Fantasy Filmfest: Fazit
Sniff. It's over again - the traditional week of genre madness went by, and after many great movies in the cinema I'm back to the banal world of tax returns and term papers. Time for a short recap, before I chain myself to my desk. After all, the festival starts tonight in Hamburg and Berlin - for a quick list of recs (and warnings) from me, clickedy click the lj cut.
I will follow these up with longer reviews, which I'll probably type up in German. Sorry, US people.
The Worst
Tales from Earthsea
Hayao Miyazaki's son tried his hand at an adaption losely based on the fantasy novels by Ursula K. Le Guin. Sadly, the film just plainly... sucks. I am very sorry to say this. I am a great fan of StudioGhibli's works and went in determined to give it a fair chance. And yet I find it hard to say anything good about the movie, mostly because it was simply boring. The character design is okay, but nothing special, the characterisation one-dimensional, the backgrounds pretty but very repetitive and barren, and the plot too thin to carry a 2 hour movie and the dialogue... god, the dialogue is awful. This sounds hugely negative. Maybe it is unfair to compare this film to what it might have been like under Hayao Miyazaki's direction. What the film has going for it as a lovely song, which I wish would have been included in the movie in a better way.
For those parties interested, nausicaa.net has an interesting write-up on what went on behind the scenes (it's a drama in its own right), and Ursula K. Le Guin has written her own response to the film here.
The Best
Fido
First things first: This is NOT a scary movie, but a comedy so black it leaks darkness. I expected a B-level zombie parody, and instead saw an A-level film, with a brilliant script and superb acting (My favorite: Carrie-Ann Moss as Helen, the mother). Bottom line: Canadians rule muchly!
Fido's concept can briefly be explained like this: Earth in the 1950s. Space radiation turns every human being that dies into zombies. Big corporation steps in, slaps control collars onto zombies and sells them as household servants and pets. Aaah, capitalism. Enter Timmy, whose family purchases a zombie he calls "Fido", and who becomes his best friend. The plot progresses into a mash up of Romero and every "Lassie" episode you've ever seen, add a pint of "Pleasantville" and a pinch of "Edward Scissorhands". Evil, lovely stuff, and you have to love all the little details the set designers came up with to make the universe believable.
I'm a cyborg, but that's ok
Think: Amélie-like love story in South Korea, with a touch of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". A young girl gets hospitalized in a psychiatric clinic because she thinks she is a cyborg, and falls in love with master thief Il-Sun, who can steal other people's special talents. This quirky comedy is utterly charming and very inventive, and meets the spleens of its large cast of primary and secondary characters both with respect and a healthy dose of humor. This does not sound like a feel-good movie, but it is.
Mushishi
Live-action movie, based on the manga and directed by Katsuhiro Otomo (of Akira fame), this is primarily a 131 min long celebration of Japan's lost nature scenery. Ginko, a "bug master", travels the country, curing people of illnesses cause by "mushi" (a primal lifeform that humans cannot see, but co-exist with, and looks somewhat like floaters) It's a meditative eco drama reminiscent of "Princess Mononoke", but without the violence or any of its fast paced action. I loved it because of its cool central character, and the inventive way "magic" works in this universe. Did not feel bored for a second, but Mushishi might not be to everyone's liking - it takes its sweet time to tell the story it tells. Drop dead gorgeous movie, that. You really need to see this one on the big screen.
Liked (a lot)
Black Sheep
New Zealand's WETA team produces a weresheep movie. Dude. It has evil sheep in it. What else do you need to know? You know you want to see it.
The Dark Hour
Atmospheric, unusual, post-apocalyptic survival horror. The last of the human race have holed up underground and try to lead a somewhat normal life, far away from sunlight and the monsters that hunt on the surface. This runs in the tradition of recent Spanish horror cinema - it focusses on the characters and relationships within the group and develops its plot from how the group slowly breaks apart. Very sympathetic characters, and superb acting by the young boy who narrates the story. Disturbing ending with a twist. Even more disturbing is the fact that all the "instructional videos" shown during the film are real, anti-soviet US propaganda.
Day Watch
Sequel to Night Watch. If you liked the first one, you will like this one, too. I enjoyed seing it in Russian for once - great atmosphere, as always.
The Last Winter
Probably my least favorite from the "Liked a lot" category, but nevertheless a good movie in its own right. A team of scientists and oil workers get stranded in the middle of Alaska when drilling for oil, and find themselves at the mercy of the spirits of nature, who have started to fight back the invaders. Pessimistic to the very end. Features Ron Perlman in a leading role.
Retribution
Japanese ghost story set in present-day Tokyo. Liked this one a LOT. A gruff cop is haunted by a female ghost while working on a murder case. It's not really what you expect out of a ghost story - understated effects, a few nice twists and a haunting (no pun intended) ending. I especially liked the way the director worked earthquakes, the squallid architecture of the Tokyo harbor area, and the way humans bury their problems rather than work them out into one giant motif. Pleasantly surprised.
Liked
La Antena
Silent movie from Argentinia, very stylish. Quotes a lot from Fritz Lang and Russian expressionist cinema. Found it to be a bit slow, but also very poetic.
Death Note
Takes an hour to get going, and just when it gets really interesting, ends in a CLIFFHANGER. There is a part two, but I did not see it. The boy who plays "L" is a perfect cast, the rest is fairly standard. Looks and feels more like a TV series episode than a movie, right down to the budget, and might have fared better as one since the plot's episodic to begin with.
Get Shorty
The internatinal short film program, usually one of the highlights, was a bit lacking this year. My favorites were The Handyman with Greta Scacchi and Bill Sage, and Little Lise from Denmark. The last two shorts are pretty gory, so you might want to leave the cinema before these two show. Yuck.
Yo-Yo Girl Cop
Newest adaption of the Sukeban Deka manga. Undercover teen detective infiltrates highschool and fights with steel yo-yo. Has the potential for a great trashy slugfest, but sadly, aspires to be human melodrama in its middle section. The beginning and the end are great fun though. Features former Yo-Yo girl cop Yuki Saito as the heroine's mother in a small guest role.
I will follow these up with longer reviews, which I'll probably type up in German. Sorry, US people.
The Worst
Tales from Earthsea
Hayao Miyazaki's son tried his hand at an adaption losely based on the fantasy novels by Ursula K. Le Guin. Sadly, the film just plainly... sucks. I am very sorry to say this. I am a great fan of StudioGhibli's works and went in determined to give it a fair chance. And yet I find it hard to say anything good about the movie, mostly because it was simply boring. The character design is okay, but nothing special, the characterisation one-dimensional, the backgrounds pretty but very repetitive and barren, and the plot too thin to carry a 2 hour movie and the dialogue... god, the dialogue is awful. This sounds hugely negative. Maybe it is unfair to compare this film to what it might have been like under Hayao Miyazaki's direction. What the film has going for it as a lovely song, which I wish would have been included in the movie in a better way.
For those parties interested, nausicaa.net has an interesting write-up on what went on behind the scenes (it's a drama in its own right), and Ursula K. Le Guin has written her own response to the film here.
The Best
Fido
First things first: This is NOT a scary movie, but a comedy so black it leaks darkness. I expected a B-level zombie parody, and instead saw an A-level film, with a brilliant script and superb acting (My favorite: Carrie-Ann Moss as Helen, the mother). Bottom line: Canadians rule muchly!
Fido's concept can briefly be explained like this: Earth in the 1950s. Space radiation turns every human being that dies into zombies. Big corporation steps in, slaps control collars onto zombies and sells them as household servants and pets. Aaah, capitalism. Enter Timmy, whose family purchases a zombie he calls "Fido", and who becomes his best friend. The plot progresses into a mash up of Romero and every "Lassie" episode you've ever seen, add a pint of "Pleasantville" and a pinch of "Edward Scissorhands". Evil, lovely stuff, and you have to love all the little details the set designers came up with to make the universe believable.
I'm a cyborg, but that's ok
Think: Amélie-like love story in South Korea, with a touch of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". A young girl gets hospitalized in a psychiatric clinic because she thinks she is a cyborg, and falls in love with master thief Il-Sun, who can steal other people's special talents. This quirky comedy is utterly charming and very inventive, and meets the spleens of its large cast of primary and secondary characters both with respect and a healthy dose of humor. This does not sound like a feel-good movie, but it is.
Mushishi
Live-action movie, based on the manga and directed by Katsuhiro Otomo (of Akira fame), this is primarily a 131 min long celebration of Japan's lost nature scenery. Ginko, a "bug master", travels the country, curing people of illnesses cause by "mushi" (a primal lifeform that humans cannot see, but co-exist with, and looks somewhat like floaters) It's a meditative eco drama reminiscent of "Princess Mononoke", but without the violence or any of its fast paced action. I loved it because of its cool central character, and the inventive way "magic" works in this universe. Did not feel bored for a second, but Mushishi might not be to everyone's liking - it takes its sweet time to tell the story it tells. Drop dead gorgeous movie, that. You really need to see this one on the big screen.
Liked (a lot)
Black Sheep
New Zealand's WETA team produces a weresheep movie. Dude. It has evil sheep in it. What else do you need to know? You know you want to see it.
The Dark Hour
Atmospheric, unusual, post-apocalyptic survival horror. The last of the human race have holed up underground and try to lead a somewhat normal life, far away from sunlight and the monsters that hunt on the surface. This runs in the tradition of recent Spanish horror cinema - it focusses on the characters and relationships within the group and develops its plot from how the group slowly breaks apart. Very sympathetic characters, and superb acting by the young boy who narrates the story. Disturbing ending with a twist. Even more disturbing is the fact that all the "instructional videos" shown during the film are real, anti-soviet US propaganda.
Day Watch
Sequel to Night Watch. If you liked the first one, you will like this one, too. I enjoyed seing it in Russian for once - great atmosphere, as always.
The Last Winter
Probably my least favorite from the "Liked a lot" category, but nevertheless a good movie in its own right. A team of scientists and oil workers get stranded in the middle of Alaska when drilling for oil, and find themselves at the mercy of the spirits of nature, who have started to fight back the invaders. Pessimistic to the very end. Features Ron Perlman in a leading role.
Retribution
Japanese ghost story set in present-day Tokyo. Liked this one a LOT. A gruff cop is haunted by a female ghost while working on a murder case. It's not really what you expect out of a ghost story - understated effects, a few nice twists and a haunting (no pun intended) ending. I especially liked the way the director worked earthquakes, the squallid architecture of the Tokyo harbor area, and the way humans bury their problems rather than work them out into one giant motif. Pleasantly surprised.
Liked
La Antena
Silent movie from Argentinia, very stylish. Quotes a lot from Fritz Lang and Russian expressionist cinema. Found it to be a bit slow, but also very poetic.
Death Note
Takes an hour to get going, and just when it gets really interesting, ends in a CLIFFHANGER. There is a part two, but I did not see it. The boy who plays "L" is a perfect cast, the rest is fairly standard. Looks and feels more like a TV series episode than a movie, right down to the budget, and might have fared better as one since the plot's episodic to begin with.
Get Shorty
The internatinal short film program, usually one of the highlights, was a bit lacking this year. My favorites were The Handyman with Greta Scacchi and Bill Sage, and Little Lise from Denmark. The last two shorts are pretty gory, so you might want to leave the cinema before these two show. Yuck.
Yo-Yo Girl Cop
Newest adaption of the Sukeban Deka manga. Undercover teen detective infiltrates highschool and fights with steel yo-yo. Has the potential for a great trashy slugfest, but sadly, aspires to be human melodrama in its middle section. The beginning and the end are great fun though. Features former Yo-Yo girl cop Yuki Saito as the heroine's mother in a small guest role.