Shadows: Arthouse Films ’03
THE HONEYMOONERS | KITCHEN STORIES | ZATOICHI
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More mainstream art films have their own pages.
Even more offbeat films are at the SHADOWS FILM FESTIVAL.
last update
8.Oct.03
THE CHIMERA OF HEROES [La Quimera de los Héroes]
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dir Daniel Rosenfeld; scr Daniel Rosenfeld, Eugenia Capizzano, Edgardo Cozarinsky with Eduardo Julio Rossi and the members of the Aborigen Fundación Rugby Club release UK Oct.03 lff • 02/Argentina 1h10  REVIEW BY RICH CLINE |
Rossi is a larger-than-life character, living quietly with his masseuse wife and proud to be the first white man accepted among the Toba. He inventively encourages his players as they practice their game in mud and dust, diving into the river afterwards instead of hitting the locker room (which they don't have anyway). He's a real bulldog of a man, relentlessly pushing them and at the same time making them proud of who they are and who they can be. And he refuses to put up with the institutional racism he encounters everywhere. Rosenfeld films all this with a steady stare--stately camera work, slow pans and beautiful details in both the sweeping landscapes and the close-up faces. The sound mix is also intriguing, often providing a tonal counterpoint to the images on screen. But the film's real strength is in its dramatic arc and the way it speaks volumes about a gritty humanitarianism that puts Europe and North America to shame. [themes, language] 6.Oct.03 lff
GOOD MORNING, NIGHT [Buongiorno, Notte]
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dir-scr Marco Bellocchio with Maya Sansa, Luigi Lo Cascio, Roberto Herlitzka, Piergiorgio Bellocchio, Giovanni Calcagno release Italy 5.Sep.03; UK 19.Nov.04, US 11.Nov.05 • 03/Italy 1h46  REVIEW BY RICH CLINE |
Beautifully filmed in a 1970s style, the film looks fantastic, and writer-director Bellocchio gets well into the minds of all of the characters, each of whom is subtly played with attention to telling detail. We vividly see Brigade members struggling in individual ways with the task before them, while Herlitzka provides an intriguing counterpoint as the eerily calm condemned man in his cell. There's a Hitchcock thing going on as well, with Chiara's near-innocence contrasted starkly with those around her, while the harsh realities of her actions get more dangerous by the moment. And Bellocchio cleverly weaves images and sounds, as well as news footage and old movie clips to make it all seem frighteningly authentic. So it's a pity when the story gets bogged down in arty navel-gazing in the final act; there are several cinematic devices that fog the film's earlier clarity. This hints at deeper meaning without revealing anything. And the film never recovers, as it becomes a sort of attack on Italian politics and religion rather than the much more resonant examination of terrorism and idealism that drew us in. [15 themes, language] 6.Oct.03 lff
THE HONEYMOONERS
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dir-scr Karl Golden with Jonathan Byrne, Alex Reid, Justine Mitchell, Conor Mullen release UK 30.Apr.04 • 03/Ireland 1h35  REVIEW BY RICH CLINE |
Writer-director Golden shows considerable skill behind the camera, using digital photography to great effect and eliciting fine performances from his cast of relative unknowns. The characters are terrific, and watching these two desolate, stranded people find each other is very nice indeed. Even the supporting roles are very well-played (although the wacky Donegal locals are a bit over-the-top). It's just a pity that the story and dialog are so unnatural and unoriginal. There are so many plot contrivances that we lose count--seemingly random events all conspire to put the characters exactly where the filmmaker wants them, no matter how unlikely these things are to happen in real life. It requires a serious suspension of the natural order of things for the story to progress the way it does, from getting them into their predicament to getting them together, including their encounters with others. The artificial devices pile on top of one another at a mind-boggling pace, setting up each sight gag, romantic moment, misunderstanding and meaningful encounter. But amid all this, there's the lovely thawing of two fragile souls--a bittersweet drama trapped inside a silly comedy. [15 themes, language] 8.Oct.03 lff
KITCHEN STORIES [Salmer fra Kjřkkenet]
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dir Bent Hamer; scr Jorgen Bergmark, Bent Hamer with Tomas Norstrom, Joachim Calmeyer, Bjorn Floberg, Reine Brynolfsson, Sverre Anker Ousdal, Trond Braenne, Leif Andree, Gard B Eidsvold, Lennart Jahkel release Norway 17.Jan.03; UK 2.Jan.04; US 20.Feb.04 • 03/Norway 1h32  REVIEW BY RICH CLINE |
There's an almost wordless charm to this gentle film as these two men slowly thaw out, spying on each other and offering peace tokens like tobacco and coffee like some missionary in a remote jungle tribe. Yes, it's hilariously absurd as it traces the little battles between the characters, all of which establish the various liaisons and rivalries. Clever performances and witty direction make this work. And inspired production design helps as well, with a careful eye for colour and post-war motifs that are both modern and kitsch. Meanwhile, the story has a subtext--Sweden was a neutral observer in WW2, which strained Swedish-Norwegian relations. Details add both humour and meaning, like the fact that at the time Sweden was still driving on the left side of the road. And as Isak and Folke discover that they can never understand someone by merely observing them, the film takes on a more universal emotional resonance. It may be slowly paced and rather pleased with its cleverness, but it's also a thoroughly engaging film with characters we like more and more as we get to know them. [PG themes, language] 3.Oct.03
ZATOICHI
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dir-scr Takeshi Kitano with Beat Takeshi, Tadanobu Asano, Guadalcanal Taka, Yuko Daike, Daigoro Tachibana,Ittoku Kishibe, Saburo Ishikura, Michiyo Ogusu, Akira Emoto, Yui Natsukawa, The Stripes release Japan 6.Sep.03; UK 19.Mar.04; US 4.Jun.04 • 03/Japan 1h56 REVIEW BY RICH CLINE |
Filming in the style of a 1960s Japanese samurai epic, Kitano gets the look and feel just right, augmenting the fight scenes with computer effects that heighten the grisliness (and blood spray). Colours and emotions are muted, as is the film's pace, while the characters are vivid and intriguing. And often very funny! Kitano adds very witty touches, from hilarious sight gags and slapstick to choreographing onscreen action with the background music (including a muddy tap dance that, much later, becomes a full-on musical showstopper!). But this is a story about deceptive appearances, and it works beautifully, giving us flashback histories and clever insight into each character. All of this adds up to a layered and moving action movie. Kitano is very good in the title role of the mythical hero everyone underestimates; and as a writer-director he builds the film skilfully to the climactic showdown between Zatoichi and Hattori, then continues on to tie up the story's hidden loose ends. It's perhaps a bit choppy and slowly paced for modern audiences more used to mindless Michael Bay-style action. But give it a chance--it'll win you over. [18 themes, violence, innuendo, language] 3.Oct.03
R E A D E R R E V I E W S
Al Rodriguez, Orange County: "If you like good ol' fashioned bloody samurai fighting - you'll like Zatoichi. Also, if you like toe tappin' Broadway show-stopping dancing - you'll like this one too!" (2.Aug.04)