REVIEW of film: “CERTIFIED COPY” [ = Report # 13 re 46th CIFF ]

2010, 10-01:

REVIEW of film: “CERTIFIED COPY”  [ = Report # 13 re 46^th CIFF ]

       

            REPORT # 13 on the 2010  46^th CHICAGO INT’L FILM FESTIVAL =     

This is the new film by Director ABBAS KIAROSTAMI that won star JULIETTE BINOCHE the Best Actress award at the CANNES Film Festival…

…  Some films are what I call mainly “ACTING EXERCISES”.  By that I mean, the major actors may have taken their parts because they can do a good job at “biting into” their roles, & yet the film as a WHOLE may well not be all that “ENJOYABLE” for audiences (or, at least to this one)...

...  As an example, I give you Julia Roberts’ role in “EAT PRAY LOVE”.  Sadly, I found this NEW French movie in the SAME “category” (of “acting EXERCISES”) as far as I was concerned:

…  JULIETTE BINOCHE is a gallery owner / antique dealer named Elle.  She (a single parent living in Italy) takes her 12-ish son to a lecture being given by a famous British author named James Miller (WILLIAM SHIMELL) who was promoting his book “CERTIFIED COPY” (“Copie Conforme” in French)...

...  The book & lecture concern whether copies of things are as “good” or as worthwile as the “ORIGINAL” (& the various “levels” of copy quality levels such as in antiques)…

…  At one point, she invites author William to her home (which is also her “shop”) filled with antiques & “copies” of them, to in-effect get his “opinion” of what she has.  A great deal of time is spent discussing & arguing the subject of “artistic originals” & the like...

...  All-in-all, she seems to have a “NEED” for people to AGREE with her, & becomes a bit “weird” if they don’t…

…  To me, a lot of their “positions” on the subject quickly become dry & BORING, rehashed over & over again in various not-very-interesting “forms” (with him expounding on how it might be better to get a good COPY rather than wasting time with originals, etc.)…  The film may well be mainly about the artifices of the PEOPLE highlighted in it, rather than in tangible “objects”…

…  For some reason, William agrees to join her on an outing into the Italian countryside, where she wants to show him some more examples of “originals” & copies in a small town (to sort of “convince” him of her positions)… 

...  The Fest Schedule states that “Their banter… is filled with FLIRTATION…” --  but I think that description of their communication is overly “generous”:   to me, it was often vacuous & suffused with trying to “impress” each other with false “sophistication” (mainly on William’s part)…

…  Altho the Schedule says “the nature of their relationship becomes ambiguous when an honest MISUNDERSTANDING—” arises, to me, Juliette was clearly WORKING to give people the impression that she & William were a MARRIED couple (rather than there being much of any real in-depth “misinterpretation”)…

…  Juliette (to me) appears to live in a “DREAM WORLD” of considerable UN-reality at times.  She goes out of her way to TELL people they supposedly had been married for “15 years”, wants them to be included in photos of a young couple about to BE married, and so on… 

…  For some reason, William bit-by-bit starts to go “ALONG” with her charade, even when they’re talking just between themselves.  I saw no logical “PURPOSE” to their “married couple” discussions;  it was like an exercise in trying to exhibit intellectual “superiority”...

...  Juliette keeps trying to “convince” him to do things as a “married” couple, & becomes “bizarre” when he keeps FIGHTING her ideas…    

…  In the midst of their “role-playing” as a “couple”, they continue their vapid discussions of things like “FAKE jewelry is as good as ORIGINALS”, talk about their “anniversary”, etc.  Their discussions are (to use a line in the film) “intentionally AIMLESS”, & I found it hard to get very “invested” in their meaningless debates...

...  (Maybe the director WANTED the audience to be fed up?...  If so, he succeeded brilliantly in my case!…)

…  At one point, William expounds on his belief that “the whole PURPOSE of life is to have PLEASURE”, & Juliette (typically) disagrees with that & starts more “circular” discussions on that subject… 

...  Juliette enlists an elderly tourist couple to try to convince William that she’s right that a statue in the square is great because the woman in it is laying her head on the man’s shoulder…  It’s all so massively UNIMPORTANT & frequently uninteresting overall!...

…  The poster for the film describes it as “An original LOVE story.”  To me, there’s almost NO real love in this film, outside of possibly some SELF-love (mainly on the part of William’s character)!...

…  Juliette does indeed give a FINE acting performance, as a somewhat flighty, OBSESSED woman.  But (as you may well tell from my previous comments), I was quite DISAPPOINTED in the movie on the whole, NOT enjoying it as an “overall” experience.  For the acting, I’ll rate it a 7 out of 10 stars…

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Review of film: “THE MINUTEMEN” [ = Report # 12 on 46th CIFF ]

2010, 09-30:

Review of film:  “THE MINUTEMEN”  [ = Report # 12 on 46^th CIFF ]

            REPORT # 12 on the 2010  46^th CHICAGO INT’L FILM FESTIVAL =     

This documentary features a bunch of “memorable” characters.  The Fest’s schedule describes the plot as “… the SELF-appointed watchdogs of the U.S. / Mexico border are taking the ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION issue into their OWN hands”…

…  COREY WASCINSKI filmed this film over a period of 4 years, & you thus see certain attitudes & relationships “TRANSFORM” to a degree over time--  not necessarily for the “better”!... 

...  Most of the Minutemen tend to be gun-toting retired older people, some with “eccentricities” bordering on the potentially DANGEROUS…  You also have some segments wherein PRO-immigration people are “watching the ‘WATCHERS’ as they patrol the borders in Arizona and California…

…  The main character is ROBERT “LIL’ DOG” CROOKS (who’s scheduled to ATTEND one or more of the Festival’s screenings).  He’s got very strong opinions, as do most others such as DIRK “THE SHERIFF” BUCK, MAX “MAD MAX” KENNEDY, BLACK RICHARD, BRIT “KING FISH” CRAIG, “GADGET MAN”, ‘CHRIS SIMCOX & others…

…  One guy shows a rail tunnel between Mexico & the U.S., & states that the only “I.D.” he needs is his “COLT” handgun…  Another warns about the Latin immigrants trying to illegally cross the border that, “Pretty soon, they’re gonna be in your YARD!”…

…  Most of the self-styled border defenders claim they’re working trying to stop DRUG-smuggling & people who are “wrongly” trying to take jobs native-born AMERICANS “should” have...

...  JEFF “EL JEFE” SCHWILK often works with video-toting CHRISTIE “MINUTEMOM” CZAKOWSKI & they regularly “RAG” on Latinos who are waiting at an area looking for temp JOBS, claiming they’re “loitering”, they should get “JOBS”, & they should go “home” & leave the jobs to real “AMERICANS”... 

…  Christie keeps claiming she has a “right” to stick video recorders in their faces in “public” places, stating at one point that, “Our cameras are our friends!”… 

...  When one young Latino (FELIPE ?) points out he IS a U.S. citzen & is there trying to get some WORK (at a home improvement store or wherever) so he can help feed his FAMILY -- as the others are ALSO trying to do --, Jeff & Christie sarcastically (& to me, arrogantly) “DOUBT” his claim…  He doesn’t back down, stating, “You’ve got to FEED your kids anyway!...”

…  Jeff insists the Latinos are “taking jobs you’re NOT ENTITLED to”.  He tends to come across (as the Latino points out) as being “RACIST” in the way he treats others & the way he (& others) harangue other people (such as Latinos demonstrating in favor of immigration REFORM, including backing the position of ENRIQUE MORONES)…

…  As the film goes on, when certain authorities start to make efforts to PROSECUTE Jeff & Christie & others for ATTACKING people living in some shanty towns in California, Jeff tends to “TURN” on Christie, concerned that her actions (which she herself once describes as “ADD”-based) might get him in more TROUBLE.  The violent anger expressed is sort of a frightening “commentary” on their efforts…

…  Crooks (& others) keep saying the “Border Patrol” supposedly “ASKED” them for their help in “watching” people trying to cross the border, & keep speaking of how they’re “PATRIOTS” & concerned about “DRUGS” coming into the country… 

...  They claim they’ve watched over “the deaths of thousands” of people caused by those trying to smuggle others into the U.S., & demand that the “government” start doing MORE to keep people OUT of the country...

…  One person points out how the land there was TAKEN from Mexico in various illegal WARS originally.  Crooks claims that people trying to cross into the U.S. want “rights” & freedoms, “but DON’T want to PAY anything for it…  We need to ENFORCE the laws we already have!...”, & he doesn’t want to give any of them “amnesty”…  Another person bemoans the situation that, supposedly, “It’s NO longer really a FREE country—” here…

…  When Crooks sees an Army helicopter flying overhead as he’s on “patrol”, he happily exclaims, “That’s what it’s all ABOUT!…  We’re gonna stop the TRAUMA on the border!...”, &, “I officially declared this part of the country AMERICAN again!...” 

…  Christie at one point speaks of how she seems to suffer under “A.D.D.” a bit.  After going around harassing some people, she states there’s loads of condoms & “prostitution” going on around San Diego, she says the government needs to “make affordable housing for our OWN homeless citizens FIRST—”, rather than spending money on helping people in OTHER countries…

...   Crooks can be heard crowing near the border fence towards the end of the film that, “We raise the FLAG!...  We like to TORTURE our UNWANTED ‘visitors’ to RETURN to their ‘Homeland’!...”, & fires a GUN towards some of them as two women friends behind him laugh & take still photos of the “confrontation”… 

…  Another guy states about illegals trying to cross the border that, “A lot of them are sort of INDENTURED servants—” to the “mules” who try to bring them across for money…  A pro-immigration woman says she feels the Minutemen “vigilantes” are NOT PROSECUTED “because they’re basically acting-out U.S. POLICY”…

…  One of the more “realistic” Minutemen comments about how he feels “Americans are FAT & LAZY…  It’s SAD.  No doubt about it…”  Crooks remarks about the government authorities that “They can’t see the BIG picture!...” 

…  After suffering a heart attack, Crooks says, “A Minutemen believes in a strong, SAFE America—”, & he dislikes money being spent overseas instead of “protecting & securing the BORDER”…

...  Another Minuteman comments on how certain members were lately attacking the efforts of OTHERS in the loosely allied “group” (which one guy describes as “old RETIRED Patriots”)…

…  What do I think of the film?  Well, it’s FASCINATING on a number of levels--  but I’m always more than a little “leery” when people work so HARD to try to convince themselves & others of how supposedly “PATRIOTIC” they are… 

...  In other words--  sometimes, the country needs to be protected FROM the OVER-zealous & those who are really “PLASTIC Patriots” (including certain ex-big-shots in the Federal Government)…  I’d rate this 7.5 out of 10 stars…

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REVIEW of film: “FAMILY TREE” [ = Report # 11 on 46th CIFF ]

2010, 09-30:

REVIEW of film: “FAMILY TREE”  [ = Report # 11 on 46^th CIFF ]

      REPORT # 11 on the 2010  46^th CHICAGO INT’L FILM FESTIVAL =     

In this French film (originally titled “L’Arbre Et La Foret”), it seems the “tree” is inherently “BROKEN”, with a bunch of partially defective “BRANCHES”:

…  The 77-year-old father of the family is named Frederick (played by GUY MARCHAND).  His eldest son Charles has just died--  & he has REFUSED to attend his FUNERAL.  That deeply angers his next oldest son, Guillaume (FRANCOIS NEGRET), whose fury is expanded by the fact he has a drinking problem…

…  Frederick’s wife Marianne (FRANCOISE FABIAN) makes “excuses” for Frederick , & even Charles’ daughter Delphine (SABRINA SEYVECOU) complains more about Guillaume’s attitude than about the actions of the father...

...  Her boyfriend, Remi (YANNICK REVIER), tends to be very easy-going, & goes along with Delphine.  Charles’ wife Francoise (CATHERINE MOUCHET) is also understanding.  As one of them says, “Your father’s always done his ‘OWN thing’…”

…  The Festival Schedule accurately describes the film as being about “a family that DOESN’T KNOW itself”…  As people mill around the father’s countryside home, bit-by-bit, many TRUTHS start to come out about the family, starting with revelations from Frederick-- who explains WHY he did not attend the ceremony…

…  Later, the father (who loudly plays Wagner music all the time) tells of being born in Alsace, & relates how he was turned over to the NAZIS by French GOVERNMENTAL authorities…  He’d claimed in the past that it was because of his “political” beliefs--  but, to the family members, he admits that WASN’T TRUE, & the real reason was something known by Charles & helped cause them to grow apart & HATE each other starting many years ago…

…  While his wife Marianne knew the real reason for the break, the other children did NOT know, & their learning the “shameful” truth has many repercussions… 

...  We learn why Frederick is so “attached” to the large tree just outside the house (planted after he got home from World War II), & why he’s made his money doing forestry work on his property…  Other secrets come out, such as regarding how he & his wife separated for a time & then got back together again…

…  Guillaume felt unloved by his father, & in time admits certain things about HIMSELF (after initially denying them).  He quietly tries to get MONEY from his father, although Delphine doesn’t agree with Guillaume’s wishes when she learns of the plans...

...  Later, it’s explained why she’s so solicitous of her grandfather Frederick…  We also learn information about the relationship between Charles & his wife…

… One of the people involved says they DON’T NEED the money from a proposed sale of Frederick’s property, & is told by someone there, “Just TAKE it--  make us HAPPY!”…  As disagreements rise up, one of the family member’s comments, “It’s like you want to LIQUIDATE the PAST!”…  

...  And a “postscript” points out how it took the French government until 2001 before it revealed the TRUTH about some of its disgraceful wartime actions dealt with in this film…

…  Yes, it’s most certainly a DYSFUNCTIONAL family we meet here--  but it’s fascinating to see the “onion” of truth “peeled open”, layer-by layer, & I’d rate this well-acted drama a 7.5 out of 10 stars…

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Review of film: "HANNA"

2010, 03-30:

Review of film:  “HANNA”

                                   Like “HANNAH MONTANA” via TARANTINO...

This is an “ODD” little film, almost akin to a “take your daughter to WORK” day, where the “job” is VENGEANCE...

... Hanna (SAOIRSE RONAN) is a 16-year-old girl tracking an animal in the forests of Finland...  She’s soon attacked by a man named Erik (ERIC BANA).  They get into a knock-down, drag-out fight with each other...  And then, you realize Eric is her FATHER...

...  It seems he (an ex-CIA agent) has been working all her life to “TRAIN” her in protecting herself & to also be an ASSASSIN able to confront those who have been “stalking” them for years...  She has unusual strength and endurance, and “how” she got the “basis” of all that is part of the many “SECRETS” interspersed thru the film...

...  Saoirse is pursued by agents sent by a CIA leader named Marissa (CATE BLANCHETT).  One of them involved in the operation is CIA Tech 1 (PARIS ARROWSMITH) & another is her aide, Lewis (JOHN MacMILLAN)..

...  Bit-by-bit, we see Cate is in-effect a “ROGUE” secret agent doing a lot of things “under the table”, according to her OWN personal “agenda”...  Saoirse is imprisoned, but her past preparation helps her ESCAPE from her captors...

...  We see she’s runaway in MOROCCO, and “attaches” herself to a touring British family traveling by van thru the area...  (Altho Saoirse has long golden blonde hair that’d normally make her stand out like a “sore thumb” in the Islamic culture there, all the local males seem basically “blind” to her presence--  one of a number of plot weaknesses in the movie...)

...  Anyway, Cate arranges for some “off the normal payroll” slimeball types to track down & “OFF” Saoirse (as others are going after ERIC for the same purpose in Europe)...  This leads to a bunch of  violent, no-holds-barred FIGHTS between the various parties as they travel around...

...  Saoirse knows little about her real “BACKGROUND”, as she’s been “home-trained” by Eric who hasn’t revealed much...  As she runs around & meets people who know Eric, she learns a lot more about herself & him, & a lot of it is very UPSETTING to her...

...  Will Saoirse find out her true “history”?...  Will Cate & her goons FIND Eric and Saoirse, & if so, what will HAPPEN to them?...

...  There are some good “creative” elements to the story, almost of a sort of “SCI-FI” basis...  But, they are at times “overwhelmed” by the EXCESSES of the action, the story, and the music score... 

...  To me, there wasn’t enough given the audience about the “conditions” of CATE  & her “relationship” to Saoirse (which is one of the most intriguing elements brought forth in the overall story)... 

...  And, while that is too “little”, the level of violence (which my friend Tim commented reminded him of a TARANTINO “hand” in the film) is often OVERDONE...  Meanwhile, only slight attention is paid to what is likely to “BECOME” of Saoirse & “her” story... 

... The film is well acted & has a certain “stylishness” to it, especially involving the many “ACTION” scenes in the thriller...  But, too MUCH of it is “style” over “substance” (what with weaknesses in plot & “resolution”)...  That in part is why I’m just rating it at 7 out of 10 stars...

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