Friday 23 January 2015

Lilting - Hong Khaou



"Coming out" seems like so 1999, and there are thousand and thousand LGBT-themed movies about that. Lilting is really a simple story, I can't really say much without giving anything away. It's about coming out and it's not about coming out. The choice of focusing the story on the mother (Cheng Pei Pei) and her deceased son's secret lover (Ben Whishaw) is some what weirdly captivating. It's also interesting because they don't have a common tongue, they couldn't understand each other, they couldn't communicate. So how this relationship works? (I guess you have to find it out yourself.)



It is a really slow paced movie, nothing much happened visibly. Khaou brought something fresh and not often seen on the table, the prospective of a mother in a gay movie, it's not about accepting. It's more about self-realisation. The struggles within the 2 characters. Things are in the tip of your lips but you do not date to let them slip. Things that you never admit to yourself or even dare to think about it.

I am trying to compare it with other similar movies, but I couldn't think of any, despite the fact the amount of gay movies I have seen. I genuinely think there isn't anything like this in the market or even something close that has a similar approach.

Lilting is a touching debut from Hong Khaou, with brilliant actors that move us all.

Friday 16 January 2015

The Smell of Us - Larry Clark


The Smell of us originally was supposed to be a movie about Larry Clark, it turns out to be something different. He projects himself in 4 different characters, different qualities and characteristics of himself, he was once a teenager and he still craves for being one even in his 70s.

All the scandals revolving The Smell of Us are absolutely hideous, reading the 40 page coverage from Cahier du Cinema (one of France most prestigious movie magazine, with a review plus interviews with Larry Clark and his team, the screenwriter, cinema photographer, producer and few of the actors.), made me realise something, I know I am being really calculating but it might be true, most of the crew including the cast think that this might be his last movie, and the production team really wants to make a film about Clark. So how could they get what they really want? Allowing him to make his latest project in Paris and secretly accumulating footages and stories about Clark and 10 years later or when he is dead, the story of Larry Clark comes out in the cinema. This is my conclusion after reading all the interviews and watching the movie.

I read the review before watching the film. I have to say it was really positive, in general it is rated 4/4. Claiming it one of his best works to date and what it is addressing is controversial but yet relatable. For me reading a review is already too much, I am the kind of movie-goers who wants to know absolutely nothing prior watching. Since I have already seen two of his movies, Kids and Ken Park which I find pleasure watching, however, The Smell of Us is utterly a disaster, a disappointment and not his finest work.

I totally get what is he trying to show in The small of us, but I strongly disagree with the method he used (I watched a few of his films, I'm aware of what I am getting myself into). Still the way he sees the teenagers is beautiful, how he approaches and puts on the big screen is magnificent but the story itself lacks a certain synchronicity. Yes it is still about youth, there isn't much explication about why they become rent boys, the relations between the characters. In the interview with the screenwriter Scribe, the reporter specifically asked what were the differences between the film and the script. It is known that Clark cut a few scenes which explain or show the development of the characters. Larry Clark forbade him to be on set, and Scribe was called on set by the producers to talk to the actors since they refused to continue filming after knowing Clark himself would be playing the feet fetish. (As per the interview with one of the casts, this has happened before during Bully, cast leaving in mid filming process) First Scribe was the one who casted the actors which my theory is the actors were not happy with the changes in the script and basically had no direction from Clark, on top of things they didn't sign up to do. So what did Clark do, he simply cut the scenes and altered the story and among the details which he didn't think is important.

In the interview with Larry Clark, he kept talking about the Director Cut of The Smell of Us, the version in the cinema now is the short version. Some of the scenes he mentioned in the interview do not exist in the short version. The more I read the interview the more annoyed I get. I wonder what have I watched, if the version in the cinema has an obvious difference with the director cut then why even bother releasing it. It feels like they are talking about a different movie in the interviews and it is reported that Clark was filming with his cellphone during most of the film, the cinema photographer offered him a cinema but he refused it. It feels like he was making something else, his own little project. 


The contrast between the youth and the old suppose to be a big aspect in the film, yes he tries to tackle it which is not clearly done. His obsession with the youth is what he is known for. I have no problem with his obsession, is how he presented on the big screen that bothers me. According to the the script writer the story was supposed to be richer and more personal, but since Clark didn't like the idea of it, he changed it. I found the scene where he portraits a feet fetish old man really disturbing, he kept saying "mon petit graçon" (my little boy, according to one of the interviews he wanted to say my beautiful boy) while indulging the dirty toes of a rent boy. What is the purpose of this? His weird obsession? Some scenes do not even serve any purpose, it's just for the fun of it, like the very last scene. (Clark admitted it in the interview.)

There is a phantom during the entire movie. You could see some cellphone footages in the movie. sometime you could see an actor filming with his cellphone. Scenes which there are not suppose to be a third person, maybe with some explanation it might work. The contrast between a professional camera and a cellphone is distinct, it made some of the scenes awkward and not too coherent. Clark explained later it was like him filming the kids in all time.


The film has no relation with Paris, it didn't have to be filmed in Paris, it could be anywhere. For me it is important that if you are an american director who always tackles teenage problem in your own country. Is normal the audience expect a bit more when you chose to film in a foreign country. Apart from the film is in french there is nothing foreign about it. It is confusing since it seems like a movie about teens in Paris, which one of the casts mentioned it didn't truly response to the teens nowadays in Paris.

The whole movie is a huge misunderstanding and miscommunication which could possibly turn into something interesting in the future (only if my theory is accurate). As for now, The Smell of Us is just a disappointment.

*references from Cahier du Cinéma N°707 Janvier 2015

Thursday 15 January 2015

Ken Park - Larry Clark and Ed Lachman


I'm still in the marathon exploring mode (maybe not 100%, but close enough), once again Larry Clark shows me something on the big screen that I found authentic and genuine. It's like he puts these trouble kids in a time capsule, when you open it, the rebelliousness of the teenagers has a really strong presence.

I don't know where I've heard of this, it says: no matter how different their movies are, directors are always trying to say the same thing, more or less the same theory, the same values in their works.

This time round, we see something different, a hint of family influence. It shows how the relationship between parents and their children affects each other. I am not saying if you come from a dysfunctional family you will automatically become into kinky sex. No, kinky is not the word, we all do aware sex dominates a big portion of our mind, especially teenagers. For some people sex is a HUGE part of their lives. And exploring their sexuality is a stage we couldn't avoid, we experiment stuff, we do stuff we might not be too proud of. We all have been in this grey zone. (even if you don't want to admit it, somehow you have been there.) Of course Ken Park might be a little extreme, one way or another it is a phrase people go through. When you are a teenager everything seems like the end of the world, it's you against the world and Ken Park reveals how we feel (had felt) when we are a teenager and how we handle those feelings. Something not everyone is capable to handle.

Simulated sex scenes don't really bother me that much, (of course unless they are pointless and too repetitive.) Nowadays, they could be shown in the cinema easier. I don't feel like they are redundant. It helps telling a story.

The Smell of Us is going to be in the cinema like in few days, I'm so excited.

Thursday 8 January 2015

My Pick 2014


I watched 168 movies in this year, about 50 of them I watched at home. Still pretty impressive by the number of times I'm at the cinema per month.

They are not in order since it is super hard for me to pick the top 10 already, it's even harder to rate them from 1 to 10. The list here is based on both my memories and my ratings out of 10. And below there are only 2 movies got a 10/10 and the others are 9/10, of couse there are more then 8 movies got 9/10 on my rating list since I'm only picking 10 which means I have to give up some. So the other part of putting this list together is how these movies had impacted me.


Interstellar - Christopher Nolan
Lucy - Luc Besson
Une Novelle amie (The new girlfriend) - François Ozon (french)
The way he looks - Daniel Ribeiro (Portuguese)
Coldwater - Vincent Grashaw
Gone girl - David Fincher
Boyhood - Richard Linklater
The Lego Movie - Phil Lord, Christopher Miller
Under the Skin - Jonathan Glazer
Men, Women & Children - Jason Reitman





If I have to really pick one out and really recommend it, it would be Coldwater, since it is not really mainstream and not a lot of people have heard about it. It's about a teenager went to this correctional camp for troubled adolescents which runs by ex-militaries. It is questionable of how the boys are being treated. It was super intense with excellent cast members especially the lead.



There are 2 gays movies on my list (if you count LGBT theme also), The way he looks and The New Girlfriend. I am quite surprised there are 2 made it on my list, first a good gay movie it's like clean air which means RARE! And there are 2 this year, I am super excited and happy. They are very different movies and both of them managed to challenge whatever prejudice out there towards LGBT community. (PS if you've never heard of The New Girlfriend, that's good, I would highly recommend you not to read anything nor watch the trailer for this movies just watch it and you would understand why and thank me later.)



Men, Women & Children is a surprise for me, it is a honest depiction of this generation. How technologies or to be precise, social networks + the accessibility of information, how media imposes body images. Insecurity is nothing new, however, when it is added to how people react to things it got out of hands.



Interstellar and Lucy took me to places, they opened my mind when it needed it. Love them both at first but when I spent more time thinking about them, there are some little details I'm not a fan of. Idea wise they are absolutely unbeatable.




Everything is awesome! The Lego Movie, for me this is way more than just an animated movie for kids, it questioned the existence of god, what we are living for and trying to break the norm. And of course it's funny, it's cute and it's awesome!


The idea of growing up with a movie, literally! And integrating what you were experiencing in life in the movie. The whole concept of Boyhood is fascinating, because it shows how cruel life is, how time changes people, how "life must go on". It's a super realistic reminder of how me cope with life not just being a child but also being the parent.



I have no words for Under the Skin, I am still in the progress of digesting the movie. One thing for sure it took alien movies to a whole different level.



One day if I was dead and my love was being changed with my murder you will know where the idea comes from. Gone Girl, for me, this movie is like a couple therapy. I have no idea how I could say what I want without giving too much away. um... it is more than just a mysterious case of a missing person. It's more about how relationship should work. (I am not saying you should frame your love for killing you.) If you think a little deeper, what's more than someone who knows you 100%.

Of course I have some other movies I would love to share with you guys which I adore and sadly couldn't make on the list. I am not sure whether I should write something on these movies, if I do, wouldn't it be my extended top 10 And top 10 it's top 10. Life is rough man!

About Alex - Jesse Zwick
Pride - Matthew Warchus
The Grand Budapest Hotel - Wes Anderson
Short Term 12 - Destin Daniel Cretton
Eastern Boy - Robin Campillo (french)
Repisre - Mélanie Laurent (french)

Saturday 3 January 2015

Kids - Larry Clark


2015, I decided to explore a little more in movie. During christmas I accidentally stumbled across "new french extremity" (http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2014/15-essential-films-for-an-introduction-to-the-new-french-extremity/), downloaded a bunch of movies. (watched a few already, quite enjoyed them, will post my thoughts later) 


Since Larry Clark's new movie "The Smell of us" is going to be in french and be released in the french market first in like 2 weeks, so why not get to know this director. I finally took time to watch a Larry Clark movie, his first one, Kids. I do found some similarities of those two: like trangrassive. I don't think Kids fits in that category but according to wikipedia the movies which Larry Clark make are quite controversial. (Kids was banned in some countries, since it was accused to be simulated child pornography)

Skins, the first thought after watching Kids are, an under produced version or the original version of the UK TV series Skins. Unlike the US version (yes they tried to make a US version but it faiedl so bad that they candled it like after 2 or 3 episodes), Kids is super honest, no fancy production, complicated plot lines. Kids is simply depicting a phenomenon in the 90s and how kids were like in those days (I have to say there aren't much differences from now) It was about sex and drags and since it was in the mid 90s, AIDS was a big element as it was the new emerging disease which affects almost everyone. It was just a day of those teenagers' lives. 


I would say it is pretty good at addressing the problem. How the boys thought what the girls like and vice versa how Telly loves to fuck virgins, how gullible people can be. As I said it was a honest interpretation of adolescents, it felt so real and natural.   


Larry Clark has a love for the subject adolescents (a lot of his other works are about teenagers too), and always tires to re-define the boundaries between art and pornography, like his short film in the movie Destricted, Impaled, which explores the comfortability of man acting in porn instead of woman, is basically a porn, during 30 minutes you are watching a few casting with actual intercourses. I found it less convincing, however, some other shorts like HOIST (which I absolutely love) and Balkan Erotic Epic are more justifying in this subject. 


After all Kids is a photo from 90s which no photoshop, a movie isn't afraid of telling what people dare not speak of.