A MAGICAL JOURNEY BACK TO BRAZIL : "BLACK ORPHEUS"

Honestly, I am not sure how to categorize this film. It is a Brazilian “phenomenon”. This is true in more senses than one; back in 1960, the year of its birth, the film made off with every prestigious award available from the Oscar for Best Foreign film to a Golden Palm at Cannes. It is an adaptation of the story of Orpheus to Brazil of the ‘60s. Now on hearing that, you may or may not be sure how well it will work out. Believe me though, director Marcel Canmus makes it work.
Now, first and foremost let’s have a quick re-cap of the myth of Orpheus; it is rather important to remember it seeing as the film is an adaptation. Right, so, pretty much all of you have heard of Kybele, right? Greek goddess, that took care of the earth, harvests and seasons and such like. Right, so, she had a daughter, Euridyce. And Euridyce was as beautiful as can be, the most beautiful maiden there ever was. So much so that even Hades, the god of the underworld (death) fell in love with her and decided not to wait for it to be her time to take her and thus one day he snatched her and took her away to his underground kingdom. Kybele was, as you can imagine, distraught, as was Orpheus, Euridyce’s lover. Orpheus was so distraught that he decided to enter the kingdom of Hades and fetch back his beloved. So off he set, had many adventures (we can cut that bit short) and in short reached Hades. Hades was not best pleased with the insistent young man; however, his emotion, and Orpheus’s brilliant singing voice, touched him. So he decides to set Orpheus a challenge. Euridyce can follow him up above ground, however, she will walk behind him, unable to make a single sound and Orpheus may not once turn round to check if she’s still there. If he does, the deal is off. This seems easy, right? But the way back up is long and human curiosity overcomes, Orpheus does turn back and Euridyce is snatched back underground. Now that seems an opportune point for a tragic finale, but no, it’s not. Hearing of Orpheus’s failure (and no doubt muttering “If you want something done properly do it yourself, my fault for trusting a man”) Kybele intervenes. Hades is even further moved by the distraught mother and decides to make a deal. So to this day, Euridyce spends half the year above ground, half the year below. Kybele’s mood fluctuates accordingly, she is overjoyed when her daughter is there (spring and summer) and distraught when she is gone (autumn and winter) and hence we have the seasons. Nice story no? I may have omitted details but this is it basically.
Now, Black Orpheus has a slightly different slant on the story, obviously. The whole thing takes place in the slums of Rio. It is carnival time, music, dance and madness is in the air; everyone has laid aside their daily cares and is preparing to show off their dance skills and costumes. Orpheus is a tram conductor. His girlfriend Mira wants to settle and marry, and although he agrees in principal, in practice he uses his last money to get his guitar back from a pawnshop, not for a ring. And carnival time brings romance in the shape of Euridyce, the cousin of his neighbor Serafina, who has arrived to visit Rio. Now Euridyce and Orpheus fall madly in love; however, Euridyce has a problem. There is a maniac after her, trying to kill her. Orpheus swears to protect her, but sadly fails. Unable to accept the death of his beloved, Orpheus then sets off on a quest, (to the Rio morgue) to retrieve his beloved from the jaws of death.
On reading the blurb on the back of the DVD I was worried on a number of levels. In the first place, given the various influences in this film, I reckoned it would be too tragic. I mean a Brazilian soap opera crossed with a Greek tragedy if you see what I mean. Yes, I quite agree. Yuck. First of all, let me soothe your mind if you have had the same worry. The overall tone of the film is quite joyous, and the theme of rebirth that dominates the finale of the myth (you know, spring returning every year and all that) is definitely kept up – although I can’t explain how that is done at this juncture. And not only does the film take place during carnival time, but from what I gather most of the actors of the film are professional dancers (which, it has to be said, makes the acting a tad stilted in places and in the case of minor characters, but the film somehow carries this through..). And there is a reason for preferring dancers to professional actors, because in the film there are long sequences of characters (or in fact extras!) just singing and showing off their samba skills, much in the style of old-school musical “numbers”. And shall I tell you something? I watched entranced. The talent and the beauty of the dancing is so great and conveys the joy of carnival so well that you cannot help but be imbued with the pervading joy. However, just as skilled is the complete change of tone of the same scenes as Euridyce’s killer appears on the scene. The dancing crowd suddenly becomes sinister as the chase begins. By the way, yes the unexplained killer is just a touch iffy. I’m letting that one slip. But even if the film is a good one for the most part, the true mastery begins in the last 15 - 20 minutes and Orpheus’s quest into the underworld. High running emotions meet some quite stunning cinematography to make a film that merits every single award it gets… Keep an open mind and give this little monkey a spin. Be it the dancing, the cinematography or the canny way the myth has been adapted, you’ll find something to impress you.

SAURA AND A DARK SPAIN : "CRIA CUERVOS"

Although he is a director of world-renown, I know very little indeed about the works of Carlos Saura before I watched Cria Cuervos. I knew he had done a lot of work about dancing, films about dancing and films with a lot of dancing in it but that was about it. So when I read the topic of Cria Cuervos on the internet I didn’t know what to expect – except that it probably wouldn’t contain much dancing that is). I can safely say that whatever else it does the film takes one by surprise. It also comes with a bit of a caution; it is not an “average” film, it leaves a lot of running to the spectator. But I found it worth it in the end. In the end is very much the key-word here, but let me get to the plot without digressing much further…
As for the plot, I don’t know how much to tell you or how to begin… After the death of their father, their only guardian their mother being dead, three sisters; Irene, Ana and Maite enter the custody of their aunt. Their aunt and their old grandmother come to live with them in their old house and a new period in their lives begin. Maite and Irene, the youngest and oldest respectively, get on with the business of living. Ana the middle child however, has a tougher time adapting. She lives literally surrounded by memories of the past and her childhood, the death of her father brining back memories of the death of their mother and of other times when she was alive, not such happy times either…
Ok, so as far as setting the mood is concerned the film goes straight to the top of the class. The film’s entire atmosphere is of one of those long, austere afternoons we all remember from our childhoods. Usually we are visiting somewhere, we don’t have much to do, and we want to go home. The afternoon stretches ahead of us, dark and unpromising… That’s what this film feels like. This is not a criticism in any way because this is exactly what the film is meant to feel like. Ana is not happy. She wants to go back “home” but home here is not a physical place; especially since technically she hasn’t left the house she grew up in. Home for Ana is a place where her mother is still alive. And her mother, played by a hauntingly beautiful Geraldine Chaplin, is present in her day to day life almost as if she were still alive. Be it flashbacks (that, by the way, are constructed in such a way that at the beginning one is often not sure whether what we are watching is “actually happening” or not) or her imagination her mother is always there. Her father, Ana is obviously less pleased with. But he “has his place” at home too. What Ana doesn’t want is to live with her rather overly austere aunt. And it is only when she actually takes action to do something about this state of affairs that we actually understand what the film has been about from the start… Now, is leaving the “surprise” so obscure right until the end a good thing or a bad thing? I couldn’t rightly say. All I can say is that I only watched until the end out of a sense of duty and then, only after I had the afore-mentioned “a-ha” moment did I appreciate the beauty of the film. So, if you want to watch something original, go for it. Be patient though. Saura doesn’t give a way an inch more than what is necessary; you will have to put two and two together for yourselves…

AND LASTLY, BRAZIL TODAY : "CIDADE DOS HOMENES"

Honestly, I don’t know as much as I should about Brazilian movies. When I picked this up I only knew that I had heard that it was a good movie. Yeah I know, not much to go on. The thing is, I was reading a book on Brazilian films at the time (which reminds me I really should finish it someday) and I thought this would give me perspective one way or another. Since I’m actually actively learning about films at the moment, I watch some films purely out of a sense of duty. This is how this one started, but it ended up as one of the films I have enjoyed most in the last few days…
Ace and Wallace are two 18 year-olds who live on one of the many hills in the favelas around Rio. They have been best-friends since they were very small; Ace’s father was killed when he was small, Wallace doesn’t know who is father is so they have just looked out for each other, getting into and out of scrapes pretty much their whole lives. Now Ace is married and has a young son, Clayton – but this doesn’t stop the two mates hanging out. Not least because now he is almost 18 Wallace has to get an ID card. And he doesn’t want to put “father unknown” on it. As his grandmother, and all the rest of their friends and relations for that matter, seems to refuse point blank to tell him anything about his father, he and Ace set out on a quest to find him. They will not, however, like the answer when they find it. As the shroud of mystery surrounding Wallace’s father slowly dissipates, the boy’s friendship will be tested to the limit, and thanks to the gang war raging round the hill they live on, their very lives will come to be at stake…
What I loved about this film is the raw realism it contains. I don’t mean that it is especially hard-hitting or dramatic, it is just, you know, real. Even though, to be fair, I know nothing about the favelas in Brazil personally, the characters are believable and down to earth. From the gangsters down to the innocent passers-by, no one is black or white, just different shades of grey like real people. It is true, some really dramatic events will happen down the line in the story, but they don’t stick out. It is a film that calls a spade a spade, but it doesn’t embellish. That is why, I think, even though there are some truly heart-rending scenes it doesn’t seem contrived in anyway. It’s a credit to the actors of course, but also the lack of things like “emotional” close-ups and a “heart-rending” musical score… This film feels like a window into the real favelas in Brazil. You come away from it feeling as if you have seen, and learnt something important and real. It is refreshing to see a film intent simply on telling a story and showing things the way they are as opposed to harping on the poverty of the people or the gang-fights (and there are some horrendous scenes of gang fighting don’t get me wrong, they’re just not the main point of the film). It holds its head high and says, “Well, this is the way we are, and here’s our story, we don’t want your pity, we want you to listen.” You feel emotionally involved, but I guess I mean you don’t feel pushed to do so… And that, I think we can all agree, is a very refreshing feeling indeed.

ESSIE SPEAKS OF CLASSIC GENTS!

Well hello there.

Sorry for the minor delay; real life kinda intervened today but we are back on track now, as are these weeks films...
Right, so, what do we have for you this week? I thought we'd talk men this week. Now boys, don't let that statement send you running, although these gents are pretty darn good looking, I am focusing on their acting (honest!). I have tried to pick some interesting and thought provoking (or just plain funny!) films that showcase good acting by talented classics such as Ben Kingsley (my favorite) and Daniel Day Lewis (Mom's favorite).
There's something in there for everyone and I hope (as I do every week) that you enjoy these films as much as I did...

happy viewing!
Essie

AN EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER : "THE HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG"

We all just about know by now that the heart of a good film is a good story. If there is a good story there, the rest will somehow pull along of its own accord. The same is actually true of the reverse. If the technical side of a film is good, “holes” in the storyline and plot may be forgiven. I mean take Avatar; it is, for all intents and purposes the story of Pocahontas with a few twists. Oh and special effects in three dimensions the like of which had never been witnessed before. When I left that particular film, my first reaction was “That was NOT a film.” Well it wasn’t. An experience, certainly, exciting, you bet, fun – are you kidding I wish I had the budget to see it a second time – but NOT a film. Something that was closely related to a fairground ride, crossed with a film. This is why, although I tend to tell people who exclaim “But it has no story at all” that they are being a little harsh, secretly I do know where they are coming from… Gosh I’ve swerved off topic on this one but I am actually trying to make a point… The point is, that House of Sand and Fog contains some of the best acting I have seen in a long time (hence it was nominated for various Oscars® in the field), the story is full of emotion and desperately gripping, but there are holes in it the size of the state of Texas. And yet, strangely enough, the rest is so good, you are gripped, by the story, by the performances and let yourself be carried away with it. And the rest of it is SO good in fact that one almost hasn’t the heart to mention them, but there you are… Let me just tell you the story and we’ll get to the matter properly…
Colonel Massoud Behrani (played superbly by veteran actor Ben Kingsley) is one of many Iranian citizens who have immigrated to foreign lands after the revolution of 1979. He and his family have settled in the United States, they are citizens now, and they are doing their best to start a new life there. Life is not easy, however. All their resources must go into keeping up appearances so their daughter may marry well – a task they succeed in – and after that, there is their young son’s education to think of. Colonel Behrani must work; keep down two menial jobs despite his advancing age to keep the family afloat as his wife barely speaks any English. Then he spots what seems to be a blessing from God Almighty himself. There is a house, a beautiful bungalow out in the woods on sale; it is to be auctioned off it appears, because the previous owner hadn’t paid her taxes. For the colonel this means one thing only: buy the house, renovate, sell at a profit, make a killing and thus have the money for Eshmail, their son’s college. What he doesn’t know, however, is that if the house has been seized, it is partly due to an error on the part of the government, Kathy (equally expertly played by Jennifer Connoley) is accused of not paying her business tax, but she in fact has never owned a business in her life; she has merely been lazy and ignored the government warnings until too late, partly due to her own personal problems. Thus she strongly feels the house is hers by right. And she will go to great, great lengths to get it back…
“Americans, they don’t deserve what they have. They have the eyes of small children forever looking for the next source of distraction; entertainment, sweet taste in the mouth… We are not like them. We know rich opportunities when we see it and do not throw away God’s blessings.” This is a direct quote from the film, something Colonel Behrani tells his young son at some point in the film. And this is, in fact, the whole point of the film really. Throughout the film you will note parallelisms being made between the “Caucasians” and the “Iranians”. One of the most striking is between the Colonel, who despite his sometimes undue strictness is a devoted father and Les, a sheriff’s deputy Kathy has an affair with and who thus begins to take evicting the Behranis a little too seriously, who doesn’t hesitate when walking out on his wife and two very young children without any explanations, just for Kathy who he has only known a few days. Another striking parallel is between Mrs. Behrani, who may not speak English but is the epitome of what it is to be a “lady” in the true old-fashioned sense of the word, not hesitating to wash Kathy’s foot (much to Kathy’s surprise and humility) when she has an accident. Kathy on the other hand is a mess, in many senses of the word, and seems to have a mildly illogical emotional attachment to her house, wanting to turf the family out at all costs, right until the very end… In short, some people seem to consider the “immigrants” the savages no matter what, but in fact when the behavior is analyzed, sometimes, the old fashioned “foreign” values trump it over good old fashioned, individualist, consumerist and in short capitalist society.
Which is where the bits of the plot I find mildly unbelievable come in. For example, quite quickly we find out that Kathy is a recovering alcoholic and her relationship with her parents is problematic. Yet, despite having joint ownership of the house with her brother, even after the house is foreclosed on and taken from under, her she doesn’t call her brother, stranger still neither do the authorities. Kathy then prefers to be homeless rather than go to her family for help, her family, from the little we hear from them, are not hostile to her in any way, just a typical, busy scattered and slightly egocentric family. That aside, the whole matter of the house being foreclosed on is a touch too sketchy for my liking too. We figure out that there is a matter concerning business tax involved and that this is in fact a mistake because Kathy has never owned a business in her life but then, we must believe that she has done almost virtually nothing about it since finding out about this situation; I mean, someone might have forged her signature, there is an ex-husband in the picture; he might have been trying to pull something but no. She is simply so negligent she just lets it slide. Then again, later on in the story, I will give no actual details but injuries are sustained in the house, yet it occurs to no one (until the finale where the ambulances vanish into the fog) to call an ambulance, and believe me, they are situations where you or I would be on the blower like a shot…
And then again, this is a film with a purpose. It is a film full to the brim with emotion and with some of the best acting performances I have ever seen. Incidentally, I would like to say that Ben Kingsley is probably one of the actors I respect the most in the entire industry, from Mahatma Ghandi to hired assassins, throw at him what part you will, he carries it off to a sterling standard. In short, the film is definitely worth watching. And it is definitely thought-provoking… I mean, just for example, how justified is Colonel Behrani in his criticism of Western society that I quoted above? Take a minute to think about it before you answer…

A TOUCH OF POLITICS WITH "THE BOXER"

The troubles. Do you remember what they were, readers? We don’t see them so much in the news these days as thank God those days are pretty much behind them in Ireland, but there was a time when the news bulletins every day were pretty much bound to contain some bombing or retaliation by or to the IRA. We have, naturally, had a lot of films about these bad times. And the political side of it is of course vital in understanding the problem. It is also interesting however to have films about the human consequences of these political uprisings. The Boxer is not, of course, the only one of its kind; it is however one of the better examples. Well, some combinations are just known to produce good results. Like pasta and cheese. Or coffee and chocolate. Or Jim Sheridan and Daniel Day Lewis.
Danny “Boy” Flynn (Daniel Day Lewis) used to be a professional boxer in East Belfast. But like a lot of young man in his gym, he threw in his lot with the IRA. He was one of the luckier ones in the sense that he was not killed, but he was sent to jail. When he is released 14 years later on good behavior, no one quite knows where he stands. Because although he has been true to the cause inside, in that he refused point blank to name names, he completely ignored the other IRA prisoners too. All he seemed to be interested when inside is keeping fit and keeping up his boxing, when he gets out all he seems interested in is building up the old gym, starting boxing again and hopefully turn the (already non-sectarian) gym into a place where Protestants and Catholics alike can come together and enjoy the sport. He also has another agenda: getting back with his former girlfriend (Ellen Watson). This however, will be tougher than it seems as she is now married, a mother of one and the wife of a political prisoner. Danny Boy Flynn however, is not going to give up on any of his dreams without a fight.
Danny Boy Flynn is a fascinating character in this story. He is in the strange position of being caught up between his heart and his heart. He believes in the IRA, that’s why he joined and that’s why he never gave anyone up for a cushier deal. He is, however, above and beyond anything, a boxer. And that’s really all he wants to do in life, box. Faced with endless time to think in prison, he decides that when he gets out, his heart will rule above and beyond anything. So no matter how impossible a task it seems ( the gym has gone to rack and ruin, most of the previous boxers are dead and his former trainer, now an alcoholic lives on the streets) he gives it his all. Then there is the matter of ??. She is married, and they live in a Catholic community making adultery a dangerous thing anyway; there is the added danger stemming from the fact that her wife is in jail for the IRA. And the prisoner’s wives are supposed to be above reproach in every way. Especially if they also happen to be the daughters of high-ranking IRA members. Daniel Day Lewis is brilliant as Danny Flynn; slightly awkward socially when he gets out of prison, not very good at communicating and slightly bewildered by the world outside, but at the same time doggedly determined. He is just as passionate as some of the others portrayed, who are a lot more vociferous about their beliefs and opinions, but unlike them he has a quiet determination that carries him far. Whether this is enough however, is something you will have to discover for yourselves…

AND TO FINISH OFF, SOME VINTAGE BRITISH FARE : "THE ITALIAN JOB"

Here we have before us two great British classics. Michael Cane is undoubtedly one of the best known and most liked British actors and The Italian Job has its own place among immortal British movies. I am not (in fact and in all fairness cannot) dispute the charisma of the young Michael Cane. And The Italian Job is no doubt a really funny movie, well worth a spin of a weekday evening – but I can’t really say I wasn’t disappointed. I mean, I expected more from this fella for some reason, possibly because of all the hype surrounding it…
So, a lot of you probably know “the score” but I’ll quickly run through it for those of you who don’t. Charlie Croker (Michael Cane) is a smooth-talking professional criminal. He is just out of jail and already onto the next big job. The idea is stealing four million dollars’ worth in gold while it is being transported through the crowded and congested streets of Turin. A lot of things seem to point to this being an impossible feat, not least because the mafia have got a hint of what the Brits are planning and have taken a personal affront to this daring stunt on their own turf. But Charlie, along with a little help from a randy computer expert Professor Peach (this character is first time I’ve heard Benny Hill speak!), the support of British crime-boss Mr. Bridger (Noel Coward !), three minis (appropriately colored red, white and blue), a couple of vans and a whole host of petty-criminals is determined to give it a shot. And get away with it.
Credit where it’s due, this film is one of the ones that is responsible for the birth of a whole host of hilarious heist movies, the modern and most successful incarnation being Ocean’s 11. And I was rather surprised to see that even this early ancestor was sure to involve the latest technology and computers. We have almost all probably watched the modern Ocean’s 11 and remember how highly computers figure in the film – here they have a place too. Admittedly, here the computers look more like walk-in freezers crossed with old magnetophones and the computer programs look like old and massive reels of film, but still. A nice touch. And of course there is the famous car-chase scene with the three minis and the Italian cops; now that one completely deserves its place in movie history, I’ve never seen anything like it! Michael Cane is dashing, funny and witty. There is a lot of witty repartee and word-play, common to British humor; the only problem you WILL have is if you do not like British humor… But I love it, so am biased.
I have to say however that; first and foremost this NOT the most original plot in the world. Benny Hill is a nice touch, but it’s classic, typical Benny Hill, just with a soundtrack. And I love Benny Hill, but in a film that bases itself on rather cool British humor I think he was a tad out of place. I don’t know, like spaghetti in chocolate sauce – nice in their own rights and separate, slightly “icky” when they come together. Another thing is, the whole film leaves a lot of loose threads at the end, and I don’t just mean the “cliff-hanger” ending, the whole darn thing is untidy – I thought so anyway. You just have to “suspend belief”, accept “that’s the way it is in the film” and get along with it. It just doesn’t bare too much scrutiny. So just don’t scrutinize it (with me it has become a professional hazard) just sit back and enjoy, and you should be ok. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.