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Film: Miral
Year of production: 2010
Release date: 4th April 2011
Studio: Pathe!
Certificate: 15
Running time: 108 mins
Director: Julian Schnabel
Starring: Freida Pinto, Hiam Abbass, Asma Al Shiukhy, Neemeh Khalil, Jamil Khoury
Genre: Drama
Format: DVD
Country of production: France/Israel/Italy/India
Language: English
The plight of the Palestinian people and their ongoing struggle for recognition and statehood forms the backdrop of Miral, US artist and director Julian Schnabel’s 2010 biographical drama, but the film is really about the early life and political awakening of its titular subject, Palestinian author and journalist Miral Shahin. Based on a semi-autobiographical novel by Schnabel’s partner Rula Jebreal, who also wrote the film’s screenplay, Miral has caused a fair degree of controversy for the way it portrays the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but it is dedicated “to everybody on both sides who believes peace is still possible.”
Where most biopics focus almost exclusively on the lives of the subjects whose stories they seek to tell, Miral is unusual in the way it interweaves stories of people who had a profound impact on the life of its central subject. Miral Shahin (basically a pseudonym for Rula Jebreal) was born in 1973, but the film goes as far back as 1947, just before the formation of the Israeli state, in order to establish context and expose viewers to people who are vital to Miral’s life story.
The film opens in 1994, as two women carefully prepare the body of an old woman for a funeral, praying in Arabic as they do so. As we will later discover, the body is that of Hind Husseini, a Palestinian woman who set up the Dar El Tifl children’s home in 1948. Over the years, the home provided refuge and education to thousands of Palestinian children, one of whom was Miral.
Also central to Miral’s story are Nadia, her deeply troubled mother, and Fatima, a former nurse who helps Nadia when the two women are thrown together in prison. Nadia is imprisoned for six months after assaulting a Jewish woman on a bus, while Fatima received three life sentences for planting a bomb that doesn’t go off in a cinema. After Nadia is released from prison, she gets married to Jamal, Fatima’s brother, and has Miral, but when her daughter is still a young child she kills herself, wracked by guilt over her drinking and adulterous affairs.
After her mother’s death, Miral is taken by her father Jamal to Dar El Tifl, where she is placed in the care of Hind. Jamal is a deeply loving man who continues to visit Miral at weekends, but he is determined that she will not end up like Nadia or Fatima. By 1987, however, the Palestinian uprising is in full flow, and Miral becomes increasingly politicised. Eventually, after being caught with revolutionary literature, she is detained, interrogated and tortured by Israeli authorities. Soon after, in 1993, the Oslo agreement, in which the Israeli government agrees to the creation of a Palestinian state, is signed, and Miral leaves her homeland to study in Italy…
Miral isn’t quite in the same league as The Diving Bell And The Butterfly, Schnabel’s powerfully intense 2007 biopic about the French journalist and author Jean-Dominique Bauby, but it’s certainly not the one-sided failure that some critics have described it as. Schnabel’s mother was involved in the Zionist movement in the US, and his girlfriend Jebreal has clearly given him insight into the Palestinian struggle, so he is arguably well placed to understand both sides of the conflict.
Inevitably, perhaps, given the true life story that Miral is based on, it’s a film that will be seen by some as a simplistic account of an ongoing, highly complex conflict. The film makes it clear that the 1993 Oslo agreement is yet to be honoured by the Israelis, and the archival footage used in Miral doesn’t present a favourable view of their occupation of Palestinian territories, but Schnabel also attempts to show that not all Israelis are the coldly indifferent, right-wing zealots they are sometimes painted as.
Towards the end of the film, Miral befriends Lisa, the Jewish girlfriend of her cousin Samir, and it dawns on her that many younger Israelis do not share the older Israeli generation’s contempt for Palestinians. In one pivotal scene, Lisa dismisses her father, an Israeli army officer, by joking that he thinks all Palestinians are terrorists. In another important scene, Schnabel deploys subtle humour to show how Miral’s aunt attempts to make Lisa feel uncomfortable by exaggerating her Arabic identity when Samir brings Lisa home for a meal.
Miral is also full of Schnabel’s trademark visual panache, and he makes highly effective use of close-ups and saturated colours that heighten the atmosphere. Miral does have its flaws, though; some of the performances are a little wooden, and star turns by Willem Dafoe and Vanessa Redgrave are unnecessary distractions. Redgrave barely features, but Dafoe pops up a couple of times as Edward Smith, an American man who first meets Hind in 1947 and then reappears in 1967 as a US colonel working for the UN to briefly help Hind, and gaze admiringly at her. There’s no doubting Dafoe’s acting ability, but his character seems tacked on in a slightly cloying attempt to show that Americans are not always the bogeymen in the Middle East.
Miral is unlikely to be remembered as one of Schnabel’s best films, but it’s a brave and heartfelt attempt to tell the story of an inspirational Palestinian woman and the people who had an influence on who she became. JG
Film: The Illusionist
Release date: 14th February 2011
Certificate: PG
Running time: 77 mins
Director: Sylvain Chomet
Starring: Edith Rankin, Jean-Claude Donda, Jil Aigrot, Didier Gustin, Frédéric Lebon
Genre: Animation
Studio: Pathe!
Format: DVD
Country: France/UK
Nominated for a Golden Globe in the Best Animated Film category, written by Oscar winner Jacques Tati, and directed by Oscar nominated and BAFTA Award winning Sylvain Chomet (Belleville Rendez-Vous), The Illusionist has all the ingredients to cast a spell over those seeking something other than intimidating ogres, rodents rustling up omelettes and pandas good in a punch-up.
It’s the ‘50s, and struggling to maintain a foothold in an entertainments business dominated by rock stars, an elderly Illusionist is forced to take on whatever jobs he can find, including lame assignments at garden parties and gigs in remote bars.
It’s at one of the latter where Tatischeff meets waitress Alice, a sweet girl hoodwinked by his peculiar charm and mysterious talent. Feeling appreciated again, the illusionist tries his best to keep the girl by his side, showering her with gifts, as if by the magic that transfixes her.
But as Alice grows older, she becomes less dependent on him, less reliant on the gifts, and when she finally finds another kind of happiness in the shape of a younger man, Tatischeff is forced to find one more trick up his sleeve to help him face his own reality…
With barely a word spoken, The Illusionist isn’t going to go down well with children, or some adults for that matter. It may be animated, but whereas Belleville Rendez-Vous was more child-friendly, here we have suicidal clowns, drunks, and a bunny that feels there’s more to life than sitting in a hat and waiting for the drum roll. It’s also painstakingly hand-drawn, creating scenes of beauty Pixar could only dream of.
In fact, those that do decide to give this a chance will be mesmerized by the gorgeous visuals so much so they’ll probably book an escape to the country not long after the credits roll. Washed in hypnotizing watercolours that create some of the most stunning scenery seen on screen, The Illusionist is one of those films made for lazy Sunday afternoons.
Writer Tati was renowned for his silent comedies, writing this story decades ago – apparently shelving it because he thought the story was far too personal. His genius is obvious. This is one of those rare films you have to watch more than once. Not because of its riveting plot, of which there isn’t much, but because of its subtle humour easily missed if you’re not paying attention.
There’s so much going on at times it’s understandable if you miss something funny. Luckily, the opening hour is filled with many wonderfully-placed gags, and that’s discounting a depressed clown, screaming girls and the changing of the guard. There’s touching moments here, too: Tatischeff doing the decent thing and finally allowing his companion to discover a new way of life is so beautifully tragic you’ll be forgiven if you produce a white handkerchief merely to wipe the tear from your cheek.
Despite this, a confusing relationship between our main protagonists and a lack of twists or turning points means that for the final act your hand could be reaching for the fast-forward button on the remote control. Whilst in the beginning there is so much to admire, in the latter stages there is so little going on. The Illusionist could be one of those films that is instantly enjoyable because it’s different, but this will be tested - and is tested - if the script plods along slower than Paul Daniels on tour.
Tatischeff casts such a dreary presence throughout its hard to conjure up any kind of empathy towards him (a buffoon if ever there was one), whereas Alice could be seen as a greedy little minx using her looks and charm to seduce a vulnerable old man in order to get something more from life, even if such things are materialistic and ultimately pointless - the outcome would certainly add weight to this theory. Maybe the story should’ve focused on the clown and the bunny after all, because it seems that they got it right, and the only loser here is our leading man – where’s the magic in that?
The Illusionist is one of the most beautiful animations of all time, tricking the audience with subtle humour and endearing warmth. Sadly, all this jiggery-pokery doesn’t last forever, the final third lacking in substance and failing to generate any emotion or interest whatsoever, let alone a rabbit. DW
Film: The Illusionist
Release date: 14th February 2011
Certificate: PG
Running time: 90 mins
Director: Sylvain Chomet
Starring: Edith Rankin, Jean-Claude Donda, Jil Aigrot, Didier Gustin, Frédéric Lebon
Genre: Animation
Studio: Pathe!
Format: DVD
Country: France/UK
Sylvain Choment’s latest film adapts a script by Jacques Tati. The film’s unique style is only being shown in forty cinemas across the UK, its box office status falling behind the animated Pixar hit Toy Story 3.
The 1950s were the days of the dying music hall which is where we find our Illusionist, performing to disinterested audiences in virtually empty theatres in Paris. His performing days, sadly, are numbered, and so we join him on a journey to a theatre in London.
Here his act follows a hideously pompous boy band, equipped with ridiculous hair and screaming fans. They are just one of the reasons why his quaint art is dying out. He performs to ever decreasing audiences from small theatres, garden parties to pubs and off licences. A pub in the highlands is celebrating the installation of electricity and it is here that he meets Alice, an innocent and hard working chambermaid.
It isn’t clear whether she totally believes his tricks are magical, but either way he is happy to finally be appreciated, and so indulges her fantasy.
In awe of his tricks, she follows him to Edinburgh where he buys her expensive gift after expensive gift. Soon he has to seek out other work to supplement his lack of funds. Her naivety is dangerous for the conjurer, although his intentions are honourable...
Though neither of the main characters is particularly bad, Alice’s innocence grates towards the end, and the audience is left wondering how she could be so naïve, as she cannot be oblivious to the hard times that all music hall performers are facing. She encounters depressed clowns contemplating suicide and out of work puppeteers in the building, but perhaps that is the reason for her later actions.
The little dialogue is mumbled fragments of French and Gaelic, which leaves the stunning animation and music to express the story. Apparently Tati wanted the script to be live action, but this film proves animation isn’t just for children. It captures the death of music hall and the societal changes that the illusionist is faced with everywhere he goes.
Flickering black-and-white images on the television sets in a shop window captivate and excite Alice and those of her age far more than the conjurer, whose tricks can be seen up his sleeve. Though the piece is tinged with tragedy, it is more melancholic and delicate in its delivery.
The dreary circumstances of this aging illusionist, whose rabbit doesn’t even want to cooperate, are, however, punctuated with humour. Chomet is somehow able to make the image of a suicidal clown, slumped on his sofa and honking his nose, comic. The comedy has an edge to it that offers the audience light relief to the intertwining stories of the performers, even though it is stabbed with panic - in particular, a sequence with the angry rabbit soup in a depiction of misunderstanding. The Illusionist searches through his soup looking for the horrifying evidence that he is about to eat his pet, and long serving friend, until Alice returns.
It may seem that Sylvain Chomet became too attached to the story, and its relation to Jacques Tati’s past. Apparently Tati wrote the script in 1956 in an attempt to make amends with his estranged eldest daughter, Chomet, however, believes his daughter Sophie is the true inspiration. The film is basically a homage to Jacques Tati, the Illusionist looks like him and even stumbles into a cinema where Mon Oncle is showing. This may have hindered growth for the script, but Chomet is the only person capable of delivering such a nostalgic and personal film to the screen. Yet an audience removed from the understanding that Tati’s relationship with his daughters is the main inspiration for the film may feel emotionally detached throughout.
Those who are followers of Tati’s work or loved Belleville Rendez-vous will inevitably be drawn to such as personal piece. As will those seeking out a different experience from Disney, Pixar and even Studio Ghibli animation. This film, however, may confuse or bore those who are looking for the usual Hollywood narrative. It is a shame the detail of this touching story will be overlooked by so many. KH
Nominated for a Golden Globe in the Best Animated Film category, The Illusionist tells the story of one of a dying breed of stage entertainers in the late 1950s. In a world of emerging rock stars, he is forced to accept increasingly obscure assignments in fringe theatres, garden parties and remote bars and cafes. However, it’s while performing in a pub off the west coast of Scotland that he meets Alice, an innocent young girl who still very much believes in the Illusionist’s kind of magic.
Enchanted by Alice’s enthusiasm for his act, the iIllusionist doesn’t turn Alice away when she follows him to Edinburgh in admiration. Desperate to keep the illusion of his magic alive, he showers Alice with gifts he has ‘conjured’ into existence, almost driving him to ruin. However, as Alice grows up, both are forced to face their own realities.
Written as a letter from Tati to his daughter, The Illustionist will capture the imagination and the emotion of viewers of all ages. A modern classic, The Illusionist is not to be missed.
Film: The Illusionist
Release date: 14th February 2011
Certificate: PG
Running time: 77 mins
Director: Sylvain Chomet
Starring: Edith Rankin, Jean-Claude Donda, Jil Aigrot, Didier Gustin, Frédéric Lebon
Genre: Animation
Studio: Pathe!
Format: DVD
Country: France/UK
DVD Special Features:
•
Edinburgh Film Festival Q&A with Director Sylvain Chomet
•
Behind The Scenes featurette
•
Photo gallery
Film: The Diving Bell And The Butterfly
Release date: 9th June 2008
Certificate: 12
Running time: 112 mins
Director: Julian Schnabel
Starring: Mathieu Amalric, Emmanuelle Seigner, Marie-Josée Croze, Anne Consigny, Patrick Chesnais
Genre: Biography/Drama
Studio: Pathe!
Format: DVD
Country: France/USA
The Diving Bell And The Butterfly is the true story of Elle magazine editor Jean-Dominique Bauby (Mathieu Amalric), who suffered a crippling stroke leaving him entirely paralysed except for the motor functions of his left eye. His mind, the butterfly, is trapped within the body, the diving bell - the film is giving a poetic voice to that butterfly, based on the book he wrote whilst in hospital without being able to physically write himself.
The film is a personal tale of the enduring human spirit in spite of devastating adversity, as it follows the inner monologue of Bauby coming to terms with his physical prison. He is a man who is helpless to speak or react to anyone, which proves extremely difficult for everyone he once knew, including his wife (Emmanuelle Seigner), children and mistress.
Bauby’s prison, however, slowly erodes as he learns to speak through the blinking of his left eye, which, utilising the help of the nurse (Marie-Joseé Croze), aids him to write the book that inspired the film. It is entirely gripping, humorous but also deeply emotive, as Bauby’s words that no-one can hear are screaming for a voice…
Despite the prison that Bauby is caged within, the film is as free as his mind, with metaphors and symbolism as explicit as the heartbreaking reality of his situation. Julian Schnabel did a superb and sensitive job in directing Mathieu Amalric, despite Amalric having to learn French for the film, and his eye being the only outlet for his visual talent. His onscreen presence shifts between the self important Elle editor to loving father, and finally to a passionate fragility, as the time frame shifts from past to present.
Visually, the film really excels. Schnabel claims the film is about different ways of seeing, and, by his own admission, used his own glasses over the lens to create the unique point of view of Bauby‘s. Latex was used to simulate the view of an eye being sewn up in a particularly memorable few minutes of the film, but it’s the moments of random eye movement that seemingly sum up the film’s personal feel. The audience is dragged through the iris of Bauby as he makes sense of his all too familiar surroundings again and again, as the film’s seductive focal points add up to a portrait of frustrating incarcerating disability.
Although Bauby is unable to communicate with others, the dialogue of others is as natural and as real as exchanges suited to reality. Some characters struggle to adjust their speech to their now paralysed friend, whilst others struggle talk at all – there is an extremely heart wrenching exchange between house-bound father and paralysed son.
Structurally, the timeline is succinct with Bauby’s own regrets with moments in his life - he cannot seem to let go, as the symbolic injection of Schnabel suggests. The symbolism of Bauby’s sinking body is contrasted by his free roaming imagination, which is packed with lust, love and vast emotional landscapes. The truth of the film really hits hardest at the end, as despite the fact that Amalric is acting; his delicate portrayal of Bauby only shows a glimmer of what a destructive force a stroke is on everyone involved.
It is, however, through the exploration of delicate relationships, with the seemingly lifeless, that strike the loudest chord. Bauby is witty and flirtatious for the audience only, but for the characters onscreen he is a shadow of his former self, despite, within his diving bell, finding a new meaning to life. The captivating and consistent caring nurse highlights that humanity is still within reach. She is hurt by his revelations of wanting to die. The writer (Anne Consigny) is a character that develops through her experience, as she has had no relations with Bauby prior and yet, is ultimately, the closest person to him, after aiding him write his book, who is just as moved as the audience by his poetic revelations.
Other moments highlight the tireless conflict - an awkward exchange between Bauby’s ex-wife and his mistress creates an unbearable tension which is then lifted by the heart-warming attempts of Bauby’s friend (Isaak De Bankole) to read to him. These moments make the film uplifting, yet also devastatingly poignant.
The Diving Bell And The Butterfly supplies that shred of real humanity that many films fail to attain as it explores the vast depths people will go for others. The over-bearing lows are met with the soul searching highs proving this film to be one of the most explorative in terms of disability, and especially of vast change that all people, no matter the circumstances, will experience. AE
Film: Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis
Release date: 4th April 2008
Certificate: 12A
Running time: 102 mins
Director: Dany Boon
Starring: Kad Merad, Dany Boon, Zoé Félix, Lorenzo Ausilia-Foret, Anne Marivin
Genre: Comedy
Studio: Pathe!
Format: DVD
Country: France
Breaking box office records in France upon its release, this comedy by actor-director Dany Boon has been such a hit with the public and critics alike that a Hollywood remake starring Will Smith is underway.
Welcome to the Sticks, as Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis translates, is the story of Philippe Abrams (Kad Merad), a post-office worker from Provence in Southern France.
In order to please his depressed wife, Julie (Zoé Félix), Philippe comes up with a scam to try and get relocated to the sunny Riviera. However, he is rumbled by his superiors, who immediately exile him to the small, dead-end town of Bergues, in the Nord-Pas de Calais region of Northern France, where the strange, half-savage inhabitants greet him in unintelligible patois – the Ch’ti dialect of this region.
Though his fellow co-workers at first only reinforce Philippe’s stereotypical views of this region, he slowly begins to get to know them - and discovers that his misconceptions were completely wrong. He becomes friends with his co-workers Antoine (Dany Boon) and Annabelle (Anna Marivin), and is soon immersed in the daily life of the friendly town. His problems are not over, however.
His wife refuses to believe that he is having a good time, and thinks he is just putting on a brave face. He gives up trying to convince her otherwise, and things seem to be going well until she decides to come and visit him. More deceptions ensue, and Philippe tests his new-found friendships to the limit, with hilarious results...
The plot is not the most innovative in the world; sophisticated southerner moves to the grim north against his will and finds that it’s not as grim as he imagined. However, in this film, it doesn’t feel like a cliché; the comic script is brilliant, with an emphasis on clever wordplay. Despite the film’s huge success in France, and other francophone countries, it is little-known in the UK. It is perhaps hard to imagine how French wordplay can work in English subtitles, but it does. It works very well in fact - the subtitles are almost an art form of their own with their wry substitutions for the French misunderstandings.
Furthermore, the inhabitants of Bergues are not just the naively endearing characters one might expect from this type of film - that would have left it floundering within the realms of cliché. In contrast, they are fully-formed individuals, and the women, in particular – Annabelle and Antoine’s mother – are intelligent and formidable.
Kad Merad and Dany Boon shine in this film as the two unlikely friends. They have worked together before, and it shows - they make the perfect double-act, and the comedy zings between them as they struggle to understand each other. Anna Marivin also stands out as the no-nonsense Annabelle - the interpretation of this character could have become very two-dimensional, but Marivin has made her a rounded, complete character. The comic interactions between the characters and the skill with which the actors pull it off, making it seem effortless, really lifts this film.
Boon is an astute director, who deliberately overplays the stereotypes before completely overturning them so that it is very tongue-in-cheek. This is illustrated best with Philippe’s journey to Bergues: he is first cautioned by the police for driving too slowly, so reluctant is he to get there, and the moment he passes the sign, announcing he is now in the Nord-Pas de Calais, it immediately tips it down with rain. This film does not take itself too seriously, which would have otherwise undermined the comedy. It does, however, demonstrate a sincere, genuine affection for the Ch’ti region and its people, and this shines through.
This is the success of this film, apart from the obvious comedy. It is a film with a heart. Dany Boon is himself a Ch’ti and, since this film, the region’s champion and hero. Never before has the area been portrayed in such a prolific and positive way. Audiences have fallen in love with this film, and tourism to the Nord-Pas de Calais has increased tenfold. This is in no small part due to the creation and development of the characters. They at first seem like caricatures, but develop into real people, with the kinds of feelings, behaviours and idiosyncrasies that the audience can relate to. Antoine’s words to Philippe, “A visitor to the north cries twice: once when he arrives and once when he leaves,” resonate - Philippe despairs when he arrives in the town and we see it through his eyes; a dismal, desolate place in the cold, grey north, but we, like Philippe, connect and empathise with these people. Although the title Welcome to the Sticks has a certain irony to start with, at the end, there is a real sadness when it comes to saying goodbye to the Ch’tis.
One of the most original comedies to come out of France in recent years, this is an intelligent and riotous take on French stereotypes – don’t miss it! KS
Film: Goodbye Lenin!
Release date: 3rd September 2007
Certificate: 15
Running time: 121 mins
Director: Wolfgang Becker
Starring: Daniel Bruhl, Katrin Sass, Chulpan Khamatova, Maria Simon, Florian Lukas
Genre: Comedy/Drama/Romance
Studio: Pathe!
Format: DVD
Country: Germany
In 1989, Germany was still divided by a great socialist wall. By the end of that year, the wall would fall, Germany would be united and East Berliners would see the flood of capitalism: new money, new styles, new ideas and new lives. Wolfgang Becker’s best known film creates the most personal account of the fall of the Berlin wall to date. Charming, comic and evocative, it is the tale not of the great political change, but of the people and the lengths to which a young man will go to for the love of his mother.
In 1979, the first Germans went into space, the same year Christiane’s husband and Alex’s father fled East Berlin for the West, for a new life and new woman. While Alex grows up dreaming of being a cosmonaut, dedicated socialist Christiane puts her love and relentless faith in her homeland into the good of the people, the country and the cause. While either side of the fence on socialism, Christiane and Alex share family love and dedication. But when they are either side of a police barricade, Christiane’s heart gives way at the sight of her son being hauled off by police at a protest against the Berlin wall.
After her heart attack, Christiane is left in a coma for a very important eight months in Alex and his sister’s life. Alex talks to her daily while she sleeps through a rapidly changing world: the fall of the Berlin wall, with the ensuing capitalism and seemingly endless possibilities for the future; amid his growing infatuation with the nurse and the blooming of their relationship; his sister dropping out of college for a fast food job and a bohemian lifestyle; and the loss of his job as so many East Berlin companies fold under the newly provided services of the West. Then Christiane wakes, still so fragile that doctors warn that she may not live long, her heart unable to take the strain of any kind of “excitement.”
So begins Alex’s task of hiding the inundation of the West that now surrounds them. From having everyone wear old fashion clothes to searching the city for an old Eastern brand of pickles his mother wants, Alex builds a world of lies around Christiane to protect her. Unaware of the changes, her faith in the socialist world is unrelenting, and while hiding the truth from her becomes more and more difficult, Alex cannot bring himself to accept that she will at some point find out what happened to the society she so loved. Wilder explanations for the appearance of coca-cola adverts and the sounds of western TV next door lead Alex and Christiane deeper into a fairytale world until there is just too much to hide. Alex is forced to find a way to gently reveal the new world to his mother, while Christiane too realises that secrets of her own, kept for many years to protect her children, must finally give way to the truth…
The film starts out fantastically, with a sincere tone of warm, family nostalgia through a home video of a father and this children playing. Becker very successfully mixes this feeling with that of comedy and drama to create a wonderful emotional experience, from laughing at scenes of a drunken old professor trying to remember his lines to holding back tears as Christiane reveals the secret and her deep regrets about their father’s leaving. The film seems to lose its way for a few scenes in the middle, where pacing becomes an issue and some scenes feel drawn out or repetitive, but the tone and emotion sees you through to the end keeping you from turning away.
Alex is what holds the film together, portrayed with such talented subtlety by Daniel Brühl that it is no surprise he has gone on to work with great directors, in Hollywood and beyond. From the very beginning, it is clear Alex adores his mother, but it is still shocking to see that he is willing to do so much throughout the film, even seeking out a father he believed had abandoned him to give his mother peace before she dies. The progression of character throughout is well written, each bigger step he takes into the lie showing more dedication and belief in his cause that echoes his mother’s passion. He is clearly less embracing of the capitalist changes as his sister, the Burger King employee and consumer of Western goods, and there are times when Alex finds himself appreciating the old life, leaving you wondering if he is trying to keep it the same for his mother only, or trying also to preserve his life of the past. Inevitably, when Alex crafts a new ending to the German Democratic Republic for his mother, one of honour and pride, it allows him to give his mother and his motherland the send off he feels it deserved.
It is almost ironic that while it spends much of its time preserving a socialist life, the film style is very westernised as Becker, clearly passionate about film, references many great directors and Hollywood films. However, at times, the film feels long and monotonous. The scenes with the father at the end are overly drawn out, and arguably add very little to the film since Alex has already proved his devotion to his mother many times over. Certain jokes are overused and become repetitive, perhaps because Becker feared it would be too heavily sentimental drama, but it is this sentimentality that keeps bringing you back into its strong, relentless heart.
For a film about such a culture specific event, it has succeeded in touching audiences around the world. Certain in-jokes may be beyond wider western audiences but the themes at its heart are universal and carry across any culture or language borders. Countless films mark history’s greatest moments, but few focus the account on such a personal experience. CM
Film: Kikujiro
Release date: 26th September 2005
Certificate: 12
Running time: 117 mins
Director: Takeshi Kitano
Starring: Beat Takeshi, Yusuke Sekiguchi, Kayoko Kishimoto, Yûko Daike, Kazuko Yoshiyuki
Genre: Drama/Comedy
Studio: Pathe!
Format: DVD
Country: Japan
From Japanese actor/director/writer/editor ‘Beat’ Takeshi Kitano comes a surprisingly endearing comedy drama which fans of the multi-talented Japanese screen connoisseur might struggle to bear relation to. While the themes of hard violence and gangster underworlds are left in the distant background in this heart warming adventure, Kitano dares to show another thread of his aptitude in exploring an altogether different genre, which may disappoint old fans and attract new ones.
Set during a hot summer, where it seems the world and its children have left suburbia for the beach, 9 year-old Masao (Yusuke Sekiguchi), who lives with his grandmother, is left alone at home with nothing to do and no-one for company. With his grandmother at work, and no father to speak of, Masao seizes the chance on coming across the address of his mother to track her down and finally meet her.
When a family friend (Kayoko Kishimoto) and her lazy, gambling, ‘good-for-nothing’ husband Kikujiro (Takeshi) rescue Masao from some bullying teenage thugs, she takes pity on the boy, and on discovering his big plan, insists Kikujiro accompany him on the task of finding the mother, telling the grandmother they have gone to the beach.
Here begin the frolics! When Kikujiro squanders their money on booze and betting before they have even left the city, there is nothing to be done but hitchhike their way, relying on the kindness of strangers and their ability to exploit it. A host of good, bad, and ugly encounters ensue along their expedition, and allow for an emotionally progressive adventure to develop within the characters themselves. And so the end of the film reveals the story not only as an entertaining road trip, but ventures as far as to admit itself a story about a journey of self-discovery…
Takeshi, who has taken himself out of a genre he has previously found great success in, challenges himself by jumping in to a very different one in which he proves his boundless talent – as far as his writing and acting performance is concerned. His character Kikujiro is an outright bully, who has the shameless audacity to openly offend strangers, and manipulate them for his own ends. And yet, throughout the film, the audience find themselves warming to him and his almost clumsy enthusiasm in helping the boy. We see in episodes showing his secret (and quite unsuccessful) attempts to acquire skills others possess and he does not, like swimming and juggling, an amusing but also sympathetic depiction of an innocent quality in an otherwise abrasive man. The slapstick humour in the film surrounding Kikujiro, something Takeshi is known for as a television comedian in Japan, also brings an extra dimension to Kikujioro, and softens an otherwise overly brazen character.
The story is simple but strong, and essentially centres on the relationship of the two protagonists. Shy, polite, respectful Masao balances a loud, brash, selfish Kikujiro. Between them, there is a balancing act of contradictions which cleverly echoes amongst other elements in the film; the uncaring mother, the soft hearted leather-wearing bikers, and Kikujiro’s character itself, the kind-hearted bully.
In the end, equilibrium is achieved through a series of balancing factors and contradictions, and this theme of contradictions aligns with the dark humour in the film. Western viewers, and those unfamiliar with Takeshi’s previous work, might be surprised with certain scenes. In one initially humorous exchange between Kikujiro and an unrelenting lorry driver, Kikujiro ends up beating him with a metal pole. Although the scene is shot from quite a distance, the violence may come as a surprise. Similarly, towards the beginning of the film, Masao encounters a paedophile. Although he is rescued by Kikujiro before it seemingly goes too far, an audience may find it out of place in a film with an almost constant presence of humour in every other scene. Nevertheless, these darker scenes inspire sympathy from the viewer as to how much Kikujiro cares for the boy, and so however unappealing, serve a somewhat insightful purpose in as far as character portrayal is concerned.
Arguably, where the film stumbles is in its length. Takeshi, as a director, is known for his prolonged periods of inactivity in scenes, giving him his distinctive filming style. Indeed, slow shots are an attractive option in order to keep the viewer thinking and retain suspense, which is needed to a certain degree in this film, with no particularly eventful, thrilling storyline to concentrate on. However 116 minutes is a long time to expect an audience to hold its concentration in scenes where, when it comes down to it, nothing happens.
Takeshi boldly attempts a project combining his television comedian personality with his more serious, established filming style to produce a funny, heart-warming caper that’s maybe a bit on the long side. The darker episodes add dimension to an otherwise lacklustre storyline, and Takeshi’s performance is nothing but entertaining, especially to an audience unfamiliar with his work. Those unused to seeing Takeshi in a comedic and non-martial role may find Kikujiro something of a letdown, whereas those newcomers to the man should find it charming in its own distinct way. MI
This is an English-language release.
Julian Schnabel directs this drama about an orphaned Palestinian girl growing up in the aftermath of the first Arab-Israeli war.
Hind Husseini (Hiam Abbass) sets up an orphanage following the partition of Palestine and the creation of the state of Israel in 1948 that soon becomes home to almost 2,000 children.
7-year-old Miral (Freida Pinto) ends up in the orphanage following her mother's death. Brought up there in an atmosphere of peace and stability, she is unaware of the troubles that surround her until she goes to teach at a refugee camp at the age of 17. There, she finds herself torn between the fight for the future of her people and Mama Hind's belief that education is the only possible route to peace.
Film: Miral
Release date: 3rd December 2010
Certificate: 12A
Running time: 112 mins
Director: Julian Schnabel
Starring: Hiam Abbass, Freida Pinto, Omar Metwally, Alexander Siddig, Ruba Blal
Genre: Drama
Studio: Pathe
Format: Cinema
Country: France/Israel/Italy/India
Film: All About My Mother
Release date: 28th February 2000
Certificate: 15
Running time: 97 mins
Director: Pedro Almodóvar
Starring: Cecilia Roth, Marisa Paredes, Candela Peña, Antonia San Juan, Penélope Cruz
Genre: Drama
Studio: Pathe
Format: DVD
Country: Spain/France
Winner of the 1999 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, All About My Mother is considered to be Spanish director Pedro Almodovar’s best work. It is a celebration of all that is taboo, an inversion of ‘normality’ handled with his usual compassion for all those who tread the borders of acceptable society. During the ‘90s, he was one of Spain’s best-known filmmakers and he remains one of their most loved. He is also credited with introducing international audiences to such household names as Antonio Banderas and Penelope Cruz.
The film opens with Manuela, a single mother who works full time as a Transplant Coordinator to support her son, Esteban. She has left her own dreams of becoming an actress behind to feed his artistic aspiration of becoming a writer. Their relationship is close and nourishing; they share the same interests and like the same films. As parent child relationships go, it is almost perfect.
While watching the movie All About Eve one quiet evening, Esteban starts penning what he jokes will be his future Pulitzer Prize winner, All About My Mother, and here, in his omission, lies hidden the only darkness in their happy world - the lack of a father.
On his seventeenth birthday, Manuela finally decides that her son is old enough to hear the truth, and as they wait in the rain after a showing of Streetcar Named Desire, she tells him as much. Placated, he runs out to get an autograph from the shows star, Huma Roja, but, in his rush, he fails to notice a car speeding towards him. Fate has its way, and steals Esteban away from his mother when he is still little more than a child. The only way that Manuela can think to carry on with her life is to search for the boy’s father and tell him that he had a son, and that his son is dead.
Manuela travels from Madrid to Barcelona and begins the complicated process of tracking down her ex-husband Lola, a drug using transsexual prostitute…
All About My Mother is its own intertext, and the intermingling of art and life is a common theme throughout. The film appears self-consciously aware that there are no new stories to tell, only new ways in which to express them. If it were not for Almodovar’s unusual choice of characters, the plot alone may have appeared re-hashed. That is not to say that the characters were chosen for this reason alone, nor that they appear token or stereotypical, instead their existence is normalised by the well-worn circumstances in which they find themselves.
This is reflected in the film’s cinematography. During Manuela’s first night in Barcelona, she takes a taxi to ‘The Field’ to look for Lola. This innocently named place is a patch of scrubland on the outskirts of town where prostitutes tout for trade. As they drive off, unsuccessful, two women are seen crouched down to the left of the car playing pat-a-cake - it is as fantastically mundane as it is explicit.
The lighting is also used notably, and to great effect, in expressing character. Whenever Huma, the actress from Streetcar, is present, the scene takes on a theatrical look, lit as if it were a stage; often menacing and mysterious, moving towards lighter spectrums as her character becomes more fulfilled.
Life is seen as a series of premonitions. All the major action in the film is foretold; before Esteban dies and Manuela has to donate his organs, he has already been to the hospital she works in to watch her role-play the event as part of staff training. Again, when she plays the part of Stella in Streetcar, having befriended Huma, she knows the lines because she originally learnt them when she played the part in an amateur production, during which she met Lola for the first time.
And it is relationships that are central to this film, especially those between women, or people who have chosen to live their lives as women. When Manuela reaches Barcelona, she discovers Agrado, a woman born a man who has kept her male genitalia as it helps her find work as a prostitute. She is Manuela’s umbilical cord to the past, yet together they help each other move towards the future.
All About My Mother still stands out as unusually accepting in its portrayal of diverse sexualities, and is refreshingly real compared to its overtly emotional Hollywood counterparts. It is a film that applauds people’s unique circumstances and life choices. The only things that are truly frowned upon are judgement and conformity, and although heavy drug use and prostitution should in no way be encouraged, in many ways it would not be the worst piece of art for life to imitate.
Almodovar has successfully created a drama of misfits without reducing his characters to clichés. What comes across most clearly is the joy of being different, if you can accept yourself and revel in your individuality then you can make, and even become, beautiful art. EM
Film: House Of Flying Daggers
Release date: 2nd May 2005
Certificate: 15
Running time: 114 mins
Director: Yimou Zhang
Starring: Ziyi Zhang, Andy Lau, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Dandan Song, Hongfei Zhao
Genre: Action/Adventure/Drama/Fantasy/Martial Arts/Romance
Studio: Pathe
Format: DVD
Country: China/Hong Kong
A triumphant work of artistic and directional genius, House Of Flying Daggers is an action romance that follows the tale of Mei, a suspected vigilante, and Jin, a governmental official, as they fight hidden enemies in search of the rebel group House of Flying Daggers. Having received international rave reviews, and an alleged 20 minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival, it is no wonder that House Of Flying Daggers remains at the top of many a film lover’s list.
Set during the decline of Tang Dynasty China, the government and its officials are riddled with corruption. Amongst civil unrest, an underground alliance named House of Flying Daggers emerges with the purpose of combating corruption, and fairly redistributing the country’s wealth among its people.
While respected and revered by the common mass, House of Flying Daggers is hated by the local deputies who have vowed to destroy the allegiance. Despite having recently murdered the old leader of the Flying Daggers, the rebel group only becomes stronger due to the presence of a mysterious new leader, whom Captain Jin (Takeshi Kaneshiro) and Captain Leo (Andy Lau) of the Chinese authority are given ten days to find and destroy.
Leo sends Jin, a flirtatious and unscrupulous playboy, to investigate claims that a Daggers affiliate is masquerading as a show girl at the Peony Pavilion. At the brothel, they find and arrest the beautiful blind artisan Xiao Mei (Zhang Ziyi), a dagger wielding martial arts master with a political agenda. Mei is incarcerated as rumours circulate that she is in fact the blind daughter of the late Daggers leader. In a cunning plot, Leo and Jin plan to trick Mei into leading them to the Daggers secret location.
Under the false pretence of being an admirer of the Daggers, Jin springs Mei from prison and leads her away from the governmental officials - or so she thinks. The two are followed closely by Leo and the local militia, who fake an ambush to convince Mei of Jin’s sincerity. Apparently blissfully unaware of the scheme, Mei begins to trust Jin, and an unlikely romance blossoms, as Jin’s game of trickery and deceit escalates into a real life and death drama, where the two find themselves battling unseen foes in their quest for safety and to find the concealed Daggers…
House Of Flying Daggers is an undisputable triumph of both acting and direction. Zhang Yimou’s signatory use of riotous colour makes the film an opulent reflection of the Tang dynasty, whose art work is typified by the type of grandeur that Zhang Yimou infuses this film with. The visuals themselves are so spectacular that they move as a piece of artwork, and continue to transcend the usual role of scenery in film. In this case, Zhang Yimou has achieved a remarkable harmony between scenery and plot, where the background becomes as important, if not more, than the story line itself.
Unlike previous martial arts films, House Of Flying Daggers provides the perfect melange of nail biting romance and heart stopping action. The kung fu throughout is gorgeously choreographed, and acts to enrich both the plot and setting. Moving effortlessly through the air, these blood-splattering, action packed encounters add to the sense of mystery and drama, as well as providing a visual thrill for the audience.
The use of sound throughout is extremely important, and masterfully heightens and intensifies the film experientially. Musical whiz kid Umebayashi is behind the score for House Of Flying Daggers. This sensitive soundtrack amalgamates eastern and western influences to provide a contemporary, yet in keeping take on traditional Chinese music.
The storyline is a little wanting, and the characters are superficial without much depth or development. The script is clichéd and a little predictable throughout the middle section, however, the final scenes make up for the lacklustre build up. Despite all this, the plot is not disappointing, as the main emphasis in the film is that of the visual and audio sensationalism, which more than compensates for any storyline flaws. The story, like that in an opera, is not crucial to the overall experience but merely provides a spider web framework in which Zhang Yimou weaves his phantasmagorical action-romance.
Interestingly, the foundation of a weak script does not equate to poor performances from any of the actors. Before taking on the role of Mei, Zhang Ziyi is rumoured to have spent two months preparation time with a young blind girl, in order to perfect and authenticate her performance. This would indeed be no surprise as her portrayal of the blind Mei is flawless. Zhang Ziyi brings an exciting dimension to the character of this gritty and determined young girl, by ensuring that Mei’s hard façade is penetrated by moments of endearing vulnerability and displays of passionate love, anger and hatred.
Zhang Ziyi’s ephemeral beauty juxtaposed with Xiao Mei’s serious martial arts skills makes this no-nonsense vigilante the deserved heroine of the film. Takeshi Kaneshiro’s performance of Jin brings this cheeky chappy to life. The womanizing Jin, however, is no match for Xiao Mei, and it must be said that despite his characteristically good acting, Takeshi Kaneshiro could not hold a torch next to Ziyi’s. Andy Lau proves himself to be a likely contender for the title of Daggers Heart throb, as he plays his role of the focused Captain Leo credibly, and adds a certain mysterious je ne sais quoi to the character.
This gripping love story, laced with espionage and betrayal, is a sure hit. Zhang Yimou’s glorious utilisation of colour, coupled with his ingenious take on audio sound effects, acts to showcase this directors true talent. The thoroughly convincing performances by the entire cast, especially Zhang Ziyi, will embroil you in this twisting tale, filled with double bluffs and surprising turns. House Of Flying Daggers is an absolute must see, that will act to either inspire or feed your kung fu film addiction, and is guaranteed to leave you gasping for more. HRP
Film: Volver
Release date: 13th August 2007
Certificate: 15
Running time: 116 mins
Director: Pedro Almodóvar
Starring: Penélope Cruz, Carmen Maura, Lola Dueñas, Blanca Portillo, Yohana Cobo
Genre: Comedy/Crime/Drama
Studio: Pathe
Format: DVD
Country: Spain
Penelope Cruz and director Pedro Almodovar come together once again, this time exploring the lives (and death) of six women in his acclaimed drama, which won Best Screenplay at Cannes in 2006.
Volver opens with a wonderful sweeping shot of women cleaning graves, where sisters Raimunda (played by Cruz) and Sole (Lola Dueñas), with Raimunda’s teenage daughter Paula (Yohana Cobo), attend to the grave of their parents, who died in a fire four years earlier. More is revealed about this later in the film, but in the meantime we begin to learn about the lives of these incredible female characters.
The sisters grew up in a village in La Mancha, where Almodovar himself spent his youth, and now live in Madrid. Raimunda is a hardworking mother, whom you immediately warm to when you meet her layabout boyfriend Paco (Antonio de la Torre), who sits in front of the TV recounting how he has lost his job, while she seethes in the kitchen. After Paco makes sexual advances towards her daughter, a threatened Paula reacts in self defence and Raimunda returns to the house to find Paco stabbed to death on the kitchen floor. Cue amusing shots of Raimunda attempting to clean up the mess with kitchen towel and a mop, then answering the door with a splash of blood on her chest (the problem? “Women’s troubles,” of course – and not entirely inaccurate). The cover-up operation follows as she works out what to do, all the time insisting that she will take the blame for the incident.
Divorced elder sister Sole, meanwhile, has had an unsettling vision of their mother as a ghost (an appearance by Carmen Maura after a long break from working with Almodovar) when the girls go to visit their wonderful, slightly senile aunt. The mother’s appearance will prove significant both for the sisters and the character Agustina, as she returns to reconcile issues from beyond the grave - fulfilling the title Volver, which literally means ‘to return’ in Spanish...
What carries this film are the outstanding performances by the lead actresses, an ensemble female cast that won a joint Best Actress prize at Cannes. United through family, friendship and love, the strength of these characters shines through. The sheer determination of Raimunda, who is ultimately the movie’s heroine, is eminent. She is clever and resourceful, opening up a neighbour’s restaurant to serve food to a nearby movie crew to earn much needed cash. Even in scenes where she is wrestling with Paco’s corpse to try and manoeuvre it into the freezer (where it stays for while as she runs the restaurant), you are completely rooting for her.
Many of Almodovar’s movies deal with tough issues, such as death, illness and torn relationships, which could make a film downbeat and depressing in the hands of other directors. But it is the warm-hearted friendships, family ties and, most importantly, humour which resonates in Almodovar’s work. This is illustrated in his earlier film All About My Mother, where Penelope Cruz plays a nun who becomes both pregnant and HIV positive after a relationship with a transsexual. Yet despite the subject matter, the film is surprisingly uplifting, and the same can be said for Volver, arguably even more so. Watching Volver leaves you feeling that these characters could conquer the world.
Penelope Cruz, in particular, really stands out in the film, and not just because of her stunning looks and prosthetic bottom. Cruz and Pedro Almodovar really seem to bring out the best in each other. She has starred in four of his films to date, and has been widely quoted saying Almodovar inspired her to start acting. Besides great performances, the strength of the film also lies in the intricate plot, which gradually unfolds as the movie draws on. The director rarely reveals too much of the plot at once, instead giving you hints of a narrative, and then cleverly pulling it all together at the end - usually with some kind of unexpected twist.
It’s gripping stuff, as well as warm, funny and genuinely uplifting. A highlight from an incredibly talented director who just seems to get better and better with each release. KB
