WHY DON'T YOU PLAY IN HELL? Review - Jonesy's Take

WHY DON'T YOU PLAY IN HELL?

Directed by: Shion Sono

Written by: Shion Sono

Starring: Hiroki Hasegawa, Gen Hoshino, Akihiro Kitamura, and Jun Kunimura

Synopsis: A young film crew gets entangled between two warring Japanese mobs. 

Fantastic Fest 2014 Review: MY LIFE DIRECTED BY NICHOLAS WINDING REFN- Jonesy's Take

MY LIFE DIRECTED BY NICOLAS WINDING REFN

Directed by Liv Corfixen

Synopsis: A documentary about Refn while he's trying to make and produce ONLY GOD FORGIVES. 

Fantastic Fest 2013 Review: NOTHING BAD CAN HAPPEN - Jonesy's Take

NOTHING BAD CAN HAPPEN

Directed by Katrin Gebbe

Written by Katrin Gebbe

Starring: Julius Feldmeier, Sascha Gersak, Annika Kuhl, and Swantje Kohlhof

Synopsis: A young man's faith is tested when he gets caught up with a seemingly normal family.

Fantastic Fest 2013 Review: MACHETE KILLS - Jonesy's Take

MACHETE KILLS

Directed by: Robert Rodriguez

Written by: Kyle Ward

Starring: Danny Trejo, Michelle Rodriguez, Mel Gibson, Amber Heard, and Carlos Estevez

Synopsis: Machete is back on a new mission to stop an evil arms dealer. 

AFI Top 100 Countdown: #85 A NIGHT AT THE OPERA

85: A NIGHT AT THE OPERA

Directed by: Sam Wood

Written by: George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind, from a story by James Kevin McGuinness

Starring: Groucho, Chico, and Harpo Marx, Kitty Carlisle, and Allan Jones

AFI Top 100 Countdown #90 SWING TIME

#90: SWING TIME

Directed by George Stevens

Written by Allan Scott and Howard Lindsay

Starring: Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers

ATTACK THE BLOCK- He said/She said

Directed by Joe Cornish

Written by Joe Cornish

Starring: John Boyega, Jodie Whittaker, and Nick Frost

Synopsis: A gang of South London youth decide to defend and save their block from an alien invasion.

BRIDESMAIDS- She said

Directed by Paul Feig

Written by Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo

Starring: Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, and Melissa McCarthy

DIFF review MAMAS AND PAPAS- She said

Directed by Alice Nellis

Starring: Zuzana Bydzovska, Zuana Kronerova, Filip Capka, and Ivan Shvedoff

AFI Top 100 Countdown #95: THE LAST PICTURE SHOW

95: THE LAST PICTURE SHOW

Directed by Peter Bogdanovich

Written by Peter Bogdanovich and Larry McMurtry

Starring: Timothy Bottoms, Jeff Bridges, Cybill Shepherd, and Cloris Leachman

DIFF review BURKE AND HARE- She said

Directed by John Landis

Written by Piers Ashworth and Nick Moorcroft

Starring: Simon Pegg, Andy Serkis, Tom Wilkinson, Tim Curry and Isla Fisher

DIFF review WUSS- He said/She said

WUSS

Directed by Clay Liford

Written by Clay Liford

Starring: Nathan Rubin and Alicia Anthony

DIFF review PROSECUTOR- She said

Directed by Barry Stevens

Featuring: Luis Moreno-Ocampo

The International Criminal Court has only been in existence for about ten years.  It's charged with bringing people to justice who commit genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and/or crimes of aggression when the country's national court is unable or unwilling to prosecute, just as it's predecessor, The Nuremberg Trials, did.   Currently, there are three separate trials underway; all having to do with crimes committed in Africa.  Behind these investigations is Luis Moreno-Ocampo, head prosecutor for the ICC.

At the heart of the ICC is Moreno-Ocampo who wholeheartedly believes in justice and the rule of law.  However, the problem he is facing with the nations is the ICC doesn't have an army, so when a leader or criminal is indited by the ICC, they have to rely on neighboring countries to arrest the criminal.  Like the United Nations, the idea of the ICC is appears more idyllic than the actual process.  For the ICC to work, the nations of the world would have to give up some sovereignty, so when crimes against humanity are committed, the perpetrators go straight to trial.  However, asking the big wigs like China, Russia, India and the United States to give that kind of power to a court they don't control will probably never happen.  Also, the prosecutor has to convince the people that bringing this criminal to trial is the right decision.  The three individuals who are standing trial right now all come from war-torn African countries where many citizens are pleased justice is being brought, but many still support these individuals, and usually the supporters have weapons and take out their frustration on the people. All in a day's work for Moreno-Ocampo.

So, his job isn't easy, yet his persistence for justice is astounding.  Even though he is defending humanity, he is met with criticism after criticism.  There are leaders who say the ICC is targeting African countries because they're not western enough, and this is the international community's way of making them fall into step.  Others want him to investigate the Gaza Strip area where hundreds of Palestinians were killed by Israelis because of a Hamas attack on Israel.  One problem though, Palestine isn't considered a state as far as the world is labeled, but the atrocity happened.  So, now there's international pressure to bring Israel to trial, and international pressure, especially from the United States, to leave them alone.  Then, there's the criticism that the ICC would never go after the bigger countries, such as the United States because the ICC is scared of them.  Moreno-Ocampo has stated that it doesn't matter what country; the ICC would investigate anybody.


Director Barry Stevens is given incredible glimpses of remote areas of the world.  We following Moreno-Ocampo to the Congo where he talks to tribe about an upcoming trial gathering their support.  We also follow Mike, a former ICC employee who left because he felt that he needed to make a difference and the ICC wasn't powerful enough, as he tries to free military personnel (from the good side of the Congo war) from the rebels in the jungle.  Mike, who is now employed through the UN, is the symbol of being able to take action to make a difference. 

If you were to ask someone about the idea of having an international court of law, I would predict many would agree with the idea.  Then, if you were going to go into detail about what that would mean to their country, such as giving up part of their sovereignty, then people become hesitant.  The idea of the ICC, on the surface, is one of striving of equality, justice, and standing up for the voiceless victims.  However, the road to such an idyllic court is arduous and a political nightmare.  PROSECUTOR shows us the other side, with faces beyond all the politics and policies. 


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DIFF review THE DISAPPEARANCE OF MCKINLEY NOLAN- She said

Directed by Henry Corra

In the most haunting documentary I've seen in a while, THE DISAPPEARANCE OF MCKINLEY NOLAN follows McKinley Nolan's family as they search for answers about his disappearance during the Vietnam War.  There's mystery surrounding his disappearance, from possible sightings of him in 2005 to classified government documents. 

His family lives in a little town just outside of Houston.  Nothing fancy; very simple life.  His brother talks about how they all grew up working in the cotton fields to make a living, and after 20 years of that, you get sick of it.  So, McKinley joined the army.  He goes to Vietnam, leaving his wife and kids at home, and realizes he was fighting a war that he didn't really believe in.  That's when the letters home stopped...in 1967.  Ever since then, his family has wanted to know something or anything about what happened to him.

Then, in 2005, Lt. Dan Smith, who was revisiting the battlefields of his Vietnam days, ran into an African American man who said he was from Texas.  After some research, Smith thinks this could be McKinley Nolan.  He visits the family, tells him his story, which becomes the catalyst for the McKinley's brother, Michael, to travel to Vietnam and find answers.  As they travel, they're met with some dead ends and some glimpses of hope.  Michael meets McKinley's other son.  Together they begin to unravel some clues as to the whereabouts of McKinley and his second wife. 

The story goes that McKinley was a deserter and joined the Viet Cong, or was an American operative, or he killed two guards and then joined the other side.  Many different stories surrounding his life.  During which he met his Vietnam wife, had a son, and decided to stay, that part is true.  However, when Vietnam's infrastructure began to crumble, McKinley and his wife escaped to Cambodia.  Soon after, the Khmer Rouge began their mass genocide against its own people.  At this point, many of us would have given up hope and assumed him dead, but not Michael.  Michael's love and determination keeps him going until he finds solid proof of what happened. 

Throughout their investigation, the filmmakers were able to get unprecedented interviews with old members of the Viet Cong and Khmer Rouge.  (Most of the Khmer Rouge members, who are still alive, are on trial for crimes against humanity).  Even though these seem like breaks in their case, many of the men wouldn't divulge too much information because it puts their own livelihood at risk.  No real answers, just more questions.

In the end, the movie becomes less about McKinley, and more about Michael's spirit, love and determination.  It seems that after McKinley disappeared and the family wasn't getting much help from the government, they gave up trying.  Then when Smith showed up, all those feelings got swirled back to the surface.  A new determination was sparked, and answers were needed.  The documentary will leave you talking and discussing what really happened, what would you do, and how far you would go for answers. 

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DIFF review MOST VALUABLE PLAYERS- She said

Directed by Matthew D. Kallis

Written by Christopher Lockhart

What REMEMBER THE TITANS did for sports movies, MOST VALUABLE PLAYERS does for musical theatre.  The story goes that director Matthew Kallis was surfing YouTube one day, when he stumbled upon some clips from "The Freddy Awards", a local awards show in Pennsylvania which honors local high school musical theatre productions (think The Tony's for high school).  He's so captivated by these clips that he takes a trip out there and, spurred some by his own musical theatre background, decides to document three high schools as they rehearse their big show, wait for the nominations, and culminating at The Freddy's. 

Kallis takes us into a world that not many are aware of.  Musical theatre is hard, demanding, and exhausting.  It takes hours upon hours of memorization, learning routines, blocking, and endless repetition just to pull off a show for three nights.  And that doesn't even include all the technical designs that go into a production.  Just like sports, theatre is a team effort.  You have to depend on your cast mates to get you through, not only onstage but handling the pressures offstage as well.  Oh yea, plus you have to go to school. 

We follow each of the three schools through their successful productions with one putting on Bye, Bye Birdie, while the other two tackle the challenge of Les Miserables.  The joy the kids experience when performing is absolutely infectious.  They know theatre isn't the most highly respected path in the high school world, but it doesn't matter.  Even though they're theatre geeks through and through, at least they're theatre geeks together.  They can lose themselves onstage and make people happy.  It's refreshing to see so many kids come to the realization at a young age to do something because you really love it. 

As the looming nominations of the Freddy's approaches, the directors remind their cast that a nomination would be nice, but in the end, it's about performing for yourselves, so don't be disappointed if the results aren't what you want.  The kids agree, though you can see it in their eyes, like sports team, that they want that nomination/win.  The highlight of the movie is watching the kids react when their respective schools and some of them get nominations.  The excitement and euphoria on their faces is so infectious, I found myself excited for them.  A lot of these kids have been ostracized by their peers at some point in their lives, and to finally be recognized and accepted by the community is the ultimate highlight in their high school careers. 

In a time when education is in crisis around the United States and when budgets get cut, the arts is the first on the list.  For one of the schools, the cost of the production is $16,000, and the students raised all the money all on their own.  Such dedication.  Also, the camaraderie and teamwork shown from all the students is the equivalent to any sports team out there today.  Kallis's documentary is the ultimate love letter to the musical theatre world.

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AFI Top 100 Countdown #96: Do The Right Thing

96: DO THE RIGHT THING

Directed by Spike Lee

Written by Spike Lee

Starring:  Spike Lee, Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, and Ruby Dee

DIFF review SOUL SURFER- She said

Directed by Sean McNamara

Written by Sean McNamara and Deborah Schwartz

Starring: AnnaSophia Robb, Helen Hunt, Dennis Quaid, and Carrie Underwood.

SOUL SURFER is the true story about Bethany Hamilton, an up-and-coming amateur surfer in Hawaii who had her arm bit off by a shark.  She was on the verge of breaking into the big time with surfing and just landed a sponsor before her accident.  Even though she's determined to get back on her board, she struggles and gives up.  Then after an inspirational mission trip to Thailand, she finds the courage again and gets back on in time for the big championship.

The film lends itself not as an inspirational sports movie, but more of a glorified Lifetime movie.  Yes, the story itself is very inspirational and uplifting.  I cannot imagine the internal strength it took the real Bethany to get back into the water.  However, the acting from most of the cast, with the exception of AnnaSophia Robb, seemed cheesy and forced.  Before the incident, the family would regularly have sand fights, surfing competitions, and did almost everything together just short of breaking out into songs.  And even if you've never heard of this story before watching the movie, you know exactly where the plot is going. Almost every cliche action and phrase from an overcoming adversity movie is explored, and honestly, gets tiresome. Robb ends up being the stand out performer.  This young actress is charming as Bethany, and develops a wonderful arc taking us through the ups and downs as Bethany struggles.

Rather than completely focus on the determination and hard work it took Bethany to get back in competition mode, the film curves into a more Christian themed focus.  The real-life Bethany is very religious, so there would be a fine line for the filmmakers to tell her story.  So, it tends to lean more about how her faith pushed her, including some Bible quotes, and will detour some who would otherwise see it.

Despite it's lack-luster story telling, SOUL SURFER is a gorgeous movie.  The cinematography of the surfing competitions brings a unique and beautiful perspective from the water.  Hence the comment of a glorified Lifetime movie.  The surfing sequences are user friendly and exciting, and the girls make it look easy.  Though I'm going to try my hand at it anytime in the near future. 

There's an audience for this movie.  It's very family friendly, even with the intense attack.  The message is one of faith and courage to overcome adversity.  It doesn't hold ranks with sports movies like REMEMBER THE TITANS, but the young tween crowd will enjoy it.  Plus it's very pretty to look at. 



SOUL SURFER opens nationwide April 8, 2011.


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DIFF review THE GREATEST MOVIE EVER SOLD- She said

Directed and Written by Morgan Spurlock

As Ralph Nader puts it, the only time we, the American people, are not being advertised to is in our sleep.  Everywhere we look there are advertisements for the next latest and greatest phone, food, vacation, clothing, make up, toy, car, drink...you name it.  Director Morgan Spurlock takes a look at the inside of world of advertising, or product placement, in movies.  Most of the time we probably don't notice it, but any name brand we see in a movie has paid millions to be there.  It's a multi-billion dollar business with so many ins and outs it's hard to even wrap your mind around if you're an outsider.  Spurlock takes on that challenge to show us that world.


The basis of his documentary is to make a documentary about getting advertisers to finance the documentary he's making.  Very cyclical and very Inception-like.  He's filming the movie while getting the money from companies to film the movie.  Nothing is off-limits to him.  When he eventually meets with potential advertisers, which in the Q&A after he said they called over 600 companies and only 15 called back (by the way, those are all in the movie), he's completely honest and open about what he's trying to do.  He's very tongue and cheek to his potential advertisers, but what's wonderful about the people he meets with is they totally get it.  They're not offended as long as they're not portrayed in a bad light, which if they sponsor the movie, of course, he assures them, they won't be. 


After he gets his 15 sponsors, the internal struggle begins within Spurlock.  He receives all of his contracts which have very specific stipulations: can't be seen wearing anything but our shoe/clothing, must be drinking this drink, and he can't ever bad mouth Germany (true statement).  He wonders how can he make the movie and stay true to himself without essentially pissing off his financiers.  If he follows everything they say and compromises what his original intention was, does that make him a sell-out?  And if he becomes a sell-out, doesn't that negate his whole purpose of making the documentary in the first place?  How do you make a movie like this without selling-out yourself?


At one point, Spurlock explores the world of just advertising outside the realm of movies.  He takes a trip to San Paulo where advertising has been outlawed (can you imagine New York City with no advertising?) and explores how shop owners get business.  He travels to a school district who is using banners on their sports fields and buses to help finance their district in the ever troubling world of education.  And, which is the most interesting aspect to me, he gets insight into a new way of making commercials.  Companies now have test subjects in MRI machines and flash different commercials for them to view, then records their sub-conscious brain activity, and uses that information for future spots.  So, if a majority of the test subjects sub-consciously really enjoyed sexual images, guess what the next wave of commercials feature?


Overall, GREATEST MOVIE is laugh out loud funny, smart, and engaging.  I don't think Spurlock means for us to think of advertising as evil; however, he means for us to become more aware of how much of it we see everyday everywhere we go.  However, there is a new trend he creates within the movie of showing commercials from his sponsers, which works with what his goal is, but if this trend starts with mainstream movies, and it's bad enough we suffer through commercials beforehand, I blame him. 

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DIFF review PAGE ONE: A YEAR INSIDE THE NEW YORK TIMES- She said

Directed by Andrew Rossi

Written by Andrew Rossi and Kate Novak

The death of the newspaper. A headline that we’ve seen many, many times over the past few years. With the growing digital world, the old black and white is becoming more and more of a nuisance to people than a hot commodity. Why would you go out and get the paper outside when you can easily access it on your computer, iPhone, iPad, Blackberry, etc.? It seems that by the time a newspaper grabs hold of a story, a reporter writes it, then it goes to the presses, the mainstream world saw it on Twitter six hours beforehand. So, how does a newspaper not only stay in print and keep their audience, but how do they attract the Millennial Generation?

PAGE ONE: A YEAR INSIDE THE NEW YORK TIMES follows the paper for a year through not only the competition within the paper to land on page one, but the looming threat of bankruptcy that many others have succumbed to. If anyone can be successful, the Times can. Right? The Times has always been synonymous with what a newspaper is. They’ve been pivotal in the history of breaking news from The Pentagon Papers, the recent Wikileaks, and covering the turmoil of the dying paper, all the while wondering if it could happen to them. 



The movie follows reporters and columnists as they go about their work writing stories, finding the big news, keeping their sources secret, and trying to keep this company alive.  David Carr, a veteran with a very roller-coaster history and colorful mouth, is The Times most outspoken reporter who's highlighted.  He believes in the good old-fashioned journalism where you throw yourself into you story, dig deep and produce something memorable and groundbreaking.  He's a treat to follow and is not afraid to hurt anyone's feelings.  However, even with the most dedicated, there's a tension in the air everyday at work.  Will this be the day that I'm let go?  Will my job be here tomorrow?  Even though they still have a job to do, the "dying paper bug" is always looming in the air adding more stress to an already stressful job. 


With this dying art, the documentary delves into answers I never even thought of.  Sure, the printed press is succumbing to the online world, but that's not the only reason.  Papers use to get their finances not only from selling the paper but from advertisers.  However, with the invention of Monster.com, there was no longer a need for the job ads.  Then with the invention of Craigslist, classifieds disappeared.  So, with money to even run the paper was dwindling, many had no choice but to make cuts.  Coupled with the fact their website, where you can read the paper, is no longer offering that luxury for free because the money has to come from somewhere.  Nothing is for free.


The Times has the rich history and status as being the pinnacle for a journalist.  If you wanted to make it, you wanted to end up at The Times.  Even today, The Times still holds a place for the nostalgics of a "simpler" era when reading the news was actually a staple of American culture.  There are still many baby boomers that hold on to that nostalgia, not wanting to see the progression into the blogosphere. 


PAGE ONE is an intellectual look at the other side of the journalism business.  There's much to be discussed whether we really need the printed press anymore since everything is so readily available.  Maybe we just hold on because the paper represents something from the past we're not ready to let go yet.  And if The Times, considered THE American newspaper, ends up going under, what's next?


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DIFF review THE FUTURE- She said

Directed by Miranda July

Written by Miranda July

Starring: Miranda July and Hamish Linklater

THE FUTURE is a story about love and a semi-midlife crisis. We meet our couple, Sophie (Miranda July) and Jason (Hamish Linklater), at a very pivotal moment in their lives. They’re adopting a cat. However, they’re not allowed to pick up the cat for a month because Paw-Paw needs a little more time to heal his broken leg. They treat this adoption almost as if they’re adopting a child because once the cat comes home, their lives will change forever and pretty much stop. So, they decide to live out the next 30 days as if it’s their last. During these 30 days, they realize something. They’re 35 with no real life prospects, and this cat will be the biggest event for them in who knows how long.



Sophie, a failed, toddler dance teacher, decides to perform “30 dances in 30 days” and post them on YouTube. She’s convinced they’ll be a success. When she struggles to stay committed, she complains to her boyfriend, to which he bluntly responds, “No one really cares anyway.” Hurtful, but deep down she knows it. Jason, on the other hand, loathes his job as a help desk agent. So during the 30 days, he does something he’s probably never done before, he quits. He then has a semi-existential moment where he believes to keep his mind open and clear because an opportunity/job will come to him. Sure enough it does, in the form of a grassroots worker for working on getting L.A. more green. (Pause for the situational irony).

Throughout Sophie and James’ deterioration of their relationship and this specific chapter of their lives, we’re treated with commentary from Paw-Paw the cat. That’s right…a talking cat. Sound cheesy? It is, but somehow it works, and the cat becomes the most sympathetic and endearing character within the film. He juxtaposes their tragic ending with his bright-eyed beginning. His hope is so heart-warming. He has this optimistic view of starting a new life, while their new “life” ends very pessimistically.


The movie flips between being a bit pretentious yet somehow sweet. There are moments, both real and (extremely) symbolic, that pop up within the movie. Sophie’s quiet, dry, yet somehow funny personality is the driving force behind the movie. She’s captivating in an odd sort of way. You find her annoying at times, but in the end, she ends up being a tragic figure. She represents a generation that once had high aspirations, but got stuck in a bad job, boring relationship, and now wants to try and do something with what time they have left.


In the later half of the movie, time literally stops for Jason, and even though he doesn’t notice, the world keeps moving without him. At this point, the movie desperately tries to build symbol upon symbol as a commentary for a deteriorating relationship. It got old and a little too odd very quickly.
Overall the movie was neither here or there. I can see where it was trying to be poignant, but it just came off exactly that…trying. It always felt like it was on the verge of something new and fantastic, but unfortunately, it never was achieved.

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