Movie Review

Film Review: CHARITY CASE, 3min, UK, Romance/Comedy

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Played at the February 2017 ROMANCE Film Festival

CHARITY CASE, 3min, UK, Romance/Comedy
Directed by Sam Tibi

A young man’s attempt to show a beautiful girl his charitable nature backfires…

Review by Kierston Drier

 This delightfully fresh and comic look at chivalry gone awry, Charity Case comes to us from the UK by director Sam Tibi. In this simple, short and hilarious tale, our male hero tries to impress a beautiful woman at a cafe by tipping the barista. His plan backfires when, trying and failing to get her attention, he gives too much in the jar and runs short for his coffee. While the barista’s back is turned, our hero attempts to get his coins back- an ill fated idea indeed.

A short, humorous film that makes us question- is generosity still generosity if the gesture is done for self-gain? Is there such a thing as true altruism? It should be noted how expertly this film is able to get it’s emotional point across. In under three minutes, and with only one set, three characters and minimal dialogue, we know exactly who everyone is, and exactly what their motives are.

A simple and inviting slice of life with a keen moral- that honesty really is the best policy when it comes to meeting the girl of your dreams, or tipping the barista.

 

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Film Review: INDIGO, 19min, Sweden, Romance/Drama

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Played at the February 2017 ROMANCE Film Festival

INDIGO, 19min, Sweden, Romance/Drama
Directed by Paul Jerndal

Two young, lost souls in New York City share a common struggle – they are stuck in lives they do not feel they belong. She is an adored actress and he, a bike messenger. On the outside they seem like each others opposite, but on the inside they are the same- dehumanized by an internal loneliness that alienates them from feeling alive.

Review by Kierston Drier

What does it mean to have it all? Wealth, fame, beauty? Friends that love and support you? INDIGO discusses this concept with beautiful and evocative images and exceptional visual composure. Coming to us out of Sweden from director Paul Jerndal, this is a film that examines one day in the lives of two lost souls in the big city of New York. One is a beautiful and famous actress, the other is struggling bike courier. She is lavished with superficial compliments throughout her day working as a model and meeting with friends. He is scolded and shunned and generally mistreated all day.

Both have friends that go out of their way to meet with them and encourage them. Yet both seem utterly isolated- lonely in a crowded city. Both revert into their own minds once in privacy and both break down completely when faced with the prospect of meeting their friends for a night of drinking and dancing. When the two find each other on the dance floor at a club, their worlds meet and both are able to break out of their shell.

Subtle, thick with nuance and emotionally rich, this piece has stunning visuals and a staggering attention is cinematic detail. Gorgeous cinematography and the gripping complexities of the characters make this film worth more than one viewing. Not only is it visually dazzling, but it provides no easy answers. Our characters talk little of their feelings, we never hear their own thoughts or desires. We learn about them largely through the voices of their friends. Both are clearly loved and cared about, yet when we see them privately each one seems noticeably unhappy. Whether they are grappling with their mental health, their places in the world, the futility of their lives- it is unclear. What is obvious though, is that our characters are missing something. And it turns out to be each other.

INDIGO is a thing of beauty, it is a film that asks you to make up the backstory of the heroes, and focuses its’ attention on the moments they inhabit in the film. It is a film that sparkles with visual pleasure and reverberates with the messages “I was lost until I found you.” Check it out.

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Film Review: MY SCIENTOLOGY MOVIE (UK)

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Deadlines to Submit your Screenplay, Novel, Story, or Poem to the festival: http://www.wildsound.ca

myscientologymovieDirected by Joh Dower

Review by Gilbert Seah

As the title implies, MY SCIENTOLOGY MOVIE is a cheaply made kind of tacky documentary on the subject of Scientology.

The film is written by and stars Brit. Louis Theroux, who is in almost every frame. It is kind of odd to see a Brit making an American documentary and is is comical to see how he infuriates many of his subjects – even those working with him. (Theroux raises questions about Rathbun’s, (a former Scientology senior member) own complicity in the church’s “terroristic” activities, leading to tensions between the two men.) Theroux had long sought to make a documentary about the Church of Scientology from the inside but was repeatedly refused by church officials. In 2011 his producer, Simon Chinn, suggested making a 90-minute feature about Scientology. Together with director John Dower, they looked for ways to make a documentary, without access to its subjects. To be different form other documentaries, they used the idea of “negative access”, illustrating the church by provoking a reaction from it.

In this documentary, the audience sees Theroux teaming up with former senior church official Mark Rathburn (called ‘Matty”) to create dramatic reconstructions of incidents within the church witnessed by Rathbun and other ex-Scientologists. They focus in particular on alleged violent behaviour by the church’s leader David Miscavige at its secretive Gold Base facility in California, which Theroux visits. They interview several actor to play the part of both Tom Cruise and Miscavige in order to react certain scenes. The actors doing the parts and coming for auditions bare an uncanny resemblance to the real people. The church retaliates by putting Theroux and his film crew under surveillance, leading to camera-wielding confrontations with a Scientology “squirrel buster” team and with church officials outside Gold Base.

A few of the re-enactments – such as the abuse by Miscavide towards his senior staff are shown. Theroux and Matty are shown in the background nodding in approval. But the entire doc that they made is never really shown but only bits and pieces of what they did, as well as them filming themselves and hastily assembled into this movie. All this looks like a bad patch up with no head or tail.

It is courageous to see the filmmakers to take a different approach to their Scientology doc but nothing is achieved that the audience has not see before. Alex Gibney had made the much better GOING CLEAR – SCIENTOLOGY AND THE PRISON OF BELIEF where Gibney circled the movement right from its beginnings, seeking to analyze its methods and impugn its motives. Gibney had footage of the real Tom Cruise and John Travolta. MY SCIENTOLOGY MOVIE, in contrast had to rely for on only one man, Matty all their information.
MY SCIENTOLOGY MOVIE turns out as annoying as Theroux its star. If one wants to know about Scientology, it is best to rent the Alex Gibney GOING CLEAR video. MY SCIENTOLOGY MOVIE just goes nowhere and gets there pretty fast.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-9qUjE40wM

 

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Film Review: MR. GAGA (Israel/Sweden/Germany/Netherlands 2015) ***

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mrgaga.jpgDirected by Tomer Heymann

Review by Gilbert Seah

Timing is everything. MR. GAGA documentary about bad boy dance choreographer, Ohad Naharin is being released just a few weeks (though made earlier) after a similar documentary about another bad boy dance choreographer. The first doc called DANCER follows the troubled life of now 37-year old Sergei Polunin, acclaimed as ‘the most naturally gifted male ballet dancer of his generation’. Both films follow the same outline. They trace the influences (Ohad, dancing when young as a boy in the kibbutz) and childhood of the dancers, their troubles (marriage and choreograph methods), there talent and their rise to fame together with lots of footage of dance performances. Hopefully, MR. GAGA can still attract audiences after they have seen DANCER.

Ohad Naharin is the Israeli choreographer who’s revolutionized modern dance, even although he himself didn’t begin formal dance training until age 22. Now in his mid-60s, Naharin has headed up Tel Aviv’s famed Batsheva Dance Group since 1990, creating pieces and training dancers with “gaga” – a dance language he invented, whereby dancers feel the sensation of movement. In 1998, Naharin rebelled against censorship when he withdrew Batsheva from Israel’s 50th anniversary gala after organizers – bowing to pressure from religious groups – insisted he clothe his dancers more modestly.

The dance performances are well tracked and form the most interesting segment of the film – even f one is not an avid dance fan. Excerpts include:
2013 – The Hole
2015 – The Last Word
2003 – Mqnootoot
2011 – Sadeh (three times)
2005 – Three, the most homo-erotic, in that order.

The performances are put into perspective of the dance’s life, making them more relevant in the film.

As expected, the best insight into Ohad’s personality is provided by the dancers under his charge. They claim him to be ‘so strong’ and ‘so intense’. His intimidation can be seen when he tells them during their performances not to f*** it up, as it is his life. He would use words like: “Don’t f*** with me,” and “You are boring me”. These only goes to show that talent can never be substituted for hostility not matter how talented the antagonist is. There is no interview with his wife. It would have been even more interesting to know what living hell living with this man might have been. Director Heymann allows Ohad to have his say as well. Ohad claims that he is able to get the most of of his dancers. A former dancer recalls that everyday someone would leave the studio either yelling or crying.
Judging from most of his choreography, Ohad has a lot of aggression in him. His moves are fierce and hard and often include movements like falling and hammering. As expected, the genius and spoilt boy behaviour is incorporated in the same one person – in Ohad.

But Heymann keeps the audience on track with Ohad’s likability. If the audience hates the subject, it usually follows them hating the film. When the Government forces Ohad’s dance to wear leotards instead of their original skimpy outfits, he announces the change of costume to his dance troupe and subsequently resigns. This causes massive protests in the country. His wife and true love also dies of cancer and Heymann shows the power of dance to heal through Ohad,

The film is shot in English and Hebrew.

Trailer: https://vimeo.com/139907441

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Film Review: TABLE 19 (USA 2016)

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table_19.jpgDirector: Jeffrey Blitz
Writers: Jay Duplass (screenplay), Mark Duplass (screenplay)
Stars: Anna Kendrick, Lisa Kudrow, Craig Robinson

Review by Gilbert Seah

TABLE 19 is the low-budget small comedy typical of director Jeffrey Blitz and writer Jay and Mark Duplass. Blitz directed THE OFFICE episodes, the feature BOTTLE ROCKET and the documentary on the spelling bee SPELLBOUND. The Duplass brothers are famous for THE PUFFY CHAIR, JEFF, WHO NOW LIVES AT HOME and BAGHEAD. All these films are not masterpieces but sweet little films that are entertaining enough.

The protagonist of the new Duplass/Blitz film is Eloise McGarry (Anna Kendrick, MR. RIGHT, UP IN THE AIR the PITCH PERECT movies). Eloise has just been dumped by her boyfriend, Teddy (Wyatt Russell) who is the brother and best man of the wedding. Eliose does not want to attend but does. She ends up at TABLE 19, the wedding ‘table of losers’. There are 6 at a table. The others at TABLE 5 are:
Walter Thimple, just out of prison (Stephen Merchant)
Bina Kepp, unhappy wife out for a affair (Lisa Kudrow)
Jerry Kepp, her unhappy husband (Craig Robinson)
nanny of the family, Jo Flanagan (Judy Squib) and
Rezno Eckberg (Tony Revolorif from THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL)

Half way through the film, it suddenly dawns that this film is not that funny. The jokes are mild at most, often a few off-coloured ones (to distinguish the film from a TV movie) with a few scenes with drug use. But TABLE 19 turns out to be a serious comedy.

Nothing is what it seems! Eloise also meets and sort of falls in love with a wedding crasher, a handsome guy called, Huck (Thomas Cocquerel) but again, Huck is not who he seems to be as revealed in the manipulative script.
Anna Kendrick is charming and helpless enough in her leading role. Oscar nominee Judy Squib plays the know-it-all ex-nanny but the most laughs come from Stephen Merchant.

The script turns each character of the table to be actually very nice people – even the ex-con had good intentions for embezzling the money. The big ‘turn’ happens during the confrontation between Eloise and Teddy. Teddy is somewhat sweet and hapless. But the problem is the script being too manipulative and eager to please.

The script centres on the TABLE 19 guests. As Eloise actually planned the seating arrangement of the wedding, there is a scene where she describes each table from Table 1 to Table 19 from the singles table to the parents table and so on.

Fortunately, the script does not distract with the other guests. The appropriately lively bride and bridegroom are given just enough screen time to keep the subject of wedding on track.

TABLE 19 should please the less demanding audience. At the promo screening, I could overhear the comments of the audience. Most enjoyed the film, with adjectives like ‘sweet’, ‘romantic’ and ‘funny’. But the script should have been less manipulative and predicable. TABLE 19 turns out too sugary sweet for my liking and my guess for the liking of most critics.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRVzyiM8Sgo
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The 89TH OSCARS 2017 – Review

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Deadlines to Submit your Screenplay, Novel, Story, or Poem to the festival: http://www.wildsound.ca

2017oscars.jpgby Gilbert Seah

This year, the most unbelievable mistake was the announcement of the year’s BEST PICTURE.  Warren Beatty announced LA LA LAND instead of MOONLIGHT.  A mistake that will be remembered FOREVER!

MOONLIGHT is the BEST PICTURE.  NOT LA LA LAND!

The Red Carpet that began an hour or so before the actual ceremonies is the normal show of glamour – designer gowns (Valentino’s red gown worn by Ruth Negga, Armani’s white one worn by Isabelle Huppert, just to name 2 of the best), make-up, hair. etc.  One big difference this year is the spotlight on mothers.  A lot of celebrities brought their ‘mom’s as their guests, among them, Matt Damon, Dev Patel, Russell Brand, Leonardo DiCaprio and Bradley Cooper.

The Golden Globes had Jimmy Fallon as host.  The Oscars have Jimmy Kimmel.  Which talk show hosts did the better job?  Your judgement, not mine.  Kimmel has 14 years of experience hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live! in addition to hosting the Emmy Awards in 2016 and also the American Music Awards.

Kimmel performs a funny enough 10-minute comic opening poking fun at among others, Mel Gibson, Matt Damon including and yes, Donald Trump.  The best joke was the the undeserved round of applause given for Meryl Streep, the most under-rated actress in Hollywood.  A close second was the joke on Hollywood doing white people jazz and black people NASA.  

Political statements?  Last year’s host Chris Rock criticized diversity and this year saw, as a result, a record number of African American films nominated that included MOONLIGHT, FENCES, HIDDEN FIGURES, I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO and LOVING with an African American nominated in each of all 4 acting categories.  This year, the statement was made by the director of the Best Foreign Film THE SALESMAN, Asghar Farhadi who refused to attend the ceremonies because of Trump’s travel ban.  This was his second win after UNE SEPARATION.

The best speech is arguably from Viola Davis, the sure shoo-in for the win for FENCES.  She likely prepared and rehearsed her speech before the win, many times.  She cried and made the audience cry as well for her moving speech about the glory of acting.

The Golden Globes have the advantage of being first.   The Golden Globes and Fallon did an excellent opening musical number with him singing and stuck in his car en route to the Golden Globes as in the musical highway number in LA LA LAND.  This one cannot be topped by any thing done in the Oscar ceremonies.   Justin Timberlake tries hard with his opening song and dance number from the animated TROLLS. 

As usual, the most sombre part of the evening is the obituaries segment.  This year saw the passing on of a high number of talent, too many to mention – among them, Debbie Reynolds, Prince, Bill Paxton, John Hurt, Carrie Fisher, Gene Wilder and Anton Yelchin.

But this year’s Oscar controversy might not be over yet.  Trump might still ‘tweet’ in.

Hands down, the best and most hilarious presenters were John Cho and Leslie Mann.

Below is the complete list of nominees.  In bold are the ones the Oscar went to, and the underlined are the ones in my opinion, should have gone to.  (The word ‘winner’ is a no-no during the Oscars).

BEST PICTURE

Arrival

Fences

Hacksaw Ridge

Hell or High Water

Hidden Figures

La La Land

Lion

Manchester by the Sea

Moonlight

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ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea

Andrew Garfield, Hacksaw Ridge

Ryan Gosling, La La Land

Viggo Mortensen, Captain Fantastic

Denzel Washington, Fences

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ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Isabelle Huppert, Elle

Ruth Negga, Loving

Natalie Portman, Jackie

Emma Stone, La La Land

Meryl Streep, Florence Foster Jenkins

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ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Mahershala Ali, Moonlight

Jeff Bridges, Hell or High Water

Lucas Hedges, Manchester by the Sea

Dev Patel, Lion

Michael Shannon, Nocturnal Animals

=============================

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Viola Davis, Fences

Naomie Harris, Moonlight

Nicole Kidman, Lion

Octavia Spencer, Hidden Figures

Michelle Williams, Manchester by the Sea

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ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

Kubo and the Two Strings

Moana

My Life as a Zucchini

The Red Turtle

Zootopia

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CINEMATOGRAPHY

Arrival

La La Land

Lion

Moonlight

Silence

=============================

COSTUME DESIGN

Allied

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Florence Foster Jenkins

Jackie

La La Land

=============================

DIRECTING

Arrival

Hacksaw Ridge

La La Land

Manchester by the Sea

Moonlight

=============================

DOCUMENTARY (FEATURE)

Fire at Sea

I Am Not Your Negro

Life, Animated

O.J.: Made in America

13th

=============================

DOCUMENTARY (SHORT SUBJECT)

Extremis

4.1 Miles

Joe’s Violin

Watani: My Homeland

The White Helmets

=============================

FILM EDITING

Arrival

Hacksaw Ridge

Hell or High Water

La La Land

Moonlight

=============================

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Land of Mine

A Man Called Ove

The Salesman

Tanna

Toni Erdmann

=============================

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

A Man Called Ove

Star Trek Beyond

Suicide Squad

=============================

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)

Jackie

La La Land

Lion

MoonlightPassengers

=============================

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)

“Audition (The Fools Who Dream)” from La La Land

Music by Justin Hurwitz; Lyric by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul

“Can’t Stop The Feeling” from Trolls

Music and Lyric by Justin Timberlake, Max Martin and Karl Johan Schuster

“City Of Stars” from La La Land

Music by Justin Hurwitz; Lyric by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul

“The Empty Chair” from Jim: The James Foley Story

Music and Lyric by J. Ralph and Sting

“How Far I’ll Go” from Moana

Music and Lyric by Lin-Manuel Miranda

=============================

PRODUCTION DESIGN

Arrival

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Hail, Caesar!

La La Land

Passengers

=============================

SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)

Blind Vaysha

Borrowed Time

Pear Cider and Cigarettes

Pearl

Piper

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SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)

Ennemis Intérieurs

La Femme et le TGV

Silent Nights

Sing

Timecode

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SOUND EDITING

Arrival

Deepwater Horizon

Hacksaw Ridge

La La Land

Sully

=============================

SOUND MIXING

Arrival

Hacksaw Ridge

La La Land

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi

=============================

VISUAL EFFECTS

Deepwater Horizon

Doctor Strange

The Jungle Book

Kubo and the Two Strings

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

=============================

WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)

Arrival

Fences

Hidden Figures

Lion

Moonlight

=============================

WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)

Hell or High Water

La La Land

The Lobster

Manchester by the Sea

20th Century Women

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Film Review: THE SHACK (USA 2017)

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The Shack (2017).jpgDirector: Stuart Hazeldine
Writers: John Fusco (screenplay), Andrew Lanham (screenplay)
Stars: Sam Worthington, Octavia Spencer, Tim McGraw

Review by Gilbert Seah

THE SHACK is a faith movie that loses the ‘Christianity’ label but whose theme would probably include the Christian faith. God appears in many forms, as male papa (Graham Greene), female papa (Octavia Spencer) or Jesus (Avivi Alush) or Sarayu Sumire Matsubara.

Though the Christian God’s name is absent, many of the teachings of Christ are present in one form or another. In the film, God appears in the film as a trinity, though the trinity is not in the form of God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost but in the form of papa, Jesus and Sarayu. The preaching of forgiveness, very important in Christianity is also emphasized in the story.

The film opens with a young boy, MacKenzie as he witnesses his father abusing his mother and then giving him a beating after he tells on him at church. The abuse obviously flows into the boy’s adult life. The film forwards to the present where the boy is now a grown man, (Sam Worthington), married with two children. Christianity loves to test the faith of its believers and in this case, the patience of the audience as well.

After his young daughter is murdered during a family camping trip, Mack Phillips spirals into a deep depression causing him to question his innermost beliefs. Facing a crisis of faith, he receives a mysterious letter urging him to the shack where the crime occurred, deep in the Oregon wilderness. Despite his doubts, Mack goes there and encounters an enigmatic trio of strangers led by a woman named Papa. Through this meeting, Mack finds important truths that will transform his understanding of his tragedy and change his life forever.

Director Hazeldine’s straight forward storytelling technique leaves nothing to the imagination. Apart from a few dreamlike sequences, the story unfolds in chronological fashion with hardly a flashback The film is more interesting (though this is not saying much) in the first 15 minutes or so, because there are incidents happening. After, when redemption is the order of the day, the film just ponders along ponderously.

There are no special performances in the film. Worthington appears to be faith blindly walking though his role The same goes for the rather well-known name cast that includes Radha Mitchell, Octavia Spencer and Graham Greene. I have never seen Spencer in such a painful performance, forcing laughter too many times as in this film.

The film is suitable for a family audience. There is no foul language. Even the child beating scene is done without any violence and the reason for Missy’s appearance is mentioned in a ‘too polite’ manner.

An overlong faith movie running at 132 minutes which is as slow and tedious as it tests your faith and patience, see THE SHACK only if you absolutely MUST.
The film end with an equal tedious song “Keep Your Eyes on Me” by Faith Hill and actor Tim McGraw.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CL0yUbSS5Eg

 
_________

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Film Review: AFTER THE STORM (Japan 2016) ***1/2

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AFTER THE STORM.jpgDirector: Hirokazu Koreeda
Writers: Hirokazu Koreeda (original story), Hirokazu Koreeda (screenplay)
Stars: Hiroshi Abe, Yôko Maki, Satomi Kobayashi

Review by Gilbert Seah

 I was totally amazed with the first Hirokazu Kore-eda film I had seen called AFTER LIFE in 2003, which I considered a minor masterpiece. The British magazine did a 5-page article on him and the film hoping the publicity would get the then undistributed film distribution. It did. Kore-eda followed AFTER LIFE with a few other films, most notable being the Cannes Palme d’Or winner in 2013 LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON – again an excellent film.

AFTER THE STORM is not Kore-da at his best but at his mildest filmmaking. Don’t expect the drama of LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON or the imagination of AFTER LIFE. Yet AFTER THE STORM is not without its pleasures. On the surface it is a simple film, a kind look at a loser. Ryota (Hiroshi Abe) is a failed writer, a third-rate detective, and a hardened gambler. As the film’s title seems to suggest, the salient moments of his life have already passed before the beginning of the story. He won an important literary award when he was young, but his promising career vanished into thin air. Now, his father has died and his wife has left him. What he makes as a private detective, he loses on gambling and can barely pay his child support. After the death of his father, his aging mother Yoshiko (Kilin Kiki) and his ex-wife Kyoko (Yoko Maki) seem to be moving on with their lives. Renewing contact with his initially distrusting family, Ryota struggles to take back control of his existence and to find a place in the life of his young son, Shingo (Taiyo Yoshizawa). Ryoto seems resigned to his position on the sidelines of the boy’s life. But Ryota works with another young man, his private-eye assistant, who fills in the position of his absent son.

The audience is left to judge Ryoto. Ryoto is a man, not without vices, but still honest man despite dishonest doings. And he is still a handsome man, besides his age, able to attract the opposite sex, as in the old classmate he meets at the beginning of the film.

Thefilm’s climax takes place one night when a typhoon strikes. The broken family is forced to spend the night together at Ryota’s mother’s home. The ensuing interaction that is both bittersweet and tender forms the film’s highlight. “I never want to grow up to be like you.”, the son says. “I will always love them. They are my family.” The father says at one point. These are the sensitivities always prevalent in Kore-eda’s films that make them memorable. Great performances here come not only from Abe but from Kirin Kiki as Ryota’s mother, who is so funny she steals every scene she is in. And as in all Kore-eda’s films, there are a lot of scenes of trains. Kore-eda has said that this film is based on his personal experience of the death of his parents.

Also interesting is the observation of the ex-couple’s arguments. Ryota argues with his ex-wife over seeing his son and child support. In this film, typical of Japanese films, there is argument with reasoning without any shouting or display of cheap theatrics that are common to European and American films.

There is a beautiful shot of a delicious braised pork brewing stew at one point in the film when Yoshiko tells her son: “A stew needs time for the flavours to sink in; so do people.” The same applies in AFTER THE STORM – patience is needed for the audience to savour the pleasures of Kore-eda’s film.

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

_________

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Film Review: SHADOWS OF PARADISE

festreviews 2017 movies, movie, Movie Review, Uncategorized , , , ,

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shadows_of_paradise.jpgDirector: Sebastian Lange
Writer: Sebastian Lange

Review by Gilbert Seah

SHADOWS OF PARADISE is a not-your-usual documentary about Transcendental Meditation. It answers the question how do TM’s adherents continue when a spiritual luminary dies.

With intimate access to two of Transcendental Meditation’s new leaders – iconic filmmaker David Lynch and dedicated disciple Bobby Roth – director Sebastian Lange documents the Movement’s metamorphosis following the passing of its founder, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Having himself grown up within the Movement, director Sebastian Lange approaches his subject through an introspective and essayistic lens, seeking to reconcile TM’s present-day incarnation with the teachings and practices that have shaped his worldview. The film documents the star-studded galas hosted by Lynch’s Manhattan-based foundation to a perilous cliffside cave in Madhya Pradesh.

Word of warning: The inspiration of the teachings propaganda-d in this film originated from Guru Dev. Guru Dev lived in a distant cave, north of India and dismissed normal life for meditation. So, this film might not be for everyone. In fact many will likely laugh at the film’s teachings, so if you are not with open mind, it is best to skip reading this review as well as the film – no insult to the person involved. Even if one is of open mind, there is a lot to take and believe in this film. Before reading this review, please bear in mind that this reviewer is no proponent of transcendental meditation (TM). This reviewer is a nonbeliever of TM, but will try to have an open mind in reviewing the film and in the examination of the subject.

Director David Lynch is a champion of the cause of TM. He has made MULHOLLAND DRIVE, a film critically acclaimed as one of the greatest films of all time. It is a film that is as weird as it is brilliant and covers multiple layers of consciousness. But I wonder now if Lynch has not lost some of his marbles. His hairstyle in the film – a streaked white coiffe does not help his looks either. Other celebrities involved whose presence are seen on screen include Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. Lynch has a special ‘Lynch Foundation’ that collects money and donations for the cause.
Director Lange is quick to point out that TM is neither a religion, cult, government or industry. But he fails to define what TM really is.

For a film that champions TM, there is little about what TM actually is. It is only near the end of the film when the audiences sees a practical illustration of TM as executed by both Roth and Lynch. The director of the film Sebastian Lange is also a believer. His goal, which forms the climax of the film is to understand TM as well. His quest is to search for this remote cave that both Maharashi and Guru Dev spent years in. But it is reputed that the cave is swamped with bees and many who have ventured there have ended up in hospital.

Trailer: https://vimeo.com/184505918
 
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Film Review: DEPARTURE (DEPART) (UK/France 2015)

festreviews 2017 movies, movie, Movie Review , , , , ,

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departure.jpgDirector: Andrew Steggall
Writer: Andrew Steggall
Stars: Juliet Stevenson, Alex Lawther, Phénix Brossard

Review by Gilbert Seah

 The reason for the bilingual title is that the film is shot in South France and in both French and English, though English is the main order of the day.

DEPARTURE tells the simple story that in reality could have layers making it more complex. Beatrice (Juliet Stevenson) is going through a marital crisis and she has brought her son – Elliot to help her pack up their idyllic summer home in the south of France. The two hardly do any packing but wander around the market in the village. Elliot is of the age of puberty. He sees a local lad swimming in the reservoir and smoking a cigarette and decides he has to get to know this boy better – nudge, nudge, wink, wink, know what I mean?

This lad is rural Clement (Phénix Brossard) all macho and a complete opposite in character and physique from Elliot. It is hard to believe that he has no clue the reason of Elliot’s fondness for him. What happens after makes the rest of the film. Whether the film succeeds depends on director Steggall whether he can invoke enough interest from the audience or maybe bring some twist to the plot.

Steggall does however, create a believable idyllic atmosphere of a rural French village – with English outsiders treated politely as income generating tourists for the French peasants. There is little hostility, at least, and none that needs to be built up or included into the story. Steggall tells his tale directly with few distractions.

Some films have little going on in appearance. DEPARTURE is one of those films. But to be fair to the writer and director of DEPARTURE, there could be more than meets the eye – if the audiences were to read between the lines (or see between the images). But there is quite a lot of inane dialogue – lines that make no sense being there. One sample occurs in the beginning of the film when Elliot asks his mother about a photograph he finds: “Who is this man in the boat with dad?” he asked. “I don’t know,” she replies. Another lengthy conversation takes place between the boy and a cafe owner about poetry, acting and plays – which has little impact on the plot, exempt to maybe establish (not very credibly) that the boy is a gifted writer.

Elliot, the boy is not the perfect model of a son. Elliot, the wannabe poet (his talent is questionable) is described as a cliche by Clement. Elliot acts like a spoiled little princess half the time, who wants his mother dead so that he can have a sex life. He is indifferent to his dad’s visit. He masturbates with a carrot from the fridge and dumps the soiled vegetable in the bin, which his mother discovers.

DEPARTURE is extremely slow moving. After 30 minutes of the film’s running time, nothing much happens – except the boy has seen another boy and the mother and son is still in the French village.

It is good to see Juliet Stevenson (famous after her role opposite the late Alan Rickman in TRULY, MADLY, DEEPLY) on the screen after a long absence, though she does not get to do that much. Alex Lawther who plays Elliot has played big roles in the past, like the young Alan Turing in THE IMITATION GAME and the math film X + Y

DEPARTURE has gone on to win a few awards already at minor film festivals. But it is slow haul which will test the patience of many a viewer. The film is available DVD / VOD on March 7th in the U.S. and Canada via Wolfe Video.

Trailer: https://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2016/feb/02/departure-watch-an-exclusive-trailer-for-the-new-british-drama-video

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