Juggertrout Reviews

Death of a Man in the Balkans (2012)

A Serbian Farce

[8/10 · 16 October 2012]

Death of a Man in the Balkans begins with a clearly distraught man turning on a web camera in his apartment. The screen goes black, we hear a gunshot, and we are returned to the point of view of the web camera where the man's body has fallen tantalizingly just out of view. There's a knock on the door, an ordinary looking man - his neighbour - walks in and sees the man's dead body.

So begins a series of farcical exits and entrances, including, but not limited to, neighbours, real estate agents, opportunistic funeral directors, paramedics, police, and amusingly, a pizza delivery man. Each offers their own, unguarded take on the suicide. His neighbours struggle to remember his name, but recall that he was a somewhat well-known composer, the paramedics and police are unenthusiastic and more concerned with their mobile phones than with the dead body. A real estate agent stoically tries to give a lady a tour of this apartment, despite the man's body gracing the living room floor. A pizza delivery man shows up. The composer had ordered it in advance for the assembled crowd.

All this is captured by a switched on web camera, which records unnoticed until the film's last few minutes. Thus the film is presented, convincingly, as one long unbroken shot unfolding in real time. Death of a Man in the Balkans is a funny, entertaining and original look at a man's death and various people's reactions to it. It may not be the best farce out there, but I left feeling satisfied by a film with a great premise, spot-on performances and some very funny dialogue.

Frenzy (1972)

"You know, you're just my type..."

[8/10 · 28 May 2009]

Frenzy is a very atypical Hitchcock film. The men aren't charming, the women are neither blonde nor beautiful, lines like "He's been pulling your tits" and "I let you finger me!" are fired off casually, while Hitchcock's black humour descends into borderline tastelessness ("I hear he rapes the women before he strangles them," "Well at least this cloud has a silver lining – hahahaha"). That said there still some typical Hitchcock tropes present, mainly the idea of the wrongly accused man, but it's clear that Hitchcock is intent on challenging audiences' perception of him with a more atypical style of direction and scenes of remarkable brutality.

Oh yes there is brutality. Free from Hays Code restrictions, Hitchcock seems to have gone wild with the possibilities of shocking the audience. Nudity, swearing and violence litter the film, but it's the disturbing, excruciating, almost painful rape scene cum asphyxiation that really stands out. Even by today's standards this scene is brutal, so imagine how it would have been in 1972. In fact, along with A Clockwork Orange and Straw Dogs which emerged around the same time, it must be one of the most disturbing rape scenes in cinematic history, and a point of concern for critics who have often labelled Hitchcock as a misogynist. It's mainly this scene that explains why Frenzy remains Hitchcock's only 18 rated film in the UK.

After this gratuitous scene of exploitation however, Hitchcock seems content with disturbing us in other ways. The next 'event' is a masterpiece of how to show nothing but elicit everything. The murderer escorts an unassuming young woman up to his flat, and lets her in, remarking "You know, you're just my type…" As the door closes, the camera slowly backs away, creeps down the stairs, floats out the door and angles across the street as people go about their hectic daily business. It's arguably the most meaningful, disturbing, economic tracking shot ever performed, and shows Hitchcock can genuinely chill without flamboyant rape and asphyxiation scenes.

Frenzy is by no means top tier Hitchcock, but it does contain enough flashes of brilliance to put it close and justify its position as 'the last great Hitchcock film'.

Waterboys (2001)

Synchro! Synchro! Synchro!

[8/10 · 21 March 2009]

Waterboys is a zany, sweet comedy about a group of boys who get roped into starting a synchronised swimming team, and then have to get together a routine for an exhibition in a few weeks time! It's fun stuff that aims low and hits hard. There are lots of great sight gags and other slapstick comedy, but there's also an interesting love story and fantastic acting from the boys.

The film rolls along at a great pace, with Yaguchi a talented director treating us to lengthy tracking shots and other technical flourishes. The film never bores and always pleases, and as we head towards the climax, the comedy keeps coming, and the final 'routine' will delight you with its genius. A fun, endlessly rewatchable madcap comedy.

Tony Takitani (2004)

Minimalist masterpiece

[10/10 · 20 March 2009]

Tony Takitani is a highly minimalist film. The acting, direction, music, even running time, are all minimal in nature. And yet the film creates and releases more emotion than most films.

It is the sad story of Tony Takitani, a lonely technical illustrator. He has lived a life of loneliness, so removed from emotion and humanity, that he has come to realise that neither serves him any benefit. He is immensely talented at anything that doesn't require emotion. The director, the recently deceased Jun Ichikawa, creates a cold, melancholic film, that moves slowly but still manages to grip you while allowing space for silent contemplation. The camera is framed like a machine on the tripod, sharp colours are noticeably absent, and emotions are kept stoic until the final act, which is a series of cathartic revelations. The film is helped along by Sakamoto's minimalist score of haunting piano keys, and the remarkable subdued acting of Issei Ogata as the title character.

Tony Takitani is a sad film. Someone once said that it is better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all. This film challenges that statement.

Boss Nigger (1974)

They call him Boss.

[7/10 · 20 March 2009]

Two black cowboys ride majestically across the American plain. The music is a kind of funk-Morricone, with a singer enthusiastically explaining that "They call him Boss. BOSS N*GGER!" A black woman is being assaulted by a group of white cowboys, our black heroes intervene and save this damsel in distress.

A blaxploitation Western was bound to happen eventually, and its a good thing Fred Williamson got there first. What Boss N*gger lacks in technical proficiency and skill it makes up for in heart and soul. The music is funktacular, especially the catchy theme tune, and the acting from our heroes is wonderful. Boss N*gger also boasts some very funny lines, such as Boss kissing a white woman, before going, "that's just to satisfy your curiosity."

It's slow at parts, but the idea of two black bounty hunters coming to a white town and setting their own rules is appealing, and the film pulls it off. There are also some great shootouts, especially the finale, which is really quite exhilarating, and features a remarkable, almost downbeat ending. This film is by no means a masterpiece, but it is one of the best blaxploitation films I've seen, and an admirable effort on a small budget.

Samaritan Girl (2004)

Another thoughtful film from Kim Ki-duk

[8/10 · 13 March 2009]

Sandwiched between his two, in my opinion, masterpieces, Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...and Spring and 3-Iron, Samaria is an interesting pieces that provides a necessary link between them, sharing the themes of the former, and the style of the latter. The theme I'm talking about is the loss of innocence, something that is presented in the harshest possible manner in this film.

Two girls want to travel to Europe, so one acts as a pimp and the other as a prostitute. This seems shocking, and it is to the 'pimp' who becomes increasingly disturbed by their activities. To the 'prostitute' however, it's all a bit of harmless fun that she gets paid for. Eventually something happens, in fact it's no spoiler to say that the 'prostitute' dies. The scene that precipitates this is one of the most harrowing in the film, and shows that Ki-duk can create some subtly played shocks when he needs to. After this, the 'pimp' essentially assumes the role of 'prostitute' for personal reasons, and this is where the film begins to follow the same style as 3-Iron, in the sense of 're- visiting' past experiences and places in a new form. This is augmented when the girl's father begins following the men she sleeps with, confronting them in increasingly violent ways. One reviewer already spoke of the so called 'dinner-table confrontation scene' - it is perhaps one of the best scenes in Ki-duk's extensive library, and leaves a lasting impression.

I must applaud Lee Eol, who plays the father. His performance expresses emotions of confusion, anger and violence with remarkable subtlety and skill. As the film progresses into its final act, Ki-duk covers us with an increasingly dark pall of blue. He then, arguably, offers us two endings to choose from, although it is the latter that is the most affecting and so beautifully summarises the themes of the film. Most Ki- duk films leave me stunned with feelings of amazement. Samaria is no different. The ending is haunting, and true.

Not as good as Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...and Spring or 3-Iron, Samaria is still an excellent film that continues to prove why Kim Ki- duk is arguably Korea's greatest director.

The Band's Visit (2007)

A wonderful surprise

[9/10 · 13 March 2009]

Reading the synopsis of this film, I really expected the worst. Some dumb slapstick comedy about clashing cultures, I thought. This will suck.

But I watched it, and from the first scene I knew I was in for something different. The direction and cinematography of this film are lovely and really evokes the harsh atmosphere of the desert. Likewise, the camera is never intrusive, often kept at a well judged distance, allowing us to see the characters in a much more realistic light.

Th film follows an Egyptian band, in Israel to play at the opening of an Arab centre, who end up in the wrong town. They are invited by the bored locals to stay the night, and we follow select groups of them as they experience the night. This part of the film is essentially shot in real time, meaning that dialogue is highly important. Nonetheless, speaking is kept to a minimum, and the words are well judged. The director is far more concerned about the silent moments, and indeed it is these that most stick with us.

The elderly Tawfiq leads the band. He is proud, yet hides sadness behind his stoic eyes. Gabai's performance is heartbreakingly beautiful, as he conveys so much with so little. This is subtle drama at its purest. Comedy comes from the youngest member of the band, the suave ladies' man, Haled. He accompanies a loveshy man on a date, and his scenes in the roller-disco make for some beautiful comedy. Other members of the band find themselves at the house of an unwelcoming family, and there is a funny subplot involving a phonebooth too.

As the night progresses, the film becomes more and more moving, especially when Gabai is on the screen. Each character is given a perfect amount of time on screen and the film never feels pushed or move. As the credits rolled over the final scene, I felt incredibly happy and moved. It's a beautiful scene, and a beautiful film. I strongly recommend it. Cynics (like I was) will be won over.

All God's Children Can Dance (2008)

Watch Tony Takitani instead

[5/10 · 12 February 2009]

In 2004, veteran Japanese director Jun Ichikawa took one of the best short stories in Murakami's collection, Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman, and crafted a masterpiece of a film, perfectly capturing the themes of loneliness and isolation, with a great score, acting and cinematography. I strongly recommend it to everyone.

How woeful it is then that newbie American director Robert Logevall, has taken, in my opinion, the worst story in Murakami's collection, after the quake, and turned it into a dull, aimless film that manages to be both vacuous and pretentious. We follow Kengo (Jason Lew), a mixed race man, who has been told all his life that he is the Son of God by his vaguely disturbed mother (Joan Chen), as he negotiates his relationship with his girlfriend (Sonja Kinski) and boss (Tzi Ma). Kengo has lost his faith in God and his belief in his implied divinity. One day he sees a man he believes is his father. He follows him.

It's Jason Lew's first role, so his falterings as a lead are understandable, but I found him irritating and smug as his character, and uncomfortable to watch. Sonja Kinski is decent in her first role, but really it's Chen and Ma that give the only good performances in this film. The former with wonderful emotion, and the latter with remarkable subtlety and understatement. Both keep afloat a film that fails to explore any interesting themes it brings up (Oedipal complexes, religion), nor manages to deliver any interesting scenes whatsoever. The narration that aims high for philosophy but spews out drivel doesn't help, neither does the over ambiguous ending that fails to capture the existentialism of the story and just seems stupid.

It's not all bad. There's some nice cinematography, Chen and Ma's performances are genuinely wonderful, and the soundtrack by STS9, is lovely. But this is an unremarkable film, with little to recommend, even to Murakami fans. Watch Tony Takitani instead, and hold your breath for the eventual Norwegian Wood adaptation.

Noroi (2005)

This is not scary; this is not interesting

[4/10 · 3 February 2009]

Reports of this film's brilliance appear to have been greatly exaggerated, and unless the other reviewers were watching a different movie, I fail to see how anyone can find this film anything other than dull, unscary, uncreepy, overlong, and at times, unbearably irritating. I'm not some schlocky horror fanatic. I love j-horrors and euro-horrors over American horrors any day, but I feel the need to warn any potential viewers about this film before they invest two hours of their life in it.

It could have been so great. A reporter is investigating a series of bizarre deaths and occurrences, which seem ostensibly unlinked, but a series of unnerving tropes appears to connect them - dead pigeons, thudding noises, the presence of strangely tied knots... Our reporter goes from person to person, interviewing them, filming them and then passing on. Three important characters are among this jumble of people, a young, shy psychic girl, an immensely irritating, insane psychic man, and a crazy old woman and her boy, whose importance is not revealed until later on.

The problem is that the film is not even remotely interesting, which makes its two hour running time unforgivable. It's also not even remotely scary or creepy. Supposedly scary scenes, like shots of ghoulish faces are done incredibly poorly, shown twice, or worse, we are told when they are about to happen. Other techniques, such as telling us that a family just interviewed "died five days later" simply don't make me care, let alone mildly creeped.

The film does pick up a bit towards the end, as our reporter, cameraman, psychic and cursed woman go to a village in order to 'remove' the curse which is linking all these deaths. However, by that time, I was in a state of catatonic boredom, and couldn't care less, so all the fairly creepy camera-work and shocks were wasted on me. The "final tape" is quite good, but once again, I'd given up caring and just wanted this film to end.

Boring and dull, not scary and not creepy, I would advise you keep away from Noroi. It has promising moments, but this is a film that was poorly made and not worth your time.

Red (2008)

Worth watching

[7/10 · 23 July 2008]

The combination of Brian Cox and Tom Sizemore in a film based upon a Jack Ketchum novel (bizarrely spelled Jack Ketchmum in the trailer) and the direction of cult-courting Lucky McKee certainly peaked my interest and therefore I awarded this film some of my time. The premise was something that also appealed to me - a kind of "Falling Down" but with a more mediative, Western styling.

The story is a simple but, on the surface, a powerful one. Brian Cox is Avery Ludlow, a veteran who hides his tortuous family history behind his love for his faithful dog, Red. One day while fishing, he is approached by three delinquents who try to rob him. Realising that he lacks anything of worth, the cocky leader of the pack, Danny, shoots dead his dog, laughs about it with his brother and friend, and then walks off. Ludlow is determined to get justice, but finds hurdles at every stage, from the boy's arrogant father, to a reluctant town sheriff.

The acting in this film was excellent. Brian Cox is superb as the graceful recluse seeking justice. He plays his role in a remarkably understated manner that compliments his experience and wisdom. Whether he is brutally taking on the perpetrators or solemnly reminiscing about the tragic circumstances that led to his wife and son's death, Cox is brilliant at making us feel a warm empathy with him, and makes us want to join him on his quest for justice. Kudos must also be given to Tom Sizemore, who is wonderfully repugnant as Michael McCormack, the arrogant, millionaire father of Danny the delinquent. He really does shine and show what a great actor he can be when he is not in trouble for one reason or another. It would be fair to say that he is much better at eliciting disgust than Cox is at eliciting empathy (although this is a much easier task) and his evolution from his first meeting with Cox, to the final showdown is a joy to watch and anticipate.

The other actors play their parts competently. I was a bit apprehensive about Noel Fisher as Danny at first, as he was guilty of slight overacting in his first scene. However, upon finishing the film, the acting style perfectly complimented his role as a narcissistic youth with no empathy, and overall he was very good in the film. Kyle Gallner, who plays his shy brother, and Shiloh Fernandez as his equally minded friend are also good, with Gallner excelling in the film's climax. The other major part is that of reporter Carrie Donnel, played by Kim Dickens. She is not bad in her role but it is entirely unnecessary, which brings me on to the film's flaw - it's script.

The film really does shine when there are scenes of direct confrontation. Anything between Cox and Fisher after their first meeting, or anything with Sizemore. The film really does suffer when the action is diverted to scenes of a more meditative nature. Donnel's role is far too over played, and her emergence as some sort of bizarre is she/isn't she love interest at the end severely harms the movie. The only things that ties the two together is Cox's consistently brilliant acting. His monologue on how his family fell apart is beautiful and haunting, with the camera lingering on his wise yet hurt face. Likewise, he is respectably sinister in his pursuit of justice, and the film really picks up pace in the final third, building to an excellent climax involving Cox, Sizemore, and his family. Indeed, after a slow, slightly turgid middle, this comes as a great relief. What a shame then that it is spoilt by a horribly put together ending that literally screams "TV MOVIE!" It is far too contrite, and does not favours to Cox or the film. I understand that McKee was replaced by a more happy-friendly director during filming, and his influence is clearly felt here (one wonders how McKee would have done the ending). Other than that though, the film maintains a consistent indie-Western style, and any notions of two directors are not realised.

It is this paltry ending that forces me to award this 7 out of 10. The film has many memorable moments, but is ruined by its final scene. I suggest watching this, if just for the confrontation scenes, and the film does certainly keep you guessing as to how it will end, but if it had just been more adventurous at various points then this could have been a very good film.

Pom Poko (1994)

Very poor

[5/10 · 11 July 2005]

I borrowed this off my Japanese friend who had the entire Ghibli box set. I was already a huge fan of Ghibli, having seen all of Miyazaki's films, and two other Takahata films, Grave of the Fireflies and Only Yesterday, both of which I loved. As you can imagine, I was looking forward to this.

It starts off well enough, a large community of metamorphic raccoons try and stop an urban development scheme that is destroying their forest. One group wants to start a war to drive the humans out, while another, led by the 'Elders' who want to stop urban development, but not necessarily kill any humans. What follows is a random and utterly boring sequences of raccoons knocking bulldozers off roads or pretending to be ghosts to scare away builders. This goes on for TWO HOURS. It's boring, pointless, and I didn't understand what was going on most of the time. Then the raccoons merge with another forest, or something, and then new raccoons turn up, who apparently we're supposed to know, and more random scaring happens, which culminates in a giant 'Poltergeist Parade' which is undoubtedly imaginative and nice to look at, but merit-less and of no consequence.

The animation is nice and detailed as usual, but that's hardly worth watching this film. But does the film have a deeper meaning? It tries to squeeze in a kind of Animal Farm type communism analogy (Red Army, Five-Year Plans), but lacks the subtlety and is strangely abandoned a half way into the movie and never heard of again. The attempted love story between two raccoons is also awfully handled, and is ostensibly pointless around the rest of the story.

People will say I didn't like it because I didn't understand it, maybe I need to know more about the culture, but I seriously doubt knowing what a white fox symbolises at a shrine will in any way increase my enjoyment of this poorly done film.

Spirited Away (2001)

The best animated film I have ever seen

[10/10 · 21 June 2005]

Spirited Away is my favourite Hayao Miyazi movie. It's a departure from his previous films (all of them wonderful), in the sense that this film lacks the themes so common in his other work: humans vs nature, large scale battles being the prime examples. All for the better I say, as it allows him to create something truly unique and stunning. The story revolves around Chihiro, a young girl who, on the way to her new house, stumbles into an abandoned amusement park and is soon transported into a magical world of spirits, gods and human-frog hybrids.

The animation is stunning. Miyazaki truly sees animation as an artform. Many stand out scenes contain no dialogue at all, and are merely animated images creating surreal effects: Chihiro in the lift with the Radish spirit, Chihiro running through the flowers, and the final train ride, where our young protagonist takes a mysterious train journey across a sea, with her spirit friend, No Face. Nothing much happens, it's just simple, colourful, oddly unsettling, and lingers long after the film ends.

The characters are also perfect, and add to strange storyline. There's Kamaji, the multi limbed boiler room operator, Yubaba, the evil witch, and her massive baby child. No Face is a peculiar spirit who turns feral when Chihiro is not around, and finally, Haku, a boy spirit, who shares an emotional scene with Chihiro towards the end of the film.

Colourful, imaginative, interesting, and emotional. Spirited Away is a film you'll want to see time and time again. Buy it.

Requiem for a Dream (2000)

Nightmares Come True

[10/10 · 29 January 2005]

My god. Where to start with this? Darren Aronofsky's follow up to indie hit Pi could be one of the most brilliant and emotional films ever. Aronofsky has managed to adapt Hubert Selby Jr's magnanimous novel to the big screen – and he's done a superb job of it.

The cast is amazing. Ellen Burstyn's TV addicted, speed taking mother was robbed of an Oscar by Julia Roberts' frumpy, irritating Erin Brokovich. She gives one of the most emotional performances you will ever see, her passionate monologue about what it's like to be old, and her paranoid acting makes you truly believe that acting is an art. Jared Leto, as her drug addicted son, also gives very worthy performance as does Jennifer Connely as his girlfriend. Marlon Wayans, too, delivers an amazing and serious performance that belies his slapstick comedy notoriety.

But this is a director's film; Aronofsky pulls out every directing trick in the book to make this a truly original experience. The shot of an overjoyed Sara Goldfarb as she runs out of her apartment and walks across the street with her old female friends as the camera swoons in front of them, creating a strangely eerie shot is one example. But it is the editing that shines, Aronofsky never leaves the viewer board with his unique style of hiphop montage editing and special effects.

The music in this film also shines, the classical score is wonderfully composed and highly dramatic in a film which demands it so heavily.

Although disturbing, this is a film that everyone should see, it is full of great acting, editing and truly memorable story.

Mulholland Drive (2001)

Lynch at his best

[10/10 · 8 January 2005]

David Lynch is a master of dark, surreal films and this is no exception. It is his best work for ages and a good film to get into Lynch.

After a bizarre car crash, a young woman is left with amnesia, she befriends an aspiring actress coming to LA to work and together try and solve the mystery surrounding just who she is. Meanwhile, a famous movie director's new film is seemingly taken over by a bunch of macabre producers, with a mysterious way of working. Also we see the story of a hit man and a young man and his psychiatrist in a diner.

But what do these stories have in common? Well if you head isn't doing cartwheels in the first 20 minutes then you're watching the wrong film. Just when you think the solution is about to emerge, Lynch destroys any notions you had of what you may have thought had happened by more or less turning the story upside down into something much more...realistic, let's say.

It's unlikely you'll understand this the first time round, especially if you're not used to Lynch's bizarre symbolism tricks. There is an answer, but most people prefer to admire it for it's beauty, the directing is wonderful, and the two female leads are brilliant, so there's a lot to show for.

Mulholland Drive is a dark, confusing yet beautiful film. I highly recommend it to anyone.

Ghost World (2001)

Apathy Control

[9/10 · 8 January 2005]

Enid (Thora Birch) and Rebecca (Scarlett Johansson) are two teenagers who are simply too cool for anyone. They fulfil their apathetic lives by mocking others and going by the philosophy that everything pretty much sucks. After a cruel prank on a local loser, Seymour (Steve Buscemi), Enid becomes almost addicted to Seymour out of guilt and curiosity. Slowly as the friendship grows closer, Enid and Rebecca's grows further apart until Seymour get a girlfriend and Enid is stuck alone, in Ghost World.

Based on the underground comic book, Daniel Clowes and Terry Zwigoff's script is a breath of fresh air, and Zwigoff's subtle direction is perfect for this film. The two leads are great, and the colourful characters that are built around them (Norman-the man who I waiting for the bus that never will come, the 'satanists' etc) make for a fun-filled little movie that I would recommend to anyone.