Olympic Dreams: The Do-Deca-Pentathlon

Continuing with my sports-themed lineup of films in celebration of the upcoming Olympics competition in London, here is another selection (although for the most part this is a family drama about sibling rivalry).

This is an earlier (2008) Duplass brothers movie that was not released until now. (Jay Duplass explained that as they were finishing this film, they got the go ahead to make their other films Cyrus and Jeff Who Lives at Home; since this one was one they were doing themselves, and the other two were studio films, they put this one aside and only recently finished it.)

This story is about two brothers, Mark and Jeremy. Mark (Steve Zissis), the seemingly more put-together brother, is married with a preteen son. He and his family are returning home to his mother's where Mark's wife has planned a birthday party for him. Jeremy (Mark Kelly), the supposedly irresponsible brother, has not been invited to the party due to his immature personality, but invites himself anyway.

When the brothers reach their childhood home, Jeremy re-instigates the Do-Deca-Pentathlon, a 25-event Olympic competition between him and his brother. This childhood contest between them was truncated when their father stopped the contest during the last event, leaving them at a tie. Mark, being responsible and also suffering from stress, tries to avoid any competition with his brother.  But Jeremy appears to have returned home solely to finish this contest, and pushes Mark's buttons in the ways he knows how; the both of them start up the competition again, but in secret unbeknownst to Mark's wife Stephanie (Jennifer Lafleur) and their mother. They pretend to go jogging or to the grocery store but compete in stuff like laser tag and push-ups, roping in Mark's son on the secret too. Surprisingly it is Mark who becomes much too gung ho on winning and Jeremy begins to see this and wants to end the competition. Stephanie finds out and this divides her and Mark for a time.

Olympic Dreams: The Summit: A Chronicle of Stones

A historical biopic about Japanese surveyors trying to map Mt. Tsurugi-dake (Sword Mountain) in 1907.

The army uses triangulation of stone markers placed previously on other points to continue with their work.  When news that an amateur mountain climbing club is planning to get to the top first, the army wants badly to map the area and claim the mountain first.  They bully and coerce their chosen man, Shibasaki (Tadanobu Asano), pretty much giving him no chance to refuse this job, calling him a coward if he won't attempt this and succeed to boot (and in Japanese culture to lose face is a big thing).  In 1906, he consults a retired surveyor Furuta (Kôji Yakusho) who had previously tried climbing the mountain but was unsuccessful.

Shibasaki hires Chojiro (Teruyuki Kagawa) as his guide.  Chojiro used to work with Furuta.  (There is some unwritten political rule that implies Chojiro shouldn't be doing this, and he gets some heat for it, I couldn't tell what that was all about.  Perhaps Furata has more seniority so it was considered disrespectufl for Chojiro to be consulted like this.)

Shibasaki and Chojiro don't make it successfully in 1906, turned back eventually by bad weather and impassability.  They try again in 1907 with more men, and more pressure, as the army heads and the climbing club are both breathing down their backs.

Past seven days

A generous holiday weekend away from work meant more movies!

Beginners
Brave
The Do-Deca-Pentathlon
Escapes
Kiki's Delivery Service
Jane Eyre (2011)
Lipstick on Your Collar
The Man Who Copied
The Names of Love
Paul Williams:  Still Alive
Raising Arizona
Time
The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls
The Women on the Sixth Floor

Free event: Chariots of Fire

I think when I say the words "movie about the Olympics," that Chariots of Fire will be right at the top of the list.  It's a depiction of the historical beginnings of the modern Olympics with lots of suspense, despite not exactly being a "sports" movie. Catch it before the Olympics begin later this month.

Chariots of Fire
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
6:00 p.m.
Harold Washington Library Center
Cindy Pritzker Auditorium
400 S. State Street, Chicago

Olympic Dreams--Shodo Girls

I don't think "shodo" is going to be an Olympic sport anytime soon, but it was interesting to see a local cultural art framed as a competitive sport, while also showing how these old manual arts are disappearing from the youth culture of many countries.  Perhaps Olympics host countries can showcase a lost art like this one instead of always looking into what is up and coming.

Based on real events, shodo is a Japanese calligraphic art, where calligraphers write mottoes or poetry in beautiful brush script. This craft is on the decline. A high school girl, Satoko, who belongs to the school's calligraphy club, tries to generate interest in this ancient art as she can see for herself that the town needs a boost due to the poor economy. They are assigned a new school advisor, but he is flashy, which doesn't equate with her sense of what the classical art should be.

Other club members and their families are shown. This is a paper mill town, and many families' livelihoods are dependent upon the trade. One boy's grandfather is despondent that his handcrafted high-quality paper is passed over for the mass produced products one can find in an office supply store. Another girl's father owns an arts supplies store that no one shops in anymore. Many other shops are closed due to the economy and the results of global trade. Another girl, a former friend of Satoko whose single mother is ill, hides that fact and tries not to let on that she can't attend college and must find work instead.

Satoko, desperate, forms a contest where school calligraphy clubs can compete in a flashy competition involving dancing and splashy motifs. (Similar to those big cheerleading competitions we have here in America.)