MEANWHILE, ACROSS THE POND... : "MEAN STREETS"

Now we skip a few years. And an ocean – but I digress. What I like about Mean Steets – in conjunction to this weeks’ entries that is, I like a lot of things about the film but more of that in a sec – is that it is actually almost contemporary with Call the Midwife. At a push they are just about 10 years apart. But they both are, basically, a slice of life from impoverished, dangerous areas in two countries literally across the pond from each other. If you think about it, Johnny Boy or Charlie (ok, perhaps not Johnny Boy, but definitely Charlie) could well be one of the husbands of Jenny Lee’s patients. What we have here, you might say, is a simple reversal of perspective. Here however, there is no benign convent and nuns watching over people. Here, it’s a dog eat dog world and it’s really and truly every man for himself…

Charlie (Harvey Keitel) only knows this too well. Of course this is America, you can always build and live your dream, but in Little Italy, it can be a bit harder to do that than your average neighbourhood. Luckily Charlie knows how to use his head. And he has the right connections in the shape of his uncle Giovanni, an influential man in the neighbourhood, a businessman and unofficial moneylender. Giovanni likes Charlie a lot and is even considering making him manager of one of his restaurants, a job that Charlie dreams of and that would secure him for life. However, Charlie is a man torn between his head and his heart. Although his head shows him clearly what path to follow to become a “big man” of the neighbourhood like Giovanni, Charlie’s heart leads him directly to his distant cousin Teresa of whom Giovanni does not approve (on the grounds that she is “sick in the head” i.e. has epilepsy). That could be sidestepped, albeit with difficulty, if they manage to keep the relationship under the radar, which Charlie is doing despite loud protests from Teresa. But then there’s Johnny Boy (Robert De Niro). Charlie’s young, irresponsible and slightly mad cousin is nothing but trouble. Johnny Boy owes money to the entire neighbourhood and has neither a glimmer of hope of paying it back nor an ounce of respect for anyone. He is, as you can imagine, constantly in and out of trouble and heading straight for a very sticky end.  If he wants to achieve his own dreams Charlie may well have to stop bailing him out and concentrate on his own life. But that’s the problem with these head – heart conflicts you see…

This film is, of course, one of Martin Scorsese’s first films. But even so early on we can see the themes the cast and the style that will preoccupy Martin Scorsese for most of his career. This particular film is not for the most part quite as “hard hitting” as his later films. But in a funny kind of way, I like that. Yes, there is a very clear storyline, but the style of the film is a clever mix; that of a fly on the wall documentary mixed with a commercial film. So events unfurl a lot more slowly and less predictably then they would in your “average” Hollywood flic. This also matches Johnny Boy’s character very well, I guess the character in his early twenties (De Niro is 30 at the time but as you know that means very little in the world of film) and in any case Johnny Boy has the level of responsibility of a particularly air-headed 12 year old. He lives with utter disregard for the consequences of his actions and that means things can “erupt” at pretty much any moment. In short, be prepared for surprises.

This is, in fact, the classic story of a main character caught between his heart and his logic. Here the pull of the heart is twofold, because not only does Charlie desperately want to help Johnny Boy out, there is the matter of the woman he loves, Teresa. The dynamic there is also interesting because all Teresa wants is to get out of Little Italy, get a nice little flat and have a quiet life. Charlie however, is determined he will become a man of the neighbourhood. And leaving Little Italy is categorically out of the question. So already we see the strong feel of “neighbourhood” present in a lot of Scorsese films. Here, perversely it almost acts as the ultimate curse that brings Charlie down. To be fair, he would have had a calmer life if he had gone along with Teresa’s plan. Ah, but would their story then be worth making a film about? That, my dears, is a totally different story all together…

ESSIE SPEAKS OF REPEATING PATTERNS AND DARK HORIZONS

Oh yes. Your author is feeling cryptic this morning. And why not. Besides, I'm not "bending" the facts too much. As you know my watching list tends a little bit to consist of something old, something new, the bathroom sink and something blue. Everything. Which is when I noticed the connection between the twosome we're discussing this week. They were both cult films - or based on cult stories - belonging to completly different generations. As in, one was my generation (I'm a '90s kid me) and the other is for people now officialy half my age (I'm still trying to stomach the fact that I turned 30 yesterday. My family and friends are being very supportive). It's fascinating to see the crossover. As in, some things literally have NOT changed. I mean, we all know that formulas that "work" tend to be repeated but had you noticed  to what extent they were repeated? Read on to find out - it's quite amazing!

I do grumble on about the films a bit. But don't fret. I'm not all negative. I just tell it like it is. They wouldn't be here if I didn't. You know what I mean.

happy viewing peeps!
Essie

OF TELEVISION, REALITY AND OTHER LIFE AND DEATH MATTERS : "THE HUNGER GAMES"

Now I had my misgivings about this film, I really did. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I was always sure it would be at least moderately good. Hollywood has perfected this style of film over the years. Emotional ties, importance of family, loyalty etc., a beautiful yet approachable heroine matched with spectacular special effects. If all this is linked to an already existing franchise and comes with its own ready-made fan base, why all the better. Thing is, I suspected I might be a tad too old for it (anyone who knows me laughed outloud at that comment. I admit, coming from a family where my 90 year-old grandmother is a Harry Potter fan, this may sound a tad bit strange. ) But anyway. I sort of thought, you know what, this is probably for people at least 10 years younger than me. If not a bit younger. So I left it be, until that is, it started crossing my path repeatedly. “Oh fine” I said to myself “it’s a rainy Sunday afternoon, I’ll watch you if you insist that much”. Well, I have to admit, the tenacious little film had a point…

I guess you kinda caught onto the story through all the adds but I’ll give you a quick rundown in case you forgot. You may not be a fan. And it has been a while.

Ok, so in the far future, in a dystopian world where a lot has gone awry, people live under strict governmental control. The country is divided into 12 districts, all mainly responsible for the production of one product for the whole country. But see, this state of (relative) peace was not always the way things were. There was once an uprising, civil war no less, and this led to a bloody repression. Then, the wise men in the capitol decided that as a reminder of these sad events (and more importantly, so they never do it again) they would organise the following event. Every year, every district would select at random a boy and girl between the ages of 12 and 18. These 24 youngsters would go into the capital, to be placed in a highly computerised forest (I mean, I call it a forest but think “Truman Show”) where they fight, to the death, until one single victor remains.  This event is called “The Hunger Games”. The victor then goes on to be rich and famous and shake off, if they can, the trauma of what just happened. I mean, the film is good but not that original, as you can guess, our heroine, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) is selected to represent her district (rather she volunteers to represent it in lieu of her younger sister who was initially selected), the poor, coal-mining district 12 (Germinal anyone? No? Ok…). Let the games begin!

Now this film has a lot going in its favour. And I mean, a lot. Originality, I’m sorry to say, ain’t one of ‘em. I could practically predict every beat from the beginning to the end. And this is not me showing off my film knowledge. Anyone who has watched a handful of Hollywood movies will be able to too. Besides, this is the first book of a series. The second film will be released in November 2013. It stars Jennifer Lawrence. Err, in that case, gee, I wonder who wins the Hunger Games in this film???

This however, did not stop me waving and yelling instructions at Katniss during the games. The special effects are both well done and well used. Yes there is a little too much emotional lather but well… You go into that kind of thing with your eyes open. You would be naïve NOT to expect it. And heck, sometimes one needs a touch of emotional lather. Besides, it’s an interesting consideration on TV shows and the celebrity culture today. I mean, think of all the reality shows we have parading around these days for a second. Naturally the Hunger Games are highly televised and most of the film painstakingly points out that our heroes are part of a TV show. True, we have the ones like “I’m a celebrity get me out of here” and all that. But at the end of the day no one is in real danger. It’s rather eerie to think what the ratings would be if people actually got killed off one by one. Oh yes, it’s horrific, it sickens me to think about it, but just imagine. If such a TV show existed. Just assuming for a second it somehow came into being, with no control from any kind of authority. How popular would it be? Would there be a public outcry? Or would the ratings sore through the roof? Take a minute to think about it… (One film attempting to consider this last question was Live! starring Eva Mendes. I watched it a while ago and remember thinking it could have done a lot better for itself - but it still could be worth checking out) 

ESSIE SPEAKS OF A '90s CLASSIC : AEON FLUX

Ok, as I was writing up a whole batch of films I watched this week (I, like every mortal being, occasionally do get massive backlogs of things. This week it’s blog articles embarrassingly enough)I suddenly realised there are two with massive similarities that simply have to go together. I mean, if you think about it, it makes perfect sense. Both undertake quite similar topics and both actually invite you to think about more serious issues in the “underlying” bits. As it were. Neither of them actually bursts with originality, however, both of them are so enjoyable that I have to write about them. Yes I’m a bit of snob. That’s why you love me. (I think).

Ok, so we are in yet another dystopian world far, far in the future, with yet another heroine. There is yet another oppressive government in place. However, there is a reason for this. Years and years ago there was an epidemic. A most terrible thing that all but wiped out the human race. Only a handful of the population survived the calamity. This handful lives within the walls of the city/country, carefully shielded from the outside world. Theirs is a population of riches and a life of ease. However, a secret group of rebels, the Monicans, believe that their seemingly benign government is up to something. Freedoms are controlled, if subtly. All the people have strange nightmares. Then they vanish, never to be seen again. Aeon Flux (Charlize Theron) is one of the Monicans’ best assassins. And when her beloved sister Una is “disappeared” by government forces, she is overjoyed that a chance for revenge is presented to her: to kill the president of their little country, starting, hopefully, the revolution to end their slavery entirely. However, as Aeon plunges into the heart of government, she begins to uncover things, things to do with the past. Her own past, the president’s past, in fact the past of the entire city… Secrets so big, that the fate of the entire population may in fact come to rest in her hands…

Again, newsflash, this film’s main strength is its special effects. Absolutely no surprises there. But, you may be surprised to hear, I am not going to bang on about the predictability of the story. Oh no. There are some very nice touches here and there. Now, this is more of a sci-fi action than anything else. By this I mean that science fiction actually plays a large part in the story (but you knew that. You watched the TV series back in the day right? Yeaaah, of course you did.) . As opposed to the Hunger Games, that is basically an action flick that happens to be set in the future. So if you’re a sci-fi fan, I’d say go for this one definitely. It has some good, original approaches. You may or may not be able to figure out the plot beforehand, but then again this is not always such a terrible thing. Besides, I couldn’t, if that helps you at all. Of course there is a goodly dollop of emotion and the usual Hollywood values in there. The importance of family (note that here too there is a younger sister. Only this time she actually dies and needs to be avenged, as opposed to rescued), love overcoming all… But there is enough originality in there that will prevent you from getting bored and changing channels. Heck, there was a point where your author was feeling around for tissues at one point. That’s the difference with female directors you see.  Or rather, you will if you give it a whirl. 

ESSIE SPEAKS OF LOVE AND SOME OF ITS LESSER KNOWN CONSEQUENCES

I know. That's one heck of a long title. But it is an accurate description of this week's fare, and you know what, it got your attention. Otherwise you wouldn't be reading this. I will chuckle victoriously (I'll leave you to imagine how I do that) and move on. 

Of course when I say love you have to be open minded about the concept. Firstly, I may or may not mean romantic love. In this particular case, in one instance I do and in one instance I don't. Love within families, the love of a parent or a sibling can count just as well. And they all have unexpected consequences. I think anyone with a family of any sort can vouch for that. 

These films are sad, heart-warming, thought provoking... All round and in depth experiences. I know you will like them. You may need to give them a moment to sink in, but they will "pay off" as it were. Give them a minute to wash over you :) 

happy viewing peeps!

Essie

THE FILM THAT POSSIBLY INVENTED STRANGE LOVE : "HAROLD AND MAUDE"

Ok, this is one of those films I really struggle to review. My instincts tell me this is not a film for everyone and to try and record it accordingly. My heart tells me one would have to be both blind and deaf not to watch the film and fall in love with it on the spot. This film has a double significance – as it were. Not only is it one of the cinematically most important films around it is, in my opinion, one of those expressive, sensitive films that warms you to the cockles of your heart. And it’s chock-full of rather dark absurd comedy. So… Yeah, you see why I say it may not be for everyone. But then again, you kinda know my taste in films by now. If you reckon it’s parallel to mine, I say definitely go for it. It’s a good ‘un. It’s a classic for a reason – no questions about that.

Well, we all need to have our hobbies in this life. Harold’s hobby is committing suicide. That and going to funerals. In his hearse. His mother told him he could have any car he wanted, they are not a badly off family so she had meant a Jaguar or a Mercedes. Harold, however, wanted a hearse. His mother does anything and everything to drag Harold back to normality; therapy, marriage, the army… But even with this no-holds barred approach, nothing seems to work and Harold refuses to follow her example. 79 year-old Maude, however, is a completely different story. You see, the thing about having hobbies is that they also permit you to meet like-minded people and Maude is just such a person. Although, her eccentricity is at such a level that even our friend Harold is slightly taken aback. Maude is, in a way, the mother-figure Harold never had in a random funeral attending, car stealing and nude posing sort of way…  This is a story that proves that love is something that bypasses minor issues like age and gender – and unites… But also has very, very unexpected consequences.

Ok, I am not going to actually make a list of all the parallels I drew with films today as I watched this one. First of all, it would spoil it for all of you who, like me, enjoy that kind of “treasure hunting”. Secondly, it would just make the post far too long. Even by my rather verbose standards. But, just as a small example, the going to random funerals thing. Ok, so, Harold and Maude like going to funerals. Not the funerals of anyone they know. Just, any funerals that happen to be going that day. Who does that remind you of? Mayhaps a certain narrator, played by Edward Norton, who visited support groups for a plethora of ailments he didn’t have and then met a woman who had the same hobby as him (played by Helena Bonham-Carter) ? Yes, I AM talking about Fight Club. And that’s just the start of a rather long list of prestigious movies. I mean, it’s worth a check-out for that alone. And please don’t get upset just because Fight Club appears to have got part of its inspiration from some other film. That’s what life – not to mention creative industries – are all about. Constant creative cross-inspiration. Finding stuff like this is like tracing a family tree. And it’s fun. Movie geeks like me will understand.

But then of course, I do implore you, do watch the film in its own right too. It is an absolute treasure trove for those, like me, who particularly enjoy dark comedy and absurd comedy in particular. But it isn’t just a joy-ride. Oh no. There are a lot of serious issues; and genuine emotion in this little number too.  And all tightly yet exquisitely packed into around 90 minutes of film, unlike the 2 hour + sagas of today that are very, very pretty to look at but barely manage to pack half the content into themselves… Goodness, I didn’t really see myself turning into an old fogey complaining that “things” were better in the “good old days” but hey… In this instance, I may well be right, I’m not quite sure…  Anyway. You guys watch Harold and Maude and then we can discuss all that later… 

GUILT, FEAR AND RATHER LARGE DEMONS : "I’VE LOVED YOU SO LONG"

Ok , be warned. French art film coming up. I don’t know, for some reason, of all the “arty” films out there – busy scaring common or garden movie goers – the French ones seem to be the scariest. In public perception any way. I think this is mainly the fault of great directors such as Godard and Truffaut, whose pioneering works are often, admittedly, quite difficult to analyse for the untrained eye (and even for the trained eye). This has, in my view, had a sort of knock-on effect to a lot of French films later on in that, through the simple virtue of being French (and in French – a cardinal sin in some parts of the English speaking world) were deemed incomprehensible (and I don’t just mean linguistically). This film definitely affords us many, many reasons to stop and think. This is one of these ones. I have some major gripes with it – one thing I cannot ABIDE in a film is errors of logic in the films universe – there are bits of the film that work SO well and the acting – especially Kristin Scott Thomas – is just so wonderful that I simply couldn’t let it slip. Ok, let’s get to the story and I’ll tell you what you mean.

Ok, so, usually after a crime is committed – in the ideal world of film anyway – the baddies are caught, put in jail and receive punishment for their crimes. Ok, but then what? When the prison sentence is over? When the inmate comes out? It is precisely this question that Juliette (Kristin Scott Thomas) is searching for. She has just come out of prison after having committed a particularly heinous crime. A crime that has cost her her career and estranged from her entire family, especially her younger sister with whom their parents have ensured they are now complete strangers. Thing is though, Juliette has no one else. And when social services do contact Léa, her sister, Léa has a lot of romantic ideas about regaining her sister. It is in this way that Juliette comes to stay with her and her family while she looks for work and a place of her own.  However, between the fifteen years they spent apart, the parent’s brainwashing and Juliette’s real difficulty in adapting to the outside world, this is most definitely not going to be the idyllic reunion Léa is dreaming of. It may lead to the sisters truly getting to know each other. But for that to happen, everyone is going to have to let their guard down, and real emotions, sometimes bottled up for decades, are going to have to come pouring out…

Now, I am going to tie myself into knots explaining this. The main problem is the slow revelation of what Juliette did and why is an integral part of the film. If you know that, you will probably enjoy it a lot less. The suspense and the shock is the main part of the story. So I will try and discuss my problem with the film without revealing too much. OK. So as you can guess from the 15 year sentence, on the surface of things, Juliette has done a pretty bad thing. Also recognisable of course from the fact that her parents completely “abandoned” her and brainwashed her sister almost into denying her existence. But the more you get to know Juliette – and this is tough enough as communication and demonstrating feelings are by far not her strong point – the more you begin to suspect there is more to the story than meets the eye. There is. There is what are to me major extenuating circumstances to the whole affair. The point is, these circumstances are such that logically speaking THERE IS NO WAY they wouldn’t come up in a trial. There is no way they would remain an utter secret all these years. The sister ONLY JUST finding out about it… Not realistic. Even assuming that after reaching adulthood she was so brainwashed she did no research of her own. I mean, once I hit on that point it niggled me all the way through the film. It’s a major flaw in logic in my view. The only thing you can do really is to just assume that’s the way that universe functions and carry on watching. Not that I’m saying there is nothing else to watch, heck no, there is a TON.

First of all, kudos to Kristen Scott Thomas. I mean, my God. She takes on Juliette, a character coping with a lot of very complex psychological situations and makes her very real and very approachable. And judging the matter purely on what a difficult and complicated person Juliette is, it is no mean feat. Her performance alone justifies a lot of the prestigious awards the film walked away with in my view. But then there are so many little details in the story. Juliette’s crime emerges in the oddest places and slaps her in the face with such force… You physically cringe at the insight with which the emotional “slaps” come. After all here, as with most things in life, it’s the little things that count. I was also impressed with Léa’s adopted daughters – or more specifically the older one. She gives a surprisingly high quality and insightful performance for her young age.

In short, the film is chock-full of sensitivity, imagination and provides a lot of food for thought. You definitely should watch it. Just don’t overanalyse it, if you get what I mean. This film is more about emotions than anything else – and when judged on that criteria, it does a damn fine job.