Review: Run Lola Run (1998)

 

Run Lola Run is a German film by director Tom Tykwer that is crafted in a unique way that may seem a bit odd to hear it spoken of, but when you watch it you realize the masterful way that he’s put it all together.  The result is a movie that keeps you on the edge of your seat while looking at some interesting philosophical concepts in a non-obtrusive way.

The basic plot revolves around Lola (Franka Potente) receiving a call from her boyfriend Manni (Moritz Bleibtreu), who tells her that they have 20 minutes to come up with 100,000 Deutschmarks or he’s a dead man.  So off she goes, running as fast as she can while trying to figure out a way to get way-too-much money in way-too-little time.

The interesting and appealing part about this film, aside from the high-paced, frenetic action, is in the fact that the same story is told three times.  Each time, the movie goes through the same basic scenario, but with quite different results.  There is an event right at the beginning of Lola’s run that happens in three different ways, each small change having a profound effect on every event that follows simply by virtue of Lola being a little bit ahead or a little bit 

behind.  The end result is three separate but viable endings to the same situation.

It may sound a bit repetitive, but the changes from one version of the story to the next are enough that each is completely different.  Also, whenever Lola happens to run into someone, whether she knows them or not, the way she encounters them directly affects the outcome of their lives.  This is shown in a brief montage of scenes that flash quickly across the screen.  You have to keep your eyes open and your mind sharp in order to catch everything that’s going on sometimes.

I have to give a warning, however:  Watching this film can make you very tired.  Franka Potente ran SO much in this film, I have no idea how she managed to keep it up.  Anyone with an interest in a uniquely laid out piece of film should give this movie a shot.

Review: 1911 (2011)

The film 1911 is a mostly-historical movie starring Jackie Chan and depicting the events of the Chinese revolution against the former Qing Dynasty.  One hundred years after the title of this film came the release of this film – no coincidence considering it was made to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Xinhai Revolution.  More coincidentally, it also happens to be the 100th film that Chan has starred in.

I am a big fan of historical movies and am especially drawn to all things dealing with the history of China, so I decided to turn this one on a few nights back.  Given Chan’s recent career move towards more serious films, I thought it would also be the perfect opportunity to see what he was capable of.

The film is based on actual events, though like any movie there are a few embellishments for the sake of drama.  And though Chan stays away from his old style of stunts and martial arts, someone in charge of the film decided that they needed at least one scene of him flipping around.  Unfortunately, seeing this early-1900s era revolutionary historical figure kicking guns out of people’s hands and beating them to a pulp instantly destroyed the film’s credibility to

 me.

The movie itself isn’t an overall bad piece of work, though the subject matter might be something best left to documentaries.  Given that the film only runs 1 hour and 45 minutes, it plays like a series of rapid-fire scenes with way too many characters and a dozen unexplored plot-lines.  Generally, when doing a war-based historical movie the writers will choose to focus in on one event or series of events and a few characters.  With 1911 they try to cover the whole war and everyone involved.  When there is time to develop the characters, they do a good job, but this is something that doesn’t play a big enough role in the film.

I know a quite a bit about Chinese history from my university days, but even I had trouble keeping up with all the changes of scene and characters that took place.  I can’t imagine how hard it must be for those completely unschooled in the subject matter.  The only saving grace is that Chan is becoming a much better actor and in this movie it shows.  Hopefully his improved acting focus will carry on to bigger and better projects than the mediocre 1911.

Review: Big Man Japan (2007)

Big Man Japan has to be, by far, one of the strangest films I have ever seen.  By the time I reached the end of it, I really wanted to pull some sort of deeper meaning from this cinematic acid-trip, but alas, it may not be there despite what I think.  The film is shot in the style of a documentary, at least most of the time.  It follows the life of the main character, Masaru Daisato (played by Hitoshi Matsumoto), who happens to be the fourth in the tradition of people who get very large when exposed to massive amounts of electricity.  Upon reaching super-size, this unusual super-hero, named “Big Man Japan” grabs a big stick and some giant purple undies and goes out to beat up on the seemingly endless supply of giant monsters that hate on the small island country.

The documentary portion of the film paints Masaru’s life as a miserable existence, shunned

 by the outside world and blamed not only for his failures, but his successes as well.  He works for the government at the Ministry of Monster Prevention just like his father and grandfather did before him.  Unlike his predecessors, however, he gets no respect.  His job used to come with major perks, including ladies and money, but now he can barely make his rent and is forced to wear advertisements on his back and chest.  In addition to all this, he has a failed marriage and a daughter who barely wants to be with him.  It’s all quite depressing, especially his super-hero career.

The whole movie is a sad look at the man’s sad life, broken up with monster-battling moments of “WTF?”  Big Man Japan, while completely entertaining, is definitely not for everyone.  If you manage to make it all the way to the ending, you might find yourself in a confusion-induced coma once the team of American super-heroes shows up to help Masaru fight a particularly troublesome creature.  Those that thrive off of oddball Japanese films will find themselves right at home with this one.

Review: City of Lost Children (1995)

Jean-Pierre Jeunet, though only the creator of a handful of films, is one of my favorite writer/directors of all time.  In his second film, City of Lost Children he demonstrates this well.  It was co-written by Gilles Adrien and co-directed with Marc Caro, but the end result is a piece of cinema magic that only Jeunet’s presence could have created.  He uses his expertise to craft fantastic visions that come to life in strange and compelling ways upon the movie screen.  He is known for being behind other such well-known films as Delicatessen (1991) and Amelie (2001).

City of Lost Children follows two tales, one concerning the mad scientist Krank as he kidnaps children in order to steal their dreams and the other revolving around One (Ron Perlman) as he seeks out his little brother, who has been kidnapped by Krank.  Krank’s entourage consists of a group of six clones (played by consistently recurring actor, 

Dominique Pinon) who aren’t quite what they should be in the brains department.

One joins forces with an orphan by the name of Miette to find and free his brother, running into all sorts of strange and surreal obstacles along the way.   The logic that City of Lost Children follows is a science fiction fairy-tale in nature, with little attempt for realism.  That is part of the movie’s charm, of course, though can be confusing to first-time viewers.  This film is the first Jean-Pierre Jeunet creation that I personally ever saw, and though it did leave me a little bit confused, I ended up becoming a life-time fan of all his works.

There are so many subtleties in the film that it definitely requires a second and third viewing in order to catch all the social commentary that’s going on below the surface.  Those who have not seen City of Lost Children should give it a try, and those that have seen it before should give it another go.

Review: Madadayo (1993)

Madadayo is another film from the master of Japanese cinema, and possibly the best writer/director that has ever existed in the history of movie making, Akira Kurosawa.  It was his 30th film and the last one that he was able to make before he was snatched away from his hordes of loyal followers.  While many people do not see Madadayo as Kurosawa’s best work (that seems to be exclusively reserved for Seven Samurai, Yojimbo and Rashomon), I personally consider it my favorite.  Not for the swordplay and intensity that Kurosawa’s movies are usually known for, but for the deep and insightful look at being human that it provides.

Madadayo (translated as “not yet”) is based on the life of one of Kurosawa’s real life heroes, professor and author Hyakken Uchida.  In effect, the movie is a tribute to his life, one that affected the way Kurosawa saw the world profoundly.  The screenplay is based directly on Uchida’s essays and other autobiographical works, and so paints an accurate picture.

The story follows Uchida, played by Tatsuo Matsumura, as he retires from his teaching job and attempts to live out the rest of his life despite the onslaught of World War II and 

various other turns of fate which make things less-than-easy for him.  The interaction between Uchida, his students and his wife are the core of the tale, traced across time as he grows older and more vulnerable.  It is, in essence, a tale about relationships, loyalty, respect and love.

Madadayo is not only a tribute to Hyakken Uchida, but also to Kurosawa, whose masterful skills and wisdom come to a peak in this film.  Anyone looking to think deep thoughts and gain some insight into the world would do well to sit down and spend the 2 hours and 15 minutes to watch this film.

Review: Little Big Soldier (2010)

"Ultimately, the underlying story is about the conflict between the two kingdoms and how it affects the people who get involved. "

Let me start off by saying that Little Big Soldier is not your typical Jackie Chan film.  Maybe it’s because he’s getting older and can’t quite pull off the crazy stunts he used to, or maybe it’s because he’s not as much of a pop star anymore and finally has the opportunity to work on some more serious films.  Who knows?  All I know is that this movie, though it has its share of amazing stunts and fight scenes, is a much more serious and philosophical film than one might expect.

It stars Jackie Chan and Leehom Wang as soldiers on opposite sides of a conflict during China’s Warring States Period.  Chan is a drafted peasant from Liang and Wang plays the general of the Kingdom of Wei’s opposing army.  Both armies are destroyed during an ambush, leaving Chan and Wang as the only survivors.  Chan decides that he is going to capture the enemy general and bring him back to his king for the reward that was promised.

The journey home is, of course, not that easily made.  Groups of Wei soldiers are looking for the general, the general is constantly trying to escape and the two are beset by gangs of hungry peasants and marauding bandits.  The atmosphere of the film carries with it a very genuine historical feel, bringing the story to life.

Ultimately, the underlying story is about the conflict between the two kingdoms and how it affects the people who get involved.  Chan is taken from his farm and forced to fight, while Wang is following his desire as a general and leader to conquer.  The story examines the way these two interact as well as the consequences that such war brings to the people of the land.

It was a pleasant surprise to see Chan, who both wrote and directed this film, bring to light some of the important philosophical issues which revolve around war and the differences between people.  Anyone with a love of historical film or Chinese philosophy would do well to give this movie a try.

Review: Ashes of Time (1994)

So this time around, I’m going to go ahead and plug yet another one of Wong Kar-wai’s films, Ashes of Time.  This film I saw many years ago, but recently re-watched it to discover that I still enjoy it thoroughly.  Ashes of Time didn’t do so well during its box office run, but since then has receive much critical praise as one of Wong Kar-wai’s most underappreciated films.

The basic plot revolves around a man who plays the agent for bounty-hunters in ancient China.  He finds out-of-work swordsmen of skill and then peddles their services to those who need it, such as those having trouble with bandits and those who just want somebody killed for personal reasons.  All this comes with a price, of course.

The underlying story focuses on the agent, Ouyang Feng (played by the brilliant Leslie Cheung), and his various relationships with the people around him.  This includes an old friend, the mercenaries that work for him and those seeking to procure his services.  Each person has a tale to tell, and each tale is colored by the cynical viewpoint of Feng.

This film is about the tragedies of love, the nature of mercy and lack thereof and the damage and healing that love can bring.  All this is set against a backdrop of an untamed China, filled with violence, pain and betrayal.

One can see in Wong Kar-wai’s excellent writing and directing the movement of the various relationships within that tumultuous world and how they are important to the development of those involved.  From the interaction of stranger to stranger, to the trials of unreciprocated love, to the close relations between friends caught up in the same maelstrom, Ashes of Time explores them all in a thoughtful and passionate manner.

The Good, the Bad, the Weird (2008)

While browsing through my Netflix the other night, I decided, quite at random, that the title of this film, The Good, the Bad, the Weird, was sufficient enough reason to warrant a watch.  Chinese and Korean cowboys, the Japanese Army and a map to a hidden treasure, all set in 1930s occupied Manchuria.  You really just can’t go wrong with such an absurd combination.

The first thing about this film is that there is little in the way of plot.  It’s there, in the form a loose story to get

 hidden treasure and some revenge themes, but mostly The Good, the Bad, the Weird is about 85% shootouts.  Seriously, every time they get an opportunity to throw some bullets around, they do.  And they shoot for 15 to 20 minutes at a time.  The run time of this flick is about 2 hours and 15 minutes and if I had to guess I’d say at least 1 and 30 of that is people shooting at each other.

The film begins with a train heist (and a shootout), then proceeds to follow “the weird” as he steals the treasure map and gets chased by others trying to get it back.  They track him into town (and have a shootout), follow him to the black market (and have a shootout), and then finally end up chasing him through the desert (and having a shootout).

If you’re looking for a serious plot and well-developed characters, best to go elsewhere.  If you want something fun to watch that is filled with guns, ridiculous stunts, cliché action scenes and humor, The Good, the Bad, the Weird is one that shouldn’t be missed.

Review: Fallen Angels (1995)

I sat down last night, scrolling through my Netflix and despondent at the selection I found.  Eventually I made it to the “romance” section, an area I commonly avoid, and came across a film I’d never heard of called Fallen Angels.  Hit men and romance?  Well, can’t go too wrong as long as there are some guns a-blazin’.  Turns out that this is one of the better movies I’ve had the pleasure of seeing for some time.  Little did I know at the time that the director, Wong Kar-wai, was the same man who wrote and/or directed some other films that I love, such as 2046, In the Mood for Love, Ashes of Time and Chungking Express.

The story follows two lines, one consisting of a hit man and his agent who have gotten a bit too close, and the other about a mute with some thuggish tendencies.  The two stories balance out between the romantically tragic and some light-hearted comedy, mixed in with a little action.  This makes for a great combo and the way Wong Kar-wai switches between the various stories is genius.

Both of these stories primarily revolve around relationships.  There is a battle between love and business, people’s need to make a connection and the love of a son for his father.  The movie explores the nature and manifestations of relationships in a complex yet entertaining way.

Wong Kar-wai’s directorial style is an eclectic one that brings to mind stylistic elements of other directors that I enjoy.  The soundtrack is a major part of this film, sometimes 

leading the film and sometimes being led by the film.  Sometimes the film seems to dance to the music’s melody.

I came away from Fallen Angels with an instant desire to watch more of Wong Kar-wai’s films, and shall make certain to do so in the future.  I highly recommend this movie to anyone who can appreciate unique directing, excellent writing and intense acting.

Das Boot – Tension in a Submarine

The initial premise of the movie Das Boot (1981) may at first seem a bit cliché.  A German U-Boat crew must go out into dangerous waters and help the Nazis fight against their enemies.  Deep beneath the sea they get trapped, chased by enemies and faced with all the tension-building problems that those in a submarine might expect.  Though the story may have been told in different forms, director Wolfgang Peterson certainly did it the best.

He is excellent at building tension in such a way that the lives of the crew genuinely seem like they are on-the-line at virtually every turn.  The skillful combination of editing and cinematography bring the viewer into the film in a way that few movies have accomplished.  That feeling of being trapped in the small world of a U-Boat, waiting to kill or be killed by enemies that are relentlessly hunting you down comes across brilliantly.

The characters are another rich part of this film.  They are not the hand-raising Nazis that proliferate in many WWII films, but real people who are frequently more cynical, tired and frustrated than anything.  They are in the middle of a war that is slowly being lost and doing their duty because it is expected of them, not because they believe in their cause.

Das Boot is one long film, and if you opt for the director’s cut it lengthens out to a solid three-and-a-half hours.  Though this may seem like quite a bit to digest, the way the film is crafted keeps it moving, even when the pace slows down.  Though I have not seen it myself, there is also a mini-series cut that comes in at five hours.  Das Boot is one classic film that should not be missed by anyone who is interested in WWII or just loves great films of all sorts.

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