Final Thoughts on Yasujiro Ozu

So my friends, December is upon us and with that I will say adieu to my November Spotlight on Yasujiro Ozu. I do hope you've enjoyed my aspects on this great director and perhaps I've inspired a few of you to go and get yourselves a copy of "Tokyo Story", "Late Spring" etc... If you don't want to pay the money just come to my house I'll lend them to you. I can't tell you enough on what this man's films have done to me as a movie fan and as a human being in general. Incidentally a little personal tid bit in my connection with Ozu, I did not find out until just recently but he and I also share the same birthday, we were both born on December 12th, which is also the day of Ozu's death. I know it doesn't mean anything but I was so happy to learn someone I admire so much shares my birthday, hurray for that.

In the meantime thank you and stay tuned for my December Director Spotlight. Who is it you ask? You'll just have to wait until tomorrow when he is revealed.

I Love Amy Adams, and You Should Too!!!

"Enchanted" may be the title of a movie, but it could also be used to describe Amy Adams the star of said movie and the main reason you should see said movie.

Adams plays Giselle, an animated Princess from the magical land of Andalasia who is about to get married to her Prince Edward when she is tricked by an old hag of a women and sent through a portal which brings her literally into the real world of New York. Giselle herself becomes human but still carries her fairy tale sensibility wherever she goes. She searches all over Manhattan trying to find her castle and her Prince, but she is soon found by a cynical divorce attorney named Robert (Patrick Dempsey) and his daughter who take her in. Meanwhile Giselle's Prince (James Marsden in a great clueless performance) finds the portal to New York and intends to rescue her, along with Pip a talking squirrel (although in the real world, squirrels can't talk which causes some problems), and his servant Nathaniel (Timothy Spall who I just saw in "The Last Hangman"). Nathaniel however is secretly working for the evil Queen (Susan Sarandon) the person responsible for sending Giselle through the portal in the first place.

The fairy tale story is sort of an homage of various Disney Princess stories like "Snow White", and "Sleeping Beauty", with a little bit of "Cinderella" thrown in at the end for good measure. Meanwhile Giselle is learning about the real world through Robert, while Robert is learning the world isn't such a bad place after all from Giselle.

You already know where "Enchanted" is headed the moment Adams steps out of the portal, however I must admit there are a few surprises and clever moments I didn't see coming or didn't expect done so well. Mostly the musical numbers were all inspired , particularly the ditty Adams sings when she is cleaning up Robert's apartment with the help of some of her animal friends, which aren't all the cute and cuddly in their real forms. Then there is another show stopper in the middle of Central Park that almost had me clapping in the theatre.

This film isn't just making fun of Disney films like the "Shrek" movies do, but they are also paying homage to them by showing us just what makes them so special in the first place. There isn't a hint of cynicism in this film and that's because we believe in Adams' character so much, she's the one that makes the film work. I would also credit Marsden's Prince Edward who also never loses that sense that he came from an animated world.

I do wish the film makers made up a more creative foil for Giselle rather than Dempsey's straight laced cynical business man type that we've seen so many times before, and the climax with the CGI dragon is just really ridiculous and sloppy, but all and all I was won over by the charm of Amy Adams and the musical numbers, both of which hearken back to Disney's glory days. And Hurray for 2-D animation!!

3 stars out of 4

Beware the Dragon Lady!!!!

"Beowulf" is an odd little extravaganza of a movie. It is a guilty pleasure, it's blunt about its sexual politics and violent nature, it's also very amusing, but though it might pass as entertainment, I hardly found anything memorable about it. "Beowulf" is the newest film to use the innovative computer animation technology, which is what director Robert Zemeckis used before with his "Polar Express", and also with last years "Monster House" which he produced. For the most part, I like this technology but to a point. I thought it worked well with a film like "Polar Express" which added to the dark and mysterious elements, but perhaps the numerous action scenes in "Beowulf" hinder the technology a bit which make the film look more like a high tech video game. No doubt this film will interest people who spend their time playing "World of War craft".

The story is of course based on the epic poem which since I have not read can only assume follows that plot faithfully. Beowulf comes to a kingdom in order to slay the local monster Grendel. Grendel attacks the people in a merciless manner cutting off their limbs and tearing them apart ( I think it's important to note that had this not been classified as an animated movie, this would no doubt be an R-rated film). But as the story goes on, we find the real monster isn't Grendel, but it's in fact Grendel's mother a dragon who has that canny ability to turn into Angelina Jolie. This is lucky for all the males watching the movie, but bad for Beowulf. Grendel's mother seduces Beowulf with promises of power, wealth, sex with her which he guesses is too hard to pass up, but of course all this could not end well.

"Beowulf" tells us nothing new about men's greedy nature when it comes to power and women, but I guess the story itself is one of the oldest to tell us this so I won't blame the movie. The film is very tongue and cheek and even pokes fun at Beowulf's tendencies to exaggerate his exploits, which had me laughing more than I thought I would in this film. It was good to see a film of this nature not take itself too seriously and decide to have fun. It doesn't try to be smarter than it is and for that it does work as a guilty pleasure. However by the end the action seemed to take too much of a video game approach and I lost what little feeling I had for the characters. I was reminded of the climactic ending of "Transformers" where that just turned into a bunch of CGI robots fighting it out. It's true the new technology is able to do what real life performers can't, but the line was crossed where it interfered with the human element thus losing my interest. If I wanted a role playing video game I'll play "World of War craft", but I don't really want to play that game and maybe that's another reason "Beowulf" didn't work for me.

On a final note, I realize kids today probably are used to seeing R-rated movies anyway but do we have to make it so easy for them by making this film PG-13? This maybe a win less debate but really, this isn't a kid's movie and shouldn't be marketed as one.

2 and a half stars out of 4

Ozu's Muse :Setsuko Hara

Like many directors Yasujiro Ozu had the habit of using many of his same actors. Probably his most frequent actor is Chishi Ryu who's roles would range from the biggest part to the smallest. However I wanted to focus more on one of Ozu's most frequent leading ladies, and that was the luminous Setsuko Hara.

There isn't much written about Hara, as far as I know she is still alive and living privately in Japan. She retired from acting in 1963 not soon after Ozu's death. There has been some speculation as to her relationship with Ozu and whether or not they carried on an affair, but I do not want to pry. Because of Hara's sudden retirement and disappearance from the public eye, she has been called "Japan's Garbo". She was a big star in Japan upon her retirement and unpset many fans and industry people alike when she left. She had said that she never liked acting and only did it to support her family, and once she could support them, she felt it was no longer necessary for her to keep doing it. In addition to the numerous classic Ozu films she appeared in, she also starred along side Toshiro Mifune in Kurosawa's "The Idiot".

I have not seen much of Hara's work other than her Ozu films, but I must say her performances in those films have me mesmerized. I have a reputation of easily falling in love with actresses that I like, and I don't think Hara is any exception. There is something about her that appeals to me. I first saw her in "Tokyo Story", where she plays the the former daughter in law to the elderly couple. In the film she is the only one who is decent to them even when their own children aren't. She always carries a certain sadness in her eyes in that movie, but she's hardly ever seen without a smile in her face. She has a heartbreaking scene near the end of the film as she is talking to the old man played by Chishu Ryu, where she tells about how guilty she feels for not thinking about her dead husband more than she should. All through the film she was not aloud to show her true feelings, and in this scene you can see it all come pouring out.

I think my favorite performance by her is in "Late Spring" where she is playing the daughter of an old widower (Ryu again). She is being pressured into finding a husband before she gets too old, but she is perfectly happy living with her father, however he does not want her to grow old alone. The relationship between father and daughter is very touching, it's a love story between them and not the man she must marry. The relationship is not shown in an obscene way but one very natural and beautiful. He has lost his wife, she has lost her mother, all they have is each other.

Hara did a remake of "Late Spring" years later with Ozu entitled "Late Autumn", this time Hara is the mother who marries off her daughter. This can be considered a remake, but in some ways I always thought of it more as a sequel. Hara could very well be the same character a few years older, but either way in both films, she always has this wise beyond her years look in her face, and a sad knowing of the inevitable.

Setsuko Hara captured me as an actress with grace and class, she had a very girl next door quality to her, but what catches me every time I see her is her sadness. In every Ozu film she's in, she always seems to be on the verge of tears but instead shows us a brave smile, and by doing that she lets her strength shine through.

Look What's Coming

There is so much you can say about The Coen Brothers' masterpiece "No Country for Old Men". It was so nice to see such a rich, multi-layered, lyrical film that masquerades as a run of the mill suspense yarn. Of course you can say that about any number of the Coens' films, but I think they have never been so blunt on the nature of violence like they have in this picture.

The story is based on the Cormac McCarthy novel of the same name, and follows the plot pretty faithfully but with a few of the Coen's own interpretations thrown into the mix. When Llewelyn Moss (2007's busiest man in Hollywood Josh Brolin) is out hunting, he stumbles upon a bloody aftermath. Dead bodies are scattered around a Texas valley with a truck full of drugs. When Llewelyn investigates further he finds a case full of money that is now left unclaimed. When Llewelyn decides to take the money, we find it leads to even more trouble. Enter Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem) a hired killer with no conscience who would kill someone at the flip of a coin. His sadistic weapon of choice is a cattle gun which is handy when shooting off locks to a door as well as people in the head. Anton has been brought in the capture Lewelyn and get the money, but pretty soon he becomes a loose canon not caring who gets in his way. Another major character is the local Sheriff Ed Tom (Tommy Lee Jones) who's trying to catch up with Llewelyn and trying to make sense of this violent world he now finds him in.

All the usual genre stuff of money and drugs really don't matter much in this film. Much like the Coen's other masterpiece "Fargo", we never get a clear answer as to what happens to the money and by the end of the movie it doesn't really matter. What this film does, I think very successfully is comment on how violence is ongoing, and once it starts it's unstoppable. I have been squeamish in the past about violence in movies, especially ones who claim to be commenting on it but mostly exploiting it for mindless reasons. "No Country for Old Men" gets it right all the way through, in fact as the film's violence becomes more and more senseless, the less of it we see. The two most significant deaths in the film happen off camera and only one of those shows us the aftermath. This makes the deaths even more disturbing and sticks with you.

But what also makes this into a great movie is the Coens' immeasurable craft. These guys may very well be the best filmmakers alive today. The use of how they build suspense and atmosphere is brilliant. There is hardly a note of music through the whole film, but the images are so powerful you don't even notice it. The addition of lighting and sound effects make up some of the best most suspenseful moments in film history. One such scene includes the unscrewing of a light bulb and the sound of a telephone ringing and that is all I'm going to say.

As for the performances, let's just say I don't think they could be better. Bardem is already getting some Oscar buzz as Chigurh and he makes this character frightening each time he's on screen, I almost closed my eyes more than once when he appeared. Brolin has a great everyman quality in the part of Llewelyn and for once, he's not playing a bad guy, but he is someone who is in over his head. Then there is Tommy Lee Jones, some one who already gave a great performance with "In the Valley of Elah", but with Sheriff Tom, Jones has found a kindred spirit, and his performance is really the heart and soul of what this film is about, his final speech in the film leaves you with the kind of disillusionment his character feels.

I can go on and on about this film, it is definitely a great one. I think I'll write more about it later, but until then I'll just leave my four star rating and tell you to go see this movie.

4 stars out of 4

Roger Ebert's Top Ten of 2006

After taking part of the year off due to illness, Roger Ebert has been making up for lost time by reviewing films from last year that he missed. He must've finished though because I'm glad to see that he has his annual top ten list from last year finally available. You can all check out http://rogerebert.com to see his list. There are even a few there I haven't seen yet like "Bubble", and "Perfume". Quickly now to the video store!!!!

Can't Get Enought of Bobby and The Beatles

Two of the greatest artists of all time are getting a resurgence of sorts (As if they needed one) this year on both the big screen and on DVD. If you haven't gone to see Julie Taymor's visually impressive Beatles musical "Across the Universe" which has polarized its audience, I very much recommend it, but if you want the Beatles themselves then you can go to the DVD store and pick up their classic film "Help". Directed by Richard Lester, it's the band's follow up to "A Hard Days Night", and even though I wouldn't say this film is up to par with their earlier one, it's still full of great humour and great music.

Also Todd Haynes experimental biopic "I'm Not There" is yet to open wide so I haven't been able to see it, but it's been getting some great critical response, and if you're aching to see Dylan on film then a new DVD which chronicles his performances at the Newport Folk Festival has just been released. Entitled "The Other Side of the Mirror", this was the famous folk festival where Dylan went electric.

The release of of "Across the Universe" and "I'm Not There", plus these DVDs just goes to show, that good music never fades away.

Tokyo Story: The Simple Tragedy

During the month of November, I am focusing on film maker Yasujiro Ozu. I thought it now time to say a few words about his masterpiece (and one of my absolute favorite films) "Tokyo Story".

I've seen "Tokyo Story" at least four times now, I've even read the screenplay, and still I am in awe of it. Every shot of this film is truth in it's purest form. It does everything the opposite of what you expect. The story centres on an elderly couple who make a trip to Tokyo to visit their children. Since Tokyo is such a far distance, the couple realize that this may be their last chance to see all of them together.

When they arrive, their children are not very hospitable, they seem more put out by their parent's visit than anything else. Nothing is ever said directly on this topic but is instead covered up mostly by polite conversation. The one person who does welcome the couple's visit is their former daughter-in-law Noriko. Noriko lives alone and unmarried since her husband (their son) was killed in the war. The children then find it convenient for them to dump their parents on Noriko who then takes them sight seeing and to visit her apartment.

When the children finally are out of ideas of what to do with them, they decide to spend the money to send them to a bathhouse, but the parents are not happy there since it is full of young people who are up late at night. Their visit is then cut short.

As I said before when I first saw this film I didn't enjoy it as much, I think because I was expecting something else, something a little more conventional. I wasn't used to the performing style of the actors, I found when some of them had to cry after the death of a certain character, it looked forced and not at all realistic. But now that I know a little bit more about Ozu's intent and after viewing many other films by him I think I know the reason for my initial reaction to the film. At no point was I asked to be a participant in the action, this is more of an observation of a family coming apart, but that doesn't mean you are not supposed to feel anything for them, it just means you're kept at a distance. I would almost describe it as looking through a window into someone else's life, we can see what's happening but the glass is keeping us out.

Ozu keeps us at a distance purposefully, and because of that we are able to see the whole picture. The thing I like about Ozu's films the most is how he is able to make us identify with each character, there is no black and white bad guy in his films. We feel for the elderly couple's situation, but on another level we don't blame the children for their decisions, they are all human in Ozu's eyes. The one person who speaks for both generations is Noriko. Near the end of the film, the one person who gave the couple any compassion can't help but feel that some day she will turn selfish, and unkind herself.

As I was reading the screenplay to "Tokyo Story", the introduction by Donald Richie he states that "Ozu restricted himself to elegiac theme: the dissolution of the Japanese family." This is why most of his films are considered to be very similar, he wasn't repeating himself, it was just that the theme remained consistent. The tragedy of "Tokyo Story" is a simple one and that from the beginning of the film we know the happiness this family had has changed through the distance between them, and by the end when another change occurs, their is an even bigger gap separating them. But being the philosophical film maker he is, Ozu looks upon this change as inevitable as the passage of time. Nothing can be changed, it is the way of things, and the fact that we look upon it with sadness is a beautiful thing, and reminds us that we are human.

Two Sides to Every Story

Ever since Edward G. Robinson cried those immortal words "Is this the end of Rico", American movies have been in love with the gangster. But in a genre that has now given us films like "The Godfather", "Goodfellas", and shows like "The Sopranos", how much is there left to tell us. I think "American Gangster" tries to tread new territory but it turns into the same old story we are used to.

Denzel Washington stars as real life gangster Frank Lucas, a man who controlled the criminal underworld of Harlem all through the Vietnam war. His main source of income was from smuggling drugs out of Vietnam and onto the streets of Harlem, how he does that is ingenious and is no wonder he wasn't caught sooner. But the man on Lucas' tail is a tough honest cop named Richie Roberts (Russel Crowe). Richie may be a good cop but we find out he's a screw up with everything else. Throughout the film Richie is shown as someone who can't hold a relationship together, he's constantly having casual sex all the while trying to battle his ex-wife over custody of their son. He is alienated by fellow policemen for not accepting bribes, and is criticized for hanging out with old school friends who have become criminals. What redeems Richie is he's honest.

Meanwhile Frank is a cold-blooded murderer, but he's a man who loves his family, particularly his mother and wife. He's a man who has it all together and has no problem with what he's doing. We see a stark contrast between the two men as Frank is shown having thanksgiving dinner with his family in his large mansion, while Richie is alone in his apartment having a turkey and potato chip sandwich, obviously in this world it doesn't pay to be honest, but it does to be a criminal.

These two characters are very compelling, in fact I think they are too compelling, sometimes I wish they had their own separate movies so we could learn more about them. Richie seems to be the most interesting character simply because he seems to be the one trapped the most by his own flaws. Lucas just seems to be living the "Scarface" high life until (as gangster convention has taught us) his kingdom comes to an end.

Even though I thought Richie's story was more interesting, I felt that this really should've been Frank's show all the way. The life of a black gangster's rise to power is rarely seen in films and it could've stood on its own as a great movie, but some energy is missing in these scenes, I felt I didn't really understand what makes Frank's world different from that of Tony Montana's, but perhaps the point is there isn't much of a difference.

The film itself is very entertaining with two of our greatest leading men showing you why they are so great. We also get great support from Cuba Gooding Jr. as one of Frank's rivals, Josh Brolin as a corrupt cop, and Ruby Dee as Frank's mother. Director Ridley Scott keeps the story going for the most part and gives us a lot of exciting scenes that make us look up and pay attention. Perhaps the one scene that gave me a glimmer of hope that this movie was to be great was when Frank is seen sitting in a cafe with his brothers, then suddenly he sees a man who owes him money on the street. Frank comes out of the cafe and shoots the man point blank in the head in front of dozens of witnesses, and calmly sits back down to eat. It's probably the best example of Frank's power in the city, and I only wish there was more of that.

In the end "American Gangster" never ceases to entertain, but it's really telling us nothing we didn't know before.

3 stars out of 4

What Ozu means to me

There have been a few artists who have had a profound effect on me, profound in the sense that their ideas or their words have helped mold me into the human being I am today. A few of those names include Charles Dickens, Bob Dylan, William Shakespeare, and Groucho Marx. Being a film buff I'm sure I could add many film makers to this list, but Yasujiro Ozu is the one who has impacted me the greatest.

It was about two years ago when I first heard Ozu's name, before then the only other man I associated Japanese cinema with was Kurosawa. I was shuffling through Roger Ebert's Great Movies list as I do on occasion, and on this particular day I came upon the title "Tokyo Story". As I was reading the review, the plot intrigued me (it was later that I found out that plot in an Ozu film is virtually non-existent). It was the story of an elderly couple who travel to Tokyo to visit their children for what will probably be the last time. The idea of it struck me as so simple yet so ingenious. I set out to find "Tokyo Story" and find it I did.

At first viewing I didn't know what to think, it was definitely a movie I was not used to, it was almost as if the whole style put me off guard. I was waiting for a big emotional payoff at the end of the film and it never happened. But the film kept nagging me, I knew there was something more to it, so it wasn't soon later that I watched it again, and then again. What I picked up more and more were the subtle nuances in the film, I payed more attention to the dialogue and started to think about what was not being said rather than what was. I started asking questions about certain shots Ozu made. As many Ozu admirers know, his camera mostly remained stationary and his favorite placement was always three feet off the floor which was the average height of a person sitting on a tatami mat. It was this style I fell in love with, what a beautiful and unique way to shoot a film, this way made it easy to observe the characters without being distracted. We are kept at a distance, always looking in, never interfering with the action going on. When I noticed the moments Ozu did move his camera it was usually to stay with a character, like if they were walking down a street or riding their bicycle down the road, it seemed he was doing it out of necessity so the characters don't go out of frame. However by "Tokyo Twilight", his tracking shots became non-existent.

It became clear to me that the characters were the most important in his films which is probably why I've grown to love them so much. His characters all seem so real, they are never glamorized for the sake of plot or theme, they are motivated by their reality. When I first saw his masterpiece "Tokyo Twilight", I was amazed at how realistic his characters were to me, they were so real that I thought Ozu was taking people out of my own life and putting them in his film, but this couldn't have been since it was made over fifty years ago. I don't remember ever being caught up with every major character in a film and sympathizing or at least empathizing with their situation.

Since first viewing "Tokyo Story" which seemed like another lifetime ago, I have watched nine other Ozu films, all of the ones that are available (I think) in North America (with the exception of "Good Morning), I have read Donald Richie's book "Ozu" which discusses in great detail, the film maker's process from writing the script to the editing of the film. Perhaps it's a bit obsessive of me, but it's all very fascinating. I suppose I could compare it to falling in love for the first time, or falling in love all over again. His style sticks with you, and if you care to get into it, it's a very satisfying feeling one gets after watching his films. Each and every one of them have become personal favorites of mine, and if I'm ever feeling low, I sometimes get the impulse to watch one of his films. They put me at ease, I think it's because his films remind me what it's like being human, and I suddenly don't feel alone in the world, and when you can feel that way every time, that's when you know you're in the hands of a master.

Baby Blues

If you look back at our recent film history, you'll find some of the best crime dramas out there have been set in Boston. Two films that automatically spring to mind are Scorcese's "The Departed" and Eastwood's "Mystic River. There is something very special and seedy in the mean streets of Boston, but I think "Gone Baby Gone", Ben Affleck's directorial debut is the most authentic in showing us just what those streets are like.

"Gone Baby Gone" is based on the book by Dennis Lehane, the same man who penned "Mystic River", it involves a kidnapping case of a young girl. The police are now in the third day of investigation without much to go on. The girl's Aunt (Amy Madigan) decides to find some outside help. Enter our complex hero Patrick Kenzie (Casey Affleck in who is superb) a young private investigator who has connections with the criminal elite in Boston. Patrick along with his significant other (Michelle Monaghan) are brought in to help with the situation. The police chief in charge (Morgan Freeman) is apprehensive about the whole thing, but thanks to Patrick's inside contacts, he's able to get information quicker than the cops. But Patrick has to report back to the police with whatever he finds. The leading investigators are played by Ed Harris and John Ashton. Through the investigation we learn that the girl's mother (Amy Ryan) was not a saint. She was a drug runner for one of the local dealers. When we find out the mother stole from this dealer, he becomes the main suspect.

To give away more about the plot would be a sin, for as with all good crime stories all is not what is seems to be. The film reminded me a lot of "Mystic River" no doubt since they are both Lehane's stories. The theme of child abuse runs deep, and a question is raised near the end of the film that you will no doubt ponder after the credits role by. I couldn't help but think that this movie was good mainly because of the source material.

I don't want to cut Affleck the director short, he also co-wrote the screenplay and reminds us that yes Matt Damon wasn't the only one who wrote "Good Will Hunting". I think the dialogue is the best contribution Ben gives to the film. It's tough and authentic, particularly in an early scene with Casey and Michelle in a bar interviewing witnesses. It stands alone as one of the best acting and dialogue scenes I've seen all year and reminded me of the tough talk between De Niro or Keitel in "Mean Streets". That scene alone is worth the price of admission.

The performances here are all stellar. This is definitely turning into the year of Casey Affleck as he makes his young detective into a tough, honorable, and charming hero. After learning that Dennis Lehane has made a series of books with Patrick Kenzie, I hope Affleck returns in a number of sequels. Other stars like Monaghan, Freeman, and Harris do solid jobs as usual and it was great to see Amy Madigan kicking around as the only family member who seems to really care about the missing child.

But the scene stealer here is Amy Ryan as the completely unsympathetic mother. As soon as we think we can get in her side, Ryan pulls the wool from our eyes to show us she's putting on an act.

All that being said, a slight thing was nagging me that stopped me from really liking this film. Despite the perfections of the dialogue and the performances, Affleck's direction seemed a bit self conscious. There are many scenes that seemed to drag and I wanted Affleck to show us rather than tell us. The narration done by Patrick seemed out of place and was unnecessary. I couldn't help but think that Affleck put it there because he was more confident with the dialogue than with the direction. But a lot of it I think is Affleck trying to find his voice, with as many bad scenes there are just as many good ones, and there are even a couple of spectacular ones, so I am recommending this film, it's a good starting block for someone who I think will have a great career behind the camera.

3 stars out of 4

Faith in Film : It's a Wonderful Life

I was trying to think of something to write for the Faith in Film Blog-a-Thon. I couldn't think of anything but I found this instead.

Inspired Wild

I suppose we all have those crazy notions when we're young, we're going out to conquer the world, we're going to do what we wanna do. But then reality sinks in, and we remember responsibilities, money, family, career, those excuses that hold us back. What an inspiration Christopher McCandless was, he had what so many of us would take for granted: the courage of not looking back and by doing that he was able to accomplish something very few probably could admit to.

As I was watching Sean Penn's beautiful film "Into the Wild" which recounts McCandless' two year journey through America I couldn't help but feel inspired by what he did and almost a bit envious.

When we first meet Christopher (Emile Hirsch) he has just graduated from college, his parents (William Hurt and Marcia Gay Harden) are expecting him to further his education with Harvard Law, but without any warning Chris sets out with plans of his own. He gives his life savings away to charity, abandons his car and hitches a ride into the heart of America. Chris isn't a special cause, he seems to be coming from a well-bread family, he's well looked after, but after being inspired by the writings of Thoreau, Jack London, and Tolstoy, he acts on his youthful instincts and leaves all of societies trappings behind.

Through his travels he meets up and inspires some very interesting characters. They include a couple of travelling hippies (Catherine Keener and Brian Dierker), a wheat cutter (Vince Vaughn) who hires Chris on for awhile, and a wizened old man (Hal Holbrook). Each of these people that Chris encounters are inspired by his philosophy and his enthusiasm, he is indeed a special kid. But Chris also comes off as one who thinks he knows all the answers and even though these people admire him, they know he's headed for trouble. More than once Chris is asked if his parents know where he is, and Penn doesn't shy away from the hurt his leaving caused. The parents are shown at home searching helplessly, grieving for their lost son, and feeling guilty about his departure.

The parents aren't all to blame, they are shown as people who have made mistakes but did have a deep love for Chris. One couldn't help but feel Chris' trek was part of him trying to come to terms with his anger against them.

The film itself is a love letter to Chris' intentions though, it his his story, and despite the hurt his leaving caused he left an indelible mark with what he accomplished. Sean Penn has crafted a very beautiful and poetic account of his journey through America, he captures as close as possible for us what Chris would've experienced. Penn's passion is felt throughout the film and sometimes his love for the subject becomes too much as I wish he had an editor. The film runs about 2 and a half hours which makes for a few slow spots and one too many repetitive Eddie Vedder tunes.

However I would say the final third of the film is the most powerful with some of the most brilliant scenes I've seen all year. The best comes when Hal Holbrook arrives, where the young adventurer comes in contact with the old man who has seen it all. It was fascinating to see the two men from different generations discuss their take on life, and the spiritual speech done by Holbrook brings the film to full circle.

The Alaskan scenes are also powerful as Hirsch bravely reenacts for us Chris' final days and the result is a tour de force.

Despite what one may think about Chris' motives, it's hard not to be inspired by his courage. Here was someone who didn't look back, and perhaps learned he didn't have all the answers, it was a harsh lesson payed for with the ultimate price, still there was that special quality in Chris that makes him unique and something I envy.

3.5 stars out of 4

A Hangman's Tale

"Pierrepoint: The Last Hangman" is by no means the kind of film one might find enjoyable. The idea of what happens to a professional hang man after he spends his career executing over 600 people does not seem like ideal entertainment. But what makes the film watchable is how we get to know this man and ultimately the tragedy in him as the job he tries so hard to perfect, turns him into a broken man.

Albert Pierrepoint was Britain's last hangman. He is played by Timothy Spall one of those actors who's face you probably recognize but who's name might allude you. In the beginning of the film Pierrepoint is introduced to us as a bit of keener when it comes to executions. He knows the length of the rope to use on each victim so the deed is done quickly, efficiently and humanely. While his colleagues can't bear to actually pull the lever, Pierrepoint seems to have a gift of going about it objectively with practically no feeling for the victim whatsoever. It's only after the execution that he deals with the dead in a humane way. As he cleans the dead bodies and cares for them, he feels now that they are dead, they have payed for their sins and therefore should be dealt with the utmost respect.

This idea goes deeper when Pierrepoint is later assigned by the government to participate in the execution of German war criminals after the second world war. Pierrepoint must kill 47 of the German's in a week, which averages out to about 13 a day. He gets upset when 12 coffins are counted for the daily dead which leaves one without. For me this was the moment when we see the cracks in Pierrepoint's system begin to crack. As the film goes on and on and Pierrepoint is executing one person after another it becomes impossible to deny his own humanity.

The story of Albert Pierrepoint came to me the same way Edith Piaf did in "La Vie En Rose". Here was a person I knew nothing about going into the film, but as I left I felt I had an understanding of what kind of a man he was.

I believe the film is making a definite case against the death penalty. There is a cold harshness of Pierrepoint's execution. No questions are asked as to the people's innocence, and after doing some research, I did find that he did indeed execute at least one person who was later pardoned posthumously for his crimes. The line between right and wrong becomes unclear, and that's exactly how Pierrepoint is meant to feel by the end of the film.

The film's message towards the death penalty reminded me of another recent film, "Rendition" in the way that film dealt with torture. Both films ask if their primary actions were necessary and if any positive result was gained.

The death penalty has since been abolished in Britain and we see the last one performed by Pierrepoint. But even before the last one, we see a man broken by his own conscience and humanity. "Pierrpoint" is an interesting take on an important issue, told through the eyes of someone who performed it first hand. The performances are excellent, particularly Spall who shows the cracks of this precise man spill out ever so slightly. It's now available on DVD so I would try to seek out this little treasure.

3.5 stars out of 4

Late Spring appreciation

In celebration of my month of Ozu, here's a montage of scenes from one of his many masterworks "Late Spring". Watch and enjoy

November Spotlight: Yasujiro Ozu

As promised I am dedicating each month to a different director. Each week I'll write about their work or their technique and so forth. To start off the series I've chosen Japanese film maker Yasujiro Ozu. Ozu is a personal favorite of mine and I've mostly chosen him because I'm immersed in his films at the moment. I hope you join me this month in celebrating Ozu and if you have any insights on him feel free to add comments or email me.