Meek's Cutoff (2010)

Whew. This is a desolate film with some great performances, but man is it ever desolate. A group of settlers are traveling west and depend on their guide, Meek, to get them over the mountains with enough time to beat winter, but even more important, before they run out of supplies. Some people in the party doubt Meek's ability.

A western without bad guys.

An Unreasonable Man (2006)

Ralph Nader's independent presidential runs in 2000 and 2004 are regarded by many as having given George W. Bush the elections in both those years because he drew Democrat votes away from the Gore, then Kerry.

This documentary handily lays out the controversies that surround Nader's unwillingness to compromise and support those he shares some values with.

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Un prophète (2009)

One of the greatest films I have ever seen.

The opening scene is a young offender being transferred to an adult prison - no family, we don't really know where he comes from at all. Shortly, he is seconded into the service of the organized crime ring where he climbs the ranks.

A Prophet is powerful and raw with simple though energizing dialogue.

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Shichinin no samurai (1954)

Japanese master director Akira Kurosawa presents Seven Samurai, a 3.5 hour epic film set in 19th century rural Japan.

A peasant village is at the mercy of marauding seasonal thieves, so they hire people of great moral fibre (at least that is their intention) and military prowess to come and protect them.

I really enjoyed this film over 2 nights. The characters were colourful, flawed and unpredictable. The setting was thoroughly original and it was interesting just seeing agrarian Japan.

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The Way Back (2010)

I often fear that film interpretations of fact based epics will default towards the emotional rather than take pains to help the viewer enter the pain of the protagonist. The Way Back tackles the incredible trek of gulag escapees from the Soviet north down into northern India. It becomes clear that while they can not spend time on each of the characters, they do not default to a soft retelling. The harsh realities are depicted unfettered by too much orchestral dazzle.

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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

In anticipation of the film which I got advance tickets for about 3 weeks before the opening night, I reread The Hobbit. This is the first time I reread it since the first time back in 1987. I thoroughly enjoyed the book though I wish Tolkien had been encouraged to write an adult version of events following the publication of The Lord of the Rings. I was deeply moved by Bilbo's goodness.

To the film now. I was worried about the high frame rate (48 frames per second is twice as many as traditional film) and there was some trepidation in regards to 3D - would it be gimmicky? I fretted without reason - neither was a hindrance, in fact the film was so crisp, engaging, warm, and real feeling that I was immediately sucked in. As an aside, if you don't like 3D or high frame rate, then see it in 2D at 24 fps.

The jovial nature of the children's tale was maintained with plenty of slapstick and one-liners. I laughed out loud on numerous occasions. The character flaws were front and centre in every scene except when they became heroic - then it was a little over the top. It would be unkind to highlight any single character, hero or villain, as they were all magnificent.

Another worry I had was the caricaturization of the 13 dwarves with their wild hair, tattoos, beards and bling. The looks suite the characters and I was very pleased with their onscreen personas.

I plan on seeing the film in theatre at least 2 more times. It's candy.

[I'm 64 films behind in my reviews, so I thought I'd offer my 2 cents on this ahead of when I would reach it in April]

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Dreaming of Julia (2003)

This is not an especially compelling account of the revolution in Cuba. It's told through the eyes of a boy from a middle to high class family who watches the adult scandals pre-revolution and the ultimate disintegration of his family during and after the revolution. I would be more sympathetic if it weren't so boring! The characters try too hard to be colourful and the dialogue is flat.

Beware! It also goes by the name Cuba Libre.

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J. Edgar (2011)

I saw this movie because Clint Eastwood directed and Leonardo DiCaprio starred, not so much because I have a fascination with J. Edgar Hoover. Apparently, critics have disliked the movie for all that it left out of this iconic and powerful figure of the 20th century. My hunch was that the film makers didn't want to overshadow the story of the man with details of the FBI - I was right.

J. Edgar traces a couple strands of the first and long lasting FBI director's life. His relationships with his mother and two very close secretaries combined with his determination to both keep the FBI funded and in his complete control. There are plenty of references to some of the defining events in his career (Lindberg kidnapping, Dr. King, and the communist pogroms), but the focus of the film is his obsessions, indiscretions and desire for defining his own legacy.

An intricate and detailed film with a steady pace and tremendous acting.

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This is England (2006)

The large meta-narrative of Britain and it's use of nationalism and violence to dominate in the world is replayed in the life of a young boy who is caught up in the skinhead movement of the 1980s. Mourning the loss of his father in the conflict of the Falkland Islands, Shaun is drawn in by the kindness of skinhead punks in backwater England.

I was particularly moved by the lack of pretension that the skinheads had. They genuinely cared for each other and shared their feelings frankly. The anger they directed towards immigrants was a misguided frustration with a nationalism that simply gave them groundless entitlement.

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In the Loop (2009)

In the Loop is a crass parody of international relations between Britain and the United States. There are plenty of noteworthy quips, but most of them are not-repeatable. It's fast moving, cynical and quite smart. You won't come away from the film inspired, but you may have laughed depending on your attitude towards vulgarity (the best lines reference hobbits though, so you might be OK).

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Reparando (2010)

This Christian documentary takes a politically and spiritually informed look at the trauma-induced poverty in Guatemalan slums. As a former resident of Guatemala, the stories were familiar and the history still heart breaking.

The film recounts the stories of some dedicated people working towards restoring their communities one person at a time. A well produced film by a small group of independents.

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The King's Speech (2010)

Splendid telling of a personal struggle of a public man. The acting in the film is so good, I have trouble reconciling that Colin Firth wasn't the actual King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

A commoner is solicited to help a prince with his speech impediment. The resulting relationship crosses the lines of tradition, status and doctor/patient.

Very inspiring - as the speeches of old often were.

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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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Noam Chomsky: Rebel Without a Pause (2003)

This is a low-budget doc on the famed outspoken activist Noam Chomsky. It is a collection of clips from about five different talks/discussions Chomsky delivered in and around 2003 in Canada with some interview footage from a dozen people who have interacted with him.

The purpose of the film is to show what he has to say about a variety of current event topics as well as to show what his impact has been as a living legend (the seventh most cited source in research papers).

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The Matrix Reloaded (2003)

While there are obvious stylistic and realistic flaws in the telling of this story (as in Where do these "soldiers" find all that time to maintain such great hair? Where did Zion get all their supplies and energy to live deep beneath the earth? etc.), the story is compelling and brings out all the best questions about determinism. I personally enjoyed all the dialogue pertaining to free choice. That, and it's a great kung-fu flick too.

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Jésus de Montréal (1989)

This is an early film of Québecois film icon Denys Arcand (The Barbarian Invasions). Arcand offers a modern take on who contemporary, secular culture says that Jesus is.

A brilliant actor is offered a role as Jesus Christ in a yearly passion drama at a Catholic diocese and as a producer of the play. He is given license to modernize it's wooden lines and so he begins to fill the cast with derelicts and sidelined actors. He also spends time researching facts about Jesus, crucifixion, and the beginnings of the Christian church. While his play, infused with doubt, is a hit among the viewers, it is not well received by the hypocritical supervising priest.

Some Christians could easily take offence to this take on Jesus, but I was refreshed by the message of the film: Jesus was compassionate and just.

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Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

Wes Anderson matches his quirky and sentimental take on life with Roald Dahl's children's book to create this beautifully animated film. He again discusses fatherhood (see The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, etc.). One should note that Noah Baumbach (The Squid and the Whale) helped write the screenplay too.

Mr. Fox has given up robbing farmers Bean, Boggis and Bunce in order to pursue a less dangerous career as a writer and please his wife. His discontent leads him back into the chicken stealing business and now the entire burrowing animal population is under mortal threat from the evil farmers. Mr. Fox now has to use his cunning to save them all. This is the external story, but on the inside it's about identity, fatherhood, sonship, and living well.

Anderson manages once again to generate plenty of laughs as well as tension and sentiment into this film. He also plugs more British 70's rock into the soundtrack and produces a very satisfying film.

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The Men Who Stare at Goats (2009)

As crazy as this tale is, and the fact that it is true, doesn't quite lift if from being a relatively meaningless story.

A down-and-out reporter stumbles upon a bizarre tale as he tries to write about the Iraq War. The American government sponsored a military project in the 1980's whose objective was to teach soldiers how to channel psychic power as a weapon. The reporter follows one of the most adept of these trainees a couple decades later as he practices the weird techniques in Iraq.

The acting is great. The writing is decent. The cinematography is adequate. The story just lacks importance and it leaves you the same way a bizarre story in the newspaper leaves you.

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Lakposhtha parvaz mikonand (2004)

One of the earliest films made in Iraq during the current war, Turtles Can Fly passionately depicts the plight of children during wartime, particularly those who are already refugees in their own country.

An enterprising young teenage Kurd leads a workforce of children who clear fields of land mines in northern Iraq and setting up satellite dishes for the surrounding refugee camps and villages. He becomes enamored with a girl who cares for a baby and her older maimed brother. The United States are about to invade Iraq.

The film is made with non-actors and this makes it even more affecting as you know these children actually live in these conditions. The story becomes even more tragic as the girl's history is told and her future is obliterated.

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Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)

Hellboy is back and this time he's married to his sweetheart and his nemesis is just as hellbent. Guillermo del Toro directs the sequel too.

An elven prince is out to unleash a mechanical army that was put to sleep eons ago as a truce between humans and elves. Hellboy stands in his way.

Again the humour in the film makes it more entertaining than preachy. The underlying theme of good triumphing over evil still shines through though.

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