Film Review: UNA MUJER FANTASTICO (A FANTASTIC WOMAN ) (Chile 2017) ***1/2

February 3, 2018 festreviews 2018 movies, movie, Movie Review, Uncategorized Daniela Vega, film reviews, Francisco Reyes, gilbert seah, Luis Gnecco, Sebastián Lelio, UNA MUJER FANTASTICO (A FANTASTIC WOMAN )

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Marina, a waitress who moonlights as a nightclub singer, is bowled over by the death of her older boyfriend.

Chilean director Sebastián Lelio broke into the international film scene with his Best Foreign Film Oscar nominee GLORIA back in 2013. His latest hit, already critically acclaimed since its debut at Cannes also deals with a female protagonist, actually a transgender heroine, played astonishingly by Daniela Vega. If she had been nominated for a Best Actress Oscar she will make headlines as the first transgender to get nominated in the Best Actress Oscar category. Lelio’s camera loves her. And she is very good in the role too. And very beautiful!

A FANTASTIC WOMAN is the portrait of a woman adrift. Marina (Vega), the FANTASTIC WOMAN of the title is beautiful, enigmatic, and plunged into a precarious situation after her older boyfriend dies unexpectedly in her company. Her world is turned upside down. She has to come to terms not only of her loss but with the horrid prejudice of his family.

Fifty-seven-year-old divorcé Orlando (Francisco Reyes) wakes in the middle of the night, suffers an aneurism, and falls down some stairs. He sustains injuries that will come to haunt Marina after she takes him to the hospital and attempts to slip away before authorities and family members begin prying.

Marina knows she’s regarded with suspicion for her youth, class, and, above all, gender status. She experiences the viciousness of Orlando’s son, the cold-heartedness of Orlando’s ex-wife, and the intrusiveness of a detective from the Sexual Offences Investigation Unit force Marina to not only clear her name, but also to demand the very thing no one seems willing to give her: respect. The saddest segment is when she is denied the human right to say goodbye to the dead Orlando. She is chased out of the funeral church service by her family.

The events are also put into a different perspective from Marina’s sister and her husband, who reluctantly but finally offer to help. At least they realize that it is the right thing to do.

The film is shot in Santiago, though the tourist sights are not seen. The film is accompanied by sombre music when it needs to and uplifting music at other times.

Lelio’s film contains both disturbing scenes and scenes of elation. The ones most difficult to watch are understandably those involving abuse to Marina. Marina is picked up and forced into a car by Orlando’s brother and family, beaten, taped up and then tossed out of the car. Marina at one point, goes dancing to forget her troubles. In a fantasy sequence, she dances wearing a sparkling top together with those dancing around her. Marina finally sums up her courage to do what is right – to see her lover, Orlando one last time before he is cremated.

A FANTASTIC WOMAN is both a sad and uplifting film that illustrates the old adage that something that will not kill you will make you stronger.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgDhpy9Z-NM

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Film Review: ENTANGLEMENT (Canada 2017)

February 3, 2018February 3, 2018 festreviews 2018 movies, movie, Uncategorized ENTANGLEMENT movie, gilbert seah, jason james, Jess Weixler, Johannah Newmarch, Thomas Middleditch

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While recovering from a suicide attempt, Ben Layton accidentally falls in love with a girl who was very nearly, almost his sister – and then things start to get weird.

Director:

Jason James

Writer:

Jason Filiatrault

Stars:

Thomas Middleditch, Jess Weixler, Johannah Newmarch

ENTANGLEMENT plays on the subject of Quantum Entanglement, which is the reason the film subject, Ben Layten’s (Thomas Middleditch) has fallen apart – mentally.

Quantum entanglement (as in Physics) is described as the physical phenomenon that occurs when pairs or groups of particles are generated or interact in ways such that the quantum state of each particle cannot be described independently of the others, even when the particles are separated by a large distance. The pair in this case is Ben and his almost adopted sister, Hanna Weathers (Jess Weixler). Ben’s parents were ready to adopt Hanna as a baby. Hanna arrived the very same day Ben’s mother discovered she was pregnant with ben and therefore unable to adopt. Ben concluded that his life would have been different and therefore meeting her now would have resulted in a correction in the path of his life.

As far as theories go, this is both an interesting and credible one. Feeling that this is the key to his happiness, Ben sets out to find her only to learn that it is the woman he met earlier named Hanna Weathers. Through constant visitations with her, Ben falls in love with her and learns that life and love is far more complicated than he thought.

It is difficult to root for a loser like Ben. Ben is not only a recent divorcee, but leads a miserable, jobless life. He has made a few unsuccessful suicide attempts, though a good thing coming from this is his befriending of his sarcastic, yet helpful neighbour Tabby Song (Diana Bang). Writer/director Jason James pulls a few surprises in his plot. To see Ben slowly emerging victorious from the doldrums, though is uplifting for the audience.

The problem with ENTANGLEMENT is that the film is just not serious or funny enough (Ben trying to electrocute himself in the bath but forgetting to plug it in; slitting his wrists but then having to answer the door bell) in the material’s treatment. Ben’s unsuccessful suicide attempts cold have been funnier or insightful. The decision to make Hanna totally a character that conforms to Ben’s wishes and then have Ben snap out of his problems is a bitt of a cop-out.

ENTANGLEMENT does contain a few good scenes like the confrontation segments where Ben’s mother angrily tells Ben that he has no right to turn out the way he did. The confrontation segment between Ben and Tabby seems to go along too similar lines.

From the cast of relative unknown actors, Marilyn Norry does best as Ben’s conflicted mother. Thomas Middleditch, the lead isn’t bad either, his look and stature resembling the nature of his character.

Running only at 82 minutes, Jason James’ debut feature is not without its charms. ENTANGLEMENT could have turned out as the best feel-good movie of the year if done right. Life could be seen as a whole lot of surprises and good events instead of the negatives. James’ film instead plods along towards a boring finish.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMMWSu3AjJo

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