YES, PEOPLE RANT ABOUT IT FOR A REASON! I GIVE YOU "RAIN MAN"

Now, come on you know this film… I mean, I was “re-visiting” the other day and it occurred to me; even if you don’t know the film you surely know its soundtrack… So many of the songs from the soundtrack are famous now in their own right and completely independent from the film! And I’m SURE you have all heard some variation of the phrase “Dustin Hoffman was BRILIIANT in Rain Man”. You may even be slightly jaded by the phrase – understandably. The fact that he actually won an Oscar ® for the performance however, should make y’all reconsider. A blast from the past (one doesn’t get more 80’s than 1988!) with multiple awards, world class acting, a VERY young Tom Cruise and a wonderfully touching story, what more do you want… I mean, really…
Charlie Babbit (Tom Cruise. He’s good in the film and a good actor but apart from Interview With A Vampire I somehow never warmed to him… He IS good looking but… I don’t know… Anyway, moving on…) is a car salesman. He is driven, egoistic and interested in no one and nothing except himself and his own well-being. Even his girlfriend is more of an ornament than a companion. His bugbear is his father, they never got on and they haven’t spoken for decades. Then, his father dies. And leaves his fortune to a mysterious “trustee”. After some digging Charlie finds out that he actually has a brother, Raymond (Dustin Hoffman). A brother he neither remembers meeting nor has heard of before. But the real sting as far is Charlie is concerned is the fact that his brother is actually a high-functioning autistic with no concept of or use for money… In desperation Charlie “kidnaps” his older brother and starts bargaining with the authorities. Half the money or they don’t get Raymond back. However, as the two brothers spend time together, Raymond, as maddening and unable to communicate as he may seem, starts “getting through” to Charlie… However, will this be enough to turn him into a “human being”?
You may think that the saga of the great capitalist who grows a heart and conscience has now grown rather old. But the thing you have to remember is that when Barry Levinson (director of Sleepers who also won an Oscar® for this film) shot it, the saga was still quite fresh. The “yuppies” had just been born and quite apart from a touching movie, there is criticisms of this err… Institution? You may say “Oh but that was in the 80’s”, well, yes, but are we so different from the yuppies now? Are we, in fact, still yuppies? Consumerism, capitalism they are both still going strong, it’s good to see “the other side” from time to time, even if Besides, forget about the rest, the film is WELL worth watching for Dustin Hoffman’s sake alone… No wonder his performance in this film keeps coming back to “haunt” us, it’s just such great acting, how can you not want to talk about it! And besides, shall I tell you something else? Charlie’s transformation (that’s hardly a spoiler come on now…), long lost brothers reuniting and a plethora of other subtle touches throughout the film simply tug at everything in us that cherishes soppiness… You’ll love it. And you’ll rant about it. Stop resisting and join the club =)

TRUE LOVE CAN COME IN ANY FORM... "M. BUTTERFLY"

Now, this film is one I had to watch for a completely separate project I was working on. But the film BOWLED ME OVER. I had high expectations of the film (David Cronenberg is by far one of my favorite directors and Jeremy Irons is… Well, Jeremy Irons) and trusted the opinion of the person who said I should watch it but I really did NOT expect it to turn out to be one of the most striking love stories I have ever watched… Add to that, although I couldn’t verify it 100%, this seems to be inspired by real events – and Madame Butterfly.

Rene Gallimard (Jeremy Irons) is a perfectly average government official working in the French consulate in Beijing. The year is 1964; China is still “the mysterious orient” albeit with slight communist tendencies but nothing too serious. Rene has a very average life. He is in accounts; he is known as more of a pen pusher than anything else, is married and attends consulate events, pretty much like everyone in the French consulate. But then, one such event introduces him to the opera and a quite extraordinary diva. A Chinese artist, Mademoiselle Song, sings excerpts from Madame Butterfly. Rene later snatches a moment to talk to her – her beauty, her voice and her independent spirit charm him. He goes to the Beijing Opera to watch her perform, finds out where she lives… And she seems to respond to his feelings in the same way… Rene will be transformed; his love for Mademoiselle Song makes him confident and strong. She has strange and rather backward views on sex, (she will not let him see her naked among other things) but her feelings are without a doubt real… However, there are many things about Song that Rene doesn’t know… One of them is that in traditional Chinese theatre female parts are principally played by men… But it is not the secret concerning Song’s body that will be Rene’s downfall…

If you thought that this seemed similar in topic to “The Crying Game”, you would be right. Indeed that is the other film the same person advised me to watch. I did watch The Crying Game when I was younger and I was deeply affected by it but not as much as M. Butterfly. Irons brilliantly portrays the straight-laces Gallimard who is first transformed by love but then transformed again as he finds out the person he loved never truly existed on more levels than one… And John Lowe (who you surely will remember as the adult emperor in The Last Emperor) is stunning as the enigmatic Song Liling. It is this sense of lies and loss, of truth and illusions, that makes the film a true rollercoaster. I mean yes the sexual tensions, the acting, the whole atmosphere of the film were all absolutely stunning but the thoughts and feeling it left me with at the very end were the things that truly bowled me over... What is real? What is illusion? Does what makes us actually happy matter more than either sometimes? A film with great depth that I most strongly recommend…

Oh and by the way, if you reckon by hinting at one of Song’s many secrets I have ruined the film for you, do not be fooled. I knew this before I started watching as well… And it still succeeded in bowling me over…

WELCOME BACK TO RICK'S - IN "CASABLANCA"

“Here’s looking at you kid”; “We’ll always have Paris”; “This could be the start of a beautiful friendship”; “Play it again Sam”… Even if you haven’t actually seen Casablanca I’m sure you’ve heard all these quotes before. It was the case with me when I first watched it. I jumped at the chance at re-visiting Rick’s the other night (funny how we all seem to end up there, no?) And frankly, before we even get down to brass tacks, if you haven’t seen it, you simply HAVE to see it. If you have seen it, see it again. It’s the kind of thing real cinema is made of…
Casablanca 1941… Port in Morocco and one of the last footholds of free France. Although, of course with the Vichy government and the Nazis breathing down their necks, it’s not as free as one might wish… Escapees from all over occupied Europe flood here and wait… What do they wait for? A rite of passage to Lisbon. From Lisbon they will head to America: Land of hope and new beginnings, far from the horrors of war. Of course rites of passage are hard to come by and sometimes the wait might take years, yes years… Luckily, there is plenty to do to occupy one’s time, and the most prestigious place to pass one’s time is Rick’s. Rick (Humphrey Bogart) runs the place, he is charismatic and mysterious. He has his own rules and rule he does, like a king. He is however, a king in exile, he can never return to his native America… That doesn’t matter though because the world comes to him… And one day a rather special part of the world comes to him: A Czech resistance fighter and hero – Victor Laszlo - trying to make it to the U.S.A. with the Nazis hot on his heels. With him, is Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman), his wife. The “problem” is this is not the first time Rick and Ilsa have met… Lives are at stake and enemies are all around as the two face their past… And a very difficult decision…
This film is, in a word, breathtaking. There is a reason a film from the 40’s is still up in the imdb TOP 20. I’m not even going to begin about the acting. Bogart and Bergman, Jesus what a pair… What a couple… Bergman’s beauty and Bogart’s charisma… I am, as you know, quite loony about a lot of modern day actors but these two are true legends for a reason… And I mean, the story is quite original too, I mean yes it is a WW2 film but it’s about an aspect of the war none of us run of the mill folks know much about. (Come on, admit it, when someone says Second World War, Africa is NOT the first, second or third thing you think of). But I really REALLY don’t think you need a reason to watch Casablanca. I mean, OK it’s not AVATAR. No 3D no HD no “D” s at all except for “Delightful” . You may or may not be a fan of old black and white movies. You may simply not be familiar with them. I cannot think of a better way of getting introduced… So, step on down to Rick’s… You’ll like it there – and you’ll be back. I promise.

MILK - NOT THE KIND YOU DRINK!

Now, this one has been on my mind for a while. It’s quite a phenomenon of a film to watch – Sean Penn shines in his role as Harvey Milk, the first openly gay politician to be elected in the U.S.A. and one of the founders of the gay rights movement. The story is truly one worth telling and Sean Pen does do a brilliant job but I will say it again and again, Mickey Rourke should have got Best Actor that year. Really. Not that anyone actually listens to me and I try not to bang on about it but I think he deserved some kind of accolade for bringing himself back from near self-destruction and addiction to Oscar® nominated acting. I think the effort alone deserved an award, never mind that fact that he was brilliant. Oh well though, life goes on and so must my blog entry, so I will now reign myself in and concentrate solely on Sean Penn and Harvey Milk.
“Today” says Harvey to the young man he has picked up at a subway station and has decided to spend the night with “is my 40th birthday. And I have realized that I have achieved absolutely nothing.” He is a government official in the Water Board, he has an OK career, a life with nothing to complain about but nothing to gloat about either. So when moving to San Francisco with the young man (Scott Smith who will actually become his lifelong lover albeit with ups and downs and histrionics and tantrums) and starting all over again comes up Harvey just says “why not”. And does it. They open a camera shop in the Castro area of San Francisco all seems to be going well. But the year is 1972 and even in San Francisco (that was considered one of the more liberal cities even back then) anti-gay feeling is rife. Harvey being gay takes this very personally. And decides that the time has come to do something about it…
The rest is, of course, history. Now, we live in a world of multiculturalism and openness or so we claim but still prejudice of many kinds is rife. I mean, I’m sure you or I are not particularly prejudiced. But the thing is most of us don’t do anything to prevent prejudice spreading either… That’s why it’s important to honor and remember the people who do. And Harvey Milk was a first. He may have done “nothing” until he was 40, he then went down in history… By the way, I like that kind of story – people who “become” something later on in life, gives one hope if you see what I mean. In the same way, Beethoven didn’t finish his first composition until he was 30. Mozart, who met him, deemed him a waste of time. Haydn was the only person who realized the young man had talent and well, he was right… Good Heavens I’m off on one again but surely you see how it was vaguely connected?
The film itself is absolutely brilliant. (It did NOT win the Oscar® for Best Screenplay for nothing). It transports you back to the 70’s… And it’s not just Harvey Milk, all the characters are brilliant, the actors as well but the characters themselves – hats off to Gus van Sant, some do say that his films are slightly “themed” but this one’s a good-un. It’s really a story worth finding out about. I mean it is true, the likes of you and I don’t actively do anything to prevent prejudice – but at least we can be well informed about such things… That in itself is something too you know…

FIND OUT HOW ALL THE FUSS BEGAN : "INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE"

Now, I don’t know what your stance on this matter is, but I am personally glad the whole “Edward” craze is finally subsiding. I don’t particularly dig vampires, and although Robert Pattinson is an admirable young man I don’t find him drop dead gorgeous. Well, when I say I don’t dig vampires, that isn’t strictly true – I just don’t dig those particular vampires. And before you say anything, nor am I a fan of Buffy the Vampire slayer or Angel – I don’t dig those vampires either. But there are a group of vampires that were particularly cool. Old school stuff, with real classic actors playing them. You surely remember Interview with a Vampire? Now, Old Moon, New Moon; Second Hand Moon - not my thing. Anne Rice? Interview with a Vampire Trilogy? (Yep, THREE books, Interview with a Vampire, The Vampire Lestat and Queen of the Damned) NOW you’re talking. The classic movie I want to talk about today (I assume you have at least heard of it!) is based on the first book. Rather a good adaptation I may add. There was also an adaptation of the third book, Queen of the Damned a TOTAL disaster as far as being faithful to the story is concerned… (just possibly because they skipped the second book and moved to the third because there was a sexy lady (the afore mentioned Queen of the Damned played by the late Aaliyah) in the story and they thought it would be a better crowd pleaser). Now, my view, stay away from that one, but watch Interview With A Vampire. Then read the book – there are a lot of details in the book that are overlooked in the film – an understandable situation, the book is a tad long – but I say do both. It is a classic in its own genre and I would hate you all to think Edward and Bella are the best modern fiction has to offer as far as vampires are concerned…
Louis de Pointe Du Lac (Brad Pitt by the way) was 24 in 1791. He is the owner of a large plantation but having lost both his beloved wife and newborn baby in childbirth he has lost the will to live. One night, as he is sharing this predicament with a chance drinking companion, he is faced with a bizarre choice. His companion – Lestat De Lioncourt (Tom Cruise just incidentally) is a vampire. A vampire who has not had his dinner yet and would be only too glad to kill him and put him out of his misery. However, Lestat has taken a liking to Louis; therefore he will give him a choice, for Lestat can turn Louis into a vampire. A new life as a creature of the night leaving all mortal toil behind him is tempting to Louis and he accepts. The new life is good. It is complicated, as Louis finds it almost impossible to kill people even though that means being almost starved or living off rats but it is good. Heightened senses, immortality and Claudia (a pint sized Kirsten Dunst), a little girl Lestat “turns” for Louis to assuage his loneliness… Louis and his new family are happy; the sky seems to be the limit… Unfortunately, Louis is about to discover that there are other things that don’t have limits: the darkness in Lestat’s heart and his greed…
Now, this is indeed a vampire film. It is not, however, merely a silly time filler either. Authorities back in the 90’s took this film so seriously they nominated it for not one but two Oscars ® and although the big names in the movie are admirable it wasn’t for the acting but for the score (music) and art direction. So this, my children is a “bona fide” film no moony nonsense here; new or otherwise, (sorry Mom – and any other fans - I know you love the series but they just GET ON MY NERVES!!). And the whole story itself is wonderfully constructed. It’s like a good romantic novel, will just sweep you off your feet, back to the 18th century, you will live with vampires for 200 years then be back in time to get the supper ready and the dishes washed. The acting is good, as you might well expect and the film is seriously good quality. Oh and by the way, the director of the movie is Neil Jordan, Oscar ® winning director of “The Crying Game”… We are, as you can imagine, in the domain of good quality entertainment. Your life won’t be changed by this, but then again I assume you don’t expect your life to be changed by a movie about vampires. I recommend this film to all vampire lovers despite my scathing words about the series. Think of it this way, if you like this genre so much, you might as well know a bit more about its “history” and classic examples. And who knows, after you watch it, maybe you’ll see what I mean even if you don’t agree.

TAKE A MOMENT TO CONSİDER THE "LIVES OF OTHERS"

I occasionally check out the “IMDB Top 250”. I mean, not that often every once in a while, it changes with votes that’s true but not THAT often… Anyway, I saw this little gem as number 56 in said list and my hear t literally jumped for joy. I remember being on an absolute emotional rollercoaster as I watched this film. It’s a funny little European number with quite a political sub text but I really don’t care. The human story in it is just so touching and the overall message so powerful I simply couldn’t let it slip by. The Oscar® committee certainly didn’t it won the Oscar® for Best Foreign Language film in 2006 among other prestigious accolades. Oh yes, for those of you (Mom, I’m talking to you too you know) who think watching films in any language except English is just “too odd” you will have to get over that one. Apart from the fact that you are missing out on what is in my mind at least 50% of all films that are worth watching, this particular film is in German. So there.
The Lives Of Others is the story of life in Easter Germany. It is the year 1984 and Gerd Weisler is a Captain in the Stasi – the East German police. He is loyal to the system and very dedicated to his job, to the point that his job is his entire life and world. Everything he does is tainted by his job and that’s why when he is detailed to set up a full-scale surveillance of a prominent East German playwright Gregor Dreyman he thinks of it as nothing but duty. He sets up “shop” in the playwright’s attic and is soon in possession of the intimate details of both his life and the life of his long-term partner Christa-Maria. However the more Weisler listens, the more confused he becomes. The playwright and his partner aren’t the “dissident artists” he thought they would be. Christa-Maria seems to be trying to fight off the unwanted attention of the Minister of Culture himself. And the minister seems to be intent on destroying Dreyman at all costs… Added to that, the lonely Weisler has grown fond of the couple. With his new “friends” under increasing pressure from the government and faced with the fact that he is actually no more than a pawn in a political game centered round the ministers libido Weisler is faced with a tough decision. Close his eyes and be the dutiful public servant he has always been or destroy a shining career built up over a lifetime by doing what he has a terrible feeling may actually be “the right thing”…
Now, you may see this as blatant anti-communist propaganda, and sure there is some of that thrown in. However, you will not find it hard to see past it once you sit down to watch this one. You are drawn into Weisler’s personal drama pretty quickly, you watch him transform from a caricature of a political officer to an actual human being. The braking down of habits and ideas that have surrounded him his whole lifetime, his loneliness and his discovery that he has in fact possibly been on the wrong side all along… It is also a brilliant allegory of shyness. Watching and observing “the lives of others” down to the minutest detail without being able to participate in them. Actually wanting to participate but being faced with insurmountable barriers. And change. Changing oneself and the pain that sometimes brings…
On another level, the film was actually general culture for me as well, I knew very little about East Germany and the Stasi and the film gave me ample chances to “brush up”. This is a film though, principally I feel, about the fact that there is something human that unifies all of us, even if we seem to be on completely opposite sides. And even though it may be, in some cases, painful and surprising to realize this.

POSSIBLY ONE OF THE BEST TURKISH FILMS EVER MADE : “MUSTAFA HAKKINDA HER ŞEY”

My job means that I watch many different films from many different countries. Turkey isn’t famous for its cinematic prowess as a general rule but in the last couple of years some truly world-class works have begun to emerge – take singer turned director Mahsun Kırmızıgül’s latest work “Five Minarets in New York” – there was a massive gala opening in New York and everything, it was ALL OVER the news… A couple of months back Semih Kaplanoğlu’s film “Bal” was honored at the Cannes Film Festival… That is why I decided to share with you “Mustafa Hakkında Her Şey” – translated as “Everything About Mustafa”. It’s quite a bit older than the “Five Minarets” and it’s not a showy action movie with special effects. However, anyone who wants to steer clear of flashy effects will tell you that THIS is one of the true masterpieces of Turkish cinema heralding many more great works to come…
Mustafa is, all in all, a happy man. He is the successful owner of an advertising agency. His marriage was a love match and he and his wife Ceren are very happy with their young son Kerem. At least, this is what Mustafa thinks when, on what starts off as a perfectly normal day, his wife Ceren is killed in a traffic accident. This tragic event proves a Pandora’s Box for Mustafa – his wife is killed returning to İstanbul from some distance away from the city; from a place where Mustafa had no idea she had any business. There is a young man with her in the car called Fikret that he has never seen and who is gravely injured… Mustafa must know the truth about his wife’s secret life. And he can see only one way of accomplishing this. He kidnaps Fikret out of hospital and takes them to his family’s abandoned summer house. He ties him to a chair and begins questioning him about his relationship with his wife. As the hours go by, the conversation becomes stranger and stranger. Soon, one thing becomes clear. Fikret isn’t the only one with something to confess…
This film is no less than an assorted plate of the best Turkey culturally has to offer. The director Çağan Irmak is one of the most successful Turkish directors to date. The three leading actors (whom you wouldn’t have heard of if you live outside of Turkey but Fikret Kuşkan (Mustafa), Başak Köklükaya (Ceren) and Nejat İşler (Fikret) ) are among the best of their generation and present truly world class performances. Mor ve Ötesi who are responsible for the soundtrack are among the most successful bands of modern Turkey. As for the story itself, it is very cleverly constructed and we are glued to our seats as we watch the strong and successful Mustafa slowly but surely unraveling as both his marriage and his life are destroyed. It is by no means easy viewing but a true-blue psychological thriller. And by the way, don’t worry. This is not the domain of Quentin Tarantino or Saw – no gore. Just the human mind and soul laid bare… And that is possibly more frightening than any number of monsters or missing limbs…