Film Review: Varda Par Agnes

• Print
• Email

Details

Category: Cinéma - Movies

Published: Tuesday, 26 November 2019 21:29

Written by Gilbert Seah

VARDA PAR AGNES (France 2019) ****
Directed by Agnes Varda

Agnes Varda talks about film and about her films to an audience in a grand cinema auditorium.  This is the documentary -  a doc about film, life and inspirations.

Agnes Varda mentions the three words that are all-important to filming: inspiration, creation, and sharing.  Without inspiration, there is no film.  Varda, obviously gives examples from her past work, mentioning how she immediately wants to film her uncle Varda the second she met him.  She started visualizing colours, camera angles, shots and all.  The film the shows segments of that encounter.  Varda also mentions the difficult part of creation, getting the finance  needed to make a film.  She confesses that she often had to work with small budgets.  She came up with her film CLEO IN THE AFTERNOON filmed in real time of 90 minutes, to cut cost.  CLEO turns out to be one of her most successful ones.  The third element of sharing, she is currently doing, communicating to her audience in the auditorium.

Directors have their niche.  Some directors make action films, some comedies and some documentaries.  It is the latter category for Agnes Varda.  In her film, JANE B. PAR AGNES V., there is one exquisite scene she captures while Birkin is walking with her son on the beach.   A woman is lying flat on the beach with a Bible on her chest while two men stoop each by her side.  The boy questions the mother for the reason, and she replies that she does not know.  The film does not indicate any reason for the image either.  Varda sees images like these, captivating and occasionally without reason, but to Varda, this image needed to be captured.  It is these little intricacies that make Varda the artist that she is, as well as give this doc its great pleasures.  Varda’s segment on her potato exhibition is nothing short of extraordinary.

Though at the age of 90 at the time of filming this doc, Varda still emanates her characteristic vibrant energy. She offers a wide-ranging journey through her world: her filming process, her feminism, her fine-art photography, her long-time relationship with director Jacques Demy.  There are signature flourishes of animation, and formal detours into the dreams that form the integral basis of her reality.

Varda died only a month after Varda by Agnès premiered at Berlin, and with this in mind, it's hard not to see it as a eulogy. Yet, like all of Varda's work, it brims with life. And its takeaway is not a past-tense legacy, but a sense of how Varda lived through her films, of what she brought to the art form, and — the greatest gift — of finding the extraordinary in the ordinary. "Nothing is banal if you film people with empathy and love," Varda once said. This is the inspiration she has left us with.  Many of her best films are on display here, from CLEO DE 5 A 7, SANS TOIT NI LOIT (English title VAGABOND), THE GLEANERS to VISAGES, VILLAGES, her last and BEST film in 2017.   Sandrine Bonnaire from SANS TOIT NI LOIT appears as a guest talking to Varda.

For those who grew up with Varda and her husband Jacques Demy, VARDA PAR AGNES is a pleasure. 

AGNES PAR VARDA is a true film on how life imitates art (in this case, film) and how art imitates life.  Varda passed away with this doc marking this film her swan song.  There are too many pleasures in the film to be mentioned, so best to see this film for oneself.

Trailer: http://www.filmswelike.com/films/varda-by-agnes

TIFF Cinematheque - The Films of Nagisa Oshima

• Print
• Email

Details

Category: Cinéma - Movies

Published: Thursday, 14 November 2019 18:22

Written by Gilbert Seah

TIFF Cinematheque Presents - The films of Nagisa Oshima

This rare retrospective of Japanese New Wave director runs from November 14th to December 5th at the TIFF Bell Lightbox.

the series is entitles IN THE REALM OF OSHIMA - the Best of Japanese Mater Nagasi Oshima.  The title is taken form his most notorious and famous work IN THE REALM OF THE SENSES. I guarantee you would not forget the film, at least of its explicit sexual scenes.

The retrospective is made possible thanks to Nobi Nakamura,The Japan Foundation; Yukiko Wachi, Kawakita Memorial Film Institute; and Brian Belovarac, Janus Films.

For the complete programming, dates and description of each film screened, please check the TIFF website at: tiff.net

Capsule Reviews of Select Films:

THE CEREMONY (Japan 1971) **
Directed by Nagisa Oshima

The film begins with Masuo Sakurada receiving a telegram from his cousin Terumichi. He is traveling with his cousin Ritsuko to check out his cabin and see if the telegram is true. Masuo has a flashback to the ceremony on the first anniversary of his father's death, after he and his mother are repatriated to Japan from Huludao. Because his younger brother died before they returned from the former Manchukuo, Masuo is expected to live for two sons.  The film reveals two dysfunctional families with numerous instances of incest.  Masuo himself is interested in Setsuko, and later Ritsuko, and finds himself in competition with Terumichi for them.  The film unfolds in a non-linear timeline with the close of the film revealing that the telegram of Terumichi’s death is true.  Oshima often shoots in long takes with elaborate layout of the ceremonies that involve extensive wardrobe and furniture.   The story is hard to follow and one can hardly care for theses unlikeable characters.

Trailer: https://vimeo.com/163259637

CRUEL STORIES OF YOUTH (Japan 1960) ***
Directed by Nagisa Oshima

The title tells it all in Oshima’s tale of a young couple who prey on older men to make a living.  Old men offer the girl a ride home but often take advantage of her by taking her to a bar for drinks or to a hotel.  That is when the boyfriend shows up, beat the older man up and rob hm of his money.  She falls for him and he slowly gets solve her.  But things start getting heated to a boil when she becomes impregnated by him, and has an abortion.  No one is to blame of these hard times.  Youth like these two are restless and look for trouble.  One problem could be the lack ambition of the two.  Regardless, the girl makes an attempt at redemption the she encounters a kinder older gentleman who owns a company.  CRUEL STORIES OF YOUTH has solid drama that depicts both the restlessness and rebelliousness of youth, but offers no solutions nor a way out.

Trailer: https://ca.video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-dcola-005&hsimp=yhs-005&hspart=dcola&p=cruel+stories+of+youth+trailer#id=1&vid=f81fd3743fc6148afdcd3592bcb1e7e1&action=click

IN THE REALM OF THE SENSES (Japan 1976) ****

Directed by Nagisa Oshima

Arguably Oshima’s best film but definitely the one that shot him to fame for its notoriety.   This is the first Oshima film I have seen.  In different countries the film was either banned, butchered, debated or denounced.  It was banned in Ontario when it was first released.  The film premiered in Cannes and was reported to cause quite a stir including riots.  The story is supposedly based on a famous crime in 1936, a tale of sexual obsession so incredible that it has to be seen to be believed and then unforgotten.  Sex and bondage take place between between man and woman, master and servant, individual and state, in which a maid murdered and castrated her employer after several days of sequestered lovemaking with him. The film is more disgusting than erotic and might turn one off sex for a spell.   Be prepared for segments depicting hardcore sex so audiences beware!

Trailer: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2k7bhw

VIOLENCE AT NOON (Japan 1966) ***1/2

Directed by Nagisa Oshima

 VIOLENCE AT NOON is the portrayal of a violent rapist as seen through the recollections of his wife and one of his victims. As the film starts, Eisuke (Kei Sato) encounters Shino (Saeda Kawaguchi), who works as a maid in a house.  She is a former coworker from a failed collective farm, whose life he once saved -- only to rape her.  Soon, Eisuke's criminal pattern of rapes and murders emerges as he goes on assaulting women (Shino being the witness of one of them, as Eisuke tries to violate her employer).  When cooperating with the police on making a description of the rapist, Shino withholds her crucial knowledge of his identity.  She prefers writing letters to Eisuke's dutiful wife, Matsuko, a schoolteacher (Akiko Koyama -- Mrs Oshima), in order to expose his true nature and perhaps induce her into turning Eisuke over to the police.  This film contains some intriguing discussions on the subject of suicide.  “Why kill yourself?  Why not kill someone instead?”  This one one which makes complete sense, is quite a dangerous argument.  Another: Can one die by staying awake?”  Obviously yes, as one can live like a dead person.  The VIOLENCE AT NOON are the acts committed by a serial killer who not only kills at that time, but leave similar markings.   An intriguing film and worthwhile but not so easy a watch.

Trailer: https://www.mymovierack.com/show/violence-at-noon

Cinefranco 2019

• Print
• Email

Details

Category: Cinéma - Movies

Published: Thursday, 21 November 2019 02:53

Written by Gilbert Seah

Cinefranco 2019

Cinefranco 2019 runs from November 22 to the 30th 2019.  Programmed and run by the tireless and ever-cheerful Marcelle Lean (who I am proud to say is a good acquaintance of mine) since the fete first started.

The Festival’s Main Program is the most important international francophone film festivals in English Canada.  It is comprised of up to 40 francophone films and brings together thousands of fans.  The films reflect the richness and diversity of filmmakers from Canada, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Algeria, Morocco. Tunisia, Senegal and other countries.  The goal of this program is to showcase films rarely seen or not distributed in Toronto cinemas. Considering that fewer and fewer French films are being released (such a pity) in theatres, Cinéfranco provides an essential platform to foster the appreciation of francophone films. Therefore, Cinéfranco gives the unique opportunity for francophone film lovers to experience the films on a big screen, and for filmmakers to meet their audiences. Cinéfranco provides popular yet quality programming, from hilarious comedies to social dramas, through moving documentaries or captivating thrillers. The viewers get to vote for their favourite film which is awarded “The Audience Prize” at the end of the festival.

For complete information of the festival including descriptions of the films, please click the Link:

https://www.cinefranco.com/fall-festival

Capsule Reviews of Selected Films:

Un Amour Impossible (France 2018) ****

Directed by Catherine Corsini

Don’t let the title put you off.  This is no cheap riff-off of a ROMEO AND JULIET story.  UN AMOUR IMPOSSIBLE is an incredible emotional and intelligent romance so dark yet beautiful that will surely affect many couples for the fact that the story can be or might be more common than expected.  The story follows a couple very much into each other.  The girl, Rachel (Virginia Efira) is very much head over heals in love with utterly handsome Philippe (Neils Schneider).  The romance is shown from Rachel’s POV as love at first sight, perfect love, with a totally handsome beau with excellent sex.  Until he unloads the bomb on her, that he does not want to be wed.  Worst still, when she reveals her pregnancy, he travels to Italy.  The narrator of the story is the daughter of the couple.  Nothing more should be revealed of the story but this is one remarkable romantic drama that will affect both sexes and the daughter.  How often than not that we have (myself included) fallen in love with someone who is so attractive that he or she can attract anyone else at any time.  What can one do?  The most emotional part occurs in one scene where she stares at him: He is so abusive to her, but she is so much in love with him that she does nothing.  The film runs more than 2 hours, but every minute is worth its time.

Trailerhttps://ca.video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-dcola-005&hsimp=yhs-005&hspart=dcola&p=allocine+un+amour+impossible#id=51&vid=287300ffc47760d54dea41402d815079&action=view

LE MYSTERE HENRI PICK (The Mystery of Henri Pick) (France 2019) ***1/2
Directed by Remi Bezancon

A bold inventive comedy that is ripe for Hollywood to remake.  While conducting a television interview with the widow of pizza restaurateur Henri Pick, who is the posthumous author of a bestseller, talk show host Jean-Michel Rouche (Fabrice Luchini) attracts the wrath of his employer and the spectators by suggesting the book could be a sham. The same evening, his wife leaves him and he is fired from his job at the network. This double disgrace reinforces his desire to prove that he is right.  As Rouche acts not only like a know-it-all proud peacock but an asshole, the audience is only too glad to witness his downfall.  But Rouche is not without charm.

He is joined in his investigation by the late author’s bookworm daughter, Josephine (Camille Cottin), after convincing her the book couldn’t have been written by her father. Echoing Agatha Christie, false leads and literary fun abound in this charming French affair.  There is no romance here not even a little hint, but the story works as both a clever whodunit or rather whowroteit as well as a study of characters in a French literary setting.  Luchini exhibits charm as the disgraced host who eventually redeems himself. A mysterious pleasure of a film.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbyBzbTYw5s

PUPILLE (IN SAFE HANDS) (France 2019) *****Top 10
Directed by Jeanne Herry

Marcelle Lean picked a real winner for her Cinefranco 2019 with this film about France’s adoption process.  The adoption process is shown here in all its complications and complexity with a whole lot of people involved in finding an adopted baby a good home.  PUPILLE unfolds non-chronologically as fiction though one can be sure that director Herry has done lots of research.  The story follows Theo, abandoned by his biological mother (Leila Muse) as Social Service strives through many applicants to find him a suitable and loving home.  The film reveals the various emotional states of everyone involved in the process from the mother, to the accepted new adoptive mother (Elodie Bouchez), to the social workers (3 of them) to the man (Gilles Lellouche) who looks after Theo before delivered to his final home.  Director has created both a heart warming and heart wrenching drama that will tug at ones emotions.  So, bring lots of Kleenex.   A few of the film’s parts are out of place like the emotional drama between two of the workers.  But given the film’s content, good intentions and research, PUPILLE deserves full marks.  (It has also 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes at time of writing.) PUPILLE is the term given to the ward while under the care of France’s Social Services.  The film returns ones faith in the human race. 

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bx3DnPLI6U (ver francais)

VENICE N’EST PAS EN ITALIE (France 2018) ***1/2

Directed by Ivan Calbérac

Based on the 2015 novel ‘Venice is not in Italy’ by Ivan Calbérac, VENICE N’EST PAS EN ITALIE (English title VENICE CALLING) follows the coming-of-age adventures of teen math geek Emile who lives with his struggling but over-loving parents in a caravan falls for ultra wealthy girl in his class.  When she invites him to her orchestra performance in Venice, he promises to attend, if his parents can afford it.  They agree to let him attend but decide to come along as well, together with caravan in tow and his elder cool brother who suddenly shows up.  VENICE has all the charm and nuance of a French comedy that is both funny and entertaining with a message to boot.  The film’s best part has the mother giving Emile a smack across the face for being ashamed of her.  The truth is almost every child is ashamed of their parents for some reason or other, for being not rich enough, for dressing odd, for showing affection in public etc.  At the same time, the boy grows up learning more about life (including sex, courtesy of his elder brother) and what counts in life.  The film is a total delight!

Trailer: http://www.allocine.fr/video/player_gen_cmedia=19583589&cfilm=241649.html (ver Fr)

Reel Asian Film Festival 2019

• Print
• Email

Details

Category: Cinéma - Movies

Published: Tuesday, 05 November 2019 21:47

Written by Gilbert Seah

The Toronto Reel Asian Film Festival 2019

The Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival® is a unique showcase of contemporary Asian cinema and work from the Asian diaspora. Works include films and videos by East, South and Southeast Asian artists in Canada, the U.S., Asia and all over the world. As Canada’s largest Asian film festival, Reel Asian® provides a public forum for Asian media artists and their work, and fuels the growing appreciation for Asian cinema in Canada.

The (23rd) Reel Asian International Film Festival runs from November the 7th to the 15th, 2019 in downtown Toronto. 

Capsule reviews of selected films (as recommended by the ReelAsian publicist) follows below this article.

For more information and a full schedule of screenings, please check its website at:

http://www.reelasian.com/festival/

Capsule Reviews of Selected Films

COME DRINK WITH ME (Hong Kong 1966) ****
Directed by King Hu

Undeniably the best film to be shown at the Asian Film Festival this year and free as well, COME DRINK WITH ME a must-see if you have not already seen it.  This is the film that sprouted the wuxia swords sagas and the film that catapulted its director King Hu to fame.  King Hu went on to make DRAGON INN and A TOUCH OF ZEN followed by classics like the stunning RAINING IN THE MOUNTAIN and THE LEGEND OF THE MOUNTAIN.  COME DRNIK WITH ME,a Shaw Brothers production stars starlet Cheng Pei-pei as Golden Swallow, 20 at the time of the making of the film, as the swords lady extraordinaire.  Golden Swallow’s task is to free her captive brother from bandits led by an evil Abbott.  It all sounds terribly delicious.  All the elements of a classic sworsdsaga are present, including a fight at an inn, unparalleled sword fights and incredible acrobatics.  COME DRINK WITH ME influenced Ang Lee’s CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN TIGER that also featured Cheng as an elderly fighter named Jade Fox.  Free screening November 1st at the Innis Town Hall at 8 pm.

Trailer: (unavailable)

GYOPO (South Korea/Canada 2019) **

Directed by Samuel Keehoon Lee

GYOPOS is abut gyopos.  A “gyopo” is someone of Korean descent who has been raised abroad.  The film opens impressively in black and white, probably because director Lee draws his inspiration from Jacques Tati’s black and white comedies like PLAYTIME.  Samuel Kiehoon Lee’s first feature tells the intimate stories of gyopos who have made a journey to Korea, only to find themselves outsiders in the country that gave birth to their parents.  Lee weaves together vignettes from a diverse band of well-educated 20 and 30-somethings as they get drunk, laugh, fall in love, and get into fistfights over a 24-hour period in Seoul.  sounds better than it is!  Instead of nuance, heart, humour, and snark, Gyopo’s portrait of the gyopo experience is misguided, non-directional confusing and eventually disorienting.  Lee could have down a much better job with fewer characters and concentrate n maybe just one or two and tacked their passage of coming-of-age.  Lee shows potential but it is wasted potential in the case of this film.

Trailer: https://vimeo.com/282166133

LOVE BOAT TAIWAN (Canada/Taiwan 2019) ***
Directed by Valerie Soe

Thee is no boat in LOVE BOAT TAIWAN.  That is the nickname given to the Taiwanese program designed to attract young Taiwanese and Chinese visitors from abroad to spend a few weeks in Taiwan to be immersed in Taiwanese culture.  A typical daily routine involves a flag raising ceremony, Mandarin language lessons, Chinese brush painting and martial-arts training before being taken on a bus for an afternoon excursion, often to visit Chang-Lei Check monuments.  The program is not totally successful as the young ones , being youthful are rebellious are out for a good time, often breaking curfew to go partying.  The film is comprised of interviews of past visitors who lend both their humour and points-of-view on what they experienced.  Director Soe knows that her doc is to be taken in with a grain of salt, resulting in an entraining while enlightening documentary on her bananas.  These visitors are called bananas as they are yellow on the outside and white on the inside. 

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzEZ1glkebo

THE MIRACLE OF CRYBABY SHOTTAN (Japan 2019) ***

Directed by Toshiaki Toyoda

Shogi is the name of Japanese chess.  This film tells the true story of shogi (Japanese chess) player, Shoji “Shottan” Segawa. Despite consistent dedication, Shottan (Ryuhei Matsuda) fails to go professional by the time he turns 26, permanently forfeiting his chance according to the game’s strict rules. Shottan does not abandon his dream and continues as a top amateur until, at 35, he makes an unprecedented bid to go professional.  MIRACLE is a feel good crowd pleaser that works best when the unexpected occurs - showing that life can dish up unexpected twists.  And that is the miracle and wonder of it all.  The film is inspired by the director’s

personal shogi experience (he trained to go professional as an adolescent).   This tale of late-blooming self-realization is an inspirational study of perseverance against all odds.  Both a sensitive character study a fascinating glimpse into the closed world of shogi, director Toyoda’s film though based on the chess player’s biography does not feel like one.  A bit lengthy at over 2 hours, the film could be improved if edited more tightly.   Excellent camerawork too!                                                                                                                          

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=X_lJlO172zc

WE ARE LITTLE ZOMBIES (Japan 2019) **

Directed by Makakoto Nagahisa

WE ARE LITTLE ZOMBIES is a bad and boring film but at least off to a promising start for a while before unfortunately fizzling out.  This is not a film about zombies though a few references are made to them.  It is a story of 4 children Hikari, Ikuko, Ishi and Takemura with bad parents.  The parents have died in different ways but the four orphaned children who meet in a Tokyo crematorium relate their stories under the narration of the first boy.  The first story is the most interesting.  Before one can get attached to this child, the film shifts to the next.  The disorientation is only matched by another less interesting tale of childhood angst.  The film, a long haul, is deliberately made to feel like a video game (with fast edits, fast motion and jump cuts) which soon loses its lacklustre.  The kids (three assorted boys and a girl) deliberately made to be un-cute by Nagahisa eventually form a band and sing mediocre songs.  The point to all this is that it is better to stay alive but there are better ways to get this message across.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_-9wNeRLSs

YELLOW ROSE (Philippines/USA 2019) **
Directed by Diane Paragas

Rose Garcia (Eva Noblezada) is a young Filipino teen going to school with dreams of becoming a country singer.  She is quite good, evident from the songs that she sings, and she goes under the wings of famous country singer Dale Watson (playing himself).  But trouble brews when her mother, Priscilla (Princess Punzala) gets arrested and faces deportation back to the Philippines for being an illegal alien.  The lazy script fails to explain how they got to the U.S. and why Rose’s aunt and husband is wealthy (supposedly legal) American citizens.  What is most corny is the use of songs to to state the heroine’s current emotional state.  When Rose is down, for example, she croons the lyrics: “You can take the roof from above my head, but you can’t take my freedom away…”  For lack of a credible happy ending, the film does best with Rose performing one of her songs on stage, again with the corny lyrics telling the audience of Rose’ s new state of affairs:  “You can’t get the best of me.  I ain’t going down.’ I’ll be standing tall’.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTEGWKFO9Jk