#199: City of Fear (1959)

#198: Shack Out on 101 (1955)

#195: Suspense (1946)

#194: The Pretender (1947)

#193: Women in the Night (1948)

#192: Under Age (1941)

#191: Mahjong (痲將) (1996)

OK, despite being warned that it isn't your typical Edward Yang movie, I still wasn't prepared for this. It's such a comical concoction that I wonder if its satire would have eluded the viewers. Sure there are plenty of Yang trademarks: intimate dialogues, naturalistic/amateurish acting, and bits of random violence. In this case, though, the story doesn't flow well, making it hard for me to overlook the flaws, er, his trademarks. To be fair, it is a very funny movie, if you can understand Mandarin Chinese and Taiwanese -- a pretty tough order. The subtitles that came with this movie were so bad that I gave up early and tried my luck with my native tongues. Yay! The movie does slowly build and pounce on its point, the overly rapid development of urban life in Taipei and the superficiality of the city life. In the end, I think that point and the satire are delivered, but can I excuse all that amateurish film making and scene constructions, to call this a good movie? No... unless for someone who's already a big Edward Yang fan. Also, this movie was known in some countries as Couples, and while there are may couples in the movie whose relationship are dissected, this theme is a pretty big fail here.

Oh yeah, Virginie Ledoyen was in this movie and she actually spoke a couple lines of Chinese. I was surprised by the accuracy of her pronunciation, better than the kids in a documentary on bilingual eduction Speaking in Tongues (2009).

#190: Repeat Performance (1947)

#188: The Burglar (1957)

I was pretty sleepy most of the time during the screening, maybe that has something to do with my ambivalence toward it. This is too bad, because apparently it's yet another rare film that isn't available on DVD nor tape (right... tape), so I won't get to have a second chance to re-evaluate.

This movie is definitely unusual in that it is an arty noir; the emphasis of the story is on the drama and tension between the gang members after a successful heist. I respect the psychological aspect, but have beef with its pacing and spotty storyline. Sure, the latter is the usual with film noir, but mixing that with character studies became a frustration for me. The fact that the script didn't spend enough time on the characters doesn't help either. Fortunately, the movie did evolve into well, just another film noir, with great scenes at an amusement park in Atlantic City. Action, pacing, and film production all work fabulously here.

The movie was excellent production wise, and cinematography is quite good (in 1.85:1 AR). It also features Jayne Mansfield and Martha Vickers, though she was not given to do all that much. Meh, can't blame them for being ambitious.

#187: Witness to Murder (1954)

Ah... how can I not love a movie shot by John Alton, with Barbara Stanwyck in the starring role to boot. Well, I'd probably love it more if it weren't so poorly lit that I could barely see anything most of the time. Hopefully that's due to the quality of the print -- though it looks plenty sharp. The movie starts off with Stanwyck making phone calls, and I nearly laughed because it reminded me so much of Sorry, Wrong Number. The story then concentrate on a mental duel between Stanwyck's and George Sanders' characters. Sadly, Sanders has the upper hand for the most part of the movie and that makes this aspect of the movie rather irritating. In fact, after the police hastily decided that Stanwyck should be sent to a mental clinic for psychiatric evaluation, it almost became Changeling. Mercifully, the movie switches to a more physical confrontation, and I honestly couldn't follow how both characters, along with the police, wound up on top floor of a skyscraper.

Alton's cinematography was amazing. Some shots are truly bizarre: there was one that aims obliquely from a side of a chandelier toward a door. Other shots, with shadows and dark contrasts, reminds me of Double Indemnity. In many ways, the cinematography was the reason to see this movie, as much as I love Stanwyck.

#186: Before Sunset (2004)

I actually saw Before Sunrise right around the time that this film was released, so it was a very difficult temptation to not watch this sequel immediately. A key "plot" point is the nine-year gap between the two movies, especially a lot of personal lives (both real and fictional) were written into the movie by Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke themselves. OK now it's not quite nine years, but five is long enough.. This is one real and charming movie. The charming part needs to be emphasizes; realism and charm don't seem to mix in movies. The movie construction is amazingly simple, going from an interview at a book signing, walking to a cafe, joining a boat tour, and taking a limousine ride to Delpy's (real) apartment. I was also shocked at how quickly I was able to relate to the first movie, despite making no attempt to remember it. Their meeting after the nine-year gap was surprisingly understated. Brilliant writing there. It was shown as a reunion like two old friends. All the awkwardness and bitterness were gradually revealed through the conversation, which even built up a sense of suspense. I could watch (or listen!) this movie for hours more, and some have commented that this movie should have been twice as long. Alas, perfection has its cost, and this will do for me just fine.

#185: New York Confidential (1955)

#184: The Hoodlum (1951)

#183: Vagabond (Sans toit ni loi)(1985)

#182: Private Hell 36 (1954)

Huzzah for Ida Lupino.

#181: No Man's Woman (1955)

Hmm... yeah

#180: The Last Crooked Mile (1946)

Cop [to woman]: Who are you?
Wiseguy: She don't know nothing! She's with me!

Thie movie stars Ann Savage, but sadly isn't anything like noir-masterpiece Detour (1945). This became pretty obvious early in the film, so I must admit that I spent quite of bit of time remembering Savage's role in Detour, and Detour itself. It's not like this is the type of movie that needs a lot of attention. The criminal and the investigation plot are quite arbitrary, with everything explained in the end -- through dialogs. To its credit, the movie has some very (intended) comical scenes. So, despite the disappointment of not seeing another Detour, it was a very entertaining screening. And, I need to watch Detour again.

#179: Violence (1947)

I know we can blame the production code for this tame offering, but this has to be one of the biggest false advertisement in title name. There's a few scenes of fist fights and a scene of supposed beatdown (only shadows are shown). That's all. The biggest problem, though, is the unecessarily ambitious theme of political corruption and undercover investigation. The script was already a mess trying to cover that all, then it added amnesia! I later commented to a friend in attendance that it reminded me of the episode of Futurama where everyone around Calculon was having amnesia. Of course, then I realized that it's a movie like this where Futurama got the idea in the first place. Damn I love that show (the feature movies, not so much).

#178: The Story of Molly X (1949)

"The penal code works after all," remarks the detective at the end. Well... yeah. A big chunk of this movie feels like an after school special, which is quite an odd shift in tone from the start. The movie begins briskly, in typical noir style, with witty dialogs, a bank robbery, and perpetrators' capture. Molly is being a suspect of a murder, in addition to the robbery charge. Consequently, she is sent to a women's correctional facility. As a criminal mastermind, Molly sure is a huge contrast to Paul Muni's character in Scarface (1932), though she at first remains defiant at the correctional facility. From this point on... did I already mention the after school stuff? Right. Some of the scenes at the facility are quite funny, thanks to the low-budget productions. Finally, the movie ends with the revelation that the dead dude was shot twice, so Molly is innocent after all. The penal code works!

#177: The Port of 40 Thieves (1944)

The title comes from name of a book, which I think was used by the lead actress to blackmail for $15,000. The story also consists of some half-assed attempt to create a ghastly mystery, but it's pretty much a fail aside from ocassional hilarity. The best part of the movie is really the schemed used by the femme fatale to murder the unsuspected. I mean, it's Elevator to the Gallows in a literal sense, and the amount of details putting into showing the elevator tricks is rather inspired. Yeah, it's lame, but pretty damned entertaining all the same.

#137: Wild Field (Дикое поле)(2008)

#176: Specter of the Rose (1946)

Ben Hecht was a prolific screenwriter, but I didn't even realize he'd directed films. Judging on this movie, he was... OK. The direction certainly wasn't distracting or even heavy-handed. The real problem is actually the insidious script. A male dancer obssessed with a dance score and murder his lovers. The movie couldn't quite decide whether this was a drama or a comedy, with conflicting tone occurring scene after scene. As with many films written by Hecht, some of the dialog is hilarious -- "There are three sure things in white: surrender flags, coffin lining, and wedding cakes!" -- but they overshadow the dramatic scenes. I'm pretty clueless with regard to dances, but the choreography appears really cheesy and often induced laughters among the audience. The climax has the lead actor -- who was a real professional dancer -- dances maniacally in a bedroom, smashing into glass windows at least twice, before finally succeeding in breaking through them and plunging into his death. I quipped to my friend, wondering if he'd ever succed in breaking the windows. The unintended humor is even stronger than in The Madonna's Secret; this one has some truly witty comical dialogs.

#175: The Madonna's Secret (1946)

A mystery where every model painted by a man died unexpectedly. Was he or wasn't he the murderer? If not, whodunit?? A woman, who was sent by the police (or a PI), somehow became smitten with him, and he fell for her despite exposing her for working undercover. There's a few unintentionally funny scenes, especially the one between the aforementioned couple in the police station. The combination of overacting and close-up shot was so much that the whole crowd was laughing. Pretty lame mystery, but enjoyable and entertaining for the most part -- even if unintended. Not entirely sure why this is considered a film noir. The cinematographer was John Alton, and it is one very dark-shot movie. Just about every scene were either at night or very poor-lit. So, there you go.

#174: Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

Did we really need to see Ricardo Montelban's bare chest...

It's been a while since I have seen any original episode or movie of Star Trek, but after watching Star Trek (2009) last weekend, I just had to see this movie as there were numerous references to this movie in the new reboot. The difference in pacing is astonishing. I was once reminded again that the original Star Trek series was really dramas with some actions. And why I'm a fan. While Khan (and the performance by Montelban) was impressive and memorable, it serves only to propel the plot but never to distract us from the main storyline. That is, morality, humanity, adventures, and of course, the bonds between the crew members. I have to admit that the sci-fi aspects of it took quite a bit of time to adjust; it is really dated. Soon enough though, as I became absorbed in the story, the props really didn't matter, and now I'm yearning to see more episodes of the original 60s show.

#173: Framed (1947)

Another noir with Glenn Ford and Gloria Grahame. Wait, that's not Gloria Grahame, that's Janis Carter. She certainly served well as a Grahame-lookalike, as the feel of this movie is pretty much up there with Human Desire and The Big Heat. Even the story is somewhat similar, for those who actually care about that. Obviously, without Fritz Lang (and budget?), the look of this movie doesn't measure up. Despite that, I'd still consider this a great noir, with your fall guy and femme fatale in some silly but satisfying plot twists. Why isn't this movie on DVD? Please make it so!

#172: Canon City (1948)

More of a crime than a film noir, it's one expertly made movie that achieves great entertainment. The shrew writing and pacing by director/writer Crane Wilbur move the storyline at breakneck speed, but provide just enough drama to give character some depth. After all, this movie is about a very simple story of 12 prisoner (doomed men, maybe that's what makes this a noir) attempting to break out a maximum-security penitentary in Canon City, Colorado. The cinematography is truly impressive; I later learned that this is due to John Alton, who's responsible some of the most iconic film noir cinematography. The movie also features a young DeForest Kelley, but hell if I know who "Smalley" is in the movie

#171: Star Trek (2009)

As a summer blockbuster goes, this is as good as it gets. It's a movie with non-stop action and ... that's it. It does unfortunately mean that the rewatchabiliity is quite low, given the lack of the depth in story. I think that is OK. The series needs a rebirth and this is an excellent reboot. This lends to credibility to future episodes, where they can do more on story and character development -- if they choose to do that. J.J. Abraham made a curious and mostly successful choice of reimagining the series from scratch, while at the same time paying homage to the characters. Trekkies can definitely identify with all the key characters. I think that's another reason my friend and I laughed nearly the entire movie; we recognize so many references to TOS. I particularly love the hammy fistfights that were specifically written for the new Kirk.

The time manipulation aspects, and some action sequences -- car chase in the future? human outrunning multiple wild beasts? -- nearly derail the movie. There's so much action that the movie tends to right itself. The cast is pretty decent, too, having thd daunting task of replacing a 40-year icon. I'd say none of them made us resent being a replacement to the original characters. That itself is quite a feat.

#170: The Guilty (1947)

Second part of the double feature with The Devil Thumbs a Ride, it's another rare B movie not on DVD nor tape. I don't think anyone would actually miss seeing it, though. It follows the storytelling style of Laura (1941), except there's no Clifton Webb. Nor Gene Tierney. Nor Vincent Price. Nor Dana Andrews. Not even Judith Anderson. What I'm saying is, it's pretty bad.

#169: The Devil Thumbs a Ride (1947)

Ahh... briskly paced, wonderfully hilarious, and always entertaining, this film is a prime example why B noir can be the ultimate film noir. Bad acting? Porous storyline? Shoddy production? They're great! A huge noted bonus here is Lawrence Tierney, who exhibits a mean streak that elevates this movie to a very memorable noir.

PS: I took a video of intro with Elliot Lavine and ... some pulp author. It will be uploaded to youtube and embedded here soon.

#114: Import/Export (2007)

A devastating movie but curiously photographed, this is one movie that is difficult to watch but hard to turn away from. It's a story of two people: one woman who left Ukraine for Vienna in hoping for a better life, while at the same time a man who headed eastward from Vienna for, well, anything at this point. The composition is odd, so I was pretty much glued to the screen despite some of the truly bleak content written. There's also some very dark humor; in one scene, a elderly, lonely, and possibly terminally-ill patient asked if the woman would move into his house just to keep him company, and if this work out, they could get married. She laughed, but this is one poignant and yet despair scene. Some critic has called this movie "moralistic"; I don't know. Most people aren't going to be able to finish a movie like this to even discuss morality.

#168: All Night Long (1962)

This film kicked off the return of film noir to the Roxie Theatre here in San francisco. Kudos to the series programmer Elliot Lavine, this is some movie to kick off the fest. Not technically considered a film noir -- likely due to it being made in the '60s -- the photography is definitely very noirish. That, along with ridiculous plot, arbitrary violence, and low-budget production, what more can you ask for? Ah... there was also constant jazz music in the backdrop, since the movie takes place in a night club. What an appropriate way to kick off a B film noir festival.

The audience ambiance was also excellent, not unlike of the atmosphere at Noir City festivals. I'm going to really enjoy this two-week run of ultimate noirs!

#167: A Complete History of My Sexual Failures (2008)

An interview that is neither to be seen nor heard (voice generated by digital synthesizer). Mitch Hurwitz would be proud.

Can a pompous asshole realize that he is, well, an asshole? While it's obvious to many around him, and certainly to all his ex's, it isn't to him. That's ok because otherwise he wouldn't be an asshole. So he set out to find out why he's been dumped so many times in his life. It's a long journey to a very minor, and obvious conclusion, but the process is hilarious and "acting" is quite affecting. Yes questions are raised whether this is really a documentary, but I was able to ignore the factor. The real concern is whether anyone would want to watch an annoying dude for 95 minutes. In addition to the filmmaking creativity, I also like the other characters in the film, so it was a pretty decent viewing experience for me.

Apparently Chris Wait is doing OK with the girlfriend he found at the end of the movie, who has a blog here (in Russian, but you can see a lot of photos of them).

#166: The Merry Gentleman (2008)

There is very little dialog in this movie, and that is perfectly OK by me. It is an introspective film, a character study on two lonely people. I kept on thinking that if the dialog were in another language, say french, this would be mistaken for a foreign arthouse movie. It also reminds me a lot of Jean-Pierre Melville, quiet, beautifully shot, and with a bit of crime elements. I'd even go as far as saying that this can be considered a neo-noir. The believability written for the lead characters ultimately leads to an uncinematic ending, but I was satisified and wouldn't have it any other way. I especially like the little metaphor of using a coat repeatedly to signify affection.

#106: Dear Pyongyang (2005)

#131: World's Greatest Dad (2009)

This movie has some truly funny scenes, but the tone changes throughout the movie, making it difficult to see it as a complete movie. Bobcat and Robin Williams did well in slowly evolve this movie into a satire, but instead of exploring the irony, the movie pounces on the funnies and finally ends abruptly.

Also, I didn't appreciate it, but this film is your chance to see Robin Williams diving nearly completely naked -- his socks were on but the entire body is visible underwater.

#151: Home (2008)

If you are a mom, would you take your kids across a busy highway, everyday, instead of doing something about the problem?

Sometimes a faulty premise can ruin the whole movie. I suppose the film is meant to be satirical and allegorical, but, seriously, no sane mother (nor father) would send their kids across back and forth on a busy highway. How about workarounds? Build a homebrew overpass? Drive 10km around it? Anything would make more sense than this. The film provides no reason why I should overlook this fault, so it was a pretty painful viewing experience for me. It also doesn't have the absuridst or surrealistic feel -- not until much later anyway -- so I couldn't view it that way either. Also, for some reason, there's a lot of bath scenes and near-nakedness with the entire family -- except for Isabelle Huppert.

At the Q&A, the director/writer shared some insight on her ideas for the movie. That helped, but I don't think most of them were realized in the finished product.

#165: Wool 100% (2006)

That's not blood in the creek. It's just a really really really large spool of red wool.

This movie turned out to be more of a fairytale than a fantasy. That's just as well; I'm not really an effects/fantasy type of person. Still, why did I even venture into this area, knowing how style may irritate me? Because, two of the main actresses Kyôko Kishida (Woman in the Dunes, Face of Another) and Ayu Kitaura (Nobody Knows) are in this picture. Woman and Nobody are two of my favorite movies ever.

For the first half or so, it's as though this is just some long short film about two old junk-collecting sisters, who are invaded by a little girl. She knits a large red sweater for herself, but screams "Must Knit Again!" after it's done and starts over. Not a very interesting story, no? The items the sisters collect are fascinating, especially the sketches they make to track them. The latter is a pretty serious piece of artwork.

After a fairly lengthy animated clip, the movie shifts into the fairytale mode. This is where it changed gear from feeling like a very long short film. Now it tells the sisters' past, a lot of from the eerie perspective of dollhose play. This tale is ambiguous and heartbreaking, and I loved every second of it. Well, with exception of a random character that takes away and returns the dollhouse.

P.S.: This turned out to be Kishida's last film, although this strictly a director/writer-type of film where actors merely had to be adequate.

#164: Eve and the Fire Horse (2005)

This is a well-observed film. It doesn't try to go over-the-top with the story or characters. It could easily have: Eve was born on the year of the firehorse, so she's doomed to be a difficult child. The story rings true for me in so many ways that I couldn't stop watching, despite the problems I have with it. I can so relate to Chinese family depicted, and one that immigrates from China (even if it's to Canada). I laughed when the father asked the mother why the kids are now both Catholic and Buddhist, she replied nonchalantly "More protection."

The movie as a whole, works. I was nevertheless bothered by many of the actors, who appeared very amateaurish. Nothing against them, but this was not shot to look amateurish -- and in fact cinematography is good. Also, I think some of Eve's character details are a little arbitrary, but the movie lays enough emotional background -- plus pretty good acting by Phoebe Kut -- that in the end I was pretty happy with the movie.

The Late Show at the 52nd San Francisco International Film Festival

By pure coincidence I wound up seeing three of four Late Show movies; Hansel and Gretel (2008) was the only one I did not see. I'm saying coincidence because horror and slasher aren't genres that I'd seek out specifically, but you know, gotta have the variety to mix things up a little.

#108: Zift (ДЗИФТ)(2008)

A neo-noir that after a promising opening scenes -- where the term Zift is defined, the rest of the movie plays out as if the director/writer had too much money and must shoot enough scenes and use enough characters to burn it. Yeah, the movie's B&W look is gorgeous, but what the hell is with the story?

#145: Grace (2009)

This is a very polished movie that any horror fan should seek out without any hesitation. Stop reading now if you have yet to see this and prefers to know as little as possible. Wait, I'll add that you should stay for the credits.

At first I didn't like the fact that the film has descent from a mythical, psychological thriller to a slasher flick in the third act. Wouldn't it have been even better if it were to remain psychological? Like Let the Right One in? Ah, but the tone of the movie never intended to be that way. It is an amazing combo of thriller, horror, and comedy. A slasher-type ending gives the audience a satisfying payoff, and concludes a film that is just about perfectly realized.

It's also worth mentioning that despite the absurdist and dark-humor nature of this film, the two lead female characters are extremely believable. Pretty impressive for a film directed and written by a dude.

At the Q&A (that took place at 2am!), the first question for Paul Solet (director/writer) was "What the hell is wrong with you?"

#149: The Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle (2009)

Another film with inspired imaginations, this one doesn't measure up to Grace. There's this thing about cookies that are bad for men (and only men), and a few genuinely hilarious scenes, but for the most part the movie drags with special effects and seemingly goofy characters. Still, this should be a great match for late teen and early 20s audience.

SFIFF52 Round Up

Here's a quick round-up on the movies I saw at the 52nd San Francisco International Film Festival.

Statistics:

• Film breakdown: 33 features, 7 shorts, 1 skipped (Z32)
• More film breakdown: 13 documentaries (3 doc shorts), 7 features completely in English
• Languages in which 'Happy Birthday to You' was sung: Arabic (Laila's Birthday), Chinese (Speaking in Tongues), Portuguese (Our Beloved Month of August)
• Number of scuffles at Q&A: 2 (I Swear, It's Not Me! and A Day Late in Oakland)
• Longest Day: 12:30pm to 12:05am
• Films where audience didn't applaud at the end: The Other One and Troubled Water
• Number of times I filled out my personal info on the audience ballots: 0 (there's no time nor place to write them)

Favorites (Best?), in no particular order:

• It's not Me, I Swear! (C'est pas moi, je jure!)(2008)
  
• Art & Copy (2009)
• Artemisia (艾草)(2008)
• Wild Field (Дикое Поле)(2008)
• The Conscience of Nhem En (2008)
• Next Floor (2008)
• Burma VJ: Reporting from a Closed Country (2008)
• Unmistaken Child (2008)
• The Other One (L'autre)(2008)
• 35 Shots of Rum (35 rhums)(2008)

Duds, also in no particular order:

• Confessional (2007)
• Our Beloved Month of August (Aquele Querido Mês de Agosto)(2008)
• Home (2008)

Discoveries:

• Nomad's Land (2008)
• Laila's Birthday (عيد ميلاد ليلى)
• Oblivion (El olvido)(2008)
• Go Go 70's (고고70)(2008)
• The Window (La ventana)(2008)

Films I wished I was able to catch:

• Unmade Beds (2008)
• Once Upon the Time in the West (1968) Restored Print!
• Can Go Through Skin (Kan Door Hui Heen)(2008)
• Gasoline (Gasolina)(2008)
• Son of a Lion (2008)
• A Week Alone (Una Semana Solos)(2008)

Films I saw before the festival:

• The Reckoning: The Battle for the International Criminal Court (2009)
• Kimjongilia (2009)
• Still Walking (歩いても　歩いても)(2008)
• Zift (ДЗИФТ)(2008)
• Lake Tahoe (2008)

#159: The Other One (L'autre)(2008)

Why didn't this movie garner more buzz at the 52nd San Francisco International Film Festival? It did, after all, compete in Venice '08 and Dominique Blanc won Volpi Cup for Best Actress. Or maybe I've become too artsy in liking this type of simply constructed, gorgeously photographed, and brilliantly acted (by Blanc) that some said "lacking a third act"? Maybe I secretly love Blanc -- even though I don't think I've seen any of her previously movie? Who cares? I found the simple construction sufficient, night photography effective as scene breaks, and Blanc's scenes of obssessiveness and jealousy absorbing, curious, and sometimes hilarious. And who needs a third act? Warning: Blanc's character smacked herself with a steel hamer on the head, eliciting the only gasps I heard at the festival.

#84: The Mosque in Morgantown (2008)

Whether it was intentional or not, this documentary features the first ever lolcat shot I've seen not on the Internet. In a scene where the subject consults her attorney over the phone, the camera focus gradually changes and the background cat became completely in-focus. The theatre erupted in laughter.

The problem with this documentary doesn't end here.

The title is rather misleading. Morgantown actually doesn't have much to do with the topic, which, I think, is about fighting for rights of Muslim women. Morgantown, WV, as depicted here in the documentary, is quite accepting of this Mosque, and in fact many prominent community members are part of the mosque. The subject, Asra Nomani, tackles the problem by relentless provoking the mosque committee. OK, so I don't know if there were a better way of doing this. The movie interviews members of the mosque, with the exception of a hard-liner who's a professor at UWV. So there's a lot of talking, and talking, despite the fact that just about everyone interviewed regards this subject taboo and the media is evil. The movie also takes a few detours, one to a Los Angeles mosque where women are treated at higher regard. Filmmakers didn't explore this side-plot, so it feels like a wasted footage.

In the end, bunch of mosque members left Morgantown. Bunch of others joined the mosque. Asra left Morgantown and is working on some unrelated project. Morgantown itself, meanwhile, remains undisturbed.

#124: Manda Bala (Send a Bullet)(2007)

What do the frogs have to do with money laundering in Brazil? This movie teases us, but then move on to the poor kidnappings in São Paulo; rich dudes buying armored cars and riding helicopters; plastic surgeons reconstruct ears from chest cartilage; prosecutors trying to nail the biggest corrupted politician in the country; and a woman talking about listening to Hitchcock movies non-stop as she was jailed in a box. Then we have an interview with an actual kidnapper, and finally a rather-lame interview with the corrupted politician.

So what have the frogs got to do with all this again? We deserve to know at least that much having had to endure all the kidnapping surveillance video and almost an entire ear-reconstruction surgery.

#154: My Suicide (2008)

First thing first: My Suicide is a good movie. However, it presents several problems for me, and, I suspect, others, too. The film mixes a multitude of media -- stock footage, animated clips, rotoscoping, and static drawings -- with a very good, touching, and believable story. And I haven't even mentioned the multiple POV shots, some with very amateurish cameras. This part I'm actually comfortable with. Can the audience actually absorb all that? I know I spent bulk of the movie performing mental "ad blocking," a disservice to the filmmakers who spent 5 years working on this project. I also wished that it were done without all this new-agey media, because I just felt that the story and carefully detailed characters can get lost in all this mess. Conversely, can the type of audience who's awe-struck by the ADD-ish editing and multimedia appreciate the story and characters? This isn't a flaw, because the precise style is what the filmmakers intended. Actually, I'm making it sound worse than it is, as only first third or so is like this. Still, only time will tell. For me though, once all that junk is ripped out, it's a great teen story with many believable characters. Gabriel Sunday, who also co-wrote the screenplay, makes the lead character work for a fairly complex role, even if he kept on reminding me of Topher Grace. I just wished ... ah, fergitit. Also, there's some truly inspired cameos, and mentioning Buster Bluth doesn't even ruin it at all.

During Q&A (May 5), director mentioned that they've received multiple offers for distribution, but the team is first gearing up for a multimedia, with a teen suicide support hot line, package before releasing this movie. Hmm, okay, Innernets FTW?

Three 2009 Oscar-Nominated Foreign Language Films

During the recently completed 52nd San Francisco International Film Festival, a friend asked what my take was on Departures (おくりびと). I thought it's a good time to compare three of the five contenders for the 2009 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film that I've seen this year. Sorry, I saw The Class (Entre les murs) and Waltz with Bashir (ואלס עם באשיר) last year. I'm just trying to catch up on this year's movies for now.

#98: Departures (おくりびと)(2008)

As I was watching Departures, I had thought about calling it Six Feet Under, Japanese Style. Really, though, the only thing in common is the business of after death. This film doesn't have the high-strung drama, and only tries to tell a quiet story of a man trying to reconcile with his past. Along the way, there's plenty of humor to ease us in watching someone working as an (specialized) undertaker, with many endearing supporting characters. There are conflicts, but probably only one or two instances where a character even raises his or her voice. The serene tone, mixed with somewhat dark and morbid humor, plus a great soundtrack makes this a truly wonderful film. I'd say this is as perfect as a conventional drama gets.

#101: The Baader Meinhof Complex (Der Baader Meinhof Komplex)(2008)

The Baader Meinhof Complex (Der Baader Meinhof Komplex) left me feeling very unpleasant afterward. Is this the "complex" the filmmakers try to achieve? If so, they've certainly succeeded in depicting a nightmarish era and the absurdity of it all when the Baader-Meinhof group terrorized the entire world. The movie is pretty much plot-driven and hyper-fast-paced -- as it'd better be, since it covers nearly 20 years in history. There are scenes after scenes of violence and chaos, but very little on character studies. In fact, with the exception of four or five lead characters, it's difficult to follow supporting characters. For example, Alexandra Maria Lara pretty much shows up, only to be gunned down a couple of scenes later. It is one well-executed and produced movie, but, man, slow down and keep the scope smaller, please.

#30: Revanche (2008)

The most difficult one to review/comment on is Revanche. It's a contemplative movie that tells its story not through the plot details nor the characters, but via emotions elicited through them. Through love, sex, death, aging, adultery, and wood-chopping, what does it all add up? It's a demanding film and rightfully be called arthouse not targeted at every audience. It worked for me, feeling content and satisfied after viewing.

Did I feel that Departures is worthy of its win for Best Foreign Language Film? Well, first of all, huzzah to the Academy in nominating five very different movies -- even if I'm not entirely enthusiastic about Baader. While I don't necessarily think Departures is better than The Class, Revanche, or Waltz, there is nothing wrong in picking a film as flawless as it is, even if the scope seems a little "small."

#162: Troubled Water (DeUsynlige)(2008)

If I call this movie an over-stylized Boy A, would you even know what I'm talking about? OK that's probably not fair. Troubled Water (Norwegian: DeUsynlige) is a movie that is to some extent burdened by its style and structure. The story between an ex-convict and a mother (see, Boy A doesn't have the latter part) is honestly and well-written. I particularly liked the actress who plays the mom. Kudos to the mix of confusion and conviction she emotes throughout the movie. The problem is really the structure. I have no issue with the narrative that begins by shuffling between past and present, then gradually switches point-of-view completely to another person. The detour provides an important emotional basis but then it continues, drags on way too long even though it has become quite obvious it would circle right back where the split happens. The narrative takes off smoothly again from this point forward, and while the final act isn't totally satisfying, it's logical with some dark humor. The movies also has a few scenes of metaphors, but it's not excessive.

If the movie's theme interests you, I recommend first watching Boy A, a smaller movie that is more complete and emotionally satisfying. Troubled Water is not a bad movie, but it could have been a really good one.