Friday, January 1, 2010
Thursday, December 31, 2009
DISTRICT 9
Director: Neill BlomkampStars: Sharlto Copley, Vanessa Haywood, David James, Jason Cope, William Allen Young
Year: 2009
Rating: R
District 9 is an original, well-told, well-made, and at times touching film about what happens when aliens from another planet land on earth ... and, for a change, we humans take over and force them to live our way (note: this is NOT a good thing). Set in Johannesburg, South Africa, the film opens with a gigantic mother ship that's been hovering over Johannesburg now for over two decades; in mockumentary/reality-TV style, we learn right off that the large ship has made no attempts at action, communication, or in fact anything since its arrival. Like a dead beast hanging in mid-air, the ship had been a huge question mark to the human race ... until a crew was sent up to investigate.
Inside, said crew found a large population of aliens that appeared to be malnourished, sickly, and fearful of any human contact. In order for them to survive, these aliens were brought down to earth - relocated, if you will - to District 9, a sort of "relocation camp" within the city where not only could they be housed ... but also watched. Not all of the aliens liked this arrangement, over time, and soon the entire section of District 9 became a low-income housing ghetto - complete with rampant crime, gangs (human and alien), and most of the district's residents (often raiding garbage cans for food) living in shacks instead of real homes. Things are, in other words, getting quite tense in this section of Johannesburg - with some human casualties involved, which only goes further to feed the alien prejudice growing within the city at large.
All of this thanks to MNU - Multi-National United - a huge conglomerate pretty much in charge of everything both scientific and military with regards to the aliens (who, by the way, have been nicknamed "prawns" because of their similar appearance to the animal - though it's also a dig at the fact that prawns tend to be scavengers). In fact, as the film opens MNU has decided to relocate the prawns into a concentration camp-type set-up outside of town, as things have become so strained between humans and aliens ... and the company has appointed newly-promoted worker bee Wikus Van De Merwe (Sharlto Copley) to head the relocation scheme.
It's never explained how humans are able to understand the prawns' language, but Wikus soon sets out, complete with a clipboard and a bevy of armed soldiers, into the ghettos of District 9, going door to door to inform each residnet that he/she is being evicted and has to leave immediately. It's a funny/odd process, watching this - the nerdy but singularly-opinionated Wikue even has each resident alien sign a form, acknowledging their understanding of the eviction - and soon Wikus and crew discover one particularly interesting shanty house, in town, where a prawn named Christopher (and his son) has an entire computer network set-up that is obviously a sign of something strange going on (in this world, you see, prawns are not allowed to have computers - or weapons, or really anything humans are allowed).
From some earlier foreshadowing, we indeed know that Christopher is plotting something (to leave earth with his small son), and while the alien "man" and child are taken outside, Wikus investigates their home further ... and ends up accidentally getting spritzed in the face by a metal cylinder he finds in his search. Initially getting a bit ill, Wikus ends up seemingly okay ... until, as his day goes on, he discovers that - incredibly - he's slowly turning into a prawn himself.
Worse still, MNU finds out - and learns they can use him to their advantage not only to learn more about the prawns, but also in developing some pretty intense weaponry. They do, in fact, plan to dissect Wikus - unless Wikus can not only escape from their experiments, but also make his way back to District 9 and the very prawns he loathes, in order to get help from the one being on earth who can maybe help him ... Christopher.
District 9's anti-apartheid message can't be missed here, but thankfully it's also not beating the viewer in the head with any obvious political agenda. The characters - both human and prawn - are amazingly real, the CGI effects seamlessly weaving into the human world so that never will you disbelieve what's going on on-screen. It's a beautifully-made film, and the story of the friendship/alliance eventually formed by Wikus and Christopher is, at the core, what gives District 9 its resonance; its heartbeat. Each character remains true to his nature, both good and bad, while learning to work with the other.
And this is my only complaint with the film, really - that the relationship between these two characters gets a little lost, in the end, in favor of explosions and violence and special effects. South African-born Sharlto Copley turns in a terrific performance as the nerdy, not entirely likable Wikus - who, in the end, must step up for a fight that, inside, he doesn't even entirely believe in. Copley's coming up in the new A-Team remake, and moviegoers on this side of the world will definitely be seeing more of him.
As said before, the look and feel of the movie are very original and spot-on - beautifully made - and the ending even has a touch of quiet hope and solemnity about it that may well tug at the heartstrings. Most importantly, with so much unoriginal science fiction hitting both theaters and television screens these days, District 9 offers a fresh, emotional take on an old story. And that alone, along with the quality of the production (much of which, I'm sure, is thanks producer Peter Jackson), makes it well worth seeing. ***1/2 - Reel Cool-Reel Awesome
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Friday, December 4, 2009
KID GALAHAD
Director: Michael Curtiz Stars: Edward G. Robinson, Bette Davis, Humphrey Bogart, Wayne Morris, Jane Bryan
Year: 1937
Rating: N/R
Long before Elvis Presley did the remake in 1962, three of the biggest names in Hollywood history - Edward G. Robinson, Bette Davis, and Humphrey Bogart - teamed up for this 1937 release featuring Robinson as fight promoter Nick Donati, who has just lost his best fighter thanks to a crooked deal the guy cut with Donati's biggest competition, Turkey Morgan (Bogart) to throw the big fight.
Now Morgan holds the heavyweight title winner under his thumb - but things soon change when, during a wild party at Donati's Miami hotel, a tall, good-looking farmboy named Ward Guisesnberry (Wayne Morris) - working as a bellhop to save money so he can buy his own farm - punches out the heavyweight champ with one blow, while defending the honor of Nicky's girlfriend, Louise "Fluff" Phillips (Bette Davis).
Nicky's suitably impressed (as much as Turkey Morgan is suitably ticked off), and when he puts the bellhop into a real boxing ring, to see if he really has the goods to fight, Guisenberry - soon dubbed "Kid Galahad" by Fluff - quickly works his way up, bout after bout, until he stands a shot at winning the heavyweight champ title himself. Complications arise, however, when Fluff not only falls in love with Galahad ... but also when the Kid meets Nicky's sweet, unspoiled baby sister Marie (Jane Bryan). See, Nicky's spent his life taking care to make sure Marie attends a convent school, remains simple and pure, and never - EVER - gets involved with fighters, or in any way with the unscrupulous types or business he himself has gotten into. And as Kid and Marie fall in love, trying to keep things from Nicky, Turkey Morgan is also developing a plan to put Kid Galahad out of commission for good.
For such an amazing powerhouse cast (Davis and Bogart are my all-time favorite actors, and I've always had a soft place in my heart for Edward G. Robinson, since seeing Little Caesar so many years ago), somehow I found the film still lacking. Oh, the cast is terrific - even if Jane Bryan can't really keep up with the trio of all-stars she's playing with - and that includes Wayne Morris, who almost seems to BE the naive farmboy, rather than playing him.
But the fight sequences aren't particularly satisfying (one, in fact, is so obviously sped up, the film going at fast-forward through the whole thing, it ends up being distracting), and in general there's a corniness to the story that's more trite than endearing. Davis pretty much steals the film from her co-stars, playing Fluff with real heart and kindness, while Bogart does his so menacing in this early supporting role, you can easily see, here, why he would soon become a film mega-star in his own right.
Maybe it's me - I'm not that into fight films - but while I enjoyed the movie, there was just something lacking. Definitely worth seeing, thanks to the performances of the top-notch cast, but somehow lacking overall. **1/2 - Reel Mediocre-Reel Cool
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
HALF KENNETH
Director: Ken Ochiai Stars: Avery Dennis, Hunter Dennis, Chris Tashima, Sab Shimono
Year: 2009
Rating: N/R
It would usually not even occur to me to review short films for this blog - if for no other reason than sometimes they can be difficult for the general public to get to and see - but that mindset has been changed for me via the extraordinary Half Kenneth, a short film by director Ken Ochiai that's getting so much praise and critical acclaim around the world ... all of it deserved.
Originally produced by Ochiai as an AFI thesis film, Half Kenneth tells the simple but very effective story of Kenneth Handa, a young Japanese-American teen who - along with his father and younger brother Jo - has been placed into southern California's Manzanar War Relocation Camp since the beginning of World War II. As the film opens, it is three years since their imprisonment, and Kenneth and Jo's father has just died. Immediately, the boys are informed that they will be moved to live with the other orphans in the camp - but Kenneth has other ideas.
He's not an orphan, he insists - in fact, his Caucasian mother lives only hours away ... and Kenneth becomes determined to escape the camp and get back to her. Sneaking aboard a camp infirmary truck making runs outside of the camp for the day, Kenneth is ready to face whatever he must to find his mother - but things get complicated when his little brother Jo sneaks aboard the truck at the last minute, and there's no time to get him off again. With Kenneth now responsible for Jo, the two set off together to find their mother ... not realizing that sometimes, in search of the truth, we don't always find what we seek.
This is a terrific, emotionally-charged film that turns an eye onto a dark period of American history few know, or even think of, today. Avery Dennis gives the exact-right blend of heart, humor and determination to young Kenneth, and Oscar winner Chris Tashima (Best Live-Action Short Film, for 1997's Visas and Virtue) - as the driver of the truck the boys sneak out on - delivers an equally effective performance as the poor guy who finds himself in an impossible position when he discovers the two stowaways.
Most importantly, there is a life and vitality to the film, via the cinematography as well as the authentic performances that Ochiai gets from all his actors (Sab Shimono, how WONDERFUL to see you again; you've been missed!). Never do you get a sense that anyone is "acting" in Half Kenneth; indeed, the feel of the time period, and the emotions of both the characters and storyline the film evokes, almost make the film documentary-like in appearance - an indication of not only director Ochiai's talent, but also of the security of his future as a filmmaker.
If you ever get the chance to see Half Kenneth, via a festival (it's played many of them around the globe) or even online or on DVD - take it. I've seen full-length features that didn't move or involve me half as much as this short film did.
And if you don't believe me, check out the list of awards the film has already garnered: Jury Prize from Directors Guild of America, Governor of Tokyo Award, Best Short Film in Japan Category at the Short Shorts Film Festival (Academy Certified, the largest film festival for short film in Asia), The Sylvia (Best American Short Film - Rome International Film Festival), The Seahorse Award for Best Short Film (Moondance International Film Festival), Best Cinematography Award in the U.S. and Canada from Kodak Film Competition, Third Place in Short Film Category at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (Academy Certified), and Semi-Finalist at the Angelus Student Film Festival. ****1/2 - Reel Awesome-Reel Must-See
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