Archive for June, 2007

El Bola

Published
by
Jason Chu
on June 5, 2007
in DVD, DVD Clubs and Film Movement
. Closed

El Bola (Pellet)

El Bola (Pellet) (Director: Achero Mañas, Spain, 2000): Pablo’s nickname is Pellet, hence the title of this film. I didn’t know anything about this film before popping it in the DVD player, so I had no idea what kind of a ride I was in for.

The ride was great. Performances are authentic and at times, appropriately subtle. The actual subject matter doesn’t arise until almost halfway through the film; a style that doesn’t always work, but definitely does here.

Pellet loiters around town with some of his misfit, daredevil peers and befriends the new kid at school, Alfredo. Alfredo provides Pellet with a simple camaraderie that Pellet seems to never have known before, and he is obviously needy for this kind of friendship. Still, he initially feels out of place in certain situations, such as spending time in Alfredo’s family environment; granted, Alfredo’s family environment may not be the most “normal”, but we soon see why Pellet is tentative.

El Bola (Pellet)

The film touches indirectly on a lot of themes and situations that are not very developed, but I appreciate the realistic snapshot of time-and-place that this method provides; they also work to advance characters rather than plot. We never really get the story on some of the supporting characters but it ends up not really mattering; somehow the subtle oddities of certain people and events gives the film a “truth is stranger than fiction” sort of backdrop.

I was very impressed with the lead actor Juan José Ballesta, who played the title character at only thirteen years of age. I didn’t recognize him at first, but later realized that I saw him in person a couple of years ago at TIFF when he was in town to promote the film 7 vírgenes.

El Bola is a powerful film that deserves the many awards and nominations that it received. It is a moving story that is painful at times and heartwarming at others. It authenticates itself through its photography, characters, performances and sadly, the story itself. I think that Jay would consider this to be a “Jason Chu film”, so it’s no surprise that many moments of it recall Truffaut’s Les Quatre cents coups (The 400 Blows).

Note: Film Movement featured this film as their Year 1 Film 1. That’s right, it was their very first pick. As an added bonus, the film is on sale right now for half price, making it a bargain even for non-subscribers to Film Movement’s service.

Official site for the film (Spanish only)

Death Note

Published
by
James McNally
on June 5, 2007
in DVD
. 4 Comments

Death Note (Desu nôto)

Death Note (Desu nôto) (Director: Shusuke Kaneko, Japan, 2006): Based upon a very popular manga, Death Note has since been made into an anime television series, but this live-action version, along with its sequel, Death Note: The Last Name, ruled the Japanese box-office last year. The concept seemed interesting: Light Yagami is a law student and son of a local police investigator, hoping to follow his father into a career involving the law. One night he finds an empty notebook that promises “The human whose name is written in this note shall die.” Pretty soon, criminals all over Japan are dropping like flies, and the police are trying to track down the vigilante responsible for these mysterious deaths. They call in the elusive “L” (described ludicrously as “the world’s top detective”) to help them crack the case. Later, we find out “L” is just a sullen teenager with a sweet tooth, but that makes about as much as sense as the rest of the movie.

I’ve previously mentioned my interest in Japanese anime, but I’ve never really gotten into manga in a big way, mostly because this type of fiction generally sacrifices character and believable plots in the interest of keeping the action going and appealing to their chosen demographic. All these flaws are present in this film adaptation of the manga. The very fact that both protagonists are teenaged boys living in Japan seemed funny, but that was nothing compared to some of the plot holes and stunning coincidences necessary to move this story along to its conclusion. Death Note makes Japan look like a nation bursting at the seams with violent and unremorseful psychopaths, when in reality the crime rate is quite low. And there are really no sympathetic characters at all, since Light, who started by trying to rid the world of crime, ends up killing anyone who gets too close to finding out who he is.

The film is slickly made, for the most part (well, except that the “Reaper” who originally dropped the notebook for Light to find looks like a giant grinning marionette). But it’s unbearably silly. Death Note is obviously entertaining for many people, judging by its commercial success; just not people like me, I guess.

Official site for the film

5/10(5/10)

Paprika

Published
by
James McNally
on June 4, 2007
in Theatrical Release
. 5 Comments

Paprika

Paprika (Director: Satoshi Kon, Japan, 2006): I’m not really a genuine otaku nor do I aspire to be, but I do have a little bit of experience with Japanese anime, including the films of Hiyao Miyazaki (Spirited Away, My Neighbour Totoro) and the excellent sci-fi series Ergo Proxy. So I don’t claim to know or understand all of the conventions of Japanese animation. With that disclaimer out of the way, I can honestly say that Paprika (or “Papurika” which is the Japanese title) is quite a trip. Like many anime, the plot is tricky, but the visuals are absolutely eye-popping. The fact that the film is based on a well-known and popular novel by Japanese sci-fi master Yasutaka Tsutsui led to high expectations among Japanese audiences, who have received the film enthusiastically.

Paprika

The press kit synopsis: “Dr. Atsuko Chiba is a genius scientist by day, and a kick-ass dream warrior named PAPRIKA by night. In this psychedelic sci-fi adventure, it will take the skills of both women to save the world. In the near future, a revolutionary new psychotherapy treatment called PT has been invented. Through a device called the “DC Mini” it is able to act as a “dream detective” to enter into people’s dreams and explore their unconscious thoughts. Before the government can pass a bill authorizing the use of such advanced psychiatric technology, one of the prototypes is stolen, sending the research facility into an uproar. In the wrong hands, the potential misuse of the device could be devastating, allowing the user to completely annihilate a dreamer’s personality while they are asleep. Renowned scientist, Dr. Atsuko Chiba, enters the dream world under her exotic alter-ego, code name “PAPRIKA,” in an attempt to discover who is behind the plot to undermine the new invention.”

Paprika is like Dr. Chiba’s subconscious self, or her id, flirty and pixieish, but she is able to do things the uptight Dr. Chiba can’t do. It’s funny that later in the film, Paprika refers to herself as “the missing spice.” With the help of police detective Konakawa and the device’s inventor, the food-loving Dr. Tokita, this Spice Girl will make the world safe again.

Though the plot is almost ridiculously complex, it’s a very fun ride, just to see what the animators can come up with next. Some of the film’s most memorable images wouldn’t be out of place in the off-kilter world of videogame Katamari Damacy. Along with the visuals, the jaunty electronic score adds to the cool factor, making Paprika a sort of Spirited Away for grownups.

The film opens in limited release in Toronto on June 15th.

Official site for the film

8/10(8/10)

Microcinema

Published
by
James McNally
on June 4, 2007
in Magazines and Theatrical Release
. Closed
Cineaste, Summer 2007

The Summer 2007 issue of Cineaste has an interesting article by Rebecca Alvin about the emergence of “microcinemas” in unusual spaces and places. With the rise of multiplexes and the corresponding demise of the single-screen “arthouse” cinemas, it’s heartening to read about new ways for cinephiles to enjoy films in a public setting. Most interesting of all, for me, is the “guerrilla drive-in” concept behind MobMov, a group of more than 3,000 people from all over the world who are getting together to watch films which otherwise might be ignored, and doing it in a way that promotes discussion and socializing. I’m hoping to find out more about the Toronto group, and although I don’t own a car, I’m sure that won’t exclude me from the next screening.

In fact, the movement was inspired by the Santa Cruz Guerrilla Drive-In, a group of people without cars who just show up in some public area with a projector and show films. Like a flash mob, people are notified at the last minute where and when to show up, making the event a political statement about reclaiming public spaces as well as an opportunity to watch some great films.