What do you get when the Brits (Irish) try and create a culturally, religious, real, and happy film?  Slumdog Millionaire.  I finally saw this film due to the enormous hype built up by my students and friends.  Half of them loved it and see it as the second coming.  The others saw it as a great feel good film. I expected something I didn’t get.

So I don’t like the idea of a Brit oops Irish trying to make a film to show the world India.  I think that that is incredibly insulting.  I was literally appalled at the idea if Boyle being the savior of Bollywood and bringing it credibility.  There are so many things wrong with that politically and culturally I wont go into it here because I am sure if you are reading this you are smart enough to understand what I am talking about.  Along with that though I was awfully surprised that people thought it was just like a Bollywood film.  just because it had dancing in the credits does not make it Bollywood.  There are elements of Bollywood in it but mostly it was inspired loosely by the fantastical nature of traditional Bollywood film.

My primary complaint was that this film tried to be too many things to too many people.  Ultimately I think it failed at all of them.  Between its City of God beginning to the religious undertones, and the happy ending the film bothered me.  Now I am a firm believer that you need to show the depths of hell to show redemption but that is not what this film did.  It showed the violence just to serve the story and it was overkill in order to compete with current films in theaters.  Why would a director lower themselves like that? Danny Boyle is a better director than that.  this film wasn’t about redemption either it was just about fate and getting what you want.

The slum part of the film was interesting to me that they seemed to want to make it look terrible and horrible but instead thy made it look like a playground and a place of hidden beauty and wonders.  That disturbed me.  I was almost expecting to see a video game to come out of the film. (3 playable characters! adventure modes unlock new talents! Control the three musketeers destiny.  Built in trivia game challenge with clues hidden in the game!  bonus games such as: build your own slum, sing for money, and hide from a thousand angry gods!) OK that might be a bit drastic, but it could happen.

Technically it was a nice film although I thought digital was a bad choice because the grain that digital filmmaking produces is ugly compared to film grain.  That was distracting to me.  the editing and color palette was impeccable but nothing new or innovative especially for Boyle. All in all it would say it was a  good film.  It was not however Americas introduction to Bollywood, nor was it a feelgood film.  and it was absolutely NOT an Oscar worthy film.

Oh well…meh

this kid is amazing

This film is easily on my top ten for the year.  wait top 5 maybe.

As with every good vampire flick I expect religious imagery and some amazing cinematography.  This film delivered all of that and more.  Let The Right One In has simply become my favorite vamp flick.  This film rose above the others for one simple reason.  It isn’t shot like a vampire flick and there are no Victorians.  Seriously I love vamp flicks so much I even watched Twilight…yea I  know 20 years in purgatory for admitting that.

Spoilers as usual:

In this film we see some great storytelling that is subtle and delicate.  What we have is a film that allows us to see a new side of the vampire mythos.  The idea of a vampire that doesn’t want or like to kill is a tired one, this story takes it to a new place.  We start off with a pathetic person incapable of defending himself, Oskar.  He has hate bursting from him but is unable to act on his urges.  When he meets Eli, a 12 (120) year old girl, she urges him to hit back, to hit harder than he dares.

It’s not that Eli is unwilling to kill its that she rather wouldn’t.  She is a parasite on one boy a generation.  Eli feeds off of the love that Oskar gives her just as much as she feeds off of the blood of victims.  Her relationship is perfectly beneficial to Oskar.  She teases with her emotions, her body, and her strength.  Eli has to choose weak individuals with potential.  This is a tragic story for the heroes. Both of them get what they want but they will both suffer.  I only hope that Morse code lets then fall in love!

let me know what you think!

about the most blood you'll see in the film

Robert Breson is one of the most respected directors in my “small book of things I respect.” (I should write that!) The biggest problem in writing a review of a Breson film is that you are competing with every other person who has written a review.  Most of these people have advanced degrees and speak French.  I’m obviously at a disadvantage at this point.  while I was watching Au Hasard Balthazar for the third time I made a realization.  Now I don’t mean a tiny realization like hey “preserves are tasty on toast!”  I mean like “that’s no moon” realization!

Breson is a Postmodern director/artist.  I know someone has probably said it already! But here is what I think…

As a true postmodern artist should leave all interpretation to the witness of the art and to the art itself I think that the point of this film and possibly other Breson films is not to examine the film itself but rather to examine yourself using the film as a catalyst for the examination process.

The great thing is that this makes Balthazar an extremely interactive film.  I propose that our job is not just t trust the director with our senses as we normally are required but rather to do that while trying to examining our specific and general reactions to the beats of the film.

Breson’s pacing and his use of non-actors and minimal dialogue allows us the leisure visually and auditoraly.  This is essential for the viewer so that they can take the added effort to consider their own thought and reaction to each beat.

The unique part of this is that it doesn’t not imply any moral standards or a worldview construct.  The film is a myth or fable of sorts that will help reveal your own self rather than reveal the directors self.  this allows people to all have their own opinions and reactions that are valid and also retains Breson’s credibility.

Le t me know what you think because This just popped into my head a few hours ago and I’m dying to talk about it!

Matthieu Kassovitz is truly an inspired director.  Apparently an actor to begin with this film truly highlights the performer without letting the misé en scéne falter.

A film created by an obvious student of American cinema with nearly every shot an homage to an American film, Kassovitz is able to really make this film his own.  I cant fault him for any shot because these homages are indicative of the characters lives. and because of that his execution these technical elements is beautiful.

La Haine was truly an excellent film.  I don’t have much to say about this that hasn’t been said before in other reviews.  So I wont try.  What I do want to do is bring up something that we should all be aware of.  we are living in America and don’t pay attention enough to what the rest of the world of doing.  do yourself a favor and find out what is going on in France right now.  about the hundreds of thousands of unnationed people who are living in the country and how they are treated.  look at what is happening I deplore you.  Then watch this film.  This film is IMPORTANT in the most powerful sense of the word. Sadly it was an unfunded film by France for obvious reasons but because it was so good people like Jodie foster and others brought it to America so that we can see the horrible and beautiful truth of these people.  This film is even more relevant right now than when it was made.  Go see it please.  support this director and his vision because he is creating beauty in a dark and terrible place in desperate need to hear the truth.

This film isn’t Christian and I realize that the last few things sounded distinctly Christian.  That is not my intent. This film is just beautiful and true and important.  Please do yourself a favor and buy it!

I really hope other people have seen this documentary cause I have never heard anyone talk about  it.  it shows the realty of working in the Industry and creating a reality show.  It follows 2 writer/producers Gil and Dave through their time trying to be legitimized by the larger production companies by pitching reality TV shows so that they can finally produce their own scripted drama.  It tracks their progress and failure.

Gil and Dave have a n interesting relationship.  On the surface and in the pitching room they are of one mind they work together like lifelong friends. The minute that they leave the pitching offices you can see the differences in their morality and their ideas.  although they both say that they are wiling to do anything to sell a script it seems that only Gil is really willing to take that seriously.  Gil will throw out dangerous ideas that could be dangerous for their reputation.

American Cannibal is the name of the reality show that they accidentally sell as a joke to a porn producer.  Gil was joking around at the wrong moment to the wrong person while Dave the married guy who is already apprehensive and worried about meeting with KB (the porn guy) sits in the office totally embarrassed at his surroundings.

The pitch that Gil tosses out is a starvation contest like survivor but living with a cannibal family on an island where cannibalism is legal.  If that doesn’t sound bad then wait till you hear KB ’s reaction.  it was absurdly excited and he was wanting to find the sickest people he could to be contestants so that maybe someone would at least eat a finger or something.  sick. sick. sick. and that’s where the story starts.

You might think that this could be a comedy, and at times it almost is.  What this really is though is a very serious and horribly depressing examination of the human condition.  Gil and Dave are desperately trying to be recognized by the people they respect.  They know how to do it and they are almost good at it.  they continue to settle for lower and lower standards in their pursuit.  They do this until they end up being creators of the same type of media that they joked about and hated early in the documentary.

Dave and Gil were torn apart through this experience and it slowly reveals to the audience how gradual your life can change and how small choices can destroy who you are.  This film is one of those rare films that you people should watch so that they don’t make mistakes like these guys did.  it really is exemplary of what cinema should be.  Documentaries have a special place with me because they get to be a little more heavy handed.

The real sad story is the subtle one of KB.  this is a man who is just a terrible person he is really just rotten and sleazy.  But he has the emotional maturity of a 5 year old.  He is like a child begging for attention and has no idea how to get it.  Everything he does is wrong.  It’s truly sad.  after finishing the film I just wanted to find him and try and help him because I felt terrible after the film.

Watch this movie and let me know what you think.  I’m curious as to what others are thinking.