Thanks for Watching!

I just wanted to say thanks to all those people who stopped by my blog to take a look and read some of my film reviews. I watched a lot of different movies, some of which I'd had on my "to watch" list forever. This way, I managed to kill two birds with one stone.

I've organized the forty-plus films that I reviewed and their themes as best as I can, which you can find in the right hand column of the screen. I don't imagine I'll be taking this blog down any time soon, so don't worry about losing them. I'll be sure to leave it up in case they can be of any help to anyone some time down the road.

I wish there were more hours in a day so that I could get some more movies in, but sadly that's not the way it works. So thank you very much for reading, and if my blog can be of any help, please don't hesitate to use it. :)

Cheers!

The Film Geek

Fail-Safe (1964)

Fail-Safe

Call No: TEMP 2223

Last week, Sidney Lumet died. I don’t expect you to know who that is, so I’ll catch you up by telling you that he was a director, and who directed my favourite film 12 Angry Men. Since there are few things in the world that make us more reflective than death, and because I knew no other films of his outside of my favourite, I decided to write my final film review about one of Sidney Lumet’s other great and critically acclaimed films, Fail-Safe.

Fail-Safe takes place in the sixties, when the Cold War is anything but cool and tensions are running high between the Americans and the Soviets. When a computer malfunction sends a squadron of fighter planes on an unauthorized and irretrievable bombing mission towards Moscow, the President and his team of officers must find a way to convince the Soviet leader that it is an accident and not to return fire. But for the Americans, this means helping their enemies to shoot down their own planes. Can the Soviets successfully stop the planes from reaching Moscow? Can the President convince the leader that it was a mistake? And what is he prepared to do if the planes reach their target? The answer isn’t what you might think.

Tokyo Godfathers (2003)

Tokyo Godfathers

Call No: TEMP 1333

I thought that I might as well review one more anime film before the end. And since my previous two anime reviews (Howl’s Moving Castle and Spirited Away) were Miyazaki films, I decided to review one that wasn’t. The premise of the film is similar to that of an old Western called Three Godfathers, in which three gunslingers come across an abandoned baby and decide to try and raise it between the three of them. I was expecting something similar from Tokyo Godfathers. I was expecting more of a quiet and thought-provoking drama. While there is a great deal of drama, it’s not all subtle. There’s a shooting, a car chase, and more than one pursuit on foot. The film is a unique concoction of drama, action, suspense and silly fun, all told in a beautifully animated film.

When three homeless people find an abandoned baby while rummaging through the trash, they each have a different opinion of what to do. Miss Hana, the transvestite, has always wanted to raise a baby and wants to keep it. The cantankerous Gin wants to hand it over to the police. And the young runaway Miyuki doesn’t care what they do, so long as they can make the baby stop crying. Hana finally comes up with a compromise – let her find the baby’s mother to ask and understand why she abandoned her baby, and then she’ll turn it over to the police. The trio set out to find the mother, and find a lot more than they bargained for in the process.

Central Station (1998)

Central Station

Call No: PN1997 .C3857 1998

Every once and a while, I come across a film that uses the quest motif. This is typically a film in which the main characters must go on a journey or quest, and undergo an emotional transformation during the physical movement of travelling. I first learned about this kind of story and film motif in elementary school, where the example used was the classic The Lion King and The Lord of the Rings. While I have seen other films and read other stories that employ this technique, those two examples have always been the ones that I’ve found embody the conventions best. I’m now happy to include Central Station into that list.

When a tragic accident kills his mother, Josue is left without any family in Rio. Familiar with the boy because of a chance encounter, the unmarried and embittered Isadora offers to find somewhere for him to stay. But the stubborn Josue has plans of his own – he’s going to travel to find the father he’s never known. With a combination of guilt and anger, Isadora comes along. This is the trip that will change two complete strangers into friends, and transform their trip into a journey that will stay with them forever.

The Seventh Sign (1988)

The Seventh Sign

Call No: TEMP 1652

Last week I reviewed a film called The Seventh Seal, which is in no way to be confused with this movie. The only similarity that can be drawn is that both make allusions to the Book of Revelation in the title. While The Seventh Seal deals more with the idea of death, the plague and human mortality, The Seventh Sign deals with recognizing signs of the Apocalypse from the Book of Revelation, and trying to find a way to stop it. It’s a little less “Philosophical Debate on Biblical Symbols” and a little more “Hitchcock does Bible Study”.

Despite a previous miscarriage, Abby is confident that the baby boy she’s carrying will be healthy and happy (and more importantly, a successful delivery). Soon after renting the garage apartment to a wandering stranger named David, Abby begins to notice strange things happening, things that seem to tie in all to nicely with the prophecies found in the Book of Revelation. When she realizes that her unborn baby holds the key to the final sign of the apocalypse, Abby must make a terrible decision: one that could determine the fate of all mankind.

Shadows and Fog (1991)

Shadows and Fog

Call No: TEMP 1706

Many consider Woody Allen to be one of the great filmmakers of our time. This makes me wonder why I haven’t seen very much of his work, considering how much I enjoy watching the styles and direction of any number of filmmakers. The first and only movie that I’d seen of his (until now) was The Purple Rose of Cairo, and the only reason for that was because (a) it was about the love of movies and (b) I needed a fifth movie for a blowout sale at the CNE. I thoroughly enjoyed the film, so when one of my housemates told me that she would be watching Shadows and Fog, I tagged along for the visual ride.

Somewhere in the mist and fog of the night hides a killer, and timid bookkeeper Kleinman has been dragged out by a team of vigilantes to help in the hunt. On the other side of town, Irmy leaves her cheating boyfriend Paul and the circus she calls home to find something better. Soon these two strangers will meet in the shadows and hopefully find a way to help each other with their problems. But they had better hurry, because when you spend any time in the fog, the killer can’t be far behind.

The Seventh Seal (1957)

The Seventh Seal

Call No: TEMP 880

Note: Swedish Film, English subtitles

The last time I saw Max von Sydow, one of the main characters of The Seventh Seal, was when he was playing the legendary demon expeller Father Merrin in a little film called The Exorcist. At the time I thought he was a talented actor, simply based on that role. Now that I’ve seen him in his younger days, my original impression of him was right. His quiet, unassuming but passionate presence makes him an interesting character study in terms of the roles he plays. His role as knight Antonius Block is another exceptional performance.

After spending the last ten years fighting a crusade in the Holy Land, Antonius Block and his squire Jons have returned to find their home ravaged by the plague. Block has felt Death following him for a long time, and finally meets him. In an effort to buy himself some time, he challenges Death to a game of chess. As Block and Jons travel along the road, Block begins to question the existence of God, the meaning of life and the existence of the Devil. As they encounter friends and allies along the way, Death’s game of chess becomes shorter and shorter, and it’s only a matter of time until the game is finished, one way or another.

The Winslow Boy (1999)

The Winslow Boy

Call No: TEMP 1130

I seem to be on a British movies kick lately. I’m not sure what it is exactly that I love so much about them. Maybe it’s the quiet charm and elegance. Maybe it’s the simplicity of the period movies. Or maybe I’m cleansing my film palette with some quiet, subtle films before I get swept away in the inevitable tide of busy, action-packed summer blockbusters. In any rate, the subtlety of some of the films that the Brits produce manage to satisfy my craving for a good story, intriguing characters and a charming setting.

Based on a play of the same name by Terence Rattigan, The Winslow Boy is a movie about pursuing the truth, no matter what the risk and the sacrifices made. When Ronnie, the youngest Winslow, is expelled from a prominent academy on accusations of stealing, the family is determined to seek out justice. Their best chance of achieving it is in the hopes of recruiting Sir Robert Morton, an exceptional lawyer, charismatic orator and member of the House of Commons. Through the determination of Morton, Ronnie’s father and his sister Katherine, the Winslow boy’s reputation might be saved... but at what cost?

Vera Drake (2004)

Vera Drake

Call No: PN1997.2 .V47 2005

When I first came to the university three years ago, I remember looking through the DVDs and picking up this film. The description on the back sounded interesting enough and I’ve enjoyed Imelda Staunton in the smaller roles that I’ve seen her in. Somehow, I never got around to it. Finally, I pulled it from the library this week, cut some time out of my schedule, and watched it. Its heartfelt narrative combined with its content makes it a film to watch (but may impact women more strongly than men).

Vera Drake is a loving and devoted wife, mother and friend. She will do anything for anybody without thanks or praise. She is completely selfless and spends every waking moment either working her job cleaning houses or doing something for someone else out of the goodness of her heart. Sometimes these selfless acts include secretly helping unfortunate women who have gotten “into trouble” and are now pregnant. Vera Drake calmly helps them find the way out. But when a police investigation brings Vera’s world crashing down and her secrets are revealed, will she have anywhere to turn? Or have her secrets destroyed all of the good she’s ever done?