Mynarski Death Plummet (2014) Review

Title: Mynarski Death Plummet
Year: 2014

Director: Matthew Rankin

Country: Canada 

Language: N/A 

In my view, the most interesting "new" director on the scene has to be Matthew Rankin. Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba,Canada he is an expirimental filmmaker that, judging from his short films, social media, and website (http://www.rankino.com) has an eclectic taste for the strange. In addition to being nominated for several awards, his film Tesla World Light (2017) won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Short Film at the17th Jutra Awards. 

Mynarski Death Plummer (2014) is an avant garde film about the last few minutes about the life of Winnipeg's World War Two hero Andrew Mynarski. 

Rankin's short film is both innovative and familiar (to cinephiles). It has the aesthetic of a Dziga Vertov (Man With a Movie Camera) mixed with the immersive emotive storytelling of Douglas Sirk. Using a combination of trippy animation and camerawork reminiscent of the silent era, Rankin gives Mynarski immortality; making the hero's sacrifice a spectacle to behold. 

Though only 8 minutes long, Mynarski Death Plummet hits you in the gut as it overloads your senses. Its a positively overwhelming, undeniably great film experience that seeks to put its audience beyond the norm of cinema. A visual feast, I found myself in awe of Rankin's psychadelic war-time spectacle. 

Rankin's short film was so enticing that I had to watch it five times in a row. It floored me. It is such a remarkable tribute to a hometown hero. For those attending the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival, I must advise you to see Rankin's first feature length film The Twentieth Century. I feel like eventually, 5-10 years from now,  people will be using the term Rankin-esque to refer to weird Canadian pictures.

Modern Romance (1981) Review

Title: Modern Romance
Year: 1981
Director: Albert Brooks
Country: US
Language: English

I watch movies like Modern Romance (1981) and thank the Lord that I didn't stay in the dating pool for too long. At 19 (2010) I met my wife at University, we remained good friends until we started dating at 22 (2013) , we got engaged when I was 24 (2015) and got married when I was 25 (2016). Since then I haven't had the desire to date or flirt; good riddens to that! Modern Romance shows the ugly side of fleeting feelings, in a fairly comedic way. 

Robert Cole (Albert Brooks) , a film editor, is constantly breaking up with and reconciling with long-suffering girl friend Mary Harvard (Kathryn Harrold) , who works at a bank. He is irrationally jealous and self-centered, while Mary has been too willing to let him get away with his disruptive antics.

I'd say Modern Romance is a fairly accurate portrayal of how neurotic behavior, combined with crippling insecurity, can destroy a person and their relationships around them. Brooks' goes farther than Woody Allen ever dared, creating a character that is incredibly familiar; you've either met this type of person in your own life, you've been that kind of person or you are that kind of person. I'd like to think I've outgrown Brooks', but I know a little bit of that neurosis creeps up every once in a while. 

While packing quite a deep punch, and having a small horror element, Modern Romance works incredibly well as a comedy. I love the songs throughout the film that keep reminding Brooks of his ill-matched romance. He turns on the radio and hears Along Comes Mary by The Association. He goes on a date with a different girl and She's Out of My Life by Michael Jackson plays. I've seen this gag plenty of times on The Simpsons and am happy to know that it stems from this film. 

Modern Romance is a great comedy; easily the best Brooks' made, even though I do love Lost in America, Defending Your Life, and Mother. All great comedies have a great deal of truth in their biting satire; this film depicts the true nature of people who are hopelessly stuck in hapless relationships to a tee.