Why watching foreign films is important

Many people overlook the prospect of watching foreign films simply based on the fact that they feel they’ll need to read something in order to get anything from the movie.  To some people, the goal of watching a film is to simply be entertained, and the more complex the process, the less likely they are to watch, even if it is amazing.  Others may watch foreign films but choose to use dubbing, which has the unfortunate side effect of blurring the actual meaning of the film.  But I insist that foreign films play an important role in both education and entertainment.

One need only look at some of the great films coming out of other countries these days to be convinced otherwise.  Mexico and Korea in particular have caught my eye in recent years (with India a close second), turning out some of the most complex and meaningful films anywhere in the world.  In addition to watching these movies for the cultural value, many of them are just as visually entrancing as anything made with millions of dollars in Hollywood.  One just has to set aside their prejudices to see this.

Films should not just be a medium for turning the brain off and accepting whatever a production company/director has to offer.  One should think critically about what they are watching and attempt to get something from it.  Even if just seeking entertainment, there are still movies of every genre coming from foreign sources that keep one’s interest.  Just look at the amazing action films that come from Hong Kong.  Or the martial arts genius that China has displayed over many decades.  For those that enjoy historical films, foreign productions are often some of the best, showing an insight into events that only the residents of those lands can possibly understand.

I guess what I’m trying to say it - don’t ignore something just because it comes from a place you’ve never heard of or may be only passingly familiar with.  You’ll be surprised how much you can learn about another culture simply by watching their films.  The medium of cinema is a great way to learn about both the other worlds on our planet as well as the imaginations of the people who inhabit it.

Review: Sonatine (1993)

Continuing my Takeshi Kitano string of films, I decided to move on to Sonatine.  It is another in the line of movies that star Takeshi as well as being written and directed by him.  The plot, as is typical for his films, revolves around a series of events in the life of a Japanese gangster.  Two rival gangs are looking to start a war and Takeshi’s gang gets dragged in to negotiate.  Things go wrong, people get shot and their group is forced into hiding while they wait for things to be resolved by the big boss.

The movies starts out with the standard gangster stuff going on, but it doesn’t take long before it shifts into the stylized character film that Takeshi is known for.  He and his group of gangsters retire to a beach hideout where they play pranks on each other, drink, goof off, engage in mock battles with fireworks and just generally wait around for something to happen.  Those unfamiliar with Takeshi’s work may feel like the audience is waiting around for something to happen as well, but the movie isn’t truly about the action.  It’s a look into the regular people that even gangsters are - a character study reflected through the slightly surreal workings of Takeshi’s brain.  The plot is merely a backdrop to the true message behind the story.

It’s not one of his best films, but I found myself pleasantly surprised.  The interactions of the characters can be quite amusing at times, though when it comes to the darker side of the story, Takeshi doesn’t try to candy coat anything or make everyone live happily ever after.  As is his habit, the majority of the characters end up dead and usually in non-heroic ways.  It is a story about the contrast between light and dark in men and the inevitably tragic end that the gangster lifestyle leads to - albeit perhaps a bit overdramatized.  Worth a watch for Takeshi fans, though others may not be able to make it all the way through.

Review: Outrage (2010)

Normally, Takeshi “Beat” Kitano is one of my favorite actors to watch.  He brings a certain style to his films, whether doing drama or comedy that makes him entertaining, even if he’s pretty much playing the same basic character from film to film.  He also has a habit of writing and directing his own films, and usually produces a pretty good flick. Outrage, however, was not one of those occasions. 

The story follows the interrelations of many Yakuza families, from the top dogs to the lowly groups just trying to make a living.  It starts with a group of families ganging up on one smaller family and then progresses into a self-cannibalistic frenzy of families killing each other while trying to gain more wealth, power and territory.  Eventually, the whole affair backfires to one degree or another and everyone ends up killing everyone else.

This seems like the perfect outline for a Japanese gangster flick, but the execution is poor.  After about 30 minutes, the movie begins to lose cohesion.  It’s hard to tell exactly what’s going on for about 20-30 minutes until it begins to migrate back to original intent.  Characters pop up and leave without any point to their being there in the first place.  Much of what goes on does nothing to further the plot, but only acts as a limited insight into some of the activities that the Yakuza participate in.  At times this movie seems almost random, with no real focus to it.

I can see what Takeshi was going for here.  He wanted to show the self-destructive nature of the Yakuza and that no matter what anyone does to please their superiors they always seem to be in danger if the whim strikes the ones above to devour them.  The intention is good, but the movie takes so long to get where it’s going that the point is lost.

By the time the end rolls around, the viewer is forced to watch 30 minutes of epilogue that could have been easily done in 10.  Takeshi goes through the motions of each, tiny little piece of resolution to the point of redundancy.  It’s a shame, because I like his work so much.  Outrage, however, just doesn’t cut it.  It either needed to be 30 longer to put some connections between the seemingly random scenes, or it needed to be completely redone.  An interesting watch, but not a good one.

 

Review: Fish Story (2009)

The year is 2012 and the world is threatened by imminent destruction due to a comet impact.  At least that’s the basic premise of the Japanese film Fish Story, though it has little to do with the movie other than providing a beginning and ending to it.  The main bulk of the film is a series of flashbacks which relate the individual stories of a cast of characters over the course of 30 years.  The stories come out of order and are loosely held together by a the common device that a particular song, produced by a little-known Japanese punk band, will end up saving the world.

Each of the smaller tales is humorous, relevant and interesting in its own way, though the real purpose of the film comes from showing how one small action can affect the way that the entire world plays out.  The stories are all connected, though unless you’re sharp you may miss how they interrelate.  I won’t explain exactly how the film gets from a punk rock song to the end of the world (or rather the other way around), since the journey is the most enjoyable part about this film.

Since the stories don’t play out in a strict chronological order, the movie can be a bit confusing at times.  The meaning behind the film comes at the next to final scene, when the flashbacks finally make it to the original production of the punk song and the story of the band which created it.  For those that get lost (like I did), there’s a brief walk-through at the end of the flick to show how each scene plays off the one before and after it.  Actually, this kind of explanation is a bit lame and shouldn’t be needed if the editing is done properly, but I was grateful for it nonetheless.

Fish story is definitely worth a watch, though it might be better to just enjoy each scene’s appeal as it comes instead of trying to piece it all together.  It is a fun film that explores the way sometimes seemingly inconsequential actions, driven by strength of character and altruism, can form a chain which has a direct and meaningful affect upon the world.

Review: Sleep Dealer (2008)

This one was a random choice I made after digging through the piles of Netflix movies that I’d either already seen, didn’t have any desire to see or just weren’t in the mood to see.  When I read the synopsis, I figured ‘what the heck?’ and hit play.  Turns out, this movie was much more than I expected.  From the way it was described I was expected some sub-par wanna-be science fiction film about people being slaves to the internet while working in the factories for a fix.  That was a little bit what the movie was about, but there were many more layers to it than just that.

Sleep Dealer is really a film about social injustice in Mexico.  The main character, Memo, lives in a traditional part of Mexico that has been suffering due to modern progress.  Water has been privatized and those who wish to enjoy a drink or water their crops have to pay exorbitant amounts of money for the privilege.  Those who attempt to steal the water are labeled ‘aqua terrorists’ and are blown to pieces via remote-controlled drones.  These drones happen to be operated by people back in the US, as part of their work-a-day job.

Memo eventually makes his way to the city, where he gets ‘nodes’ implanted into his body so he can wire up to the network and sell his labor as a controller of robots on a construction site.  The movie takes cheap Mexican labor to the next level, with the US getting the inexpensive workers they require while still managing to keep the immigrants in their own country.

There are many bits of social commentary in this film that reflect an outgrowth of the current situation between the US and Mexico.  The countries get rich, especially the US, and the common people suffer and are forced to risk their lives and sanity in order to just barely survive.

Don’t turn this one on expecting science fiction aliens and technologies or exciting chases and action.  This is a thinking movie, so if you’re going to watch it, expect to have your mind full by the time it’s over.  I highly recommend it to anyone who takes an interest in sociology, politics or just human beings in general.

Review: The Countess (2009)

This movie is an historically-inclined version of the tale of Elizabeth Bathory, a famous countess who is known as being one of the most prolific serial killers in history.  If the legends are to be believed, she murdered somewhere around 650 young virgin girls and bathed in their blood in order to keep herself looking younger.  Although there is some debate around whether the murders were real or just a product of the politics of the time, the film ascribes to the historical account of events.  The film is German, but it is done in English, so no subtitles here.

Julie Delpy plays the titular role and directs the film as well.  The ambiance is done well and there is none of the cleanly glitz that many historical films seem to indulge in. The peasants are dirty and ugly and the royalty are bizarre and ugly.  Both the cinematography and the sets look great.  The overall immersive feel of the film is excellent.

The focus of the film avoids concentrating on the legends which have spawned more than enough vampire-related tales.  This is an attempt to get closer to what might have happened and is successful in that regard.  It starts with a brief introduction to the main character and then proceeds quickly into the ‘present day.’  Bathory’s circumstances and loves are presented to the viewer as a backdrop for what she eventually turns into.

When they finally get to the meat of the story, it doesn’t dwell on a horror theme.  More time is devoted to showing the breakdown of Bathory’s mental capacity and the reasons she feels the need to look younger, even at the expense of so many lives.  The murders only account for around one-third of the film, with the rest devoted to the events which lead up to and follow them.

There is one minor flaw with the end of the movie, however.  Bathory gets a short monologue that is morally strange and contrasts sharply with all the killing she’s been up to.  It’s hard to take what she has to say seriously after she’s murdered hundreds of people in the name of vanity.  Other than that, the only major problem is that the movie is rather slow.  As far as historical dramas go, this one wins for realism, although some may find it to drag a bit.

Review: War of the Arrows (2011)

This film is one I tuned into quite by random, clicking on the suggestions that Netflix provides (and which are usually quite inaccurate).  Luckily, this one proved to be worth my time.  War of the Arrows is a Korean film, set during the historical period of the second Manchurian invasion of Korea.  The basic set-up revolves around a boy and his sister whose father is declared a traitor and killed, forcing them to run and hide with a friend of the family.

This is just the intro, however, and most of the film involves the grown pair of siblings, the brother Nam-Yi (Hae-il Park) and his sister Ja-In (Moon Chae-Won).  The other main character is the adoptive brother of the pair, Kim Min-soon (Seung-yong Ryoo).  There are also a few generic buddies that come along for the ride and provide some combat support and a bit of comedy relief.

So here come the Manchurians, invading the village, killing, raping, looting and generally causing havoc.  They end up taking Ja-In captive and dragging her away along with most of the village (the ones they don’t kill).  Only Nam-Yi is left, having been out doing something else in the woods at the time.  It’s up to this hero and master archer to find his sister and brother and rescue them from the bad guys.

The film has great pacing for the majority of the time, balancing action and plot development well.  There is little in the way of actual character development, but the actors are charismatic enough to make you like them regardless.  As the movie progresses, however, the action tends to take over.  The last 30 minutes is basically one long chase sequence with archers launching arrows at each other along the way.

The best thing about the movie is all the archery.  Arrow shoot-outs are just cool, I don’t care who you are.  They cinematography is brilliant during these scenes, creating tension build-up and making the fights seem plausible at the same time.  Both heroes and villains have great moments and moments of epic fail.  Definitely not the typical actiony crap that you might find in a hundred other shoot-out themed films.

There are a few little flaws, but the majority of the film is great.  It’s basically a folktale-type Robin Hood or Braveheart, but done up in Korean fashion.  Well worth a watch for anyone that enjoys quality action.

Review - District 13: Ultimatum

 

This film is the follow-up to Luc Besson’s original District 13, a movie about a bad-ass parkour guy from a French mega-ghetto and a good guy super-cop who gets mixed up with him and ends up helping him stop the bad guys from destroyed said ghetto.  The ghetto, of course, is the titular District 13.  While I enjoyed the first one to some degree (mainly because of all the parkour that was going on), this second installment was just a waste of time.

The new movie’s plot involves the same two bad-ass heroes running around, shooting guns, busting some serious martial arts moves and doing a bit of parkour.  Once again, bad guys want to destroy the ghetto, though this time the goal is to turn the rubble that remains into a real estate project to make tons of cash.  Damien Tomaso (Cyril Raffaelli) and Leito (David Belle) come together again to stop them.

My first complaint about the new film is not enough parkour!  The first one was full of awesome stunts and roof-top action.  This one has two good running scenes, and that’s about it.  Also, poor David Belle must be getting a little older, so the stunts don’t quite measure up to the first film.  Raffaelli is still an awesome fighter and his scenes are great to watch.  Over-blown, of course, like Besson (and filmmakers in general) is prone to do, but still great.

The next and biggest complaint is the way the movie ends.  Without spoiling it too much, the gangs, which are involved in drugs and other crimes, come together with happy feelings to make a huge change that makes everyone smile.  It was unrealistic to the point of boredom.  I just couldn’t deal with the film at this point.

If you want to see some decent fight scenes with good cinematography and a few cool parkour runs, this is an OK movie to watch.  Just don’t expect too much in the writing and you shouldn’t be too disappointed.

 

Review: The Butcher, the Chef and the Swordsman (2010)

 

Billed as an action-comedy, The Butcher, the Chef and the Swordsman is a Chinese film that defies genre.  The only certainty is that it is set in the ancient days of China and does indeed contain its fair share of action.  Other than that, it’s a mixture of action, comedy, musical, farce, historical drama and video game.  Some examples of the strange style of this film include a rap/hip-hop chorus done by a group of prostitutes and a heavy metal theme song for a crazy bearded warrior.

The story follows the events that unfold around the three titular characters.  Each story is connected through the presence of a mystical cleaver that has been crafted from the melted-down swords of some of the greatest warriors that ever lived.  The movie begins with the butcher, who hears a tale about the cleaver from the chef, who in turn relates the story he heard, which involves the swordsman and the creation of the cleaver.  Essentially, the movie plays backwards through time, coming around at the end to return to the butcher and his own dilemmas.

This film is a fun ride, with some serious moments in it, but lacks any sort of focus that might attract one particular audience.  It plays very eclectically, jumping backwards and mixing in the serious and the absurd.  It is definitely not a boring film, whatever its flaws, and it does have enough fighting and blood to keep lovers of traditional Chinese action films satisfied.  This randomness, however, also happens to be the movie’s greatest strength.  There are things which pop up unexpectedly that will cause your jaw to drop or force you to break out laughing.

I’d have to say this film was probably designed by genre geeks, for genre geeks.  It’s worth a watch if you have nothing else to do and go into it with no expectations.

Review: Meatball Machine (2005)

 

Before you even consider watching the movie Meatball Machine, ask yourself one question: Do I deserve the pain I am about to put myself through?  For the sado-masochist, this flick might be just what the doctor ordered.  For the rest of us, it is an exercise in misery.  Ok, so maybe those who really enjoy the worst of sci-fi B-films will get a kick out of this, but somehow I feel even that genre has a great number of more watchable films.

First of all, Meatball Machine is a strange blend of sci-fi, horror, action and… well, hentai.  The Japanese love their tentacles and these aliens are covered in them.  There is even a scene between one of the aliens and… OK, I’ll just refrain from talking about it.

The whole purpose of these aliens is to attach themselves to human hosts and mutate their bodies into “necro-borgs,” a type of cyborg that can change itself to produce weaponry.  They then take their new bodies for a ride, looking for others of their kind so they can fight it out, to the death, with the victor eating the loser.  Not the whole body, mind you, but just the little alien pilot of the body, which resides in a capsule attached to the necro-borg patchwork.

The protagonist is a man named Yoji, whose girlfriend gets turned into one of these alien combat-bots.  He must seek her out and try to figure a way to save her or kill her.  Another pair, a father who fights the necro-borgs and his daughter, crosses paths with Yoji, which ends up resulting in him getting changed into one as well, though one with its mind still intact.

At the end, a huge battle between Yoji and the girl ensues which is – and I kid not – seriously half the dang film.  I could be off a little, perhaps sent into hallucinations from the unclean stench of this film, but if I am, it’s not by much.  They just keep making new weapons, which get more and more ridiculous, and blasting away at each other.

Apparently, this pile of steaming dog turd is a remake of another film of the same name.  All I can say is, if the original is bad enough that they needed to redo it, watching that version could mean blindness or even certain death. Stay away from this film!  Unless, of course, you really like pain.

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