Sunday, July 29, 2007
Ten Canoes
Three layers of story within a story: a narrator who introduces the characters, the current story and the story that they are being told. It's a really well-executed mirror image in that the "modern" men are watching their counterparts from long, long ago. Great myth culture -- the birth myth is fantastic! Lots of...uhm...didgeridoos. Heh. The first movie completely filmed in an indigenous Aboriginal language. Very enjoyable.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Happy Birthday to wegtomovies! 100 Posts
I guess it's not a "birthday" in the typical sense, but there has to be some kind of blog post milestone to commemorate that this is the 101st one. The link in the title is to my first post: our 2004 movie list. I started this blog so I would remember all the movies we saw and because we have increased our movie-going quite substantially over the last few years, I am really glad to have this space as a reminder to think about films after I see them and write a little bit about what distinguishes them from other movies for me. It was born out of the problem that sometimes, "I saw that movie" after a few months would drift into, "Did we see that? Did I like it?" I do this for the same reason that my mother catalogs the weather: to help us remember what was going on. Thanks for reading!
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
When the Road Bends: Tales of a Gypsy Caravan
Fun and touching documentary about several Rom bands who join for a tour across North America. Wonderful music, wonderful people who (sometimes) don't speak each other's languages, who have come from different corners of the globe, all finding an understanding of one another (sometimes more than other times) through their music and the roots of the Romani people.
I loved visiting the home towns of each band. I loved how all families, no matter how big or small or well off or poor, whether they drive an old car or a horse and buggy, live in high-rise apartments, shacks in small rural towns, or large cities, all love their children. All want their kids to be happy. All cherish their next generation. This was so touching to me that it, more than the sharing thread of struggle and persecution that the different cultures found common ground on, this made me aware of how the same we all are.
I loved visiting the home towns of each band. I loved how all families, no matter how big or small or well off or poor, whether they drive an old car or a horse and buggy, live in high-rise apartments, shacks in small rural towns, or large cities, all love their children. All want their kids to be happy. All cherish their next generation. This was so touching to me that it, more than the sharing thread of struggle and persecution that the different cultures found common ground on, this made me aware of how the same we all are.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
L'Iceberg
A woman becomes obsessed with icebergs. Why? I won't tell you. She drops everything and leaves 
on a quest to sate her insatiable desire to be near (on?) an iceberg. What does she find and how? I won't say. There is little dialog and a large amount of somewhat whimsical slapstick humor (in a style reminiscent of Jacques Tati, Marcel Marceau and others) and it is brilliantly executed, which that is why the movie works so wonderfully well. There are some outright belly-laughs and some more subtle, weird humor, but it was the physical comedy which won me over. Highlights are: Fiona under the sheets, the dad and kids with the butter, the man dancing at his party and the senior citizens with their umbrellas. Intrigued? You should be. Go see this.
on a quest to sate her insatiable desire to be near (on?) an iceberg. What does she find and how? I won't say. There is little dialog and a large amount of somewhat whimsical slapstick humor (in a style reminiscent of Jacques Tati, Marcel Marceau and others) and it is brilliantly executed, which that is why the movie works so wonderfully well. There are some outright belly-laughs and some more subtle, weird humor, but it was the physical comedy which won me over. Highlights are: Fiona under the sheets, the dad and kids with the butter, the man dancing at his party and the senior citizens with their umbrellas. Intrigued? You should be. Go see this.
Saturday, July 07, 2007
Da hong deng long gao gao gua (Raise the Red Lantern)
Made in 1991, set in China around 1920. Stunningly beautiful. Based on a novella by Sue Tong.
We watch four seasons of the lives of four wives of a master. He is never shown clearly, but that isn't important. This movie isn't about the master, or even the state of these women's rights or freedoms, or lack of either. This is a movie about the fourth wife and the relationships between her and other 3 wives. It has serious morals, like a fable. It is about rules and consequences of breaking them. It is also about the chess-like power plays that ripple under the surface of everything these women do.
The fourth wife (or sister or concubine or mistress -- they are called all three and the words seem to be interchangeable, even though in English they have distinctly different meanings) is educated but has resigned herself to the life of a concubine. She is headstrong and smart and at first doesn't want to get drawn into the petty (or serious) games of the other three wives. Don't overlook that they other three don't feel resigned to this life. And at least one of the maids wishes, literally on her life to be a mistress. Our heroine is different, but she too gives into the jealousy and hunger for power. She wants to hear the housekeeper call, "Light the red lanterns in the fourth house!" (meaning that she will get to spend the night with the master and have a chance at giving him a son) as much as the others crave the same for themselves.
The most enjoyable thing about this film for me was the camera work and colors. Slow, long shots of rooftops and courtyards decked out in lanterns and snow and pale blue morning light. It was a feast for the eyes.
We watch four seasons of the lives of four wives of a master. He is never shown clearly, but that isn't important. This movie isn't about the master, or even the state of these women's rights or freedoms, or lack of either. This is a movie about the fourth wife and the relationships between her and other 3 wives. It has serious morals, like a fable. It is about rules and consequences of breaking them. It is also about the chess-like power plays that ripple under the surface of everything these women do.
The fourth wife (or sister or concubine or mistress -- they are called all three and the words seem to be interchangeable, even though in English they have distinctly different meanings) is educated but has resigned herself to the life of a concubine. She is headstrong and smart and at first doesn't want to get drawn into the petty (or serious) games of the other three wives. Don't overlook that they other three don't feel resigned to this life. And at least one of the maids wishes, literally on her life to be a mistress. Our heroine is different, but she too gives into the jealousy and hunger for power. She wants to hear the housekeeper call, "Light the red lanterns in the fourth house!" (meaning that she will get to spend the night with the master and have a chance at giving him a son) as much as the others crave the same for themselves.
The most enjoyable thing about this film for me was the camera work and colors. Slow, long shots of rooftops and courtyards decked out in lanterns and snow and pale blue morning light. It was a feast for the eyes.
Friday, July 06, 2007
Killer of Sheep
An intimate look at the state of the African American family in Watts in the late 70s. Made in 1973, the feeling is absolutely authentic and I thought at first we might be watching a documentary. Kids throw dirt in empty lots, hair picks are thrust crookedly into afros and the suits are spectacular. What's even more amazing is that Charles Burnett made this film while at UCLA for a budget of $5000. True independent film at its core.
The title character is a father, husband and friend and we watch has he moves through each of his roles in a slow and seemingly despondent manner. By day he works in a slaughter house, by night he can't sleep. He is tired and still must face the hardships he and his circle of friends and family are met with every day.
Cinematically, this is a hard film. Intense shot cuts from the slaughterhouse to the kids, the dozens of kids, who are the next generation to struggle. However, there is hope. His wife and kids love him. Friends become pregnant and are happy about it -- life carries on despite it all.
The title character is a father, husband and friend and we watch has he moves through each of his roles in a slow and seemingly despondent manner. By day he works in a slaughter house, by night he can't sleep. He is tired and still must face the hardships he and his circle of friends and family are met with every day.
Cinematically, this is a hard film. Intense shot cuts from the slaughterhouse to the kids, the dozens of kids, who are the next generation to struggle. However, there is hope. His wife and kids love him. Friends become pregnant and are happy about it -- life carries on despite it all.
Sunday, July 01, 2007
Sicko
Jon and I left this movie feeling really angry. As per his usual, Moore tries to make it funny, and entertaining, but we are in a dire situation in this country and it is already so out of hand that it will never be fixed.
Several people in the film are asked if we have any chance of catching up to the rest of the "westernized" world and providing free health care to all -- to take care of our citizens -- to have free house calls and free nannies for newborns and mandatory paid maternity leave -- but they all agree it is not possible. If we are sick and poor or out of work due to illness and beaten down then we won't worry that the government is wire-tapping, torturing and lying to us. That is how the US government wants us.
Even Barack, folks.
He too wants us scared and quiet.
Corporations own our health care system (which isn't a system at all!) and their employees get bonuses for denying coverage to sick people. Citizens of other countries can't believe that we would turn away people who cannot pay. Are we heartless? Cruel?
Yes and yes.
Several people in the film are asked if we have any chance of catching up to the rest of the "westernized" world and providing free health care to all -- to take care of our citizens -- to have free house calls and free nannies for newborns and mandatory paid maternity leave -- but they all agree it is not possible. If we are sick and poor or out of work due to illness and beaten down then we won't worry that the government is wire-tapping, torturing and lying to us. That is how the US government wants us.
Even Barack, folks.
He too wants us scared and quiet.
Corporations own our health care system (which isn't a system at all!) and their employees get bonuses for denying coverage to sick people. Citizens of other countries can't believe that we would turn away people who cannot pay. Are we heartless? Cruel?
Yes and yes.
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