fair play

this is the only film which i was able to catch at this year's french film festival. its about a team of people and their politics. there were 4 major characters. jean-claude the manipulator, charles the manager, alexandre the loser, and nicole the executive assistant.

alexandre, who appeared to lack confidence, was an easy target. hed be the subject of ridicule. or spite. and he seems to get blamed for everything. jean-claude tries to give him advice. like thinking out of the box to solve problems. or how it was important to have the guts and be willing to do anything to achieve a goal. even if it means stepping on other people's toes. charles who is the manager - mr perfect - mr know it all - the man that society looks up to. he puts alexander down too. his words cuts like steel. i can relate very well with alexandre. and then there is nicole who is also an easy target being at the bottom of the food chain so to speak. people act as if they wer perfect incapable of making mistakes. its all just an illusion. or that sometimes we play the victim card. so that the responsibility is out of our hands.

one day, there were all in a company sponsored outing. that could represent the real world. real life. where every person is for him/herself. an accident happens and they were all trapped. the title says it all. the accident overturns the table. and they all find themselves in an unfamiliar territory. top becomes bottom and vice versa. noone escapes except one. good acting. good story. and it's not hollywood - perfect!

rating: 4 out of 5
life is one big accident

Three Extremes

Three Extremes features three mini movies directed by three of the more popular Asian Extreme Horror directors: Fruit Chan, Chan-wook Park, and Takashi Miike. Each story is told in the director's style giving you a glimpse of each of their unique talents.

It opens with the first segment, 'Dumplings' (directed by Fruit Chan), which features a slightly aging actress looking to improve her youthfulness and looks. She visits this mysterious woman who cooks these dishes of dumplings, which is said to make whoever eats it look instantly younger. We can kind of guess what these dumplings are made from, its secret ingredient. This was an ok segment, nothing particularly memorable. But content may be disturbing for some.

The second segment is the torture short 'Cut' directed by Chan-wook Park who was also the director behind Oldboy. There's a bit of philosophical/social commentary in the dialog between the oppressor and the victim. And some genuinely cringe-worthy moments which made it hard for me to watch. I don't like torture films, and I found it hard to follow what was going on in this one. There is a somewhat bizarre, hard to figure out twist in the end which left me scratching my head. I only understood it after reading some of the interpretations posted by other people who watched this.

The third and last segment, 'Box', is the story of two sisters. It's a very quiet story with very little sound effects and no background music. Apparently this was the theme that director Takashi Miike (of Audition fame) wanted to convey. Some parts feel disjointed and just altogether weird. But the payoff in the end is kind of nice. And it keeps you thinking long after the movie ends.

I can't say which of the three stories is my favorite. 'Box' just felt a bit too quiet and strange (I even almost fell asleep on some parts!). 'Cut' has the richest story of all three, but somewhat disturbing for my tastes. Most people will probably enjoy 'Dumplings' the most. It's ok, but nothing great. This movie felt different, as most Asian Extreme Horror films are, so it's worth a watch if you're willing to try.

Rating: 4/5 * * * *
A good intro to the Asian Extreme Horror genre.

school of scoundrels

this movie is in the class of the 40 year old virgin and office space. its about this generally nice guy who noone notices because he looks average. maybe even a little ugly. he tries to please everyone. he is often proper. he doesnt swear. he runs away from confrontation. his life is mediocre. and uneventful. and expectedly, as most girls like the bad boys, he is alone, unlucky maybe, and to the point of being a push over because of it. he puts other people first before him. and what makes this a good movie for me is that he kind of reminds me, of me.

he started attending this class which taught him to be a winner. like the alpha male in a pack of lions. and he was very good. he learned a few things until finally his teacher, who was very competitive, started to interfere with his goals. that is to date this australian girl who lives on the same building where he lives.

this movie has a lot of funny antics. especially at the beginning where i could readily see my self in his shoes. although none of it really happened to me per se. because sometimes i do feel like a loser. and i suspect everyone even the prettiest or the smaertest people in the world, does too.

Rating: 4/5 ***
fuck nice .. lol

lady in the water

lady in the water. its a fairy tale with a modern day twist. the central figure is story, a water nymph, who needs to get back to her home. i thought that was a pleasant pun. and around her are a host of other interesting personalities who will help her do it.

the whole business of water nypmhs coming to our world and then going back to theirs, is a long time tradition. with that in mind, just as with any other tradition, it had developed intricate rules which are all revealed when the scrunt, a wolf like villain whose purpose is to prevent story from getting home, makes its first appearance. getting a nymph home is not so easy as it seems.

having played dungeons and dragons (a fantasy role playing game) and the changeling (a role playing game where the players role play the fae). i was easily interested.

my favorite part is the gathering of the people to play special parts in her "ascension". the pot heads could have been easily us only we really dont smoke but we do engage in interesting conversations ..

Rating: 3/5 ***
quaint and witty

Bubble

As many of you may know, I like my movies to be 'realistic'. I like having the sense that what I'm watching is actually happening, and that the characters are as believable as possible. Bubble is that type of movie.

As I was watching it, I felt like a distant observer to the private lives of three people who work in a doll factory in their small town and how they manage to go through their daily routine. The situation is very subtle and you can somehow sense what's going on without it being overstated. You get the sense of quiet desperation and desolation these people go through. Something happens that disrupts the delicate balance, causing a chain of events leading to a murder. But that's not the main point of the film, the story is merely a backdrop for illustrating how hopeless life can be when there are no other options. Something is very wrong here.

Bubble was shot with a very limited budget, which helps in setting the ambiance of the story. I liked the guitar strumming played at the start and in between scenes, it fit it perfectly. Plus, the ending credits with the weird music and still shots of the dolls were kind of scary. Very nicely done.

Rating: 4/5 * * * *
Very realistic.