Top 20 Films Seen in 2013

I've seen an unusually high amount of movies this year so I decided to make a Top 20 list instead of the usual Top 10 one. Here they are in chronological order from date seen along with their initial review.

01. WORLD ON A WIRE (1973, Rainer Werner Fassbinder) 1/1

It's quite hard to believe this film was made in 1973. A mysterious death of a creative director of an institute which runs a virtual reality program called Simulacron kicks off a heady, twisty film on computers, virtual reality and artificial intelligence. That's all one needs to know. This was made before Tron and way before The Matrix and Inception. Yet somehow manages to be more thought-provoking and mind-bending than any of them. The film is almost eerily prophetic on the way it depicts the virtual world. Originally a TV miniseries, the 3.5 hour running time doesn't feel that long at all and it gives you a lot to digest philosophically.

02. HOLY MOTORS (2012, Leos Carax)  2/3

Who says art house films can't be fun? This sure is! At least for me. If you're into film, acting or the arts, it will probably be for you too. The film's strange, bizarre structure where an actor drives around in a limo acting vignettes is a stupendously unpredictable tribute to both the art of acting and of film in general. The film is a strange, weird but joyous ride that mixes shocks, drama and laughter in almost equal doses. I'm guessing this is what happens if a Godard film and Bunuel film meet and have a baby. These types of films for me can be either pure joy or pure torture (...and the latter can be a good thing or a bad thing). This is definitely pure joy. One of the best films of 2012, for sure.

03. COME AND SEE (1985, Elem Klimov) 2/27

I've seen tons of World War II movies and a whole bunch of the subgenre of World War II films from the point of view of children and adolescents. This one ranks as one of the best. The plot is simple: An eager beaver teenage boy from a small village in Russia volunteers for the army during the war and witnesses first hand the true horrors of war. I've heard this film's reputation for being bleak. It is. Very. But also it has moments of beautiful imagery that almost borders on dark fantasy/horror/surrealism especially on the first half. I thought I've seen everything but this managed to still shock and horrify me despite seeing and knowing all that I know about World War II. It hammers the point too hard just a tad at the end but it's still a stunning piece of cinema.

04. A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH (1946, Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger) 3/28

Quite possibly one of, if not, the best film about love, death and the afterlife ever made. David Niven is a World War II RAF pilot who falls in love with an American service woman moments before he's supposed to die finds himself fighting for his life. It's extremely intelligent, sweet, funny and moving, no matter what your religious or spiritual beliefs are. It also helps that the Archers' vision of Heaven and the Afterlife is among the best I've ever seen helped by Jack Cardiff's fantastic cinematography which alternates black & white and technicolor (The way they switch around is also similarly breathtaking).

05. A MAN ESCAPED (1956, Robert Bresson) 3/31

I've seen quite a number of prison escape films: From The Great Escape to Le Trou to The Shawshank Redemption. This is probably the best prison escape movie. It's my favorite so far at least. The plot is simple enough: A French man is in imprisoned by the Nazis during World War II and wants to escape. Like with most films by Robert Bresson, the film is fairly minimalist and the emotions are muted but there are still moments of suspense. Bresson was masterful with his direction here, particularly his use of sound. Like with many Bresson films, there's an added spiritual layer to this film which makes the ending surprisingly moving in an odd way. A real masterpiece.

06. FITZCARRALDO (1982, Werner Herzog) 4/9

This is a film that has many layers of insanity and I absolutely love it, not quite as much as Aguirre, Wrath of God but I still do. Basically, it's all about a man who treks deep into the jungles of the Amazon river and enlists natives to help him drag a steamboat over a hill to the other side of the river in order for him to earn enough money so he can build an opera house in the Amazon village where he lives. It's as insane as it sounds and I love it. Even more insane is the fact that they actually did it on film. The passion that the title character has for this project is very much reflective of the passion of director Werner Herzog and his star, Klaus Kinski. 

07. SHOOT THE PIANO PLAYER (1960, Francois Truffaut) 4/20

I'm a huge fan of Francois Truffaut so it's amazing even to myself that I haven't seen this before which is widely considered one of his major works. A piano player gets caught up in a web of murder and kidnapping. Despite the crime angle and the experimental nature of the film, it's very much Truffaut. I can see how much influenced this film made to generations of filmmakers: It's funny, it's thrilling and it's so much fun and stylish without sacrificing character. Truly it's one of the best.

08. CELINE AND JULIE GO BOATING (1974, Jacques Rivette) 5/12

I didn't know much about this film going in. I've heard of it. I knew of its reputation. I knew it was gonna be kind of a strange film. I'm glad I didn't know because part of the joy of this film is letting its strange narrative structure to unfold before your eyes. What goes on is alternately confounding, disturbing, shocking, surprising and even hilarious. The three-hour running may be intimidating and indeed as the film progresses, you may feel that the film is going off the rails but believe me when I say that the final 20 minutes that it all builds up to and it all comes together, it is pure cinematic joy. An astounding piece of work.


09. HEARTS OF DARKNESS: A FILMMAKER'S APOCALYPSE (1991, Fax Bahr & George Hickenlooper) 6/1


I'm a huge fan of Francis Ford Coppola's film Apocalypse Now and I was aware of the fact that it was a troubled production and he went through almost literal hell to get it made. Having seen this brilliant documentary, which is about almost as great as the film it was documenting, I have to say it's a miracle that it got completed and turned out to be both critical and commercial success. It's an endlessly fascinating and compelling documentary.

10. HATARI! (1962, Howard Hawks) 6/16

I wonder why this movie isn't more popular than it is. It stars John Wayne, it's directed by Howard Hawks, one of the greats and it features an unforgettable score by Henry Mancini which includes the piece "Baby Elephant Walk" which is way more popular than this film. Add to that the fact that it's really a fun, delightful and superbly crafted film. It's about a group of men and women who make their living capturing wild African animals for zoos. Sure, it's vaguely politically incorrect (but a lot of films of this era are, though) and the animal capturing sequences may upset PeTA supporters but it still doesn't change the fact that those sequences are quite impressively shot (because they're REAL, no CGI here!) and just as rousing and exciting (and in many cases even MORE exciting) than any modern era action sequences. Oh, and it's also really, really funny! It's very light and breezy and more character than plot-driven. It's something that they hardly make any more. It's a wonderful, wonderful film. I like "Baby Elephant Walk" a whole lot more now.
 
11. THE EARRINGS OF MADAME DE... (1953, Max Ophuls) 8/11

A wife of a count pawns her earrings in order to pay off some debts and this little incident sets off a series of events that culminates in a moving, heartbreaking love story. This is one of those films that really makes you think and stays with you always. On one end, it's a very sharp critique of the hypocrisy of the upper-class (very comparable to The Rules of the Game), it's got surprisingly funny moments and yet the last 20 or so minutes, it sucker punches you in a beautifully moving, tragic denouement. It's a masterpiece.

12. THE ACT OF KILLING (2013, Joshua Oppenheimer) 8/17

During the mid-1960's in Indonesia a group of government-supported paramilitary groups went around murdering "communists" i.e. groups of people they perceive to be threats. Over 2 million people were killed. I had no idea about this grim chapter in history probably largely because it's not seen as wrong by a majority of the population in Indonesia. These mass murderers are seen as heroes rather than criminals. The documentary actually lets them tell their story and chronicles what their lives are like today. However, they tell their story in a very unique way: They actually do their own re-enactment of the events in any way, shape or form they want to. So their dramatizations could take the form of a gangster movie, a musical, a Western or just plain straightforward re-enactments. The result is often disturbing, occasionally darkly humorous, fascinating and very thought-provoking and even moving and heartbreaking in a way. This film brings to light the capacity for human beings, and indeed they seem to be pretty nice, normal people, for doing evil monstrous things and of course, without giving away anything, the transformative power of film as an art form. It reminds me why I love film so much. It's an extraordinary piece of work, not just as a documentary film but as a film period.
 
13. WINCHESTER '73 (1950, Anthony Mann)  8/21

My exploration of director Anthony Mann's filmography continues with this Western. I've been told time and again that this one is pretty fantastic.....and IT IS! The title character (of sorts) is a highly coveted rifle which was won by the character played by James Stewart and through a series of events, it gets passed around which gives the film its very unique structure, almost episodic in a way. Despite the short running time of less than 90 minutes, the film feels very deep, rich and epic filled with fascinating characters. It's beautifully photographed and has great action scenes. Anthony Mann is rising in my list of favorite directors

14. PORTRAIT OF JENNIE (1948, William Dieterle) 8/26

After two less than satisfactory cinematic experiences in a row, I think I needed a palette cleanser and boy what a palette it is. Speaking of palette, this film is about an impoverished painter who encounters a little girl who seems to appear out of time. Then begins a beautiful, romantic love story which inspires him to paint his masterpiece. It's such a stunning, beautiful piece of work. The cinematography, which made some shots look like they're paintings is simply genius but only serves to heighten the beautiful love story that's about to unfold. Joseph Cotten and Jennifer Jones are both impressive. This film is a masterpiece. It's what great films should do and should aspire to.

15. ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA (1984, Sergio Leone) 9/29

This is one of those films that I classify under Why The Hell Haven't I Seen This In Full Yet? The length is pretty intimidating but once the film starts to unfold, it really hooks you in and the 3.5 hours almost just flies by. This is the final work from Sergio Leone and it's evident that this is the work of true master of the medium. Everything here is perfect or near-perfect: The performances, the cinematography, the design, not to mention Ennio Morricone's goosebump-inducing score. It's a stunning piece of work which stands among the best gangster epics out there.

16. SAMURAI REBELLION (1967, Masaki Kobayashi) 10/6

Between this and Harakiri, Masaki Kobayashi must specialize in samurai movies that will make you cry. This one's about a samurai warrior whose lord asks that his mistress be married to his son. Reluctantly, they agree. But then his son and the mistress fall in love and just as they have their first child together, the mistress is ordered back to the castle. They refuse. Let's say shit hits the fan. The film takes a while to get to the samurai action but it's an emotional roller-coaster ride getting there and by the time the action hits, you'll be too busy crying to see the astounding sword play. It's masterfully directed and Toshiro Mifune has never been better! Kurosawa may get a lot of press but I think Kobayashi deserves some attention too.

17. BIGGER THAN LIFE (1956, Nicholas Ray) 11/24

This film blew me away. A mild-mannered schoolteacher/family man discovers he has a serious heart ailment and is prescribed an experimental medicine that will help prolong his life. But then the drugs start changing his personality. This is a heartbreaking and even thrilling film. James Mason plays the lead in this and his performance is absolutely astonishing. The way he goes from loving family man and mild-mannered schoolteacher to....something else was masterful. Also masterful was Nicholas Ray's direction. The way he uses technicolor, light and shadow when composing the scenes and building dread was pitch perfect. This easily, EASILY ranks among his very best that already includes In a Lonely Place and Rebel Without a Cause. I absolutely LOVED it.




18. THE YOUNG GIRLS OF ROCHEFORT (1967, Jacques Demy) 11/30

For me, this is probably the cinematic version of a deliciously sweet and luxurious but light and airy dessert. Three women in the titular place long for love with the men they seek just around the corner. It's fluffy stuff but the filmmaking is simply breathtaking. It's obviously heavily inspired by classic MGM musicals (including a supporting role from Gene Kelly!) but manages not to feel like a cheap imitation. This is from the director of another French musical The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, Jacques Demy. This musical considerably lighter in tone and features dance numbers this time around. But it also features a memorable score courtesy of composer Michel Legrand. As a huge fan of movie musicals, I never wanted this one to end!
 
19. CHIMES AT MIDNIGHT (1965, Orson Welles) 12/16

Filipino film critic (and on-line acquaintance) Noel Vera considers this one of, if not, THE best films ever made. He's right that it's a great film, probably one of the BEST Shakespeare cinematic adaptations ever. It wouldn't QUITE make my upper-tier all-time list but I just saw this a few hours ago and I have to say my admiration for it grows the more I think about it. This adaptation is unique since it is actually not based on one Shakespeare play but five of his historical plays, constructing a narrative around the fictional supporting character of Falstaff. Orson Welles plays Falstaff embracing his more grotesque features. The film has a grimey, almost avant-garde feel to it but despite that, it still manages to pull off one of the BEST medieval battle scene ever committed to film and one would EASILY stand up along CGI/gore-laden battle scenes of today.

 20. NORTE, THE END OF HISTORY (2013, Lav Diaz) 12/22

Lav Diaz's films can be a bit intimidating due to their tendency to be very long and deliberately paced. He's one of the most uncommercial filmmakers out there (he made an 11 hour black & white silent film for crap's sakes!). But brave open-minded film buffs are often rewarded with a one-of-a-kind emotional, immersive, thought-provoking cinematic experience that comes from his brand of cinema. Norte is no different. More than that, and I don't use this word lightly, it may be his masterpiece. It's about a horrific double murder that happens in a provincial town. The real killer gets away with it while an innocent man who has a wife and kids goes to prison. The film chronicles and examines the fall out during the next few years following three main characters: The innocent convict, the killer and the convict's wife. It's alternately shocking, heartbreaking, moving, suspenseful and even funny! Despite it being deliberately paced and over 4 hours long (short for Lav Diaz's standards but long for most people), I almost never drifted away from the film nor did it feel dragging or felt too long at all. I felt like watching a master at work.

Weekly Round-Up (12/22/13 - 12/28/13)

These are in addition to the stuff I saw at Cinemanila.

Ang Turkey Man Ay Pabo Din (Randolph Longjas) *** - The title roughly translates to "A Turkey Is Still a Turkey". Who knew that there would be such a thing as a Filipino Thanksgiving comedy? Well, here it is. This one is about the love story between an American man and his Filipina fiancee whom he met online. The film skewers culture clash and Filipino habits, beliefs and idiosyncracies that would seem weird to outsiders. The result is often quite but I wish they had gotten a real professional actor to play the American. I found his acting is amateurish at best. One could argue that it adds to his charm but I found it jarring. Still, a better comedy than most mainstream Filipino comedies.

Dukit (Carved from Wood) (Armando Lao) *** - This is a unique biopic since the actual guy plays himself! (In fact, several people in his life play themselves). This tells the story of Waldo Tayug, a man who made a name for himself for his beautiful religious themed wood carvings. He makes those statues we see in churches. The film follows his story from childhood to present day but jumping back and forth in between time periods (and at times it's a bit confusing). Brillante Mendoza co-produced this film and directed by his script collaborator Armando Lao and Mendoza's docu-drama style shines through this one. It's imperfect but when it works, it works.

Mga Anino ng Kahapon (Shadows of the Past) (Alvin Yapan) ***1/2 - After her husband leaves to work abroad, a woman starts to exhibit symptoms of schizophrenia. This is from one of the Philippines' most promising indie directors, Alvin Yapan. I will definitely say that this is a far better cinematic depiction of schizophrenia than, say, A Beautiful Mind. I'm surprised by the terrific performance of Agot Isidro. Before now, I've never thought of her as that much of an actress but she was great. This one gets a very high recommendation from me.

 Blue Is The Warmest Color (Abdellatif Kechiche) **** - I saw this film on Christmas Day because nothing says "Christmas" like graphic lesbian sex. Actually, the much ballyhooed sex scenes were nowhere near as graphic as I imagined them to be based on the reactions I've read. They were about as graphic as, say, Lust, Caution and Y tu mama tambien. But it's graphic enough that I'm glad I saw it in the comfort of my bedroom instead of a movie theater filled with people. Those scenes aside, the controversy and a brouhaha surrounding it often makes people overlook the fact that this is a wonderful, beautiful bittersweet story about young love/first love. It's simple enough: A teenage girl's sexuality is awakened as she falls for an older woman. The audience is taken to the journey of their relationship. As I was watching this, I almost forget the fact that it's about two women and I was just taken by a beautifully and intelligently told love story. At almost three hours, is it a bit too long? Perhaps but personally, I didn't mind.

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (Adam McKay) *** - This is another one of my comedic blind spots since I'm not really the biggest Will Ferrell fan (I mean, I find him funny in small doses but big doses, he can get annoying to me). With the sequel already out, I thought I should finally catch up on it. Though it's nowhere near the comedic masterpiece its fans thinks it is, there are still quite a number of very funny moments in this just enough that I would like to see the sequel now. The gags and jokes are hit-and-miss but when they hit, it REALLY hits. Not a comedy classic but it's still quite enjoyable.

Boy Golden: The Arturo Porcuna Story (Chito S. Roño) ***1/2 - Very loosely based on the true to life story of an infamous Filipino criminal from the early '60s, this film was described by a critic as being like Johnnie To film --- and he is right. I don't particularly like the lead actor of this film, Jeorge ER Estregan, who always strikes me as an arrogant prick who thinks he's more talented than he is. I didn't mind him in this film because there are sooooooo many fun elements: The colorful cinematography, the surprising twists and turns, the fight scenes that are on the level of the best Southeast Asian (Thai, Hong Kong, etc.) martial arts action movies, a genuine sense of humor, outrageous violence and it's ridiculous and silly in the best possible way. I've always thought why can't we produce a fun action flick/crime drama on the level of, say, The Raid or Ong Bak or Kung Fu Hustle. Well, I can now say we do! Seriously. I'm surprised. Who knew Chito Roño (who is best known for dramas) had this in him? I like this better than On The Job.

Donkey Skin (Jacques Demy) ***1/2 - This is a fairy tale written by Charles Perrault who also did Cinderella and I was wondering why I haven't heard much about this one. Oh, and then I find out there's attempted incest in this one. That aside, this is a beautifully mounted musical-fantasy. The costumes and the production design are eye-popping. Those combined with sharp, almost dream-like cinematography creates something that's like literally straight out of a picture storybook and gives it a surrealism and beauty that's surpassed only by Jean Cocteau. Jacques Demy definitely had Cocteau in mind since Jean Marais (who played the Beast in Cocteau's Beauty and the Beast) plays the King.

10,000 Hours (Joyce Bernal) *** - This is a thinly-veiled, fictionalized version of a true story involving a cop turned Philippine senator being unfairly prosecuted for murder. This film where the names were changed whitewashes his character a bit and obviously upped the action-thriller ante. Is it any good? Yes, it's a solid, fairly decent, well-made thriller. Director Joyce Bernal, previously known for doing broad, light comedies, acquits herself well as an action director. It didn't blow me away (totally not Best Picture material) but it was fun.

The Great Beauty (Paolo Sorrentino) **** - This film surprised me. I mean, I heard that it was really good but I was surprised by how much I loved it. It's about an ageing writer who hasn't written another novel in years seeing friends, having affairs, going around the city and reminiscing about the old days. The film is quite Felliniesque in its content and structure. As great as Fellini? Not quite but it's still holds up as a great film on its own two feet. I'd like to think that this is Fellini's spirit living on, seeping through the present day. There's also a Wild Strawberries element in it as well. It's also beautifully filmed (boy those steadicam shots!), designed and acted. It's one of the very best films of the year.

Cinemanila Day 6

The one day grace extension of the festival. One film I wanted to see didn't push through but one did, fortunately.

Heli

directed by Amat Escalante

A Mexican family gets sucked into the brutal, unforgiving world of Mexican drug cartels after the 12 year old younger sister gets involved with a 17 year old cadet who stole drugs from a corrupt official. This is an excellently crafted crime drama whose shocking, disturbing and brutal elements are tastefully done and does not feel at all exploitive. It's beautifully photographed and acted and its deliberate pace only serves to highlight the brutal violence (one scene in particular will make you cringe). It falls a bit short of true greatness but it's still a quite excellent cinematic depiction of the drug war and corruption in Mexico.  (***1/2)

Cinemanila this year has been plagued with cancelled screenings, delays and a shortened time frame. But, even then, it was more than worth it because I got to see a whole bunch of great films.

Weekly Round-Up (12/15/13 - 12/21/13)

This is in addition to the Cinemanila Film Festival entries I've seen this week (see below for my reviews of those films).

Kind Hearts and Coronets (Robert Hamer) ***1/2 - I try my best to be able to see a wide variety of films. I must admit that one of my cinematic blind spots are the Ealing Studios comedies which I hear so many good things about. Well, they're right. This is a delightful black comedy about a young man whose mother was a black sheep of a wealthy aristocratic family so he murders all the other heirs in order to climb his way to being duke. It's surprising twisted especially for its time (it's still quite twisted to this day, it held up). It has some surprising twists as well. The highlight of course is watching the great Alec Guinness portray all the victims.

Chimes at Midnight (Orson Welles) **** - Filipino film critic (and on-line acquaintance) Noel Vera considers this one of, if not, THE best films ever made. He's right that it's a great film, probably one of the BEST Shakespeare cinematic adaptations ever. It wouldn't QUITE make my upper-tier all-time list but I just saw this a few hours ago and I have to say my admiration for it grows the more I think about it. This adaptation is unique since it is actually not based on one Shakespeare play but five of his historical plays, constructing a narrative around the fictional supporting character of Falstaff. Orson Welles plays Falstaff embracing his more grotesque features. The film has a grimey, almost avant-garde feel to it but despite that, it still manages to pull off one of the BEST medieval battle scene ever committed to film and one would EASILY stand up along CGI/gore-laden battle scenes of today.

Cinemanila Day 5

The Cinemanila Film Festival was supposed to end today but due to the screw-up on Day 2, they extended it by one day so there will be a Day 6 entry.

Norte, The End of History

directed by Lav Diaz

Lav Diaz's films can be a bit intimidating due to their tendency to be very long and deliberately paced. He's one of the most uncommercial filmmakers out there (he made an 11 hour black & white silent film for crap's sakes!). But brave open-minded film buffs are often rewarded with a one-of-a-kind emotional, immersive, thought-provoking cinematic experience that comes from his brand of cinema. Norte is no different. More than that, and I don't use this word lightly, it may be his masterpiece. It's about a horrific double murder that happens in a provincial town. The real killer gets away with it while an innocent man who has a wife and kids goes to prison. The film chronicles and examines the fall out during the next few years following three main characters: The innocent convict, the killer and the convict's wife. It's alternately shocking, heartbreaking, moving, suspenseful and even funny! Despite it being deliberately paced and over 4 hours long (short for Lav Diaz's standards but long for most people), I almost never drifted away from the film nor did it feel dragging or felt too long at all. I felt like watching a master at work.(****)

Cinemanila Day 4

The Rocket

directed by Kim Mordaunt

 

A young boy whose twin brother died at birth is believed to bring bad luck to everyone around him. He decides to try and break the curse and win a rocket making contest. The film is quite formulaic and somewhat predictable despite being in an otherwise unfamiliar milieu of a rural village in Laos. It hits all the familiar story beats. But this Australian-Thai-Laotian co-production is very lovingly made and beautifully acted that you won't really care so much. It's a solid piece of work. (***)

How to Disappear Completely

directed by Raya Martin

I have to say that there isn't a director (Filipino or otherwise) out there QUITE LIKE Raya Martin. From the films of his I've seen, this is probably the most conventional but only Raya Martin standards. This is billed as a "deconstruction" of a supernatural horror thriller. An androgynous teenage girl (I wonder if that was a deliberate, conscious casting decision) who lives with her religious mother and drunkard father is haunted by something. That's basically the main plot, if you call it that because then goes off into a series of surreal visions which has the appearance of a narrative film while breaking the rules of narrative film through imagery and sound. Filmmakers can come off as *gulp* pretentious when attempting something like this but Martin comes off as a wild imaginative child just playing with the medium of film. I recommend this film for the cinematically adventurous. (***)

Harmony Lessons

directed by Emir Baigazin

A quiet, nerdy teenage boy from a small Kazakhstani village is bullied by an older boy and his gang who has criminal connections. He deliberately plans an elaborate revenge. Now, there have been a lot of films about school bullying. I think this would end up ranking as one of the very best. Deliberately paced but never boring. Beautifully photographed too and features very natural, first-time actors. The film gets darker and darker and troubling. The ending is particularly haunting though it may piss off a few people. I would highly recommend keeping an eye out for this one.(***1/2) Check this box to be notified of replies to this topic. Note: BBcode and smileys are still usable.

 

Cinemanila Day 3

Yes, I know. What happened to Day 2, you ask? Unfortunately, there was technical difficulties and a lot of the screenings lined up for Day 2 were cancelled and replaced by films I have already seen. There were still technical difficulties in Day 3 but I still managed to see two films.

The Missing Picture

directed by Rithy Panh

One man recounts his experience under the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia. I've been to Cambodia and visited a lot of museums and learned a lot about it from the source. It's a story that's been told cinematically several times before but this one is unique in that it presents its re-enactments through a combination of shots of dioramas of clay figures interspersed with archival footage direct from the source. It's TECHNICALLY a documentary but its unique presentation elevates it into something that's almost poetic. It doesn't quite reach the greatness that it could have but it's still a beautifully mounted, heartfelt film that simply must be seen. (***1/2)

Neighboring Sounds

directed by Kleber Mendoca Filho

Oh, God. I loved this film. The synopsis doesn't do it justice and the over-two-hour running time may scare some people away. It's a multiple-storyline multi-character film about a middle-class neighborhood in a city in present-day Brazil. The film is basically a glimpse into the lives of the characters in the area. Some funny, some sad, some just a little weird. I don't want to say anything else because one of the pleasures of the film is discovering the characters and taking a peek into their lives. I was completely enraptured. Such a wonderful, wonderful film. I highly recommend it. (****)

 

Cinemanila Day 1

From now until the 22nd, I shall be blogging about the films I've seen in the 15th annual Cinemanila International Film Festival.

The Terror Live

directed by Byeong-woo Kim

A demoted broadcast journalist receives a phone call in his morning talk program threatening to blow up a bridge. When the man follows through his threat, the journalist seizes it as an opportunity to climb back to the top. The film starts out quite strong. It built some genuine tension while mixing some satirical jabs at the media. But it regresses into a popcorn thriller in the third act. It's still overall a very good, solid thriller that's well worth a watch. I'm gonna predict that Hollywood is gonna be remaking this Korean film within the next 5 or so years. Mark my words. (***)

 

R.I.P. Peter O'Toole and Joan Fontaine

Two great, legendary performers of the silver screen passed away within 24 hours of each other a couple of days ago. Peter O'Toole, of course, is best known for his work in Lawrence of Arabia and The Lion in Winter but he also excelled in practically every movie he was in, including his voice-over performance as Anton Ego in Ratatouille. Joan Fontaine, sister to Olivia de Havilland (who's still going strong) who she had an on-going feud, starred and is best known for in two classic Hitchcock films Rebecca and Suspicion but she was also heartbreaking and magnificent in Max Ophuls' Letter from an Unknown Woman. They will never be forgotten. Here are two excerpts from my favorites of their works:

Weekly Round-Up (12/8/13 - 12/14/13)

Marketa Lazarova (Frantisek Vlacil) ***1/2 - I've read this being compared to Game of Thrones. I can definitely see it. It's about a clan that runs afoul of their ruling king and all sorts of complications abound. The title character is the virgin daughter of a neighbor village whom the rebel clan kidnaps. It takes a while to get into and it drags here and there but when it delivers, it really delivers and becomes a really exciting, compelling piece of work. This is my second film from director Frantisek Vlacil whose other film I've seen of his, Valley of the Bees also similarly juxtaposes and depicts religion, sexuality and savage violence. I liked that film just a tad better but I think this one is excellent piece of work. It's nice to discover great filmmakers.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (Peter Jackson) *** - Is it as good as the original Lord of the Rings trilogy? Overall as a film? No. Does this film justify turning a light-hearted adventure book whose story should have just been told in a packed 2.5 hours into a full trilogy? Not really. But that doesn't mean that this film doesn't have really good moments. Peter Jackson still knows how to create exciting action sequences. The barrell chase scene was delightful and fun. But the highlight is of course Smaug, voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch, a really awe-inspiring creation. Even at over 2.5 hours long, the film feels brisk. It is enjoyable overall. But I still think splitting this into three is a huge mistake.

The Great Scenes # 66: Frozen (2013)

Directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee

This is probably the most recent film I've featured in this series. It was only released a couple of weeks ago. I have to say, I couldn't stop listening to this song and I love this sequence. "Let It Go" is probably this year's front-runner in the Best Original Song category. It features lovely animation but what really makes this scene fly is Idina Menzel's vocal chops who knock the song out of the park. Frozen is one of my favorite films of the year. 

Weekly Round-Up (12/1/13 - 12/7/13)

The Freshman (Sam Taylor/Fred C. Newmeyer) ***1/2 - I don't think it's QUITE as great as Safety Last! but it's pretty darn great Harold Lloyd film. A college freshman struggles to find popularity and acceptance with the upperclassmen. Harold Lloyd as usual blends a lot of clever gags and physical humor with great filmmaking. There's also a lot of pathos and sweetness in it too. I suspect a lot of college-set comedies and comedy sports movies after this stole a lot ideas from this film.

Ilo-Ilo (Anthony Chen) ***1/2 - This is Singapore's entry to the Best Foreign Film Oscar race. I think it deserves to get in. It's a wonderful, deceptively simple little drama about a Singaporean family who hires a Filipina nanny/maid who forms a bond with the family's young son. Very loosely autobiographical, the film is heartfelt and very sweet without being cloying. It has emotional heft. The quartet of actors all hit the right notes under the very assured direction of first-time director Anthony Chen, who is really a talent to keep an eye out on. One of the best films of the year.

Ender's Game (Gavin Hood) *** - I read the book this film was based on which I really enjoyed but that was years ago and I barely remember it so I'm not 100% sure how faithful it is. But based on what I remember, I think they hit everything. I'm surprised how much I enjoyed this though. The dialogue is borderline George Lucas/Phantom Menace terrible but thankfully, the strong cast actually sells it. The first two acts which SEEM to push a neocon rah-rah-rah view of war was thankfully salvaged in the end though. The repugnant beliefs of author Orson Scott Card aside, this film is a solid sci-fi action picture.

Weekly Round-Up (11/24/13 - 11/30/13)

Bigger Than Life (Nicholas Ray) **** - This film blew me away. A mild-mannered schoolteacher/family man discovers he has a serious heart ailment and is prescribed an experimental medicine that will help prolong his life. But then the drugs start changing his personality. This is a heartbreaking and even thrilling film. James Mason plays the lead in this and his performance is absolutely astonishing. The way he goes from loving family man and mild-mannered schoolteacher to....something else was masterful. Also masterful was Nicholas Ray's direction. The way he uses technicolor, light and shadow when composing the scenes and building dread was pitch perfect. This easily, EASILY ranks among his very best that already includes In a Lonely Place and Rebel Without a Cause. I absolutely LOVED it.

Frozen (Chris Buck/Jennifer Lee) ***1/2 - Is it the best animated musical from Disney since Beauty and the Beast? Hmmm. I don't know. Not quite but very, very close. I liked The Princess and The Frog and Tangled very much myself and this is probably the best among them. Part of that reason is the mostly very strong song score courtesy of Robert Lopez and his wife Kristen Anderson-Lopez which contain quite a few sly references from Disney songs and musical theater songs of the past. Another thing that surprised me is that it is nowhere near as snarky as the trailers suggest, it's actually a very sweet and moving look at the relationship between two sisters that genuinely moved me. Add to that beautiful animation and a great voice cast and it's probably the best mainstream Hollywood animated film of 2013. The cold never bothered me anyway.

The Young Girls of Rochefort (Jacques Demy) **** - For me, this is probably the cinematic version of a deliciously sweet and luxurious but light and airy dessert. Three women in the titular place long for love with the men they seek just around the corner. It's fluffy stuff but the filmmaking is simply breathtaking. It's obviously heavily inspired by classic MGM musicals (including a supporting role from Gene Kelly!) but manages not to feel like a cheap imitation. This is from the director of another French musical The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, Jacques Demy. This musical considerably lighter in tone and features dance numbers this time around. But it also features a memorable score courtesy of composer Michel Legrand. As a huge fan of movie musicals, I never wanted this one to end!

Typhoon Haiyan

 

 

This is somewhat off-topic from my blog but I think it's important. Earlier this month, my country was hit with the strongest typhoon on record, Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda in the Philippines). It has, to date, killed way over 5,000 people and devastated millions of lives. Now, my city wasn't directly hit. We only got a bit of wind and rain. Nothing serious. But people in the islands down south weren't so lucky. This short film I posted here was taken by an American (I think) storm chaser who was chronicling the typhoon from Tacloban, the province that experienced the worst of the typhoon. I've personally experienced my share of typhoons, even strong ones. My house was built as typhoon-proof but I don't think it would have survived unscathed if we had been directly hit. This was shot from a hotel, one of the nicest ones in that area and even they experienced floods and damaged roofs. So if you haven't already, do try and help out. Thank you. 

Weekly Round-Up (11/17/13 - 11/23/13)

The Counselor (Ridley Scott) **1/2 - I'm guessing my low expectations made me like this film more than I should but yeah, I did. I think the film's huge expectations: The combination of an acclaimed cast, the debut screenplay of Cormac McCarthy, a great novelist and of course to a lesser extent Ridley Scott (who's been hit & miss). I love Cormac McCarthy and his style is prevalent throughout this film but it fails to translate cinematically. The film is often hard to follow and goes on tangents that would work in a novel but NOT a screenplay. That said, the film looks great and the cast delivers. My favorite performance is, surprisingly, Cameron Diaz's who gives her best performance since Being John Malkovich.. It's a deeply flawed, rather unsatisfactory film but not awful.

Three Outlaw Samurai (Hideo Gosha) ***1/2 - A wandering samurai stumbles upon three men who has kidnapped a young woman. It turns out they're peasants who are desperate to make the ruthless administrator listen to them. He takes up their cause. It's no Seven Samurai (but then again, few things are) but the film still is simply a lean, mean, exciting samurai flick (of the samurai-helping-underdog subgenre). If you love samurai movies, this is a wonderful solid entry to the genre.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (Francis Lawrence) ***1/2 - I liked the first Hunger Games just fine. It didn't make me want to read the books but I enjoyed it mostly due to Jennifer Lawrence's terrific performance. But this one. Oh, boy. Had the first one been as good as this, I would have bought and read all of it. Coming into this largely not knowing what's going to happen, I thought it was absolutely terrific. Jennifer Lawrence is fantastic but she is complimented by a very strong supporting cast who ALMOST steal the show. The film is also very well-paced. Even though it's almost 2.5 hours long, it just breezed by. NOW, I fully and completely get why The Hunger Games is so popular.

Eating Raoul (Paul Bartel) ***1/2 - A sexually repressed/very prudish married couple trying to buy a restaurant start killing off sex perverts/swingers in order to get the money to do so. This was a wonderfully sick, twisted, really goofy black comedy which, on paper, could have gone woefully wrong in a lot of ways but co-writer-director-star Paul Bartel manage to maintain the right level of goofiness and heightened reality enough to make the audience go along for the ride. It's the type of comedy which will make you think, "This is so wrong" while laughing at the same time.

Weekly Round-Up (11/10/13 - 11/16/13)

Bring Me The Head of Alfredo Garcia (Sam Peckinpah) ***1/2 - By virtue of its title, I went "SOLD!" but then it's also directed by Sam Peckinpah so it's DOUBLE-sold. This is about a rich Mexican crime lord who orders his network to bring the head of the man who knocked up his young daughter and Warren Oates, an American expat, is caught up on it. This one isn't QUITE as lurid or exploitive as the title suggests. Well, it is sort of. There are lots of nudity and violence but Peckinpah actually takes his time to build character and story so when it comes, it was quite satisfying. It mixes absurd dark humor, romance and violence very well. It's pretty darn awesome.

Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Na Kayon Ngayon? (Eddie Romero) ***1/2 - The title is roughly translated as "This Is How It Was Then, What's It Like Today?" It's about poor Filipino country boy whose mom just passed away and being a bit of a dumbass, he accidentally burns down his house. And so begins his journey. One thing that surprised me about this film is that it is a COMEDY. Well, at least it starts out as a comedy but slowly becomes more and more serious as it goes along without you noticing. It's a very Filipino film from the get-go, very Filipiniana. However, the structure is kind of Fellini-esque in a way. Sometimes I find myself thinking, had Fellini been Filipino, it would probably be like this. Overall, it's an imperfect film (a bit overlong) but its message is still shockingly relevant today and imparts it without being preachy.

Ang Alamat ni China Doll (The Legend of China Doll) (Adolfo Alix Jr.) *** - I often complain films being too long. Though seldom do I complain about them being too short. Well, this is one of those times. Presented in a non-linear structure, the film is about a young woman who is a criminal turned state witness with the code name "China Doll" and engaged in a bizarre, sick triangle between an ambitious journalist and her police handler. The script is by Lav Diaz, director known for his very, very long films (9 to 11 hours long). I don't know if the director clipped the script but the film is 90 minutes long and I feel we only got a very fleeting glimpse of what really should have been a 2.5 hour (at least) epic to fully explore the many intricacies that this film only merely touched upon.

Weekly Round-Up (11/3/13 - 11/9/13)

Blow Out (Brian De Palma) **** - As someone who considers himself a Brian De Palma fan, it's amazing that I haven't seen one of his most major works until now. John Travolta, in probably one of his very best roles, plays a movie sound man who records something that is evidence of a rather vast consipiracy. Take The Conversation and Blow Up, add a heavy dose of Hitchcock and turn it up to 11 and you get Blow Out. It's De Palma at his VERY, VERY best. Here he orchestrates suspense while seemingly deconstructing film (well, the old-school film anyway). I didn't know much about it so the many twists and turns this film had was a thrill. Excellent picture all around.
Sapi (Possession) (Brillante Mendoza) **1/2 - I'm a fan of director Brillante Mendoza's work so when I heard he's made a horror film, I got interested (well, he already sort of did with Kinatay). This one is about two competing TV networks each trying to make a story of demonic possessions in order to boost ratings. And the reporters and cameramen involved start getting strange visions. This movie is kind of strange. It seems that it's trying to satirize the Philippines' TV network wars and the exploitive nature of mass media while someone is trying to butt in trying to make it into a horror film. The combination just didn't quite gel and results in neither one being completely satisfactory. There potentially interesting ideas and visuals but all in all, it's Mendoza's weakest work to date.

The Great Films # 13: The Great Silence (1968)

Directed by Sergio Corbucci

It's time to feature yet another spaghetti Western. This time, it's the criminally under-seen film The Great Silence. I know why it's so under-seen. It's got a very downer of an ending. So much so that a "happier" ending had to be re-shot for certain markets. It's a pretty brilliant anti-Western in a way with brilliant performances from Jean-Louis Tritignant and Klaus Kinski. It's a film that subverts your expectations of the Western genre. Plus it's got a BEAUTIFUL score by Ennio Morricone. 

Weekly Round-Up (10/27/13 - 11/2/13)

The Family (Luc Besson) ** - The terrific, fun performances of the main four cast members playing the title characters (Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfieffer, Dianna Agron, John D'Leo) makes this film not a complete waste of time and somewhat watchable. The film is all over the place. Mixing genre elements is tricky (brutal mob action and broad comedy) and Luc Besson isn't very good at it. It gets better in the third act (which includes a clever meta gag) but it's not enough to elevate the film. That said, the performances of the four actors are fun to watch since they have actual chemistry. If only there was a better movie built around them.

The Descent (Neil Marshall) ***1/2 - I regret not checking this out when it was theatrically released here. I've since heard a lot of great things about it. I sure am glad I took the time to finally check it out. A group of young women go spelunking in an unknown cave. They get lost and they encounter a group of flesh eating humanoids. For me getting lost and trapped in a dark scary cave is scary enough. Throwing in flesh-eating cave dwellers just puts it over the top. It's a lean, mean horror film with some inventive cinematography. Plus I love the fact that it's female-driven too!

Hellraiser (Clive Barker) *** - I'm surprised by how much I don't know much about this film even though I'm familiar with the Pinhead character (who surprisingly enough is barely in this film). A man summons dark demons and escapes them and needs to suck life out of living blood in order to restore himself. The plot is a tad thin but the film does have very effective gore and inventive makeup effects which managed to make me squirm quite a bit (the skinless man is not for the faint of heart). And I've seen a lot! Not one of my favorites but a solid enough Halloween viewing.

Black Sunday (The Mask of Satan) (Mario Bava) ***1/2 - I've been catching up on the works of Mario Bava lately and I think this might be my favorite of his so far. A witch being executed puts a curse on the bloodline of her executioner. Flashforward 200 years and she's resurrected eager to possess her good doppelganger. The film is beautifully designed and shot with really, really spooky, disturbing elements (I mean, that mask is...whoah) that mixes and matches up the vampires, ghosts and zombie legends. Also features a really chilling score.

Thor: The Dark World (Alan Taylor) *** - This is not a bad film. But it's not a particularly GREAT one either. That said, if you enjoyed the first one, there's no reason for you not to like this one. Thor is back saving the world (no, the UNIVERSE) again and CGI monsters and FX assault our senses. The film lacks the sense of humor of the first one but it does have one great joke that's almost worth the price of admission. There's nothing here that we haven't seen before but it does have a few nifty moments that makes this worthwhile viewing. It's inoffensive, enjoyable fluff.

The Leopard Man (Jacques Tourneur) **** - It's not QUITE as great as Cat People but it's pretty damn close. A leopard gets loose in a Mexican-American town and starts killing women but something is unusual about it. The film is only a little over an hour long but I'm amazed by how dense and rich the story is. It managed to flesh out a whole lot of characters something that some films twice its length sometimes fail to do. Like Cat People, director Jacques Tourneur tosses out gory special effects and just simply relies on sound effects, atmospheric cinematography and precise editing in order to illicit its scares. A short but excellent horror picture.

The Great Scenes # 65: The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

Directed by James Whale

She only appears in the last few minutes of the film but left such an indelible mark on film history that she's almost as iconic as her on-screen "groom". The sequel to the classic horror adaptation of Mary Shelley's classic is strange, weird and beautiful in so many different ways. It features a beautiful performance by Boris Karloff who now gets a few lines in this time around. Of course, Elsa Lanchester gives a short but unforgettable performance as the title character.

Happy Halloween!

The Great Scenes # 64: An American Werewolf in London (1981)

Directed by John Landis

 

In this day and age of CGI effects where werewolf transformations can easily be done by morphing and computer animated wolves, this type of old-fashioned make-up prosthetics and practical effects are an endangered species. Luckily we still have the classic films to revisit them. In An American Werewolf in London, a man gets bitten and transforms into a werewolf and we see the transformation in horrific, painful details. This is courtesy of Rick Baker who won the very first Makeup Oscar for this film. Give me this over CGI any day. 

Weekly Round-Up (10/20/13 - 10/26/13)

Carrie (Kimberly Peirce) **1/2 - I think this film would've been more acclaimed and I probably would have liked it more if this was the first film version of Stephen King's novel. But alas, this film stands in the spectre of Brian De Palma's widely revered 1976 horror classic which I consider one of my favorite horror films of all time. Technically, this is not a bad film at all. It's well made and well acted. But apart from updating it to reflect contemporary times (cell phones, internet, etc.) and a few other differences here and there, the film didn't do enough things differently or say anything particularly new to justify it being made again. I expressed concerns over Chloe Moretz being cast as Carrie since I find her a bit too beautiful and confident to play such a character. Sadly, I was right. Though Moretz's acting is faultless, her physical appearance and overall persona distracted me from buying her as a shy vulnerable outcast. It's fine but you're better off watching the classic 1976 version.

The Uninvited (Lewis Allen) ***1/2 - A brother and sister buy a seaside house with a mysterious past and a ghostly presence (but somehow no light bulbs). This is a nice good old-fashioned spooky haunted house movie which, despite its age, still manages to give me the creeps without even relying on jump scares and gore. It even managed to surprise with an unexpected plot twist in the end. Recommended by a friend. It's good stuff.

Lauriana (Mel Chionglo) *** - It's the early 1950's and a young orphaned boy befriends a soldier stationed in his hometown. The soldier takes a dance hall girl, the title character, as a lover and the three become a sort of surrogate family until the soldier's dark, fucked up past starts manifesting itself. This film was written by my mentor, Ricky Lee, so I'm being fair to it. It's very well-acted and very well-made though ultimately kind of flawed and kind of anti-climactic. There's a great film somewhere in there and it seems to be headed that way but it dropped the ball in the third act. Overall, still worth a look.

The Great Scenes # 63: Psycho (1960)

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

I looked it up and I can't believe it took THIS long for me to features one of the most famous scenes in the history of cinema. Since I'm featuring all horror movies this month, it couldn't be better timing. This is probably one of the most extraordinary examples of filmmaking especially during a time when explicit violence and nudity in mainstream American cinema is considered taboo. I recently revisited Psycho and it's amazing how it holds up. Alfred Hitchcock is not called "The Master" for nothing. 

The Great Scenes # 62: Poltergeist (1982)

"Directed by" Tobe Hooper

 

Notice the quotes I wrote on the phrase "directed by". That's because it's an open secret that the real director of this film was producer Steven Spielberg. Tobe Hooper was allegedly credited because there's a rule in the Director's Guild that would prevent Spielberg from taking credit because he also directed E.T. that was released within weeks of one another. There are conflicting reports on who actually directed it but no matter who directed it, there's a freaky scene in the middle where one of the paranormal investigators starts peeling off his face. It's shocking and gory and a jolt to the senses. 

Weekly Round-Up (10/13/13 - 10/19/13)

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 (Cody Cameron/Kris Pearn) **1/2 - I liked the original quite a bit. It had a clever, original concept combined with some funny gags and great animation. The sequel still has great animation and clever, funny gags particularly the ones involving the "Foodimals". But apart from those, the plot is kind of predictable and generic and a lot of the surprises and cleverness of the original is sadly lost. Although I must say, the Foodimals must be this franchise's version of the Minions. Those critters are undeniably fun to watch and like the Minions, it simply highlights how bland the human characters and the actual story of it really is.

Colgados de un Sueno (Antonio Perez Molero) **1/2 - I walked into this having no idea what it's about. It was inexpensive screening at the Spanish Film Festival. As it turns out, it's a documentary about Fernando Zobel, a Spanish abstract painter (and I suspect a relative of the Zobel-Ayalas, the rich Spanish-Filipino family who owns the theaters and indeed a lot of corporations and properties over here). I had no knowledge and little interest in the subject. However, great documentaries can grip an audience who have little knowledge and interest in their subject matters. Unfortunately, this film is not for the uninitiated. I feel like a Philistine saying that this was a tough sit for me because this documentary is aimed at people already interested and knowledgeable about the subject. It's well-made but only, AT BEST, only occasionally mildly interesting for me (and I consider myself fairly open-minded and cultured but this is a blind spot). I recommend this only to the initiated.

Captain Phillips (Paul Greengrass) ***1/2 - Despite the fact that I already knew the ending, having heard about this story AS IT HAPPENED, just like what he managed to do with United 93, director Paul Greengrass managed to mine a lot of suspense out of it and crafted a real edge-of-your-seat thriller. Tom Hanks also gives one of the best performances he has ever given in quite a while. One of my fears about this film is that the Somali pirates will be portrayed as cartoony villains. But to my surprise, the film treated them fairly, humanizing them and making the audience understand why they are doing this without glamorizing or justifying their actions. A huge chunk of the credit must go to newcomer Barkhad Abdi who creates a memorable human character. I know about the charges of inaccuracies but frankly, I'm just judging as a film. It's not a documentary.

The Phantom of the Paradise (Brian DePalma) ***1/2 - It's a weird, crazy, far out early Brian DePalma that's basically a VERY loose adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera setting it up as a modern-day rock musical. The film is visually spectacular in a very DePalma-esque type of way. It's also quite funny and very biting in its satire on the way show business treats its artists. My one beef (hehehe) is that since it's a musical, the songs are not as great as the film itself. They're not bad. They're just pretty good but I feel that the story and craft of the film deserve better songs than what was there. But still, a pretty darn good rock musical. I feel like going as the Phantom of the Paradise for Halloween.

Passion (Brian De Palma) ** - Like many cinephiles, I'm a huge fan of director Brian De Palma, up to and including many of his later works which a lot of mainstream critics tend to give mixed to negative reviews to. I was hoping this would be again the case here but alas. This film pretty much harkens back to De Palma's erotic thrillers from the 1980's. This is a woman-centric look into the backstabbing nature of the corporate world. Think Showgirls but instead of Vegas, it's in shiny office buildings. It borders on camp but not quite to make it great. The third act goes crazy in the way that's very De Palma but a lot of it are stuff he has done before and done better in other films so he's sadly repeating himself and not in a particularly great way. This is a weak, disappointing effort from a great filmmaker.

The Mummy (Karl Freund) *** - This is the only major Universal monster I have not seen until now. I must say that it is sadly my least favorite among all the Universal monster movies I've seen so far. However, it's not a bad film at all. It's all largely thanks to Boris Karloff who plays the title character. He is creepy, scary and yet gives the character depth and humanity. Karloff alone makes it worth seeing and makes this film superior to anything Brendan Fraser and CGI-action sequences can offer.

The Great Scenes # 61: American Psycho (2000)

Directed by Mary Harron

This is probably one of the most memorable on-screen murders since Psycho and it gave me a new appreciation for the song "Hip to Be Square". In this scene, Patrick Bateman waxes poetic about Huey Lewis and the News, particularly their song "Hip to Be Square" as he prepares to murder a drunk associate. It's a bizarre, strange and really darkly funny scene. This film pretty much helped make Christian Bale the major actor that he is now. 

Weekly Round-Up (10/6/13 - 10/12/13)

O Apostolo (Fernando Cortizo) *** - I saw this Spanish stop-motion animated feature at a film festival. It's about a convict who escapes from prison and goes to a mysterious village where his partner hid some precious jewels. Beautiful animation and goes into twists and turns I didn't expect (since I had very little idea of what this was about going in). All in all, interesting but left me a bit cold.

Kung Fu Divas (Onat Diaz) *** - This is one of the very rare mainstream Filipino comedies that dare to try something unique and different. A perpetual beauty pageant loser meets up with a beautiful rival who sweeps in and takes her crown. It turns out she's her long-lost twin sister and they were banished from a Chinese tribe and they got kung fu powers. Yeah, I know. The concept is wonderfully weird and far out. It's both a satire on beauty pageants and the Filipino obssession with it and a spoof of sorts of kung fu/wu xia films. The first act or so which is mostly of the former is the most successful. It's sharp, biting, funny and accurate on beauty pageants. But latter part is a bit less successful and often gets a bit overwhelmed and some of it didn't quite work. It got back on the right track in the end. Overall, it's a commendable, solid effort.

Samurai Rebellion (Masaki Kobayashi) **** - Between this and Harakiri, Masaki Kobayashi must specialize in samurai movies that will make you cry. This one's about a samurai warrior whose lord asks that his mistress be married to his son. Reluctantly, they agree. But then his son and the mistress fall in love and just as they have their first child together, the mistress is ordered back to the castle. They refuse. Let's say shit hits the fan. The film takes a while to get to the samurai action but it's an emotional roller-coaster ride getting there and by the time the action hits, you'll be too busy crying to see the astounding sword play. It's masterfully directed and Toshiro Mifune has never been better! Kurosawa may get a lot of press but I think Kobayashi deserves some attention too.

Island of Lost Souls (Erle C. Kenton) **** - So far, I've only seen the 1995 adaptation of the HG Wells novel with Marlon Brando which was of course kind of grotesque and fascinating in a car wreck sort of way. Despite this not having as much on-screen gore or super elaborate makeup as the remake, I found this one far, far more effective. Charles Laughton is wonderfully creepy as Dr. Moreau. I'm thinking this was pre-code so it's also quite racy for a 1930's film (borderling bestiality alert!). The climax is still quite chilling, frightening and shocking, even.

Metro Manila (Sean Ellis) ***1/2 - A Filipino family from the rural provinces in hard times try their luck at a better future in the big city of Metro Manila but only finding even MORE hardship, crime and corruption. As someone who's familiar with Filipino cinema, this basic plot has been tackled by Filipino filmmakers in the past, most notably Lino Brocka and Brillante Mendoza. However, British director Sean Ellis somehow was able to add a few fresh twists by adding the crime thriller element. Also, as an outsider shooting a story about another society and culture, the film captures Manila with its sights, sounds and numerous idiosyncracies with a fresh perspective. Though I must say that as a speaker of both languages (and of course as a screenwriter and someone who does this type of thing for a living) some of the dialogue and English subtitles need a bit of fixing but overall, still a solid, excellently crafted thriller.

The Great Scenes # 60: The Cabin in the Woods (2012)

Directed by Drew Goddard

 

This is probably one of the best horror films (if you can call it that) in the past few years. It's a film which gleefully and intelligently deconstructs horror films in a manner befitting the genre. I would advise people who haven't seen the film NOT to view the clip above because part of the joy of it is the surprise that it happens and when it does it's a joy and wonder to behold.

Weekly Round-Up (9/29/13 - 10/5/13)

Once Upon a Time in America (Sergio Leone) **** - This is one of those film that I classify under Why The Hell Haven't I Seen This In Full Yet? The length is pretty intimidating but once the film starts to unfold, it really hooks you in and the 3.5 hours almost just flies by. This is the final work from Sergio Leone and it's evident that this is the work of true master of the medium. Everything here is perfect or near-perfect: The performances, the cinematography, the design, not to mention Ennio Morricone's goosebump-inducing score. It's a stunning piece of work which stands among the best gangster epics out there.

Gravity (Alfonso Cuaron) **** - The film is a visually astonishing thrill ride. But it's one with emotional heft and genuine artistry. I have grown to become jaded with all the CGI special effects these days. Seldom does it wow me. This one actually managed to wow me from the first frame down to the last. I don't remember the last time I went, "OMG. How did they do that?" in an FX-laded film but this one, after seeing, made me felt like that once again. All the while, it really felt like they actually went to space! The 13 minute continuous opening shot and those amazing sequences where the camera goes from a wide shot to a character POV shot is very impressive indeed. I saw this on IMAX 3D, something I very seldom do because the IMAX theaters are twice as expensive and way out of my way and I generally think 3D is a scam but this is one of the very few exceptions. Truly a work of a master filmmaker.

The Great Scenes # 59: The Sixth Sense (1999)

Directed by M. Night Shyamalan

 

 

For the month of October, all the films that will be featured in my "Great Scenes" (or maybe "Great Movies") series will be in the horror genre. The first one is rather light on the horror elements and really more of an emotional scene. Before M. Night Shyamalan's name became synonymous with being terrible, he broke through in the film industry in a big way with The Sixth Sense, a huge horror hit about a young boy who sees dead people which has a surprise shocker of an ending. This scene comes near the end before the big reveal. Personally, I think this should have won Oscars for both Toni Collette and Haley Joel Osment. Watch it and see why. 

Weekly Round-Up (9/22/13 - 9/29/13)

Incendies (Denis Villeneuve) ***1/2 - After their mother, a Middle Eastern immigrant to Canada dies, a twin brother and sister dig into her dark, violent and disturbing past in her war torn home country. The film is a gripping mystery which unravels piece by piece and goes into twists and turns which you may not expect but doesn't feel cheap or gimmicky. Even the shocking third act reveal feels earned. Director Villenueve is definitely a filmmaker worth watching out for.

Thursday's Children (Lindsay Anderson/Guy Brenton) *** - This came as a bonus feature in the If... Criterion Collection Blu-ray. It's a 20 minute documentary short about a school for deaf children in England narrated by Richard Burton. It won the Oscar for Best Documentary Short. The film's content is very dated. The teaching methods shown are no longer in use though the school is still around, according to the intro notes. What's left is a weirdly fascinating and rather politically incorrect look into how they taught deaf children at the time.

Everlasting Moments (Jan Troell) *** - A woman in the early 20th century with a drunk, abusive husband finds solace and happiness in photography. I have to say that this film feels kind of old-fashioned. The film has the look and feel of a period European film from the 70's and 80's, you know, the type that stereotypically gets nominated and win Foreign Film Oscars. It's not a bad thing at all though. The film is quite lovely with nice performances. Didn't blow me away but it's a well-made film for what it is.

 Sana Dati (Jerrold Tarog) **** - Filipino romantic movies usually make me run for the hills. Not this one. A young woman who's about to get married is in love with another man. That's all you have to know about it. It may sound like a tried, cliched story but the film does a fantastic job of subverting your expectations while also delivering a beautiful, emotional, heartbreaking love story. It manages to surprise without feeling like it cheats. It manages to be emotional without being overly manipulative or melodramatic. This has been a great year for Filipino films, I must say.

Prisoners (Denis Villenueve) *** - I recently saw Incendies, the director, Denis Villenueve's, previous film and I became an instant fan. The way he fashioned a mystery and let things unfold in a rather deliberate fashion in that film was quite brilliant. He employs more or less the same method here although the results are quite a bit more flawed. That's not to say this is a bad film. Far from it. The performances of the cast are fantastic. Hugh Jackman gives probably one of his career-best performances in this one as father trying to find his daughter and Jake Gyllenhaal matches him as the detective. It's beautifully shot by Roger Deakins. There are lots of interesting ways where the story could go but unfortunately, the third act pretty much becomes rather rote. There was potential for greatness but fell short. It's still overall a very good film and a fine Hollywood debut from Villenueve.

The Great Films # 12: A Trip to the Moon (1902)

Directed by Georges Melies

It's been a while since I did one of these. Well, this is probably the oldest film I've ever featured here. This is widely believed to be the first science-fiction film ever made and the first FX -laden film ever made. This copy is unique because this is hand-painted COLORED version of A Trip to the Moon. I've only ever seen the black & white version since the colored version have been thought to be lost but it's here for your viewing pleasure. Though the film may seem silly and dated now, there's no denying that there's beauty and imagination involved and it is, after all, a groundbreaking film which help shape the art form as we know today. 

Weekly Round-Up (9/15/13 - 9/21/13)

The Breakfast Club (John Hughes) **1/2 - I was dreading this. It doesn't sound very appealing to me. Actually, I have to admit for a while, I was liking it a bit. The performances are pretty good and I was almost willing to forgive the fact that I saw every freaking irritating cliche I see in many teen movies and teen TV shows being used. Then slowly but surely, it starts to become a whiney, woe-is-me fest that I feared it was going to be. Personally, I don't think this is depicting teenagers as much as pandering to them. It's almost condescending if you really think about it. It is NOT a great film. I would go so far as to say I blame it for all the FLAWS of subsequent teen movies that were influenced by this. But I'm being too harsh. I didn't hate it. But I didn't love it. And please, repeat after me: JOHN HUGHES IS NOT A GREAT FILMMAKER. The sooner people realize that, the sooner we can all evolve as a species. Thanks.

The Guerrilla is a Poet (Sari Dalena/Kiri Dalena) *** - This is a film about the Philippines' most famous communist, Jose Maria Sison. It's part documentary, part narrative film with real footage and actual interviews with the real life participants including Sison himself cut into a full narrative film. The result is always interesting if not always completely successful. Despite the great performances from the re-enactments, I found myself preferring to listen to the real life accounts directly from the horses' mouth. Overall, still a compelling, interesting film worth watching. 

(*NOTE: I got injured watching this movie. At one point in the film, I had to go to the bathroom. I was making my way down the steps when I neglected to see one last step and I tripped. I used both arms to break my fall and I hurt my left elbow. It wasn't so bad at first. I finished the film and even went to see Rush. By the time I got out of that movie, the pain was really intense. I went to the emergency room. Thank God nothing was broken. It was a bone contusion i.e. a bruise. But it's still painful and I'm typing this with one hand. LOL.)

Rush (Ron Howard) ***1/2- I'm no fan of director Ron Howard. As far as I'm concerned, his best contribution to the world of entertainment is executive producing and narrating Arrested Development. It still is but this film manages to be rise above his generally mediocre film output. This is thanks to the combination of a superb performance of Daniel Brühl as Niki Lauda (Chris Hemsworth was good but Brühl was something else) and the cinematography of Anthony Dod Mantel who manages to inject a lot more visual flair than the usually pedestrian Ron Howard visuals. Some credit has to be given also to Peter Morgan's script which managed to make me, someone who knows next to nothing of Formula 1 racing and not really all that interested in it, gripped for a couple of hours. It's not a groundbreaking film but it's still a fine piece if entertainment.

Weekly Round-Up (9/8/13 - 9/14/13)

Napoleon (Abel Gance) ***1/2 - This is the 5-hour Kevin Brownlow cut of the film. It actually sort of hurts me to give it the rating that I'm giving. It's high, yes, but it SHOULD have been higher. This gargantuan biopic on Napoleon has a remarkable and impressive first three hours. From the first scene, it really grabs with its truly breathtaking and bravura filmmaking. There were moments that I got goosebumps, it was so impressive. Then the third act begins when for some reason it becomes a romantic comedy using an unnecessarily large chunk of time on Napoleon's romance with his first wife. It is so frustrating that it was on its way to becoming one of the best biopics ever made only to have it break like that. But still, for the first 3 hours, it's a stunning piece of cinema. I would still recommend it.

Pale Flower (Masahiro Shinoda) ***1/2 - A newly-paroled Yakuza member (who served time for murder) goes into his old gambling haunts then befriends and falls in love with a mysterious female gambler. This films reminds me of Wong Kar-Wai with its beautiful cinematography and lowkey/chaste love story. It's surprisingly largely non-violent for a film centering on the Yakuza but still manages to have an aura of tension about it. Violence can explode at many minute! I wasn't completely blown away by it but it's still a worthwhile piece of work.

Kicking and Screaming (Noah Baumbach) ***1/2 - It's one of Noah Baumbach's early works and as a fan of The Squid and the Whale was really curious to see this. It's about a group of college students who just graduate or are about to graduate. It's a wonderful film about young adult characters each struggling to move on to the next phase of their lives. This movie could have gone wrong in so many different ways. It could have been boring, the characters could have been annoying, it could have been too preachy, etc. But it's almost none of that. Instead, what I got are strong hints of a terrific cinematic voice in writer-director Noah Baumbach. It's a delightful, funny, poignant film.

This Is The End (Seth Rogen/Evan Goldberg) *** - It is an excellent idea: An end-of-the-world Biblical Apocalypse horror-comedy and have all the characters be celebrities and they play themselves! The results? Well, it's hit and miss. More hits than misses but there are enough misses to knock it a few points off my book. This entire notion of having the actors play a version of themselves wasn't really explored deeply enough to make it a bit more cutting and satirical. There was potential there but I think it wasn't explored enough. But still, there are a lot of really good laughs and I have to say Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg have potential as filmmakers. I see genuine talent there.

The Way, Way Back (Nat Faxon/Jim Rash) ***1/2 - This film surprised me. I really didn't expect it to like it this much. The plot is kind of a generic coming-of-age teen dramedy flick that we've seen before in various other reincarnations. The narrative beats and the tropes are familiar. However, with this film, the characters are wonderfully drawn and fleshed out that they really come to life (the mopey, angsty teen in the center manages to be more endearing than annoying, the mom's douchey boyfriend is not a one-dimensional cartoon, etc.). It also helps that the ensemble of actors playing them is quite strong with Sam Rockwell being the stand-out. It's funny, poignant and sweet without being cloying.

Clue (Jonathan Lynn) **1/2 - Someone highly recommended this film to me. It is without a doubt probably the best film based on a board game ever made. I've never played the board game (though all the names sound maddeningly familiar, despite never having seen the film before) so I'm gonna judge this as a comedic whodunit. It's simple: A group of disparate strangers get invited to house by a mysterious stranger and then bodies start to pile up. It's entertaining. It's fun to watch especially with this ensemble of actors (Can't go wrong with Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, Michael McKean, etc.). There are funny stuff. But all in all I found it all just "eh, it's okay". I'm sorry I'm not gonna be part of this cult. Excuse me while I watch A Shot in the Dark again.