4 May 2006, late afternoon
An advert is played for Cadillac’s new Escalade before every movie at Hotdocs begins. At the end of the commercial someone in the crowd will boo, jeer, or hiss at the screen, which results in lots of claps and laughter from the rest of the audience. I am sure the SUV hating hippies love that they are sticking it to the man. Still, who do they think is subsidizing the festival? God knows I hate SUVs, but booing Cadillac because they are funding a really good film festival is, well, stupid. Though, to be fair, Cadillac was stupid for expecting the adverts to go over well.
[3] Movies | Hot Docs 2006
4 May 2006, terribly early in the morning
Sometimes you watch a movie and it makes you angry; The Dark Side of the White Lady was such a film. The Esmeralda, this Chilean flagship, was used during the 1973 coup in Chile as a convenient spot to torture, rape, and murder those people the newly formed ‘government’ felt were a threat. The Esmeralda is this movie’s White Lady. Father Michael Woodward was tortured and killed on the boat. The audience watches as 30 years later his family still tries to get some justice. Two other victims of torture on the Esmeralda also figure prominently in the film. All three stories taken together comprise the bulk of the film. There are a few interviews with former navy admirals will probably leave you frustrated you can’t yell at them in person. It was a good movie. One of those films everyone should see, and be aware of.
The official The Dark Side of the White Lady web site.
Movies
3 May 2006, the wee hours
Shadow Company was a very cool film. The movie is all about the privatization of war. There are interviews with a slew of interesting people, including several mercenaries, a lobbyist, various intellectuals, and the creator of the A-Team. Over the course of the film, the entire private military industry is explained: how the industry came about, how it operates, who these mercenaries are, etc., etc. The film is thorough, and refreshingly spin-free. The film-maker really makes an effort to present both the good and bad aspects of the private military machine. The mercenaries that speak about their profession are actually surprisingly likable. The movie itself is very slick; it’s probably the best put together film I have seen at the festival thus far. It obviously had a fairly big budget behind it. This is a movie worth watching if you are at all interested in war. I suspect it will get a wider release.
The official Shadow Company web site.
Movies
2 May 2006, the wee hours
The Ants was a very impressive film. The audience watches as Mr. Okumura, a former Japanese soldier, tries to expose the fact that the Japanese government ordered some of their soldiers to remain in China after they had surrendered to the US; these soldiers were to continue to fight the Communists and keep Japanese imperialism alive. The rest of Japan believes these soldiers volunteered to stay behind. Now 80 odd years old, Mr. Okumura and other veterans fight to have the record set straight on this matter. More than this, Mr. Okumura wants to truly understand the war, everything about it. He feels he only saw a small part of the ugliness that was Japan’s invasion of China. He travels to China to get answers to everything that is troubling him. The movie is at times very moving, and at times very intense. Mr. Okumura discusses quite frankly the things he did during WWII, and the things he knew other soldiers did during the war. He meets Chinese soldiers in his travels through China and talks to them about the war and its effects on them. Mr. Okumura meets a Chinese lady, a grandmother now, who was gang-raped by 7 Japanese soldiers during the war. The interaction between this old soldier, and the people he would have known under the most horrid of circumstances 60 years ago is truly amazing. The friendly rapport he has with the Chinese people he meets in the film is remarkable. I suppose it is true that time heals all wounds. I suppose his strong sense of shame and regret plays a strong part in how people react to him. His drive at 80 years old is what really gets you though; he refuses to let the setbacks he and the other veterans face stop him. He is a very strong and committed man. The last dialog in the movie between him and the cameraman is excellent. The Ants is well worth watching.
Movies
1 May 2006, late evening
Foot Cred was a pretty entertaining, funny, short film on hip-hop running shoe culture. The movie feels more like a music video than a short film—although I suppose all music videos are just short films. Foot Cred was an entertaining six minutes. If you can find it online you may as well watch it, what’s six minutes out of you day.
Shadya was surprisingly good. I honestly hadn’t expected the film to be as interesting as it turned out to be. The film is about a young Israeli Arab, Shadya. Shima, Riadh, Sanaz and I went to see the film because Shadya is a black-belt in Karate; there is no way Shima would miss a documentary about Karate. Now it turns out the film isn’t really about Karate at all, it’s a Women’s story, one I think many girls may be able to relate to. Shadya’s life is complicated by the fact she is a fiercely independent girl growing up in a society that expects her to marry and become a housewife—which she does during the course of the movie. The film is really good. I can’t stress that enough. It’s playing again next Sunday.
After the film, Shima, Riadh and Sanaz sat around chatting about Karate with the man behind the film, Shadya’s Karate coach, Hakim, who is an interesting fellow in his own right.
The official Shadya web site.
[1] Movies
1 May 2006, lunch time
American Fugitive: The Truth About Hassan is a film about the Hassan Abdulrahman. He is probably most well known for killing the Ali Akbar Tabatabai, the former press attaché for the Shah of Iran, at the behest of the Iranian government — and presumable Khomeini himself. Hassan then fled to Iran, where he has been living for the past 25 years. I first read about his story in the book The Rose Garden of the Martyrs, where he gives a short interview about what led him from America to Iran. The movie is a much more thorough examination of the man, and to a lesser extent the circumstances around the murder.
I found the film a bit muddled. As a movie looking into the heart of Hassan, trying to discover who he is and why he killed, I would argue the film is actually quite shallow. You leave the film with a strong empathy for Hassan; It’s hard not to as he is a very intelligent and thoughtful person. It is clear he has reflected on what he has done in the past, and reconciled the murder he has committed as best he can. The film humanizes his side of the story. Still, at the end of the day, there is another side of this story that involves a widow and girl without a father; this side of the story is largely ignored. People are not just the sum total of their words and thoughts; our actions and deeds play just as important a part in defining who we are. The film dances around the murder, without actually taking a hard look its true effects. I think that if the audience doesn’t understand the net effect of the murder, they can’t hope to understand Hassan and why he did what he did. Film maker Jean-Daniel Lafond interviews Tabatabai’s brother, but his time on camera is spent discussing conspiracy theories. We only learn of Tabatabai’s wife and daughter in passing. (Abdulrahman’s family mentions that Tabatabai’s family has fallen apart after his death.) It’s not Lafond’s job to be fair in making a film; this isn’t a movie about Tabatabai, someone else can make such a film. However, I do think that by leaving Tabatabai out of the story as much as Lafond has, we can’t hope to understand what drives a man such as Hassan to murder. The film wastes a lot of screen time talking about conspiracy theories around the murder, and the relationship the Republicans may have had with Iran’s regime. This is all interesting, but really belongs in another movie. This time could have been put to better use. I think Tabatabai’s wife and daughter on screen would have made the film more interesting.
If the film is good, it is because Hassan Abdulrahman is a very interesting man. The movie is probably worth watching just to hear him speak.
An Aside: The beauty of Hotdocs is that if you have questions about the film you are watching you can ask them, which is what I did: “Did you make any attempt to contact the victim’s family?” Lafond looked at me like I was an idiot; so did the host from Hotdocs. I thought they hadn’t heard me, so I asked the question again, louder. Their looks didn’t change. The crowd murmured. And then someone yelled out, “The brother was in the film.” To say I felt like an idiot would be an understatement. I tried to clarify my question, “No, I meant his daughter, his—”, but by then I think people were annoyed I had wasted all their time. Sucks. Shima and Patrick both had questions they had wanted to ask, but were too embarrassed after my gaff.
[4] Movies | Hot Docs 2006
30 April 2006, late afternoon
Abduction: The Megumi Yokota Story was the first film I watched at this years Hotdocs festival. The movie is about Japanese nationals who were kidnapped from Japan by the North Korean government during the late 70s. The Japanese were to be used to train North Korean spies. The movie focuses on the youngest victim, Megumi Yokota, who was just 13 years old when she was taken. The families of those who were abducted, once they learn that their loved ones aren’t dead, but are in fact trapped in North Korea, begin a long fight to get them back. The film is quite moving at times; it’s a very sad story so it’s hard not to affected by it. The girl sitting next to me started crying half way through the film, and didn’t really let up till the end. The film is good, but I think it does have a bit of an amateur feel to it at times. One problem with the film was the sound, which was quite horrible at times. Still, I enjoyed the film and think Abduction is well worth watching.
[1] Movies | Hot Docs 2006
28 April 2006, the wee hours
I am really big Britpop fan. When I was in grade 9 Portishead’s album was getting some press here in Toronto, as was Elastica’s. Now, this was back when I was broke all the time, so I couldn’t get myself both albums. I ended up buying one album for myself, and one album for Dave, for his birthday. In hindsight, I should have kept the Elastica album, and given Dave the Portishead one. (Dave ended up selling me the Elastica album a few years later.) I think both albums are great. I spent the next few years listening to lots of Britpop, basically till the whole movement imploded. I waited patiently for Elastica’s follow-up album, and when it became clear it wasn’t coming, I started listening to electronic music: trip hop and jungle mostly. Most of that music also came out of the UK.
The film Live Forever tracks the rise and fall of Britpop. There are a fair number of big name rock stars interviewed, but I thought the breadth of interviews seemed a bit lacking; Oasis, Blur and Pulp were not the be all end all of Britpop. I would have preferred more people were interviewed. I’d be interested to hear what Elastica and Menswe@r would have to say of the phenomenon, since I like them both a lot, and they both sort of came and went with movement. There are a ton of bands that really didn’t last after ‘97 passed; it would have been good to hear from them. Robert Del Naja from Massive Attack makes a few appearances in the film, which are entertaining if only for being so out of place. There is an interview with the editor of Loaded talking about all the cocaine he did to get the issues out. There are a slew of really great lines in the film. The movie ends with Pop taking over Britain. It’s a bit sad really.
Music | Movies
27 April 2006, mid-afternoon
I watched Lucky Number Slevin last night with Steph. The film looks to be a modern day take on the classic film noir genre. The movie is violent, full of twists and turns, and has some really strange (but enjoyable) dialog. This is the first movie in quite some time that I didn’t know anything about before watching. (Well, I did know who some of the people in the cast were.) I think that’s the best way to go in to a film such as this. Lucy Lui is quite cute in the film. The movie is definitely worth checking out.
The official Lucky Number Slevin web site.
[1] Movies
30 March 2006, the wee hours
I watched No More Tears Sister again tonight with my parents; I bought them a copy of the DVD. The film is about the Tamil human rights activist Dr. Rajani Thiranagama, who was murdered by the LTTE in 1989. The movie is a pretty good introduction to the conflict in Sri Lanka, although its focus is always on Rajani and her sister Nirmala, who was also a fairly famous activist. (Nirmala was the first female political prisoner held by Sri Lankan government. My parents remember when she was broken out of jail by the LTTE in the early 80s; It was quite the news in London.) There are some brilliant photos of the LTTE cadres featured in the film. I am curious who took them and where they came from; they really are quite amazing. Much of the story in the movie is told by Rajani’s family: her sisters, husband, and daughters. It is pretty touching at times, and this gives the movie a very human feel. Rajani’s youngest daughter plays her in various flashbacks during the film. I imagine this must have been very hard for her daughter to do—in particular filming the shot where she is laying in the street dead. How does one participate in the reenactment of their mothers death?
My family is from Jaffna. My mom remembers Rajani from there. Apparently she would ride a boys bike around town. Women riding bikes in Jaffna was scandalous back in the day; I’m not entirely sure why. (I might be generalizing here: I suspect it’s just my family that was particularly purantical but I suppose I’ll never know for sure.)
I saw this film at the Hot Docs festival last year. I enjoyed it then, but didn’t feel like writing about it at the time. Even now I don’t know what to say about the film. I think it’s well put together, and is something people interested in Sri Lankan politics should definitely watch. The movie paints the LTTE in a fairly dark light. (The movie is about how the LTTE killed this particular woman, so clearly they aren’t going to come out looking nice.) My (Tamil) friends who watched the film the same night I did were not as impressed with the film as I was. Sometimes I feel like Tamil people feel obligated to hate anything that points out the uglier side of the LTTE.
The official No More Tears Sister web site. The movie is being discussed at Samudaya , Film Gecko, and the BBC. The name of the movie comes from a chapter in the book Rajani co-wrote called The Broken Palmyra.
[2] Movies | Politics
27 March 2006, lunch time
Shima and I started watching Lagaan this weekend. This would have been the second time I’ve seen the film. With a running time of just under 4 hours, Lagaan is long even for a Bollywood film. Since the film is about cricket the running time seems appropriate. We must have got about 2 hours into the film before the DVD died. I tried playing the DVD on every single DVD player in my house (there are 4 in all, not counting the PS2) and none of them would play past chapter 29. It is frustrating investing 2 hours of your life into a movie and not be able to see how it ends. I’ll need to track down another copy of the film so Shima can see the entire film. When we stopped watching, the cricket team that was to take on the British was still incomplete. Lagaan is a very enjoyable movie to watch. It is very much a Bollywood film, with its love triangles, over-the-top villains, and at times campy dialog. Still, I think it’s an example of the sort of quality film you can make while still in many ways conforming to the gold-standard of Bollywood film making. The fact the movie is about cricket is a big plus.
The official Lagaan web site.
[1] Movies
21 March 2006, the wee hours
I watched Serenity with Dave today, which means I have officially seen all there is to see of the Firefly series. Serenity, like the TV show it was spun-off from, was wicked-awesome. The movie picks up some time after the series ends. In the opening sequence one mystery from the series is cleared up. The action really doesn’t let up from there. The focus of the film is really on River, and her mysterious past. The movie is very much like the television show, so if you were a Firefly fan I am sure you’ll like the film. (I suspect if you are already a Firefly fan you will have already seen the film.) The dialog is great, and the actors do a fine job reprising their roles from the show. Everyone from the main cast is back for the movie. I would have liked to have seen some of the more interesting extras from the series; no one really makes an appearance. I still can’t believe they cancelled the show. It is so good. If you haven’t seen the series, I really recommend that you do. It is a very atypical science-fiction series. You really don’t have to be a fan of sci-fi to enjoy it.
The official Serenity website.
[1] Movies
12 March 2006, early afternoon
I watched Hey! Ram last night with Shima. It is one of my favourite Tamil movies. The movie is about communal violence in India. In particular, the film follows the violence that surrounded the partition of India into Pakistan and India. It is so unlike your typical Tamil movie. There are hardly any song and dance numbers, and where music is inserted into the movie, it is done so in a very thoughtful and intelligent manner. The movie is violent—incredibly violent. Bombay deals with communal violence as well, but the riot scenes in Hey! Ram are something else. I think they are some of the most intense scenes of violence I have ever seen—and I watch a lot of movies. Hey! Ram is so well put together, and for the most part the acting is top-notch. The camera work is great. There are a few scenes that are shot brilliantly. I can’t recommend this film enough (though be advised it isn’t for the faint of heart).
A very good review of the film, detailing just how much research went into the movies making.
[1] Movies
9 March 2006, lunch time
I watched Unknown White Male last night, which was this month selection for Doc Soup. The film is absolutely fascinating; it chronicles the 2 years or so after a man finds himself in Coney Island without having a clue who he is, or how he got there. The man is diagnosed as having Retrograde Amnesia, and can’t remember anything that happened to him prior to “waking up” in Coney Island. The movie examines what makes up someone’s identity. As he determines who he was, and as he meets up with his family and friends, we get to see how they react to him and how he reacts to them. It’s absolutely bizarre. If you can track the film down I recommend you watch it. It has to be one of the more interesting documentaries I’ve seen in recent years because the subject mater is so compelling.
The official Unknown White Male web site.
Movies | Hot Docs 2006
27 February 2006, late at night
24 Hour Party People is a god damn brilliant film, but one that none of my friends want to watch. The movie is about Factory records. I watched it again with the real Tony Willson’s audio commentary playing. His commentary is pretty funny. He provides insights and background on what was going on at the time and what is wrong with the film. The music in the film is excellent, as one would expect. Heather mentioned wanting to watch the movie, so I’ll probably watch it with her again sometime.
The official 24 Hour Party People web site.
Movies
23 February 2006, lunch time
I watched Imagine Me and You with Matt, Kathleen, and Patrick last night at Varsity. The movie is a romantic comedy from Britain. Though cheesy at times—I suppose this it to expected—the movie is quite entertaining and funny. I think the British do a much better job of romantic comedies than Hollywood. The movie stars Piper Perabo as a confused new bride, who finds herself attracted to her wedding florist. (I should add that Piper Perabo is very cute, and she has a very sexy accent.) Matthew Goode plays her perfect, but not a woman, husband. The cast is full of funny actors and actresses. (Anthony Head plays Piper’s father in the film, and is particularly good.) The movie is quite enjoyable to watch.
The official Imagine Me and You web site.
Movies
19 February 2006, evening time
I watched Parineeta today with my mom. The film, an adaptation of the book by the same name, is your typical bollywood fare—at least with respect to the plot. Inspite of this, I thought the film was quite good. The movie is set in 1962 Calcutta, and tracks the relationship between two childhood almost sweethearts. The sets and costumes from the period are quite cool. Rehka, bollywood starlet of the 70s, makes a brief apperence in the film as a lounge singer. (Her number was my favourite song in the movie.) I think Bollywood is getting much better at producing these sorts of films.
The official Parineeta web site.
[1] Movies
12 February 2006, early evening
I had nothing to do this Sunday afternoon, so I decided to sit down and watch Aliens. I bought the special edition of the DVD a little while ago, and hadn’t had a chance to watch it yet. The new cut of the film adds another 20 minutes to the film, making it a very long 2 hours and 40 minutes of Alien fueled mayhem. The movie is really good; some of the new scenes add a lot to the film. As sequels go, Aliens holds its own. The movie feels much different than Ridley Scott’s original movie. This probably has much to do with the fact that the audience knows all about the Aliens by the second film I suppose; that air of mystery just isn’t there. I don’t remember the 3rd and 4th films being particularly good, but after watching the first two, I really want to see the rest.
Movies
25 January 2006, lunch time
I met “Heather”: last night to watch Mrs. Henderson Presents. The film takes place before and during World War II; Judy Dench plays a widow who buys a theatre and ends up turning it into a strip club of sorts. It is a very strange movie. There is no real point to the movie. The film is funny at times, and touching at times, but for the most part the whole film feels like it is missing something. The movie is probably worth checking out, but don’t expect anything too great.
The official Mrs. Henderson Presents web site.
Movies
23 January 2006, lunch time
I read Memoirs of a Geisha several years ago. I didn’t expect the film adaptation to be any good. There is so much in the book that I couldn’t see them cramming into the movie. The book, and the movie, are about how a young girl from a fishing village ends up becoming one of the most celebrated Geisha of her time. The movie actually is pretty true to the book. It really only veers away from the story at a couple points. There are several subplots and people dropped from the film, but they did a good job keeping the core story intact. There are couple good reasons you may want to check the movie out. I think Zhang Ziyi’s dance sequence midway through the film might be worth the price of admission; it’s very cool. Gong Li does an excellent job as the trampy, drunk, and mean, Hatsumomo. Gong Li is awesome. The reviews for this film have been mixed. I though the film was alright; it’s not that good, and it’s not that bad. There are some great scenes, but overall the movie is nothing special.
The official Memoirs of a Geisha web site.
[4] Movies
23 January 2006, lunch time
I watched Munich on Saturday with Carvill and Mezan. I had pretty high expectations for the film after watching the kick-ass trailer. The movie is about an autonomous group of Mossad agents hunting down the terrorists who were involved in the murder of the Israeli athletes during the Munich Olympics. The movie is quite good, but not as good as I would have hoped. Everyone does a good job playing there respective parts, and the storyline is interesting, I just felt the film was missing something. I have been told that Sword of Gideon is a better retelling of this story, so I will need to check that out some time. Both Munich and Sword of Gideon are based on the book Vegence, by G. Jonas. I still think this film is worth watching. It is a good spy movie.
The official Munich home page.
[1] Movies
21 January 2006, mid-afternoon
I watched Underworld:Evolution last night with Steph, Mezan and Steph’s friend Michelle. Mezan and I had Sushi at Toshi Sushi before hand, which was very good, before making our way over to Paramount Cinema. Mezan had doubts about how good the film would be, but really now, how bad can a film be which has these 4 key elements: Vampires, Werewolves, Vampire-Werewolves, Kate Beckinsale in Leather and Vinyl? I think we all found the movie enjoyable. It isn’t brilliant, and I don’t think it’s as good as the first, but it is definitely a fun film to watch. It is much more gratuitous, in all respects, than the first one. The film is quite gory, and quite sexed up. Kate Beckinsale was looking wicked-hot, as usual.
The official Underworld: Evolution web site
[2] Movies
19 January 2006, the wee hours
I watched Brokeback Mountain tonight with my roommate Lori. No one else I knew was really interested in seeing it, despite the great reviews. It’s an excellent film. The movie is about two gay cowboys, and how they deal with the affair they have over a 20 year period. The film is depressing. Heath Ledger does an excellent job; I was pleasantly surprised. The acting was good all around really. Visually the film is stunning. Ang Lee or his director of photography has done a wonderful job filming this movie. If you haven’t watched the movie yet, you most definitely should. Gay cowboys aren’t that scary.
The official Brokeback Mountain web site.
[3] Movies
14 January 2006, evening time
After dinner last night, my friends and I watched It’s All Gone Pete Tong. The movie is about a DJ, Frankie Wilde, who is going deaf. (Well, I suppose the film is really about him overcoming his vices and redeeming himself as a person.) It’s a very funny movie. Paul Kaye does an awesome job playing a coked-up drunk-ass DJ. There are so many funny moments in the film. It’s very enjoyable and well worth watching.
The official It’s All Gone Pete Tong web site.
Movies
21 December 2005, lunch time
For the most part, everyone in the world knows how King Kong ends. As such, for the movie to be compelling it needs be more then a series of good plot twists; you need to leave the theatre with something more than knowing how the movie ends. Peter Jackson’s remake of King Kong is excellent. For a movie about a giant monkey, it’s surprisingly touching. This is probably due in part to the incredible special effects, which really do bring Kong to life. I would suspect credit for this goes to both Andy Serkis (Golum from Lord of the Rings) who plays Kong, as well as the animators who turn Serkis’ movements into what you see on the screen. The campy 30s style story also works well, and doesn’t feel all too campy in this retelling. Naomi Watts gives a good performance, as does Adrien Brody. Jack Black, who plays the jerk of a movie producer, plays his part perfectly. People have complained of the film’s slow start, but I think the pacing is important for the movie. More so, the last 2 hours of the film really fly by. I think Kong is one of the best movies I’ve seen this year. It is stunning to watch. I read a review in the Star that said something to the effect of, “If you don’t love this movie, you’re incapable of loving movies.” Strong words, but I would have to agree. Watch this movie.
The official King Kong web site.
Movies
