WHAT'S YOUR NUMBER, 50/50, MY AFTERNOONS w/MARGUERITTE, Tucker and Dale VS Evil, Detective Dee & Mystery of Phantom Flame, Happy Happy, Hedgehog

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

HEDGEHOG (at last), THE DEBT, CONTAGION, and a surprising WARRIOR

After sitting on the shelf (?) for over a year, the excellent French film THE HEDGEHOG that played at SIFF 2010 and won best picture then has finally opened in Seattle. Based on the popular novel THE ELEGANCE OF THE HEDGEHOG by Muriel Barbery, this moving adaptation seemed to be well liked by fans of the novel. It tells the story of a young, would-be suicidal 11 year old girl, who is disappointed by life in her luxury Parisian apartment and is determined to end it all by the time she is 12. She discover es her father's old video camera and begins to record and discover things she's never noticed before, particularly the frumpy concierge, who loves to read, harbors a secret library, and loves dark chocolate while reading with her cat on her lap--along with other passions. When the mysterious Mr. Ozu moves in upstairs, his exotic Japanese manners and apartment design stimulate the girl and the concierge to form a fulfilling friendship. It's an intriguing and delightfully amusing film, made even more memorable by the shockingly sad but ultimately uplifting ending. GRADE---------A

A film about kickboxing brothers is not necessarily going to be on every one's radar, but WARRIOR is a very strong, bruising, emotional film and very compelling. Like the recent films THE FIGHTER (2010) and THE WRESTLER (2008), the sports aspect takes a back seat to the dysfunctional family dynamics that propel the plot. There might be some contrivances in the film, and the film is marred during the first hour by some wiggly hand held camera work, but the story and characters hook you from the start. Nick Nolte is in fine form as the recovering alcoholic father whose drunken violence drove the family--literally--apart. The younger son Tommy took off with his sick mother, who soon dies leaving him alone. He ends up in the Marines. The older brother escapes his father by marrying his young wife and starting a family in another city. There is a lot of angst and anger between them all. Both brothers learned to wrestle and box spurred on by their father when they were young, and when a big purse mixed-martial arts competition comes to the east coast, they both enter for various reasons, unbeknownst to each other. The fighting scenes are kept to a minimum until the end, and there are several climaxes that really pour on the drama. Joel Edgerton plays the married teacher brother, and Tom Hardy plays the ex-Marine, and both are effectively brooding and up to the physical challenges of the roles. The thing that surprised me most was the wracking, rousing emotional conclusion---both physically and mentally--that ends the film. I was shaking so hard (trying to stop the sobbing) that I felt my seat might break loose from the row. GRADE--------B+

A strong, subtle film that tells the story of 3 Nazi hunters in the early sixties and the effects it has on the trio in the present day remains haunting nearly two weeks after screening. THE DEBT features Helen Mirren in the present with a well cast Jessica Chastain (THE HELP) as her younger self who is key to trapping the Doctor of Death in post war Germany, and she becomes sexually attracted with the two men helping her in what seems like a Mission: Impossible situation. As the story from the past is slowly revealed, we see that not all is what it seemed in the beginning, and moral issues add to the suspense that this thriller presents to us. Thoughtful, intelligent, adult entertainment. Also featuring Sam Worthington and om Wilkinson. GRADE-----------B

The new film by Steven Soderberg called CONTAGION has a dynamic subject matter and a first rate cast. A deadly virus pops up in Macao, and before you can sneeze or cough once, the entire world is crumbling and dying in it's wake. Top scientists rush to find a cure (one played with gentle authority by Jennifer Elhe is excellent), and the Center for Disease Control doctors and workers struggle to contain the spread of the virus (including a fine Kate Winslet) while the political side of the CDC (an impressive Lawrence Fishbourne) try to keep a lid on the scare factor and the media. Gweneth Paltrow plays the patient zero (the first to die) and she is quite effective. Less effect is her husband (Matt Damon)who struggles to keep his daughter safe from infection while her horny boyfriend keeps coming around. The film has many creepy effective moments (especially the final shot which finally tells us what happened on Day 1 to start this whole sad tale) but the problem with this film is that it tries to do to much, cover to much information (make sure to cover sneezes, sanitize hands frequently, stop touching your face so much, and stock pile basics early) and rushes from player to player and scene to scene without building much sympathy or effective empathy. I also feel like this is familiar stuff, especially if you've seen or read things like THE HOT SPOT, OUTBREAK, VIRUS, etc where humanity has been threatened with this before. Coming soon is an excellent "virus/end of the world" thriller that recently screened at SIFF 2011 called PERFECT SENSE and starring Ewan McGregor. By keeping the scale small and intimate, the film takes on horrifyingly tragic consequences. It's a small masterpiece. Watch for PERFECT SENSE which just recently opened in Eastern Europe. (?!?) GRADE-------B-
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It is not one of the best James Bond films, but I recently saw on Blu-Ray disc the most recent film featuring an impressive Daniel Craig as 007 in QUANTUM OF SOLACE (2008) and I have to say that it looked GREAT---even better than when I saw it at a theatre. The sound and photography was crisp and clear (even with some muttering British accents) and it opened my eyes to what home-theatre can become if you have the right equipment. The whole finale which takes place in the middle of a desert is underwhelming, but Craig is still one of the strongest Bonds ever (except for perhaps Connery, of course)and I hope they (the producers) keep him around, although I've heard that will not happen. Well, Daniel Craig still has two very intriguing movies coming out this year---DREAM HOUSE and the first in the trilogy---GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO--and the previews for both look compelling. GRADE-----------B-

SIFF Report 2

Overall, this second week of screenings was not as good as the first, but there were some fine exceptions. Again, starting at the top (for quality)......

GRADE---A

THE HEDGEHOG--(France)--Eleven year old precocious Paloma is so disillusioned with her rich bourgeois family that she is determined to end her life on her 12th birthday, but when she starts to interact with her new mysterious Japanese neighbor and the older concierge who runs the building (the subtitles call her the "janitor") her pessimism begins to melt. Nicely based on a beloved novel by Muriel Barbery.


GRADE---B+

BUS PALLADIUM--(France)--Energetic (if typical) story of four young men trying to make it big with their rock band in Europe. The dozen characters around them are well drawn and interesting and the story is very entertaining (in that sex, drugs and rock and roll way.)


GRADE---B

PRINCE OF TEARS--(Hong Kong)--Sumptuously filmed in wide screen and Technicolor (?) complete with emotional music, sharp set designs and costumes, this melodrama about two young girls whose parents are arrested as communist spies is a fascinating history lesson about the struggle within Taiwan in the 1950's that pitted family against family during their attempt to break from Communism. My only complaint--perhaps a bit too melodramatic.....

THE CONCERT--(Russia/France)--An unbelievable plot (the janitor at the Bolshoi Orchestra who was previously a conductor, connives an invitation to play in Paris with his old comrades who were drummed out of the orchestra for being Jewish, by pretending to be the new conductor of the Bolshoi....and that's just the early set up....) is saved by warm and amusing characterizations and lush and stunning visuals, cinematography, and especially, music.

RESTREPO--(USA)--An intense documentary where the camera explores the tensions of daily living in a dangerous combat zone in Afghanistan, sort of like an unfictionalized version of THE HURT LOCKER.


GRADE---C-

THE FREEBIE--(USA)--A thirty something couple decide together to each sleep with another person for one night only in order to spice up their own sex life. A clever idea for a 15 minute short film is stretched out to 78 minutes, and is too single minded and annoyingly filmed in extreme close ups to maintain much interest.

SKELETONS--(United Kingdom)--Another clever idea about two traveling "ghost-busters" who try to expose the secrets in other people's closets, but the idea is never expanded or explained very well, and the film gets bogged down in a case of a missing husband that is not very interesting or original. Also the low key style and ZERO dollar special effects do little to keep you engaged. Perhaps we need a rating of ZZZZZ.

FATHER OF MY CHILDREN--(France)--Here's another film that deserves the ZZZZZ rating--which is based on the life of a workaholic film producer and the struggles to carry on after his death. I kept waiting for him to die--and early on there's an extended scene of him driving on the freeway, while talking on two cell phones at once, and smoking constantly (!!!!!), and I kept thinking that he would die in a car accident. I didn't care much about the film making or the characters.

SOUL KITCHEN--(Germany)--Quirky, stupid characters doing stupid, foolish things, and the plot progression made no LOGICAL sense, either. I guess this is supposed to be a surreal comedy but I was not amused, just annoyed. A big disappointment from director Fatih Akin who made the excellent EDGE OF HEAVEN a few years ago.


GRADE---D

AMER--(Belgium)--This is a supposed to be a "horror" film that will play at midnight, but it's more of a "horrible" film that will only put people to sleep or have them leaving the theatre by the half way mark. There are three parts, and the first part is the best, where a resourceful child is determined to find out what is in the room with a dead relative, and at the same time she must fend off--what?--a demented nanny or some witch or evil being that is trying to get into her bedroom ...!!!??? There are some amusing, creepy moments, but no dialogue or story line, just sound effects, and the motion of half the audience making for the door. The second part has the child about 7 years older and is filled with sexual tension and posturing, but again no dialogue. The third part is a few years later and has the woman returning to the original house (?) for whatever reason, taking a bath without water except that which oozes from between her legs (?!) and there's some one or some thing cutting the throat (?!?) or something of a taxi driver (?) who is trying to find her or save her or something. I just kept thinking that I could have done some laundry and gone grocery shopping instead of watching this pointless Euro mess.