tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-178567922024-02-09T16:59:04.755-05:00my film journalJPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310011692788504551noreply@blogger.comBlogger263125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17856792.post-67069579894469341662021-07-02T23:43:00.001-04:002021-07-08T22:30:58.015-04:00Under the Open Sky<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh_lIQzHBjcJS43MkecNAVFtyqP5kt8fpSY0qWEJ2ZYEA2N42-S2Px790mANGMDcOd1VPGWSsVC2x_n36FE6Bb7fQrQUVKzHcRGDAPiY3X-n0UhSYw8p61vJBhQYrlK_zyWDFjcQ/s700/Under_the_open_sky+Poster.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="468" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh_lIQzHBjcJS43MkecNAVFtyqP5kt8fpSY0qWEJ2ZYEA2N42-S2Px790mANGMDcOd1VPGWSsVC2x_n36FE6Bb7fQrQUVKzHcRGDAPiY3X-n0UhSYw8p61vJBhQYrlK_zyWDFjcQ/s320/Under_the_open_sky+Poster.jpg" /></a></div>More than a study in criminal rehabilitation, more than a devastating look at societal judgement and overcoming stigma, director Miwa Nishikawa’s <i>Under the Open Sky</i> is first and foremost a masterful character study of an aging ex Yakuza loner who wears his heart on his sleeve while struggling to find his place in a society that won’t accept him. <br /><br /> Based on the novel <i>Mibuncho</i> by award winning crime writer Ryuzo Saki, <i>Under the Open Sky</i> recounts the true-life experiences of Akiyoshi Tamura. <br /><br /> Masao Mikami has just been released from a 13-year prison sentence. As an ex-convict he has spent most of his life in and out of jail. With limited skills, he’s entering a changed society where the Yakuza have mostly been outlawed, shunned by society and barred from legitimate jobs. He is out of touch with this new Japan; the new technologies and what he sees as the servile, polite and hypocritical behavior of its citizens. <br /><br /> Koji Yakusho – <a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.com/2016/11/tampopo.html" target="_blank"><i>Tampopo</i> </a>(1985), with a gift for dark humor, gives a towering and emotional performance as the lone wolf ex mob enforcer. He clearly stands out from the crowd as a rough rare breed of a man who takes no crap from anyone. His time in jail hasn’t changed him a bit and he openly denies any feeling of remorse for his murder victim, even as he’s in the process of being released on the last day of his sentence. <br /><br /> He has a righteous heart but is quick tempered and has strong opinions, speaking out when he feels wronged. Even during his trial, he passionately admitted to his desire to kill a rival gang member while defending the honor of a woman, thereby unwittingly sentencing himself to years in prison. <br /><br /> Having served his sentence, reentering the free world and trying to make a new start, some people who are drawn to his earnest nature feel sympathy for him and want to help him get back on his feet. But in a society where ambiguity is an essential form of expression and direct opinions are considered impolite, Masao is frustrated and angered by people who are afraid to speak up or act against injustice. <br /><br /> Masao uses his brawling skills from his days as a mob strongman to mete out punishment to protect those who are being bullied, getting himself into trouble and alienating himself from society in the process. But therein lies his fatal flaw and his most admirable trait. His old-fashioned values won’t allow him to turn away from injustice when he sees it. The brute who survived the violence of the underworld is unable to adjust to normal society where normal means conforming to group consensus and never engaging in arguments or criticism. <br /><br /> People making an honest living are disturbed by his violent rages but he just wants to be appreciated for doing good work and tries his best to fit in and be accepted. He is told not to get involved when seeing others in trouble. Think about yourself and mind your own business. But it’s just not in his nature to look the other way when he sees injustice. Yet, that is exactly what he must do to fit back into a normal life. This turns out to be his biggest challenge and his fatal weakness. He must kill his conscience to live in harmony with today’s world. <br /><br /> <i>Under the Open Sky</i> is especially relevant in today’s social media culture. It makes a powerful comment on our society where we are rewarded for being selfish and we are not truly free to speak our mind or be authentic for fear of being condemned, rejected or ostracized by society. <br /><br /> JP</span><p><style>@font-face
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310011692788504551noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17856792.post-78427394032253412862020-11-30T15:39:00.004-05:002022-11-20T18:05:19.869-05:00The Painted Bird<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5SuoBRmx8XtNfqaMrkpmQmvAwkR2ChqJxjWciUFz82tGCcR1bekwRpxSBs5Jd4o0QB9-Y9C_Qx-qkxPVvgFexFcwac9Vy-e5MJ95Ol0eioAL8hcdTQ3nhBItKiCXHi3Stk1_hCw/s1500/The+Painted+Bird+Movie+Poster.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1061" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5SuoBRmx8XtNfqaMrkpmQmvAwkR2ChqJxjWciUFz82tGCcR1bekwRpxSBs5Jd4o0QB9-Y9C_Qx-qkxPVvgFexFcwac9Vy-e5MJ95Ol0eioAL8hcdTQ3nhBItKiCXHi3Stk1_hCw/s320/The+Painted+Bird+Movie+Poster.jpg" /></a></div>Directed by Vaclav Marhoul and based on the classic and controversial novel of the same name by Polish-American award-winning author Jerzy Kosinski, <i>The Painted Bird</i> is a bleak but powerful wartime drama seen through the eyes of a lost Jewish boy wandering across eastern Europe during W.W.II as he endures all manner of abuse and witnesses the darker side of human nature. <br /><br />Filmed in stunning Black and White and with minimal dialogue, the cinematography is both epic and intimate, evocative of the Soviet era classics like Andrei Tarkovsky’s <i>Ivan’s Childhood</i> (1962) and Elem Klimov’s <i>Come and See</i> (1985). <br /><br />The unnamed nine or ten-year-old boy is sent away by his parents to a remote medieval farmhouse in the countryside to live with an old woman and escape persecution during the Nazi occupation. People in these isolated areas of Europe still lived primitively without electricity or running water, lending itself to beautifully stark pastoral landscapes of vast barren windswept fields dotted with livestock or a toiling farmer. <br /><br />While waiting for his parents to return for him the old woman dies unexpectedly. Unable to wait any longer without a guardian to care for him, the boy begins a long grueling journey from hamlet to village across war-torn Eastern Europe to discover just how dangerous and cruel the world really is for a child who looks like him. <br /><br />The film is divided in sections named after the people who shelter him for a time until he escapes from the abuse and exploitation he experiences at their hands. Everywhere he goes people are afraid he will bring bad luck and treat him like a demon or evil spirit often mistaking him for a gypsy because of his black colored eyes and dark Slavic complexion. <br /><br />The theme of the film and the meaning of the title as shown in the film is given by a bird catcher who shows the boy that when a bird’s feathers are painted and the bird is released to return to its flock, it will not be accepted by the flock. The painted bird will be attacked and pecked to death simply because it looks different and is perceived as an imposter, an outsider just like the Jewish boy is attacked by people because of his appearance. <br /><br />The story is relentlessly brutal and full of depraved cultural prejudices and customs folks practiced at the time. The boy is subjected and exposed to every kind of ill treatment imaginable by the peasants he meets. He survives only on the fringes of society with social outcasts like himself. <br /><br />What stands out is the film’s use of beautiful compositions and lighting to tell a harrowing story with almost no dialogue. Images of close up facial expressions make a powerful emotional connection with the audience. The action is deftly conveyed through economical use of montage sequence editing. <br /><br />The film revolves around the brilliant performance by Petr Kotlar a non-professional actor playing the young boy who is mesmerizing and keeps us transfixed by his every move. There are some surprisingly big-name cameo performances throughout by Udo Kier, Stellan Skarsgard, Harvey Keitel, Julian Sands, and Barry Pepper. <br /><br /><i>The Painted Bird</i> is an exquisite must-see arthouse film but not for the faint of heart. Aside from the compelling story telling techniques employed, the images are striking in their visceral beauty and shocking in their raw cruelty and horror. <br /><br /><i>The Painted Bird</i> was the Czech Republic’s official Oscar entry and was shortlisted for the 2019 Academy Award season winning much critical praise around the world for its raw honest portrayal of not only war atrocities but also man’s baser instincts. It was recently part of the European Union Film Festival. <br /><br />JP<p></p><p><style>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310011692788504551noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17856792.post-30031803295763130662020-01-18T13:06:00.000-05:002020-01-18T13:46:33.549-05:00Joker<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4wbiYP2RYjCSOzt4G30YmYqrqhEoJGI6KxSLdJLot9rdMEx-a2bVs3-_leCfLYQdi2SG77blchpdr22OSGFJ-b7Bgipog4UKoy2A3rVPE_RWIgJRwJP36nIdRwBhS00JLDxSigw/s1600/joker+movie+poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4wbiYP2RYjCSOzt4G30YmYqrqhEoJGI6KxSLdJLot9rdMEx-a2bVs3-_leCfLYQdi2SG77blchpdr22OSGFJ-b7Bgipog4UKoy2A3rVPE_RWIgJRwJP36nIdRwBhS00JLDxSigw/s320/joker+movie+poster.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Yes, this is the same “Clown Prince of Crime” from the Batman franchise, but don’t be fooled, this is not a comic book franchise movie. This is an adult themed origin story about the human side of the man who laughs, Arthur Fleck, a pitiful figure who will eventually become Batman’s arch nemesis. <br /><br />It’s not what you would expect from a supervillain film. Todd Phillips’ <i>Joker</i> is a gritty realistic take on the character. It’s a dark tragic tale that treats its bedraggled antihero with great sympathy and insight, resulting in a memorable but dismal story that feels like a low budget independent film. <br /><br />The film is set in 1981, when Bruce Wayne is still a young boy and only appears briefly at the end of Joker, setting up the personal clash between these iconic characters. What’s not well known is how this insecure and tormented man who works as a party clown, is driven to be one of the most feared villains in Gotham. <br /><br />The Gotham City of <i>Joker</i> is a shadowy, crime ridden, rat infested retro New York City of the 70s and 80s as seen in Scorsese’s early films reinforced by a bleak gloom drenched visual palate. Arthur Fleck is a kind of Travis Bickle from <i>Taxi Driver</i> (1976) seemingly quiet and gentle, trying to bring some joy into his drab world as a party clown and aspiring stand-up comic, but inside he harbors rage and anger. <br /><br />He’s mentally unstable, and his strange medical condition that makes him laugh uncontrollably when he is nervous or under stress makes people uncomfortable. They sometimes think he’s mocking them, which can get him into trouble with the wrong people. <br /><br />But Arthur tries hard to see the positive side of life in the face of his misery. He always tries to be honest and do the right thing. His mother tells him to “always smile and put on a happy face”. But it just seems to make things worse and society just keeps pushing him to the limits of tolerance. <br /><br />The city’s denizens eventually get the better of him and in fact, he does get into trouble with the wrong people. He is bullied, name called and violently beaten up because of his clownish cackle, which can be analogous to the stigma of mental illness. <br /><br />Joaquin Phoenix’s moving portrayal is convincingly creepy as a man on the verge of being unhinged. His performance as someone who seems to constantly be on the brink between love and hate is scary and mesmerizing to watch. He makes Arthur Fleck a sympathetic character who society has pushed too far until a revelation about his past sends him over the edge. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkFWZ-XNmC6G3QuzsWV97ikmSUu7eoUWzvvwebAaXO-CBB27f1KkUf9JTCLyWCPsn-R3ZRnZA_At1W3bVstG3jNFc6Sc_HfPWH7-LOgJ0IxpuTNiU7ikB6svPVvC43O-1xT0KPGA/s1600/Joker+Joaquin+Phoenix.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="960" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkFWZ-XNmC6G3QuzsWV97ikmSUu7eoUWzvvwebAaXO-CBB27f1KkUf9JTCLyWCPsn-R3ZRnZA_At1W3bVstG3jNFc6Sc_HfPWH7-LOgJ0IxpuTNiU7ikB6svPVvC43O-1xT0KPGA/s200/Joker+Joaquin+Phoenix.jpeg" width="200" /></a></span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Joker</i>, in his first stand-alone film, is a disturbing, shocking and painful vision that reflect </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">our own angry hate-filled and corrupt times. It’s an uncompromising and uniquely intimate character study done with great empathy and shown through an unsentimental lens that talks directly to our fears and insecurities as a society at large. <br /><br />Icelandic composer extraordinaire, Hildur Guonadottir’s cello score is not only hauntingly beautiful but also perfectly evocative of Arthur’s tragic journey into mayhem. She was also the cellist on <a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.com/2015/09/sicario.html"><i>Sicario</i></a> (2015) and <a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-revenant.html"><i>The Revenant</i></a> (2015), and recently won the golden globe for the Joker music and an Emmy for the award-winning TV series <i>Chernobyl</i>. <br /><br /><i>Joker</i> is nominated for 11 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Director and Hildur’s music score, the most of any film this year, which is a testament to its powerful appeal. <br /><br />JP</span><br />
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{page:WordSection1;}</style>JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310011692788504551noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17856792.post-57451915873949494272019-12-21T12:26:00.000-05:002020-01-18T13:25:14.220-05:00Monos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4PUyLlTn3vgE2AmPPib9ZFWbNz52ziq0maRy5E8hUVNHNf-qaqehsVgqbHYntLJk4CS-dopSdO7VPlRibo8n8HyJKTtCeFlhKd67K2F7tEpz9ES6k-qj9U3czPHSElADfWBdJyw/s1600/Monos+-+move+poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4PUyLlTn3vgE2AmPPib9ZFWbNz52ziq0maRy5E8hUVNHNf-qaqehsVgqbHYntLJk4CS-dopSdO7VPlRibo8n8HyJKTtCeFlhKd67K2F7tEpz9ES6k-qj9U3czPHSElADfWBdJyw/s320/Monos+-+move+poster.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><i>Monos</i> is a modern twist on the Lord of the Flies story, while also recalling the surreal jungle insanity of Werner Herzog’s <i><a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.com/2012/04/aguirre-wrath-of-god.html">Aguirre, The Wrath of God</a></i> (1972). <br /><br />Set in an unknown Latin American jungle, a group of teenage guerrillas are training for a war that seems to be happening somewhere beyond the Andean mountain camp where they are based above the clouds while waiting for orders. <br /><br /> It’s a classic tale of how children from different social backgrounds, unsupervised and isolated from civilization left to their own devices armed with deadly weapons, will bring out their most violent instincts. <br /><br /> Playing soldier, the young commandos, addressed by their war names like Rambo, Lobo, Smurf, Dog and Bigfoot, are tasked with holding an American female doctor hostage (Julianne Nicholson). As rivalries grow, and opinions differ, shifting alliances form into separate camps that eventually threaten to tear apart the fragile order of the wild cult of kids with deadly results.<br /><br /> What makes <i>Monos</i> so intriguing and powerful is its unflinching and unnerving look at how a cadre of child soldiers, wielding automatic weapons, steadily degenerate from free spirited self-discovery, to baser warlike instincts and survival in the lower depths of the jungle. <br /><br /> The original music, a mix of drums, whistles and synthesizers, by Mica Levi contributes to the dark dense eerie atmosphere and feeling of primeval beauty and terrifying horror. With echoes of the hellish tribal chaos of <i><a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.com/2012/11/apocalypse-now-and-vietnam-war-film.html">Apocalypse Now</a></i> (1979), Monos is a bold unpredictable film with an impressive ensemble cast of young unknown actors.<br /><br /> They are referred to as Monos, meaning monkeys, which is exactly what they appear to be devolving into as they savagely lose their innocence, regressing to a state of anarchy and eventually forced to individually fall away from the group to find their own way out of the jungle. <br /><br /> As the film builds to a gripping climax, we are left with the wild forces of nature consuming any sense of humanity. The visuals become darker, hallucinogenic and confused. A small breakaway group of aggressive fanatical “monos” enter into another world, another reality, absorbed by the heart of darkness.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAae41d_z5arqZUJ400zRL5S8vTd8M_N5hYd5IU9ytDYPaCaRwe5Fj2tszpg7LSTRGxEWxsFxz9wkYPcbpvs6hQ55v1laBLnpG5URGCZktl7RfaqL615n6-ZhPgxR3oLULsXv1lQ/s1600/Monos+film+scene+2.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAae41d_z5arqZUJ400zRL5S8vTd8M_N5hYd5IU9ytDYPaCaRwe5Fj2tszpg7LSTRGxEWxsFxz9wkYPcbpvs6hQ55v1laBLnpG5URGCZktl7RfaqL615n6-ZhPgxR3oLULsXv1lQ/s200/Monos+film+scene+2.jpg" /></a>Visually stunning, <i>Monos</i> was beautifully filmed by cinematographer Jasper Wolf on remote locations in Colombia’s Andean mountains and dense jungle rivers that were mostly untouched by humans. <br /><br /> Director Alejandro Landes in only his second fiction feature, brings us a mesmerizing nightmarish vision; an unforgettable experience with fully realized characters, and makes it relevant for our modern times with all its metaphorical elements in tack. He is an important new voice in Colombian cinema.<br /><br /> An International co-production between eight countries, <i>Monos</i> has won multiple international awards including the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury prize at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival, and was selected as Colombia’s official Oscar submission for the Best International Feature Film.<br /><br /> JP </span><br />
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</style> JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310011692788504551noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17856792.post-1680332824247312342019-09-21T20:21:00.000-04:002019-09-22T19:41:33.666-04:00Jojo Rabbit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhusiQAICYoWleSfqjfNVBCy7F4yF8FSjAGTBnDIcyWWX7O_vflB_4T1mYgqIAL3mPr0nnWF24KEBHdTxiaWFhEzKOulSGMJwmo3skn4YKjWYOjDK3DL-Ca5oEs1LJIUQnIoFw3Kw/s1600/Jojo+Rabbit+movie+poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1068" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhusiQAICYoWleSfqjfNVBCy7F4yF8FSjAGTBnDIcyWWX7O_vflB_4T1mYgqIAL3mPr0nnWF24KEBHdTxiaWFhEzKOulSGMJwmo3skn4YKjWYOjDK3DL-Ca5oEs1LJIUQnIoFw3Kw/s320/Jojo+Rabbit+movie+poster.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">A child’s eye view of war in Nazi Germany
and the propaganda machine that vilified Jews, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jojo Rabbit</i> starts as a hilarious farcical romp that mocks Nazis
and their Hitler youth indoctrination program, and becomes a surprisingly poignant
and touching comment on hate and the toxic effect of lies.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Written and directed by New Zealand
wunderkind actor, producer, director and comedian Taika Waititi who previously directed
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Thor: Ragnarok</i> (2017) and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hunt for the Wilderpeople</i> (2016), from a
novel by New Zealand-Belgium author Christine Leunens’ <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Caging Skies</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jojo Rabbit</i>
is very much a reflection of Waititi’s own wacky irreverent Kiwi humor.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">A mixture of zany comedy and uplifting drama
that makes no bones about portraying the Führer as a childish buffoon as played
by Waititi himself. This Hitler is the imaginary companion of ten-year-old ardent
Nazi follower Johannes (Jojo) Betzler (Roman Griffin Davis). </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">To help the audience understand the extent
of Hitler’s popularity in Germany, there is a brilliant musical sequence early
on that shows images of adoring crowds screaming and reaching for Hitler put to <i>I Want to Hold Your Hand</i> by The Beatles. If you didn’t know who these people were, you’d think
they were crazy Beatles fans.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Jojo, egged on by his imagined Hitler, thinks
war is fun and exciting, so when he must prove his courage at the Hitler youth
camp by killing a rabbit with his bare hands and fails miserably, he’s teased
by the other kids who call him a scared rabbit. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">After being injured in an accident during
war games while trying to prove he can be as fearless as the other kids, he starts
questioning the blind fanaticism of the country. It’s not until he discovers a
Jewish girl Elsa (Thomasin McKenzie) secretly living in his house, a “monster”
hidden in the attic by his mother (Scarlett Johansson), that he starts to
question his own loyalty and humanity. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Part of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jojo
Rabbit</i>’s huge appeal is Waititi’s hilarious performance as Hitler and how
it contrasts dramatically with the innocent naive sweetness of Johannes who
tries to be the perfect Nazi killer but just can’t seem to live up to the
morally corrupt expectations of his Nazi superiors.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbGbKVltwQWT9zm0DgwymA5WyXbh2JUMip8RZUfTOU2dI4ZhShhO4bpy0eskvD9jtj_qcfEvQrOvzxIKWCeRYF8i5RUf81eeiebK-JkcYIALTA4uvKT3XEwoqh8eLH8YMQOVt5Zw/s1600/Jojo+Rabbit+scene.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="861" data-original-width="1600" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbGbKVltwQWT9zm0DgwymA5WyXbh2JUMip8RZUfTOU2dI4ZhShhO4bpy0eskvD9jtj_qcfEvQrOvzxIKWCeRYF8i5RUf81eeiebK-JkcYIALTA4uvKT3XEwoqh8eLH8YMQOVt5Zw/s200/Jojo+Rabbit+scene.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Sam Rockwell who won the best supporting
actor Oscar for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Three Billboards Outside
Ebbing, Missouri</i> (2017), brilliantly portrays a hysterical disillusioned
Nazi training officer who clearly struggles with the Nazi ideology.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Jojo
Rabbit</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> is a fun and moving satire that exposes the
absurdity of war and the harmful consequences of blind faith in propaganda. In
this there are a few similarities with the Roberto Benigni film <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Life is Beautiful</i> (1997). Both are
coming-of-age stories that have at their heart a young boy who is protected
from the horrors of war by an adult who plays into the illusion of war as an
exciting game.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Jojo
Rabbit</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> has just won the coveted People’s Choice
Award at the Toronto International Film Festival 2019, and it’s a good bet to
do well at the Oscars. You won’t find a more crowd-pleasing and audacious film
than this one.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">JP</span></span></div>
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</style> JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310011692788504551noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17856792.post-35182494325368544862019-08-06T13:04:00.000-04:002019-12-21T13:19:04.378-05:00Honeyland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHPaBJ_mIoE9nKZp3Fe-XGc-z2iUu1NttdVo0Y9WyIZFsln4yzi5ZFAk7GrjaUKycwoqdAqhVh0DsncVLWKdlVL9YQCr-XplhCP8gcqxOlYLx_ZQq0gu_pR4JnsW_gTotYPonNLw/s1600/Honeyland+Movie+Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1081" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHPaBJ_mIoE9nKZp3Fe-XGc-z2iUu1NttdVo0Y9WyIZFsln4yzi5ZFAk7GrjaUKycwoqdAqhVh0DsncVLWKdlVL9YQCr-XplhCP8gcqxOlYLx_ZQq0gu_pR4JnsW_gTotYPonNLw/s320/Honeyland+Movie+Poster.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Amid the ruins of a remote, long abandoned stone hamlet somewhere in the Balkan Mountains of North Macedonia, lives one of the last remaining European women to practice an ancient tradition of beekeeping. <br /><br />This visually stunning documentary and winner of multiple Sundance Awards, follows Hatidze Muratova as she goes about her daily routine taking care of her ailing mother in a small stone hut as she moves about the barren valley landscape tending to her beehives and collecting honey according to ancient traditions.<br /><br />Without electricity, phones or transportation, her dedication and love of the wild bees is apparent as she respectfully safeguards her beehives, ensuring their sustainability by only taking from the bees what she needs, leaving enough honeycombs for the bees to continue their production.<br /><br />It’s a quiet solitary existence but Hatidze seems content to live this simple way of life harvesting and selling her pure honey to the marketplace in the capital city of Skopje, some 12 miles away by foot.<br /><br />Set in a world seldom seen in film, the breathtaking visuals are realized with starkly beautiful vistas showing a way of life now gone or quickly disappearing. It harkens back to a time when people worked the land in harsh conditions always conscious of the delicate balance of nature.<br /><br />When a family of Turkish gypsies arrive with their herd of cattle, Hatidze is glad for the human company, especially the children that she befriends and teaches about the ways of beekeeping. But her trusting and generous nature is betrayed and her livelihood threatened when their father Hussein is forced to supplement his income to support his growing family by starting his own beehive business with disastrous results.<br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV1UlMZpveGx9F2h7HjG3AE_ZNdQw3n2AkyEeApwu1O5DIyFTlq0lr8quEBHw6GaG2yOQ3iVUYM2P-oO296Vzcl2n5e_WyWQXy4AG2UxekLBXhZupjlFq6bOyVwnKJKwKeU-Pz5Q/s1600/Honeyland+film+scene.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1200" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV1UlMZpveGx9F2h7HjG3AE_ZNdQw3n2AkyEeApwu1O5DIyFTlq0lr8quEBHw6GaG2yOQ3iVUYM2P-oO296Vzcl2n5e_WyWQXy4AG2UxekLBXhZupjlFq6bOyVwnKJKwKeU-Pz5Q/s200/Honeyland+film+scene.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The naturally unfolding drama is a microcosm of today’s problems in society as a whole and environmental allegory. Being a docudrama, filmed by Tamara Kotevska and Ljubomir Stefanov over the course of three years, the experience of Hatidze’s hard life, which plays like a neorealist parable, is as real and heartfelt as it gets. <br /><br />Honeyland recalls the early films of the acclaimed Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami – <a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.com/2016/07/close-up.html">Close-Up</a> (1990), and Jafar Panahi – <a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.com/2016/04/taxi.html">Taxi Tehran</a> (2015), 3 Faces (2018) in style and setting; about people living on the fringes of society in extremely poor and desperate circumstances.<br /><br />For those who are looking for an eye-opening experience and learning about how some people are living in isolated regions of the world, this is a must-see. But this film is more than that eventually revealing an important cautionary tale about our consumerist greed.<br /><br />JP</span><br />
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</style> JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310011692788504551noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17856792.post-7332309203521349462019-07-21T21:42:00.001-04:002019-07-22T20:02:11.127-04:00The Cinema of Astronauts in Jeopardy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9xFg_lfuOJeziaesKpmRaTe1VBqBgpd5oRi6oF-i4e9Z8cgXC86ykJ2B2UeXURsRtOyxicl9Lydi09XXnokrw9phQdJx3UFAL2Px4PkLnZZqSuidi2VrkUTYJyXGRgpNbCCRQSw/s1600/Astronaut+Poster+Art.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="735" data-original-width="1193" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9xFg_lfuOJeziaesKpmRaTe1VBqBgpd5oRi6oF-i4e9Z8cgXC86ykJ2B2UeXURsRtOyxicl9Lydi09XXnokrw9phQdJx3UFAL2Px4PkLnZZqSuidi2VrkUTYJyXGRgpNbCCRQSw/s320/Astronaut+Poster+Art.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">On the 50<sup>th</sup> Anniversary of the
Apollo 11 moon landing, I have compiled a list of films that have attempted to
capture both the adventurous wonder and the dangerous horrors of space travel. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">As we learn more about vast new expanses of
our universe with unmanned space probes, space travel becomes a more tangible
prospect within our grasp. These films have captured our imagination and whetted
our appetite for the challenges of exploring the universe beyond our own
planet.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">In recent years we have seen a slew of big
budget films exploring the technology and spirit (or folly) necessary for
traveling through space and reaching unknown destinations. The infinity of
space is both intriguing and terrifying. Even more so today since advancements
in science and technology have shown that we are very likely not alone in the
universe. </span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Our imaginations run wild as we contemplate
the unknown with possibilities both positive and negative. But as humans have
taken their first steps into space we have discovered that the study of
science and physics are critical to the understanding of the cosmos and how to
survive in it.</span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Whether you are fascinated by the prospect
of space exploration, discovering unknown regions of our universe, the challenges of
living in isolation from the rest of humanity while floating in a self-contained
bubble orbiting the earth, or stranded on an uninhabited planet, scientific reality-based
astronaut films that attempt to portray realistic adventures in space while keeping
the fantasy elements to a minimum are becoming a genre on it's own. </span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">We have come a long way toward making those
ambitious dreams of life in space a reality and recent films and documentaries
have made the prospect seem a little more exciting if scary. IMAX space documentaries
such as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Blue Planet</i> (1990), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cosmic Voyage</i> (1996), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Space Station</i> (2002), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon</i>
(2005) and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hubble</i> (2010) have ignited
the imaginations of many filmmakers, making the idea of living and traveling in
space tangibly real.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">The latest in a new sub-genre of Sci-fi space
films have created a whole new visual vocabulary for realistic interstellar space
travel. Ron Howard’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Apollo 13</i> (1995)
set a new standard for astronaut films, Alfonso Cuarón’s award winning film <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.com/2013/10/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none.html" target="_blank">Gravity</a> </i>(2013),<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>Christopher Nolan’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Interstellar</i>
(2014) and Ridley Scott’s <a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.com/2015/10/the-martian.html" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Martian</i></a>
(2015) each taking the perennial Homeric hero’s journey to a whole new
metaphysical level with both intellectual and emotionally satisfying results.</span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Below is a list of 26 films that represent
the evolution of the astronauts-in-jeopardy adventure cinema since 1950. You
are now go-for-launch. T minus 3, 2, 1, liftoff…</span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Ad Astra (2019)</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.com/2018/10/first-man.html" target="_blank">First Man</a> (2018)</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Alien: Covenant (2017)</span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Passengers (2016)</span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.com/2015/10/the-martian.html" target="_blank">The Martian</a> (2015)</span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Interstellar (2014)</span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.com/2013/10/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none.html" target="_blank">Gravity</a> (2013)</span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Stranded (2013)</span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Europa Report (2013)</span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.com/2012/06/prometheus.html" target="_blank">Prometheus</a> (2012)</span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.com/2011/03/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none.html" target="_blank">Moon</a> (2009)</span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Sunshine (2007)</span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Solaris (2002)</span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Red Planet (2000)</span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Space Cowboys (2000)</span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Mission to Mars (2000)</span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Armageddon (1998)</span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Lost in Space (1998)</span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Event Horizon (1997)</span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Apollo 13 (1995)</span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">The Right Stuff (1983)</span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.com/2012/05/alien-anthology.html" target="_blank">Alien</a> (1979)</span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Marooned (1979)</span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.com/2012/10/2001-space-odyssey.html" target="_blank">2001: A Space Odyssey</a> (1968)</span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Robinson Crusoe on Mars (1964)</span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Rocketship X-M (1950)</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">JP </span></span></div>
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</style> JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310011692788504551noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17856792.post-12220288735853653892019-01-29T22:50:00.000-05:002019-01-29T22:53:05.806-05:00Bohemian Rhapsody<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ptcxjeaMppS5dW8dZ3lH4j7K2XScISZaYWaHgVwSiWx9bhn79L3_t46TkzlKrQtjK7Qt65ibRjcy2VXlabQbHObaxc2gmDnTN4NtbQiP5ggvDUCPOhjr74w2ptaDp8hXaokjsQ/s1600/Bohemian+Rhapsody+poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="679" data-original-width="428" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ptcxjeaMppS5dW8dZ3lH4j7K2XScISZaYWaHgVwSiWx9bhn79L3_t46TkzlKrQtjK7Qt65ibRjcy2VXlabQbHObaxc2gmDnTN4NtbQiP5ggvDUCPOhjr74w2ptaDp8hXaokjsQ/s320/Bohemian+Rhapsody+poster.jpg" width="201" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">I grew up with Queen’s music while going to
school and loved their dramatic, lyrical, diverse sounds, but I knew very
little about the band itself during that time. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Whatever you might think of the rock band Queen,
or director Bryan Singer, or whether this musical tribute to the band is
accurately portrayed, it matters little as there is no denying the sheer
emotional power of this rapturous film that tells the story of one of the legendary
performers of our time.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Bohemian
Rhapsody</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> follows frontman Freddie Mercury (Rami
Malek) as he gains fame and battles with his identity as a bisexual of
immigrant parents, and his relationship with fans and the other band members.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">The music of Queen is so brilliantly used
here to connect the turbulent story of lead singer Freddie Mercury and his rise
to fame; a performer who believed so strongly in himself and his ability to
capture an audience with his amazing vocal range that his bursting onstage energy
could barely be contained.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">The historic epic performance of the band’s
Live Aid appearance that bookends the film is one of the most euphoric and powerful
cinematic experiences of any film I’ve seen.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">We meet Freddie at the beginning of the
film working as a baggage handler at an airport in England and scribbling
poetry and lyrics in his spare time. When he goes out at night to see a small
band play at a nightclub gig, he approaches the band members after the show to
offer his admiration and boast of his own musical talent. This is the early
group of musicians who would eventually become the musical phenomenon of the
70s known as Queen. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Bohemian
Rhapsody</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> shows us the creative process of a
disparate group of misfits with an unwavering belief and acceptance of each
other while working as a family unit. And the power of Queen’s music comes from
Freddie’s ability to use his incredible vocals in a way that spoke to those who
are outsiders and feel unwanted or unloved.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf-i-tLb2Znl9dN3mKM3nZOqXHd_6hyphenhyphenCRSpfHogGG8NbKmvlrJsnwYnzC8IIMv7zN2dePTkEamt-Qm9naGncK5fA14sQNREyZuvholWvLPi9Ra968hv2piCdp054qoS2MrXVSJQw/s1600/bohemian+rhapsody+Rami+Malek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="745" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf-i-tLb2Znl9dN3mKM3nZOqXHd_6hyphenhyphenCRSpfHogGG8NbKmvlrJsnwYnzC8IIMv7zN2dePTkEamt-Qm9naGncK5fA14sQNREyZuvholWvLPi9Ra968hv2piCdp054qoS2MrXVSJQw/s200/bohemian+rhapsody+Rami+Malek.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">A special mention is due to the incredible
performance by Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury who fully deserves the accolades
and awards he has been receiving which include the Best Actor at the Screen
Actors Guild Awards. He embodies the spirit of Mercury’s larger than life
persona both onstage and off. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Like Queen’s music, the critics were not
always kind to the film, slamming it for its inaccuracies, but for many fans that
are not familiar with the band’s private or public history, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bohemian Rhapsody</i> absolutely works as an
emotionally satisfying film with so many iconic songs that it easily warrants
multiple viewing. Most filmgoers have come away from the experience with
elation.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Bohemian
Rhapsody</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> was nominated for 5 Academy Awards,
including Best Picture and Best Actor for Rami Malek who has already won the
Golden Globe and the SAG Awards, making him the front runner to win the Oscar. The
film also won the Golden Globe for Best Picture – Drama.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">JP</span></span></div>
JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310011692788504551noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17856792.post-40072683434260127802018-12-19T22:56:00.000-05:002018-12-19T23:00:14.535-05:00Border<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdvS1U2ko2Sfk1nt0jWt7IIvmpWYusDQOjYVO6tulMCoyX-wRgdJlUeLZ-DLDLUAqbi21EttauSAaMPBY-JUlA157596GHGDve463Vhw5SFx_R5a4SHdU6UqAavHpPXv67_UeCiw/s1600/Border+film+poster+swimming.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="675" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdvS1U2ko2Sfk1nt0jWt7IIvmpWYusDQOjYVO6tulMCoyX-wRgdJlUeLZ-DLDLUAqbi21EttauSAaMPBY-JUlA157596GHGDve463Vhw5SFx_R5a4SHdU6UqAavHpPXv67_UeCiw/s320/Border+film+poster+swimming.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Border</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gräns</i> is a unique and
fascinating Swedish take on mythical creatures living among us from
Scandinavian folklore. A fantasy film that looks and feels as real as the
contemporary world we live in today.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">When we first meet Tina (Eva Melander), we
know she is different. Aside from the way she looks she also behaves oddly. At first,
we can rationalize her behavior as a product of her loneliness due to her strange
unsightly appearance. But slowly we realize it may be something else.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Tina has a live-in companion at home but they
have a platonic relationship and his pet dogs are instinctively hostile toward
her. She likes to walk alone barefooted through the forest surrounding her
remote backwoods cabin home. Wild forest animals are attracted to her and are
not threatened by her. She seems to have an almost supernatural connection with
nature and wildlife. And her fear of lightning is more than justified.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Tina works as a customs security officer in
Sweden on the border with Finland where she uses her extraordinary ability to smell
people’s emotions and feelings, making her valuable for picking out criminals
or people who are hiding something.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Many things in this film aren’t what they
seem. We are given clues but even Tina is not aware of the truth about herself.
The questions she has, slowly come to light after she meets a man named Vore (Eero
Milonoff) who resembles her with many similar physical features.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">After her second encounter with Vore, she
becomes curiously intrigued by his strange behavior and senses that he’s hiding
something when he reveals his knowledge of insects that she has always had a
fascination with since her childhood. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">As they get to know each other and become romantically
involved, Vore eventually opens her eyes to a whole new world, making her aware
of her true identity and powers. But what she discovers about herself will
change her life forever, forcing her to make the toughest decision of her life.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFzConz_1sK5GUhvfrj2Ow8sMIx3IB2VDrRsUFbqRLXMsrd35_oj6t7YCR_oTjjVmfFzemUsisV-W4_pUtAbEAoTob1nEWrPO2Y8lNpsBZ1KQt6V0vDpUNjJO3yO2pToUE8qXCDw/s1600/Border+scene.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="618" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFzConz_1sK5GUhvfrj2Ow8sMIx3IB2VDrRsUFbqRLXMsrd35_oj6t7YCR_oTjjVmfFzemUsisV-W4_pUtAbEAoTob1nEWrPO2Y8lNpsBZ1KQt6V0vDpUNjJO3yO2pToUE8qXCDw/s200/Border+scene.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Border</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> is a weird but powerful tale about how people who look and behave
differently are pushed to the edges of society, touching on issues of identity,
racism, compassion and living in harmony with nature. It should resonate deeply
with anyone who feels like an outcast, an orphan or has in some way been
marginalized.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Thanks to the fearless daring performances
of Eva and Eero, the characters of Tina and Vore are nothing short of
mesmerizing and totally convincing. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Border</i>
captivates with a world that reimagines ancient Nordic mythology for a modern
audience while staying true to mythic traditions.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Directed by Iranian-Swedish filmmaker Ali
Abbasi and winner of the Un Certain Regard award at the 2018 Cannes film
festival, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Border</i> is a dark, mysterious
thought-provoking drama unlike any other film I’ve seen and will leave audiences
stunned in amazement, wondering what they have just witnessed.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">JP</span></span></div>
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</style> JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310011692788504551noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17856792.post-64918855928370877742018-11-27T20:29:00.000-05:002019-08-13T21:31:01.174-04:00The Accused - Acusada<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKVk5PLqX-O0aJPQoq6DBqEYuUtNWzbplBFCihckv1BIoU99LkhuIMYv5c_580fvfiG_ZMcVllDeZAw7T0zW2chY-WV4EjqWMpnFpGk0wnc-dDpUq4l0Z6d_PAKi6bQGqHTXOpXw/s1600/The+Accused+Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="840" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKVk5PLqX-O0aJPQoq6DBqEYuUtNWzbplBFCihckv1BIoU99LkhuIMYv5c_580fvfiG_ZMcVllDeZAw7T0zW2chY-WV4EjqWMpnFpGk0wnc-dDpUq4l0Z6d_PAKi6bQGqHTXOpXw/s320/The+Accused+Poster.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">The
Accused</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> follows a young 21-year-old student, Dolores
Dreier (Lali Esposito), accused of murdering her best friend at a house party
where she was the last one to see her alive. Under virtual house arrest for two
and a half years, Dolores becomes increasingly frustrated and angry by the
physical limitations imposed on her life by her family.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Set in contemporary suburban Buenos Aires just
days away from her trial, which has become a high-profile case intently
followed by the Argentine media, Dolores is strictly coached by her lawyer and
parents, and her freedom of movement restricted to avoid media attention while
preparing for the trial. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">This intense drama is clinically shot with
cold icy blue tones and intimate camera work that reflect the dark mood of
Dolores who is portrayed unsympathetically at times and seems quietly distant
as if hiding some unspoken secret.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Lali Esposito as Dolores gives a gripping
subdued performance as an embittered teenager preparing for the worst, making
her seem less innocent and more ambiguous than her family would like. But she
remains a compelling character due to Lali’s empathetic portrayal and the
film succeeds in keeping us guessing about her innocence.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Public opinion seems stacked against her as
the media scrutinizes her and her upper-class wealthy family. The media circus
surrounding the murder case and how the family deals with their daughter’s
public perception is the main focus of the film and the financial and
psychological toll it takes on the family.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">As the day of the trial draws closer, the
tension increases as we slowly discover that her father Luis (Leonardo
Sbaraglia), has used his considerable wealth to protect his daughter and influence
public opinion to defend her.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">There is a lot at stake for Luis, his
family and his career as the pressure mounts and Dolores becomes more unstable.
It eventually becomes too much for her to handle and she decides to take a big
risk by going off script and greatly jeopardizing her chances.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Director Gonzalo Tobal skillfully focuses
our attention with a stunning mix of darkly alluring cinematography,
interesting ambiguous characters, brilliant performances and a captivating
story<i>. </i></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK3ot4EloUNHID39bs1zmBnMUjuTgF3KAmjuc_oTfoqPDPVwzv6TRHAsqlxdzJrreT3Ktntxl3r8GzKjGnZ7BQ-P6vLABPHAaW_bghbvVF2836CBa62accRGuNRjzQnN5gdPI33Q/s1600/The+Accused+still+interview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK3ot4EloUNHID39bs1zmBnMUjuTgF3KAmjuc_oTfoqPDPVwzv6TRHAsqlxdzJrreT3Ktntxl3r8GzKjGnZ7BQ-P6vLABPHAaW_bghbvVF2836CBa62accRGuNRjzQnN5gdPI33Q/s200/The+Accused+still+interview.jpg" width="200" /></a></i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">The
Accused</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> also touches on modern day issues of cyber
bullying, media manipulation and public scrutiny. Dolores’ guilt or innocence
is always kept a mystery in the film but it becomes less important whether she
has committed the crime or not as the film becomes more about manipulating
public opinion to blur the truth. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">The media at one point is focused on
someone’s claim of a loose wild Puma sighting in the suburban neighborhood and
as police investigate, the media attention stokes a frenzy in the public, but
whether or not this Puma was ever really seen or not becomes unimportant. The
mere possibility is what fuels people’s imagination and becomes a kind of
metaphor for the situation Dolores finds herself in.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">The
Accused</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> is a satisfying and poignant drama well
made with an assured hand, perfectly cast and with a stunning visual design
making director Gonzalo Tobal one of Argentina’s foremost filmmakers to pay
attention to.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">JP</span></span></div>
JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310011692788504551noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17856792.post-49221518609493932542018-11-06T21:25:00.000-05:002018-12-09T14:19:30.642-05:00Green Book<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7imcLh8ROLJ3DhidmXUusgqFv1gKtQsQb80c9KTCORs_e26CNCIr88d1rJ_AtYsjkYrxyJ9StIrArAwibiQS8pTTcvIEGhKPA7VFlhwNI1cGewre2WweignIY-kUqVM_JhCOj4w/s1600/Green+Book+Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1011" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7imcLh8ROLJ3DhidmXUusgqFv1gKtQsQb80c9KTCORs_e26CNCIr88d1rJ_AtYsjkYrxyJ9StIrArAwibiQS8pTTcvIEGhKPA7VFlhwNI1cGewre2WweignIY-kUqVM_JhCOj4w/s320/Green+Book+Poster.jpg" width="202" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Green
Book</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> is the kind of moving holiday crowd-pleaser endowed
with so much charm it’s sure to be an Oscar contender with equally memorable
performances. In the current racially charged times, it might also just be for African
Americans what <i><a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.com/2014/09/pride.html" target="_blank">PRIDE</a></i> (2014) was for the LGBTQ, it could melt even the most prejudiced
heart. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Directed by Peter Farrelly - <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dumb and Dumber</i> (1994), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Green Book</i> is a racial justice road
movie with lots of humor that hits all the right notes. But don’t think wacky <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dumb and Dumber</i> type of buddy comedy. The
laughs in this film come straight out of a genuine respect for its characters.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Based on true events set in 1962 America,
Viggo Mortensen plays Tony (Lip) Vallelonga, a working-class Italian-American bouncer
and con artist at a New York night club with a talent for “persuading people to
do what they don’t want to do” and a lot of street smarts. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">When the night club he works for closes
down for repairs, he applies for a job as a driver for a gifted classical
pianist and composer Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali) who was a virtuoso performer
and traveled all over the US with his trio playing for the country’s wealthiest
establishments.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">When the record company sends Don Shirley
and his trio on a three-month concert tour through the deep South, which was
highly segregated in the 60s, Don who happens to be a black musician in America
at a time when African Americans were still looked down upon as inferior and
dangerous, decides he will need the services of someone who can protect him
while also getting him to all his engagements on time.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">This unlikely pair and their awkward
relationship play like a kind of Oscar and Felix odd couple, but as opposite as
they are in every way possible, they also depend on each other for their survival
and eventually gain a stronger bond and greater respect for each other.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali are
perfectly cast and hold the audience completely enthralled. What we learn about
these two people while spending time together on the road is often hilarious
and heartwarming.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">The Green Book of the title is a
segregation era motorist travel guide for Black Americans faced with pervasive
discrimination while traveling in America. Being refused accommodation and food
by white owned businesses was a common dilemma for Blacks in the southern
states, the Green Book helped them to find hotels and restaurants friendly to non-whites.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH2_4Tg30TQHG17xTgnxzBHXlDmltwtHF1W0UHBQJTTsu7CSC2zNlm0Du7LX3vnFnGqkyqirKNXe-ZAml2xkGuUkdLHqAS3BzJ2mG41q3OG2KkJxw1l_UimmfJCYIJAQnGX9ddxg/s1600/Green+Book+scene+Viggo+and+Mahershala.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH2_4Tg30TQHG17xTgnxzBHXlDmltwtHF1W0UHBQJTTsu7CSC2zNlm0Du7LX3vnFnGqkyqirKNXe-ZAml2xkGuUkdLHqAS3BzJ2mG41q3OG2KkJxw1l_UimmfJCYIJAQnGX9ddxg/s200/Green+Book+scene+Viggo+and+Mahershala.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Being a colored person, Don Shirley was
often refused entry to whites-only Hotels and restaurants, even at places where
he was actually performing, so while Tony could stay and eat wherever he wanted,
Don would often have to find other accommodations during their road tour.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">The power of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Green Book</i> lies in its emotionally uplifting story, its
inspirational message of love and friendship, and the way its flawed human characters
are treated with humor and dignity without judgement. The closest film I would
compare it to is the French hit <a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-intouchables.html" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Intouchables</i></a> (2011) in its portrayal of an improbable comradeship and triumph
of the human spirit.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Winner of the People’s Choice Award at this
year’s Toronto International Film Festival where it had its World Premiere,
this is one of the funniest and moving films of the year.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">JP</span></span></div>
JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310011692788504551noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17856792.post-38513002295548318462018-10-21T17:50:00.000-04:002018-10-21T18:10:05.331-04:00First Man<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwD3wTEcFxAhIh0USv_A__HD4OSLmI0pjhZYFtFi3HJWm7eQMzpxJRuCMomHqKNl-I7XRbd0KmrLKpXKibZtW5Kot8h4xzdF-ZaNOiNIDbm_eWAG2Pj6JyV4TL8hEyuorVLyTi6g/s1600/First+Man+movie+poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1011" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwD3wTEcFxAhIh0USv_A__HD4OSLmI0pjhZYFtFi3HJWm7eQMzpxJRuCMomHqKNl-I7XRbd0KmrLKpXKibZtW5Kot8h4xzdF-ZaNOiNIDbm_eWAG2Pj6JyV4TL8hEyuorVLyTi6g/s320/First+Man+movie+poster.jpg" width="202" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">First Man</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> is not your
typical astronauts in jeopardy film. Its closest relative is Ron Howard’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Apollo 13</i> (1997), which set the standard
for the NASA space film. Set during the same time period, it’s the true story of
Apollo 11 and contains many of the same astronauts that were involved in the
Apollo program and eventually went on to fly on Apollo 13 and other missions.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">But where <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Apollo 13</i> glorified the accomplishments and sacrifices of NASA’s space
missions and the astronauts who flew them, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">First
Man</i> is decidedly more cerebral showing us a more personal portrait of the
psychological impact the astronauts and their families suffered during the
space program, particularly Neil Armstrong (Ryan Gosling) and his wife Janet (Claire
Foy).</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">The moon mission is actually more of a
secondary story in the background here, focusing mainly on the intense
psychological drama playing out through the mind of Neil Armstrong who is shown
here as being a deeply focused, highly concentrated and a dedicated pilot, the
embodiment of calm under pressure. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Neil is the kind of soft-spoken super human
whose quick thinking and determination gets him out of the most difficult
hair-raising situations. He was in many ways the perfect person to pull off
such a dangerous undertaking.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">But his stoicism did not always sit well
with his family, particularly his wife who sometimes needed him to be more
nurturing, especially during a family tragedy that occurred just before Neil was
selected to be a part of the Gemini program, which is the precursor to the
Apollo program.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Where <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Apollo
13</i> was sometimes criticized for not showing the social political atmosphere
of the country in which these missions took place, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">First Man</i> makes more of an attempt at showing some brief scenes of
news footage covering Vietnam war protests and general public attitudes towards
NASA’s moon missions.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Visually, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">First Man</i> is more intimately concentrated on Armstrong the man, as opposed
to the heroic pubic figure of our imagination, and his experiences dealing with
the uncertainty and magnitude of the tasks he and the other astronauts faced
while dealing with overwhelming pressure to succeed. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Based on his essential biography <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong</i>
by James R. Hansen, Damien Chazelle decided to make very few cuts between the
Houston crew on the ground and the astronauts in space, opting to keep our
attention focused on Neil Armstrong’s first-hand experience.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWi5lf9BP5uOsd-b7XrYMOuQkkvRlFCKME3-vFeRW9AX-jMtlF_DS1xc9b7FsdRy4y8rWkEEDso3OMGGVxPabEVScDUsdv6w1cSnqI96qpRRNCSJm2LY1Wa2ndXuc2D9AC5DTFLw/s1600/First+Man+Ryan+and+Claire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="379" data-original-width="677" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWi5lf9BP5uOsd-b7XrYMOuQkkvRlFCKME3-vFeRW9AX-jMtlF_DS1xc9b7FsdRy4y8rWkEEDso3OMGGVxPabEVScDUsdv6w1cSnqI96qpRRNCSJm2LY1Wa2ndXuc2D9AC5DTFLw/s200/First+Man+Ryan+and+Claire.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">The flag controversy surrounding the film
is really a non-event as it’s clear that the film takes the perspective of Neil’s
personal and private journey connected more to his suffering after a family
loss than to the monumental task he has been given. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">When asked by reporters if he will be taking
any personal items up to the moon with him, Neil characteristically responds
with a deadpan serious expression showing again his pragmatic dedicated focus
that he wished he could take more fuel with him.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">So, it was deeply satisfying when<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> First Man</i> ultimately culminated with a
powerful emotional climax after arriving on the moon that is completely
unrelated to being on the moon. While surveying the barren lifeless cratered
surface, Armstrong flashes back to memories of his life back on earth and the
moment becomes not about the moon or even the human achievement, but a personal
object that Neil brought with him, which has haunted him since his journey
began.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">JP</span></span></div>
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</style> JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310011692788504551noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17856792.post-68701629713557661402018-09-29T18:47:00.000-04:002019-01-05T12:21:27.518-05:00Shoplifters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcgoRK1vMjNk1mnzfvxornAJ8D2T2hVHrxgN9iNd2ib-ZQ1R8cnCeivUCxCnNQywZm23vv5ft7GAe6HI2XAPPbBobHcXT2k3imdSnC7qivDELxPl14-wFamExPF3OAk7Dar0G81Q/s1600/Shoplifters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1179" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcgoRK1vMjNk1mnzfvxornAJ8D2T2hVHrxgN9iNd2ib-ZQ1R8cnCeivUCxCnNQywZm23vv5ft7GAe6HI2XAPPbBobHcXT2k3imdSnC7qivDELxPl14-wFamExPF3OAk7Dar0G81Q/s320/Shoplifters.jpg" width="235" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Shoplifters</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> is a sensitively
portrayed look at a charming surrogate family living on the fringe of society, making
a compelling case for the way families we create or fall in with can sometimes
be more meaningful and satisfying than the families we are born into.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">The cinema of Japan’s Hirokazu Kore-eda
from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Nobody Knows</i> (2004), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Like Father, Like Son</i> (2013), <a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.com/2016/08/our-little-sister.html" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Our Little Sister</i></a> (2015), and <a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.com/2017/01/after-storm.html" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">After the Storm</i></a> (2016), have all had a
similar thread underlying these stories of unconventional families created out
of genuine kindness under crisis situations who share a special bond that goes
deeper than blood relations.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Cannes Palme d’Or winner, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Shoplifters</i>, focuses Kore-eda’s themes
of what it means to be a family more powerfully than any of his previous films,
while also commenting on Japan’s social class system. Along with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.com/2016/08/our-little-sister.html" target="_blank">Our Little Sister</a>, </i>it’s one of his best
films. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Where <a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.com/2016/08/our-little-sister.html" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Our Little Sister</i></a> was a gentle upbeat feel-good story of sisters living in
their mother’s ancestral home who take in a young girl after the death of their
father; their half-sister, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Shoplifters</i>
is decidedly less optimistic showing a bleaker more tragic heartrending side of
humanity.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">What at first appears to be a poor family of
part-time vagrants living together in a packed shared accommodation among urban
dwellings in a Japanese neighborhood, is slowly revealed to be a loving group
of outcasts who have come together to help each other for mutual benefit. They
share everything and despite the extremely difficult living arrangement, the
group seems to thrive and enjoy each other’s company, engaging in family outings
and activities.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">A kind-hearted and generous low-income couple
in their 30s and 40s, Osamu (Lily Franky) and Nobuyo (Sakura Ando), living with
an elderly lady, Hatsue (Kirin Kiki), left to fend for herself by her own family,
have adopted a young boy, Shota (Jyo Kairi) who was abandoned, and a teen girl
who works at a strip theatre. Osamu the father figure teaches the boy the art
of shoplifting to supplement their meager earnings. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">When they come across a 5-year-old girl,
Yuri (Miyu Sasaki) who is neglected and abused by her mother and left out in the cold without
food, Osamu decides to help her and takes her into his care. Yuri quickly
thrives on the love and affection she receives from her new makeshift family. But
when a news story appears on TV that a small girl has gone missing that fits
Yuri’s description, the couple tries to return her to the parents. However,
whether out of compassion for the girl or maybe for selfish reasons, doing the
right thing becomes morally complicated.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Xq0HFUgNEBqlUbgFeDSGOZb18-6Hnsz1bcKb9cmqSnGibsi34Eupr6o0L7C3TdbA0Eq8n4_ZYRB_XyPGKDwL2A2En_vMKAHrGSG7OsjQAszJI0FSuVxT4F-leMYjIR2NmJsDsA/s1600/Shoplifters+scene.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="551" data-original-width="980" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Xq0HFUgNEBqlUbgFeDSGOZb18-6Hnsz1bcKb9cmqSnGibsi34Eupr6o0L7C3TdbA0Eq8n4_ZYRB_XyPGKDwL2A2En_vMKAHrGSG7OsjQAszJI0FSuVxT4F-leMYjIR2NmJsDsA/s200/Shoplifters+scene.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">The group of outcasts (shoplifters) forge a
real bond and sense of belonging that’s stronger than any family they ever had.
But when the police discover them, the consequences for everyone as the state
returns the children to their real families are devastating. What <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Shoplifters</i> does so well is show us how
people from all ages and walks of life are being marginalized by a society that
values individual gain and material wealth over human kindness and genuine
affection.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Hirokazu Kore-eda uses his abundance of
reality shooting style and dense interior locations that instantly puts you in
the tight living spaces of typical Japanese homes. Visually, the film is
dedicated to its characters and a high level of detail in their crammed surroundings.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Shoplifters</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> is thought provoking and revealing of Japan’s growing threat to
families for whom an addiction to social media and online living is causing
them to neglect their everyday real-life existence instead of enhancing it.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">JP</span></span><br />
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</style> JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310011692788504551noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17856792.post-90247246556831763142018-09-20T19:30:00.000-04:002018-10-17T13:04:07.699-04:00El Angel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijA3OlWwmsrczQNVzIMRexYQicOiM6HS1OFnDOOOhYr90GZ9_xqwiqXmZLGvgT76WPxLsLNQF6om2T6C2KNoZAGT0Gp2Fqkg5EmK9r2NV_fBHAFw5zb8i-CwGZuNp2OSdky5FoJg/s1600/El+Angel+poster+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1400" data-original-width="980" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijA3OlWwmsrczQNVzIMRexYQicOiM6HS1OFnDOOOhYr90GZ9_xqwiqXmZLGvgT76WPxLsLNQF6om2T6C2KNoZAGT0Gp2Fqkg5EmK9r2NV_fBHAFw5zb8i-CwGZuNp2OSdky5FoJg/s320/El+Angel+poster+1.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Argentine filmmaker Luis Ortega’s stylish crime
thriller <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">El Angel</i> set in Buenos Aires
during the early 70s is based on the true story of a notorious 17-year-old
baby-faced thief and killer with a fondness for burglarizing luxury suburban homes
of the wealthy. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Eventually joining a crime gang, Carlos
Robledo Puch aka El Angel was known as the Angel of Death for his innocent looking
childlike demeanor and blond curly hair with a tendency to be quick on the
trigger, casually robbing and killing innocent people while capturing the fascination
of the Argentine media.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">An all-star cast of well-known Latin
American actors give solid performances and an especially riveting standout performance
from newcomer Lorenzo Ferro in the title role of sexy serial killer Carlitos Robledo
Puch.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Like <a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.com/2015/10/el-clan-clan.html" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">El Clan</i></a> (2015) from Argentine director Pablo Trapero three years earlier, this
period in Argentina’s history is fertile ground for stories of intrigue, intimidation
and crime, foreshadowing the country’s right-wing nationalist mentality and government
corruption during the dictatorship era.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Carlitos comes from a middle-class family;
his father, a vacuum cleaner salesman and his mother a home maker from German
descent, try to raise him with good working-class values. But Carlitos has other
ideas. He doesn’t believe in ownership like everyone else. He says in the film
“I don’t believe in this is mine, and this is yours.” And he has a knack for
breaking into places. At first he steals whatever takes his fancy and either
keeps or gives them away as gifts to gain friends.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">When he meets a schoolmate who he finds
attractive, Ramón (Chino Darin), who comes from a crime family, he gains his
friendship, quickly becoming partners, and proves himself to be a daring fearless
thief but, to the alarm of Ramón’s family, also a loose cannon. He and his new
crime family are soon pulling bigger and bigger jobs which invariably lead, almost
casually at first, to deaths and murders that draw the attention of the
authorities.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">The 60s and 70s set design, consistent pacing,
and vintage music give the movie an appealing authentic feel. Like the
enigmatic character of pretty boy Carlos who loves to savor the time he spends
while robbing magnificent posh estates, the movie presents us with the opulence
and lavish lifestyle of the rich, then slowly as Carlos’ covetous greed grows and
he becomes increasingly psychotic, his surroundings become decayed and empty reflecting
his state of mind.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin40AFhHwp5lANM4YNFIVCGHvy5ZLaiYOamvbRj8mK7gLwMIij4WgXJwx-0Nwf6sKc2AptZslCgNSnx14cSBN_ALna5JBpDuFu15nDFGqb3qvuA5io3Rus2DIXC0YlWmBTYvHtzw/s1600/El+Angel+toto-ferro-chino-darian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="730" data-original-width="1300" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin40AFhHwp5lANM4YNFIVCGHvy5ZLaiYOamvbRj8mK7gLwMIij4WgXJwx-0Nwf6sKc2AptZslCgNSnx14cSBN_ALna5JBpDuFu15nDFGqb3qvuA5io3Rus2DIXC0YlWmBTYvHtzw/s200/El+Angel+toto-ferro-chino-darian.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">El
Angel</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> rocks with 70s fashion style and a stunning
sensual performance by Lorenzo Ferro</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span lang="EN-US">as Carlos who carries the
film convincingly, showing us an intense portrait of a young merciless teen killer
intoxicated with the power of his outrageous criminal acts. There is a palpable
erotic tension between the two young thieves Carlos and Ramón that eventually
turns deadly.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Ferro looks strikingly similar to the real Carlos
as seen in pictures from that time period. The real Carlos Puch is still alive
and is now famous for being the longest serving prisoner in Argentina’s history.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Produced by K&S Films and Pedro Almodovar’s
company El Deseo who also gave us <a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.com/2015/02/wild-tales.html" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wild Tales</i></a> (2014) and <a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.com/2015/10/el-clan-clan.html" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Clan</i></a> (2015),
Luis Ortega’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">El Angel</i> succeeds in
giving us an aesthetic experience that’s daring, disturbing and highly entertaining.
</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">JP</span></span></div>
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</style> JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310011692788504551noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17856792.post-53931347228096601642018-08-06T19:14:00.000-04:002018-08-08T21:02:42.353-04:00Blindspotting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi16Y4xYX3Zjnyd_6QWas6P-rljTf39wsIrp0RFlnZAGu7WMy0GOOWqs5D7686f-VYsTxCV5M7Z4aMVI4O7t2VF2joUq0MAJmiVDUYrQ7wun43yAmawoeHGVl8-RKEyJw2ydHCFMw/s1600/Blindspotting+poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="888" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi16Y4xYX3Zjnyd_6QWas6P-rljTf39wsIrp0RFlnZAGu7WMy0GOOWqs5D7686f-VYsTxCV5M7Z4aMVI4O7t2VF2joUq0MAJmiVDUYrQ7wun43yAmawoeHGVl8-RKEyJw2ydHCFMw/s320/Blindspotting+poster.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Based on the actual experiences of
co-writers and co-actors Rafael Casal and Daveed Diggs while growing up
together in West Oakland and the Bay area, the film follows Collin (Diggs) and
Miles (Casal) as childhood buddies who are struggling with the loss of their
beloved neighborhood as new affluent hipsters are rapidly infiltrating and
changing the dynamics of the city and ultimately throwing their relationship
into turmoil.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Blindspotting</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> starts out as a buddy comedy but eventually becomes a serious
social commentary on race relations, police brutality and the effects of
gentrification by throwing together a mix of people with very different values
and experiences that see the locals changing their perspective on their old
community.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">The independent gritty drama opens with a
split screen montage of West Oakland, California and the Bay area ghetto street
life set to Verdi’s opera </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Libiamo Ne' Lieti Calici Brindisi"</span><span lang="EN-US">, starting the film off with a fun celebratory vibe juxtaposing old and
new images of a city in flux between what it used to be and what it’s becoming.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">This low budget buddy drama about the
friendship between Collin, a soft spoken quiet young black man, and Miles, his
hotheaded fast-talking white friend who grew up having to adapt to the
predominantly black cultural hub of West Oakland, takes place during the last
three days of Collin’s probation period, but Miles’ volatile temper keeps threatening
to violate Collin’s strict parole terms. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">When Collin witnesses a police shooting of
a black man one night while driving home, it affects him more than he realizes
and we quickly suspect that his last few days serving his probation as a
convicted felon could easily end with him back in jail and losing his freedom.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Meanwhile the strange transition and metamorphoses
of his community into unrecognizable people and places, and the innate police
prejudices toward young black men are making his plans to leave a life of
incarceration behind more difficult than he imagined.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Blindspotting</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> refers to a psychology term called Rubin’s Vase where two images
exist simultaneously but depending on one’s background and experiences, we only
see one image while missing the other until it’s pointed out to us. The film
thus shows how we are unconsciously biased toward one perception of certain
people until we are shown another.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ja4Bq02plnQhRZ3IK5ArCtLWiponUaQzIrr7NuSoOL3d5Fo8E9Vn68u39LifBT6RvvL4bYzIcRtQi47HJrL6JR4b7Bu2teBKL709T7pqLqbTco9exB1H5EapwjP8ebPvMAAkMA/s1600/Blindspotting+image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="720" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ja4Bq02plnQhRZ3IK5ArCtLWiponUaQzIrr7NuSoOL3d5Fo8E9Vn68u39LifBT6RvvL4bYzIcRtQi47HJrL6JR4b7Bu2teBKL709T7pqLqbTco9exB1H5EapwjP8ebPvMAAkMA/s200/Blindspotting+image.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Using unique Bay area vernacular and slang that
was prominent in West Oakland, Collin and Miles who are longtime Oakland locals
and real-life rappers often communicate in rap verse and poetry slams
throughout the film. The performances are superb all around including the two
main leads who have a genuine chemistry and comradery as they are childhood
friends in real life.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">A passion project that was ten years in the
making, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Blindspotting</i> is the
culmination of years of planning and went through many iterations over the
years, but despite its long incubation period the film feels remarkably current,
dealing truthfully with today’s extremely topical issues.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Blindspotting</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> is a tough hard-hitting reflection of urban inner-city life that
has a good heart and no small amount of humor mixed with tense drama. It’s an
amazing tribute to the affection and determination of the filmmakers that this fun
visual record of a period in transition from old school boom box to new digital
cell phone apps nostalgia has been brought to the screen with such honesty and flare.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">JP</span></span><br />
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</style> JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310011692788504551noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17856792.post-69315720371962722982018-07-24T20:59:00.000-04:002018-07-25T20:18:06.987-04:00Rashomon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_9kttnxUT8Lejqr3W4zgnmQ2wNeGQUI_Z0x8Bz5zX89VyRgTWYLp5r4rlqkwhxLAverzWAgX5nLGZbfky2-Lj_jh4sfKsV4VDQDlecPlpRLOupOdsJHGvI34i1jR521Zer7rSlA/s1600/Rashomon+poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1013" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_9kttnxUT8Lejqr3W4zgnmQ2wNeGQUI_Z0x8Bz5zX89VyRgTWYLp5r4rlqkwhxLAverzWAgX5nLGZbfky2-Lj_jh4sfKsV4VDQDlecPlpRLOupOdsJHGvI34i1jR521Zer7rSlA/s320/Rashomon+poster.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Before he became world renowned as the
leading figure in Japanese art cinema and stunned audiences with such
influential cinematic masterpieces as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ikiru</i>
(1952), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Seven Samurai</i> (1954), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Throne of Blood</i> (1957), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Hidden Fortress</i> (1958), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Yojimbo</i> (1961), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sanjuro</i> (1962), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Kagemusha:
The Shadow Warrior</i> (1980), and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ran</i>
(1985), Akira Kurosawa first burst to international attention with the highly
unique and unconventional art film <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rashomon</i>
(1950). </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">The film is based on a short story by
Ryunosuke Akutagawa which is set in 11<sup>th</sup> century Kyoto, the ancient
capital of Japan, at a time marked by devastating earthquakes, fires, famine
and plagues. During a pelting downpour, three figures shelter under the ruined
remains of the largest entrance gate to the city.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">While huddled together under the protection
of the crumbling two-story Rashomon gate, a priest and a woodcutter describe
the disturbing details of a recent crime to a concerned commoner. An
aristocratic woman and her samurai husband traveling by horse had been attacked
by a thief/bandit (Toshiro Mifune). The woman was raped in the forest and her
husband murdered. While recalling the testimony of the people involved in the crime
at the local tribunal courthouse, the film shows the events in flashback from
the perspective of the three participants; the bandit, the woman, and the
murdered husband (through a medium), and one witness, the woodcutter.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">But in each retelling of the same events,
the story changes significantly according to the person telling it. Eventually
we realize that the truth is unknowable because people are self-serving and
motivated by fear, greed and vanity. They all have reason to tell their own
version of the events so everyone’s story is suspect.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">It was important for Kurosawa to give audiences
a moral perspective on life in Japan after the horrors of the second world war choosing
stories like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rashomon</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Stray Dog</i> (1949). Japan at this time was
lawless, undergoing extremely difficult times. The country was devastated by
the war and in a state of complete destruction. People had no food or means of
survival and returning soldiers were looked down upon by the starving
civilians. Stealing and crime rates were extremely high and Kurosawa wanted to
remind people that to rebuild society for our children Japan must hold itself
to a new moral standard that would not be easy in these dark times but would eventually
improve life for everyone.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">When Kurosawa’s regular film studio Toho was
reluctant to produce his new project, he turned to another film studio Daiei
Tokyo Studios, where he was able to work with renowned cinematographer Kazuo
Miyagawa for the first time on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rashomon</i>.
His use of lighting and sophisticated visual style was so hypnotic and powerful
that it captivated audiences with its sense of stunning realism reminiscent of the
silent cinema aesthetic mixed with mythic storytelling. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3qsPQslmenI7GYwI80M9HiQ54ewPvbx7ZHaaMzOK7VrTirhnWS-ZsumNwGZtev29wH_L1i0ZeMU0Gt1qAYARRL_as3M6Umb-yiiCGLXmbFMQMajm6_fiTbl2sc05UayCg0VGDEg/s1600/Rashomon+Toshiro+Mifune.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="518" data-original-width="920" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3qsPQslmenI7GYwI80M9HiQ54ewPvbx7ZHaaMzOK7VrTirhnWS-ZsumNwGZtev29wH_L1i0ZeMU0Gt1qAYARRL_as3M6Umb-yiiCGLXmbFMQMajm6_fiTbl2sc05UayCg0VGDEg/s200/Rashomon+Toshiro+Mifune.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Kurosawa loved instilling his films with a
palpable sense of the atmosphere and the environment in which his scenes took
place, and you can see how he uses powerful images of weather, wind and heat to
get across the feeling of being in those places. The collaboration of Kurosawa
and Miyagawa on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rashomon</i> produced a beautiful
artful aesthetic that gave the film a whole new magical quality not seen in
Kurosawa’s previous films and audiences in Japan and abroad were enthralled by
it.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">This was only the fourth time that Kurosawa
choose to work with a young talented actor who he loved for the energy he
brought to a scene. The amazingly versatile and riveting Toshiro Mifune as the bandit
would go on to star in many of Akira Kurosawa’s greatest films eventually
becoming one of the all-time most prolific and successful director/actor partnerships
in cinema history.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Rashomon</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> went on to be a commercial hit for the studio in Japan and overseas
winning many international awards including the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and the
Academy Award for Best Foreign film. The success of <i>Rashomon</i> redefined Japanese film for western audiences and opened up opportunities for other Japanese directors of the time like Yasujiro Ozu, Kenji Mizoguchi and Hiroshi Teshigahara.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">JP</span></span><br />
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</style> JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310011692788504551noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17856792.post-8856685599243441212018-07-06T18:20:00.000-04:002018-07-06T22:51:24.245-04:00Hearts Beat Loud<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP4vblFM9HNjPhQ_gpEDxVRgLfFkE-ycJJF7jrJJUXYA3ZkETl_eaOrqknYwU9zV7gABAtUAwPgyL5xMEo7O0bmCTzRi5YwNLmOHeuK0y1Qofk6aeISofiXQwDCDakvfv9eb_qXg/s1600/Hearts+Beat+Loud+movie+poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1012" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP4vblFM9HNjPhQ_gpEDxVRgLfFkE-ycJJF7jrJJUXYA3ZkETl_eaOrqknYwU9zV7gABAtUAwPgyL5xMEo7O0bmCTzRi5YwNLmOHeuK0y1Qofk6aeISofiXQwDCDakvfv9eb_qXg/s320/Hearts+Beat+Loud+movie+poster.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">This Sundance Film Festival favorite will
melt the hearts of all but the most jaded of viewers. It’s a profoundly touching
crowd-pleaser if ever there was one that wears its heart on its sleeve using a
combination of original songs and lyrics performed by a father and daughter musician duo jamming together to creatively express their inner
torment.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">A hipster widower Frank Fisher (Nick
Offerman) who runs a vinyl record store in the Brooklyn NY neighborhood of Red
Hook, and his singer songwriter daughter Sam (Kiersey Clemons) who wants to go
to medical school, are struggling with the loss of his wife and mother to Sam. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">It’s the end of an era for single father Frank
as he deals with issues of his aging mother, the regrets
of his youth, losing his record store, and now his daughter who is about to go
off to UCLA to attend medical school to become a doctor. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">When Frank submits one of their jam session
songs onto the free online music streaming service Spotify, the song becomes a
hit on a popular indie mix, and Frank suddenly gets visions of touring with his
daughter across the country and becoming famous as a live band act. But his
dream of rekindling his former life as a successful pop rock musician is fading
fast as he tries to convince his talented daughter to put aside her “childish
dream” of becoming a doctor for a life as a musician.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Hearts
Beat Loud</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> starts out as a low key comedy focusing on
the daily drama of its charming characters and gradually, like the music in the
film, crescendos into a devastatingly heartfelt emotional explosion on multiple
levels.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">The film is a sad commentary on coming to
terms with today’s new social and economic realities, the disparity between art
and commerce, and nostalgia and regrets of past glories. But the film also emphasizes
the power of the creative process to renew our hopes for the future.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">This musical drama follows in the tradition
of such recent let’s-start-a-band indie films as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Once </i>(2007), <a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.com/2015/01/begin-again.html" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Begin Again</i></a> (2014), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sing
Street</i> (2016) and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Band Aid</i>
(2017). I also loved how we were exposed to some high-tech gadgets that help
musicians create music in this new age of social media and computer-generated
synthesizers that have changed the music industry.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEino7qQimZTo9hxDbPlqWwbcthLJWkkDwQLKFovMm_V2_WkJyZsF1OsBwcC4uGw1HQzEmQaZ90Usw9zkD0CaQKaG9CURnPHY97ZUHPKDk6tlvy8jb4Njx7FN2ZvYGBtIhhbQbevcQ/s1600/hearts-beat-loud-sundance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="562" data-original-width="1000" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEino7qQimZTo9hxDbPlqWwbcthLJWkkDwQLKFovMm_V2_WkJyZsF1OsBwcC4uGw1HQzEmQaZ90Usw9zkD0CaQKaG9CURnPHY97ZUHPKDk6tlvy8jb4Njx7FN2ZvYGBtIhhbQbevcQ/s200/hearts-beat-loud-sundance.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Not only do we get the outstanding musical
talents of the main characters, Kiersey Clemons is a real-life classical jazz singer,
and Nick Offerman from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Parks and
Recreation</i> (2009) is hilarious as a man-child dealing with adult
responsibilities with his deadpan humor while trying to elicit reactions from
his daughter, we also get an excellent supporting cast of characters; Ted
Danson, Sasha Lane from <a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.com/2017/05/american-honey.html" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">American Honey</i></a>
(2016), Toni Collette, and Blyth Danner. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Director Bret Haley shows a sensitive touch
with the realistically awkward and complicated relationship between a vulnerable
father and daughter who start a band to deal with their real-life issues. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Hearts
Beat Loud</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> is a wonderful if sometimes sappy sentimental
feel-good film we could all use in these harsh divisive times of intolerance. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">JP</span></span></div>
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</style> JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310011692788504551noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17856792.post-25857744957888384232018-06-02T21:16:00.003-04:002018-10-10T15:40:40.284-04:00Solo: A Star Wars Story<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNDdieECWHJzBGliv8H8xLh08b_EKHWM8X32jJEqBrI2dnghyphenhyphenOPr48oWf64WGKkhrSkzqt6GAUZS1DaP7738LbVhhIcd1AfT0RBKhyphenhyphenC6bjK6G38Bts17smldj4FUJ58pvJAJHsaQ/s1600/Solo+IMAX+poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="827" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNDdieECWHJzBGliv8H8xLh08b_EKHWM8X32jJEqBrI2dnghyphenhyphenOPr48oWf64WGKkhrSkzqt6GAUZS1DaP7738LbVhhIcd1AfT0RBKhyphenhyphenC6bjK6G38Bts17smldj4FUJ58pvJAJHsaQ/s320/Solo+IMAX+poster.jpg" width="220" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Solo</span></i><span lang="EN-US">, the second stand-alone <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star
Wars</i> anthology film from Disney/Lucasfilm since <a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.com/2016/12/rogue-one-star-wars-story.html" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rogue One</i></a> (2016) features a young Han Solo that’s set exactly ten
years before the events of <a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.com/2012/09/star-wars-episode-iv-new-hope.html" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A New Hope</i></a>
(1977) and his famous encounter in the Mos Eisley alien cantina with Luke and
Ben Kenobi who hire him to pilot them to Alderaan to meet their destiny.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">It’s also ten years after the end of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Clone Wars</i> when all the Jedi have been
killed or exiled by the Sith Lord Darth Sidious and his fallen Jedi apprentice
Darth Vader. It’s a lawless time when powerful crime syndicates like Crimson
Dawn are competing for resources and a few pockets of resistance are starting
to rise up against the Empire’s authoritarian rule.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Solo</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> is a solid coming of age adventure ride that harkens back to the Old
West/cowboys-in-space vibe of the original films, taking us on a hyperspace
journey through the darker underbelly of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star Wars</i> universe; from the industrial shipyards on Han’s home world
of Corellia, to a war zone on the mud planet Mimban, to the dingy gambling
hide-out of Fort Ypso on the snowy mountain planet Vandor,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to the oppressive spice mines of Kessel, and
ultimately a stand-off at a deserted oceanside refinery on a sand dune wasteland
called Savareen.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Much has been made in the media about <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Solo</i>’s production problems and questions
of the need for a film about Han Solo’s backstory, but in the end none of that
matters because the movie, like Solo himself, beat all the odds and works amazingly
well showing no evidence of the behind-the-scenes turmoil. The story is
exciting and emotionally engaging, giving us new insights into the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star Wars</i> universe with many fun nods to
the classic films and the expanded universe books.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Chewbacca and the Millennium Falcon are of
course major characters in the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star Wars</i>
saga, and we get to see how these two iconic characters bonded and became synonymous
with the Han Solo legend. For Chewbacca fans, we haven’t seen the Wookie fuzz
ball get this much action since <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Empire Strikes Back</i> (1980).</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Solo</span></i><span lang="EN-US">, which I suspect will be the first in a series of Han Solo adventures,
stays generally, if loosely, faithful to some of the Han Solo lore that was established
in the various expanded universe novels while also exploring new directions. It’s
encouraging that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Solo</i> is proving new filmmakers
are still able to find inspiration from the Expanded Universe stories and are not
completely ignoring the non-canon books.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">I’m happy to say that Alden Ehrenreich’s
interpretation of Han Solo is in perfect keeping with the tone and spirit of
the character created by Harrison Ford. He embodies the younger space pirate
wonderfully giving a solid fun performance as the charming ambitious idealist smuggler
who wants to make his mark in the universe with plenty of swagger. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Another standout performance comes from
Donald Glover as the suave gambler and entrepreneur Lando Calrissian. Glover was
able to channel Billy Dee Williams smooth attitude with uncanny resemblance. In
fact, the duo of Ehrenreich and Glover have great on-screen chemistry.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCQNldSNEysVG2YpsvVpGkh6lFWBLui90M8syGlVAhxgPaoXmLvNThpxjGoIlmD8JXbP4GVfa5bfLs5j7fxPnEmf7wiYFkP2DGISDPfD8dSj19ScYLSs66tlTRLfozXqShz-ZIIg/s1600/Solo+A+Star+Wars+Story+Han+and+Chewie+on+Savareen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCQNldSNEysVG2YpsvVpGkh6lFWBLui90M8syGlVAhxgPaoXmLvNThpxjGoIlmD8JXbP4GVfa5bfLs5j7fxPnEmf7wiYFkP2DGISDPfD8dSj19ScYLSs66tlTRLfozXqShz-ZIIg/s200/Solo+A+Star+Wars+Story+Han+and+Chewie+on+Savareen.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">One of the coolest side-splitting sequences
in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Solo</i> was the filmmakers’ attempt
to explore droids’ rights issues, given that androids are generally treated as
slave labor in the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star Wars</i> galaxy.
One droid in particular plays a fantastic role in Lando’s navigational co-pilot
L3-37 played by Phoebe Waller-Bridge who has more personality than we’ve ever seen
from other Star Wars droids.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">The music score by John Powell ties <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Solo</i> most closely with <a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.com/2012/09/star-wars-episode-iv-new-hope.html" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A New Hope</i></a> (1977) and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Empire Strikes Back</i> (1980) with John
Williams’ familiar themes being re-used here and there to instantly recall
situations from the earlier films.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">For fans, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Solo</i> has a revelatory ah-ha moment with the re-appearance of a
popular villain long thought to be dead and who was resurrected in the CG
Animated tv series <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Clone Wars</i>
(2008 – 2014) that will be discussed for years to come and promises more
intriguing stories in future episodes. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Solo</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> can also be enjoyed immensely by the casual viewer as a retro/futuristic
adventure heist film set in a galaxy far, far away that feels like a Western in
space with memorable characters who seem strangely familiar. So, bring your
best Wookie roar, your quickdraw blaster and enjoy the ride.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">JP</span></span></div>
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</style> JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310011692788504551noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17856792.post-45440089812298913162018-05-20T22:47:00.000-04:002018-06-02T21:28:36.611-04:00Han Solo gets his own trilogy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK3ZIQpWvvVYNyb4eniozZK79sBJt15J1LWiKasEIhBuvBpyiJKQ12-JyJUgcu3gnzQiOW06fHLmMzT20CmDVla82NIcCqm1rkobqsFn0BCb4ynbX22yBI6Juya5U-4CTd_mk6fw/s1600/Solo+A+Star+Wars+Story+poster+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1132" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK3ZIQpWvvVYNyb4eniozZK79sBJt15J1LWiKasEIhBuvBpyiJKQ12-JyJUgcu3gnzQiOW06fHLmMzT20CmDVla82NIcCqm1rkobqsFn0BCb4ynbX22yBI6Juya5U-4CTd_mk6fw/s320/Solo+A+Star+Wars+Story+poster+2.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Han, Chewie, Lando and the Millennium
Falcon are some of the most iconic characters from the Original <a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.ca/2012/09/star-wars-episode-iv-new-hope.html" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star Wars</i></a> trilogy. Longtime fans of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star Wars</i> saga will remember reading about
the adventures of the galaxy’s most notorious space pirate before he met up
with Luke, Leia and Ben Kenobi through the character bios and many Expanded Universe books that
have been written about them, including A. C. Crispin’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Han Solo trilogy</i>, and Brian Daley’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Han Solo Adventures</i>. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Well, now we finally get to see for
ourselves these mythic events and characters brought to life on the big screen
for the first time when <a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.com/2018/06/solo-star-wars-story.html" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Solo: A Star Wars Story</i></a> opens in cinemas worldwide on May 25<sup>th</sup>.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Fans will finally get to witness the legend
of Solo’s humble beginnings and shady past as an orphan growing up on his home
world of Corellia. How he and his Wookiee co-pilot Chewbacca first met, how he joined
a gang of thieves running scams under the mentorship of their leader, and how he
eventually won the famous Millennium Falcon, the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy,
from his sometime friend Lando Calrissian</span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US"> in a card game</span></span>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Most of us have heard how Han escaped his life of crime on Corellia to joined the Empire as a TIE pilot only to be
disillusioned and discharged from the Imperial navy when he refused to participate
in the enslavement of Wookiees and saved the life of one such Wookiee named
Chewbacca, whose custom was to swear a life debt to Han. Together they became
one of the most notorious partners running spice for the Hutt clans, one of
whose members was Jabba the Hutt.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">It will be interesting to see just how much
of this original backstory of Han Solo is kept in the film as much of the Expanded
Universe books are no longer considered canon by Disney when they bought Lucasfilm and the Star Wars franchise. But from the evidence seen in the new
trailers for the film online it would seem that much of Han Solo’s legendary
life remains intact although we will see how much of it was altered and where new
directions are explored.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">As we have seen in <a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.ca/2016/12/rogue-one-star-wars-story.html" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rogue One</i></a> (2016) and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.ca/2017/12/star-wars-last-jedi.html" target="_blank">The Last Jedi</a> </i>(2017), some of the vast non-canon material produced for the Expanded
Star Wars Universe could eventually end up being used in a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star Wars</i> film somewhere in the future, thus returning it to canon
status.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.com/2018/06/solo-star-wars-story.html" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Solo:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A Star Wars Story</span></i></a><span lang="EN-US">
reportedly features a mud planet called Mimban, which was first introduced by
Alan Dean Foster, the ghostwriter of the first <a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.ca/2012/09/star-wars-episode-iv-new-hope.html" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star Wars</i></a> novelization, in the very first expanded Star Wars novel <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Splinter of the Mind’s Eye </i>back in 1978,
which is a non-canon novel continuing the adventures of Luke Skywalker and Princess
Leia Organa shortly after the events of <a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.ca/2012/09/star-wars-episode-iv-new-hope.html" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A New Hope</i></a>. Mimban will now make it’s feature film debut in <a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.com/2018/06/solo-star-wars-story.html" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Solo</i></a>.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">First reports of the Premiere showing of <a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.com/2018/06/solo-star-wars-story.html" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Solo</i></a> in Hollywood and at Cannes last
week are very encouraging with many people proclaiming it a fun fast ride with
plenty of surprises that will satisfy the hard core faithful followers of the
saga. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHLpWcImb3iFRRCazIg41n8oflsXEbTTJ8iqkPxIJIieNvlicn70zk456mp3ooq2_lhmccqakbRgPEbFQHqxaVUNptK0Zfkk7bAhyj8u6UbBkwlYXfv5LysbjQYIvD88pojz3MOA/s1600/Solo+A+Star+Wars+Story+quad+poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHLpWcImb3iFRRCazIg41n8oflsXEbTTJ8iqkPxIJIieNvlicn70zk456mp3ooq2_lhmccqakbRgPEbFQHqxaVUNptK0Zfkk7bAhyj8u6UbBkwlYXfv5LysbjQYIvD88pojz3MOA/s200/Solo+A+Star+Wars+Story+quad+poster.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">By all accounts the decision to bring in longtime
friend of George Lucas and veteran Oscar winning director Ron Howard half way
through production to finish the project on time has paid off and saved the
film from potential disaster. (or at least from a delayed release) The
important thing now for fans to remember is not to dwell on the production woes
but to judge the finished product on the screen. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">I’m looking forward to seeing a different
kind of <a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.ca/2012/09/star-wars-episode-iv-new-hope.html" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star Wars</i></a> movie we haven’t
seen before from the point of view of beloved characters not associated with
the Force or the Jedi Knights. Han Solo has no special powers, he’s the
quintessential cynic loner with a conscience who stumbles through one pitfall after
another while selfishly pursuing riches. He never imagined he would one day meet
a princess who would convince him to join a rebellion to defeat the
tyrannical Empire he was once a part of.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">JP</span></span></div>
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</style> JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310011692788504551noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17856792.post-70311923043075990892018-03-17T21:19:00.000-04:002018-03-17T21:25:59.745-04:00Padmaavat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoYP_pGf1YqXAjdQp9MtN99X6gjbB-0f5GoTWVicYuW3ttFme5xtoeO84XsLU8qJR6lj-rfyLxBVGgDZh3RZ86V-eslLn8wzRtdIpxjze1HyfISae8cqBdPGFs6nA8f6RorChPHA/s1600/Padmaavat+poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1300" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoYP_pGf1YqXAjdQp9MtN99X6gjbB-0f5GoTWVicYuW3ttFme5xtoeO84XsLU8qJR6lj-rfyLxBVGgDZh3RZ86V-eslLn8wzRtdIpxjze1HyfISae8cqBdPGFs6nA8f6RorChPHA/s320/Padmaavat+poster.jpg" width="221" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Reportedly the most expensive Indian film
ever made, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Padmaavat</i> lives up to expectations
of a visually spectacular mega mythological/historical epic of feudal India. Drawing
on its rich history of legendary figures that have invaded and influenced Indian
culture over thousands of years, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Padmaavat</i>
is the Bollywood equivalent of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Kingdom of
Heaven</i> (2005) and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Troy</i> (2004). If
you’ve never experienced a Bollywood blockbuster this would be a great place to
start.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Padmaavat</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> depicts the staggering opulence of 13<sup>th</sup> century medieval
India where good versus evil, heroes and villains are shown as larger than life.
In typical Bollywood fashion there are grand palaces, vast armies clashing in
full armor, over-the-top drama, a massive city siege, dazzling luxuriant
costumes, and grandiose musical dance sequences that puts Hollywood’s golden
age to shame. </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Loosely based on the Hindustani epic poem
by Sufi poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Padmaavat</i>
is the story of Padmini (Deepika Padukone), a princess from the Kingdom of
Singhal in Sri Lanka whose reputation as the most beautiful woman in the world
eventually reached Ratan Singh (Shahid Kapoor), the ruler of a Rajput warrior
clan in Rajastan occupying the largest and strongest fortified city in India called
Chittor, built on top of a high cliff hill. </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Ratan Singh, known for his proud ancestry,
honour and strong warrior ethic, travels a long way to meet Padmini who he soon
learns is not only beautiful but also strong and intelligent. While hunting one
day in a dark dense forest filled with wild animals, Padmini accidentally shoots
the King Ratan with an arrow while he is admiring her from the bushes wounding
him in the shoulder. While recovering from his injury at her father’s palace they
fall in love and marry, eventually returning to live together as the new King
and Queen of Chittor. </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Purdah, or the seclusion of women to
protect them from the eyes and harassment of other men, was a custom of the
Rajput nobility, so when a court musician is caught spying on the couple during
an intimate moment, Ratan banishes him from his kingdom. The musician travels
to Delhi where a ruthless Muslim invader Alauddin Khilji (Ranveer Singh) has
just conquered the Delhi Sultanate.</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">He tells Alauddin of the extraordinary
beauty of the new Mewar Queen of Chittor, Padmini, knowing he will do anything to
conquer her and thereby gain his revenge on the Rajput King for banishing him.
Alauddin who is known for his brutal reign of terror from 1296 – 1316 collecting
precious birds and women, now decides he must possess Padmini and immediately
gathers his army and lays siege on the impregnable fortress of Chittor.</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_59se2RBvf7wEOOELmXuLU3qMktv39rqG0MGsc-49p4FLxLDS85WGzYG93WHYEP26tmxlWUM55ntqtzwfH7jOQ0qWHDU6GGiXbdSTq_YQJ7SPz5L-V0uFqo-CLPltPkvaMu6IAA/s1600/Padmaavat+scene.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="570" data-original-width="1137" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_59se2RBvf7wEOOELmXuLU3qMktv39rqG0MGsc-49p4FLxLDS85WGzYG93WHYEP26tmxlWUM55ntqtzwfH7jOQ0qWHDU6GGiXbdSTq_YQJ7SPz5L-V0uFqo-CLPltPkvaMu6IAA/s200/Padmaavat+scene.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">The movie has become highly controversial
in India among Hindu nationalists who have made attempts to sabotage the film because
of its depiction of the disturbing Rajput practice of Jauhar; the Hindu custom
of mass self-sacrificing of royal women who set themselves on fire to avoid
capture and enslavement by foreign invaders.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Written, produced and directed by one of
the most widely acclaimed directors working in India today, Sanjay Leela Bhansali
is no stranger to controversy. His films have won critical praise and garnered many
awards both at home and internationally. He is known for his large scale mega
musical dramas like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Devdas</i> (2002), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Black</i> (2005), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ram-leela</i> (2013), and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bajirao
Mastani</i> (2015) all of which have achieved mega box-office success despite
the controversies surrounding them.</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Padmaavat</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> is both historical and entertaining, filmed on real locations with stunning
cinematography and strong characters with a heightened flare for the dramatic.
Throw in a few wild mind-blowing musical numbers and you will gain a new
appreciation for Indian history that’s as epic as any Homeric poem.</span></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">JP</span></span>JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310011692788504551noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17856792.post-3525029576907725422018-01-28T13:35:00.000-05:002018-01-28T13:37:51.903-05:00Loveless<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAgqmSTrO_Ojjqky3B53L0Ru1b-DxTkAL1EZAn1GOjza1TMhL8lkFfB8VVDFymg0gcEfnq6EQq2zqm8D_audWk1rQfEtbmfJMR_itmrqSEoDyufsn7xBllCKt4N1macTguqc-5zQ/s1600/Loveless+poster.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="890" data-original-width="594" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAgqmSTrO_Ojjqky3B53L0Ru1b-DxTkAL1EZAn1GOjza1TMhL8lkFfB8VVDFymg0gcEfnq6EQq2zqm8D_audWk1rQfEtbmfJMR_itmrqSEoDyufsn7xBllCKt4N1macTguqc-5zQ/s320/Loveless+poster.jpeg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">A middle aged Russian couple Zhenya (Maryana Spivak), and Boris
(Aleksey Rozin) in the midst of an ugly divorce is completely oblivious to the
effect their cruel toxic fights are having on their 12-year-old son Alyosha
(Matvey Novikov). They both work and each have moved on to other more blissful
relationships as they can’t stand to be around each other. But as we later
learn, they have chosen more strategically beneficial relationships with people
that will in some way increase or maintain their class status in society.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The performances are as surgically precise as the subject is
devastating and we get no redeeming characters. The husband Boris has chosen a
much younger fiancé with whom he had an affair and who is now pregnant with his
child. He is worried that the company he works for will find out that he is
divorcing as they only hire married men. The wife Zhenya, looking out for her
future comfort is now with an older and much wealthier man than her husband.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Unknown to them while neglecting their own son’s needs, Alyosha
has decided to run away and his absence goes unnoticed for days. The rest of
the film focuses on the two parents as they reluctantly come together to enlist
the services of state departments in search for their missing boy.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Loveless</i> turns
into a kind of procedural as we are introduces to various government agencies
and search parties are deployed in a number of desolate wintery landscapes and
abandoned buildings. The parents become increasingly distraught and we discover
more details about their past relationship as the search drags on with no
results.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This evocative tragic drama by acclaimed Russian director
Andrey Zvyagintsev – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Leviathan</i> (2014)
is like looking through a dark icy crystal. The people in it are as bleak and
dour as the silent barren landscape that the camera lingers over. Visually
stunning, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Loveless</i> has a distinct
austere beauty reflective of the soulless, morally corrupt characters in it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The connection between the harsh humanist subject matter and
the grim landscape is tangible. Taking place in a suburb of Moscow, it seems
class divisions have created a population motivated only by achieving quick and
easy self-satisfaction while ignoring more compassionate parental
responsibilities.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjflDxqfkLM4SvJZO-srXDV0DX_uLlUoZbuLpRd2gYhcMkjYxmBxVxxLPqfFi-T03n-QO2nrEQCS0mJbskNkt5rnFnKgPHan-_bXtVVZtufgIQD7EPeBMoh7AHJOqkPteuXzYMSJQ/s1600/Loveless+window+scene.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="417" data-original-width="880" height="94" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjflDxqfkLM4SvJZO-srXDV0DX_uLlUoZbuLpRd2gYhcMkjYxmBxVxxLPqfFi-T03n-QO2nrEQCS0mJbskNkt5rnFnKgPHan-_bXtVVZtufgIQD7EPeBMoh7AHJOqkPteuXzYMSJQ/s200/Loveless+window+scene.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The visual design is stunningly arresting and darkly
desolate as we progress from modern antiseptic interiors to frozen lifeless
exteriors, and increasingly more hostile environments leaving us emotionally
cold to the stern reality of the film. It’s a somber and brutally honest drama that
focuses its shocking story on the darker part of human nature and parental relationships
with a visual bravura and stark beauty that will leave you with a cold
admiration.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Andrey Zvyagintsev is an important new voice in Russian cinema
and a gifted auteur who has been revealing contemporary problems of modern
middle and lower class Russians since his first acclaimed film <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Return</i> (2003).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Loveless</i> is
Russia’s Oscar entry and now with its Best Foreign film nomination is a strong
contender at the 2018 Academy Awards airing on March 4, 2018.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">JP</span>JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310011692788504551noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17856792.post-49362954077866081142018-01-15T22:02:00.001-05:002018-03-17T17:15:00.956-04:00Blade Runner 2049<div class="MsoNormal">
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</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMS8CWeTfMmq4ofTrpWEtsN0mygQsqX31DI_JvuNSHzFo_e8cvBdKxr21IEJpGyLRbPETdn__gxL_FHaN7-Tgl2wAfMgT9V3-nCyidB8fR0J4zgcqMHPyG3winj2sknkb0stMbkA/s1600/Blade+Runner+poster+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1517" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMS8CWeTfMmq4ofTrpWEtsN0mygQsqX31DI_JvuNSHzFo_e8cvBdKxr21IEJpGyLRbPETdn__gxL_FHaN7-Tgl2wAfMgT9V3-nCyidB8fR0J4zgcqMHPyG3winj2sknkb0stMbkA/s320/Blade+Runner+poster+.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">W</span>hen we left Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), the futuristic
cop who hunts down bio-engineered humans called Replicants at the end of the
original <a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.ca/2012/02/blade-runner-like-tears-in-rain.html" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Blade Runner</i></a> (1982) some 30
years before the events of this first sequel, he had eluded the authorities and
escaped with a female Replicant named Rachael who he had fallen in love with. Racheal
we learned was a special experimental model made by Tyrell Corporation without
an expiry date, whereas all previous Replicants had a <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">fail-safe</span> four year life
span. Now retired, Deckard intended to live the remainder of his life in hiding
with her. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Hampton Fancher, writer of the original screenplay was
passionate about the Philip Dick novel on which the movie was based. He felt strongly
about the characters and his screenplay, but when Ridley Scott officially
signed onto the project as director back in 1980, his script would go through
many changes as Ridley visualized the world of <a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.ca/2012/02/blade-runner-like-tears-in-rain.html" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Blade Runner</i></a>. It was a nightmare for Fancher as tensions between
him and the director increased, but Ridley had his own ideas and needed to find
a visual esthetic based on the leading edge futurist visions of sci-fi artists
at the time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Naturally when it finally came time to write the long
awaited sequel to what has become the seminal dystopian future noir thriller,
Hampton Fancher, just as passionate about the story he helped bring to life 35
years earlier, was once again consulted about how the story should progress
into uncharted territory now that the look of the world had been established
and engrained in the culture.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The story has been smartly and logically projected into the
future in an exciting way that leaves the possibility for more chapters in this
fascinatingly bleak future world of a discarded earth. Visually stunning and
still as relevant as ever, the central themes of what it means to be human in
the original film are still very much in the forefront of the modernized sequel
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Blade Runner 2049</i>, directed by acclaimed
French Canadian filmmaker Denis Villeneuve - <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Arrival</i> (2016), <a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.ca/2015/09/sicario.html" target="_blank"><i>Sicario</i></a> (2015), <a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.ca/2013/09/prisoners.html" target="_blank"><i>Prisoners</i></a> (2013), <a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.ca/2011/11/incendies.html" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Incendies</i></a>
(2010).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Earth is now a vast wasteland of garbage, a giant landfill
of sorts for the waste from off-world colonies as a backdrop for a potential
revolutionary tinderbox when we learn that in the intervening years between 2019
and 2049, the bio-engineered slave class of humans have been secretly working
to gain their freedom and right to live among humans and possibly replace them. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMVMSkBikkL0sB45-DyD0FFLphsjIOpis2Zrz9cEWsMEweo0MmZyEpyxH9HLyEyK3CGeSgKXeI8sIUEbEw4LYhm_wjmypJkQyUVBWzhNtv2qQLQR0cAQ_HPO_i5LdvFm2geqy30A/s1600/Blade+Runner+2+Office+K.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMVMSkBikkL0sB45-DyD0FFLphsjIOpis2Zrz9cEWsMEweo0MmZyEpyxH9HLyEyK3CGeSgKXeI8sIUEbEw4LYhm_wjmypJkQyUVBWzhNtv2qQLQR0cAQ_HPO_i5LdvFm2geqy30A/s200/Blade+Runner+2+Office+K.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The Replicant Freedom movement was formed by a new class of
advanced robots who eventually learn something no one thought was possible and
which has the potential to eventually free them from human oppression. The Tyrell
Corporation who had produced the synthetic humans in the original film is now
bankrupt and replaced by a more menacing company Wallace Corp. that builds new
advanced and more obedient versions of the Replicants. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The young agent in the Blade Runner unit of this film, Agent
K, (Ryan Gosling) is now actually a Replicant himself working for the LAPD to
find and ruthlessly retire rogue Replicants. He’s regarded with contempt by the
rest of the department. Using Replicants to find Replicants is risky but makes
sense since Replicants are faster and stronger than humans.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In the first film Replicants were portrayed as evil but we
eventually gained a kind of reluctant sympathy for the Nexus 6 Replicant Roy
Batty (Rutger Hauer) after we saw him redeemed while his life expired and he
decides not to kill Deckard in his final poetic moments. In <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Blade Runner 2049</i> there is an effort to
make us feel much more empathy for the discriminated Replicants who want
nothing more than to live with dignity and in peaceful coexistence with humans.</span><br />
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The neon noir-ish melancholic mood of the original film has
been preserved for this follow-up with expressive synthwave retro-electronic music
by Oscar winning composer Hans Zimmer, darkly resonating with the original Vangelis
soundtrack. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Likewise, as you would expect, the ground breaking visual
style of the original has been enhanced successfully, adding many modern
touches by cinematographer extraordinaire Roger Deakins, in what could be some
of his finest work. The dreamlike color saturated environments will linger in
the mind long afterward; a testament to his staggering talent. </span><br />
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</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM9Me5yCXZHp6NjBA2EzqJxzJcJGQDbEt0CN7jvIlwrRnj7MnzJc_mna8m9U5_fexgAD0SBW05N0VSR_ovLNsIxAZPR9Wu-mShwXnLaC-2DFLLU-OakWfGlOhD7e6N9ekBzCMUQQ/s1600/Blade+Runner+2+-+Agent+K.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM9Me5yCXZHp6NjBA2EzqJxzJcJGQDbEt0CN7jvIlwrRnj7MnzJc_mna8m9U5_fexgAD0SBW05N0VSR_ovLNsIxAZPR9Wu-mShwXnLaC-2DFLLU-OakWfGlOhD7e6N9ekBzCMUQQ/s200/Blade+Runner+2+-+Agent+K.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Roger Deakins is best known for his work on the films of the
Coen Brothers before he worked on films like <a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.ca/2015/09/sicario.html" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sicario</i></a> (2015), and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.ca/2013/09/prisoners.html" target="_blank">Prisoners</a>
</i>(2013) for Denis Villeneuve, as well as a visual consultant on many computer
animated films including <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.ca/2011/07/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none_30.html" target="_blank">Rango</a> </i>(2011)
and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wall-E</i> (2008). He is expected to
win a long overdue Oscar for his extraordinary body of work.</span><br />
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Music and<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>images blend
so well together in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Blade Runner 2049</i>
to create a total immersive otherworldly experience, it’s a good bet to pick up
some hardware for technical achievement at the Oscars this year and will not
disappoint the many fans of the original cult classic.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">JP</span>JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310011692788504551noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17856792.post-41249156579446801582017-12-31T20:58:00.000-05:002018-01-03T23:18:02.416-05:00Star Wars: The Last Jedi<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif7VyKTo1vNvPWIj71c2XGIy_HtU60mFsev6lDRGnSnld5ffwKERHQtL-g8sF3meMYrJcECuTCMtZfiban7lHEmdbbNIzOWReE4Dyb2_mX5BWZNqZAcM4TjCEQBx4D-9rLtHjb4g/s1600/The+Last+Jedi+Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1037" data-original-width="700" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif7VyKTo1vNvPWIj71c2XGIy_HtU60mFsev6lDRGnSnld5ffwKERHQtL-g8sF3meMYrJcECuTCMtZfiban7lHEmdbbNIzOWReE4Dyb2_mX5BWZNqZAcM4TjCEQBx4D-9rLtHjb4g/s320/The+Last+Jedi+Poster.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There seems to be a
disparity of opinions between many <a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.ca/2012/09/star-wars-episode-iv-new-hope.html" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star Wars</i></a> fans, and movie critics who unanimously admire the latest episode in
the beloved fantasy saga <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star Wars: The
Last Jedi</i>, the second film in the third trilogy. The reasons why many of
the hardcore fans are complaining about <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Last Jedi</i> are the very same reasons the critics are praising it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Yes it’s true, here as with <a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.ca/2015/12/star-wars-force-awakens.html" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Force Awakens</i></a> (2015), classic characters are being killed off
to make way for new ones, which can be disappointing for older fans. But <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Last Jedi</i> still feels as epic and
nostalgic as the previous films, integrating many familiar elements from both <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Empire Strikes Back</i> (1980) and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Return of the Jedi</i> (1983) but giving
them a fresh new vibrant look and feel. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This film may not be the best in the series but it comes
close. There are problems and some story elements did not quite work for me,
but let’s not forget that Star Wars is an evolving franchise and all the films
had their own unique problems that didn’t quite work for everyone. The Ewoks for
example were loved by younger fans and hated by others.</span><br />
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">What made the original films so compelling to generations of
kids and adults was the human story and the rare pairing of the three lead cast
members Mark Hamill (Luke), Carrie Fisher (Leia) and Harrison Ford (Han) who
created such a strong chemistry between them that has never been matched since.
This new sequel trilogy and the previous prequel trilogy inevitably suffer from
the lack of anything approaching that kind of chemistry, and the older versions
of the original characters are not given enough screen time together to
rekindle that magic. </span><br />
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">But having said that, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Last Jedi</i> does get enough things right; revisiting iconic lore while taking
some big risks by introducing us to new characters and expanding our
understanding of Jedi concepts and powers, to make it more than a worthy entry
in the saga. As a sequel to <a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.ca/2015/12/star-wars-force-awakens.html" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Force Awakens</i></a> it does an excellent job of advancing the story into new directions.
As the middle part of the sequel trilogy it leaves our heroes and the
Resistance in a precarious and diminished state barely escaping annihilation at
great cost.</span><br />
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Much like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Empire
Strikes Back</i> (1980), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Last Jedi</i>
is a bittersweet experience with startling revelations and a darker tone from
the previous film. It starts with the hurried evacuation of the Resistance hidden
base when they are discovered by the First Order. Rey (Daisy Ridley) has left
the Resistance base to find Jedi master Luke Skywalker to learn more about the Force
and it’s left up to Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) and BB-8 to defend the Rebel
fleet.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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</div>
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</div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">New characters are introduced in the form of Rose (Kelly
Marie Tran), a Resistance technician and new love interest for Finn, DJ
(Benicio Del Toro) a code breaker who will work for anyone who pays him, and enough
new aliens to satisfy the most hardcore geeks. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Last Jedi</i> also leaves us with many unanswered questions as to
the fate of the First Order and The Resistance, both sides having lost important
leaders in their cause. It will be interesting to see what direction the story
will take in the next and third part of the trilogy.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDoKpRnsj5dMOappetRgM5BoGMerchxwc7FGBG3ZI0xOV7_t7eXAlSxKwlnsYfZjTAIXfhndUPEFERMCfInFKxkA_0zx67Qq5mTL8lG7fB9w8W30eowhqEVEFWCic1-Ps-Q_SIkg/s1600/The+Last+Jedi+-+Luke+Rey+Kylo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="600" height="105" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDoKpRnsj5dMOappetRgM5BoGMerchxwc7FGBG3ZI0xOV7_t7eXAlSxKwlnsYfZjTAIXfhndUPEFERMCfInFKxkA_0zx67Qq5mTL8lG7fB9w8W30eowhqEVEFWCic1-Ps-Q_SIkg/s200/The+Last+Jedi+-+Luke+Rey+Kylo.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Visually<i> </i>writer/director Rian Johnson -<i> <a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.ca/2013/01/looper.html" target="_blank">Looper</a></i> (2012)
successfully captures the look and feel of the best of the original films being
filmed in actual otherworldly location around the world; The Island of Skellig
Michael, Ireland, Dubrovnik, Croatia and the salt flats of Bolivia.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">One of the problems that some fans have pointed to in the
film is that the film tries to do too much in an attempt to please everyone. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Last Jedi</i> is a clever balancing act
that takes dramatically heavy and sometimes sad moments and quickly downplays
them with terse visual jokes, some would say to the detriment of the seriousness
of the moment.</span><br />
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Overall though, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Last Jedi</i> has great pacing and incredible visually stunning set pieces that
will thrill and satisfy most viewers with excellent performances from Mark
Hamill, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver as well as the rest of the cast.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">JP</span>JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310011692788504551noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17856792.post-14746405331910394962017-11-30T22:56:00.000-05:002017-11-30T22:58:02.125-05:00Goodbye Berlin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFUzB9iOIDvv-h8cmwbHO0Mrkg7UT5K4yWJU69lTDL3Ydo2WRpbJj941FFSrbzN2avrVUxMr3NNnYzFc2EwC7Q7I1uTBm3dM8gIa2MeFQ89hwHWU6uuuSW7nWQ8ui1DaZRJ-GcBw/s1600/Goodbye+Berlin+English+teaser+poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="378" data-original-width="270" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFUzB9iOIDvv-h8cmwbHO0Mrkg7UT5K4yWJU69lTDL3Ydo2WRpbJj941FFSrbzN2avrVUxMr3NNnYzFc2EwC7Q7I1uTBm3dM8gIa2MeFQ89hwHWU6uuuSW7nWQ8ui1DaZRJ-GcBw/s320/Goodbye+Berlin+English+teaser+poster.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span id="goog_877439130"></span><span id="goog_877439131"></span>The new film from acclaimed wunderkind Turkish/German
director Fatih Akin who is credited with reviving German auteur cinema with his
landmark award-winning film <a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.ca/2013/08/head-on-cinema-of-fatih-akin.html" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Head-On</i></a> (2004),
and other cross cultural clashes such as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Edge of Heaven</i> (2007), <a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.ca/2013/08/head-on-cinema-of-fatih-akin.html" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Soul Kitchen</i></a>
(2009) and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">In the Fade</i> (2017), is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Goodbye Berlin </i>(2016), a hilarious joyride
which ultimately becomes a revealing and touching coming-of-age story that
looks at teen angst through the eyes of an unlikely pair of socially awkward misfits
who find friendship on a playful transformative road trip through the German
countryside.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">A soul searching comedy that has the heart-felt sincerity of
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Kikujiro</i> (1999) and the free-spirited
hijinks of <a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.ca/2015/11/northern-soul.html" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Northern Soul</i></a> (2015), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Goodbye Berlin</i> follows two outcasts from
a high school in Berlin at the beginning of the summer vacation. It starts out
looking pretty dismal for the 14 year old Maik Klingenberg (Tristan Göbel),
who’s bored out of his mind playing video games in his divorced parent’s empty
house. His alcoholic mother is in rehab and his father goes on a business trip
with his young secretary who is old enough to be his daughter. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">To top it all off, he’s the only kid in the class not
invited to Tatiana’s big birthday bash, the girl he has been admiring from a
distance all year and who doesn’t even notice him while his classmates make fun
of him. Into this depressing mess comes Tschick (Anand Batbileg), a strange Russian
migrant student just arrived at the school who is even more<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>pathetic than he is, in fact, apart from his
Asian looks, Tschick stands out like a homeless person who cares nothing for what
people think of him. His intimidating half-conscious snarl keeps the other
students at a distance. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">But Tschick finds a shared connection with Maik, and when
Tschick shows up at his house with a beat-up old Lada, he catches Maik at just the
right time to start on a crazy adventure and finally be noticed by Tatiana in a
way she will never forget. But what they discover on their wild journey reveals
more about each other than they imagined and will change them forever. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The innovative visual aesthetic, which has become a hallmark
of Fatih’s films, finds us following our teen heroes through a variety of visually
disparate locations while they are essentially living moment to moment
surviving by their wits as they push their boundaries in a raucous road movie
that’s engaging and enjoyable to watch from beginning to end. Fatih makes
excellent use of the drone camera to create beautiful high pan-out shots that
hover over stunning country landscapes giving us a bird’s-eye view that adds to
the sense of freedom the boys are experiencing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Music has always been an integral part of Fatih Akin’s films,
a component that he’s passionate about and this one is no exception. Here the soundtrack
is especially remarkable and well integrated into the story with an eclectic mix
of German rap, hard rock, 80s pop, and classical music.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkXJw1j7QpFRx1UX87izCu22nrd4UgUMSROXv1HI0c2HHAsiwJaqEmmcIlLw7RDMuoe2Obznt0ZR9VlYUI6CCVXkedWhFslTNiqgJbv8has9PHCOESFbtoh6MM0fK9dtC-UhE0Pg/s1600/Goodbye+Berlin_Maik+and+Tschick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkXJw1j7QpFRx1UX87izCu22nrd4UgUMSROXv1HI0c2HHAsiwJaqEmmcIlLw7RDMuoe2Obznt0ZR9VlYUI6CCVXkedWhFslTNiqgJbv8has9PHCOESFbtoh6MM0fK9dtC-UhE0Pg/s200/Goodbye+Berlin_Maik+and+Tschick.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Based on the bestselling novel <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Why We Took the Car</i> by German author Wolfgang Herrndorf, the story’s
themes of societal and cultural outsiders coming together to overcome their differences
and form a strong bond through shared experiences, attracted Fatih Akin immediately
into making a film from it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">What makes it so much fun is the clear chemistry of the two
lead characters Maik and Tschick who are totally believable as the odd pair of
outcasts and who learn from each other the possibilities of a world beyond their
school and transforms Maik into a new person who people will notice and admire.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It’s a positive hopeful film that’s thoroughly enjoyable on
many levels. We feel that the director was clearly enjoying himself a great
deal while making this film. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Goodbye Berlin</i>
is a must see that hits all the right notes and has all the elements of a
coming-of-age film put together in just the right way.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">JP</span>JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310011692788504551noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17856792.post-27016627660012676572017-10-28T12:32:00.000-04:002017-10-28T12:40:48.989-04:00Village Rockstars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaqtnFy8SlTkhQbrTyqgF9qZdTHgk-lergLt_L6gtp2atZTe6RDiyYcDObiYY1mIH2Y_3zx8LUryjA_mr42hYgZJXsNNbvNVHuGXd2N1jxGSzcBmyXRDbU6pwz82Pk6Ylmgf51sw/s1600/Village+Rockstars+tiff+Poster+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="678" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaqtnFy8SlTkhQbrTyqgF9qZdTHgk-lergLt_L6gtp2atZTe6RDiyYcDObiYY1mIH2Y_3zx8LUryjA_mr42hYgZJXsNNbvNVHuGXd2N1jxGSzcBmyXRDbU6pwz82Pk6Ylmgf51sw/s320/Village+Rockstars+tiff+Poster+2.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Bollywood’s loss is our considerable gain when Rima Das who
left her remote Indian village to find work as an aspiring actor in the Hindi
film capital of Mumbai, finally came to the realization that if she were to make
it in the movie industry, it would not be in front of the camera but rather behind
it bringing her own visions to the screen. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Village Rockstars</i>
is self-taught filmmaker Rima Das’ beautiful charming coming-of-age story and
stunning visual homage to her hometown of Chahaygaon in rural northeast India, and
a love poem to remote village life and its people struggling to survive the
yearly floods. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Opting for a more realist experience very much in the spirit
of Satyajit Ray’s <a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.ca/2014/07/the-apu-trilogy.html" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pather Panchali</i></a>
(1955), we follow a playful ten year old girl Dhunu (Bhanita Das), living an
idealic childhood as a tomboy who loves to run and roughhouse with the village
boys climbing trees, walking to school and pretending to be in a rock band with
her friends using Styrofoam cut-out guitars.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Dhunu and her widowed mother are managing without her father
who died in an accident during one of the previous floods and her mother gently
teaches her daughter to be independent, allowing her the freedom to enjoy her
childhood. But once puberty strikes there is pressure from the villagers to
keep this free-spirited girl out of the trees and indoors.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">When Dhunu finds a real guitar for sale at the local market,
she dreams of the fame and fun she and her friends will enjoy as a village rock
band and tries to find a way to make enough money to buy the guitar. First she
consults the wise village elder who gives her the idea of helping the
neighboring villagers with little favors and tasks that they cannot do
themselves; like collecting fruit too high to reach by climbing tall trees and
shaking the branches. This way she’s able to eventually save enough money and
also make valuable friendships in the process.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There are some striking similarities with another touching
coming-of-age film, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://my-filmjournal.blogspot.ca/2013/10/wadjda.html" target="_blank">Wadjda</a> </i>(2012),
also about a savvy ten year old girl living with her mother in suburban Riyad,
Saudi Arabia who also finds some crafty ways to make money to buy a bicycle she
wants so she can ride to school with the boys. In much the same way that Wadjda
learns to use her natural skills as a young entrepreneur, Dhunu also learns that
with determination, she can achieve her dreams.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOCC7s_6670P825NhP2WBRWD4oJ7c-xds4DtMZqhlwIK5gueF5vfl7AW6RYeI8zpvGJ-K20uVF3rlvRmgjpwWi_oZtyDrHjWYXfdjT-UJf34EmD-tzZIe98SoaKaFnxKS6OW2bNA/s1600/Village+Rockstars+grass+pool.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1200" height="105" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOCC7s_6670P825NhP2WBRWD4oJ7c-xds4DtMZqhlwIK5gueF5vfl7AW6RYeI8zpvGJ-K20uVF3rlvRmgjpwWi_oZtyDrHjWYXfdjT-UJf34EmD-tzZIe98SoaKaFnxKS6OW2bNA/s200/Village+Rockstars+grass+pool.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This is the kind of life that director Rima Das had grown up
in and lovingly rediscovered again in her adulthood after returning from Mumbai
as a failed actor. While following and getting to know this group of
rambunctious children as they go about their daily lives spontaneously enjoying
playful activities in their natural environment, even allowing them to
participate in the actual making of the film, Rima gives us a real sense of
what life is like for these people as we witness them struggling with nature, animals and weather. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It’s a remarkable achievement as the film is totally self-financed
using a non-professional cast of characters from her own village, and a
documentary style of filming. With very little dialogue or story, Rima Das is
able to create the kind of experimental minimalist neorealism pioneered and
championed by legendary filmmakers Satyajit Ray and Abbas Kiarostami. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Village Rockstars’</i>
heartfelt story and authentic organic locations are so fondly visualized in
such intimate detail and evocative vignettes; we can feel the mud huts baking
in the sweltering heat, and the coolness of soaking in water pools among the grass
fields. It’s an absolute gem, the kind of crowd-pleaser that will most
certainly enjoy universal appeal.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">JP</span>JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310011692788504551noreply@blogger.com0