Intense, true-to-life Canadiana drama in alcohol-fueled Northern Alberta. Can't believe I missed this one all these years, but it was worth the wait. Fascinating insight into First Nations family life, its mingling with European culture, and how people get along or don't get along ultimately depends on individual personalities, and not as much social grouping and ancestral ties. Extremely well-written, and Tantoo Cardinal is amazing as usual. Easy to follow despite the twists and turns, down-to-earth and no-nonsense throughout despite its intricasies and its unravelling of the tapestry of human psychology.
Reviews
35 Reviews
First Cow
(2019)
I Didn't Like First Cow the First Time, However...
19 September 2023
I gave First Cow another chance, and I'm glad I did. The first time I watched it I thought what the hell is this.
The average film is what, a couple of hours long? This means that the entire span of someone's sometimes most acute period of life is reduced to two hours. So you'd think that every second would count in a film. Anyway, this was the mindset I had when I watched, that is, attempted to watch, First Cow for the first time. Many wasted seconds right off the bat in the film. Why does the dog have to keep sniffing around and sniffing around and sniffing around. Why does that scene where the boat is moving lazily along the river have to keep going on and on. Why does the young woman have to keep fiddling around so much in the dirt. I did not make it past that first scene. Pretentious arthouse trash alert. Why waste my time.
Fast forward a year later and there First Cow was on my free online Sundance Film 7-day trial. I watched it again, and was more patient this time? I don't know, something was different. I slogged through the first part - it was still a slog - but then it got better. And eventually I was captivated. But for me, the crowning achievement of the film was how its final scene made all of those "wasted seconds" during the first scene not seem wasted anymore, how brilliantly the final scene was tied to the first scene.
Now I think First Cow is a masterpiece, quite the 180 from at first thinking it was "pretentious arthouse trash", to quote myself. Days later and I'm still haunted by this wonderful film, in the best sense of the word.
The average film is what, a couple of hours long? This means that the entire span of someone's sometimes most acute period of life is reduced to two hours. So you'd think that every second would count in a film. Anyway, this was the mindset I had when I watched, that is, attempted to watch, First Cow for the first time. Many wasted seconds right off the bat in the film. Why does the dog have to keep sniffing around and sniffing around and sniffing around. Why does that scene where the boat is moving lazily along the river have to keep going on and on. Why does the young woman have to keep fiddling around so much in the dirt. I did not make it past that first scene. Pretentious arthouse trash alert. Why waste my time.
Fast forward a year later and there First Cow was on my free online Sundance Film 7-day trial. I watched it again, and was more patient this time? I don't know, something was different. I slogged through the first part - it was still a slog - but then it got better. And eventually I was captivated. But for me, the crowning achievement of the film was how its final scene made all of those "wasted seconds" during the first scene not seem wasted anymore, how brilliantly the final scene was tied to the first scene.
Now I think First Cow is a masterpiece, quite the 180 from at first thinking it was "pretentious arthouse trash", to quote myself. Days later and I'm still haunted by this wonderful film, in the best sense of the word.
Alone Across the Arctic
(2019)
Low Drama in the High Arctic
24 August 2023
Guy paddles and portages across the Arctic as nonchalantly as a walk in the park. Maybe that's a testament to his mettle, but this film is strangely - considering the undertaking and the setting - lacking in drama and grit. Maybe that has to do with Adam's personality being rather bland? Maybe because in order to stay rational, calm, focused, and patient at all times, Adam has to treat what is a magnificent adventure to us simply as a daily grind to himself? Surely SOMETHING must have happened that made him shake his fist at God, make him fear death, make him dig the deepest he's ever dug into his foundation in order to get through some seemingly insurmountable ordeal....but apparently not. Maybe because he was just so prepared, and could rely on the latest technology to navigate so he would never get into trouble? Maybe because he's just a real level-headed guy at all times? Maybe because he just got real lucky as far as no bad things happening, like with the weather, with aggressive animals, or with equipment failure? Overall, considering the subject matter, the task performed, and the incredible setting, the film is strangely low-key, and somewhat flat, like the tundra.
Down Here
(2014)
Vancouver Darkness
25 June 2023
As someone who lived in Vancouver for a long time, and have so many deep and fond memories of it, it was so great to finally see a film that treated Vancouver as an intricate tapestry as opposed to just a backdrop. The filmmakers got some amazing shots in, such as the scene where the two cops are standing on an old bridge with The Lions in the background. But everything Vancouver was shot thoughtfully and - despite the somber subject matter - lovingly, from the alleyways to the streets to my favourite: The panoramas of the Downtown Eastside at night.
I also thought that, for the most part, the acting and the script were excellent, and I liked the subplot of the relationship between the detective and the Native woman and the boy she was caring for. That story she told the detective about finding someone to love more than you hate yourself made me weep.
What I didn't like about the film was the showing of snuff scenes. At least I think that was going on....after I caught one second too many of the first of those, I averted my eyes from thereon in when the one or two more scenes of a poor young woman suffering then dying began, then I fast forwarded to the next scene. Not for me.
I also thought that, for the most part, the acting and the script were excellent, and I liked the subplot of the relationship between the detective and the Native woman and the boy she was caring for. That story she told the detective about finding someone to love more than you hate yourself made me weep.
What I didn't like about the film was the showing of snuff scenes. At least I think that was going on....after I caught one second too many of the first of those, I averted my eyes from thereon in when the one or two more scenes of a poor young woman suffering then dying began, then I fast forwarded to the next scene. Not for me.
Old
(2021)
Not What It Seems In Ways You May Have Missed
26 January 2023
If you put together all the IMDb reviews of Old that are higher than 2 out of 10 but lower than 9 out of 10, you get a pretty accurate composite review. If you read the same thing over and over again in reviews as well, chances are there's truth to it. Still, I think several points were missed in the composite review that need mentioning. First, many complained about how bad the acting is. Point missed: I believe that this is the style that M. Night was after, trying to reflect how uptight and awkward people really are. Great actors are at ease in their roles, and M. Night did not want that reflected. I think this works....the bad acting is actually quite effective. Second, many complained of plot holes, inaccuracies, and things that were unrealistic or didn't make sense. Point missed: I believe that this was also intentional on M. Night's part. Old is a fantasy film after all. It is a film about the supernatural. It has psychological elements to it. Therefore, weird, inexplicable things can happen, and M. Night can have some fun in his uniquely artistic way with that, sort of like David Cronenberg used to do. Finally, many complained about how bad the writing is. Yes, it's pretty bad, but...Point missed: The way a lot of people talk (myself included) when they're trying to talk meaningfully during intense times in their lives is disappointing, in my experience. You don't expect people to break into Shakespearean soliloquys, but it's not like in the movies where people are saying really clever things all the time after they've reached a higher level of clarity. People don't change much. So, the clunky script kind of worked for me. Despite what the people were going through on the beach, this did not elevate them to wordsmiths.
Unhappy New Year
21 January 2020
Larry David has become mean-spirited and vindictive, not just pointing out to people as indviduals and as a group the fatuousness of their ways, but stepping it up a notch and distributing brutal karma to such people as a pregnant woman, and a coffee shop owner whose product doesn't live up to Larry's standards. It's like Larry has become drunk on his power to create whatever he likes, so he takes it to the extreme because he's the King thus he can. This is Curb and this is Larry David, so of course it's often funny, and Larry continues to be an audacious character who people argue with and disapprove of. But in this episode, he is no longer ultimately lovable for his sheer chutzpah, and for his keen insight into human and societal inanities, and from a very funny angle to boot; he's become an ugly, unlikable person who deserves a punch in the mouth.
I will watch all the Curbs this season nevertheless, as I have since Season 1, but so far I'm disappointed.
I will watch all the Curbs this season nevertheless, as I have since Season 1, but so far I'm disappointed.
Trouble No More
(2017)
A Treat For Dylan Fans
20 December 2019
I discovered the existence of Trouble No More today after someone asked me what got Dylan started in his religious phase, and as I didn't know for sure I started doing some Internet research, and wow, there's a Dylan concert film called Trouble No More? I did not know that. So I found it online and watched it.
The most important aspect of the film - the music - did not disappoint. Dylan and his fine group of musicians doing Do Right To Me Baby is not only more proof - not that I needed any more proof - that Dylan is at the highest level one can be as a musician, but that his brilliance also lies in his ability to select musicians who are not only first-rate, but who are perfect Dylan dance partners.
The Michael Shannon preaching segments didn't do anything for me; I was there to see Dylan. I get it, that it was sort of a re-creation of the gospel church experience, interspersing the preachings of a charismatic preacher with some holy rolling gospel music. But with Dylan's music there was already wonderful sermonizing, so all of those preacher segments were superfluous to me. I wish those segments had been replaced by a story line about what led Dylan to become a born-again Christian, and if there was any footage of Dylan discussing his spirituality during his Slow Train Coming and Saved phase, now that I would have liked to see.
The most important aspect of the film - the music - did not disappoint. Dylan and his fine group of musicians doing Do Right To Me Baby is not only more proof - not that I needed any more proof - that Dylan is at the highest level one can be as a musician, but that his brilliance also lies in his ability to select musicians who are not only first-rate, but who are perfect Dylan dance partners.
The Michael Shannon preaching segments didn't do anything for me; I was there to see Dylan. I get it, that it was sort of a re-creation of the gospel church experience, interspersing the preachings of a charismatic preacher with some holy rolling gospel music. But with Dylan's music there was already wonderful sermonizing, so all of those preacher segments were superfluous to me. I wish those segments had been replaced by a story line about what led Dylan to become a born-again Christian, and if there was any footage of Dylan discussing his spirituality during his Slow Train Coming and Saved phase, now that I would have liked to see.
1917
(2019)
Riveting Pretty Much Every Moment From Start To Finish
4 December 2019
Please dismiss anyone who criticizes 1917 harshly as overanalytical snobs, perhaps haters of blockbuster films, and assume that they secretly liked it, because really, how can one not. Sure, you can find fault with it; if I had directed 1917 I would have done a few things differently. Still, you just can't argue that it's not a masterfully-crafted film that is riveting pretty much every moment from start to finish.
First, to anyone who might hesitate to go see the film because they think they will be subjected to the graphic violence and gore of, say, Saving Private Ryan, then don't hesitate anymore, and go see it. While 1917 is realistically gruesome, director Sam Mendes depicts the horrors of war - weird choice of words coming up, I know - beautifully. By that I mean, even the most horrifying and sad shots in the film, while highly stimulating in the aesthetic and emotional sense, are never extremely graphic, and you are never hit over the head with it. 1917, in this way, is a beautiful artistic masterpiece, never straying close to being shock art, but not holding back at the same time.
What would I have done differently had I directed the film? I would have toned down the "bad guys can't shoot very well" cliché. I know, it's dark much of the time, the hero is running and zigzagging through built-up areas which offer a lot of protection to an elusive target, and I don't mean to imply that our hero does not elude death at times because he makes some sound lightening-fast decisions; it's just that, at other times, that cliché seems to rear its ugly head. Another implausibility in the film is, our hero spends probably a good ten minutes going for an unplanned, unintentional swim in the river, yet nothing seems to have gotten wet afterwards. Seriously nitpicking now for implausibilities, but as food in the trenches of World War 1 was scarce, and rations were measly, why then cast a chubby actor as one of the protagonists. There's a scene where he's grateful to be given a small crust of bread, and it's somewhat incongruous considering he looks so well-fed.
What else? I'm not a fan of soundtracks that are seemingly intended to push the please-feel-something-now buttons, and 1917 has a button-pushing soundtrack. But at least the music is apropos, not sappy in any way. In general, I don't like the idea of war having a soundtrack, because soundtracks invariably glorify war.
I'll be interested to read reviews from people who have had first-hand battlefield experience; I have not, so I don't necessarily consider above to be a credible critique. It's just how I personally experienced the film.
First, to anyone who might hesitate to go see the film because they think they will be subjected to the graphic violence and gore of, say, Saving Private Ryan, then don't hesitate anymore, and go see it. While 1917 is realistically gruesome, director Sam Mendes depicts the horrors of war - weird choice of words coming up, I know - beautifully. By that I mean, even the most horrifying and sad shots in the film, while highly stimulating in the aesthetic and emotional sense, are never extremely graphic, and you are never hit over the head with it. 1917, in this way, is a beautiful artistic masterpiece, never straying close to being shock art, but not holding back at the same time.
What would I have done differently had I directed the film? I would have toned down the "bad guys can't shoot very well" cliché. I know, it's dark much of the time, the hero is running and zigzagging through built-up areas which offer a lot of protection to an elusive target, and I don't mean to imply that our hero does not elude death at times because he makes some sound lightening-fast decisions; it's just that, at other times, that cliché seems to rear its ugly head. Another implausibility in the film is, our hero spends probably a good ten minutes going for an unplanned, unintentional swim in the river, yet nothing seems to have gotten wet afterwards. Seriously nitpicking now for implausibilities, but as food in the trenches of World War 1 was scarce, and rations were measly, why then cast a chubby actor as one of the protagonists. There's a scene where he's grateful to be given a small crust of bread, and it's somewhat incongruous considering he looks so well-fed.
What else? I'm not a fan of soundtracks that are seemingly intended to push the please-feel-something-now buttons, and 1917 has a button-pushing soundtrack. But at least the music is apropos, not sappy in any way. In general, I don't like the idea of war having a soundtrack, because soundtracks invariably glorify war.
I'll be interested to read reviews from people who have had first-hand battlefield experience; I have not, so I don't necessarily consider above to be a credible critique. It's just how I personally experienced the film.
Honeyland
(2019)
Don't Worry Bee Happy
11 August 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Honeyland is about a woman who searches for beehives on cliffs and in hollowed-out areas of trees in the isolated Macedonian valley where she lives, collects the bees, takes them home, and eventually takes the train into Skopje - the capital of Macedonia - to try to sell the honey. She takes care of her elderly mother as well. One day a large family of nomads drive into the valley. They bring their cattle, and they also bring their bees. They settle down right by where the bee woman lives. As you can imagine, feathers are ruffled. But both parties are civil to each other despite voices being raised. In one scene, the father nomad decides to burn down a big old tree so he can plant some corn, which he needs to feed his cattle. The bee woman is livid about that as she watches the tree burn. Father nomad says something like, "OK, you take care of my children and I promise not to burn any more trees."
Two common scenes in the film are people biting into honeycombs, and people blowing smoke onto bees.
I loved the close-up scenes of the bees....for example, after a rain there's a close-up of bees struggling to get out of the water and onto a leaf.
Hope you get to bee it. I mean see it.
~ Leonard
Two common scenes in the film are people biting into honeycombs, and people blowing smoke onto bees.
I loved the close-up scenes of the bees....for example, after a rain there's a close-up of bees struggling to get out of the water and onto a leaf.
Hope you get to bee it. I mean see it.
~ Leonard
Lightweight Lightfoot, But Still Satisfying
28 May 2019
Watching Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind was a pleasant way to spend 90 minutes, but something was lacking. Maybe this had to do with the life and career of this 80-year-old music legend's life being reduced to a mere 90 minutes. I wanted more. My only other complaint: Why feature Alec Baldwin over and over again? The interview snippets of him talking about Gordon Lightfoot puzzled both me and my friend. Alec Baldwin?? "That was the weirdest part of the movie," my friend said. Was it so hard to find relevant people to say insightful things about Gordon and his music that the filmmakers had to go with what I thought were banalities of an irrelevant?
But there are many pluses which include a lot of old footage, and Gordon singing of course. The best running theme of the film for me is Gordon reflecting on things, or just shooting the breeze. His lamentations of causing emotional trauma to the women in his life via his actions and his music juxtapose beautifully with his belief that the male-female dynamic is the single most fascinating force in the universe to him, and with his gorgeous lyrics and soulful crooning. The best moment of the film for me is when the Good Brothers talk about how Gordon can evoke such emotion from seemingly ordinary lines. One of the Goods recites the line "Is the home team still on fire, do they still win all their games, and by the way, did she mention my name", and gets so choked up he can barely finish it. I could so relate.
When it comes right down to it, I and the several other Gordon fans I talked to who have seen this doc love it for the simple fact that it's a doc about Gordon Lightfoot. How could that concept fail. Still, I wish it had been at least 2 hours long. Why edit it to 90 minutes. Make it 2 hours, replace Alec Baldwin talking about Gordon with esteemed musicians and/or esteemed Canadians and/or esteemed Canadian musicians talking about Gordon Lightfoot....10 out of 10 stars.
But there are many pluses which include a lot of old footage, and Gordon singing of course. The best running theme of the film for me is Gordon reflecting on things, or just shooting the breeze. His lamentations of causing emotional trauma to the women in his life via his actions and his music juxtapose beautifully with his belief that the male-female dynamic is the single most fascinating force in the universe to him, and with his gorgeous lyrics and soulful crooning. The best moment of the film for me is when the Good Brothers talk about how Gordon can evoke such emotion from seemingly ordinary lines. One of the Goods recites the line "Is the home team still on fire, do they still win all their games, and by the way, did she mention my name", and gets so choked up he can barely finish it. I could so relate.
When it comes right down to it, I and the several other Gordon fans I talked to who have seen this doc love it for the simple fact that it's a doc about Gordon Lightfoot. How could that concept fail. Still, I wish it had been at least 2 hours long. Why edit it to 90 minutes. Make it 2 hours, replace Alec Baldwin talking about Gordon with esteemed musicians and/or esteemed Canadians and/or esteemed Canadian musicians talking about Gordon Lightfoot....10 out of 10 stars.
Carmine Street Guitars
(2018)
Old School Cool
25 April 2019
A small, intimate film which mostly takes place in a cramped and cluttered guitar shop where master guitar maker Rick Kelly and his apprentice design and create guitars out of wood recycled from old dead New York City trees, old demolished New York City buildings, and once Rick even scored some wood from the oldest tavern in New York City still in operation. Musicians - and Jim Jarmusch - come into his shop, talk about guitars and other things, and sooner or later some of them zero in on the guitar that has their name on it. Most of them play a little something, and it's all wonderful as the setting is just so intimate and conducive to music. Jim Jarmusch comes in with a guitar made out of catalpa wood, and they talk about catalpa trees. While all of this is going on, Rick's elderly mother might be dusting the guitars, answering the phone, or crunching numbers at a desk. Rick has no cell phone and doesn't use a computer; being a hardcore traditionalist seems to be who he is at his core. Or, maybe it's because he wants to put as much of his energy as possible into his guitars, which are the stars of the film. They are beautiful and unique, and they sound amazing.
Nice That John Callahan Had a Movie Made About Him However
13 July 2018
A poorly-written script grandstanding liberal political correctness and dollar-store philosophy with a sappy button-pushing soundtrack throughout to remind the viewers that they are constantly witnessing touching and deep drama. Overall, it's yet another exaggerated attempt by Hollywood movie makers to be real and soulful, and of course to try to connect with as many sizable American demographic groups as possible. Nasty thing to say, but I got tired of all the close-ups of obese faces.
The story is about a victim who overcomes victimization, so I did not want to dislike this movie. But when the sage Alcoholics Anonymous guru said in a moment of epiphanic clarity,"My grandparents were rich, my parents were rich, and I grew up rich. Like, it's so funny," I realized that that was not just an isolated dumb moment, but fairly representative of the whole movie. Why are people so taken with this guru guy anyway? He announces that he is going to New York City to "get his freak on", and then we see him in a hotel doing a silly dance...is this supposed to be charming? A man railing against women in the military out of nowhere and for no apparent reason other than, I'm cynically thinking, the makers of this movie got to cross "show sexism" off the list.
The best thing about this movie is the cartoons, which are actual cartoons drawn by the brilliant cartoonist John Callahan. See the movie for the cartoons and for Joaquin Phoenix's acting. Beyond that it's a steady stream of cheese.
The story is about a victim who overcomes victimization, so I did not want to dislike this movie. But when the sage Alcoholics Anonymous guru said in a moment of epiphanic clarity,"My grandparents were rich, my parents were rich, and I grew up rich. Like, it's so funny," I realized that that was not just an isolated dumb moment, but fairly representative of the whole movie. Why are people so taken with this guru guy anyway? He announces that he is going to New York City to "get his freak on", and then we see him in a hotel doing a silly dance...is this supposed to be charming? A man railing against women in the military out of nowhere and for no apparent reason other than, I'm cynically thinking, the makers of this movie got to cross "show sexism" off the list.
The best thing about this movie is the cartoons, which are actual cartoons drawn by the brilliant cartoonist John Callahan. See the movie for the cartoons and for Joaquin Phoenix's acting. Beyond that it's a steady stream of cheese.
The Ancestral Sin
(2017)
A Dark Secret Brought to the Light
15 May 2018
An astonishing portrayal of Israel's founding movers and shakers as having a racially hierarchical vision of their new found land, with the White European Jews given opportunities to thrive in the environments of their choice, while the Arab Jews were forcibly relegated to the forlorn desert outposts. And if they tried to leave, they would be punished.
This film is not anti-Zionist propaganda. It was made by Israelis, and backed up by official Israeli government documents that had recently become declassified. Some of the old Arab Jews who were there long ago when it happened spoke in the film about how they were lied to, manipulated, and mistreated by the Israeli government. And one of the major architects of the master plan for Israel was interviewed for the film, and was candid and unapologetic about what happened. It was for the good of Israel, he insisted, with thought-provoking arguments to back that up I must say. Onwards with that, not all the old Arab Jews in the film were bitter. One professed her love for Israel, and walked out of the room of complainers in disgust.
My suggestion to anyone reading this - After you watch Ancestral Sin, before you condemn Israel for its treatment of Arab Jews, maybe watch the film one more time. At least watch it once with as many people as you can, and talk about it. There is so much in this film to take in, and some validity in the stance that the Israeli pioneer government took, I reluctantly opine.
This film is not anti-Zionist propaganda. It was made by Israelis, and backed up by official Israeli government documents that had recently become declassified. Some of the old Arab Jews who were there long ago when it happened spoke in the film about how they were lied to, manipulated, and mistreated by the Israeli government. And one of the major architects of the master plan for Israel was interviewed for the film, and was candid and unapologetic about what happened. It was for the good of Israel, he insisted, with thought-provoking arguments to back that up I must say. Onwards with that, not all the old Arab Jews in the film were bitter. One professed her love for Israel, and walked out of the room of complainers in disgust.
My suggestion to anyone reading this - After you watch Ancestral Sin, before you condemn Israel for its treatment of Arab Jews, maybe watch the film one more time. At least watch it once with as many people as you can, and talk about it. There is so much in this film to take in, and some validity in the stance that the Israeli pioneer government took, I reluctantly opine.
Winterjagd
(2017 TV Movie)
When The Hunter Becomes The Hunted
11 May 2018
Winterjagd is fantastic. I don't get how a film this good has only one write-up on IMDb (mine)...what is up with the world. Maybe the director should consider making a zombie superhero film next.
If you like intelligent thrillers; if you like the idea of a tense drama taking place in a huge and remote countryside mansion in a Germany blanketed by dark and snow; if you like the intimacy, intensity, and director's pure focus of a fine-acting ensemble cast's battle of wits; then you will love this film. See it, somehow. I saw it alone at a Toronto Jewish Film Festival venue, so after it ended I sought out strangers in the audience to talk to about it. Everyone I talked to was excited about it.
If you like intelligent thrillers; if you like the idea of a tense drama taking place in a huge and remote countryside mansion in a Germany blanketed by dark and snow; if you like the intimacy, intensity, and director's pure focus of a fine-acting ensemble cast's battle of wits; then you will love this film. See it, somehow. I saw it alone at a Toronto Jewish Film Festival venue, so after it ended I sought out strangers in the audience to talk to about it. Everyone I talked to was excited about it.
Above the Drowning Sea
(2017)
The Chinese Schindler and Other Stories
9 May 2018
Above the Drowning Sea addresses and interweaves five topics, and does so beautifully and intelligently - Refugees; the lives of Jews in Austria as Hitler was gaining power; Ho Feng Shan, the "Chinese Schindler" who virtually single-handedly saved the lives of thousands of Jews; the exodus of Jews to Shanghai during the Nazi era; and finally, what happened to these Jews after they got to Shanghai. I saw this film in a packed movie theatre, and could tell that many were moved by it by the stifled sniffles and quiet sobs. I stayed quiet, unless I unknowingly made some noise wiping away my tears. But as the credits started rolling I burst into applause, same as a lot of people.
It's not clear from the film how many visas Mr. Ho - the Chinese consulate general in Vienna at the time - issued to Jews trying to flee Nazi enslavement, but according to Wikipedia, Mr. Ho "risked his life and career to save more than 3,000 Jews by issuing them visas, disobeying the instruction of his superiors." According to an article in China Daily, Mr. Ho's daughter Ho Manli said that close to 4,000 visas were issued about a year after the annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in March of 1938. "How many more were issued in the remaining months before the outbreak of World War II on September 1, 1939, when routes of escape began to shut down, is hard to determine, she added."
It's not clear from the film how many visas Mr. Ho - the Chinese consulate general in Vienna at the time - issued to Jews trying to flee Nazi enslavement, but according to Wikipedia, Mr. Ho "risked his life and career to save more than 3,000 Jews by issuing them visas, disobeying the instruction of his superiors." According to an article in China Daily, Mr. Ho's daughter Ho Manli said that close to 4,000 visas were issued about a year after the annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in March of 1938. "How many more were issued in the remaining months before the outbreak of World War II on September 1, 1939, when routes of escape began to shut down, is hard to determine, she added."
God's Own Country
(2017)
Going Down on the Farm
10 November 2017
I went to see God's Own Country not knowing it was a gay love story. "Farmhand from Romania finds love in the UK" I'd put in a nutshell from my hurried search online to find a movie to go to that day, and that was interesting-sounding enough for me. I'd assumed that the farmhand was a woman. God's Own Country was not what I was expecting nor hoped to see, but boy did I love this movie. What eventually struck me about the relationship that the two main characters formed, and how it all panned out, was how similar it was to what I went through with my wife. What ultimately struck me was that love is love, a love story is a love story, people are people, and it's just dumb to assume that what homosexuals go through is much different than what heterosexuals go through. It may be different on average in the sense that it takes courage to have a gay love life, even a clandestine one, considering that it's often seen in families and communities as an aberration. But having the courage and determination to love whom you want to love, and facing and overcoming the adversity which stems from that, is such a common theme in love stories about young adults that gays certainly can't claim that as their own. God's Own Country is a human relationship saga, primarily, and oh yeah the two lovers happen to be gay sheep farmers, which gives the film some spice.
Secret Superstar
(2017)
A Warm Embrace
27 October 2017
On my walk home from the cinema, I thought about why I loved Secret Superstar so much despite it being a sometimes-absurd, cliché-heavy fantasy film imparting the dubious message that only if a female is a potential entertainment superstar does she have the chance to escape her sordid existence in the Indian Muslim world. It's obvious - there is so much to love about this film that made me cast aside any reservations I had about declaring it a masterpiece. The subjects of domestic abuse and the subjugation of women in Indian Muslim culture are dealt with adroitly, and they provide the perfect foundation and vortex for an extraordinary story to unfold. I loved the mingling of conventional Indian Muslim culture and Internet culture, and the mingling of provincial values and culture with the Mumbai lifestyle and attitude within the entertainment industry. Overall, I did not feel manipulated by this film nor did I feel bombarded by a Let-Us- Entertain-You vibe; behind the Bollywood blockbuster production guise I witnessed tremendous genuineness. The tears that I shed did not happen because the filmmakers are clever pushers of emotion buttons. I was genuinely touched. The joy that I experienced was more from being moved than from being entertained. It's simply a beautiful, glorious film.
Worst Season So Far, But It's Still Curb So It's Still Good
18 October 2017
As a huge fan of Curb, as someone who has watched every episode of the first 8 seasons at least twice, I naturally had high expectations of Season 9. Larry had set the bar so high...maybe that was the problem, because I'm disappointed in this season so far. Everyone is noticeably older, yet they all seem to be in denial about that. It's weird. Ted is banging Cheryl, Larry asks Mary out but she turns him down because Larry's not her body type, Larry gets advice on how to pick up women then ends up with a woman young enough to be his granddaughter...it's all contrived and strange. Nobody has grown up. Susie, Leon and Richard do the usual shtick, but it's tired shtick now...it lacks freshness. And Larry's turned his shtick up a couple of notches to the point where he's a ranting old man more than a savvy social assassin.
Having said that (thinking of the Having Said That scene now on an old Curb), it's still Curb, so it's still worth watching.
Having said that (thinking of the Having Said That scene now on an old Curb), it's still Curb, so it's still worth watching.
Lucky
(I) (2017)
Harry Dean Stanton Says Goodbye To You All
9 October 2017
Lucky is both eerie and alluring in that it hasn't just turned out to be Harry Dean Stanton's swan song, it's as if all of those involved in the making of it were watching the Grim Reaper approach Mr. Stanton from a distance during filming.They were certainly aware - and impressed - that he was 90 years old. There's not a bad performance in the whole film; everyone gives a thoughtful, elegant performance as if there is no room for childishness in the presence of the approaching death of their friend. Surely Mr. Stanton could feel to the core that his days were numbered, and wow did that make for an eloquent performance in a role perfectly suited for him. Despite Lucky being a film about the waning of life, it's not a morose film; the message seems to be that while death is scary, you can still smile at it, and still smile till the end. And while you lose some liveliness as you grow old, that doesn't mean that you have to lose your feistiness. As much as I enjoyed Lucky, I also believe that a good filmmaker could have followed almost any old man for a few weeks with a video camera and come up with an equally interesting film. Lucky is essentially one down-to-earth old man's tale of a rather unexciting present-day life, and that's about it...but maybe that's special in itself. Still, I didn't see a whole lot that was fantastic about it beyond Mr. Stanton's performance. But there's no denying that it's a well-made film, with poignant and sometimes amusing moments, moving stories from the distant past, and many good shots of the desolate, solitary desert.
An Israeli Love Story
(2017)
Bravo
12 May 2017
Before the Canada-premiere screening of An Israeli Love Story here in Toronto, the director Dan Wolman emphasized to the audience that his film is a love story primarily, and after the film during the QA session - when someone asked a politically-charged question - Mr. Wolman would not go there, stressing again that his film is a love story. Some may have seen that as a cop out, as the setting of this love story is around the time when the State of Israel was established, in an area where there were sometimes-hostile neighbours who regularly made their presence known. But I stand behind Mr. Wolman 100% - it is a love story above all, with a backdrop that just happens to be politically and culturally exciting. As Mr. Wolman also pointed out before the film, this love story could have happened anywhere in the world, meaning that it possesses many elements of a classic love story, for example, girl becomes infatuated with guy, and they at long last unite but there are big bumps in the road. OK, it occurs in volatile Mandatory Palestine, and sure that plays a role in directing the course of the love story. But what epic love story isn't fraught with tumult, and when are young lovers not vulnerable to the whirlwinds.
What was especially fascinating to me about the love story was that even though the couple were Israeli, and even though they were neighbours, that one was brought up on a kibbutz and the other on a moshav created overwhelming differences in the young couple that love would conquer or not, but it would be a challenge. Another classic love story element - when the honeymoon period ends with dissimilarity rearing its ugly head.
I saw An Israeli Love Story with an Israeli-Canadian who hasn't been back to Israel for a while, and she was thrilled nostalgically by the film. She marveled at how authentic it was, from the way people talked to how they lived to the food they were eating. Israel is so different now, she said, but she thought the film captured the soul of Israel in addition to being effective as a period piece, bringing the Israel of another era to life in 2016 despite having been made on a shoestring budget.
An Israeli Love Story was composed with a lot of love - passionately and skillfully made, and passionately and skillfully acted. Bravo to everyone involved.
What was especially fascinating to me about the love story was that even though the couple were Israeli, and even though they were neighbours, that one was brought up on a kibbutz and the other on a moshav created overwhelming differences in the young couple that love would conquer or not, but it would be a challenge. Another classic love story element - when the honeymoon period ends with dissimilarity rearing its ugly head.
I saw An Israeli Love Story with an Israeli-Canadian who hasn't been back to Israel for a while, and she was thrilled nostalgically by the film. She marveled at how authentic it was, from the way people talked to how they lived to the food they were eating. Israel is so different now, she said, but she thought the film captured the soul of Israel in addition to being effective as a period piece, bringing the Israel of another era to life in 2016 despite having been made on a shoestring budget.
An Israeli Love Story was composed with a lot of love - passionately and skillfully made, and passionately and skillfully acted. Bravo to everyone involved.
Austerlitz
(2016)
I Felt Set Free
9 May 2017
Five-minute shot of people milling about, doing nothing in particular except walking and looking around. Cut to another 5-minute shot of people milling about, doing nothing interesting in particular. A teenager is wearing a T-shirt with an irreverent expression on it, but not that irreverent. The host waxed philosophical about that T-shirt at the cinema before the movie began, unintentionally setting the stage for artistic pretension. Cut to another 5-minute shot of the entrance to the concentration camp memorial site. Some are taking photos of the Arbeit macht frei sign, but so what. Cut to another 5-minute shot...get the idea yet? I got up and left. Walking out set me free.
Jane of Arc(hitecture)
27 April 2017
It's a cliché to write that everyone involved in or studying urban development and planning should see this documentary, because of course they should. And of course they should read Ms. Jacobs' books. But as I witness, or at least fear, the gradual decay of the city I live in - which happens to be the city Ms. Jacobs lived in for the last 20 or so years of her life - I see that the wisdom of this saviour of cities does not seem to be a core part of Toronto's current urban- planning scheme. Maybe that's because, as Ms. Jacobs pointed out, cities develop organically as they are an independent life force. So you can't apply one set of rules for every city as every city is a unique entity. It was obvious to me though after watching Citizen Jane: Battle for the City that there are some enlightened guidelines that everyone responsible for urban development should be aware of. But in the lofty battle of what's good for the city vs. what's bad for the city, Ms. Jacobs' vision of what's good for cities - while noble - was not all-encompassing, not to be used as a blueprint for development, but rather as a compliment to a greater blueprint.
One glaring omission from this documentary was the mentioning of public transportation and how good public transportation plays a key role in making and keeping neighbourhoods and cities vibrant. Ms. Jacobs focused on two antithetical ways of getting around - walking and driving. Highways being thrust into the hearts of cities tend to destroy neighborhoods and result in horrible urban decay, but people need to get around, and walking is not an option for most people when they're traveling more than a kilometre or two on a regular basis. Ms. Jacobs downplayed traffic gridlock as if it were a secondary problem. Happy cities are all about people living in vibrant, safe neighbourhoods, she believed. But what about the essential need of the urban masses to travel outside the neighbourhood in a reasonable amount of time? Ms. Jacobs' nemesis in the documentary - the developer Robert Moses, presented as the single greatest destroyer of the soul of the American city during the post-WW2 Era in the US - at least pointed out in the doc that traffic gridlock is a very bad thing, and needed to be dealt with. Though his solution - highways through the city - was a terrible one, what was the alternative? Ms. Jacobs was so focused on quality community living that she didn't take into account the profound, widespread need for people to be able to move from one community to the next. But at least New York City has an excellent public transportation system. As I see condo after condo going up in my city, the traffic getting worse and worse, and not nearly enough being done to improve public transportation, I wonder what Jane Jacobs would have to say about this sort of urban decay going on. A lifetime of fighting the good fight for urban health and ten books later, and wouldn't you know it, she didn't take everything into account in her grand equation. Alex Marshall writing about Ms. Jacobs: "Jacobs makes virtually no mention of...the New York City subway system in her masterpiece and most influential book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities. This omission points to something Jacobs didn't get, which was infrastructure: the big systems that make a city work. Jacobs not only didn't talk much about the New York subway system, she didn't talk much about the water system, an engineering marvel whose pipes snake hundreds of miles into the Catskill mountains, bringing fresh, clean liquid to millions of people. She doesn't talk about the power grid. It's almost as if she assumes the dense urban neighborhoods she loved just materialized organically on the banks of the Hudson, not the product of massive infrastructure systems usually financed or directed by big government."
So is Jane Jacobs really the Urban Studies visionary hero that she's been canonised as? Maybe or maybe not, but she still did a lot of good, and won huge battles against evil. This is well portrayed in Citizen Jane: Battle for the City.
One glaring omission from this documentary was the mentioning of public transportation and how good public transportation plays a key role in making and keeping neighbourhoods and cities vibrant. Ms. Jacobs focused on two antithetical ways of getting around - walking and driving. Highways being thrust into the hearts of cities tend to destroy neighborhoods and result in horrible urban decay, but people need to get around, and walking is not an option for most people when they're traveling more than a kilometre or two on a regular basis. Ms. Jacobs downplayed traffic gridlock as if it were a secondary problem. Happy cities are all about people living in vibrant, safe neighbourhoods, she believed. But what about the essential need of the urban masses to travel outside the neighbourhood in a reasonable amount of time? Ms. Jacobs' nemesis in the documentary - the developer Robert Moses, presented as the single greatest destroyer of the soul of the American city during the post-WW2 Era in the US - at least pointed out in the doc that traffic gridlock is a very bad thing, and needed to be dealt with. Though his solution - highways through the city - was a terrible one, what was the alternative? Ms. Jacobs was so focused on quality community living that she didn't take into account the profound, widespread need for people to be able to move from one community to the next. But at least New York City has an excellent public transportation system. As I see condo after condo going up in my city, the traffic getting worse and worse, and not nearly enough being done to improve public transportation, I wonder what Jane Jacobs would have to say about this sort of urban decay going on. A lifetime of fighting the good fight for urban health and ten books later, and wouldn't you know it, she didn't take everything into account in her grand equation. Alex Marshall writing about Ms. Jacobs: "Jacobs makes virtually no mention of...the New York City subway system in her masterpiece and most influential book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities. This omission points to something Jacobs didn't get, which was infrastructure: the big systems that make a city work. Jacobs not only didn't talk much about the New York subway system, she didn't talk much about the water system, an engineering marvel whose pipes snake hundreds of miles into the Catskill mountains, bringing fresh, clean liquid to millions of people. She doesn't talk about the power grid. It's almost as if she assumes the dense urban neighborhoods she loved just materialized organically on the banks of the Hudson, not the product of massive infrastructure systems usually financed or directed by big government."
So is Jane Jacobs really the Urban Studies visionary hero that she's been canonised as? Maybe or maybe not, but she still did a lot of good, and won huge battles against evil. This is well portrayed in Citizen Jane: Battle for the City.
David Lynch: The Art Life
(2016)
Portrait of the Artist as an Old Man
9 April 2017
David Lynch at around 70 years old talking, smoking, and doing his art. That's about it. But as he says about his childhood, when the whole world was only 2 blocks, but you can have everything you need in the world in 2 blocks, David Lynch - The Art Life - a film about 2 blocks long compared to a Hollywood blockbuster - still can give you everything you need for a really fascinating film experience.
If you are hoping for an exploration of the films of David Lynch, and of the filmmaker David Lynch, stay at home. Only David Lynch the neophyte filmmaker is explored because this is a natural development of the real star of the show - David Lynch the painter. One day he sees one of his paintings moving, and that's when the seed is planted for him to make movies - he wants to make moving paintings.
We see a lot of the finished artwork of David Lynch, and most of it is stunning and quite dark, the latter being somewhat of an incongruity considering that David Lynch seems to be a happy and contented person. In one scene, Mr. Lynch talks about showing his father some of his art as a young man, and his father's reaction is grave concern that Mr. Lynch is seriously mentally ill. "Don't have children," his father tells him. David Lynch once described his art as "violent comedy". Indeed, if you get the violence but not as much the comedy, you might think something is deranged about the man. During the whole 90 minutes I spent at the TIFF Lightbox Cinema in Toronto with David Lynch, I never got the sense that he was a nut job. His toddler of a daughter made several appearances in the film, and David Lynch was warm, playful, and attentive with her, and never acted bothered by her as she played while he was painting. He told story after story the way that regular guy that everybody likes in your life would. It finally occurred to me that Mr. Lynch had found the perfect catharsis in his art for anger and violence - which are within all of us - and the result was a cleansing of sorts, the mentally wholesome fellow I spent some time with yesterday at the cinema.
Every art student, budding artist, artist wannabe, art appreciator, and artist appreciator should see David Lynch - The Art Life. And every David Lynch fan, of which I am one...a BIG one. The rest of you might be bored.
If you are hoping for an exploration of the films of David Lynch, and of the filmmaker David Lynch, stay at home. Only David Lynch the neophyte filmmaker is explored because this is a natural development of the real star of the show - David Lynch the painter. One day he sees one of his paintings moving, and that's when the seed is planted for him to make movies - he wants to make moving paintings.
We see a lot of the finished artwork of David Lynch, and most of it is stunning and quite dark, the latter being somewhat of an incongruity considering that David Lynch seems to be a happy and contented person. In one scene, Mr. Lynch talks about showing his father some of his art as a young man, and his father's reaction is grave concern that Mr. Lynch is seriously mentally ill. "Don't have children," his father tells him. David Lynch once described his art as "violent comedy". Indeed, if you get the violence but not as much the comedy, you might think something is deranged about the man. During the whole 90 minutes I spent at the TIFF Lightbox Cinema in Toronto with David Lynch, I never got the sense that he was a nut job. His toddler of a daughter made several appearances in the film, and David Lynch was warm, playful, and attentive with her, and never acted bothered by her as she played while he was painting. He told story after story the way that regular guy that everybody likes in your life would. It finally occurred to me that Mr. Lynch had found the perfect catharsis in his art for anger and violence - which are within all of us - and the result was a cleansing of sorts, the mentally wholesome fellow I spent some time with yesterday at the cinema.
Every art student, budding artist, artist wannabe, art appreciator, and artist appreciator should see David Lynch - The Art Life. And every David Lynch fan, of which I am one...a BIG one. The rest of you might be bored.
Rush: Time Stand Still
(2016)
Rush's Final Exit Stage Left
19 January 2017
Rush: Time Stand Still is the perfect sequel and the perfect companion to Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage. Beyond the Lighted Stage focuses on the formative years of Rush the human beings and Rush the band, and culminates in the band's remarkable comeback after Neil Peart's tragedies and long healing process. Rush in the life stages and phases of youth, maturity, overcoming adversity, successful career, tragedy, and "rise from the ashes and blaze", to quote from a Rush song featured in Time Stand Still. After watching BTLS in a packed movie house in Vancouver I wondered why the hell isn't Rush in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Time Stand Still picks up where BTLS leaves off. They get inducted into the RRHOF, and their second-to-last tour - the Clockwork Angels tour - lives in the limelight for a short time. But mainly, TSS is about Rush approaching the end of a phenomenal career as a band and especially as a touring band, and how much they mean, and have meant, to Rush fans. Rush as a touring band in the life stage of old age. With old age comes reflection - from the Rush members and crew, and from fans. With reflection comes emotion, and the main emotion that flows and often pours from the film is love. There is also sadness, but it's a sweet sadness, a sadness that springs from love. The end is near, but it's been so wonderful and fun. Their final tour - the R40 tour - is selectively followed right up until the final show, where Rush give a very emotional final exit stage left.
BTLS features fan interviews and examines Rushmania superficially, but TSS digs deeper into the lives of Rush fans by showing - not just telling - their stories of what Rush means to them. For me, this is the best part of the film - the vignetting of Rush fans - from Baseball Hall of Famer Randy Johnson, to the creator of Rushcon, to a man who was brought back to life and health in part by being inspired by Rush, to the Rush memorabiliac who stresses that he puts family first and Rush second.
You can't not be touched by this documentary, Rush fan or not.
Time Stand Still picks up where BTLS leaves off. They get inducted into the RRHOF, and their second-to-last tour - the Clockwork Angels tour - lives in the limelight for a short time. But mainly, TSS is about Rush approaching the end of a phenomenal career as a band and especially as a touring band, and how much they mean, and have meant, to Rush fans. Rush as a touring band in the life stage of old age. With old age comes reflection - from the Rush members and crew, and from fans. With reflection comes emotion, and the main emotion that flows and often pours from the film is love. There is also sadness, but it's a sweet sadness, a sadness that springs from love. The end is near, but it's been so wonderful and fun. Their final tour - the R40 tour - is selectively followed right up until the final show, where Rush give a very emotional final exit stage left.
BTLS features fan interviews and examines Rushmania superficially, but TSS digs deeper into the lives of Rush fans by showing - not just telling - their stories of what Rush means to them. For me, this is the best part of the film - the vignetting of Rush fans - from Baseball Hall of Famer Randy Johnson, to the creator of Rushcon, to a man who was brought back to life and health in part by being inspired by Rush, to the Rush memorabiliac who stresses that he puts family first and Rush second.
You can't not be touched by this documentary, Rush fan or not.
Gimme Danger
(2016)
Intelligent Tribute to a Great Band
8 November 2016
If you're expecting another quirky, brooding Jim Jarmusch film, or even that Jarmusch signature here and there, you will be disappointed. Gimme Danger is still a great film, but Jarmusch doesn't do what he usually does - show that the conventional can be really far out if you excavate a little - because he gets that Iggy and the Stooges are already supremely avante-garde; they are already Jim Jarmuschy. So Jarmusch does the opposite - he brings that down to earth, and just showcases what's already naturally there rather than try to create something. Still, documentary filmmaking turns out to be well suited for at least a couple of Jarmusch creative sensibilities. There's a charming, amiable leading man (Iggy), and when Iggy speaks there's a subtly comedic element, and subtle comedy is essential in all Jarmusch films. When Iggy tells the story of contacting Moe Howard of The Three Stooges, there's no need for direction with a magic touch. Just let it be.
Ultimately, Jarmusch forgoes being a director with a Jarmusch vision in Gimme Danger other than maybe hoping to convince the viewer to believe, after watching this film, that Iggy and the Stooges are the greatest rock and roll band of all time. He made Gimme Danger as a fan more than as Jim Jarmusch the auteur director, and it ends up being a "normal" kind of rock and roll doc/tribute, with plenty of great music and great footage, history, and lots of interviewing.
So to repeat, don't expect Gimme Danger to be a typical Jim Jarmusch film. But if you expect it to be a loving and intelligent tribute to a rock and roll band that "reinvented music as we know it" according to their former manager, a band that wiped out the 60s according to Iggy, you won't be disappointed.
Ultimately, Jarmusch forgoes being a director with a Jarmusch vision in Gimme Danger other than maybe hoping to convince the viewer to believe, after watching this film, that Iggy and the Stooges are the greatest rock and roll band of all time. He made Gimme Danger as a fan more than as Jim Jarmusch the auteur director, and it ends up being a "normal" kind of rock and roll doc/tribute, with plenty of great music and great footage, history, and lots of interviewing.
So to repeat, don't expect Gimme Danger to be a typical Jim Jarmusch film. But if you expect it to be a loving and intelligent tribute to a rock and roll band that "reinvented music as we know it" according to their former manager, a band that wiped out the 60s according to Iggy, you won't be disappointed.
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