Somewhere merits its own film genre. Not really a drama, not quite a comedy; more a character study than an actual moving plot. Consequently, it’s limited to being charming and not much more. Post-modern Minimalist? Not that there’s anything wrong with that but it’s closer to half of a film than the whole thing. In many ways, it is a sequel to Lost in Translation. Stephen Dorff plays an irrelevant actor who lives in a hotel. Oddly, he is much more popular abroad than in the United States. The actor, Johnny Marco alternates between relishing the absurdity of his situation …
The Misfortunates
Like that episode of The Simpsons when Bart, Lisa, and Maggie were forced into temporary foster care with the Flanders, The Misfortunates explores the meaning of family. The Strobbes may be a family of violent and lazy drunkards but they are very loyal to each other. The four brothers – often incompetently but always sincerely – try to raise the next generation to mixed results. Their drinking habits, fighting, and unemployment have a clear deleterious effect on thirteen-year-old Gunther but he can’t decide whether to support his family or get away from them. Forced to write lines at school because …
Crazy Heart
Is it overly cynical to decry an amazing picture because the largely happy ending is somewhat clichéd? On my way out of the theatre, someone said that Crazy Heart was “The Wrestler redux, except with country music.” I actually was hoping for an ambiguous ending similar to that film; it would have suited the storyline arc better. It’s not a repeat of The Wrestler, although the protagonists share the characteristics of well-meaning faded stars who are substance abusers and spectacular screw-ups. This film is perfectly produced. The performances are intense and realistic, the patient direction filled with slow trailing shots …
Two Roads Diverged in a Wood
Zola once said to Cézanne, “Is painting only a whim for you? Is it only a pastime, a subject of conversation? If this is the case, then I understand your conduct: you are right not to make trouble with your family. But if painting is your vocation, then you are an enigma to me, a sphinx, someone impossible, and obscure.” So Cézanne left Aix-en-Provence and joined his friend in Paris. So how do you identify yourself and what provides you with the most self-actualization? What are you willing to do to follow your goals? Do you merely wish to pay …
A Single Man
A Single Man seeks to capture a sentiment, an essence, a moment. It seems to be a descendent of French films: certain abstract images are central to the thoughts of the protagonist although this effect is insufferable at times. Tom Ford directs the film in a very visual way, showing English professor George Falconer’s attempt to navigate around past demons and through the perilous present Having lost the love of his life in a car accident eight months previously, Falconer begins the day with the intent of killing himself. As he goes about his daily business, individual scenes trigger memories and emotions. …
An Education
Jenny is a bright schoolgirl who is capable of excellent with pen and paper or with her cello. Her parents want her to study at Oxford – as if the university admission would provide symbolic approval of their parenting skills – but she wants more in life. She seeks to broaden her horizons and is frustrated by the strict boundaries at school and at home. An Education is set in 1961 London and based on the autobiography of journalist Lynn Barber; it seems Jenny may follow her intellectual spirit and become a member of the feminist movement in the 1960s. A chance encounter …
Sisyphus and Starbucks
According to a Starbucks’ cup that I read recently (The Way I See It #76): “The irony of commitment is that it’s deeply liberating — in work, in play, in love. The act frees you from the tyranny of your internal critic, from the fear that likes to dress itself up and parade around a rational hesitation. To commit is to remove your head as the barrier to your life.” On the subject of the Greek myth of Sisyphus, Albert Camus wrote: “Je laisse Sisyphe au bas de la montagne! On retrouve toujours son fardeau. Mais Sisyphe enseigne la fidélité …
Gran Torino
Clint Eastwood stars and directs this low-key film which ranges from sarcastic to sappy and manages to be meaningful without becoming too melodramatic. Gran Torino is the epilogue of the life of Walt Kowalski, played by Eastwood (sort of like a retired Dirty Harry at times) who fought in Korea and worked for forty years at the nearby Ford plant. After his wife died, he begins to connect with the Hmong family living next door and helps them out when they have trouble with a local gang. At times, the film is not plausible yet the audience enjoyed the film. …
Toronto Stories
Toronto Stories begins with a series of diverse people passing through customs and ends with a wide-angle shot of a homeless man crossing the street and entering the dense maze of downtown. The link between these two diverse scenes (the personalities of the travelers and the soulless nature of the city) is a mysterious boy of unknown origin who does not speak English. Alongside the tapestry of tales of people moving on and doing their best in their different lives, there is a thread that asks how the city would be perceived by a newcomer who knew nothing about Toronto …
High and Low
Nothing blew up. Nobody fell off of a roof in Vienna. Numerous scenes unfolded without any dialogue. Yet Akira Kurosawa successfully crafted a film in 1963 that surpasses most modern action films. The plot revolved around a kidnapping mystery, which was revealed gradually as the villain and his persistent police pursuers matched wits. Scenes with hardly any action were incredibly tense, as a result of the actors’ performances, the film’s pacing, and the simple score. There was a connection between the characters and the audience which made a two and half hour film fly by. Kingo Gondo, played by Toshiro …
Another Way to Die
A door left open: Bo Schembechler said “prepare, prepare, prepare.” John Wooden said that “failing to prepare is preparing to fail.” You can’t get upset on the court or in life when you are let down by something you should have foreseen and prepared for. A woman walking by: In every life, short-term pleasure can’t overcome long-term pain. Treat the source, not the symptoms. Correct the player’s attitude so that they buy-in and become willing to correct their technique. A man on your side: Another inch of your life sacrificed for your brother. If it impedes productivity, deal with it …
Fun
First concert in a while Tuesday night. Saw The Hold Steady at the Phoenx. Last time that I was at that club, Beck was playing and people were worried about Y2K. Last time that I was at a show, Oasis were touring Don’t Believe the Truth at the Molson Amphitheatre. It was more or less enjoyable, a reminder to do so more often. It was similar to seeing Birds of Wales at the Mod Club, another band suggested by a friend. The Hold Steady turned out to be a band that I like (of course, any rock band that plays …
Deux films
Deux cinémas Two films that I watched over the weekend had similar themes. La Nouvelle vie de Monsieur Horten, Norwegian with French subtitles (a past Cannes selection and a future TIFF selection), and Nos 18 ans were good films, developed smoothly (and promptly), and talked about how to set priorities and enjoy life. La Nouvelle vie de M. Horten, was an intelligent version of The Bucket List. It is a quiet film with moments of absurd humour. Odd Horten is a train conducteur who is forced to retire and doesn’t know what to do with himself. Single and living near …
The Game
Put in uniform at six or seven, by the time a boy reaches the NHL, he is a veteran of close to 1,000 games-30-minute games, later 32-, then 45, finally 60-minute games, played more than : twice a week, more than seventy times a year between late September and late March. It is more games from a younger age, over a longer season than ever before. But it is less hockey than ever before. For, every time a twelve-year-old boy plays a 30-minute game, sharing the ice with teammates, he plays only about ten minutes. And ten minutes a game, …
Perspective
Pressure basketball has succeeded at almost every level (we all remember Rick Pitino’s failed transition to the Association in 1997) for a number of good reasons. Dialing up the intensity increases the sport’s difficulty and certain teams play much better at faster tempos, for starters. Naturally, teams troubled by pressure can always practice. Talent is the single biggest factor for winning games (the reason Pitino’s Celtics floundered was because they did not win the 1997 lotttery) and passing, dribbling, cutting, and other skills can always be improved. Scoring also reverses the pressure by curtailing the opponent’s fast break; scoring is …
West Viriginia Will Regret that Game for the Rest of their Lives
West Virginia’s football team lost a gift-wrapped part in the B.C.S. National Championship Game thanks to a loss to Pittsburgh. The No. 2 ranked team was so heavily favoured that the combined score of both teams didn’t equal the spread. The Fiesta Bowl is a big deal but is nothing compared to a championship. What could Mountaineers have done to win the game? Could an extra practiced have been held, an additional weight training session scheduled, or more coaches’ meetings extended? Andre Agassi lost the 1989 French Open final to Andrés Gómez and was haunted by the loss until his …
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