Category: American
La Mission
Director: Peter Bratt
Country: USA
Release: 2009
Che is a tough guy, ex-con, widower and reformed alcoholic who works and lives in the Mission District of San Francisco. He is also a good friend, good worker, good neighbor, and devoted father to his son and best friend, Jesse. Jesse is an attractive, affable good student, who (unknown to his father) just happens to be secretly gay. When Che finds out the boy’s secret, there is a physical confrontation that spills out into the street with Che disowning his son – and soon the whole neighborhood and all of Jesse’s classmates know his secret. Eventually father and son attempt to work it out, but mostly by avoiding each other and avoiding the subject. Their own version of don’t ask/ don’t tell seems to be working, but just as things start to get back to something that resembles normal, the unavoidable subject comes up and pushes them further apart. Unable or unwilling to try any more, Jesse moves out and father and son remain estranged. Ultimately something has to give as Che’s inability to come to terms with his son’s gayness threatens to destroy everything good in his life. The father is a major low-rider, and there is an affectionate portrayal of low-riders and interesting insights into that culture. A little unrealistic to me, everybody (except Che) in that supposedly macho world seems just a little too accepting and open-minded. In fact everyone is almost unbelievably cool about the issue, except for a few neighborhood thugs – who have had confrontations with Che, and even they seem to want to use the son’s homosexuality more against the father than the gay kid himself. But just maybe the movie is trying to point out that you do not necessarily have to be a macho ass to have problems with your child’s gayness. Maybe Che’s disappointment is also mixed with equal parts of fear for his son’s safety and possible limitations this might have on the son’s bright potential. Of course it does not, and should not, have anything to do with anything about Jesse – except for his private sexual preference. But try telling that to Che, and try telling that to society sometimes. You have to watch the movie to find out if the two ever work through their problems and reconcile. “La Mission” is a film about complicated emotional issues and how two people can find it so damn difficult to do just the one simple thing of loving each other.
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Adaptation
Director: Spike Jonze
Country: USA
Release: 2002
Screenwriter Charlie Kaufman is hired to adapt The Orchid Thief, a book by a female New Yorker staff writer about a colorful, strange, self proclaimed genius and botanist who poaches exotic blooms in the Florida Everglades. The screenwriter is portrayed as a timid, self-deprecating man who is better at observing and fantasizing about life than actually participating in it. His twin brother Donald comes to stay with him, and decides that he wants to be a screenwriter too. Donald is more outgoing, a little oblivious, potentially obnoxious, but fearless in his approach to life – he knows what he likes and goes for it without any thought to consequences. His writing reflects this and he produces a commercially successful thriller of a script, which garners him attention. Charlie, in the meantime is having trouble with his adaptation –it seems to be going nowhere, because nothing really happens in the book which lends itself to any sort of narrative. Charlie confers with another veteran screenwriter who assures him that an untold number of things are always happening in life every day, and that if nothing happens in the story he is adapting, it is because things were left out of the book by the author. So Charlie, with the help of his brother, decides to figure out what the original author had not included. What they discover is a plot of bizarre twists and shocking revelations. The pace of the movie is very slow at first, even tedious – but then this reflects the story line of how Charlie’s work on the adaptation is slow and plodding. When the brothers pursue the secrets behind the story, the movie progresses at break-neck speed towards its final resolution. Adaptation is a strange story that ultimately satisfies and in the end, is well worth the effort.
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The Way Back
Director: Peter Weir
Country: USA
Release: 2010
“The Way Back” is the story of eight men, of various backgrounds and nationalities, who are political prisoners in Russia during WWII and who escape together from a Siberian prison camp. Escape is considered futile by many due to the hard climate and hostile populace in the surrounding area. Shortly after they break out, the group is joined by a polish girl who had escaped from a neighboring work farm, and collectively the eclectic bunch begins a long and arduous trek to freedom. Getting out of Russian territory, they face adversity, hunger, the environment and the elements. They finally reach the Mongolian border only to discover it has also fallen under communist control. Disheartened, they realize that they must continue along thousands of miles more through Mongolia, China, and Tibet to reach freedom in India. Along the way they face insurmountable obstacles, starvation, dehydration, frigid winter weather, blistering deserts and the Himalayas, and incur many losses and setbacks in the process. As the characters endure the variety of challenges, they get to know a little more about each others’ backgrounds, and a lot about each others’ character. On the surface the movie is an escape adventure, but the stories of the characters add the dimension of an engrossing and inspiring tale of survival and determination and forgiveness. Although it is purportedly based on the true story, there are a number of disputes as to who’s story and how much of it is true. Even if viewed as a total work of fiction, the narrative is still a compelling engaging story of fortitude and survival. The casting is a good and effective mix of big stars and more unfamiliar ones. The filming is also effective in making the viewer feel every new challenge that besets the protagonists. “The Way Back” is a testament to the tenacity of the human spirit in the pursuit of goals even more important than mere life or death – and beneath it all is a riveting story based (however loosely) on actual events.
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Abel
Director: Diego Luna
Country: Mexico, USA
Release: 2011
A young Mexican boy (Abel) is released from the hospital after being treated for two years for psychological disorders. He had suffered a breakdown and retreated into silence. He returns home to live with his mother and two siblings (older sister and younger brother), all of whom have been abandoned by the father, who left to find work in America. In the father’s absence, the family he left behind has had to incrementally sell their possessions to get by. When Abel first returns home, he is detached and unresponsive with a tendency to self destruction. His behavior gradually turns around, but when he opens up at last it becomes apparent that he has psychologically assumed the role of the husband and father who has been absent for these years. The mother, it seems, decides that the positive improvements in his attitude and behavior are worth overlooking the delusion. However, when the real father returns for a surprise visit, it threatens the new balance in the family. At first the father pretends to be the mother’s brother, so as not to make waves. However, he increasingly grows weary of the ruse and – in what appears to be an attempt to re-establish his patriarchal authority – questions the wisdom of that course of action. Soon the situation divides the family on how best to move forward with the delusional situation, and leads to serious complications, confrontations and concerns for Abel’s long term prognosis. This is an odd but interesting story. There is some very offbeat humor among the dark moments and a satirical look at the macho family hierarchical system. Even though it may be too uneventful and introspective from some peoples taste, I think they will find the unique story somewhat interesting and be totally charmed by the engrossing performance of young Christopher Ruiz-Esparza as the title character.
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Sweet Land
Director: Ali Selem
Country: USA
Release: 2005
“Sweet Land” is a tender and affectionate portrait of one immigrant couple in early 1900’s America. Olaf is a Norwegian who has been in the country for some time, and has homesteaded a farm in Minnesota. Shortly after WWI, he is joined by Inga who has come to be his wife, although they have never met and she does not speak English. Immediately they go to the preacher to be married. However, it comes to light that although she came here from Norway, Inga is actually an orphan of German nationality, and the preacher refuses to marry them unless she can obtain the proper papers. The county clerk similarly refuses to issue her papers. They base their refusals on the fact that Inga’s undocumented status does not allow them to verify her background or character – but the real reason is that America just finished a war against Germany and, frankly, she just is not one of “them”. At first Inga is sent to live with Olaf’s best friend and his wife. But with 9 children plus them in the house, privacy and sanity is at a minimum, and Inga quickly insinuates herself into Olaf’s house, forcing him to sleep in the barn. Despite a rocky start based on their awkward unfamiliarity with each other and differences in dispositions (she is too fun-loving and he is too serious), they spend the year in close companionship, striving hard together towards the common goals of working the land, keeping their farm afloat and gaining acceptance among their community. As they face the challenges of their life together (fairly ordinary and uneventful challenges for those times) a real bond and genuine love and affection grows between them. The movie is mostly set in the time of their first year together, but also jumps to the 1960’s at the time of Olaf’s death and interment, and then to 2004 at the time of Inga’s passing, when their grandson Lars is faced with the responsibility of deciding the disposition of the family farm. Viewers who like a lot of action in a movie may find this too slow. I think it would be a great story for young children who grew up in an internet, computer, cable TV, cell phone, ipod, ipad world – to see and know that less than 100 years ago, many people in this country worked so hard to farm the land by hand, without even a tractor to assist them; and did so happily and determinedly without complaint or reservation. “Sweet Land” is also a fine example of the kind of quiet, lyrical and unassuming movie option that independent filmmakers can provide as an interesting alternative to mainstream Hollywood offerings.
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The Fall
* Director: Tarsem Singh 
* Country: USA and India
* Release: 2006
A beautifully filmed fantasy about a stuntman, Roy, in the early days of Hollywood film-making, who is badly injured in a fall and possibly paralyzed. In the hospital he befriends Alexandria, a young girl who is also a patient there recuperating from a broken arm. He regales and beguiles her with a fantastical tale of evil, heroism and daring do – about a group of heroes who all band together to exact justice against an evil ruler. Bored with her daily routine in the hospital, Alexandria visits Roy regularly for continuing chapters in the saga, and lives for her daily installments. We see the story unfold in Alexandria’s imagination, in which (in her mind) many of the characters are portrayed as people from her real life in the hospital. Roy, we find out, is covertly using the story as an attempt to seduce Alexandria into stealing pain medication for him, and he withholds the story and conclusion until she agrees to help him. She somehow knows it is wrong, but helps him in order to continue the narrative. At some point when Roy feels he no longer needs Alexandria’s assistance, the stuntman then tries to kill off all the characters, ending the story badly and prematurely, The girl becomes indignant at this turn of events and she rebels, feeling that her complicity entitles her to demand better, and forces him to revisit the ending of his tale. The movie is not especially monumental, but it is an enjoyable escape from reality. Filmed on location in a variety of exotic locales, the movie has a very lush look to it, and with the story within the story, you have double the anticipation of what is going to happen next.
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Mao’s Last Dancer
Director: Bruce Beresford
Country: Australia, USA
Release: 2009
The true story of Li Cunxin, a poor 11 year-old Chinese boy who, during the start of the cultural revolution, is discovered in a national search for talent, and removed from his family and village and taken to Beijing to train as a ballet dancer for the National Ballet. There is an artistic struggle going on in Chinese ballet at that time, between the classical style and an emerging socialist revolutionary style – the latter favored by the Cultural Revolution and heavy on technique and short on artistic feeling. Though blessed with raw talent, young Li does not progress at first because his heart is not in it. It is not until he is inspired by a favorite instructor, with a classical inclination and sensibility which he instills in Li, that he realizes his full potential. As a stand-out performer, he is chosen for a cultural exchange and leaves to spend three months as a guest artist with the Houston Ballet, where he quickly becomes a star. Li wants desperately to remain faithful to his socialist upbringing, but he cannot help but be seduced by the artistic freedom he encounters in America. He also finds himself falling in love with an aspiring ballerina – and soon he is very conflicted between his homeland, which he still loves and believes in, and the woman he also loves and the artistic freedom he also believes in. The movie offers a limited but interesting peek into the Cultural Revolution in China, both the good and the bad, and how the good remained even after the revolution plays itself out. It also shows a glimpse into the life of people who are devoted to their profession and at the top of their field – and points out that not love, country, family, friends or ideology will last in their lives unless is can coexist with and submit to that passion. The movie has some great dancing by Chi Cao, a professional dancer who also gives a wonderful, convincing performance as Li Cunxin.
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The Wedding Banquet
Director: Ang Lee
Country: USA
Release: 1993
A kind of comedy of errors with some serious issues regarding family, tolerance, and cultural traditions. The story is about Simon and Wai-Tung, an upper class gay couple living in NYC. Wai-Tung’s parents, who reside in Taiwan, are anxious to marry off their son and are constantly trying to arrange dates for him with appropriate Chinese women. The two lovers devise a plan in which Wai-Tung will marry Wei Wei – a tenant living in one of their properties, who is a Chinese artist struggling to make it in NYC and in need a green card. She would get her green card and he, hopefully, will get his parents off his back. It all seems like a win/ win situation until Wai-Tung’s parents arrive in New York to surprise their son and soon to be daughter-in-law for their wedding, and make plans to arrange a lavish, traditional Chinese wedding banquet for them. Now the plan gets complicated and the faux couple pose as tenants of Simon’s, wherein they all live together in Simon’s Manhattan townhouse. With parents in tow and all 5 of them now staying under the same roof, the days become an endless, complicated charade of role-playing. The day finally arrives, the couple gets married, and the whole affair culminates in the wedding banquet which turns into a drunken, party-hearty, all night good-time and free for all. Finally it is all behind them and life can soon return to normal, but before the parents can leave, something happens which delays their departure. Forced to carry on the pretense, patience starts to wear thin and confusion, misunderstandings, hurt feelings and botched deceptions ensue. Eventually the parents leave, but not before a series of confrontations, revelations, surprise alliances and unexpected developments. Several of the characters surprise you – some for the better and some for the worse. Overall it is a fun and good-natured look at family relationships and conditional, and unconditional, love. If there is one, I think that the moral of the story is that the truth, no matter how difficult or painful it may be, is always the easiest and best option in the long run.
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Jesus Henry Christ
- Director: Dennis Lee
- Country: USA
- Release: 2012
A strange and freaky movie, with strange and freaky characters and strange and freaky plot twists. Young Henry, a test tube baby and genius from birth, is raised alone by his strong-willed, feminist mother – until, at the age of 10, he sets out to discover his biological father’s identity. Along the way he not only finds his father, but also a sibling and a sense of family and belonging and purpose. The movie gradually, unexpectedly and unpretentiously pulls you in, and before you know it the strange and freaky narrative evolves into a charming and endearing story about the importance of individualism, the strong pull of family and the power of forgiveness and redemption. A good cast, headed by the always eminently watchable Toni Collette, makes it all the more believable and touching, and makes the offbeat characters and story, sympathetic and engaging. This film is a great example of the potential of independent movie-making in American cinema and the variety and quality of films in produces, which would not be possible under the blockbuster, box-office-driven system of mainstream Hollywood.
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