The Pop Culture Addict’s Blog

Imagine my delight when I discovered a new Sondre Lerche album to download today. I can’t believe how oblivious I was about its existence. There was a time I would’ve had a countdown calendar. Anyway, Heartbeat Radio by Sondre Lerche is amazing. I’ve only listened to it once but I’m already smitten all over again. I can’t believe I didn’t recognize his voice in the end credits of Dinner For Schmucks. His voice is a little different. I used to be completely obsessed with him and would’ve picked out his voice on any soundtrack or store stereo (as I’ve done in the past). But this time, I was not tuned in. At the beginning of Dinner for Schmucks I remember thinking, oh, they are using a real Beatles song, Fool on the Hill, and not a cover. I did notice the end song was Beatle-esque but I didn’t notice the Sondre-ness of it! Anyway, now that I’ve listened to it more carefully, I hear that Dear Laughing Doubters fits very nicely with the movie. So that’s two Steve Carrell movie soundtracks for him with Dan in Real Life first and now Dinner For Schmucks. Cool!

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Scott Pilgrim vs The World
I loved it. It was funny and innovative but nostalgic. Edgar Wright’s sensibility worked perfectly for the material. He incorporates humor, pop culture and a forever 20-something mentality/outlook to his work in a way that makes me laugh with recognition. The manga/anime/graphic novel look was captured nicely. I liked how it was an homage to the genre and not a literal rendition. Most of the Pop Culture Addicts in my crew enjoyed it but a couple of them found it too deliberately frenetic and repetitive. I found the style just right for the tone of the movie and characters. Kieran Culkin made all of us laugh. Also, the two PCA’s who didn’t like the movie as much noted they were not Michael Cera fans. That would be a big obstacle to enjoying the movie. Since I saw him on Arrested Development, I’ve followed his work and see that he is who he is, that is, he doesn’t have stupendous range, but he has impeccable timing and a certain charm. But if you don’t like his style, then you wouldn’t be drawn to his work. I get that. Anyway, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World was definitely worth seeing in the theater.

The Expendables
As movie prices continue to go up, AMC has a before noon discount that I try to take advantage of when I can. I saw The Expendables for $6 and cannot complain. It was pretty much what I expected: a lot of attention to action sequences and tons of explosions. Sylvester Stallone smartly focuses the story on Jason Statham and himself. Statham has enormous appeal as an action star. Stallone is an established action director. He knows how to makes things interesting to watch. And he knows how to delegate. Overall, it’s a guy-oriented summer action movie with Charisma Carpenter looking pretty but not adding particular depth to the story. I was still happy to see her on screen. Anyway, it was worth the $6.

The Other Guys
I have to say The Other Guys was much funnier than I expected. I remember seeing Step Brothers and liking it but can’t really pinpoint all of the details. The Other Guys had more going on than I anticipated. The humor spanned from over-the-top spoof-y Airplane humor to more subtle jokes. It was entertaining. The best part was it being better than I thought it would be. So dampen your expectations and then see it.

Dinner For Schmucks
I remember seeing the French version a while back but honestly could not remember anything about it except thinking it was decent. Steve Carrell is a funny guy and he and Paul Rudd play nicely off of each other. I was intrigued by the little mice dioramas made by Steve Carrell’s character.

Centurion
I saw Centurion for free. So I guess the question is would I have paid money to see it. Sure, if I was in the mood to watch the very interesting Michael Fassbender in a historical drama/action movie about times of the Roman Empire. But I think the audience for this type of fare is pretty small. However, Michael Fassbender fans will find it a full and interesting role for him.

Coming Back For More
I saw this with a pass. I would’ve paid to see it though because it sounded really interesting. It is a documentary about looking for Sly Stone of Sly and the Family Stone. The movie is Dutch-made about two brothers who are writing a book about Sly Stone and desperately want to find him and meet him. They reveal that they have successfully interviewed many key players from the hey-day of Sly and the Family Stone. I would’ve liked to have seen even more in the way of archival footage and what material the brothers gathered for their book. But I guess they want to save it for the book. Still, it’s interesting in that Sly Stone is notoriously elusive but certainly fan-worthy. I think I would’ve been fine seeing this on dvd or on-demand. But I’m glad I saw it.

Enter the Void
Straight off, I think it’s fair to say that filmmaker Gaspard Noe is experimental and self-indulgent. But in the end, there were many elements of Enter the Void I found mesmerizing. I loved the title credits. I also liked the montage at the end. Through the experimentalism, there is an accessible, universal story about family and relationships. I liked how he shares the main characters’ story in a straightforward manner although the visuals are very trippy. For me, the movie ran on the long side. But I liked the movie overall. I posted the opening credits below but be forewarned that they might make you dizzy.

Animal Kingdom
I couldn’t wait to see Animal Kingdom after I saw the trailer. It turned out to be much more sedate than the trailer indicates. It is indeed about a crime family in Australia but it is more about the POV of a teen relative who enters the family and how the criminal activity is winding down. There is more drama than action in the movie. I had to adjust my expectations about the pace but once I settled into it, I followed the story with great interest. Here’s the trailer:

Lebanon
I correctly assumed from the title that it was a war story about Lebanon. Then for a brief time I thought it was a drama set in Lebanon, PA. Anyway, it is a semi-autobiographical movie told completely from inside an army tank about an Israeli soldier’s first day of The Lebanon War in 1982. It is a unique POV that captures the fear and uncertainty of the soldier as well as the climate of the war on this first day. It is chaotic, driven and has a lot of players. It is very well-done but hard to watch. I was into it during the movie but probably would not watch it again only because it is emotionally draining. But it is a good movie.

Get Low
I thought Robert Duvall was great in this movie but I wanted to see more about his character’s life. The story makes him out to be an endlessly fascinating character but only skims the surface of his life. What I saw I liked but it lacked a certain depth. I wanted more.

Pop Books
While I try to keep a running tab of the movies I see in the theater, I am less diligent about the tv shows I watch and books I read. Suffice it to say my life is like that proverbial jar where there’s always room for beer except substitute beer for pop culture. Anyway, I had a nice surprise recently when I read Elliot Allagash by Simon Rich. A fellow Pop Culture Addict picked it up on a whim, loved it and recommended it to me. I had the same reaction. It’s funny, well-written and refreshing. I’ve just finished reading The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson which I found more interesting and better constructed than The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo which I found to be a good read but not as tight as the second book. But it might be because I saw Dragon Tattoo the movie first and then read the book so I more or less knew what to expect. I read the second book without seeing the movie but knowing all of the essential back story. Also, the fact that Lisbeth Salander appears from the get-go makes it much more captivating whereas she doesn’t appear in the first book for at least 200 pages. Now I am reading The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest barely stopping to breathe. I took a break from reading it to finally update this blog! In between, I squeezed in The Second Short Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyers. She does a nice job of making a secondary character fleshed out and someone I want to know better. It was a nice little bonus for all of us Twi-hards.

Pop TV
This summer I found two new shows worth keeping on the roster.

Louie
Since noticing his contribution to Chris Rock’s show and being pleasantly surprised by the ingenuity of Pootie Tang, I’ve been a fan of Louis CK. But he’s had a hard time finding a niche on his own. Louie is it. It’s funny, it’s real, it showcases him perfectly. Making him a stand up works great because that is his strength. I have yet to watch an episode that doesn’t ring true and make me fall out of my seat laughing.

Covert Affairs
Like other tv viewers, I’ve complained about how we don’t need another spy show and we don’t need another police show. But in actuality, we like them. They lend themselves to having stand alone episodes where a case is introduced, investigated and concluded while still developing appealing characters with back story. Anyway, as a loyal viewer of The OC and a fan of GO, I had to give Doug Limon’s latest creation Covert Affairs a shot. Oh, I also always liked Piper Perabo though I had no idea what happened to her. She has held up just fine and now stars in a very watchable show. I adore Chris Gorham’s character, Auggie, as we are meant to, and I like how Piper Perabo’s spy character is trained but new to the field so she makes mistakes but lands on her feet. I’m sold.

Lost Season 6
I am almost done making my way through the bonus features of Lost: The Complete Sixth and Final Season. All of the episode commentaries are illuminating and I especially liked the ones by Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse. I found the 12 minute epilogue The New Man in Charge enormously satisfying. Once I am done with the extras, I will start re-watching the entire season.

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Like many bloggers, I find myself micro-blogging via Twitter more and more and expanding less and less. But often when I tweet a review or comment, in the back of my head, I am able to edit down to 140 characters because I know I can work things out more fully later on this blog. I really do it for my own reference because eventually, I don’t always remember my full reactions. So for my own satisfaction, here’s a rundown of the movies I saw at the New York Asian Film Festival 2010 followed by other stuff I want to keep track of:

Ip Man 2
Let me get myself started by re-stating what I started to say about the Ip Man movies I’ve seen:

Ip Man was my favorite movie from the fest last year. Donnie Yen embodies this wing chung master, famously Bruce Lee’s teacher, with grace, strength and incredible technique. Donnie Yen is best known from Iron Monkey. He is a star. Ip Man 2 has these over-acting British bad guys vilified like you’ve never seen. It is over the top and unnecessary but the audience knew it was building up to the most needed Ip Man/Donnie Yen kickass moment. There are so many excellent fight scenes expertly choreographed and at times executed by the great Sammo Hung.

It was very cool to see Sammo Hung and Simon Yam introduce the movie opening night. The HK celebrity culture is much more fan-directed it seems. In my observation and experience, both were very warm and welcoming to the crowd in the theater and when walking by them in line. Actually, I would have to say that all of the guests were very friendly and genuinely pleased to see the crowds gathered at their movies. Great organization by the Subway Cinema crew! And as a member of the NY Film Society, it was cool to have many of the movies shown at Walter Reade Theater. I will talk about my experience at Japan Society later on.

Cow
I found myself with a couple of hours to fill before meeting up with my fellow Pop Culture Addicts for Ip Man 2 opening night, so I decided to see the movie showing right before it. From the description, I imagined it might be a Chinese version of the Korean movie I saw last year about this farmer and his ox. (Case in point: Now I am going to search my own blog to find out what movie I’m trying to recall.) That movie, Old Partner, was filmed documentary-style. The farmer was real, the ox was real, the connection was real but some of the scenes were shot deliberately in the style of The Hills/The City where it’s a reality show but sometimes the producers say, “We missed that convo. Can you girls talk about it again while we light it better and get decent sound?” Anyway, Cow was nothing like it. While set during WWII in rural China, it was shot in a very contemporary way. I felt very energized by the music-video techniques incoporated as a man/reluctant cow owner and a real cow try to survive during wartime. I recommend it to the most dubious. It is not too precious or sentimental. The main actor Huang Bo gives a humorous, inviting and warm performance while often only on screen with a cow. It was a great way to kick of the festival for me. Huang Bo was in attendance and noted it was indeed challenging working with the cows. But he and the crew managed to create an entertaining movie that is thought-provoking about WWII in rural China. I’m trying to convey how it sounds dry but it was not!

Crazy Racer
Huang Bo from Cow is the star of this contemporary Chinese movie that seems like it is about a serious cyclist. But it is and it isn’t. Huang Bo’s character is a serious cyclist. But the movie hardly has anything to do with this fact. Instead, it is comparable to a comedy of errors that lead him through the criminally-minded, money-driven elements of his surroundings while he innocently tries to get by. Huang Bo is not a criminal. He is a nice guy given a back break who obliviously starts a domino effect of crime. Critics liken this movie to a Guy Ritchie caper or Pulp Fiction. Again, I didn’t know what to expect but I found it entertaining.

Kung Fu Chefs
The thought of watching Sammo Hung as a martial arts expert chef was too appealing to ignore. The movie was introduced as being really stupid but so much fun. I actually found the plot less silly than I expected and the cooking/fighting scenes were choreographed to maximize skill and entertainment value. If you want to see a kung fu movie about chefs, I couldn’t recommend a better option.

Bodyguards and Assassins (w/Development Hell)
I was interested to see this movie based on the premise and allegedly cursed history of making it as documented by Development Hell. The premise holds a lot of promise: the bodyguards are protecting Dr. Sun Yat-sen, who is organizing people to govern themselves, from Imperial assassins, who are working under the order of the royals who want to stay in power. I thought the promise was not quite fulfilled but there were certainly incredible fight sequences that mixed the absurd (watermelons as weapons) with historical impact.

Boys on the Run
This was the first of the Japanese movies I saw at the fest. It was uncomfortably funny and full of the most awkward yet oddly realistic moments of faux pas after faux pas as the lead guy tries to find a love connection. To best prepare yourself, imagine a kind of Jackass-y adolescent male perspective. I cringed; I laughed; I felt disappointed by characters’ actions and reactions. It’s based on a manga so that probably explains the ambling quality of the narrative. A lot happens and yet it still leaves you hanging. Overall, I thought the movie had merit but its crassness is not for everyone.

Annyong Yumika
This movie really surprised me. It grew on me as it unfolded. On the surface, it’s a documentary about one particular movie made by a Japanese pink actress, Yumika. But as the director follows the leads as he first discovers this Korean-Japanese production at Yumika’s memorial service (yes, she died recently unexpectedly), his drive becomes the lead of the movie. I could see my own drive in him and could imagine myself wanting to uncover everything I could about some obscure pop culture item that probably only mattered to me but still mattered. While watching the movie, I thought fondly of Chris Farley’s fanboy skit on Saturday Night Live (“Remember when you did ____? That was awesome!”). The director was present and said he had always wanted to work with Yumika but didn’t get a chance before she died so this was his way of fulfilling his dream to make a Yumika movie. The other interesting piece is the director’s student film entitled Annyoung Kimchi and about him acknowledging his Korean ethnicity very much buried by his family. He was born and raised in Japan and only speaks Japanese. So the particular Korean connection to Yumika was particularly fascinating to him. I liked this movie a lot by the end. Initially, it seemed interesting but superficial. But as it delved more into the particular movie, the director uncovered interesting people and sentiments. Again, I would say this movie has universal themes but because of the specific content, it is not for everyone.

Confessions
I appreciate the hard work the creators of the NYAFF put in to the line up to ensure we get access to current blockbusters from Asian we wouldn’t otherwise get to see on a big screen or at all. Confessions is oddly a huge blockbuster in Japan right now. It opened so recently, some of the Japanese guests of the NYAFF attended this screening because they said the lines were too long in Japan and they hadn’t seen it yet but had put it on their lists of must-sees. The actual movie was well-made but very dark. It’s a good movie but the topic of revenge for murder by murder particular as it is a Battle Royale type scenario as only the Japanese can imagine with middle-schoolers wreaking havoc, it is not for everyone and hardly mainstream in material. I had a negative viewing experience at the Japan Society because I sat in the 3rd row which turns out is level with the rows in front of it. In fact, if you see a movie at the Japan Society, I would recommend the first row or sitting further back where the floor starts to tilt upward. Sitting in the flat area results in poor visibility especially for reading subtitles but also for seeing the screen. I know I wasn’t the only one because I heard others complaining. We all tried to make the best of it. But I was not happy. However, they did provide free drinks afterwards which softened the blow.

Little Big Soldier
I didn’t think I’d have time to see Little Big Soldier but after I heard it was a Subway Cinema favorite, I was pleased I could squeeze it in. Seeing as I have watched Forbidden Kingdom more than once by my own volition (I haven’t seen the new Karate Kid yet though), it seemed worth my time to watch a recent Jackie Chan movie that doesn’t feature American kids as co-stars. This movie is great. It’s a historical movie about a soldier played by Jackie Chan. He’s just a guy trying to get home to his family. He’s not a general, he’s not a big player. The action scenes are cool but not as razzle-dazzle as we’ve come to expect from a “Jackie Chan” movie. They are more subtly intertwined into the story. I’m really glad I saw it and would watch it again. I loved that despite the serious tone of the movie, there was classic Jackie Chan humor interspersed into the storyline and his trademark outtakes where we get to see stunts gone wrong were included at the end.

Secret Reunion
This contemporary Korean spy movie was interesting in that it felt like a movie made for entertainment value. It’s not an art movie. It doesn’t have shock value. It’s not a historical drama. Not that there’s anything wrong with Korean movies with those qualities. I try to see all kinds of Korean movies. But it is nice to know that the industry has talent capable of making a movie that simply feels like a popcorn movie. Yes, there is overt effort made to show us viewers that everyone is human. The North Korean spy and the South Korean spy both get burned and somehow end up as roommates in this buddy movie with a twist. It’s not the deep political analysis of the reunification of Korea that it might be trying to be but it has good actors and entertained me.

Symbol
Symbol is definitely an art movie. While it is in Japanese, there isn’t a lot of spoken word in it and it certainly has universal themes in it. It’s strange, perplexing and funny. It’s slow and mysterious and feels like it could be someone’s thesis. I liked it and found it thought-provoking and weird. But again, this movie is not for everyone. If the thought of seeing an experimental Japanese movie about the meaning of life doesn’t compel you, I’d think twice before seeing this. But everyone else, let me know what you think.

Red Cliff Uncut
I won’t ever forget how John Woo grabbed my attention with The Killer and the rest of his HK movies. I was thrilled when he came to Hollywood and really tried to like Hard Target. I’ve seen all of his American movies but was happy to learn that he had made Red Cliff. I saw the international cut in the theater first. I liked it but found parts of it kind of cheesy. Somehow this longer, two-part version eliminates the cheesiness and results in a beautiful, compelling historical movie about old school war strategies and how goodness can make you a good friend, husband and warrior.

Mutant Girls Squad
Now this was a silly, stupid movie, not that I expected otherwise but I thought the storyline was very thin and superficial. It was moderately entertaining in a schlocky way. However, the experience was enjoyable because the filmmakers and actors who introduced the movie and gave a Q&A afterwards were highly amusing. They were silly but sincere and showed their creative selves in a way I could really appreciate. So no to the movie but yes if you get a chance to see directors Noboru Iguchi and Yoshihiro Nishimura in action (the cooperative actors were Cay Izumi and Asami).

Gallants
When I saw the trailer for Gallants at one of the earlier movies, I was intrigued but again, I didn’t know if I had room on my viewing schedule. Then I heard this was another Subway Cinema favorite so I was pleased when my scheduling worked out and I was able to see Gallants. It was well-worth the effort. I came up with this brief review that summarizes my thoughts: Anyone who loves martial arts movies will appreciate seeing masters from the 1970s prove they still have skills. It’s a love letter to kung fu. Respect your elders because they can still take you to school. This is a high recommend. It’s set in the present day but it features old school martial arts stars who are still as swift and skilled as ever.

Golden Slumber
I liked all of the Japanese movies I saw at the fest including this one. It is a modern-day conspiracy movie with a little bit of the Big Chill thrown in. It is based on a book by the same name and has a clean narrative with appealing characters. I am interested in reading the book if I find an English translation.

Castaway on the Moon
This was one of my favorite movies of the festival and ended up winning the audience favorite award at the NYAFF. While the Korean elements are what make it as great as it is, i.e., the particular actors, the particular locale (Seoul), the whole Korean version of Chinese black bean noodles (jajangmyun) factor, I found the movie very accessible and universal despite the isolated, oddball lead characters. It is a story about how a man stuck on an island makes a human connection with an agoraphobic young woman while being in completely different places. You can’t imagine it but it works and it is believable. I thought the movie would have a sci-fi and/or fantasy element but actually it is reality-based. I can’t stop talking about this movie. I want to see it again immediately. I’m glad the filmmaker was present to hear that the audience loved his movie. He said that it was a big flop in Korea and that it was heartening to him to see how festival audiences were embracing it.

Blades of Blood
Blades of Blood was sort of a let-down after the exhilaration of seeing Castaway on the Moon which really blew me away. However, it was still an entertaining movie with a somewhat confusing political/historical angle. I certainly appreciated the sword fight choreography and execution.

Life beyond the NYAFF
Japan Cuts continued after the NYAFF at Japan Society and I was sure to sit in the first row for both of the following movies.

Nightmare Detective 2
I really liked the Japanese anima Paprika about the dream therapist and thought this one might be a live action version. It was very arty and ambient. I found it interesting but not the fast-paced thriller I was expecting. It utilized old school J-Horror effects which were incredibly effective: shaking the camera, covering a face with long black hair and not letting the audience see the identity of the person, actors freezing on screen seemingly in distorted poses to name a few. Visually, it was interesting but I thought the story would be more accessible. Still, I’m glad I got a chance to see it.

Memories of Matsuko
This movie is by the Confessions guy. It really went in an unexpected direction. I recommend it. It’s hard to relate what the experience of watching this movie was like. It’s arty but it’s accessible. It’s sad but it’s funny. It was akin to if Seijun Suzuki made Umbrellas of Cherbourg today.

Shakespeare in the Park: The Winter’s Tale
Before I forget, let me mention that I was very happy I got a chance to see the second Shakespeare in the Park play The Winter’s Tale. I loved the staging. I was surprised that critics didn’t agree. Yes, I agree that out of the the two plays this summer at Central Park, Al Pacino’s performance is far and away the highlight. But I had a nice night under the stars and appreciated the efforts of the Public Theater.

Twilight Saga: Eclipse
My fellow Pop Culture Addicts (and Twihards) were ready to heckle Eclipse but instead just watched it and thought it worked best out of the three movies so far. It’s a pop culture phenomenon I’m a part of and recognize there are cheesy parts but it’s all part of the fun experience. Jacob: “I am hotter than you,” to Edward. Ha.

Iron Man 2
I had a free pass that I had to use before it expired. I was ambivalent about seeing Iron Man 2 but was pleased to see that Robert Downey Jr is still the man. I missed Sherlock Holmes but now think I will find it fun to watch because of the power of RDJ to enjoy himself in any role. My only complaint is Iron Man 2 didn’t need to be so long. But it was much better than I was lead to believe by the scuttlebutt.

Knight and Day
A fellow Pop Culture Addict found Tom Cruise’s performance to be too glib. But I thoroughly enjoyed it. He is in great shape and he and Cameron Diaz were entertaining in this totally unbelievable spy movie. The action was really fun and he was very appealing as a spy trying to prove his conspiracy true. It’s a popcorn movie.

Despicable Me 3D
Wonderful use of 3D. I loved Steve Carrell’s character’s minions. Steve Carrell gives a warmly hilarious performance as a villian with a heart of gold. Really fun stuff.

Inception
The viewing experience was enhanced by seeing it opening night at the beautiful Ziegfeld theater with a packed house of enthusiastic people. It makes for a fun summer movie. I know some people loved it, some people hated it. Overall, I got a kick out of the effects. I liked the look of the film and I liked Leonardo DiCaprio. I’m also a Joseph Gordon-Levitt fan. Ellen Page did a fine job as well. The plot and the fact that Leo starred in it reminded me heavily of Shutter Island with it’s uncertain realities. I was also reminded of the virtual world as depicted in Caprica.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
I recently saw and liked the Korean movie The Good, The Bad and The Weird strongly inspired by Sergio Leone’s The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. I first saw The Good, The Bad and The Ugly on vhs on a 20″ tv screen. So it was amazing to view it on a big screen as intended. Loved seeing Clint Eastwood in action.

I am still enjoying Lie to Me and The Good Wife, two new shows I added to my roster. I also loved watching Alex dance on So You Think You Can Dance and wish him a speedy recovery. Life of a dancer (and athlete) seems rife with injuries!

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Here are thoughts on the last round of movies at the New York Film Festival ‘09:

First off, I think I have to admit to myself that late movies during the week are just too late for me! I use up all my energy anticipating the movie. Then I struggle to stay awake during the movie no matter how riveting. Then I’m wired afterwards and stay up too late. Also, double features are another challenge I have to re-think. Back-to-back movies can be fun but when it’s back-to-back art movies, it gets dangerously close to actual work. Quentin Tarantino is a guy who likes to talk and has no filter so some of what he says I forget as soon as I hear it. But I remember he said when he was on the Jury at Cannes, he realized he had missed a lot of great movies. So every night he made himself watch an internationally-acclaimed dense, subtitled movie and he said he was glad he did it. But then one night he went to see the new Star Trek and it was such a relief to see a fun popcorn movie that was good in its own right but not mentally draining. Anyway, I can relate.

White Ribbon
Until I sat down to watch White Ribbon, I thought Michael Haneke was French. It turns out he is an Austrian living in France. This is relevant because White Ribbon is in German, not French like Cache or The Piano Teacher. Haneke is a filmmaker people seem to love despite the fact he aims to make you want to scratch your eyes out. When he introduced White Ribbon, he said, “I’ll say what I always say, have a disturbing screening.” I did not see Funny Games – his original or American re-make. But it did not call out to me at all. Clearly Haneke has a vision, stories and messages he feels compelled to convey. I am just not compelled to receive them. That said, I really liked White Ribbon. I liked it to the point that I would recommend it. But be forewarned that it is challenging to watch. It’s about sin and retribution. The child actors and adult actors are all strong. The kids really carry the movie. If you don’t believe them then you won’t get into the movie. It is in black and white which emphasizes the starkness of the story but the images are beautiful.

Around a Small Mountain
This felt like a movie someone would make later in life. I’m not sure if I would’ve had the same feeling if I didn’t know beforehand that it was made by 81 year old Jacques Rivette. At any rate, the characters are middle-aged and the movie is about guilt, regret and redemption. I liked how the themes were universal but the setting was unique. It takes place amongst a small French circus. It has a slow place so it’s not the movie to see if you’re feeling a little sleepy (ahem). But it has a pretty look.

Mother
I wasn’t sure what to expect of this movie. It was intense but perversely comical. It’s sad but warm. It has intrigue mixed in with broad humor. I like that Bong Joon-Ho branched out from The Host or rather, returned to the feel of what I’ve heard Memories of Murder is like. I haven’t seen it yet so I can’t speak to it specifically. I liked The Host a lot. It was funny, odd and kept my interest till the end. Mother had me guessing and guessing about how the murder unfolded and who was the culprit. But it’s almost besides the point. I mean, it’s a major plot point but it is primarily about family ties, genetic, cultural, situational. I took everything at face value but afterwards, I did find there was a lot of symbolism to analyze if I felt so inclined which I did for about 10 minutes.

White Material
I know Claire Denis is a talented filmmaker. I appreciate the serious nature of her stories and the beauty of her visuals. But her work is far from mainstream. By the time I got to White Material, I was ready for the next two movies I saw, Life During Wartime and Broken Embraces. They were just more familiar to me and took less work to watch. It was cool to see Jim Jarmusch sitting in front of me in the audience though. As his most recent movie, The Limits of Control, was paced quietly and langourously, I can see him appreciating the pace of Claire Denis. I liked The Limits of Control more though, not that they are about the same thing. I guess a common theme would be the impact of violence on an individual. I also enjoyed seeing Isaach de Bankolé in person. He looked extremely cool and I loved what he and William Nadylam said about the movie. (I am paraphrasing and speaking from my memories so don’t quote me.)They both responded to a comment about how unlikeable the characters were. They noted that each character was driven by what he or she felt was personally the right thing to do. They also spoke about how during wartime, things are not always clear cut. Claire Denis also said things along these lines. I guess overall, I enjoyed the discussion about White Material more than watching the actual movie.

Life During Wartime
This was an odd, melancholy movie but I expected no less from Todd Solondz. I found his idea of making something of a sequel to Happiness but only impressionistically rather than literally totally fascinating. It was perfect for the way my memory works. I didn’t need to see Philip Seymour Hoffman repeat his role here. I could watch Michael K. Williams (Omar from The Wire) perform and know who he was. By the way, he did a great job. This is far from a feel-good movie. It’s more dysfunctional than any non-Todd Solondz dysfunctional movie I can think of. But as far as his work goes, it’s par for the course. People are far from perfect and make terrible, horrible choices and mistakes that have deep impact on their family, friends, neighbors and complete strangers.

Broken Embraces
Penelope Cruz has found her groove recently. Her acting is so believable. Her naturally glamourous look is mesmerizing but also used so well by Pedro Almodovar. I really liked her in Woody Allen’s Vicky Cristina Barcelona. I can see why she is so appealing to characters in the movies due to her looks and intriguing persona but then she really fills out her characters so I can see why she makes mistakes and people around her make dangerous choices. Anyway, I had fun watching the story within a story within a story in Broken Embraces. It had the expected soap opera elements from an Almodovar movie that were presented in quirky, memorable ways as expected in an Almodovar movie. I didn’t mind the obvious and I didn’t mind the strange. All of the actors were compelling to watch.

Where the Wild Things Are
Where the Wild Things Are was feral and raw but refined in technique and execution. Spike Jonze did a great job of capturing the unruliness of childhood and the uncertainty of being young. Also, he successfully conveys that unbridled creativity in child’s play when the sky’s the limit. You’re not bound by convention yet. You just act because you are driven to want and need things but are only equipped as a kid to get them whether in play or in real life. People seem to really love the first 20 minutes or so before Max goes to the forest. It’s really tight and convincing. Once Max goes off into the land of the Wild Things, the movie gets loose and light on story. I loved the creatures and personally, I liked how they spoke. I’ve heard criticism that they come off too sophisticated and rational. But really, in the end, they are from Max’s imagination and can only reason as far as he can. Overall, I liked the movie. It was cool to see it in IMAX. I think it got a little meandering in the middle-to-end part because really, the source material was pretty light to begin with. So, I would see it again to see the visuals and take in the mood. I really enjoyed Spike Jonz’ documentary about Maurice Sendak. I think I watched it On-Demand on HBO.

Coco Before Chanel
I didn’t know much about the life of Coco Chanel so it was pretty much all a surprise to me as I watched Coco Before Chanel. She came from very modest, if not impoverished beginnings. Her natural talent for fashion was evident at an early age. She started off as a performer and seamstress. She did not have a particularly happy childhood or early adulthood it seems. Audrey Tatou did a fantastic job of playing Coco. It seems Coco was scrappy, a survivor and extremely gifted as a hat and clothing designer and maker. I would recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys bio flicks and/or fashion. Even if you’re just a fan of Audrey Tatou, that is enough of a reason to see this movie!

Juliet, Naked
I enjoyed reading Nick Hornby’s latest, Juliet, Naked. I wanted it to keep going but I guess that’s for me to figure out. I liked it as much as About a Boy and High Fidelity. That’s high praise from me as I loved those books. It’s told from the point of view of a woman, unusual for Nick Hornby although he just did it in How to Be Good. For me, it’s more successfully done in Juliet, Naked. In a way, it’s like High Fidelity but told from the point of view of the (ex-not ex)girlfriend. I want to see the movie An Education because Nick Hornby wrote it. Again, it’s from a female POV. The title, Juliet, Naked, reminds me of the Beatles’ album Let It Be… Naked. I wonder if that was the inspiration. However, in the case of The Beatles, Let It Be… Naked is a stellar album unlike Julie, Naked. Anyway, I wonder if it will become a movie. I read High Fidelity and About a Boy before they were movies and to be honest, I was too naive to even contemplate that they would become movies. But now I’ve learned so as I said, I wonder if Juliet, Naked has already been optioned. Probably. I think it will be good if it becomes a movie. It has a reclusive, talented musician, models, children, music geeks, American, a seaside town in England, fansites, e-mail, what else, the main highlight is it is written by Nick Hornby. Oh, the soundtrack could be fun to put together. But I am completely satisfied with the experience of reading the book.

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This was a light film fest week.

Trash Humpers
Harmony Korine’s Trash Humpers was an interesting experiment. Weird, but interesting. He said his goal was to make a movie that looked like it was a VHS tape that had been taped over repeatedly and then tossed in the trash and found. He used a VHS tape to make the movie to add to the authenticity of his project. It worked. He said he was tired of people saying something looked “beautiful” and wanted to achieve the same effects with more primitive techniques. I am one of those who said I find his work visually beautiful. The content is odd and not easily accessible. But the visuals are inspiring. So I took his comments personally. I have to say, I found this VHS project to have a very focused look. All the object-bashing was cathartic to watch. Maybe I saw deeper meanings in the images than Harmony Korine intended. But I’ll say what I thought: the trashing of bricks and various trash is primal; the young people wearing old people masks and acting young…well, when they were bashing old technology like tape decks, it made me think about the new pushing out the old. I have to admit I was exhausted that night and did fall asleep for a bit. So I think I missed a pivotal speech when someone explained everything within the film. I gathered this from a question after the movie. Anyway, I think I’ve seen most of his movies with a Q&A by him afterwards (such as Julien Donkey-Boy and Mister Lonely). This greatly enhances watching his movies for me. He is not as wacky as his reputation makes him sound. I don’t know about his personal life but from the Q&A’s, he comes off down-to-earth and genuine about his passion for film-making. He said that he didn’t enjoy everything involved with making Mister Lonely. He felt like there were too many people to answer to and while he loved working with the actors and actually making the movie, he said the overall experience was “hell on earth.” So he wanted to return to something simpler. Trash Humpers sure is simpler. It is filmed near his home in Nashville starring his wife and their friends. He is also in it. He said it only seemed right. Someone commented his movies are very American. He responded he thinks aside from Clint Eastwood, he is the most American film-maker out there. That got a big laugh. And he did say he liked Gran Torino a lot. What else was interesting…he said they were filming a scene and a guy came out on his porch and said, get out of here. Then Harmony Korine explained, we’re making a movie. Then the guy said, Oh, do you want me to turn my lights on to make it better for you? The movie looks like it is made guerrilla style running from place to place grabbing shots. His work isn’t for everyone. I wouldn’t say I understand or love, love, love his work like some people seem to but I appreciate what drives him to make movies and the unusual visual approach he has.

Crossroads of Youth
I greatly enjoyed the experience of seeing Crossroads of Youth. It is a 1934 Korean movie, silent, shown with live musicians including singers and a narrator. The print was decent for being so old. It is the oldest surviving Korean film. The story was timeless. It is about rites of passage, country life versus city life, the influence of Western culture, familial relationships and men being cads towards women. I wish the women in the film were less victimized. But they had strong characters. The narrator was funny. He put on a show. Even though he was narrating in Korean, his intonations were clear to all listening. The subtitles seemed updated for the times. For example they made reference to the lead actor’s exceptionally thickly drawn eyebrows. When the camera moved slowly down a woman’s body, the card read, “This camera-work is vulgar.” And there was a scene when a character was taking a sip of tea, the card read, the narrator will also take a sip of tea. What else stuck out…oh, a couple of the characters play golf. So Koreans started playing way back then.

Toy Story 3D
I love Toy Story and Toy Story 2. I can’t wait for Toy Story 3. I had a break in the film fest and got a chance to see the double feature 3D version this weekend. It was amazing. I loved the little beginning and the 10 minute intermission. I laughed at all the little things added for this special showing. The kids in the audience were cute. They seemed to stay focused and enjoy the movies.

Paris
I randomly went to see Paris. It was just okay. Paris looked beautiful. Some of the storylines were amusing and thought-provoking. Some were just too superficial to make a judgment about. There were many interesting characters but not enough time to develop all of them. It bugged me that twice the men acted like creeps and still won over their interests. Juliette Binoche is always interesting. The main idea of the movie is that Paris is a city with such history that people seem to take for granted and are easily forgetting. But some people value this history. Also, there are amazing developments in Paris and many people take these for granted while there are those who are full aware of the changes. It’s a love story about a great city. But overall, it was not as substantial as I would’ve liked. But as I used a free pass, it was painless. It had a fantastic look and like I said, some characters were appealing, funny and relatable. Some characters were introduced and forgotten. Some were just out of place. Still, I liked the adventure of just walking into a movie sight unseen. It is so rare for me to see a movie without knowing something about it beforehand.

So this upcoming week is a big NYAFF week. Next blog will be full of reviews!

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