Recommendation: “The Handmaiden”

In some of my first posts on here, I mentioned that I love South Korean cinema quite a lot. My top 10 included “Memories of Murder”, which is how I fell in love with the genre of Korean thriller and many movies since have captivated me and have taken my attention for days after watching them.

I’ve been quite busy, too, so I guess my writing will come down to 2-3 times a week when I get myself sorted.

I watched “The Handmaiden” last week and still occasionally think about the movie. It’s obvious that some directors just have a sophisticated way of presentation and a world view, even when they make movies about the darkest human abilities.
Park Chan-wook does it really well and lots of old and new directors could use / have used this perspective and technique.

I don’t think there’s a cinema-loving human that missed out on “Old Boy”. The bizarre narrative combined with a precise, beautiful directing technique and vulnerable and raw acting seemed to have thoroughly impressed humanity that watches film both for a living and as a hobby.
But, Park Chan-wook’s vision is not everyone’s cup of tea, and despite the more bizarre world out there that has all the eerie stories that may exist, once put on film, they gain some kind of shock value. Mr. Park is no stranger to humanity’s weirdness. He probably just dwells in it, draws inspiration from it and creates beauty however difficult it may be.

“The Handmaiden” contains all of the elements listed above, those elements which characterize Park Chan-wook’s directing, but I’ll go out on a limb here and say that he has never made a better film. I watched a lot of his movies and they all carried a severely emotional message, but “The Handmaiden” has an unlikely happy ending. This movie is also an indirect adaptation of the novel “The Fingersmith” by Sarah Waters.

To summarize the plot, the movie is set in the 1930’s in Korea, when the Japanese imperialist policy was underway in Southeast Asia. Korean people who aspired to mingle with the Japanese aristocracy, which lives in Westernized castles and wears Western clothes, went through changing their names into Japanese and emigrating in attempts to live better. Here we have the aspiring, handsome lord Fujiwara who is actually a Korean (Ha Jung-woo) and he wants to infiltrate a rich, royal Japanese family, marry the niece named Hideko (Kim Min-hee) and when she signs her wealth to him through the form of marriage, he would claim her as crazy and sign her up in a mental institution. He brings a con-girl named Sook-hee (Kim Tae-ri) with him to Lady Hideko’s home where she lives with her estranged and seemingly insane uncle Kozuki (Jo Jin-woong). Sook-hee needs to play the Lady’s maid and convince her to marry Fujiwara, and in return she would get lots of cash; she is very skilled and knowledgeable in trickery, but what Fujiwara doesn’t know is that Sook-hee also loves women. And Lady Hideko is absolutely stunning.
I’ll stop here. Whatever you may think happens in this movie just from the premise, you are far from it. But you’re also very close.
The relationship that grows between Lady Hideko and Sook-hee obviously turns into a bit more than what meets the eye.

The reason why I believe this is Park’s best movie so far is because he incorporated details that gave the story its essential depth. The scenery was perfect and went so well with the narrative; every bit of nature that was displayed and shot had a purpose in the storytelling context. The massive tree, the rope in the box, the symmetry of the frames and scenes was just breathtaking. I saw a few directors who did it this way, but most of them were Asian (Kurosawa, as the most obvious example, I guess). Correct me if there are others, please.

The costumes, interior design and historical accuracy are very much on point. The costumes are simply stunning and the entire display of them really give us insight on the movie’s biggest plot, which is the relationship between Hideko and Sook-hee. Somehow, the costumes bring them closer, and it works.

Ha Jung-woo is a great choice for the role of Count Fujiwara because, and this is going to be biased but, he is so very handsome. On the objective side and what I really mean is that, Ha Jung-woo is handsome and masculine but he also has a con-man’s aura – he gives off a confident vibe, convinced and yet sustained in many things; his reactions never seem to tip over the extreme and linger between the subtle and the explosive. That’s why his Fujiwara portrayal makes him perfect for it. The count is extremely confident, he believes his own lies and presents himself with plans A, B and C just in case. Once you get a look of him, you couldn’t say if he wants to seduce you or kill you. And yet, people like him often overlook the fact that there is more beyond their ego. This character was especially great, although I cheered for Hideko and Sook-hee with all my heart.

Kim Min-hee’s Lady Hideko has two sides, and I wouldn’t want to spoil it any how, but just her beauty alone is enough to mesmerize every mortal in her vicinity. That side of her is what she can not control nor choose, but it is definitely something that she can use to her benefit. Beautiful women who know they are beautiful can become really, really dangerous.
Kim Tae-ri’s Sook-hee is spontaneous, possessive, jealous, but also kind of romantic and most of all, really clever. A con-man type of clever, ‘street smart’ as we would call it nowadays. And Jo Jung-woo’s Uncle Kozuki… Well, this man really gave his all to do this. Insane, estranged, convinced in his own beliefs, chained by his vice and living in the past, Kozuki is the wild card of the movie that flips its narrative halfway through the movie.

The encompassing element that gives a final, beautiful touch to the film are the frames. The frames are picturesque and at the same time pretty eerie. The spirit of the insanity was depicted through aesthetic pleasure. Way to go, Park Chan-wook.

I can’t bare to give this movie less than five out of five, if there was a scale. The complicated plot unveils itself beautifully, and in the end, what matters is that love wins.

‘Til next time.

Anja

Recommendation: “Captain Fantastic”

I’ve seen quite a few movies this year but I can’t seem to remember any of them by anything special. I believe MARVEL have been doing a nice job, especially with X-Men and Captain America, and “CA: Civil War” was a pleasant surprise when it comes to giving superheroes certain mental obstacles and firmly defending their beliefs. There was also the super vulgar but still funny “Deadpool”, which in my opinion, went overboard a few times, but just a few. Still, they all have some plot holes that can and can’t make the movie very memorable.

Not many features are able to truly captivate us, and every time I say – “well, there was that movie I saw”, it’s followed by, “oh wait, that’s from last year”. Last night I watched “Captain Fantastic” and I was captivated by it from the first moment.

To quickly present the plot to you: one man lives in the woods with six of his children, he teaches them how to hunt and makes them read all kinds of books; one sad event forces the man to take his kids out into the world, which causes some trouble for both him and the kids.

I gotta say, there was never a more talented ensemble of kids and young adults. The kids’ dad is played by Viggo Mortensen, who I’ve always had trouble identifying with, but who helped me with that during watching him unveil as he plays Ben Cash, the dad in this feature.
The reason why I was captivated from the first moments of “Captain Fantastic” is because it’s one of my lifelong dreams to own a cottage or a small house in the mountains or the wild and separate myself whenever I am ready, from the world and its absurdities.

The Cash kids grew up in the wild and they have the muscular and mental strength of very disciplined soldiers who can also express their creativity freely. The youngest kid, Zaja (played by charming little Shree Crooks) can define fascism to you by heart, can give her opinion on the Bill of Rights and still be only 8 years old; the kids are not hidden from the truth and the dad treats them like adults, doesn’t spare them from pain and teaches them that they don’t need more than they have.
When they see a bunch of obese people in a waiting room, the kids are surprised – “What’s wrong with everyone? Are they sick?”, this is one of my favorite scenes; they’re untouched by the modernization but still, they suffer the consequences when they meet their peers.

Despite being hated and misunderstood by the rest of the world, Ben Cash doesn’t waiver when it comes to how he raises his kids. He realizes, though, that when the kids go out into the world one day, which is inevitable, they could easily get hurt. This is when he doubts himself the most. The world IS out there and it’s an inevitable one.
I was impressed and immersed as if the cast was a real family that was being shown to us; the ensemble gets along too well, they’re like a real family, they actually look alike and all of them display great amounts of individuality, despite being in an ensemble of seven the entire time. This can be really difficult and not something you can see in “Avengers” for example, where they sometimes try to trick us into thinking we could know more about a character and then simply cut their story before it culminates.

Viggo Mortensen is simply there to support the ensemble of kids, but he still lingers as the influence that made them all like that. His acting successfully boosts the kids’ acting but he also displays an individual note, just like everyone; still, there wasn’t enough time to know why his character Ben believes in raising the kids in the wild, next to the fact that he wanted to help his wife get better from her bipolar disorder. It’s hard to believe that’s the only reason, but then again, it might be if we analyze right – the two of them wanted to be away from the stimuli of the world and then grew to like their newfound home. This doesn’t feel like a reason enough; his beliefs are rooted into avoiding worldly illusions and he teaches the kids not to have any themselves.
Since the story is about the kids for the most part, then it’s easy to guess that the writers and the director didn’t want to spoil their “rite of passage” into the world with any other deviations from the plot.

This is the heartwarming family film that we missed deeply; with all the violence and superhero-ism happening this year, we needed a gentle, educational and emotional story about raising kids in a chaotic world. Out of imaginary five stars at the most, I’d give this four and a half.

‘Til next time.

Anja

Why you should be watching: “Quarry”

Cinemax has always been referred to in movies as “I get-to-see-a-lot-of-sex channel”, because it’s always focused on more artistic films and those that hail from all over the world. In the emergence of two channels of Cinemax, channel number one usually contains a more known program, such as blockbusters and TV series that they themselves produce, and then on channel two, you get to see the sex.

After the ending of the exciting and action-packed bloodbath that was “Banshee”, Cinemax produced and released a retrospective into the 1970s in the form of the series called “Quarry”, which was actually based on the novel of the same name, written by Max Allan Collins.
The main character is Mac Conway who returns from his 2nd tour in Vietnam and gets a bad reputation among the locals because of a scandal that happened during his service. Not just him, but his best pal Arthur Solomon too, has seen the hell of war and came home with a semi-calm head. This is just the beginning, and the plot can be seen in episode one already – Arthur is less than semi-calm, he’s barely 3/4 calm as he takes on a dirty job worth $30,000 (which can today equal to an amount from $132,000 to $420,000) and asks for Mac’s help.

Why is the show important? It deals with two major themes that were a big issue in the past and are a big issue now, too. The relevance of giving war veterans their space and understanding when they zone out, sleepwalk or don’t want to talk doesn’t ever seem to be clear to people, especially to the wives of the men who return in such programs; you’ve seen it in every war themed movie in some way. It’s difficult to cheer for someone who’s trying to push their way into a man’s head when he’s seen dead bodies and waken up next to them for two years in a row. Despite feeling left out and abandoned, Mac’s wife can’t seem to get the elementary, at least that’s how it seems in the first few episodes.
The narrative moves slowly but has incredible scenes which reveal to us how both sides feel at the same time. This was important during the Vietnamese war, and it is important for anyone going to the battlefield in the Middle East today; his wife elaborates why she felt left out and abandoned, while Mac does his best to mutter out why he did two tours in Vietnam and what it meant for him.
I’m sure that the era when there was a general pressure for men to prove themselves through military service made some people grow up sooner than they had anticipated to.

What makes the situation harder is the fact that Mac and Arthur can’t get any legitimate jobs that they very much qualify for; Arthur bags a physically demanding gig which is way below his abilities or education, just because he came back from the war and may or may have not been involved in a mass murder.
The hipocrisy of the country that honors the men who go to war and then rejects them when they wish to move on with their lives is shown strongly and without beautification.

The other matter that is so important in the show is the treatment and inequality of America’s African-American citizens. Nowadays, we’ve been hearing on the news how police keeps treating their nation and how Donald Trump invites rallies to expel “bad ombres” from the country (I am not American nor do I live there, so I can only get informed through the news and programs) which feels unrealistic in this day and age, to be such a man and think in such a way; the situation depicted in “Quarry” shows a time of early integration of African-American citizens into the community, and Arthur Solomon’s family, and Arthur himself, are black citizens.
The very depiction of the attempts of integration and mistreatment is painful to see, if you are a normal functioning human with a heart, that is. While we watch it and think: “No one ever deserves this”, this isn’t a fantasized situation – it was real and it was recent. When we look back, 1972 is only 44 years ago from today, so not even a round 50 to say things are different; not that the number 50 would make it somehow justifiable.

Overall, the performance of Logan Marshall-Green as Mac Conway has brought our long awaited attention to him. He played supporting roles for most of his career and never really stood out. “Quarry” has shown us that he is around for a reason – he plays his calmness and his anger with a subtle difference. We can tell when he’s relaxed and happy, but most of his life has been intertwined with some of the most stressful situations known to man, so whenever he gets a release, it’s rare and valuable; Marshall-Green takes us slowly and nicely through the pain and the discomfort.

Some supporting characters carry heavy roles on their shoulders but I won’t elaborate who they are in order not to spoil anything too much. The actor Damon Herriman who plays Buddy has a huge history in the TV series universe, and he is my personal highlight of the show. Buddy is another kind of reject among the rejects of war, but he displays his insecurities through flamboyance and jokes. He rarely ever feels well but somehow manages to see things could get better for him; his relationship with his mother helps him remain encouraged, despite the relationship’s ridiculous and sometimes strange qualities.
Peter Mullan plays The Broker, another very important supporting character in Mac’s life and Peter Mullan is already a veteran in acting; The Broker’s omnipresence makes us dread but when he appears, we all know what’s coming next. When we see a character and know what’s about to happen, without ever needing him to explain, we should know that that’s a mark of a good program.

“Quarry” is heavy, gritty, emotional, captivating and exciting.

‘Til next time.

Anja

Why you should be watching: “Black Mirror”

I binge watched season 3 of “Black Mirror” with my mum yesterday. We just thought we could take it one at a time, maybe watch two new episodes and see what it’s like, and we ended up watching all six episodes in one night.

If anyone is familiar with “Black Mirror”, they also know that its writer and creator is Charlie Brooker, a man whose satirical and dark reviews of domestic (UK, that is) policy shows how much the world needs people who can easily call ‘bullshit’ on certain events. Personally, I watched everything Brooker had created to date because I have immense respect for him and his creative genius but I can’t guarantee he wouldn’t call me a buffoon as well if I told him I was a fan of his work; I just have a feeling he might, I don’t know.

The first season of “Black Mirror” was something very new on the market, despite having stories about technological advancements and science fiction drama from the dawn of time (I should look that fact up, though). This season really showed how technological advancement can hurt humanity, since people will stay people no matter how many gadgets they have; Toby Kebbell perfectly played the jealous husband in a world where he can access his and others’ memories from a hard drive. The other two episodes focused on the society’s obsession over reality TV. It was exciting to see this, even the first episode, in which the PM of Britain is blackmailed into having sex with a pig on national television. Years after the premiere of that episode, David Cameron was enshrouded in the scandal of doing something similar back in his college days – Brooker saw right through everything and went, “well if this happens, the world will have gone mad by then!”. Or maybe he knew more than many of us.

Season 2 followed the same thematic path but it wasn’t as memorable as the first one. The issues of technological advancement were very emotionally approached in the first episode where Hayley Atwell’s character can’t quite cope with the loss of her husband and decides to sign up for a service that can recreate him and keep him in her head the entire time. This can be devastating for numbers of reasons, as love and loss are two incredibly powerful emotions that can affect us, at most times, permanently. This was the best episode of the series, although the slowest one in terms of pace. Other two episodes simply deal with societal issues of publicly (and violently in public) judging an individual, as well as the entire absurdity of elections, candidates, politics and political games.

But, the arrival of season 3 made everything different. The release of this season was a bit under the radar for me, since I wasn’t sure it would continue after the second one. I thought maybe Charlie Brooker had had enough of making up stories about broken ideals and society. I was terribly wrong, though, since he wrote 6 episodes (well, five, if we don’t count “Nosedive”, which was only his idea but not his screenplay) and they all combined the emotional aspect, alienation and general humanity with the technological advancements, replacements and larger-than-life inventions. Episode called “Nosedive” was really stunning in both visual and dynamic aspects; somehow, the pastels in which the world is tightly wrapped can’t lighten up the darkness of the loneliness behind chasing ratings and online popularity. Reality of us getting to that place in time kicks in when our main character, played by Bryce Dallas Howard, can or can’t use daily amenities because she’s judged by her ratings. Yikes.

Other episodes, like “Playtest” show the advancement of video games, and how much that universe has expanded and how dangerous it can get; it delved into facing one’s fears in a truly dangerous way. That can be done in a gentler and kinder way, definitely. The story about the army man who is programmed to see only what the government wants him to see (and kill) is probably the scariest. Actually, they’re all scary. Fascinating and scary at the same time.
The best part is, the final episode is as long as a feature film, almost 90 minutes.

I fell in love with “Black Mirror” again. I keep thinking about the episodes all day today and I envy the people who still haven’t seen it. Whatever could possibly go wrong with society was depicted in the series and despite it being truly depressing, it’s actually riveting and exciting – the dialogues are exquisite, the visuals are impeccable and the universe of each episode can pull us in and make us think about it for hours after watching it.
Someone more adept would say it lacked something, they’d criticize it more objectively but I love Brooker’s vision and I love that his thinking takes us to some very possible outcomes; I also love that, however dark, he’s also a bit of a romantic. He understands how far someone would go for love, for success and for simple, pure happiness. He also understands that people are still people once released from the gadgets, and that our inner workings will always need care.

‘Til next time.

Anja

5 Novels That Would Make Great Movies

So, the other day I wrote a big post about developing novels into on-screen features and I said that they shouldn’t be expected to be the same.

That doesn’t stop me from imagining some of my favorite books into films, though, and very often while I read I am able to imagine certain actors in certain roles.
Even while I write screenplays, I can’t help but imagine someone famous as one of my characters.
Of course, that’s all just wishful thinking a lot of times and it won’t always suit the writer’s wishes or imagination, but that’s something I went through already.

I am a huge fan of fiction, especially detective novels and mysteries; my favorite writers of all time are Agatha Christie, Dan Simmons and Stephen King. It’s pretty limited but I feel comfortable in this genre.

Here are 5 novels that I believe would be huge hits in cinemas, and I’ll briefly explain why as well.

1. “DROOD” by Dan Simmons (2009)
   

   Dan Simmons is an exceptional writer because of his skill to incorporate fiction into real historical events and make people wonder which aspect was an actual event, and which is just a product of his mind. Any book by Simmons would be a great film, but “Drood” and “The Terror” in number two are very special.

   “Drood” is a two-novel tale about Charles Dickens’ friendship with Wilkie Collins, or much better, Collins’ friendship and mental rivalry with Dickens, since Collins’ is set as the narrator; it was also based on the events of Charles Dickens’ actual book “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” which remained unfinished.
   Wilkie Collins gets dragged into an underground scene of drugs, the occult and paranormal, but his biggest rival is (ta-da!) himself. The occult and paranormal take Wilkie Collins to other levels of emotional and physical plains.
   This story would be a great TV series (although there is talk that Guillermo del Toro wants to tackle this giant and turn it into a movie), since it’s a two novel story and has many encounters that are captivating and eerie; these would possibly have to be omitted from the movie because of length, which would thus create a dull story about a writer facing difficulties, with scares here and there.
   That is not what this book is – it is in fact a carefully thought out story that will drag you in so hard that you’ll beg for season 2 (wink wink).

2. “THE TERROR” by Dan Simmons (2007)
   

   I put this mega-incredible novel (due to current lack of sleep and thus a lack of adjectives, I can’t think of saying anything else that’s more true) under number two because its story is very different from “Drood”, but because of the same writer, it tampers skillfully with history just like “Drood” does.

   “The Terror” is a story about an expedition to the Arctic that happened mid 19th century, when Captain Sir John Franklin oversaw the travelling of two ships “HMS Erebus” and “HMS Terror”. These two ships were never found and to this day, it’s unknown what really happened to them.
   In comes Dan Simmons and gives his own account of the events; his narrator is a young doctor who joins “HMS Terror”, and he added a strange supernatural force that tampers with the ships’ crews. It’s even better than it sounds here.

3. THE SNOWMAN (original name: “Snømannen”) by Jo Nesbø (2007)
   

   One more writer whose books can forever be contracted to be made into movies. The awesome thing about Jo Nesbo’s writing is the thrill that can be equally visual and readable – when Stephen King steps into the psyche and gives us the whole internal struggle of a character, we are dragged into his mind more than the environment. Jo Nesbo is a bit more pragmatic and creates visually shocking and tense scenes that would easily make people a bit sick. However, he doesn’t exaggerate this; the gore has meaning, it is purposeful and actually quite elegant.

   The novel is one in a series of many novels about a loner detective named Harry Hole, but if references to old cases could be extracted from the dialogues, “The Snowman” and its story wouldn’t be hurt and would make a great standalone film.
   It was difficult to imagine an actor in the role of Harry Hole; he is described as a tall, blonde Norwegian cop who’s a bit ugly but in a super handsome manner, so I’d also love to see who would be chosen. This choice can actually make or break the movie.
   The story of “The Snowman” follows Hole chasing a serial killer whose trademark is making a snowman in front of his victims’ houses right before he kills.
   The book is exciting, on edge and the action is constant – there is always one direction for it to go, but it also has a quality of a “tellable” story because it incorporates the few failures before a final success, which is a must in every detective story told in Hollywood.

4. “THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD” by Agatha Christie (1926)
   

   This is also known as the novel which was in 2013 proclaimed as the ‘best crime novel of all time‘ by the British Crime Writers’ Association (they must love detective stories more than I do), and also known in my own circle as one of the most amazing and surprising detective stories I’ve ever read.
   It was named the best ever in part because it has one of undoubtedly greatest endings of all time (which I will never ever reveal to you, but I’d love to make you read it in order to see for yourself), but we can’t ignore that the entire story makes compelling statements, leads us in different ways and makes us believe in one thing very firmly by leaning on our own sense of judgment and character.

   This novel was already adapted into a TV movie in the UK because Agatha Christie is a hugely popular writer there and David Suchel is a great Hercule Poirot, so why not. However, I think it deserves another attempt with a refreshed cast and a modern take, much like it was done with “And Then There Were None” recently, which was more eerie than I expected; it was really good.

5. “THE TRUTH” by Michael Palin (2012)
   

   I went with this one for last to ease the atmosphere of all the terror novels, murders and mysteries, by presenting to you a different kind of terror story; this novel is about an environmental journalist named Keith Mabbut who travels to India to research on the topic of environment and work forces in the depths of Indian nature. Mabbut meets one of his heroes there, a man who’s been an adventurist and a truth seeker much like Mabbut always wanted to be.

   It’s a nice story to turn into a movie because of its relevance. The environment is (and should be) a huge topic in the past years, but I can’t help and see this novel turned into a feature film of medium proportions. Any movie that wants to be a blockbuster and deal with environmental issues should probably be full of CGI and cliches.
   This story definitely can’t be all that, full of CGI, a blockbuster nor a cliche, but it can be an inspiring visual experience.
   Plus, Michael Palin is, like, the greatest Monty Python member ever. Just sayin’.

 

There are so many more to be put on this list, but these novels are the ones I anticipate and think about the most. Do you want to see a novel turned into a movie? Which one is it, and why?

‘Til next time

Anja

The Remake.

It’s the year of the remakes, or at least the year when remakes are being announced from all sides.

There is a post on IMDb that tells us all about the announced Disney live action remakes happening in the next period. If your favorite Disney feature is on there – let me know how you feel.
As far as I’m concerned – I am open for it, but it will never be the original.

I grew up watching “The Lion King”, “Aladdin”, “Pocahontas”, “Cinderella”, “The Little Mermaid”, “Beauty and the Beast”, “The Jungle Book”, and pretty much all of the other Disney animated movies. When I was a bit older, “Mulan” came along and shook my world, and then the Pixar era started, too. I got older but I never stopped enjoying animated features. To this day I sit and watch them again as they transport me to a careless time, a time when I had only to worry about being a kid.
My mom was so tired of Cinderella when I was about 4, that she couldn’t be in the same room when she played the cassette for me.
Once, in my high school classroom, when I was talking about “The Lion King” with my friends I actually choked up to the mention of Mufasa’s death scene; my friends were baffled by the waterworks that started without a special reason. I had a reason. You don’t push Mufasa off a cliff and leave little Simba like that. You just don’t.

I would be more than happy if today’s kids could have the same experience. If I were a babysitter, I’d bring the arsenal of Disney and sit through all the animation with the kids, without a thought. I’d probably be more touched than they’d be, and probably more interested, too. But kids nowadays can’t be like we used to be. That’s why they’re here now, and that’s why the world keeps moving and going forward. Nothing can be like it used to.

When I saw the trailer for the live action “The Jungle Book” I was so happy that I cried a bit (I cry a lot, is the point). When I saw the movie, I was biased to the core, I loved it, it was more adult than the cartoon but still very innocent. However, like I mentioned that leaning on the movie to represent the book was wrong, I also believe that leaning on the remake to represent the original is wrong, too. A remake is to the original what the movie is to the book (you get me, right?)

They’re remaking “Blade Runner”, oh no. Actually, now it doesn’t seem like a remake but a sequel that’s also a remake and why do a sequel to something already so perfect? Well, first of all, most people in this world are not cinephiles, nor avid film (history) fans; the ones who couldn’t care less about seeing “Blade Runner” because it’s so old and eighties, will probably go to the movies to see this sequel, or remake or whatever.
Most of the young generations that are soon-to-be bread makers are 1990s kids. I am a 1992 kid and people younger than me, like my brother’s generation of 1996, are just now coming out and doing amazing things for themselves. Before they get some more air time, my generation is currently in the spotlight and it’s the time to be in charge of creating advancement in the world. But everything moves so quickly that “our time” is almost at the point of passing. The younger generations are more tech savvy and they grow up doing things for themselves that we are doing only now. There are exceptions in every generation of course, and kudos to them for looking into the world and understanding that so much has happened before them.

I got way too philosophical there, but I needed you to “catch my drift”. Beloved cartoons, old movies and franchises made our lives better in the past, and I think that filmmakers hope that it can be the same for kids nowadays. “Star Wars” was successfully revived and now, kids simply love all the SW merchandise circling around the globe – that is a good example of a sequel that can kind of qualify as a remake, but it’s actually a revival of an old story that people believed newer generations would love, too.
I can handle all the live action remakes of my favorite Disney films but I will hold the originals in my heart forever; it’s actually interesting to see how people see these movies today and how they wish to make them unique for the current times and audiences.

Once a remake is made, the original will not vanish.
“Ghostbusters” got a ton of hate before it was even released, while the movie is just a solid comedy that we see more and more of nowadays; the difference between the old “Ghostbusters” and the new ones is that the modern times required some sort of female empowerment and incorporation of strong female leads who can carry out a legendary name. They are not trying to be Murray or Aykroyd, they are trying to revive the name of the “Ghostbusters” with a twist.

I am not angry at remakes as much as I am at sequels, but when I say angry, it’s not serious. Sequels can make me crazy because a lot of times, they’re pointless. The popularity of the first movie was so good that you believed that you must make another one – this happened with “Ocean’s”, with “The Hangover” and I don’t know how many more. The creators may just be having a field day when it comes to writing these sequels, but remakes are bolder. Imagine peeking into a well established universe such as Disney and deciding to make a live action “Dumbo”. It’s tricky but it can also turn out really well; the remake is there because boundaries have been moved. And as much as I disagree with a lot of remakes (I seriously would have left “Ben Hur” and “Blade Runner” alone) I can see why they exist and why we sometimes need them.

And I’ll finish this, with a slightly anxious heart at the thought that “Lion King” is gonna be a live action film. The only thing I know about it is that I’m gonna cry too much to it, and I don’t even regret that. Tears are brave, you guys, it means you’re in touch with your emotions. Or that you just love “Lion King” too much and have no fear in admitting it.

‘Til next time

Anja

The case of the TV series

My last post was two days ago, despite saying that I’ll write every day.
It was difficult to promise that because I am super busy every day, but I am also trying to give this blog some direction.
After my top ten movies, I considered making more lists, but I find it very sudden to enter the universe of specified lists, such as ‘My favorite Robert de Niro roles’ or ‘My favorite German movies’, for example.
There’s nothing wrong with being specific, I just feel like I should explore myself and my possibilities before entering such an unforgiving, detail-oriented territory. And I don’t have a list of favorite German movies, either.

I wanted to talk about television dramas, instead, since I feel I should mention that the blog will be about that, too.

It’s no secret that even the most hardcore moviegoers have been letting themselves have some (guilty) pleasure in watching television dramas.
Who could blame them, since TV dramas have become very eloquent, detailed and attention-drawing.

Marvel has explored its possibilities greatly by joining forces with Netflix, with the presentation of “Marvel’s Daredevil” being my favorite one, although “Marvel’s Jessica Jones” and “Marvel’s Luke Cage” are chasing after it rapidly with, lesser but still stirring, success.
HBO have been at it for years – let’s talk “The Wire”, “The Sopranos”, “Game of Thrones” and my personal favorite, “Boardwalk Empire”; they love it all gritty, hands-on and with shock value at the core of some, if not all of them.
And Netflix made everything into a binge by releasing all its series in full.

I thought I could explore this case of the TV series through the drama series “Narcos”.

I put a picture of Wagner Moura portraying Pablo Escobar in “Narcos” above; this dramatic series has taken over a lot of minds and even hearts, but why is it so great?
For me, it’s the authenticity of the cast, the chance for Latin American actors to shine (and how darn well they all do) and most dialogues being spoken in Spanish. I talked about my special appreciation of authenticity in my number 9 movie on the Top 10 list, “Apocalypto”, but I know it’s not only me. The factor of many Latin American names is pretty great, but how many binge watching fans can name more than ‘that guy from Game of Thrones who got his head smashed in’ in “Narcos”? Doesn’t matter! It still works for everyone, because the actors are good, the show was filmed in its original location of Medellin, Columbia, ‘the guy from GoT’ (actually named Pedro Pascal, a brilliant human and talent)  and Boyd Holbrook actually met the men they’re playing, and Wagner Moura had to gain 20 kilograms to be the best Pablo there ever was.

“Narcos” doesn’t just work on Wagner Moura’s weight gain, but its fuel is his talent. I was extremely happy to see Moura in there, because I loved him in a few Brazilian movies and also because a few years ago I had a dream that he played a narco in a movie (I really, really did).
Most importantly, he did a job so well that people who never knew who Escobar was now imagine him as the guy. Despite a few mistakes in the historical and character accuracy, everything tailored to them worked out really well for the series.
I LOVE the aforementioned fact that there aren’t many faces that we can see so often; Boyd Holbrook has a big career in film without many people even knowing it, and so does Wagner Moura, but otherwise, they are only two out of a sea of characters (there are a few more Latin American actors who have very long careers behind them, but I am not IMDB *sorry*)

Writing is really, really important, especially in a long-running series; if it waivers even for a moment, it can make the watchful eye of the binge watchers open their paranoid notebooks and start to analyze what exactly happened there.
Writing in “Narcos” stayed pretty consistent and gave every occurring character some meaning that led to him meeting his or her fate in the end  – whether it was somewhat good or bad.
So a screenplay is the backbone of the television drama.

Look what happened to “Downton Abbey” – although the show was quite good all over, I couldn’t get over Fellowes’ need to write up highly unlikely stories for characters just because the people, or even he, wanted them back. As a writer, I love all my characters, but when one needs an ending – they will get it no matter what. A detached love is the key phrase, despite it being kind of ironic.
“Narcos” could never ever end with Pablo Escobar fleeing and staying alive, because it was based on a real drug kingpin’s life, so that was the difference between these two series. But, even if Escobar was fictional and beloved, his ending needed to come. All that rises must fall.

The special case of writing in the TV series is important; a long-running series can explore the dark and light parts of many characters, while a movie can’t; there’s more room for authenticity and improvement in writing. “Breaking Bad” got better in time, “Marvel’s Daredevil” flourished in its 2nd season, and it was all because of the inevitable passage of time.
While a great movie usually focuses on one single message (get the main guy to get the girl, get Max to break free, get Frodo to Mordor), a series focuses on a character, and more episodes give us freedom to understand a character. Movie can be a character analysis, but a movie almost always requires action in the form of at least three acts.

I can’t really say which one is better – my personal preference is a movie because I don’t need to take out hours or days to be impressed but I love a good TV series, too, especially if it explores something human and full of both error and success.
Which series do you like? Do you like “Narcos”? Let me know!

‘Til tomorrow (I guess)

Anja

My Top 10 (Part 2)

Yesterday I wrote about the five out of ten movies that I frequently go back to, love to watch and swear to every person that the movie is amazing.

My subjective opinion, of course, doesn’t agree with everybody’s, so if someone hates the movie after my recommendation, well… I see it coming.
I try to detach myself from the subjectivity of others and only believe in my own. I only have respect for other people’s opinions, since most people in the world wouldn’t agree with me; plus, if someone says “Snatch” is a terrible movie, that’s not up to me to defend – talk to Mr. Ritchie, its director. My only job is to say I love it, and if I have an explanation, to say why.

So, after I finish this list, I’d love some interaction from you – which of these movies did you love, which did you hate, maybe give reasons if you’re up for it, and let me know if there are other movies that moved you and why. I love an open discussion and any opinion is welcome here.

What a lengthy intro! Let me get into those movies now, because that’s what I came here to do.

6. SNOWPIERCER (2013, dir. Bong Joon Ho)

I considered putting this in the first five films I love, but then I just decided to say that the list isn’t in order of most favorite to least, but the love is equally distributed among all of them. Like they’re my pets or my kids.

“Snowpiercer” left me breathless every single time I watched it. I think I watched it three times, and each time there was something else that impressed me. The first viewing was, of course, a sensory overload but then, the second and third left me thinking and truly seeing what it was trying to be which, simply put, is to justify the ambition of the little man to move forward and break societal boundaries.
My favorite South Korean director, Bong Joon-ho, directed another movie on this list that I love to bits. Something about his exploration of character made me fall for his storytelling, as well the stunning visual aspect especially presented in “Snowpiercer”.
I love to watch the amazing YouTube channel called Every Frame a Painting and there, “Snowpiercer” and its vastness was successfully analyzed within two minutes – it spoils the movie almost entirely, but if you’ve seen it or don’t mind spoilers, watch it here. The video tells a lot about director Bong’s style, which gives visual explanations, rather than in a conversation. This also happens in the scene where Tilda Swinton explains everyone’s place in the moving, everlasting Universe.

I don’t think anyone regretted seeing “Snowpiercer”, but then, not everyone was thrilled. As the walks of life tend to be. I will forever list it as one of my all-time favorites.

Favorite line:
– Mason: “My friend, you suffer from the misplaced optimism of the doomed.”

7. MEMORIES OF MURDER (2003, dir. Bong Joon Ho)

Hello again, Mr. Bong Joon-ho.

This movie was the 2nd reason I fell in love with Korean crime dramas. The first one was “I Saw the Devil” but it didn’t leave as strong of an impact as this one did – this one tore me to pieces, as I dedicated myself to its every minute.
“Memories of Murder” is a riveting story about a series of odd and brutal killings of women during 1983 – which really happened in South Korea.
It’s more depressing and amazing with that fact. My favorite South Korean actor, Song Kang-ho (who also stars in “Snowpiercer”, hello!) plays the lead detective from the rural town and he’s never ever seen anything like that. At one point, and this won’t spoil it, but the rural detectives are so helpless that they force innocents to plead guilty just so they can sleep at night.

There are some comical scenes that make the movie seem a bit goofed up, like the numerous high kicks that happen over and over, like it’s a normal thing ’round there. However, it doesn’t play the story down. This film is amazing. From beginning to end, amazing.

Favorite line: I don’t have it. I have a lot, but, instead, here’s another Every Frame a Painting video that shows you the visual directing of Bong Joon-ho.

8. MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (2015, dir. George Miller)

I don’t know if there’s a lot I can say about why I love this movie. I believe it was very well accepted overall. I love the old “Mad Max” films and I actually like Mel Gibson (but I prefer his directing, ahem, look below) but this one had me glued to the screen like none before.

The constant action doesn’t let anyone take a breather; the only time there’s a certain break is when the good ol’ Oil Rig gets stuck and the Warboy suggests chaining it to a tree.
Furiosa needs to go back to her home where she believes the captured women would also be safe and Max has nothing left for him, so he decides to help – whether the main protagonist is him or her (but it’s kind of her, let’s be real), the exchange is always fair and their friendship and bond is created silently and without force.
I won’t say more. I could talk for hours and write a complete essay about why “Mad Max: Fury Road” is too awesome, but I wouldn’t be able to convey what it truly is.

And this is how you make an action movie.

Favorite lines: 
– Max Rockatansky: “How much more can they take from me? They got my blood, now it’s my car!”
– Max Rockatansky: “I am the one that runs from both the living and the dead. Hunted by scavengers, haunted by those I could not protect. So I exist in this wasteland, reduced to one instinct: survive.”

9. APOCALYPTO (2006, dir. Mel Gibson)

Mel Gibson is a fine director. I like his movies, mostly when he directs, as he tries to be genuine in most of them. I appreciate genuineness and trying hard, and it can be seen here very well.

I can always watch “Apocalypto”. Turn it on halfway and I’ll sit through it without a problem, but this would mostly be because I know a lot about it already.
The use of actors who are South American and Native American really makes it special for me, because you can’t make a movie about the Mayan Kingdom with Christian Bale as the lead. Mel Gibson wasn’t afraid of that, and he went all out to represent and research the costumes, the warrior paint and piercings. These guys were pretty vicious, the games were cruel, there was tons of sacrificing involved and the hygiene was just terrifying, but you can see that there was a whole other meaning to it all. Give us rain, oh mighty rain god, and we will give you the beating hearts of the innocent villagers as a sacrifice.
The most striking part, which is the plot in some ways, happens when the ruler’s designated army takes the hostages to the capital and they shove a little, sick girl with a stick away from them. The girl turns out to be clairvoyant and she tells them: “Beware the man who brings the jaguar“. Lo and behold, our main character’s name is Jaguar’s Paw.
Brilliant.

Favorite line:
– Oracle Girl: “You fear me? So you should. All you who are vile. Would you like to know how you will die? The sacred time is near. Beware the blackness of day. Beware the man who brings the jaguar. Behold him reborn from mud and earth. For the one he takes you to will cancel the sky, and scratch out the earth. Scratch you out. And end your world. He’s with us now. Day will be like night. And the man jaguar will lead you to your end.”

10. BATTLE ROYALE (2000, dir. Kinji Fukasaku)

The original “Hunger Games”, as some would say. So would I, in a way, but that wouldn’t be fair to the writer of “The Hunger Games” which has a cool premise. A bit “Americanized” in my opinion (the suits, the glorification, the fabulous outfits, the advertising), but still pretty darn cool. Though the whole advertising aspect of the battles in “Hunger Games” is actually one of my favorite moments – let’s make TV out of every miserable moment on Earth.

Why is “Battle Royale” awesome? It’s a contest of which the participants are not even aware, they don’t know where they are and what awaits them. During the survival, they discover their killer instincts (and a lack of one), go mentally insane and give in to pure necessity, which is simply ‘kill or be killed’. There is a nice, emotional scene where a boy says to a girl – “I’ve always had a crush on you”, and they end up literally dying together, which also makes us come back to the fact that these are high school kids.
My high school days were similar, but not this cruel.
It’s a slashy, brutal horror flick but the horrifying aspect lies more in the overall chill that the organizers of this bizarre tournament have than the whole killing aspect.
It’s a pretty sick but great movie which makes you wonder, if anything else. The Japanese have always had one hell of an imagination, which is a winning quality for their TV and movie industry.

Favorite lines:
– Mitsuko: “You just have to fight for yourself; no one’s going to save you. That’s just life, right?”
– Shuya: “No matter how far, run for all you’re worth. RUN.”

 

Phew. List – done! I had a lot of fun while writing it.
I can’t wait for some feedback, comments and possible discussion on which of these movies you all liked.
But behave, please. Respect each other and remember that film is subjective. It’s a glorious art because of that.

‘Til tomorrow.

Anja

My Top 10 (Part 1)

I thought I should start with saying something about myself.

My introductory post was about the purpose of the blog, and I thought I could just get to the point in this one.
I don’t think there’s a definitive top 10 for me, but the movies I list here are the ones I always come back to for a certain reason – be it the directing, the dialogues or just the overall impact of everything it presents.

The order is not by relevance or the amount of love and appreciation. It’s just a list.

Let’s get it!

1. SNATCH (2000, dir. Guy Ritchie)
   Okay. Anyone who’s watched Snatch has probably seen it more than once, whether by accident, like when it comes on TV, or if they’re trying to get a friend to see it. There’s me in both those cases – I made a friend watch it, and then she made others watch it and so we created a long line of “D’ya like dags?!?”
   The movie is something you can’t look away from – I was drawn to it because of the complexity, the intertwined characters and the humorous details, like the hilarious exchange between Tyrone, Vinny and Sol prior to robbing the bookies (spoiler?)
   I also firmly believe this is one of Brad Pitt’s top 5 performances of all time.

   Favorite lines: 
   – Boris ‘The Blade’ Yurinov: [referring to Tommy’s gun] “Heavy is good, heavy is reliable. If it doesn’t work you can always hit them with it.”
   – Brick Top: “You’re on thin fucking ice my pedigree chums, and I shall be under it when it breaks.”

2. MEAN STREETS (1973, dir. Martin Scorsese)
   My love story with Robert de Niro and Martin Scorsese really began after I saw this movie. I watched “Mean Streets” a couple of times only but I remember the details of the film so well that once in a while I have a flashback of the bar fight scene or the palpable, believable chemistry between the brilliant Harvey Keitel and Robert de Niro.
   While watching de Niro portray the madhouse that is Johnny Boy, I got a vibe of Joe Gilgun between the lines, who I could easily see as today’s Johnny Boy; but that isn’t the important part, what matters is, that I related to Robert de Niro in more detail and on a higher level. As a kid, all I could see were the movies from his older age (I’m an early ’90s kid, sorry). Once I delved into his career and old flicks further, I became a bit (non-dangerously) attached to him and his talent.

   Favorite line: 
   – Charlie: “You know what the Queen said? If I had balls, I’d be King.”

3. APOCALYPSE NOW (1979, dir. Francis Ford Coppola)
   The horror, the horror.

   My first viewing of “Apocalypse Now” was one of the most overwhelming experiences I ever had.
   I watched the extended version after loads of mental preparation, and after the first half of the movie, I sighed loudly and said to myself: “This is one of my favorite movies of all time”. As the movie got to a close, I realized I truly didn’t lie to myself on that one.
   Afterwards, I watched bits from “Hearts of Darkness” and it was utterly fascinating to see that Coppola actually hated the movie by the end of it, that Sheen had a heart attack on set and that Brando, the beautiful Marlon Brando, spoke for nearly 20 minutes only to get 2 minutes of his speech edited into the movie.
   It’s an obvious journey of both the cast and the crew; as much as we can see the acting, it felt like I was watching an extremely personal journey through the dark tunnels of Sheen, Brando and Coppola’s minds.
   I can’t wait to sit down with someone who hasn’t seen it.

   Favorite lines: I can’t decide. Instead, here’s a video of Dennis Hopper playing that crazy reporter, and an objective remark on the Doc’s handsome face (I’m human after all).

4. GOODFELLAS (1990, dir. Martin Scorsese)
   My healthy obsession with Scorsese’s narrative and gangster-oriented films will never diminish. As I live and breathe, my fascination with gangsters, and their mental drives and sheer will to be a face in history will always make me turn to that theme; I guess Scorsese and I have that in common (ha-ha).”Goodfellas” basically made me get into the whole gangster genre, and I was dragged by its descend into madness. Joe Pesci is, of course, the star, despite Ray Liotta being the lead. I also really loved Lorraine Bracco’s Karen for some reason, Karen was a classic mob wife who wanted it all to herself – just like Henry. And Ray Liotta, what a breath of fresh air; additional bonus for me was that “Goodfellas” was the first time I saw the infamous ‘breaking of the fourth wall‘. Amazing.
   I have absolutely nothing bad to say about this film. Greatest movie ever.

   Favorite lines:
   – Henry Hill: “For us to live any other way was nuts. Uh, to us, those goody-good people who worked shitty jobs for bum paychecks and took the subway to work every day, and worried about their bills, were dead. I mean, they were suckers. They had no balls. If we wanted something, we just took it. If anyone complained twice they got hit so bad, believe me, they never complained again.”
   – Karen: “I know there are women, like my best friends, who would have gotten out of there the minute their boyfriend gave them a gun to hide. But I didn’t. I got to admit the truth. It turned me on.”

   5. INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS (2009, dir. Quentin Tarantino)
   “Each and every man under my command owes me ONE HUNDRED Nazi scalps. And I want my scalps! And all y’all will get my one hundred Nazi scalps, from the heads on one hundred dead Nazis. Or you will die tryin'”
   I typed this without looking it up. I know a ton of quotes from this film and I love its fictional ending; to me, a play on real events is really exciting and when I heard people say things like – “That’s not what happened”, or “Hitler didn’t have his effin’ face shot off”, relax brother, we know. But isn’t this exciting?

   A nice twist on reality never hurt anyone. I’m a sucker for dialogue in general, and Tarantino really does it for me. I just love how full of talk his characters are; I always feel closer to them when they spurt out their monologues in a personal and personified manner. Here, the ensemble story works, too – it feels like most Tarantino’s films are ensemble features (of course, with the obvious exceptions of “Jackie Brown” and “Django Unchained”, which is why I said ‘most’) and the introduction of the ensemble’s purpose felt fresh as it feels rare. Tarantino did it gradually and with some humorous, but pretty awesome interludes .

   I love Tarantino for so many reasons. This movie is just one of them.

   Favorite lines:Lt. Aldo Raine: “Well, I speak the most Italian, so I’ll be your escort. Donowitz speaks the second most, so he’ll be your Italian cameraman. Omar speaks third most, so he’ll be Donny’s assistant.”
   Pfc. Omar Ulmer: “I don’t speak Italian.”
   Lt. Aldo Raine: “Like I said, third best.”

   – Sgt. Donny Donowitz: [Aldo is carving a swastika into Private Butz’s forehead] “You know, Lieutenant, you’re getting pretty good at that”
   Lt. Aldo Raine: “You know how you get to Carnegie Hall, don’t ya? Practice.”

   I’ll wrap it up here. It’s late and I need to prepare the other five for tomorrow. I hope you like this one and, if you haven’t seen some of these movies, it encourages you to go and have a look.
   I was so happy while writing this post. It actually encouraged me to see these movies again. I can’t wait to present the rest. Until tomorrow, my dear movie lovers.

Anja