscemi and Zahn both stand out in their supporting performances.  Both actors reprise their quirky character roles, though their character are very different.

LEAN ON PETE moves at a slow pace during its first two thirds of running time before switching gear with a story twist.  Haigh’s camera loves to linger on the actors.  On the few action scenes, the two punch up scenes and the one where an accident occurs with Pete (the details not to be mentioned in the review as to avoid a major spoiler) are executed with quick edits as to create a shock effect.  This succeeds as the audience is clearly jolted out of their seats the three times.

Haigh’s film suffers from a suitable ending.  He opts for the Charlie running off into the horizon (no sunset here), reminiscent of the famous French classic of youth, Francois Truffaut’s LES QUATRE CENTS COUPS (400 BLOWS) where Truffaut ended his film with young Jean-Pierre Laud running on the beach.

Despite the film’s slow pace and other minor flaws, LEAN ON PETE comes off as a sincere film about a boy’s coming of age .  The story shows that life does not always hands one everything on a silver platter.  Some are born into riches and royalty.  Others like Charlie are less fortunate, born into a broken family.  He learns from his race horse, looking after Pete, the horse reflecting the same poor demise, Charlie the human is going through.  Charlie struggles and makes it at the end.  Haigh’s shows that it is a long and hard journey, but one that is necessary to take.  On these grounds, LEAN ON PETE is a successful film,  evoking the audience’s emotions and sympathy.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzlazAyylw8

 

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