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Film Review: 47 METRES DOWN (UK 2017) ***1/2

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

47 meters downTwo sisters vacationing in Mexico are trapped in a shark cage at the bottom of the ocean. With less than an hour of oxygen left and great white sharks circling nearby, they must fight to survive.

Director: Johannes Roberts
Writers: Johannes Roberts, Ernest Riera
Stars: Mandy Moore, Claire Holt, Matthew Modine

Review by Gilbert Seah

47 METRES DOWN, directed by Johannes Roberts and written by Roberts and Ernest Riera is a British horror thriller adventure about two sisters stuck in a shark cage 47 metres under the sea. There is nothing British about the film that can be noticed. The lead actor, Mandy Moore is American and her sister is played by Australian Claire Holt losing her Aussie accent. The only hint at British is the film’s title or it would be called 47 (or the equivalent in conversion) Feet Down.

The story follows sisters Lisa (Moore) and Kate (Holt) on vacation in Mexico. Lisa’s boyfriend has broken up with her because “she made the relationship boring”. While drinking and dancing at 1:00 a.m, they meet up with some local men who tell them about cage diving with sharks. Lisa is reluctant but Kate convinces her to come along. The men arrive and talk to Captain Taylor (Matthew Modine). The girls follow and both lie about being experienced divers even though only Kate knows how to dive. While under water, the winch breaks and the cage plummets below. Their oxygen slowly runs out while they fight against time and the sharks to be rescued with a spare winch.

Moore and Holt keep their characters in focus – balancing humour and terror. Matthew Modine, now in his fifties, still looks charming as Captain Taylor.
Roberts keeps his film exciting from start to finish with a solid pace that never lets up. The first time the full body of a shark is seen is when it suddenly appears a third through the film, swallowing the camera the girl dropped from the cage. The ending contains a twist that will surprise. The film is never short of scary set-ups. After the broken winch is fixed, the rope breaks. Roberts also knows how scary it can be in a dark scary sea where one cannot see the light from the surface or the ocean floor. Being lost underwater is much scarier than being lost in space. The film’s best and scariest scene is Kate swimming with a flashlight in the dark waters with nothing in sight but darkness.

The lean script omits details. Nothing is known of the sisters’ background, where they work or which American city they come from, except for mention of Lisa’s never seen boyfriend.

Why would two girls want to under extreme danger in a shark cage? The script spends time explaining the reason. One is that Lisa needs to prove to herself that she is not as boring as her boyfriend. The second is Kate insisting that they have a good time together and the third is the attraction of seeing sharks up close. The fascination is heightened in a scene where sharks go on a feeding frenzy devouring a bucket full of bloody fish parts.

The film is sufficiently cheesy to be fun. The skimpy costumes, the stereotyped locals and the clear ocean waters and white beaches are what can be expected
On the business side, the $5 million lean production has already grossed more than $13 million after the first week of release.

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

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Film Review: NOWHERE TO HIDE (Sweden/Norway/Iraq 2016) ***

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

nowhere to hide.jpg“Nowhere to Hide” follows a man – the medic and father Nori Sharif – through 5 years of dramatic change in the war-torn Diyala-province.

Director: Zaradasht Ahmed
Writer: Zaradasht Ahmed
Stars: Abu Fallah, Hans Husum, Mudhafar

Review by Gilbert Seah

At the start of the film the director films Nori Sharif, a 13-year veteran male nurse working at the Central Iraqi hospital. Nori is offered a camera to shoot what life among his people are like after the Americans have left Iraq (in 2011), and the people left to rule themselves.

Despite Nori Sharif’s first time behind the camera, what unfolds is a very disturbing yet true picture of the sufferings of his people.

NOWHERE TO HIDE follows the medic and father Nori Sharif – through 5 years of dramatic change in the war-torn Diyala-province; one of the most dangerous provinces in the middle of Iraq. From the time of the American retreat to the fall of Nori’s home town, the audience learn stories of survivors. In a world trapped between ISIS and the different Iraqi Militias, his integrity and humanitarian vision is the only thing that drives him to continue against all odds. All this occur in one of the worlds most dangerous and inaccessible areas – the “triangle of death” in Central Iraq. The triangle of death was made famous in the Jonah Hill film WAR DOGS.

The Americans have invaded Iraq. The Americans have left Iraq. Yet there is always a war going on and people blown up and injured. The big question being asked as the film rolls on is what the war or wars are all about – who is fighting whom and how did it all get started. It is obvious from the film that the people, especially the ones featured here in Central Iraq suffer much more since the Americans have left. The question is finally posed one third through the film with Nori and a white medic talking about it. The answer is clearly that no one knows. All they can say is that it is always one tribe fighting another and the fighting tribes change very year or so. Without finding the source of the fighting, no solution can be easily sought.

One disturbing scene is the aftermath of a car bomb. The car is burnt to bits with the camera showing every burnt section it. This is done by a sticky bomb, the audience learns, the size of a cell phone that was placed behind the driver’s seat. Fortunately the driver saw it thus saving his own and children’s lives. Another scene has a surviving suicide bomber brought to the hospital without limbs, after blown away by the bomb.

NOWHERE TO HIDE is as the title implies, the dilemma of the Iraqis as they have nowhere to go. It only underlines the fact of how fortunate most of are to be living in a peaceful country like Canada, while making us wonder what we can do to help the situation of these people.

The film has so far a good number of awards around the world like the – Best Feature Documentary at IDFA and the Best Documentary at One World Human Rights Film Festival.

Trailer: https://vimeo.com/190076830

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Film Review: THE BEGUILED (USA 2017) ***1/2

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

the beguiled.jpgAt a girls’ school in Virginia during the Civil War, where the young women have been sheltered from the outside world, a wounded Union soldier is taken in. Soon, the house is taken over with sexual tension, rivalries, and an unexpected turn of events.

Director: Sofia Coppola
Writers: Sofia Coppola (written for the screen by), Thomas Cullinan (novel)
Stars: Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst, Elle Fanning

Review by Gilbert Seah

THE BEGUILED is the new 2017 American period drama remake of the well-known 1971 Clint Eastwood Don Siegel collaboration. Written and directed now by a woman Sofia Coppola (daughter of Francis Ford Coppola) famous for her strong female films like THE VIRGIN SUICIDES and LOST IN TRANSLATION, the film arrives with lots of accolades since winning her the Best Director Prize at Cannes this year, making her the second woman director ever to win the prestigious award.

Cineastes and film critics would definitely be very eager to watch this film. Three main reasons for can be sited. The first is that THE BEGUILED is a new film by Sofia Coppola who is a definite presence in current film. Her new work is always something to look forward to. As the Don Siegel directed original was very all received critically, it would be very interesting to compare the differences between the two films, differences attributed to one film made with a strong feminine value and the original directed by a top action director with his top actions star (Eastwood). The new version also updates the political correctness. Thirdly, the new film boasts an impressive cast that includes Elle Fanning, Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst and Colin Farrell, the latter complete with full Irish accent in the Eastwood role.

THE BEGUILED is based on the novel The Beguiled (originally published as A Painted Devil) by Thomas P. Cullinan. Coppola’s film holds the same story though it removes the character of Haille, present in the 1971 version. Haille is a black slave that was taken to the soldier’s fascination. Set during the middle of the American Civil War 1860’s, injured Union soldier John McBurney (Colin Farrell) is rescued from the verge of death by 12 year-old Amy (Oona Lawrence), a student at an all-girl boarding school in the south, the Miss Martha Farnsworth Seminary for Young Ladies. Martha (Nicole Kidman) reluctantly agrees to take him in until he has built up his health, under the condition that he is locked in the music room and kept under watch. Both Edwina (Dunst), the schoolteacher, takes an immediate liking to John, as does Carol (Fanning), a teenage student. Female jealousies are aroused leading to a terrible climax.

Siegel was an action director and his film is more violent than Coppola’s. When McBurney’s leg is amputated, he is given wine in Siegel’s film while given chloroform in Coppola’s. The former is almost brutally unwatachable. Also in Siegel’s film, McBurney is hit by a candlestick before falling down the stairs while McBurney is pushed down the stairs in the latter.

In Coppola’s film, the soldier is not the main character trying to survive but now become the object of the females fantasies while the females become the main characters in the story. The outcome of the soldier remains the same.
THE BEGUILED is rich in period atmosphere with an authentic feel of the confusion of the civil war. Coppola’s updated version is absorbing, terrifying and well-directed piece of work deserving her of the Best Director’s prize at Cannes.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBoLK5z_FHo
 

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Film Review: LADY MACBETH (UK 2016) ***

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lady macbeth.jpgSet in 19th century rural England, young bride who has been sold into marriage to a middle-aged man discovers an unstoppable desire within herself as she enters into an affair with a worker on her estate.

Director: William Oldroyd
Writers: Nikolai Leskov (based on the novel by), Alice Birch (screenplay)
Stars: Florence Pugh, Christopher Fairbank, Cosmo Jarvis

Review by Gilbert Seah

LADY MACBETH is not based on the Shakespearean play. It is a 2016 British drama film based on the novel “Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District” by Nikolai Leskov.

The setting is the year 1865 in rural England, when a young woman, Catherine (Florence Pugh), is in a loveless marriage to an older man, Alexander. They live with Alexander’s father, Boris (Christopher Fairbank), and Catherine is forced to maintain a strict schedule and prevented from leaving the house. Boris scolds Catherine for not carrying out her conjugal duties but Alexander (Paul Hilton) shows no physical interest in her. As Alexander tells Catherine at one point in the film: “My father bought you along with the piece of land not fit for a cow to graze upon.”

One day both Boris and Alexander have to leave the estate for separate business matters, and Catherine is left alone with the housemaid, Anna (Naomi Ackie), and is free to explore the area to alleviate her boredom. One day she discovers Anna being suspended from the ground in an outhouse by the men who work on the land. She is attracted to one of them, Sebastian (Cosmo Jarvis), and the next day deliberately encounters him on the land. The affair that begins causes Catherine to take matters into her own hands for her own good.

The idea of mistreated wife, especially by her in-laws during an arranged marriage has always been favourite film fodder, (my fondest film on the subject being Deepa Metha’s HEAVEN ON EARTH). In LADY MACBETH, matters are made worse when she
falls in love with one of her husband’s workers at the estate and the father-in-law finds out.
One of the most satisfying things about the film is watching Catherine’s personality change from tied abused wife to Lady of the House to the ultimate devil. Once her husband and father-in-law are away and she left alone, her true nature slowly emerges. The scene where this occurs when she makes her stance against her workers shirking their duties is one of the film’s best segments. But the film is not without other prized set-ups.

Cruelty prevails in the rich estate in rural England. Catherine’s lover is flogged and locked up. Class structure is prevalent. Catherine is bound by duty and class. Only when her sexual desires are aroused that she is able to break free from the imposed prison set up by the society and structure of the times.

Director is playful with the relationship between Catherine and her black maid. When brushing her hair, the maid Anna does in extremely hard causing Catherine pain, as Anna also does when pulling her girdle tight or scrubbing her back in the bath. What are Anna’s motives? Is Anna getting back at her mistress or is she somehow trying to show some power over her mistress? At times, Anna smiles kindly at her mistress and at other times, Catherine has to ask her: “What is wrong with you?”
LADY MACBETH premiered last year at the Toronto International Film Festival. It has so far garnered favourable reviews, this one included. A deliciously enjoyable wicked period piece that even males will enjoy when watching the fairer sex dominate.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Z0N8ULhuUA

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Film Review: ALL EYEZ ON ME (USA 2017) ****

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all_eyes_on_meTells the true and untold story of prolific rapper, actor, poet and activist Tupac Shakur.

Director: Benny Boom
Writers: Jeremy Haft, Eddie Gonzalez
Stars: Demetrius Shipp Jr., Danai Gurira, Kat Graham

Review by Gilbert Seah 

 Those in the music industry or interested in hip hop will immediately recognize the title of the film, a biopic on rapper Tupac to also be the name of his most famous album. The film chronicles his rise to superstardom, his imprisonment and his prolific time at Death Row Records, his record label, working with the Notorious B.I.G.

For a superstar youngster shot and killed in a car shooting at the age of 25, his life story is nothing short of boring. It is filled with drama, action, romance, danger but most of all music. Director Benny Boon has created one of the best biopics in recent cinema aided by an award worthy inspirational performance by Demetrius Shipp Jr. in the tile role.

ALL EYEZ ON ME covers a lot of material from the birth of Tupac to his untimely death. His coming into the world is documented with his mother’s pregnancy while in prison. While released after acquittal, Leila Steinberg, Tupac’s mother (Lauren Cohan) angrily yells on camera on how unfairly black people are treated and how ‘we will not give up the fight” setting the tone for a very angry and powerful film.

Leila, also shown as a drug user later in the film, is not an easy person to live with. Tupac is eventually separated from his mother due to her black panther activities. The film quickly charts the years from 1971, 1975, 1982 to 1987 and 1988 when Tupac moved from the Bronx to Baltimore to Oakland, California where his sudden burst to fame in the Digital Underground is documented with spirit and energy.

Director Boom punctuates his film with an interviews with Tupac played by Shipp looking like the real thing. An interview with what follows on screen gives an impression of old footage used (though not so) of Tupac’s life. It is clear that the film is not a documentary as Tupac is currently dead for more than 20 years.

But this tactic shooting the biography in fake documentary style achieves that rare quality of making the audience feels as if they are really watching a doc on Tupac even though all that occurs on screen are re-enactments.

Tupac’s talent is effectively captured on screen thanks to both Shipp’s great acting and dance/singing mimicking as well as Boom’s well staged musical set pieces, the best of which include the studio recording of California Dreaming and his shooting of the Digital Underground sequences.

Besides Shipp’s outstanding performance, Cohan’s and Jamal Woolard’s as Tupac’s mother and the Notorious B.I.G. respectively stand out.

The film also contains moving moments such as in the film’s prison segment when Tupac learns his most important lesson in life while in prison, at a time when he almost gave up on everything.

Boom’s film moves fast and furious, just as the speed of Tupac’s life unfolded. There is hardly a dull moment in this 2 hour and 40 minute biopic.

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

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Netflix Original Film Review: AMAR, AKBAR & TONY (UK 2015) ***

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amar_akbar_and_tony
Amar, Akbar & Tony follows the lives and loves of three childhood friends through twists and turns as the characters face sudden and unforeseen changes to their idealistic and trouble-free lives.

Director: Atul Malhotra
Writers: Atul Malhotra
Stars: Rez Kempton, Sam Vincenti, Martin Delaney

Review by Gilbert Seah
 
AMAR, AKBAR & TONY is a comedy/drama about three friends, a Sikh, a Muslin and an Irish Catholic. Their story takes place in London. Where else but the cosmopolitan capital of the world where anything can and does happen in writer/director Atul Malhotora coming-of age story times 3. The film boasts to be the first western film to feature a turbaned Sikh in the lead. Well, at least only for the first part of the film anyway, as the Sikh does end up going to prison and having his head shaved.

Are these three The Three Stooges or The Three Musketeers? The film starts off as the former and leading into even what the three might be deemed The Three Kings.

The film is a crowd pleaser and deals with sufficient adult offish material to make it not really suitable for commercial theatre audiences. That is not to say the film is not enjoyable – but one that might scare typical cinemagoers away. It is therefore the perfect Netflix vehicle, something like the recent WAR MACHINE by Brad Pitt where the material on Netflix can be more edgy. AMAR, AKNBAR & TONY is also the perfect light enough film, that home watchers can take a break and go grab a bite while not missing the film’s flow.

The plot involves the antics of three best friends, first shown in the film as three kids going to school and playing in the same neighbourhood. The film fast forwards to the three, now grown up, looking for girls and good jobs. Amar is the pride of his Sikh family who owns an Indian restaurant, his father being a gourmet chef, Indian style. Amar lands a top job in a law film as a solicitor because he convinces his interviewer that he can bring more business to the firm knowing many criminals. But while saving his two friends at a dance club from begin beaten up, he accidentally kills a hood and goes to prison. He loses everything including his fiancé.

Three years later, Amar is released from the scrubs, after serving his sentence. The film’s story starts off from here. This is where the drama begins and the film gets more serious, without any of the comedy diminishing. The film has an excellent blend of comedy and drama making it totally watchable and entertaining.

Director Malhotora should be credited of a faithful homage to a 70’s Bollywood classic, while setting the tone for a unique film marrying the storytelling styles of British Independent cinema. The film includes Bollywood style dances as well the typical Indian marriage jokes like wealthy older males marrying off young brides. The best jokes are the sexual ones, the two best involving Tony. One has Tony on a God-awful blind dinner date and the other has him seeking an Indian marriage councillor in search of an Indian bride. The script pokes more fun at the white Londoner, making him a biggest buffoon of the three while Amar is treated as the self sacrificing hero who goes to prison and risk his life for his two best friends.

Director Atul Malhotra is recognized in the UK for Directing award winning documentary and TV productions. His talent shows. This is one of the best Indian/British comedies sine EAST IS EAST. The film opens on Netflix on June the 20th.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIUfC3YtTfQ

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Film Review: ROUGH NIGHT (USA 2017) ***

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rough_nightThings go terribly wrong for a group of girlfriends who hire a male stripper for a bachelorette party in Miami.

Director: Lucia Aniello
Writers: Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs
Stars: Scarlett Johansson, Kate McKinnon, Zoë Kravitz

 ROUGH NIGHT is that rare chick flick that has sufficient material to satisfy both female and male audiences. Besides the bride-to-be and friends, the film also devotes a fair amount of time to the groom-to-be and his friends. The ending has everyone celebrating the wedding. This is expected in a Hollywood happy ending, so no spoiler is intended.

There are a few things that promises a satisfying comedy. One is the script that was one of the 2015 blacklisted scripts, which usually means a script that matters. The other is that the film is a first effort from female director Aniello, which means she will try her very best to prove herself, never mind a few mistakes mentioned below in this review. It is also about time a film emerged that looked at a female point of view of the HANGOVER films.

The film opens with the college days where five best friends (Scarlett Johansson, Kate McKinnon, Jillian Bell, Ilana Glazer, and Zoë Kravitz) connect at a fraternity drink party. It is 10 years later when they reunite for a wild bachelorette weekend in Miami. During their hard partying, they accidentally kill a male stripper. Amidst the craziness of trying to conceal their deed, they are ultimately brought closer together where it matters most.

The film has quite a few genuinely hilarious comedic set-ups, but there are quite a few misses as well. For comedy, director Aniello commits three mistakes, which could be considered forgivable considering that this is her debut feature and also that the funny parts make up for these mistakes. One big mistake in comedy is the explaining of a joke. During the airport scene where Alice cracks open a champagne bottle to the sound of a loud pop, everyone dives to the ground thinking it to be a gunshot. Alice remarks after, “Popping the bottle sounds like a shot and we are at the airport.”

The tampon joke is also one that is understood by both male and female. The rule is to never explain a joke. Another is the repeating of a joke. This happens when Alice toasts Jess at a dance club when Pippa pops up a piece of toast as she does not have a drink. This is done three times. The third mistake is trying too hard on a joke that is essentially a failure. This occurs in the scene where the group says solemn words and saying ok , “Dump the body”, before disposing the body of the dancer. The film also falls into the trap of stereotyping – example the activist is a lesbian.

To the film’s credit, the comedic set-ups are related and move smoothly towards the climax of the film, which is the wedding, For the few thrilling parts where the five friends have to tackle the diamond robbers, director Aniello proves her competence at thrills in keeping her audience at the edge of their seats.

Of the five actresses, SNL’s Kate McKinnon succeeds as the funniest of the lot, believable as an Australian with her accent. Jillian Bell comes a close second as the chief troublemaker Scarlett Johansson proves herself apt here in comedy as in other genres like action flicks (LUCY and GHOST IN THE SHELL), art horror (UNDER THE SKIN) and Woody Allen romantic drama comedies (VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA and MATCH POINT).

Despite the film’s flaws, ROUGH NIGHT thankfully succeeds as a satisfying comedy for both sexes. There are enough off-coloured jokes, foul language, tasteful sexual innuendo (the vibrating dildo) and a few messages about the importance of friendships (cliched though they may be) that result in a satisfying hilarious night out.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jRNDOZnGKU

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Film Review: THE HERO (USA 2017) **

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the_heroAn ailing movie star comes to terms with his past and mortality.

Director: Brett Haley
Writers: Brett Haley, Marc Basch
Stars: Sam Elliott, Laura Prepon, Krysten Ritter

 THE HERO is directed by Brett Haley who also directed I’LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS another romantic drama with a senior protagonist. THE HERO is a more serious venture as its main character an ageing star called Lee Hayden (Sam Elliot) has just diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and he has to comes to terms with his life and legacy.

When THE HERO begins, Lee Hayden stands on the beach watching the waves of the ocean roll on shore. It is a familiar scene to those familiar with the films of Sam Elliot. That scene is reminiscent of one of Elliot’s most successful films – THE LIFEGUARD in which he plays the title role of a lifeguard. He sports the same bushy moustache in that film as in THE HERO, a facial feature that made his Lee Hayden character famous.

THE HERO begins on a very pessimistic note. Besides just being diagnosed with cancer, Lee is a listless character, always smoking weed or getting high on mushrooms. He is trying to come to grip with his relationship with his daughter Lucy (Krysten Ritter). He does the odd commercial (like the BBQ sauce radio commercial that bookends the story). The rest of the time is spent hanging out with his drug dealer buddy.

When things get this bad, nothing can get worse. So when Lee finds a girl half his age responding to his request of a date, he slowly gets his spirits uplifted. The two eventually end up in bed. At this point in the film, the film’s pessimism disappears. And one can see why. It is an ageing man’s fantasy to have a young girl fall in love (and having sex) with him. But when he visits her at a club doing stand-up comedy, her jokes on making love with an older man turns him off understandably, and he storms off.

At one point in the film the two attend his life achievement award presentation. His speech goes viral giving him instant fame for a short period of time. He gets a film audition which he goes to read a script. The script concerns a father being rejected by his daughter, obviously a reflection of what is happening to Lee in real life. As expected, he cannot go through reading the script emotionally, breaking down and losing the part.

It is unclear where Haley’s film is leading only till the very last third of the film. It is frustrating to watch the film go from pessimism to optimism back to pessimism and then hope again. Lee’s speech at his achievement awards ceremony is preachy, him talking about life and people being grains of sand – enough of the metaphors.

The biggest metaphor of all is the film reflecting the real life of actor Sam Elliot. Elliot is himself a character just like Lee Hayden, fairly but no too famous whose life body of films could have gotten him a lifetime achievement award in some small film community.

THE HERO ends up as another sad feature about an old fart who should but cannot get a hold of his own life. It is difficult to feel sympathetic for someone who smokes weed half the time and fails to meet up with expectations when given a second chance.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiKtUnI0u4U

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Film Review: THE SKYJACKER’S TALE (Canada 2016) ***

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

THE SKYJACKER_S TALEAfter five citizens of the Virgin Islands are convicted in the 1970s of a massacre at one of the island’s fancy country clubs, their ostensible leader stages a skyjacking and escapes to Cuba.

Director: Jamie Kastner
Writer: Jamie Kastner
Stars: Ishmael Muslim Ali, Isabella Carr, Bradley Gordon

Review by Gilbert Seah
 
These two years have seen a presence of excellent African American films including the Best Film Oscar winner, MOONLIGHT. The documentary THE SKYJACKER’S TALE is one of them, telling the little known story of Ishmael Muslim Ali (aka LaBeet). The film’s timing is perfect as Kastner captures Ali’s first interview since his hijacking.

Kastner cautiously plays both sides. Kastner makes it clear that Ali had been sentenced to 8 years lifetime imprisonment to be served consecutively – whatever that means. Ali was brutally tortured in jail too. So when he was transported on an American Airlines plane, it would only seem natural for him to try an escape. After all what has he to lose, but lots to gain?

The two reenactments of the massacre of the 8 people at the St. Crois’ Fountain Valley golf course (which Ali was convicted of) in he Virgin Islands and the plane hijacking make this documentary are exciting as any action fiction feature. And this is the real thing.

There are many reasons and much to enjoy in Kastner’s documentary. For one, it is short at 76 minutes and to the point. It is exciting and based on true events. The subject has his say in the interview, from start to the end of the film. Kastner shifts the audience’s point of view of the man. In the start, he is described by others as a terrorist, a truly evil person and a killer. By the end of the film, the audience sees a different person – one that is totally mistreated by society. Ali has a dream of escaping and it is difficult not to side with someone who lives up to his dream.

Kastner has also assembled an impressive list of interviewees to aid the film’s credibility. Among them are the police officials (who admit to torturing Ali), the St Crois prison guards, the prosecutor and defendant lawyers. For the hijacking, Kastner also got the pilot, flight attendant and a passenger to talk on camera.

The film is not without humour. The film ends on a funny note where Ali reveals how he smuggled the gun from prison on to the plane through the metal detectors.

As stated by one of the talking heads in the film, the issue at hand is not whether Ali was guilty of the crime. The issue was the wrong-doing done by the justice system and the prison authorities and guards – especially the torture of hanging the men from the trees, using electric cattle prods and water torture.

By the end of the film, the audience is totally on the side of Ali, hoping he is successful in his escape to Cuba. This he was. When imprisoned in Cuba for the hijacking, he claims on interview that he was glad to be imprisoned in Cuba, away from the f***ing Americans.

After the opening of this disturbing document of injustice done on the black people, the coming week will see the equally arousing bio-pic of the true story of rap singer Tupac (ALL EYEZ ON ME) who was shot dead at the age of 25. He too was imprisoned and tortured in prison.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ydbAhwJ4MI&feature=youtu.be

Also, Free logline submissions. The Writing Festival network averages over 95,000 unique visitors a day.
Great way to get your story out: http://www.wildsound.ca/logline.html

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Film Review: CARS 3 (USA 2017)

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

cars 3Lightning McQueen sets out to prove to a new generation of racers that he’s still the best race car in the world.

Director: Brian Fee

Stars: Owen Wilson, Cristela Alonzo, Chris Cooper, Nathan Fillion, Armie Hammer

Review by Gilbert Seah

CARS 3 is the debut animated feature by Brian Fee, the storyboard artist of the other two CARS films and a few other Disney features. As this is a film that Fee has something to prove, the animation is as expected top-notch, as in all the Disney/Pixar films.

The trailer of CARS 3 which shows racing car Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) wiping out on a banked racetrack with a fade to black and voiceover promising that things will be different, many will be expecting a blacker sequel and one that would prove more interesting than the other two trivial CARS films. Not so. The terrible crash is just the catalyst for McQueen to want to race again to prove himself. So, there is the usual predictable stuff such as: “You have it in you.” You can prove yourself.” etc. etc. So, all hopes for a blacker CARS film are torn to bits.

The film features a next generation of race cars that includes Jackson Storm (Armie Hammer). The cars in the film begin questioning if the famous Lightning McQueen will throw in the towel after he endured a terrible crash. McQueen’s sponsor, Rust-eze, is bought by Sterling (Nathan Fillion), a car who thinks McQueen cannot maintain his image by racing. Lightning asks for a chance to race in the Florida 500 and begins to train with race technician Cruz Ramirez (Cristela Alonzo), who’s always had her own racing dreams. That pretty sums up a plot that not many can get excited with.

The same problem of animation of cars till exists in all the CARS franchise. Cars are inanimate objects with no limbs nor faces. So it is more difficult to animate cars – to give them expressions and make them distinguishable one from another. A tactic is of course, as used by the animators, is to make the colours bright and different or have different car types on display such as tow trucks.

It is also difficult to get excited over one cartoon car wining a race against another cartoon car. Or for one cartoon car to fall in love with another or feel anything towards a jealous car.

CARS undoubtedly has good animation. The audience can feel the thunder of the race as the audience is given a drivers-look of a race. But the film lacks the humour (goofy or otherwise) and inventiveness that help films like the recent CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS and BOSS BABY become memorable.
THE CARS films have not made the Studios that much money compared to the other animated features. But more than a fair income comes from the share of the toy franchise. So, do not expect much from CARS 3. For it is he same old stuff. Unless one is interested in the animation process, CARS 3 is nothing more than one dull drag of a race.

But wait! There is a short animated feature called LOU preceding CARS. It involves a schoolyard bully who learns that being nice conquers all. The largely silent LOU is smart, well animated, inventive and funny. It subtly teaches kids that bullying is just not cool. Rating for LOU: ****

****
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4K7JgPJ8-s

 

Also, Free logline submissions. The Writing Festival network averages over 95,000 unique visitors a day.
Great way to get your story out: http://www.wildsound.ca/logline.html

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

Watch recent Writing Festival Videos. At least 15 winning videos a month:http://www.wildsoundfestival.com