Review: Youth Without Youth

In Heart of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse, a brilliant documentary about making of Apocalypse Now, Francis Ford Coppola said he was on a learning process while making that film, as he delved into mysteriousness of jungle. In the end, his on-screen works is like a reflection to his own experience. Many years later (20 years to be exact) and 10 years gap from his latest directorial effort (1997’s The Rain Maker), Coppola tried to do exact same thing like he did in the past.

Youth Without Youth is interesting, yet undeniably confusing tale of Dominic Matei (Tim Roth) who is a professor of language and philosophy in early 19th century. His goal is trying to accomplish a research that he claims to be the key of all human's language. But as it turns out, it might be impossible to finish it after all. This research changed his behavior from fascination into obsession. As he lose everything he loves including his fiancé, Veronica (Alexandra Maria Lara), he has nothing left to live on. Many years later, in a blink of World War II, 77-years-old Dominic is on the way to end his miserable life. But then, lightening suddenly stuck at him before he has a chance to do so. The lightening didn’t kill him, instead it miraculously rejuvenates his life. Now, he looks like in mid-30’s and gave him a supernatural abilities like reading book without open it, mind bending psychic or even developing his own Dr. Jerkyll and Mr. Hyde-like alter-ego.

After World War II's over, Dominic is traveling throughout the world. He began to look into his research again since now he has a plenty of times to do. But then, he accidentally met his fiancé’s dead ringer named Laura (also played by Alexandra Maria Lara). As it turned out, she also happened to be stuck by lightening and develops another supernatural ability which she can speak ancient languages while she slept. Dominic knows right away that it might be an only chance for him to accomplish his unfinished project. But it came with one sacrifice condition, if he decides to stay with her, it might be the way to ending her life.

There's an only one different thing between getting lost in the jungle of Philippines and getting lost in freezing cold city of Romania. And that is Youth Without Youth lose its audience’s commitment as we keep accompany him to his personal enlightenment (in another words, he wasn't wholeheartedly let us ride along in this time around). With his beyond comprehensible dialogs about metaphysical theory and non-linear stories that keep tangled up like a maze, Youth Without Youth seem to be a failure. No, it's magnificent failure from the master of modern cinema living today.

The cast is another story here, since they served their duty pretty well especially Tim Roth (again, one of the most unused actor living today) who would do all it take to make us believe in the protagonist. And he seemed to really understand what Francis Ford Coppola is trying to achieve. The movie also accompanied by beautiful score (if shamelessly cloying) by Osvaldo Golijov and surprisingly neat cinematography by Mihai Malaimare Jr.

Youth Without Youth require a multiple viewing, in order to understand some of its massages. Truth be told, I didn't really get it. Coppola once said in the interview that this story is very personal to him. Well, maybe this film wasn’t exactly making for us. It's sure gonna make a lot of people frustrated. For me, I'm just glad that he's back to work again.

BloodyMonday Rating:
2/4

Review: Longford

Talk show Host: “But hasn't she destroyed you? She's... she's ruined your good name; she's taken all the hard work you did and thrown it back in your face.”
Lord Longford: “If people think that makes me weak... or mad... so be it. That is the path I am committed to. To love the sinner, but hate the sins. To assume the best in people, and not the worst. To believe that anyone, no matter how evil, can be redeemed... eventually.”

Well, for the past 20 or so years in my life, I haven’t seen any human being capable to do something like that. There must only be a saint or even a god thyself to achieve it. So if you ask me, I don’t exactly believe what I saw in the film. But, be that as it may, I’m pretty sure that if you have to choose someone to represent this believes, Lord Longford is your man.

Based on true story of Lord Frank Aungier Pakenham, 7th Earl of Longford (Jim Broadbent) who tirelessly delicate all his time and life to the prisoner right. The movie emphasized on his controversial, colorful, headline-making friendship with one of Britain's most notorious criminals, child murderess Myra Hindley (Samantha Morton). It was the most terrifying incident at that time which caused by her and her partner Ian Brady (Andy Serkis).

The story, for me, failed as the motion picture. There is neither suspense nor plot-wise coherent (ie. the movie seems awkwardly jump from present to future). But if we look at it as if it was stage play or even documentary, it was a huge success. The writer, Peter Morgan (who had a golden year with The Queen and The Last King of Scotland) expertly kept all his lines to be sharp and witty in every-single-scene and gave to all equally expert actors to handle.

Jim Broadbent proves, once again, that he really is one of the best actors in United Kingdom. His Transformation in both appearance and gesture is uncanny with the real Lord Longford. Samantha Morton is also mesmerizing. Her ambiguity and low-key performance successfully made us completely understand who she really is, if not feel sympathized. Also, Andy Serkis is truly terrifying as her partner in crime. His screen time was limited, but he was worth every second of it.

(Last scene)
Myra Hindley: You know, we only missed it by a few weeks.
Lord Longford: What?
Myra Hindley: The death sentence. They abolished it while we were on remand. Looking back, don't you think it would have been better for everyone if they'd just hung us?
Lord Longford: Certainly not! Only God has the right to take human life.
Myra Hindley: Would He not have wanted to give the families that comfort?
Lord Longford: None of us knows the true purpose of our lives on earth... Besides, had you been hanged, I would never have had the privilege of getting to know you!
Myra Hindley: You really believe that, don't you?........Must be a rather nice place to be.
Lord Longford: Where?
Myra Hindley: Inside your head.
Lord Longford: Oh! I'm not so sure about that!
Myra Hindley: A fine pair we are, then.
(The end)

I haven’t listened to any simple yet thought provoking line for such a long time. It also used as whole fundamental story that the filmmaker wanted us to tell us. This is a movie where people are bonded, no matter how evil of some people really are; deep down, they are still hoping to reach for an ordinary life.

BloodyMonday Rating:
3/4

Review: Reign Over Me

Watching "Reign Over Me" is slow but rewarding experience. There are too many flaws that prevent this one to be best film of the year. But one important thing that the director, Mike Binder did it right is he fully aware of all problems cannot be solve in its limited time (2 hours+). We completely trust that not only life within the picture is real, but also life beyond the picture is really matters.

The movie shows us two individual men. They were college roommate and after graduation, they went on separate way and never saw each other again. Alan Johnson (Don Cheadle) leads a prefect life as he has decent job (the dentist) and beautiful wife with two lovely daughters. Charlie Fineman (Adam Sandler) had the same perfect life at one point until his beautiful wife and lovely three daughters killed in 9/11. Some years later, Alan accidentally met Charlie on the street of NY, the story of sadness, agony and redemption has just begun.

It's obvious that why people are getting so emotional with 9/11 incident. This is such a delicate territory. So many people have lost their life or their family members in this heart-breaking piece of history. But I think "Reign Over Me" poorly used an incident as emotional-driven tool. 9/11 was brought up but never materialized. In fact, it would be better if the filmmaker never use that incident and turn all his focuses to emphasize on one human loss.

If we really look at the core of this film, there is greatness lies within the story especially for Adam Sandler's character. Charlie Fineman is a grief ridden man who buried his tragic past behind. He cannot talks or let other talk about his late family. He doesn't want to forget his family, but he also doesn't want to remember his family too much. I think Adam Sandler did a marvelous job as Charlie Fineman (by both acting and appearance). His scene in finale with his wife's parents got me tear up. Don Cheadle also gave an impressive (if not memorable) turn as Charlie's friend. Its shame that after a promising start, where I can see some of his trouble lie in emotion, his story was completely disappear in a second half.

The supporting casts are also a major letdown for me. Jada Pinkett Smith (as Alan's wife), Live Tyler (Alan's psychiatrist friend) and especially Saffron Burrows (psychotic woman, whom I think, shown up in a wrong movie) are all wasted. And also an unnecessary courtroom showdown which is seem manipulate and ridiculous (yet, I admit, it works).

Anyway, I can forgive all these flaws because Charlie's story was so well told. "Reign Over Me" is a simple story of friendship and loss that has its heart in the right place. In fact, it has more heart than any other picture of this year so far.

BloodyMonday Rating:
3/4

Review: Tideland

You have no idea what have you got yourself into when allowing Terry Gilliam has 100% authority to control a project. This is disturbing creepy little movie that didn't have any kind of bright spot or glimpses of hope to wish for.

Well, at least this is the greatest failure of the filmmaker, if you look at his previous by-the-studio, half-baked and absolutely boring "The Brothers Grimm".

Jodelle Ferland (in a role that I won't be forget any time soon) plays Jeliza-Rose, a girl with fantasy in her head who has only disembodied Barbie doll as friends. Her father (Jeff Bridges) is drug addicted, washed out rocker and her mother (Jennifer Tilly) is chocolate compulsive lunatic. After tragic accident, Jeliza-Rose and her father headed back to his hometown where she met two more equally disturbed neighbors.

As you already knows, this is full on Gilliam-ish movie. All things are looking hopeless for our little Jeliza-Rose. But this is not a movie where we can root for our little innocent girl. Because here, she's also has an extremely unpleasant behavior like any other characters in the movie. So I'm not sure that whether Terry Gilliam wanted us to see a struggling girl who met a lot of unfortunate circumstances and, because of that, she's trying to use fantasy in her own little world as a tool to reach for any brighter way out. Or he's just wanted us to see the truth of an ugliness and cruel world that we are living in.

What made it even more unpleasant is the ending where Jeliza-Rose has met with other people (under severe circumstance) beside her neighbors. I have a faith that she will finally breakthrough her own fantasy and able to live among normals. Well, it's not going to happen, because she is, still living inside her head (maybe even more than ever). In fact, if she grows up to be a serial-killer, I wouldn't surprised.

This is, either you love it or hate it kind of movie. Well, I think I'm kind of hate myself to like it. It's far less entertaining than Brazil, Twelve Monkeys, Fisher King and any other Monty Python's stuffs that Terry Gilliam has done. But as I said before, it's an admirable failure from the most innovative filmmaker living today.

BloodyMonday Rating:
2.5/4

Review: Winter Passing

Winter Passing is about lonely people who sometime looked for love at a wrong place. Reese (Deschanel) lives loneliness in New York as second grade actress/bartender. She uses drugs and sexes as a medicine for her depression. One day she is aprroached by book editor who asked her to bring 150 love letters between her late suicided mum and dad, both are notorious writer for her to publish. Because of large amount money offered, she agreed and decided to travel to her hometown Michigan.

The house that she used to live is not entirely the same when she left. There's Corbit (Farrell) who fix stuffs and look after the house in return for free room. There's also Shelly (Amelia Warner) who was Reese's dad ex-student who also got a free room in return for cooking and look after the house. For Don (Harris), Resse's alcoholic depessive and sometime going nuts father is now living in the garage instead of living in the house.

At first glance, Winter Passing is sound like any other movie-of-the-week kind of thing. In those movies, our leading character usually gets confused with his/her life in big city, so he/she decide to return home. No matter how bad is it, at the end he/she will actually found some missing answer, redemption or whatever. But for this movie, it's obviously not one of those.

This movie really worked for me because of subtlety. There are no obvious reason about why she slammed drawer on her knuckle (which is might have something to do with her repression). You're never got a scene which Don fully explain about his emotion, about his dead wife or other reasons why he've done all peculiar things. You're also never got a fully explanation about Corbit's behavior, about his passion in music, ka-ra-tay and other quirky behaviors. The great thing about subtlety is they left a room for you to thing about it. Instead of what other people (filmmaker) think what is right or what is wrong for us.

Zooey Dechanel is nothing but mavellous here. Although it's just her second starring role (first is All the real girls, which is also great by the way), she carries the whole film with deep, subtle (if somewhat low-key) performance. On the other hand, Will Farell is kind of miscasted for me. His weirdness and quirky performance is fun to watch but somehow I think it's in the wrong movie. Anyway, I think it still be a good move by him into more dramatic territory. Ed Harris was given with nothing for him to work here much. With his amazing Jackson Pollock's performance, this is like inferior version of it (adding with madness). And for Amelia Warner which I never heard of her before. She perform in her role very well especially in all scenes with Zooey which she was like the voice of reason to Reese.

Back to the first sentence, Winter Passing is about looking for love in the wrong place. Reese was seek for love by fleeing from her home. But she never look deep enough to see that home is the place where the love came from. It may not so obvious or coming out in words, but if she takes time to think and experiences it for a second, she will know that it's always there for her.

Bloodymonday Rating:
3/4

Review: 10 items or less

I know that how hard it be to make a movie (especially a good one). But sometime you can just put actors in front of camera and tell them to be themselves. This is exactly happened in “10 items or Less” directed by Brad Silberling who also give us an amusing script to this simple, yet very entertaining tale.

The plot is actually none existed. The basic premise is “Him” (Morgan Freeman), semi-retired Hollywood actor, is doing research for his new project. He met Scarlet (very, very attractive Paz Vega) who is happening to be a cashier where “Him” decide to do his thing. Two of them meet and connect with each other. They share their thought and eventually spend a day together.

From what you’ve heard so far, this is seems to fall in a category of other movies like Linklater’s Before Sunrise and After Sunset (btw, great movies!). True, but I think the way Brad execute his movie was not the same. Where as Linklater’s movies seem to be witty and engaging, Brad’s one is seem lighter and more joy to watch. I like the way that Brad make his character “Him” and Scarlet are linked with each other in purely non-sexual way.

All praise should be given to Morgan Freeman. I think this is one of the easiest role he’s ever done (he’s just be himself, for crying out loud!). But as I’m his biggest fan, it’s so enjoy watching him just walk through the set. As her second English speaking role, Paz Vega did a decent job. Although she’s seem to struggle with her English (in some scene, it’s like she read from cue card), but her natural talent is undeniable. But, be that as it may, this is Morgan Freeman’s movie.

I don’t see anyway that will make this movie a classic. It’s too lightweight and too typical. The movie even fills their incredibly short running times (78 minutes!) with pretty unimportant scenes. But somehow I liked it. I like their thought. The dialogues are sometime worth memorized. I don’t know what other people will feel about this one. But count me in if you want to watch it again.

BloodyMonday Rating:
3/4

Review: Fay Grim

Fay Grim is an unnecessary sequel to Hal Hartley’s masterpiece “Henry Fool”. But unnecessary doesn’t mean that it won’t be any good. Although I’m not exactly Hartley’s fan, but his unorthodox view on the story made up for something that missing from this movie.

Fay Grim (Parker Posey) is a single-mother whom her husband (Henry) is a fugitive and went missing for 10 years. One day she has been contacted with FBI agent (Jeff Goldblum) who told her that 6 volumes of Henry’s notebooks are, in fact, the most valuable information. And that information may ruin US. , If they’re in the wrong hand. With the help of her now-famous brother Simon Grim (Jams Urbaniak) and his publisher Angus (Chuck Montgomery), she must retrieve those books and, at the same time, find her husband.

From the sound of it, this is obviously not the plot that Hal Hartley familiar with. But surprisingly, he can make it while his usual trademarks were still all over this picture. It’s like James Bond movie with the perspective of indie filmmaker. Although there are some experiment that was not work for me like captioned action sequences or overbearing dialog that too damn hard to follow.

As I said in my recent review, Parker Posey is coming back. In the wrong hand, she might be absolutely useless. But in the hand of unique director like Hal, she can be such a brilliant actress. In fact, her performances in the picture carry this somewhat unbelievable and ridiculous story. She can be a little bit quirky at some point, but in the final scene, her expression is right on target. And for that she could have been considered in award season if the rest of movie is better than this.

I cannot entirely love this film. It’s got something that I love like dead-pan humors and I’m interested to see what happen to the characters after 10 years. But somehow I feel it wasn’t necessary at all to make this movie. The plot was all too complicate and I found that it’s hard to like any of characters (except Fay Grim). I hope Hal Hartley will stop their story at this picture and make some other interesting movie.

BloodyMonday Rating:
2.5/4