Flight of the Red Balloon

Flight of the Red Balloon aka Le voyage du ballon rouge (Hou Hsiao-hsien, 2007)

A little boy and his baby-sitter inhabit the same imaginary world: through their adventures they are followed by a strange red balloon.

Pray For Me : The Jason Jessee Film

Pray For Me : The Jason Jessee Film (Steve Nemsick & David Rogerson, 2007)

Professionnal skateboarder Jason Jessee is profiled in this 80 minutes documentary that preceded his comeback to a skaboarding sponsorship by Santa Cruz skateboards.

Coming from a Mormon family of South California that liked motorcycles and guns, Jason Jessee became a peculiar character that few people have really understood. Considered by his friends and peers as a clown or a kook, Jessee has passed from 100 000$ earnings in a year skateboarding to a minimum wage job cleaning dishes.

The portrait of his family and childhood is nicely done but too much time is on the fact that he hides himself behind a mask of comedy and extreme behaviors such as Nazi imagery, terrorist slogans, and Jesus freak phrases. Clearly, this is a man that wanted to do things his own way and make people talk about him. Sadly, the documentary almost plays as a joke and only encourages his eccentric side without trying to really scratch the surface and peel off the layers of this obvious shell that Jessee has forged around him to protect him from being hurt.

Another side of Pray For Me that should be improved is the lack of footage of his skateboarding days and the few archives shown. I read on IMDb that the budget was around 100 000$ for the entire documentary and this is probably one of the reasons it was harder to get rights for the archives of his career. However, the whole film feels that the budget was limited and it is almost sad that it feels cheap. There’s one thing when the soundtrack is done with less money and features more underground artists, much like skateboarding videos in general, but when the writing of the screenplay lacks of formal structure and circles around an interesting topic without achieving a complete analysis.

Between two shots of Jessee kidding around in his garage and interviews of his peers and family, Pray For Me : The Jason Jessee Film leaves us with a vague impression of the man and many questions hold in the air regarding the subject of the film and its purpose. As a skateboarder myself I like to know the guy behind the name written on the decks I buy. The Jason Jessee boards are nice skateboards and his graphics have always been considered as popular amongst customers. Apart if you are a real fan of the man or a diehard rabid consumer of everything skateboard I would suggest a rental but as aforementioned, there’s not a lot to learn from this 80 minutes documentary.

Helvetica

Helvetica (Gary Hustwit, 2007)

A documentary about typography, graphic design, and global visual culture.

The first instalment of Gary Hustwit on design and the humanized world surrounding our contemporary urban lives is about typography and more specifically on the font Helvetica. Presented as it is it seems like a “geek” documentary about a very technical subject. Well, it is far from being bothering and the relevance of the subject is not put in your face but you quickly get it with all the brands and publicities presented that features the font and its many forms.

Without voiceovers and letting all the right time to the type designers to explain their points of view, we have the witness of those how were working at the time the font was designed. They are called modernists of the post-War period. It is interesting to get the many views on the evolution of the designs of types and how some “schools” or “waves” have evolved.

It is impressive to discover how just a simple choice of type can change our vision about something. It is interesting to observe how products, brands, advertising, and plain and simple consumption is now the center of our lives and how it is presented and sold to us is related to Helvetica. Recommended.

Borderline

Borderline (Lyne Charlebois, 2007)

Adapted from Marie-Sissi Labrèche's novel, Borderline is the story of a woman who suffers from the syndrome of being "borderline". This is a state of mind that makes these people emotionally fragile. They have a problem differencing their inside and outside emotions, they are extremely insecure and very impulsive persons. Not being a specialist in psychology stops me from defining this syndrome with much more depth. The movie can however be enjoyed without having to study psychology to fully understand the state of mind of the protagonist here.

 

Kiki (Isabelle Blais) is preparing her the dissertation of her Master and she is haunted by the ghosts of her past: her interned mother, the grand mother who raised here, her multiple lovers, and her absent father. We are the witness of her struggle since she was a child to accept and live her life with her condition. The work of many women on the film Blais, Charlebois, Labrèche is very palpable and they all had to uncover a part of their own to give to Borderline the raw and real feeling to it. Isabelle Blais' performance is more than extraordinary, she has all the depth and the subtlety that Kiki needed to be materialized on screen. Never overplaying or being vulgar, her presence is strong and confident in this fragile role.

The non-linear structure of the film places the life of Kiki like a well mounted puzzle that even if seen hundreds of times has its success. Lyne Charlebois' directing managed to be a reminiscent of Ingmar Bergman's understanding of women in masterpieces like The Silence or Cries and Whispers. The "mise en scène" is to the point and very unique. An unsettling film filled with amazing performances that opens minds and eyes on understanding and love.

Hot Fuzz

Hot Fuzz (Edgar Wright, 2007)

From the same team who did the refreshing Shaun of the Dead, Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost comes this policeman - police officer comedy. It has been a while since a duet of comedians (Pegg/Frost) has seem this united and confortable in subsequent comedies. The two looklike two friends who always played together. No surprise they were chosen to impersonate Dupond-Dupont in the Tintin picture Spielberg is currently working on. They look like two brothers from a different mother and a different father. In other words they physically don't look like each other but here stops the divergences.

This is the story of Nick Angel, the perfect police officer working in London obliged to work in the quiet small town of Stanford. Angel is too stiff for this mellow smooth office of cake eaters policemans. Until one day a series of unexplained deaths leads Angel to rethink about the little town and its loose behaviors and laws.

Well, even if Hot Fuzz isn't as hilarious as Shaun of the Dead was it still has its moments of pure comedy.

The script has some flaws and characters tend to be over stereotyped. In this case I tend to think that the stereotype just helps the comedy.

The direction is inventive and tight editing gives a refreshing movie for the genre. The genre was mixed like what they did with the mix of Rom-com and Zombie movie in Shaun of the Dead. The cuts between the genres is better handled in Hot Fuzz and it doesn't a break as much as in the previous film.

In the whole, Hot Fuzz is a good comedy with very hype actors and efficient gags. It just needed a stronger script to hit the next level of excellence.

Cassandra's Dream

Cassandra's Dream (Woody Allen, 2007)

From Woody Allen, a monument in the history of filmmaking with 46 moving pictures credited to his IMDb resume, Cassandra's Dream is in the continuity of his 'th youth of Match Point more than of his trademark comedies. To many cinephiles, Allen's comedies are annoying and look all the same. In my opinion he had one of the most interesting careers of the 1970's and 1980's together. Nowadays, Allen reminds me of the late Fellini that was a caricature of himself. Anyway, as I am a fan of his work I will continue to follow his films and discover what tricks he still can pull out of his hat. For those who are acquainted to Woody Allen you all know that he has a bag or a hat full of short stories/ideas for film that he wrote and picks one up and make a film with. Well, even if his You Will Meet Dark Tall Stranger wasn't that good we can't blame the man for not trying, with a ratio of one film per year, he has lots to offer. Let's just see if he still has juice in this fruit...

Cassandra's Dream is a modern day adaptation of the novel Brothers Karamazov by Dostoievski. The plot is well written even if it's not the twist of the century. Like Dostoievski, Allen likes to play with the motivations of the characters to commit the unthinkable. The story has this classic and sober tone to it and we feel that this film could have been made any other time in the history of Cinema and it would have worked. The main problem with the plot it's that it's not involving an issue that could have interested a wider audience. Compared to a more modern movie made by a director of approx the same age of Woody Allen, Sydney Lumet's Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, Cassandra's Dream feels a little bland.

The brothers pictured in Cassandra's Dream: Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell are has usual very good. As I've read in some interview with Allen by Eric Lax, Allen never really directs the actors. But in this case this lack of stage directions may have created the right chemistry between the two actors. I appreciated both their presences and both kind of measure how their characters had to deal with moral issues. A regular supporting actor, Tom Wilkinson gives a memorable performance as the crooked uncle.

On the visual side, Cassandra's Dream looks like a British film with its clouded exteriors and dark colors.

For a Woody Allen, it's maybe a little over serious or too dramatic... However, I'll continue to watch Allen's films because I think he has some interesting ideas but I shouldn't think of Manhattan or Crimes and Misdemeanors because I'll regret those great films and this amazing period in his career...

Rohmer vs Breillat or (LA MARQUISE D'O vs UNE VIEILLE MAITRESSE)

Die marquise von O (Eric Rohmer, 1976) ****1/2 (Excellent)

Une vieille maitresse (Catherine Breillat, 2007) *** (Good)

This opposition between those two costume dramas is a circumstance only justifiable by the screening of those two in the same period of time for me. As you will read with this review, I deeply appreciated one more than the other. In both case, we are far from masterpieces of the genre like Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon or Luchino Visconti's Il gattopardo.

Une vieille maitresse is the most recent of the two films and is from a well known director mostly recognize for her films depicting non-simulated explicit sex scenes. Well, besides the sex and provocation, Catherine Breillat has made interesting films as well. Her film discussed here has its scenes of sex that are set in the sequence of events of the film.They make this costume drama unlike any other made before.

The so-called sex scenes in Breillat's film gets us close to the characters that most often than not are far from us with the time and the sentiments. But the scenes of a costume drama without the costumes is a drama and sex is sex. Still, the motivations of the characters are passionate and we have to immerge ourselves into the time period to understand why the husband must marry a wealthier woman and deny his love for his mistress. This is a smptuous film that cannot bear to the ankle of Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette for example, even if Breillat film is more explicit on the delured side. Coppola's take on costume drama is sugar-sweet and progressive.

On the other side, Rohmer's Marquise of O is a somptuous film based on redemption, secrets, and true love. It feels more like a costume drama almost entirely shot in studios and brilliantly acted especially by the marvellous Bruno Ganz. The story feels like it was written and shot at the time the story is set. We have a feeling of being in this era and to fully understand the motivations of the characters. The photography is natural and realistic almost only natural light and terra cota colors. Some purist of Rohmer's work could say that this is his most unRohmerian film but I would say that it's one of his most interesting: many different techniques and and one of his few films tobe set in another time than the present. I like when directors impose to themselves obstacles and challenges. Like Hitchcock did with Lifeboat or Rope for example. Here, Rohmer even shot in German.

As for costume dramas or historical films, I'm kind of a little bored by the whole process and I think directors like Sofia Coppola and Catherine Breillat were great choices to try to bring something completely different to the screens. Well, as it succeded in Coppola's case I think that Breillat's effort needed more punch or a better plot to keep us awake between the soft-core sequences of Asia Argento's belle-laide body. As for Rohmer, the winner of this confrontation, we see a master holding the wheel with a sure hand and a brilliant cast. On every level, Marquise d'O offers what I call a film that represents what filmmaking should be; a strong story, well shoot, with sincere emotions that gives a grand spectacle.

Cinema Now - Suggested Readings

Publised at Taschen in 2007, Cinema Now gives a good perspective of up and coming filmmakers of the decade that ended last december. The best quality of this book is how it gives a good view of the filmmakers from around the World. Great photographies and short, but interesting, descriptions of the major work of each director presented in Cinema Now makes this book an interesting and very good looking coffee table accessory.

Well, compared to the IMDb and They Shoot Pictures Don't They? Websites, Cinema Now doesn't feel that exhaustive... But, its content is enjoyable and well written.

Les meilleurs films de la dernière décennie - 2007

Pour vous faire languir encore plus avant le dévoilement de mon Top 100 des meilleurs films de la décennie qui se terminera en ce 31 décembre 2009 je vais vous présenter le Top 10 de chacune de ses années!

Voici mon Top 10 personnel des 10 meilleurs films de l'année 2007:


1. There Will Be Blood (P.T. Anderson)

2. I'm Not There (Todd Haynes)

3. No Country For Old Men (Joel & Ethan Coen)

4. Stellet Licht (Carlos Reygadas)

5. 3 :10 to Yuma (James Mangold)

6. Michael Clayton (Tony Gilroy)

7. Eastern Promises (David Cronenberg)

8. Death Proof (Quentin Tarantino)

9. De l'autre coté (Fatih Akin)

10. Atonement (Joe Wright)