Reel Rewind: “Rabbit Hole”

From whole to hole to (w)hole, family life for Becca and Howie devolves and evolves following the accidental death of their four year old son, Danny. The whole (which we see in video flashbacks), shows a happy and loving three-person family with lots of laughter. It is eight months after their child’s death and the hole is the disconnection between the now two-person family that seems to be increasing in distance each passing month – even group therapy does not help; at least not for both of them. Slowly Becca and Howie become (w)hole enough in a way that allows them to tentatively face the future. When Becca asks “So what are we gonna do?”. . . and Howie eventually answers “We’ll figure it out.”, you believe that they will.

Focus of “Rabbit Hole” is on how Becca deals with her grief in contrast to Howie’s approach. After eight months Becca takes down Danny’s artwork from the refrigerator and ends up donating his clothes to Goodwill. Becca makes an unsuccessful attempt to return to work at Sotheby’s, but unexpectedly finds comfort in conversations with Jason, the teen-age driver who accidently hit Danny when he darted into the street. Even talks with her mother (who went through a similar experience with her adult son – Arthur, a thirty-something year old drug addict), gives Becca insight to coping with her grief. Howie plays over and plays over and plays over a video of him and Danny at play. The images of his son brings smiles to Howie’s being and is his comfort in coping with the tragedy. Howie also finds connection with a kindred spirit from group therapy, Gaby, who has been going to group for years and can’t move forward.

Gradually, Becca and Howie work through their disconnection and come to a realization (occurring at the same time for both) that they can continue their life together and it will be all right. And perhaps it will be all right. For in their grief, they each blame themselves and not the other for what happened to Danny (though they do fear the other blames them). As hard as it is to forgive yourself for what you perceive as your fault, it is even harder to forgive someone on whom you’ve placed total blame for a tragedy. To me, the ending rings true as Becca and Howie commit to becoming (w)hole in hopes of someday returning to whole.


Film Facts: Director: John Cameron Mitchell, Writer: David Lindsay-Abaire, Cinematographer: Frank G. DeMarco, Editor: Joe Klotz, Musician: Anton Sanko, Producers: Caroline Jaczko, Nicole Kidman, Geoff Linville, Bill Lischak, Linda McDonough, Brian O’Shea, Gigi Pritzker, Daniel Revers, Per Saan, Leslie Urdang, Dean Vanech, Production Companies: Olympus Pictures, Blossom Films, Odd Lot Entertainment

Film Type: Drama, Cast: Nicole Kidman (Becca), Aaron Eckhart (Howie), Dianne Wiest (Nat), Miles Teller (Jason), Tammy Blanchard (Izzy), Sandra Oh (Gaby), Giancarlo Esposito (Auggie), Jon Tenney (Rick), Stephen Mailer (Kevin), Mike Doyle (Craig), Roberta Wallach (Rhonda), Patricia Kalember (Peg), Ali Marsh (Donna), Yetta Gottesman (Ana), Colin Mitchell (Sam), Length: 91’, Language: English, Country: United States, Year: 2010
Official Site
United States release date Friday 17 December 2010
Film Trailer



Images:
Left: Nicole Kidman as Becca from the website moviepicturedb.com
Center: Graphic interpretation of “Rabbit Hole” created by Adrean Darce Brent
Right: “Rabbit Hole” poster from the website movieposterdb.com
Below: “Reel Rewind” logo created by Adrean Darce Brent

Reel Rewind: “Kisses”

Once upon a time, with the songs of “musical god” Bob Dylan as the background theme, “Kisses” brings us into the explosive young lives of two neighbor children - eleven year old Dylan (a namesake?) and ten year old Kylie – living in a poor area outside of Dublin. The story is basic – they run away from home, spend a night in Dublin, and return home the next day. Why did they leave? How was their first experience of Ireland’s capital? Did they have to return?

Dylan is a lonely child who lives with his parents and is tormented by other boys for being quiet and liking electronic games. Kylie lives with siblings and a single mother and is teased by older girls about her feelings for Dylan. Their world is full of the ranges of abuse – emotional, physical, sexual. When Dylan’s father chases him in the house to do physical harm, it is Kylie who gets a ladder and rescues him from a sure beating. Off they run to the river and their means of escape is a passing dredger. Though the Captain refuses Kylie’s request for the children to join him, Kylie goes ahead and jumps on the dredger and after hesitation and a mishap, Dylan also comes aboard the dredger. Now their adventure begins.

It is the Captain who introduces the children to the music of Bob Dylan with a rendition of “Shelter From The Storm”. And shelter from the misery is what the Captain gives the children on the trip to Dublin, as well as the chance to play and laugh. On arrival in Dublin, the children set out on a quest – Dylan’s older brother Barry ran away two years prior and all they have is a name of a street to try and find him. Ultimately their quest fails, but along the way they experience good – new clothes, wheelies, musicians, adults who are helpful – and bad – hunger, separation, a dead body, adults who are harmful. From these adventures a closer connection between Kylie and Dylan is forged. In fact Dylan returns the rescue favor by saving Kylie from “The Sack Man”. Monsters also reside in Dublin. Morning comes and it’s time to return to the known horrors they can handle.

“Kisses” is structured as home – Dublin – home with both home segments shot in black and white, while the Dublin section is shot in color. The color delineation between the segments is subtle and you slowly realize you are viewing a new palette. Transitioning from one world to another doesn’t have definite boundaries. Kylie is fearless and keeps fighting for what she needs. Girl power. Dylan is assuredly the passive one and gives up easily. Even with the new bond between them, I am not sure that Dylan and Kylie would be together if we return to their story five years from now. One unexpected aspect of the film is the use of subtitles. The film is in English and so are the sporadic subtitles – guess it was thought the Irish accents would be troublesome. For the most part they weren’t. However, the use of language in the film is very direct and raw by all the characters. If hearing children speak adult language bothers you, then “Kisses” is not for you. But they are speaking the language of their lives. If “Kisses” is a contemporary fairy tale, I’m afraid there’s no happily ever after for Dylan and Kylie back in the environment from which they briefly left. Let’s hope there’s a fairy godmother/godfather in their future. Or perhaps they will leave again when they are truly ready to do so. Once upon a time. . .

Film Facts: Director/Writer/Producer/Cinematographer: Lance Daly, Cinematographers: Jake Corbett, David Grennan, Editor: J. Patrick Duffner, Musician: GoBlimpsGo, Producers: Donna Eperon, Macdara Kelleher, Les Kelly, Nial O’Brien, Production Company: Fastnet Films

Film Type: Drama, Cast: Kelly O’Neill (Kylie), Shane Curry (Dylan), Paul Roe (Dylan’s Da), Neili Conroy (Dylan’s Ma), David Bendito (Dredger Captain), Elizabeth Fuh (Gardiner street girl), Cathy Malone (Kylie’s Ma), Jose Jimenez (Busker), Willie Higgins (The Sack Man), Sean McDonagh (Uncle Maurice), Stephanie Kelly (Kylie’s sister), Gerry Moore (Roadie), Hilda Fay (Anita), Elga Fox (Ban Garda), Stephen Rea (Down Under Dylan), Length: 72’, Language: English, Country: Ireland, Year: 2008
Official Site
Ireland release date Friday 21 November 2008
United States release date Friday 16 July 2010
Film Trailer

Images:
Left: Kelly O’Neill as Kylie and Shane Curry as Dylan from the website outnow.ch
Center: Graphic interpretation of “Kisses” created by Adrean Darce Brent
Right: “Kisses” poster from the website movieclock.com
Below: “Reel Rewind” logo created by Adrean Darce Brent

Reel Rewind: “Mademoiselle Chambon”

Sounds within the silence. Stirrings within the stillness. Wonderings within the winds. The story of Jean and Véronique unfolds slowly in “Mademoiselle Chambon” with the accompaniment of Franz Von Vecsey’s composition “La Valse Triste” and Edward Elgar’s violin and piano piece, “Salut D’amour”. Their story is one of romantic feelings born with music, a touch and kisses. In films (and I suppose as in life), most beginnings of romance demonstrate some level of passion between the people involved. It is rare to see such quietness in a new romance and it is presented to great effect in the film - Véronique sitting still in her apartment and Jean at his kitchen table at 3:00 a.m. There is no outward intensity when they are together and I don’t feel that passion is happening beneath the surface, though that may have been the director’s intent. It seems that neither one knows where to go with whatever feelings they have.

The one tangible evidence that there are feelings is the note Jean slips under Véronique’s door in which he writes - “Je pense à vous”, (“I think of you”). In addition, the music creates a soothing atmosphere – nothing that would evoke the manifestation of emotions, just reflection in the silent scenes, of which there are many. Even the eventual lovemaking is quiet. Only Jean’s one-sided argument with his wife Anne-Marie over his father’s eightieth birthday party and his fight with a co-worker mar the idyllic atmosphere of “Mademoiselle Chambon”. The music of the film is what binds these two different people. Jean is a builder with a wife, son and simple life in Provence, while Véronique is a teacher whose home is Paris and apparently has a less-than-fulfilling family life. One wonders if Véronique was going to be a concert violinist and what happened to turn her towards teaching.

The slow pace of “Mademoiselle Chambon” does contribute to the overall ambience being projected of life in the countryside, but it is too slow and the non-Jean and non-Véronique short scenes without dialogue really don’t add anything to the viewer’s understanding or help move the story along. Jean and Véronique are nice people and the start of their romance is sweet, but the viewer (at least this one) becomes impatient for the development of the relationship. And not until the end of the film is the resolution revealed. It is ironic that the title of the film is “Mademoiselle Chambon”, as she is the lesser known of the two main characters and questions remain regarding her history. Perhaps more is presented in the novel. The film seems to be Jean’s story. As much as the music and movie mesh together, it is fitting that the song, “Quel Joli Temps (Septembre)”, closes out the film over the end credits. Anyway, if you do see this film, be sure to be well-rested and fully awake. For me, “Mademoiselle Chambon” is un peu sucré et un peu triste (a little sweet and a little sad).


Film Facts: Director/Writer: Stéphane Brizé, Writer: Florence Vignon, Novelist: Eric Holder, Cinematographer: Antoine Héberlé, Editor: Anne Klotz, Musician: Ange Ghinozzi, Producers: Jean-Louis Livi, Amélie Melkonian, Milena Poyloi, Gilles Sacuto, Production Companies: TS Productions, F Comme Film, arte France Cinéma, Canal+, TPS Star, Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC), Rézo Films, Sofica Soficinéma 4, Région Provence Côte d’Azur, Procirep, Angoa-Agicoa, Porgramme MEDIA de la Communauté Européenne

Film Type: Drama, Romance, Cast: Vincent Lindon (Jean), Sandrine Kiberlain (Véronique Chambon), Aure Atika (Anne-Marie), Jean-Marc Thibault (Le père de Jean), Arthur Le Houérou (Jérémy), Bruno Lochet (Collégue de Jean 1), Abdellah Moundy (Collégue de Jean 2), Michelle Goddet (La directrice de l’école), Anne Houdy (La commerciale des pompes funèbres), Geneviève Mnich (La mere de Véronique), Florence Hautier (Soeur de Jean 1), Jocelyne Monier (Soeur de Jean 2), Jean-François Malet (Le beau-frère), Maxence Lavergne (Elève classe de Jérémy), Philomène Pagnier (Elève classe de Jérémy), Length: 101’, Language: French, Country: France, Year: 2009
Official Website
France release date Wednesday 14 October 2009
United States release date Friday 28 May 2010
Film Trailer


Images:
Left: Sandrine Kiberlain (Véronique Chambon) and Vincent Lindon (Jean) from the website thecia.com.au
Center: Graphic interpretation of “Mademoiselle Chambon” created by Adrean Darce Brent
Right: “Mademoiselle Chambon” poster from the website critic.de
Below: "Reel Rewind" logo created by Adrean Darce Brent

Reel Rewind: 2010 In Review

In 2010 I saw a month's worth of movies – thirty-one. Of these thirty-one, twenty-five were reviewed. The six films without reviews were the Spirit Awards screeners (“Amreeka”, “Anvil! The Story Of Anvil”, “Easier With Practice”, “The Messenger”, “Precious”, and “The Vicious Kind”) I received in January, which was before I decided to do reviews. This year I paid to see nine of the films for a total of $62, which comes out to approximately $6.89 per film. If I extend the $62 to cover all thirty-one films, it comes out to an even $2 per film for 2010!

Traditionally the top lists presented in any number of categories at the end of the year use ten for their number of items. However, I will break with tradition and only present five. No, it’s not some rebellious personal position; it is just that, based on the number of films seen by me in 2010, five top films seems a more appropriate number. So let the countdown begin:

Number Five – “Deux De La Vague” – French documentary



Number Four – “Boy” – New Zealand comedy/drama



Number Three – “Freakonomics” – American documentary



Number Two – “Never Let Me Go” – British drama



Number One – “Män Som Hatar Kvinnor” – Swedish crime/mystery

"Reel Rewind" logo created by Adrean Darce Brent

Reel Rewind: “Blue Valentine”

It’s another FIND Film Series screening and another trip to the Landmark Theatres. This time I arrive early enough that the distribution of the wait passes had not yet begun. So line waiting is the start of the evening for me. When I finally receive my pass, it is Clint Eastwood who is the director of my wait and the last movie of his I saw was “Million Dollar Baby”. Of course being early meant I had time to browse Barnes & Noble. After checking for the December issue of Black + White Photography (not yet arrived), I wander around on the street level floor of the bookstore and eventually purchase The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. I have seen the movie, but want to read all three novels before seeing the second and third ones. My 2011 book project.

The screening for “Blue Valentine” is in theatre twelve and I am easily able to sit in my favorite area. The theatre is full and after the usual preliminary reminders, upcoming events, and thank-yous are given, the films begins ten minutes after the scheduled start time. There has been a ratings “controversy” surrounding “Blue Valentine”. The MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) originally rated the film NC-17 and it was changed on appeal to R. Let me say at the beginning that although the sexual content may be somewhat rough and graphic, the encounters are consensual – there is no rape. Perhaps it is my years of filmic experience, but I was not disturbed by the sex in “Blue Valentine”. It is depictions of violence and rape that I’ve seen in other R-rated films that have greatly bothered me. Where was the MPAA for those films? Onto other content.

During one weekend “Blue Valentine” explores the life of a young Pennsylvanian couple, Dean and Cindy – how they met, their courtship, state of their marriage – by flashbacks and flashnows throughout the film. There is a home movie feel to the film during the flashbacks with its, at times, less than sharp imagery and less than well-lighted scenes. A fitting approach to examining a less than perfect marriage from its past. Dean is a high-school dropout who, when he meets Cindy, works for a moving company. On the other hand, Cindy is in school studying medicine and has a boyfriend. A combination of differences that make for a relationship disaster. The beginning though, is full of laughter and music – in fact Dean and Cindy have a variation on the usual PDA (public displays of affection) and for them it is – public dancing anytime. However, on this weekend they have been married for about six years and Dean is now a house painter and Cindy is a nurse. And rounding out their family is their daughter Frankie, whose conception was the impetus for the marriage. The flashbacks and flashnows work well – always knew if I was watching the past or the present. There are obvious problems as seen in the breakfast bickering. Dean wants to save the marriage and his suggestion of a night in a fantasy motel room is met with resistance from Cindy, who is on call, but they do. end up in the outer space room. From there the disintegration proceeds. Not much fun anymore. However, the one funny moment toward the end of the film is when a colleague of Cindy’s says “Oh, you must be Dean.” Her delivery of the phrase seems to sum up everything about the marriage – his lack of ambition and childish ways and her lack of interest in keeping the marriage intact - and evokes laughter of comprehension on part of the audience.

I haven’t seen much of Ryan Gosling’s work - the previous movie I saw was 2004’s “The Notebook” - and for Michelle Williams it was 2005’s “Brokeback Mountain”. Though I don’t have a true basis on which to judge, I think they both do a credible job in “Blue Valentine” and have some acting nominations for the roles of Dean and Cindy to back it up. It’s a film that should be seen and please don’t be afraid of the flashbacks and flashnows – you won’t be lost within the film. The take away from the film, other than the usual “don’t get married just because of an unexpected pregnancy”, is “don’t become romantically involved with someone who has significantly less education than you do”.

I leave the screening while the credits are still rolling because, of the late start, I’m afraid I might miss my bus home and therefore I miss the Q&A session with producers Lynette Howell and Jamie Patricof. Unfortunately, I see a bus at the bus stop as I exit the building and of course, I’m unable to cross the street in time to catch it. Waiting once again this evening, but this time with home as the goal.


Film Facts: Director/Writer: Derek Cianfrance, Writers: Joey Curtis, Cami Delavigne, Cinematographer: Andrij Parekh, Editors: Jim Helton, Ron Patane, Musician: Joe Rudge, Producers: Doug Dey, Carrie Fix, Lynette Howell, Jack Lechner, Alex Orlovsky, Jamie Patricof, Rena Ronson, Production Companies: Hunting Lane Films, Silverwood Films

Film Type: Drama, Romance, Cast: Ryan Gosling (Dean), Michelle Williams (Cindy), Mike Vogel (Bobby), John Doman (Jerry Heller), Ben Shenkman (Sam Feinberg), Reila Aphrodite (Mary), Faith Wladyka (Frankie Periera), Samii Ryan (Amanda), Robert Eckard (Father), Michelle Nagy (Music Teacher), Dan Van Wert (Bus Passenger), Eileen Rosen (Mimi), Tamara Torres (Maria Guevara), Maryann Plunkett (Glenda), Carey Westbrook (Charlie), Length: 120’, Language: English, Country: United States, Year: 2010
Film Trailer
United States release date Friday 31 December 2010


Images:
Left: Ryan Gosling as Dean and Michelle Williams as Cindy from the website cinemablend.com
Center: Graphic interpretation of “Blue Valentine” created by Adrean Darce Brent
Right: “Blue Valentine” poster from the website filmtotaal.nl

Reel Rewind: “The Tourist”

Seeing the “The Tourist” was an unexpected surprise. I had been playing games all day and since I travel by bus, Robert kindly offered to drive me home as he was hosting “The Tourist” as an event in my part of the world. However, we left the game playing too late for Robert to drop me off and then head to the movie, so he suggested that I come to the film event, he’d pay for my ticket, if I’d pay for parking. Well with the cost of parking being five dollars and the movie ticket costing $11.50, that was a definite yes on my part. Thank you Robert!

“The Tourist” fits well into my day’s theme of travel and game-playing – journeying from Paris to Venice and with a cast of players searching for an elusive thief and recovering a large amount of money as the ultimate objective. The players: Alex – robber of millions from a mobster, in hiding for two years, and Elise’s lover; Elise – two-year long surveillance subject of Scotland Yard’s Inspector John Acheson; John Acheson – frustrated policeman in search of Alex; Frank – unwitting American tourist being used in Alex’s misdirection plan; and Reginald Shaw – mobster in search of Alex and his stolen money.

The starting point of this international game is a café (where I had my first Salade Niçoise) near the Palais-Royal in Paris where Elise, along with her usual breakfast fare, unexpectedly receives a note from the elusive and plastic surgery altered Alex. Now it’s time for action and Elise takes a train for Venice from the Gare de Lyon and begins the implementation of Alex’s plan when she picks out Frank to be the decoy. British surveillance follows Elise on the train and in the meantime Reginald learns that Alex will be in Venice and makes his way there. Now in Venice all the players converge and games of running across Venetian rooftops, exchanging Frank for cash, night shooting in the canals, boat towing and bullet ducking rescue, departing player and returning player, and twisting revelations play out over several days.

I anticipated that “The Tourist” would be the typical action film with plenty of drama, but surprisingly there’s a comedic element to the film - from Elise looking directly at her not-so-subtle-surveillance and her subsequent maneuvering in the Palais-Royal/Musée du Louvre Métro station, to Frank constantly speaking Spanish to the Italians (Spanish..Italian..it’s all Romance right?) and the film ending exchange between Elise and Alex. With comedy being so obvious, especially with Frank, there can be confusion as to what the film wants to be - one of suspense and intrigue or a spoof/parody of the genre or of the source material (2005 French film “Anthony Zimmer”). It is not completely one or the other. Though I tend to view the film as more dramatic than comedic, the Hollywood Foreign Press sees it differently (it has received a Golden Globes nomination in the category of Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical). If you need the films you see to be easily categorized, then “The Tourist” is not for you. However, if you can accept the interplay of genres or if you are a fan of Johnny Depp (I am) or Angelina Jolie, you should see “The Tourist”. The film may not be either actor’s best work (Angelina’s main function appears just to be beautiful and wear wonderful clothes), it is not horrible by any means.

There may not be obvious clues to help the viewer figure out the twists before they are revealed, but there are some observations one can ponder as “The Tourist” progresses, such as the quality of the note burning. I could state others, but it would give too much away. If nothing else, “The Tourist” is a diversion from all the end of year craziness and has the beauty of Venice to please the eyes (as well as Johnny and Angelina). Game over.


Film Facts: Director/Writer: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, Writers: Christopher McQuarrie, Julian Fellowes, Jérôme Salle, Cinematographer: John Seale, Editors: Joe Hutshing, Patricia Rommel, Musician: James Newton Howard, Producers: Gary Barber, Roger Birnbaum, Jonathan Glickman, Ron Halpern, Tim Headington, Graham King, David Nichols, Denis O’Sullivan, Lloyd Phillips, Production Companies: GK Films, Spyglass Entertainment, Studio Canal

Film Type: Action, Drama, Thriller, Cast: Johnny Depp (Frank Tupelo), Angelina Jolie (Elise Clifton-Ward), Paul Bettany (Inspector John Acheson), Timothy Dalton (Chief Inspector Jones), Steven Berkoff (Reginald Shaw), Rufus Sewell (The Englishman), Christian De Sica (Colonello Lombardi), Alessio Boni (Sergente Cerato), Daniele Pecci (Tenente Narduzzi), Giovanni Guidelli (Tenente Tommassini), Raoul Bova (Conte Filippo Gaggia), Bruno Wolkowitch (Capitaine Courson), Marc Ruchmann (Brigadier Kaiser), Julien Baumgartner (Brigadier Ricuort), François Vincentelli (Brigadier Marion), Length: 103’, Language: English, Countries: United States, France, Year: 2010
Film Trailer
United States release date Friday 10 December 2010


Images:
Left: Johnny Depp as Frank Tupelo and Angelina Jolie as Elise Clifton-Ward from the website cinemablend.com
Center: Graphic interpretation of “The Tourist” created by Adrean Darce Brent
Right: “The Tourist” poster from the website filmposter-archiv.de

Reel Rewind: “Pink Saris”

English title – “Pink Saris” / Hindi language title – “Gulābī Sāṛī” (“गुलाबी साड़ी”)

The setting of this documentary, “Pink Saris”, is a rural area of Uttar Pradesh, North India where one woman, Sampat Pal Devi, leads a group of women, known as the Gulābī Gang (Pink Gang) in creating change in the lives of India’s lower caste women. In this place females are forced into marriages when they are still children, suffer physical and sexual abuse at the hands of their husbands and in-laws, and have few recourses for justice. Enter Sampat and the women in pink.

Even if it is just one woman at a time, Sampat works to change their plight in life. For example, marriage for a pregnant untouchable woman (who would have been put to death) to her higher caste lover; justice for a woman raped by her father-in-law; and protection for a runaway wife beaten by her husband. These and several other women’s stories are put forth in the film. Direct confrontation with the offender and the legal system (i.e. police) is the style of this group of courageous women who fight (sometimes with the lathi) for the improvement of women in India.

We learn that Sampat was a child wife, who eventually left her husband and who now lives with a man from the highest caste. In addition to her social movement environment, we see Sampat in her domestic environment - sweeping the floor and comforting a violence refugee in her home. As part of her quest, Sampat does try to negotiate better conditions for the women who return to their husbands’ family. Success on this front is limited. But Sampat and the gang keep trying to bring a new way of being for women throughout India. Sampat may not be perfect (she returns the runaway the wife of one of her husband’s relatives in order to keep peace with her husband’s family), she is a strong voice for change in India and, with many others in pink, will have a definite impact as time progresses.

Film Facts: Director/Cinematogrpher: Kim Longinotto, Editor: Ollie Huddleston, Musician: Midival Punditz, Producers: Amber Latiff, Girjashanker Vohra, Production Company: Women Make Movies

Film Type: Documentary, Drama, Cast: Renu Devi, Sampat Pal Devi, Niranjan Pal, Rekha Paswan, Shiv Devi Patel, Rampataree Yadav, Length: 96’, Language: Hindi, Country: United Kingdom, Year: 2010
Film Trailer
No United States release date set as of this post.


Images:
Left: Sampat Pal Devi and members of the Gulābī Gang from the website blog.afi.com
Center: Graphic interpretation of “Pink Saris” created by Adrean Darce Brent
Right: Sampat Pal Devi from the website viceland.com

Reel Rewind: “Submarino”

For two brothers the road to redemption is paved with sorrow, alcoholism, drug abuse, jail, and a namesake. In “Submarino”, a film whose physical atmosphere is an overcast of grays and dinginess, the adult lives of two Danish brothers emotionally personify the atmosphere with their own overhanging cloud of despair. For Nick and his little brother (hereafter, LB), the road they traveled began in their childhood with a constantly drunk mother and a newborn baby brother. Though Nick had already begun drinking before the tragedy, it no doubt led him to becoming an alcoholic and LB to becoming a drug addict. The guilt they felt would overwhelm them throughout their lives.

But now their mother died and her funeral brings them together after years apart. It is after this event that we follow Nick’s current life – still drinking and living in a half-way house after serving a jail sentence for assault. – and then, over that same time range, from LB’s current life – still shooting up and living with his young son. Nick’s world consists of a stark apartment, a woman to whom he is sexually attached, but emotionally detached, and the very disturbed brother of the woman he loved (and still does) when he was sent to jail. For me the most unsettling aspect was Nick’s neglect of his self-inflicted injured hand – the deliberately unhealed wound to go along with the always raw emotional one. For LB, a social services worker and a daily fix control his life, with the nutritional needs of his son suffering as a consequence. LB loves his son, but trying to provide for him by becoming a drug dealer is such a bad decision that will take him from his son’s life forever.

I don’t have a problem viewing an alternatively presented film, if I know beforehand that it has a story structure of a different nature – makes the viewing easier. I’m not sure that “Submarno” benefits from a dual storyline – the brothers’ lives are not that divergent. Both are clearly suffering from their childhood demon, though they both have loved. But if the reasoning behind the structure is to present the brothers one at a time to the viewer for a better understanding of each brother, then that’s fine. There is very little in this film that is pleasant – most of it is disturbing and destructive – but I did say this was a road to redemption and so at the end there is the beginning of a second chance, though only for one brother.

Film Facts: Director/Writer: Thomas Vinterberg, Writer: Tobias Lindholm, Novelist: Jonas T. Bengtsson, Cinematographer: Charlotte Bruus Christensen, Editors: Valdis Óskarsdóttir, Andri Steinn, Musician: Kristian Eidnes Andersen, Producers: Birgitte Hald, Morten Kaufmann, Production Companies: Nimbus Film Production, TV2 Danmark, Sandrew Metronome Distribution Sverige AB, The Match Factory, Swedish Television, Canal+, Nordisk Film ShortCut, Kameraudlejningen, Lysudlejningen, Mainstream, Nordisk Film- & TV-Fond

Film Type: Drama, Cast: Jakob Cedergren (Nick Torp), Peter Plaugborg (Nicks lillebror), Gustav Fischer Kjaerulff (Martin Torp), Patricia Schumann (Sofie), Helene Reingaard Neumann (Mona), Morten Rose (Ivan), Kate Kjelbye (Ana), Lisbeth H. Pedersen (Sagsbehandler), Dar Salim (Goran), Henrik Strobe (Jimmy Gule), Elias Ehlers (Karsten), Sebastian Bull Sarning (Nick Torp som ung), Mads Broe Andersen (Nicks lillebror som ung), Finn Bergh (Fængselsbetjent), Length: 105’, Language: Danish, Countries: Denmark, Sweden, Year: 2010
Film Trailer
Denmark release date Thursday 25 March 2010
United States release date not set as of this post


Images:
Lest: Jakob Cedergren as Nick Torp and Peter Plaugborg as lillebror from the website outnow.ch
Center: Graphic interpretation of “Submarino” created by Adrean Darce Brent
Right: “Submarino” poster from the website kinobank.org

Reel Rewind: “Boy”

“Welcome to my interesting world!” From these introductory words in "Boy", we enter the life of a pre-adolescent male named Boy, who is a professed Michael Jackson (of “Thriller” fame) fan and is possessed of an out there imagination, especially when it comes to his father (of no fame). It’s Waihau Bay, New Zealand in November 1984 and Boy is about to face the reality of his not so well-known father, who is not quite the master carver, deep sea treasure diver, and soldier of Boy’s imaginings. Also included in Boy’s life are his “powerful” younger brother Rocky, the girl for whom he dances (a la Jackson), Chardonnay, and the inevitable older school bullies.

During the time Boy, Rocky, and several cousins are on their own while their grandmother attends a funeral miles away, Boy’s and Rocky’s father, Alamein appears one night in the company of two friends from jail looking for Alamein’s mother (the grandmother). Now the fun begins - from the serving of tea to the three men in the car, to the giving out of obviously stolen “presents”, to getting to know the father Boy barely remember and Rocky never did. Between Alamein’s stories, antics and playing as the Incredible Hulk and a Samurai Warrior, Boy and Rocky are entertained by their father before the real reason for Alamein’s homecoming come to the fore.

And what is that reason? To retrieve a stash of stolen money that Alamein buried in a field before going off to jail. He and his two friends are digging up the field and Boy joins in the game of “buried treasure” and bringing Alamein aromatic plants from a neighbor’s field. However Boy soon becomes disillusioned with Alamein when he doesn’t want Boy to call him Dad because “it’s weird”; the disastrous result of Boy’s finding the money, and the realization that Alamein won’t take Boy with him when he leaves. There is a confrontation and later a reconciliation between Boy, Rocky, and Alamein at the gravesite of Boy’s and Rocky’s mother, who had died giving birth to Rocky. In the end perhaps Boy realizes that Alamein is some version of the Samurai that Alamein wants to be and describes as “someone who lives outside the law, but they’re still cool”. Well this film is cool, funny, a joy to watch, and with a little growing up included.

Stayed for the Q&A session with the multi-functional (director, writer, actor), Taika Waititi. “Boy” was five years in the making – Taika wrote a first draft in 2005 and the second one in 2008. I think “Boy” is a reflection of Taika’s life in New Zealand in that era of Michael Jackson and Shõgun. Note: At the end of the AFI Fest, “Boy” won the Audience Award in the category of World Cinema. Excellent!

Film Facts: Director/Writer: Taika Waititi, Cinematographer: Adam Clark, Editors: Yana Gorskaya, Chris Plummer, Musician: The Phoenix Foundation, Producers: Georgina Allison, Cliff Curtis, Richard Fletcher, Ainsley Gardiner, Emanuel Michael, Merata Mita, Production Companies: New Zealand Film Commission, Unison Films, Whenua Films

Film Type: Comedy, Drama, Cast: James Rolleston (Boy), RickyLee Waipuka-Russell (Chardonnay), Te Aho Aho Eketone-Whitu (Rocky), Taika Waititi (Alamein – Boy’s and Rocky’s Father), Ei Kuro Albert (Chardonnay’s Friend), Maakariini Butler (Murray), Manaia Callaghan (Miria), Tainui Callaghan (Kiko), Ngapaki Emery (Mum), Rajvinder Eria (Tane), Darcy Ray Flavell-Hudson (Holden), Craig Hall (Mr. Langston), Pana Hema Taylor (Juju), Wairangi Herewini (Kingi’s Friend), Cohen Holloway (Chuppa), Waimihi Hotere (Teacher), Rachel House (Aunt Gracey), Cherilee Martin (Kelly), Length: 87’, Language: English, Country: New Zealand, Year: 2010
Film Trailer
New Zealand release date Thursday 25 March 2010
No United States release date set as of this post

Images:
Left: Te Aho Aho Eketone-Whitu as Rocky, James Rolleston as Boy, Taika Waititi as Alamein from the website thecia.com.au
Center: Graphic interpretation of “Boy” created by Adrean Darce Brent
Right: “Boy” poster from the website news.tangatawhenau.com

Reel Rewind: “Pulsar”

My impetus for seeing “Pulsar” was that it is a Belgian film in the Dutch language. Since the majority of the films produced in Belgium are in French, it is a rare opportunity to experience one in that country’s other major language. And of course the film’s storyline did intrigue me as well.

Samuel (Matthias Schoenaerts) and Mireille (Tine Van den Wyngaert) are separated lovers – Sam remains in Brussels delivering pharmaceuticals for the Pharmacie Madou, while Mireille is in New York City interning at an architecture firm. It is because of Sam’s fear of being surrounded by tall buildings (there’s a lack of skyscrapers in central Brussels) that he did not go with Mireille. But Sam has no fear of technology and its instruments (webcam, e-mail, cell phone) which will keep the lovers emotionally connected even if they can’t be physically connected – or will it?

At first everything is working fine and Sam and Mireille are in frequent communication. Then slowly the technology breaks down – Sam is unable to logoff his computer’s WiFi network because someone else is on it, then someone locks him out of his network, and his e-mail account is taken over by someone. Who is this unknown someone deliberately interfering with Sam’s life and its consequential disruption with Mireille.? Must be someone close by; after all how far is Sam’s network’s range? Sam brings in IT specialists and covers his walls with a paint that blocks radio waves, all to no avail.

During this ordeal, Sam begins his own personal breakdown. Everyone is a suspect – his friends, his neighbors – who is it? Of course the “distance” between him and Mireille increases – less communication, perhaps Mireille is finding someone else of interest. Is this the outcome of a long-distance relationship helped along by an outside force or would it have happened on its own? Sam even has a physical altercation with a neighbor in his building who he thinks is responsible for the disconnection. But is it really the neighbor? Is it really any outside person? Or is it Sam’s emotional state gone haywire and his subsequent mental breakdown? When all else fails, there’s still the non-digital, non-computer ways of connecting/communicating. No radio wave blocking paint needed.

I like the cautionary tale of the effects of computer hacking/cyber problems on our lives/mental state (there have been times when I wanted to shake the laptop on which I’m writing this to within a byte of its CPU life), but the presentation of the story was a bit slow and did not always keep my attention. I suppose the slow pace was intentional to convey a gradual and not an immediate breakdown – both of the computer and of Sam. There was a Q&A session with the director, Alex Stockman, but I had to leave right after the end of “Pulsar” to wait in line for another film. Such is the film festival life.



Film Facts: Director/Writer/Producer: Alex Stockman, Cinematographer: Sébastien Koeppel, Editor: Nico Leunen, Musician: Kobe Proesmans, Producer: Kaat Camerlynck, Production Company: Corridor

Film Type: Drama, Cast: Sien Eggers (Mevrouw Luyckx), Vincent Lecuyer (Kirku), Matthias Schoenaerts (Samuel), Nico Sturm (Mark), Tine Van den Wyngaert (Mireille), Gordon Wilson (John Everts), Stefan Perceval (Upstairs Neighbor), Length: 91’, Language: Dutch, Country: Belgium, Year: 2010
No United States release date set as of this post


Images:
Left: Matthias Schoenaerts as Samuel from the website filmguide.afifest.com
Center: Graphic interpretation of “Pulsar” created by Adrean Darce Brent
Right: “Pulsar” poster from the website imdb.com

Reel Rewind: “The Human Resources Manager”

English language title - “The Human Resources Manager” / Hebrew title – “שליחותו של הממונה על משאבי אנוש “

A journey. An actual journey from one location to another, as well as one of personal discovery. That is the underlying theme of “The Human Resources Manager”. We meet the HR Manager as a work day is ending, but an emergency request from his boss, the Widow, has him investigating the allegations of a reporter regarding the death of one of the bakery’s employees. A woman has been killed in Jerusalem by a suicide bomber and she has been in the morgue, unclaimed, for a week or so and among her affects was a paycheck from the bakery. The reporter, the Weasel, threatens to write a story about the uncaring indifference of the bakery towards the death of one of its foreign workers.

The HR Manager has problems of his own – a divorce and a not-so-good relationship with his daughter, to whom he can’t keep his promises. And this inconvenient search into the circumstances surrounding the deceased woman determines that she had worked for the bakery as a cleaner on the night shift; she was fired by her night shift manager lover, but kept on the payroll by him; she was Romanian; she was actually an engineer; she had no family in Israel; and she was named Yulia. With no other recourse than to accompany the body back to Romania for return to her family and burial, the HR Manager and the reporter – the Weasel – begin the unexpected journey.

Road trip in Romania – the amusing and absurd part of the film. After arriving in Romania and finding Yulia’s ex-husband and her minor, unsocial (a kind description) son who are not legally allowed to identify her, a van full of people take Yulia’s coffin to her mother who lives days away in the mountain region of the country. The trip includes the HR Manager (who will not make it back to Jerusalem in time to take his daughter on a school trip), the Weasel (who still is negative towards the HR Manager and the bakery and who is the object of several unsuccessful ditching attempts throughout the mission), the Israeli Vice Consul (whose wife is the Consul and who goes along to be of official aide during the trip), the driver (whose license expired decades ago), and the son (who is trouble and troubled).

Although they don’t go over any rivers or through any woods to get to the grandmother’s house, obstacles of bureaucratic and mechanical natures cross the traveling party’s path. Despite the loss of the driver and an almost premature burial, the troupe eventually arrives at their destination. One positive along the way was that the HR Manager was able to establish a connection with Yulia’s son (if he could only do the same with his daughter). The grandmother appreciates the return of her daughter, but tells the HR Manager that he has made an error. So, in a different sort of vehicle, the HR Manager and Yulia begin the journey to rectify the mistake. Oh, and after one final attempt to leave him behind, it is fitting that the ever present Weasel joins in the correcting of the error.

“The Human Resources” entertains as it raises the question of where “home” really is for any individual and why some connections are made and other are not. And as much as money is a good thing to have, it may not always be the right thing to give. The film’s journey may not have any concrete conclusions, but it is the journey itself that provides the right questions to ponder.

There was a Q&A session after the screening and the participants were the director, Eran Riklis (who flew twenty hours to be at the screening) and the HR manager, Mark Ivanir (who lives in Los Angeles – wonder if his drive seemed as long as Eran’s flight?). “The Human Resources Manager” was filmed in Israel and Romania and Riklis said that being in the small Romania village, the “depression grew on them”, but it was a real human experience. The film is based on the novel A Woman in Jerusalem by Abraham B. Jehoshua and two main differences between the film and the book are, that in the book, the HR Manager’s boss is a man and Yulia’s home country is Russia. Riklis’ next project is the film “Playoff”, scheduled for release in 2011.

Film Facts: Director: Eran Riklis, Writer: Noah Stollman, Novelist: Abraham B. Jehoshua, Cinematographer: Rainer Klausmann, Editor: Tova Asher, Musician: Cyril Morin, Producers: Leon Edery, Moshe Edery, Keinan Eldar, Tudor Giurgiu, Thanassis Karathanos, Talia Kleinhendler, Haim Mecklberg, Elie Meirovitz, Yogal Mogarbi, Estee Yacov-Mecklberg, Meinoff Zurhorst, Production Companies: 2-Team Productions, EZ Films, Pie Films

Film Type: Drama, Cast: Mark Ivanir (the Human Resources Manager), Gila Almagor (Widow), Reymond Amsalem (The Divorcee), Guri Alfi (Weasel), Noah Silver (The Boy), Julian Negulesco (The Vice Consul), Bogdan E. Stanoevitch (The Ex-Husband), Irina Petrescu (The Grandmother), Papil Panduru (The Driver), Danna Semo (The Secretary), Sylwia Drori (The Nun), Ofir Weil (The Morgue Worker), Roni Koren (The Daughter), Length: 103’, Languages: Hebrew, English, Romanian, Countries: Israel, Germany, France, Year: 2010
Film Trailer
Israel release date Thursday 7 October 2010
No United States release date set as of this post.


Images:
Left: Mark Ivanir as the Human Resources Manager from the website cinemotions.com
Center: Graphic interpretation of “The Human Resources Manager” created by Adrean Darce Brent
Right: “The Human Resources Manager” poster from the website smellslikescreenspirit.com

Reel Rewind: “Un Balcon Sur La Mer”

French title – “Un Balcon Sur La Mer” / English language title – “A View Of Love”
The translation of the French title into English would be “A Balcony Overlooking The Sea” and the English language title would be “En Vue De L’amour” in French. After seeing the film, my choice for the French title would be “En Vue De L’amour”, with “A View Of Love” for the English language title.

Although my invitation to see the World Premiere of “Un Balcon Sur La Mer” is from the French Consulate of Los Angeles, the film is actually one of the screenings for the first day of the 2010 American Film Market. Of course I didn’t discover this until my arrival at the AMC Criterion theatre in Santa Monica. The AFM is an annual event in Santa Monica for industry buyers/players from around the globe. Since I am only tenuously connected to the film industry, I am pleased to attend the Market, even if I am not a potential buyer and it is just for one screening.

Well, this World Premiere is not getting off to a good start – some of the lights in the theatre are not turning off, but they go ahead and start the film. However, a few minutes into the showing of “Un Balcon Sur La Mer”, the film stops. All the lights come up and a man announces, in French and English, that they are going to start over again. This time all the lights turn off and the film is projected from the beginning without any further problems.

Real estate agent Marc enjoys working with his father-in-law and happily lives in Southern France with his wife and daughter. However, the past arrives one day, upsets his present and changes his future. The past is a girl named Cathy who Marc loved during his childhood in Algeria, before the country achieved independence. The return of Cathy into his life disrupts Marc’s domesticity and brings back memories of life in Oran before his family’s abrupt departure to escape the violence. Allowing himself to fulfill his childhood love for Cathy, Marc irrevocably changes the future for himself and his family. Perhaps it is the lack of closure in his youth that propels Marc towards this life changing behavior.

But all is not completely right. Although a number of memories of Algeria are recounted, some memories for Marc and Cathy are not shared/same ones and they should be. Has time diminished or distorted them? When Marc questions his mother about Algeria and his friend Cathy, she reveals some disturbing information that he can’t believe – won’t believe about this woman who has reentered his life. What is the truth and will Marc be able to see it through the love? Marc searches for answers and in so doing uncovers a real estate scam from inside the agency and Cathy’s role in the deception. He is able to prevent the completion of the scam and although Cathy’s complicity is undeniable, Marc chooses to be with her. She is a part of his life whose ending left a space in his heart and no matter what the reality, for Marc, now only she can give him back his first feelings of love for the girl Cathy.

Though the film does not go in the direction I thought it would (more straightforward, more anguish about his wife and daughter, rejection of the deception), “Un Balcon Sur La Mer” nevertheless provokes one’s thinking of the struggle for independence, aspects of life that still remain open, how perceptions can change, but maybe not so much. The films starts out in a calm morning in Algeria and ends in a rainy night in France and in between is the life of the boy Marc and the man Marc coming to a resolution for love. So I ask, what needs resolution in your life? Better still, what needs resolution in my life?


Film Facts: Director/Writer: Nicole Garcia, Writers: Frédéric Bélier-Garcia, Natalie Carter, Jacques Fieschi, Cinematographer: Jean-Marc Fabre, Producers: Xavier Amblard, Alain Attal, Gaëtan David, André Logie, Frantz Richard, Production Companies: Europa Corp, France 3 Cinéma, Les Productions des Trésor

Film Type: Drama, Romance, Thriller, Cast: Jean Dujardin (Marc), Marie-Josée Croze (Cathy), Claudia Cardinale (Marc’s Mother), Toni Servillo (Marc’s Colleague), Sandrine Kiberlain (Marc’s Wife), Michel Aumont (Marc’s Father-in-law), Jean-François Malet (Le gardien), Philippe Napias (Thierry), Length: 105’, Language: French, Country: France, Year: 2010
Film Trailer
France release date Wednesday 15 December 2010
No United States release date set as of this post


Images:
Left: Jean Dujardin as Marc from the website lyricis.fr
Center: Graphic interpretation of “Un Balcon Sur La Mer” created by Adrean Darce Brent
Right: “Un Balcon Sur La Mer” poster from the website cinemotions.com

Reel Rewind: “Fair Game”

Tonight I’m at the Directors Guild of America in Hollywood to watch a free preview screening of “Fair Game” thanks to Film Independent and their Filmmaker Forum. Usually I only see screenings at the DGA in April (ColCoa), but it was no problem coming here this October night (except for the door on the bus that refused to close for at least ten minutes – a source of amusement and annoyance). Although I arrived later than I planned, people were still in line to enter theatre one and I ended up in the general area that I like to sit.

The film, “Fair Game”, is based on events in which lying to deceive was the modus operandi and the truth was repelled and ignored. CIA agent Valerie Plame (Naomi Watts) is a NOC (No Official Cover) covert leader with operations in Kuala Lumpur, Cairo, Amman et. al. who becomes responsible for finding the intelligence on Iraq’s Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) program. As part of this investigation, the CIA sent her husband, former diplomat Joseph Wilson (Sean Penn), to Niger to check on reports that Iraq had bought a large quantity of yellowcake (a powder formed from the processing of uranium ore) from Niger for use in its nuclear weapons. Wilson’s trip determined that no such sale had taken place, yet this truth was eventually sidestepped by the White House.

A portion of George Bush’s Tuesday 28 January 2003 State of the Union address is shown in which the “sixteen words” are stated – “The British government had learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa.” This false statement was the basis for sending Americans into a needless war in Iraq (and perhaps the start of Tony Blair’s fall from grace). Unforgivable. Wilson’s refutation of that statement resulted in a backlash from the US government against him and the outing of his wife as a CIA agent. The consequences of the revelation compromised not only Valerie Plame and her operations, but other agents with the same work cover and their operations. All of this because a decision was made to cover up the truth.

The tragedy of the situation was that the Iraqi scientists who could confirm that Iraq did not have a WMD program were not able to be retrieved from Iraq because Valerie’s departure operation for them was stopped. And besides would the United States actually find it in their interest to rescue people who could have debunked the country’s position regarding the reason for entering the war. I think not. What happened to the scientists in Iraq can only be imagined and despaired. Under this type of reality, Valerie and Joseph fight for the truth, while also fighting with each other. Despite White House efforts, the truth does come out. Unfortunately, Valerie’s (and other CIA agents) career is over and the unnecessary Iraq War continues, with causalities of all kinds. Joseph has vindication and the marriage with Valerie does remain intact.

Naomi Watts portrays Valerie Plame as a woman who is good at lying and deceiving in the name of her job, but who just might have a conscious on the cost those qualities have to others. I am not a Sean Penn fan, however he disappears within Joseph Wilson and displays a man determined to have the truth prevail. A treat to see Sam Shepard for a few minutes. Although the truth about the Iraq War has been known for some time now, it is enlightening to see the effects of deceit on an individual level as opposed to a national scale. Which makes everything that much more tragic.

The Q&A session with director Doug Liman was moderated by John August. During the discussion, Liman revealed that he had talked with some former colleagues of Valerie Plame for a more in depth understanding of the whole debacle. “Fair Game” was shot in forty-five days on a budget of twenty-two million dollars. And most of the film was actually shot on location. Liman also said that the Egyptian government hadn’t wanted the Egyptian actor who played the primary Iraqi scientist to act with the Israeli woman who played his sister. You’d think they were still at war. Where is hope?

Film Facts: Director/Cinematographer/Producer: Doug Liman, Writer/Producer: Jez Butterworth, Writers: John-Henry Butterworth, Joseph Wilson, Valerie Plame, Editor: Christopher Tellefsen, Musician: John Powell, Producers: Mohamed Khalaf Al-Mazrouei, Dave Bartis, Gerry Robert Byrne, Kerry Foster, Sean Gesell, Akiva Goldsman, Anadil Hossain, Bill Pohlad, David Sigal, Mari-Jo Winkler, Kim H. Winther, Janet Zucker, Jerry Zucker, Production Companies: River Road Entertainment, Participant Media, Imagenation Abu Dhabi FZ, Zucker Productions, Weed Road Pictures, Hypnotic, Fair Game Productions

Film Type: Action, Biography, Drama, Thriller, Cast: Naomi Watts (Valerie Plame), Sean Penn (Joseph Wilson), Ty Burrell (Fred), Sam Shepard (Sam Plame), Louis Ozawa Changchien (Nervous Analyst #1), Bruce McGill (Jim Pavitt), Brooke Smith (Diana), Noah Emmerich (Bill), Michael Kelly (Jack), David Denman (Dave), David Andrews (Scooter Libby), Iris Bahr (CPD Agent), David Warshofsky (Peter), Satya Bhabha (Jason Neal), Sunil Malhotra (Ali), Length: 104’, Languages: English, Arabic, French, Countries: United States, United Arab Emirates, Year: 2010
Film Trailer
United State release date Friday 5 November 2010


Images:
Left: Naomi Watts as Valerie Plame from the website movieplayer.it
Center: Graphic interpretation of “Fair Game” created by Adrean Darce Brent
Right: “Fair Game” poster from the website cinemablend.com

Reel Rewind: “Nowhere Boy”

My jaunt to Marina Del Rey this afternoon to see “Nowhere Boy” was courtesy of Campus Circle. I was a runner-up winner of their recent sweepstakes contest for the movie and my prize was a run of engagement pass good at any Los Angeles area AMC Theatre. “Nowhere Boy” wasn’t playing at any of the AMC theatres to which I usually go, so a little extra traveling was necessary. Finding the theatre was easy enough, though confusingly it still has the name Odeon Cineplex (wonder how long AMC has actually owned the multiplex – a physical name change would be helpful).

While waiting for the film to begin, I thought I would be the only viewer of “Nowhere Boy” at the screening; but eventually I heard the sound of popcorn munching and the rare opportunity of having a whole theatre to myself was not to be. A different sound soon reached my ears when the film began with the screams of young females and John Lennon running towards them. This sound would be a part of Lennon’s future life, but the sounds of Lennon’s adolescent life in Liverpool are the ones I’m hearing today.

Lennon’s (Aaron Johnson) and his Uncle George’s laughter and his Aunt Mimi’s classical music is our introduction to Lennon’s domestic life in his mid-adolescence. Sadly George’s laughter ends too soon (both in real life and the film), but out of this tragedy Lennon "begins" a long over-due relationship with his mother Julia (Anne-Marie Duff). The sounds of their relationship begin with an outing to a pier in Blackpool and progresses over the next few years from banjo lessons and the song “Maggie May” to words of truth. The child finds the lost mother, learns the truth behind the losing, only to tragically lose her again, forever.

With his Aunt Mimi (Kristen Scott Thomas), Lennon lives in quietness with refrains of “glasses, John”, evolving to clashes about his mother and school, to departure towards his own life. And intertwined with the mother and the aunt is the development of Lennon’s music sensibility from Elvis Presley “Shake, Rattle & Roll” (wants to be him) and Buddy Holly “Peggy Sue” (imitates his look) to his first band, The Quarrymen and to writing his own songs. However "truthful" this whisper of one part of Lennon’s Liverpool life is, the best sounds are coming and will carry across the world.

Although Aaron Johnson may be a little too attractive to play John Lennon, the casting of “Nowhere Boy” is fine, though most of them are unknown to me. When I first saw the cast list, I thought the only person I’d seen before was Kristen Scott Thomas; however, it turns out that I saw Thomas Sangster (Paul) in “Love Actually” (he doesn’t look that much older). The song “Nowhere Man”, from which this film takes part of its title, was first recorded beginning on Thursday 21 October 1965, forty-five years ago today. Finally for Lennon, one can sing “Nowhere Man, the world is at your command!” Now if they can only get the right chord to your story.


Film Facts: Director: Sam Taylor-Wood, Writers: Julia Baird, Matt Greenhalgh, Cinematographer: Seamus McGarvey, Editor: Lisa Gunning, Musicians: Alison Goldfrapp, Will Gregory, Producers: Robert Bernstein, Matt Delargy, Jon Diamond, Tim Haslam, Kevin Loader, Jaynie Miller, Christopher Moll, Douglas Rae, Paul Ritchie, Tessa Ross, James Saynor, Mark Woolley, Production Companies: Ecosse Films, Film4, UK Film Council, Aver Media, North West Vision

Film Type: Biography, Drama, Music, Cast: Aaron Johnson (John), Kristin Scott Thomas (Mimi), David Threlfall (Uncle George), Josh Bolt (Pete), Ophelia Lovibond (Marie), Kerrie Hayes (Marie’s Friend), Angela Walsh (Schoolmistress), Paul Ritter (Pobjoy), Richard Syms (Reverend), Anne-Marie Duff (Julia), James Johnson (Stan), Alex Ambrose (Young John), Angelica Jopling (Julia – Aged 8), Abby Greenhalgh (Jackie – Aged 6), David Morrissey (Bobby), Length: 98’, Language: English, Countries: United Kingdom, Canada, Year: 2009
Film Trailer
United States release date Friday 8 October 2010


Images:
Left: “Nowhere Boy” pass
Center: Graphic interpretation of “Nowhere Boy” created by Adrean Darce Brent
Right: “Nowhere Boy” poster from the website obzarkina.tv