Category Archives: 2012

2012, Acceptable for children, Arab Culture, Arabic, Bicycles, Could Be Sad, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Feel Good For All, Human spirit, Optimistic, Religious Theme, Unusual

Wadjda (2012)

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From Netflix:

Persistent 10-year-old Wadjda would like nothing more than a new bicycle so she can beat her friend (a boy) in a race. But it’s going to take some ingenuity to get one — especially in her culture, which sees bikes as a threat to a girl’s virtue.

Because this film is not yet on DVD, and also not available from Netflix, we went to a movie theater. As my hearing gets worse, I am dependent on subtitles. Since this film is in Arabic, there were subtitles.

While re-enforcing my opinions about the sad repression of women under Islam, this film cannot fail to charm even the most skeptical viewer. Spunky Wadjda and her wonderful young friend Abdullah are a pleasure to watch. Abdullah is so thoughtful of his rebellious sidekick that you wonder where in his male-dominated society he learned to care.

“Just tell the story” and the points will come across. Indeed, you will see religious fundamentalism revealed as also hypocrisy. You will see that although Wadjda’s father loves her and her mother, he is under societal pressure to produce a male heir. You will see Saudi natives able to bully possibly non-legal immigrants. And above all you will see a somewhat crushing regimen forced upon the women in a seemingly bleak country.

For a down-to-earth possibly sad but also spirited story, DO NOT MISS!

2012, Coming-of-age, Crude Talk, Drama, Dysfunctional Lives, Police Corruption, Revenge, Sad small town, Suspense, Teenagers, Violent, Wonderful acting

Mud (2012)

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From Netflix:

Two Mississippi teens, Ellis and Neckbone, meet a mysterious drifter named Mud hiding on a deserted river island and get caught up in his tangled web of tall tales about bounty hunters, crimes of passion, lost love and a perfect woman named Juniper.

Good acting and an involving storyline make this somewhat violent film worth seeing.

For once Matthew McConaughey is neither romantic stud, tough cowboy, nor clever lawyer. His role here as a fugitive from a revenge killing seems to me to be his best effort at acting that I have seen to date (2013).

Similarly Reese Witherspoon is not a bouncy blonde but plays well the part of an imperfect, sad, basically good-hearted young woman. At first I almost did not recognize her (because at the time one of the villains was giving her a beating – did I mention “violent”?).

Tye Sheridan and Jacob Lofland, the two kids, are good but do not steal the show. Their tough, down-to-earth, terse, somewhat abrupt manner of speaking seemed to me at times to be too mature for their age.

During the entire film I kept wondering how people can stand living where and in the manner that these somewhat down-trodden characters lived. Beasts of the Southern Wild took place in the same ambience.

Essentially not a violent film, but at least a suspenseful film, this one is worth catching.

2012, Basically Sad, Chase film, Clever Plot, Crime, Crude Talk, Drugs, Dysfunctional Lives, Motorcycles, Police Corruption, Police Story, Talking Heads, Violent

The Place Beyond the Pines (2012)

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From Netflix:

Luke is a professional motorcycle rider who turns to bank robberies to support his newborn son, but when he crosses paths with a rookie police officer, their violent confrontation spirals into a tense generational feud.

By this time (2012) in their lives 32 year old Ryan Gosling and 37 year old Bradley Cooper may well be in their young adult film prime. Each already has a long list of credits. Of the two, Gosling can better play more eccentric roles as he does here in this film, although he belongs to that school of acting which promotes the idea “The less you say the better, let the audience think the thoughts that you should be having in this particular scene”. Call it the silent meditation school of acting. Cooper is a more direct actor. In a certain sense the acting style is often a natural and very real “talking heads”, but the story line is so good that it all works together.

Good writing and plotting has produced a story with two parts: Part One portrays the events that affect the lives of the characters in Part Two, fifteen years later. Without giving much away (plot is paramount in this film), Gosling and Cooper are crook and cop, each with a son Jason and AJ respectively. Interaction between the fathers early in their lives has strong repercussions later in the lives of the sons. Dane DeHaan (as Jason) and Emory Cohen (as AJ) did fine jobs as lost teenagers.

All that I feel that I must tell you is: Do not expect a happy ending. Century 21 is the century of unresolved conflicts.

2012, Acceptable for children, Based on true facts, Conspiracy, Drama, Environmental concerns, Ethical struggles, Feel Good For All, Human spirit, Sad small town, Thought provoking

Promised Land (2012)

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From Netflix:

Taking advantage of hard economic times, two salespeople for a natural gas company come to a small town to buy drilling rights from the residents. To their surprise, a local schoolteacher mobilizes a campaign aimed at blocking the company’s plans.

Watching this film while sitting next to my daughter’s German boy friend Thomas made for some very interesting discussion afterwards. On the one hand, the film has an obvious agenda: FRACKING IS BAD! But my debate opponent, ever the pragmatist, came up with some really good reasons why FRACKING IS GOOD!

No matter which side you take, the movie is well-written, well-acted, and includes some unsuspected plot twists. Moreover, I am pleased to be able to say that despite any doubts I have had in the past, Matt Damon can act. He always comes off as Mister Nice Guy. And what’s wrong with that?

Don’t miss Frances McDormand (married to Joel Cohen the director) trying desperately and unsuccessfully to sing.

Frank Yates is played by the venerable Hal Holbrook who was 87 years old during the filming and very appropriately looked that old.

Suitable for the kids and could lead to some worthwhile discussion.

2012, Based on a Book, Car Chase, Clever Plot, Conspiracy, Crime thriller, Mixed Martial Arts, Murder Investigation, Violent

Jack Reacher (2012)

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From Netflix:

When ex-military cop Jack Reacher investigates an elite sniper charged with killing five people, he teams up with a beautiful defense lawyer — and they soon find themselves drawn into a dangerous cat-and-mouse game in this exciting thriller.

Of course you can expect car chases, beautiful women, sinister villains, and an omnipotent Jack Reacher who never loses a physical fight.

Tom Cruise was 50 years old when he made this film. Not bad! For such a film he need not be a great actor, more the strong and silent type. For those of you who read the Jack Reacher novels by Lee Child, just be prepared: Jack Reacher in the novels is a BIG man, Tom Criuse is not!

At the very least the story is clever with a bit of mystery: who is behind all the shenanigans! Want to bet you suspect the wrong person?

Just a bit of the usual violent fun.

2012, Animation, Black humor, Car Chase, Comedy, Crude Talk, Fantasy, Love Story, Medical Theme, Mental Illness, Motorcycles, Musical, Nudity, Satire, Senior citizens, Short Films, Suicide, Unusual, Vulgar

Oscar Shorts (2012)

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From Netflix:

This collection of Oscar-winning shorts from 2003-2012 covers works from around the globe, including “God of Love,” “The New Tenants,” “Toyland,” “West Bank Story,” “The Lost Thing,” “Logorama,” “The Danish Poet,” “Ryan” and “Harvie Krumpet.”

Live Action shorts are:

  • God of Love – Singer uses unusual methods (timed darts) to cultivate love affairs.
  • The New Tenants – Surprise! Vince D’Onofrio (looking really overweight and unhealthy) The new tenants have a series of crazy visitors.
  • Toyland – German with subtitles – Persecution of Jews in Nazi Germany. “Toyland” is a euphemism for a concentration camp. Little Aryan child wants to accompany his Jewish friend to “Toyland”. Grim, sad, beautifully done.
  • West Bank Story – Much effort went into making this satirical take-off on “West Side Story”. Kosher King versus Hummus Hut.

Animated shorts are:

  • The Lost Thing – Australian – On beach man finds incredibly imaginative “thing” that seems to be a giant almost-teapot with reptilian extremities. Priceless!
  • Logorama – Vulgar mockery of American products and their logos, complete with car chases shoot-outs, earthquakes, an oil flood, and the west coast under water.
  • The Danish Poet – A Danish poet visits Sigrid Unset
  • Ryan – Imaginative but grotesque people missing parts (e.g. missing half a skull) provide opportunities for digital distortions. Downright weird.
  • Harvie Krumpet – Claymation story of Polish Harvie born to insane mother and lumber jack father. Harvie escapes the Germans and flees to Australia where he lives a life full of funny misfortunes each of which lands him once again in the hospital. Meanwhile he continues to collect increasingly funny facts (misspelled as “fakts”). Explicitly vulgar and very tongue-in-cheek.

“West Bank Story” is probably famous. In fact, I think I have seen it in other collections. Well worth watching.

“Harvie Krumpet”, while funny, could also be a bit depressing.

“The Lost Thing” may well be one of the most original animations I have seen. To enjoy all its details you might have to watch it more than once.

2012, Arab Culture, Drama, Feel Good For All, Israeli Palestinian Conflict, Jewish Culture

The Other Son (2012)

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From Netflix:

While preparing to enter the Israeli military for his compulsory service, young Joseph Silberg learns he was accidentally switched at birth with the son of an Arab couple from the West Bank — a shocking revelation that sends both families reeling.

Joseph Silberg has been raised a Jew in Tel-Aviv. Yacine Al Bezaaz has been raised a Palestinian Arab. To keep sanity in this discussion we have to use the characters’ names because these two young men (approximately 18 years old) were switched at birth due to the panic of a scud attack.

You can imagine the reactions of hurt, anger, and confusion. For example:

  • Joseph wrestles with “Am I a Jew?”
  • Joseph’s father is Israeli military.
  • Joseph has done nothing with his life.
  • Yacine is about to enter medical school in Paris.
  • Yacine and his brother Bilal have a dream of opening a hospital for their fellow Palestinians.
  • Bilal hates Jews.
  • Yacine’s family struggles with money.

Whether it is realistic or not, the hope of this story is to watch a rapport grow between these two distraught and very loving families.

If nothing else we can see visibly the enormous difference between the lives of the Jewish occupiers and the oppressed Palestinians.

Many languages are used, but the film is basically French with a choice of subtitles.

An adult drama well worth seeing.

2012, Dancing, Drama, Hebrew, Jewish Culture, Quiet, Religious Theme, Slow, Small gem of a film

Fill The Void (2012)

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From IMDB:

A devout 18-year-old Israeli is pressured to marry the husband of her late sister. Declaring her independence is not an option in Tel Aviv’s ultra-Orthodox Hasidic community, where religious law, tradition and the rabbi’s word are absolute.

If you want to see a quiet (except when the men are singing and dancing), slow, thoughtful portrait of the ultra-Orthodox Hasidic culture, you will enjoy this film in Hebrew with English subtitles.

Spoken words are scarce enough that it can be difficult if not impossible to know what is motivating some of the characters.

To summarize the film is easy: Yochay’s wife Esther dies in childbirth. Yochay needs a wife for his newborn child Mordechai. More exactly, he wants to marry Esther’s youngest sister Shira. But Shira’s older sister Frieda is, to her great shame, not yet married. Mother, father, aunt, Yochay and the culture pressure Shira to marry Yochay. Unfortunately Shira is unwilling to do so. Her conflict is more or less the content of the entire film. More I will not say.

Whether love was ever an issue is not clear.

If nothing else, the film is a captivating peek into the lives of these aloof and separate Jews.

For more information on this worthwhile film see the Wikipedia discussion.

2012, Crime, Drama, Dysfunctional Lives, Explicit sex, Gritty, Love Story, Murder Investigation, Nothing special, Nudity, Police Story, Suspense, Violent

Deadfall (2012)

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Netflix:

On the run after a casino heist, siblings Addison and Liza split up. When Liza gets a ride from a prison parolee heading to his parents’ home for Thanksgiving, unexpected events lead the two families toward a collision in this suspenseful thriller.

You might expect good things from a film in which Kris Kristofferson, Sissy Spacek, Olivia Wilde, and Treat Williams appear. In fact the film offered a good plot, good acting and well-done suspense. Note that the film is violent and gritty.

Essentially the story brings together a brother and sister who recently robbed a casino, a young man Jay recently released from jail but estranged from his father who together with his wife expects his son for Thanksgiving, and a young woman police officer whose police captain father does not respect her choice of career even though she is very competent. Eventually they all converge at the Thanksgiving dinner table with lots of guns in sight.

Liza and Jay’s falling in love is unrealistic. Jay could possibly be a better actor. Nevertheless …

Really not bad at all.

2012, Crude Talk, Depression, Drama, Gay theme, Hebrew, Jewish Culture, Medical Theme, Military, Nudity, Quiet, Unrealistic

Yossi (2012)

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From Netflix:

While driving through a remote part of Israel, a closeted gay doctor crosses paths with a group of soldiers who inspire him to live life in the open. Ohad Knoller reprises the title role in this sequel to Yossi & Jagger.

Before seeing this film, you should watch the first of the 2-film series entitled Yossi & Jagger. Briefly we recall the plot of this first film: Jossi and Jagger are two (male) Israeli soldiers and lovers at their war front. Jagger is killed in action. For me this film was a chance to experience some of the life of the men and women in the Israeli army.

In this second film and 10 years later Jossi is a cardiologist. He is overweight, closeted, still in mourning, and leads a dismal, inactive, non-life. In one sense, what kept the movie interesting for me was Jossi’s refusal to react to any stimulus or friendly offer of some activity. Supposedly the “happy” ending is his finding someone to love. HOWEVER (and other critics disliked the same things) his new love, Tom, is a much younger, fitter soldier who forces Jossi to react to his overtures. Tom says he is attracted to Jossi’s intelligence. They have a one-night stand after which Jossi proposes that they spend their life together. None of this is realistic and seemed to me almost silly.

In summary I was moved by Jossi’s suffering (probably clinical depression) and waited hopefully for some solution. If only that solution had made some sense.

Instead, why not watch a wonderful film by the same director called Walk On Water ?