Westword (1973) - Michael Crichton

Out of curiosity I watched the original Westword, to sum up the movie in a sentence: it is a crossover between Jurassic Park and Terminator. The attraction park has gone wrong and a robot tries to kill you no matter what. 

Honestly I am really disappointed (story wise). Even Westword has seemingly touched the subject of morality, sadly it didn’t translate as much as it was expected. Since when did we set rules on how we treat robots or machines? The main protagonist questions his behaviour in the park, maybe it has something to do with how immoral to hurt and kill the robots but I think it is more about self assuring. Killing machines which basically act and even die like a human can be read as human wanted what they were forbidden. The need of breaking rules excites them. 

It is a bit degrading how they depict woman. Man wants to kill and shoot things and woman just want to get laid by hot guys?! The social stereotype in the 70s was really something. And there is a big plot hole, if all the guns were programmed to which they couldn’t fire while aiming at something thermal then how on earth the Gunslinger could even kill anyone? (please correct me if I’m wrong.)

One thing admirable about Westword is the fact that it is a thriller. There is no doubt that the Terminator was based on the Gunslinger. Westword paved the way of this new genre (sic-fi thriller, the battles with the  A.I.s). It was pretty forward in it’s time.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016) - David Yates

If Harry Potter is about minorities then Fantastic Beasts expands on this idea which J.K Rowling has been trying to convey for years. 

It is not a coincident Rowling wrote the Fantastic Beasts, if the world of magic is a metaphor of homosexuality (or any minority) then the beasts in the Fantastic Beasts are the outcasts within the outcasts. From the beginning of the film, they make it clear that the magical world/ culture is different between England and the States where they are not supposed to make any contact with no-maj’. The premise of the film is about Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), who is on a journey to write a book about the Fantastic Beasts and try to get people to understand them instead of killing them, travels to New York and accidentally his pets run away. Scamander represents an utopia for the mythical creatures, a sanctuary where they shouldn’t  be needing it in the first place. It is just like any fights on equal rights, we should even need to flight for them in the first place.

The concept of “Obscurus” is somehow literate and interesting. It refers to people, mainly kids, who are oppressed/ denied their ability in magic and for some reasons  they become the prefect host for the “virus” obscurus where dark magic takes over and they could no longer control their power and could even be consumed by the virus. Doesn’t it ring a bell? Orlando shooting, the shooter was raised in a conservative background where he was told being gay was not normal to a point he even believed it and took action on it (of course it was just a hypothesis) but it fits perfectly here. 

The idea of outcast is amplified with the characters, Scamander was expelled from school and have no friends, Tina Goldstein (Katherine Waterston) was reassigned to a different department in MACUSA (Magical Congress of the United States of America) and Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler) was an outcast of the working class, and we have Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller), Langdon Shaw (Ronan Raftery) just to name a few. The Fantastic Beasts is basically a propaganda for the minorities, stop fighting within ourselves, we should get together and fight for a better life. 

The message behind was overshadowed for years but the Fantastic Beasts brought it back to the limelight. The special effects are as good as usual. It was really a delight watching it. 

Jules et Jim (1962) - François Truffaut

I know people say Les quatre cents coups [The 400 blows] (1959) is one of his best works but seriously, personally, I prefer Jules et Jim. Les quatre cents coups is a personal journey of what Truffaut went through as a kid, for which I admire. However, on the other hand Jules et Jim is more of an eternal story which no matter the time and cultural differences somewhat you could find something to relate to.

I am not talking being “friend zoned”, in my case, Catherine (Jeanne Moreau), it’s not a cliché that I relate myself as the female protagonist. I have valid reasons of my own. The fact she is candid, reckless and a little egoistic seem like a perfect description of me. I could totally see myself standing on the thin line, juggling my life as it comes. I guess I like playing with fire. Hope I won’t end up being burnt.

Jules et Jim is considerably really forward for it’s time, even today 3-way relationships are still being looked down on. Just because love is blind and it has stood before time way before our existences, it is still as represented as a taboo. I am pro-love, which means, just let people do whatever they want.

Les demoiselles de Rochefort (1967) - Jacques Demy

Hitchcock said suspense didn't have to be fear, it could be a lot of other things. The anxeity of whether the protagonists will find love is almost unbearable, especially the character of Delphine (Catherine Deneuve). Demy playfully sugarcoats the tone and the visual of the movie which is absolutely brillant. 

"Anticipation" is strongly present in Lola (1961) and in La paraluie de cherbourg (1964), but all three of them have a different interpretation of the "wait", either hopelessly or desperately in love and in Les demoiselles de Rochefort, they are more like romantically looking for the love of their lives/ their dreams. It's not sad but it's the suspense that I couldn't stand. The more joyful it seems the more painful for the audience (ME) to anticipate the end, which is brillant how Demy links the audience and the film together with the same concept.

Sausage Party (2016) - Greg Tiernan, Conrad Vernon

Sausage Party is really a surprise, I thought It would be straight up stupid jokes but instead it is deeper than expected. And the food porn scene will forever be in my head, I think it is a way to say “Fu*k you” to all those dirty minds out there. I simply don’t know how to react to it. It’s brilliant and explicit, it’s so wrong but it feel so right at the same time. 

How interesting they are trying to deny the existence of GOD. All we need is to believe in yourselves no matter how isolated and despair you feel. As long as you are determined you will succeed even if God is in the way.

Elephant (2003) - Gus Van Sant

What makes Elephant stood out from it’s genre is it’s subtleness, just a normal school day, everything is completely as usual and who knows what would happen next. The editing makes the audience on edge since we all know the premise. The movie keeps going back to the same moment before it happens. The suspense is unbearable. 

Sant didn’t put any emphasis on the event itself nor any political statement which I found really interesting because he leaves it to the audience to decide and judge what’s good in believing we are born innocent which is the total opposite of the movie.

For some reason this movie makes me think of the Orlando Shooting. Violence doesn’t need any justification, we put a label on it doesn’t make it any less bearable or acceptable.

Swiss Army Man (2016) - Dan Kwan, Daniel Scheinert

This movie is not for the faint-hearted. This is the genre I personally love the must. Sometime we don’t need to explain ourselves and calculate every single second of the movie. Just let it goes out of hand and see what happens. There are so many shocking moments which make you pounder the credibility of the movie but yet you just smile your way through. 

There are a lot of similarities between almost all of Quentin Dupieux’s films (for example: Rubber 2010)) and Swiss Army Man. In terms of running wild and out of control, somehow the comedic storylines magically merge with each other and become something unexpectedly intelligent and raw at the same time. Dupieux gives us the epic monologue at the beginning however the latter integrates a shocking surprise at the end. Both ways work wonderfully. We might not be used to these eerie ideas and craziness nevertheless, they are way too captivating to ignore. It’s hard to react to these kind of over-exaggerated visions. When they are nicely made, they could be one fine piece of work itself and would be forever immortalised. (There are more and more of these kind of movies in the market, I wonder is there a proper term to describe it or even a study on it.)

Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe deliver a fantastic performance. Ever since Harry Potter Radcliffe tried very hard to break out of his Potter image and he has proven himself a serval times already. Paul Dano, no explanation needed. He has been amazing ever since I knew him from Little Miss Sunshine (2005). 

Not to mention the social issue which is the foundation of the movie. It couldn’t happen then or later, it’s relevant. The isolation deduces from social media that causes the lost of touch between people is getting serious. We never talk about it but it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. 

Swiss Army Man might be one of the weirdest movies of 2016, it might not be a big fan favour now, trust me, in maybe few years it will definitely be on the lists of must-watch cult movies of all time.

Mala Noche (1986) - Gus Van Sant

Sant directorial debut, filmed in 16mm B&W. 

Mala Noche is about chasing that something we dersire, the blurred lines in relationships. In term of editing, it could be better, it's kind of confusing at times but it did a good job in conveying the message and the tone of the film,

The Gus Van Sant exhibit at La Cinémathèque française is really a good introduction of his works, what inspires him, etc.

My own private Idaho (1991) - Gus Van Sant

Beautifully shot and written.

The scene in the wood with Scott and Mike, it brings back so much memories, not that I have built a fire in the woods before, is the fact that admitting your love to somebody and that someone loves you too but just not the same way. I felt like it happened to me a lot of times!

아가씨 (2016) - Park Chan-wook

The scene where Lady Hideko is reciting one of her uncle’s famous work in front of a first timer “book club member” Count Fujuwara. That fan trick and the chocking just sweep you off your chair. Simplicity, just a flick of her fingers plus her highly seductive intonation, there is no need to understand the content, the performance itself speaks louder than words. 

At first The Handmaiden might seem atypic for a Park Chan-wook film at least the first half. A smart decision to divide the movie in 3 parts. It resonates the revenge trilogy. The further we advance the more twisted the plot gets, which Park excels at in almost most of his movies. They are all looking for a way out, their freedom.

Unlike La Vie d’Adele (2013), the sex doesn’t feel redundant and less forced. Sex is not an easy thing to depict, it could easily stray to a more pornography vibe. The Handmaiden is one steamy hot lesbian fantasy from a man point of view, it is a bit too rehearsed to fit a certain mindset. Even though it is full of girl on girl actions somehow it feels too masculine. On the bright side, it captured the first sexual encounter vividly. The tension, the awe, the sweat, the climax, and those bells.

Still remember the first time watching the Oldboy (2003), I was completely in awe. The violence was teeth-cringing. There is this authenticity in his imageries that it’s hard to watch at times but you could not fight your curiosity. I wonder how could one imagine or create something as bloodthirsty as the revenge trilogy. (I still have to see Mr. Vengence) Park is the Asian version of Tarantino but less comic. A broken arm is a broken arm for Park, you feel it with the protagonist.

julieta (2016) - Pedro Almodóvar

Almodóvar said in an interview that every single colour used in the film meant something, from the wardrobe to the wallpaper. (a lot of directors do pay a lot of attention to colours but not all of cause like Gus Van Sant [not as much]) And julieta is different from his other films since the presence of female dialogues are less prominent even through the film is guided by the narrative point of Julieta.

Looking the Movie (2016) - Andrew Haigh

I love the tag line for the movie, “The end is a new beginning”. 

The final chapter of the HBO series Looking, a year later after where season 2 ended. Patrick (Jonathan Groff) comes back to San Francisco for a weekend to attend a wedding. 

Obviously, this movie is about closures. Maybe I am a bit basis, I have been and always will be “Team Kevin”, the scene where they meet for the last time just breaks my heart. I feel like it has happened to all of us before. There are a lots of “what if” throwing in the air, I am not saying we should just forgive our cheating boyfriends and start all over again. It’s more about facing the problem, how you handle your emotions and most importantly how you deal with it. Running, of course is a solution but it will probably lead you nowhere. Relationship is about “the spark”, yes, but the most crucial thing is how you work it out. Every relationship has their ups and downs, but if we always run away from them, what good does it do to us? The whole Kevin situation happened because Patrick is running away from his problems with Richie in the first place. 

What I love about Looking the series and the movie in general is how the show runners and the creators convey the emotions we all have, yes, it is a gay-themed series, but it happens to we all. It will be equally good even if it’s a heterosexual series. 

I guess the reason why it didn’t work with the audience is because it’s too real, too cruel. They are just like Patrick turning away from their problems and try to turn a blind eye to what is really happening around them. People hate conformation, they like something they could relate to but not too much. 

I love the idea that the movie could be called “the weekend” too, if you what I mean.

The Neon Demon (2016) - Nicolas Winding Refn

I didn’t realise it was a Nicolas Winding Refn film at first and honestly the trailer looks a bit too avant-garde to have a solid story. I was wrong, it might seems like a deja-vu but yet it is not really something we have seen before. The visuel is definitely an eye-catcher, it is almost too beautifully constructed that we could just put any high fashion name on it and it could totally transform into an advert, Refn consciously put the Logo NWR to mimic that with his recent experience with high fashion perfume ads. [seriously the first few minutes of the film I murmured “Dior, j’adore” the resemblance is too significant.] 

Again like Dive (2011), I was attached to the music right from the start, without doubt when we could manipulate these 2 aspects the rest suddenly seems less important. The Neon Demon is not the case. It has a solid story, it might sound hideous but when we put everything together it shines, literally. 

It’s a simply story about a beautiful 16 year-old went to LA to become a model, we could have guessed what would happen after. But it is more than that, how an innocent girl turns into a narcissist, how terrifying and cruel the modelling industry is. We could just imagine the harm it entails, the horror of this movie is the reality itself. How we perceive beauty is absolutely horrifying. As it says in the film [beauty isn’t everything, it’s the only thing].

There are so many unforgettable scenes, the shower, the eating the eyeball, the party entertainment… etc. I would dare say The Neon Demon is the most audacious film of 2016. (Yes, not even Elle - Paul Verhoeven.)

Frantz (2016) - François Ozon

In Ozon film univers female characters are always significantly important and complex. Anna (Paula Beer) is not an exception. One day she stumbled upon a french man known as Adrien (Pierre Niney) visiting his fiancé’s grave, not long a relationship between a german “widow” and a french men develops in the post-WWI circumstances where the two nations don’t see eye to eye with. 

Later we find out that their relation is built on a lie. Quite a visual interpretation from Ozon, whenever the movie is in colour, it is a lie. Reality, black & white. (Ozon stated in interviews that he wanted to make a film about “le mensonge” (a lie), so technically it is not a spoiler.) The fact that he visually manipulates the images amplifies the degree of the impact, it is like he controls the switches of our hearts. With a flick of his finger we are in this faux impression of happiness and seconds later he brings us back to reality. Some people might think he is trying too hard to manoeuvre the audience, sorry but I am struck. I was so drawn to Adrien’s grief maybe it’s Ozon or the magic of him and Niney and later the dilemma of Anna. No matter which it’s a solid performance.

At times, you wished Ozon had had worked on more on the images since, at least I did got distracted by composition of some imageries. However you are way too busy to play attention to a lot of the details, Frantz is 90% in black & White and 90% in German. You have to be fluent in both languages in order the ignore the subtitles. Maybe that’s why? I know what I am suggesting it’s not well justified but still I enjoyed the experience.

Life is cruel and we all live in a lie (in one way or another), that’s the best I could do without giving too much away on what’s the story is about. Ozon never really disappoints so just watch it.