Autoerotic (2011)

Girl: "Heat, like the coffee cup turns me on."

By Joe Swanberg and Adam Wingard
With Amy Seimetz, Joe Swanberg and Adam Wingard

After I watched Upstream Color, I decided to check out the filmography of the main actors. From there I discovered Amy Seimetz, who starred in a movie titled Autoerotic.

Autoerotic is made up of four short stories which all have sex and the exploration and issues that go with it in common. We move through these themes which are loosely interconnected with beautiful shots of Chicago's skyline and traffic.

But to put it bluntly, I didn't like Autoerotic. First of all, I couldn't decide if it was supposed to be a drama or a comedy because the stories were so stereotypical and ridiculous. The themes are absolutely clichéd: the guy who wants a bigger penis, the girl who has issues because her sexual drive is too high, the pregnant woman who can't be fulfilled by her husband and the creepy guy who can't let go of his ex-girlfriend. Even the numerous sex scenes couldn't redeem the movie. It grieves me to admit the best scenes of the movie were the panoramic shots of Chicago shown between each segment.

I liked: Props to the pregnant woman.

I disliked: The supposed intersections of the stories is contrived and borders on the ridiculous. No psychological exploration of the implications of sex whatsoever. Overtly stereotypical and totally unoriginal storylines. All the guys are pretty much pervs. As for the title, Autoerotic, it made not a single appearance in any form in all three stories.

18/100
I was quite disappointed. I thought it would explore aspect and issues of autoeroticism but it didn't. It was mostly a collection of clichés.

La fille aux yeux d'or (The Girl with the Golden Eyes) 1961

Henry Marsay: "Go, and sin in peace."

By Jean-Gabriel Albicocco
With Marie Laforêt, Paul Guers and Françoise Prévost

I decided to watch La fille aux yeux d'or because it is sometimes said to be one of the first depictions of a lesbian relationship in a movie.

The film starts with an introduction, telling us that Honoré de Balzac wrote a novel and that there are a lot of characters like his in our every day lives. We then proceed to learn more about the main male character Henri Marsay, who seems to be a player and serial seducer who is part of a group of friends who seem to bet on evil deeds.

Henry Marsay as a central character is quite the mystery. He is aggressively dominant, shows very little feeling for anyone else other than himself, doesn't mind slapping women he is with, shows off about his conquests to his friends and has only one female friend with whom he seems to have a blurry relationship with.

Needless to say that I pretty much hated the character from start to finish which made it really difficult for me to feel anything for him, even when by some twist of fate, he falls in love and is overcome with suffering when his love is taken away.

I just couldn't see this as a bad thing. The dialogues are also quite confusing as it seemed they were trying to quote from the novel but the quotes didn't quite fit in easily. Moreover, the lesbian relationship, for which I watched this film was severely minimized in order to foreground the heterosexual relationships. This seemed forced and unnatural and made me lose interest in the movie.

I liked: The music. The scenes of Paris. The female cast.

I disliked: The misogynistic and heteronormative story line. Henri Marsay, the protagonist. The confusing dialogue which gave no motive or explanation for most of the actions in the film. The ending. What is the role of the group of 13?

28/100
Maybe at the time, the mere idea of having a woman in love with a woman was already a big enough feat that everything else had to be overly macho to compensate. Even with that in mind, it was hard for me to empathize in any way with any character. Afterwards, whatever happened to the characters felt irrelevant to me.

Upstream Color (2013)

Kris: "Is there a direction that you feel drawn to?"

By Shane Carruth
With Amy Seimetz, Shane Carruth and Andrew Sensenig

It is hard for me to pinpoint a single reason why I decided to watch this film. I think it came up somehow and I had to decide on a feeling, and I had a good feeling about it. It looked indie and thought provoking so I decided to go for it.

The movie starts in a confusing manner, when a man throws out plants, paper notes, manufactures pills with larvae in them, teaches some kids in the neighborhood and finally abducts a woman. He then proceeds to implant a larvae in her system, which makes her forget most of her functions. She only desires water and frantically writes out paragraphs from Walden by Henry David Thoreau, and finally ends up in the hospital, but not before the unknown man has her sign papers and give him all her money. The story then follows Kris as she recovers and starts living her life again.

What shocks at first in Upstream Color is the weird, eerie and very organic feel that the movie has. It is very well rendered. The movie is confusing and we never know what to really expect but we make up most of it as it comes along, which is really good, even though all your questions will probably not be answered, even as the credits roll.

Adding to the eerie atmosphere of the movie is the complex role of sound and music. It's only rarely that I've witnessed such interesting sound work in a film: a man throws a rock multiple times to find the perfect sound and we witness it and feel it in its entirety. Not everything will be explained and a good part of the movie might be up to you to link the clues you were given together in order to build a (more) definite picture. I like that.

In it's cinematography, this movie reminded me of The Tree of Life (2011) and a lot of the beauty of it comes from similar techniques. However, I felt Upstream Color dealt with a profound moral story dealing with free will for example, whereas The Tree of Life seem to rely on its technique to make up for the lack of story. In both films, the dialogues are not the main focus and most of the story is relayed through symbols, sounds and imagery.

I liked: Eerie atmosphere, both images and sounds. Interesting take on free will. That feeling of a weird movie that could make sense if scrutinized in detail, it makes you re-think it over and over.

I disliked: Might be quite difficult to get into. Not necessarily clear. A little slow at times.

71/100
Quite an interesting indie gem. Beautiful and pleasant film, probably not to everyone's taste given the biological and almost metaphysical concepts, but I liked it.

The Last Stand (2013) / Review by Marla

Sheriff Ray Owens: "You make us immigrants look bad."

By Jee-woon Kim
With Arnold Schwarzenegger, Forest Whitaker and Luis Guzmán

I watched this movie because it was the most recent Arnold Schwarzenegger film and I was in the mood for something light and fun. I was expecting something in vein of Junior or Twins (or even Jingle) but got what felt to me an experiment on Arnold's part - a certain stage in his career where he wanted to attempt covering more serious political ground but didn't want to give up on his dead-pan one-liners as well. (Gabriel Cortez: You fucked up my car. / Sheriff Ray Owens: You fucked up my day off.) This led to the film struggling somewhere in the area of political satire and drama in those rare moments interspersed between numerous gun fights and high speed car chases.

The movie is hectic, bloody, and unapologetic. It details the story of an escaped prisoner/drug lord who has taken an agent hostage and is attempting to cross the US/Mexico border. In steps small town Sheriff Ray Owens, an Austrian immigrant who, much to the skepticism of the FBI task force (which included Asian-American and African-American "immigrant") attempts to capture the runaway prisoner.  On several occasions it reminded me of Tarantino's style (the explosive shots of blood, for one).

I liked: The humor, while not particularly stellar, was still fairly amusing. The gun fights were inventive and the explosions were entertaining. The gorgeous ladies were indeed gorgeous.

I disliked: Villain/hero dichotomy was far too pronounced. I like Arnold as an anti-hero rather than that brave cop who saves the day. Oversimplification of many concepts as well.

57/100
If you're a fan of Arnold and want to watch something light to take your mind off things, this would fit the bill.  Otherwise, I'd advise you to pass.

The Last Stand (2013) / Review by Tumor

Ray Owens: "I've seen enough blood and death, I know what's coming"

By Jee-woon Kim
With Arnold Schwarzenegger, Forest Whitaker and Luis Guzmán

The main, maybe I should say only, reason I watched The Last Stand is because it's the comeback of Arnold Schwarzenegger after his journey as the Governor of California.

The Last Stand is about a convict who is being escorted to another prison, and as per usual in movies, he has an escape plan and it sets himself free. We also learn about the FBI team trying to hunt him down as well as a Sheriff in a small town near the Mexican border. The three forces will all converge to that small town and the action will unfold.

The Last Stand is not particularly good in any field, but overall it seems to work. Arnold is great as a tough, by-the-book sheriff. The story is absolutely predictable and the car chases fill in for when the action slows down. The second roles are all enjoyable and fill in with colorful characters, stereotypical maybe, but it's not really the in-depth personality of everyone that is being explored here.

I liked: Arnold makes a come back, in a role that really fits him. Fast paced. Very guns and brawls oriented.

I disliked: So many cars are being blow up, it's almost distracting. Predictable in every aspect.

55/100
Fans of action movies and/or Arnold will be pleased. Don't look too much into it and it should be an enjoyable experience

La passion de Jeanne d'Arc (1928)

Narrative slide: "A young, faithful woman fighting alone against a band of blind theologians and skilled jurists."

By Carl Theodor Dreyer
With Maria Falconetti

I came to know about this movie after seeing someone's profile page where they displayed a lot of images from a various range of movie, there was one I didn't know about but intrigued me deeply. I went ahead and asked the person which movie it was from, they were kind of enough to answer me and this is how I met La passion de Jeanne d'Arc.

The film recreates the events leading to the famous execution of the even more famous Jeanne d'Arc. The movie focuses on the trial she was submitted to as well as her last moments. The movie is entirely silent.

I really enjoyed the movie, I have no source or base to say this, but I feel this movie deeply influenced Ingmar Bergman as the intensive use of close-ups, the focus on bare backgrounds, the religious imagery and the era are all featured as well in a lot of his movies, particularly The Seventh Seal (1957). The story is not surprising as it is mostly historical facts, but it is striking. The trial of someone's faith still baffles me. We see a young woman, very lost or very convinced, it is actually hard to say which, truly convinced that she was sent by God. We see a group of church members trying to have her prove such allegations... It might sound stupid to have an accused having to prove they are indeed sent by God but when you realize the accusers are simply disproving her by their own visions of God it creates a deep moral conflict. What most believe is right ends up being the ultimate truth and what she so deeply believes ends up being labelled "heresy" or  "Satan's work" and she is sentenced to death for being an apostate.

This core focus of the movie seems to be timeless, it was present in the 13th century, it was present in the early 20th century when the movie was filmed and it is still present to this day, in 2013. This film asks some compelling socio-ethical questions without actually asking anything. It is sometimes hard to tell if someone is trying to help Jeanne or trying to have her convicted, possibly because not all the (spoken) dialogues are translated or because of the way actors used to act back then, with the lack of sound, the emotions seem to go both way. Jeanne's acting is interesting, some have called it the most stunning acting performance of all times, but it is also confusing at times, she seems really out of the loop, is it faith? I will not make her a trial for that.

I liked: The intense close-ups. The random elements that are focused on for a few seconds before changing to a character again. The lack of make-up makes it really grave.

I disliked: A little confusing as to who is who and who is trying to help and who is trying to have her convicted. I would have enjoyed a very short background story about her, the events leading to her arrest, her role in the war, etc.

84/100
Truly inspiring food for thought is what it is mostly about.

Broken (2012)

Skunk: "I said I was sorry; you have to say it's okay."

By Rufus Norris

With Eloise Laurence, Tim Roth and Cillian Murphy

The main reason I decided to watch Broken was because of Cillian Murphy. He is one of the most ambivalent actor there is and he is always very convincing in his roles. The good ratings, the synopsis, as well as the cast -- featuring Tim Roth -- made me decide on seeing it.

Broken takes place in the UK where Skunk, a young girl, notices one of her neighbors beating up another one of her neighbors. We learn more about the attack as the story unfolds and we follow Skunk through her complex family, her issues, school and hideouts.

The movie reminded me of Nothing Is Private (2007) which I really liked, however, Broken failed to pull me in. I felt lost in a story depicting events happening to characters I did not really understand and who had relationships with other characters that I did not understand either. The acting is not the issue, nor is the story, which overall is very decent although not very original as I seem to remember a few movies with similar scripts, but more in the range of the narrative and how everything unfolds. There are some flashbacks or dream-like sequences which are hard to make any sense of. There are characters who act impulsively and repeatedly without any sense of rationality and no one seems to try to do anything about it. There is a sense of over-dramatization with every character falling into a spiral of rough events and there is no lesson to be learnt from any of them, except that maybe that karma might just exist.

I liked: Good acting from the main characters. Some good ideas are thrown in.

I disliked: Felt superfluous to me. I was unable to understand most of the characters actions or motivations. Over-the-top symbolism, including the use of a church as a place between life and death. I didn't feel the movie ultimately reached a goal or demonstrated a moral.

32/100
I don't know who I would recommend this movie to, however, this movie had a lot of praise and awards so I might simply have not been receptive to its message.

La Pirogue (2012)

Lansana: "Even if we end up dead and mummified, dragged to Brazil, I won't regret anything."

By Moussa Touré 
With Souleymane Seye Ndiaye, Laïty Fall and Malaminé "Yalenguen" Dramé

I heard about this movie on a French website, as I have secret plans of watching a movie made from every country in the world and since I never watched one from Senegal, I decided to watch this one.

La Pirogue follows 30 men from different tribes and ethnicities embark on a pirogue from Dakar, Senegal to Spain. They have hopes and dreams about Europe, each one having a specific reason to go, all sharing the same reason to leave: the dearth of possibilities in their country.

La Pirogue is a powerful movie, it is rough but remains honest, humble and opinionated throughout the duration of the movie. The beginning gives us little background on some of the principal characters, but mostly, it gives us an idea of the type of life and hopes the people in the movie share. Most of the movie however, focuses on the trip, the tensions, the encounters, the moments of joy and the moments of sadness, the compromises and most importantly, the survival.

In its adversity, it reminded me of the 1963 film Alone Across the Pacific (Taiheiyô Hitoribocchi), given of course that this is not the Pacific and that they're not alone, but the struggle of living on a boat which is not made to do such trips and having to ration food and water is very much alike. Moreover, both movies depict people who leave their country for the sake of finding something else, maybe a better place, but also to learn about themselves. There is nothing particularly striking about this movie, yet it leaves a good impression because everything works well together. It is as much a drama as it is a tribute to all those men and women who tried their chance on such embarkations.

I liked: the dynamic of the individuals on the pirogue. The sea and its wilderness and beauty. The different emotions throughout the trip. The story overall.

I disliked: A little slow to start with. Difficult to figure out all the dialogues at once.

70/100
I think it deals with a varied range of themes immigration and emigration, adventure, sea, West Africa... and it should interest you if you do have such interests.

Junior (1994) / Review by Marla

Larry: Just 'cause your egg's in some guy doesn't make you the mother!

By Ivan Reitman

With Arnold Schwarzenegger, Danny DeVito and Emma Thompson

I watched this movie for two reasons.

1) I find (and Tumor would agree) Arnold Schwarzenegger to be unconditionally hilarious. I'm not really sure why -- it could be the hyperbolic masculinity he represents--those strapping muscles that in a previous film spontaneously burst through a shirt--but more accurately it could be his absolutely fantabulous Austrian accent.

2) The premise of this film. Precisely because of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s hypermasculinity, it seems he was compelled to take this role as a challenge to himself -- by being the exact opposite of what he represents. No, he does not go through a sex change operation -- but close enough. In Junior, he plays Dr. Alex, a scientist who finds himself bereft of a lab or funds to carry out his life's research, which is an estrogen pill designed to help cure infertility. With some prodding from his rather shifty/villainous looking sidekick, he decides to take matters into his own hands -- or in this instance, his own belly -- and becomes a surrogate "mother" as a part of his research.

What I liked: I was not disappointed. I felt this movie was successful, not just because it was wickedly funny -- even though its humor relied on various clichés of what a pregnant woman is (imagine the flood of tears, sappy movies, and an overwhelming amount of food and a drive to poke one's "steiffen" into any remotely animated thing) -- but because I think the real question it evoked was as Larry so pronounces, "Just 'cause your egg's in some guy doesn't make you the mother!"

And this is what I think the movie ultimately is trying to point out -- using the absurd spectacle of masculine man walking like a pregnant woman and wearing a wig -- that the frustration and effort that the other parent, the one who isn't carrying the child (which in most cases is the father) has to extend. The effort is a bridge that takes considerable effort to traverse, and shouldn't be underestimated.

What I disliked: The movie oversimplified gender roles. While it was funny at times, at others it just seemed like it was taking a laugh at women and trivializing the emotional and physical changes women experience during pregnancy/childbirth -- reinforcing the patriarchal assumption that what the woman brings into child rearing is 1) only the physical aspect 2) as such, somehow negligible.

Rating 67/100
The film manages to adequately -- albeit awkwardly at times -- highlight the role of parenting which lies outside the realm of the body -- the emotional connection parents have to establish with the child to be considered a "father" or "mother" in a psychological sense.

Ordinary People (1975) -- Book Review

"And what about tomorrow then? And all the tomorrows to come? Why can't we talk about it? Why can't we ever talk about it?” --Judith Guest, Ordinary People

I first met this novel a couple of years ago. At the time I felt it was fated -- the book being about a family, a tragedy, and the difficulties communicating. While I couldn't borrow or read it then, despite how fitting I felt it was to me and my life at that time, a week or so ago I found another book in the library that had an introduction by Judith Guest, and the title of this book, Ordinary People, was beside her name. So I read it.

The story is about a boy, Conrad, as he readjusts to his daily life after his brother dies in a sailing accident. He feels guilty for living, and had attempted suicide earlier. He doesn't succeed though and this story starts shortly after a stint at a rehab clinic. But I think the story isn't really about him -- it's also about his parents. It's a story about coping, about lies and silence and the uncomfortable distances between people who are too close.

I liked: How very readable it was. It felt like listening in on someone's thoughts, it felt like it could capture those narratives we tell ourselves. The small goals, the new people we meet, the ups and downs of existence. Most of all though, it made no excuses, in my opinion. We aren't ever told an answer, we don't know why people are the way they are. It's how life is, there never really is any solid answer we can hold on to. Yet all of this was done with humor, with a sort of lightness of touch. It wasn't a depressing read, if anything it was enlightening and funny. It was reminiscent of many 80s movies, I'm thinking in particular The Breakfast Club -- story about ordinary people and the quiet heroism of every day life. Also: there are only a few sex scenes in the book but they were incredibly well written. Just a few sentences, but so aptly, so well described. It wasn't larger than life or anything, but just simple and emotional. Almost too perfect, maybe.

I disliked: I felt that the story could have been richer with a little more perspective. We read a lot about Conrad's life and his father's life, but we are left almost in the dark about his mother's life. She is portrayed very harshly and very minimally that it seemed a little implausible.  Similarly, Conrad's recovery and path to 'normalcy' seemed just as forced, just as sudden and quick as though the author just wanted to finish the novel up.

82/100
A psychological coming-of-age story as well as a story of a family -- brilliantly rendered, easily readable and relatable. Doesn't shy away from the blunt truths of relationships. The only drawbacks are that it felt a little hurried, and the protagonist's journey seemed rushed and the people around him were stereotypes (his therapist, his mother) rather than full characters.

Antiviral (2012)

Dorian: "Celebrities are not people; they're group hallucinations"

By Brandon Cronenberg

With Caleb Landry Jones, Sarah Gadon and Malcom McDowell

This one was pretty easy, it doesn't take much for me to watch a movie when the director and writer is named Cronenberg. However, this is not David Cronenberg but his son Brandon's debut.

In a world where celebrities are adored beyond reason, clinics have opened where people can be injected with the viruses of their favorite celebrity. Want your favorite star's herpes? You can have it. 

The protagonist of this film, Syd March, works in one of those clinics. Not only does he sell celebrity viruses, he decides he can also use them on himself.

The film starts off confusing--we are not aware of what is really going on and it's up to the viewer to clearly distinguish what is real, what is not as well as all the implications. The movie does not become perfectly clear even as it progresses, and a healthy dose of confusion keeps us wondering how far this will go.

The visuals are absolutely breathtaking and seems to follow a new trend of medicinal hyper-cleanliness that some films have been producing to great effect, and this one does not disappoint at all. The contrast between the real body and its blood and the cleanliness of the environment is really good and filmed perfectly. 

The main character seems really mysterious and weird, and while initially this makes it a difficult introduction to the film, we realize it actually fits perfectly. Unfortunately, despite the great premise and the possible moral, ethical or even political implications, we learn very little about the surroundings. There is also a great deal of mystery behind the motivations of the characters. 

Nevertheless, it doesn't fail to impress, that's for sure, but I did feel a little let down when the credits started to roll. I wanted more. I saw a lot of beautiful potential and got served plenty of impressive shots, but I had very little to reflect on after.

I liked: The pathological aspect. The cleanliness. The very bright, white shots. The main idea behind the movie. The music. The director's work. The flesh being an essential part of the movie. Blood on white shots.

I disliked: A feeling of unfinished cycle. I loved the idea of that very mechanical and/or visual machine to look at viruses, but it got me more confused than anything, and I didn't know what to make of the images shown. 

71/100
I will definitely be looking for more from Brandon Cronenberg. He is definitely a talented director, his writing also had a lot of potential even if it had me travel left and right without finding a path to follow. If you enjoy medical thrillers, this film should be a good one, although, it is hard to neatly categorize this movie.

The Unforgiven (1960)

Rachel Zachary: "The moment Momma told the truth I wanted to die."

By John Huston

With Burt Lancaster and Audrey Hepburn

I can't remember whether it was after watching Sabrina (1954), with Audrey Hepburn, or after watching White Hunter, Black Heart (1990) which is based on director John Huston, but I know they were the reason for me watching The Unforgiven. Simply put, I think Audrey Hepburn might be the most charming lady ever on screen and John Huston directed some of my favorite Humphrey Bogart movies.

The Unforgiven focuses on the Zachary family, the mother, three brothers and the young sister Rachel. They live in a vast plain and live off by trading cattle along with the neighbors family, the Rawlins. The movie starts with pictures of happiness but an old man on a horse, roaming around the house seems to bring a bad omen and soon enough things start to unravel, old feuds and mysteries shall not be left unturned.

The Unforgiven's production was plagued with incidents, the most famous being a horse riding accident in which pregnant star, Audrey Hepburn fell off and had to be hospitalized, only to lose the baby a while after. It is hard to tell how much something like that, off screen, can impact on the movie itself, it is also hard to tell if anyone involved lost their motivation in the movie because of something like that.

In the end, the movie is good, but it is not up to the standards of most people involved. It's hard for me to pinpoint a reason, but the movie didn't pull me in, the mystery was maybe not up to the action. Main star Burt Lancaster did not convince me either. The story has some interesting themes but we are left wondering which direction the movie heads in, even when the end comes, it is hard to feel like a circle is closed nor are we left with issues to reflect on.

I liked: The filming is good, the landscapes, the horses, the claustrophobic atmosphere of the house, the cattle on the roof. The music, the piano and the flutes. The use of fire.

I disliked: The Indians' motivations. The "night" scenes. Weak mystery and politics, diplomacy. The romance element felt forced.

61/100
I would recommend many movies by John Huston or many movies with Audrey Hepburn before recommending The Unforgiven, however, if you enjoy Westerns, it holds all the ingredients. Perhaps the weakness is simply in the baking process.

Cannibal Ferox (1981)

Gloria Davis: "My thesis claims that cannibalism as an organized practice of human society does not exist, and historically, has never existed."

By Umberto Lenzi
With Giovanni Lombardo Radice, Lorraine de Selle and Zora Kerova

I watched this movie primarily because I tend to find 80's Italian horror movies pretty funny, they have a lot in common and are usually characterized by the over-the-top gore: their way of trying to market it as an American film with all actors using American names and of course, being dubbed in English!

Cannibal Ferox follows Gloria Davis, an anthropology student who wrote a thesis disproving cannibalism. For her research, she ends up in Colombia, in the amazonian jungle, with her brother Rudy and her friend Pat. They quickly discover mutilated bodies and stumble upon two other Americans -- one of whom is injured and the other, named Mike, who tells them the story of what happened.

If you watch Cannibal Ferox you are probably familiar with Italian horror already, possibly the work of Lucio Fulci or simply Cannibal Holocaust (1980).In that case you shouldn't be too surprised as this fits the cannibal exploitation genre perfectly. It is not trying to be smart or beautiful, but it sure is graphic. One thing it tries to do is to not depict the indigenous tribes as savages, a wise gesture on their part. You get pretty much the usual things you'll find in Italian horror: the gratuitous nudity, animals (possibly killing each other), the soft music, the extreme close ups... and the New York shots.

As I said, watching this, you know what you're getting into, so assuming you have enjoyed gore and cheap films before, this should entertain you. It doesn't hold the cult status of Cannibal Holocaust (labelled "the most controversial film ever made") but it's quite similar.

I liked: It's fun overall. Creative scenes and severed limbs. The jungle looks just as scary as the action. The English dubbing is really over the top with insults flying all over the place.

I disliked: The number of times a woman gets slapped in the face by a guy struck me as odd. I know there are weirder things happening in this movie, but this felt far more unnecessary than the rest. The music doesn't do much. All the animal killings.

60/100
I really think people watching this know exactly what they're getting themselves into, which after all, the movie doesn't disappoint in providing. It's not awesome, it's not the most scary thing you'll ever watch... But I wasn't bored at all.

Any Day Now (2012)

Rudy Donatello: "Just because we are different doesn't make us bad parents!"

By Travis Fine

With Alan Cumming and Garret Dillahunt

I've been an admirer of Alan Cumming ever since I saw him in Plunkett & Macleane (1999) and The L Word, with his extravagant antics and Scottish accent, as well as a great dose of talent. The fact that it was dealing with discrimination, equal rights and adoption issues made it a must see for me.

Paul walks for the first time in a gay bar, there he meets Rudy, who performs as an exotic drag queen. After their first intimate moment together, Rudy comes home, only to see that his neighbor leaves her mentally handicapped child alone all night. Rudy immediately wants to care and help the young boy, but family services take him away. Rudy decides to go visit Paul who works with the district attorney's office in order to find a solution. When Marco, the boy, walks back home from the foster home, Rudy decides to keep him and with the help of Paul, they stand in as (loving) parents.

The movie is very powerful on an emotional level. It deals with very serious issues where justice can be quite surprising. The 70's society also imposes pressure and it's well rendered. You might think this movie is just a tearjerker and conveniently comes out at a moment where gays and lesbians are fighting for equality, and this might all be true, but that would be missing the most important element, the fact that a young child has to pay for the mistakes of others. I don't know how much of this story is actually true, if any of it is, but it worked for me, I felt drawn into the plot and the emotions never seemed stretched out.

I liked: Strong storytelling. Strong chemistry between them. The use of shadows, a lot of scenes are with minimal lighting, or streets at night and it gives a strong feel to the movie. Seeing Marco enjoying himself, dancing makes for really sweet scenes.

I disliked: It could be confusing when dealing with the law and all the different appeals.

82/100
If you have even the slightest interest in equal rights themes, this is a good movie. Also, there are so few movies with actors with disabilities. If you like the movies where you leave and keep thinking about it, it's a good one. At least for me--I kept thinking about the what if's...

Gangster Squad (2013)

Mickey Cohen: "These guys are a special brand. They're hard cases, not interested in money. A cop that's not for sale is like a dog with rabies. There's no medicine for it, you just gotta... put him down.

By Ruben Fleischer
With Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling and Sean Penn

My main reason to watch Gangster Squad was the cast. It has a lot of talents and the story sounded fairly strong, the setting was very promising to me as well--Los Angeles 1949-- reminded me of James Ellroy's L.A. Confidential.

Los Angeles, 1949, the city is crawling under Mickey Cohen, a boxer turned gangster with a passion for violent displays of power and ready to buy every policeman he can. The story depicts only a few good cops, but those will unite in order to fight both the dirty cops and the mob all at one.

The cast is what drawn me to it and it didn't disappoint, Josh Brolin is perfect as a honorbound, by-the-book cop and Sean Penn, as usual, delivers the most he can with his character. This is where it lacks a little, the characters are beautiful, the late 40's dress code makes everyone looks pretty good, but there is little character development.

The couple Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling (previously coupled in Crazy, Stupid, Love.(2011)) is beautiful, but yet again, we don't really get any hindsight about them. The actions scenes are plenty and if you enjoy gun fights, you should be thrilled, however, if you don't, you might quickly get bored as they are one of the main focuses of the movie. Some of the slow-motion scenes were over-the-top and unnecessary, in my opinion, because we've seen plenty of movies use them in the last decades and unless you bring something new, I don't see the point.

Overall, the Gangster Squad is fun, as a bunch of misfits get together and kick some ass kind of thing, not as a L.A. Confidential (1997) kind of investigation against rotten cops.

I liked: The settings, the era, the clothes, the restaurants, the cars, it all looks really nice. The cast. The photography looks quite good. Entertaining.

I disliked: It lacks characters development. We are faced with a bunch of characters meeting up to form a squad but they remain as a squad as we never get to know them in any depth. Too much gun blazing, too little realism.

70/100
I think the main goal of the movies is to look good and entertain and in those aspects, I think it succeeds. Unfortunately, that is where it stops, there is not much more and it doesn't seek to go much further either.

Pariah (2011)

Alike [reading her poetry]: "Breaking is freeing. Broken is freedom. I am not broken. I am free."

By Dee Rees 
With Adepero Oduye, Aasha Davis and Kim Wayans

I was compiling a list of LGBT movies and this movie came up as a similar on IMDb, since I had never heard of it I was interested. The cover drew me in immediately and decided to watch it, as soon as I could.

Pariah tells the story of Alike (also, Lee) who is a young African-American lesbian, her only friend Laura has dropped out of school so she is quite a loner, which helps her change into new clothes as soon as she gets to school, her parents pressuring her to dress in a less tomboy fashion, but this is how she feels comfortable. Her mother decides to have the daughter of a work and church colleague hang out with her, thinking it will help her stay away from Laura, Alike's only friend who is an out and proud butch.

Pariah finds its strength in the close shots and the characters' faces, they will divulge most of the action. The themes are nothing new, they are even quite common in LGBT movies, resistance from parents, the rumors and stares of the others... But it all melds fairly well here. The fears of everyone end up culminating and the movie overall doesn't disappoint.

I liked: Alike's poetry as a way of coping. The importance of clothing in building one's identity. The almost paranoiac atmosphere and surroundings. The use of music. Alike as a character. Painful, yes, but hopeful.

I disliked: The parents and the character of Bina seemed a bit cliché to me. Sharonda (the sister) could have been better developed  Could possibly have dealt with transgender issues but refused to, though some scenes were reminiscent of the documentary The Aggressives (2005).

76/100
A raw coming of age movie in a metropole that relies a lot on the power of writing which was good. A must-see piece of African-American lesbian contemporary film, but works well as family based drama.

My Brother the Devil (2012)

Sayyid : "The strong man is the one who can control himself when he's angry."

by Sally El Hosaini
with James Floyd, Fady Elsayed and Saïd Taghmaoui

The cover immediately hooked me, not only did the title look intriguing, but the characters on it as well as the many praises did it. It seemed rather unknown too which made me more interested.

My Brother the Devil tells the story of two brothers of Egyptian decent living in the suburbs of London. The street violence is never far and the younger will try to follow in the steps of his elder. The drugs, money and gun motto can only take them so far and they soon have difficulties facing the consequences of their actions.

What strikes first in this movie is the photography. Most of the shots are really wonderful and artistic, which is no small feat given the mostly bricks and concrete layout of a suburban district. The characters could be taken as stereotypical, but I didn't feel it was taken too far, it felt realistic to me. The story holds a few twists which is good given the fact that street violence movies tend to always rotate around the revenge theme, to have a few extra elements is always welcome. The brothers really carry the movie through their actors.

I liked: The photography, I mean the filming of pretty much every scene. Believable characters. Doesn't fall in the classical street violence scenario.

I disliked: A little convenient at time, for example a scaffolding being there when peeking is needed. The helplessness of the parents who seem oblivious to everything going on in their children's lives.

75/100
A good surprise overall, not as spectacular as cult french La Haine (1995) but more visually beautiful. A good little gem if you're into violent youth movies that aren't about the action scenes but the psychological sides of it.

Dupa Dealuri/Beyond the Hills (2012)

Billboard at the convent's entrance: "This is the house of God. Forbidden to anybody of a different religion. Believe and don't doubt."

By Cristian Mungiu
With Cosmina Stratan and Cristina Flutur

I came across Dupa Dealuri by chance, I was intrigued by the synopsis as well as the fact that it was shown at the Festival de Cannes. I was also influenced by the fact that it was by the same director who made "4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days" which I never watched but heard a lot of good about.

Dupa Dealuri takes places in a convent in mountainous Romania. Alina comes back from Germany to meet her friends Voichita, they were friends and grew up together in an orphanage. Alina had the opportunity to work in Germany while Voichita joined the convent. It seems they both struggled from their time apart, but Alina has a plan to take Voichita back with her and work together in Germany, when Voichita refuses because she is now devoted to God, Alina falls from grace. Her health, both mental and physical, deteriorates. She is seen as an outsider, she brought trouble to the convent, she is rebellious and the priest's sermons seem to have no effects on her. A difficult cohabitation sets in.

It is a raw movie, there are no special effects or fancy musical scenes. It's all about the emotions of the characters, even though emotions might be seen as something to be cured in such a religious environment, the lack of emotions is also shown on screen. This movie reminded me of Requiem (2006) in the fact that the Church tries to cure psychological disorders where it is clear that they are not qualified. I found it long, some scenes are really drawn out, in the dark rooms of the convent (where there is no electricity) it's hard to distinguish what is really happening and yet it goes on for minutes. I wish the film focused more on the Voichita-Alice friendship, than simply on the result of the breakout and pain Alina goes through. A daring topic to tackle for sure, I wasn't particularly convinced by the method.

I liked: The snow on the convent gives place to beautiful scenes. That claustrophobic atmosphere, similar to The Name of the Rose.

I disliked: The helplessness of the religious approach. Drawn out, in my opinion. I am not sure if it's just me who didn't pick on most of the symbolic, for example, the translated title Beyond the Hills, not sure where that came from.

52/100
I think there are better films out there dealing with psychiatric issues in a religious environment. Dupa Dealuri is a good example of one, but I wasn't entirely convinced. On the other hand, the rating and awards might suggest that this film will please most audiences.

Junior (1994) / Review by Tumor

Dr. Larry Arbogast : "Let's put a bun in your oven"

By Ivan Reitman
With Arnold Schwarzenegger, Danny DeVito and Emma Thompson

For a while, one of my favorite YouTube videos to see was Arnold Schwarzenegger's top quotes. It's hilarious but I only knew half of the movies in there, so I started doing some catching up on his filmography. It came down to his collaborations with Ivan Reitman, first with Kindergarten Cop, then Twins and finally Junior.

Junior tells the story of two fertility scientists who pair for a project, but when their project is denied experimentation on human subjects, Alex (Schwarzenegger) decides to go back to his native Austria... But Larry (DeVito) convinces him to keep the experimentation going, except they would do it under the radar.

Ivan Reitman strikes back in the vein of Twins, the genetic sci-fi related comedy. The duo Schwarzenegger-DeVito works just as well here, as much as the mere fact that they were twins in Twins, the idea of seeing Arnold pregnant is already a funny prospect. A lot of the laughing moments come from common (mis)conceptions and stereotypes but it never falls in the grotesque. It is definitely lighthearted but the down times are few. Arnold does a great job at actually being convincingly pregnant and not just a guy with a swollen belly. As usual with Reitman's comedies, everything ends well and happily.

I liked: The main cast duo. The food binging and hormonal, over-the-top reactions. The fact that it stays away from becoming either a satire or a parody. The seriousness about the absurdity of such a situation. Avoids any type of scientific justification.

I disliked: The cast outside of the two main actors doesn't really bring anything to the movie. The attempt at mystery (mainly carried through by the University looking into their business) never really brings any suspense and could have potentially been toned down to allow more characters development.

59/100
It's not a must see and it's not your laughing out loud comedy, but it's entertaining and it doesn't disappoint in that regard. The director and main actors work on the same line. If you enjoy Arnold (or his accent) see this at some point, not necessarily first though.

Head On (1998)

Tula : "Never, ever, say anything is too much."

By Ana Kokkinos
With Alex Dimitriades, Julian Garner

I've had this movie for almost 2 years, I think I came across it after watching Cowboys & Angels. I'm always interested in small LGBT movies because they often have a lot to say.

Head On is a journey with Ari, a young and attractive son of Greek immigrants in Australia. He seems confused, jobless and having a hatred for the pressure from his family and the Greek community to settle in and have a marriage. Ari seems to cope with meaningless sex, alcohol, drugs as well as music, which he plays loud with headphones when his parents try to lecture him. Ari enjoys sex with men but seems to refuse to acknowledge it.

As much as Ari is confused, so is the viewer. It seems hard to grasp what hope is Ari fostering. Most of the drugs scenes and the community scenes with music are pleasant to watch, I can't say the same about the sex scenes as they never seem to have any character actually enjoying what they are doing. Ari seems to love only himself but he is stuck in a downward spiral. The movie deals with some important themes such as homophobia and peer pressure in a community, however, we do not learn so much about them as they are thrown in our face. Some might say it's a necessary slap, I think if we had developped sympathy towards the characters it would have been easier.

I liked: The themes. The music. The transgender character. Most of the effects during the drug scenes.

I disliked: The dark horizons all around. The seemingly disjointed action. Police brutality.

51/100
I tend to enjoy most LGBT movies because against all odds, we root for the characters and we feel the injustice and we wish them to overcome. I am not one to necessarily want a sign of hope in all movies and I enjoy movies with a dark message, but this didn't seem to have a take on the main issue.

Triage (2009)

Elena : "Mark, did something happen in Kurdistan?"

By Danis Tanovic
With Colin Farrell, Paz Vega and Christopher Lee 

I met Triage after watching No Man's Land (whose main actor has a secondary role here as a doctor), I checked out the director and saw Triage. It seemed interesting as the theme of war photography is not something I've seen often in movies.

Triage starts with two friends having a drink and meeting with their girlfriends to discuss a trip they are about to make. It's 1988 and there is a war in Kurdistan, where they plan to visit since they are war photographers. They are at the front line of a war and the amount of horrors they witness makes one of them doubt, his girlfriend is pregnant and he wants to go home. The other couple want to keep going; they are the only photographers here, the assault seems imminent, they could get the much desired "money shot". An explosion later, he wants to go home. They part. Mark wakes up in the same hospital he photographed, he's injured. Mark goes home but David is not there.

The theme of war is omnipresent, when there is a war, everything around is modified by it. The story is the strongest point of the movie, it has a lot of potential. A number of interesting themes are touched as well, from euthanasia to post-traumatic stress disorder and relationships. The movie is a mystery, and it does a fairly good job at that. Characters are well supported by their actors. All the characters remain mysterious, which might be part of a mystery movie, but doesn't help clarity. There is only so much to say about a desperate situation.

I liked: The story and it's denouement.  The two female cast (Paz Vega and Kelly Reilly) are absolutely charming. War photography.

I disliked: Christopher Lee's character background and mystery. Seems to mock psychiatry by keeping away from it. With the exception of some good quotes, most dialogues were unable to invest the viewer in the story.

68/100
War movies are always raw and this doesn't miss the point. The characters are at loss when faced with it. The movie has strong scenes followed by more random ones.

Small Apartments (2012)

Franklin [watching two young girls with binoculars] : "This must be what Switzerland is like."

I watched Small Apartments because I loved Spun. Director Akerlund has impressed me ever since and I felt compelled to watch this.

Small Apartments focuses on a weird main character who is obsessed with Switzerland (sic!), wears nothing except white underwear, eats pickles, drinks soda and happens to have issues with his, just as eccentric  neighbors  It's a rapid movie and scenes follow one after the other, sometimes without apparent link and they might feel random but they create sort of an atmosphere. There are a few hilarious scenes or lines, but they don't exactly carry through the whole movie.

After Horsemen, which was a totally different genre, Akerlund seems to be back to the roots of Spun. You'll find the same content, the drugs, the convenient store, the cheap motel and apartments, the dog, the heavy metal references, the Sweden references, the car ready to break down... The bare minimum that seems to make up these people's lives. Everyone seems to have a big problem on their hands. The main character is neither good or bad, at times stupid, at times annoying, but the actor does a really good job with that. Spun was genius, but this lacks the extra-bit to the craziness that made Spun good, it doesn't seem to reach out to a second level. The music, which was a key element in Spun, doesn't stand out in this film. With everything going on during the entire film, when the end comes and there is somewhat of a peaceful moment, it's hard to actually follow what is exactly happening, so it doesn't have the full effect it could have had.

I liked: The cameos are plenty and always quite good (Swedes Dolph Lundgren and Peter Stormare in particular). The absurdity of most situations. The bright colors and contrasts. The Switzerland-Sweden references.

I disliked: Over-the-top. More focused on the style than the substance. Juno Temple in a role that compares to Brittany Murphy's in Spun. Was expecting more of the soundtrack.

58/100

If you enjoy rapid movies with neither a hero nor a anti-hero, then this is a good fit. Also, hardcore fans of Spun will enjoy the resemblance of a lot of the content. Otherwise, it's entertaining but quickly forgettable.

Corações Sujos/Dirty Hearts (2011)

Takahasi: Since the beginning of history, Japan has never lost a war. Japan didn't lose this one either.

I stumbled upon this movie randomly on the internet, as usual when I don't know anything about it, I just head towards the IMDb page and the synopsis really made me want to see it. I tend to enjoy movies about expatriate communities as well as historical movies.

A small village in rural Brazil in 1945, the sizeable Japanese community learn the news of the surrender of Japan to the Allied force, for the whole world, it means the war is over. For some of those living abroad, it's a lie. Honor dictates a Japanese man to refuse to believe in the surrender. Quickly, those who dare to pronounce the word "defeat" are threatened along those who speak portuguese, a betrayal only a traitor would commit... Those who act this way are called "Dirty Hearts".

I didn't have much expectations going in, but I was pleasantly surprised, the settings are beautiful, the acting is really up to part, it never falls in the clichés and it doesn't really have down time. The lives of that small community are all shattered and scattered and it feels like an heavy weight that we watch coming closer and closer. The interactions with the indigenous Brasilians are scarce, we quickly understand that they are not the real threat. Those who dispense long discourses about honor are often the last to act in an honorable way. The filming can be erratic at times but it's a minor point and doesn't do much harm to the movie itself, which overall stands pretty solid on its feet. If one believes there are things to be learnt from History then this movie definitely teaches you something.

I liked: The inside look at a community in face of a traumatic change. The dilemmas that all the characters have to deal with. The symbolic of some shots, for example the use of cotton. The main actress not uttering a word but telling us so much nonetheless.

I disliked: The use of the blurry effect, it was overused and it seemed to have no real purpose. The ending seemed a little convenient, it doesn't take much out of the overall movie at all, but it left me this impression.

78/100

Don't get fooled by the IMDb rating of only 6.4, if you enjoy this period of history, or even if you enjoy Japanese movies or codes of honor, this is a pretty good example, ironically, it is not even a Japanese movie. 

East of Eden (1955)

Cal: I don't want any kind of love anymore. There's no future in it. It doesn't pay off.

I decided to watch this movie after I watched Giant, through James Dean. I knew about James Dean for a while but I had never seen any of his work, I received a book, as a gift, with 100 classic movies, and one of them was Rebel Without A Cause. After seeing that, and knowing a little about James Dean very short and tragic career, I decided to see Giant. This was all about 10 months ago and since then, East of Eden had been sitting here until I decided to watch it tonight.

East of Eden focuses on Cal, short for Caleb Trask, played by James Dean, a young, wild and restless teenager who seems to hate everyone. His brother, Aron, is the only one to appreciate him. Cal means well, but his actions rarely end up well for him and/or his family.

East of Eden is a story about a family, but it is more, it's a story about freedom. The historical background brings a lot to the atmosphere and story line, as the story takes place in 1917 in California, the USA are not yet at war, but with the World War going on, it could happen any day.

I liked: James Dean is stunning and fits the role like a glove. The historical background, not only the war, but also the progress in food conservation. The raw relationships of a family made up of three men.

I disliked: Aron, the brother, his character seemed to go through the motion unexplicably, also he seemed to change overtime but we have no clue why. The nurse, even though it's probably supposed to be that way, I think the character is over-the-top and hardly realistic, especially at such a high point of the movie.

80/100
If you ever enjoyed James Dean or enjoy movies about family relationships, I think this one's for you.