erahatch Reviews

Barking Dogs Never Bite (2000)

If Slight, Still Very Satisfying

[9/10 · 24 September 2006]

It's possible that this dark comedy will slip from my memory before too long, but as I write this just having viewed the film (on home video), I have to say it made for an excellent viewing experience. It's rare to see a comedy in this day and age with such an offbeat sense of humor, let alone one that keeps viewers guessing so much as to where the plot will head next. There's also a lot of care put into the cinematography and editing of this film, adding some extra layers of satisfaction from a cinephilic perspective; this is one comedy that doesn't insult the viewer's intelligence, and need never be regarded as a guilty pleasure.

Specifically, the way this issue pinpoints its moment in time regarding Korean culture's evolving relationship with dogs is constantly mined for humor, but also provides moments of real insight and touching emotion.

I watched this film on the strength of director Bong Joon-ho's Memories of Murder, an excellent thriller with a deep mordant streak. If this previous film had to be nailed down to a genre, I'd call it a dark comedy -- albeit an extremely idiosyncratic one -- but there are effective splashes of the thriller and horror genres throughout, not to mention some nicely done surrealistic touches. All in all, these two films make me sorely regret missing Bong Joon-ho's "Host" at this year's Toronto film fest; I've added his name to my short list of Korean directors (the others being Park Chan-wook, Hong Sang-soo, and Kim Ki-duk) to follow closely.

I Don't Want to Sleep Alone (2006)

Another Strong Piece of Work

[10/10 · 22 September 2006]

"What Time Is It There?" remains my favorite film by Tsai Ming-liang, but it's fascinating to follow his work and see how he builds his own imaginative world -- close to, but not exactly, our own -- film by film.

"I Don't Want to Sleep Alone" took me a little longer to get into than any prior film by the director, but by about the half-hour mark I was fully absorbed. Thankfully, "I Don't Want to Sleep Alone" rewards patient viewers by reserving some fantastically humorous, mysterious, and even hypnotic moments for its last acts. Whereas in previous films, familiar visual tropes such as umbrellas and watermelons have played recurrent symbolic roles, here it's mattresses and anti-smoke facemasks, somehow used just as evocatively. Other obsessions -- dripping water, holes in floors and ceilings, mysterious and unspoken attractions -- recur here in ways that recall the director's previous works without depending upon them.

I wouldn't suggest curious viewers start with this film, but rather delve back as far back as possible into Tsai Ming-liang's back catalog and proceed from there -- easier than ever before to do now, what with the increased DVD availability of early gems such as "Rebels of the Neon God." For those unsure if they want to make that level of commitment, check out "What Time Is It There?" or "Goodbye Dragon Inn." But for the already converted, rest assured that "I Don't Want to Sleep Alone" is a strong, worthy addition to Tsai Ming-liang's body of work.

EMPz 4 Life (2006)

Memorable, Universal, Tough

[9/10 · 22 September 2006]

As a resident of Baltimore, home to "Homicide," "The Corner," and "The Wire" -- not to mention gritty, must-see docs such as "Omar & Pete," "Girlhood," and "Boys of Baraka" -- I was wondering how I'd react to a documentary about the mean streets of... the Toronto suburbs. However, I'd seen a previous film by the director that I'd loved, and gave it a chance.

I'm glad I did. The story presented in EMPZ 4 Life is unfortunately a universal one -- young black teenagers subject to a racist system that calls them stupid, flunks them, turns them out on the streets, and then imprisons them (usually, but not necessarily, in that order). The director captured some amazing footage detailing racial profiling and the systemic failure on the part of the public-school system on the part of these kids. Or I guess I should say his crew did -- as an old white guy, director Allan King indicated that he wasn't on location at all, thinking a younger, ethnically diverse crew would earn the trust of the kids of EMPZ 4 Life more than he would/could. In any case, it's hard to walk away from this film unaffected; your heart will really go out to the kids , their parents, and the dedicated volunteers who try to help them get a good education despite the best efforts of the system to prevent this.

Falkenberg Farewell (2006)

Toronto Film Festival Highlight

[10/10 · 22 September 2006]

This memorable, visually unique, and sometimes very emotional story of a group of young friends whose lives implode after their schooling ends ranked among the top 3 films of the 15 or so I saw at the Toronto Film Festival. Unfortunately, the combination of $20 ticket prices and a 1 (out of 5) rating given this film by the major Toronto free weekly paper resulted in relatively few audience members taking a chance on the work of a first-time director. Moreover, I will say that this is not a film for everyone, and that there were a fair number of walk-outs at the screening I saw.

All that said, I think those who appreciate films that approach storytelling from a truly cinematic perspective -- that is, where the shots, the editing, the sound design, and the music tell the story as much as the action and dialogue do -- will find a lot to love here. As others have noted, this film did share some aesthetic elements with the last few (excellent) features by Gus van Sant (Elephant, Gerry, and Last Days), but it mixes this feeling with some of the contagious warmth, humor, and genuine emotional impact of Lucas Moodysson's Together (2000).

I think that whoever gave this film that (fatal) 1-star rating in Toronto must have popped in a screener tape, seen a lot of out-of-work young people goofing around and cracking some coarse jokes, and then tuned out at about the ten minute mark, writing this one off as yet another debut filmmaker mining the "slacker" genre for low-grade yux -- admittedly an unappealing prospect. But there's so much more at work here, and those who stay engaged in the film will be rewarded with unconventional but emotionally honest (and first-rate!) storytelling.

Woman on the Beach (2006)

Contemporary World Cinema at its Best

[10/10 · 20 September 2006]

There are only a handful of filmmakers working today of whom it can truly be said that each film of theirs takes us into a world instantly recognizable as the product of that filmmakers' mind. Claire Denis certainly comes to mind, as do such masters as Aleksandr Sokurov, Kim Ki-duk, Tsai Ming-liang, Catherine Breillat, and Michael Haneke.

Although his films haven't rec'd the same distribution in the U.S. as those esteemed names mentioned above, add Hong Sang-soo to that list. I've loved everything I've seen from him -- especially Woman Is The Future of Man -- but it was seeing Woman on the Beach recently at the Toronto Film Festival that confirmed him in my mind as one of the most assured hands in film today. His vision of modern life -- neurotic, self-obsessed urban adults still struggling with childish hang-ups as they attempt to balance careers and relationships with lust and alcoholism -- comes through vividly in this film, first with washes of warm humor and later with squrim-worthy insights into modern relationships.

It's tempting to make a comparison to Woody Allen in his late-'70s prime, and yet the humor here is subtler and more complex, with a sly contemporary sophistication all its own -- and the humor gives way to resonant drama more naturally than in most of Allen's work. Some characters get only a minute or two of screen time, yet feel more alive to me than leading characters in lesser films. What's more, it's also an exquisitely shot film, with an emotionally evocative setting likely to stick in your mind long after the lights come up.

Other than Apichatpong Weerasethakul's "Syndromes and a Century," a film just as effective and affecting (although in very different ways), "Woman on the Beach" was the film that stood out to me the most from the 15 or so I saw at this year's Toronto Int'l Film Fest. Both films are film-art of the highest order, the kind of rich, challenging art-house fare that Wellspring would have given a U.S. theatrical run were they still around. Perhaps someone else will step up to the plate -- Palm Pictures, maybe, or Plexifilm? Here's hoping; movies like this one deserve to be seen all over the world -- and not just on home video!

Syndromes and a Century (2006)

Gentle, Jarring, Visionary

[10/10 · 18 September 2006]

****(some SPOILERS)****

Having seen director Apichatpong Weerasethakul's previous film Tropical Malady and thought it a bit ponderous and somewhat overrated, I walked into a Toronto film-festival screening of "Syndromes..." with low expectations. As a result, the initially playful but ultimately weighty film I saw blew me away all the more.

The early deadpan scenes of Syndromes reminded me quite a bit of a humorous Thai romance, Mon-rak Transistor. Apparently, the flirtations between the shy male and confident female employees of a hospital were inspired by the true-life story behind the directors' parents first meetings. These scenes are heartfelt and contain a whole lot of viable romance and humor, yet are never saccharine. Therefore, when this narrative implodes on itself multiple times in multiple ways -- first with a (quickly abandoned but equally effective) story with the story, and then with a more sleek and modern retelling of the same initial story -- it has a very jarring effect.

By the end of the film, narrative has been largely abandoned for streams of pure imagery that rival Antonioni's Eclipse and Kubrick at his best. For those interested in this kind of cinematic deconstruction, Syndromes is cinema art of the highest order, and packs an unforgettable impact.

Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1977 (1977)

For Fans, Fascinating

[9/10 · 20 December 2002]

While coy at times, this is some of the more interesting and sustained Fassbinder interview footage I have seen. Fassbinder reflects on the various stages of his career, discusses how his motives behind filmmaking evolved up to this point, and discusses a potential new phase in his career, as represented by his then-current project, _Despair._ This doc also features clips from a few Fassbinder films, especially _Beware of a Holy Whore_, and gives us some behind-the-scenes glimpses at the shooting of _Despair_. Overall, essential viewing for fans, with a lot of insight into what Fassbinder accomplished, and what could have been had he lived on.

For those who are interested in seeing this doc, you should know that it is available as a bonus feature on the _Bitter Tears..._ DVD.

Lethal Force (2001)

Fantastic Psychotronic Fun

[10/10 · 6 July 2002]

Lethal Force terrifically illustrates the way some talented filmmakers can make the most of a shoestring budget. This inspired satire tackles almost every brand of action film conceivable - espionage, Bruce Lee, blaxploitation, women in prison, modern Hong Kong cinema, and '80s Commando flicks - and compliments its material nicely with spectacular visual flair, and the best action choreography you're likely to ever see in a film of this budget. I'd be doing _Lethal Force_ a disservice if I emphasized the budget too much: this film is as entertaining as any Hollywood fare of its year of release. Filmed mostly in Baltimore, _Lethal Force_ continues Charm City's tradition as a hotbed of subversive film activity, yet approaches camp in its own special way that, with all due respect, owes little to the visionary trash of John Waters.

Life or Something Like It (2002)

Nothing Like Life (It's Truly Awful)

[1/10 · 19 April 2002]

This film suffers from miserable acting, writing, and direction, and runs far too long for what it is. It aspires to be a manipulative feel-good film that encourages us all to live life to the fullest, but it's so poor in its execution that it fails to manipulate - but never fails to bore. It's a bad sign that the preview screening I attended wasn't even a third full, and not a single scene prompted a single audible reaction from a single audience member. Even the moments contrived to make us say "You go, girl!" were far more likely to make you go to sleep, girl. Several decent actors, most notably Edward Burns and Stockard Channing, wasted their considerable charms on this stinker.

Daddy and Papa (2002)

Delves Deep Into its Subject Matter

[9/10 · 30 March 2002]

Especially given that it only runs an hour, this documentary defied my expectations by digging deeper into its subject matter than most documentaries with a personal component do. I guess I was anticipating that this movie would be a glossy celebration of gay men who choose to raise (and in states where it's legal, adpot) children; while that movie would have served a purpose, it also would've been largely preaching to the converted. Instead, _Daddy and Papa_ smartly anticipates questions people critical or undecided about gay adoption would raise about the practice, and also refuses to steer away from stickly questions as they arrive. Director Symons and his partner speak openly about their own experiences with adoption, and many other children, foster parents, grandparents, birth parents, and gay parents are also interviewed. The impact of gay parents "divorcing" is discussed, as are the specific difficulties that arise from gay white men raising (presumably) straight African-American children, the feelings these childrens have regarding not having a mother, and the way these parents handle widespread perceptions that gay men raising children must face pedophilic temptations. In doing so, _Daddy and Papa_ ends up much more credibly championing its subject matter. In the end, the most indelible impression I was left with is how happy and extraordinarly articulate most of these children seem.

Behind the Sun (2001)

Typical, Overwrought Miramax Fluff

[2/10 · 5 December 2001]

Pretty to look at, _Behind the Sun_ is nonetheless typical of the painfully conservative international films Miramax increasingly chooses to bring to U.S. audiences. Its symbolism is obvious and heavy-handed, its dialogue melodramatic, and its performances insultingly broad. It conforms perfectly to the feel-good foreign fluff that has flooded the market at least since _Cinema Paradisio_; that is, it embodies to a "t" the safe, lowest-common-denominator American conception of what a foreign film "should" be. As a result of Miramax's market dominance, more dynamic international films that seek to surprise us or advance film language in some way get marginalized, going largely unseen in the U.S.

Near Death (1989)

Grueling, Gratifying

[9/10 · 2 December 2001]

Grueling in both subject matter and running time, _Near Death_ nonetheless poses questions that most of us will have to answer, at some point in our lives, for either ourselves or a loved one. Do what extent should measures be taken to preserve a life that might be full of pain and sustained by a machine? Should the goal for terminally ill patients with little hope of recovery be life support, or comfort? At what point do we give up hope of recovery? While expressing ample skepticism about the function of much of our society's expensive, intrusive life-support technology, _Near Death_ also gives us little glimmers of hope - if only regarding the degree to which we can support each other in coming to terms with death, pain, and degeneration. The warmth and patience of one Dr. Taylor in this film is especially heartening, and very istructive in understanding, in human terms, the medical and philosophical issues at play. An unforgettable viewing experience

Tanner '88 (1988)

Astute Addition to the Altman Canon

[10/10 · 5 October 2001]

Terrific for those looking for a hidden Altman masterwork. It shares many traits with Altman's best (i.e. _Nashville_, _Short Cuts_, and Three Women_, etc.): strong ensemble acting, overlapping dialogue, quirky sense of humor, lots of serendipity. The political insider's perspective - which we must credit to Trudeau - only adds to the fun. _Tanner_ gains greater richness of character and narrative as it unfolds. Here's hoping Tanner runs again