Irish, blacks and talking moons...

Still going strong on the film fest front with seven more to go in the next three days. Last night, The Guard and The Future. Let me start with The Future. Full of quirk, funny and little bit sad, Miranda July (who starred, wrote and directed the film, seriously Miranda, quit being so greedy with your talent) tells the story of an eccentric couple who realise the years are flying past while their dreams remain dreams. They have 30 days before they adopt a dying cat, so they decide to quit their jobs and embark on new lives, but perhaps not quite the new lives they had hoped for. A bit of strange stuff in there with stopping time and talking moons, but it adds a quirky, yet humourous touch that seems a trademark for her films.

Oh bless, look at his face.

The Guard. What can I say, it's Brendan Gleeson playing an Irishman. No, it's Brendan Gleeson playing himself, albeit probably a little less politically correct. You might think it a cliche black cop white cop combo film, but its really nothing of the sort. Gleeson is the foul-mouthed, blunt but ultimately loveable local cop who gets involved in a drug-smuggling/murder investigation big enough to require the aid of the FBI (Don Cheadle). Of course its all about the usual corrupt cop, who's good, who's bad, but there are perfectly laugh out loud one-liners with the sole goal of taking the mickey out of black people and Dubliners, along with some good old kalashnikoving. If you enjoyed In Bruges, you're bound to howl at this one. Less gore, less eye-candy and less pretty (but this could very well be to do with the setting...) but similar vein of storytelling, which is really not surprising since the creators of both films are brothers, who clearly both think Mr Gleeson is one heck of an Irish hero. And so do I.

A real anime fest

Back to back sessions of a Japanese anime adaptation today, which, considering was over 2 hours per film, I'd say that's quite a feat! Gantz, originally a popular manga, then anime, then finally a 2 part epic, is a sci-fi action film that is positively gory, violent and seriously badass in a whole lot of black leather. Kei Kurono, played by the talented Ninomiya Kazunari (Letters from Iwojima) and Masaru Kato, played by the lovely Matsuyama Kenichi (Death Note, Norwegian Wood), are childhood friends who both "die" in a freak train accident only to become players in a "game" to kill aliens that have invaded the earth. A giant black orb controls the game and calls the players, whom have all died, on a mission to seek and destroy aliens to gain points. Right from the start, it's a gripping and addictive roller-coaster of action, with super cool effects and fast-paced battles with both futuristic weapons as well as old-school samurai swords. If that sounds ridiculous, it is. But it's still a whole lot of fun. If you're a fan of pure Japanese craziness, with a touch of drama, jump on this bandwagon. Ass-kicking just got a whole lot cooler!

The Passage

This is a book I read a few months ago now, but I thought it was worth a mention now that there is movie buzz going on around it. I'd heard about the book in a really vague sense and had no idea what it was about, even after reading the blurb on the back. Turns out I was in for quite a surprise when in came some vampires that cause an apocalypse! But (and this is a really important "but") this is NOTHING like the vampire stuff around at the moment, noone sparkles, or sleeps with vampires, or battles with werewolves. The so-called vampires are these infected beings (much like Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later) that are pretty much indestructable, move like they're on some serious ritalin, and rip you to shreds if you're the unlucky slow one at the back of the pack. The story itself is pretty action packed, including parts that would make for some kickass blockbuster movie scenes. There's a bit of shuffling through time though, which will need to be done quite cleverly if the film is to make sense at all. But I think now that Ridley Scott is no longer in the director/writer's chair (and lets face it, Scott's CV isn't really all that...) there is a bit of hope. The latest is that Matt Reeves (Cloverfield, Let Me In) will be behind the camera for this adaptation, which actually might not be such a bad thing. If he could do justice with the remake of the AMAZING (vampire) flick Let the Right One In then we might be in for a treat!

If you're going to watch it, watch the original - the subtitles are worth it!

Las Acacias - words unnecessary

Tonight I saw the sweetest film, Las Acacias by Pablo Giorgelli. If you heard it was about a log truck driver giving a woman and her baby from Paraguay to Argentina, and these were the only three characters in the entire film, would you go and see it? Probably not, right? Well this is one you gotta see to believe. A handful of short conversations, awkward silences and nervous glances (plus one seriously CUTE baby) makes for a truly sweet and entertaining film. All I can say is, just watch it - you will be pleasantly surprised with that warm feeling inside :)

awwwwwwwww.

Day of Drama

Three films today: Kid with a Bike, The Tree of Life, and Norwegian Wood. Pretty heavy and plenty of drama - which I hadn't thought about until the tickets were bought... so these three in a day? Probably not for the emotionally fragile. But definitely not a regrettable experience at all, so here goes...

Kid with a Bike - a Belgium film about a young and troubled boy, Cyril, who in reality just wants to be loved (especially by his father who wants nothing more than to forget about him). He is taken in by Samantha, a painstakingly patient foster carer. But controlling him is no easy task, both physically and emotionally. Despite his reckless behaviour, you ultimately sympathise with Cyril, which probably says a lot about his acting (and I think this may have even been his first film!). A very real and raw insight into the lives of the many less fortunate children in this world.

Norwegian Wood is the adaptation of one of my favourite novelists, Haruki Murakami. It's often voted one of his best works and possibly even partly autobiographical. On the surface, it's a love story, but there are so many deeper issues buried deep within each of the characters that it just a tangled mess of complicated emotions - which is really a prerequisite for Murakami's stories. Tran Anh Hung captures the pain and isolation perfectly, and every scene is truly beautiful despite the endless feelings of suffering and depression. Definitely more enjoyable having read the book, since you're never surprised about the odd conversations or the manner in which the characters speak, which is a trademark of his novels. I always come away with a strange feeling when I read his books, and it was the same after seeing the film. Even his translator, Jay Rubin says that "reading Murakami changes your brain." I think its true.

Last but definitely not least is Terrence Malick's Tree of Life. I went into this film (intentionally) not knowing much about it other than it was about religion, won the Palm d'Or and it had Brad Pitt in it. Based on various other Palm d'Or winning films I've seen, I knew I wasn't expecting any kind of conventional story-telling. And I was right. Well, I guess I should put this out before I go on...

SPOILER ALERT!!!

Right... so in the first half we got a whole bunch of everything, from space, stars, planets, foetuses, cells, volcanoes and dinosaurs. Yeah, DINOSAURS (albeit, very well-animated ones). Like, what the?? All jokes aside, the above is a real still from the movie. Basically there is this rather long segment of various images that gets a bit Space Odyssey on you, pretty much illustrating the beginning of time and life, which is juxtaposed with a suburban family in the 50s with 3 young boys, whom the eldest is treated extra harshly by an affectionate but over-proud and devout father (Brad Pitt). I guess my interpretation (which is probably not "it", but what the hey) is the idea of life being so trivial in the grand scheme of the world/universe, but as humans we think of our own experiences as so paramount to our existence. It's probably much more profound and abstract, but that's what I got. I think it was a really beautiful film though, with really artful direction and acting during the family scenes - it never seemed like acting or that you were watching a film. The more artistic scenes are dreamlike and so mesmerising, like during the scenes where the son (Sean Penn) explores desolate lands, before he is reunited with his family again. But the mixed reviews, are perhaps understandable.

Samurai and the West

 hmm... no...

Two very different films: a western, and a samurai epic.

First, Meek's Cutoff. Not a conventional western by any means, but a western nonetheless. The story is based on a historical event of the first wagon trail led by Stephen Meek in the mid 19th century along the Oregon Trail. It's a long journey for both the characters and the audience, but more in the way that you sympathise with the settlers during this long and endless trek through a vast nothingness and the uncertain. At times, there were flickers of True Grit and There Will Be Blood - much less drama and gunfire, but still, flickers. And not only because Paul Dano stars in both...

Next was 13 Assassins. Plenty of slicing and dicing as every samurai movie should include. Being an avid fan of samurai films since seeing Kurosawa's epics (if you haven't heard of him, check him out because he's a real hero of cinema and everyone should know it), I couldn't hate this movie even if I tried. The real standout of the film is without a doubt, the battle scene. Swords, arrows, blood, explosions and bulls on fire, pretty much sums it up. Takeshi Miike is definitely channeling some serious Kurosawa during these scenes and that's never a bad thing. It's a shame that over quarter of an hour has been cut out of the international version in order to avoid cultural confusion... perhaps us Nipponjin can be a little misunderstood? But I think the most comical thing about this film was the fact that the bad guy (who is seriously evil as f*$%) is this guy (he's the one with the red scarf on the right, and yes, this is his dayjob)...

4 Days, 5 Films

Day 4 of the NZ International Film Festival done and dusted. Plenty more to come though! After Submarine and Love Story, there was much pressure on the followers but so far I haven't been disappointed.

Film #3: Heartbeats - cinematically, an absolute beauty directed (and also starring) by a young but very talented Canadian, Xavier Dolan, about a couple of friend who become completely infatuated by a somewhat mysterious and ambiguous young male. If you like lengthy slow-mo scenes perfectly accompanied by a recurring "Bang Bang" (Dalida) and the truly moving Bach's Cello suite (one of my personal favourite classical pieces), you're in for quite a treat.

Film #4: Incendies - a gripping family tale of a couple of twins that delves into their mother's past after her death as part of her final wishes, where the truth is nothing they would have ever imagined. Directed by another fellow Canadian, Denis Villeneuve, the film is clever in its storytelling switching between past and present, yet never losing the audience. Its many accolades is no surprise.

 

Film #5: Beginners - a father and son story that is heartwarming, heart wrenching, and damn hilarious at times. Superb acting by a perfect cast of Ewan McGregor, Melanie Laurent and Christopher Plummer, and the most adorable "talking" Jack Russel, with the seamless and simply beautiful direction of Mike Mills. The characters are so broken in their own ways which makes you love them even more. And what can I say, Ewan is one good-looking lost soul with seriously good hair...

and some very cool artwork...

xx

The Adults

I've just returned home from a night out to hear the Adults, the new NZ supergroup fronted by non other than the rather humorous Mr Toogood (yep, the Shihad guy). Also in the band are the lovely Julia Deans (formerly Fur Patrol, but now birthing some lovely solo tunes) and Shayne Carter (probably best known for Dimmer and Straightjacket Fits), who all complement each others' wide-ranging talents, constantly switching instruments and positions on stage. A nice cosy set in the Bacco room in Auckland kept it real and raw, even including some "friendly" heckling, graciously dealt with by Toogood himself - what a champion! You can tell he's been on the circuit for some serious time now. The music itself is not what you'd expect from a Shihad member (though you can hear hints of it here and there), but a range of emotions from meloncholy, to upbeat, to pensive, to romantic to just a little bit dark. You can tell it's a collaboration when you listen to the sounds and the lyrics. The biggest hit of the night was definitely Anniversary Day - a touching and swooning song, I think would melt even though the most unromantic femme's heart (yep, even me!).

P.S. Here's a little something to warm your little hearts...

P.P.S. JT, you are totally a little bit sexy <3

My latest love: "Submarine"

Another day, another movie... you might see a pattern forming? Well you aren't mistaken. But watching movies night after night is not commonplace in my life (though if anyone wants to offer me such a job, I'll in-a-heartbeatingly take it!). It's actually the New Zealand International Film Festival which began a couple of days ago. Perhaps not a big name in the festival circuit, but the program is always impressive each year including plenty of films, fresh from Cannes.

Last night was Richard Ayoade's debut feature, Submarine. Serious but very funny, and I think I'm in love. Not with anyone, or anything... but it just gave me that feeling. Every now and again, I found myself breaking out into a goofy smile in the darkness of the cinema in between the giggles, the sweet melodies and more grown-up lyrics of Alex Turner. Definitely one of those films that you'd easily categorise into the "indie" genre, but not in a bad way by any means. It makes you want to return to those years of high school with those fleeting, yet whirlwind romances full of recklessness and naivety. No cameo from Richard though, but I'm still going to smile myself to sleep tonight <3

Love Story

I saw a brand new (world premier!!) film last night by the talented Mr Florian Habicht called Love Story. You might have heard about him in previous films and if you haven't, then you really should. It had a whole lot of laughs, realism, beauty, romance and perhaps a touch of meloncholy when it came to love. A truly original take on filmmaking, with the story told in pieces by the people of New York. And what characters! It really makes you think about how different we all are in the way we think and act and what we believe. Definitely a must-see for those into something a little quirky, a little cute, a little deep, but wonderfully entertaining. Florian, we are proud to have you as a fellow kiwi!

Quarter-life crisis?!

Bonjour tout le monde!

Well well well, as the title suggests I feel I have got to that point of what's commonly known as a quarter life crisis (not that I plan to live to a hundred - I'm newly 26...) and thought there was no better time to start a rant and rave about nothing in particular, to noone in particular. How depressing you say? Not to worry, I'll keep things mildly entertaining and perhaps even educational about all things I think are wonderful, strange and topics where you stop and quietly mutter, "intrigue...". Probably mostly books and movies and happenings in my mighty city...

So I hope you all enjoy, and if not, well, that little person crying in the dark corner at the bottom of the page - that's me. But hopefully you won't see her (much)...

xx