mote99 Reviews

Get Out (I) (2017)

A very clever horror film that also contains some thought-provoking subtext about race relations...

[7 May 2017]

I saw this one recently and enjoyed it...

Get Out is a very clever horror film that also contains some thought-provoking subtext about race relations, just below its surface. It also has a number of good laughs in it, so it's bending a few genre conventions here, methinks. It's an entertaining genre film, but it also has some social commentary in it too, so it works on more than one level.

All the performances are strong, but Daniel Kaluuya is particularly effective playing a boyfriend caught up in a scenario that isn't entirely what it appears to be on the surface. Catherine Keener is also very memorable in this one, playing a mom who might be more than just a typical nurturing mother. But there's more than one memorable performance in this movie; the entire cast is very good.

Anyway, thumbs up from me. Get Out is one of the best horror flicks I've seen this year, and it's definitely worth checking out. This is Jordan Peele's first film as a director, and it will be interesting to see what he does next.

Hell or High Water (II) (2016)

A really solid crime-drama with many things in it to recommend...

[11 December 2016]

Set in Texas, "Hell or High Water" is a crime drama about two brothers who resort to robbing banks in an attempt to save their family's ranch from foreclosure. It works very well as a straightforward crime story, but there's much more to it than that. There's also lots of sociopolitical subtext here about the current economic conditions of working class people in the US, as well as the financial system that's exploiting them.

And the performances here are top notch: Ben Foster, Chris Pine, and Jeff Bridges completely nail their performances in this one. But the same could be said of everyone who appears in this film.

Anyway, thumbs up from me. A number of critics have called this film "one of the best of the year." I tend to agree with that. It will probably make my personal "top ten" list for 2016. It's a really solid crime-drama with plenty of things in it to recommend.

Grand Unified Theory (2016)

A fun and quirky dramedy that isn't afraid to ask big questions...

[4 December 2016]

Grand Unified Theory follows the story of an unusual weekend experienced by Albert, an astrophysics professor, and his family of four. So many strange and wacky things happen on this particular weekend that some might call it a "family meltdown." A full nuclear meltdown wouldn't produce many more sparks than this one! LOL!

Intercut with the family's personal dilemmas and misadventures are Albert's lectures at an unnamed university. In this way, the film draws parallels between the forces at work in the universe and the forces at work on human behaviour. Director Ray's film is always fun, but it's never afraid to ask some big questions about life and our place in the universe.

Everything works here: from the crisp cinematography to the terrific ensemble cast. All of the actors are very good, but the performance of Scott Bellis as Albert really stands out in my mind. He seems to have been born to play this role. The same could be said for Kendall Cross, who plays Albert's wife. There is more than one terrific performance in this film.

Anyway, Grand Unified Theory gets a big "thumbs up" from me! If you enjoy quirky indie comedies, you'll probably enjoy this one as much as I did. And hopefully it will get some kind of theatrical release in the future, because this movie's excellent cinematography deserves to be seen on the big screen.

The Wailing (2016)

Another terrific film from South Korea...

[20 November 2016]

Here's another terrific film from South Korea. If you enjoy South Korean cinema, or just plain good cinema, I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy "The Wailing." It was directed by the same filmmaker who made "The Chaser."

Part thriller, part horror movie, the story involves ghosts, possession, a strange illness, and lots of wailing. ;-) There's also some eccentric humour in it, but this is not a comedy film. I think it would make a good film for viewing during the Halloween season, because there are some creepy scenes in it.

My only warning here: one scene involves animal sacrifice. So if you're a bit squeamish about stuff like that, you might want to fast forward through that sequence. But that scene isn't overly graphic and it doesn't last too long.

Anyway, thumbs up from me. South Korea is pumping out a lot of great movies these days.

Arrival (II) (2016)

The ideas within Arrival get more and more interesting as it goes on...

[20 November 2016]

I caught a screening of Denis Villeneuve's "Arrival" recently and enjoyed it. Villeneuve's film starts a little slowly, but stick with it because the ideas within it get more and more interesting as it goes along.

It's essentially a thinking person's sci-fi tale. The story involves space aliens that land on Earth and the US government's attempt to communicate with them. The film is almost as much about language as it's about alien contact. And the narrative structure itself is a little unconventional, but I don't want to say more about it for fear of ruining the plot's surprises.

Anyway, thumbs up from me. If you enjoyed science-fiction films like Contact and Interstellar, you'll probably enjoy this one. And it's definitely worth catching on the big screen, because it's also a strong film visually.

The Zero Theorem (2013)

"Zero must equal 100%."

[28 July 2014]

Terry Gilliam is back with one of his better films in recent years. It's also one of his more philosophical films, as it grapples with many deep questions, including the meaning of life itself. Gilliam calls "The Zero Theorem" the third instalment in his dystopian satire trilogy, which began with "Brazil" in 1985 and was followed by "Twelve Monkeys" in 1995.

"The Zero Theorem" follows the story of Qohen Leth, a number-crunching programmer at a large corporation called Mancom. While struggling with life in general, Qohen is given the job of solving the zero theorem, a mysterious mathematical equation that continually eludes his grasp. The task is complicated by some new personal relationships when he meets Bainsley, a tempting Internet stripper, and Bob, the 15 year old, genius son of the CEO of Mancom. Have they entered his life to help Qohen, or are they merely unnecessary distractions from his work? Qohen is often unsure about the answer to that question.

The world of the film resembles that of Gilliam's previous two dystopian satires, but this is its own film and it deals with some new themes and conflicts. I'd say the themes and questions are even deeper here, because Gilliam is struggling with the meaning of life itself. Anyway, it all works and leads to an intriguing and visually engaging story. "The Zero Theorem" gets a big thumbs up from me. You should definitely check out this one, especially if you're a fan of Gilliam's earlier work.

Jodorowsky's Dune (2013)

The most influential film never actually made?

[13 July 2014]

If you love movies and/or eccentric characters, you simply must see "Jodorowsky's Dune." It's one of the best documentaries about the (un)making of a film I've ever seen. It's a terrific documentary and a thoroughly fascinating character study.

It covers the story of a feature film that Alejandro Jodorowsky never made. He came close to making an adaptation of Frank Herbert's sci-fi novel, Dune, before David Lynch did it in the 1980s. Jodorowsky was a very successful cult film director during the '70s and made films like El Topo, The Holy Mountain, and Santa Sangre. When you listen to Jodorowsky talk for this length of time, you come to understand how he got his films made: he simply hypnotized people! ;-)

Although it was never actually made, Jodorowsky's sci-fi film went on to influence later sci-fi movies like "Alien," "Blade Runner," and even "Star Wars." And it also opened the door for the film careers of people like Dan O'Bannon, Jean Giraud, and H.R. Giger, who later worked on Ridley Scott's "Alien."

"Jodorowsky's Dune" gets a big thumbs up from me! I highly recommend this documentary!

Rhymes for Young Ghouls (2013)

A very impressive debut feature...

[25 May 2014]

It has a flaw or two, but this debut feature from Native Canadian Jeff Barnaby is very, very good. Think "Mean Streets" meets "Dance Me Outside" with a little bit of magic realism sprinkled in, and you'll get a sense of how this film works. It's probably the best First Nations film I've seen since "Smoke Signals," back in 1998.

"Rhymes for Young Ghouls" follows the story of Aila, a parent-less teenage girl living on a Mi'kmaq reservation in Canada during the 1970s. To help make ends meet, she sells marijuana with her uncle to the local pot smokers on the reserve. This draws the attention of Popper, a sociopathic federal Native Agent who takes much pleasure in tormenting and beating Mi'kmaq people like Aila and her friends. Nobody can sell marijuana on the reserve unless Popper gets his cut of the profits.

Much of the film plays like a dark visual poem, and the imagery and cinematography are very strong. Barnaby lifts some of his imagery and ideas from Mi'kmaq culture, pop culture, horror movies, and what is probably personal experience from growing up on a reservation himself.

"Rhymes for Young Ghouls" gets a big thumbs up from me. This is an impressive debut feature film, and I look forward to seeing Mr. Barnaby's future projects.

Our Man in Tehran (2013)

Our Man in Tehran sets the record straight...

[24 September 2013]

Forget about Ben Affleck's silly fairy tale, "Argo." If you want to learn the real story behind the Iran hostage crisis and the rescue of six American hostages, this is the documentary to watch. "Our Man in Tehran" gives you the whole story, minus the fictional elements that Mr. Affleck and company added to their mediocre caper flick. It's all here in this documentary: the historical context, the real players, the Canadian reconnaissance, and the subplot where the CIA almost screwed everything up with wrong dates on the passports.

If you prefer reality to fiction, skip "Argo" and watch "Our Man in Tehran." The real story is actually much more interesting than Hollywood's version.

Stormland (2011)

A great Icelandic film that plays a little like Greek tragedy...

[19 March 2013]

This dramedy from Iceland plays a little like the ancient Greek tragedies. Like Oedipus, Boddi (played by Ólafur Darri Ólafsson) is intelligent but still doomed to tragedy. Actually, I'm making the film sound too dry...

Rokland is simply great drama with some cutting satire and dark sardonic humour sprinkled in. From the beautiful cinematography to the quirky animation, there's always something good to look at here. And the story itself is never less than gripping and original. You've never seen a film quite like this.

I was impressed by all of the performances, but actor Ólafur Darri Ólafsson simply hits it out of the park here. I knew this guy could act, because I'd seen him in a few earlier Icelandic films, but I was still blown away by his performance in Rokland.

If you're looking for something unique that will give you a glimpse into real Icelandic culture, look no further. Rokland is a film for you.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)

Poetic and haunting...

[15 January 2008]

Andrew Dominik's film is a poetic and haunting masterpiece. It doesn't matter how big your plasma screen is, you have to see this film in a real theater to truly appreciate it. Visually, it's an amazing sight to behold.

I think the entire film could be read as a metaphor for the collective American psyche, both in 1881 and the present day. Like it or not, the US is a nation that was built upon spilt blood and this film embodies that history. It's a film that is both beautiful and brutal at the same time.

All of the performances are strong, but Casey Affleck's performance in this film is truly remarkable. He certainly deserves all of the award nominations that he has garnered for this performance.

My rating: 10/10 stars