film reviews

Film Review: HOSTILES (USA 2017) ***1/2

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Hostiles Poster
In 1892, a legendary Army captain reluctantly agrees to escort a Cheyenne chief and his family through dangerous territory.

Director:

Scott Cooper

Writers:

Scott Cooper (screenplay), Donald E. Stewart (manuscript)

Stars:

Scott Shepherd, Rosamund Pike, Ava Cooper

HOSTILES opens with a statement by D.H. Lawrence on how hostile the west was – and how the heat of the west can never be melted.  Scott Cooper’s (BLACK MASS) film attempts to prove otherwise in his brooding western, interspersed with action sequences that are enough to jolt any audience from thought.

The setting is 1892.  The film opens with a tense and well executed sequence of the massacre of the Quaid family by Indians, the only survivor being the widow (Rosamund Pike).  Director Cooper makes sure the audience feels for her, and for her hatred towards the Indians.  

The film then introduces its main character, an embittered and battle-hardened US Cavalry officer, Joseph L. Blocker (Christian Bale) ordered to accompany a Cheyenne war chief and his family back to their tribal lands in Montana.  Captain Blocker (Christian Bale) has seen more than his fair share of violence and bloodletting on the frontier and will obviously see more by the end of the film, but this mission, which he is forced to accept, is a particularly bitter pill to swallow: Chief Yellow Hawk (Wes Studi) has been his mortal enemy for years due to a conflict that killed many of Blocker’s friends.  On the other hand, the Chief has also lost friends in the conflict.  To make matters worse, the widow, Rosalie Quaid joins in the journey.

Blocker is a racist, a man who harbours a deep hatred towards the former prisoners now placed in his care.  As the challenges mount, Blocker is forced to confront his own bigotry while carrying out his orders.  But there are no long monologues or cheap theatrics to get the message across.

But in the final scene, Blocker says goodbye to Rosalie at the train station, her hand holding the young orphaned  Cheyenne boy.  “You are a good man, Joe Blocker.”   These are Rosalie’s farewell words to Blocker.  These are unexpected words resulting in events that show that reconciliation is possible, despite how hopeless things appeared at the start.

Christian Bale is almost perfect in the title role of the racist with a conscience.  It is not a cardboard character but one that undergoes development.  Bale does a lot of brooding, but the changes in him come from the vents that flow his journey through the hostile land.  Pike is also good as the storm-willed suicidal widow.  Adam Beach (SUICIDE SQUAD) is surprisingly not given much to do while Wes Studi (DANCES WITH WOLVES, LAST OF THE MOHICANS) has a few lines that emphasize his strong character as the Indian chief.  Ben Foster is sufficiently menacing as an escorted criminal.

Coopers action scenes are well orchestrated and lift the otherwise slow moving film that at times almost sinks too low.  The film is quite lengthy, running at over the 2 hour mark.

HOSTILES is a quietly powerful film, difficult to watch but nevertheless gets its message across with the hopeful ending.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1M5cj4UmscE

Film Review: THE POST (USA 2017) ****

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The Post Poster
Trailer

A cover-up that spanned four U.S. Presidents pushed the country’s first female newspaper publisher and a hard-driving editor to join an unprecedented battle between journalist and government.

Director:

Steven Spielberg

Writers:

Liz Hannah, Josh Singer

Stars:

Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Sarah Paulson

An ideal time for a picture such as THE POST to be released is this day and time when the majority of Americans are dissatisfied with the Trump Presidency.  No matter how much President Trump tries to make it right or criticize media, he is still made fun of every night on the talk shows, and especially on SNL by Alec Baldwin.  

The timing is also relevant for two reasons.  The film is Meryl Streep’s comeback at Trump after he made the remark of her being the most over-rated actress.  he demonstrates her acting prowess at taking down the Nixon Presidency or any other Presidency for that matter.  The second is the banding of critics and other publications to take down Disney when the studio decided to ban the L.A. Times in retaliation for a scathing article written against them. 

Spielberg, director of 50 or so films as of date, goes for theatrics, clearly from the start of the film to the end.  Meryl Streep is given the grand theatrical entrance in the bedroom scene where she coughs and papers get thrown on the floor.  The camera concentrates on the performances on both Hanks and Streep, as if it were begging them to be noticed for Oscar nods.  The actual crime, the incidents of the coverups of the four governments are only briefly mentioned, with hardly any details.  The opening sequence of one failure attack in Vietnam is supposed to do the trick.  

THE POST is the drama about the unlikely partnership between The Washington Post’s Katharine Graham (Streep), the first female publisher of a major American newspaper, and editor Ben Bradlee (Hanks), as they race to catch up with The New York Times to expose a massive cover-up of government secrets that spanned three decades and four U.S. Presidents.

The script goes on to push all the right buttons to give the audience a feel-good feeling of elation.  “The Government has lied about the Vietnam War for 30 years.  The way they lied has tone brought out into the open.” says  Bradley. The government is then pursuing the security breach.  The announcement of the result of the court as to whether the Washington Post would be acquitted is grandly staged.  Even the words of the judge are quoted as coming from there American fore-fathers.

It is interesting to compare Spielberg’s other political entry on American Presidents – LINCOLN.  In that film, President Abraham Lincoln was treated with respect and grandeur while in THE POST Nixon is considered nothing more than two-faced rat.  Nixon invites no Washington Post press for his daughter’s wedding as a result apart incident and later bans the Post from the White House showing him not only guilty of being a sore-loser but one craving for revenge.  His revenge is shown at the closing of the film as he Watergate scandal begins, as everyone knows.  But the scene is still a satisfying one.

THE POST and the upcoming THE GREATEST SHOWMAN are 20th Century Fox’s Oscar hopefuls, both opening at Christmas.  Both are crowd pleasers and it will be interesting to see what happens.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrXlY6gzTTM

 

 

 

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Film Review: ADVENTURES IN PUBLIC SCHOOL (Canada 2017) ***

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Public Schooled Poster
A socially awkward home-schooled kid forces his way into public-school against his suffocating but loving mother’s wishes.

Director:

Kyle Rideout

Writers:

Josh Epstein, Kyle Rideout

Stars:

Judy Greer, Daniel Doheny, Siobhan Williams

 

The film delivers exactly what the title says – it is a boy’s adventures in public school.  

But it should be noted that this boy is different.  And he is only in public school for 3 months as he is home schooled by his possessive but loving mother.

Educated by his fiercely enthusiastic mother, Claire (Judy Greer), teenage Liam (Daniel Doheny) is the quintessential über-nerd, a wannabe physicist who is about to take his equivalency exam and head off to Cambridge, England – with his mother in tow.  At the exam he spots Anastasia (Siobhan Williams), an enigmatic beauty who lost a leg to cancer.  Instantly smitten, he changes his answers, hoping to flunk and have to redo his final semester in public school. Liam is given a crash course in high-school dynamics, ranging from bullying to hallway flirting, as he timidly pursues Anastasia.  Mamma is livid!

The film gives home schooling credit with Liam learning everything and becoming a genius in all his subjects.  This would imply the mother to be a genius as well.  The film also acknowledges the shortcomings of home schooling, but only one of them – the social aspect.  Home schoolers are socially impaired as they miss out one of the best things in school – playing with other kids and getting into trouble and having a greater perspective look on life.  Other problems of home schooling are largely ignored such as how the home school teachers are only the mother and father and they can be fucked up.  Whatever happens if their break up?  The father figure of Liam is completely ignored in the film.

The film’s saving grace are its two lead actors who not only are credible in their characterizations but ease into their roles really well.  Greer managers to be winning while possessive while Doheny captures nerdy and smart at the same time.  One hope to see more of this rising star in the future.  The confrontation scene between mother and son (inevitable, obviously, given the film’s theme) is kept smart and funny.

Rideout uses up beat music with dance beats to liven up his movie.  The sequence with mother and son dancing together also reveals the bond both have for teach other despite their problems.

The film ends with a segment in a classroom in Cambridge, England.  There is one exterior shot of the university and it is not a very convincing shot, myself having visited the University in Cambridge twice.

The question ultimately arises on whether one would believe home schooling works. Rideout’s film cleverly never takes any clear side.  

ADVENTURES IN PUBLIC SCHOOL is a simple yet funny and interesting film that thankfully avoids all the toilet jokes normally found in films of this genre.  Recommended!!

Adventures in Public School screens publicly on Friday, January 12 at 8:30pm and on Saturday, January 13 at 12:00pm at the TIFF Bell Lightbox as part of Canada’s Top Ten Film Festival, running January 12 to 21.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCq7HlhybOg

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FERDINAND (USA 2017) ***

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Ferdinand Poster
Trailer

After Ferdinand, a bull with a big heart, is mistaken for a dangerous beast, he is captured and torn from his home. Determined to return to his family, he rallies a misfit team on the ultimate adventure.

Director:

Carlos Saldanha

Writers:

Munro Leaf (based on the book by), Robert Lawson (based on the book by) |6 more credits »

Stars:

John Cena, Kate McKinnon, Bobby Cannavale

 

FERDINAND, the bull charges into theatres just a few weeks after Pixar’s COCO.  FERDINAND is no COCO but it makes its mark, based on the ever poplar book with more humour and laughs than COCO.

FERDINAND is a CGI animated feature based on the classic 1936 Munro Leaf and Robert Lawson book.  The Lawson drawings have been translated to more than 60 languages including the 1938 Disney featurette.  Ferdinand loves flowers not fighting but finds himself in a bull training camp, the Casa del Toros where he escapes to a farm and is brought up by little Nina (Lily Day) who loves her little bull.  The little bull is not little forever, and grow into a huge monster of an animal, now also possessing the voice of towering John Cena.

The trouble (or fun, depending how one wants to look at it) starts when Ferdnand is prevented from going to the Festival of Flowers, which the flower loving bull cannot resists.  Nina is forced to tell him to stay home though Ferdinand thinks she still wants him to go.  Ferdinand ends up convincing himself (in many funny ways) that to go is the right thing to do.  He gets stung a bee, roars in pain and scare the townsfolk leading to his capture.  He is forced to go into fighting again, this tie against the famous bullfighter El Primero (Miguel Angel Silvestre).

Ferdinand plans his escape.  His sidekick and assistant is a buck-tooth hyper talking goat called Lupe (Kate KcKinnon) together with three comical hedgehogs, appropriately named Uno, Dos and Cuartro (Gina Rodriguez, Daveed Diggs ad Gabriel Iglesias).

The filmmakers cannot resist (I doubt no one can) but put Ferdinand the bull in a chain shop.  Yes, an accident waiting to happen.  In that scene, Ferdinand is hiding from his pursuers.  To make it even funnier, there is an old woman with a feather duster dusting the china.  And a bull with huge nostrils?  Another accident to happen, for sure!

Blue Sky Company who makes FERDINAND all made the ICE AGE movies that are too cute for my liking and RIO.   Th squirrel antics of ICE AGE looks similar to the cute bunny sequence in FERDINAND.

The film has many prized comedic set ups among them being the dance off,

(choreography by Carlos Saldanha) with the three horses (Robert L. Baird, Tim Federle and Brad Copeland).  If not prancing around, they are out-talking everyone else with their Swedish accent right out of an IKEA commercial.

The film contains three original songs but nothing hispanic.

FERDINAND might face stiffer competition with the animated THE STAR, also about goofy animals with the birth of Christ than with COCO.  FERDINAND does come up on top in terms of laughs.

Trailer: https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-adk-adk_sbnt&hsimp=yhs-adk_sbnt&hspart=adk&p=ferdinand+trailer#id=1&vid=b6f1c0de7b88754d0d9158fd19b83482&action=view

 

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Film Review: STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI (USA 2017) ***1/2

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Star Wars: The Last Jedi Poster
Trailer
Having taken her first steps into the Jedi world, Rey joins Luke Skywalker on an adventure with Leia, Finn and Poe that unlocks mysteries of the Force and secrets of the past.

Director:

Rian Johnson

Writers:

Rian Johnson, George Lucas (based on characters created by)

Stars:

Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Mark Hamill

When the film begins, the titles are clear to remind the audience that it is Episode VIII that they are watching.  It is also the second in the Star Wars sequel trilogy after THE FORCE AWAKENS.  Long time again a galaxy far away….. read the lines in normal word setting from right to left, then humorously followed by an introduction to the story in the normal STAR WARS type set from bottom to top of the screen.

At the press screening, the Disney representative begged those attending not to reveal any plot points or twists so as not to spoil the entertainment of those yet to see the film.  That, of course, will be respected in this review, but it is safe to say that there are quite a few of these twists to keep audiences on their toes.  But the main story is very simple and basically told in words at the film’s start.

The First Order reigns.  The rebels are planning their escape.  Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) is evacuating the rebel base while they are under attack.  It appears wherever the rebels go, they can be tracked.  So the aim is to board the Order ship that contains the tracker and destroy it.  Rey (Daisy Ridley) is recruited to get Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) out of his self-imposed exile on the planet Ahch-To (which looks a lot like Ireland because it was shot there) to help.  That is all one needs to know about the plot.  Of course, there are the villains, pretty good ones who can come across as quite funny or nasty as in the case of Ben Solo (Adam Driver).  And not to forget, there is the Supreme Leader (Andy Serkis), whose title seems to invoke laughter, just from the name of how it sounds.

All of what is expected in a Star Wars epic is there.  Fans should not be disappointed.  Original characters like Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia are there as are the old characters like Rey, Ben Solo, General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson), the Supreme Leader, Finn (John Boyega) , Poe (Oscar Isaac) together with c3p0, Chewbacca and r2d2.  The are lots of well executed fight scenes with exploding star ships and bases, light sabre fighting, pyro-technics  and CGI.  Fond sayings like “May the Force be with You,” or “May the Force be with Us” and a few new ones are there to prod the audience on the good fight alongside the Rebellion.  A few new creatures are added like the puffin-looking birds and icy type canines.  The film also has an eclectic cast which shows that all races work well in the Rebellion for a good Galaxy of beings.

THE LAST JEDI is marked with humour with some very funny lines.  This is what distinguishes this episode from the rest – it is the funniest.  The humour works as the film knows how to keep it both funny and smart with the film still serious in the fight against the First Order.

The film’s best line appears at the end credits.  The film is dedicated to our Princess Carrie Fisher.  THE LAST JEDI is a worthy tribute to the princess, for sure, being her final film before she passed away in 2016.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYRy5bCsWF8

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THE OTHER SIDE OF HOPE (Finland 2017) ****

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The Other Side of Hope Poster
A poker-playing restaurateur and former traveling salesman befriends a group of refugees newly arrived to Finland.

Director:

Aki Kaurismäki

Writer:

Aki Kaurismäki

Stars:

Ville Virtanen, Dome Karukoski, Kati Outinen

Master writer/director Aki Kaurismaki questions the other side of hope in his bleak new comedy.  Is it disappointment or success?  Whatever the answer, Kaurismaki provides the interesting journey of two men that get there.  Both have hope, each looking for a better life.

At one point in the movie, Haji, a recent Syrian refugee seeking asylum in Finland asks the bathroom attendant at the station directions to the police station.  “Where is the nearest police station?”  “You sure? Comes the reply.” “Not really,” is Haji’s answer.  The attendant replies: “I will show you anyway.  You can decide later.”  Funny?  Maybe to some but not to all.   Deadpan  comedy is an acquired taste.  The humour can be so subtle, it is not laughable.

The latest film by Master of deadpan comedy Aki Kaurismaki (DRIFTING CLOUDS, LE HAVRE, LENINGRAD COWBOYS GO AMERICA) tackles a current pressing world issue in his latest film – the issue of the refugee crisis in Europe.  

As the film opens, the audience sees a Syrian refugee, Haji pull himself out of a coal dumpster in ship docked at a port in Finland.  Khaled (Sherwan Haji)  seeks refugee status but is ironically refused on the basis of peace in his region, just as news on the TV report multiple bombings in his town with dozens of casualties.  At the same time, a Finnish middle-aged man, Wiktrom (Sakari Kuosmanen) is seeking a new life for himself as he leaves his wife, wins money at poker and buys a restaurant business.  The two meet after a fight and Haji is aided by the restaurant owner.  This is Kaurismaki’s most serious film to date and it sends an urgent message of the refugee status.  Kaurismaki has still not lost his sense of humour as illustrated in an important scene in the film when Khaled says: “I love Finland like nothing you can imagine, but please get me out of here!”  For those familiar with Kaurismaki, there are familiar segments in this film that are found in his other films like the gambling, starting up a new restaurant business, the cute pet dog and the LENINGRAD COWBOYS type music.

Kaurismaki spends 10 minutes or so on the stud poker game Wikstrom gambles with his money with the aim of winning in order to open his restaurant.  This is the element of suspense that is seldom present in his films.  It works!

Those familiar with Kaurismaki (he has directed 34 film as of date) will be pleased to catch a cameo from his favourite actress Kati Outenin.  She plays a shirt shop proprietress hoping to retire in Mexico City so she can drink saki and dance the hula-hula.

In THE OTHER SIDE OF HOPE, Kaurismaki demonstrates once again masterly filmmaking that appears so effortless.  His outwardly looking simple films are more than a pleasure to watch.  This one ranks as one of his best.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtiFG6utst8

 

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CALL ME BY YOUR NAME (France/Italy 2017) ***

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Call Me by Your Name Poster
Trailer

In Northern Italy in 1983, seventeen year-old Elio begins a relationship with visiting Oliver, his father’s research assistant, with whom he bonds over his emerging sexuality, their Jewish heritage, and the beguiling Italian landscape.

Director:

Luca Guadagnino

Writers:

James Ivory (screenplay by), André Aciman (based on the novel by)

Stars:

Armie Hammer, Timothée Chalamet, Michael Stuhlbarg

Luca Guadagnino’s (I AM LOVE, A BIGGER SPALSH) CALL ME BY YOUR NAME arrives with all the accolades after playing major festivals around the world after premiering at Sundance and Cannes.  I did not think too much of it when I first saw it at the Toronto International Film Festival, so I had to view it a second time to see what I could have missed.  The second viewing proved no different in the way I felt about the film, so I had to analyze the reason so many fellow critics loved this film while I just barely enjoyed it.

It should be noted firstly, that 2017 saw the release of three excellent but different gay films.  BPM from France, is a documentary felt drama dealing with AIDS activists that is both moving, real and riveting.  Britain’s GOD’S OWN COUNTRY showed  that gay life is as tough as fucking against a wall, as experienced by the gay farmhand who finally gains acceptance of his lifestyle and finds love.  CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, however is fantasy gay life as if bathed in sunlight and swimming in clear waters in the country and eating peaches.  It is the gay kind of movie that straight people want to see – all pretty and non-troubling with no rough sex in the toilet.  

The two lead stars are straight.  Armie Hammer (THE SOCIAL NETWORK, THE LONE RANGER) plays Oliver, a summer guest at Professor Perlman’s (Michael Stuhlbarg) summer house in Italy.  Every year, the professor invites a student to assist in his research, which incidentally is hardly shown in the film.  The other straight lead is Timothée Chalamet who plays the 17-year old Elio Perlman, the professor’s son, who falls for Oliver.  Both are American actors though Chalamet practised his Italian prior to acting in the movie.  His father is French and mother Jewish which is  suitable for his role as an Italian Jew in the movie.  You call me by your name, and I yours.  It all sounds so romantic.  The gay couple hardly encounter any obstacles, except a few minor ones.  Elio’s father (Michae Stuhlbarg) opens his heart out to his son in one of the film’s best segments, but that is about all the obstacles so far in this gay fantasy.

Guadagnino’s film is undoubtedly stunning, with sunlight lighting up many scenes.  The luscious eating of a peach and the sexual seduction (who seduces whom in the film?) is very erotic.

CALL ME BY YOUR NAME is adapted into the script by James Ivory from André Aciman’s coming-out and coming-of-age novel.  Still, together with films such as PHILADELPHIA, CALL ME BY YOUR NAME even made by a gay director (Guadagnino is openly gay) is a worthwhile straight gay film to watch it, but don’t expect life to unfold the way life does in this film.  Disgustingly beautiful – the film is all good-looking on the outside and feeling like a fairy tale, neglecting the downers of coming-out gay.   Things never turn out this perfect in any gay coming-out story.  The film feels even more awkward as Elio looks way under below the age of 17.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AMgliTBFKU

 

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PHANTOM THREAD (USA 2017) ****

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Phantom Thread Poster
Trailer

2:31 | Trailer
Set in 1950’s London, Reynolds Woodcock is a renowned dressmaker whose fastidious life is disrupted by a young, strong-willed woman, Alma, who becomes his muse and lover.

Director:

Paul Thomas Anderson

Writer:

Paul Thomas Anderson

Stars:

Vicky Krieps, Daniel Day-Lewis, Lesley Manville

 

Screened for critics and press ‘for your consideration’ awards season, PHANTOM THREAD (opening Christmas Day) already arrives with accolades of good news.  PHANTOM THREAD marks two of writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson’s firsts.  PHANTOM THREAD is his first film shot outside the U.S. and also makes his most structured film..  Which is good, as his looser piece THE MASTER was a mess.

50’s London.  The film’s main character is renowned dressmaker named Reynolds Jeremiah Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis).  He and his sister Cyril (Lesley Manville) dress members of the royal family, film stars, heiresses, socialites, debutants and dames with the distinctive style of The House of Woodcock.  Women come and go through Woodcock’s life, providing the confirmed bachelor with inspiration and companionship, until he comes across a strong-willed young woman, Alma (Vicky Krieps), who soon becomes a fixture in his life as his muse and lover. Once controlled and planned, he finds his carefully tailored life disrupted by love.

A major factor in PHANTOM THREAD is necessarily the costumes.   Mark Bridges is credited for doing the costumes which include some of his original designs along with designs from Versace and Balenciaga.  Supporting actress Lesley Manville has been quoted as saying that she spent more time fitting than in acting rehearsals.  

Three-time Oscar WinnerDay-Lewis is nothing short of perfect as the obsessive perfectionist designer.  But star credit goes to Mike Leigh’s favourite actress Lesley Manville who plays Reynold’s sister,  Cyril who is more that just a sister.  She controls her brother and everything around her.  Obviously things come to a boil when she tries to keep Alma under her hand.

The film is bookmarked by Alma telling and narrating her love story.  Written by Anderson, one assumes that the film is based on fiction as the story includes a chapter in which Ama poisons Woodcock with mushrooms.  A murderer would never confess a murder in his or her story.  The film is best described as a trouble romantic drama rather that a biopic of a famous designer.  Anderson captures perfectly the moment of love when the two fall in love for the first time.

Anderson’s film unfolds meticulously in every scene, planned and executed, reflecting the careful care the subject Woodcock puts into the design of his dresses.  Though the film’s pace is slow, the film is no less compelling.  The audience is kept on their toes from start to finish.  One cannot predict what raw emotion will unfold next, whether Woodcock would blow up or be pleased.  The best example is the segment in which Alma empties the Woodcock house so that she can prepare dinner for with with just the two of them.  When Cyril advises against it, Alma still goes ahead.  The suspense on how the evening will go, makes the film’s mosts suspenseful moment.  Anderson  uses closeups frequently as well as piano playing on the soundtrack to heighten the tension in a scene.

PHANTOM THREAD marks Anderson’s best movie along with THERE WILL BE BLOOD, also incidentally starring Daniel Day-Lewis.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNsiQMeSvMk

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THE FLORIDA PROJECT (USA 2017) ***1/2

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A Fantastic Woman Poster
Trailer

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

Director:

Sebastián Lelio

Writers:

Sebastián Lelio (screenplay), Gonzalo Maza (screenplay)

Stars:

Daniela Vega, Francisco Reyes, Luis Gnecco

A big hit at film festivals all over the world in 2017, THE FLORIDA PROJECT is the kind of small budget, feisty down-to-earth look at poverty as lived by people in the fringes of the city.  THE FLORIDA PROJECT takes the audience into the projects around the huge Disney amusement park in Florida where the subjects stay in low income motels with names like Future Land and Magic Castle.  The buildings are sadly painted in purple and pink making them look even cheaper and more pathetic.

Around these areas live 22-year-old Halley (Bria Vinaite), and her six-year-old daughter, Moonee (Brooklynn Prince).  Moonee is a spirited child who with her own ‘little’ gang create trouble around the area like spit-balling, entering forbidden roos or dilapidated buildings.  At one point, Moonie and her friends set fire to a building nearby, while her mother Halley drags her daughter to see the fire, unaware that her daughter was the cause of it.  “This is better than watching TV,” she remarks.

Many movies have successfully used adolescents to demonstrate trouble in the fringe communities.  Clio Bernard’s THE SELFISH GIANT and Lynn Ramsey’s RATCATCHER are two British examples.  But the FLORIDA PROJECT feels closer to Andrea Arnold’s AMERICAN HUSTLE which sees a young adult try to survive in the fringes.  All are excellent films.

As energetic as THE FLORIDA PROJECT is, Baker’s film is not without faults.  The one glaring one is his character of Halley.  Halley is a cardboard stereotyped broke single mother, foul mouthed and mostly nasty.  Unlike Baker’s other characters in the film, Haley is depicted with one type of behaviour and shows no variation or change.  The film also opts for a happy ending where the two kids find themselves running into Disney World to enjoy their fantasies.  The audience is expected to forget that Moonee was about to be taken away from her mother to a foster home.  But the playing in the rain sequence shows that there is no need for expensive toys for Mooney to have a good time.  There is one shot Baker shows of a factory outlet for Disney toys, a sorry second-hand fantasy land for the poor.  The sign with mugs at 99 cents serve to highlight the fact.

As mischievous and naughty Moonee is, it is quite unbelievable that her mother Halley never gets mad at her.  Their bonding is overdone, especially in the segment where the two play in the rain.  Baker also avoids Halley finding out the truth that Moonee set fire to the buildings nearby.

Bobby (Defoe’s character), though only a supporting character brings very bit of the story together,  He, the motel manager is totally aware of all the happenings, is stern or sympathetic when he has to be.  His is a well-written role compare to that of Halley’s.

The film is also over-long a over two hours.  Much of the mischief committed by the kids could be condensed, even though they are very laugh-out loud funny and bring amusement.  One can likely see the reason director Baker kept these segments in the film.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwQ-NH1rRT4

 

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

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A Fantastic Woman Poster
Trailer

Director:

Sebastián Lelio

Writers:

Sebastián Lelio (screenplay), Gonzalo Maza (screenplay)

Stars:

Daniela Vega, Francisco Reyes, Luis Gnecco

 

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 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 offer to help.  At least they realize that it is the right thing to do.

The film is shot in Santiago, though the touristy 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 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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