Reviews
Mei li shi guang (2001)
Curious film about aimless teens in Taiwan
I saw this film at the SF International Film Festival, and was pleasantly impressed with this work. The film's emotions shift from humorous, to sad, to horrifying, and back again. The monotonous daily affairs seem to give these teens a desire to do something more with their life. Yet they end up becoming mixed up a bit, even though they may not notice it. It is interesting to watch the relationship develop between the two boys, and when adversity strikes how they react. The ending is a bit nebulous; one must make of your own mind. Despite the sad aspects confronted in the film, one leaves the theatre with a feeling of contentment and satisfaction. It is a special film that has many singular aspects.
Vendredi soir (2002)
Slow, but interesting
I very much like how this film begins, and it is a creative aspect to have a story line start out of being stuck in traffic. Yet, about 1/3 of the way into the film, it begins to become a bit bizarre, when the man enters her car. Everything seems a bit surreal and things do not always follow logically. My explanation, and what I think makes the film better in retrospect, is that everything that follows may not have actually happened. It seemed to be all too perfect, and she did everything without a single qualm. We were already shown that she was a bit apprehensive about leaving her current comfortable, and the fact that she entered a fantasy seems quite normal under that sort of stress. Nonetheless, whether you believe it was a fantasy or it really happened, it is poetically shot and deserves to be seen, to make ones own decision about the film.
Hukkle (2002)
Ingenious film sans dialogue
There is something very mesmorizing about the rythmic hiccuping of an old man and the shots of pastoral Hungary. But that is not all the film is about. This debut film by Gyorgy Palfi hopefully is the first of many great films. At first this film may seem like a documentary about daily life in a small village, yet it becomes much more, and if you don't pay attention, you may miss the underlying story of a murder mystery. Also, the contrast of country life and technology is shown subtly.
At our showing of Hukkle at the SF International Film Festival, we were lucky enough to have the director present and he answered questions about the film. Though this film is fiction, the underlying occurences actually happened in a small village in Hungary in the 1900s.
Wonderful cinematography, beautiful scenery, unique sounds, and an original idea all contribute to making this film awe-inspiring.
Cavale (2002)
A unique thriller
I saw this film at the SF International Film Festival, and unfortunately was only able to this one film out of the trilogy. Yet I enjoyed this film greatly, and have not seen many thrillers like it. Using very little dialogue, it follows the life of a former militant leftist who just escaped from prison. He finds himself trying to live the same life he left 15 years ago, yet he finds trouble in trying to flee from the police and detectives. Very good cinematography and well acted. The ending itself is my favorite part (I won't give it away!), even though it may not follow what one would think to happen logically. I highly recommend seeing this film, and hope that I myself as well will be able to see the complete trilogy.
Mary/Mary (2002)
A comic psychological drama
In this film, Manny, a paranoid schizophrenic, struggles with his relationships around him and his internal thoughts and beliefs. He tries to maintain normal relationships with his friends, but eventually his neurosis and paranoia seep into his friends' relationship through Manny's `philosophizes' on love, sex, and relationships. He has a very blunt, harsh view of life and says what he thinks, which is a downfall at times. When he meets the second Mary, his life seems to turn around, until his obsessions get the better of him. (The director/writer was at our screening of the film, and he said the name Mary was chosen because of the Virgin Mary/Mary Magdalene and their similarities and differences to the Marys in the story.) This film is about how mental illness affects those around Manny, and how not he, but those around him that he cares about feel the repercussions. It is an interesting view of mental illness and how low rock bottom really is. The ending does not solve all the problems, and the viewer is left to decide what will happen next. An enjoyable film, some great ideas. 8/10
Salvajes (2001)
A great film showing the unseen racism in Spain
Salvajes is a brutally honest film about neo-nazi racism, drugs abuses, and violence in Spain. The anti-immigration sentiments of these young, white males lead to the destruction of the moral fibers of society. The harsh style of filmmaking uses gritty film and hand-held camera effect. It all seems very real and it was very easy to get drawn into the story. In the first scene of the film, the cinematography is amazing in showing the violence being inflicted on a young black man. The shots are not all complete, but it is a mélange of shots of confusion and pain in the dark. A very moving and powerful scene in the film-and it seems to just get better from there. The characters can be related to, some trying to hold onto the little they have, while others grasping for what is out of reach. The most enjoyable character for me was Eduardo, the cop, who mixes the harsh and soft perfectly. The ending of the film is very interesting, and makes one think, potentially giving another perspective to the film. This film is brave and exciting, and should be seen. One of the better films that I have ever seen. 10/10
Kuutamolla (2002)
A film with flair and attitude
This film is about Iiris, a young woman who works in a bookstore, loves movies, and can quote lines from "Taxi Driver" like second nature who is satisfied with her life and being alone. She meets an aspiring film maker, Marko, who loves movies just as much as her and they hit it off great. But she soon finds out that love is not like in the movies-- and true feelings don't always run deep.
Defunct relationships are shown, and true love is strongly doubted in this film. Her dilemmas are very realistic and this film shows the true side of relationships. Although this film can cater to the views of bitter and cynical people, it is a harsh view of love, and what it brings. I myself am glad the film can counter the trite and clichéd with new and different. The cinematography uses time-lapse photography, the hand-held camera effect at times, and many jump cuts, making the film itself very interesting to watch. Although some criticize it for being too long, I think the length is necessary to show the feelings of the characters and the changes that take place. The end of the film could have a couple of interpretations, but you will just have to see the film and decide for yourself.
Winning Girls Through Psychic Mind Control (2002)
A quirky and fun film
"Winning Girls through Psychic Mind Control"-- a great title, and a funny film. I saw this film at the San Jose Cinequest film festival, and it was enjoyed by many audience members. It follows the life of two "lounge lizards." This is the story of these two men trying to make a break into show business, figuring out their life, and the aquisition of psychic powers by Sam (played marvelously by Ruben Santiago-Hudson). This film uses discontinuity editing, making sometimes tough temporal switches. Although it is hard to tell when everything is happening or has happened, I believe that is part of the point. The cinematography contains some great shots and scenes, and the music is to be appreciated as well. The film is trying to make a point about how to live life, but it sometimes comes off a bit trite and cliched. The concept and idea of love is struggled with. There are contrasting views of love as an emotion, and neither character completely demostrates the positive effects of love discussed. Nonetheless, this film was very humorous at points, and never lost my attention. It may gain more on a second viewing, but I highly recommend it to be seen for what it is, and for you to decide what you think it means, and if its characters actually lived up to the "moral" of the film. I give it a 7 out of 10.