Avengers: Infinity War (2018) Review

Title: Infinity War
Year: 2018
Director: Anthony Russo
Country: US
Language: English

Unlike many fans of this series, I haven't viewed a whole lot of the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) However, the films I have seen; Black Panther (2018), Civil War (2016), Thor: Ragnorok (2017) and Spiderman: Homecoming (2017) have left me impressed with the overall evolution of the Superhero genre of action films. With Infinity War, the interconnections of these individual films into one singular feature proved to be a challenging feat with high expectations that somehow managed to satisfy even a noob fan like me.

The Avengers, which is a team that includes almost every marvel superhero you can think of,  and their allies must be willing to sacrifice all in an attempt to defeat the powerful Thanos (Josh Brolin) before he captures all the infinity stones, six all powerful gems, that will help him "cut" the universe in half.

Brolin plays Thanos, a tragic villain who thinks he is the hero because his end goal is supposedly "ending suffering" (by mass genocide). His performance is his best since No Country for Old Men (2007) mainly considering that he gives great depth & complexity to a CGI character that could easily have been a one dimensional "bad guy". The screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely does a good job and making sure every character gets a decent amount of screen-time. 

Overall Infinity Wars is quite balanced when it comes to devastating drama & humor. One scene will have you on the verge of tears, whereas in another Drax (Dave Bautista) will have you bursting with laughter as he admires Thor's manly muscles. From intense action scenes to incredibly intimate moments, this picture maintains the right pacing throughout. Every emotional transition comes with elegance and cohesion. You normally don't see such well-made films in Hollywood anymore. 

It's unfortunate that Infinity War (2018) is not an end to the series, as I'm sure more Avengers films will come in the future. In many ways this is very much Marvel's answer to The Empire Strikes Back. I really enjoyed the picture; it is the best of the series so far and- as a standalone- it's a pretty good film. 

In the Mood for Love (2000) Review

Title: In the Mood for Love
Year: 2000
Director: Wong Kar-Wai
Country: Hong Kong
Language: Cantonese

Chungking Express' international success put Hong Kong film-maker Wong Kar-Wai on the map; Sight and Sound considered him an innovator of cinema and he would be elevated to mainstream status. Parodied, adopted and imitated Wong's unique techniques were successful in changing the norm of cinema. In The Mood for Love (2000) would similarly be a critical and financial success for the director.

Two neighbors, a woman (Maggie Cheung) and a man (Tony Chiu-Wai Leung), form a strong bond after both suspect extramarital activities of their spouses. However, they agree to keep their bond platonic so as not to commit similar wrongs.

You may think you have seen a great "romantic" film (Titanic, La La Land) but I assure you that you have never seen such a sensitive and poetic picture like In the Mood for Love. Cinematographer Mark Li Ping-bin emphasizes  on the sensuous texture of the image, the static quality of the compositions, and the elegant succession of concealed spaces. The limited perspectives are metaphors for hidden secrets and suppressed passion.

Bathed in deep reds and oranges, In the Mood for Love's melodrama is heightened by the romantic colours of the costumes and the sets. Even the props are contrasted with psychology and small changes to the main characters' relationship. What I love about this film is the use of body language; every little movement can have massive consequences & contribute greatly to character development. 

Before my viewing of In the Mood for Love I was unsure that I would enjoy the film, but after my viewing I can certainly say that it is a top twenty favourite, if not top ten. I am excited to see the rest of Wong's filmography; hopefully Chungking Express will be as impressive.

Akira (1988) Review

Title: Akira
Year: 1988
Director: Katsuhiro Ohtomo

Country: Japan

Language: Japanese

Manga artist Katsuhiro Ohtomo first published his manga Akira in 1982 in the pages of Youth Magazine, a weekly source of manga in Japan, published by Kodansha. Otomo’s planned six-volume series would not be completed until 1990 after more than 2,000 published pages. As with many popular manga series its author would eventually be approached to adapt the story into a feature film. Ohtomo was uncertain any individual other than himself would create his vision; so he demanded full creative control. 

A secret military project endangers Neo-Tokyo when it turns a biker gang member, Tesuo, into a rampaging psychic psychopath that only two teenagers and a group of psychics can stop.

Akira can be seen as a metaphor for post-war Japan's fears. In real-life postwar Japan would grow overpopulated and Westernized, and the country’s rampant economic growth would lead to what is considered the epitome of futuristic cities: Tokyo. Exaggerated in this film, the Tokyo of the future becomes a metaphorical center for loss of national identity, loss of freedom and the great fall into a world of excess. 

As in most post-war Japanese "horror" movies, the main villain, in this case the unstoppable Tesuo, is a stand-in for the nuclear bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It's a fairly common theme and I'd argue that it was done best 44 years before this with Toho's Godzilla (1954). That film had a smarter script too, whereas Akira is far too reliant on spectacle and gore. For a film about fear of the West, this picture is certainly very inspired by Western action movies of the time. 

Beloved in Western pop-culture, I'd argue that Akira may be the least authentically Japanese anime to have been created in Japan by a Japanese person. I personally don't understand the love for this film even though I do "get" the metaphors and I think it's very pretty-looking. 

OSS 117: Nest of Spies (2006) Review

Title: OSS 117, Nest of Spies
Year: 2006
Director: Michel Hazanavicius
Country: France
Language: French

When one thinks of secret agents, they look no further than Ian Fleming's 007 James Bond Series. Fleming brought Bond to the page in 1953, and the first film hit theatres in 1967 with Casino Royale.  Frenchman Jean Bruce's superspy OSS 117 came first however;  his novels his markets in 1949 and the first OSS 117 film (N'est Past Mort) made cinemas in 1957. OSS 117: Nest of Spies is a satire of re-occuring themes of 50's-70's spy pictures. 

It's 1955 and after a fellow agent and close friend disappears, secret agent Hubert Bonisseur de la Bath, a.k.a. OSS 117 (Jean Dujardin), is ordered to take his place at the head of a poultry firm in Cairo. This is to be his cover while he is busy investigating, foiling Nazi holdouts, quelling a fundamentalist rebellion, and bedding local beauties.

Director Michel Hazanavicius brings credibility to the production as his impressive mise-en-scene creates an impressive 1950's atmosphere. Costumes, hairstyles, and makeup are vintage in an authentic "this is actually from the 50's" way. The editing, color saturation, and even the film score makes the audience feel like they are watching a film that is at least 40 years older than it actually is. 

The comedy in OSS 117 is miles above the first Austin Powers film. The actors' delivery is better, the dialogue is better, the story is better and the slapstick is better. I love the insult by one of the side characters "You certainly are French". I'm surprised the French would be willing to joke about that stereotype about themselves, that the French are thought of as rude. 

OSS 117: Nest of Spies arrived at a time when GOOD parody/satire films were pretty much dead in the water. Even 12 years later, the film still remains one of the better comedy films of the 21st Century (so far...). Both Director Havanavicius and star Dujardin would win Oscars in 2011 for another great collaboration; The Artist. 

Who's Singin' Over There? (1980) Review

Title: Who's Singin' Over There?
Year: 1980
Director: Slobodian Sijan
Country: Yugoslavia
Language: Serbo-Croatian

One of my favourite films is Emir Kusturica's Underground (1995) and upon viewing another Yugoslavian film Slobodian Sijan's Who's Singin' Over There? (1980) I was delighted to find that they share the same screenwriter Dusan Kovacevic. The latter film ends at the precise moment Underground begins. This makes for an excellent double feature. 

It's April 5, 1941, somewhere in Serbia. A group of people go on a bus to Belgrade, on a journey that will change their lives forever.

Who's Singing Over There? is a hysterical dark comedy that works as national allegory. It satires the official Titoist ideology of bratstvo i jedinstvo (“brotherhood and unity”) which was present throughout the time of Communist Party rule. No character feels compelled to be united with another; even the married couple go through a difficult time when a more suave male tried to indulge the groom's wife. 

The only protagonists in this picture are the two singing Roma. Perhaps due to their outsider status in Yugoslavian society, they are distanced from the main characters and put into perspective how ludicrous the others seem to be. The writers' treatment of the long disenfranchised Eastern European racial group is fairly refreshing to see; as even in contemporary media the Roma are viewed quite stereo-typically. 

There are many themes and allegories to unpack with Who's Signing Over There? It's a film I intend on re-watching many times to understand its full social/historical context. It's an entertaining picture from a remarkable country that no longer exists. 

The Death of Stalin (2018) Review

Title: Death of Stalin
Year: 2018
Director: Armando Ianucci
Country: UK
Language: English

When I make my "Ten Favourite Films of 2018" list at the end of the year, Death of Stalin will be close to the top, if not #1. It's a riot! A funny picture that demonstrates how pure fear can lead to the absurd. An interesting fact, perhaps not mentioned in this picture, is that Joseph Stalin's death could have been avoided had his guards reached him in time. Unfortunately, Stalin gave them orders to not interrupt his sleep under ANY circumstance under penalty of death. So even though he was "asleep" for an unusually long amount of time, people were terrified to check up on him. 

In early-1953 Moscow  the ever-watchful Soviet leader, Joseph Stalin, collapses unexpectedly of a brain haemorrhage. Inevitably, when his body is discovered in the following morning, a frenetic surge of raw panic spreads like a virus in the senior members of the Council of Ministers, as they scramble to maintain order, weed out the competition, and, ultimately, take power. 

If one thought there were limits to comedy; that certain subjects, like one of history's most genocidal regime, could not be made fun of, then they were sorrowfully mistaken. Featuring Monty Python-esque humor (Python's own Michael Palin plays Vyacheslav Molotov)  Death of Stalin transforms the tragic into fictionalized (VERY loosely based on the truth) political satire. Its humor so seering, that many former USSR countries have opted to ban this film from being shown in their countries. 

Based on graphic novels by Fabien Nury and Thierry Robin, director Armando Ianucci lampoons the anxieties and ridiculous scheming of men who have lived an iron fist; one can't help but picture if scenes similar are happening at the White House at this very moment. The production design by Cristina Casali and period-accurate costumes by Suzie Harman all help to create a very believable Soviet Russia. 

The Death of Stalin does a tremendous job at creating humour out of what otherwise would be a tragic footnote in human history. Its bold, imaginative and unmistakably British. Very few films in 2018 will match this.

Isle of Dogs (2018) Review

Title: Isle of Dogs
Year: 2018
Director: Wes Anderson
Country: US
Language: English

Controversy arises in 2018 when a white film-maker makes a picture about a culture vastly different from his own. Many have asked "Is Isle of Dogs appreciation or appropriation of Japanese culture?" and I'm going to unashamedly say "clearly, appreciation". Wes Anderson's film has many nods to great Japanese artists, particularly Akira Kurosawa and his movies Yojimbo, Throne of Blood, and Seven Samurai.

Mayor Kobayashi (Kunichi Nomura) has exiled every dog to trash island due to disease. A young boy named Atari goes to this island to find his beloved pet.

Wes Anderson has not been kind to dogs throughout his career; in each of his films whenever there is a dog there is great peril (for example, in Moonrise Kingdom a dog is killed by an arrow) This is why, when they heard of Anderson's desire to make this film, the canine actor union protested and forced the director to return to stop-motion animation.

Known for colorful sets and quirky upbeat tales with pop culture soundtracks, Isle of Dogs is a pivot towards somewhat uncharted territory. The apocalyptic atmosphere, complete with a monochromatic grey color and taiko-traditional japanese folk music- make the picture remarkably different from most animation that is usually shown in the mainstream. 

A much needed allegory for our disposable society and the power of the press to make our political leaders accountable; Wes Anderson's multi-layered polarizing work is fairly entertaining due to its story, dry humor and visual appeal. Nowhere near as great as Grand Budapest Hotel, but still worthwhile to view. 

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) Review

Title: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Year: 1958
Director: Richard Brooks
Country: US
Language: English

Censorship of the Motion Picture Industry was so strong at the time (it wasn't New Hollywood quite yet) that a B.I frequently visited the set of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. What does B.I stand for? Bust inspector. It was some lucky man's job to climb a ladder and look down Elizabeth Taylor's dress to make sure no excess cleavage (aka nipples) was showing. As far as dream jobs go, this is #1 in my books! 

Brick (Paul Newman), an alcoholic ex-football player, drinks his days away and resists the affections of his wife, Maggie (Elizabeth Taylor). His reunion with his father, Big Daddy (Burl Ives), who is dying of cancer, jogs a host of memories and revelations for both father and son.

One of Tennessee Williams' most famous, and personal favorite, plays, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof won the Pulitzer prize for drama in 1955 and would be adapted on the big screen by MGM in 1958. Unfortunately, due to the dying Hay's code, the screenplay removed almost all homosexual themes and  diminished the original play's critique of homophobia and sexism. Williams', though paid quite handsomely, was unhappy with the liberties MGM had made with the original play. 

 Director Richard Brooks' was well aware of the mighty hand of Hollywood, thus attempted making the more risque parts of the picture with more subtlety. Brooks said that the actors' pauses, silences, and body language helped emphasize what went unspoken. The camera angles and staging also showed some discord. Despite not meeting Williams' standards, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof was different enough to land it many Oscar nominations and become a critical and commercial success. 

The film is an interesting look into a dysfunctional 1950's family; a great critique on "Leave it to Beaver" attitudes of the time. Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman help make the film all the more alluring; they make each word and gesture come alive to amount to a terrific picture adaptation of an even greater play. 

Mr.Skeffington (1944) Review

Title: Mr. Skeffington
Year: 1944
Director: Vincent Sherman
Country: US
Language: English

Mr. Skeffington (1944) was thoroughly backed by the immense resources at Warner Bros. disposal; having lavish sets, impressive costumes, and a well paid cast and crew. There was no doubt that it would receive a few Oscar Nominations that year. Unfortunately for Bette Davis, this film would mark a decline in her career. Off-camera drama and her aging looks would make her less of an asset to the studio and she many future roles would instead go to younger stars. 

Popular and beautiful Fanny Trellis (Bette Davis) is forced into a loveless marriage with an older man, Jewish banker Job Skeffington (Claude Rains), in order to save her beloved brother Trippy (Richard Waring) from an embezzlement charge, and predictable complications result.

Mr.Skeffington was one of those best sellers that Hollywood loved to turn into grandiose movies. Once Bette Davis got wind that WB optioned the novel and expressed her desire to play Fanny, there was no stopping her from stealing the show. Bette was quite venemous on set however; her husband died during production and, according to her own memoirs, she had an attitude "only a mother could love." I doubt any star got, or could get,  away with as much as she did!

The script, by twins Julius and Philip Epstein, is clever and adult for its era. Mr. Skeffington's story is well constructed, hitting all the right notes throughout its run-time. Having director Vincent Sherman at the helm, as well as cinematographer Ernest Haller behind the lens, proved to be an exceptional tour de force. Franz Waxman's magnificent score contributes to the enchanting atmosphere present throughout the picture. 

While its not the best Bette Davis picture, that would be All About Eve (1950), her Oscar nomination for this role was well-deserved. Though she would have been difficult to work with even if he husband didn't die, this occasion is far-more understandable. Pure melodrama, Mr.Skeffington is a worthwhile viewing for fans of Hollywood's Golden Age. 

The Indian Tomb I & II (1921) Review

Title: The Indian Tomb
Year: 1921
Director: Joe May
Country: Germany
Language: N/A

The Indian Tomb (1921) is a picture that could not be made in 2018 due to its problematic depiction of a culture neither film-maker nor viewers would have been familiar with. Even though there were a few positive movies about different races in the silent era, such as The Flying Ace, these were the exception and not the majority rule. When European film-makers of the silent era sought to depict India, they would define it by its otherness to the West. 

The Maharajah of Bengal wants his wife to have the most fabulous tomb in the world. He hires an English architect to design and constructs it. There's just one little problem. His wife is not dead. 

Germany's version of India was the stuff of fantasy. Large ungodly monuments, beautiful dancers, jungles filled with monstrous beasts, and strange "outsiders" fill the screen throughout the run-time. It's unfortunate, but typical for the silent era, that the Indians are played by white-men in brown-face. Written by Thea Von Harbou and Fritz Lang, wife and husband at the time, the main positive going for this film is that its story is exciting and full of suspense. 

The pacing of the picture is incredibly fast, cutting from one scene to the next at frantic speed. Perhaps this is an attempt to hide cheap looking sets that even for 1921 look substandard. The special effects make up for the scenery however; it makes the picture far more intoxicating and may even make you forget about the difficult indifference the filmmaker's have to a culture different from their own. 

At times the picture can be silly; but at other times it can be mesmerizing. A notable actor in this film is Conrad Veitd, who most notably played Major Strasser ("round up the usual suspects") in Casablanca (1942). His acting is impressive; perhaps just to see him in his earlier roles is worth the price of admission. 

Ghost Dad II (2021) Review

Title: Ghost Dad II
Year: 2021
Director: Roman Polanski
Country: US
Language: English

In 2020 the Walt Disney Corporation fell into dire straights when they were found to be collaborating with the Russian Government on their live action remake of Anastasia (1997). In addition, their remake of Songs of the South (1946) proved to be, as feared, a financial and critical failure. With a new anonymous CEO in charge, Disney sought to redeem themselves by providing a family friendly sequel to the supernatural fantasy film Ghost Dad (1990).

In the original Ghost Dad widower Elliot Hopper (Bill Cosby) was working on a deal to make sure his children were financially taken care of. Now his children have children of their own, so he has to make a business deal to make sure his grandchildren are also taken care of. 

At 93 acting legend Sidney Poitier has come out of retirement to play the title role, mainly because disgraced 83 year-old actor Bill Cosby has had at least 100 more women accuse him of sexual misconduct since he was first accused in 2016. Nominated for a "Best Actor" Oscar at this year's Academy Awards, Poitier hasn't pulled off a performance this emotionally charged since he played Mr.Tibbs in Heat of the Night (1967). 

Ghost Dad II is an organic art-house picture that has defied the majority of critic's expectations. Its existential themes, primarily the main character's desire to find meaning in an absurd and seemingly meaningless world, transcend pop culture and push the picture into "masterpiece" territory. Roger Deakin's cinematography gives new meaning to the word "breath-taking" as we are shown majestic mountains and vast translucent landscapes. 

While the original Ghost Dad might be considered one of the worst films of all time, this sequel will certainly go down as one of the greatest. One might question the use of Bernard Herrmann's Psycho score, especially during the more tender moments, but Director Roman Polanski makes it thematically make sense.