Category Archives: Foreign
Foreign
Flash Movie Review: King of Devil’s Island
They were different times back then; an age prior to the sheen of political correctness and the term, “time out.” Back then punishments were doled out with non-negotiable terms. Not only could one’s own parents differ in their style of implementation, each set of parents in the neighborhood varied tremendously on what they considered to be a just punishment. I remember one mother down the street would stand on the porch and threaten her son that she was going to send him away to a bad boy’s school. Another parent would impose a curfew on any of her children if they acted up; usually this meant they could only go outside to go to school, but then come straight home and stay in the house. I can still remember a couple of friends who would get smacked in the head if they got in trouble. No one ever questioned these actions nor did anyone call the Department of Children and Family Services. I am a firm believer in doling out a proper punishment for the “crime.” Granted it is steeped in a foundation of reasoning and I know there are some times one cannot reason with a screaming child. However, I like the idea of explaining if these actions continue then this will be the consequences…and follow through with it. Some of you may recall a few of the stories I have mentioned previously about the things that took place in my high school. This dramatic action film could give my school a run for its money. BASTOY was an island where juvenile delinquent boys would be sent to do time. Harsh punishment was the norm for any infraction, but that did not seem to stop the newest boy named Erling/C-19, played by Benjamin Helstad (Body Troopers, Permafrost). The rumor going around was Erling had been sent because he had murdered someone. This film festival winning dramatic movie was based on a true story and what a story it was. Set in the early 20th century in Norway, the entire look of the film was a continuous grim harshness. It worked perfectly for the well done script. Speaking of the script, I enjoyed the way it drew the viewer into the story. With actors such as Stellan Skarsgard (The Avengers, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) as Bestyreren, Trond Nilssen (All That Matters is Past, Sons of Norway) as Olav/C-1 and Kristoffer Joner (The Monitor, Next Door) as Brathen; I thought the entire cast did a wonderful job with their characters. As I sat and watched this film I wondered how different the story would have been if it had taken place today. A frightening thought either way. Norwegian and Swedish was spoken with English subtitles.
3 1/2 star — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Postmen in the Mountains
The young boy was straining under the weight of the dumbbells. I was exercising on the weight bench behind, yet I could hear the father correcting his son’s posture. With a wide leather weight belt cinched around his waist, the man had the body definition of a serious weightlifter. Hearing and seeing his encouraging words to his son reminded me of the time I learned how to throw a football when I was a small boy. As I continued with my workout I had memories of past mentors and individuals who had a big influence on me. There was the building superintendent of the apartment building where I was born. I recalled how he would magically appear at the front of our place when I would be running towards it on my way home from school. It never occurred to me that he was aware I was being chased; he would just be there with a large grin on his jolly face, his bloodshot eyes barely blinking. In my adult life I was fortunate enough to have a yoga instructor who really showed me the wonders of yoga. This man was amazing to watch as he would bend his body in various positions to show us the difference between poor and ideal forms. He looked like one of those dolls where all the joints were unrestricted, the limbs able to fold from front to back. I have always been grateful that I was able to spend time with him in class and one-on-one sessions. HAVING spent his whole life as the postman for a rural mountainous region of Hunan province, China; being away from home for long stretches of time, it was time for him to retire and turn the responsibility over to the son, played by Ye Liu (Curse of the Golden Flower, Dark Matters), he barely knew. The father, played by Rujun Ten (A Love of Blueness, Xian’s Finest), instructed his boy on all the details of the job as the two took to the route that would deliver them something more than just the mail. This film festival winning drama had such a tender gentleness about it that it quickly drew me into the story. From the lush landscapes to the sweetness exuding out of scenes, I thought the story did a wonderful job in creating a believable and authentic dynamic between the father and son. From a technical standpoint, due to the time this film was made, the subtitles were primitive. There were a few improper words used and sometimes the subtitles flashed by too quickly. I think one of the added beauties of this film will be its ability to stir up warm memories in many viewers. Chinese language was spoken with English subtitles.
3 1/2 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: A la mala
From time to time I enjoy reading the advice columns in the newspapers. I am not really sure why; maybe to get a reality or non-reality check on my life. The questions that fascinate me the most are the relationship ones where I think the answers are obvious. For example, a woman wrote that her husband sends text messages to a neighbor who has repeatedly said she wished she had a husband like that. When she asks her husband what he is texting he always says, “Nothing, why should you care?” The wife says it makes her uncomfortable and somewhat insecure. I know when it come to relationships I can be naive in some aspects of it because once I give my trust to the person they have 100% of it. I never question or imagine their actions have ulterior motives. Since I could never cheat on or lie to them, I cannot imagine they would ever do it to me. I certainly do not consider this a character flaw, but from experience when it happened it shocked me beyond belief. Friends have told me I need to get my head out of the clouds and pay better attention. Though I do not think I could do it, I have seen where some of them have set up a plan to try and catch their significant other cheating on them. Because I have seen it with my own eyes, this comedy seemed perfectly plausible. STRUGGLING actress Maria Laura “Mala” Medina, played by Aislinn Derbez (The Vineyard, Los Heroes del Norte-TV), accidentally fell into a second career when friends started hiring her to hit on their boyfriends to see if they were cheaters. Everything appeared to be going smoothly until Mala showed up at an audition for a TV show, where the producer knew about Mala’s side business and had an unusual request of her. The premise to this story seemed absolutely plausible to me since I have seen this type of thing being done within my circle of friends. The cast seemed well suited to the story; besides Aislinn there was Mauricio Ochmann (Message in a Bottle, El Senor de los Cielos-TV) as Santiago and Papile Aurora (The Air I Breathe, Pulling Strings) as Kika. I really do not have any major negatives to say about this film; it was pretty straight forward and easy to figure out. If anything I would consider this movie light fare. Some of the scenes were predictable but with an engaging cast I did not mind sitting through the picture. I suggest you consider this film simple fluff. You do not have to commit to it for the long term; you can visit it at a later date. The movie was spoken in Spanish with English subtitles.
2 1/3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Wild Tales
Anger is not something that leaves by its own free will. It does not get swept out of us like grains of sand with the evening tide. One needs to acknowledge it and devise a plan where it can safely leave the body. There are some people who are able to devote only a small amount of energy to their anger. They are able to sidestep the land mines that anger places before them. Then there are other individuals who store their anger in what they believe to be a reinforced tough vault deep inside of them, thinking they will come back to deal with the brooding anger at a later date. However, what tends to happen here is at some point a new flare-up of anger will spark the vault of stored anger into such a fireball that it will burst out of the individual like a volcano blasting through its cap, covering anyone close by. I am more familiar with this type of anger having experienced it in both my work and personal life. As a passenger in the backseat of a car I witnessed the driver exploding into anger when another car coming from the opposite direction knocked off their side mirror. In the middle of traffic our driver did a U-turn that forced the back end of the car to clip the retaining wall as oncoming traffic tried to veer out of the way. If you cannot relate to the anger I just described then there may be a possibility you will not get as much out of this hilarious comedy. EMOTIONS that got out of control fueled the characters to do irrational acts in the separate short stories of this Oscar nominated and film festival winning film from Argentina. With part of the cast including Dario Grandinetti (The Dark Side of the Heart, Talk to Her) as Salgado, Maria Marull (The Bottom of the Sea, Antes del estreno) as Isabel and Monica Villa (The Holy Girl, I Don’t Want to Talk About it) as Profesora Leguizamon; I was enthralled by each character in the multiple stories. There were so many scenes that were charged with outrageous behaviors that it would be hard to say if I enjoyed one story more than another. Each of them took an everyday occurrence and because of circumstances blew it out of proportion. I was thoroughly entertained by this Oscar nominated film for best foreign language with its wicked sense of humor. If by chance you are dealing with any anger issues presently, then this picture may be the perfect antidote for you. And if you are not, you still will get a kick out of this crazy movie. Spanish was spoken with English subtitles.
3 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Two Days, One Night
Where some departments are inviting and welcoming to fellow employees, there are others that are structured like secured fortresses to keep away all outsiders. Working in an office means you acquire a pseudo family, quirks and all. I have worked for a few companies and I have found the larger ones mirror the globe. Depending on the department managers, it can feel like you are traveling to a different country when entering their fiefdoms, where employees never mingle with those from a different department. I worked for an individual who treated all the employees as if they were his personal assistants, from washing his car to picking up his laundry; I could not wait to get out of there. Luckily I have worked at places where all the employees in the department felt like family. We would always celebrate each other’s birthdays and be there for each other during the sad occasions. Like any family there would be disagreements and spats; but when you think about it, most employees are together 8 hours a day. For some that can be more time together than with one’s own blood relatives. I will say one of the negatives to having a family environment at the workplace is when one employee’s work is dependent on another employee. It can be hard to separate the lines between employee and pseudo family member. SANDRA, played by Marion Cotillard (Inception, The Immigrant), discovered her boss offered her fellow employees a choice to either keep her as an employee or receive a cash bonus upon her termination. With her husband Manu, played by Fabrizio Rongione (The Kid with a Bike, Rosetta), pushing her to fight for her job, Sandra would have to confront each of her fellow workers to ask them to vote for her to stay on the job. This Oscar nominated and film festival winning drama was an interesting viewing experience. The movie started out slow; at first I was not sure what was going on since it seemed as if the story had started in the middle. Gratefully Marion was outstanding in the role so I was able to stay interested. With her acting I could easily feel her pain and discomfort as she went from employee to employee. Written and directed by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne (The Kid with the Bike, L’Enfant), I found the story’s idea compelling. There was however a few slow parts in the film and one scene in particular did not ring true for me. If this makes sense, this picture was more of a cerebral experience since there was not much action. The thing that rang true about the script was the way the employees interacted with each other. French was spoken with English subtitles.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: PK
A majority of the residents from the neighborhood I grew up in practiced the same religion. In some ways it was easier because we all celebrated the same holidays and knew what foods to expect for the meals. Notice even at a young age it was all about the food. As I grew up the neighborhood was transformed and became more diversified. Except for one particular gang of kids from the neighborhood, I cannot recall a time where religion was used as an excuse for a particular action. Everyone was treated the same no matter what religion they practiced at home. It was not until I was an adult and out on my own where I saw how some people used religion as a means to manipulate other people. Where I consider religion to be a personal and private matter, I have a hard time understanding someone who uses their religion to explain their actions; but to me some of their actions are questionable. There have been enough examples made public where I do not feel the need to mention them here. In fact, I am a little uncomfortable even talking about this now. However, it is worth it so I can review today’s movie. STRANDED on our planet P.K., played by Aamir Khan (Like Stars on Earth, Rang De Basanti), asked the most innocent of questions that produced some profound results. It took me a short time to get my bearings with the story in this satirical fantasy about organized religion. There were multiple story lines that eventually began to merge together. I am familiar with Aamir’s work and this role was different for him. Despite not being a fan of slapstick humor, I did appreciate the character he was portraying. Included in the cast was Anushka Sharma (Wedding Planners, Ladies vs. Ricky Bahl) as Jagat Janani a/k/a/ Jaggu, Sanjay Dutt (Mission Kashmir, Lage Raho Munna) as Bhairon Singh and Saurabh Shukla (Slumdog Millionaire, Barfi!) as Tapasvi Maharaj. If one is not familiar with Bollywood films, it is important to pay attention to the songs being sung because they play a part in moving the story forward. An interesting side note, this film’s running time was 2 1/2 hours; halfway through the movie the screen went dark and up popped the word “intermission.” It lasted a few seconds then the picture continued on. Back to the slapstick comedy, I think it colored my feelings towards everyone’s acting abilities. However the strength of the story, with its proposals and variables, carried me through the entire movie. Add in a couple of twists and I felt this film did a wonderful job in taking the subject of religion and presenting a non-offensive, thought provoking, solid piece of work. Hindi and Bhojpuri language was spoken with English subtitles.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Force Majeure
It is easier to proclaim what you would do in a particular situation than participate in it. I am guilty of doing this; though in my defense, I believe I would carry through with what I said. This is because if I did not do it I would be acting out one of my biggest pet peeves: saying I would do something then not doing it. That and someone grabbing food off my plate without asking first are two of my top pet peeves. Now there have been times where I have listened to someone say what they would do in a certain scenario, but I knew they would never follow through if the experience actually happened to them. I would rather a person just be honest and say they could not do such a thing, instead of pretending to be something they were not. I admit I become annoyed when someone spouts off what they would do if they were in a dangerous situation, such as someone trying to steal something off of them in the middle of a crowded train car. It is hard to say what one would do in another person’s situation without having walked in their shoes first, is a motto I periodically say to myself. WHILE on holiday skiing in the French Alps Ebba and Tomas, played by Lisa Loven Kongsli (305, Fatso) and Johannes Kuhnke (The Inheritance, Real Humans-TV), and their two children Vera and Harry, played by newcomers Clara Wettergren and Vincent Wettergren, were enjoying a leisurely lunch out on the veranda of their hotel. Suddenly an explosive controlled avalanche of snow veered off its course and headed straight towards the hotel. Fear took over the family and changed everything about their time together. This film festival winning drama really stayed with me after I was done viewing it. Such an intense, emotional story; I was still going over the story later in the day. I thought the acting was so well done, even by the newcomers. Whoever casted the film picked a group that was able to convey so much emotion with simply a facial expression; I was glued to my seat while watching this wonderful film. Besides the glorious scenery that was beautifully captured by the camerawork, I thought the soundtrack added an extra dimension to the story. Speaking of the story, it really presented the dilemma in such a way for the viewers to react with an immediate emotional response. I cannot imagine anyone watching this picture and not having some type of reaction to it. Swedish and French language was spoken with English subtitles.
3 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Vincere
I was an admirer of this charitable organization; they were doing good work in the community. There were friends who used its services and spoke highly about their visits. Despite my hectic schedule I found time to volunteer from time to time, always finding a friendly and helpful staff. Leading the organization was a powerful individual who could easily command a room. They were a dynamic public speaker, so passionate about the organization’s work. Their speeches would stir and motivate the employees and volunteers to such a high level, one could not help but want to be a part of the “team.” I, like the others, put my trust in this leader; believing everything we were doing was in the best interests of the end user. When news spread about the misappropriation of funds, I had a reaction similar to when someone I care about breaks my trust. It felt like a punch in the stomach that echoed with feeling sadly duped and foolish. Things like this can shake one’s confidence in their ability to detect an unscrupulous person. ENAMORED by his looks and strong presence Ida Dalser, played by Giovanna Mezzogiorno (Don’t Tell, Facing Windows) felt she could act on her strong attraction to this man named Benito Mussollini, played by Filippo Timi (The American, The Double Hour). It appeared he felt the same way about her as the two started a relationship that would reach historical proportions. First of all I do not know if I am in the minority or not, but I had never heard the name Ida Dalser mentioned in any of my past history classes. As you may have guessed I had no idea what this movie was about when I starting watching the DVD. This film festival winning biographical drama was a complete shock to me. Both Giovanna and Filippo were so intense in their characters, I was immediately drawn to them; their acting was incredible. Add in the historical significance of the story and I was glued to the television screen. I thought the directing, the sets and even the costumes all worked at making this a strong, emotionally wrought movie. For the most part the subtitles were easy to read, though I did notice I was getting concerned I would miss something in the scene while reading. I do not believe so since everything I saw made sense to me. After viewing this picture I had to look up further information on Ida. However, I cannot guarantee the authenticity of this picture’s story. If some of the scenes were untrue it did not matter because the story was unbelievable. There was Italian and German languages used with English subtitles.
3 1/2 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Owl and the Sparrow
It seems as if everything in the world is evolving to become disposable and replaceable. I believe we are being conditioned to accept things will not last. As an example I have a friend who has to replace her hair dryer almost every year or sooner because they keep breaking. She is resigned to the fact that once something starts to go wrong with her dryer it is easier to throw it away and get a new one. Except for the cost factor I guess little energy has to be devoted to replacing material items these days. There is however something that survives even on the littlest amount of spirit from inside of us. When I think about it through the history of mankind, I find it to be one of the most resilient forces on the planet. What it is, is hope. Hope has the ability to carry a person through absolute perilous, debilitative times; yet, like an ember that remains lit in a pile of discarded brush, hope resuscitates the soul. From a thought, a kind word, a gentle action or even a locked glance; hope will rise within each of us to be that beacon of light, shining a picture of a brighter future on the inner walls of our mind. ORPHANED and forced to work in a bamboo factory; ten year old Thuy, played by newcomer Han Thi Pham, felt life had to be better almost anywhere else than her small village. Running away to Saigon, Thuy would discover a world filled with people who were each missing something in their lives. She was undeterred because she believed her hopes and dreams would come true one day. This film festival winning movie had a beautiful subtle charm to it. There was nothing overt or thrown in the face of viewers; the story maintained tenderness even during tense scenes. For a young girl, newcomer Han Thi Pham had a wonderful screen presence as she displayed a natural flair in her acting. Cat Ly (Journey From the Fall, 21 and a Wake-Up) as flight attendant Lan and The Lu Le (The Buffalo Boy) as zookeeper Hai both were similar in the way they were able to let their physicality express their feelings. I found myself being pulled further into the story as the movie unfolded. Though there were a couple of spots that were predictable, I never felt the story was contrived or manipulative. I not only enjoyed watching this sweet and gentle film, I also had a sense of hope by the end of the movie that more people around the world would continue to tell good stories on film. Vietnamese with English subtitles.
3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: North Face
There are still so many different things I see that I do not understand. Competitive eating contests would be one example. I like food as much as the next person but the idea of shoving and swallowing a bunch of food in one’s mouth in a short period of time makes no sense to me. In a circus I have seen some acts that make me sit there and wonder if that person really grew up wanting to swallow swords or chew up lightbulbs. When it comes to mountain climbing, the whole concept baffles me. I have no problem trekking up a mountain to a vantage point that looks out onto an extraordinary view; however, I want a trail that zigzags its way up where I can just walk and not have to use my arms to pull myself along. At the top I would like a little rest stop or cafe where I can sit out and gaze upon the breathtaking scenery. Even before the recent tragedy in Nepal, I never understood people who had the need to conquer Mt. Everest or any other high mountain peak. Hanging off the side of sheer rock covered in snow and ice, while dangling by a rope tied to a spike driven into granite does not sound like a fun time to me. Based on a true story, this adventure drama was absolutely riveting. Set in 1936 at a time where European countries were drawing sides, it was important to Germany that they be the first to conquer one of the most dangerous peaks in the Alps. Their hopes were dependent on the German climbers Toni Kurz and Andi Hinterstoisser, played by Benno Furman (Joyeux Noel, In Darkness) and Florian Lukas (The Grand Budapest Hotel, Good Bye Lenin). Though they were experienced climbers the two men knew this climb would be their most challenging since they would have to compete against several other climbing teams to reach the top first. This award winning film had several remarkable scenes of Mt. Eiger which means ogre in German. Most of the drama took place on the mountain; however, the secondary story being held in the mountain hotel where childhood friend Luise Fellner, played by Johanna Wokalek (Aimee & Jaguar, Pope Joan) worked as a photographer was a needed respite from the intensity of the story. I abhor cold weather, am not fond of tall heights, do not understand the motivation to do something so dangerous, but none of it mattered because I was frozen to my seat watching this incredible story. There was German, French and Italian languages used with English subtitles. There were a couple of scenes where blood was shown.
3 1/2 stars — DVD
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