The tangled commercial web of profits

Spider Man 3 (2007, Director Sam Raimi): Rating 5/10

They did it, they finally did it. It took them 3 tries but the studios finally turned one of the most introspective comic book heroes into a joke. And in doing so, they realized my fears from 5 years ago. Against all opinion, I didn't watch the first two Spider Man films in the theater. The trailers for the first film didn't impress me and I couldn't get over how they chose Tobey Maguire as the lead -- I was afraid they would ruin the Spider Man character that I loved so much. But thankfully common sense prevailed and in 2005, I rented the second film. I absolutely loved it (gave it a rating of 10/10) and went back and saw the first one as well. I even enjoyed the first one (rating of 8/10) but in both films, I highlighted the negative aspect as Kirsten Dunst -- terrible acting and well, just painfully annoying.

And then when I found out that the third movie would have Venom, I was excited. I always felt that the best Spider Man story involved Venom -- it was the ultimate test of Peter's inner strength. However, the trailers made me change my mind again. Too many villains and more focus on special effects. So with some hesitation, I walked into the third film. And sure enough, all the fears I had came true -- Tobey was made to look out of sorts, Dunst was terrible as usual, the story was pathetic, too many plot elements and not enough time dedicated to study Venom. And the only reason I think Sandman was selected because of the cool special effects. Otherwise, the film could have done without him.

Also, there are some many contrived elements in the film like the brain dead cheering crowds and Spidey flying past the American flag on his way to rescue MJ. The film is shown to be in the year 2005 yet there is not a single person with a digital camera or cell-phone camera to take a picture of Spidey as he is jumping mask-less across the city. The film includes musical themes from the old (bad) Spider Man cartoon. I think that is appropriate as this does feel like a B-movie. But my rant is just that, a rant. It does not matter. This movie has made plenty of money and the studios will create more pathetic efforts and keep making more money. Do they really care? It seems that every 2-3 years, all the sequel movies are getting dumbed down even further for a younger audience. The Matrix was an intelligent film released back in 1999. But when 4 years later the second and third films were released, they were converted into brain dead studio films or in the case of the second one, a hollow film with enough rambling to make it look intelligent for teenage boys. Likewise, the first Pirates film was fun but the second was unwatchable. I am sure all the big movies this summer will make tons of movies and as a result more and more stupid sequels will be made until the future of Mike Judge's Idiocracy is fully realized, a movie that didn't make it out to the theaters.

Training Day (2001, Director Antoine Fuqua): Rating 7.5/10

Good cop, bad cop. A question of ethics and morality. Just when the good and bad are clearly defined, a grayish meter is shown which indicates that in order to fight crime, pure good can't survive against pure evil. And then suddenly, the tables are turned again and we do realize the gray scale was an illusion -- it is pure evil vs good. Seconds before good is wiped out for sure, a previous act of goodness saves him. Even though this act might feel like a contrived element, it could be seen as an example of the power of Karma -- if one commits even one act of good, it will lead to a favourable outcome. In most cases, it takes decades for Karma to act but since everything in this film is squeezed into one action packed day, even Karma has to act fast. In end, the film is powered by Denzel Washington's stellar performance. The background music is very good as it eludes to the danger lurking around the corner. But the movie is longer than it should be (almost 2 hours) and contains some typical cop movie elements (good cop that can't be killed).

Taiwanese Cinema, take two

It has been over a year since I first shed a spotlight on Taiwanese Cinema. Back then I wanted to focus on Hou Hsiao-hsien & Tsai Ming-liang, two acclaimed directors whose work had been unknown to me. In the end I discovered the accolades were indeed worthy -- both HHH and Tsai are two of the best film directors in the world right now. This time around I decided to visit works by these directors along with another bright name in Taiwanese cinema -- Edward Yang. Yang along with Hou is considered part of the first New Wave of Taiwanese cinema. I will start with his award-winning 2000 film Yi Yi and attempt to work backwards to his early collaborations with Hou.
But for starters, the 1992 debut effort from Tsai Ming-liang:

Rebels of the Neon God: Rating 9.5/10

One movie is never enough to give an insight into a director’s arsenal but sometimes it provides a tiny glimpse into what he has to offer. However, in order to make a full assessment, it is essential to watch all of a director's work from the start. Most of the times watching a director's work in chronological sequence is a luxury. We often see a movie by a director and if we like it, we pursue his/her older works. Such was the case with me. I jumped aboard Tsai Ming-liang's cinematic journey midway in 2001 with What Time is it there. That time his hero, Kang Hsiao (played by Lee Kang-sheng) was trying to make a living selling watches. His father had passed away and his mother was trying to get the father's spirit to return. In 2005, Kang was trying to make a living working as porn actor in The Wayward Cloud. But Kang's story started with Rebels of the Neon God and has continued for another 14 years. And in 2006, Kang returned to Tsai's birth land Malaysia in I Don't Want to Sleep Alone, a film I can't wait to see. This effort was the first time Tsai turned the lens back on his native country and away from Taipei.

It is hard to believe that Rebels of the Neon God was Tsai's first full length feature because it is such a well developed film. The story involves Kang Hsiao and his efforts to drop out of high school and spend hours in the arcade. One day while he is in father's taxi, a young man on a motorcyle smashes his dad's mirror. Kang follows the motorcyle guy and his girlfriend around and eventually takes his revenge in a simple yet cruel manner. The film is amazingly shot with not much dialogue yet one does need too many words to understand Kang's emotions and feelings. Each shot is framed & lit so well that we can sit back and peacefully observe Kang's teenage angst, curiousity & even boredom.

Because I have seen The Wayward Cloud, I couldn't help read too much into a harmless scene around the 16 minute mark in Rebels... In this scene, Kang and his father buy and eat watermelon from a roadside vendor. Kang's father gives his son a few extra pieces and tells him to eat them all. 13 years later in the The Wayward Cloud Kang is still eating watermelons but this time the watermelon is used as a prop in the porn movie.

So far, I have enjoyed each Tsai Ming-liang and Lee Kang-sheng collaboration seperately but watching all them one after another will be a real treat. But I have to make that journey, one movie at a time...

From an epic to a disaster..

Colour me Kubrick (2005, Director Brian Cook): Rating 4.5/10

John Malkovich plays Alan Conway, a real life person who went around conning people into believing he was Stanley Kubrick. Conway somehow convinced plenty of people that he was the famous director and was able to get free drinks and hotel rooms paid. Along the way, he made false promises to people, crushed their fragile egos and broke their hearts. Is that all he did? Well if this film is any indication, that's all there is to the story. So this utterly boring & muddled film recycles the same con over and over after the first 10 minutes -- only the victims change along with Conway's accent. The film is too confused to decide if it wants to be a full blown farce, a character study or even a mocumentary. The music from Clockwork Orange and 2001 is thrown in for good measure but it amounts to nothing. Even at 1 hour 21 minutes, it feels too long and boring. Painful watching!!!

An Epic to top all epics...

The Mahabharata (1989, Director Peter Brook): Rating 9/10

There is no story like the The Mahabharata!! The poem’s incredible length is well know (longer than the two Greek epics The Iliad and The Odyssey combined). But it is the well known characters and immense knowledge that stands out from this epic work -- the tales of Arjun, Krishna, Draupadi, the family feud of Pandavs vs Kauravs and the message of the Bhagavad Gita are known to every Indian. But how many people outside of India know about this tale? The Greek classics and The Bible are still know around the world but works such as The Ramayana and The Mahabharata are largely ignored. Even though this story about family rivalry and the lessons about war are applicable to any culture around the world. But until this multi-nation collaboration, this work would have been restricted to India alone.

In 1988, B.R Chopra & Ravi Chopra’s tv series Mahabharat was a huge success in India. When the tv series was on, the streets were empty; you would be hard pressed to find a soul not in front of a tv. Yet this work was in Hindi and acted by Indian actors, so it was limited to Indian audiences. But Peter Brook’s approach is unique. He has assembled an international cast from a plethora of nations -- India, Japan, Italy, Senegal, Algeria, England, Germany, France, Poland, U.S, to name a few. All the actors speak in English with their original accents. As a result, this removes the work from an Indian namespace and makes it accessible to a universal audience. Brook’s has filmed Jean-Claude Carrière’s adaptation into a staggering 5 hour 25 minute film. The work covers all the major elements of the story and cleverly integrates the writer, Vyasa, into the story as well. That is similar to having Homer show up in a film adaptation of The Odyssey. The different actors enhance the film with their own accent and acting style, as a result, the film is never dull. Truly an epic viewing!!!

Himalaya (1999, Director Eric Valli): Rating 8/10

This is a visually stunning tale about traditions and the cultural way of life in the Dolpo area of Nepal. On the surface the story is about the salt trade but at the core, it is a tale about the clash of cultural ideals – old traditions vs new ideas. To film this against the difficult terrain of the majestic mountains is an immense achievement. On top of that, the film crew have managed to capture the beautiful landscape with all the sights and sounds. The story is good but the visuals are the real attraction of this film.

Brazilian Cinema

Spotlight on Brazilian Cinema, part two

Lower City (2005, Director Sérgio Machado, co-writer Karim Ainouz): Rating 7.5/10

I am fast becoming a fan of Karim Ainouz's writing style. Cinema, Aspirins and Vultures was my favourite film of 2005 and even though Behind the Sun(2001) was flawed, it had moments of rich emotion. The trailers for Lower City seemed to make clear what the film was about -- two friends are shown to fall for the same woman, plenty of raw sex and some scenes of robbery and physical violence. And true to the trailers, the film is exactly what it appears. The first sex scene arrives at the 3 minute mark of the film. At the start of the film, we see Karinna (Alice Braga) dressing up and heading downstairs to a local shop. There she asks the shop-keeper if she knows anyone who can give her a ride out of town. Two young men (Deco played by Lázaro Ramos and Naldinho played by Wagner Moura) standing in the corner tell her that they can give her a lift on their boat. While negotiating the price with her, they eye her up and down and say that she can pay the rest by you know what. She understands and a minute or so later, Naldinho is having his way with her on the boat. And right after him, Deco steps up to score. Right from the outset, Karinna is smart enough to understand that she will come in between these childhood friends and that the two will eventually kill each other over her. To her credit, she tries to get away but is always drawn towards them. Very little words are spoken in this duration and none need to be -- the pictures tell it all.

Pixote (1981, Director Hector Babenco): Rating 9/10

Half-way through watching this film, I felt it reminded me of Carandiru, the 2003 gritty Brazilian prison drama film. As it turns out, Babenco directed both these films so the similarity was understandable. In a sense, Carandiru is an extension of the work that Babenco started with Pixote. In this 1981 film, he focuses on the poor Brazilian youth of São Paulo. He shows that how sometimes these kids are grabbed by the police on the slightest pretext and housed in reformatories. All these kids are less 18 years of age and that is the key. Because if the kids are under 18, no matter what crime they commit, they won't be thrown in prison but sent to a reformatory. So certain people abuse this loop hole by getting the children to commit drug trafficking, theft and even murder.

Pixote is not an easy film to watch. It is not afraid to show the disgusting side of crime and poverty that most films often cover-up. While watching this movie, it is easy to understand how some of the kinds will land up in the jails in Carandiru. The main character of Pixote is a 10 year old boy who gradually loses his innocence as the film progresses. This film was made long before the recent Brazilian youth crime films and it predicts the horror that is shown in City of God, Bus 174 and Carandiru.

After two films, onto a book.........

Garrincha, written by Ruy Castro

Plenty of non-soccer fans have heard of Pele but how many have heard of Garrincha? Plenty of myths surround Garrincha and his ability. I often heard he was better than Pele and the limited black and white footage I saw of his goals and moves seemed to confirm that. But it was a truly eye-opening experience to read this fascinating book by Ruy Castro. Castro has done an amazing amount of research for this book and honestly, it is truly one of the best books I have read in a very long time!

The cliched phrase of "truth is sometimes stranger than fiction" seemed to apply to Garrincha. Right from his birth, he defied belief. He was born with two defective legs -- both legs were bent, one outward and the other inward. On top of that, one leg was shorter than the other (by one inch) and he even had a hip problem. Doctors didn't give him much chance to walk, let alone run. But run he did and he became one of the best dribblers the game has known. Unfortunately, that is where the romantic side of his life ends. Everything else about him is so tragic and miserable that you feel no fiction writer could make this stuff up.

-- Garrincha had a weakness for alcohol and woman. He count not resist either and while he was not drunk, he was screwing (or doing both together). In fact, sex was the only exercise he used to keep himself fit. He never went to gym and played the game however he felt it. He is believed to have fathered atleast 14 recorded children with 5 different women.
-- He was naive and simple-minded and other people took advantage of that. He was constantly under-paid by his club and later in life, he was sucked dry by a greedy lawyer who tried to steal any money that Garrincha earned.
-- Throughout his career, friends and people tried to get him back on his feet by creating jobs for him. But the lure of alcohol always was stronger.
-- A man who led Brazil to two World Cup trophies died in a manner one does not associate with such heroes. On the other hand, Pele's fame went from strength to strength. Both were heroes to the world in that 1958 World Cup but Pele went to become a global icon, while Garrincha disappeared into the dust of the earth.
-- By the end of his life, he was depending on organizations and even the Brazilian football federation on keeping him alive and paying his hospital bills.

One can argue that the pattern of Garrincha's destruction is the same followed by other people who found over-night wealth and blew it all away. But Garrincha's case is different. He didn't care for money. And when he played, he didn't want to be a hero and score the most goals. For him dribbling was his only joy. His team-mates often got mad at him for not passing the ball enough, but they didn't realize that for him playing tricks with the ball was the highest form of pleasure.

But no matter how many mistakes he made and how many affairs he had, some people were always ready to forgive him. In fact, people blamed his marriage problems on the other woman who was hated more than Garrincha. Part of the love that people had for him might be attributed to his poor background. Castro does a good job in starting the book at a point when the local natives were tortured and abused by the colonials. The start of the book feels like something out of the Brazil that Werner Herzog showed in Cobra Verde -- plantation owners who exploited the locals.

This book highlights all the cliches and myths one associates with the images of Brazil -- futbol, sex, poverty, politics, corruption, carnival. But more than the cliches, this is a engaging look at the life of a flawed man. Full credit for the wonder that this book is goes to Ruy Castro and the English translator, Andrew Downie.

Full title: Garrincha, the triumph and tragedy of Brazil's forgotten footballing hero

Brazilian Genius

Milan is a long way from São Paulo. But on a rainy Wednesday night, it was the man from São Paulo who showed his class and led the Italian team to a Champions League final in Athens against Liverpool.

For the last few years, Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite (or Kaká) has been one of the best players in the world. However, his intelligent play and clever positioning has often been dwarfed by the tricks and jigs of Ronaldinho. Ronaldinho may have finally scored his bicycle kick goal for Barcelona this year but he is clearly a shadow of his former self. Instead, Kaká has added a spark of genius into an aging Milan team badly in need of inspiration. His two goals against Manchester United last week were perfect examples of his immense talent -- the first was a precise shot placed at the end of a pacy clever run and the second was pure genius, where Kaká made a goal out of nothing. He headed, flicked and headed the ball again past a stagnant Manchester defense to score with such ease. And on Wednesday night, he scored again with a precise left shot but this time he volleyed the ball into the bottom corner of the net.

The above picture is a beautiful shot. I have no idea who took it but I found it on Soccernet's photo gallery . Kaká always looks up to the heavens after he scores a goal but the lighting in this shot makes it more special. Because it appears this time that the heavenly light seems to be shining back down on him. Poetic!

French Film Festival

I finally made the trip out to the second oldest movie theatre in Alberta for the annual Cinemagine film festival. I was only able to attend one of the three days and catch only 3 of the total 8 films shown. Of the remaining 5 films that I missed, I had only seen the charming Congorama. This beautiful 1912 theatre was a perfect venue to enjoy three films on a beautiful Sunday and was worth a 3 hour drive (round trip).

Je vous trouve très beau (2005, France, Director Isabelle Mergault):

It was a good thing that I read the story beforehand because as it turned out this French film had no English subtitles even though it was advertised as having them. Apparently, there are no prints in Canada with English subtitles. Still, besides missing some of jokes, I managed to get the essence of the story. An aging farmer finds himself to be more lonely after his wife dies in a bizarre accident. In order to find a companion, Aymé tries to get help from a marriage agency. The marriage agency specializes in Romanian brides and the colorful agent drags Aymé to Romania. He manages to pick out the simple beauty Elena because of her honesty. All the other girls kept telling him that he was very beautiful and were more keen to head for the wild Parisian life (for them France was all about Paris and Moulin Rouge).

It is a cute romantic comedy about how these two different people find comfort with each other. Since I didn’t get most of the dialogues, I focused more on the actor’s expressions. Both the leads acted perfectly and their precise expressions carried the movie. Well worth watching and after a while, I forgot I could not understand the language.

Ma fille, mon ange (2007, Canada, Director Alexis Durand-Brault): Rating 9/10

A very interesting film that ended up being the best watch of the day. The film starts off in flashback from a murder scene leading up to the crime itself. We get the story from the perspective of the two people in question – the father and daughter. The father likes to visit porn sites and on a particular visit, he is shocked to see a video of his 19 year old daughter on the site. His daughter is not doing anything in the video clip but she announces that her premier action video will be shown live in a few days time. Confused and distraught, the father heads to Montreal to bring his sweet daughter home.

Now, the murder mystery is slowly unfolded and we are given enough clues as to guess what really transpired. But what makes the film so powerful is the story of the daughter landing into the porn business. The film shows how sometimes even smart girls can fall into a trap and be seduced by money and power. There are some moments of dry humour as the story also shows how the online porn business is more sophisticated than people think and in some cases, it manages to exploit legal loop holes.

Guide de la petite vengeance (2006, Canada, Director Jean-François Pouliot): Rating 8.5/10

On first glance this appeared to be another film about a disgruntled employee taking revenge on his evil boss, a la Swimming with the Sharks. But this film is an unexpected pleasure. Bernard’s life is falling apart because of his cruel manipulative boss, Mr. Vendôme. One day, he comes across Robert, an ex-employee who was driven insane by Vendôme as well. As it turns out, Bernard took over Robert’s job. Robert helps Bernard see the light and urges him to take revenge. Together, the two plot a perfect crime. But there are plenty of surprises that Bernard had not taken into account, especially Robert’s real identity.

This is a fun filled film which is a real treat to watch. The biggest surprise that this film threw is something not related to the movie itself. As the last twist in the final scene was about to be shown, the film caught fire and one could see the reel being burned on screen. I had never seen a film catch on fire in a theatre before and because I had seen the Grindhouse a few days ago, I was able to recognize the symptoms. So I have to admit that some use came out of seeing Rodriguez’s Planet Terror after all. To quote a line from that film: "At some point in your life, you find a use for every useless talent you have." Well I have to say that all those useless talents from Planet Terror certainly made me understand the events of a Québécois film in a 1912 theatre in a historic old town!

Royale with cheese @ the Grindhouse

Planet Terror (2007, Director Robert Rodriguez): Rating 6/10

The trailers tantalize with the images of Rose McGowan and her machine gun leg. However, there is almost 80 minutes of film before the prized shot of Rose McGowan’s CGI leg acting as both a rocket-launcher and machine gun. Rodriguez has some fresh ideas here – machine gun leg, bio-chemical addicts, soldiers exposed to chemical radiations in the battle field of Afghanistan. Also, the missing reel was a funny element in the film, especially since it hid the legend of El Ray. But overall, this feature is more along the lines of disasters that Spy Kids 3-D and Once Upon a Time in Mexico were. Yawn. Was there no one else who could have been picked for this film other than Rose McGowan? She had an important role in this feature but she was the worst actor by far.

The Trailers

Almost all the trailers are funny and worth watching. All the directors seem to get the essence of the Grindhouse as trailers for their non-existent films are packed with gore and clichés.

Death Proof (2007, Director Quentin Tarantino): Rating 9/10

This is vintage Tarantino, which means plenty of clever and over-smart blah blah in the film. All the clever dialogues in Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction seemed fresh. But after the extended mundane dialogue near the end of Kill Bill 2 I seemed to tire of the over-smartness. Yes, Mr. Tarantino you love movies. I get it! Yes you want to flaunt your love for old movies and get your characters to go on and on about some scenes from such films. Anyway, this feature is far more superior to the first one. The acting spotlight is stolen by kiwi stuntwoman Zoe Bell. In every scene, Zoe exudes energy and is constantly in character even when the camera is not directly on her. Tarantino also revisits a scene from the movie that made him famous -- Reservoir Dogs. The diner conversation with the 4 women and the camera angle was right out of the opening shots of that 1992 film which gave him fame.

Overall: The missing reel element in both films was a neat idea. However, the reel being on fire and faked film scratches feel like forced elements. I think if this film was to be improved then maybe Rodriguez’s effort should be reduced to a 20-25 min short film, all the fake trailers should be kept and Tarantino’s effort might need 5 minutes trimmed off it.

Brazilian Cinema

Spotlight on Brazilian Cinema, part 1

Ah Brazil. Copacabana beach, Sun, Sand, Futbol, Samba, Carnivale, Dance, Music, Sugar Loaf mountain. Just some of the exotic symbols of Brazil that come to mind.


eTravelPhotos.com

However, in recent years (thanks to films and documentaries) other images of Brazil have been given attention -- favelas and the poverty. There are now even organized tours which give photo happy tourists a glimpse of life on the other side of society. And in the last few years, Brazil's government & economic quirks have ensured international economists and journalists keep Brazil in mind when churning out articles. But no matter what negative image is painted on Brazil, its futbol continues to excite and thrill. As an added bonus, in recent years its cinema has also produced some vintage displays of color, energy, emotion and plenty of passion. So in order to explore some Brazilian symbols, cliches and truths, I decided to shed a spotlight on Brazilian cinema with 5 works. Here is part one:

Chronically Unfeasible (2000, Director Sergio Bianchi): Rating 7.5/10

I could not have picked a better start to examining Brazilian life than this docu-drama by Sergio Bianchi. Bianchi examines the common problems that plague Brazil, such as poverty, attitudes of the rich, immigration, class differences and crime. This is neither a documentary nor a scripted film. Instead, we get to see staged version of the truth. As Bianchi points out, if he showed us the truth, then some viewers might find the images too offensive or others might take it as fiction. So Bianchi finds a middle ground -- he shows us some footage of 'real' events in various regions of Brazil and then goes on to shoot some staged scenes which highlight everyday problems that occur in that area. The result is a humorous meditation on human behaviour.

The film starts out in a restaurant where four rich people are busy blaming the problem of the country on the poor while having their expensive wine. Subsequent scenes show the professions of these four people and their behaviour with the common folk. A few other characters are added along the way to enhance the class differences between the rich and the poor. Besides class differences, regional hatred is displayed -- the North Easterners think the Southerners are to blame, the Southerners blame the North and so on. Bianchi shows that in some parts of Brazil, people are kept poor and given just enough music to be happy. While in another region, the rich unhappily live in Suburbs built on top of land tainted with blood of the natives.

A constant debate throughout the film is also regarding the merit of working. Some believe that work is necessary for man while others claim that man is being oppressed everytime he works. In a hilarious sequence, a labour union head oppresses and enslaves his people while asking them to conduct demonstrations against the oppression these people face from their employers. Overall, a very good place to start a spotlight on Brazil. Plenty of discussion points in this film.

Black Orpheus (1959, Director Marcel Camus): Rating 8/10

The energy, rhythm and joy of the Carnivale takes center stage in this re-telling of the classic love story between Orpheus and Eurydice. Right from the opening scenes, we are thrown into a pulsating & energetic Rio. The chaos of the festival is a backdrop to the tragic love story where death is always lurking for Eurydice around the corner. This is certainly an imaginative recreation of Orpheus's love for Eurydice and is completely different from Jean Cocteau's sublime 1950 film Orphée.

Hot Spoof

Hot Fuzz (2007, Director Edgar Wright): Rating 9/10

This spoof on adrenaline movies ends up being an adrenaline rush itself. Just pure fun! Hot Fuzz wisely incorporates concepts & scenes from multiple Hollywood flicks into a humorous story about crime in a small town British village. Overall, the concept of crime & small town cops reminded me of the hilarious Swedish film Kopps but Hot Fuzz is a different film. Kopps was a comedy where small town policemen commit crime in order to save their jobs. While Hot Fuzz is a spoof and the crime committed in the film is just another borrowed element beautifully woven into the story. On one hand, one can enjoy this movie by itself. On the other hand, it is also enjoyable to watch the jabs taken at other movies. For example, camera angles and action scenes from Bad Boys and a dramatic music beat from the The Matrix. The acting is spot-on with delightful cameos by Steve Coogan, Stephen Merchant & Bill Nighy. Time well spent!!

French vs German cinema, 2nd leg

A few weeks ago (March 25), my 1st leg of French vs German cinema featured 3 German films and 2 French ones. So it was appropriate that the return leg would have 3 French films and 2 German titles. Only one director was common over the two legs -- Werner Herzog. And like last time around, his movie was another volatile combination with Klaus Kinski.

Cobra Verde (1987, Director Werner Herzog): Rating 10/10

I knew nothing about Klaus Kinski and Herzog's collaborations until I saw the wonderful Aguirre. On the DVD commentary for that film, Herzog indicated the difficulty & challenges he had directing Kinski. The setting for that 1972 film was the Amazon and it was interesting to watch Kinski turn into a savage. So when I heard that Herzog put Kinski in the middle of Africa, well that sounded too good to pass up. And as it turns out, I got a bonus treat -- in Cobra Verde before Kinski lands up on the Western African coast, he starts out in hot and exotic Brazil.

No other person could have played the role of the bandit Cobra Verde as Kinski does. I am not sure that Kinski is playing the role -- he might be acting out his inner demons. The raw anger and emotions that he displays really make this film a riveting watch. Even though this is not a perfect film, it is a visual treat. The film starts out in Brazil when the slave trade was in full swing. Kinski plays a bandit who is feared by the locals. In fact, he may be the only white man that makes the locals stop in their tracks. Tired of his wild behaviour, the men in power hatch a plan to eliminate him -- they decide to send him to Africa to get some slaves. The rich business men have heard a rumour that no white man has survived the Benin king's wrath. So they decide to send Verde to his doom. But as expected, not only does Verde survive, he gains the king's trust and is elevated to power after the king is disposed in a bloodless coup.

There is a lot of sadness and muted anger simmering beneath the surface of Verde and this film. Both emotions are also evoked in the audience by the objective display of the slave trade. Only at the end of the movie do we see Verde give his opinion on human slavery. But until that point, we get to see the cruelty humans inflicted on others. Like in Aguirre, there are plenty of improvised scenes. The Benin and Ghanian locals acted out their customs and rituals while Herzog and his camera-man Viktor Ruzicka captured them. Even though the film is not strong on narrative, its real strength lies with its visual images of Brazil, Africa and Kinski. The last scene where Verde is trying with all his power to pull the boat out to sea is another one of those magical moments that Herzog seems to capture -- Verde is powerless and his inability to move the boat even one inch puts his life and situation in perspective.

I really wish that a movie could have been made which had featured Cobra Verde face to face with Brando's Kurtz!

Betty Blue (1986, Director Jean-Jacques Beineix): Rating 8.5/10

Sometimes we cross the same streets everyday and brush past the same people. Yet, we don't stop to give a second thought to some of those people. Movies can suffer the same fate sometimes. I walked by the DVD of Betty Blue on numerous occasions but never thought of picking it up. A recent recommendation made me give this film a go and I am fortunate for that. I truly relished being lost in the world of Betty and Zorg for almost 3 hours.

The film starts out with a raw sex scene but the scenes after that are very un-French -- cowboy hat, pick-up truck, beach-houses and brightly lit surroundings. In fact, the bright lighting threw me off the most. Most French films are often shot in Parisian suburbs where the bright light is often blocked. But not in this one this one. Even after the film moves to Paris (around the 40th minute mark), the couple settle in a detached house as opposed to an apartment. Another un-French like move. In fact, the film can be described as having shades of Verhoeven's Turkish Delight with an American cinematic beating heart at its core.

Betty wants to be a free soul and is frustrated with the restrictions around her. She is on the verge of giving up on Zorg when she stumbles onto his diaries. She reads through all of them and is convinced that Zorg is a great writer. She makes it her goal to get him published. But when that does not happen, she is crushed. After that, any happiness that comes Betty's way gets taken away. Or so she thinks. She is a restless person and lives on the edge of misery and ecstacy. Zorg is very patient with her and tries his best to take care of her needs. It is clear that the film is heading towards a sad ending and we are given some clues to Betty's irrational behaviour. At 3 hours, the movie is about 40 minutes too long but I still found it a rewarding watch.

My life to Live (1962, Director Jean-Luc Godard): Rating 9/10

In 12 chapters, we see Nana's life dreams slowly dissolve. She came to Paris to become an actresses but eventually finds herself earning money as a prostitute. The strongest aspect of this film is its cinematography. Godard knows exactly what he wants to show and where the camera should be. Examples:
-- When we first meet Nana in a cafe, we don't see her face. Instead, the camera shows the back of her head. Eventually, the mirror at the left hand side of the cafe shows us her face. We can see both her face and the back of her head, along with the dangling cigarette in her hand. Simple yet effective shot.
-- The scenes where Nana becomes a prostitute are shot uniquely. We don't see any sex shots but instead we see the mechanics of the business. The camera focuses on the money changing hands, a man's hand placed on Nana's bare shoulder and the cold emotionless embraces that Nana has to make.
-- The best segment in the film has to be when Nana is dancing in the pool hall. As she dances around the bar, the camera freely follows her. We see a happy side of Nana but also, we can see how she is trying to entice a man. The camera work here is pure pleasure.
Quite a film!!!

The Disenchanted (1990, Director Benoît Jacquot): Rating 7.5/10

This film makes a perfect double with the above Godard movie. Like My Life to Live, we see a female life in flux. This time however, it is a 17 year old girl, Beth. Beth wants to be free (a la Betty Blue) but she is pulled in different directions by the people in her life -- boys and men want her; Beth's mom wants her daughter to follow in her footsteps and become a prostitute. Beth's mom is ill and can't satisfy her sugar daddy. So Beth has to take her mom's place to ensure the family continues to get a pay cheque. But unlike in Betty Blue and Nana in My Life to Live, Beth does run away to freedom. At 75 minutes running time, this is a concise work.

Destiny (1921, Director Fritz Lang): Rating 7.5/10

Even though this film was shot and made in 1921, it is still an entertaining watch. We can see how experimentation with lighting and editing produce some fascinating effects such as showing ghosts, people walking through walls, a flying carpet and some other magical feats. The story features how a woman who wants to rescue her fiancee from the clutches of Death. Death is shown to be a compassionate understanding man who makes gives the woman four chances to save her love. In the first three chances, she has to save the life of one person from three different parts of the world -- Turkey, Austria and China. Each story has its pros and cons (and stereotypes, it is 1921 after all). Quite entertaining for the most part. It is amazing that moving images with some title cards can still make for absorbing cinema whereas special effects and plenty of dialogue make for annoying noise!

Volver & Catch a Fire

Volver (2006, Director Pedro Almodóvar): Rating 9/10

I have to admit that I have enjoyed all the Almodóvar films I have seen so far. That is seven movies in total -- Bad Education, Talk to Her, All About My Mother, Live Flesh, Tie me Up! Tie me Down?, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown and Matador. And now, I can easily add Volver to that list as well. Put simply, Volver is vintage cinema!

All Almodóvar films have interesting stories, vibrant characters and rich dialogue. The dialogues in his movies are so well tuned that you forget you are watching actors speak lines; the words spoken are natural and don't feel contrived. Ofcourse, in most of his movies, the city is also an essential ingredient -- the characters words and actions are reflective of their environment. A city's heat induces passion (Matador) and in the case of Volver, it is the town's east winds that inspire madness. The cinematography & background score are also top-notch in Volver. The camera draws our attention to only relevant details, be it a dirty sink, empty beer can or even Penélope's cleavage. Every shot has a purpose to it. The background score is a throwback to the days of Alfred Hitchcock -- the music warns us of mystery and danger. The acting is sublime; every expression is spot on. Penélope's additional weight for the role only adds to the realism of her character and she shines in every frame.

Usually, women play a central role in Pedro's films, be it as an affectionate mother, a loyal lover, a femme fatale or an object of desire. But Volver is all about women; there are no men around. Three generations of women are shown and interestingly all their lives are linked by a cyclic chain of events. The consequences of a crime committed in the first generation leads to action & eventual resolution in the third generation. The women shown here are strong and independent to handle anything that comes their way. In the movie, both the oldest woman and youngest girl have the mental & physical strength to either take revenge or defend themselves. The men in the women's lives are un-trustful, abusive and cheating scum. As a result, the women are left to work multiple jobs and do all chores. With time, the women learned to trust each other more and do without men. Ofcourse, sometimes the women have to interact with men for day to day business needs. But they have no problems as long as they keep the men at a distance. And in this movie's case, it is a good thing that the men don't get too close to the women. Otherwise, the engaging drama that is powered by these wonderful female actors would have lost its gloss a little bit.

Catch a Fire (2006, Director Phillip Noyce): 7/10

How does a revolution start? The oppressor either humiliates the occupied or the occupiers presence is a constant insult to a nation's natives. Then a local group attacks a symbol of the occupiers. The occupiers strike back harder. And in their quest for revenge, the occupiers torture a few innocent people. Some of these innocent people can't stand the humiliation and stray over to the other side and start a revolution. Cycle of violence continues, the flames of revolution are lit! Freedom fighters or terrorists? Various films have tackled such similar revolutionary struggles -- The Wind that Shakes that Barley (Irish vs British), The Battle of Algiers (Algerian vs French), Bhagat Singh (Indian vs British), El Violin (Mexican farmers vs Army). Catch the Fire shows the true story of a South African's fight (Patrick Chamusso) in the apartheid era of the 1980's.
While the movie has a good heart, it does not catch fire like its title. Even though there are some beautiful moments (likes the scenes depicting the songs of revolution), the movie feels like a static snapshot of few critical episodes from Patrick's lives. There is no flow from scene to scene and no energy in the movie whatsoever. A worthy watch but it had the potential to be a whole lot more.

Note: It was a nice touch to show the real Patrick at the end of the film. Watching him talk of his emotions lend some perspective & realism to the film.

Stuck in the Commercial Zone

Strange week really. I have not watched any real cinema but have simply numbed the mind with a few Bollywood movies. Amazingly, I didn't dislike all the flicks as much as I had anticipated and even managed to find some positives in all the features.

Namastey London (2007, Director Vipul Amrutlal Shah): Rating 6/10

The highlight of the film has to be gorgeous cinematography of the Indian locales & the scenes involving the search for an Indian husband -- Mr. Singh (Rishi Kapoor) tries to find a suitable Indian husband for her Brit-Indian daughter, Jasmeet or Jazz (Katrina Kaif). So in that quest, they go from city to city meeting the most eccentric Indian males. But the strange character found in Delhi has to be the best -- since the boy watches Indian soap operas, he repeats everything three times just like they do in any Indian soap. Funniest moment of the film!

The movie does contain moments of true pleasure but overall the story is still recycled material of Indian vs second generation Western cultural identity issues -- the story's origin can be traced to a variety of older Bollywood films such as Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995) and Pardes (1997). Frustratingly, the aspect of good Indian values is repeated over and over in Namastey London just like in other jingoistic Bollywood films of the past decade. On a positive side, Katrina is a breath of fresh air throughout the film. Also, the opening credits contain some tender shots of a London and some of its multi-cultural inhabitants.

Just Married (2007, Director Meghna Gulzar): Rating 6/10

The movie tackles the complicated issues of marriage & relationships. After their hastily arranged marriage, Abhay (Fardeen Khan) & Ritika (Esha Deol) head off to Ooty for their honeymoon. Still strangers to each other, Abhay and Ritika encounter other couples in different stages of their relationship. No matter how happy or unhappy the various couples are, they each offer a glimpse into the various relationships that exist (unmarried lovers, childhood friends, love marriage, etc). Overall, a mature handling of some issues regarding marriages, but the inclusion of too many needless songs and a contrived ending ruins the movie's flow.

Salaam-E-Ishq(2007, Director Nikhil Advani): Rating 5.5/10

Six love stories! 3 hour 26 min running time! I miss the good old days when Bollywood tackled only one love story or a love triangle. Even though Aditya Chopra released his torturous 4 love story Mohabbatein in 2000, the concept of multiple love stories didn't catch on in Bollywood. Until now that is. In the last few months, a handful of films have tackled multiple marriages or love stories. The sad truth is that Bollywood directors can't handle one love story, so 6 relationships is too much for them.

Each of the love stories in Salaam-E-Ishq have their interesting moments but the problem is that the movie is too long to be engaging. Some scenes display a mature understanding of relationships (the scene where Priyanka Chopra and Anil Kapoor's characters discuss spousal infidelity) but the rest of the movie is dripping with emotional melodrama. The music & songs are very good but most of the videos are poorly choreographed and in some cases, the wrong song is chosen for the occasion (the bachelor party at the start of the movie called for a more upbeat number rather than a cheap imitation of Kajra re). The movie borrows scenes & techniques freely from various Bollywood, Hollywood and Asian films. And in the case of Akshay Khanna, his character has shades of his Dil Chahta Hai character (especially in some of the dialogue delivery).

Nishabd (2007, Director Ram Gopal Varma): Rating 7/10

Vijay (Amitabh) is a 60 year old man who falls for his daughter's 18 year friend, Jiah (Jiah Khan). The aspect of an older man falling for a young girl brings Lolita to mind but the film has nothing to do with that. The acting is good and the visuals are well framed and beautifully shot. The background score is perfectly tuned to capture all the tense emotions that are taking place. But the film still feels like a compromise. Vijay is shown totally intoxicated with Jiah and is clearly under her spell. Yet, at different points, he offers explanations for his feelings, as if to justify himself to the audience. But when it comes to gangster films, Ram Gopal Varma does not ever water down his characters or show any remorse. Still not as bad as I had expected but not as bold as some people are calling the film.

Stock Market and the Bedroom

Of the two viewings this week, the indie Indian film was certainly a refreshing experience whereas watching the Bollywood movie was painful.

Gafla (2006, Director Sameer Hanchate): Rating a very subjective 8/10

An unheard of film yet just pleasing to watch. Even though this movie about the stock markets lacks the intensity of Wall Street or Boiler Room, it is a worthy watch. The story is tailored around the real life of Harshad Mehta, an ordinary man who rose from poverty to become a driving power behind the Indian stock market. Yet, his decline was as swift as his rise and he was jailed in a large financial scam and eventually died in jail. Circumstances surrounding his imprisonment and even his death were sketchy and seemed straight out of a Ram Gopal Varma film.

In the film, Subodh Mehta (Vinod Sharawat) plays an everyday man is willing to do anything to become rich; he does not want to take baby steps to achieve success but instead dreams of jumping past everyone to the top. Subodh is given a crash course on the workings of the stock market by Hari (Brijendra Kala in a delightful role) and quickly learns the ropes. He is willing to take risks and plans on some clever strategies to reap profits. His new ways draw plenty of fans but even create a few enemies. In the final scenes of his decline, he echoes the same sentiments shown in the recent Mani Ratnam film, Guru, where the main character also complained about the system trying to hold people back. Both Guru and Gafla try to show that sometimes outdated rules have to be broken for individuals and nations to progress. Ethically, these ideas may seem murky but they do contain some truth in that financial models have to be re-evaluated as international economies grow.

Despite the low budget (example: the stock market floor clearly looks like a set), the visuals are sharp and well shot. The opening scenes of Mumbai are breath-taking and some of the best ever shown in recent Indian films. Acting wise, the best performance is by Vikram Gokhale who plays a seasoned stock market pro with enough experience to know when to switch sides. The characters of Subodh, his love interest Vidya (played by Shruti Ulfat) and Hari play their parts well. There are some subtle references in the films that I didn't catch at first. Subodh's love interest is called Vidya which means knowledge. The other woman who enters his life is called Maya (Illusion). The names clearly indicate the two separate paths before him and even foreshadow Subodh's fate. Just like Black Friday, I enjoyed this Independent Indian effort and I am glad that it was made. Even though the movie is not perfect, it is still better cinema than some of the mindless commercial movies that are made.

Red: The Dark Side (2007, Director Vikram Bhatt): 5.5/10

Neel (Aaftab Shivdasani) has a hole in his heart and is facing death. Luckily, his life is saved after the hospital finds a heart donor. Despite all the hospital disclosure rules, Neel is keen to learn about the man whose heart saved his life and seeks out the donor's wife. Safe to say, Neel falls for the widow and is happy to jump into bed with her. After that point, a murder conspiracy mystery is crafted yet right from the outset, it is obvious what is happening.

Some of the night scenes are shot well using only street light. But a few good visuals can't salvage this mess of a film. Yet another disaster from Vikram Bhatt. Celina Jaitley still can't act and the rest of the cast are mere props. Yawn.

A glimpse into Iranian Cinema

There was a very interesting article by Doug Saunders in the weekend edition of The Globe and Mail about censorship and Iranian cinema. It seems the censors have been increasing in what can be eliminated from the movies. In the past I have read about Iranian movies being banned and even certain scenes being left on the editing floor, but in the article Doug Saunders outlines the procedures to get films made in Iran --

Step One: The government must first approve the script.
Step Two: The government then provides shooting approvals, lighting and equipment.
Step Three: After the film has been made, "the government can edit, alter or ban the film, and controls the time and quantity of its exhibition."

Doug interviews three film-makers and their different approaches to handling the censors.

1) Bahman Ghobadi -- The award-winning director of the wonderful Turtles Can Fly and A Time for Drunken Horses is debating leaving Iran for good because of the censors. Ghobadi's new film, Half Moon, is about female musicians but he had to "remove every scene of women making music, or even appearing in the same room room as any music". Despite all the concessions he made, the government informed him that his movie would never be shown because they felt "that it contained messages of Kurdish independence." Going by his previous films, that accusation seems highly unlikely. But what might be possible is that the movie contains Kurdish characters just like in his previous films and ofcourse, the fact that Ghobadi is a Kurd himself might have sealed this decision.

In the end, the censors were preventing him to work freely. Also, the fear of the ministry was causing Ghobadi to censor his work in advance while writing and editing his films. Currently, Ghobadi has decided that he can't work in such an environment and will finally leave Iran for Toronto.

2) Rakshan Bani-Etemad -- Rakshan's example is extraordinary. She has been able to make films on controversial topics such as Iranian bureaucracy (Off Limits), the wasteful nature of the Iraq-Iran war (Gilaneh), a passionate love triangle (Nargess) and heroin addiction in Iranian society (Khoon Bazi). But all her films have been distributed and shown in Iran. Rakshan approach is that she works with the censors and "willingly gives up scenes of images, or even sometimes entire film ideas, in order to get the important things across". She does admit that she is not happy with the system but for her, it is very "important that Iranians see her movies that she is willing to sacrifice almost anything within them". Rakshan does feel that is she being "pushed to her limit" regarding what she can or can't say, but for now, she is staying put.

3) Jafar Panahi -- Jafar's films are a treat but they also get the full brunt of the censors. He refuses to submit to the censors and a result, gets his movies banned. But film festival, critics and cine fans around the world have bestowed awards and praise on his sublime features -- The Circle, Crimson Gold and Offside. For him the challenge is to stay in Iran and continue to make films without giving up even a scene. In 2003, he was arrested by the Information ministry and interrogated for four hours. He was asked why he doesn't leave Iran since most of his audience lies outside the country? But that would be playing into the government's hands as per Panahi: "The government is encouraging people in all kinds of cultural and political activities to move outside of Iran. I can't let them win this way."

So for now, Panahi faces a tough and lonely battle. What hurts him the most is that people in Iran can't see his movies and as it stands, he is left "without an audience in his own language".

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Despite all these restrictions, I have always found watching Iranian films a rewarding experience. All their films are alive and vibrant -- they have something to say and are not pointless entertainment. The characters are so real that any of them could easily step out of the silver screen and assume an honest living in Tehran or other Iranian cities. Inspired partly by the article, I decided to find some Iranian films to watch. In the end, the three random picks ended up being a great choice, especially the Panahi & Abbas Kiarostami film.

Crimson Gold (2003, Director Jafar Panahi, Writer Abbas Kiarostami): Rating 10/10

Vintage cinema! Film-making of the highest order. A simple story yet so beautifully done; it also manages to convey messages of certain universal society class differences.

There was a scene in the film Is Raat Ki Subah Nahin (1996, India, Director Sudhir Mishra) that has stayed with me for over a decade. A couple of street gangsters break into a middle class apartment during a party and hold the people hostage. While they are killing time, one of the men waves his gun around and tells his accomplices that no matter how much power they get or how much money they make, they won't ever get respect like the people in the apartment. Those words are quite true and an unfortunate reality about societies all around the world, even North America -- people are quickly judged by their profession or their clothes. And even if certain people try dress the part, they won't ever get the respect they deserve because of preconceived notions. And this feeling of class difference is at the heart of Crimson Gold.

Ali and Hussein are average men who go about making an honest living by working as pizza delivery men. When Ali finds an expensive purse, he comes across a receipt for an Italian necklace which cost 75 million Tomans. The two are shocked that someone could spend so much on a necklace. So they decide to visit the jewelery store and look at what such an expensive necklace looks like. But the jeweler refuses to let the two in because of how they are dressed. So a few days later, Hussein dresses smartly and returns to the store with his fiancee and Ali. But even then, the same jeweler manages to find a way to get the message across that this store is not for people like them. This insult eats at Hussein and results in him going over the edge.

Besides this class difference, other interesting aspects of Iranian society are shown:

-- the police are keen to arrest young people coming from a party where the men and women have been drinking. Such parties are deemed illegal.
-- there are some references to a time when women didn't have to cover up in Iran.
-- attitude difference of Iranians who live abroad and return to Iran are shown.
-- the poverty and rich life is shown.

Unlike the characters in Is Raat Ki Subah Nahin , Hussein gets to taste the rich life for one amazing night.

Under the Moonlight (2001, Director Seyyed Reza Mir-Karimi): Rating 7.5/10

This is a touching film that looks at people living on the fringes of society -- unemployed people who are forced to live under bridges or seek shelter by the roadside. Sayyed is studying to become a cleric. Yet he is only doing this to please his parents wishes. He does not exhibit the behaviour of a devout religious person. For example:

1) he continues to read sport magazines even though such an act is frowned up by the elder clerics.
2) Sayyed is not comfortable with the idea of wearing a turban which is a requirement.

But he continues to quietly go through the motions. For the final part of his graduation, he needs to go buy the proper attire. He makes a trip to the city center to buy his robe, shoes & other materials required to perform the final rites as a cleric. On the train ride back, a young boy steals the bag containing these items. Sayyed sees this as a sign from God that maybe he was not meant to be a cleric. He is curious to find the boy and learn to see what caused the boy to commit the theft.

From there on, Sayyed becomes a spectator himself and watches the harsh life of a few street people who society has forgotten. He brings food for these people and even spends a night under the bridge with them. He is clearly effected by these people's plight and his confusion between the need to pursue religion vs serving these people only increases. In the end, another sign helps him make the right decision.

Smell of Camphor, Fragrance of Jasmine (2000, Director Bahman Farmanara): Rating 8/10

Death in all forms hangs over every frame in this film. This means physical death, mental death, and even perceived death that comes when society makes living so hard for its citizens that they are like the living dead. Bahman is shown to be a film-maker who has not made a film for over two decades since he was banned by the Iranian government. For Bahman it is essential to not live a futile life and making films is a big part to ensure that does not happen. In that regard, he is happy to make a comeback with a documentary about funeral rites in Iran. In following Bahman,Smell of Camphor... is broken up into 3 acts --

Act One: "Bad Day" -- His son's phone call in the morning is the best thing to happen to Bahman all day long. After he leaves the house, death follows him around everywhere -- he sees his dead wife, he gives a ride to a woman whose one day baby was born dead, and the thought of his dead friends stays with him. When he goes to visit his wife's grave, he finds that someone else has been buried in the plot next to her grave -- he had reserved the plot next to his wife for himself.

Act Two: "Funeral Arrangements" -- This is where Bahman tries to get props and hire his friends to play actors. Scenes of typical funeral rituals are shown. Also, Bahman visits his mother who suffers from Alzhemier's and can't recognize him. Bahman considers his mother's equivalent to death itself.

Act Three: "Throw a stone in the water" -- This is where Bahman confronts his fears of death. The death circus that surrounds him & his confusion regarding whether to make the movie or not, has shades of a Fellini film.

Overall, despite the depressing topic, elements of dark humour, surreal dreams and self-mockery made this a refreshing viewing.

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Update, Oct 2011:

All the quotes are taken from the March 31, 2007 article which is now available online via Doug Saunders' website. Also, given the recent injustice against Panahi, Saunders' interview is even more relevant.

Also, the following line that I typed back in 2007 is now sadly even more true.

So for now, Panahi faces a tough and lonely battle.