Unbound

It's time for another new post; already. This time, Danish Director Ole Bornedal's Deliver Us From Evil. It took two years for it to be released on DVD in the U.S., but it was worth the wait.



Deliver Us From Evil

Directed & Written by Ole Bornedal; starring Lasse Rimmer, Lene Nystrøm and Jens Anderson.

Johannes and Pernille live pleasantly in an idyllic Danish town. They have two perfect children, and seemingly perfect lives. However, something unspoken has come between them, causing a slight friction that belies their happiness. Fate and Johannes' drunken louse of a brother, Lars, decide to shake things the hell up when Lars' actions turn the town into a mob. The unspoken issues of love and hate hidden within Johannes, his family, and the town, come to the forefront in a rage of violence that forces all to look into the face of evil.

Ole Bornedal's Deliver Us From Evil is masterful. The Danish auteur's psychological thriller is as thought provoking and enthralling a film as I've seen in a long time. The characters, and actors portraying them, deftly show the immoral acts that allow the evil to seep into the film's town. A slow crawl builds throughout the film, until an incredible third act in which a heavy influence of German Expressionism pulls the characters and events to an all too believable head, and an intriguing conclusion.



Ole Bornedal's Filmography:
Nattevagten
Nightwatch
I Am Dina
The Substitute
Just Another Love Story
Deliver Us From Evil

It's Terrific!

It's hardly a secret that I'm a "director man". It's kind of like a "breast man" or an "ass man," except that it has nothing to do with objectifying women or looking at their parts. I do have actors/actresses and genres that I prefer, but the main draw to a film for me is who directed it. So, in keeping with the previous post (and, most likely, the forthcoming "films I'm looking forward to seeing" posts) I'm mostly going to go on and on about the directors of the films. The films this time: Nicolas Winding Refn's Drive and Na Hong-jin's The Yellow Sea. Enjoy.


Nicolas Winding Refn's Drive

Danish Director & Writer Nicolas Winding Refn's newest feature, Drive, is a neo-noir that stars Ryan Gosling as a stutman-by-day and wheelman-by-night. Of course, there is more to the plot than simply that. Those details, however, can be found elsewhere, or by watching the film during its September 16 theatrical release.

Refn's previous films are all excellent, and the fact that he has chosen to make a second feature in the U.S. (his first being Fear X) is awesome. With Drive nearing release, he has already begun work on his next feature, Only God Forgives, and is scheduled to follow that with the remake of Logan's Run. Shew, he's a busy director. I hope he brought a snack, provided he has the time to eat it.


Nicolas Winding Refn's Filmography:
Pusher
Bleeder
Fear X
Pusher II: With Blood on My Hands
Pusher III: I'm the Angel of Death
Bronson
Valhalla Rising
Drive
Only God Forgives (2012)



Na Hong-jin's The Yellow Sea

Way before everything that has happened since happened, back in the year 2008, Na Hong-jin made a film. That film was The Chaser. For those that aren't in the know, The Chaser is an excellent serial killer neo-noir/thriller. It proved to be a hugely successful film financially and critically, and launched Director Na into the spotlight. Just a few short years later, Na is back with The Yellow Sea.

Also back, are Na's leads from The Chaser, Kim Yoon-seok & Ha Jung-woo. The difference from Na's debut feature (other than it being a different film) is that the roles for the characters played by Kim and Ha have been reversed. In The Chaser, Ha played the villain being chased by Kim; in The Yellow Sea, it's the other way 'round.

Regardless of which actor is playing good vs. bad, Na's second feature should be an exciting thriller. Which is probably why I'm excited.


Na Hong-jin's Filmography:
The Chaser
The Yellow Sea



Wow; not even a week into August and there are already two posts up. It could be a post-filled month. Check back soon for more.

Feeling Mighty Fine

Post Roland Garros, Wimbledon, a very exciting FIFA Women's World Cup, the first half of the new series of Doctor Who and sleep...the time for rabid film watching returns. While I'm catching up on films sitting on the shelf collecting dust, I'll be offering up a list of films I'm looking forward to seeing. This time, Hong Sangsoo's The Day He Arrives and Wong Kar-wai's The Grandmasters.



Hong Sangsoo's The Day He Arrives

South Korean Director & Writer Hong Sangsoo is the most important working director. His films are reminiscent of the late French Director Eric Rohmer, while retaining a unique style, and South Korean feel. His latest completed film (he already has another, untitled, film in production) The Day He Arrives saw initial release at the Cannes Film Festival. Look for it on Korean dvd sometime later this year.

If you (yes, you) haven't seen any of Hong's films, you should. To employ hyperbole, he is perhaps on par with the five greatest directors in the history of cinema. Those five: Kurosawa Akira, Eric Rohmer, Fritz Lang, Alfred Hitchcock and Orson Welles.

Hong Sangsoo's Filmography:
The Day a Pig Fell into the Well
The Power of Kangwon Province
Virgin Stripped Bare By Her Bachelors
On the Occasion of Remembering the Turning Gate
Woman is the Future of Man
Tale of Cinema
Woman on the Beach
Night And Day
Like You Know It All
Hahaha
Oki's Movie
The Day He Arrives



Wong Kar-wai's The Grandmasters

Hong Kong Director & Writer Wong Kar-wai is one of the finest film directors in Hong Kong, and the world. Ever since his poorly received previous film, My Blueberry Nights, the interet has been buzzing with anticipation for Wong's dramatic Biopic of Wing Chun Master Ip Man. Finally, it has been reported that the film, The Grandmasters, is all but ready for release.

The film stars long-time Wong collaborator Tony Leung Chiu-wai as Master Ip Man. While Hong Kong has recently seen three action-oriented films about the legendary Wing Chun Master (Ip Man, Ip Man 2, & the semi-prequel The Legend is Born: Ip Man), Wong's film should prove to be less aggrandizing, and more dramatic. One should see this film upon its eventual release because it's a Wong Kar-wai film about Ip Man starring Tony Leung Chiu-wai. For those that don't know, that is about as exciting as a film can get.

Wong Kar-wai's Filmography:
As Tears Go By
Days of Being Wild
Ashes of Time
Chungking Express
Fallen Angels
Happy Together
In the Mood for Love
2046
Eros: The Hand (anthology)
My Blueberry Nights
Ashes of Time: Redux
The Grandmasters



That's it for now. Check back regularly for the next four posts (two films each) of films I'm looking forward to seeing. I may slip in a post or two about films I have seen, as well.

The Longing

Eccentricities of a Blonde-Haired Girl
Directed by Manoel de Oliveira, starring Ricardo Trêpa and Catarina Wallenstein.

A young man (Ricardo Trêpa) on a train tells the stranger next to him of a great love story; his own. Some time before, while working at his uncle's shop, the man saw a beautiful blonde-haired girl (Catarina Wallenstein) in the window across the street from his office. Infatuation immediately sets in and the tale of their romance, a seemingly fated one, unfolds.

Adapted from a story by famed Portugese Writer Eça de Queirós, Manoel de Oliveira's Eccentricities of a Blonde-Haired Girl is a nearly perfect film. Oliveira's direction, Eça de Queirós' story, and the acting of both Trêpa and Wallenstein are impeccable. I'm ashamed to say I've yet to see any other film by Oliveira. However, after seeing this film, and a preview of his next film, The Strange Case of Angilica, I'm definitely a fan.

The Things That We'll Do

The time to draw a line in the dirt has finally arrived. Figuratively speaking. My laziness and lack of interest has been the reason for spurts of posts and long abscences. Now, I'm going to call it quits. Sort of. Very and absolutely and extremely will no longer be updated with my thoughts on all the films I see.

What that means is I won't be bitching about crappy films. Instead, I'm only going to post about some of the films that I either really like, or absoutely love. This infusion of positivity should result in more posts and less complaining, but I promise nothing.

I'm bound to really like or love at least one of the dozen or so films I'm going to watch in the next couple of weeks, so new posts should start soon. Unless all of those films suck. Then my head will likely explode.

"Let's Start Over"

...thus goes what I consider the most memorable line in Wong Kar-wai's Happy Together.

Happy Together
Directed by Wong Kar-wai, cinematography by Christopher Doyle, starring Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Leslie Cheung, and Chang Chen.

Happy Together opens with a voice-over from Lai Yiu-fai (Tony Leung) describing the crux of his and Ho Po-wing's (Leslie Cheung) relationship. The two have spent years together and apart, and anytime things get tough within or without their relationship, Ho Po-wing simply says "Let's Start Over" and Lai Yiu-fai succumbs to his request. At the start of the film, the two are again at such a point in their relationship, and decided to leave Hong Kong for South American, to start over.

Once they reach what is quite literally the opposite side of the world, their problems grow greater. As Fai tries to make the best of the situation, Wing only works to make matters worse, and the two find themselves unhappy and apart. Their paths cross again and again, with Po-wing uttering the words that Fai is all but unable to fight against. However, as Fai struggles to deal with Wing, he befriends a co-worker (Chang Chen) who begins to make him think he could find happiness on his own.

With all the cinematic flourish one would expect from a Wong Kar-wai film, Happy Together shows the inner turmoil of two peoples' unhappiness. Furtive glances, along with Christopher Doyle's use of vibrant colors and black & white, underline the tension and sadness of the characters. If I make Happy Together sound anything but what the title would suggest, then I've done my job well. Wong's romantic drama isn't like a romantic drama that would star Reese Witherspoon or Jake Gyllenhaal and feature a Hollywood ending.

Happy Together is heart-wrenching and depressing. More than that, it is an incredibly beautiful film that doesn't pander or offer comment on relationships or happiness. It simply tells, in a way no other filmmaker could, the story of two unhappy people and their attempts to become happy together. It's also one of the greatest film ever made. Ever.

The Ghosts of Saturday Night

After many months without any actual reviews, here are eight. Expect this more often. Enjoy.


Gallants
Directed by Clement Cheng and Derek Kwok.

One of the best films of '010, and one of the few really good films out of Hong Kong this past year, Gallants tells the tale of a group of misfits drawn together by Kung Fu.

A couple of middle-aged disciples of a comatose Kung Fu master struggle to take care of their society's martial arts club and their master. After going decades without a master to lead them, the two turned the club into a tea house to make ends meet. Their routine of serving tea and noodles is interrupted when an old foe re-enters their lives and brings about the resurgeance of their long slumbering master.

Oblivious to the fact that he has awakened an old man, the master goes about his days as though his decades of sleep were mere days. With their master returned to them, the martial socitey, with the addition of a seemingly hapless former bully (whom the master believes to be both of his disciples from their younger days), and his obligatory love interest, enter a martial tournament to regain their former glory.

Hilarious, and surprisingly touching, Gallants is an excellent example of the waning glory of Hong Kong Cinema.


Spring Fever
Directed by Lou Ye.

The best film released in 2010. Chinese Director Lou Ye's latest film, made inspite of a filmmaking ban imposed upon him by the Chinese Government, is his greatest film yet.

Spring Fever begins with two men headed to a remote house for a romantic getaway. Upon their return, they must face the harsh reality of their everyday lives.

As it turns out, one of the men is married, and his wife had him followed by a private investigator. The stress of the secret weighs heavily upon eveyone, including the private investigator. The stress forces them to looks at themselves, each other, and to make choices that will affect the lives of everyone involved.

I hate the oft overused saying that a film is "powerful" with "moving performances", but that is the best description I can think of for Spring Fever. It is, in my estimation, one of the finest films ever made.


Reign of Assassins
Directed by Su Chao-pin, co-directed by John Woo.

Many have heralded Reign of Assassins as the heir apparent to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. They must have seen a different cut of the film. Other than a few flashy fight sequences, the majority of the film is weighed down by a convoluted mess of coincidences that are as unbelievable as they are distracting. Reign of Assissins is not a horrible film, but, given the level of quality of Director Su Chao-pin's previous directorial effort (Taiwanese supernatural thriller Silk), and that the film is co-directed by cinema legend John Woo, it is quite a disappointment.


Truth or Dare: 6th Floor Rear Flat
Directed by Barbara Wong.

An HK film about six young people living by the rules of "Truth or Dare", as they make their way through the messy aspects of their romantic and professional lives. A bit like a coming-of-age film, but without heavy overtones about life and greater meaning. Truth or Dare: 6th Floor Rear Flat is a great example of a lighter film from Hong Kong that, while lacking in big name actors, has a quality and likeableness to it.


The Road Less Traveled
Directed by Derek Chiu, produced by Derek Yee.

No, it isn't a film based on a poem by Robert Frost. Derek Chiu's The Road Less Traveled is a romantic drama about the genre's mainstays: love and loss.

Louis Koo plays an Hong Kong truck driver that runs a route into Mainland China. On one stormy night, Koo runs over a local man while he was riding his bicycle across the road. Koo is found innocent of wrongdoing, and the victim's pregnant wife (played by Crystal Huang) receives a settlement from the trucking company for which Koo works, but their paths are somewhat destined to cross again.

Unable to cope with the horrific incident, Koo returns to his route and decides to visit the restaurant to offer his condolences, as well as further compensation. Upon meeting the widow, Koo shies away from divulging his identity, and instead develops a friendship with her. The two begin to rely upon one another, as the widow has a diffcult time running her late husband's restaurant, and Koo's inability to come to terms with the accident has caused a great deal of strain on his relationship with his long-time girl-friend (played by Karen Mok).

The pain the draws Koo and the widow together, and keeps them together, throughout the challenges surrounding their circumstances, is what brings about the inevitable discovery of Koo's identity. How they handle the shock and fallout from the discovery is predictable, but rings true.

Being that The Road Less Traveled is an HK film for the Maindland Chinese market, it is a surprisingly good film. Instead of pandering to the Mainland audience, Producer Derek Yee and Director Derek Chui proffer a film that showcases the similarities and differences of the two areas, while still presenting an interesting and affecting drama.


The Adjustment Bureau
Directed by George Nolfi.

One needs three things to watch The Adjustment Bureau:
1. A ticket.
2. 105 minutes to kill.
3. The ability to laugh.

Having an appreciation for fedoras doesn't hurt.

The film stars Matt Damon as a politician on the verge of being elected to the United States Senate. He loses the elecation due to an embarrassing photo from his somewhat unrestrained past, but gains a love interest (played by Emily Blunt) in the Men's Room of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. Soon after, it is revealed via exposition that there are men working for the eponymous and omnipresent Adjustment Bureau (represented onscreen mainly by Anthony Mackie and John Slattery) that are the guiding hands of our collective fates.

From that point the film becomes convoluted to the point of ridiculousness, with Damon's character learning of the Bureau's existence, the purpose behind their hats (mostly fedoras), and struggling against their guidance in an attempt to stay with the woman he met in the bathroom, because of their true love. The will of their fates, as well as the trust and allegience of Mackie's Bureau character, are tested leading up to an ending that resolves almost nothing.

A good time can be had while watching The Adjustment Bureau; just as long as you can find humor in the plot holes and silliness of the film, all of which feel as though the filmmakers were making it up as the went.


Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog
Directed by Joss Whedon.

Joss Whedon's internet venture into the world of musicals.

Neil Patrick Harris stars as the eponymous (that's right; I used eponymous twice in one blog post) Dr. Horrible, a villain hoping to one day join the ranks of the supervillain elite that make up the Evil Leage of Evil. Standing in the way are his affections for Penny (played by Felicia Day), a girl that does her laundry at the same laundromat as the not yet horrible enough Dr., and the doctor's nemesis: Captain Hammer (played by Nathan Fillion).

With Whedon's trademark dark humor, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog is riotously funny. Harris and cast give great performances, sing their respective characters' songs, and sing them well, to a delightful effect. In short, it's hard not to like it.


Big Time
Directed by Chris Blum.

Described as a concert film, or a musical film, Big Time is both, but really more of an experience than anything. Tom Waits "stars" in what amounts to 90 minutes of live performances interspersed with vingettes and other musical performances, all from the masterful trubadour.

Paraphrasing mini-conversations I had, both during and after the film, with the girl that I saw the film with, Big Time has an "avant-garde style reminiscient of a John Waters film, and Chris Blum's filmic take on Tom Waits is interesting and impressive; at times bizzare, with some scenes having an almost hallucinatory quality to them, it is a treat for fans of Waits, and a powerful enough representation of the man and his music to convert skeptics and the uninitiated alike."