lui-samantha Reviews

Quartet (2012)

Veteran actors are the stars of this film

[7/10 · 21 September 2012]

After years of acting and two Oscars under his belt, Dustin Hoffman finally takes a turn behind the camera in his directorial debut for Quartet.

Based on Ronald Harwood's play of the same name, the film takes place at Beecham House, a home where retired opera singers Cissy (Pauline Collins), Reginald (Tom Courtenay) and Wilf (Billy Connolly) live. Formally part of a quartet, every year the three take part in a concert to celebrate composer Giuseppe Verdi's birthday. But when Jean (Maggie Smith), the fourth member of their group arrives at the seniors' home, things get complicated. As she is the ex-wife of fellow member Reginald, old rivalries, theatrical temperaments and drama evidently ensues and it becomes unclear whether or not the show will go on.

While the film never gets any more drastic than this, it is delightfully charming to see veteran actors Smith, Courtenay, Connolly and Collins strut their stuff. With Smith perfectly playing the slightly narcissistic queen bee of the group, even Michael Gambon makes an appearance as the eccentric lead coordinator of the concert. But as we see Courtenay's Reggie harbour old feelings for his ex-wife and Collins play the lovable confidante Cissy, it's Connolly who steals the show as the hilariously lustful Wilf.

Although there isn't much material to let the actors stretch their acting capabilities, Quartet is a pleasure to watch. Although it pokes fun at old age and shows the fears of becoming a has-been, it's the performances by the film's legendary actors that make Hoffman's endearing tale what it is.

The Place Beyond the Pines (2012)

This three part saga is worth the watch

[10/10 · 21 September 2012]

Ryan Gosling and Derek Cianfrance join forces once again since 2010's Blue Valentine in this multi-generational crime saga.

Channeling another mysterious character like the one he played in Drive, Gosling is Luke, a motorcycle stunt driver who works at a traveling carnival touring from town to town. After reuniting with his sometimes lover Romina (Eva Mendes), he discovers that he has fathered a son. Determined to meet the responsibilities of being a father but unable to support a family, Luke decides to rob banks. A skilled motorcyclist, his ploy appears to run successfully. But on a heist gone wrong, he becomes the target of a rookie cop named Avery (Bradley Cooper). And as a result, the confrontation determines his fate.

Without wanting to reveal too much, Gosling's perfectly reckless and unsympathetic character only appears in the first part of the film. But handing off the rest of the story to Cooper, the film is not any less captivating. As guilt continues to build up from the events of his past, Cooper delivers one of his best performances to date as a cop split between his ambitions and the need to serve justice.

Even the supporting characters such as Ben Medelsohn's good-natured accomplice and Ray Liotta's dirty cop offer admirable performances. However, the real star in the making is Dane DeHaan, who brilliantly plays Jason, the vengeful teenage son of Gosling's character.

Split into three parts, The Place Beyond the Pines is a crime thriller about legacy. As the story goes from generation to generation, it takes surprising turns even though it feels slow at times.

But despite its lengthy two hours and 20 minutes, the film is good for character study. Taking an interesting look at themes such as guilt, revenge and justice, the performances coupled with Cianfrance's unique approach to directing is worth a watch.

Midnight in Paris (2011)

Shot Paris in a beautiful light

[8/10 · 14 July 2012]

Just seeing and hearing the lights and sounds of the city in Midnight in Paris will make you fall in love with it.

Written and directed by Woody Allen, the film stars Owen Wilson as Gil, a successful yet easily distracted screenwriter who's vacationing with his fiancée Inez (Rachel McAdams) and her wealthy parents (played by Mimi Kennedy and Kurt Fuller). Struggling to finish his first novel, Gil is inspired by the streets of Paris and tries to encourage Inez to move there with him. Inez on the other hand, would much rather go shopping and make a home in Malibu.

When Gil gets drunk one night, he decides to wander the streets of Paris and gets lost. At midnight, a vintage car pulls up and the inhabitants inside encourage him to join them. Suddenly, Gil is taken back to the 1920s, a decade he has always idolized.

There, he comes into contact with Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald (Alison Pill and Tom Hiddleston), who take him to meet Ernest Hemingway (Corey Stoll). Hemingway agrees to send Gil's novel over to Gertrude Stein (Kathy Bates). When Gil goes back into the present, he encourages Inez to come with him. But thinking he's mad, Inez refuses and would rather spend time hanging out with her pretentious, pseudo-intellectual friend Paul (Michael Sheen).

As Gil transports back to the 20s every night, he soon becomes infatuated with a costume designer named Adriana (Marion Cotillard). But while it's clear that there's chemistry between the two, Gil's from the future and his engagement proves to be an issue.

Packed with a talented cast and colourful characters, Midnight in Paris is a real delight to watch. But while the fantasy is nostalgic, it does come with tension. As Gil gets trapped with time and travel, he must decide if he must stay in the past or live in the present.

Creatively written and shot, the movie is like a digital postcard celebrating the life and culture of Paris through the decades. While we wish we could live in another era, the film is probably the closest we'll come to what life would be like.

Pina (2011)

Not your typical dance film

[7/10 · 14 July 2012]

Those expecting a film similar to Step Up 3D will get something quite different.

Directed by Wim Wenders comes Pina, a dance documentary celebrating the life of late choreographer Pina Bausch.

Featuring Bausch's most noted dance pieces in the Tanztheater (dance theatre) style, the film consists of four pieces titled Le sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring), Cafe Mueller (a cafe in the German town Solingen, where Bausch grew up) ,Kontaktof and Vollmond. Along with these pieces, are short snippets of interviews with her dancers and further dance routines shot around Wuppertal, Germany.

Wenders was originally set to make a documentary on the German choreographer. However, filming was cut short due to her unexpected death in 2009. While Wenders cancelled the production, Bausch's dancers convinced him to continue shooting anyway.

While some of the routines are slow at times, shooting in 3D has certainly helped make them more appealing. Adding a whole new dimension to dance, the cinematography of the film is visually stunning.

But don't expect the documentary to be like mainstream dance film Step Up 3D.

Pina is a more artistic take on dance, encouraging the audience to interpret the story behind each routine.

The Artist (I) (2011)

A nostalgic experience taking you back to the silent film era.

[9/10 · 14 July 2012]

Watching The Artist is a nostalgic experience taking you back to the silent film era.

Set between the late 1920s and 1930s in Hollywood, the romantic-comedy film directed by Michel Hazanavicius focuses on the rise of talking pictures.

In the film, Jean Dujardin stars as George Valentin, a silent movie star at the peak of his career. After attending one of his film premieres, he encounters a young woman named Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo), in a crowd of adoring fans. When she drops her autograph book, she accidentally bumps into Valentin. While the two have a photo op together, it is unknown between them that their destinies will soon collide.

After the premiere, Miller finds herself auditioning for a dance role in one of Valentin's films. When Valentin spots her, he insists for her to be cast in the studio's next production despite protests from Al Zimmer (played by John Goodman), the studio boss.

From there, Miller slowly rises in the industry with the help of Valentin and earns more and more starring roles. And while Miller's career and life starts to unfold, Valentin's on the other hand, starts to fall apart. With the arrival of the talkies, his silent career starts to fail.

Nominated for 10 Oscars, The Artist is undoubtedly one of the year's best films. From Ludovic Bource's lively and dramatic original score to Mark Bridges' gorgeously designed costumes, the film is a sentimental tribute to the silent era.

Between the dead-on facial expressions and the chemistry between the two leads, the Artist is a charmer from start to finish. In fact, the acting is so good that even Valentin's obedient dog Uggie manages to steal some of the scenes!

While retro and simple, Hazanavicius' direction truly brings to light the nostalgia of silent, black and white films of the past.

There's no need for expensive special effects or even much dialogue to make it resonate with the audience.

The film itself, says more than enough.

The Record Breaker (2012)

Heartwarming and charming. Left me smiling.

[10/10 · 14 July 2012]

The Record Breaker is a short film that depicts the perfect example of someone who lives life happily and to the fullest.

Directed by Brian McGinn, the film follows Ashrita Furman, a man who currently holds the official record for the most Guinness World Records set by an individual.

With approximately 415 records such as apple cutting with a Samurai sword and walking backwards in 440-lb iron shoes under his belt, Ashrita has been obsessed with the Guinness Book of World Records since he was a young boy.

A health food store owner and devotee of meditation, he travels the world creating new categories for record achievement. Driven by the passion he holds for breaking records, this film documents Ashrita as he attempts to climb the Machu Picchu on stilts.

Part of the World Showcase at the 2012 Hot Docs film festival in Toronto, this film is light-hearted with several funny moments. But despite not being a full-length feature, it does a great job at looking into Ashrita's past and the challenges he has faced. Once a good student who had the potential to become a lawyer, his parents were not always supportive when he decided to drop out of school to pursue other goals.

But not once does this film make its viewers feel that its subject has failed to lead a fulfilling life. In fact, Ashrita appears as happy as can be.

Even his estranged father Bernard begins to take note of this. Coming to terms with his son's way of life of following his own joys, he offers, "He is the happiest person I know. Isn't that what every parent wants?"

And despite being a 28 minute feature, the film certainly depicts Ashrita as someone who has a good sense of who he is. Even though he has a humble occupation with no signs of a wife or girlfriend, this individual is a charming and happy-go-lucky character who finds deeper meaning in the world by living on his own terms.

Delightful and touching, this film is one that will leave you in a good mood.

With Ashrita serving as the perfect model of someone who lives life to the fullest, we should all aspire to be more like him.

China Heavyweight (2012)

Beautifully-shot. Stories were well portrayed!

[8/10 · 14 July 2012]

China Heavyweight is beautifully-shot documentary about overcoming adversity and doing whatever it takes to become a champion.

Serving as a follow-up to Yung Chang's 2007 film Up in Yangtze, the Chinese-Canadian director takes his viewers back to China and introduces them to three men involved at a boxing academy in Southwest China. Qi Moxiang, is a state boxing coach who searches for raw talent in village schools and rural tobacco fields of the Sichuan province. A former boxer himself, Moxiang longs to have one more shot at victory after losing an Olympic qualifying match from a previous year. The younger boxers on the other hand, are Miao Yunfei and He Zongli. Chosen to go into elite training, both hope they won't spend their lives as tobacco farmers.

Having its Canadian premiere at the HotDocs film festival in Toronto, this film takes an observational approach into showing Coach Qi's dedication to the sport and the lives of two aspiring boxers who vie for a better life outside the village they grew up in.

While three characters can be a handful to focus on, Chang does an excellent job in intertwining their stories and bringing them back together at the end of the film during Coach Qi's final match.

But with several intimate and personal scenes involving the characters and their families, having to shoot in such close settings isn't always easy.

"We tried to build trust and a relationship with the characters," said Chang, noting that he wanted to give the audience the vision that the film was "almost in the mind of the subject".

But given that the documentary's subject is boxing, there's deeper meanings entwined in the film's narrative approach. While extremely personal, it successfully highlights the camaraderie between each individual and the struggles faced as they go away from home to take a shot at fighting for the glory of their country.

And even though the summary of this movie may seem like any sports documentary about overcoming challenges in order to become a champion, it's interesting to see young individuals evolve into elite athletes from their humble village surroundings in the Sichuan province.

Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

Moonrise Kingdom is a whimsical piece of work. Worth the watch!!

[10/10 · 14 July 2012]

Moonrise Kingdom is a whimsical piece of work. With its deadpan humour, caricature-like characters and storybook imagery, it's a lovely film about young love.

Directed by Wes Anderson, the film stars Sam and Suzy (played charmingly by newcomers Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward) as a pair 12- year-old lovers.

Sam is an orphan Khaki Scout who escapes from his camp thinking that no one will miss his absence. Suzy on the other hand, is left depressed because of her disjointed family. While she catches her mother Laura (Frances McDormand) having an affair with the town policeman Captain Sharp (Bruce Willis), her father Walt (Bill Murray), doesn't even seem to care.

So acting like typical 12-year-olds, the only logical reason would be to run away.

Having spent a year being secret pen pals, the youngsters plot an escape and flee their unhappy lives to be together. However, the two can't escape everything. There's a hurricane quickly approaching, as narrator Bob Balaban tells us as he randomly appears throughout the film to provide updates and anecdotes.

Perfectly paced, the film jumps back and forth between Sam and Suzy's campout in the woods and the frenzy they cause back home with Sam's fellow scouts and a bunch of adults including Suzy's parents, Captain Sharp, Sam's scoutmaster (played by a very chipper Edward Norton) and a woman only known as Social Services (Tilda Swinton).

With the film playing out like a storybook adventure, Sam and Suzy are a very fitting match. As they awkwardly and endearingly develop their romantic relationship, their chemistry appears to be very natural.

But that's not to say the other characters aren't brilliantly crafted. With the script's witty dialogue and the characters' deadpan sense of humours, what's really fantastic about this film is the eccentric personalities presented.

And by adding in nice touches through its soundtrack, costumes and props (can I say how awesome Suzy's portable record player was?!), the film certainly adds a feeling of nostalgia as it gives an impression of a simpler way of life in the 60s.

Positively received at the recent Cannes Film Festival, Moonrise Kingdom definitely shines. From its quirky and hilarious characters to Anderson's idyllic cinematography, this is a charming film about pre- pubescent love.

Magic Mike (2012)

Magic Mike is more than just a sexy striptease

[7/10 · 14 July 2012]

A story about male strippers featuring the likes of Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer and Matthew McConaughey is sure to rack up millions at the box office. But considering the fact that this dramedy was backed by an Academy Award-winning director, Magic Mike is more than just thongs, dollar bills, screaming women and sensuous grinding.

Directed by Steven Soderburgh (who won the Oscar for his work on Traffic), it's a film that deals with the deeper themes of life such as self-destruction, aging, ambition and a bit of romance as well.

In the film, Pettyfer plays Adam, a college-dropout who's staying with his older sister Brooke (Cody Horn) until he can figure out what he wants to do with his life. After getting hired for a construction job, he's soon taken under the wing of Mike (Tatum), a fellow roof tiler who spends his nights dancing in Tampa's Xquisite nightclub as a stripper.

After a night of partying, Adam is soon recruited to join Mike and his colleagues Big Dick Richie (Joe Manganiello), Tito (Adam Rodriguez), Ken (Matt Bomer) and Tarzan (Kevin Nash) to perform sexy strip routines every night. And soon enough, he's immersed in a world full of drugs, sex, women and alcohol.

Mike on the other hand, craves for more despite making a profitable income as a stripper. He yearns for a relationship with someone he can sit down and have a conversation with. But instead, he's reduced to one- night-stands with his booty call Joanna (Olivia Munn).

Job wise, he aspires to start a custom furniture business but struggles to lift off his career as an entrepreneur. But while he lacks intelligence as a business man, he's smart enough to see how the stripping industry can change a person as they get older. As club owner Dallas (played excellently by McConaughey) proves, the career can turn you into a selfish and conceited individual.

Written by Reid Carolin (Tatum's screen writing partner), Magic Mike is less about the stripping and more about the lifestyles of male strippers. Inspired by Tatum's own experiences as a young erotic dancer in Florida, the script perfectly balances between humour and drama while successfully capturing the repercussions and challenges that come with the profession (i.e drugs, self-destruction and vanity).

However, that's not to say the film doesn't have its fun and raunchy dance routines. With choreography provided by Alison Faulk, many of the dances are a little more embarrassing than sexy (with the exception of Tatum's hot strip-show number to Ginuwine's "Pony").

Acting wise, the one who steals the show is McConaughey, who perfectly and hilariously portrays the sleazy, skin-tight-leather-wearing Dallas. Tatum and Pettyfer on the other hand, hold their own despite sounding a bit rigid and unnatural at times. And with Horn well-casted for the role of Adam's concerned sister Brooke, it's just too bad the other actors such as Bomer, Rodriguez, Manganiello and Nash are left in the background dancing and grinding with not much to say.

While Magic Mike never offers full-on nudity as many would expect, Soderburgh's natural and well-paced direction provides an honest story about male strippers.

And whether or not you came to see the film for the chiseled bodies, this tale might just leave you with a different outlook on what it would be like to live as an erotic dancer.

Take This Waltz (2011)

Good, but lasted too long. Toronto was the star of this film

[7/10 · 14 July 2012]

Take This Waltz is about a woman contemplating the fate of her marriage. But being from Toronto, I couldn't help but enjoy the film for its gorgeous portrayal of the city during the summer.

Directed by Sarah Polley, the film's focus is Margot (Michelle Williams), a freelance writer struggling to draw the line between loyalty and desire after a chance meeting with a rickshaw driver named Daniel (Luke Kirby) during a business trip to Nova Scotia. It's obvious from the start that the chemistry between them is immediate. But being a happily married woman to Lou (Seth Rogen), Margot tries to push away her feelings.

But upon learning that Daniel lives across the street from her and her husband, Margot soon begins to question the certainty of her marriage. As her and Daniel deliberately try to find ways to run into each other, the two share moments full of sexual tension through drinking martinis, rides at the amusement park and even a romantic swim at night in the local pool.

Oddly enough, Lou, a cookbook writer, is completely unsuspecting of his wife's adventures. As Margot tries to find a deeper connection to her husband, their painfully childish relationship is reduced to making funny faces and shooting odd terms of endearments at each other like, "I love you so much I'm gonna put your spleen through a meat grinder."

Just under two hours, Take This Waltz lingers…just like Margot's feelings. It overstays its visit, constantly providing the audience with the burning question of "Will she cheat? Or will she not?" Thankfully enough, the answer is revealed during the movie's final chapter.

Visually, the film is absolutely stunning. Capturing areas of Toronto such as Kensington Market, Centre Island, Kew Beach and Trinity Bellwoods Park, Polley succeeds in making the city look colourful and appealing like a bowl of fruit on a hot summer's day.

Acting wise, Williams remains a director's dream, perfectly capturing the insecure, needy and self-absorbed Margot. However, it's Rogen and Sarah Silverman who really impress as they prove they can be serious actors as well. With Rogen's Lou gaining sympathy for being the innocent bystander in his wife's love triangle, Silverman also handles herself well as Lou's alcoholic sister trying to stay sober.

Overall, Take This Waltz lingered a bit too long to keep me patient. But considering that I am a born and bred Torontonian, seeing Polley's beautiful homage of the city through its sight, sounds and attractions was like watching a video postcard of Toronto.