Out of Africa (1985)

I had read the book before seeing this movie, so the story held a certain curiousity for me. Otherwise, I probably would not have enjoyed the film. It's way too long & a bit sappy.

The book was also very long, but not nearly as sappy. The book mentions Denys as a friend who stops by the farm every now & then, whereas the movie portrays him as Karin's love interest. Either way, it was interesting to see the scenes from Kenya, which is on my list of places to visit. & Meryl Streep was absolutely beautiful!

Out of Africa on IMDb

Phoenix Film Festival

I saw nine films at the Phoenix Film Festival last week. Boy, does my butt hurt!

The Way We Get By (USA)
Documentary. A group of volunteers in Bangor, Maine greet the troops arriving home from Iraq. The film follows the personal lives of the volunteers as they give their time & energy to a greater cause. This one was a tear jerker.

Four of a Kind (Australia)
Drama. Four lives are connected to a murder, but how? Interesting, intricate plot line. A commentary on lies & the truth. I'm still thinking about it days later.

Calling It Quits (USA)
Drama. A man who has worked at an ad agency for the last 30 years decides to retire early & go on a personal journey. Well done. Not too woo-woo spiritual, but still makes a statement about what's important in life.

Lightbulb (USA)
Drama. Based on a true story. An inventor with lots of bad ideas & a gambling problem finally invents a talking beer bottle opener & all is well. The plot was predicatable - they wouldn't have made a movie if he had failed completely. But it was still interesting, & I always like to see a movie filmed in Arizona.

My Apocalypse (USA)
Drama. An acid trip down dysfunctional lane. This movie was more of an art piece than a story. Crazy lighting, colors, effects. Local Arizona film maker.

Ocean (Cuba)
Drama. A young man leaves his small fishing village for Havana after being dumped by his girlfriend. He meets an interesting cast of characters as he tries to grow up. The story line was common, & the editing was confusing, but it was interesting to see the scenes of real Cuban life mixed in with the plot. The opening & closing credits were in Russian, so we couldn't tell who did what.

Promeny (Czech Republic)
Drama. A young single mother is overwhelmed by her inability to care for her children while a rich couple laments their inability to conceive. A common story presented out of chronological order, which probably made the movie more interesting than it would have been otherwise.

Corpse Run (USA)
Drama. A group of 20 somethings discuss the Y Generation as they play online video games. A great commentary on life with lots of funny cultural references, including a nod to the movie Office Space.

Official Rejection (USA)
Documentary. A chronicle of the life of a movie as it makes its way around the film festival circuit. An interesting documentary with a sense of humor. It was great to see what goes on behind the scenes at film festivals.

Coraline (2008)

A little girl finds a door to an alternative life, with a mother that cooks great food & a father that's all fun. In the "other" life, everyone has buttons for eyes, which seems strange, but Coraline is willing to accept it. But things start to get scary when the "other" mother asks Coraline to sew on her own button eyes in order to stay in the alternative life forever.

I saw this movie in 3-D, & good thing, because the story itself was not that great. I've seen other kids films that I like, including Kung Fu Panda, but I couldn't relate to this one.

The 3-D technology was awesome - so much better than those movies we used to watch on TV when I was a kid. The 3-D glasses were even sturdy plastic instead of the cheap-o paper ones we got back then. & the stop-motion animation was cool to watch too.

Henry Selick directed, who also directed The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Coraline on IMDb

El Bulto (Mexico, 1992)

A reactionary man is hit in the head at a 1971 protest in Mexico City & sent into a coma that lasts 20 years. His children were babies in 1971, but when he wakes up they are adults with lives of their own. In his mind, he is a 20-something man living in a 40-something body. The movie follows his adjustment to life 20 years into the "future" as well as the reactions of his friends & family.

Well done.

El Bulto on IMDb

Hot Fuzz (UK, 2007)

From the makers of Shaun of the Dead, an over-the-top excellent London cop gets tranferred to a lazy country town, where mysterious accidents keep happening.

This one was lots of fun!

Fun Fact: Cate Blanchett plays Janine, Nicholas Angel's ex-girlfriend. Her face is covered by a mask the whole time she's on screen.

Hot Fuzz on IMDb

Stranger Than Fiction (2006)

An amazingly boring IRS tax man starts hearing a voice that is narrating his life. His friends & coworkers think he needs a vacation. When the narrator mentions that he would soon die, he decides to find the author of his story to ask her to change the ending.

The idea was interesting, but I didn't feel that this movie carried it off very well. The love interest was unconvincing, the sets stark & devoid of personality, Queen Latifah's character seemed puposeless. Even though the film has a great cast of actors, the story fell flat.

Stranger Than Fiction on IMDb

The Prestige (2006)

Two magicians vye for the top spot in the public's eye with disastrous results.

Rarely do I watch a movie twice, & then only after several years between viewings. I watched this movie twice in one week, & still want to see it again.

The Prestige on IMDb

Watchmen (2009)

It looks like someone is trying to kill off all of the superheroes in New York City. But who? & Why?

I read this book on a recommendation from my friend Ryan. It was my first graphic novel, & I really enjoyed it, so I was looking forward to seeing the movie.

I wasn't disappointed. The movie follows the book very closely, going so far as to show exact replicas of frames in the graphic novel in slow motion. The book was written in 1986, & the film sticks to the style of the times flawlessly.

One word of caution: If you go into it expecting an action flick, you may be disappointed. This movie is much deeper than that. The topic (saving the world from destruction) may seem trite these days, but Watchmen was written when we were still in the middle of the Cold War, & when ideas like this were novel.

Watchmen on IMDb

Captain Abu Raed (Jordan, 2007)

An old man lives in the poor part of town & works at the airport as a janitor. One day he finds a captain's hat in the trash & wears it home. The neighborhood kids are convinced he is a pilot, & he begins to tell them stories of far away places, living his own dreams through his stories. It is not only a study of rich versus poor, but a debate on what is right & what is wrong.

This movie reminded me of Ali Zaoua from Morocco, but was much better - more complex with a deeper impact.

I saw this film as part of the Sedona International Film Festival.

Captain Abu Raed on IMDb

They Killed Sister Dorothy (2008)

A nun is murdered in the Brazilian rainforest because of her advocacy for its preservation. This documentary follows the trials of those accused, including eye-witness interviews, as well as footage in the courtrooms. Martin Sheen narrates.

I wonder what the other side of the story is.

I saw this film as part of the Sedona International Film Festival.

They Killed Sister Dorothy on IMDb

Nothing Really Matters (Canada, 2008)

An agoraphobic man sits in his bathtub contemplating suicide as he narrates a series of flashbacks that explain his current state of mind.

This film was very well done. It started out funny, & grew more & more serious as the story went along. Leo was a very likeable character, making it easy to sympathize with him. Carly, Leo's girlfriend, & even Joe, the landlord, were more complex than it might seem.

Interesting fact: Pascale Bussières, the actress who plays Carly, sang the song over the closing credits.

I saw this film as part of the Sedona International Film Festival.

Nothing Really Matters on IMDb

Shadowland (2009)

When I first read the synopsis of this film, they made no mention of vampires. I may not have seen it if I had known.

This low-budget film would have been great had it not been for the horrible acting. I laughed out loud at the absurdity of it (this was supposed to be a horror flick). David Martyn Conley, who plays the cook was the best actor in the film. Still, I kept talking about the movie all the next day. Maybe it was the special effects.

I saw this film as part of the Sedona International Film Festival.

Shadowland on IMDb

The Soviet Story (Latvia, 2008)

A documentary on the atrocities committed by the Soviet Union before, during, & after World War II, & Stalin's connection with Hitler throughout.

As with many documentaries, these film makers definitely had an agenda. The narration was overly dramatic, & the editing was artful. Even so, they raised some interesting questions about history & how it is written.

I saw this film as part of the Sedona International Film Festival.

The Soviet Story on IMDb

Irma Vep (France, 1996)

This probably would have been much better if they had just redone the classic Irma Vep (which I cannot find on IMDb - did it really exist?) rather than make a mocu-mentary about making the remake. As it was, I didn't really see the point of this one.

I saw this as part of a Backyard Cinema double feature hosted by the Phoenix Independent, Foreign & Art House Film Club. They have a great set-up in the host's back yard, complete with a large projection screen, & Blu-ray capability - all free of charge! The intermission gives those attending a great opportunity to discuss the first film & speculate on the second.

Irma Vep on IMDb

Chungking Express (Hong Kong, 1994)

A two-story look at life, love, & change.

There was no real transition from one story to the next, leaving me wondering throughout the second half of the movie: "Whatever happened to the guy that was buying all that pineapple?"

I saw this as part of a Backyard Cinema double feature hosted by the Phoenix Independent, Foreign & Art House Film Club. They have a great set-up in the host's back yard, complete with a large projection screen, & Blu-ray capability - all free of charge! The intermission gives those attending a great opportunity to discuss the first film & speculate on the second.

Chungking Express on IMDb

Protagonist (2007)

A documentary including four men who went through extreme u-turns in their lives: a German terrorist, a bank robber, an "ex-gay" evangelist, and a martial arts student.

At first, the German didn't seem to fit with the rest of the interviewees, I guess because I didn't identify with him as quickly as I did with the rest. The other three seemed to be ordinary people who had made major mistakes in life, but the German seemed to be no ordinary man. By the end of the film, though, I realized that perhaps the director Jessica Yu was trying to show that we are all just ordinary people doing the best that we can. It's interesting that a female director chose to include only men in this study.

The puppet element definitely could have been left out. It took the profundity of the film's message & turned it into silliness. It reminded me of Being John Malkovich. However, in that film, the silliness of the puppetry was kind of the point.

Protagonist on IMDb

Che: Part One (2008)

This movie was so long that they had to split it into two parts!

Unless you are pretty familiar with Cuban history & the life of Ernesto "Che" Guevara, you probably won't understand a lot of this film. For example, one of the people in the film is named Raúl, but they never explain that he is Fidel Castro's brother, so the importance of his role in the Revolution is completely lost on the unsuspecting viewer. Many historical scenes are recreated like that, without context, without explanation.

I don't plan to see Part Two.

Interesting that one of the actors, credited as "Dinner Guest #1", is named Pablo Guevara. After a short Google search, I found nothing that links him to "Che". Coincidence?

Also, René Lavan from Azúcar Amarga is credited as "Cuban Diplomat #2". You have to look hard to find him, but he's there.

Che: Part One on IMDb

Slaughterhouse Five (1972)

A man travels back & forth through time within his own lifetime, repeating the scenes over & over. (I wonder if this is where Audrey Niffenegger got the idea for her novel The Time Traveler's Wife.)

The film focuses on the main character as he relives his time as a young prisoner of war in Dresden, Germany when it was bombed killing up to 40,000 people in just two days (mirroring author Kurt Vonnegut's own experience).

As with most films of the 1960's & 70's, I had to try hard to look past the cheesiness of the film making, & wonder how much better this film would be if it were re-done today. This is one of the few instances when having seen the movie makes me want to read the book.

Slaughterhouse Five on IMDb

Cocalero (Bolivia, 2007)

There's no way that footage like this would be published about our own president!

Cocalero on IMDb

Iraq in Fragments (2006)

A three-part documentary that shows the US occupation of Iraq from the perspectives of Sunnis, Shia, & Kurds. It was interesting to see all of the anti-US opinions. The photo on the movie poster looks like the aftermath of a bombing, but it's just a brick kiln spewing pollution into the air.

Iraq in Fragments on IMDb

The Secrets (Israel, 2007)

I saw this as part of the Phoenix Jewish Film Festival.

Two Orthodox Jewish women, who are studying at an all-female seminary, befriend a dying French woman, who asks them to perform kabbalistic rituals to purify her soul before dying. There are many secrets in this film, creating several layers to ponder afterward.

The Secrets on IMDb

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

Brad Pitt plays a man who was born old & dies a baby, his life unfolding in reverse. Cate Blanchett is hopelessly in love with him, through every stage of their lives.

This movie has gotten quite a bit of attention, but I'm not sure why. Brad Pitt has done much better work than this elsewhere. His character has no personality in this film, & Cate's character is just silly. Everyone says that they shed puddles of tears at the end of this movie, but we all knew that Daisy was going to die from the start of it (no spoiler here). I hope that it gets beaten at the Oscars for all of its nominations.

One oddity: IMDb lists all of the actors who played Benjamin Button, but doesn't seem to have the name of the actress who played the dying Daisy. Could it have been Cate Blanchett?

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button on IMDb

Taken (2008)

Liam Neeson is a retired government spy who decides to move closer to his 17-year-old daughter so that he can spend some long lost time with her. She has other plans, however, wanting to spend the summer in Europe with her friend Amanda. Daddy is none too pleased, thinking of all the terrible things that could happen to a naive (& cute) teenaged girl traveling on another continent with her equally naive (& cute) teenaged friend. The worst does happen: daddy's little girl is taken by a gang of Albanians who plan to sell her into the sex trade. Luckily, she was on the phone with her spy-dad when it happened... You can probably guess the rest.

Taken on IMDb

Gran Torino (2008)

A politcally incorrect, very grumpy, recently widowed Korean War veteran still lives in the same house that he's been living in for years. However, the neighborhood has gone to pot, with gangs staking claim to the sidewalks. To add insult to injury, a Chinese family moves in next door (oh, the horror!). Meanwhile, his son is trying to get him to move into an assisted living community. Not to mention that his wife's dying wish was for him to go to confession when he lost faith in the church years ago. Grumble, grumble.

Clint Eastwood does an excellent job of grumbling & growling throughout the movie, & the end was fitting for the character. Interesting note: Clint's son Scott Reeves has a small part in the film.

Of the three movies that I watched today, I liked this one the best. I'm not sure why this film was only nominated for its title song (which Clint sings for a bit during the end credits). Are they mad at Clint in Hollywood? Or do they think that he already has enough awards?

Gran Torino on IMDb

The Visitor (2007)

A lethargic professor comes back to his apartment in New York City to find two immigrants squatting there. Instead of throwing them out on the street, he allows them to stay until they can find another place to live. In the meantime, one of them is arrested & threatened with deportation. The professor tries to help resolve the problem.

This was apparently a film about the plight of illegal immigrants, its supposed goal to squeeze sympathy from the viewer. However, the story is so loosely constructed that I never got to the point that I cared what happened to poor Tarek. I never felt that he was being wrongly accused, or that he had been rightly accused. I never felt one way or the other about him or any of the other characters. For a movie so highly recommended to me by several of my friends, this one fell disappointingly flat.

The Visitor on IMDb

Lista de Espera (Cuba, 2000)

Several people are waiting at the bus depot, but the bus never comes. Many of them are from out of town, so they wind up spending the night at the station, & possibly longer.

This was a cute story. Some of the "surprises" were obvious long before they were revealed, but who cares. This movie was pleasant, light-hearted entertainment. The social commentary on life in Cuba is merely the setting for the story rather than the main focus.

It's interesting to see that the actor that plays the male protagonist has a Russian name, Vladimir. Many Cubans born in the 1960's have Russian names, an homage to communism.

Lista de Espera on IMDb

L'Argent (France, 1983)

A film by the apparently famous Robert Bresson about greed.

By the end of this film, I was laughing at the absurdity of it. There was a complete lack of emotion throughout the movie. Forgery, robbery, perjury, murder - all done with a poker face & slow-moving actions. No one was in a hurry & no one seemed to be affected in the least.

After listening to the "expert" commentary on the special features of the DVD, these characteristics supposedly make this film a brilliant work of art. I beg to differ.

L'Argent on IMDb

Grizzly Man (2005)

This is the story of a man lost, in search of his life's fulfillment. He lived 13 summers in the Alaskan outback, encroaching on bear territory, & befriending wild foxes. This film includes the man's own footage taken during his stays in Alaska, as well as interviews with friends & family members.

It's films like this that make me thankful that I'm not that crazy. Timothy Treadwell was a troubled soul, a manic depressive with no direction. As we all do, he was looking for happiness. But he chose to seek it out in the midst of giants, eventually being crushed by them.

I recently saw another film by Werner Herzog, Encounters at the End of the World (2007), in which the film maker was sarcastic & impatient with his subjects. I expected the same for this movie, since there was no shortage of opportunities to criticize Treadwell. Instead, Herzog was respectful, kind, & sometimes even emotional. What could have happened to him in the interum?

Grizzly Man on IMDb

Ali Zaoua (Morocco, 1999)

This is the story of four street urchins who are just trying to survive the harsh streets of Casablanca. At the beginning of the film, one of the friends is killed by a rival gang. The rest of the movie follows the three remaining boys as they struggle to deal with their friend's death.

I'm not sure if I liked this film or not. On the surface, the acting was mediocre, the story like many others, the scenery unengaging. Yet at the end of the film I found myself wanting to know more.

Several of the boys in the film seemed to be real street children. They had very real-looking scars on their faces. They smoked like they've been doing it for years. They had a sadness in their eyes that cannot be faked.

After a Google search, I found out that many of them were indeed real kids living on the streets of Casablanca, recruited by the film maker for this movie. That explains the unremarkable acting, but begs the questions: What is their real story? How did they get those horrific scars? Which ones were actors & which ones lived the tale daily?

Ali Zaoua on IMDb

Valkyrie (2008)

I never paid attention to history back in high school. I thought it was all so boring. Memorizing names & dates for the test at the end of the week did not capture my attention at all. If only they had presented history to us as what it is, a story. History is so much more than a list of presidents. It's an intricate tale of us.

So now I'm wondering: Did they teach us about this in school? Because I don't remember anything about it. But what an interesting tale!

Valkyrie on IMDb

Azúcar Amarga (Cuba, 1996)

She longs to leave Cuba for something better, he is dedicated to his country, thinking that Cuba will be better someday. Of course, they fall in love. The acting was so well done that it's easy to get lost in the story, & even though the movie was filmed in black & white, I found myself imagining the colors.

Azúcar Amarga on IMDb

47 Ronin (Japan, 1994)

This is a classic tale from Japan of a group of samurai whose leader is forced to commit seppuku, or ritual suicide. His followers believe that the sentence was unjust, so they return to the castle to kill everyone involved. Afterwards, they perform their own seppuku, & enter into enternal legend.

I am not familiar with the legend, so I was a bit confused during this movie. Luckily this particular DVD had footnotes! During the movie, when there was a scene that could be confusing for a Westerner, they explained why the scene was important. They also included translations for weights & measures. Pretty cool!

47 Ronin on IMDb