Friday, May 9, 2014

Fading Gigolo

The title of Fading Gigolo actually suggests a theme that I don't think is the central/emotional part of the story.

Never-married Fioravante (John Turturro, who also wrote and directed this), aptly named because he is a florist (it means something like "first flower"), is talking to his older friend Murray (Woody Allen, who also contributed some to the comedic writing), a bookseller who is closing up shop due to the financial climate. Murray tells him of a conversation he had with his dermatologist (Sharon Stone) where she expressed an interest in a three-way sexual tryst with her and her attractive friend (Sofia Vergara), and did he know anyone who would like to do this? Murray suggested Fioravante and while Fioravante initially balks at this idea, is intrigued enough to do it. But the dermatologist wants to try Fioravante out first on her own, so he goes to her lavish apartment where we find she is in a loveless marriage, and seduces her, we see in essence she is a "desperate housewife."

This becomes pretty successful and for a time Fioravante and Murray gather other clients, taking them to Fioravante's apartment in the (I think) Brooklyn area. Murray meets a young Jewish widow/mother Avigal (Vanessa Paradis) and her predicament is that due to the restrictive elements placed on women in her orthodox Hasidic religion, she is very lonely and needs human interaction, both emotional and physical. She decides to visit Fioravante more as a therapy than for sex. They talk and he touches her and gives her a massage.  An old friend of hers, Dovi (Liev Schrieber) who works for a Jewish neighborhood watch group (they are almost like local police for this Jewish community), presses her to get married to him now she has been widowed a while. When he tails Avigal to Fioravante's place, he gets jealous even though he doesn't know what's going on there.

Meanwhile, the dermatologist is working up the nerve to finally do the threesome, but by that time Fioravante's attraction to his new job has lessened due to Avigal's presence in his life.


Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Past seven days

Looking at all the summer film calendars, from New York Times, AV Club, Washington Post and many more  A wide variety of films, but as usual, for the summer at least, not too many that are female oriented.


Man Bites Dog
We Always Lie to Strangers

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Another Earth

Filmmakers Mike Cahill and Brit Marling are coming out with a new film soon. Here is a review of their previous collaboration, Another Earth.

Rhoda (Brit Marling) is a young woman about to attend MIT to study astrophysics. One night she parties too hard and drives home drunk, hearing on the radio of the new discovery of a second planet Earth that is identical to our own. Gazing up to see the planet, she hits another car where John (William Mapother) is injured and his wife and son are killed.

The story moves forward to several years later, when Rhoda exits from prison after her crime. She no longer has a drive to pursue her studies and wants to pull back from the world. Although she is highly intelligent and passionate about her love of astronomy, she gets a job away from most of society by becoming a school janitor.

Her guilt moves her to spy a little on John, a classical musician and composer who has also retreated from society, now pretty much a hermit in an isolated house, having abandoned his music career. Circumstances happen where Rhoda and John meet, and since she was a protected minor at the time of the crime he has no knowledge of who she is and they begin at first an employer/employee relationship, then somewhat friends, then something beyond that.

Meanwhile, an Australian company is offering a contest for a space trip to Earth 2, and Rhoda hopes to win the trip to confront her other self to see if she also made the same mistakes in her life.

The story has to confront, or let Rhoda and John confront, the moment when Rhoda has to own up to who she is and what she did to John, and of course, the unknown situation on Earth 2, if they are the same as what is taking place here.


Thursday, May 1, 2014

Past seven days

A funny and heartfelt actor who sometimes was a toughie, RIP Bob Hoskins.


41st Student Academy Awards
Admission
Celeste and Jesse Forever
Hateship, Loveship
Master of the House

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Past seven days

An interesting highlight of the last seven days was seeing the Brothers Quay, who have been experimental filmmakers for many years.  Although at times they are not entirely forthcoming with their filmmaking methods, we got to hear firsthand about some of their work ethic and experiences in making short films and surreal animation.


The Brothers Quay short films
Chan is Missing
Family Tree
The Guild
The Sapphires
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory


Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Past seven days

A merging of film fests this week.  The short Asian American Showcase butts up with the Latino Film Festival.  This year though I only one one of the Showcase's films that inspired me, the documentary Documented, which details ex-Washington Post journalist Jose Antonio Vargas' revelation of being an undocumented citizen.  I wish we had a legitimate Chinese film fest here, curiously we do not.  Anyone want to start one with me?

Detained in the Desert
Documented
Locke
Melaza
The Misfortunates
The Railway Man
Solo
World's West End

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Past seven days

Continuing with the Latino fest, ignoring my DVDs. :-( But more Latin movies! :-)

The Boy and the World
Captain America: Winter Soldier
Cesar Chavez
Dream Team 1935
Fading Gigolo
Ida
Longest Distance
Noah

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Past seven days

Sliding from one fest to another, and looking forward to the summer in Chicago. Many free film events take place in the summer--movies in the park, movies at the Cultural Center, and many organizations offering up new and old films for screenings!

Autumn Blood
Cuban Fury
De-Lovely
Jodorowsky's Dune
Muppets Most Wanted
Spider

Saturday, March 29, 2014

The Last Elvis

This film surprised me (positively) with its sympathetic character, although as the film went on, I kind of expected how it would end.

The movie is from Argentina and is about an Elvis impersonator Carlos, although he insists on being addressed as Elvis at all times, even by friends and family. His "career" of playing weddings and similar events is pretty dependent on how popular his alter ego of Elvis is with the public. He pretty much lives his life as Elvis, eating peanut butter and banana sandwiches, manicuring his sideburns, rewatching old concerts on videotape. But we see he is living paycheck to paycheck as the agency/union that sets up gigs for various impersonators owes him for several performances. Elvis' persona is realized for us by his mantra that "I invented rock and roll"--implying that the Beatles or whomever may come and go, but Elvis is forever.

Elvis is divorced with a young daughter he has named Lisa Marie. His dayjob is at a factory assembly line. His ex-wife, whom he addresses as Priscilla although that is not her name, is fed up with his absent and impractical parenting and intends to take full custody of Lisa. But she gets into an auto accident and their daughter has to spend a few days with Elvis. Lisa is not very enamored of her father but during the visit he manages to win her over in small ways. She even gifts him an Elvis bobble head doll. We see that although he is usually absent, he is also caring and loving with her.

We also see Elvis seems to be planning for a trip and some kind of final performance. He sells his belongings, quits his dayjob, visits his mother for the last time, leaves a nest egg for Lisa, and trashes the agency office when they refuse to pay him what he is owed. He then spiffs himself up and travels to Graceland, where he celebrates his 42nd birthday alone and makes his final, true-to-life performance as Elvis.


Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Past seven days

Heading toward the end of the European Union Film Festival...onto the Chicago Latino Film Festival!

A Bag of Flour
The Chiney Shop
Class Enemy
Come Out and Play
Exhibition
Half: The Story of A Chinese-Jamaican Son
High Tech, Low Life
Immortality aka Wisdom of the Crocodiles
Lawless Heart
Operation E
Summer Storm
Unit 7
Wadjda

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Past seven days

A little bit of this, a little bit of that. Mostly the European Union Film Festival!

Aglaya
Divergent
Dual
Free Fall
Love is Blind
One Shot
Veronica Mars
We Are the Best

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Stranger by the Lake

This French film takes place entirely at a lakeside and nearby woods.

The lakeside here is a bit secluded and a small community of gay men have come here to sunbathe in the nude and cruise for sex with each other, without making any emotional commitments. The protagonist is young, handsome, gay Francke. Like many of the others, he is here for sex. As any visitor enters the beach he is ogled by the others, hoping to be chosen for a sexual encounter in the woods.

Francke sees another handsome but slightly older man, Michel. So far Michel hasn't given him any indication of desiring Francke. A bit further down the beach sits the middle-aged and portly Henri, who says he is straight and sits apart from the others. He says he only is here to enjoy the sun. Francke sits with Henri, passing time with conversation until he can make a connection with Michel, and he and Henri start a casual friendship. Henri observes the men, noting the dynamics of these temporary relationships but still considering himself separate from them, at least he says so. One night after the others leave, Francke observes Michel and another man swimming in the lake. At first playful, Michel suddenly drowns his lover, and Francke cowers in the woods hoping not to be seen.

During the next few days, Francke does not give any indication of having seen anything, although he gets close to Michel and makes oblique comments. Henri sees how Francke wants to pursue Michel, and at times warn him to be safe as Francke seems to think he and Michel have a budding "real" relationship. The missing man is not noticed as people here don't ask much about each other. Michel begins to suspect Francke knows something. Things get more tense when an investigator starts hanging around the area, questioning the men about the missing man.

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Past seven day

I guess I am sneaking in a past fourteen days instead!  At least I averaged over one movie a day this time, with the help of a local Wes Anderson Anthology film fest.  Upcoming is the European Union Film Festival and then the Chicago Latino Film Festival, both of which I am looking forward to.

12 Years a Slave
Bad Words
Casablana
Darjeeling Limited
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Great Muppet Caper
Leonie
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
Moonrise Kingdom
Nada +
Parker
The Royal Tenenbaums
Rushmore
Silent Light
A Single Shot
Stranger by the Lake
Sweetwater

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Past seven days

Not in the mood for movies lately...

American Hustle
The Lego Movie
Noi the Albino
Revolution '67

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Past seven days

We're slowly getting through this cabin fever known as winter, although the weather here as usual is doing its flip flop, between frigid, windy, rainy and springlike.

End of Watch
Pompeii
The Skin I Live In
Skycrawlers
The Traveling Executioner

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Past seven days

My first foray into Michelangelo Antonioni.  Definitely one I need to read up on.

L'Avventura
Monuments Men
Moonrise Kingdom
Winter's Tale

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Past seven days

Several winter-set movies this week, even two set at Christmas!

All is Bright
The Island
Oscar Animated Shorts 2014
The Painting
Winterlochter

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Rango

If you're looking to warm up just a little more before spring returns, take a gander at Rango.  It will have you as parched as the characters who reside in the western town this film takes place in.

When I saw this in 2011 I had really no expectations as I hadn't read up on it.  I assumed it was a run of the mill celebrity-laden animated feature (which it is to some extent) out to grab another family-audience buck.

Johnny Depp plays the title character, a chameleon. Actually the character is unnamed but takes on the pseudonym Rango. He is a city slicker lizard who lives in a beachy terrarium and questioning his existence as his human family crossing the desert.  When due to accidental circumstance he is stranded in the desert, his existential search leads him to the town of Dirt, where the old timey western denizens are parched and the most valuable commodity is water.

Rango finds himself out of place but ready to realize a bigger persona than he has had up til then.  He helps the townfolk defeat the baddie whom as we expect has been hoarding water from them.

The bones of the story are quite conventional: a (literal) little guy tells tall tales about himself, pretending to be something grander than he is. The town believes in him and believes he is their salvation. When they need him most he is exposed for a sham. But, he finds redemption and becomes the savior he didn't think he or they thought he could be. A typical western plot.

What sets this above other animated movies:


Past seven days

Looks like it has been a Netflix week.  The weather kept me in again so just DVDs and streaming:

All Is Bright
Audition
Grabbers
Secrets of Scotland Yard
Temple Grandin

Friday, January 24, 2014

Picnic at Hanging Rock

Still continuing a few reviews of films that take place in a hotter climate than where I am now, here's my take on the classic, both cult and otherwise, directed by Peter Weir, Picnic at Hanging Rock.  It takes place in late 1800s.  Students at a girls school in Australia go on a picnic, ostensibly to study the local geography, at a site called Hanging Rock.  One student, Sara, a girl who has a slightly lesbian love for a classmate, and a nervous teacher, are not allowed to attend per the headmistress (the headmistress perhaps has a bias toward them).  The girls overall are seen as very obsessive about romance and moon-y, and the trip takes place on Valentine's Day, but since it is "down under" the weather is pretty hot this time of year.

Two teachers chaperone, one is the masculine though female mathematics teacher and the other is the very feminine French teacher (Helen Morse).  Being a hot day many of them nap near the rock formation while four girls explore.  These girls are seen by two boys nearby, a visiting Brit Michael who sees the beautiful Miranda, and his young valet who happens to be the brother of Sara, the girl left behind; the siblings are orphans so Sara's financial status is below that of her classmates, which may play into the headmistress' bias of her.

Three of the four wandering girls in a sort of dream state go into a crevice in the rocks, and three of them the math teacher go missing, while the fourth becomes hysterical and can remember nothing or very little of the event or what happened.  Searches are made and the boys and others give witness statements, but nothing can be explained.

Michael becomes a bit obsessive about finding Miranda and makes an attempt to do so.  Later one of the girls reappear but she can remember nothing.  There are many unexplained answers.  Families start removing their daughters from the school.  Although she is losing a lot of students, the headmistress also forces Sara, the orphan, out of the school since her patron has been unable to make payments.  Sara is later found under tragic circumstances.


Thursday, January 23, 2014

Cairo Time

Cairo Time I think is about how one defines fidelity in a relationship, especially when one is in a situation that is out of place of what one has been used to.  Patricia Clarkson plays Juliette, who is a writer in a women's magazine (the Glamour or Vogue type) who comes to meet up with her husband who works at the U.N., but he is delayed in the Gaza area so she is on her own for a few days in Cairo. He has asked an old colleague, Tareq (Alexander Siddig) to drive her to the hotel and set her up there. Tareq runs into an old girlfriend at the airport who invites them to her daughter's upcoming wedding. He is retired already despite being youngish (younger than Juliette at least) and now runs a men's only traditional coffee hangout, so for the most part he can come and go as he pleases.

At first Juliette is at sea trying to fill up her day without being bored. Here, her identity is not as an independent woman, but "the wife" and finds she is expected to conform to those boundaries.  She attends a consulate function by herself and meets another of her husband's colleagues, Kathryn (Elena Anaya) who invites her for a daytrip to meet her family out in the desert. The two talk a bit about following the men in their relationships. Later Juliette rashly decides to take a bus to Gaza alone, and during a tense checkpoint, she is advised to return to the city (she's the only Westerner on the bus, and one of the few women). During this ride she befriends a young woman who asks her to do a dangerous favor, which Juliette consults Tareq on.

Every now and again Tareq either comes to meet Juliette to take her about the city, or she seeks him out at his coffee shop and they spend the day together, even staying out very late and coming back to the hotel at dawn, or she even becomes a bit more daring and ventures out on her own a bit. These meetings are usually unplanned. Of course they end up attending that wedding, which leads Juliette to consider what she wants, just when her husband returns to her.


Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Desert Bloom

Living in a part of the U.S. where there is definitely a winter (Chiberia, anyone?), I thought I would try to find a film taking place in a hot locale for a change.

When I picked up this movie, for some reason I thought Christine Lahti starred in it and that it was a contemporary film (I confused it with a film called Housekeeping). She does narrate as the adult version of the character played by Annabeth Gish (though Gish doesn't even get a credit on the VHS box despite being the central character).

Gish plays Rose, a 13-year old living in Las Vegas during the Korean War era, on the cusp of A-bomb testing. Her stepfather (Jon Voight) is unstable and abusive and her mom (JoBeth Williams) tries to hold things together. Although stepdad is at times loving, his behavior becomes increasingly less so when he drinks and when he has PTSD/hallucinations from WW2 service, which as we know now was not well-diagnosed back then. Mom starts becoming more independent by working outside the home and trying to keep a cheerful face when he has to spend some time in an institution due to the stress. Rose though, as a child, still cannot understand what is happening to her stepfather, and can only relate it to herself: the abuse, what she perceives as his hatred of her. Small gifts she gives him are looked on with distrust and paranoia.

A glamorous aunt (Ellen Barkin) visits after a breakup, at first a breath of new life then straining the family. She is at first seen as glamour and happiness, but her relationship troubles and intrusion at a difficult and tenuous time for the family affect them negatively and then causes a betrayal for Rose. Her "makeup" with Rose was too

Allen Garfield plays an astute sympathetic teacher, Jay Underwood a nice guy friend.


Past seven days

Despite another almost repeat of a polar vortex, I'm still stuck watching TV dvds and not movies.


American Experience:  The Poisoner's Handbook
American Experience:  Triangle Fire
American Experience:  Tupperware!
Frontline: The Secret State of North Korea
The Legend of Drunken Master

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Past seven days

I guess I am on a Sherlock Holmes kick, rewatching my DVD sets of the newish Sherlock series from BBC.  Here are some other DVDs I watched in the last 14 days:

The Big Clock
Burning Love
I Love You, Man
Sesame Street Old School
Sherlock Holmes and he Baker Street Irregulars
The Soloist

Never Cry Wolf

Oh, the weather outside is frightful!  Keep warm indoors but still get into this winter weather!

Never Cry Wolf is based on Canadian writer Farlew Mowat's autobiographical novel of the same name.  The film starts with a written intro about wolves suspected of killing off the caribou population in the arctic.  Since no scientist has verified that wolves are the culprits, the government sends Tyler (Charles Martin Smith) to track wolves and monitor their impact on the environment.

Tyler opens the film with narration in a diary style (which he does for most of the film), observing the people he meets, including a brash bush pilot (Brian Dennehy, although he's not in the film for long).  Tyler is unsure of his assignment and he is a fish out of water in this environment, he's frightened and is intimidated by the first wolves he encounters.

At first he just sits and watches for signs like tracks, but as the weather warms he decides to go out in the open and make himself visible, thus inviting curious wolves to come up to him and making it easier for him to observe.  As time goes on, Tyler learns to be more savvy to nature's way of doing things.

He eventually observes a family of wolves and makes assumptions about their behavior.  He gets a visit from some Eskimos, one who has traditional ways (Zachary Ittimangnaq) and the adopted son who has more modern values.


Thursday, January 2, 2014

Past seven days

Although I did watch a lot of DVDs, very few were movies, and in fact, the two I did watch were movies I had seen before on the big screen. Hope your 2014 is getting off to a film-filled start!

Berberian Sound Studio
The Muppets