Restrepo (2010)

A documentary chronicling a platoon of American troups in the mountains of Afghanistan who are tasked with winning over the region by both building relationships with the community leaders and repelling Taliban cells. It will keep your attention as there are real lives at stake, but the reality of the soldiers' losses is nearly eclipsed by the meaninglessness of it all. Plus some of the tension feels a bit manufactured since it has an essence of reality TV.

Tulpan (2008)

Asa has big ears and because of this he can not find a wife. He lives on the steppe in Kazakhstan (the real one, not Borat's) with his sheep herding brother-in-law and family. Asa is torn between the big city life (personified by his peddling buddy) and his current rural life. The promise of a wife does not seem to be on his horizon.

The desolate and remote setting and characters eclipse the story though. Amazing birthing scenes of lambs appear twice in the film which alone make the film worth watching.

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Unmistaken Child (2008)

When a lama dies in central Asia, one of his disciples seeks out his reincarnated image in this fascinating documentary.

The film outlines the process of selecting a successor to a Buddhist spiritual leader and demonstrates the care and faith required to do so. The disciple becomes convinced that a toddler in a mountain village clearly demonstrates his master's qualities and presents him as the heir to this spiritual power. The child is presented with several objects, some belonging to the deceased lama, and if he can pick the right ones, he is clearly the new lama.

There are some rather heart breaking scenes - and perhaps they would be euphoric to a Buddhist.

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The Last Airbender (2010)

It's a kids movie - terrible writing, acting. Really quite boring. The clincher for me was the interview with the creators of the story - not much depth there.

Kids with super powers band together to save each other's super powers.

Official Site | IMDB

Babies (2010)

Documentary film maker Thomas Balmès films and juxtaposes the lives of four babies during their first year of life. The babies grow in the diverse environs of San Francisco, Tokyo, Mongolia and Namibia. With all the obvious diversity, it's a blast to see how the babies are so similar developmentally and so happy in their world.

What is really interesting though is how the babies are cared for by their moms. Two of the babies live in the poor world and the other two live in privilege. The question posed to me is "Which ones will have a healthier view of the the world, life and others?"

Official Site | IMDB

Topsy Turvy (1999)

This has been on my to see list for 10 years. Mike Leigh (director of one of my favorites - Secrets and Lies) delivers the epic tale of Gilbert and Sullivan's struggle for meaning towards the end of the 19th century.

Despite far-reaching fame and impressive riches, lyricist W.S. Gilbert and composer Arthur Sullivan are having difficulty putting together a new musical opera. Gilbert is not happy with the total whimsey that his material is treated with and Sullivan wants to be known as a more serious composer. Their stage collaborators all have their own struggles too and it is with strained effort that one of the their final original productions, The Mikado, makes the stage.

The film is long. Really slow and long. We are left sometimes just watching rehearsals and performances of G & S's musicals for 4-6 minutes. This really kills the pacing, but it also gives us a true feeling of what entertainment was like and what the writer/composer pair were struggling with.

Great acting. Great costumes. Great music.

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Shi mian mai fu (2004)

House of Flying Daggers is a disappointment storywise, though it contains some elegant and elaborate visual effects.

A group of rebel fighters who throw, um, daggers, are fighting the corrupt establishment. A luscious blind woman dagger thrower is captured but is rescued by an enchanted police officer. The plot cavorts like a live shrimp on a hot grill until it finally falls dead.

The film shared its eggs among the basket of special effects and flowing fabric and the basket of sentimentality.

Official Site | IMDB

Yi yi (2000)

This Taiwanese film graced many top ten movie lists of the past decade and that's how I heard of it. I had to prepare myself for the nearly 3 hours of slow-paced drama and wide angles.

Set during the dotcom boom of the late nineties, a modern, upper middle class family faces individual struggles. The mother faces her mother's recent descent into a coma. The moral father faces his former lover and lack of integrity at work. The bright teenage daughter discovers romance. The young son finds his own voice and battles ridicule.

If a scene can be shot without actually showing the actors directly, it is done. Reflections, barriers, and distant wide shots are used to convey the feeling of voyeurism, the feeling that you encounter situations like this everyday without knowing.

While there are some dramatic events on the periphery, the characters themselves encounter internal struggles and the triumphs at the end are beautifully depicted.

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Kung Fu Hustle (2004)

Stephen Chow possesses unique film making powers and he demonstrates them most effectively in Kung Fu Hustle.

The Axe Gang is terrorizing neighbourhoods in Shanghai in the 1940's. The borough called Pig Sty is usually untouched because of its poverty, but a wannabe gangster troubles the water and the residents of Pig Sty are soon embroiled in a war with the Axe Gang. The most unlikely characters emerge as kung fu masters and some great fighting sequences ensue.

For me, the comedic elements are as interesting and entertaining as the action ones. Some of the comedy falls flat on western ears however and it's important to keep this in mind when one views Chow's films.

The film begins with a very graphic scene of violence in order to show the bestial nature of the villain. It is very rough for a film that is borderline cartoonish.

Official Site | IMDB

Redbelt (2008)

Veteran screenwriter David Mamet directs another contemplative film. Honour is something that is often quickly sacrificed in western culture in order to cash in or avoid responsibility. When a Japanese understanding of the concept confronts Los Angeles culture, we quickly see the power honour has to influence others and the difficulty one has to perserve it.

Mike Terry owns a jujitsu club and teaches the martial art to his devoted students. As a principle, he has decided to avoid using his mastery of the art in competition as he believes it weakens the fighter, but when his life begins to unravel, one competitive fight could turn it all around.

Mamet's characters do not often seem to be multi-dimensional as they seem to personify issues more than complex people. I don't see this as a deficiency, just a unique and strong way of exploring issues.

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L'Avocat de la Terreur (2007)

Jacques Vergès is a French trial lawyer who has defended some of the world's most notorious political terrorists. Terror's Advocate chronicles his life and presents the question "Are terrorists ever freedom fighters?"

While Vergès is presented in a sometimes heroic light, especially in his early career defending Algerian bombers, it is clear the filmmaker has chosen to vilify him in the end. Vergès worked for Barbie, the Butcher of Lyons, and some of the most despicable African dictators. He was also chums with Pol Pot. 

The film is fascinating, if only for the telling of the unstable history France has had dealing with the recourse of colonialism.

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. . . And the Pursuit of Happiness (1986)

This is one of Louis Malle's collected documentaries in the Criterion Collection. The title is of course taken from the U.S. Declaration of Independence and implies the American Dream. Malle takes us on an 80-minute tour around the U.S. where we meet immigrants of all kinds. Why would people put themselves through such a hard life in the U.S. where bigotry and injustice are so prevalent? The answer is clear: unfettered opportunities and the freedom to decide what course your life will take.

A couple very poignant moments are a conversation between a Mexican illegal immigrant and an immigration officer who is deporting him and then interviews with El Salvador's General Samosa's son who live in Florida. 

This is a very striking film.

IMDB

MASH (1970)

Robert Altman barely holds this largely incoherent film together with a couple fool doctors. 

A Mobile Army Surgical Hospital is stationed in Korea in the 1950s. Sex, alcohol, and stunts keep the staff occupied when they are out of the operating room. 

In its day, MASH was an innovative film with ongoing dialogue in the background and plenty of ad lib from the actors. Today, it's difficult to stay awake with much of the lines being washed over by background noise and incoherent speech. The actors often mumble their lines on top of that. The movie is episodic and doesn't have much continuity to hold the story together.

In large part, besides producing some comedy, this film is a rebellion to the Vietnam war at the time and to the military establishment. 

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Gwoemul (2006)

The Host is a smart monster movie from Korea. A polluted bay causes mutation which produces a beast not unlike the tentacled creature by the gates of Moria (Lord of the Rings). The creature feeds on humans to boot.

What sets this film apart from the run-of-the-mill monster flicks that get cranked out is the quirky Korean humour (farts, burps, and some slapstick) that is integrated throughout the whole movie rather than what has traditionally been sexed-up horror. The characters are severely flawed.

What I found didn't work as much as I think the writers had hoped was the background political drama. It was almost more far-fetched than the creature itself. The effects were super too.

Official Site | IMDB