Der Wald vor lauter Bäumen (The Forest for the Trees)

This was a painful movie to watch.  The Forest for the Trees is a good movie, but the pain of the protagonist and her professional struggles as a new teacher hit too close to home.  Melanie, young, idealistic, and a bit awkward, takes over a ninth-grade class at mid-term.  They are impossibly rude and unruly.  The other teachers and parents have no sympathy for her struggles in the classroom, making her school day miserable.  I totally related to her plight; my undistinguished teaching career fizzled out in the face of such students.  I hated every minute of it.

This movie reminded me how much I hated my students.

On top of her horrible school experience, she is a young, single girl in a new town.  She attempts to reach out to her neighbor for friendship, but makes a few too many faux pas, destroying that connection.  I have been lucky to have been able to make friends quickly, and to have a wonderful wife to share experiences with, so I couldn't relate first-hand to Melanie's social pain, but I think we all do feel lonely sometimes.

The Forest for the Trees is a very real, almost documentary-like, story of a common struggle.  Melanie, wonderfully portrayed by Eva Löbau, becomes everywoman or everyman, either reminding us of times we've felt the same as her in a new job, home, or social situation, or giving us pause to be thankful that we're not her.

Bottom line, 3 stars.

Jaffa

In many ways, Jaffa is a typical domestic drama that could take place anywhere in the world.  Reuven owns a garage in Jaffa; his son, Meir, and daughter, Mali, work for him there.  He also employs Hassan and Hassan's son Toufik.  Unbeknownst to anyone else in either family, Mali and Toufik are in love, making plans to elope.  Tragedy strikes when Toufik and Meir get in a fight and Meir is accidentally killed.

The twist here is the religious and cultural setting.  In the ethnic and religious mix that is Jaffa, Jews and Muslims get along well enough to work together, but prejudice and suspicion abound.  Reuven values Hassan and Toufik as employees, but Meir and Reuven's wife criticize and deride them as lesser people.  Mali and Toufik share a love that transcends their differences, but are still wary enough to keep their affair secret.

I know I, like every other human, harbor prejudices and preferences that can taint my relationships with others.  But I simply cannot wrap my mind around the animosity between Jews and Muslims as portrayed in Jaffa and many other films (not to mention the nightly news).  Sure they can get along in small ways--hiring them to work in your business, falling in love--but as a whole, they're blowing each other up.  What a sad way to live.  Good movie, though.

Bottom line, 3 stars.

Eu cand vreau sa fluier, fluier (If I Want to Whistle, I Whistle)

Another not so great movie from Film Movement.  I've said before that while some Film Movement films aren't that great story wise, they show a glimpse of life in another culture that might make the movie worthwhile.  If I Want to Whistle does so only if you're interested in the culture of a Romanian prison for juvenile offenders, and then it doesn't even do that very well.

Silviu is about to be released from the juvenile lock-up, and his mom returns to Romania to take Silviu's little brother back to Italy with her.  She had ditched her family years before, and Sivliu had been taking care of his brother.  He looks forward to resuming his caretaker role upon his release.  Already distressed about his mother's actions, he gets into trouble and jeopardizes his chances of being released, so he takes the pretty prison social worker hostage.  Chaos ensues.

How do you get what you want? Hint: not like this.

Desperate men do make desperate choices; I realize that is a reality of life.  But I get frustrated with this type of portrayal, in which reason and rationality seem to be tossed aside by the filmmakers.  This film had difficulty getting from point A (desperate young man) to point B (hostage situation).  It reminds me of the old cartoon, where the scientist has a blackboard full of equations, and in the middle it reads, "Then a miracle occurs. . . ."  If I Want to Whistle is not without some decent acting, but it's lacking in exposition.

Bottom line, 1 1/2 stars.

 

Un homme qui crie (A Screaming Man)

I finally published a new movie review Monday, after a 17-day break!  On the one hand, I haven't been watching quite as many movies lately.  On the other, I've watched higher-than-normal number of dogs. 

Calling A Screaming Man a dog may be a bit too strong, but I have to say it fits the pattern of most of the Film Movement movies I have watched recently: a well-made film that presents an interesting snapshot of a particular cultural milieu, while telling a rather uninteresting story.  In this case, Adam and his son Abdel work at a hotel pool in Chad.  Adam was a swimming champion in his heyday; the decades since then have been dedicated to the pool.  With Chad in the grips of a civil war, and the hotel under new ownership, Adam loses his place at the pool and struggles with his purpose.

Screaming on the inside?

Despite the loud title, A Screaming Man is a pretty quiet movie.  Not necessarily boring; there are a few laughs and likable characters.  But it does lean toward being a snoozer.

Bottom line, 1 1/2 stars.

Choking Man

I'm on a pretty good string of disappointing Film Movement movies.  The strength of the Film Movement films is primarily the cultural record.  In the case of Choking Man, the story revolves around a dishwasher at a diner in an ethnically diverse neighborhood in Queens.  Jorge, an Ecuadorian immigrant, can scarcely speak, due to his shyness, or perhaps even an undiagnosed autism or similar condition.  Above his washing station, monopolizing his view all day, hangs a Heimlich maneuver poster.

Jorge has very little to say.

The acting isn't bad, and Jorge gets a little bit of sympathy since he's so pathetic.  But the build up of the story is a slow fizzle.  Even the surprise element at the end doesn't have much impact.  I didn't completely choke on Choking Man, but, in spite of a good effort, I couldn't completely swallow it.

Bottom line, 1 1/2 stars.

Kak ya provel etim letom (How I Ended This Summer)

I tend to like many of the movies put out by Film Movement.  Most tell great stories, and almost all of them capture a slice of life in a foreign place.  How I Ended This Summer doesn't so much portray another culture, as another landscape.  I've never been to the Arctic, and may never go, but this movie captures the bleakness of that environment, and, even in your warm, cozy house, makes you feel the cold.

Cold enough for ya?

As well-made as the movie is, and as stunning as some of the visuals are, the story isn't much to report.  Pavel and Sergey are manning a remote weather station on an island in the Arctic Circle.  Sergey's the old hand; he's been there for years.  Pavel, the new guy, doesn't take things as seriously as Sergey.  Personality conflicts abound, exacerbated by close quarters and limited contact with others.

Pavel makes things worse when he receives a radio message concerning Sergey's family, who have been in an accident.  He avoids telling Sergey as long as he can, and in the meantime, both of them act like idiots.  This made the movie seem rather stupid to me.  I thought, "Why doesn't he just tell him!"  And then they make a bunch of other stupid choices.  Boring, and a little pointless.

Bottom line, 1 1/2 stars.

Zuo You (In Love We Trust)

Most of us will never face the type of moral dilemma faced by the families in In Love We Trust, but all of us, especially parents, can empathize with the gut-wrenching choices they make.  Set in modern-day Beijing, In Love We Trust introduces us to the cute 5-year-old Hehe, who has been diagnosed with leukemia.  Hehe lives with her mom and her loving step-dad, but sees her father regularly.  Treatments are unsuccessful, leaving a bone marrow donation as the only option.  The doctor says a sibling would be an good option, as there are no other matches.  Sibling?  Are you kidding?  This is China, with the one child policy!

But Hehe's mom has a plan: she proposes that she and her ex-husband, Hehe's father, get together and have another baby.  That's problematic for his new wife, who desperately wants a child, as well as for Hehe's step-dad, who realizes that this would rule out his having a biological child, given China's policy.  Emotions run high, and the couples reflect on the meaning of sex, and consider what sacrifices they are willing to make for the sake of Hehe.

In Love We Trust treats these questions respectfully and thoughtfully, while giving some insight into the life and culture of modern, urban China.  Fair warning: the nature of the story puts the couples in bed together, and although they are portrayed while having sex, no nudity is shown.  Far from being titillating, it was almost uncomfortably intimate, as the two couples struggle with their relationships.

Bottom line, 2 1/2 stars.

1981

This is a pretty cute movie.  Anyone who has ever struggled to fit in can relate to Ricardo, who goes to a new school and wants to be in the "in crowd."  His efforts are futile until he happens to mention to some boys that he has some Playboy magazines that he'll share with them.  With high hopes of seeing some skin pics, the boys welcome him into his circle.  Ricardo's problem is that it's a total lie; he doesn't have any magazines and has no idea how to get them!  But the lie is enough to establish friendships and the boys become fast friends, learning much about each other and themselves.

Ricardo's in heaven when the girl of his dreams stays after school to help him with his work.

1981 doesn't deliver anything profound, but it captures the travails of middle school in the context of the 1980s in an entertaining way.  Anyone who ever lusted after a Walkman, played Coleco games, or had a Star Wars bedspread will enjoy the nostalgia trip. 

Bottom line, 2 1/2 stars.

Mal Dia Para Pescar (Bad Day to Go Fishing)

Bad Day to Go Fishing has an endearing quality to it.  We meet the over-sized but lovable Jacob van Oppen, who once held the title "the strongest man on Earth," and his charmingly sleazy promoter and manager, "Prince" Orsini (it's never quite clear what he is the prince of. . . .) as they travel around South America setting up wrestling matches and exhibitions in small towns.  Armed with a scrapbook full of reports of Jacob's laurels and feats, Orsini tries to raise funds for challenge matches, offering $1000 for anyone who can stay in the ring with Jacob for 3 minutes.  As Orsini fishes for the right challenger (i.e., someone who's willing to throw the fight for a cut), his relationship with Jacob deteriorates, Jacob questions this lifestyle, and a pregnant young wife who thinks her husband can beat Jacob challenges their scheme.

Jacob and Orsini promoting the upcoming "fight."

I found myself embracing these characters, as well as the small-town life depicted.  Anyone whose glory days are past, athletic or otherwise, can relate to both Jacob and Orsini, who clearly had some notoriety and wealth at one time.  As it turns out, the actor who plays Jacob, Finnish strong man Jouko Ahola, was actually the "World's Strongest Man" in 1997 and 1999.  (See his web site here.)  So I guess a real-life strongest man on Earth, when his glory days are gone by, stars in a movie about a strongest man on Earth whose glory days have gone by.

This is a decent, enjoyable movie with likable characters and a strong finish. 

Bottom line, 2 1/2 stars.

Eldorado

What would you do if you came home and a burglar was hiding under your bed?  Call the police or sit down and wait for him to come out?  In Eldorado, Yvan chooses to wait, the befriend the burglar and give him a ride to his parents' house.  Elie, the burglar, is a junkie, supposedly trying to get clean.  Neither one of these guys have anything better to do, so they might as well take a road trip together.  This was not a terrible movie, but it wasn't very interesting and didn't have much point.  There are some funny moments, but mostly Eldorado was a waste of time. 

Bottom line, 1 star.

Illegal

Speaking of drawing on sympathy for illegal aliens (see my review of Welcome here), who can wish for a political refugee, who only wants a safe place to raise her teenage son, to be deported?  In Illegal, Tania, a Russian, lives in Belgium with her son.  Randomly stopped on the street without proper ID, she winds up in a detention center, stuck in the bureaucracy and frustration of separation from her son and appealing to be granted asylum.

In an almost documentary format, Tania experiences and witnesses the abuse and confusion of immigrants in Belgium.  Countries have a right to secure their borders, but they have an obligation to treat all within their borders humanely.  Activists who would point to films like Illegal and Welcome for examples of the plight of refugees refuse to acknowledge the need for border while focusing on examples of abuse.  But I guess that wouldn't make as good a story.

Illegal is well-made, emotionally stirring, but wholly inadequate for a debate on immigration.

Bottom line, 2 stars.

Cosa voglio di piu (Come Undone)

These people are so stupid.  Based on a random meeting, Anna and Domenico strike up a hot and heavy illicit affair.  So they're attracted to each other; they gave themselves plenty of opportunities to let reason take hold, but still kept meeting.  Anna has a very nice, if a bit goofy, live-in boyfriend.  Domenico has a faithful, attractive wife who stays home caring for their young children.  Needless to say, Anna and Domenico are simply selfish, creating an unsustainable, costly, and irresponsible relationship, if you can even call it that.  Basic story, they meet, they decide to have sex, they know they should quit meeting but can't, wonder, "Why couldn't we have met sooner?", then they have to figure out whether to stay together.  Sorry not to have anything to say about the quality of this movie as a movie, I just couldn't stand it.

Bottom line, no stars.

Welcome

Living in Texas, we hear a lot about the threat of illegal immigration and the social consequences it brings.  I guess I never think much about illegal immigration to other countries.  Welcome tells the story of a young Kurd from Iraq who works his way to France and tries to stowaway on a truck bound for England across the English channel.  He gets caught hiding in a truck and tries to come up with other options for crossing the channel.  He jumps on the obvious, but difficult, option of swimming across.  He begins training with a swim coach who befriends him and helps him out, and determines that he will swim the channel to be reunited with his long lost love.

Hey coach, how far is it to England?

Welcome challenges notions of immigration, drawing the viewer emotionally to the side of immigrants and their advocates.  The movie definitely plays on sympathy for the poor teenager who has traveled hundreds of miles to escape hardship and oppression in his homeland.  After all, why wouldn't any country welcome someone from the oppressed Kurdish people of Iraq?  And on top of that, he wants to be reunited with his sweetheart?  How can any bureaucracy deny him that?

I don't know much about immigration laws.  I was surprised how openly the immigrants lived in France; it was as if the French were happy to provide a launching pad for immigrants wanting to go to England.  Welcome doesn't set out to seriously address immigration policy, it only appeals to emotion, demonstrating that a moving story should not move policy.

Bottom line, 2 1/2 stars.

Helena from the Wedding

Sorry, but this movie falls outside the range of my enjoyment.  A group of friends get together to ring in the New Year at a hunting lodge in the woods.  They get drunk, snort cocaine, talk about their high-paying jobs and plays they written.  Their marriages are in various states of disarray.  I would have been a lot happier if the nice policeman who helped them jump start the jeep would have found the drugs under the driver's seat and thrown them all in jail.

Stupid movie that thinks it's smart about stupid people who think they're smart.

Now tell me again, what's the point of this movie?

Ben X

Talk about a movie that deserves to be seen, this is one.  Coming out of Belgium from first-time director Nic Balthazar, Ben X is based on Balthazar's novel Niets was alles wat hij zei (Nothing was All He Said).  Ben, who has Asperger's Syndrome, struggles to fit in the world of teenagers and school.  He plays an online battle video game avidly; in the universe of the game, he's a highly-ranked, nearly invincible warrior.  As he prepares for school each day, he mentally tries to put on the attributes of his avatar as he does in the game.

If only we could change our real selves as easily as we can change our video game alter egos.

At school he is relentlessly bullied and humiliated.  His daily "power up" times before the mirror finally begin to pay off as he gains confidence to act, but his real confidence booster comes when his on-screen female fellow warrior shows up in his real world.  Ultimately he gets some revenge, but not in the way I thought he might.

The blending of Ben's fantasy life and real life opens a window into Ben's mind.  As he confronts the school bullies, they become the monsters he fights in his game.  I don't know enough about Asperger's to know how true-to-life this portrayal is, but I do know it's a wide-ranging syndrome, so this could very well be consistent with some.  In any case, telling the story from the perspective of the outcast gives the rest of us pause; who is the Ben in our lives?

Bottom line, 4 stars.

Gigante

Like many films from Film Movement, Gigante tells a simple story, eschewing Hollywood cliches, special effects, and sappiness.  The gigante in question in Gigante is Jara, a night security job at a supermarket in Montevideo.  Julia, one of the night cleaning ladies catches his eye.  As he sits at his video monitors, he becomes obsessed with her, watching her at her duties.  He even begins following her outside of work.

This sounds creepy, but Jara maintains his distance, and does not watch and follow in a leering, inappropriate way, but in a way that reflects his extreme shyness and discomfort with conversation.  When he sees Julia cleaning up an accidental mess on her aisle, and then notes that the supervisor is heading her way, he leaps to action, heading off the supervisor so that Julia has time to finish cleaning, avoiding the wrath of her boss.

Jara's shyness and simple crush on Julia, and Julia's corresponding coyness make the viewer hope they will get together.  They may not be the typical romantic comedy screen idols, and the story may not fit the typical mold, but Gigante's quiet, slow-paced storytelling will surely leave you smiling.

Bottom line, 2 1/2 stars.

Le fils de l'épicier (The Grocer's Son)

If you've read this blog before, you know I love movies that offer a slice of life that's outside of my experience.  The Grocer's Son, another great movie from Film Movement, offers just that.  Antione left his home in the French countryside to live in Lyon, but life in the big city has not been kind to him.  Struggling and under-employed, when his mom asks him to come home to help with his father's grocery business, he reluctantly agrees, if nothing else because of a lack of prospects.

Antoine's father, who has had a stroke, runs a grocery business out of a van.  I've never seen anything like this, at least in modern times.  Maybe it's a European thing, or maybe American rural communities have some thing like this.  Antione takes over his route, driving to tiny villages and people's homes around the countryside in southeastern France.  The area is beautiful, the people are quirky, and Antoine is not having fun.  Thankfully his friend Claire came along.  She came to study in the quiet of the country, but decides to come along on Antoine's rounds.  Her charm and friendliness win over customers turned off by the grumpy, impersonal Antoine.

Against this backdrop we see Antoine's relationship with his parents, his brother, with Claire, and ultimately with himself grow and improve.  The Grocer's Son is a simple film, beautifully done.  With her cute face and charming personality, Clotilde Hesme lights up the screen as Claire.  I'd love to see her other movies.

Bottom line, 3 stars

Munyurangabo

Talk about a cultural experience.  A Korean-American filmmaker from rural Arkansas, Lee Isaac Chung, travels to Rwanda to make the first movie ever filmed in the Kinyawanda language.  Munyurangabo, another fine offering from Film Movement, follows the journey of two boys, one Tutsi and one Hutu, as they travel on a journey of revenge.  Ngabo wants to kill the man who killed his father, but they stop by Sangwa's home for an unexpected stay.  Sangwa hasn't been home in years, and finds himself not wanting to go on with Ngabo.

The simplicity of Munyurangabo is perhaps its greatest asset.  The actors were not professionals, so the tone is much like a documentary.  It feels very authentic.  As you would expect, the movie is refreshingly short on bells and whistles--no CGI or stuntmen needed--but long on emotion.  This is an emotional journey examining family relationships and inter-tribal relationships in post-genocide Rwanda.  Definitely worth your time.

Bottom line, 3 stars.

Arranged

Once again, Film Movement brings us a little known gem of a movie.  Arranged did not, as best I can tell, get much play in American theaters.  It played in film festivals in 2007 and 2008, won a couple of festival awards, and made it into Film Movement's DVD catalog.  Its obscurity is undeserved.

Rochel and Nasira meet as first year teachers in a New York public school.  They are certainly not prime candidates for friendship: Rochel is an orthodox Jew, Nasira, a muslim.  But they soon find they have something in common: their families are arranging marriages for them.  Neither is very excited about it, but they bond in their discomfort and help each out through the ordeal.  In an age in which these two groups sometimes want to blow each other up (as in For My Father), it's nice to see a portrayal of two families who take their religion and culture very seriously, yet have room for friendship with others.

The film belittles neither tradition.  Even thought each girl has reservations about the arrangement process specifically, and reveal some hints at wanting to reject the faith of their families, they seem to be committed, respectful, and faithful.  In fact, the only bigotry we see comes from the principal of the school, who chides them for not joining the women's movement, urging to reject their superstitions and join the modern world.

Both of these girls are delightful, charming, and attractive; they are both a catch for any man.  Arranged puts a positive spin on arranged marriages while poking fun at the process at the same time.  I have never been exposed first-hand to the culture of arranged marriage, but I think even its proponents in these religious communities will end the movie with a smile on their faces.

Bottom line, 3 stars.

Den Brysomme Mannen (The Bothersome Man)

This Norwegian film (another award-winning offering from Film Movement ) was a pleasant surprise for me, oddly humorous, a little disturbing, and thoughtfully entertaining.  Coincidentally, there are some pretty strong parallels to The Prisoner, which I reviewed the other day here.  As in The Prisoner, our hero, Andreas, arrives in an ordinary, strangely familiar, yet a bit too perfect town.  He's given a perfect job, rewarding but not too demanding, surrounded by cheerful, friendly coworkers.  He meets a nice woman, with whom he develops a relationship.  All seems to be going well.

Soon things begin to seem too perfect and too lifeless at the same time.  Everyone is happy and cheerful, but no one really feels.  The food is tasteless.  The alcohol is not intoxicating.  And romance and sex are non-sensual.  When things get dull with his girlfriend, he strikes up a romance with a new woman.  Even though she does not reject him, however, she shows no feeling for him, and when he tells the first girl of his indiscretion, she replies with a yawn.  As the futility of it all dawns on him, he seeks to leave the city, but finds he can't, so he attempts suicide, ultimately unsuccessfully.

In a not-so-subtle way, The Bothersome Man reminds the viewer to take in that which makes life worth living, the flavors and joys of life, the uniqueness of people in our lives, and the importance of enjoying experiences and people.  We never really learn how or why Andreas ends up here, but that only adds to the mystery and draw of the film.  Highly recommended.

Bottom line, 3 stars.