BEWARE ALL "SKELETONS" AND THOSE WHO HIDE THEM...

If the aim of first time director Nick Whitfield was to make a film that would make his viewers talk about it and think, I can guarantee you, he has succeeded. I have so much to say about this film but I am completely unsure where exactly I want to begin. Or how to begin. Yes, this is going to be a long one peeps. And as you can guess, not all I have to say about it is praise. But then again, the film has sort of wormed its way into my heart, so much so that I reckon you should watch it. I’d be fascinated to find out what you make of it. If nothing else, you can have a good old rant about it…

Bennet and Davis are psychic exorcists. Their job is, basically, to get into people and reveal the skeletons in their closets. You might, at this point, wonder what the point of such a job is, but take a look at their clients, for example there is a young couple preparing to get married who want to take this step before they get married – as a show of devotion if you will . Or there is a middle aged couple who want to try it partly out of their interest in alternative therapies of all sorts, partly to better their relationship. But the latest case Bennet and Davis have to deal with is unusual. On the surface it seems like a relatively average job – a woman wants the team’s help to relocate her missing husband. However, the moment they arrive at the house, it is clear to our heroes that something is wrong. And it is not just their own personal demons. It turns out there is a reason a massive promotion is attached to this case. It truly is their toughest one yet…

Now… Where to begin. I love so many things about this film. Not least the fact that the director has chosen to portray our psychics as very, normal people, very human. Hollywood tends to add an air of “mystique” to the whole affair, fair enough I suppose. But I have always thought that it is not exceptional looking people with deeply noble characters that should have “powers”. No, I think if you think about it realistically there would be an infinitely greater chance of them being normal looking people with very normal strengths and weaknesses.

Then there is the whole concept. The world the film creates is highly original and yet so very close to our own that one cannot help getting sucked in from the first moment. All this despite, and here I come to the first weakness of the film as I perceive it, the minimal, almost non-existent explanation of what the heck is going on. I get what has been attempted here. In avoiding all Hollywood-style clichés, the aim is to create a “12 Monkeys” ish feel. You know, the story slowly unravels. We don’t truly get what’s happening until the last instant. It all falls into place at the eleventh hour. I get it, I respect what has been done. It is my humble contention it doesn’t work. Even if you want the audience to work out what is going on in its entirety without any “explanation”, you should at least give them enough clues to go on. The complete and utter lack of information is, I think, the reason a lot of reviewers online wrote things like “oh they’re ghostbusters or something” in their reviews. It is very tempting and completely understandable to lose patience with the process entirely. Because, fact, you cannot feel “included” in a story if, at the back of your mind, you are constantly trying to work out what the heck you are watching.

I mean, yes there are films like this. And if it were not for the ending, you could argue that, the director was trying to present a different, completely unconventional viewing experience, you know, a more “cutting edge”, “existential” feel, sort of mixing the sensation of watching a film with watching a fly on the wall documentary. But the ending… It’s basically a message about not dwelling on the past and looking to the future and it is given in the most sugar-coated, Hollywoody, “family unit reunited”y (yes Mom, I know that is not a word, I’m trying to make a point) style imaginable. You know how allergic I am to “very happy” endings. What’s that I hear? I’m not to be a misery-guts? What is wrong with happy endings I hear you ask? Now hang on a minute. I’m not arguing against happy endings all together as a concept. I’m just arguing for them to be a little truer to real life.

I’m thinking, for example of Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s latest film Once Upon A Time in Anatolia (check out my review here if you have never heard of it ). I would argue, for example, that , contrary to appearances, that film does actually have a happy ending. Why? Because the character of the prosecutor is brought face to face with a  truth he has been in denial about for a long time. This denial and his refusal to cope with the matter in hand have been holding him back in his life.  He is, at the end of the film, shown a clear path. What he should do to go on with his life. True, he is surrounded by pathos, the other characters do not have such paths out of the sadness that surrounds them, but the prosecutor seems generally interested in truly healing himself and no longer being content with “stop-gap” solutions. Now that’s a happy ending. That is real character development. I mean think about your own characters and how they have developed over the years? Did any of it happen in a matter of days / weeks? Were you transformed, as if by magic, or was it a slower, “baby steps” affair? Quite. Ceylan presents his happy ending by showing the moment of awakening and hinting at the transformation to come. There is no need, I would argue, for arrows and neon lights. Especially in a work that has so many very original and different features to it. It is a brilliant film though. I would have done it slightly differently but hey. What’s the point of art if we can’t discuss these things?

ESSIE SPEAKS OF STUFF THAT MAKES HER THINK

So my part of the world still hasn't quieted down. And I have run into technical difficulties about the "thing" I wanted to add to my website, but bear with me if you will, and it will appear. Asif by magic.

With all the though-provoking stuff going on in the world at the moment, one might be tempted to think I was using cinema as a way of escaping all that. Oh no. It seems that be it the "heaviest" film on serious topics such as addiction or pure entertainment it seems that my brain starts churning. I think it may be a result of being overworked. You know, the brain is spinning quite fast already, so it just carries on rather than stopping. It may not entirely make sense, but well, it does in my mind.

And I mean, I don't know. Is being lost in your own maudlings and meditations as restfull as "turning your brain off" completely? Not sure. I have a feeling it might be though. There you go. Another thing to think about.

I think I need a lie-down.

Happy viewing,
Essie

WHAT RISES HIGH IN "FLIGHT" MUST SURELY COME BACK DOWN...

Well now, this one was a curveball. I had completely and utterly assumed I was going to see an action film of sorts. Very much my own fault, I have been working like a woman possessed this last month, I freely admit that I am more than a little behind when it comes to cinematic research. I’d had a bit of a week of it when I got to watching this. I genuinely thought I was just going to see a well-acted action film that would take my mind off things. Instead, I found a film that made me think long and hard about very important stuff. Hey, it took my mind off things. Just not in the way I expected.

Whip Whitaker (Denzel Washington) is a pilot. One of the best there is. And he has more than ample chance to prove it when he saves almost all the souls on board using an almost impossible manoeuvre after a mechanical failure. The thing is though; he completes this impossible manoeuvre when drunk. And under the influence of cocaine. As you can imagine, this comes up pretty quickly in the medical examination. Now there is a race against time as his union rep and lawyer desperately try to quash the medical reports and keep Whip in line. And Whip, a raging alcoholic, takes one heck of a lot of keeping in line. For all his bravado however, Whip is guilt-stricken about the six people who died. This event is, in fact, a very good chance for him to face up to his past, his mistakes and his demons. Thing is, does he see it that way?

Ok, I love this film for so many reasons. Not least because it paints a realistic portrait of alcoholism and the destructive force it brings to the life of everyone around it. I know alcoholics. I know the children of alcoholics. Believe me, I am in a good position to judge these things.

In the film, I especially love the scene where Whip is “fighting the minibar” as it were. You’ll know what I mean if you watched the film. If not, you’ll know when you see it. I’m also impressed with the way it seems to be connected to such a random event – but so well connected. I NEVER expected a film about alcoholism and facing your demons based on the wonderful, nail-biting opening action sequence. But hey, this is Robert Zemeckis. Only the guy who directed Back to the Future. No biggie.  And who better to portray it than veteran actor Denzel Washington? Every time I see him acting I am even more convinced that he deserves every award he gets and more.

But I do have a few problems with it. The ending. Spoiler alert people, look away now if you don’t want to hear about the ending. I don’t usually do this, I know but I passionately feel the ending is “wrong” so I MUST talk about it. What can I do, I’m an Aries. Ok, this is Hollywood, obviously they have to show him kicking the habit (of course they have to. This is not my problem), making peace with himself and “killing” his demons. There is, of course, an estranged ex-wife and a son he doesn’t talk to also in the picture. Now, like I said I know both alcoholics and the children of alcoholics. I felt that Whip making “complete” peace with his son was a little too much, too soon. Not that I’m saying that would never happen. I would, however, be happier with an “open” ending. You know. A tentative and slightly awkward meeting in the prison café for example. Positive, but no big hugs and kisses. If I may say this, living with an alcoholic means you get lied to by the person and hurt on a regular basis. And life experience tells me complete trust takes time to grow, especially if the matter has grown to the point that you haven’t spoken to your own father/son for years. That kind of hurt doesn’t just go away like magic. Ok, supposedly Whip has been sober for a year but I don’t know… It didn’t seem right to me. I mean yes, classic Hollywood dictates that the family unit must be re-united by the end. And to give it it’s due, this is a surprisingly modern family unit as Whip has a new girlfriend (albeit a rather cheesy storyline of a fellow addict (drugs) kicking the habit who he met in hospital. I know, I agree. But it’s better than nothing) thus the family is, you know a “modern” family with divorces and stuff. Like I said, I would have preferred a more tentative reunion. Because in real life, there is a good chance the family unit does not come back together again. In this film, this is not really even portrayed as a possibility…

So basically, Flight is a sensitive, though provoking film that portrays a lot of original and exciting stuff interspersed with some very typical Hollywoodisms. Oh well. With the sheer saturation of Hollywoodisms about these days, I’m just as happy with a mixture.

A BLAST FROM YOUR CHILDHOOD - WELL, MINE ANYWAY : "FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF"

Oh my God. I have rarely had so much regret flooding through me as I watched a film. Regret that I hadn’t watched this film much, much earlier. No effing wonder this film is such a favourite with so many people from my own generation. I never saw it. It didn’t get much of an airing over in Turkey. But hey, I’ve seen things like it and I LOVED them all. This is why, although as I watched this film for the first time there was no doubt in my mind at all that I had grown out of it a while back, neither could I actually turn it off. Classic of a certain era. Definitely.

Ferris Bueller is a high school wise guy. He may only be a senior, but he knows every trick in the book and he can play his unsuspecting parents and teachers like a fiddle, much to the annoyance of his sister Genie. When one of the first, beautiful, warm days of summer finally dawns on the town, there is no question whatsoever of Ferris going to school and wasting it. So it’s a day off. And if he has a day off, so does his girlfriend Sloane and best friend Cameron. Despite the protests of the highly strung Cameron, off they go into town, in no less than Cameron’s father’s prize, antique red Ferrari. But even with Ferris’ seemingly never-ending luck there are enemies to defeat. The school headmaster – Ferris’ arch-nemesis - parents popping up in odd places and an interfering sister. Kids sometimes really do just want to have fun… But how much can Ferris really get away with?

You recognise the type of humour, right? It’s the exact same genre as the Home Alone series starring Macaulay Culkin.  Charming, wise-cracking kid versus bumbling parents. The kid being ingenious, winning out in every situation, “getting the girl in the end” as it were. Well, not in the Home Alone series to be fair. But you get the picture. I mean, of course Ferris has a girlfriend who “tags along” – how could he be such a popular high-school student if he didn’t – but of course the “bumbling best friend” trope is also used, for comedy and as a chaperone. Hey, come on people, it was 1986, they still had standards of that sort back in the day.

Ok, so this film is not for anyone who is looking for a “serious cinematic experience”. In fact, if you are watching it for the first time in your late 20s – early 30s or later, you know what, you are a tad too late. Oh you will love it though. It reminds you of so many things from way back when you were tiny. Not less how little it took to make us happy and entertain us back in the day. Even though I am not that old, I feel a clear generation gap between myself and people a mere ten years younger than me. (I mean, I had a fascinating conversation with colleagues about ten years younger than me who told me they all had difficulty using watches. Phones were easier because they “told you the time right away”. If you had a watch you had to stop and think what time it was. Imagine their shock when they saw my watch, one of those super-minimalist numbers with no numbers on the face. As a side note, I have since taken to showing them the watch and telling them to figure it out if they ask me the time. I know, I’m annoying. ). So there you go. A time capsule from a rather underrated period of time – late eighties – early nineties. A must see for anyone with ties to that period. If nothing else, as you just saw, it’s the perfect excuse for a good rant.   

Note : Yes, that IS a young Charlie Sheen in the police station :)    

ESSIE SPEAKS OF BUCKING THE TREND

Wow. It has been one heck of a week for Turkey. I have been preoccupied with it to the point that I have thought of little else and have been immensely distracted at work. The fact that I am thousands of miles away does not help at all.  Now, this is a blog about films. I have always been careful to keep my political self and opinions apart from it because... Well, because that is the way I feel it should be. If we are connected via social media you are probably sick to the back teeth of me sharing my opinions. I'm sorry to say this but this trend will continue for a considerable amount of time. And I will be adding a few bits and peaces to the blog that are not entirely unconnected to the goings on this weekend. But in the meanwhile, I will now crack on with my film reviews.

Now, the fact that I am cracking on with film reviews does not mean that I have not indirectly connected them to the political situation. These are the truel life stories of two real people. Two famous people we have all heard of. And on the surface of it, they are as different as chalk and cheese. However, when you look at it closely, they have something in common. Both bucked the trend. Both refused to be content with the life society thought they should have. Both achieved amazing things and used their power to promote things, causes, values that truly mattered. You will see a side to both you never imagined before.

Who am I talking about? Scroll down to find out...

Happy viewing,
Essie

GET UP, STAND UP... FOR "MARLEY"

Ok, in these times of political turmoil and uncertainty, what better man to remember than Bob Marley, who brought us immortal songs like “Get Up, Stand Up”.  The combination of his unbelievable musical talent, his Rastafarian spiritualism and social messages made him an immortal musician, a phenomenon if you will, that will live on in the collective consciousness for ever. Or pretty damn close to for ever. But we must not forget that Bob Marley was, at the end of the day, a man. As you may imagine not exactly a simple man, not a person that one could find easy to understand. But if we make a bit of an effort to understand the man behind the myth, it might deepen our understanding. Give us more to think about, as it were. So let us take a step behind the curtain and see what the true Bob Marley was like.

Now I say “step behind the curtain” but of course, Bob Marley was quite famous for his openness in all things. And as a public figure his life story such as it is, is well known. So I don’t think it makes much sense to summarise it in this second paragraph traditionally reserved for the plot. Besides, this would retract considerably from the effect of the documentary. Marley is a wonderful, candid account of Bob Marley’s life, starting from his earliest years and going right through to his death. It mixes honest, no hold barred interviews with the people closest to him including his children and original footage of both concerts and interviews with the man himself. That Bob Marley was a musical genius goes without saying. It isn’t even worth discussing. But what of his faults? He was many things, but an angel was not one of them…

And then there is the “social” side of his life. By this I don’t mean his social life. I mean the social messages imbued in his songs. His spirituality. Marley’s life wasn’t an easy one. Growing up as a poor, mixed-race youth in Jamaica meant that he not only had to contend with poverty and the prejudice brought up by not being white, he also had to contend with not exactly being black either. It is possibly this rather harsh start in life that made one of his main social messages the call to fight against injustice, to struggle for peace, unity and harmony. For people to bypass all prejudices that life, “the system” or whatever you like to call it has imposed on us and come together to struggle for the things in life that are truly important. And it is this immortal message that has made his music so timeless.

Although it is sad that the message is still needed and does not happen “automatically” as it were, I think Bob would be happy to know that out there in the world there are people listening to his music, picking up the message and above and beyond just spreading it, leading by action and example. Yeah, you know what I’m talking about… 

A CHILDHOOD HERO YOU MAY HAVE FORGOTTEN... INTRODUCING "MISS POTTER"

The concept of celebrities is a funny one, is it not? There is a strange aura about the phenomenon of meeting an artist you admire in real life. On one hand, you feel as if you know them already. It is, in one sense, true. Especially in the case of artists who concretely create certain works (as opposed to actors who are different sorts of artists), you are familiar with an important part of the artist’s soul – the work of art. A work of art does, indeed, spring out of a very personal place in the heart and mind of its creator, and it is the beauty found in the expression of it, combined with the universal nature of human emotion that makes us appreciate the works and find something of ourselves in them. But then again, of course, one mustn’t forget that the artists themselves are very human. And, as we all know, some humans can be quite unpleasant, even if they are artists. That’s why it makes me happy when people whose work I admire also turn out to be people I like and admire. And this cannot be truer than in the case of Beatrix Potter. I mean, come on. In the English speaking world who didn’t grow up reading her stories? Would you not like to listen to HER story as well? I promise you, it makes excellent watching…

It is the year 1902, and Beatrix Potter is the rather eccentric spinster daughter of a good family living in London. Her mother, determined to use every opportunity (including her children) to consolidate their place in the middle classes is distraught because at the age of 32 Beatrix (Renee Zellwegger) is determinedly unmarried and decidedly “strange”. She paints pictures of animals the whole time and invents stories about them. She insists that she will become a published author. It will not “do” at all. And yet, Beatrix wonders around town from publishing house to publishing house determined to get herself noticed. She finally is “noticed” by the Warne brothers. It’s not that they recognize her as a talent, oh no. It’s just that their youngest brother Norman (Ewan McGregor) is determined to be part of the family business and they reckon this eccentric young woman is just the thing… Their rather condescending decision will prove life changing for Miss Potter. In more ways than one…

I have a rather nasty suspicion that Renee Zellwegger is well on the way of getting well and truly typecast. Time and again she turns up on our screens – in wonderful productions, portraying great performances I might add – as the unmarried woman finding love in the end. There is nothing wrong with that per se – although there is a lot to be said about portraying heroines happiness being portrayed as not entirely dependent on a partner – but still. When you see her on one side and Ewan McGreggor on the other, I mean come on. You don’t need a degree in Film Studies to know they’re going to get together. Luckily, the film follows real life and real life is rarely, if ever, as predictable as the movies. Well, some movies.

I defy you not to adore Miss Potter as she is portrayed by Renee Zellwegger. Heck, throw in Norman (Ewan McGreggor) too. I know, there will be a lot of people who accuse this film of being a little too “cutesy” for their liking. But then again, people, it’s about Beatrix Potter. It would hardly be in the spirit of the woman or her work if the film was any other way. And, put your hand on your heart. What is wrong with a little cutesiness now and then? We live in a world where a lot of dark and scary things happen on a daily basis. A temporary escape to a more innocent world, if only just now and then, may be just what the doctor ordered. In the case of Miss Potter, the film also serves as a gentle reminder that the beat of your own drum is often the best beat to march to in life, even if it doesn’t quite match up to those around you.