After an execution style murder in a popular Seoul area, cock-sure detective Woo and his somewhat more sensitive partner Kim look all over the city for the killer responsible. Myung-Se Lee's Nowhere to Hide is an incredibly stylized action film that's plot is no more than a narrative thread used for the primary purpose of connecting all the various stylized action sequences together. The film uses pretty much every trick in the book to create this wildly exuberant experience that uses a lot of experimental sensibilities. As much as I enjoyed this highly stylized endeavor, the film does go a little overboard at times with slow-motion sequences that become redundant and slow down the experience. On the other hand, Myung-Se Lee's use of still imagery was well-done, slicing these still images into certain scenes of the story which effectively heighten the urgency of the situation. Say what you will about the lack of plot points but it's clear that Myung-Se Lee has a lot of affection for the experience. Lee doesn't keep things painfully serious, even at times making fun of the typical genre conventions. For example there is one fight sequence between Woo and a criminal which takes place on a roof-top at night. As the men fight, Lee simply follows their shadows dancing in the moonlight with music hinting that this fight resembles more a ballet than two men engaged in a fight to the death, with the following interrogation sequence also being quite humorous. Except a few small instances where the film becomes somewhat sentimental to the police officers who spend their lives tracking down criminals, Myung-Se Lee opts to keep the film fast, entertaining and emotionally barren. 6.5/10
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Set in the backwaters of Southern Florida in the 1960s, The Paperboy tells the story of reporter Ward Jansen and his partner Yardley who chase a career making criminal investigation. With the help of Ward's younger brother Jack and a sultry sexually charged Charlotte, the pair try to prove that a violent inmate Hillary was framed for the murder of the corrupt local sheriff. Lee Daniels' The Paperboy is a pulpy crime drama which fails far more than it succeeds on telling its noirish story. Early on the film really struggles with focus, seemingly confused as to who the main characters of the film are. It seems to think that the crime story is the central component, and while it is, this actual aspect of the film is mundane and uninteresting. The biggest problem with the Paperboy is while its characters are amusing, particular Nicole Kidman's Charlotte character who is a lot of fun, the film struggles to get the audience emotionally attached to the characters for a large majority of the film, ultimately being far more interested in shock value than its characters. Ultimately Zac Efron's character Jack is the main protagonist and while the film does have a few moments where the viewer gets to relate to this character, overall it feels far colder than it should. The aesthetic of The Paperboy is probably its most impressive trait. Lee Daniels uses a grainy visual style and cinematography choices that really fit the mood and time period of the film, which is really the only aspect of the film which truly transports the viewer into the world. I absolutely despised Lee Daniels last film Precious, and I must admit that I was actually impressed with his direction. There is a sexually charged sequence between Hillary and Charlotte which Daniels' directs perfectly, using juxtaposition of image to portray this eery sense of unease. The Paperboy is incredibly uneven, being part sex comedy, part detective story, party heavy-handed racial drama and in deciding to be all three, the film pretty much fails. 5/10 Set sometime in the future, World on A Wire revolves around a company which has created a computer system known as Simulacron, a completely self-abstaining virtual world which can be used to forecast future needs of society. When the chief technical director mysteriously dies, his replacement and best friend, Fred Stiller begins to notice strange occurrences which he cannot explain. As his suspicions grow he begins to believe that his friend’s death was no accident. World on a Wire is a sci-fi film by Rainer W. Fassbinder that was insanely ahead of its time. Running almost 3 1/2 hours it’s a long, intense commentary on the relationship between society and technology. Although this is a genre in which Fassbinder didn't frequent, he feels right at home creating an intelligent sci-fi experience that is very much in his style. The set designs are vivid, with Fassbinder frequently using his trademark "mirror shots" to great effect. Klaus Löwitsch who plays our main protagonist does an excellent job and creating this character that is essentially going insane from a world crumbling around him. I really loved Fassbinder's decision to make a heavy amount of the acting quite stilted and cold, creating this sterile calm dystopian society. Some may find it long, but it actually flew by for me considering the length. Quite frankly, this is a masterpiece. 10/10 Paranormal researchers Dr. Margaret Matheson and Tom Buckley spend most of their time debunking various types of supernatural experiences ranging from psychic phenomena to ghost whispering. When legendary blind psychic Simon Silver comes out of retirement, after 30 years, Tom Buckley wishes to expose Silver as just another phoney but the usually fearless Matheson even warns Buckley that it could be a bad idea. Rodrigo Cortes' Red Lights is a film that touches on some interesting themes but ultimately fails to impress in it's dissection. Arrogance and denial towards things which one can't fully explain or understand is the principal theme, with both Margaret Matheson and Tom Buckley being strong-willed characters who firmly believe that everything can be explained by science and reason. I've always found the relationship between science and the supernatural to be interesting but the film never really says all that much, opting for a unexpected out-of-left field ending that would make M Night Shyamalan proud. Coming off his debut english language feature, Buried, Rodrigo Cortes once again showcases a unique and artistic aesthetic particularly during climatic scenes where the characters are confronted but it's the scenes in-between, the quieter moments, in which Cortes struggled at times to keep things interesting and fresh. Simon Silver is by far the most interesting character in the film, beingincredibly mysterious, but until he gets involved in the story, about 45 minutes in, the film struggles to stay interesting. Oh, and seriously what a waste of Elizabeth Olsen's talents as Sally Owen, a character that had no purpose or meaning to even be in the film. Red Lights has interesting ideas and a few memorable sequences showcasing the director's talent but the film struggles to bring anything interesting to the table in its dissection instead, opting for the lame, twist-type ending that feels patched together more than thoroughly developed. 5.5/10 Seon-Woo is a manager at an hotel owned by a cold, calculating mob boss. Working for this man, Seon-Woo is a deadly enforcer who does his job in a business-like approach. When his boss goes on a business trip, Seon-woo is discreetly asked by his boss to watch a young woman, Hee-soo, who he has been seeing. The boss suspects foul play and tells Seon-Woo to "finish them off yourself" if he discovers her with another man. When Seon-Woo discovers Hee-soo with another man he can't pull the trigger, leading to intense repercussions from the mob boss. Kim Ji-Woon's A Bittersweet Life is a action-packed stylized film which ultimately explores a silent, cold man's rebirth. I've always been a big fan of Byung-Hun Lee and this film is no different. His performance is incredibly nuanced, with him perfectly capturing the sleek, elegant mobster role whose gracefulness in brutality reminded me of Alain Delon in Le Samourai. The film isn't quite as meditative and transient as I was hoping but I think the film still does a great job at getting its point across. Seon-Woo has been in this gangster world for a long time, surrounded by cold hostile people. Hee-Soo is probably one of the only innocent and caring people he has ever crossed which ultimately ends up affecting him greatly. Seon-Woo can't even explain in words why he let Hee-Soo live, but it's clear, he just has trouble grasping compassion when coming from a world where this is deemed unnecessary and a weakness. Kim Ji-Woon once again shows that he is a talented filmmaker with great use of editing and cinematography which put the viewer directly into Seon-Woo's world, while also providing some incredibly thrilling action sequences which are both incredibly brutal, well choreographed, and stylized in some inventive ways. 8.5/10 Nejiko, A sex-obsessed young woman wonders the streets looking for someone to fulfill her carnal desires. She comes across Otoko, a military deserter who is ready to embrace death himself. The two stick together coming across a group of gangsters who take them against their will to an underground compound where they join a group of young prisoners, all of which are somewhat obsessed with violence around them. Nagisa Oshima's Japanese Summer: Double Suicide is a complex, surreal film that doesn't have much of a plot to speak of. The companionship between Neiko and Otoko is clear but while most directors would romanticize this bond, Oshima isn't interested in this, rather showing how these characters will never be together because of their own selfish tendencies, which just don't intermingle. In fact, almost all of the characters in Japanese Summer: Double Suicide are selfish individuals only out for themselves. Neiko is only interested in erotic fulfillment for example, while many of the characters are entranced by guns and violence looking at it as an almost romanticized light. This is a film in which the smaller details are not particularly significant, as the overarching statement which Oshima wishes to make about cultures obsession with violence is what ultimately stands out. Oshima is very critical about this romanticism of violence, particularly in the youth culture, showing these various characters entranced by it all. While I found the film interesting it was a little too disjointed and unengaged at times, a problem I seem to have with some of Oshima's work. The ending is probably the only emotionally powerful scene in the film and while it does standout, I was hoping for more of a connection. As usual, Oshima's style is intoxicating, creating a dream-like atmosphere for this tale about culture and violence, though I do wish it could have had a little more emotional substance. 7.25/10 |
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June 2023
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