FILMS AND MOVIES SEEN 2013 - I (20-21 y.o.)
Films watched from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013; audited November 2017
ALL GENRES, COUNTRIES OF CREATION, and FILMMAKING STYLES included. Includes commentary and ratings.
ALL GENRES, COUNTRIES OF CREATION, and FILMMAKING STYLES included. Includes commentary and ratings.
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- DirectorKathryn BigelowStarsJessica ChastainJoel EdgertonChris PrattA chronicle of the decade-long hunt for al-Qaeda terrorist leader Osama bin Laden after the September 2001 attacks, and his death at the hands of the Navy S.E.A.L.s Team 6 in May 2011.ZERO DARK THIRTY (Bigelow 2012) I like to think of this film as as a sequel to Hurt Locker--ZD30 as the more cerebral and feminine counterpart of that Oscar-winning film. But this film is not about good vs evil--it's about man's disgusting (and at times methodical and intelligent) capacity for violence. On all accounts Jessica Chastain is *amazing* in this performance--subdued, studied, silent yet powerful all at the same time. Strong work from Bigelow. Oh and hi Mark Strong+Chris Pratt+Taylor Kinney.
Rating: 8/10 - DirectorAndoy RanayStarsHeart EvangelistaRhian RamosBianca KingFour socialists--Lizzie, Danielle, Margaux, and Claudia--face the biggest problem of their lives as their favorite hangout, The Polo Club which reminds them of all the memories of their ''firsts'' in life, including their first kisses and love affairs, is in danger of being torn down and replaced with a mall that is not so much for the rich and famous: in the other words, not a ''sosy'' mall. The ''sosy'' ladies will do everything they can in order to stop the Polo Club owners from pursuing their plans and they will risk everything--even their poise and glamour--to achieve their goal.SOSSY PROBLEMS (Ranay 2012) is a satirical escape. Ironic in its treatment of the "super-duper-upper class" of Philippine society and Metro Manila society to be more specific, "SOSSY" manages to succeed in its own merits--it is brash, ridiculous, and surprisingly full of heart. We follow four girls (uncannily similar to the "IT" girls of Manila's party scene ca. 2009-2012) and their sympathy-worthy struggle under the weight of their own money (e.g. a poorer daddy, the polo club closing, the "probinsya" being "SO BORING") and we realize: these girls, no matter how annoying they seem, are still good, fun girls. What's not to like? It's not neuroscience. And yes, overthrowing the wreckers of the polo club takes just one BB Tweet.
Rating: 5/10 - DirectorAng LeeStarsSuraj SharmaIrrfan KhanAdil HussainA young man who survives a disaster at sea is hurtled into an epic journey of adventure and discovery. While cast away, he forms an unexpected connection with another survivor: a fearsome Bengal tiger.LIFE OF PI (Lee 2012), is a visual masterpiece. From the warmth of India to the ferocity of the deep Pacific, we are thoroughly immersed in the world of Pi (short for Piscine). Suraj Sharma, the young Indian actor, glows with an authentic spirit--obviously a beginner in the business, but able to carry the whole piece in an innocent, sincere kind of way. "PI", more than a thought piece on the universal themes of faith and belief, of predator and prey, is an epic adventure story with a cast of only a handful--the boy, the tiger, give or take the other animals and family members. Each character is a symbol, the boy humanity, the tiger "God". As the film progresses there is looming question--is the tiger real, or a test? Is the tiger worth getting to know, or worth leaving? Heavy questions. We may never know. It is, after all, up to us. Highlight sequences: the dream sequence under the ocean, flying fish galore, retreat at the floating island.
Rating: 7.4/10 - DirectorJ.A. BayonaStarsNaomi WattsEwan McGregorTom HollandThe story of a tourist family in Thailand caught in the destruction and chaotic aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.THE IMPOSSIBLE (Bayona 2012) It's refreshing to see a man vs nature film that's not trying to be the "epic" disaster film. Inspired by the story of a Spanish couple, this film manages to succeed in telling a very personal tale of desperation and ultimately, hope. With the horrific 2004 tsunami as its backdrop, "Impossible" explores the powerful themes of loss, love and family. It's definitely "impossible" not to shed a tear watching this; you might possibly bawl your eyes out as the five family members (masterfully played by the actors—kudos especially to the electric Naomi Watts as Maria and the young bright Tom Holland as Lucas) wade through the deluge and finally triumph over the odds. This is the first film I've seen from Bayona and definitely won't be the last. Highlights: the cute blond baby Daniel, the dramatic hospital and beach scenes, the actual monster flood, Tom Holland and Naomi Watts's performances, cinematography by Óscar Faura.
Rating: 9/10 - DirectorNora EphronStarsAmy AdamsMeryl StreepChris MessinaJulia Child's story of her start in the cooking profession is intertwined with blogger Julie Powell's 2002 challenge to cook all the recipes in Child's first book.JULIE & JULIA (Ephron 2009) is a feast for the eyes and heart. A comment I made on a Facebook group I'm part of (Cinephiles!) describes this film in two words: heartwarming and delicious. From start to finish, we are immersed into richly designed worlds, "across space in time", from Julie Powell's 2002 Queens New York abode to the revered Julia Child's Paris in the late '40s and early '50s. Much more than food and cooking, Julie and Julia defines what it's like to live with joie de vivre--an aspiration the modern woman in Julie wanted to possess, and a trait that the ideal Julia Child (at least in Powell's mind) had in spades. "Julie and Julia", then, is about following your heart, and looking deep within yourself to find meaning in an otherwise chaotic world (for Julie, it was the aftermath of 9/11 looming over her, and for Julia, World War II and the threat of Soviet powers).
In an amazing feat, Meryl Streep manages once again to produce such an impeccable interpretation of who "Julia Child" was--not a caricature or imitation, but a real, spirited embodiment of the culinary figure: hedonistic, sexual, yet immensely kind and hopeful for what was to come. Amy Adams and Chris Messina (who is just plain sexy and gorgeous), playing a couple newly-moved to Queens, work well together on screen; Stanley Tucci is yet another great actor playing off Streep (who he's worked with in Devil Wears Prada).
On a more interesting note, this is Nora Ephron's (You've Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle) last cinematic work (produced, written and directed), and it is clearly evident that her passion for writing fully fleshed-out characters for the screen has not waned, even if she herself has passed. The special DVD feature only proves that because of her love for food, and life, and people--this project was meant for her.
Highlights: Meryl Streep's platinum-calibre performance, Stephen Goldblatt's photography, the set and production design/art direction, the seamless transitions between 2002 New York and '40s/'50s Paris/Europe.
Rating: 9/10 - DirectorJason MooreStarsAnna KendrickBrittany SnowRebel WilsonBeca, a freshman at Barden University, is cajoled into joining The Bellas, her school's all-girls singing group. Injecting some much needed energy into their repertoire, The Bellas take on their male rivals in a campus competition.PITCH PERFECT (Moore 2012), despite its still-recent release, has already been hailed by some of our generation (the teens and early-20-somethings) to be on the level of 'Mean Girls'--that is: classic, iconic, re-watchable, and very, very funny. Though I could disagree on some points, "Pitch Perfect" is "perfect" entertainment for the young set, and Elizabeth Banks (serving as producer) deserves a good pat on the back for bringing together "what's hot" right now: acapella singing and Top 40 songs and REBEL WILSON (!!!). The result is unadulterated humor (complete with fat jokes, vomit jokes, Asian jokes) and a nice 112 minutes of fun.
Anna Kendrick, already proven as an above-average actress, is able to play her Mary-Sue character to a satisfying level--at the end, we are able to relate to her plight: she loves music and she must fight for it. Her love interest though, played by Skylar Astin, manages to outshine all of the other actors (and I'm saying this completely admitting my bias), potentially becoming a breakout star.
So, we have popular songs (Just The Way You Are, Titanium, Bulletproof, for samples), hot girls and guys (Brit Snow, Anna Camp, Kendrick, Astin, Freddie Stroma aka Cormac McLaggen's abs), amazing comediennes (Banks and Wilson)--what's not to love? "Pitch Perfect", from now on, will be a cultural marker of the early 2010s. The film deserves it.
Rating: 7/10 - DirectorPaul Thomas AndersonStarsJoaquin PhoenixPhilip Seymour HoffmanAmy AdamsA Naval veteran arrives home from war unsettled and uncertain of his future - until he is tantalized by the Cause and its charismatic leader.THE MASTER's (PT Anderson 2012) intense acting and intense blacks, blues, and greys richly evoke the bleak cynicism of post-World War II America in the late '40s and early '50s, and in the person of the troubled and probably insane Freddie Quell we see the face of a million men struggling to find meaning in an ambiguous world. Freddie Quell's alcoholism, violent tendencies, and lost love all suggest a flawed personality, one that requires deep intervention—and in this case the methods of The Cause seem to be his cure—The Cause borne out of the heat of American culture (brash, sexual, irrational, eerie, conservative and dogmatic yet strangely lax). PT Anderson utilizes The Cause (and its eccentric leader Dodd) as a canvas through which Quell (Phoenix) can project all of his fears, desires, and heart aches. The effect is quietly disturbing, uncomfortable, and illogical. I was left with a bad taste in my mouth the same way Pietà did after viewing.
Sometimes I wonder what was Anderson trying to say about men and this world—that we are flawed an in need of "correction", that we may never overcome past traumas—instead treat them with a good "laugh"/sex? This is Anderson's universe—of crazy men, of larger-than-life men—and I fear he actually believes this myth that crazy men deserve more stories told about them (Dan Plainview, you hear me?) But no matter the outcome of this film, Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman scintillate and titillate, and manage to showcase the zenith of 21st century acting.
Rating: 6/10 - DirectorJonathan LevineStarsNicholas HoultTeresa PalmerJohn MalkovichAfter a highly unusual zombie saves a still-living girl from an attack, the two form a relationship that sets in motion events that might transform the entire lifeless world.WARM BODIES (Levine 2013) An unbelievably charming turn for the zombie trope (based on the novel by Isaac Marion), this film succeeds in combining the usual elements of horror and romance into something distinctly fresh and "now". Take out the cheesiness of 'Twilight', and the cool, soothing romance of a film like (500) Days of Summer, and you get this. The soundtrack is awesome: I pulled out my iPhone and raped the Shazam button for most of the film because the songs set the anything-is-possible spirit; a dash of Bon Iver, of Bruce Springsteen, and *beep* M83 (Midnight City) made it special. And artists like Delta Spirit and Chad Valley are now on my radar just because the musical consultant/director took enough care with 'Bodies'.
Definitely the breakout roles for Nick Hoult and Teresa Palmer, and a good showcase for the insanely beautiful Analeigh Tipton (Crazy, Stupid, Love) who should be getting more roles. Rob Corddry whom I have the hugest crush on because of Hot Tub Time Machine makes a comedic return here, and I squee-d like an unstable fangirl for him. So yes, I absolutely love this movie. Funny, charming, romantic, and just basically perfect.
Rating: 10/10
Edit: It's only after a few days that I realized 'Bodies' is a play on the classic Shakespeare tale. "R" being "Rome", and "Julie" being, well, you know how it goes. John Malkovich is still great an actor, playing the over-domineering father. Another thing I love about this film is the cast. Works so well. - DirectorJohn MooreStarsBruce WillisJai CourtneySebastian KochJohn McClane travels to Russia to help out his seemingly wayward son, Jack, only to discover that Jack is a CIA operative working undercover, causing the father and son to team up against underworld forces.A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD (Moore 2013) was made simply to make more money in this profitable two-decade-old franchise (this being the fifth and hopefully final, installment). I haven't seen the other Die Hard movies (save for some snippets on TV) but I figured it's more of the same things only made for the 2010s–but still: guns, more guns, foreign bad guys, a lot of shooting, and hazy car chases.
And yes, the rumors are true, Bruce Willis is ancient. However, his tough guy persona that made him an action film icon still reigns. It's good though that a new face has the potential to truly take his man-crown, in the form of the youthful, virile, sexy beast that is Jai Courtney (playing John's son Jack McClane).
Other than Courtney, the other elements of the film seem tired and rife with cliché (Russian people as antagonists, blue-tint cinematography, "shocking" twists, orange explosions, cheesy canned orchestra music). The saving grace of the story was John and Jack's macho father-son relationship. Women ages 20 to 80 will swoon, guaranteed.
Rating: 5/10 - DirectorDavid O. RussellStarsBradley CooperJennifer LawrenceRobert De NiroAfter a stint in a mental institution, former teacher Pat Solitano moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. Things get more challenging when Pat meets Tiffany, a mysterious girl with problems of her own.SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK (Russell 2012) At the nexus of Peter's (Bradley Cooper) and Tiffany's (Jennifer Lawrence) romance are dark pasts (for the former—a mental illness in the form of bipolar disorder and general rage, a dysfunctional family fraught with blaming and comparison, a cheating wife; and the latter—a sex addiction and a dead husband). You can argue that for both of them did not choose to be that way but simply found themselves kicking and screaming out of their hopeless situations.
Set in one of the most iconic American cities (Philadelphia), "SLP" is both a showcase for the veterans (Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver) and the young 'uns earning their place in Hollywood (Lawrence and Cooper), whose performances have (rightfully?) earned them Academy Award nominations. Watch them exemplify the neurotic/dysfunctional/noisy middle-class life, as they bicker and argue about life, about sports, about themselves. Watch the lovers poison each others' hearts and eventually dance there way through a (well-deserved) loss.
You could say that for the characters of Pat and Tiffany, they chose a broken road, but arguably a road that they were destined to take in order for them to truly find love and heal for once.
Rating: 6/10 - DirectorPark Chan-wookStarsMia WasikowskaNicole KidmanMatthew GoodeAfter India's father dies, her Uncle Charlie, who she never knew existed, comes to live with her and her unstable mother. She comes to suspect this mysterious, charming man has ulterior motives and becomes increasingly infatuated with him.STOKER (Park 2013) The first five minutes into this film, and you know you're in for a ride much different than what Hollywood dishes out. "Stoker" screams a unique kind of eeriness and unease, something straight out of Gothic Americana (after all, this was filmed in the bowels of Tennessee, though set in Connecticut).
With a script by Wentworth Miller and direction by Park Chan-Wook, a tour de force cast (Nicole Kidman as top billing, along with Mia Wasikowska, Matthew Goode and underrated actors such as Jacki Weaver and Alden Ehrenreich [!]), what could have turned into a farcical thriller is a subtle and chilling family portrait: a picture of desire, envy, secrets and deceit. Much more than that, "Stoker" is a master essay on the dark underside of the human psyche with its stylistic portrayal of mental illness, murder, sibling and mother-daughter rivalry, bullying, self-pleasure in sadomasochism, rape, and strong undertones of incest and ephebophilia.
Visually and aurally, "Stoker" succeeds completely, with its haunting landscapes of barren American roads and fields, empty lots, empty houses—symbolic of the spiritual and emotional void residing in each character. The gorgeous blacks, greens, turquoises, reds and whites give the film a Hitchcockian feel, reminding me of "Vertigo" (which gave off the same kind of mystery and coldness as a visual palette). The blood, the woods, the moonlight, etc. only enhances the rabidness of everything, evoking the images of Tarantino and Del Toro.
"Stoker" is now my new favorite film and the best film of 2013 so far.
Highlights:- The masterful and eye-popping production design, which suggest a wealth of symbolism: spiders, ice cream, grass, trees; The sound design evoking the gothic aspect of the film (cracking eggshells, buzzing fluorescent lights, vinyl records
- Great performances from three generations of Australian women (Weaver, Kidman, and Wasikowska) and a chilling turn by Matthew Goode (whose talents are unfortunately often relegated to rom-coms).
Rating: 9.8/10 - DirectorJean-Luc GodardStarsJean-Pierre LéaudChantal GoyaMarlène JobertA romance between young Parisians, shown through a series of vignettes.MASCULIN FEMININ (Godard 1966), emblematic of the Nouvelle Vague/French New Wave that reached its peak in the 1960s, with the director Jean-Luc Godard (a venerable figure in this artistic mmovement) at its helm, speaks both plainly and mythically of youth and youth culture. Set in the middle of 1965, when Bob Dylan and The Beatles were at their zenith and the political ferment of the times were at an all-time high (to reach its climax in the Paris riots of 1968), "Masculin" gives us an insight into the anxieties, fears and desires of Paris youth. Paul, a 21-year-old idealist/cynic (played by the gorgeous Jean-Pierre Leaud in a career-defining turn), is the narrator and commentator of the film- literally questioning society (as a polling worker), revealing its opinions, its hypocrisies and weaknesses. As the film progresses we touch upon issues that (shockingly, to me) are still highly relevant to this day: war (in that time Vietnam and the Iraqi-Kurd conflict- paralleling Iraq now, and the North-South Korean conflicts of 2013), birth control, the death of capitalism, the insurgency of communism, the barren hopelessness of it all.
The youth of this film, labelled by Godard himself as the "children of Marx and Coca-Cola," are true contradictions of themselves- lovers of popular things, supporters of everything subversive and rebellious. We hear whispers of sex, pregnancies, more sex, suggestions of prostitution and abortion, and we are reminded that 2013 is merely a re-hash of 1965. Just as an adolescent has to deal with a burgeoning awareness of self, so was France, in its awareness of its identity- all the more revolutionary, different (i.e. from that great country to the west), perhaps more cultured, grittier.
Masculin Feminin is a sleek and sexy black-and-white letter to youths of all generation, Pepsi generation or not.
Rating: 7/10 - DirectorCathy Garcia-SampanaStarsJohn Lloyd CruzSarah GeronimoDante RiveroLaida Magtalas is a modern-day Belle. "Miggy" is the youngest member of the Montenegro clan, a well-established family in the business world. She applies as Editorial Assistant at Miggy's newly launched men's magazine, "Bachelor," and thrills in working in such proximity with the man of her dreams.A VERY SPECIAL LOVE (Molina/ABS-CBN 2008) did was it was supposed to do: make money off of its station's most bankable and wholesome (read: PG-friendly/asexual) celebrities: Sarah and John Lloyd. Sarah, in her almost pre-pubescent persona, plays Laida, a good-hearted and cheer-filled girl with almost no negative ire, and to play with and against her, John Lloyd as Miggy: cute (definitely not sexy) and rich and everything you can want in a moneyed heir. And so the fantasy goes on and on: you are simple, kind, hopefully pretty, and this mean, emotionally cold (but *beep* it, rich!) young man falls in love with you. Use that fantasy, that formula, and make half a million pesos.
Rating: 5/10 - DirectorJohn-D LazatinStarsPokwangNonie BuencaminoRayver CruzMakeup artist Medy (Pokwang) was given the chance of a lifetime to accompany a concert star to the United States for a performance. She promised her family that she would return after a week. But while in America she stumbled upon former classmate Helen (Beth Tamayo), who convinced her to stay for good in the Land of Milk and Honey. She initially refused but eventually gave in, when she got a call one night from her husband that they needed a large amount of money to bring her youngest daughter to the hospital. America has not been the friendliest to her; the story begins with her coming home to Manila with virtually nothing. Medy's two kids, King (Rayver Cruz) and Queenie (Xyriel Manabat), are now 19 and 7. King struggles with his mother's return; animosity, resentment, shame, and anger are issues he has built with Medy. For young Queenie, it's getting to know the mother she thought would one day come out of a Balikbayan Box. As for her husband, Medy discovers something she least expected.A MOTHER'S STORY (Lazatin 2011) is the sort-of inferior sequel of that great Star Cinema film Anak (2000), but instead of the regal, and when needed dowdy, star in the calibre of Vilma Santos, we have Pokwang. Yes, her. But what do you know, physically she fits the part (ouch), and her own story and struggle to succeed in show business perfectly mirrors her character's (Medy) struggle to support her ailing (relationship-wise and financial-wise) family: a deadbeat husband and kids in need of care and everything life can offer. The scenes of her working in America are heartbreaking: her we don't see the Dream but rather a cold and heartless version of it; loneliness, hunger and insults to the human spirit abound under the cruel White man. But the story ends quite well: a Christmas scene, a vindicated Medy. We realize that all hells pass and tomorrow is truly another day, however painful the cycle of leaving (for greener pastures) and coming back (to the homeland) may be.
Rating: 5/10 - DirectorEnrico C. SantosStarsMaja SalvadorMatteo GuidicelliXian LimSandy becomes a heart breaker after swearing off love. She leaves a trail of heartbroken men until her friend and a gorgeous co-worker compete for her heart.MY CACTUS HEART (Santos 2012) opens quite ingeniously: an almost Hollywood-quality level animation of a young couple madly in love dancing in the moonlight: a girl's fantasy no doubt, of real and pure love. Only the creator of the animation itself, Sandy (Maja Salvador) has been a bitter witness to the harsh reality that love (at least in her family's case) ends ugly (with spilled food and sad goodbyes, too); hence, people (including all the boys and men that woo her, cute or not) have knighted her as Cactus Heart. Who's to blame? Her elders of course, who haven't shown the kind of respect and love that was needed to be shown. Alas, this near-perfect boy (a waiter and a band member) Carlo shows her the way, shows her that he truly is her soulmate, doing everything (and literally everything) to please her. Sometimes it's such fun to believe in fate, and omens, and defying distance all in the name of love, and this film just proved that. The Syke-date ending was sweet and believable, and somehow I wish someone could do that for me.
Rating: 7/10 - DirectorLaurice GuillenStarsGloria RomeroHilda KoronelDina BonnevieThe decision of three siblings to sell their ailing mother's property causes deeply burried resentment to resurface as each of them also faces difficulties within their own families.TANGING YAMAN (Guillen 2000) is a landmark for Philippine cinema and the film outfit Star Cinema: it's the one that proved that a film could be critically-acclaimed, bankable, and absent of violence and drugs and sex, all at the same time. It's no wonder it's almost always shown on television specials (especially during Holy Week), because truly, a gem of a film as this should be played on and on, with each future generation of Filipinos appreciating its subdued complexity, in the characters, plot and context.
Set in rural Pampanga, "Tanging Yaman" is an "epic" story of a multi-generational clan, each family/family member facing their own demons: dementia, maybe, or being in dire straits financially in a foreign country, or a rebellious son, a father not-quite-succeeding through expectations. The master actors (see: Hilda Koronel, or Gloria Romero) deliver in this tableau of characters, as they hauntingly play in the clear reflection of the family that is truly ours. We see that this is our story, our family. In the richly layered context of being Filipino the story is heightened that much more: our devout religiosity and faith toward the Mother, the intense devotion and sacrifice for the family, the deep appreciation for music, for gatherings, the simpler things in life. "Tanging Yaman" roughly translates to "Only Treasure", and a treasure this film is, something to be thought about, examined.
Rating: 8/10 - DirectorJerry Lopez SinenengStarsKathryn BernardoJulia MontesSam ConcepcionFor 12 years, Jessica Santiago (Julia Montes) has been dealing with the pain and guilt of losing her sister Joanna. Despite her efforts to please her mother Amy (Agot Isidro), Jessica knows that the emptiness in her mother's heart can only be filled by Joanna's return. Unbeknownst to the Santiagos, Joanna has lived to become Ana Bartolome (Kathryn Bernardo), the daughter of simple fisher folk. When Ana is finally found, she tries to reconnect with her family, especially with Jessica. But Ana's return worsens Jessica's feelings of abandonment. Jessica feels less loved by Amy, while Ana feels like she must win Jessica's approval. After growing tensions between the two sisters result in a competition that endangers the life of one, the family is forced to confront the possibility of being torn apart again.WAY BACK HOME (Sineneng 2011) is a Filipino-woven tale of two sisters on divergent, and eventually convergent, paths. After a heartbreaking loss of her younger sister Joanna (Kathryn Bernardo) in a beach resort, Jessie (Julia Montes) must deal with the consequences of her neglect: a distant mother, and the harrowing guilt that has plagued her all of her life, with this the drive to excel in everything to atone for her sins- academic and sporting success, for example. Later on in their adolescence, Jessie and Joanna (now Anna, the daughter of a fishing family in far-flung Zambales) cross paths in a swimming competition, and life for them changes in an instant. The themes of motherhood, sisterhood, family and frienship all intersect, and in the scenes where Jessie and Jo/Anna confront each other there's a true sense of heartbreak and (hidden) love that eventually reveals itself. Supporting the young women are Sam Concepcion and Enrique Gil (who is quite good for starters), giving "Way Back Home" its romance element, aside from its family-friendly granola wholesomeness.
Rating: 5.5/10 - DirectorGustavo TarettoStarsJavier DrolasMiguel DedovichPilar López de AyalaMartín and Mariana are slightly damaged people who live in buildings just opposite one another. While they often don't notice each other, separation might be the very thing that brings them together.MEDIANERAS/SIDEWALLS (Taretto 2011) is an Argentinian film Chris and I had the pleasure (and pain, after enduring that blackout at Instituto Cervantes) of watching the first hour. A continuation of this review will push through but some initial observations: The opening montage of "Medianeras" cleverly opines on the simultaneous charm and ugliness of buildings, how they seem to sprout out of the metropolis (in this case, a dream city of mine, Buenos Aires) tall and thin like grass or fat and short like bugs, all fighting for space. The narrator (maybe the lead guy?) is convinced: all of our neuroses, depressions/loneliness, and physical problems stem out of builders and architects. The irony then becomes clear, when we get acquainted with the main characters urbanites Martin (a hermit, obviously depressed and internet and video game-addicted geek, though cute) and Mariana (and equally lonely architect cum window shop designer and secret agoraphobic).
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NOTES CONTINUATION:
-watched October 2014 via downloaded torrent on Andrei's laptop
-bittersweet watching it, remembered how Chris and I watched this in Instituto in April 2013
-basically a romantic comedy-drama in the western sense of romance: that deep, inexplicable longing for something more meaningful than quick easy sex in the age of Facebook, YouTube, OkCupid and other online portals
-the leads, Pilar Lopez de Ayala, and Javier Drolas, are painfully beautiful to look at, expressing the youthful but tired exasperation of single adult urbanites: educated, smart, hopeful, but damn lonely, horny and subtly messed-up (the neuroses I already listed above: Martin's choice to live virtually, Mariana's agoraphobia and obsession over her past relationship)
-with both of them stuck and wanting to move forward, it's interesting how the film plays off its character's interests and how they somehow "intersect", parallel to online dating wherein both parties revel in the similarities of their interests: Martin with his video games and rock music and iMac, Mariana with her Where's Waldo book and Macbook and penchant for Woody Allen films (basically a glorified, artsy, tortured hipster in the classy, Latin American sense, maybe?)
-works well as a series of vignettes rather than a clean-cut narrative (Martin and Mariana chatting, Martin dating a French-speaking blonde, Mariana meeting a nice man in the public swimming pool, Mariana crying, etc.)- character studies, examinations of mood, feeling (heartbreak, isolation, depression?)- lighting and excellent music choice comes into play
-surprising happy ending: Mariana beats her agoraphobia by suddenly seeing Martin (a stranger in her eyes) dressed in a Waldo outfit and both of them finally, truly self-actualizing: socializing, dealing with their neuroses proactively, etc.
-charming end sequence of them singing "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" by Tammi Terrel and Marvin Gaye
POP CULTURE REFERENCES:
-Where's Waldo? book
-American music: "True Love Will Find You In The End" by Daniel Johnston, both of them endearingly singing this song separately as they hear it over the radio
-American cinema: Woody Allen film - Manhattan (?), Groundhog Day
Rating: 7/10 - DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsRod TaylorTippi HedrenJessica TandyA wealthy San Francisco socialite pursues a potential boyfriend to a small Northern California town that slowly takes a turn for the bizarre when birds of all kinds suddenly begin to attack people.THE BIRDS (Hitchcock 1963), set in San Francisco (as in Vertigo) and its adjacent (real or fictional?) water town of Bodega Bay, is a straightforward horror film- except the conflict does not center on man versus himself, but rather a most malevolent, evil, massive flock of birds set to attack and kill and ruin the lives of people in the locality. In the film, the radiant Tippi Hedren stars as Melanie, a rich urbanite chasing after Mitch (played by the hunky-handsome Rod Taylor) in Bodega Bay. There are suggestions of romantic interest, and a whole lot of implied secrets, and secret relations- an insane study in psychology and hidden motives. We question just why the character of Annie Hayworth exists, or even why Mitch's mother plays into the story as an overbearing judge. It's a whole lot of puzzles and not much exposition on where these characters stand against each other.
The usual Hitchcock plot twist of mundane and ordinary scenarios imbibing a supernatural or mad sense (i.e. "Psycho", where a woman who steals money is killed by a man with double-personality disorder, or "Vertigo", where a man is deceived completely by a beautiful woman) is stripped away- leaving the birds to do the terrorizing. It's almost ridiculous how literal the action reveals itself, and one notices how stupid Melanie and Mitchell can get as they brave the mad flocks of ornithological species ("100 billion birds in the world!").
It's a film that encourages paranoia, the kind of film that could raise your hairs and chill your spine, because undoubtedly, nature in its most brutal and primal (see: floods, fires, earthquakes) can overthrow any man into insanity.
Rating: 4/10 - DirectorJonathan DaytonValerie FarisStarsPaul DanoZoe KazanAnnette BeningA novelist struggling with writer's block finds romance in a most unusual way: by creating a female character he thinks will love him, then willing her into existence.RUBY SPARKS (Dayton and Faris 2012), is a love letter to all the Manic Pixie Dream Girls that have ever existed on paper or celluloid. Ruby Sparks, a 26-year-old redhead from Dayton (oooh get it?), Ohio with her very MPDG traits/character of over-attachment, quirkiness (she paints! She's lived in nine cities in six years! She slept with her high school teacher!) and the general dichotomy of child-like qualities and nubile beauty, is the creation of a "failed" writer Calvin Weir-Fields (Dano), and very much a silly and basically ironic version of the trope. Written by Zoe Kazan (a descendant of Hollywood legend Elia Kazan and who plays Ruby herself), "Ruby Sparks" is what it is: a charming, romantic flick with its own flaws and features, one of those is the stark simplicity of the story. Man, in the person of Calvin (played by Dano in a strangely geek-sexy way), falls in love with woman (who's real, not real?, we never know), and changes forever (for better or worse, we never know).
Calvin's journey toward the loss of this perfect girl is the one that's more fun/interesting to watch. The societal ideas of perfection and imperfection in a woman comes into play (do we want her slutty, or happy, or just hedonistic?), a person's agency, what men/women want: themes of desire/destiny/youth/relationships all factor in. And Calvin's added pressure of mental instability, of the pressure (parallel to Dayton and Faris) to live up to his first great opus wreaks havoc into his life.
This Matthew Libatique (Black Swan)-lensed film is eye candy to watch (gorgeous blues, greens and reds dancing off each other, note the party scenes), and it's a bubbly pleasure to see the veterans Annette Bening and Antonio Banderas play hippies, and sexy Chris Messina play the "voice of reason", opposite the tight-assed in-need-of-therapy Calvin.
If you want to watch a film that speaks of the universal search for success, for love and all its aches, and that one person who will love you for all of your slobbery tics and flaws, give this a chance.
Rating: 7/10 - DirectorJason ReitmanStarsGeorge ClooneyVera FarmigaAnna KendrickRyan's job is to travel around the country firing off people. When his boss hires Natalie, who proposes firing people via video conference, he tries to convince her that her method is a mistake.UP IN THE AIR (Reitman 2009), as it stylishly swerves all over America and its classic cities (Omaha, Dallas, Vegas, Detroit, for starters), doesn't give us much background on its handsome lead Ryan (played the now-Hollywood icon George Clooney): a motivational speaker (ironically without that much gusto or zest or zeal for life) specializing in the business of softening the blow for people recently terminated, laid off, in short- fired. Ryan finds comfort in non-commitment: away from family, from the draw of kids and RVs and football games, away from any real connection- acknowledging sanitized airports and empty hotel hallways as his home.
In this heartless enterprise Ryan meets two women along the way: the young Cornell ingenue in the person of Natalie (the beautiful Anna Kendrick, who earned her first Oscar nomination for her role her) and the more mature yet feisty Alex (also a frequent flyer as Ryan, a "man with a vagina", coolly played by Vera Farmiga). Alex and Natalie follow different timelines: Alex is (secretly) with family and Natalie, in her naive idealism, is an adamant believer in the "perfect" relationship, the "perfect" man, the "perfect" life.
Alex, Natalie, and Ryan all become witnesses to broken hearts and broken lives (Alex, witnessing Ryan's non-committal lifestyle, realizes that her "real life" is truly with her own family; Natalie is dumped by her college beau; Ryan sees hundreds if not thousands of men and women lose their livelihoods in an instant, and sees her sister's fiance get cold feet before their wedding; both Natalie and Ryan see the devastating effects of these layoffs, peaking in them hearing the news that one woman whom they've counselled has committed suicide).
"Up in the Air", then, is a intelligent and subdued "*beep*-you" to the great country America- its ruthless capitalist system, the generic corporte-ism, the anonymity of it all. Even the film itself is sort of a commercial for a big Western player: American Airlines (the No. 7 platinum award for Ryan just says it all). The films calls us to literally come back home- to intimacy, to awareness of our own reality, our place in this world.
Rating: 6.5/10 - DirectorLasse HallströmStarsChanning TatumAmanda SeyfriedRichard JenkinsA romantic drama about a soldier who falls for a conservative college student while he's home on leave.DEAR JOHN's (Hallström 2010) title is a play on the phrase "Dear John letter", pertaining to a type of letter written by women to break up with their far-away husbands/boyfriends. Based on the 2006 Nicholas Sparks novel, "Dear John" delivers the same kind of caramel sweetness and romantic simplicity that only someone like Sparks could craft in a story. Set in Charleston, SC, the film follows the lives of John, an tough, tall and quiet army man (aptly played by Channing Tatum), and the pretty, intelligent and kind-hearted Savannah (Amanda Seyfried). Cleverly set against the dramatic historical event that was the 9/11/2001 attacks, the film travels through Spring 2001 all the way through 2007 and onward as John and Savannah live their lives separately (to the chagrin of John, Savannah marries her childhood friend Tim, who later in the story suffers from lymphoma). As Savannah goes through college preparing for a career in special education (this has special meaning for the story, since John's dad and Tim's son are autistic), John endures the physical and emotional torture of the army & war experience.
"Dear John" is a classic love story set in the Carolinas (as almost all Sparks novel are), dealing with themes of family, separation, illness death, the passage of time, the little heart-hurts of distance- things that touch every human being's life. In John and Savannah's story we especially see the (ironic) meaninglessness of time: two weeks of passion may truly be enough to carry a lifetime of intimacy.
Rating: 6/10 - DirectorJohn Lee HancockStarsQuinton AaronSandra BullockTim McGrawThe story of Michael Oher, a homeless and traumatized boy who became an All-American football player and first-round NFL draft pick with the help of a caring woman and her family.In THE BLIND SIDE (Hancock 2009), Sandra Bullock gives a performance of a lifetime, earning the actress her first Oscar win for Best Actress in A Leading Role. Although Carey Mulligan ("An Education") and Meryl Streep ("Julie & Julia", a film I love) gave equally excellent performances that year, Bullock's role as Leigh Anne Tuohy carries the most heart, faux-Southern accent aside.
Set in the multi-racial but socio-economically divided Memphis, TN, "The Blind Side" recalls Dickens's "Great Expectations"- only the Pip here is in the body of a big, black boy named Big Mike (Leigh Anne chooses to call her Michael). Michael is strangely gifted physically however academically adrift he may be- strong arms and legs make him a natural in football, though it takes a village to shape him into a responsible and athletically-fit teen: Leigh Anne herself, her family (SJ and Collins are adorable), the football coach, a tutor named Miss Sue and a whole other army of teachers in the Christian school Michael hesitantly attends.
It's almost a miracle, an extraordinary story no doubt, that this tale is real. Michael Oher is a real, actual, football player for the Baltimore Ravens. His journey from being a disadvantaged, discriminated and marginalized young person to being in the care of a conservative white middle-class family to actually going to college (Ole Miss!) and eventually playing for the NFL (which pays six/seven figures) sounds absolutely incredible only that it actually happened.
This upward trajectory from rags to riches is Leigh Anne's story as much as it is Michael's. Michael did the work needed, but it was Leigh Anne's innate kindness and basic lack of prejudice that pushed him in the right direction. Her strength seems to be pulled out of nowhere, given her comfortable lifestyle of expensive lunch salads and hair treatments, but then we realize that kindness and heart doesn't need to come from a poor place, but just an honest place. Brilliant film.
Rating: 8.5/10 - DirectorMichael HanekeStarsJean-Louis TrintignantEmmanuelle RivaIsabelle HuppertGeorges and Anne are an octogenarian couple. They are cultivated, retired music teachers. Their daughter, also a musician, lives in Britain with her family. One day, Anne has a stroke, and the couple's bond of love is severely tested.AMOUR (Haneke 2012) as a film, is in itself a work of love by the Austrian filmmaker Michael Haneke, is an examination of love at its most depressing extreme. Take a recent film I've watched, "Masculin Feminin", and imagine the opposite: instead of sexy youths cavorting in beautiful dark streets, think of an old, retired couple (in the story Georges and Anne Laurent, former music teachers whom a lot of successful musicians owe their success) dealing with the inevitability of death, of the termination of their "long and beautiful life".
The nexus of the drama literally lays on the body of Anne, a woman in her eighties suffering from multiple strokes which has left one side of her body in ruins. Simple things which we take for granted, as thinking, or speaking or laughing, or showering or *beep* is a feat for Anne to demonstrate, and it is her husband (known to Anne to be a "monster", but a "kind" one at that) who shows her immense love and care, despite their daughter's (Usabelle Huppert) trepidations.
This type of film is hard to stomach, but this is what a hardcore cinephile can expect from Haneke: a showcase of the underbelly of the human existence- all of the pains and hurts rolled into an hour or two. Georges's sacrifice (spoilers: to kill) for Anne is heartbreaking, however one can surmise that this cruel act is at once kind and loving.
Emmanuelle Riva as Anne shines in this once-in-a-lifetime performance, in a graceful and dignified turn as an old woman finally accepting her demise- well-deserved Oscar and BAFTA nominations, no doubt.
Rating: 6/10 - DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsDaniel Day-LewisSally FieldDavid StrathairnAs the Civil War rages on, U.S President Abraham Lincoln struggles with continuing carnage on the battlefield as he fights with many inside his own cabinet on his decision to emancipate the slaves.LINCOLN (Spielberg 2012) tries hard not to be a sweeping, biographical drama of that iconic American president Abraham Lincoln, but just in its opening shot of a bloody and muddy war we can already conclude that this film has ambition like no other, especially with a director of the calibre of Spielberg.
Aimed to be a sort of vignette of the president's life at the juncture of the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment of the Constitution to abolish slavery, "Lincoln" is more than enough to capture what he was- a noble man, a kind man of great humanistic understanding. A further exploration of his childhood, or adolescence, or famous failures would somehow defeat the purpose of showing the greatness of the man.
On a counter-note, "Lincoln" can be much too long. The war and warzone scenes are almost unnecessary, including the long sequence after the passing-the-amendment scene (I thought that was the ending but no, they had to include his assassination!).
Despite the length (which risked the film being tired, clanky and bulky), "Linclon" is another masterpiece Spielberg can be proud to put his name on, considering this was a passion project of his (of the gravity and cultural importance lightyears ahead of say, "Catch Me If You Can"). From the production design, to the costumes, down to the make-up (Daniel Day-Lewis's performance and appearance as Lincoln may well now be considered 'Lincoln canon'), "Lincoln" succeeds in providing a rich and authentic experience of America in 1865, almost a full 150 years to this day.
The immensely critical themes of race, politics, justice, equality, fairness, etc. that shocked the old white men in that House of Representatives 150 years ago still draws the deep attention of our global culture today: in some ways the problems that these men had to deal with are still being dealt with, what with so many people marginalized and shunned just for their gender, race (a contested term), religion, etc. It's somehow shameful to realize that in that historical day of voting "Yes/No" for the abolition of slavery, many a people actually voted "No". It just goes to show that no matter how advanced or intellectual or modern a society may seem, a hundred years from now that society would no doubt seem antiquated, even downright stupid.
Spielberg, an American icon himself, giving life to another greater American icon is astounding to witness- and we movie-goers are only blessed to see such a melding of cultural influence. I only hope that in my country, we dare more to venerate and produce films, books, etc. on our historical heroes.
Besides Spielberg's excellent directing, the cast deserves commendation (i.e. Daniel Day-Lewis first, in his Oscar-winning role, Sally Field as the kooky Mary Todd Lincoln, Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Robbie Lincoln, Lee Pace as the annoying Fernando Wood, and Tommy Lee Jones as Thaddeus Stevens- earning him an Oscar nomination for Supporting Actor).
In fact, the whole cast of the House of Representatives should be acknowledged for their acting- a whole slew of old white men acting stuffy and rowdy and generally belligerent- it's amazing how politics worked back then. Politics, as then and now, is always pure suspense and entertainment.
Rating: 7/10