The Cell (2000)

Genre: Sci-Fi, Thriller

Cast: Jennifer Lopez, Vince Vaughn

Synopsis: J’Lo plays a pot-smoking child psychologist who enters the mind of a serial killer through an experimental mind-swapping coma machine in order to find a missing girl.

Who would have thought that a movie starring J-Lo could be artistic. I mean, Anaconda was artistic in its own way….sort of. Many of the scenes in The Cell, however, are actually inspired by the works of Damien Hirst, Nerdrum, H R Giger, and the Brothers Quay. That makes for some fucked up imagery. If I’m being 100 per cent honest, though, I actually quite like this movie. There’s something visceral and powerful about it.

A lot of the emotions I felt when watching this movie were negative: disgust, revulsion, terror. However, it’s rare that you see a movie with such force and with such a clear artistic vision. When one comes along I can’t help but like it. The visual beauty should be expected as the director, Tarsem Singh, also directed The Fall which is largely considered to be one of the most visually arresting movies out there. However, The Fall’s narrative was decidedly ‘meh’ and left much to be desired. In contrast, The Cell manages to strike an appropriate balance between visual mastery and engrossing story. Neither element overshadows the other and I found both my eyes and my mind engaged.

At times, this movie had a serious Silence of the Lambs feel and you would think it would be impossible to mesh extreme horror with beauty but Singh manages to do it with panache. However, the horror in this movie can be quite difficult to bare at times. The way the serial killer, who for some reason I thought was Philip Seymour Hoffman (may he rest in peace), kills his victims is traumatic. What he does to them afterwards is even more distressing. It takes a strong will to get through some of the scenes and even I found myself tested….and I’ve seen all sorts of crazy shit thanks to /r/WTF.

Now, let’s talk about the Hispanic elephant in the room: Jennifer Lopez. She’s not a great actress (“I can catch a snake too”). However, she’s not exactly terrible either. In The Cell there’s something fresh-faced and oddly endearing about her. Also, she tokes up in her underwear and has a pet cat so that’s great. She is still Jenny from da block, after all. Seriously though, she pulls the weirdest face when she’s high. However, she never manages to quite convince the audience that she’s actually a child psychologist. Maybe it’s because I know what she’s like outside of the film. Still, she tries and I can respect that. When she rocks up as Jesus to save the day, though, that is maybe a bit too much.

High-lights:

• Beautiful use of colour and terrific art direction.
• Toke up J-Lo. Oooooh a kitty!
• Oh hai doggy.
• Engrossing plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat

Downers:

• Can be very disturbing and distressing at times.
• Vince Vaughn being serious and J-Lo as Jesus.
• Is that Philip Seymour Hoffman!?………Nah. Damn, now I’m sad.

Summary:

While Paprika is still my favourite dream-entering mind-bending thriller, The Cell is not a bad alternative. Even if you don’t like Jennifer Lopez or even the plot, you can still appreciate the art direction, make up, and costumes. If you smoke something that heightens your senses, then both the colours and artistry will become so much more vivid and will have more of an impact. The downside is that you’ll also be tweaked while watching some really distressing scenes. Either way, this film will illicit some kind of gut reaction from you.

6.5/10

Air Doll (2009)

Genre: Romance, Drama

Cast: Bae Doona

Synopsis: A blow-up love doll develops a soul and begins to see all the beauty and difficulty in life as she falls in love.

Excited by the fact that in three weeks time I will be jetting to Tokyo, I have decided that the next few films I review for this blog should be Japanese. Knowing of my love for beautifully poetic films, my brother suggested that I watch Air Doll and I happily agreed to do so. Once again, I found myself staring down the barrel of film which reflects the old adage “WTF Japan!?”

The whole concept behind blow-up love dolls is creepy enough but to actually see someone interact and make sweet and passionate love to one pushes the boundaries of creepiness. I can’t say that I have seen Lars and the Real Girl so I don’t know if that has a similar level of WTF-ness but I can guarantee that Air Doll trumps it on weirdness purely on the fact that, in this movie, there is a scene in which a Japanese man is washes out his lovely lady’s removable vaj in a small plastic wash basin. Remember to keep it fresh ladies. However, I couldn’t help but feel a little bit sorry for the guy who owns the doll as well as some of the other characters. The movie’s main theme is “urban loneliness,” which is the feeling isolation despite living in a city full of people. It’s a feeling that I have felt at times and it was therefore easy for me to connect with the plights of the characters. Having said that, I don’t need to fuck a piece of inflatable plastic to combat loneliness….I have Grindr.

You would be wrong to assume that the movie is all just one big freak show though. One thing that the movie does very well is capture both the beauty and horror of modern life. Whether it’s the beauty of quiet contemplation while watching the sunset, or the pleasure of making a “happiness buy,” or the depressing hilarity of a “sadness binge-eat”, or even the crushing horror of a “shame wank,” Air Doll shows the very essence of life in all of its beautiful-ugly glory. Rather than portray life as one big lively party or as a depressing slog, Hirokazu Koreeda instead presents something which feels more honest and real, something I love in movies.

On a more technical analysis, the film has its strengths. The soundtrack is whimsical and Bae Doona does a great job at portraying Nozomi the air doll. I think it was a stroke of genius to have a Korean actress play the doll as it gives her performance more of an “alien” feel as her pronunciation of words is probably imperfect and her facial features are more doll-like. Having listed the strengths, it’s important to look at the film’s flaws. There aren’t many but a big concern is that the plot is very much on the thin side. Not a lot really happens in this movie and, running at more than two hours, watching it all can be a test of stamina. Also, then ending felt a little hurried and the dark twist came out of nowhere. Although I enjoyed the twist, I didn’t feel appropriately prepared for it so all this happiness I felt kind of came crashing to the ground without warning. Thanks for toying with my emotions Japan.

High-lights:

• Honest portrayal of single life in an urban environment: depressing, yet strangely beautiful and poetic.
• This scene.
  
• Whimsical soundtrack and great performances.
• This movie made me feel really excited about my upcoming trip to Japan.

Downers:

• Slow-paced and long.
• Thin plot.
• A creepy Japanese man washing a removable vagina. Never thought I’d see that in my life.

Summary:

Air Doll is the sort of movie that will divide audiences. If you like slow-paced and eccentric dramas then you should definitely check it out. However, if you’re the sort of person who needs a film with a steady plot progression and lots of things going on to keep you entertained then this is not necessarily the movie for you. A lot of patience is required for Air Doll so make sure you smoke something that gives you couch lock. Still, even if you don’t par-toke, a lot of fun can be derived from making fun of Japanese eccentricities and especially when they are as bizarre as fucking plastic dolls. I hope I get to see some things that are even crazier when I’m in Japan.

7.5/10

The Bling Ring (2013)

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Cast: Emma Watson, Taissa Farmiga, Israel Broussard, Katie Chang

Synopsis: A group of fame obsessed teenagers begin a crime spree in which they rob celebrities

As you may remember, I included The Bling Ring on my High-lights and Downers of 2013 post about a month and a half ago. I raved about this movie and I would go as far to say that it was my favourite film from last year. I feel bad for saying that because I have seen 12 Years a Slave and that was a brilliant film but there’s something about The Bling Ring that is so fun and contemporary that it’s really hard for me not to sing its praises.

Everyone knows what this film is about. It’s a movie based on a real-life series of events in which a bunch of spoilt teens robbed a ton of celebrities, taking millions in swag. Now, when you consider the plot, you’d think that you would judge these kids and think of them as common crooks. The funny thing though is that, when you watch this movie, you don’t. Sofia Coppola is very careful to remain objective in this movie. She doesn’t lead you down a path and show you what to feel. Just like in Lost in Translation, Coppola lets the lives of the characters unfold in front of you and she allows the audience to cultivate their own thoughts through empathy. In that way, The Bling Ring feels a lot like a documentary but is there really anything to empathise with? The answer is ‘yes,’ surprisingly. The empathy comes from Israel Broussard and Katie Chang’s characters.

When these kids rob Paris Hilton, Audrina Patridge, Megan Fox and others, the camera is (for the most part) paced at eyelevel and moves with them as they move from room to room. You become part of their group and you are in amongst them as they try on clothes and jewellery worth thousands of dollars and no-one is ever going to know if you take it. Some of the characters steal because no-one is telling them that they can’t. However, for Broussard and Chang, you can see that they steal for deeper, more emotional reasons. Coppola doesn’t explicitly reveal what those reasons are but it’s suggested that they are very unhappy with their home lives. Robbing celebrities gives them a way out and an opportunity to live the lives they want. It’s a shallow life, sure, but who doesn’t want nice things?

Another great thing about this movie is that it questions the effect Facebook and social media is having on the younger generations, albeit in a very subtle way. On Facebook everyone wants to make it look like their life is awesome. You want everyone to see you going to all the hottest spots and generally having a good time. Unfortunately, life isn’t always sugar and rainbows. However, if you’re a privileged kid with bad parents then you’re unlikely to realise that. These kids get exposed to all the worst aspects of social media and fall for its allure by posting pictures of themselves with all their swag and huge wads of cash. There are extended scenes where there is no dialogue and the characters just take selfies of themselves and post them to Facebook or Twitter. I know a shocking amount of people (mostly younger than I am) who do this so I was amused and horrified by how accurately Coppola depicts this.

After watching this movie, I was so glad that I grew up at a time when the internet was not as developed as it is now. I didn’t get Facebook until I was 18 and there was no pressure to show my friends how awesome I was….mainly because I wasn’t. While the kids in The Bling Ring were out doing drugs and going to clubs at age 16, I was in my room reading or playing on my Nintendo. Having said that, I understand why these kids did the things that they did and it was a wild ride to see them actually doing it. What’s more shocking was how easy it was for them to do it and get away with it. Maybe I should give up journalism and blogging and become a full-time celebrity mugger.

High-lights:

• The cast is great. Broussard and Chang add a subtly depth to their characters while Emma Watson is wonderful comic relief. She can really do comedy quite well.
• Banging soundtrack. Having done this I can confirm that driving along the pacific coast highway listening to gangster rap or M.I.A. is one of life’s greatest pleasures….I wouldn’t do it on coke though.
• “OMG you guys, this is Balmain. Sooo cuuute.” *Discards the top and picks something else up.
• Trippy and beautiful scenes that are great after smoking. The one with Katie Chang looking in the mirror whilst spraying Lindsay Lohan’s perfume was fantastic. Strangely sinister too.
• The movie felt really contemporary and I feel as though Coppola really understood the modern teenager’s mind-set.
• Paris Hilton’s house is hysterical and it is ACTUALLY her house. She has a cage with a monkey in it by the front door. Who the fuck does that!?

Downers:

• I guess this film made me feel like a bad person in some ways because if you told me when I was living in LA that I could break into Paris Hilton’s home and take some stuff, I would probably do it.

Summary:

When The Bling Ring was released, it generally received positive reviews but nowhere near as glowing as the one I’m giving it. I think that this is a shame and I hope that, in the future, The Bling Ring will be seen as a modern masterpiece. It’s smart, funny, innovative, and it makes a point about modern society in an unobvious and gentle way. Although maybe not as good as Lost In Translation, I would say that it’s not too far behind. This film is another fine addition to my ‘Mind Blowingly Awesome’ list.

10/10

The New World (2005)

Genre: Drama

Cast: Colin Farrell, Q’orianka Kilcher, Christopher Plummer, Christian Bale

Synopsis: The story of Pocahontas….but with more blood and violence and less singing and dancing.

This is the second Terrence Malick film I’ve watched and, as far as I can tell, it’s pretty true to his style. The New World is similar to The Tree of Life in a lot of ways: both films have absolutely spell-binding cinematography, mesmerising art direction, poetic dialogue, and a spiritual message. However, The New World has one thing that The Tree of Life does not which, in my eyes, makes it the better film: a coherent and structured plot. Sure, it’s the plot of a Disney film but that film was in dire need of a gritty reboot.

I’m sure you’ve all seen the Disney’s Pocahontas. If not, I’ll fill you in: British people land in Virginia, meet the Native Americans, sing songs with their princess, party with racoons and hummingbirds and learn about the follies of racism before skipping off into the sunset. Even if you have a rudimentary understanding of history, you’ll see problems with this version. For starters, it skips out the whole ‘let’s kill Native Americans for their land’ thing as well as Pocahontas being killed by white man’s disease….unless that was saved for Pocahontas 2. The thing that’s great about The New World is that it does not skip on all the horrors that took place at this point in history. Famine and disease? Yeah that happened. Atrocities against Native Americans? Yeah that’s shown. Cutting off someone’s ears because they let the food rot?…..I guess that could have happened.

One thing the Disney version also got wrong: John Smith was a bastard! Well, Mel Gibson voices him in the Disney version so I guess they didn’t get it THAT wrong. Basically, John Smith was a player. He romances Pocahontas and then ditches her when he gets bored. What’s worse, a few months down the line he gets one of his friends to tell her he’s dead. What a cunt! Who does that!? John Smith, that’s who. Poor Christian Bale. He is essentially Pocahontas’ rebound guy. Who rebounds with Christian Bale? Pocahontas, that’s who. She’s my idol. I wish I could snag Batman as a rebound.

Speaking of Pocahontas, I should talk a little about her. Q’orianka Kilcher plays the role perfectly and manages to effectively convey the character’s innocence and spirituality. It’s hard not to fall in love with her as she runs about the meadows all care-free and as she sees beauty in nature and wonder in some of the smallest and most mundane things. In addition to handling Pocahontas’ innocence with ease, Kilcher also manages to navigate the scenes which require a deeper emotional response. The scene in which she breaks down in tears after she learns of John Smith’s “death” was particularly tragic. Even more tragic was the fact that some woman begins to pet her like a dog after she starts crying. Poor timing lady.

Many consider this film to be an underrated masterpiece and, after getting so baked I thought I could paint with all the colours of the wind, I can confirm that I too subscribe to that opinion. There’s something truly magical and enchanting about this film and there are so many good things I could say about it. I can’t give the film a full ten out of ten because it does have its flaws: it’s slow-paced and very long. However, if you allow yourself to get lost in the story and sumptuous visuals then these will not pose much of a problem.

High-lights:

• Mind-blowing cinematography and sound editing/mixing. The film’s a real treat for the senses.
• The opening sequence and scene is utterly orgasmic.
• I loved the film’s spiritual message. I don’t consider myself a religious man but, if I were to subscribe to a religion, it would be Pocahontas’. Or at least one that lets me smoke substances and frolic in nature and thunderstorms while looking happy at times and, at other times, pensive.
• Sad yet life-affirming ending.

Downers:

• Quite slow-paced.
• It makes me sad that that I will never be able to live the Native American way….mainly because our ancestors massacred the Native Americans and stole their land. Now I’m really sad.
• Colin Farrell’s face makes me laugh at times.

Summary:

Sure, Terrence Malick’s films are kind of pretentious and meandering but, when the end result is so beautiful, can you really complain? I would recommend this film to anyone who enjoys historical dramas with a touch of beauty. If you’ve seen the Disney film and want to experience something a little more accurate and depressingly life-affirming then this is the movie for you.

9.5/10

127 Hours (2010)

Genre: Drama

Cast: James Franco

Synopsis: James Franco plays a douchebag who gets his arm trapped by a rock while hiking in the middle of nowhere.

I always thought that if I met James Franco I might like him. However, after reading his collection of short stories, Actors Anonymous, I’ve come to the conclusion that I probably would not. Sure, the guy is creative and has a lot of talents but literary fiction is not one of them. The book is so self-indulgent and irritating you can’t help but feel that’s what the man is like. I mean, he actually writes: “Some people smell when you bend them over” and “I am a lone wolf. I have no wolf pack” or something along those lines. Who the fuck does that? Anyway, I remembered that he was nominated for an Oscar once so I hastily decided to put this film on and see if he could restore my faith in his abilities as an actor.

Did James Franco restore my faith? The long answer is ‘yes,’ although it comes with a ‘but.’ Yes, James Franco did a good job in this movie. He was perfect for the role and effectively manages to convey a myriad of tough emotions: sadness, regret, desperation. Here comes the ‘but.’ BUT he was playing himself. The main character is a douchebag in the extreme. He goes on secluded hikes without telling anyone where he’s going and then films himself driving around recklessly in the desert while screaming “Fuck yeah! I’m awesome bro!” To be honest, I was surprised he didn’t pull out his dick and start jacking it onto a mirror. This film is James Franco masturbation in the extreme.

Having said that, I still found this movie enjoyable. I know this wasn’t what was supposed to happen but I was hit by a wave of Schadenfreude when the guy gets his hand trapped. However, I began to warm up to him after a while…I think it was when he starts to drink his own pee which contains blood. By the end of it, I genuinely wanted to see him get out of his predicament. I also enjoyed the film’s cinematography and there were some beautiful shots of the desolate landscape as well as some trippy shit, if I remember correctly. I’m not sure what Scooby Doo had to do with anything but his appearance kept me on my toes. The amputation scene was also a surprise. I mean, I knew it was coming because that’s all everyone talks about but I was taken aback by its brutal intricacy. It wasn’t a rushed job in which he batters his arm with a stone. He literally disassembles his arm with like some kind of nail clippers and as he’s doing it he’s pulling stuff out of his arm and you’re like “aaahh what the fuck is THAT!?” Thank God I didn’t have the munchies during this film or I would have chundered.

In truth, I’m not sure if the film deserved all the Oscar nominations it got (maybe it wasn’t a particularly strong year) but the film certainly held my attention. I wasn’t bored at all which was not what I was expecting because I thought the film was just going to be one man standing around for hours doing nothing. Instead, the film shows the lengths man can go in order to survive and just how tough the human body and spirit is. 127 Hours made for a nice change of pace and I recommend that you watch it…at least so you can educate yourself on what to do if you get trapped in a canyon. Lord knows I will be taking a hacksaw the next time I go hiking.

High-lights:

• The scene where James Franco’s character guzzles dirty water in the way I think James Franco would guzzle a bathtub full of semen was intense.
• The amputation scene. ”GOD HOW LONG IS THIS GOING TO TAKE!”
• Visually arresting.
• James Franco did a good job….there, I said it.

Downers:

• Terrible opening.
• The bone scraping scene. Eeeeww.
• When I look at James Franco, all I can think about is: “Some people smell when you bend them over.” Please, never write a book again James.

Summary:

Despite my initial scepticism, I actually ended up enjoying this movie. OK, so it wasn’t ‘mind blowingly awesome’ and I wouldn’t even say it was ‘great’ but it was very good. James Franco impressed me with his performance and, as much as I hate to admit it, I really do fancy him but in a kind of ‘I really hate you’ sort of way. We would have hate sex and it would be hot but then we would never speak to each other again. I’m cool with that. James, if you’re reading this then hit me up.

7.5/10

Pleasantville (1998)

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Cast: Tobey Maguire, Reese Witherspoon, Jeff Daniels

Synopsis: Two 90s LA teens get sucked into their TV and find themselves in Pleasantville, a black and white 1950s-esque TV show where everything is perfect because no-one has had an orgasm.

Everybody wishes that life could be more perfect. I wish life could be more perfect when I’m bored at work and my editor is giving me the stink-eye. I wish life could be more perfect when the police arrest crack-heads on my doorstep. I even wish life could more when I see a dead cat floating down the canal in the park near my apartment. Unfortunately life, like Halle Berry’s filmography, is not perfect. Pleasantville is an interesting film because it examines the costs of perfection and why life is so much more interesting and beautiful when there’s diversity and when crazy shit happens.

At times, the film gets very heavy handed with its message which can get quite annoying. I know racial segregation is bad. I don’t need the characters to tell me that it’s wrong to separate coloured people from monotone people…I’ve seen 12 Years a Slave….I have enough white guilt to last me a lifetime. If you can ignore the preachiness of the film, however, Pleasantville can be very enjoyable to watch as it manages to balance laughs with stunning visual imagery.

From a visual standpoint, this film does some really interesting things with colour. I can’t say for sure if there was or was not any digital trickery or if it was simply the lemon haze I was smoking, but when colour is used in this film it really pops. The first use of red for the rose is particularly mesmerising and the scene with the playing cards was weirdly orgasmic…which was kind of appropriate what with the whole ‘fuck until you see colours’ thing.

On the comedy side of things, this film does a good job of poking fun at the differences between America in the 90s and the 50s without really coming to a conclusion about which is better. Sure, teenage slutiness and MTV was rampant in the 90s but you know what was rampant in the 50s? Racism. Sure, breakfast was more traditionally American in the 50s but you know what else is as American as maple syrup covered bacon? Diabetes. The film turns the idea of ‘the good old days’ on its head by showing both the positives and negatives of each era and, thanks to a wry wit, it manages to so in a way which is amusing and engaging which is all you can really hope for when it comes to comedy.

High-lights:

• When Reese Witherspoon’s crush calls her a bitch.
• The film made me appreciate how beautiful colours are. I know that sounds cheesy but can you imagine being completely blind to colour and then suddenly waking up and seeing red or green? Your mind would be blown.
• The scene with the art book was a stroke of genius.
• Fiona Apple’s cover of Across the Universe is surprisingly good.

Downers:

• Preachy.
• Oh Shit that’s Paul Walker! Oh shit….that’s Paul Walker. Sad face.
• Those kids have a terrible mum….she doesn’t even realise one of her kids is still stuck in TV land.
• It upsets me to think that there are teens out there as slutty as Reese Witherspoon in this movie. I blame MTV. Everyone should have a slutty phase but it should be in college when your parents and elderly relatives won’t find out about it.

Summary:

Pleasantville is a cute and quirky little film from the 90s that should be easy viewing for everybody. There isn’t anything particularly unlikeable about it but, unfortunately, it falls short of being one of the greats of the 90s. However, the film will be a lot more enjoyable if you’re baked because then you’ll be able to truly appreciate the film’s use of colour and some of its more artistic aims. If you’re not into that sort of stuff, then at least watch it to see Reese act like a teen ho and get called a bitch.

7/10

Wolf Children (2012)

Genre: Animation, Drama

Cast: Aoi Miyazaki, Takao Osawa

Synopsis: After a night of wild sex with a wolf-man, a young woman gives birth to two children who are part human and part wolf so she moves to the countryside to give them a better life.

This is a weird movie. Even ignoring the part where the main character has sex with a wolf-man, there’s something very unusual and novel about this movie. When I saw the poster for it, I thought Wolf Children would be some creepy furry-porn which would allow sexually confused Japanese schoolgirls to cry “moe.” However, I was surprised to find a remarkably touching and human tale about a young mother struggling to raise her two children. It’s the sort of movie I am sure all parents can relate to and, even if you are not a parent, it will allow you to understand some of the choices your parents made when you were younger.

Typical to every movie directed by Mamoru Hosoda, Wolf Children is beautifully and intricately animated. The level of detail in some of the scenes is incredible. My favourite scene was the one where the wolf children play in the snow. I’m not an animation expert but I imagine that snow is one of the hardest things to animate and this movie manages to do it in quite an innovative way. Also, there’s something romantic about Japan in the snow. In London is just turns into a sickly grey slush and if you throw a snow ball you have about a 50 per cent chance that it will contain a dog turd or a needle. The great thing about this film is that it manages to maintain an element of whimsy, fantasy and beauty which is reflected in the animation. What’s even more impressive though is that the film manages to present that element of fantasy without compromising the film’s human core.

The characters and human drama in this movie are very well constructed on an emotional level. The grief the mother feels when her partner dies is heart-breaking and all the more terrible when you see there happy family life montage snapshot. Similarly, the scene where one of the kids falls in the river has a really good emotional impact. The writers and animators should be very proud of themselves for catching such a vivid depiction of humanity in a film which has such a crazy plot.

If I’m being honest, I think part of the reason I liked this movie so much was because I could see part of my life in it. When my mum and my dad divorced, my mum decided to move to the countryside to be closer to her parents and because raising three children in London when you’re a single parent isn’t exactly an appealing option. When I was really young, I loved living in the countryside. When I was a teenager, I fucking hated it and I could never understand why my mum decided to leave London. I started to understand when I began living in London. It was so easy to see my mum in the main character and also my twin brother and myself in the wolf children. Looking back on it, we were little shits…maybe all children are. Still, I take it as a good sign that I’m beginning to appreciate the actions of my parents. It makes me think one day that I’ll be ready to have my own kids. Now I just have to win the lottery because kids are bloody expensive and there aren’t any beautiful abandoned houses anywhere near me which I can conveniently occupy rent-free.

High-lights:

• Beautiful animation mixed with touching and universal human drama.
• I want the house that they live in so bad!
• I also want a wise old fox as an animal friend. I mean, we get foxes her in the city and I’ve seen quite a few but I wouldn’t want to make friends with any of them. They’re just after the KFC in my trash bags.

Downers:

• The feels! They overwhelm me at times.
• The bestiality scene….this pic summarises my thoughts pretty accurately.

Summary:

It may not be quite as good as Summer Wars but Wolf Children manages to accomplish something similar: it manages to inject reality and humanity into a fantastical story. Beautifully animated and full of emotional impact, Wolf Children is definitely a film that should not be missed.

8.5/10

Amélie (2001)

Genre: Romance, Comedy

Cast: Audrey Tautou, Mathieu Kassovitz

Synopsis: Amélie is an eccentric waitress in Paris committed to doing acts of kindness in order to improve the lives of the people around her. However, when it comes to improving her own life, things are not quite as easy.

I like to think that I keep an open mind when it comes to watching films. I will watch any film at least once and I will try not to let hype or my opinions of actors/actresses/directors influence my thoughts on the film. However, if there is one genre I have trouble watching it’s romantic comedies. In a lot of romantic comedies I find the necessary elements of romance and comedy startlingly absent. Romance isn’t Katherine Heigl being kissed by a Matthew McConaughey circa 2003-type guy and comedy isn’t Jennifer Lopez saying that it’s “turkey time.” Fortunately, Amélie manages to be both romantic and comedic thanks in large part to its quirky realness.

The funny thing about Amélie is that it is quite a surreal movie but, at the same time, it’s touchingly human and its characters are remarkably accessible. In this movie each character is introduced with a little narrative about their likes and dislikes which range from plunging a hand into a sack of grain to tearing off wallpaper in strips. It’s these small touches that round out the characters, something that’s amazingly accomplished before the audience even sees much of them on screen. Because of this, the film doesn’t feel like a film at all but rather a snapshot of the lives of a group of eccentric Parisians.

At the centre of it all though is Amélie Poulain, a hipster’s wet-dream wonderfully played by Audrey Tautou. Jean-Pierre Jeunet struck gold when Tautou was cast in the role. Bringing an ethereal pixie-like innocence to the film, Tautou helps construct a three dimensional character that the audience can’t help but adore. Beautiful, witty, creative, sensitive and kind, Amélie is the sort of significant other we all hope to meet one day. However, Amélie is also a complex character and throughout the movie we see just how many layers she has, her insecurities, her hopes and even her weaknesses. Although the film is rather light-hearted, Tautou’s performance gives the film a much needed depth…plus she can write backwards super quick which just blew my mind.

One thing about this movie that I loved was how much of a sensual experience it was. The cinematography is beautiful, highlighting and accentuating rich shades of green, red and gold giving the film a vivid visual magic. Thanks to composer Yann Tiersen, the audience’s ears are also treated with a whimsical and surprisingly light soundtrack. Executed brilliantly, the soft fluttering of piano notes complement Amélie’s child-like innocence and perception of the world around her and, through that, the audience gets to relive life’s simple pleasures like hearing the sound of a crème brûlée crack to the utmost effect. The film is truly a sensual marvel and when you’re high it really gives you chills.

High-lights:

• Sensually arresting.
• Great characters that give the film a human feel.
• Great comedy moments: “Fur pie doesn’t sell.”
• On the subject of Princess Diana, I feel that this quote was wonderfully appropriate: “GIVE I A REST!!!”
• A beautiful ending that shows that life is full of wonder and beautiful moments.

Downers:

• Damn those spiced biscuits dipped in mulled wine looked hella tasty. Gave me the munchies really bad.

Summary:

Full of charm and whimsy, Amélie is a film that should not be missed. It’s the sort of movie that should be saved for a time when you’re feeling sad and downtrodden. The film’s magic will captivate and inspire you and make you focus on all the good things life has to offer…like mulled wine and spiced biscuits. Fuck, now I’m super hungry.

10/10

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)

Genre: Sci-Fi, Animation, Action/Adventure, Drama

Cast: The English dub has the voices of Shia LaBeouf, Uma Thurman and Patrick Stewart

Synopsis: Nausicaä is a young princess of the Valley of the Wind who inhabits a post-apocalyptic world overrun by a toxic jungle and giant insects. Nausicaä must prevent a neighbouring nation from using an ancient weapon against the jungle and insects.

It’s been a while since I reviewed a Myazaki film and the other day I got a huge hankering for one of his older and more mature films. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind was released in 1984(before Studio Ghibli was founded) and although the soundtrack/sound effects may be a little dated, the animation and the story are as fresh as ever and prove that Miyazaki’s genius will transcend time and be treasured for generations to come. It’s hard to pinpoint one thing that makes this film so special because it’s all so brilliant, complex and beautiful – as should be expected with any Miyazaki film.

One thing that I love about this film is its spiritual and environmental message. Unlike FernGully: The Last Rainforest which was heavy-handed with its environmental message, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind takes a more subtle route. Like one of Miyazaki’s later works, the film focuses heavily on human relationships with the environment and how greed, ill will and delusion drives conflict and poisons those relationships. Whereas FernGully features 80s pixies who help the forest grow with their songs about magical life-rain, the characters in Nausicaä are humans recovering from an environmental apocalypse who fear and resent the exquisitely animated toxic jungle which overwhelms the planet. Also inhabiting the planet are ginormous insects and the mysterious Ohmu which are kind of like divine crustacean-beetles. The message of the movie is that humans, the jungle and insects inhabit the same world and we need to learn to live together in complete balance.

In the midst of it all stands feminist-icon princess Nausicaä who must navigate all manner political and diplomatic hurdles while still managing to be a bad-ass. She flies, she’s kind, she fights like a demon and she befriends all sorts of cool animals. She’s essentially what I want my future-daughter to be: tough, kind, intelligent and principled. It’s rare to see this quality of heroine in today’s films, although tough heroine’s are a staple of Miyazaki’s films, just like multi-dimensional “almost-villains” which feature in this movie too. Nausicaä is the driving force behind the film and the audience comes to care for her deeply. In a way, she’s a greater hero than Ashitaka in Princess Mononoke because she’s a lot more accessible and less pious. The audience develops with her and as her understanding and respect for the environment grows so does ours.

As mentioned before, the soundtrack is a little bit dated but, if you love 8-s electro sci-fi music, this won’t be much of a problem. The film’s composer, Joe Hisaishi, is every bit as gifted as Miyazaki and he created a mind-blowing soundtrack that perfectly complements the eerie and desolate landscape in the film. If you’re baked, the music becomes otherworldly and reverberates in your body. It’s really a wonderful experience. Although the music may be a little outdated, nothing else in the movie is. The animation is as crisp and mesmerising as ever and the film’s central themes are arguably more important today than they were 20 years ago. I seriously advise everyone to watch this film with an open mind and, if you do, then prepare to be astounded.

High-lights:

• A beautifully animated dystopian future that almost feels Tolkienian. It’s even more incredible considering the film is 20 years old!
• A well-rounded main character who is a feminist icon.
• The important environmental message.
• Scenes of remarkable beauty. In my mind there are two stand-out scenes. The first is the scene in which Patrick Stewart’s character discovers Nausicaä secret garden which is all glowy and pretty. The second scene is the one in which Nausicaä flies over the desert and sees a lone Ohmu watching the sunrise.

Downers:

• The soundtrack may annoy some people.
• The pacing could have been tighter in places.

Summary:

I think that this movie could appeal to a wide audience because it is essentially a mish-mash of lots of different genres weaved seamlessly together to create a visual and well-plotted masterpiece. Please don’t write this movie off because it’s an anime and because it was created in the decade of stylistic horrors which was the 1980s. If you watch this movie I guarantee that you will be pleasantly surprised.

9.5/10

Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (2005)

Genre: Drama, Thriller

Cast: Lee Young Ae, Choi Min-sik, Kim Shi-hu

Synopsis: After being released from prison for a murder she did not commit, “kind-hearted” Lee Geum-ja sets about getting revenge on the man who made her take the fall.

A few weeks ago I was reading an article online about how, in terms of shock value, Korean cinema cannot be beat. I think the article was in response to all the middling reviews the Spike Lee Oldboy remake is getting. For those of you who are unaware, Oldboy is a seriously fucked up yet amazing movie and is the second part of Park Chan-wook’s celebrated vengeance trilogy. Sympathy for Lady Vengeance is the third film in the trilogy and, although not as cray as Oldboy, it’s definitely the most visually arresting of the three.

Now, as many of you will know, when I get high I like to watch things that are beautiful. Because of this, I feel as though I have a connection with the main character in this film who claims, in a stoic tone, that “everything must be beautiful.” Beauty plays a big part in this movie; think religious iconography meets vivid primary colours. However, as the film progresses and the story becomes more complex, the tones become muted and most of the scenes are heavily shadowed but will occasionally feature something that is pure white, signifying redemption and spiritual purity. In a sense, colour becomes a supporting character and throughout the film it adapts to meet the emotional and spiritual state of the main character. What once started out as a colourful and idealised becomes grim and painfully realistic and emotional.

Aesthetics aside, Sympathy for Lady Vengence has a gripping plot and one hell of a performance is given by Lee Young Ae. For the majority of the movie, she plays her character as aloof and stoic. However, towards the end of the film, when she has to confront that fact that her own desire for revenge may be outweighed by other characters’ need for closure, she gives in to a wave of emotion. In one scene, she looks dead on at the camera and it feels as though the entire spectrum of human emotion is being shown on her face; happiness, anger, frustration, regret, sadness. I’ve never seen any other actress pull off such a range in such a short period of time.

Although this film is beautiful and engaging, like Oldboy it can be very difficult to watch. There are two villains in this movie (one is a child murderer, the other is a rapist) and the audience has to witness their full brutality. On top of that, a puppy gets killed. However, the strange thing about this movie is that, even with all the horror, a strange comedic sentiment is apparent. The movie contains a (thankfully) off-screen torture scene which is easily one of the most absurdly funny things I have ever seen in a film. You essentially have a bunch of middle/upper class Koreans discussing how to be polite when torturing someone and how to avoid getting blood on their suede boots. You have to have a pretty dark sense of humour to make it through this film without getting upset.

In brief, Sympathy for Lady Vengence is a very powerful movie. It inspires strong and visceral emotions from its audience, both positive and negative. In that respect, it certainly adds weight to the argument that Korean movies can’t be beaten when it comes to shock value and raw emotive power.

High-lights:

• Great acting from the female lead who is able to successfully navigate the film’s darker moments just as well as its lighter moments.
• Wonderful use of colour and the cinematography is spellbinding. The attempted assassination scene is my favourite.
• A satisfying, if somewhat ambiguous spiritual ending.
• The torture scene is both hysterical and emotional.

Downers:

• You will get the munchies so bad in this film. The main character makes the most amazing cakes and I fucking love all kinds of Korean food.
• The scene with the videotapes is traumatising and heart-breaking.
• Puppy murder.

Summary:

Sympathy for Lady Vengence is not a movie for the faint hearted. Although it’s visually gorgeous and comedic, those moments are juxtaposed with scenes of extreme brutality and horror. However, if you can stomach it, then this movie is unmissable and it’s a great introduction to the vengeance trilogy and Korean cinema in general.

9.5/10