reviews

"Meisie Kyk Hoe Lyk Jou Hare!" (Girl, Look How Your Hair Looks!)

Mon, 08 Nov 2010 07:39:28 +0100

Exte (Hair Extensions) [Dir. Shion Shono, 2007]

I took this film on the pretence that it would be a little silly but ultimately fun to watch. I found that the film was way more complex than I anticipated. It begins with mystery then moves on to a happy bike ride through a small Japanese town, reminiscent of the opening of a Disney movie. The characters all have something special about them. From the absolutely crazy hair-obsessed mortician to the abusive semi-prostitute single mother to the quirky sidekick police officer, the film never fails to keep the audience interested. It is clear that director Shion Sono (Suicide Club) has a flair for creative, fresh characters. Moreover, the film manages to change drastically in terms of mood. At one moment we are laughing and smiling, and the next moment the tension in the air is as thick as the ever-growing hair of the film’s title.

In some ways the film is a parody of J-horror’s obsession with evil girl’s with long black hair, yet it manages to hold its own regardless of this reference. I can not quite describe the exact emotion I felt after seeing this film but I was certainly entertained. Not entertained as in seeing a dog walk on its hind legs, but rather seeing a pigeon fly headfirst into a glass window; one is unsure whether to laugh or be horrified.

The Painful Truth

Wed, 20 Oct 2010 09:53:22 +0100

Paris, Texas (Dir. Wim Wenders, 1984)

Wim Wenders’ Palm d’Or-winning film Paris, Texas is a beauty to behold. From the grand cinematography to the nuanced character work, it is a film that you will not soon forget. The story is simple. It follows a man, Travis, who has forgotten his past. Lost in the desert for over four years, he is finally picked up by his brother and this is where his journey of rediscovery begins. The film picks up on many of the tropes of the Western genre. Travis is somewhat of a lone ranger travelling the open expanses of America. He is not a strong-minded, confident gunslinger however, but rather a man trying hard to retrieve his past and make amends to his son, Hunter. The film is filled with moments of tenderness and vulnerability, the kind one would not expect to find with a character as world-weary as Travis. This is where the power of the film lies. Wenders does not paint Travis as a soppy, sympathy-whoring lost soul, but as a man who is sincere and often frightened to confront his past. The viewer is left in the dark for most of the film as to what happened in the past. All this comes to an earth-shattering climax when Travis finally confronts his ex-wife. The dialogue between them, which lasts for around fifteen minutes, is one of the most heart-wrenching conversations you will ever experience in a film. This is made even more powerful by the earnest performances of Harry Dean Stanton and Natassja Kinski. What sets this film apart from other dramas of a similar nature is its simplicity. The script, written by one of my favourite playwrights, Sam Shepard, is potent in the most subtle way. Wenders directs the film with grace and honesty that turns a simple story into an exploration of guilt, escapism and the need to reconcile the horrors of the past.

[Image retreived from http://labuzamovies.blogspot.com]

Holding the Gaze

Sat, 23 Jul 2011 10:50:12 +0100

4 luni, 3 saptamâni si 2 zil (4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days) (Dir. Cristian Mungiu, 2007)

Wow! Absolutely astonishing! This is the perfect way to start the reviews section of this website because this film consists mainly of long takes. The detail and subtlety of the actors’ performances will blow your mind. I could not stop staring at the screen. For the first time in perhaps years I was literally glued to the screen. Every nuance and moment of tension was perfectly captured and the silence is deafening at times.

I’ve searched for this film for a while and thought I’d given up until I came across it yesterday in a local video store (Rondebosch Café). I figured I might as well pick it up since it nabbed the Palm d’Or at Cannes 2007. I was enraptured by this film. Visually it was so moving. This is what cinema is about! The cinematography is intuitive in the way the camera is constantly changing position yet manages to frame scenes in beautiful compositions. It looked like a cross between Haneke and Kiarostami. The real power comes from how emotion is sustained by the long takes. The viewer is not allowed to leave the situation; one feels as trapped as the characters. What is even more impressive is how busy some of the shots are both in terms of action and set design. The images are rich and voluptuous yet refrain from being too sentimental, not begging for sympathy but building a relationship to the characters.

By the end of the film you are so hooked on the characters and their situation that every beat of action sucks you in. It is one of the best character films I have seen in a long time. If you enjoy long takes and intense, nuanced performances then this film will blow you away. By far one the most breathtaking cinematic experience I have seen this year. Your eyes will bleed!