Quirky comedy with a suspiciously real edge

The Men Who Stare at Goats (2009) - dir. Grant Heslov - 4 stars

If someone told you that the US military had approved a special unit to train psychic soldiers in the 80s and tested their effectiveness on goats, would you believe them? Grant Heslov's feature cautions the viewer at first sight by warning that more of the film than what we think is real. This quirky comedy, which revolves around an emasculated reporter from small-town America, throws him in Iraq with an American army jedi (that's what the film calls them) looking for a target whose destination isn't known. The storyline is an obvious symbolism for the reporter Bob Wilton's life. Not only does he feel like he is going nowhere in life, but to add insult to injury, his wife leaves him for his manager, who happens to be an older man with a prosthetic arm to boot. In order to regain control of his life, his unknown destiny and of course his masculinity, he goes after the only goal he can come up with: to impress his wife and get her back. Hence he makes his way to Kuwait to become a war reporter as that's what he thinks will prove he's not frail or weak. His plan fails miserably as it has no effect on the wife, but the force calls for him, pun intended. A chance encounter with a jedi takes him into Iraq where he learns to respect the ways of the jedi in the American army, which results in his personal salvation.

The film follows a linear pattern of Wilton's adventures in Iraq with flashbacks to reveal the history of the jedi and the New Earth Army. The unconventional army is built upon hippie agenda where love and tolerance is expected to win over war and violence. As such, the training involves unorthodox measures and exercises. It's these scenes that really make the viewer think over and over again: how much of this is real? The army's history not only provides a backdrop for the characters that we are following, but also ties in nicely to the overall story at the end. It also acts as a springboard for the viewer's suspension of disbelief, which is hard to achieve for a film that deals with staring contests against goats.

Goats aside, the acting is superb and the writing polished. George Clooney does an incredible job as Lyn Cassady, the most talented jedi ever to train in the New Earth Army. His performance sits on the boundary of real and joking, where the character can really only exist. Impeccable writing complement the acting with some very witty voice-overs from Ewan McGregor. Kevin Spacey's antagonist is a worthy adversary in our capitalist world. For a film that's as quirky as this, it achieves a level of realism that most dramas can't, and as such, deserves to be seen.

Meryl Streep's Julia Child Steals the Show

Julie & Julia (2009) - dir. Nora Ephron - 3 stars

Book-to-screen adaptation of Julie Powell's blogging and cooking adventure leaves a sweet taste, but it isn't long-lasting. That isn't to say the film isn't good; it's thoroughly funny thanks to Meryl Streep's quirky yet loveable depiction of Julia Child, and it flows smoothly from chapter to chapter. However, the experience is more of a good night out rather than something memorable, mostly because Julie's expected transformation never really emerges from its cocoon. The film is still worth seeing as Julia Child's story to bring the art of French cooking to the American middle class is good enough of a ride filled with outrageous one-liners from Streep.

The film traces the lives of Julie, a social worker dealing with the backlash of 9/11, and Julia, the bored, travelling wife of an American diplomat. Julie is on the verge of depression as her life consists of dealing with upset, depressed relatives of 9/11 victims. On the other hand, Julia is left to entertain herself in foreign countries as her husband moves from country to country. The tie between them is the love of cooking and eating and how the craft of cooking saves them both from their routines.

In an attempt to regain control of her life, Julie decides to keep a blog about cooking through all 536 recipes from Julia Child's famous work, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, in one year. On the other hand, Julia Child enrols in Le Cordon Bleu school of Paris to keep herself active while her husband's at work. Both projects bear fruit - one a famous blog that later turns into a book and the other a book that connects haute cuisine with the everyday American cook. I must say that Julia Child's story is far more entertaining and satisfying!

Unique Tale in a Unconventional Wrapper: the Stuff of Good Films

District 9 (2009) - dir. Neill Blomkamp - 5 stars

I am dumbfounded. Blomkamp's feature reveals the deepest shades of human nature in the most surprising format. Its allegorical backbone for South African politics and general racial profiling extends into the most meaningful and touching sci-fi that has yet been made. Its tight script and inverted story makes for one of the best dramatic trajectories of any film. I am simply dumbfounded.

The film follows MNU agent Wikus Van De Merwe as he is assigned to deliver 24 hour eviction notices to the aliens forced to live in slum-like conditions in Johannesburg. The slum, referred to as District 9, is a gated community for the aliens where they can live without disrupting human life. However, they need to be moved outside of the city as the human population is not happy of the creatures called 'prawns' to be living so close to them, hence the eviction. During the eviction visits, things go awry as one of the prawns resists. What follows is a unique story told in effective cinematography where we learn through Wikus what an alien really is.

Peter Jackson definitely uncovered a gem here by producing District 9. Everything from the script, the acting to the special effects are present in the right quantities. Nothing takes over for the sake of Hollywood, which means the film isn't sacrificed. The faux documentary style in the beginning especially stands out for the genre and immediately aids the suspension of disbelief. The viewer is quickly pulled in and convinced that the story is real.

Above all though, considering that this is a film about aliens, what is most striking is that the film reeks and oozes human, to the point where the boundaries of alien and human converge, when the alien saliva becomes natural, and us unnatural.

Humans are only defined by themselves. How so? The term 'alien' is subjunctive or unnecessary as it is a human creation, and by definition, it actually defines us humans more than the alien itself. Blomkamp's film just goes to show that it only takes one human to make an alien, no matter which universe, planet, country, city, race...we're from.

Carlos Cuarón's debut doesn't match the prowess of his brother

Rudo y Cursi (2008) - dir. Carlos Cuarón - 3 stars

As the Cuarón brothers took center stage at the BFI accompanied by Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna after the preview screening of Rudo y Cursi, it was obvious that this group was a "band of brothers" whose close ties and unselfish support for each other meant great, if not unique, films yet to come. However, Carlos' debut feature doesn't have the poignancy nor the mystery of Alfonso's films. This is not to say that Rudo y Cursi is a bad film; it's very entertaining and well-directed. It's just no Y Tu Mamá También or Children of Men.

The film revolves around two brothers, who have very different dreams, but are relentless and almost illogical at following them. Throughout their journey, they encounter a typical round of characters whose intentions are quite obvious to the viewer from the get-go. Needless to say, both Rudo and Cursi become victims of their own naiveté and end up with the reality of Mexico. This storyline feels a little bit like a soap opera however, and regardless of what the actors do, the film can't escape a soap opera feel.

It is curious that Carlos chose straight-forward story-telling for his debut feature with a narrator to boot. After all, he was the screenwriter of Y Tu Mamá También so has what it takes to write such a script where characters are relieved via actions and not narration. I guess he had a burning desire to tell the tale of what professional football means to Mexicans, but this has been brilliantly portrayed in other films from Latin America already. Interested parties need not look further than Linha de Passe.

Kırmızıgül delves into Collective Intolerance & Rejection in Turkey

Güneşi Gördüm (2009) - dir. Mahsun Kırmızıgül - 4 stars

Kırmızıgül is a singer-turned-director, whose reaping the benefit of his fame in order to exploit to the masses one of Turkey's worst flaws that afflicts not only the Kurdish population but also any group within Turkey whose existence is challanged by societal and feudal traditions.  This collective intolerance against "them," which is defined as anyone who is not "us," weaves the fate of the characters in unimaginable tragedy and never-ending gloom.  Even though Kırmızıgül dedicates the film to "hope and children," very little of each remains at the end.  The string of overly dramatic events forces the film to feel more like a melodrama made for TV rather than a feature length film, but this is mostly caused by content that could easily be extended into three self-standing films of the same length.  Regardless, these stories make sense together and support Kırmızıgül's overall message, which is noble and welcome as it encompasses all groups, not just Kurds.

His latest film, Güneşi Gördüm (I Saw the Sun), depicts the journey of two Kurdish families when the Turkish army forces them to move from their home in eastern Turkey.  One family decides to move to Istanbul, whereas another tries to immigrate to Norway illegally.  The contrast between the two families' fates tell a lot about the differences between the state establishments in Turkey and in Europe.  Most of the political message lies in the fact that in Turkey, people work for the state with no promises at the end, whereas in Europe, the state works for the people.  The extensions of this claim can be found in every single shot of mysery that afflicts the family in Istanbul.  As if this story wasn't already enough, the film also maintains a heavy-handed depiction of queer issues within an Islamic and feudal understanding of masculinity and honour.  Even though its inclusion of queer issues is welcome and sensible within the framework of the film's message, its treatment of the subject is very traditional and unforgiving.  Not much fresh air there...  

As for criticism of the film, its depiction of Europe as a united, all-loving continent is slighly misguided.  Europe is not the all-peaceful and understanding society that the film promises to be.  There are many religious and ethnic disputes in Europe as well.  In the UK, many British families opposed the construction of a mosque in east London saying that Britain's culture is Christian and cannot be Islamified.  Ethnic issues still persist in Spain with the Basque and the Catalan groups.  France still denies citizenship to most Muslims if they're wearing the hicab and don't speak French.  So remnants of the same nationalism that has its hold in Turkey lurks in Europe as well, maybe not to the point it does in Turkey.

All in all, it's obvious that this is Kırmızıgül's attempt to introduce the tolerance and acceptance necessary for all people in Turkey to live side-by-side without causing any grief to each other.  As long as people realize that their approach to others define their own fates, this film should be a success in social and political terms, not just in box office revenue where it's sure to be a hit. 

the Genius of Kubrick: Music as American Brashness in Full Metal Jacket

Full Metal Jacket (1987) - dir. Stanley Kubrick - 5 stars

There is not much else that can be said that hasn't already been said about Kubrick. He's that rare genius who exploits all cinematic tools available to him to get his point across. In Full Metal Jacket, his choice of music really fascinated me as it drove home the point of American brashness and naivete in the face of the Vietnam War. The rock music used in the film reflects the attitudes of the American administration during the Vietnam War, where their idealistic approach blinds them to the point where they don't grasp the full scale of the situation they're in anymore. All they know is that they must win because America can't lose.

With the help of the music, the violence is almost unreal and glorified as cool throughout the film. Only during the last segment of the film do the group of soldier recruits realize the dramatic scale of the world-of-shit they're in. The crazy thing is that the same discourse is still looming as Bush has continued the mission of spreading American values to the world by force. I wonder how Kubrick would would approach the Iraq war were he still alive.

Doubt: Best Film of 2008

Doubt (2008) - dir. John Patrick Shanley - 5 stars

The screen adaptation of the hit play succeeds at many levels, securing multiple award nominations. This should not come off as too surprising though considering the impeccable writing, thoughtful and deliberate acting on the part of the whole ensemble, and the somber cinematography. All in all, Doubt is one of the best films of 2008 and should have been awarded accordingly at the 2008 Golden Globes.

The film is about the suspicions of the head nun, played by Streep, about the nature of the priest's relationship with a black student. This could lead to the obvious central theme of the abuse of power, but rather the film spends most of its attention on the effects of doubt, suspicion and authority on all parties involved. This significant focus creates the battleground between the nun and the priest where each fight over the fate and faith of a younger nun and the whole congregation. What's important is not whether or not the deed was indeed done, but rather how one's faith can be shaken to its core even at times when we're most sure of it.

Meryl Streep once again outshines herself as the rigid nun and maintains a strikingly well-balanced divide between compassion and coldness, resulting in a well-rounded depiction of the character. On the other side, Philip Seymour Hoffman depicts a formidable counter party to Streep's character, causing the right amount of suspicion and reason for the viewer to doubt the whole story ourselves. They both shine when they are in the same screen working off of each other's energy. The knife-edge tension in the nun's room is something I will not forget soon. A final word in terms of acting should go to Amy Adams, who has finally convinced me that she is a diversified actress, who we should see from many times going forward.

The success of the film is in the fact that there is no absolute good and evil, right and wrong answers. The resolution that we seek might not always satisfy our expectations or faith, as life has a tendency to disappoint men when compared to the strict teachings of religion. Due to its handling of its content, its carefully chosen focus and the best ensemble I have seen in a film in a while, I will gladly call Doubt the Best Film of 2008.

Ordinary Revelations Need an Extraordinary Character

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) - dir. David Fincher - 4,5 stars

Most films are about ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances.  On the surface, David Fincher's film appears to be the exact opposite of this formula whereby it tells the story of an extraordinary person in ordinary circumstances.  Benjamin Button, born as an old man, is destined to grow younger as he lives his life.  His curious ailment leads to a curious look on life, people and their ambitions.  Even though the film may seem to be only about this central character, it is all the more so about the ordinary people that Button meets and changes forever throughout his life.

Fincher spans Button's life journey with careful speed, neither too slow nor too fast.  The warm colors and smooth camera movements ensure an intimate setting whereby the viewer can almost experience the sensation of meeting Button face-to-face, although I must admit the pace may not be for everyone given the total running time of 159 minutes.  The well-written script is beautifully interpreted by the talented Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt, who I must say has surprised me with his rendition of the character.  Pitt may not be as bad of an actor as I take him to be.

There are many theories to take away from this film, which in itself is an achievement.  But the one that stood out the most for me is that each and every one of us being special makes us all ordinary in comparison.  But that doesn't matter.  Life is a random, interconnected spiral where we die as we are born and have very little real control over anything.  The one thing that matters and is in our hands is to do what makes us happy given our own cases.  In our globalised world where now individuals are racing against each other to be more 'special' than the other, unfortunately it takes an extraordinary character to remind us of this simple fact.