ESSIE SPEAKS OF MAGIC AND MACHINES

Well howdy folks!

Oh it has been a busy week, this one. Thank God for films, and their capacity to wisk us away out of our day to day worries and cares. And goodness hasn't the combination of technology and imagination allowed us to travel far! But is all this "computarage" always a good thing? That's what I discuss, along with a whole host of other things, in the two posts below.

Speaking of technology, expect buttons and twitter feeds and things this weekend. I'm really getting into this Twitter lark. I should have done it earlier. Find me at @Essie_Tweets.

happy viewing!
Essie

FACE YOURSELF IN "OBLIVION"

You know what I said to myself as I watched this film? If I had half the sense I have now back in the day, I would have plunged headfirst into special effects. I’d be a special effects artist. It’s where the money is. And let’s face it, technology today allows you to do pretty amazing things. You can do these amazing things “already” as it were. Just imagine what will be possible in a few years. A few decades. But ah, do I think they should be chucked into every plotline willy-nilly? No. A resounding NO. Take Oblivion. Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s a great film in a wonderful, Hollywoody way, but let’s face it. We’ve seen the same story done before. Low-tech and better.

Jack (Tom Cruise) is a veteran serving his planet. The entire population of the earth has moved to Titan after a devastating war; Jack and his partner (in more senses than one) Victoria are a key part of the taskforce left on Earth to syphon off vital supplies like fresh water and protect the hardware from what remain of the “scavengers” who destroyed the planet in the first place. It’s a pretty lonely job – mostly it’s just the two of them – but Jack and Victoria don’t really complain. That being said, it is almost the end of their mission, two weeks later and they will be sent back home for a hero’s welcome and much more low-risk jobs. But as time goes on, something is nagging at Jack, even though he is not quite sure what it is himself… He is plagued by constant, strange dreams and a nagging feeling something is not quite right… Not that he can see what could possibly be wrong… It’s just another day in paradise… No?

Ok, I’m going to do something I rarely do. My review is going to contain a bit of a spoiler so be warned. The thing is this film is just TOO similar to a film I really, really like and admire for me to ignore in this review. The thing is, and my point is, that the storyline itself is just so powerful that there was absolutely NO need to Hollywood it up.

I’m talking about Moon, directed by Duncan Jones. I mean, think about the story of Moon for a second. Why oh why oh why did they have to jazz it up? Insert not just a love interest but a full-blown love triangle if you please, all the “typical” trope characters, a wise, older man to give advice (although Morgan Freeman can really do no wrong in my eyes) and a young rebel who “doesn’t trust” Jack, to whom Jack must prove himself (a very wise attempt by Nicolaj Coster-Waldau to prove he can do things apart from Game of Thrones. Though judging by the fact my friend asked “Isn’t that the Kingslayer?” (not even Jamie Lanister mind you, Kingslayer)  when he came on, it may be too little too late. Much in the same way that Daniel Ratcliffe is called “Harry Potter” now and probably for the next 5 – 10 years at least.). There are more special effects than you can shake a stick at. Beautifully done – hence it prompted me to wish I could do that – but still, too much. We even have (here comes the real spoiler) a perfect  “family unit re-united” type ending.  How many actual characters did Duncan Jones have in his movie? One. Well, one man and a robot. How awesome was the film? Pretty f.ckin awesome. The topic is one that, I feel, might well become one that deserves exploration in the future. It is being explored today, slowly and surely in popular culture but there is still a lot of scope for originality. Moon does a wonderful job of looking at the psychology of Sam (the equivalent to Jack) and the entire process of his “awakening” from the first inkling that something is wrong to the sickening confrontation with his own reality. I left that film seriously questioning my own sense of reality for a second there. Oblivion takes a beautiful topic with true philosophical potential and reduces it to big guns, open references to the Matrix (well that or a seriously atheist message : remember the dialogue? “I am your god” - “F.ck you”) and beautiful people making out. I mean, it makes for a fun night out and all but it’s a real waste. It takes something that could be truly original and makes into something we’ve seen a thousand times before. I have to say, that takes some doing.

Now, I know I sound a bit venomous as I talk about it, but really, I don’t necessarily mean to dissuade you from watching it. Like I said, it is a fun night out. I was ranting to my friend about the ending especially (I’m not averse to happy endings. I just hate forced happy endings. Unrealistic ones. The friend I watched it with protested loudly when I called the ending  “naff”. “No, I like happy endings! If they’re missing I feel as if the film is missing a whole bit!” she exclaimed. Well, it depends on what you watch the movie for of course. You watch this one purely for entertainment, despite the potential… 

RECAPTURE THE MAGIC ON "THE POLAR EXPRESS"

I know. We’re in august. It is in no way, shape or form near to Christmas. But what can I tell you, it was a tiring day. I know I ranted and raved about realism and happy endings in the last post but it really wasn’t a “realism” and “minimalism” kinda evening. I had had a little too much of that in my day already. What I needed was to settle down and be transported to a world where I knew everything would turn out alright in the end. Preferably a magical world – I needed it to be as far from “reality” as possible. This may be the main reason I gravitated towards a Christmas film, I’m not exactly sure. I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that if you have had that kind of day, or alternately if it's actually Christmas and you want a seasonal film that you don’t watch every day, this is the fella for you.

Now, this is quite a modern little number. Not only is it made, in its entirety, in computer animation but it adopts the rather cool “anonymous hero” stance. Our hero is a little boy. He is just approaching that age when the magic is about to leave his world. And the exodus of magic has begun with father Christmas. The little boy wants to believe, but everything around him seems to be telling him loud and clear that there is no such thing as Santa. So that Christmas eve, when he closes his eyes and pretends to sleep, trying to catch Santa out as he does every year, deep down inside he doesn’t have much hope of it happening. Until he hears something quite extraordinary going up his street. A train. The magical Polar Express has come to take him on a journey… After all, anything is possible on Christmas Eve…

I think Christmas and New Year bring out the “mushiest” in us because they are much like the ends of long, tiring days. Just like a particularly rough day at the office, a whole year has gone by. You are tired. You want to see your loved ones and rest your brains – and bones. You have had reality by the bucket-load. You want good feelings, a hearty meal a drink or three and a few days off… Surely you see the parallels? That’s why films like this go so well with Christmas.

Of course one has to remember that this film was made in 2004 – which is “way back when” by technological terms. I feel that the storyline would benefit a lot from a big special effects overhaul. Heck, it could even be a combination of CGI and real actors as opposed to a “cartoon” from beginning to end. I’m not completely nuts about big explosions and fight scenes with magical weapons but magical lands… You’ll always get my heartstrings with that one. Especially at the end of tiring day.

But the thing is,  will it ever be a classic? I’m not that sure. I think the problem is, the story is sweet but the message is slightly outdated. In complete opposition to the previous film, we are encouraged to “believe” in this one. And we all know kids today. They are just as likely as us to smile at that message understandingly and with an air of superiority. It’s sad really, but I wonder how many kids today really believe in Father Christmas? We live in an era where mothers quiet their crying toddlers by giving them their smartphones and tablets to play with. The tiny tots can browse better than we can and I find that scary seeing that hooking up the printer ended up becoming a major challenge for me. I am yet to purchase a smartphone – or a tablet. And of course it’s great that children have so much knowledge at their fingertips so quickly. It is also great that we live in an era of science where we know more about the world around us than ever before. Still, must this mean that all sense of “magic” must be knocked out of children at as early an age as possible? The jury is out in my opinion. I mean, I’m an adult, and I physically need magic and fantasy in my world. It’s computer generated magic, that I grant you, but given the realities of this world… I reckon it will do… 

ESSIE SPEAKS OF SOUL SEARCHING

Ok, I'm sorry for the delay folks. It happens. Luckily, I'm still within the "appointed time" (self appointed, but hey, I have standards and I like to keep them!) so here you are.

Although it's no excuse - or even a reason - for the delay, I have a bit of a special twosome for you this week. Both are pretty sure to hit you like a ton of bricks. One is a film - fiction as it were - but the other is a documentary. And not the happiest of documentaries at that, but one of importance. One we really, really need to watch.Well, what can I say, not all in life is happiness and joy as most of us have discovered by now. But just because an experience is not a happy one, it does not mean we will not learn from it. It may even end up being one we are glad we went through. Such, my dears, is life.

And a little special treat for you today is that one of my films this week is actually available online! Scroll below for the link! :)

Oh and did I mention - I'm on Twitter now! I know I promised buttons - and trust me, you will get buttons - but probably over the weekend. In the meanwhile feel free to add me, I'm @Essie_Tweets !

happy viewing!
Essie

GO FACE YOURSELF IN "THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES"

I was really excited to see this one. The hype about it contributed, as did the presence of Ryan Gosling. Ok, ok, having Bradley Cooper around didn’t hurt either… Social media outlets are full of the film these days, especially since its recent release on DVD so I knew it was going to be good. I also knew a major plot twist. Yes, one wrong search and bam. The internet is full of spoilers. Don’t worry though – this review isn’t. It really isn’t. But anyway, I was slightly worried that knowing afore-mentioned plot twist was going to kind of ruin the film for me. In fact, finding this plot twist in certain circles is so easy you may well know what I’m talking about. Let me assure you whole-heartedly that that little kernel of information, while key, is not so much the end but the beginning. So even if you do stumble across it by mistake, all you lose is a tiny bit of shock value. The rest of the film is so chock-full of awesomeness that it more than compensates for that… Seriously.  

Luke (Ryan Gosling) is a motorcycle rider at a fair. Doing shows on his bike is just about all he’s good at – well that, and getting into trouble. But boy is he good with his bikes. He lives a pretty carefree life with no major attachments of any kind, traveling with the show from town to town. It is on these travels that he runs into Romina (Eva Mendes), an old flame of his; one of those girls that was just a little more special than the rest… Romina is not only special, but she drops a bombshell on him. She has a son. It’s his. Jason is not a little scared by this news, but he reacts in a way that you might not expect him to – Romina definitely doesn’t expect it at any rate. He stays. He is determined to be a part of his son’s life and provide for him. This is touching but not a little awkward as Romina has a steady partner, Kofi, who is already the surrogate father figure for baby Jason. Well, that and the fact that Luke has turned up out of the blue after almost a 2 year absence. There is another flaw in Luke’s plan. How is a man who has only ever done shows on a bike for a living going to provide for a family? Luke decides to do the one thing we all joke about but mercifully few of us do : he decides to rob a bank. This decisions entwines his fate with that of Avery (Bradley Cooper), a young lawyer turned policeman working the beat in the same town. The conflict will have a knock on effect on their lives, and the lives of every single person around them in ways neither of them could have possibly imagined…

Now, this is a very tough film to review without giving away spoilers. But I’ll tell you this much, the way ideas and conflicts are handed down through the generations, the way conscience comes into play all reminded me of one of those beautiful old 19^th century stories . It seems to be just poor folk out in the sticks, but we actually ask ourselves truly philosophical questions. What is good? What is bad? And most importantly, how much confidence should we have in the surface level labels people have? When a bank robber and a police officer are “duking it out”, we assume the police officer is “the good guy”, this film asks us “Really? Every single time?” Another thing we realise is that more often than not, the things that truly matter are handed down through the generations, though families. It is sort of comforting to think of a thread  linking us to people in our family past who we have never actually met, linked to us through a talent, an attitude, a like or dislike… It almost makes up for never having met those folks… Almost…

Lastly I just want to mention that the film is beautifully shot, in addition to that the choice of location , wherever it may be, is superb. I loved the beautiful longshots of Luke riding through the pines mentioned in the title of the film. By the way, if you’re wondering what in the world the film has to do with the pines mentioned in the title, trust me, the place beyond the pines is a key location in the narrative. You’ll just have to watch the film and find out why though… 

ON HOW LIFE CAN CHANGE FROM "ONE SECOND TO THE NEXT"

Something occurred to me as I was watching One second to the next. We really, really need to get more “big” directors to make public information and safety type films. No, really. Because if they did, we would watch them. They would hit home. And it would do one heck of a lot more good. You’ll know what I mean when you watch One second to the next. I mean, I don’t drive, but I do see the attraction of texting while driving. I also see how “naff” the info films are. And ok, a lot of us actually have the common sense and sensibility to not do silly stuff like that but for those who cannot resist temptation… Just watch this documentary. It’s a short fella, only just over half an hour. I’ll bet good money it’ll scare you back to the straight and narrow for good though.

One Second to the next is a typical Werner Herzog documentary. This is meant as a warning and to whet your appetite. I love the work of Herzog but typically you exit the experience feeling as if you have been hit by a truck. And while this is a slightly unfortunate euphemism for this particular work, it completely describes the feeling it gives. It may seem surprising at first as the whole work is a little more than a series of tastefully edited talking head style interviews. Interviews with victims and perpetrators of traffic accidents that were caused by a driver texting and driving. As is typical of Herzog, we completely and impartially see both sides of the tale; the misery and regret of the drivers who have more often than not accidentally taken human life and the grieving families or the victims, left mere shells of the people they used to be. We hear a series of accidents, each accident completed with police photos and a report from the responding officer when possible. Seriously, I defy you to hold back your tears. I couldn’t…

Now, there isn’t much to say about this because… Well, Herzog has done something truly brilliant in stripping back all the trappings, all the frills and leaving us with the story. Gone are “re-enactments”, gone are statistics and reports. There isn’t even a narrator. There is nothing to distract us from the fact that people died. In some cases children as young as three. And this could have been prevented by one, ridiculously simple choice. The choice to look where you’re going. It puts us face to face with the tragedy that is the loss of any human life and, much like the agonised perpetrators and victims / families of victims, there is nowhere to hide from the wave of emotion. The only thing is we can shake ourselves, have a cup of coffee, maybe write a blog post about it – maybe not – but the point is we can get on with our lives. They however, cannot.  I think the least we can do under the circumstances is face up to that pain squarely and honestly, without averting our eyes in any way. That and not texting while driving.

Ok, this post is actually a little different from the rest or previous ones. Because I normally suggest the films and then leave you to your own devices as far as finding them go. I do recognise though that this is not your average film. We are lucky that one of my favourite websites on the interwebs, Film School Rejects, has said film on their website, ready for your delectation. If you like the sound of the above film, this is the link to follow : CLICK HERE

And if you didn’t like the sound of it, well, follow it anyway.   It’s an awesome site with news, reviews and other short films. If you’re a movie buff – well  you probably know about it already actually – but if not… well, it’s high time you discovered it!

ESSIE SPEAKS OF SOMETHING OLD AND SOMETHING NEW

Well hello. Well, you didn’t expect to see me so soon, right? Haha, I must admit it has been touch and go. Today has been one of those days when I am just behind schedule with my life in general. And it looks like I’m going to have to keep on scrambling until the evening, but no worries, I’m still on track as you can see – well, just.

Ok, so, something old and something new. Something old is the posts. I have gone for two films from two well-known directors. They are not recent. Bu that doesn’t mean they should be forgotten or overlooked. In fact I may have discovered a potential favourite here and I’m dying to tell you about it.

And something new. OK, deep breath : I’m on twitter! Like I said, today has been a bit of a rush for me, but I will add my twitter feed to the site and put fancy buttons on etc but in the meanwhile I can be found at @Essie_Tweets. Let’s talk movies!

Happy viewing,

Essie

"KAFKA" - AND YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON LIFE...

Now, in our family it is often me who calls up Mom and gives her a list of things to watch. I am the big “movie watcher” in the family and Mom, it has to be said (sorry Mom) is a creature of habit when it comes to the kinds of films she watches. I mean don’t get me wrong, once I manage to chide her out of her comfort zone she’s often glad I did it, but it does take work. Usually. This is why when she actually sat down and watched a film by Sodebergh completely on her own volition, I was surprised. I was even more surprised when she loved it and insisted I watched it too. I had put the film duly on my list, but when it transpired she had gone as far was watching it twice in the same week, I knew I had to pull it up to the top of the list.

Franz Kafka (Jeremy Irons) is a clerk in an insurance office in the city. The city is much like all others, except that it’s administrative hub is The Castle. The officials from The Castle make sure order is constant and everyone knows their place.  And Kafka’s place is a particularly non-descript one, deep in a world where it pays not to stick out too much. And Kafka fulfils his duty of keeping to himself a little too well. He writes in his spare time and has a problematic relationship with a lady friend /fiancée of yore but apart from that there are very few people in his life. This is why it spikes more of his attention than average when Eduard, a colleague and one of his few friends, goes missing. The official channels hand out the usual explanations and soon his fears are realised and Kafka is called to identify the body of his friend on the mortician’s slab. Kafka is deeply saddened by this. But he also has something most of his colleagues don’t seem to possess: an inquiring mind. And the more he uses it, the more he begins to realise something doesn’t quite scan. The deeper he digs the fancier the conspiracy theories seem to become and at first Kafka will have nothing to do with them but then… Kafka runs out of explanations until he is only left with the unthinkable. And the only way to confirm his suspicions is to somehow break in to The Castle and find out…

There are several ways you can take this film. On the surface, you can assume it’s a simple thriller. And in that sense, it does its job beyond admirably. You will be gripping the arms of your seats and there is at least one jump-scare in there that will have you bodily leaping out of said seats. Jeremy Irons is perfect, so are his rather admirable co-actors Joel Grey and Alec Guinness. But one can’t help but stop and wonder whether that is really all the film is about.

Now, as the film is actually set in Prague you might actually think that “the officials” who conspire against the people and make the subversives “disappear” is an allusion to the Soviet occupation of the city – and I must say I thought of that myself for a while but then I realised… Well hang on, Kafka died in 1924. That’s even before the Nazis, much less the Soviets. It’s a mighty strange choice of protagonist if that’s the true aim of the film, one would have thought they would have put a bit more of an emphasis on Kafka, a turn of the century man, trying to adapt to Soviet ways… At this point, I took a leaf out of Kafka’s book and dug a little deeper. Like Kafka, my digging was rewarded with an uncomfortable truth.

The anonymity of the city, of the officials, of Kafka’s place of work is not really simply artistic licence. He is not “interpreting” some period or another. It is, in fact, the life we live. The world we live in. Kafka is, in fact, a beautiful and painful testament of an individual trying to come to terms with the fact that we live in a world that pushes us away from our individuality and towards conformism. Oh come on, I’m not romanticising, you know it’s true. I know you know. In the film, Kafka is not young, he has been in his position for a number of years now. But you know the feeling you got when you started your first full time job? You know, that grey, numb, nameless feeling when you looked down at the rush hour crowd around you as you came down the escalator when you were commuting to or from work? That sinking feeling you got when you thought “what a beautiful day” but then realised you were going to be at work all day? That heart ache when you realised your paint brushes / musical instrument / books/ whatever the particular tools of your artistic dream used to be are now under several inches of dust because work doesn’t leave you the time or the energy? What about when you realised you had the same phone /hair cut /clothes (possibly more than one of the above) as your colleagues? You laughed, but didn't you feel a certain, soreness that is hard to name? That’s what this film is about. It is not a “happy” film by any stretch of the imagination. But it does such a good job of putting a feeling into motion and making a thriller out of it that well… You MUST see it. Joel Grey’s perfect characterisation of the petty official whose work has become his entire life is work watching on its own. He obsesses over every detail and is draconian about the observation of the most meaningless rules. I mean, EVERYONE knows at least someone like that… You don’t? Oh that’s dangerous… I advise a long hard look in the mirror. It might not be too late. 

THE OPPORTUNITY THAT WAS MISSED BY "THE PAPERBOY"

Well, with Lee Daniels’ The Butler looming on the horizon, no time like the present for a Lee Daniels mini-retrospective! Oh, you know how I love long words. What I really mean is that I got a chance to see The Paperboy recently – and grabbed. I was quite excited to see it too, I loved Precious and this was a true story too. A true crime story to be precise and you all know by now that I have a huge “gory tooth” as far as true crime goes. I checked the imdb score – it wasn’t high – but I didn’t let that trouble me as I have found that my view of a film often doesn’t match up with its review. This time however… Heartbreak and disappointment I’m afraid. The film made its way onto the blog from the sheer amount of potential it holds. And because well, it’s my blog and I want to rant.

Charlotte Bless (Nicole Kidman) is in a very deeply passionate relationship with Hilary Van Wetter (Jon Cusack). This may sound like a normal enough sentence but there is one problem. Mr Van Wetter is on death row for murder and he and Charlotte have barely met face to face. This is by no means Charlotte’s first prison pen-pal, but it is definitely the most passionate affair she has been in. She is determined that it is fate that brought her and Hilary together and that she will find a way to get him out of prison. To this end, she contacts Ward Jensen (Matthew McConaughey), a reporter whom she asks to prove, somehow, that Hilary is innocent. Hilary and his partner Yardley Acheman (David Oyelowo) begin to look into the case and there are indeed some technicalities in the story that have been overlooked. Well and even if they lacked motivation, Charlotte is quite a character… So much so that Ward’s younger brother Jack (Zac Effron) is absolutely besotted with her, following her and the investigation around wherever it may lead. One thing is for sure: Charlotte is onto something. It’s just that it may not quite be what she thinks it is…

One thing I can take my hat off to Mr Daniels for is this: He sure knows how to pick a story. Think of his two other “true story” films, Precious and now the up-coming The Butler… And as we all know, the backbone to a good film is a good story. After all, we go to “watch” a film, it is a very visual experience and how the story unrolls is very important, but it is easy to be accused of being all flash and fire and no substance, like a lot of action based films. (Latest example to that being Neil Bomkamp’s Elysium). Now this film has substance. It has tension, it has huge conflict, so we’re all set for a good show, right?

Well… See, you might find it hard to believe with a film of this kind, where there is no CGI, no special effects, no monsters or robots, but what Lee Daniels does here is, sorry to say, exactly the same thing. The visual side of it is… Well  I don’t want to say all wrong but, it’s… It’s too much. It’s totally ok (hey, it might even be considered compulsory) for a director to try new visuals, new editing styles and to insert a little bit of dead time here and there purely for “effect”. When Mr Daniels was adding the dead time though, clearly the lid fell off the jar as it were. The first 10 minutes of the film, aside from the lengthy exposition (the combination of Macy Gray’s accent with rather iffy sound equipment made the narration nigh-on impossible to understand even for us native English speakers) there was a lot of emphasis on how Jack used to be a swimmer, and him “posing”. Clearly Mr Effron’s body made quite an impression as it is masqueraded throughout the film; it even gets its own little spotlight slap bang in the middle of a chase sequence (I mean, if there was any other point of cutting to memories of him swimming in the pool right when he was being chased by a murderer in a swamp do let me know, I am at a loss). But it’s not just that. The whole “superficiality” reduces a lot of emotion that we feel ought to be present in the film to mere surfaces. It is clear that Miss Bless puts more emphasis on her looks than her character for example. Fine, cinematic history is full of characters like that. But that reduces the chemistry that clearly exists between her and Jack to a kind of Barbie-Ken type relationship. This is a tad unfortunate because they are supposed to be the most important characters in the film. And once we fail to empathize with them, the film is pretty much lost.

And another thing. The editing is clearly inspired from 80’s – 90’s tv shows. There are effects in there I haven’t seen on a screen for over a decade. I realised as a I watched, there was a good reason for that. Now, it may be one of two things, either it is meant to further insert us into the period, or, the editing is just doing “all it can” to draw attention to itself.  This is a valid cinematic point, you know, the whole nouvelle vague message of not getting immersed in the film, the conscious viewer and all of that. However, taken in context I find this improbable. When we look at films like Precious or The Butler (for the last one I’m basing myself more on the trailer than anything else of course), while the filming styles are quite different, the aim is very much to tell the story. And Lee Daniels’ The Butler is already being earmarked for the Oscars ® in some circles which definitely says something about how “out there” and philosophical it is. No, if there was a consistent philosophical aim, I’m sure we would have seen it before…  So maybe it’s one of those days where you’re torn between a few different items of jewellery and end up wearing them all… And looking like a Christmas tree.

So I reckon The Paperboy is very much a missed opportunity. And to me, a clear lesson that a story can easily become the victim of the visual. There is a whole philosophical debate in there somewhere on which is the true “heart” of cinema, but I’ll leave that for another post. There are only so many tangents a blog post can take. 

ESSIE SPEAKS OF IMMERSION

See, see I’m on time! I’m still on time!

Yep, nope the very DEFINITION of the blog that it can be updated on a Friday morning. I am still on time.

And I mean, if you’re still splitting hairs, have a heart. Just scroll down. Those are two of the longest blog posts I have written in a while. What can I tell you, sometimes I get overexcited about stuff. Especially stuff I feel strongly about.

This is why I have called this week’s theme “immersion”. It has virtually nothing to do with scuba diving. It is about those films and series that swallow you up. You get emotional, you yell at the screen, you burn your dinner if you’re trying to multitask. You emerge at the other end slightly shell-shocked and definitely changed. 

It’s that kind of week today peeps. Prepare to lose yourself.

And happy viewing!

JUST TRYING TO SURVIVE "THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING"

I was worried about this film. I really was. Not because I thought it would turn out bad, on the contrary, I was rather afraid it would turn out very good. If you don’t know what I mean, you haven’t read the book. Those who have will understand why three hours of one of the most depressing books known to man, re-enacted by an all-star cast would seem a tad bit daunting. I was literally afraid of being pushed to depression. I am so very glad I watched it in the end; it was such a cinematic experience. I do need a cuddle though. And about six large boxes of chocolate.

The unbearable lightness of being is the story of Tomas (Daniel Day Lewis). And Tomas’ life is inextricably entwined with the lives of Teresa (Juliette Binoche) and Sabina (Lena Olin). Tomas is a brain surgeon living in Czechoslovakia in the 1960’s. When our story opens, he has a successful career that is rivalled only by his success with the ladies. But despite his steady string of girlfriends in the background he always comes back to his intensely sexual and passionate relationship with Sabina. This changes slightly (but only slightly) when Tomas runs into the naïve, childlike Teresa. She is very much a country bumpkin and embodies everything the women around Tomas have lost, such as purity and illusions. Tomas falls madly in love with her; they get married in a matter of months.  However one thing in Tomas’ life does not change. Even married, he still continues to return to Sabina, much to the distress of Teresa. But this is not the beginning of the woes of the couple as soon the USSR invades Czechoslovakia and a truly brave new world begins to unfold all around the country, the couple – and Sabina – barely escape Prague with their lives. But now there is a new problem. Now, apart from the fact that Tomas finds live so very “light” and can only live by drifting along and breaking hearts no matter how much he would love something to tie him down, the couple have been cut loose from every single root they ever had in their home country. It is a point of no return, and there is nothing on earth that can fix those teares, even returning to Prague…

I don’t quit know where to begin with this one. I’ll start with what I thought was the best about it; Juliette Binoche STEALS the show for me. I think she is BRILLIANT as Teresa. I really think she came into her own here, personally I never was that big of a fan of hers before. But no longer. She is a wonderful contrast with Lena Olin who is point perfect as the deeply passionate Sabina who is every inch a woman. My Mom will be disappointed to hear this but I had considerable trouble warming to Daniel Day Lewis as Tomas. It was only when I was actually writing these lines that I realised; that actually shows exactly how good Daniel Day Lewis was in this role. The whole point of Tomas is, after all, that he cannot be “attached to” as he is in a constant mode of detached floating, unable to connect. And quite beautifully, the two women could not be more different one from the other, but neither of them can truly “catch” Tomas. Some might argue that Teresa succeeds in a way, as they do end up married for the duration of the film, but ask yourself this. If Sabina had not “taken things into her own hands” towards the middle of the film (bending over backwards not to give spoilers away here) what would have changed in that triangle? Categorically nothing. Which is, possibly, the whole point of the film. It is, I think, the story is trying to draw a portrait of humanity among other things. Humans, their heads full of dreams of being settled and “settling” for something but constantly unable to do so and constantly being “acted upon” rather than being active in their own lives. Buffeted by other people, political systems and events. Just drifting – unable to set down roots… The difference of this story from a lot of others of its kind is that it doesn’t portray Tomas suddenly transforming into the active hero we want him to be deep down, if only so at least one of the women can find contentment and happiness  (I defy to be able to sympathise with just one of the women by the way). But Tomas ends up being buffeted around from pillar to post and then… Well I’ll let you discover what then, but suffice to say, he doesn’t turn into a shiny, polished Hollywood hero. Thank God.

And lastly of course, the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia. A particularly fascinating point in this particular work of art as it is based on the personal, first-hand observations of Milan Kundera, the writer of the book. Of course a book and a film are very difficult to compare as far as style goes, but I felt the film gave a very artistic, very brilliant rendition of the invasion, using various different mediums including Teresa’s photography (oh the nostalgia in me when I saw her old camera!) and black and white footage, not actual documentary footage of course but shot in the same style, giving it a further air of authenticity.

Life is, at the end of the day, about going places. Not always physically but also as a person, or simply exploring different sides of your own personality. This film will definitely “take you places”. You may not necessarily like every single place you end up in… But well… That’s life for you.  

IT'S A WHOLE NEW APOCALYPSE : "THE WALKING DEAD"

Ok, try not to laugh. But I have only just discovered this. I mean yes, of course I knew it existed but I had just pushed it to one side. Even the fact that Norman Reedus is HOT didn’t reel my in until very recently. It was, to my mind, yet another part of the “zombie epidemic” that has been taken place on our screens recently. I mean,  even if the zombie apocalypse hasn’t happened in real life (yet?) it sure has happened on our tv screens. If there were just one or two franchises, it would be one thing. But at one point, they were just EVERYWHERE (it’s now kinda moved on to vampires. Do not get me started on the new trend on vampires.). But yeah, anyway. The closest I got to The Walking Dead was teasing my friends who I knew watched it.  What, I asked myself, could they possibly see in a plot line that has basically been explored to death ?(see what I did there?). But then again, last week. I’m casting around for something to unwind to. The walking dead “walks” by my screen. Like I said I have a very weak spot for Norman Reedus – especially as Daryl Dixon. Well, I thought, one episode. I’ll give it a whirl. I am now hooked, and would like to take this opportunity to humbly apologise to anyone I ribbed too much. I get it now. *hangs head in shame*.

I will now make up for my lack of faith by ranting about it here. But first, the plotline. I mean, ok it’s pretty self-explanatory but hey. We have traditions on this blog. Traditions are important. So, the zombie apocalypse happens. But the thing is, nobody told Ric Grimes. Ric, a deputy sheriff, had been lying comatose in hospital at the time. When nature takes its course and he comes round, the world he knew has changed for ever and he must adapt very, very quickly or die. And this is how our story begins. Ric needs, above and beyond anything else, to find his wife and son. This is easier said than done as civilisation as we know it has collapsed and you are in constant danger of being eaten alive. As Ric travels through what remains of the USA, we meet the handful of people who have survived… So far… Life is more of a battle than it ever used to be and every little thing can be the beginning of a great adventure… And not exclusively of the pleasant kind.

I need to say that The Walking Dead has taken all the incredibly positive developments that have taken place in the writing of serials these days and moulded them together, making it an absolute nail-biter to watch. First of all, that Hitchcock classic that Game of Thrones uses so well… Do NOT get attached to any of the characters. With a realism that pushes us just a little closer to the edge of our seats, yes, they die. Even the ones we really get used to. I mean of course, there are some characters you KNOW are going to be alright. But the thing is, there aren’t that many. And characters that seem to have quite major roles in the storyline might get eaten at a moment’s notice. Know that to begin with and quiver at every zombie attack. Oh and if you’re a “late comer” to the scene, like me, do your level best to avoid every single online thing about it. I know it’s tempting but I’m still in the middle of season 2. I have like, a season and a half to go before I catch up (and season 4 is due to start in October, so plenty of time there). Because as long as you keep the surprise factor in there, there are plenty of “jumps” hidden in there.

That they have mastered plot twists goes without saying You don’t become a global success without mastering the art of plot twists but I am very, very glad to report that there is a lot of stuff that is new and fresh here. No “typical” stories and characters, and a lot of the unexpected.

But there are some familiar faces as well. I mean, the film very much hinges on the same premises as a Western, you know, the civilised “goodies” against the savages. This, of course, paves the way for many, many glorious “raaaah moments. Ric is our “force of good” in this, complete with his sheriffs’ uniform and cowboy hat (I need to say something at this point. I mean, I’m sorry, there is no government or society, most of humanity is wiped out and civilisation as we know it has come to an end. What does the man do? Live in his uniform. I also wear a uniform to work and trust me; if the zombie apocalypse came I would feed said uniform to the zombies.  If any of my bosses or colleagues are reading this, no offence but you DO know what I’m talking about. All this is assuming I’m still conscious and not shambling round the street oblivious to my surroundings, naturally.) and of course he has a wife and child to protect and be contrasted against. I mean there was no way the hero of this one was single. But… But there is also Daryl Dixon.              He is the latest incarnation of the truly “badass” Clint Eastwood type characters in westerns. He has had a tough life, he’s a lone wolf, he makes his own rules (yes even by zombie apocalypse standards) and even though he probably isn’t actually invincible, well… Given that he is the only “country” person in a group of city people with no real survival skills prior to all of this means that he is darn close to being invincible. And he is portrayed by Norman Reedus. *Swoon*. I will not give too much away about Daryl Dixon. If you haven’t already discovered him, it needs to slowly dawn on you in all its awesomeness. Yes, it. He is not a character but a phenomenon. I’m just a tiny bit of a fan. And of course with the characters you love to love, there are also the characters you love to hate. I’m a little upset that the “love to hate” characters seem to almost invariably be women but hey… There are some pretty good female characters in there to make up the numbers, don’t worry.

So just go watch the damn thing. Let’s discuss it. I’m bending over backwards here not to give you spoilers but there are so many things I want to discuss with you! Oh you’ll see what I mean once you start watching … 

ESSİE SPEAKS OF EVEN MORE ESCAPISM

Hah. You did NOT expect this did you?

Don't get me wrong, it's more a matter of gloating to myself rather than you. I'm just happy to see you guys again. But as you can see, as promised, I am finally bringing my schedule back on track. I hope you're all well. And I hope you actually check the blog today. Not that it matters if you don't - I just feel I've let you down when I'm late and today, you know, I haven't...

So what have I got in store for you today? Well, it's more escapism. Oh I know, it's not like me at all to go around repeating themes. And honestly, aren't all films a bit of escapism anyway? Ah. That is precisely the question our second film asks. Please find my rant - ehm - I mean blog post on the matter below. And then we have common or garden escapism, you know with magic and giants and princesses and knights both in shining armour and other wise (it'll make more sense when you read the post).

So, wether you want to get lost in film or watch a film that thinks about getting lost in film (self reflexivity is all very post modern as you know, my dears) I have what you need. Step right in.

Happy viewing,
Essie

A NEW TWIST ON AN OLD TALE : "JACK THE GIANT SLAYER"

I really could potentially not have seen this film at all. The fact that it is here at all is a complete and utter fluke. I am a bit of a regular at a certain pub in south London that offers free film screenings of a Monday night. It’s quite a good deal really – combined with 2 for 1 cocktails during happy hour and various other tempting tit-bits, me and my friends have become semi-regulars there. The thing is though – much like this blog – we are rather dependent on the pub-owner’s whim and selection at the time. Not that I’m complaining, I have watched many recent productions here, some of which have made it onto this blog. But this of course means that things are apt to change quite unexpectedly. When my friend and I arrived at the pub that Monday everyone fully expected to watch a rather artsy black and white number, and it was probably going to prove a bit of a challenge to watch. It attracted a crowd that was up to the challenge. Imagine everyone’s surprise when a staff member offhandedly announced that the film had changed – they hadn’t been able to rent the DVD. The contrast between the films could not be greater - there was a mild stampede to the door. My friend and I stayed. We had just ordered food and there had already been quite a bit of gin involved. And although Jack the Giantslayer  is not the challenging artsy number some may have been hoping for, we loved it.

It is, as you may have guessed, basically the story of Jack and the Beanstalk. This is of course waay back in ancient times, when magic was still a part of the human world. There is not one giant but in fact a whole army of invading giants simply waiting to shimmy down the beanstalk and eat us all. There is a beautiful princess to be saved from mortal danger and an evil villain to be outmanoeuvred – for he fully intends to use the army of giants to take over the world (the popularity of that life goal has always amused me. I specifically remember an episode of the Ninja Turtles where our heroes travelled to an alternative universe where Shredder had succeeded in taking over the world. He hated it – he was buried alive in paperwork. And before you start shaking your heads, LOOK IT UP. I imagined a lot of bizarre things as a child, but this was not one of them). But anyway. I digress.

Now, if you look Jack the Giantslayer up, you will find that reviews on it are incredibly lukewarm.   There is a reason for this. The film is up to its eyebrows in INCREDIBLY British humour. And I mean, I see how this happened. The film is playing on a rather overdone storyline : “the real” story behind a fairy tale. It started a good few years ago with a rather lovely adaptation of Cinderalla (I’m thinking of Ever After but also another, older one whose name I can’t remember that took the step sister’s side on the matter, very cleverly). In fact, what with films like The BrothersGrimm, one could argue that Jack arrived a tad bit late. Of course fantasy landscapes and CGI are a must but still – it is a must of the genre. You might as well pack up and go home if you’re not going to come up with terrifying giants. No, when you are literally last in line you have to do something to make yourself stand out. For his sins – and ours – director Bryan Singer has decided to steep the entire film in British humour. And I mean the cast just plays into his hand. There’s Ewan McGregor (a wonderful army officer with the most “pip pip old bean” accent I have heard in a while), Ian McShane as the king (Lovejoy as king! Of all people!) and as Jack we have Nicolas Hoult. Confused? You recognise him from somewhere, right? He’s the little kid from About a Boy. Yes he HAS grown quite a bit =) . I mean, we found it HILARIOUS. But then again. I do see that it may not be the case for the rest of the world. Because apart from the rather spectacular humour, the film doesn’t stand out much at all. In fact the ending… Well it’s downright forced. It actually gives the impression they ran out of film and noticed at the last moment – and were forced to make something up rather quickly. But I mean it’s an adventure. If you like British humour it’s downright hilarious. And it goes down very, very well on a Monday night with a mate and a drop of gin. 

A TRES FRANÇAIS JOURNEY TO ADULTHOOD : "PARIS – MANHATTAN"

Ok. I need to warn you on this French film coming up. And this one is no exception in any way possible. Oh, it’s a fine specimen of its kind, don’t get me wrong. But it’s a typical French film through and through, right down to the cliché of the not very handsome and slightly large (ehm) older gent and the beautiful young woman forming a couple. And this last one would have made a tad bit more sense to me if the director was a man – but in fact it is a woman. Let’s give her her due; it is her first feature film but still. Even if you are mastering the rules just to be able to break them later, you stick up for your side a bit more, no? But anyway. Let’s cut to the storyline. I’ll gripe about the whole thing at the end of  post.

So, meet Amy. In her very common or garden family, she is always the odd one out. She is a great fan of Woody Allen – and in fact all things cinema – and has defiantly been herself in the face of pressure from every side to conform, especially her family. There is the sharp contrast with her sister Helene who is beautiful, socially competent and later on in the film a man-eater of a lawyer. Her family desperately wants Alice married, but Alice just cannot find anyone who quite fits. After all, all the good ones have been snapped up. So she is happy to take over her father’s pharmacy and take solace in Woody Allen. And then, all of a sudden, two things happen. The dashing divorcee Vincent bursts into her life, offering her a dream relationship. Alice is over the moon. But Vincent has a rival in the shape of Victor an inventor in the field of burglar alarms. Can he conquer the moody Alice, and be the “man of her dreams”?

Now, this film is funny, thought provoking and touching in bits. In quite a lot of bits, in fact. But I also have problems with it. And I don’t just mean the whole “couples” thing I mentioned at the beginning. As I have often mentioned before I am very, VERY far from looking like a model myself and I am not saying all on-screen couples should be made up of age-compatible beautiful people. But still. I think French films lean a little too much to one side. Slightly odd.

Then there is the way Alice’s journey is mapped out in the film. Her main aim is to “grow up” once and for all as it were. You know, let go of all childish things and see life as it is. This, apparently, involves quitting being a Woody Allen fan and actually stopping being a movie buff all together. As a movie buff, I am mildly offended by this. Not to say a bit confused because surely the director herself is also a movie buff, or she wouldn’t be, you know, directing films and stuff. I mean, if you think about it,  Ms Lellouche is the queen of all dreamers seeing as she has actually taken up storytelling for a living. Maybe there’s a sensitivity here I’m missing. But apparently to grow up, Alice needs to embrace her compatibility with Victor. Which is fine if they’re happy together. But the problem is, we see absolutely nothing to the effect that she is UNHAPPY with Vincent. In fact, after the briefest of sketches as to how their relationship develops, Vincent vanishes from the scene in rather a forced manner. In fact, Alice can’t even be bothered to break up with him. I mean, don’t even get me started on the fact that Alice’s happiness seems to be entirely based on her settling down with someone. This IS, I grant you, a big factor in happiness sometimes. But sometimes it isn’t. Sometimes people are truly happy as bachelors. And I think we need a few more films that point this fact out..

I mean, as far as romantic comedies go, it’s ok. One is prompted not to think too much when watching this kind of film, because honestly, there often isn’t much to think about. Here, well you really shouldn’t bother. You should just see the film as disposable and move on if you want to enjoy it at all. It’s like rather an old mattress that has some rather uncomfortable lumps in it. It’s quite alright in its function but just… You know.  Remember where to lie yourself down.