16 發光的城市 A R O U N D T O W N FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2010 • TAIPEI TIMES
FILM REVIEW OTHER RELEASES Compiled BY Ian Bartholomew
The Blind Side (攻其不備) Sandra Bullock seems to be making something of a return to form after a series of duds with this Golden Globe winner and Oscar-nominated picture (Best Picture and Best Actress in a Leading Role). It probably helps if you are a fan of American football, or at least of inspirational sports movies. The Blind Side makes a determined grab for the heartstrings, and this “based on a true story” account of a homeless boy making it to become an all-American football player sheds complexity to achieve maximum uplift. Features cameos from a number of former and current NCAA coaches.
Shutter Island (隔離島) The all-star cast includes Leonardo DiCaprio as an improbable US marshal and the likes of Ben Kingsley and Max von Sydow providing lurking menace on an isolated island that is home to a hospital for the criminally insane. Martin Scorsese directs the action, which is full of sound and fury, but critics agree that the maestro was unable to find a balance between the psychological thriller and supernatural horror genres. In an attempt to explain this embarrassment away, Shutter Island is laden with clunky exposition and intimations of everything from Cold War shenanigans to Viggo Mortensen stars in The Road, directed by John Hillcoat and based on a novel by Cormac McCarthy. Photos courtesy of CatchPlay Freudian high jinks.
Nine (華麗年代) If Moulin Rouge wasn’t hen civilization collapses, for whatever something that he is not able to articulate. enough, Nicole Kidman is back reason, barbarism is quick to return. In Left with his son, Mortensen decides that with an all-singing, all-dancing a brutish land in which only the most they will walk out from the frozen wastes of W cast that includes Daniel vicious survive, the good man is at the mercy their mountain home and head for the sea. Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, of violent gangs who will take all he has, even Along the way they meet gangs of marauding On the road Penelope Cruz, Judi Dench, his life. In the Hughes Brothers’ The Book of men and cannibal communes. The hardship and Kate Hudson and Sophia Loren in this musical inspired by Eli, which opened earlier this month and is still horror are presented in a matter-of-fact manner Federico Fellini’s 8 1/2. Directed by Rob Marshall, who showing around town, the good man — played with little attempt to heighten the atmosphere brought us Chicago, Nine by all accounts manages to by Denzel Washington — is upheld by his with cinematic tricks. The danger is real, and look dazzling and suave, if rather chaotic, though over- Christian faith and some impressive martial arts death always preferable to capture. to oblivion elaborate editing may spoil it for dance fans, who rarely skills. In John Hillcoat’s The Road, which opens The voice of innocence is presented by get to see complete sequences (Day-Lewis doesn’t have today, the lead character has neither religion, Kodi Smit-McPhee, but in a gormless and wet Richard Gere’s moves), and the song lyrics are, by general karate, cool nor grunge chic to get him through fashion. Even as we see that Mortensen’s efforts consensus, over-burdened or just plain dumb. the wasteland that the world has become. He In John Hillcoat’s chilling to keep his son alive rot his soul and skew has no mission other than to survive, because his moral sense, his response seems entirely giving up is mean, weak and selfish. story of post-apocalyptic comprehensible — more comprehensible than Good Morning President The Road presents a world not dissimilar deprivation, love is no salvation his son’s, who wants to share and help others (早安總統) to that of The Book of Eli, but Hillcoat has regardless of their own peril. Why indeed A South Korean flick that removed every element that makes the latter should the father share his puny store of food draws (tenuous) comparisons an adventure film and everything that could By Ian Bartholomew with strangers on the road, even the tramp to Rob Reiner’s The American link it to other post-apocalyptic classics such Staff Reporter Eli, the only named character in the film. Eli President with Michael as Mad Max or The Day of the Triffids. Viggo (as also in the Book of Eli, a variant on the Douglas and Annette Bening. Mortensen’s character has not a single movie name of God as spoken in Arabic, Hebrew, It was the opening film at the 2009 Pusan International hero attribute. His only ambition is to survive, and Aramaic), appears briefly, eats and then Film Festival and did well with Korean audiences when and ensure that his son survives — though regurgitates a can of peaches, then stomps off it premiered in October, but its focus on the country’s given the world they live in, it is far from to an uncertain future. In The Road, God may political culture is unlikely to cross national frontiers. certain that any kind of salvation is to be found have created the world, but in its destruction, Casting an amused eye over the romantic and family life of at the end of their tribulations. The road that he seems to be totally indifferent. three successive presidents, director Jang Jin has created father and son follow may lead somewhere, but While Mortensen escapes many horrors, he a light, fluffy confection that will likely feed Taiwan’s where that might be, and whether it might be The Road is not above perpetrating some himself, and a appetite for Korean product. any better, is anybody’s guess. The Road does scene where he faces off with a thief (Michael not even try to answer that question, and this DIRECTED BY: K. Williams), taking all the man had stolen calculated indifference is what makes it such a John Hillcoat and everything else he possessed despite the Hot Summer Days powerful and disturbing film. protestations of his son, is painful to watch. (全城熱戀熱辣辣) Mortensen and Charlize Theron are a couple STARRING: While Mortensen does not play his character A star-studded cast ornaments who decide that despite the apocalypse, which Viggo Mortensen (Father), for sympathy, it is a mark of his success in the this ensemble piece about has destroyed most of the population and Kodi Smit-McPhee (Boy), role that while we may not care for the man, we relationships finding their true reduced the land to a barren moonscape, life Charlize Theron (Mother), certainly care for the loss of his humanity. level as tempers and passions Robert Duvall (Old Man, Eli), will go on, and commit to this belief by having Despite its deliberate pacing and muddy flare during a heat wave that Michael K. Williams (The Thief) a son. The hardships of raising a family finally palette, The Road is worth watching for engulfs Hong Kong. It strongly resembles the recently prove too much for Theron’s character, and she Mortensen’s magnificent performance as a man RUNNING TIME: released Valentine’s Day with numerous mini-subplots walks off into the wilderness, a calculated act of who, in his efforts to pass on civilized values, 111 MINUTES coalescing into a romantic montage. It also sports a who’s suicide. It is a testament to the bleakness of this sacrifices his own humanity. who of figures from the Chinese-speaking entertainment film’s outlook that her decision seems entirely TAIWAN RELEASE: Though the story is simple, its detached establishment, from Taiwan’s own Barbie Hsu (徐熙媛) and justifiable compared to her husband’s almost TODAY treatment of a horrific event allows the Rene Liu (劉若英) to Hong Kong stars Nicholas Tse (謝霆鋒) manic faith in ... well, that’s just it, a faith in ramifications to linger long after the credits roll. and Jacky Cheung (張學友). There are even cameos by art house director Fruit Chan (陳果) and Maggie Cheung (張曼 玉). This is entertainment royalty having fun in the sun.
Little Big Soldier (大兵小將) FILM REVIEW An engaging movie in a historical setting, the pet project of action star Jackie Chan (成 龍) has reportedly been in the Walking backwards through life works for nearly two decades. Directed by Ding Sheng (丁 晟) and featuring pop star Wang Lee-hom (王力宏), the flick French auteur Agnes approach to storytelling, Varda plays sits in to share her story. And there about a cowardly soldier who takes a defeated general the charming guide as she “walks is the sandy beach the director captive in the hope of garnering a reward produces good Varda sifts through backward” through her colorful life. creates in the heart of Paris where chemistry between Chan and his young co-star. Chan, who her life as she Friends and associates are recalled the all-women staff at an alfresco also has writer credits for the film, has succeeded by keeping along the way, and the company production office conduct business things simple and avoiding the overblown pomp that has celebrates her 80th the filmmaker keeps is a starry, in bathing suits. characterized many recent Chinese historical dramas. With birthday in this divergent crowd that includes Jane Varda returns to the beginning minimal romance and few set-piece battles, Little Big Soldier Birkin, Jean Vilar, Jim Morrison of it all in the opening sequence, falls into an easy buddy-flick road-movie groove that harks charmingly breezy and Harrison Ford. Fellow director standing on the shore of the North back to the good old days before Hollywood dreams ruined Christ Marker appears in the form of Sea near Brussels, where she was Chan’s mojo. documentary a cartoon cat, with a digitally altered born. With the aid of a group of voice, who rolls his eyes at the film students, the director covers By Ho Yi impish Varda. Yet the most heartfelt the beach with mirrors of different The Rainbow Maker Staff Reporter presence in the film is that of Demy, sizes and shapes. Images of the (爺爺的彩虹故事) Agnes Varda walks backward along whose name still brings tears to the sky, shoreline, sand and ocean and This story about childhood, a beach at the beginning of her director’s eyes. Varda’s own reflections refract and imagination and love from new documentary The Beaches of At the center of The Beaches of Agnes is the genially wise and ever-sprightly figure of Agnes The film also reveals other sides reflect back on each other, much in Georgia was released in 2008 Agnes (Les Plages d’Agnes). She Varda, who takes the audience into her world as witness and participant. Photo courtesy of Cineplex of Varda, who started out as a still the same way memory works. and has been doing the rounds traipses across the sand, pauses photographer. Her association of minor European film festivals and address the audience: “If we joined the New Wave boy’s club old films, fantasy sequences and with the Left Bank group whose ever since. Directed by Nana Djordjadze, whose 1986 success opened people up, we’d find land- and called Jean-Luc Godard, theatrical tableaux. members include Marker and My English Grandfather picked up the Camera d’Or the scapes. If we opened me up, we’d Alain Resnais and the likes her Sometimes, the filmmaker feels Resnais prompted the then-young following year. A whimsical comedy about a father who find beaches.” cinematic brothers. the urge to resurrect the past. artist to travel to China in 1957 The Beaches of Agnes returns to his home after imprisonment to find his children One of most revered filmmakers Despite its autobiographic Early in the film, she re-creates a and Cuba in 1962 where she took convinced he is a spy and his wife run off with a circus in France, the 82-year-old director origins, the film is never a straight- moment captured in a family photo thousands of photos. When she (Les Plages d’Agnes) strongman. He discovers that while he may not be the super is known to the world as the auteur forward recording of a bohemian of her younger self and a sister moved to Los Angeles with Demy spy his children believe, he does have magical powers that behind Cleo From 5 to 7 (1962), granny reminiscing, neither is it playing on the beach and wonders in the 1960s, she filmed the Black DIRECTED BY: Agnes Varda may help put his world right. Happiness (1965), Vagabond stuffed with excessive facts and if there is any meaning found Panthers and made films about the (1985) and The Gleaners and I information about the artistic in the act of reenactment. She social and political movements of STARRING: (2000). Varda’s latest work is an luminaries on view. Intimate and made a similar effort in Jacquot the time. Agnes Varda as herself, When a Man Comes Home 老爸靠邊站 autobiographic portrait narrated by buoyant in tone, it feels like an de Nantes (1991), created for her Now in her ninth decade, Varda Rosalie Varda as herself, ( ) the self-described “little old lady, engaging self-portrait that the dying director husband Jacques still strives to find new ways to tell Mathieu Demy as himself, Danish art house comedy with pleasantly plump and talkative,” octogenarian auteur wishes to leave Demy, who succumbed to an AIDS- stories and infuses her filmmaking Stephane Vilar as himself, the whimsical formalism of recounting her life journey that to those close to her to remember related illness in 1990. Varda stages with a sense of liberation. When Vincent Fournier as himself a Mozart opera by Thomas begins on the North Sea beaches of her by. Yet Varda doesn’t tell us moments of Demy’s childhood that she was a girl she was impressed RUNNING TIME: Vinterberg, one of the founding her Belgian childhood. about her life. She shows how her appear later as moments in his by the surrealists, and she roams 110 MINUTES fathers of the Dogme movement. The filmmaker spent her memories and thoughts shape the films. The past and present interact, freely in the several imaginative Hints of this stripped-down cinematic credo are visible in Language: adolescence during World War what is essentially a standard dysfunctional family (in this cine-autobiography being played in echo and feed into one another. surrealistic set-ups in The Beaches in French and English with II at the Mediterranean port Sete front of us. Locations and people The Beaches of Agnes works of Agnes. The scene of trapeze Chinese subtitles case a small Danish village) rom-com; its art house cred in southern France, where she Varda holds precious overflow from the same way as the mind works, artists performing on a beach is comes in the form of canny cutting between farce and returned at 26 to make her first the screen, finding their places in oscillating among different time one of her own fantasies brought to TAIWAN RELEASE: chilling realism. This bold juxtaposition is also found in the movie La Pointe-Courte (1954). her life through cinematic devices frames and easily digressing life. So is the giant whale made out TODAY cinematography, which combines hyper-real colors while Then there is Paris, where Varda including photos, clips from her into reveries. With her elliptical of tarps inside whose belly Varda maintaining a spontaneous, handheld sense of movement.