La Binoche dilutes her love stories with unnecessary movement in in-i

The revered Juliette Binoche takes the stage to dance for the first time with choreographer Akram Khan in their collaboration in-i currently premiering at the NFT. The show is a collection of love stories either acted out or danced, and obviously Binoche and Khan shine in different areas. Even though I like the idea of using acting or dancing to represent different kinds of love (according to the ancient Greeks, there are 14 ways of love), I'm not sure if the pair has thought through the show completely and let it brew enough to become more mature. There are segments that are way too long than they should be and the dance routines seem to duplicate itself from story to story as a lot of flailing arms and interchanging aggressive moves tend to dominate the dance portions. Basically, it can't create consistent audience interest and it feels like it repeats itself.

Despite its shortcomings, in-i was still enjoyable, and La Binoche's amazing acting, especially her facial gestures, stand out even when she's dancing. Her intense dance training also shows as she keeps up with Khan rather well. However, her moves don't seem as natural and smooth as Khan's and it shows that she's not a professional dancer. Having said that, I doubt Binoche decided to take on this project to prove to the world that she can dance as well as she can act. I believe she was at the helm of this project because she had something to say about love, and her voice, even though foreign to the world of dance, does bring a certain level of depth to Khan's movements. What I can surmise from the show is that love has a personal definition for all of us and everyone's understanding and expectation of love will be shaped by our past and present.

All in all, a passable try, but I hope her next project will feel more mature and polished.

A Personal Story of Dreams in Sao Paulo

Linha de Passe (2008) - dir. Walter Salles & Daniela Thomas - 4 stars

Linha de Passe stays clear of the stylized violence that Fernando Meirelles employed to introduce the favelas of Sao Paulo to a worldwide audience in his 2002 award-winning feature, City of God. Walter Salles and Daniela Thomas' feature, on the other hand, takes the favela violence for granted and instead focuses on the personal journeys of each of the four brothers, Denis, Dario, Dinho and Reginaldo, rendering the film a coming-of-age story with a realistic documentary approach. The uniqueness of this story is that the personal growth of the brothers are shaped immensely by their environment and their connection with each other, while certain political comments are allowed to bubble to the surface.

The brothers have their own obsessions that have allowed them to survive so far, but they each yearn for something more stable, especially in the absence of their father. But Sao Paulo constantly reminds them of the impossibility of change with its 20 million inhabitants who are all dreaming of a better life. In a series of events that allow the brothers to take their best shots, the film is a satisfying and realistic portrait of a family that's questioning life in its many aspects, from justice to faith.

The most powerful aspect of the film is that it doesn't judge or justify any action even though the director slightly nudges the audience towards the expectation that the film itself will speak for justice and change. Neither are easy to achieve in the real world so it's no surprise that the documentary approach of the directors doesn't allow any sweeping reworking of a Hollywood happy ending. This is a film that definitely follows in Salles' auteur footsteps, although it's not as good as the Motorcycle Diaries.