3.0, Japan

Departures

2008 / Yojiro Takita > It’s so fitting that when the Academy finally honors an Asian work with the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, the crown is worn by a bastion of studio-laced mediocrity. Departures reminds you over and over that you’re watching a carefully directed art film that has symbolism and emotions and all that other good stuff that separates it from the barrage of mainstream dramas. But as successful as it is in conveying the little artifacts of daily life, it’s equally as frustrating in forgetting to treat the viewer with the kind of respect necessary for this to be a mutually enjoyable experience. There’s an elegant humanist setup to the whole show that gets sideswiped in the second half by an overarching approach of connect-the-dots that has just enough edginess to garner an awards shower that’d even make the Weinsteins proud. In a year where Japan had a couple of far better films (All Around Us, Tokyo Sonata), it’s sad that the global audience will judge the market with this caricature of human development.

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3.0, United States/Canada

Casino

1995 / Martin Scorsese > There is no Henry Hill in Casino, and that kills it. Scorsese had a hook in Goodfellas with Ray Liotta’s Hill as a guy you could cheer for. Someone caught up in the shebang and rightfully taking advantage of it. Someone you could like. But this three hour long venture finds Joe Pesci another despicable gangster to play, but one that isn’t counter-balanced. Throw in the working girl-cum-druggie, deceitful wife in Sharon Stone’s Ginger and the scales just tip in ways from where there is no retribution. Why is that so troubling? Because this is, technically, a fantastic piece of work. The production may be one of the finest the director’s ever put on, and that’s why its mediocrity is so tragic. I just didn’t care about anyone. I needed my Henry Hill.

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3.0, United States/Canada

Alien

1979 / Ridley Scott > See, I get it now. Scott’s primary objective in Alien is to portray the relationship between a woman and her cat. Everything else was simply fodder. And why not? It’s a serious issue worthy of further discussion in our society. It was as relevant in 1979 as it is now. As dogs are a man’s best friend, cats are a woman’s. No? Well, alright. Maybe I’m just being a bit a harsh, but I just found my experience with the original Alien to be quite underwhelming. In short, the film did not age as well as I’d hoped. Visually, it’s still quite crisp, even if some of the special effects (e.g., the android sequence) are comic. But it’s the pacing that really gets me. The first half is a bit of an exploration, languishing scene by scene, setting up for the arrival of the beast from outer space. The second half is a considerably more tense rush for the crew’s survival. But from a viewing distance, I couldn’t justify the anticipation early on for what came after. The action sequences are tame, even if the birthing scene remains one of the greatest moments in cinematic history. Scott said he shortened some scenes to tighten the film, but that could never streamline this if the existing content isn’t compelling to begin with. In comparison, 2001 gave us a philosophical pill to swallow (whether you liked the taste of it or not), Aliens gave us the excitement we’ve come to expect from the genre and Sunshine attempted, in what may have been an honorable failure, to fuse the two formats. But this? It’s an impressive stepping stone that’s simply been left behind.

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3.0, Hong Kong/China

Sparrow

New York Asian Film Festival2008 / Johnnie To > As one of the most prolific directors working in cinema today, it’s nice to see To take a break from his more usual triad fare to try on a different hat. Sparrow is an elusive departure, with its visually stunning cinematography, matching moody music and a charming performance by the elegant Kelly Lin in telling the story of a gang of Hong Kong pickpockets falling for the wrong woman. It’s light, a bit airy and sometimes hard to resist, but is similarly fleeting in the mind of the viewer. There’s some drama thrown into the mix to give the film some semblance of a plot, but that’s really an afterthought. Consider it a treat, a simply joy from the director—especially after those vicious dogs in Election 2—before his venture into the global market with a remake of Jean-Pierre Melville’s Le Cercle Rouge.

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3.0, Latin America/Spain

The Headless Woman

2008 / Lucrecia Martel > It’s tough to fault The Headless Woman on a fundamental level because it’s effective in what it really sets out to do: To examine a certain hazy psychological state of denial that many of us experience when confronted with an act of tragedy. Did I really do it? Was it my fault? These kinds of questions have historically been tackled by films in a very literal manner, but Martel’s effort is a considerably more subtle, quaint one that definitely should be acknowledged for its respectful approach. I found it lacking initially, but there’s an aftertaste to the experience that definitely haunts the mind. In fact, consider this a horror film in the most humane sense of the word.

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3.0, United States/Canada

Gran Torino

2008 / Clint Eastwood > Eastwood’s farewell to acting is as polarizing a film he’s ever made. His portrayal of a seemingly racist Korean War veteran is reminiscent of his gritty facade in Dirty Harry, in ways that Gran Torino essentially becomes Finding Forrester with a shotgun. The story isn’t innovative nor is it particularly well-written, and a lot of the supporting actors are mediocre at best. The dialogue often seems elementary in its cultural naivety, though it does try to educate. (And there’s absolutely no reason the young Hmong brother should have any accent at all.) But whatever regurgitated parable about race relations and family life this is supposed to be, somehow, someway, Eastwood succeeds in packing in the kind of punch where it’s hard not to be affected by the end, even if you feel deftly manipulated.

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3.0, Europe, United States/Canada

Quantum of Solace

2008 / Marc Forster > This is what we get after Casino Royale? Having seen all but the Timothy Dalton adventures of Bond, I felt that Casino Royale was arguably the best in the series, even if it significantly veered from the style of the first 20. But Forster’s vision in Quantum of Solace failed to catch the slipstream of its successor. The whole show feels anti-climactic: Too much goes on without any kind of concreteness, and the scope is so minuscule that we find it tough to care for Bond when the final fight vs. the bad guy comes. Aren’t Bond films supposed to be about global domination? Aren’t there supposed to incredibly powerful henchmen who protect the super-villains, who themselves are maddeningly intelligent and devious? This felt more like a take on Bond as if he were Jason Bourne. The film’s enjoyable, sure, but the satisfaction doesn’t last. I can’t help but stress the weakness of scope, and how it reminded me of the terrible storyline from Diamonds are Forever. The stories of James Bond are supposed to be grand in every essence of the word, but this that was not. Here’s hoping they take heed of Daniel Craig’s latest comments in saying that Bond’s initiation has ended. It’s time, finally, for the real villains to come onstage.

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3.0, United States/Canada

Zack and Miri Make a Porno

2008 / Kevin Smith > Has Smith always been mushy and we’ve just not noticed it because of all the vulgarity? After all, who can forget the mushiest of all rain sequences ever made in Chasing Amy? But hey, it’s completely normal to have banter filled with obscenities with your loved ones. It’s a part of life that’s never usually reflected properly in films due to the inevitable marriage of a PG or PG-13 rating to every romantic comedy possible. (This is partially why Four Weddings and a Funeral was such a winner.) But hey, Smith does it proper for the most part: Zack and Miri Make a Porno is often hilarious, sometimes charming even if it’s incredibly, ridiculously predictable from the first minute. Smith’s still got some of his quirks up the sleeve, but the film doesn’t match the overall wittiness of either Clerks II or Chasing Amy. The best part may be the revelation that is Elizabeth Banks. I’ve always liked her, but this was really something special, as if she’s finally coming into her own: Sweet, endearing and possessing just the right amount of vulnerability.

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3.0, Hong Kong/China

Ocean Flame

2008 / Liu Fendou > A train wreck that you can’t take your eyes away from, that’s what Liu’s concocted for us. In this case, it’s the supremely destructive relationship between a street thug and a well-to-do girl who clutches on tighter the harder he pushes. In some scenarios, it’s easy to say that we should only watch movies that have hope, redeeming values, make us comfortable and fluffy inside. This is the antithesis of all that. There’s nothing but the weakest attributes of humanity on display, and is somehow, at least for me, fascinating enough to stay with until the end. It’s also interesting that this is Hong Kong-favorite Simon Yam’s first producing effort. Maybe he’s playing Robin Hood, taking money from his mainstream winnings and putting them into the virtually nonexistent independent film scene on the island. If so, good. While Ocean Flame is as polarizing a film that may be released out of Hong Kong this year, I’m glad someone is taking these chances.

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3.0, United States/Canada

The Visitor

2008 / Thomas McCarthy > With all the buzz surrounding Richard Jenkins’ bid for a Best Actor, it’s easy to watch and like this movie. But I can’t help but find it fundamentally flawed in its approach. I understand that people within America find the immigration system full of injustice, but often these are the same people who would complain if their jobs went overseas. Nobody’s going to have their cake and eat it too, but McCarthy throws away the subtlety from The Station Agent and pulls a Scott Templeton on us with his liberal guilt. Breaking the law is breaking the law—if you know what the consequences are, you shouldn’t be shocked to face them. But politics and social commentary aside, Jenkins deserves praise for his work, but I wouldn’t call it Oscar-calibre. His character’s development felt very calculated, not natural. In contrast, Hiam Abass’ portrayal of the mother was considerably more poetic, memorable and filled with heart. She could definitely slip in a Best Supporting Actress nomination on Jenkins’ coattails.

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