Film School Rejects » Foreign Objects

Foreign Objects: The Beast Stalker (Ching yan)

Rob Hunter — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:35:57 +0000

Foreign Objects travels the world of international cinema each week to look for films worth visiting. So renew your passport, get your shots, and brush up on the local age of legal consent, this week we’re heading to…

Hong Kong!

There are two quick issues we need to acknowledge and dispense with before we can proceed with this review of Dante Lam’s recent action flick, The Beast Stalker. First, that is a terrible goddamn title. I know Lam made his name with a cool little movie called Beast Cops, but in addition to there being no relation between the two films it’s just a poor title for an action movie without beasts in it. Yes yes, I know the term can be used metaphorically, but it implies a villain far more evil and bloodthirsty than the one we have here. Second, there’s a whopper of a plot point you’ll just have to accept if you’re going to enjoy this movie. It involves a certain prosecuter who’s allowed to stay on a particular case against all logic, reason, and common sense…

Tong (Nicholas Tse) is a tough, by-the-books police sergeant who demands perfection of himself and his team. When a bust almost meets with the death of an officer due to an error on the part of another, Tong chastises and demotes the man in full public view. (Don’t worry, the belittled cop doesn’t become the cliched villain of the film.) A call comes in about an escaped convict and his armed accomplices nearby and Tong and another detective head out after them. The dramatic car chase ends with a spectacular multi-vehicle crash and shoot-out. Tong disables the getaway vehicle with several rounds from his handgun unaware that there’s a young girl in the car’s trunk. She dies and Tong is placed on administrative leave… jump forward a year and Ann Gao (Jingchi Zhang) is prosecuting Yat-tung Cheung, the convict from the earlier escape attempt, and she also happens to be the mother of the little girl who died in the trunk (cue eye-roll). Unbeknownst to Gao, her other daughter, Ling, has recently made a friend in the form of a certain guilt-ridden detective named Tong. When the mob boss on trial orders a man named Hung (Nick Cheung) to kidnap Ling and force the prosecutor to lose the case against him, Tong finds himself with an opportunity for redemption if he can save this little girl.

The Beast Stalker does so much right that I’m going to start with the few bits it gets wrong. First and foremost is that ridiculous contrivance of the prosecutor being allowed to stay on the case even though it was the accused’s escape attempt that led directly to her daughter’s death. The court brushes it away with an empty ruling, but it would never happen. No, not even in Hong Kong. And Tong’s downward spiral and subsequent disintigration away from his team aren’t given enough screen time. Tse does a solid job of portraying a cop in turmoil, but we don’t really get to see the reason for his newfound distance from the team. This is relevant because later he refuses to ask for help which doesn’t really sound like one of the steps towards recovery.

Those two issues aside, The Beast Stalker succeeds on all other fronts. It is a dark, gritty tale punctuated with some brutal and exciting action sequences as well as several scenes of real suspense. If killing a child in the first act wasn’t bad enough, you know all bets are off when Hung brings Ling to a surgeon to prove his seriousness. “Which hand do you write with?” he asks the terrified child. She replies that it’s the right, so Hung tells the doctor to “cut the left” as the camera pans down to a hacksaw being sterilized… And we all know how risky child actors can be, but Suet-yin Wong is quite good as little Ling. She’s resourceful, expressive, and more than a little believable in scenes where she’s in danger.

The action is impressive starting with the opening chase and car crash. The impacts are shown from various angles in real time and slow-motion, and aside from a brief bit of “slow-mo” acting the entire scene is extremely well done. This is especially important as the crash comes back a few times throughout the film from varying perspectives, and each one of them match up and mesh perfectly. There’s also a small amount of gunplay (including a pretty cool POV shot not quite down the barrel of the gun), but the remainder of the action consists of fight scenes and foot chases that come across as more about effectiveness than showiness. A fight between Tong and Hung isn’t a ballet of martial arts moves but instead quickly becomes a brawl with thumbs in eyes, grappling, and a stabbing.

Another reason why the film works as well as it does is the level of acting with special mention going to Cheung’s portrayal of a three dimensional villain in the form of the kidnapper. He’s a visual menace with a scarred face and a greyed-over eye, and we know he’s capable of some truly dark deeds. We see the end of a previous kidnapping where he poisons the girl, watches her die, disposes of the body, and then cleans up the captivity room… just in time for sweet little Ling to be strapped into the same chair. At the same time though, Hung is also seen caring for his paralyzed wife. He’s truly sweet and loving with her while in the next room a small child sits trapped in darkness. Cheung does a fantastic job of showing all sides of the character and making each of them real and somewhat relatable.

The film’s greatest strength and biggest surprise is the way it brings the characters together. The crash at the center of it all isn’t over-played for melodramatic value, but it is revisited to show each person’s place in the film’s universe… each person’s responsibility and reason as well. Could it stand for something bigger? Sure, but it just as easily could stand on it’s own for the sake of the film’s story. I haven’t seen most of Lam’s fourteen or so films, but of those I have The Beast Stalker is easily the most entertaining and assured. Even allowing for the film’s inherent ‘Hong Kong logic’ flaw the film works on the levels of both strong action and fairly intelligent drama. It’s still a pretty stupid title though.

Foreign Objects: The Baader Meinhof Complex

Rob Hunter — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:15:50 +0000

Germany!

This may come as a shock to some of you, but I don’t know everything. The range of what I don’t know is actually fairly impressive in it’s own right and includes (but is not limited to) the solution to the Hodge conjecture, what another word for ’synonym’ is, the justification behind pea soup, the location of the Holy Grail, and much, much more. My ignorance is most notable (and most shameful) though when it comes to historical events. I blame the Catholics and their close-minded school system, but many Americans are in the same boat when it comes to being unaware of even recent historical events outside of our borders. For example, did you know there was an active domestic terrorist organization in West Germany for thirty of the last forty years? (You probably did, but it was news to me.)

My admission of historical ignorance has probably made this clear already, but my review below and the events I’m referencing are based on the film not the history. Multiple claims have already been made against The Baader Meinhof Complex’s authenticity and veracity, and since my source for factual information is Wikipedia please remember I’m reviewing the film and nothing more.

The Baader Meinhof Complex tells the story of West Germany’s homegrown terrorist group called the Red Army Faction from their creation in the early 1970’s to the point of irrelevancy less than a decade later. The film focuses on the seventies but starts a few years earlier to introduce the players and set the stage for what’s to come. Ulrike Meinhof (Martina Gedeck) is a journalist for a left-wing publication known for her critiques of the German government’s policies. As a child who lived through Germany’s experiment with Nazi insanity she’s appalled by and fearful of a government run by some of those very same ex-Nazis. She meets Andreas Baader (Moritz Bleibtreu) and Gudrun Ensslin (Johanna Wokalek) and finds in them a couple who share her anti-establishment beliefs but to a much more radical degree. After being arrested for various crimes including department store arson, Baader escaped from custody with Meinhof’s aid and soon the three of them form the core of the RAF. They commit bank robberies (to fund the revolution!), bomb US military buildings (to protest American imperialism!), bomb a German newspaper building (to stop the presses!) and kill police officers (err, because they got in the way!) The trio is eventually arrested in a sweeping (and brilliantly orchestrated) day of anti-terrorism planning and placed in prison. The remainder of the film follows their protracted and controversial legal battle as well as the activities of next generation RAF members on the outside trying to win their freedom through kidnappings, assassinations, and bungled hostage situations.

The film opens with people enjoying the beach on a warm summer day. Men, women, and children… all completely and utterly nude. Were I European I may not have given the scene a second thought, but as someone unaccustomed to seeing naked eight year-old girls (let alone naked kids interacting with naked adults) it struck me as gratuitous and intentionally shocking. As the film went on however, I realized that the scene serves an important purpose. This is the one and only time we’ll be seeing characters and people completely exposed and purely innocent. The rest of the film is filled with violence, infidelity, mistrust, deceit,and deception. No one is immune, and there is no “good” to combat the “evil” because everyone on both sides is tainted and guilty to varying degrees. But that opening scene shows people with nothing to hide and nothing to fear… at least until it ends with Meinhof noticing her husband’s wandering eye.

The first hour or so of The Baader Meinhof Complex is fantastic . The leads are all introduced effectively, and we get an easy sense of their personalities as well as their cause. A peaceful protest being held against visiting dignitaries from an oppressive country sets the stage for the rebellion in stunning fashion with protestors being attacked and pummeled first by the regime’s supporters and then by the police. A riot ensues and the screen is filled with absolute chaos as people are beaten, trampled, and arrested, and the entire mayhem-filled scene is scored with adrenaline to the point where you’re as worked up as the crowd. (It’s actually scored by Peter Hinderthur and Florian Tessloff, but they work under the collective name of Adrenalin. That last part isn’t true.) The university rally that follows is equally impressive in scope and presentation, and it helps bring the film and the times to life. And those times are a fully realized 1970’s from the wardrobe and personal styles to the cars, set dressing, and intercut news footage. It’s all beautifully and faithfully done. By the time the three radicals takes a misguided trip to Jordan for terrorist training we have a good sense of what each one of them are truly after.

Once Baader, Meinhof, and Ensslin are arrested though the film loses both it’s focus and narrative drive. Hunger strikes and media attention lead to the prison granting the terrorists more freedom within their walls. They’re allowed to mingle, and they’re given radios, TVs, and bookshelves. It’s a ridiculous amount of leeway and it returns to bite everyone in the ass as their trial progresses. The film splits at this point into two unfulfilling paths. One follows their travails in prison and the other shows new RAF members acting on the outside. The problem is that the characters we know have become inert and inactive leaving the film’s energy in the hands of generic and interchangable radicals on the outside. They run around causing havok but we have no investment in the characters and we often don’t even know their names. By the time the film culminates in 1977 with the chaotic maelstrom of violence and death that came to be known as ‘German Autumn’ we’ve already lost interest in both the characters and their cause.

There’s also the potential problem of identifying the RAF as either heroes or terrorists. The movie does a fair job of showing both sides of their personality coin… they’re strong and charismatic some times and weak and egotistical at other times. It’s easy to see why and how they could build a following of fellow radicals as well as gain the support of some in the population at large. Their arguments were valid and their message was clear, but it’s just as easy to see that they were also little more than bullies, thugs, and attention junkies. One exchange between the trio highlights their differing aspects well. Ensslin says they’re ”forming a group. We’re going to change the political situation” to which Meinhof replies, “How is that possible?” Baader retorts immediately and forcefully, “What a fucking bourgeois question. We’ll just do it. Or we’ll die trying.”

The film has multiple strengths to counter it’s long running time (two and a half hours) and rambling second half. In addition to the immersive cinematography and set design mentioned above, the acting is exceptional across the board. The stand out performance is Gedeck’s portrayal of a woman who moves from a loving mother and wife with leftist (but pacifistic) beliefs to a radical reactionary who slowly sheds her family and loyalties as she falls prey to ambition and her own growing agenda. The film’s violence is also plentiful and realistic. Gunfights are brief and sloppy with bullets missing their marks more often than they connect. When they do impact flesh it’s done with an appreciated and gritty realism. Pacing is never a problem for the film either, even during the second half where our interest wanes, thanks to a steady mix of action and prisoner shenanigans.

Is The Baader Meinhof Complex factually accurate? I don’t know, but it is an engaging and incomplete look at a time and a place that Germany and the world at large should never forget. As one German official leading the fight against the RAF says, “In the long run it’s pointless to bash heads… those in political power must change the conditions that lead to the rise of terrorism.” Whether or not those words were actually spoken at the time or were added for today’s relevance the conclusion remains a definitive one on the part of the filmmakers. Director Uli Edel and writer Bernd Eichinger (from the book by Stefan Aust) have created a flawed film that tells an important story. It’s thought provoking on several levels, entertaining at times, and ultimately encourages the viewer to explore issues that may have occured elsewhere but that are just as relevant wherever they may live.

The Upside: Interesting and eye-opening account of Germany’s encounter with domestic terrorism; violence is fast, brutal, and believably messy

The Downside: Too long and too much time spent on time in prison; second half loses focus; ending should have included an update of some kind on both the people and the cause

On the Side: The RAF officially disbanded in April of 1998 with a letter sent to Reuters stating ”Almost 28 years ago, on 14 May 1970, the RAF arose in a campaign of liberation. Today we end this project. The urban guerrilla in the shape of the RAF is now history.”

Foreign Objects: Hansel & Gretel

Rob Hunter — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:43:07 +0000

South Korea!

Asian horror films are known for a single iconic image… the long, black hair of a creepy, ghostly, Asian girl pissed off for some reason or other and out for revenge. It’s no exaggeration to say that over 95% of the horror films from Japan, Korea, and Thailand play on some variation of that theme. (That may in fact be an exaggeration.) But once in a while a film gets released where the terrors and mysteries stem from someplace other than spectral vengeance. Take Hansel & Gretel for example… a dark, Korean re-imagining of a classic fairy tale (that still manages to include one shot of long, creepy, black hair pouring down from a trapdoor).

Eun-soo has a car accident while passing through a forest late at night and awakens to find a young girl in a red cloak offering him assistance. She leads him deep into the woods to her house where he meets her parents and two siblings. The family appears happy, especially the children, even if the parents do seem a bit apprehensive and nervous. The house is garishly decorated in holiday themes and kiddie designs, dinner is a plateful of cupcakes and cookies, and no one seems all that interested in helping Eun-soo find his way out of the forest and back home. Every attempt to leave leads him right back to the house and to the children. Soon the parents have gone missing, a mysterious new couple has arrived, and Eun-soo discovers the dangerous and tragic secret behind it all.

It’s not entirely accurate to call Hansel & Gretel a straight horror film as it’s interested in far more than simple scares. There’s a general sense of creepiness and dread and a handful of jump scares throughout, but the movie’s atmosphere extends well beyond the horrific. Like any fairy tale worth it’s weight in morality and metaphor the movie explores real world cruelty in a fantastic setting for maximum effect. The original Brothers Grimm story serves as a starting point, but the film is more interested in where brutality and lost innocence can lead if left unchecked.

The movie does slow down too much in the middle and could stand to trim some of Eun-soo’s endless wandering, but aside from that there’s very little to criticize here. The film looks beautiful both inside and out of the candy-colored house, and the score by Byung-woo Lee is haunting and playful and helps set the mood for each scene. All of this would be for naught if the child actors weren’t any good, but thankfully all three of them give stellar performances. Ji-hee Jin is absolutely adorable and heartbreaking as the youngest child who’s the first to accept the adults at face value and the most vulnerable to their cruelty. Eun-kyung Sim is her older sister who is sadly wise beyond her years, and Won-jae Eun plays the older brother as the fierce protector forced to be stronger then he’d like. As the events unfold and the secrets are revealed you can’t help but want to hug the little bastards and tell them everything will be all right. Even if it may just be a lie…

For all the visual highlights within the film the standout scene is a short storyteller duel between Eun-soo and the young boy, Man-bok. Eun-soo tells a tale to the girls about a sorrowful prince trapped in a world of faeries but who needs to return home to his own princess, and Man-bok hijacks the story in order to soothe his sisters by keeping the prince in their world. It’s a fascinating back and forth between a man who still acts like a boy and a boy forced to act like a man. And if the initial setup for Hansel & Gretel sounds suspiciously like the “It’s a Good Life” episode of The Twilight Zone the similarity is intentional. Co-writer/director Phil-sung Yim (Antarctic Journal) combined the initial fairy tale inspiration with his love for American TV shows like Twilight Zone and Outer Limits. He’s done a fantastic job of invoking the flavor and feel of those shows but has wrapped in all in a uniquely Korean experience.

Fans of the dark fantastic should seek out Hansel & Gretel immediately. The film never reaches the extremes of horror or comedy or pathos, but you will find yourself at times fearful, amused, and saddened. Childhood wonder and harsh reality combine as it explores what it means to grow up and what it takes to become an adult. The children need Eun-soo’s help just as much as he needs theirs, but is it too late for either lesson to be learned? Heart-wrenching and creepy, sweet and cruel, and ultimately deeply moving, Hansel & Gretel would make the Brothers Grimm very proud indeed.

Hansel & Gretel was released on DVD this past summer by a relatively new label from Canada called Evokative Films. They don’t have very many releases yet, but they seem to value quality over quantity in both their special features and DVD packaging. This title features interviews, behind-the-scenes features (including a very sweet and endearing piece set to the song “All You Need Is Love”), trailers, and two short films from the director. It comes in a stylish and detailed digipack made from 100% recycled materials and is just an overall sharp looking package. Evokative Films just recently acquired the rights to Ole Bornedal’s highly praised Deliver Us From Evil.

Foreign Objects: Shinjuku Incident

Rob Hunter — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 18:10:39 +0000

Hong Kong!

Living in the United States it’s easy to forget that we’re not the only country to offer a better alternative to the lives people are born into. The US/Mexican border is a revolving door where thousands of “tourists” come through on a daily basis. Some come for the fatty fast food, some for the even fattier basic cable, but most are here for the opportunity to take part in the American dream. Japan faced a similar situation in the 1990’s (although they probably called it the Japanese dream) with a steady stream of illegals pouring in from throughout Asia (China, Vietnam, Taiwan, etc). It’s not a topic that has seen much exposure on the silver screen before, but just as he shined a light on Hong Kong’s rough and tumble pirate-filled past in Project A and the effectiveness of inebriation in enhancing your fighting style in Drunken Master II, Jackie Chan has aimed his considerable star power at the world of immigration, the Yakuza, and counterfeit long-distance phone cards.

Shinjuku Incident opens with the dramatic image of a large tanker ship half submerged in the shallows off the coast of Japan. Hundreds of illegal Chinese immigrants swarm in from the water and make a dash up the beach towards safety. Steelhead (Chan) is among them, but unlike the others who are there mainly in the hopes of starting a new life or supporting families back home, he’s in Japan on a more personal quest. His fiance Yuko left China a few years before to visit her aunt with the promise to return, but she never did. Steelhead has come to find her but instead discovers a world foreign to him in more ways than just the obvious. Life in rural China was all about hard, honest work, but here in Tokyo he sees people more accustomed to getting ahead by way of illicit and/or violent means. He also sees his fellow Chinese being mistreated and taken advantage of, and soon Steelhead is combining his desire for fair treatment with the growing allure of unlawful but profitable practices.

Writer/director Derek Yee (Protege, One Nite In Mongkok) uses that basic set-up to explore multiple ideas including the fading concept of national identity, the limits of friendship, and the homogenization of organized crime. More than these though, Yee is interested in the idea of how one good man can so easily be swayed by the addictive elements of power and ambition to do things he never would have considered previously. Steelhead becomes intertwined with the criminal underworld through unavoidable tragedy and poor luck at first, but he quickly sinks even deeper with purely willful intent. His goal of a better life for himself and his countrymen is a noble one, but he’s willing to break more than just immigration laws to achieve it. Theft, deception, and even murder become felonious and blood-soaked stepping stones on his way up. Years pass, but his actions lead to a seemingly inevitable downfall and an epic Yakuza-led assault on Steelhead’s two-story headquarters.

Yee has shown himself capable of combining strong drama and action before, and he continues to showcase that talent here even if it is to a slightly lesser degree. The immigrants have come to Japan for opportunities and in turn have become very opportunistic. They’re sympathetic while we see them being treated harshly, but they grow to treat others just as poorly. It’s an intriguing idea even if Yee’s film doesn’t allow the transition enough time to feel natural. The film does succeed with its (probably unintentional) parallels to the United States’ similar immigration issue with Mexico especially with sentiments like this… A detective is called to chase down some illegals and comments that “It’s the illegal workers who clean the sewers. A Japanese would never do such a dirty job. If his toilet was blocked shit would just pile up to his ass.” The drama behind it all isn’t quite glossed over, but it also isn’t really given its fair due. Instead, events devolve into violence on a somewhat regular basis… happily I’m a huge fan of cinematic violence and Yee portrays it well. From a devastating assault on one of the immigrant’s faces and arm to a full-on siege of a two-story building, the action is exciting and well-paced. It’s the drama that lags behind.

The star here both obviously and surprisingly is Chan. Films like New Police Story have shown that he’s capable of mixing the serious and gritty in with his action, but this role is a completely different beast. He commits to the role of Steelhead with sincerity and truly shows growth in his abilities as well as his openness to new career choices. Chan’s never really been what you would call a great actor, but he’s also never been closer than he is here to being a somewhat good one. Steelhead is a nice guy who flirts more than a little with the bad guy inside of him, and Chan doesn’t shy away from those darker impulses. When’s the last time you saw Chan kill a man in cold blood? And you’ve never seen him grinding away with a white hooker while she rides him cowgirl style… I’m not saying that’s something you’ll want to see of course, just that you will if you watch the movie. (I’m not even entirely convinced that Chan enjoyed doing it…) The rest of the cast is actually quite good with the singular exception of Daniel Wu as Steelhead’s friend Jei. His character arc is fairly severe, but Wu can’t seem to get a grasp on the more extreme reactions.

Shinjuku Incident is far from being Chan’s or Yee’s finest film, but it’s a notable one for both men. For Chan it shows a growing maturity and interest in films that don’t require his body’s trademark fluidity and rapid-fire precision. Chan definitely fights here, but it’s more of a flailing and frenetic self-defense than martial arts mastery. And Yee has found a more relevant and important topic than the world of hitmen and shadowy affairs he’s used to, but he trades in some of his usual style and finesse in favor of making his point. The story may have worked better as a straight immigration drama or as a flat-out action movie, but as it stands Shinjuku Incident is a film of two minds that don’t always gel together. It’s flawed but definitely worth the watch.

Foreign Objects: Taxidermia

Rob Hunter — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:06:58 +0000

Hungary!

If Terry Gilliam woke up one day in Eastern Europe, horny, hungry, and obsessed with death… only to find the half-consumed bodies of David Cronenberg and Jean-Pierre Jeunet sprawled across his floor, morsels of both men’s brains still stuck in his teeth… Taxidermia is the ninety-minute exploration of life, beauty, immortality, and bodily fluids he might rush to film before being arrested by the authorities. What does that mean exactly? I have no fucking clue.

Taxidermia follows three generations of males in one very messed up Hungarian family. Vendel is a hare-lipped and sex-starved soldier in World War II who lives and works on his Lieutenant’s farm. He’s treated like crap by his superior, and is only interested in satisfying his sexual appetite via masturbation and fantasy. His final evening is spent thrusting his pecker into the Lt.’s portly wife atop a freshly disemboweled pig carcass, and nine months later she gives birth to… Kalman is a champion speed-eater who gives it all for his country until he falls for the women’s champion speed-eater. His singular obsession becomes having a son to carry on his vomit-inducing career, so he marries her and soon she gives birth to… Lajos is a pale, gaunt taxidermist who spends his free time taking care of his incredibly obese father and the man’s giant competition cats. His efforts to charm a local sweetheart are rebuffed, and he takes solace in the only beauty he knows. Death is that final beauty, and with one final act Lajos will accomplish something his father and grandfather couldn’t.

First and foremost it has to be said that Taxidermia is not for the squeamish or folks turned off by the human body’s less appreciated features. A small sampling of the potentially disturbing images includes a pig being slaughtered and carved up, a large woman’s very hairy armpit dripping sweat onto a man’s face (which he proceeds to lick), cock on cock action when Vendel tries to screw a greased knothole in unwise proximity to a rooster, more vomit scenes than Stand By Me and Monty Python’s Meaning of Life had combined, a bulbous and inkblot-nippled breast sloshing against an infant’s face, an extreme and explicit close-up of balls meeting an unkempt vagina… again, just a sampling.

Just as plentiful though are the images of odd beauty. Vendel holds a flame to his disfigured lips, occasionally breathing it in across his tongue, and then shooting it from his erect kolbasz like a fleshy flame-thrower. A pop-up storybook of Hans Christian Anderson’s “The Little Match Girl” opens to reveal living people moving amongst the paper constructs. Perhaps the most impressive shot sees Vendel smelling the used bathwater of his Lt.’s two daughters, and as he breathes in their scent we see the tub’s olfactory history by way of a rotating camera shot that circles the tub several times. We see the girls bathing and splashing each other, a newborn baby sleeping, a dead soldier on funeral display, clothes being washed, bread dough being kneaded, and freshly carved pig entrails presumably drying out for jerky or some such thing.

“Sounds great!” you’re thinking, “but what’s it all about?” For that I refer you to the introductory paragraph above… I have no fucking clue. I do have some theories though. 1) It could be about the cycle of life. The first tale is about sex and conception, the second shows a life lived to questionable extremes, and the third concerns itself with unavoidable death. 2) It could also be about man’s quest for immortality. Vendel tries (perhaps subconsciously) to spread his seed thereby continuing his lineage, Kalman tries to live forever in the eyes of the public through championship accomplishments, and Lajos views taxidermy and subsequent display as an artistic afterlife. 3) It could be a commentary on Hungary’s governmental history. We move from the ironic fight for the freedom to live without true freedom, to life lived under Communism where that life is for the good of the country and not the individual, to an indictment of capitalism and the freedom it brings to live in excess without purpose or joy. 4) None of the above. Maybe Palfi just really enjoys the biology of the human body and wants to share it in all it’s corpulent, wet, sticky, and messy glory.

Is Taxidermia one of the more disgusting movies I’ve ever seen? Probably. Others have been far more offensive and disturbing to be sure, but few can compete with this movie when it comes to the degree of pure foulness on screen. But aside from imagery both imaginative and unappealing, the movie has little to offer. It’s slow, has characters that you never grow attached to or care about, and meanders forward with little interest in telling a coherent story. Instead it’s purely a sensory experience, a journey through the human body’s most revolting aspects, and it pulls no punches in trying to show a reality that most films go out of their way to avoid. It’s the ‘why’ behind it all that isn’t entirely clear.

Foreign Objects: Cold Prey 2

Rob Hunter — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 14:46:00 +0000

Norway!

When I reviewed Cold Prey at the beginning of the year (here) I was surprised to find it was such an entertaining, suspenseful, and well made slasher film. The most impressive thing about it of course was the fact that the movie is Norwegian. Who knew? It was more than a little redundant of the genre, but still managed to stand on it’s own as a pretty cool little horror film. It was also a huge hit across Europe meaning a sequel was guaranteed… but could it possibly be any good?

Cold Prey 2 picks up almost immediately after the first film’s conclusion. Jannicke (Ingrid Bolso Berdal), the sole survivor of the Nordic killer’s snowbound onslaught, is found by someone from a nearby town and brought back to the local hospital where she tells her story to the minimal staff and police force. They proceed to investigate her claims while she recovers, and for the first thirty minutes we meet the handful of townsfolk staying or working at the hospital overnight including Nurse Camilla (Marthe Snorresdotter Rovik), her boyfriend Ole (Kim Wifladt), and police chief Einar (Per Schaaning). From here the film plays out along similar lines to Halloween II… the killer makes his way to the hospital (in a very different way than Michael Myers did) and is soon stalking the halls and slaughtering everyone in his path as he works his way towards Jannicke.

And once again, these Nordic bastards have surprised me. They’ve taken an extremely simple premise and turned it into one of the more capable slasher sequels I’ve seen in quite some time. One of the many reasons Cold Prey 2 shouldn’t have worked (aside from being a sequel in the first place) is the loss of director Roar Uthaug. His successor, Mats Stenberg, takes the reins for his directorial debut and turns in a film just as well made and suspenseful as the original. With the help of the screenplay by Thomas Moldestad (who also wrote the original film), Stenberg chooses to spend more than thirty minutes setting the scene and building characters before bringing back the killer, and it’s definitely time well spent. As with the original film there’s not a single annoying character you’re happy to see die, and instead are pulling for just about every one of them to be the one who survives until the end. Moldestad’s script also explores a bit more of the killer’s identity and back story in a very satisfactory way.

The films other strengths are just as atypical of the genre. All of the acting is good with Berdal’s emotional roller coaster being a stand-out. She takes a beating in more ways than one and remains one of the genre’s spunkier and more capable heroines. It would have been nice to see more growth or depth to her character, but seeing as this takes place just twenty-four hours after the first film I’m willing to cut her some slack. The film’s look alternates between beautiful exteriors and claustrophobic hospital hallways and rooms courtesy of cinematographer Anders Flatland (god I love these names), and the action is just as well shot. Stenberg has also upped the blood quotient a little bit from the curiously dry original. It’s still far from a splatter flick but the grue is a definite plus. And can I say how thrilled I am to see characters who behave intelligently and realistically once a threat has been identified?

Like it’s predecessor, Cold Prey 2 brings absolutely nothing new to the slasher/horror genre. But also like the first film, the sequel manages to do everything right and exceedingly well. The characters are likable and believable, the scares are genuine, and the movie makes it very clear in the end that there will not be a third entry in the series… unless of course it’s a prequel like the one just announced to begin production next month…

Foreign Objects: Thirst

Rob Hunter — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 13:00:22 +0000

South Korea!

Those of you who read this review column on a regular basis (Hi mom!) may have noticed a slight gap in it’s weekly schedule… basically it’s been absent for the past few weeks. I’d like to say it’s due simply to me being on a month-long vacation or maybe that it’s Cole Abaius’ fault somehow, but unfortunately the truth is much more disturbing. Internationally acclaimed director Park Chan-wook had me kidnapped, held captive for a month, and then released earlier this week with a five-day deadline to figure out why. Unbelievable I know, but true… no? Ok damnit. I’m a slacker.

I did meet Park over the last month though, and I even had the immense pleasure of speaking with him about his new film, Thirst… which coincidentally enough is this week’s foreign flick up for review. (Strange how that works.) The most common two-word description of Thirst appears to be ‘vampire movie’ although my two-word description of choice would be ‘fucked up.’ And I mean that in the best possible way. Vampires are enjoying a bit of a cinematic renaissance these days with “True Blood” rocking HBO’s Sunday night, the Twilight films stinking up the multiplex, and at least one unexpected gem from Sweden hitting theaters last year as well. I don’t normally count myself as a fan of vampire movies… there are a handful of great ones but most examples of the genre leave me bored with the characters and conventions. But a vampire movie from the director of Old Boy and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance? Yes please…

Sang-hyeon (Song Kang-ho) is a priest in search of something more to offer the people around him. He spends his days walking the quiet hospital halls and taking confession from the dying with nothing to offer them aside from empty assurances and platitudes. Hoping to give something more to the sick and needy of the world, he volunteers to take part in a potentially dangerous experiment searching for a cure to a disease called the Emmanuel Virus. (Sure he could have just built a soup kitchen or maybe joined Habitat for Humanity, but no one’s ever made it into heaven being a carpenter.) Every other participant has died a painful death… and Sang-hyeon is no different. But no sooner do the doctors pronounce him dead then he begins speaking from beneath the death shroud. Hailed as a miracle from God, Sang-hyeon is praised as a healer and soon develops followers hoping for his touch. His interests lay elsewhere though, most notably in his body’s regenerative powers, his increased strength and agility, and in his growing attraction to Tae-joo (Kim Ok-vin), the very hot wife of an old school friend. Oh, and he also has a strong and irresistible craving for blood.

This is most definitely a vampire movie from the director of Old Boy and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance, and that distinction is the key to Thirst’s success as a wildly inventive and constantly entertaining addition to the genre. I’m deliberately trying to keep much of the plot specifics to a minimum because one of the many joys of Park’s new film is it’s unpredictable nature. Only the minimum number of typical vampire film traits are present here with Park doing away with most of them via common sense (why would a Catholic priest fear a crucifix?) or by simply ignoring them all together (no garlic, home entry invitations, or stakes through the heart here). He retains only what’s necessary to tell his story including the detrimental effect of sunlight, the thirst for blood, and the vampires increased desire for the visceral. These trappings are combined with a loose retelling of “Therese Raquine”, Emile Zola’s novel of adultery, romance, and murder, and then infused with Park’s particular brand of brutality, comedy, and gleeful madness. It’s flawed, but it’s also brilliant and one of the year’s best films.

Park’s identifiable visual style is on full display here with help from cinematographer Chung Chung-hoon. Characters are initially blended with the neutral earth-tones around them, but as changes occur and desires are fed they take on bright and sharp colors along with their surroundings. As Sang-hyeon’s actions grow darker he paints their apartment white from floor to ceiling. It’s stark at first but provides the perfect canvas for the bloodletting that follows. One very striking scene involves Tae-joo’s first experience with her vampire savior as he leaps from the rooftops with her in his arms. Instead of the typical wide shot showing the two of them jumping around (which we actually get later in a different context), the camera stays focused on her face. As they fly through the air, her hair blowing wildly with each rise and fall, we see in Tae-joo’s expression her experiencing joy and wonder for possibly the first time. It’s a beautifully shot scene that not only brings the characters closer together but brings us closer to them as well.

The sounds in Park’s film are equally as important and well-done as the striking visuals, and this includes both the music and the effects. The score by frequent collaborator Jo Young-wook is a beautiful melding of string and wind instruments and often built from Bach’s Cantata BWV 82A. It soars and soothes in appropriate measure. The sound effects are sharp and distinct throughout, but most noticeable during the multiple sucking scenes. And by sucking I mean lips on lips, lips on flesh, lips all over the damn place slurping and sucking and licking with messy abandon. It’s comical at times and sensual at others, but it always underscores the carnal connection between Sang-hyeon’s vampire need for blood and human need for physical companionship. Both desires are equally important… and at times equally sloppy.

Park’s technical and stylistic proficiencies are always things of beauty, but he doesn’t get enough credit for the work he does with his actors. Song is one of South Korea’s biggest actors for good reason as he’s equally comfortable and capable in both comedic and serious roles. From The Quiet Family to Shiri to The Good The Bad The Weird, Song has shown incredible heart and soul with his characters and quickly become an audience favorite. His work with Park (six films and counting now) has brought him some of his darkest roles (see Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance), but Song has consistently found and revealed the humanity within each time. Here Song is asked to bring to life a character torn equally between desire and guilt, a man who so badly wants to do right but finds himself physically unable, and he succeeds brilliantly. Kim’s role here as a depressed (but sexy as hell) wife looking for adulterous salvation from her local vampiric priest is a far cry from her role in the brightly comedic Dasepo Naughty Girls. She inhabits the difficult role of Tae-joo fully and creates a complex woman who can be both victim and aggressor. She asks the audience to pity, love, despise, and forgive her, and we can’t help but respond willingly. It helps that Kim’s Tae-joo is also dangerous, sexy, and irresistible. The supporting roles are cast with equally strong performers including Shin Ha-kyun as Tae-joo’s childish and unappreciative husband and Kim Hae-sook as the demanding mother-in-law who soon finds herself an unwilling witness to sins of, in, and on the flesh.

At 133 minutes Thirst is probably at least ten minutes too many. That said, I’d be hard pressed to suggest where to cut as even though the film may feel long there’s not a single scene I didn’t enjoy. A stretch in the middle devoid of growth is the most obvious target, but there’s too much comedy and character there to cut. There are also a handful of effects shots that would have benefited from more time or more money (or both). They’re not bad per se… a wobbly, wire-based flying scene and some unimpressive CGI stand out… but they’re definitely visible. Park also has a habit of bypassing detailed explanation in favor of all that comes after. As with Oh Dae-su’s fifteen-year imprisonment in Old Boy that left several logistical questions unanswered, Thirst’s viral experiment that turns Sang-hyeon into a bloodsucking man of god is glossed over with only the barest of explanations. The blood transfusion probably could have been worked in more organically and simply, although the risk would be losing the weight of Sang-hyeon’s selfless act.

Thirst will invariably be held up against the perceived high standard of Old Boy, and in that head-to-head battle it will most likely lose. The more accurate comparison in Park’s oeuvre would be to his third film in the Vengeance trilogy, Sympathy For Lady Vengeance. Like that film, Thirst is a delicious mash-up of style, wit, blood, and sudden violence that blends the tragic and the comic with expert skill. That constantly threatening transition from dark to light, serious to humorous, may be too unsettling for viewers unfamiliar with Park’s films, but if you’ve seen even a handful of Korean films you should already be aware of their penchant for left-field tonal shifts. Park’s use of sudden tonal changes here may not always be successful, but at least they’re never boring.

Last year saw both a low and high point in vampire cinema with Twilight and Let The Right One In. This year looks to repeat the pattern with New Moon and Thirst. (Although aside from quality and the inclusion of vampires, Thirst has absolutely nothing in common with last year’s Swedish chiller.) Park’s new film is the vampire love story that Twilight only wishes it could be… if Twilight had balls (or balls with hair on them anyway). It’s a sexy, brutal, funny, and beautiful adult film that finds director Park Chan-wook back to form after the the curious detour that was I’m A Cyborg, But That’s Okay. Like his countryman Bong Joon-ho (Memories of Murder, The Host), Park has received numerous offers to come to Hollywood. Looking at the quality and consistency of their film resumes in their native country I hope they’ll both continue to say ‘no thanks’ for many years to come.

Foreign Objects: Ip Man

Rob Hunter — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 13:04:59 +0000

Hong Kong!

In case you hadn’t heard, I was forced to turn in my martial arts critic credentials after posting my review of Ong Bak 2 back in March. It seems I was too enthusiastic, hyperbolic, and just plain Billingtonesque with my love for the movie. In my defense, the review was written immediately following a mildly intoxicated midnight screening and I was trying to keep in line with the over-the-top nature of the film… Since then I’ve seen a version of the film trimmed of almost thirty fatty minutes making Ong Bak 2 a leaner, meaner, and even better martial arts movie than before. Even so, were I writing the review today I would rate it a B+ instead of the A. I still say it’s a martial arts epic of fantastic proportions though… So, minor mea culpa out of the way, this week we turn our attention to the greatest martial arts movie ever made!

Kidding. But Ip Man is very good. Donnie Yen stars as the real-life title character and Wing Chun instructor forced to flee China during the 2nd Sino-Japanese War. Before the Japanese invasion Ip Man is a popular practitioner of Wing Chun martial arts, a style reportedly created by a woman and known more for its close quarters, defensive, and deflective moves than for the showy, acrobatic assaults martial arts fans have grown accustomed to. But if you think that means the fights in Ip Man will lean toward the boring side you’re sorely mistaken. Fight scenes are scattered liberally throughout the movie, and while they vary in length they’re all consistently impressive in quality. Ip Man engages in combat mostly for training exercises and fun exhibitions, but when the Japanese invade his town the entire mood changes.

Until the invasion the film is presented in a sunlit, bright, and colorful palette, but afterward the entire thing takes on a muted gray. Friends and fellow citizens are killed or relocated to the tune of 2/3rds of the population, Ip Man along with everyone else is forced into squalor, and soon the Japanese general is arranging stadium-like fights for his own amusement. When the general hears of Ip Man’s considerable reputation he insists the pacifist join his competition. The general it seems is a master practitioner of Japanese karate and wants to see Ip Man’s specific Chinese style in action. He resists the challenge until the inevitable plot machinations force his hand resulting in an amazing fight between him and ten Japanese soldiers. Any other movie would drag that set piece out for maximum attention and exposure, but Ip Man only takes as long as he needs… in this case about two minutes of brutal speed-pummeling to finish off the enemy fighters. An awesome fight, but a brief one, which is why it’s lucky not to be the film’s finale. That honor is reserved for a one-on-one battle between Ip Man and the general himself.

Ip Man succeeds on various levels due mostly to the quality of the fights and the pure charisma of Yen. Sammo Hung choreographed the action and deserves credit, but Yen makes the action intense with his incredible speed, confidence, and abilities. Yen has always been an incredible fighter but he’s also been an incredibly boring actor. I’m not sure if it’s the role or if his thespian abilities have only now started catching up to his physical prowess, but he excels as Ip Man. Intense and focused when necessary, loose and casual the rest of the time, Yen is a fantastic lead… which is good since the sequel is already in production and there’s talk of a third movie too.

The movie isn’t perfect of course, as aside from the limited drama inherent in the historical event itself the movie never suggests the presence of any real risk or consequence. Ip Man’s fights are a visual treat but he’s never in danger of losing. Even the final fight only teases Ip Man at risk briefly. Obviously he’s going to win, but it would be nice to see him actually face a sincere challenge. That’s a nit-pick and a common element in fight films, and the positives far outweigh it. In addition to the action the film’s first half also manages a healthy sense of family love and humor. One of the best scenes finds Ip Man honoring a challenge inside his home with his defensive Wing Chun moves sending his opponent repeatedly crashing into tables and other furniture. His son comes riding into the room on his tricycle and says “Mother says if you don’t attack soon everything in the house will be broken.” It’s a funny and sweet scene and manages a joke at Wing Chun’s expense without being insulting.

Ip Man is biographical but never feels dry or purely historical. Much of the film is accurate in it’s depiction of the legendary man’s life, but it’s probably safe to assume the real Ip Man didn’t fight with wires… The sequel reportedly follows Ip Man’s attempts to teach Wing Chun Kung Fu openly and the efforts made by others to shut him down. They failed of course, and Ip Man went on to teach his most famous pupil… Bruce Lee. Can you imagine martial arts cinema without Bruce Lee? Egads! We never would seen Rob Cohen’s one good film, Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story! Dodged a bullet there…

Foreign Objects: Sex Is Zero (South Korea)

Rob Hunter — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 06:30:00 +0000

South Korea!

The teen sex comedy, much like the western, is pretty much considered an invention of Hollywood cinema. Other countries have made movies about teen sex to be sure, but few of them have featured the mix of rampant copulation, bodily fluids, and incredibly crass humor that America has made their own. Films like American Pie, Van Wilder, and Sex Drive are typical examples, and while they vary in quality they all succeed in hitting the main points required for the genre… laughs, naked chicks, and at least one incredibly gross scene involving sexual residue. These movies probably owe their origin to 1982’s Porky’s which basically created the template for all the rest to follow. The main difference of course being that teen sex films from the eighties never quite reached the gross and disgusting lows of their modern day descendants. Much like they did with the Western last year (the epic and excellent The Good The Bad The Weird, review here), South Korea has made moves on America’s love of fornicating teenagers, physical comedy, and baby batter. Their first foray into the genre was the very risky, but ultimately very successful financially, Sex Is Zero.

The movie opens to the sounds of “We Got the Beat” by The Go-Go’s as we’re introduced to the guys and the girls. The guys are engaged in a display of stupidity as they drink bowls filled with spit, cigarettes, and all kinds of foulness. The girls are in the middle of an aerobics class that requires a lot of jiggling, stretching, and bending over. Just a normal day on any college campus, and it gives you a fair idea of what to expect from both sides of the gender coin here… stupid guys, sexy girls, and all of them looking to score. In the middle of all this is Eun-shik (Yim Chang-jeong) who’s new to college and older than the rest due to a few years of service in the military. He’s quickly identified as the main protagonist of the film (think Jason Biggs’ character from American Pie), but it doesn’t mean he’s any smarter than the rest of the guys. Given the chance, he’ll still eat a fried sperm sandwich. (Yes, you read that right.) Eun-shik falls for the very attractive Eun-hyo (Ha Ji-won), but she has eyes for the school’s bad boy Sang-ok who’s already dating campus bitch Ji-won. As Eun-shik works hard to win the girl of his dreams he also hangs out with his socially inept friends, practices with the concentration team (?), and makes an ass of himself again an again. The rest of the gang have some less painful adventures involving infidelity, French kissing immediately following vomiting, a couple thugs, the fire department, karaoke, and lots and lots of masturbation.

The first hour of Sex Is Zero is an almost perfect example of the genre and could easily be remade into an American film with only cosmetic changes. Much of the comedy is laugh out loud funny, some very cute girls show some very sexy skin, there are some incredibly gross gags… and then the film-makers seem to remember that they’re Korean. But before we get to what exactly that means let’s give a bit more focus on the comedy. Eun-shik is at times a very sympathetic figure and at other times a complete shmuck who deserves all that he gets. And he gets a lot… the above-mentioned sperm sandwich gag comes about after two of his friends realize they’re out of food and one states that semen is almost identical to egg whites. His professor told him they’re almost identical animal proteins which of course leads to him jerking off into a skillet to fry up some breakfast. Eun-shik’s genitals fair even worse than his taste buds resulting in multiple visits to the hospital where the doctors debate the merits of amputating his junk if his balls don’t return to normal size. There are also sex gags aplenty involving incorrect holes, inappropriate behavior, blow-up dolls, and more. The movie also has a definite exaggerated side as well with characters jumping out windows and getting hit in the head with hammers. It’s definitely not high-brow comedy but for fans of this kind of film Sex Is Zero feels very American and quite funny. Until the final half hour…

If you’ve seen even a handful of Korean comedies you know that they’re not exactly masters of the art of comedic subtlety. (The excellent My Wife Is A Gangster is a perfect example.) The film suddenly enters much more serious territory with the arrival of an unplanned pregnancy and more. Sex here leads to places unseen in our teen comedies since the days of The Last American Virgin and Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and while it may be a more responsible presentation of the old bump and grind it really doesn’t fit smoothly with all that came before. It’s no exaggeration to say that the final thirty minutes passes without a single funny bit, gag, or scene, replaced instead with heavy drama and an oddly sweet montage set to the sounds of Bread’s song “If.” (As in “If a picture paints a thousand words, then why can’t I paint you…”) It’s a difficult and possibly damaging shift and the movie never manages to return to the humorous and light-hearted feel it had previously.

The change in tone combined with an out-of-left-field sports competition finale will probably throw most viewers off more than they can handle. I’m familiar with Korean films, and it was almost too jarring for me. It’d be a shame to pass on the film though as there really is quite a bit here to admire starting with the actors themselves. Chang-jeong does a fantastic job playing the sweet but stupid Eun-shik, and he makes his pains (both physical and emotional) feel real for the viewer. Ji-won manages a similarly fine balance between the laughter and the tears. The others in the cast are never tested as dramatically as these two, but many of them give very funny performances built on sharp expressions, timing, and generally over-the-top antics. If you can stomach humor of this type then I’d definitely recommend the film for a rental at least. Just be prepared for the laughs to stop and the teary eyes to start. And don’t be surprised if those teary eyes belong to you…

Foreign Objects: The Children (UK)

Rob Hunter — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:05:41 +0000

the UK!

Who doesn’t enjoy watching cinematic mayhem perpetrated by and against bratty, misbehaving children? It may not be as highly ranked on your list of guilty pleasures as it is on mine (above movies based on SNL sketches and below the oeuvre of Kevin Costner), but you’ll agree it’s a sweetly cathartic release watching disrespectful little bastards get put down. No? Just me? I can’t be the only one as the “killer kid” genre has a long and healthy existence with films like Children of the Corn, Devil Times Five, The Bad Seed, and the Spanish shocker, Who Can Kill a Child? to name just a few. There’s something innately frightening about children not only capable of murder and malevolence, but actively engaged in it as well. Their inherent creepiness is a natural fit for horror films although that trait can sometimes work against a film too. We’ll come back to that thought, but now it’s time to check in on The Children…

Two families come together for a fun-filled and peaceful Christmas holiday in the English countryside. Chloe (Rachel Shelley) and Robbie (Jeremy Sheffield) along with their two young children are playing host to her sister’s family. Elaine (Eva Birthistle) and Jonah (Stephen Campbell Moore) have two little kids of their own and have also brought along Elaine’s rebellious teenage daughter, Casey (Hannah Tointon). It’s not long before one of the boys starts throwing up and acting vacant and lethargic. Soon the other three kids are showing similar symptoms, but they’re intentionally hiding it from the adults. What is visible to the parents is a growing unruliness among the children consisting of tantrums and small outbursts of violence. Minor outburst leads to cold-blooded murder and soon Casey and the remaining adults are faced with the possibility that their precious little cherubs may have become bloodthirsty psychopaths in disguise.

The Children is a brilliant and at times brutal piece of atmospheric terror and dread and easily one of the best horror films of the decade. It doesn’t rush a single thing instead letting the characters and story develop naturally before the world goes absolutely ape shit before our eyes. Chloe and Elaine may be sisters, but they have distinctly different views on raising their children and living their lives which contribute to a building tension between them and the couples. Robbie’s barely perceptible and highly immoral affection for his very hot teenage niece doesn’t help matters either. It’s a full thirty minutes before the first adult falls victim to the pint-sized monsters, and in that time we see what the parents don’t. The children growing distant and confused, their empty yet malevolent eyes, the flashed visions of blood-soaked intent… we may not know what the hell is happening, but we know it’s building to something horrible. It all comes to a head around the dinner table as the tykes share furtive glances before the first one strikes out.

One of the flaws in the “killer kid” genre is that at the end of the day the menace is still just a three-foot tall, fifty pound weakling. Who here (besides Cole Abaius) would truly feel threatened by a goddamn child? If you knew or suspected that they had already killed, if they were coming at you maliciously, who wouldn’t be capable of knocking that kid on their ass, slamming their head in a door, or breaking their tiny and fragile neck one-handed? (Again, Abaius is excluded.) The beauty of The Children is in the way it bypasses that concern all together through character development and the fact that the potential victims are the kids’ parents. One couple practices gold stars instead of spankings making the very thought of striking a child completely foreign to them. One character has felt impotent in his parenting duties and now sees the opportunity to step up and take charge with disastrous results. Even if you could bring yourself to kill a kid in self-defense, could you do it to you your own son or daughter? The hesitation and decisions that would be questionable in other films feels utterly believable here.

None of this would work if the actors couldn’t sell it with conviction, and luckily all five of the grown-up leads give solid performances. Tointon stands out at first for her big, beautiful eyes, inviting cleavage, and milky white thighs before you realize she’s giving a marvelous performance as the only character who truly understands and accepts that all is not right with the world. Straddling the line between childhood and adulthood, Casey is also the first to act… she quickly becomes one of the strongest horror heroines in years kicking major ass along the way. The four kids are a mixed bag acting-wise, but even the worst of them is still passable. Paulie (William Howes) and Leah (Rafiella Brooks) are the first to get sick and are also the creepiest of the bunch. Their eyes reveal a focused and gleeful joy one second and a detached and empty evil the next. Miranda (Eva Sayer) is the last of the four to succumb to the mysterious influence and she does a fine job of conveying her fear of the other children before finally joining the troop of murderous midgets. The second problem with these types of movies can be found in the child casting as film-makers often choose actors who have a generally creepy vibe about them already. (Think Atticus Shaffer in The Unborn, Daveigh Chase in The Ring, or those fucking blue dress twins in The Shining.) Thankfully, all of the child actors here seem normal enough in the beginning before turning towards the dark side. Paulie comes close to being a full-time spook though… creepy-ass curly-haired little shit.

Director and co-writer Tom Shankland has crafted a minor horror miracle with The Children with nary a misstep to be seen. (I can forgive the character who frantically tries to bust through a closed door with a fire poker instead of simply unlocking the goddamn thing, as well as one character who seems to have trouble hearing relatively nearby screams.) Stupid woman with the fire poker aside, everyone behaves as believable as possible given the situation. There are no scenes with cars that suddenly won’t start or cell phones that lose signal or die at the most unfortunate times. In addition to making a smart film Shankland’s also delivered a fairly beautiful one. From eerie shots of empty woods, to the hillside stillness of children staring vacantly as if listening to an unseen (but clearly evil) Pied Piper, to a magnificent use of color and technique including a stunning overhead tracking shot that follows one mother’s trek through snow turned crimson, The Children continues to impress as it terrifies. Shankland doesn’t skimp on the violence and blood either with multiple beatings and impalings to adults and children alike (including one nasty stab to an eyeball). The violence done to and by children would never get bankrolled by an American studio.

The Children is a smart and gutsy horror film that stays strong throughout it’s admittedly brief running time of eighty minutes. Once the intentionally paced opening hits the half hour mark all hell breaks loose and things don’t let up until the end. This is where lesser films would run off the rails with unnecessary exposition and explanation, but Shankland wisely forgoes anything of the sort. Instead he delivers a devastating ending with chilling effect. The last shot may leave you wondering and debating, but it should also leave you thrilled that original horror films are still being made in a world overrun by PG-13 crap and glossy remakes. You just may need an all-region DVD or Blu-ray player to see it…

The Children is available on import DVD. Currently (and criminally) there is no domestic release date.

Foreign Objects: The Sniper (Sun cheung sau)

Rob Hunter — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:22:26 +0000

Foreign Objects travels the world of international cinema each week in search of films worth visiting. So renew your passport, get your shots, and brush up on the local age of legal consent, this week we’re heading to…

Hong Kong!

There’s a brilliant scene in the upcoming Kathryn Bigelow film, The Hurt Locker, that features two snipers duelling from hundreds of yards apart. It’s tense and suspenseful, but it’s also intentionally slow and grueling. You’ll hear more about the scene when the film opens wide this summer, but trust me that it will instantly take a top spot in the pantheon of sniper cinema. For reference, Mark Wahlberg’s under-appreciated Shooter is in the top half of the spectrum while Tom Berenger’s Sniper 3 is at the far other end.

Somewhere in the middle sits the new film from director Dante Lam. The Sniper opens with two young cops who find themselves outnumbered in a criminal hideout. Lucky for them (well one of them anyway) the house is under surveillance by members of the elite SDU Sniper Squad. Squad leader Hartman (Rickie Jen) is impressed by Officer OJ’s (Edison Chen) confidence, ability, and photogenic charm and brings him onto the team. OJ’s brash and egotistical and reminds the squad of perhaps their greatest sniper, Lincoln (Huang Xiaoming), who left the squad four years ago after accidentally killing a hostage. Charged with the crimes of over-confidence and cockiness he was sent to prison but has since been released. After four years in the Hong Kong klink Lincoln’s out for revenge and more than a little out of his mind. The stage is set for a mano-a-mano-a-mano battle royale where only one sniper’s routine will reign supreme!

The Sniper teases some dramatic threads, but it’s really all about the action. Good thing too as the action is generally pretty solid. Lincoln helps some local thugs free their boss, Tao Yip, from a police transport resulting in a shootout in the street. Pistols and machine guns trade fire from behind cars and barriers while sniper rounds rain down from above. A standout scene finds Hartman in an elevator recognizing Yip and two of his cronies behind him just as the doors close. It’s a tense affair built on facial expressions and mirror reflections as they realize he’s a cop and attempt to take him down. Sure the cramped shootout is more than a little reminiscent of the one in Die Hard With A Vengeance, but it still works beautifully… especially as it spills into a hallway battle and chase. And while a finale set in a giant warehouse may not seem the ideal place for a sniper battle it still manages to be an exciting setup. The hardware on display throughout the film is also quite cool with a variety of sniper rifles including Dragunovs and a .50 caliber making appearances.

Lam is a highly inconsistent director with crap like Vampire Effect sitting alongside surprisingly entertaining pics like Beast Stalker. This film belongs towards the top of his resume because he manages to keep events tense and the action exciting and sharp without getting too ludicrous. On the acting front, two of the three leads are convincing in both their action scenes and the limited drama and emotions they encounter. Jen has been around for a while and Huang is a relatively new face in films, but both are good enough to warrant seeking out their other work. Chen though continues to be an incredibly shitty actor. The Sniper was delayed after his well publicized photo scandal featuring him with several nude, bright-eyed, and bushy (some bushier than others) starlets. The controversy probably resulted in cuts to the film eliminating some of his storyline. That’s not a bad thing.

While the core of The Sniper rests with the action scenes, the pointless and/or soon to be abandoned dramatic arcs stand out for their uselessness. Hartman’s estranged wife attempts suicide… causation and domestic tension is ignored. OJ’s father is a petty crook… father/son conflict is ignored. Hartman and Lincoln both vie for OJ’s attention, one a tough but fair mentor, the other an ultra-cool outsider… loyalty tug-of-war is ignored. Lincoln’s wife is a klutz… well, that works itself out. Love lives are pretty much ignored in general with the partial exception of Lincoln and his clumsy bride. A quote early on lays the groundwork for the men whose focus and affection rests with the job… “You must use your heart when you hold a gun.” Nothing is really done with that or any of the other dramatic angles leaving the film to rest mostly on it’s action alone.

There are far better films in Hong Kong’s past, but recent years have seen a drought of quality work from the region which helps The Sniper stand out more than it otherwise might. It’s a fun flick and worth a ninety minute investment for fans of sniper films or action in general, but cinephiles in need of something more need not apply. Catch it now before the inevitable sequel hits replacing Chen with Jaycee Chan. (Or the Hollywood remake replaces him with Zac Efron.)

Check out the trailer below (courtesy of Twitch).

Foreign Objects: The Square

Rob Hunter — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 14:58:30 +0000

Australia!

If and when we see the inevitable Hollywood remake of the recent Australian thriller The Square, I fully expect two immediate changes. The lead character’s name will be changed from Ray Yale to Ray Murphy, and the title will changed to Murphy’s Law. This has as much to do with Hollywood’s pronounced lack of subtlety as it does the fact that poor Ray Yale gets fucked repeatedly by that age old axiom over the course of the film.

Ray’s (David Roberts) life seems pretty straightforward at first. He runs a small but busy construction company, he’s married, and he has a sexy girlfriend named Carla (Claire van der Boom) on the side. This perfect little arrangement starts to unravel one day when those three aspects of his life collide. He’s taking cash kickbacks from one of his construction suppliers, his wife becomes suspicious of what his donger’s been up to, and Carla presents him with a dangerous proposition. Her husband, Smithy (Anthony Hayes), is hiding a bag filled with cash at home. She wants Ray to finally leave his wife and run away with her and the money. He reluctantly agrees, and the pair lay out a plan to burn Carla’s house down so her husband thinks the cash has been destroyed. Shockingly, everything that could possibly go wrong with their plan does so in spectacular fashion.

Director/co-writer Nash Edgerton has crafted a fairly intricate and suspenseful series of events within The Square. Like a chain of falling dominoes after midnight, each piece is guaranteed to lead to the next even if you may not know exactly where that next piece lies. Threads cross over each other from three different directions, and while it occasionally gets confusing Edgerton manages to pull them all together by the end. I will admit to losing track more than once of which greasy low-life was in cahoots with who, but I was back on track in time to watch the bodies to hit the floor. I blame my racist upbringing that causes me to see all sketchy and unshaven Australian males as indistinguishable from each other.

The town itself suffers no such identity crisis with several distinct and effective locations including the quiet suburbia, the lake that separates Ray and Carla’s homes, and the often muddy construction site that also provides the title’s foundation. Edgerton takes full advantage of atmosphere to present compelling quiet moments at home or in the back seat of a car as well as fast and lean entanglements that usually end in bloodied winners and losers.

The acting is fine with the two standouts being Roberts and Joel Edgerton (co-writer/director’s brother) as Billy the arsonist. Roberts’ portrayal of Ray as a sympathetic boob turns what could have been a thankless idiot into a character we almost want to succeed. He’s no angel, but he seems to be a fairly likable guy with incredibly poor judgement skills. As each new obstacle appears before him though, Ray’s reaction steps up another notch in severity and soon he’s lunging at folks with pick-axes and ramming them off the road. The resulting car spiralling wildly out of control is as apt a visual metaphor for Ray’s predicament as any other. Billy starts the film a bit further over the morality ledge than Ray, but he’s still someone simply trying to better his life in any way that doesn’t involve hurting others. He also fails miserably.

The Square verges on Coen Brothers’ territory with it’s multiple characters, plot lines, twists, and overall message that greed guarantees disaster, death, and bloodshed. It’s not nearly as sharp as the best the Coen’s have to offer (Fargo, No Country For Old Men) but it’s a more enjoyable film than their lesser morality plays like Burn After Reading. Considering this is Edgerton’s feature debut, that’s a strong and promising place to start.

The Square is available in a packed 2 disc Australian DVD, but as of now there is no US release scheduled. Check out the trailer below.

Foreign Objects: Old Boy

Rob Hunter — Thu, 28 May 2009 16:37:47 +0000

South Korea!

The powers that be here at FSR recently posted a list with the extremely misleading title of The 10 Best Revenge Movies of All Time. In actuality it’s at best a list of ten movies… period. If you haven’t yet had the pleasure of perusing this terribly misguided post please do so when you have the chance. (And I’m not knocking the list’s author who’s also written several very good reviews here at FSR, just strongly disagreeing with the list itself.) It’s simultaneously entertaining and sad, but it’s hardly a list of ten revenge movies (let alone the ten best). Now the joy (and point) of lists like this is found in the discussions, disagreements, and arguments that follow, and here the list succeeds brilliantly. I could easily join the fray and point out that at least three of the films have absolutely nothing to do with revenge, that some of the others are borderline, and that there are at least thirteen movies more deserving of inclusion than the ones ultimately chosen. But we’ll save that for the comments section or maybe for a revised list next year. For now I’d like to take a look at just one of the many films criminally absent from the list, a film I would have probably placed in one of the top three spots, a film that conveniently enough happens to be foreign thus allowing for it’s presence here in Foreign Objects…

Dae-su Oh sits on a bench in a police station, drunk and disorderly, alternating between rants and curses aimed towards his captors (and the camera) and apologies and pleas to the same. There’s a small sadness to the scene as we watch a man make a complete and utter fool of himself, but at the same time we’re entertained by his antics and carefree attitude. This intro serves as a gentle and humorous microcosm of the hellish incarceration to come. Dae-su is released, he makes a call home to wish his daughter Yeun-hee a happy birthday, then steps out of the phone booth and disappears. He wakes up in a garishly patterned but still muted room with a bed, TV, bathroom, and a locked door. Someone feeds him fried dumplings through a slot in the door but never speaks. A soft melody occasionally plays which Dae-so learns is the precursor to sleeping gas. This becomes his routine to which he adds watching TV, faux-fight exercising against the wall, suicide attempts, the occasional slip into insect-laden delusion, and writing in a journal the names of all the people he’s wronged or fought. This “list of evil deeds” is a long one as he searches his memory for all the people who might hold a grudge against him.

One year in he watches a news report about his wife’s murder and sees his own face on-screen as the prime suspect. Fourteen years later he awakens in a suitcase on a rooftop. He’s given money, a cell phone, and just a few days to find his captor. Free from physical captivity, he’s now trapped by a singular desire for revenge.

Further plot details are best experienced first-hand but know that Old Boy is a kick in the ass to the revenge genre and an entirely original beast at the same time. The familiar concept of ‘an eye for an eye’ is twisted as both the convention and the audience’s preconceived notions of the genre are contorted into something fresh, darkly humorous, haunting, and devastating. Dae-su’s quest for vengeance carries him through the city’s underbelly as well as his own forgotten memories, but while his journey is the familiar and expected response to his captivity the film deftly avoids providing the linear path both he and the audience are expecting. The question of who becomes a question of why before answers are disgorged wrapped in innocuous memories and painful truths. How important is vengeance? And how high of a price is he willing to pay for it?

Director Chan-wook Park will continue making films for many years to come but I expect none of them will have the power and charisma of Old Boy. The center of Chan-wook’s loose trilogy of revenge, the film is a perfect blend of the dark and unforgiving Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance and the blackly comic and redemptive Lady Vengeance. Images of raw beauty sit beside scenes of brutal violence… blossoming love beside unbearable anguish… hope beside defeat. Chan-wook’s camera moves with seamless intention (comparisons to David Fincher are apt) through scenes both frantic and calm, and he’s never afraid to mix styles for dramatic effect. A clenched hammer pauses in the air as a dotted line works it’s way from the claw down towards the targeted skull. A story about loneliness comes to life with a giant, melancholy ant riding the subway. Chan-wook speaks with images and his story is one of rage, sadness, and innocence.

The tightly wound threads of the story and Chan-wook’s vivid eye are only part of the film’s success. The performances are uniformly excellent with the obvious and most impressive given by Min-sik Choi as Dae-su. His emotional and physical exhaustion is visible onscreen from the giddy introduction to the draining finale. Most of the film’s many memorable scenes focus on him, but two stand out for his endurance and dedication. One finds him sitting down in a restaurant shortly after his release. Fifteen years spent dying on the inside his culinary desire is simply to eat something “alive.” The sushi chef who soon becomes his companion offers him a still writhing and wet octopus… which Min-sik proceeds to grab with his fist and tear into with his teeth as the suction-cupped tentacles latch onto his hand and face. The scene can be difficult to watch but the action and expression on his face is unavoidably one of power and necessity. Another scene finds Dae-su at the wrong end of a hallway filled with twenty or so thugs. He rushes them swinging and dodging his way through the tangle of fists and feet in one long, continuous camera take. He pauses at one point, visibly spent with a knife sticking out of his back, and then watches with a wry smile as the elevator opens and several more ruffians enter the hallway…

The film’s ability to find something to smile about in the midst of such chaos and devastation is amazing. An attempted sexual assault becomes a lesson in manners, a crappy pop song cues a scene of innocence and desire, and a girl playing with angel wings is bittersweet relief for the tragedy unfolding around her. Can a film be both unbelievably ugly and achingly beautiful? (Hint… yes.) The visuals and action onscreen are accompanied by a stirring score by Seung-hyun Choi and Ji-soo Lee. A driving beat keeps pace with the viewer’s pounding heart, and softer, more curious tones drift in the air during Dae-su’s brief moments of relaxation. Particular scenes incorporate a lush waltz-like piece as well to great and powerful effect.

I envy anyone watching Old Boy for the first time as the brilliant and complex story unfolds and peels away like razor-sharp layers of a brutalized onion, and yet I continue to fall victim to the film’s violent and lyrical thrall each time I re-watch it (six times and counting). The revelations and plot twists do allow for one or two missteps in logic, but the overall effect of the film drowns them out. The mystery at the heart of the story is as twisted and fucked-up as they come, but in the end it’s neither the film’s center nor soul. Old Boy works as a purely thrilling piece of entertainment, but it also seeks to warn of consequence and accountability. When to speak and when to listen, when to act and when not to, the inherent value of responsibility… where most revenge-themed films simply follow a character from victim to avenger, Old Boy shows how empty and misleading those labels really are. If you haven’t seen it yet, do yourself a favor and rent it now before your mind is tainted by the inevitable Hollywood remake (currently attached to Steven Spielberg and Will Smith). Check out the trailer below.

Foreign Objects: The Class (Entre Les Murs)

Rob Hunter — Thu, 14 May 2009 16:45:24 +0000

France!

Thirty minutes into last year’s Palme d’Or winner, The Class, I was wondering aloud why the film was nominated for a Best Foreign Film Oscar, how the film had earned so much critical praise, and what I was going to have for lunch. An hour and a half later I was poo-pooing the Academy’s flawed final decision (the Oscar went to Japan’s Departures), agreeing with much of the film’s unanimous acclaim, and gathering ingredients for French Toast. The Class is an engrossing slow-burn of a film that surprises with its power and bravery even as it consciously avoids providing answers to many of the questions it raises.

Francois Marin (Francois Begaudeau) is a teacher at a Parisian school who returns from summer vacation to find a change in the air. Students have become more disruptive and unruly and fellow teachers seem to be burning out faster than ever. He handles it at first through a combination of control and acceptance but soon finds himself pushed to the breaking point by the betrayal of two student representatives. The girls are class reps in the faculty’s weekly meetings and privy to often incendiary information about their classmates which they’ve chosen to share. As authority over his classroom begins to slip Marin unwisely refers to the two girls as “skanks” which immediately turns an already tenuous situation into chaos.

Shot in almost documentary style, the brilliant conceit of director Laurent Cantet’s The Class is that all of the action occurs within school boundaries over several months. Most of the time is spent within Marin’s classroom with only occasional sojourns to the teachers’ lounge, meeting rooms, or recess area. With no access into the home lives of either students or teachers the viewers find themselves on the same plane of knowledge as the two sides themselves. Both halves of the system only know what they see in school… teachers may wonder (or not) what’s happening in a student’s home life, but they’ll never truly know, just as students have their doubts and curiosities about the teachers’ motivations and lives.

Marin wonders what happened over summer break that turned Khoumba from a friendly girl into an insolent one, if the extremely bright and open Wei will survive the deportation of his mother back to China, if the combative Souleymane can be saved from himself… but what can he do with just a few hours per day? It’s clear he cares, but is it enough? And what do you do with students who simply refuse to learn, whose behavior interrupts class and impedes the others, who blatantly insult and undermine your authority? Credit is due to this fictional teacher as well as to all of the real world ones. I myself would be stapling tongues to foreheads before the day’s end…

Begaudeau not only stars as Marin but he also wrote the non-fiction book the film is based on as well as co-wrote the screenplay. His real life teaching experience lends his acting a calm credibility resulting in a very precise and believable performance. The students can be a mixed bag though which is to be expected as most (if not all) of them are real, non-actor teenagers. Cantet captures the multi-cultural microcosm that is many schools today, both in France and here in the US, and presents it with an unflinching and inquisitive eye.

The Class is a moving portrait of life and language and how both are changing on a daily basis. Marin begins the school year with the students identifying words they don’t understand, but it’s Marin himself who misuses a term to potentially disastrous results. His language in general, the language of adults and professionals the world over, is not the same one used by these next generations. What use is knowledge of the past participle in the world of tomorrow? Or even in the world of today with so much communication occurring online, via texting, via twittering, via Facebook walls, etc. Technology in combination with the growing multi-ethnic realities are quickly making yesterday’s rules obsolete. Where does that leave yesterday’s educators?

The Class is currently in limited theatrical release. Check out the trailer below.

Foreign Objects: Vinyan

Rob Hunter — Wed, 06 May 2009 16:11:02 +0000

France! By way of Thailand!

When is a horror film not a horror film? And what exactly constitutes horror in the first place? I don’t know exactly, but I do know this. Horror should unsettle the viewer. It should disturb you visually or emotionally. It should unnerve you and if possible make you question the darkness as well as the light around you. What it should not do is confuse, frustrate, and bore the viewer to the point they wish they had spent the last ninety minutes investigating their navel instead of watching the film. Vinyan is being labeled and marketed as a horror film, but while it hints at horrors both visceral and emotional it fails to follow through on either front. Instead the viewer is left with a beautiful and strange “if only” of a movie that could have been so much more than it is.

Paul and Janet Belhmer live and work in Thailand, but attempts at a normal life can’t hide the fact that they’re still mourning the loss of their son Joshua to a massive tsunami six months prior. The couple witness a video of orphaned children in Burma and Janet (Emmanuelle Beart) becomes immediately convinced that her son is visible among the images. Paul (Rufus Sewell) isn’t so sure but feels compelled to support his wife so they hire a Triad-connected pimp to ferry them into Burma in search of Joshua. The trip becomes an exercise in futility as they soon realize their wallets and emotions are being taken advantage of… but extortion quickly becomes the least of their worries. Madness takes over as the couple and indeed the film itself descend into a peculiar and perverse heart of darkness where the literal becomes meaningless and perception becomes king. Or queen…

The immediate story present in Vinyan is both powerful and promising… the loss of a child, the slim belief that he may still be alive, the terror of finding out the truth. But it would be a mistake to enter into Vinyan expecting a traditional, linear horror movie instead of the visual and metaphorical nightmare that awaits. Tangible events and people pass through the film, but the imagery and cinematography maintain a constant dreamlike state that calls much of the film into question. The ambiguity fails as there’s just enough reality to negate the dream, and just enough uncertainty to negate the story.

The couple is told that when someone dies a horrible death their spirit can become angry, confused, and lost… they become Vinyan. The implication is that their son may be one such spirit, but then nothing further is done with that information. They come in contact with a tribe of lost boys deep in the jungle… are they Vinyan? If so, why are they only boys? They seem real enough as they callously taunt and tease a hungry Janet with a ball of rice. The third world/first world symbolism is unavoidable here and elsewhere throughout the film but to what point? Is the film solely a commentary and comparison on the differences between the “whites” and the natives?

Vinyan may waver dramatically, but it’s an incredibly proficient film on the technical side of things. Beart and Sewell are both highly capable actors, and Beart does a fantastic job of playing crazy even if there is no progression from simple distraught mother to full blown bonkers… she’s clearly in need of help from frame one. Sewell keeps up fairly well as the frustrated and exasperated husband trying his best to hold on to the only love he has left.

Director Fabrice Du Welz follows up his equally odd debut Calvaire, and like that earlier film he shows here a sharp preference for visuals and confusion over narrative and clarity. Vinyan does look amazing though thanks in large part to cinematographer Benoîte Debie. From the opening underwater scene filled with desperate air bubbles to the frenzied and dirty red light district to a beautiful ceremony involving candles floating above the river to the imposing otherworldly presence of the jungle itself, Debie presents images of beauty and darkness often in the same frame. Two dolly shots in particular stand out as incredibly impressive for both their ingenuity and end results… one gliding through the jungle following a runner below and the second a single take towards, over, and down into a stone ruin deep in the jungle.

Vinyan is a dramatic failure, slow and plodding at times, with characters that never succeed in engaging the viewer. It’s also a beautiful film with more than a few scenes that comment on the divide that separates the modern world from the third world and shows how life and loss can mean different things entirely. But is it a horror film?

Vinyan is available on DVD from Sony Pictures. Check out the trailer below.

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