thebucketrider Reviews

The Nightingale (I) (2018)

a fashionably Manichean revenge story

[6/10 · 18 January 2020]

The film rides largely on a commanding performance by the lead actress, with a promising young supporting actor also turning in a noteworthy performance. It definitely held my attention. However, the plot is a very basic revenge tale with the fashionable but unsubtle message that white men (or perhaps in this case only specifically the English) are morally bankrupt, women are martyrs and blacks are noble. Accordingly, the villains are two-dimensional sociopaths who won't blink before violating anyone in a vulnerable position. When the inevitable revenge is finally consummated, it is as coarse and unoriginal as you could ask for, smiting the white devil in the very throes of his depravity. The film had some good elements to work with, but a noticeable lack of creativity keeps it from rising above its clichés.

Awakening the Zodiac (2017)

Some style, no substance

[5/10 · 14 September 2017]

Quite a vacuous film about a trio of scavengers who chance upon footage of the Zodiac killer's crimes decades later and attempt to track him down to claim a reward. It manages to hold the viewer's interest for a while by generating the expectation that something will happen but very little does for most of the film and when the killer finally appears and interacts with the protagonists, this has little logical connection with what has gone on before. Usually, when mysteries introduce only one suspect, it's a cinch that that suspect is the killer, but this film bucks that trend: the killer is some random person who we know nothing about even after the film ends. There are any number of loose ends the narrative doesn't even attempt to tie.

11:55 (2016)

good acting, minimal plot

[5/10 · 17 June 2017]

A marine returns to his ramshackle burgh after serving in Afghanistan. No sooner do his friends and family welcome him back, he gets word that somebody will be coming to town to settle an old score with him. As good a premise as any, but the film doesn't do much with it. The former marine spends about 90% of the film looking for backup in advance of his foe's return. The acting is good, the people he interacts with are well characterised, yet one can only watch so many variations on the same conversation before it gets tiresome. I won't give away what happens when his nemesis arrives on the 11:55 bus but I found it seriously anti-climactic.

The Hunt (2012)

a witch hunt

[9/10 · 3 January 2013]

By parroting a bawdy description of Lucas, her schoolteacher, a little girl unwittingly persuades the officious headmistress that he has molested her. The suspicion snowballs. After an unofficial debriefing in which the interrogator blatantly leads the young witness, the school refers the matter to the police. The authorities don't find any basis to prosecute the alleged abuse, but this means little to a town with a lynch mob mentality. Dogged by suspicion, Lucas finds his livelihood upended, his relationships strained, and his peace menaced. Wise beyond her years, the student admits her foolishness and proclaims the teacher's innocence, but this falls upon dead ears. Lucas' so-called accuser is the daughter of his so-called best friend, but that friend won't be the one to give him the benefit of the doubt, at least not before Lucas has gone through an awful lot of grief.

The depiction of Lucas' persecution is compelling (as long as one suspends disbelief and accepts that parents and administrators are dumb enough to believe the kids will gaily horse around with a serial molester the way they do with Lucas). No one will watch this film without acquiring a renewed sense of the importance of due process and the presumption of innocence. However, it glosses over what, to my mind, could have been the most interesting part of the tale: Lucas' reconciliation with and reintegration into his community. What could heal the wounds of an innocent man so cruelly mistreated? How could he ever trust the people around him again knowing that they can turn on him ruthlessly without him doing anything at all? If the film had offered a convincing portrait of how this was possible, it might have been a transcendent work instead of just an excellent film. The closing scene recapitulates one of the most unnerving episodes of Lucas' ordeal, starkly calling into question the idea that Lucas and his community have forgiven and moved on. That ending adds poignancy to the question of how those involved have attempted to come to terms with the injustice done to Lucas, but answers are only subtly hinted at. I, like many viewers, would also have found some satisfaction in seeing any of Lucas' tormentors besides the butcher (say, the headmistress or Fanny's killer) get some comeuppance. The film does not vouchsafe us this satisfaction. Perhaps the point is that Lucas is victimized by a mob, not by individuals who choose rationally and can be held accountable.

The Last Christeros (2011)

rebels without a narrative

[4/10 · 13 August 2012]

A truly tedious exercise, this film follows a ragtag group of armed, persecuted Christians, as they meander through the countryside. Their persecution isn't depicted on screen, except for an occasional bullet flying out of nowhere. These Christians are very rough characters and their repartee is far from scintillating. The film can hardly be said to have a story or any serious acting. There are some good shots of pastoral locations, which is why I didn't give this a lower rating. Still, with few thoughts, few events and few characters, I think it would take more than some good shots to salvage this work, although I confess I'm at a loss to say what might have done the trick. I was astonished when I saw the runtime listed--I could have sworn it had lasted a good three hours.

Inception (2010)

Intriguing premise devolves into same old, same old

[7/10 · 1 August 2010]

This film is in the vein of movies like "The Matrix" that flirt with the idea of an unknown but discoverable substrate underlying our ordinary experiences. This one comes especially close to Poe's view that all that we see is but a dream within a dream. The premise used to question our grasp on reality is fairly original: a team of individuals with different specialties has the ability to enter and stage other people's dreams, extract information from their subconscious and, crucially, even implant ideas with the expectation that these will, so to speak, rise to the surface--an original method of suggestion. The film spends quite a bit of time acquainting the viewer with the main characters and the peculiar laws that govern their work before setting them on the mission the plot centers on. While it is not always easy to follow, I found this setup the most arresting part of the film. Unfortunately, the main narrative does not, in my view, live up to the promise of the setup. The film is laden with scenes that would fit into any of a legion of Hollywood action flicks: car chases, hand to hand combat, explosions, shoot-'em-ups. It cannot be said that all of these serve to advance the narrative; the rationale for proceeding from one hackneyed scene to the next is frequently contrived, illogical or murky. Technically, they are well done and should gratify those who thrive on such fare. Visually, I found the scenes that show the generation of dreamscapes most laudable: the effects truly dazzle. I won't say the film entirely neglects the story it sets in motion but I certainly feel the time devoted to car chases and explosions could have been profitably devoted to developing the story and characters. To give a glaring example, I would have liked to have known the aftermath of the heros' intervention in their target's subconscious.

Mala Moskwa (2008)

got it backward

[7/10 · 17 July 2010]

The plot blurb on this page gets it wrong: During the Cold War, a local Polish officer and a young Soviet woman wedded to a Soviet officer are drawn together by music. The asymmetry between their countries' position and power are important to the plot, so I don't consider this mix-up trivial. Their affair attracts the attention of the military authorities precisely because of her military connections. Restrictions on the movements of Poles around the Soviet forces forces the couple to maneuver a fair bit to prosecute their affair. Indeed, one subterfuge to circumvent those restrictions lands the officer in trouble that seems disproportional to mere adultery. Although his commanding officers appear to have a modicum of sympathy for him, there is not much they can do in th face of the Soviets. The film is very well done for a melodrama but doesn't rise above the genre.

Daniel and Ana (2009)

a study in trauma: shocking abuse, tedious aftermath

[6/10 · 13 May 2010]

A brother and sister fall victim to an express kidnapping, during which they are hideously violated. (Although several reviews specify what happens, I think it's better not to give it away. Suffice to say the kidnappers borrow a page from the Japanese army's Nanking handbook.) The film follows the aftermath of this abuse, showing how the siblings' character and behaviour are altered. Except for a surprising reprise of the horror, there are few actual events in the balance of the film. Much of what we see on screen is the protagonists acting surly and withdrawn, avoiding people or giving monosyllabic responses. (The clueless parents see both their children begin to behave out of character at the same time but never seem to consider that there might be a common cause.) I believe it would take truly superior actors to infuse this script with the drama befitting the characters' experience and in my opinion, Bernal and Vega are not up to it. This may be a minority opinion, since other viewers have found their performances compelling. Of course, the script doesn't give them a whole lot to work with and bears the lion's share of the responsibility for the tedium of the siblings' goings-on. However, the kidnapping scene could, by all rights, have showcased first class dramatic skills and the leaden acting we see there tells us the actors have a long way to go. (The leads do shine by comparison to their captors, though. It is hard to watch the kidnapper give his spiel and not think of Hannah Arendt's phrase "the banality of evil." Considering the capabilities of these actors, I believe making that scene so detailed showed poor judgment.) One thing worth highlighting is that this film is closer to a vignette than a structured narrative. Despite some indications to the contrary, I believe there is no culminating climax or resolution--it is pretty flat after the kidnapping. The film is supposedly based on a true story and may hew very close to real life, which, of course, is seldom a structured narrative. That may be some viewers' cup of tea; if it isn't yours, think twice about seeing this film. In short, there is a disparity between the film's subject matter and the execution. The premise is not for the faint of heart but its enormous dramatic potential is dissipated in flat, repetitive scenes.

Amar a morir (2009)

entertaining, commercial and fluffy

[7/10 · 12 April 2009]

A wealthy urban brat who won't conform to his rotten society's values flees the city after running over a pedestrian. In a rural village, he takes an interest in a local girl but gets in over his head as he realizes there is much more to her than meets the eye. The cinematographic style is highly commercial--the depiction of the urban rich early in the movie closely resembles many a beer commercial's, while the shots of the surfers and lovers at the beach would be great for advertising Michoacán as a tourist destination (although the tale will give prospective tourists pause). It is an entertaining film with few dull moments and some of the actors, especially the villain, play their parts quite well. However, it ultimately seems to lack substance. The protagonist is something of a rebel without a cause--he rejects the hypocrisy, racism and corruption of his social group but doesn't seem to stand for any alternative values. The love story is curiously empty--there seems to be nothing between the two other than glances, small talk and physical contact. I suppose the hero's willingness to risk so much for this love is supposed to appear noble or inspiring but the narrative never develops a relationship that could credibly bear this burden. Perhaps the most thoughtful aspect of the film is its portrait of a society so thoroughly corrupt. However, even on this topic, I don't hear it saying anything original.

The Go Master (2006)

A bore

[4/10 · 14 December 2007]

This film offers a very dull chronicle of the biography of a legendary Go player. The main character appears very flat: his life is dedicated entirely to the game of Go and to his religious faith. Since neither of these is presented in any detail, it is hard for a viewer who is not familiar with them beforehand to understand what he's about. His interactions with the film's love interest, whom he ends up marrying, are as flat as the rest of it; reading a note elicits some emotion from him but her presence does not. The film has a very episodic feel, leaping from one scene and context to the next without much continuity. It sometimes feels like the historical /political events of the period command more attention than the protagonist but they are not explained or narrated as they would be in a documentary. The film boasts good photography and a few scenes of interest but I found it consistently vapid on the whole.

J-ok'el (2007)

aptly named for Anglophones

[3/10 · 10 March 2007]

In this tedious film, which can hardly be called a thriller, an American visits a small town in Chiapas, Mexico to search for his missing asthmatic half-sister. (Incidentally, pace the plot summary on this page, he *doesn't* go there at his mother's behest; even the trailer makes this clear.) There he learns that her disappearance is part of a rash of kidnappings of young children and wanders the town interacting with the locals in inane ways. Legend suggests that the kidnappings are the supernatural doings of a spirit. The plot twist at the film's climax is silly but can hardly be called disappointing, since by the time it comes around the viewer neither cares much about the characters nor expects anything better. The film has quite a few loose ends but I doubt anyone will puzzle about them for long.

Next Door (2005)

good effort, meager script

[5/10 · 1 July 2006]

In the opening scene, the protagonist's girlfriend comes into the apartment to move out on him, citing grievances that don't get explained, while her new partner waits outside. After the credits, said protagonist is asked over by a fetching neighbour to perform a seemingly pointless chore. The neighbour shares her apartment with an equally attractive roommate, both of whom appear to come on to our hero, while puzzling him some comments out of left field and contradictory stories. It is a fairly intriguing beginning which soon devolves into a decidedly abnormal relation when the man is coaxed back to their apartment and, abandoning his initial reserve, becomes a full participant in the neighbours' nuttiness. Unsubtle hints soon alert us that things are not to be taken at face value, at which point the spiraling weirdness ceases to generate much interest, at least for this viewer. I, for one, found the ending both excessive and boring. I daresay it is not a premise that would attract many viewers if presented up front. However, I must give credit to the director and lead actor for making the film as interesting as possible given its fluffy, inchoate script. I can easily see myself walking out on this story (which some people at the screening I attended did--and not only during the violent sex scene) had it been brought to the screen by less adroit forces.

As It Is in Heaven (2004)

Musician comes home to bring out the best and confront the worst in his village.

[7/10 · 26 May 2006]

The film begins with a boy practicing violin in a field until he is interrupted violently by a group of bullies. The boy leaves the town, grows up to become a famous conductor but comes back when his failing health forces him to take a break. Then he accepts a position directing the choir, a job that pits him against one of the bullies from his childhood (who has aged far more gracefully) and an insecure, puritanical pastor. The cartoonish pastor serves as a straw man for the film to mount a facile attack on church morality. This, in my view, was the weakest point of the movie. However, the interaction of the provincial singers with the conductor and among each other is often genuine and touching. To my mind, the ending, with things taken an unpredictable and gratuitous turn, smacks a bit of Hollywood feel good overstatement. But in a less critical mood, I think it could be very uplifting. It is worth noting that it is a variation on the experience Daniel describes early in the movie of conducting or, rather, not conducting his orchestra during a blackout.

Próxima Salida (2004)

genial characters seek life after the railroad

[6/10 · 5 May 2006]

The story follows the vicissitudes of several longtime railroad employees after the line they have worked on for years is shut down. The son of another employee who gave up and committed suicide plays a tangential but symbolically important role. I suspect those who will find this work most meaningful are viewers who are quite familiar with Argentina's economic context. The acting is quite persuasive; I found the cast very well chosen. As vignettes from the lives of these disparate men, it is surely enjoyable. As a piece of historico-socioeconomic analysis or commentary, the film, which showcases the slogan, "They can't close all the exits to us!," may seem a bit facile.

Allegro (I) (2005)

portrait of the artist as a damaged human

[7/10 · 22 February 2006]

I don't understand how the previous reviewer could accuse this film of trying to be too mysterious and of being "overexplained"--these seem inconsistent to me. For my part, I found it straightforward and a bit didactic but I do think the psychological phenomena it pointed to are worth thinking about. Those who remember "Reconstruction" will find this exercise similar in style but less ambitious. It does have its flaws--for example, the devices used to attempt to generate suspense are not very effective. I would say this film succeeds more at getting those in the audience who are attuned to the questions it raises thinking than it does as pure entertainment.

Andrea (2005)

Amateur effort yields unintended humour

[3/10 · 17 February 2006]

This film is a very low budget account of a rather hackneyed ghost story. The special effects are primitive, the acting is generally amateurish and there are quite a few holes in the plot. The story has elements of soap opera and dialog appropriate to a soap opera is incongruously inserted into some of the action scenes. Frankly, I find it difficult to imagine a viewer effecting a suspension of disbelief thorough enough to take this story seriously. However, although it is clearly not meant to be outright parody, its clumsiness achieves a certain unintended humour at times. For all my dismay at its shortcomings, I have to say it held my interest, although it definitely wouldn't bear a second viewing well.

Song for a Raggy Boy (2003)

Poor man's violent version of Dead Poet's Society

[20 September 2004]

An Irishman who fought in the Spanish Civil War is engaged as the only lay teacher in a reform school run by oppressive, predatory Catholic priests. In this brutal environment, the teacher kindles the intellectual enthusiasm of his initially illiterate students by introducing them to poetry. His resistance to the reformatory's regime sparks a harsher crackdown in response. The plot earns no awards for creativity or subtlety but then, we learn in the end that this is based on a true story. Although the characters can seem one-dimensional, I found the acting riveting and the story well-paced; hardly a dull moment. On a side note, I can't remember another recent film without female characters (although one appears in flashbacks).

Nina (2004)

Raskolnikov draws cartoons in Sao Paulo

[6/10 · 17 July 2004]

A farcical, highly abridged adaptation of Dostoevsky's _Crime and Punishment_ set in contemporary Sao Paulo. The protagonist is an underemployed girl who wallpapers her room with the dark, manga-like cartoons she draws. This is perhaps indicative of her introversion, her immersion in a world of fantastic ideas and impressions; when events elicit highly charged reactions, these are rendered as cartoons. The girl's nemesis is her shrewish, niggardly landlady, who is rendered very convincingly detestable (in far more detail than Alena Ivanovna was). How Nina deals with her will come as no surprise to readers of the original novel but here that crime becomes a culmination of the story rather than its centerpiece. The focus, instead, is on the straitened youthful existence that leads up to it. A highlight of the film is Nina's encounter and tryst with a very characterful blind man.

"Nina" is an entertaining affair with none of the religious depth and anxiety of the book it is based on.