The Quirky Style (Scott Pilgrim VS The World Review)

*****

            All summer long I had set it upon myself to truly consider a broad spectrum of films for my list of Top 15 movies ever. At one point I started with a hundred films, and eventually worked my way down to 15. Scott Pilgrim VS the World by Edgar Wright was perhaps the dark horse of the lot.

            From the trailers I wasn’t the least bit interested in this film. It was by force from an old friend that I went to see it in theaters. As I paid for my ticket all I could think was “what a waste of money”. I sat through the film, laughed a couple of times, and in the end thought nothing of it. Of course it wasn’t as bad as I thought, but the film did nothing for me. I simply pretended to have liked it as much as my friend did, this having been an unfortunate trait of mine before knowing anything worth knowing about film. Around the people I liked I agreed to like a certain film even if I hadn’t liked it one bit. I’m thrilled to say that has changed.

            Back to Scott, I saw it again later, though I can’t exactly remember where. The second time was even worse. I thought “how the hell am I watching this piece of crap again?” I don’t think I laughed at anything the second time.

            Earlier this summer when I began to collect names of films that had left an impression on me Scott Pilgrim VS the World didn’t even come. It wasn’t until they showed it on HBO in mid-June that Scott Pilgrim began to make an impression on me. The first two times I saw the film were before university. Back then I had no useful knowledge of film. I had seen many films, but that didn’t mean anything.

This summer I wasn’t only more knowledgeable, but I was also fresh off my first class in film theory. That class, as my closest friends know, was Chinese Auteurs. No other class has ever influenced as much as Chinese Auteurs. In a way it redefined everything I knew about film, and radically altered my taste in film. In the end, the third time I watched Scott Pilgrim VS the World was a completely different experience.

After seeing plenty of other times, as HBO never tires of playing the same movies over and over again, I had come to understand Scott Pilgrim. Maybe not so much as understand that word has no meaning in film analysis, but now I really appreciated the style of Scott Pilgrim.

Scott Pilgrim could be said is all over the place. There is nothing quite like it. While the film is based on a series of graphic novels, it feels like it’s based more on a video game than anything. Well the film plays like a video game, and that perhaps makes it most unique. Unique because films based on video games try too hard to play like movies and always fall short. Scott Pilgrim is unapologetic about its style. The real world becomes a video game as Scott Pilgrim (played by Cera) must defeat Ramona’s (Winstead) seven evil exes if he is to date her. Each ex becomes harder as he goes, much like any video game where one must defeat the boss of every stage. To make things even better, every time he defeats an evil ex, they disappear into thin air leaving only coins behind and no makes nothing of it. Scott actually picks them up after defeating the first evil ex, and complains there isn’t even enough for a bus ride.

Aside from the video game world of the film, one of my favorite things is the editing. Editing has sadly become rather boring in most films. Here Edgar Wright uses editing to make the film quickly paced and funny along the way. A cut can transport us to a completely unexpected place like a desert with a cactus on the background, a place unusual for the rest of the narrative, yet funny for its randomness. One of my favorite edits comes in the form of a reaction shot when Knives wonders how Scott knows her idol Envy Adams. When it’s revealed to her that Scott dated Envy, Knives’ face becomes the emoticon for surprised or as I’d like to think of it, OMG.

Much like Howl’s Moving Castle, Scott Pilgrim VS the World also reminds me of my childhood. It’s not quite like Howl’s Moving Castle, but as a kid I was a huge fan of fighting sequences in movies. Naturally the outrageous and brilliantly executed fighting sequences in Scott Pilgrim VS the World take me back to the days when I used to imagine such things. By far the coolest fighting sequence is between Ramona Flowers and her ex Roxy involving a metal razor whip and a giant hammer.

Personally I think there is nothing quite like Scott Pilgrim VS the World in terms of style. While some may contest that there are films like Sucker Punch which follow the same pattern I would like to argue that Scott Pilgrim VS the World unlike Sucker Punch is cohesive. Both are all over the place, but Scott Pilgrim VS the World follows a singular pattern throughout where Sucker Punch can feel like brain fart at times. Overall Scott Pilgrim VS the World is a unique experience that will make you laugh and laugh while blending a fast pace editing with stylized fights, and great music. Scott Pilgrim VS the World makes its way into my list of Top 15 Films at number 11 and along with Howl’s Moving Castle ends up being one of the happier fares in my list.





The World of My Childhood (Howl’s Moving Castle Review)



*****

            Howl’s Moving Castle by master storyteller Hayao Miyazaki was the second of his films I had ever seen. Kiki’s Delivery Service was my first Miyazaki, so naturally I expected magic to play a role in the film. Howl’s Moving Castle opens with a curious structure moving across green plains and snowcapped mountains in the background. The castle, which more than a castle looks like a monster of some sort, disappears into a thick fog. That singular shot hooked me in. I don’t know why exactly but I felt like I was a kid all over again.

            From there we are introduced to Sophie. A young girl, but well beyond her years. She goes to town, and the town is wonder of the animation realm. All the activity and hustle and bustle which is extremely difficult to capture in an animated films is brilliantly executed in Howl’s Moving Castle. In an alley Sophie encounters Howl, a famed wizard surrounded with stories that cater to a girl’s worst nightmare. Howl takes off into the air with Sophie as some weird dark shadows pursue them. They walk with ease above the city and Howl lands Sophie safely to her destination. This moment is key for me. It happens early in the film, and flying is nothing short of my greatest dream in the world. Walking in the sky to me is part of numerous dreams I’ve had both as a kid and as an adult. The film only continues with the magic.

            The first time Sophie enters the castle I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to live in such a magical place like that. Throughout the entire movie I was just mesmerized. Howl’s Moving Castle works like a magic spell that can’t be broken. I’ve seen more Miyazaki since then, and while his entire body of work is beautiful, Howl’s Moving Castle seems to have remained with me the longest. The magic and ingenuity of a castle that can move through beautiful animated sceneries alone makes this film a treat hardly matched by any animated or live action film.

            Howl’s Moving Castle is a dream of a movie. After watching it I can’t help but dream to one day have outrageous amounts of money just so I can built a castle just like Howl’s (except of course minus the moving part). Howl’s Moving Castle falls on my list of Top 15 Movies Of All Time at number 13. It is the only animated film in my list, and perhaps also the only film with a fully happy ending. Nothing else on my list comes close to being as happy as this film. Those who know me may wonder why the hell a happy animated movie is on my list of top movies of all time. That first time I watched the film, for the first time ever, I cried at the end, a happy end. For some reason the magic of this film had overwhelmed me with joy. I couldn’t believe how magical it was, and I couldn’t contain my tears. For me this film was unlike any other animated film. Yes it had the happy ending which I despise in movies, but for the first time in my life I didn’t give a shit about the happy ending.

            While the ending is opposite to everything I like, Howl’s Moving Castle is a special film for me thanks to its ability to remind me of what it was like to be a kid. There are other films that remind me of that feeling of freedom and creativity, but none more than Howl’s Moving Castle. When I was a kid I dreamed up worlds similar to the world’s Miyazaki is so good at creating. I dreamed of worlds where freedom is unlimited and anything no matter how magical can happen. My childhood to this day remains the best part of my life, something I will never have again. Perhaps Howl’s Moving Castle’s ability to transport me back to that time is why this film has stayed with me so long, and why it deserves a spot on my list of Top 15 Movies of All Time.

A Zombie Is A Small Yellow Flower (Dogtooth Review)



*****

            Dogtooth by Yorgos Lanthimos is unequivocally one of the most original films from the last couple of years. Who knows if the film will stand the test of time, but one thing is for sure: Dogtooth will leave a lasting impression on whoever lays eyes on it.

            The basic premise of the film follows a family of five. The children, if it’s possible to call them that as they look rather grown up, never leave the house and live under false impressions of how the world operates. They’ve been fed all sorts of crazy, yet sometimes comical, ideas. One of the funniest parts in the film involves the son grabbing some gardening scissors and butchering an intruding cat as his sisters watch horrified from inside the house. The parents tell them cats are monsters, and why shouldn’t they be in a make believe world were apparently mom can give birth to both people and dogs. Yes it’s that sort of world. The children are also given new meaning for words. For example in one of the dining scenes the eldest girl asks mom to pass the telephone, and so the mom passes the salt.

            Though the film is quite unlike anything I’ve ever seen one film came to mind as I watched: Salo. Of course both films touch on the subject of authority and how those figures in power can abuse that power. In Dogtooth the parents are the equivalent of The Magistrate, The Duke, The President, and The Bishop. Of course in Salo the victims know they are victims while in Dogtooth the children are unaware of the fact that their way of life is a lie.

            The world the parents have created for their children isn’t perfect for there are always outside forces acting against it, for example an intruding cat as mentioned before. The household beyond crazy is also sexist. From the very beginning we are introduced to Christina, a young security officer working the gates at the father’s factory. She is hired to satisfy the needs of the son. Only he gets to quench his needs while the other two girls are left in the dark about sexual matters. Christina is a key character in the film as she more than even the cat disrupts the balance of the household. She takes advantage of the eldest girl by giving her gifts in exchange for sexual favors. Christina after being left unsatisfied by the son asks the eldest daughter if she will lick her down there in exchange for a headband that sparkles in the dark. The girl thinks nothing of it and performs fellatio without knowing so. Later the girl blackmails Christina for a couple of movies which turn out to be the iconic films of Rocky and Jaws. The girl then mimics such films in some of the most comical scenes of the film.

            Aside from the all too crazy story being told by the film one of the most satisfying aspects of Dogtooth is the unique style in which it is told. The film uses plenty of long takes, but instead of allowing the audience to become familiar with a space the unique and unconventional framing makes the long take abstract. In Dogtooth open framing is consistent. The faces of characters are cut off, and shots instead of showing facial reactions tend to focus on the character’s backs of their heads. This particular style is quite strange and makes for a rather disorienting experience but then again this isn’t our everyday world.

            In the end Dogtooth is an experience quite unlike anything. The strangeness of the story will keep you fixated to the screen. The strange mix of comedy and taboo will keep you guessing “should I laugh, or be disgusted”. Dogtooth is nothing short of a masterpiece, but beware this film isn’t for every eye. There are plenty of graphic scenes and endless taboos, so before watching it make sure you are completely comfortable with nudity, and violence against animals plus other things.

2046 Trailer [HD]

Where The Memories Never Change (2046 review)

2046
*****

As most of you who know me or have any idea of what kinds of films I enjoy the most, then it would be no surprise that I hate non-linear storytelling. I hate it for being a convention from the art movement, which of all films there is nothing more worthless than art films. They really should take the word “art” away from it, but enough about that topic. The fact is that I’m beginning to change my belief about non-linear storytelling. Funny thing is that I thought I would have to wait for The Tree of Life, which I have mixed feelings for, yet high hopes. I didn’t have a clue about 2046, and perhaps that allowed me to watch it without hesitation. A TA from one of my film classes recommended us to look at Wong Kar Wai’s pictures, if anything to study the mice-en-scene in his films. Before popping in the DVD on my Playstation 3, I only knew to expect a visual treat of color.

As the film progressed, almost from the very beginning I was more than blown away. Wong Kar Wai understands color and works it together with light to create a visual feast that easily transfixes the viewer on a world that’s his, yet completely strange. 2046 is not only a complex story told in jumps, and parallel situations. It has one consistent character, Chow Mo-wan (Tony Leung Chiu Wai), a journalist. Then it has three women that play the a similar role in his life. The film is told in different times, always skipping a year to the same date, December 24. There is also 2046, which is not just a number in the hotel room or a motif, but a train where memories never change. Further from this, the film is extremely hard to explain, and partly because I myself with just one-time-view do not fully understand it.

In the past if I didn’t understand a film, I discarded it immediately as one of the worst movies ever seen. In a medium where the most important factor is the audience, ambiguity should not play a role. Still, 2046, left such a lasting impression, not only with it’s clever use of light and color where one looses oneself in what feels like a beautiful-one-time-dream, but also thanks to the believable, gripping, yet comic performances of the actors. I loved the characters created by the Hong Kong based director. Specially that of one of the lovers, a prostitute by the name of Bai Ling (Ziyi Zhang). This character is charming beyond belief, and has a fragile nature to her. Perfect, casting Ziyi Zhang with that girly face, yet beautiful figure that exudes sexuality.

One thing is for certain, this film is not a one-timer. I have no intention of merely seeing it and forgetting about it. This film is one I need to watch more and more to keep understanding. This film is the exception in my book. Scenes in the film with the beautiful framing, and interesting mice-en-scene are pure eye candy for movie lovers who understand more than just a good story, but the art that film is. I highly recommend 2046. It’s not a film to completely understand, but one to appreciate for it’s unmatched beauty, and effectiveness on the human soul. A good film is one that can make one feel something not otherwise felt. Something one would not feel unless placed in the place of the characters. Wong Kar Wai’s 2046 does that and more.

Lars Von Trier: "I Understand Hitler"

He really is now one of my favorite directors, I mean to get up there in front of an audience of the biggest most important film festival and make jokes about Hitler takes some real guts. I found his comments hilarious, and don't know what the big fuzz is all about. He's a brilliant directors, and I would say the same things, Hitler was a horrible man, but there is more there than the monster everyone sees.

Portrait of an Alcoholic (The Lost Weekend review)

The Lost Weekend
*****

Next to Casablanca (1943), The Lost Weekend is the second oldest movie I have ever seen. At least as far as I can remember. Seeing Casablanca several months ago if anything was an experience opposite of what it was meant to be. I found it to be, even  with it’s status as one of the best, to be one of the worst movies I have ever seen. Acting in my opinion is the best thing to look for in a movie. If the film has bad acting in it, than surely it’s not a good movie overall. Casablanca has plenty of acting that anyone could do because it’s not acting at all, but a mere delivery of bad lines. That experience alone made me never want to look back past 1980 in film history. I was very reluctant this summer to compose a list of older movies, and even more skeptical to start the list with a movie from 1945. Could all classical movies be swarmed with the Casablanca ill-acting? I was about to find out.

I picked The Lost Weekend at random from the book The Academy Awards: The Complete Unofficial History by Jim Piazza and Gail Kinn, a book I consider to be my bible. I simply opened a page at random and by luck it was on the year 1945 where The  Lost Weekend, a winner of four Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director,  grabbed my attention. The film won Billy Wilder an Oscar for Best Director, and Ray Milland for Best Performance By An Actor In A Leading Role. With all fours Oscars rightfully deserved, the film is a character study of a man in grip of alcohol.

The film spans a weekend on the life of Don Birnam (Ray Milland), an alcoholic. It is wonderful to see such great character development so far back in movie time. Don Birnam is a weak man, always going back for another drink.

The film opens with Wick (Phillip Terry), Don’s brother, and Don (Ray Milland) packing and readying themselves to go out of town for the weekend. As soon as Wick leaves sight of Don, we see Don grab a bottle of rye whisky hanging from the window by a string. As comical as it may seem, this simple act proves the characters eagerness and anxiety to have a drink. Don wants a drink and nothing else, so desperate he finds ingenious ways to hide alcohol.

Don is also in love with Helen St. James (Jane Wyman), but this is all under whelmed by his constant drinking.  She is madly in love with him and shows undying determination to help Don. She puts up with him and his constant absence. She, I guess could be said is somewhat blindly in love with him. Of anyone she is the only one who sees talent and ambition in Don, something barely there, clouded by the fog of alcohol on which Don’s life revolves around.

We see Don through the course of four days. He drinks almost all day everyday, and we see him visit Nat’s Bar daily. Owned by Nat (Howard Da Silva) a man who might be his only friend outside his own brother Wick and love Helen. Some would argue; what kind of friend hands shot after shot to an alcoholic at the brink of perdition? I still felt that Nat in his own way did more for Don than anyone. A drunk wants to be listened to and Nat did that more than anyone else. At one point, even if momentarily, Nat encourages Don to finally write a novel he’s been meaning to write about his own life and love with Helen. A novel that is nothing more than an autobiography and appropriately titled “The Bottle”.

Don starts out eager to get a hold of a drink after drink, but soon it becomes the other way around, the drinking clearly is the one taking a hold of him. Don becomes so lost in the rye whisky that at one instance he hides a bottle of it, and later can’t remember for the life of him where he placed it. At a restaurant/bar he goes to such extreme as to steal from a young woman just to afford another drink. In his worst Don imagines a bat eating a rat coming out of a whole in the wall that was never there. We see a man loose almost everyone, the few who genuinely cared about him, and himself.

The Lost Weekend is a beautiful portrait of a man lost in addiction. The film is equally well acted by the entire cast. It is too brilliantly directed by Billy Wilder, and is edited in the classical continuity style, a staple of cinema I intent to incorporate in ninety percent of my films. The cinematography contains such exquisite details like the circles of water left by the perspiration of a shot glass on the wooden bar. A detail that cleverly allows us to get the magnitude of how much alcohol Don has consumed. This film as old as it may be, and with it’s lack in rawness such as profanity, sex, and even violence manages to capture an extremely accurate portrait of what it’s like to be an alcoholic. The Lost Weekend is a film that will surely grace the high end of my list of Best Films I Have Ever Seen, and remain there without a doubt.