"Maria" -- Movie Review

At the beginning of the first week of the 62^nd New York Film Festival, I attended a screening of “Maria”, starring Angelina Jolie.

Synopsis

The final days of the late opera singer Maria Callas as she resides in Paris post-retirement. 

Story

Maria Callas (Jolie) has been retired from her career as a world-famous opera singer for about the past four years – and she’s miserable.  Originally, she retired because she felt that her voice was no longer what it once was.  By now, she’s bored and considers a return to the stage.  As much as she wants this comeback, her age and quality of her voice seem to betray her; she hires a pianist to accompany her at a Paris opera theater not far from where she lives, but is disappointed when she hears what is now coming out of her mouth.  Trying to be supportive, the pianist suggests that this is simply because she’s out of practice and with more attempts, she’ll improve.

Callas is in mourning over her past life – both professional and personal – which she gradually comes to realize she will never regain.  As far as her romantic life was concerned, there were many men who were interested in her either because of her talent or her fame.  She had an affair with the wealthy Aristotle Onassis, who eventually went on to marry the widowed Jacqueline Kennedy.  Callas was only casually interested in him, but was more impressed by his vast wealth.  Although American born and of Greek descent, she was raised in Europe during World War II where the Nazis paid her to entertain them with her singing. 

In September of 1977, during her final days, Callas arranges an interview with a television station that wants to do a documentary about her life.  But at times, it seems as though the interviewer is only a figment of her imagination as he mysteriously comes and goes throughout.  It seems as though Callas wishes this to be true rather than actually in fact taking place; she obviously misses being in the spotlight and craves the attention and exultation.  One reality which she cannot escape is her doctor’s diagnosis of her health – something of which she appears to be in denial.  Can “La Divina” successfully make her comeback before it’s too late? 

Review

Like an opera itself, “Maria” is melodramatic – not to mention a bit overwrought as well.  But the diva known as La Callas would probably have had it no other way.  Unfortunately, the movie about her last days suffers from this and makes the end result rather unappealing.  While certainly not terrible, it is not well served by the director’s lionization of the film’s main character.  There is an attempt to show Callas in a warts-and-all way, but for the purpose of the story, she can’t be made out to be too obnoxious for fear of losing the audience’s support and empathy.  Nevertheless, her occasional oddball behavior could probably be written off as ego of an artiste. 

Among the positives here include Jolie’s performance as Callas.  She is convincing in the Diva role, almost considering herself as royalty despite the public brickbats hurled in her direction, in part due to her early retirement from the stage.  One becomes unsure as to whether they should feel sympathy toward Callas or the people around her, whom she appears to take for granted in spite of their loyalty.  Technically, the filmmaker chose to show flashbacks in black and white in order to make it clear that these scenes were happening in the past and were merely Callas’ memories as she reflects on her life. 

Following the screening, there was an interview with director Pablo Larraín  and some of the cast.  Larraín claimed that Angelina Jolie did some of her own singing in the film; Jolie said that she went to a vocal coach to help her learn how to sing opera for certain scenes.  The director said that he had two passions in life:  movies and opera.  Jolie said that while she was interested in working with this director, she was quite intimidated at the thought of playing Callas.  She also prepared by listening to recordings of Callas’ singing.  Alba Rohrwacher, who played Callas’ cook, mentioned that she went to a cooking teacher to help her learn how to flip omelets in the frying pan.

IMDB

 

"Anora" -- Movie Review

 

At the opening weekend of the 62^nd New York Film Festival, I attended a screening of the comedy-drama “Anora”, starring Mikey Madison and directed by Sean Baker. 

Synopsis

When a young sex worker marries a wealthy Russian, will their marriage survive despite his parents’ objections?

Story

Anora (Madison), 23, prefers to go by the name Ani; she lives in Brooklyn with her sister, who knows that Ani works as a stripper who makes extra money by giving lap dances and private sessions at the topless bar.  One night at work, her boss tells her to go with a young man, 21-year-old Ivan (Mark Eidelshtein), who is Russian and requested a girl who speaks the language.  Knowing that Ani is of Russian descent and speaks the language taught to by her grandmother, Ani is the logical choice.  Initially resistant to the idea, she eventually relents and accepts the assignment.  One thing leads to another and they arrange a private meeting at his home.

It turns out that Ivan lives in a mansion because his parents are filthy rich; he is wrapping up his college studies in New York City while his parents live in Russia.  Ivan spends quite a bit of money on Ani over the course of a number of assignations between the two; eventually, he pays Ani to accompany him on a trip to Las Vegas where he winds up proposing to her.  She accepts and they get married at a small chapel in Vegas before returning to New York City where Ani moves in with Ivan.  Soon, Ivan’s parents find out that their son has not only married, but even worse, to an exotic dancer.  Given their high profile in Russia, this will be an embarrassment.

Ivan’s parents want the marriage annulled, but it turns out that since they got married in Las Vegas, they cannot get it annulled in New York.  His parents decide to fly to New York City and take them to Vegas to get all of this done, with the deal being that they will pay Ani to keep her mouth shut and forget all about this.  Although both Ivan and Ani resist, they are quickly convinced that they have no other choice.  But when Ivan suddenly disappears, will the thugs employed by his parents to keep an eye on him be able to find Ivan before the parents arrive in New York City? 

Review

It’s rare that a rave review appears on this blog, but “Anora” is most definitely worthy of one.  While making the film festival circuit in recent months, it has garnered a great deal of buzz – and deservedly so.  This is a fun, wild ride and should definitely be seen as soon as possible; it opens in theaters later in October – it might be a good idea to see it sooner rather than later via a streaming service.  That’s how good this movie is.  Run, do not walk, to a screening; it’ll be worth your time and effort.  This would probably be a good date night film because it’s sexy, funny and contains plenty of action. 

The acting in “Anora” is top-notch, particularly by Mikey Madison; this is truly a breakout performance that will likely make her a big star – she's earned it.  “Anora” is an emotional roller coaster ride from beginning to end and an enjoyable one at that with a deeply satisfying ending.  While the title character seeks to attain both independence and respect despite (or because of) her chosen line of work, this is also a story about the haves and have-nots.  Who exactly wins in the end depends on one’s definition of the word “win” – something worthy of discussion after viewing.  There are valid arguments to be made on either side for Ani’s outcome. 

Following the screening, there was an interview with director Sean Baker and star Mikey Madison.  For her role, Mikey said that she is not a dancer – in fact, she doesn’t even dance at parties.  She believes that dancers are in tune with their body and she is not.  As Anora, she focused on connecting with another person.  The script was vague when it came to her sexy dancing scene, so she tried one and had her mother record the video, then sent it to the director.  Baker said that he wanted to do a movie that took another view of sex workers; he added that due to the short shooting schedule, he had to shoot all of the scenes in the mansion together. 

IMDB

"Last Summer" - Movie Review

 

Recently, I attended a screening at Lincoln Center for the new French drama directed by Catherine Breillat “Last Summer”.

Synopsis

When a woman has an affair with her husband’s teenage son from a previous marriage, what impact will this have on everyone’s relationship?

Story

Anne and Pierre (Léa Drucker, Olivier Rabourdin) appear to be happily married; she’s a successful lawyer and he’s an overworked businessman.  She did not have children previously, so together, they have adopted a couple of little girls.  He was married before and had a son, Theo (Samuel Kircher), who is now a very troubled 17 year old recently expelled from school.  Anne gives Pierre permission to invite the boy into their home with the hope that he can somehow manage to straighten him out once and for all.  This is a decision Anne soon comes to regret for many reasons. 

Almost immediately after Theo arrives, trouble commences.  He begins ransacking the house, making it look like burglars have broken in and some things turn up missing.  Basically, Anne and Pierre’s life turns topsy turvy.  Because Pierre is so busy with work, it winds up that Anne has to deal with most of the problems.  With Pierre totally distracted by his business, Anne welcomes the attention his son offers.  Soon, with Pierre away, Anne and Theo begin to have an affair.  Neither one of them tells Pierre, but eventually, some of Anne’s friends learn of it and ostracize her immediately. 

Eventually, Pierre and Theo agree to a weekend father and son getaway so that Pierre can at least try to bond with his son.  It is here that Theo confesses to his father that he has been enjoying various trysts with Anne while Pierre has been sidetracked.  Upon their return, Pierre confronts Anne about this, which she denies.  She soon learns that the relationship means more to Theo than it did to her.  When Theo contacts a lawyer about this relationship, it threatens Anne’s career because he is underage.  Will this dalliance cause Anne to lose both her profession and her marriage to Pierre?

 Review

Based on a Danish film from 2019, Breillat’s style brilliantly poses questions about the frailty of human morals.  It asks the question, “Why do we always seem to want something we either know we can’t have or at least shouldn’t have?”.   As an experienced family lawyer, Léa Drucker’s character has seen many cases of domestic abuse of varying types.  In short, she should know better.  Yet she doesn’t.  When faced with temptation, she immediately gives in without seeming to display an ounce of resistance.  Her world with her adopted daughters and successful, loving husband seem too perfect and the urge to self-destruct is far too strong. 

It should be kept in mind that she is neither a victim nor an instigator; she is merely a participant in an act that she knows will risk a great deal for her – both professionally and personally – if it is uncovered.  Yet she makes the decision – apparently a not too difficult one – to cast aside those concerns in favor of her immediate pleasure.  One unintended consequence of this is the impact this affair has on Samuel Kircher’s Théo; he takes it to heart far too much when it was thought this would just be another sexual conquest by a lustful teenager who seems capable of getting much younger and attractive women closer to his own age.

In previous interviews, Breillat has said that she hasn’t seen the original film on which hers is based.  It was presented to her by the screenwriter who wanted a French remake and offered it to her because she could make it better.  She said that while some of her film is verbatim from the original, one difference from the Danish version is that Breillat didn’t want the woman to have a predatorial dynamic and wanted the teen to be more involved.  Although they didn’t really improvise on set they did find different kinds of nuances while shooting.  The ending found in the script was different from the way it was finally shot, as they did two endings.  

"Kinds Of Kindness" -- Movie Review

 

This week at Lincoln Center, I attended an advance screening of the new comedy-drama, “Kinds Of Kindness”, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and starring Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe and Jesse Plemons. 

Synopsis

Three vignettes about the strange lives of different characters as they struggle to make sense of their life. 

Story

"The Death of R.M.F":  In order to display loyalty to his boss Raymond (Dafoe), Robert (Plemons) is ordered to crash his car into that of another man, RMF, who is also employed by Raymond.  Upon carrying out the order, Raymond takes Robert to task because RMF was not killed in this planned “accident”.  Raymond informs Robert that in order to keep his job, he must crash his car into RMF again – but this time, to do it at a higher speed so that RMF dies.  Robert is taken aback by this and after a considerable amount of soul-searching, he informs Raymond that he cannot do what has been asked of him.  Raymond then hires Rita (Stone) to do the job for him. 

"R.M.F. is Flying":  Daniel (Plemons) is a police officer who seems to be going off the deep end – and with good reason.  His wife Liz (Stone) went on a trip and never returned.  He refuses to believe that she is dead and continues to hold out hope that someday she will return to him.  One day, he is informed that she has been found – but upon returning to their home, it becomes immediately apparent to Daniel that although this woman bears a striking resemblance to Liz, she is not in fact his wife.  This only causes Daniel’s co-workers to question his sanity.  When Daniel asks this woman to do some extraordinary things in order to prove her love for him, will he finally be convinced that she really is who she claims?

"R.M.F. Eats a Sandwich":  Emily (Stone) is hired by a spiritual outfit to find someone who is capable of bringing the dead back to life; she is assisted by fellow employee Andrew (Plemons).  There is one condition that must be followed:  this person must be a twin and their sibling has to have passed away.  After trying a few possible candidates and interviewing others, Emily gets discouraged, so she visits her daughter and ex-husband.  When the organization decides to terminate their relationship with Emily, she sets out to prove them wrong; eventually, she meets a young woman (Qualley) who works as a veterinarian that happens to meet the conditions.  But will she be able to revive a corpse?

Review

Sometimes, when reviewing movies, it can be difficult to sufficiently explain exactly how egregious a given motion picture may be; such is now the case with Lanthimos’ latest, “Kinds Of Kindness”.  Although categorized as a comedy-drama, there’s precious little that’s even remotely funny about this film.  Its title could just as easily have been “Kinds Of Cruelty”, “Kinds Of Strangeness” or “Kinds Of Poor Judgment”.  Lanthimos has created something more akin to a triptych of horror stories that don’t have very satisfying conclusions, nor do any of them have protagonists whom you can support. 

Another significant problem with these stories is that they don’t make sense.  Sometimes, it’s a bit of a quandary as to why some characters are doing what they are doing.  Other times, you’re not sure if what you’re seeing on screen is merely a fever dream of one of the characters or if it’s really happening in the context of the story. One other particularly bothersome aspect of “Kinds Of Kindness” is that these scenes can be rather violent, gruesome and bloody, seemingly for no reason whatsoever other than to merely shock the audience.  There is one theme that attempts to tie all of the scenes together but it doesn’t really work. 

Lastly, this was such a disappointing experience in light of the fact that Lanthimos’ previous film, “Poor Things”, was so excellent that one couldn’t help but expect his follow-up to be of equally high quality; alas, this was not to be the case.  Instead, “Kinds Of Kindness” is just plain weird; it is a group of fables that don’t lead anywhere and don’t seem to be especially well thought out. Although Plemons won the best actor award at Cannes for this film, the real bright spot is the performances by Stone and Margaret Qualley; aside from that, there’s nothing noteworthy to recommend this thing because it would be a waste of three hours.  This is self-indulgent and something Lanthimos thought he could get away with it based on the critical success of his prior work.   

"Movie Pass, Movie Crash" -- Movie Review

 

Recently at Lincoln Center, I attended an advance screening of the new HBO documentary, “Movie Pass, Movie Crash”. 

Synopsis

When the Movie Pass business seems to become successful, can it stay afloat in the face of insufficient revenue and dishonest executive management?

Story

In a seemingly short eight year period, a revolutionary new company called Movie Pass came and went with considerable fanfare.  Upon its arrival, it seemed like a creative way to get people back into movie theaters and less reliant on streaming services:  for a monthly fee, you could see an almost unlimited amount of movies at nearly any theater.  This would be a great deal for consumers as it would not only bring down the cost of attending a movie but also get them to see a particular film they liked multiple times if they so desired.  Ostensibly, it should also have proved to be beneficial to the theaters themselves since people would tend to spend more money at the concession stands, where they make most of their revenue. 

What originally started as a well-intentioned idea evolved into a nightmare for not only customers but also the founders of the company.  First of all, the company was in danger of abruptly ending because of its own success:  they had so many subscribers at such a cheap price that they weren’t able to afford to sustain the business model – as a result, investors grew increasingly skeptical and reluctant to put up more money to keep the company going.  Also, there was some question as to whether the co-founder had enough business acumen to manage the company on their own, so it was encouraged to take on more senior level management who had this experience. 

When a couple of men were hired to run the company in place of its original creators, that’s when all hell broke loose.  These two were making the rounds of all the business shows on cable TV claiming that Movie Pass was their baby and further misrepresented themselves as far as their background was concerned (one claimed that he had run Netflix, which could not have been further from the truth, as further investigation turned out).  They wound up living their best life, spending company money throwing extravagant parties under the justification that they were promoting the Movie Pass brand and raising its visibility to interest subscribers and investors.  But when their scheme blew up the company, what would happen next?

 

Review

“Movie Pass, Movie Crash” is a great lesson in how not to run a business.  It is also a great lesson in how expanding a growing business can be taken over by a bunch of hucksters looking to perform what the mob tends to refer to as a “bust-out” on a neophyte’s business.  Either way, there is much to be learned from a surreal experience suffered by innocents who had a worthwhile idea, despite possible flaws in the business model.  Movie Pass seemed to good to be true for movie lovers – and in the end, it turned out that it was precisely that.  But in the end, after its destruction, can this Phoenix resurrect itself from the ashes? 

One obvious question that arises here is how much of the company’s downfall was racially based?  The two men who created Movie Pass were young African-American and the executives who took over the company – and eventually squeezed-out its founders – were older white men who (theoretically) had more executive experience at running a company.  As the public (white) faces of the company, potential investors and venture capitalists were more likely to see slightly-gray-haired white men as having more credibility when it came to running the company as compared to a couple of younger Black men.     

Following the screening, there was an interview with the filmmaker and the company founders.  Stacey said that at the time he got fired, Movie Pass was  featured as an up and coming company.  Director Muta'Ali Muhammad said that both Stacy and Hamet were the heart of the story; he started out by creating a short in order to sell the longer concept to HBO.  Stacy and Hamet originally created the company in order to make movie going easy.  The director wasn’t sure of the structure of his documentary but found his ending when Stacey decided to purchase the company once it went into bankruptcy; he went to court and made an offer for $150,000.  Upon regaining control of the company, he added geo-location of theaters; it now operates on a 23% profic margin thanks to a five year deal with MasterCard.

 

"The Feeling That The Time For Doing Something Has Passed" -- Movie Review

 

This weekend, I attended the opening night of the new comedy “The Feeling That The Time For Doing Something Has Passed”, written/directed and starring Joanna Arnow.

Synopsis

Will a woman who explores the BDSM lifestyle be able to find the “Mr. Right” or will she have to settle for “Mr. Right Now”?

Story

Ann (Arnow) is feeling somewhat stuck both personally and professionally.  Her job is at something of a dead-end and she’s currently working on a project that has the potential to make her own position obsolete once she’s finished.  In her love life (so to speak), she’s regularly seeing Allen (Scott Cohen), an older divorced man who objectifies her – which is perfectly fine with Ann.  She’s been exploring the BDSM lifestyle as a Submissive and greatly enjoys how good Allen is as a Dominant.  The only thing is that Allen just wants a casual friends-with-benefits situation with her whereas Ann is looking for an actual relationship.

It is with that in mind that Ann sets out to meet other men to see if she can find someone compatible with whom she can have a committed relationship.  All the while, her job is becoming more complicated than she anticipated.  Instead of being laid off, other people in her department are let go and Ann winds up getting a promotion she doesn’t want (mainly due to the new position title).  Additionally, she finds her older sister (Alysia Reiner) temporarily crashing at her place; when she wonders aloud why their parents haven’t pestered her for grandchildren, Ann’s sister posits that they’ve probably given up on her by now. 

She meets Scott, who tries his best to be her Dominant partner, but he’s just not into that – he’s not assertive and far too gentle with her.  Elliot, on the other hand, is quite experienced at topping women; he forces Ann to dress in crazy outfits and do outrageous things for his entertainment, but she just doesn’t feel a connection with him.  Finally, she meets Chris; he’s a normal guy and Ann has something of a connection with him, but she finds that while he’s good relationship material, she has to spend an awful lot of time training him to be her Dom.  After all of these experiences, will Ann be successful in finding a Dominant man with whom she can have something other than a casual relationship?

Review

If “The Feeling That The Time For Doing Something Has Passed” is any indication of how her future work will be, then Joanna Arnow is off to a brilliant start in her career.  This is Arnow’s first feature and it is funny, intelligent and clever.  As the writer-director-star, she may turn out to be this generation’s Woody Allen.  In her turn as an actress, she is reminiscent of not only Allen but also of Buster Keaton in the stone-faced delivery of comic lines.  We can all look forward to what her next work will be; she is worth keeping an eye on as Arnow is clearly a star on the rise – it’s best to catch her now and watch her progression over the years. 

One of the things that’s important to point out about Arnow is her courage.  It takes quite a bit of bravery to write, direct and star in such a deeply personal story and she does so quite effectively.  In the BDSM World, there is frequently talk about “power exchange”.  This typically means the Submissive relinquishing power to the Dominant.  But is that really true?  That’s a question Arnow explores in her movie.  Here, Ann – a Sub – requires her partners to be Dominant.  So who’s really serving whom here?  It’s certainly something worth discussing after a view with the partner of your choice. 

Following the screening, there was an interview with the talented Julia Arnow and some of the cast.  Among her goals with this movie was to show a non-judgmental view of the BDSM world.  She chose to tell the story in vignettes because she wanted to show the character’s journey from Point A to Point B by the end of the film.  Arnow wanted to explore the kinkier side of casual dating versus a real relationship.  Parish Bradley (Elliot) said that he tried to find something similar to himself in his character, but it was a bit of a challenge.  Scott Cohen (Allen) said that the last scene in the film went on shooting forever, which he found awkward and uncomfortable. 

 

"Challengers" -- Movie Review

 

Recently, I attended an advance screening of “Challengers”, starring Zendaya and directed by Luca Guadagnino. 

Synopsis

When an aging tennis player seeks a comeback, can he defeat an old ally despite the fact that one of them is being coached by a woman who has had a relationship with both of them?

Story

At the age of 31, Patrick (Josh O'Connor) realizes he’s nearing the end of his time as a professional tennis player; he’s down on his luck and has been a disappointment to himself both personally and professionally.  He has just barely qualified for the current tennis match; since he’s a low seed, a win would mean one last chance at career advancement and a loss might mean he’ll finally have to face the prospect of retirement.  To make matters worse, he’ll have to face Art (Mike Faist), someone he’s known since they were both teenagers.  Despite the fact that they were considered up-and-coming athletes, their careers took very different paths as Art has been more successful in his field. 

Tashi (Zendaya) was once considered to be the next superstar female tennis player when she was a teenager; traveling in similar circles, she got to know both Patrick and Art and became intimate friends with both of them.  However, her career got derailed before it could barely begin when she suffered a severe knee injury that curtailed her ability to play tennis at a professional level.  Eventually, these "Three Amigos" went their own way – she went on to have a relationship with Patrick while Art’s focus was on his chosen profession.  When Tashi’s relationship with Patrick ended, she agreed to become Art’s coach and before too long, their personal and professional life became intertwined.

Despite bitter feelings for Patrick, Tashi remains sexually attracted to him.  Knowing her complex feelings, he keeps trying to get her back in his life, even though he’s fully aware of her being Art’s partner -- both in tennis and life.  Ultimately, Tashi and Patrick wind up having a tryst the night before the two men are scheduled to have their big match.  Art, of course, is unaware of this; unsure of whether he can defeat Patrick, Tashi asks Patrick to throw the match so Art can continue his career.  Patrick is unsure if he can do this because it would mean an end to his own career.  But when the two finally meet, can Art beat Patrick on his own merits or will Patrick give in to Tashi’s request? 

Review

One of the more amazing aspects of Luca Guadagnino’s latest is his shot choices.  Many times, you are left wondering how he managed to get certain shots; this technical curiosity may take you out of the story momentarily, but depending on how invested you are in the story (as opposed to the filmmaking technique), it may not matter terribly much.  The soundtrack by Trent Reznor can also be either enhancing or annoying to the film; there are moments when the music background adds tension within the moment, but there are other times when you feel as though you are in a nightclub listening to EDM and you are the only one there who is not on Ecstasy. 

The main problem with “Challengers” is the fact that it’s difficult to root for any of the characters.  They are either weak, scoundrels or narcissistic.  Trying to find something socially or personally redeeming about any of them might turn out to be something of a challenge, to put it mildly.  Why anyone might be emotionally invested in the outcome of any of the participants in this manipulative love triangle is certainly confounding.  If you are comfortable with that and are only interested in the more salacious angles of the movie, then it might be worth a watch.  On the other hand, if you are looking for something of greater substance – either in the story or the characters – then “Challengers” might be a hard pass. 

Following the screening, there was an interview with the film’s screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes.  Although his primary focus was as a playwright, he wanted to write a story about tennis; he made it a screenplay instead of a stage play because he saw the story as very visual.  Kuritzkes said that it’s more about what’s not being said than what is being said and the way people look at each other.  Although not a big tennis or sports fan, he happened to watch the U.S. Open in 2018 where Serena Williams was accused of receiving coaching from the sidelines.  This ultimately proved to be his primary inspiration for the script.

 

"The Peasants" -- Movie Review

 

This week, I attended a special screening at Lincoln Center for the historical drama, “The Peasants”, Poland's Oscar® Entry for Best International Feature Film from Sony Pictures Classics. 

Synopsis

When a young woman casts aside traditional values to live her own life as she sees fit, will she be able to overcome the unfounded rumors that are surrounding her by the jealousy older women in the village?

Story

In late 19^th Century Poland, Jagna and her mother live in a small agrarian community.  She is a beautiful, single young woman who is the envy of everyone.  Secretly, Jagna is in love with Antek, who works tirelessly and thanklessly on the farm that belongs to his father Boryna.  Boryna has the most land of any farmer there and as such is seen as both successful and a leader of the community.  Having recently becoming a widower, Boryna’s supporters urge him to remarry; he is resistant to the idea because his wife had just died a few months ago and he is afraid that the townspeople would talk. 

Despite the fact that Jagna and Antek find difficulty arranging trysts, they continue to have a great attraction to each other.  Many of the women in this community talk about her bedding nearly every man in town – rumors which are completely unfounded.  Eventually, Boryna is convinced that he should remarry and that Jagna kept as the main object of his desire.  Boryna schedules a meeting with Jagna’s mother and they come to an agreement where if he marries her daughter, Jagna will inherit a sizable amount of Boryna’s farmland when he passes.  Without Jagna’s knowledge or consent, a wedding between the two is scheduled, to her dismay. 

Once married, Jagna is reluctant to have relations with her new husband.  Soon, it becomes irrelevant as it is discovered that some interlopers in the area are denying the longstanding townspeople access to the wood in the forest, preventing them from building, cooking or heating their homes.  A battle ensues where Boryna perishes, causing Jagna to inherit the land.  By now, however, Antek’s feelings about Jagna have changed because she married his father and now has much of his land, which Antek believes is rightfully his.  But when the townspeople wrongly believe that Jagna is pursuing someone forbidden, will they be able to successfully expel her from their village?

Review

Although an interesting concept, “The Peasants” has some bit of difficulty maintaining suspense or forward momentum as it feels as though the story is rather scattershot.  Also, its conclusion is somewhat ambiguous, leaving the viewer to what one might characterize as a “Choose Your Own Adventure” type of ending as to what next happened to Jagna.  However, the overarching problem with “The Peasants” is its complex – and arguably unnecessary – use of what could be described as live-action animation.  It’s both confusing and distracting and a case could be made that it was implemented as a gimmick to make the film seem more artful than it really turned out to be.

First, a little technical background about “The Peasants”:  According to some of the production notes, this movie was shot in live-action before being transformed into painted animation; the film was completed over a two-year period using 40,000 oil paintings by a group of 100+ painters from four different eastern European countries.  After the oil paintings were completed, they were sent to animators so the paintings could be repurposed for the movie.  The motion picture is an adaptation of author Władysław Reymont's Nobel Prize-winning novel of the same name. 

This review is a bit of a challenge to write because on the one hand, the focus should be on the tale itself and the way it was chosen to be told by the director.  But it is difficult to comment on the performances of the cast when their live-action efforts have been transformed into oil paintings which were then further transformed into animation.  It is almost as if the director didn’t want the audience to notice the actors’ performances at all and to instead concentrate on the inherent technical “beauty” of his movie.  That’s unfortunate if true because it obviously does quite a disservice to the actors.

"The Promised Land" -- Movie Review

 

This week at Film At Lincoln Center, I attended a special screening of the historical drama, “The Promised Land” starring Mads Mikkelsen.  It is Denmark's Oscar® Entry for Best International Feature Film. 

Synopsis

When a Danish army veteran is granted land on which to farm, will he be able to succeed despite a vengeful nobleman who sees him as an interloper?

Story

In 1755, Ludvig von Kahlen (Mikkelsen), a retired Captain from the Danish military, finds himself living in a poorhouse when he devises a plan:  he will propose to a team of The King’s noblemen they grant him a parcel of land on an island The King owns so he can turn it into productive farmland.  In return, if successful, he asks to be made a nobleman and awarded his own servants.  The group initially doesn’t want to give him the land because The King has owned it for decades and none of the settlers have been successful farmers.  They wind up granting him the land because he isn’t asking for money – but they remain skeptical of his chances. 

Once there, von Kahlen has trouble finding arable land and soon becomes frustrated.  Complicating matters further are the obstacles set before him by Frederik De Schinkel (Simon Bennebjerg), a cruel nobleman who oversees the land.  De Schinkel informs von Kahlen that he must seek permission from him because it is his land; when von Kahlen reminds him that it is The King’s land, their conflicts begin.  Von Kahlen further infuriates De Schinkel when he hires a husband and wife to help with the work – they are former servants of De Schinkel who have managed to escape his brutality (for the time being, at least). 

Von Kahlen figures out that despite the poor soil quality, he would still be able to grow potatoes.  His crop flourishes, much to the surprise of The King and to the consternation of De Schinkel.  Inhabiting the land is Anmai Mus (Melina Hagberg), an orphaned little girl who must resort to stealing in order to survive.  Eventually, Von Kahlen takes pity on the child and adopts her, but also teaches her farming skills.  When The King provides Von Kahlen with more resources to support his efforts, this further infuriates De Schinkel, who has him captured and tortured.  But can Von Kahlen manage to escape and return to his farming?

Review

“The Promised Land” is quite impressive overall and upon viewing, it’s understandable why Denmark wants it entered in the awards consideration.  This, despite the fact that there are some moments that require the viewer to suspend disbelief; you’re so invested in the story that you either don’t notice it or are willing to overlook those incidents or they jump out at you because they are so glaring, possibly to the point that it takes you out of the movie momentarily.  Having said that, there’s just so much more that’s worthy of recommendation that picking apart the scenes where you question the how/where/why of it all may come across as somewhat niggling. 

Perhaps the best points about “The Promised Land” include Mikkelsen’s performance, the story itself and the cinematography – those alone are reasons that make it worth seeing.  Mikkelsen can hold the entire movie by not even having that much dialog; just his countenance alone speaks volumes in the context of almost any given scene as “the strong silent type”.  As far as the story is concerned, it is heartbreaking, but with a satisfying ending that resolves everything.  The cinematography is at its best in both the farming scenes and the battle scenes.  In fact, the vast open land is captured beautifully, despite that it’s supposed to be barren. 

If you get a chance to see “The Promised Land” either in a theater or via some streaming service, by all means, please do so; you won’t be disappointed.  It is ultimately a story about the discipline, determination and resilience of the species in the face of brutality, natural hardships and various other obstacles.  Think of it less as an historical drama or “Danish Western”, but instead about humanity at its core and how that humanity tries to be ripped away in the face of evil.  Its lesson ultimately appears to be that in spite of whatever ugliness we face in life, we are still all human beings.

 

"Fallen Leaves" -- Movie Review

 

At the close of the first weekend of the 61^st New York Film Festival, I attended a screening of the Finnish romantic comedy “Fallen Leaves”, directed by  Aki Kaurismäki.  

Synopsis

When two lonely people fail to connect due to a variety of circumstances, can they overcome each other’s shortcomings to finally become a couple?

Story

Helsinki residents Ansa (Alma Pöysti) and Holappa (Jussi Vatanen) have some things in common.  First of all, neither one of them is on the road to becoming a millionaire – she is a grocery story clerk and he is a laborer.  Holappa’s avocation is as a chain-smoker and an alcoholic.  Another thing they have in common is they are both single, have an attraction to each other and neither one can hold a job.  Ansa is fired from the grocery store when it’s discovered she took some expired food from the shelf; Holappa is let go from his job when it has been found out that he’s been drinking on the job. 

The two meet by accident one night at a local karaoke bar shortly after losing their respective job.  When Ansa finds employment at a pub where Holappa occasionally visits, she soon finds herself out of work when the place is shuttered by the police, who arrest the owner for drug trafficking.  Running into Holappa just as the cops arrive, he offers to take her out after getting a new job at a construction site.  They take in a movie that night, after which Ansa gives him her number in anticipation of another date – which never comes because the hapless Holappa somehow manages to lose the slip of paper on which it was written.

By happenstance, they run into each other again outside the same movie theater; she invites him to dinner at her place – but this time, when she gives him her address, Holappa makes sure to secure it so it won’t get lost this time.  Unfortunately, the dinner is not successful – they manage to get into a bit of a skirmish that night and he leaves.  Losing his construction job due to his drinking, Holappa winds up at a flophouse where he decides to quit alcohol; after calling Ansa to apologize and confess his sobriety, she once again invites him over – but when he fails to show up due to unforeseen circumstances, will they be able to overcome their various obstacles or remain forever alone?

Review

If it is possible to describe a romantic comedy as dysfunctional, then that perhaps is the best adjective to use to explain “Fallen Leaves” – but please don’t take that as a negative reaction.  Instead, it is appropriate to both the situation and the characters involved.  In spite of the flaws of the two people at the center of the story, you inevitably find yourself rooting for them to get together at the end, no matter the obstacles each other – and fate – put in their way.  Just as it is coincidence that keeps them apart, it is also coincidence that reunites them.  Of course, there's also Chaplin, who many believe steals the whole show.

Just about everything in “Fallen Leaves” is near perfect – the performances, the story, the production design, the soundtrack, you name it, it’s spot-on.  It’s easy to see why this film has been so openly embraced by many who’ve seen it because it really hits deep down to the human condition and the sense of loneliness and isolation some feel (in this case, due to socioeconomic conditions).  The lesson from the movie seems to be, “If you’re looking for a soul mate, be willing to overlook the flaws in others so that they are empowered to overlook your own flaws”.  If true, this may be a very valuable insight considering modern times.

Although this film was originally screened in October during the Film Festival, another viewing was recently attended because of its official release and the availability of its stars for a post-screening interview.  Alma Pöysti said that she was invited to lunch by director Aki Kaurismäki, who offered her the role; Jussi Vatanen was also invited to that same lunch where he was offered his role, too.  He said that at that time, Kaurismäki only had a vague idea of what the story would be and they did not get an actual script until about a year later.  The director told them both that there would not be any rehearsal, which proved to be something of a challenge for the two actors.