I didn't see much new last week, but a lot of films have opened that I saw a while back, so there is much to recommend this week.
I saw THE HEDGEHOG a second time, and still find it to be a superb, thoughtful drama on loneliness, coming of age, second chances and the dangers of judging a book by its cover. This time, the role of the concierge (the symbolic hedgehog of the title )seemed so much more important than the difficulty of the 11 year old girl's pending suicide, and it is underplayed perfectly by the French actress Josiane Balasko so that I held my breath at some of the moments that define her life, in spite of having seen this film before. GRADE-----A
Next up is a charming, but not too sentimental, French film with the incomparable Gerard DePardeau entitled MY AFTERNOONS WITH MARGAURITTE, and the title says a lot, but not all there is. He is a simpleton who lives next to his aging mother, and he has a lovely girlfriend and a plain yet satisfying life, and then he meets the lonely old woman on a park bench, who teaches him how to read (understand) classic novels. It's the perfect film to watch sipping mint tea on a dreary day. You'll be pleasantly warmed and surprised at the direction the film goes in. GRADE------A-
For lovers of CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON (2000) and the like, you won't want to miss DETECTIVE DEE and the MYSTERY OF THE PHANTOM FLAME, a lively cross between stylish kung-fu epics and Sherlock Holmes mysteries with a dab of science fiction, filmed with lush sets and visual effects and carefully paced so that even when things get a little wild and unbelievable, the film is ravishing to the eye. Extremely entertaining. GRADE---------B+
The new film 50/50 is based on a true story of a young man who feels fine but discovers he has serious spinal cancer. The comedy/drama is well intentioned, and may hit a nerve with those who have struggled with cancer. I found the film rather vague, and in the month since I saw it, it has nearly evaporated from my mind. Still, it is easy to watch, and the actors are all fine. GRADE---------B-
A rowdy, possible midnight cult movie called TUCKER AND DALE VS EVIL, is the outrageous comedy that spoofs films which take place in a cabin in the remote woods, where teens are offed by hillbilly maniacs with chain saws. In this case, the "maniacs" are merely two nice guy drinking buddies on a long weekend trip to fix up their remote woods cabin, and the teens are vapid, silly creatures who leap to the wrong conclusions, and often to their own self-inflicted, grizzly deaths. It is a clever hoot, and does not overstay its welcome. GRADE------B
The Norwegian film HAPPY HAPPY is an odd, cheerful film in spite of dealing with the unhappy marriages of two couples who live in the deserted countryside. Scenes of infidelity, sexuality, child cruelty, and loneliness are amusingly presented, and framed by a Norwegian quartet singing gospel and pop songs from the 50's and 60's as a counterpoint. Quirky, but fun. GRADE---------B
The new sex comedy WHAT'S YOUR NUMBER? suffers poorly in direct comparison to the recent BRIDES MAIDS, with which it shares several passing plot devises (upcoming wedding, the heroine has just lost her job and most recent boyfriend, etc) but the biggest disappointment is that the lengthy previews (which I thought were quite promising) not only give away EVERY SINGLE PLOT POINT AND JOKE, but the preview also contains most of the major laughs, so that every time a new scene or scenario begins, you already know the punch line/trajectory. Too bad, because there is a clever idea--Anna Faris plays a modern woman who has slept with 20 men--way too many she realises, and tries not to go over that number because a magazine article has said that more than that means a strong likelihood that she will never end up in a permanent relation, so she tries to look up her past boyfriends to see if they have changed or if maybe NOW they will connect better. Helping her is her hunky (and frequently nude) neighbor Chris Evans, and of course we all know where this plot is headed. Faris is watchable--she has an odd, imperfect oval face--not a beauty, but her perky personally carries her far. Just wish I'd seen this one sight unseen. GRADE--------C+
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October is a busy month for FILM FESTIVALS in the area. Coming up I'll be seeing films from the 70MM Films at CINERAMA, Asian FILM FEST, VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (VIFF) and LGBT Film Festival. I recently went to the SPANISH FILM FESTIVAL at SIFF Cinema and saw 2 interesting films.
The first was called 80 DAYS about childhood friends who rediscover each other nearly 60 years later, when both are in their 70's. One woman has been married to the same man for over 50 years, and her life has been predictable and filled with drudgery--her husband seems to ignore her existence. The other woman is a lesbian who is about to lose her brother. They meet as they are caring for the sick at the local hospital, and slowly, their loneliness and memories create a strong bond between them. The married woman becomes troubled by her growing sexual attraction to her friend. The film starts out leisurely, but builds considerable drama from the situation, and features a startling resolution in the final scene--just the simple expression on a face that ends the film. Watch for this Basque language treasure on Netflix. GRADE-------B+
The second feature I saw was called KIDNAPPED but a better title might be HOME INVASION or NIGHT OF TERROR. On the first night a family moves into their new home, three men (who worked for the moving company that helped them move) break into their home and terrorize the couple and teen daughter for money. The film takes place mostly in long single takes and real time (like Hitchcock's ROPE-1948), and there are many effective, brutal scenes of violence. But as the film progress, about half way through, you realize that things are only going to get worse-- the violence becomes more brutal and intense, and the film loses it's momentum. The film ends with some over the top violence, and a mean cruel cheat of an ending that curdles in your throat. GRADE--------C+
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Just a couple DVD films this week. Up first is an excellent Czech film directed by the great Oscar winner Jiri Menzel (CLOSELY WATCHED TRAINS-1966.) In the film I SERVED THE KING OF ENGLAND (2006), the young Czech hero dreams of becoming a millionaire during the years leading up to WW2. He gets his big chance when he meets a Hitler-loving fraulein who pulls him, humorously, into the Nazi world, where he works at a baby-making clinic! Despite some questionable political unpleasantness, the film manages to be raunchy, erotic, comic and profoundly dramatic in equal measures. A real treat. GRADE---------A-
The next is a dark film noir called THE KILLERS (1946) which featured Burt Lancaster, Ava Gardner, Edmond O'Brien and Albert Dekker, based on a short story by Hemingway. The excellent Lancaster, in his film debut, is killed in the early scenes, and the film flashes back to find out who he was and why he is killed. It's an intriguing set up and a worthy film noir. GRADE----------B
I saw director Derek Jarman's arty SEBASTIANE (1976) at a SIFF midnight screening 35 years ago, and mostly remembered the copious male nudity and moody lyricism provided by the lush photography and scenery and synthetic music (by Brian Eno.) Those things still impressed me this week. It's an interesting take on the martyrdom of St. Sebastiane, who was persecuted and killed mostly for being a Christian Jew, but possibly (according to this film) for ignoring the sexual advances of his lusting leiutenant. Oscar winner Tilda Swinton (MICHAEL CLAYTON-2007) started her career by starring in 5 or 6 of Jarman's later films (but not this one)--they all feature queer themes, sex, nudity, and politics, but none are more effective, possibly, than SEBASTIANE. GRADE-------------B
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