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Sirk TV On-The-Scene Interview: Dain Said [Director] For “Bunohan” [Toronto Intl Film Festival 2011]
14 Sep
Sirk TV On-The-Scene Interview: Willem Dafoe & Daniel Nettheim [Director] For “The Hunter” [Toronto Intl Film Festival 2011]
14 Sep
MELANCHOLIA – Film Review [TIFF 2011]
10 Sep
The texture of Lars Von Trier’s “Melancholia” is not unlike his other outings yet it stretches with a little more complacency despite its dark material. Unlike his earlier and slightly more accomplished “Antichrist”, the approach here is less sex-driven than morality and mortality driven. The difference molds into the separation of a more narrative driven piece. Like “Antichrist” though, the severity of Von Trier’s power resigns in the first couple minutes of his movie. Unlike the earlier-in-the-day seen screening of “The Artist” which understands this balance throughout, Von Trier, with the exception of “Dancer Of The Dark”, truly likes to begin big and end big. “Melancholia” is no different in this regard. Where it does stray in many ways is within the lack of a sub-cutting in style which always gives his films an unbalanced but utterly unique cadence.
Here, the story is filtered into two separate parts: “Justine” and “Claire”. As normal for the director, he has an undeniable fascination of the would-be maternal figure and her ability to fail at her maturity. Not as pronounced as Charlotte Gainesbourg in his slightly earlier film (“Antichrist”), Kirsten Dunst plays thr metaphor of a girl who might have everything in certain aspects but puts on a smile to make it all go away. The first part of the movie takes place at a wedding. The second half at the estate of her sister. One specific detail that tends to populate the first half of the film and less of the second is the use of humor, specifically with the forced but still effective humor of John Hurt as Dunst’s dad and Kiefer Sutherland (to a lesser degree) as her brother-in-law. The second part of the film takes a much more somber darker turn.
The background narrative of the film involves the near flyby of another planet that may or may not collide with Earth. This scale element is reflected in the intense first couple minutes as described before the title. The bombastic nature of this ode to space utterly outweighs the similar pretension that Terrence Malick attempted with “Tree Of Life” because, unlike that personification, this one has consequences. However to put things in perspective the Texas Family segment of “Tree Of Life” in terms of acting, naturalism and structure still shines brighter than the ample and able cast of “Melancholia”. This might or might not have to do with Von Trier’s apparent more hands-off structure with actors. The first few minutes of “Melancholia” however kill with a vengeance that makes you want to watch to the end while repeating a music theme that sounds similar to certain tones of “Trip To Jupiter” from “2001″.
“Melancholia” shows a Von Trier more adept at exploring a narrative based element and bordering out from his more sex-violence tinged notions of life simply in terms of trying to shock the audience instead settling in for certain ideas of context that sometimes can be more scary. That is not to downplay its originality and undeniable Von Trier structure because it still has merit that stays with you.
C
THE ARTIST – Film Review [TIFF 2011]
10 Sep
The resounding impact of “The Artist” is the perception of how retro it is in its personification. Similar in some tones to some other films using pure score, the film here works its magic by simply playing at many times to the metaphor of the silent films in terms of the mindset and psychology that manipulated their production. With a magnificent and inherently English/American supporting cast including John Goodman and James Cromwell, the brunt of the film rests of the shoulders of Jean Dujardin who plays the silent matinee idol George Valentin.
The film uses the notion of silence as an emotional barometer. The score itself seems purely built as sort of an emotional soundwave of what is going on. This is not necessarily different from the perspective of modern cinema to be sure but because it approaches the film from the stylistic perspective of that era and barely strays is what gives it its charm. It never oversteps its boundaries using the parlance of the day against it (which in many ways haunted a little bit of “Melancholia” later in the day because of its intrinsic use of metaphors in dialogue). The emotions never feel forced because they are real for what they are. The narrative itself follows the fading of a star and the rising of another one (again not unlike the literal narrative of “Melancholia”) but is done so with a texture that a star’s life is only reflective of their popularity and the choices they make.
The decision to shoot the film in the 16mm framing format from the early days of film is a very specific one and is used to great perspective especially during a stair scene that is purely and wonderfully structured, written and composed. While many of the narrative devices used are expected in their consequence, it still brings about a sense of nostalgia. John Goodman playing the Louis B. Mayer (or would-be Harvey Weinstein for that matter) has a jovial persona with a business mind that understands the mainstream for better or for worse which here reflects in the transgression of silent films to the talkies. Bernice Bejo (also seemingly a French actor like Jean) has a definitive look that defines a bygone era. With ours such a fast cutting world, the notion of a look held or a moment raised sometimes goes unoptioned in the current film vocabulary.
Returning to Dujardin, he modulates the tone through his character’s up and downs using some genre underpinnings in terms of montage and would-be hallucinations of the character to provide a point. The subtleties exist and play against the structure but the film works because it has reference for its genre, love for modern perception but also a balance of nostalgia which never becomes overplayed. The final moments optimizing the one bit of film score that is recognizable fits the occasion if you know where the music comes from.
“The Artist” is a wonderful experiment that knows exactly what its purpose is. The next step becomes a notion of engaging an audience beyond the film lovers and festivalgoers who truly understand the homage that is being made and how well it has been done. The challenge of cross-engaging the consumer always depends on the emotional connection which the film has in spades.
B
Genre Stylings & Provoking Musings: The 2011 Hola Mexico Film Festival LA – Feature
24 May
The Hola Mexico Film Festival, examining new and interesting trends in Mexican cinema, both from a commercial and artistic point of view, works because it melds different genres together to give an interesting diversity, even within a one day personification at the central Teatro Montalban in the heart of Hollywood.
“Tin Tan“, a documentary on one of Mexico’s comedy film legends from the 1950s, is an exceptional journey of music and mambo. While the fawning over the late star can get a little bit too one-sided, the interrelation of all the films clips and access to co-stars and families, as they are now as well as then, provide an ample view. The most interesting time during the early 50s shows the Latin influence that permeated through places like Cuba and gives a view into that time. More specifically it brings the camera crew briefly into Cuba today (with the blessing of the government) to give a faded glimpse of what it once was. While the later aspects, including retreating to Acapulco and making light comedies, is reflective of great performers growing older, it doesn’t take away from the obvious talent of the man balancing somewhere between Desi Arnaz and Jerry Lewis.
“Presumed Guilty” takes the angle from the complete other end of the spectrum in a fairly substantial way in questioning the errant legality and “gulity until proven innocent” precedent of the Mexican justice system using the example of a convicted murder named Tono who was arrested “because they picked him” even though the place where he was working was impossible to get back and forth from to commit the crime. The throughline basically works on the point that once you are accused, you are guilty. The perception comes from a pair of Mexican-born lawyers who challenge the system and get the ability to shoot in the courtroom. While the prosecutor and judge seem to be smiling (as if not getting it), the detectives who continually say they “don’t remember” disregard the actual fairness of what the system could be. After the guilty charge is maintained, the lawyers/filmmakers actually cross the line and join the defense side after they finish law school at UC Berkeley. They overturn the aspect in appeals court but, from what was heard at the festival, the entire overview has become a headache for them in terms of the politics of working in the country. While apparently akin to professional harm to this husband and wife, it provides a fascinating look inside a flawed bureaucracy.
“The Cinema Hold-Up”, which made its debut at the Sundance Film Festival this year, does retain formulaic aspects but pushes the notion of what life means to youth in Mexico while structuring it within a thriller structure of sorts. What makes it different is its ability to leave the flaws of its characters open, despite any problems they have created. The central plot ploy revolves around staging a hold up at the local movie theater but the film is truly about each of the three central characters and their one girl friend watching their reflective points of life. The lead, who looks like the Mexican version of Milo Ventimiglia (of “Heroes”) is trying to deal with life away from the gang. He’s kicking rock but still indulges in weed. His brother is a crackhead and his mother doesn’t understand him. The quieter, more sensitive one of the group doesn’t have as many problems. He is just unlucky in love, especially when an older woman leads him on and he gets the crap kicked out of him. The last guy, a black kid, has the most diversity. His brother was run out of town so he has to make his bones or check out. He tries to put up a brave front but modulates between this and self-loathing. He is intimidated and he tries to push back but he is not that type of guy and he falters. The girl simply likes the boys, especially the lead, and seems akin to experiencing this sense of danger until her mother realizes the problems are mounting. Ultimately the resignation places the three boys back on their hidden stoop again. The humor in these their daily life, and their obviously good qualities, like buying mom a television or even treating a would-be mugger (who isn’t very good at his job) to tequila shots, give the film a brevity that makes you relate to these kids in a more real way.
“We Are What We Are” is not necessarily clear in its ability to dictate what it is doing but obviously creates a style and a structure that comes off with dexterity. When the patriarch of a family dies, the ritual of what they must do to keep alive is argued and must be kept active. The idea of who must be the leader structures back and forth. The most dynamic and thereby the maestro of the scenario is the younger sister who understands what must be done and ultimately how to survive. While the way that they select their prey balances on notions of social exclusion and/or conformity, the dynamic of familial power and emotion ultimately plays into the ritual. The mother would have them shrivel and die per se because the father would kidnap whores but would have his way with them before he killed them for the family to eat. The dichotomy of that versus the wife working with herbs and then killing a whore her boys bring home with a shovel provide a definite paradox which is only helped by the continually moving camera, exceptional editing and dexterious shots which both draw the characters out and keep the audience at bay.
A secret screening was announced just the day before for midnight the following day. What offered itself was a glimpse into new Mexican comedy mainstream cinema as it is happening which is an interesting experiment in Los Angeles. “Saving Private Perez“, an obvious play on “Private Ryan” takes an interesting road with Don Julian, who is supposedly the most powerful underworld figure in Mexico, who must undertake a rescue operation to save his brother who has been captured while serving in the American Army in Iraq. The film plays for laughs while trying to balance some human drama which is undeniably a hard mix but has resounded in the Mexican cinema since it has become the biggest of the hit down there so far this having just been released 9 weeks ago. It resounds with “The Dirty Dozen” tendencies but with “Naked Gun” and “Top Secret comedy” to boot. One of the funniest additions within the film is their contact in Instanbul who has pink sunglasses and blonde hair along with his machine gun. The character simply provokes laughter especially when their truck hits a landmine going across the Syrian desert because his hair becomes one large frizz. While definitely not highbrow, like “Austin Powers” “Perez” knows its genre providing enough fun while still retaining a slight emotional connection.
The Hola Mexico Film Festival, which itself as a traveling film festival, understands that not all films need be utterly dramatic but work well with both a sense of purpose, history or genre that makes them both thought reflecting as well as entertaining.
