Month: February 2016

Mustang

Mustang images

The trouble begins at the beginning of the film, when some nasty gossip and a misunderstanding turns innocent fun into a minor sexual scandal, leading the girls’ relatives to increasingly shut down their access to the outside world.  The grandmother brings suitors to the house, determined to marry the older girls off as soon as possible. The film tells the tale about five young sisters living in a conservative Turkish society and the friction regarding the relationship between them and their uncle and grandmother.  Writer/director Deniz Gamze Erguven and writer Alice Winocour have crafted a story for the ages about how women continue to suffer at the hands of patriarchs. Lale (Gunes Sensoy) is the youngest of the sisters and in the end, proves to be the toughest.  As Lale witnesses what her older sisters are subjected to, she becomes more determined to avoid such destiny. One of the strengths of the screenplay, co-written by the film’s Turkish-born, French-raised director Deniz Gamze Erguven, is that it suggests but neatly avoids direct mention of any specific religion.

Deniz Gamze Ergüven makes a remarkably assured debut as writer/director here, aided by a terrific ensemble cast, especially the five young actresses playing the sisters. The aforementioned Sensoy is the central character amongst the five, and is probably the standout, though all have their moments.  It is a coming-of-age drama, which reflects upon its five central protagonists as well as the society that so decisively influences their lives.

Blue Collar

Blue Collar

Paul Schrader tells the story of three workers, who are all more or less in the same boat. Three leads- Keitel, Pryor and Yaphet Kotto- play laborers on the Checker cab assembly line in Detroit.  Richard Pryor, in easily his best performance, plays a man in trouble with the IRS. At work, he has a defective locker that continually cuts his hand when he fights with it.  Yaphet Kotto is in debt to a loan shark, Keitel works a second job to get by and finds himself unable to pay for the dental treatment that his daughter needs. Pryor, Keitel and Kotto hated each other during the making of the film, so much so that many of their scenes play out in long master shots only.  But when their money troubles pile up, they make a desperate plan to steal cash from their local union office. When they put their plans to work ,things eventually go from bad to worse. Richard Pryor shines in a performance that is both funny and heartbreaking. Harvey Keitel is in his usual magnetic self and Kotto is understated yet electric at the same time.

Schrader, who was at the time a renowned screenwriter for his work on Taxi Driver (1976), made his directorial debut with this film. The choice to go with a blue score is inspired in itself, as the nature of the music so perfectly captures what these characters are going through. There are several scenes that don’t feature any music at all, these being some of the most important scenes. Schrader made an impressive debut as director with this film. It is very rare to find an American film tackling issues like corruption in organised labour.

 

 

La isla mínima(Marshland)

Marshland

Set in 1980, it follows two cops, Juan (Javier Gutiérrez) and Pedro (Raúl Arévalo), investigating the disappearance of teenage girls in a remote part of rural Andalusia. While investigating the death and mutilation of two girls found in a swamp, they find out that they are dealing with a serial killer.  Two other girls were murdered in similar ways, on almost the same dates, in both 1978 and 1979.  Juan and Pedro, who have never met until now , don’t like each other.  Pedro has disdain for the older Juan’s boozing, womanizing ways. However, their differences make each encounter with suspects interesting, as we see how each man handles certain situations.  Directed by Alberto Rodriguez, the film was intentionally set in 1980, when the country was reeling from the end of Franco’s undemocratic rule and learning to adapt to a more liberal society. Pedro is more methodical and observant, while Juan is impulsive and prone to using his fists to get answers while questioning the witnesses. Pedro despises Franco’s regime and its legacy, while Juan didn’t seem to care much about that. 

There are a couple of symbol-heavy scenes that include Juan and a bird seemingly staring at each other, one might claim that the bird represents a new era for the country, while Juan is a man tormented by a dark past he can’t escape. The political climate of the region is what separates this film from many murder mystery films. Also worth mentioning is the sublime photography.  The top-down aerial photography is most prevalent during the starting credits of the film. Good performances from Javier Gutiérrez as a tough, arrogant cop abusing the suspects’ civil rights and Raul Arevalo as an ethical Inspector who displays his worried look to everybody. Support cast is pretty good such as Antonio De la Torre , Nerea Barros. The setting is well-structured, as the cars, haircuts and mustaches certainly point to the late 70’s.  This thriller is gripping, well-structured and entertaining throughout.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3253930/

Ratcatcher

ratcatcher 2

It begins with a boy named Ryan spinning while wrapped in his mother’s curtains, and the scene shifts from slow motion to real time as his mother pulls him out of the fabric. Ryan meets James at the canal and suddenly he is drowned, clearly with James bearing much of the blame for not having raised the alarm. The film follows the sensitive James (William Eadie) as he tries to come to terms with his guilt.

Ratcatcher, written and directed by Lynne Ramsay, is a really stunning feature debut.  It takes place during the Glasgow garbage strike of 1973.  James lives with his father (Tommy Flanagan), mother (Mandy Matthews) and two sisters in a poor neighborhood in Glasgow 1973 where the working class is influenced by the garbage streak that over-floods the streets with trash and rats. James isolates himself from his family and makes friendship with the weird neighbor boy Kenny and with the slightly older unrestrained Margaret Anne. Ramsey evokes some breathtaking images and poetry with her incredible editing. Her film is mainly concerned with the subjective experience of childhood and its relation to death.  
 

Sicario

Sicario

Written by Taylor Sheridan , the film is about an idealist FBI agent (Emily Blunt) who is enlisted by a government task force to bring down the leader of a powerful and brutal Mexican drug cartel.  While tracking leads in a kidnapping case , FBI agent Kate ( Emily Blunt) and her team make the shocking discovery of a mundane Arizona home that has been serving as a cartel graveyard.

During the raid, a bomb goes off in the yard, killing two of the officers involved. Shortly after, she is recommended by her boss to join a special team headed by Matt Graver ( Josh Brolin), a team that would try to catch the men responsible. Kate is surprised to find out one of the members of the team is a Mexican, Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro) , which seems to be against the law.  They are going to Juarez; Mexico for their mission, another violation. They are successful, but not without incident.

The new film from director Dennis Villeneuve, Sicario captures the tension and horror of the modern war on drugs like few films before it have.  Graphic scenes are avoided by having them take place just off camera. The film’s real thrill do not come from violence and blood on the screen but from intelligent and unsettling dialog.  It is beautifully shot by Roger Deakins, one of the great film cinematographers. There is also plenty to like about the performances here, including a fine turn from Emily Blunt as the agent who wants revenge but not by violating the law. Josh Brolin also turns in a decent performance as the mysterious leader of this team. The role is ideal for Benicio Del Toro, who always gets scarier when his gestures outnumber his lines. He dramatically underacts.