Viennale 2014 – Day 9: 52 Tuesdays

Posted on January 20, 2015 by cornholio1980

52 Tuesdays52 Tuesdays
Australia 2013
Written by Matthew Cormack & Sophie Hyde
Directed by Sophie Hyde

For most of it’s running time, “52 Tuesdays” was a wonderful film. I loved not only the themes it dealt with, but also how it dealt with them. It’s rather rare to get a depiction of a sex change on-screen, but it’s even rarer that it’s dealt with in such a delicate but also sober manner. The fact that “52 Tuesdays” additionally features an also rather untraditional three-way relationship – that, on top of that, actually works for most of the time – was the icing on the cake.

I’m sure there’s a Hollywood version of this movie somewhere, where they either make a blatant (and possibly offensive) comedy out of it, or a clichéd drama. Which, thankfully, is not what Sophie Hyde is doing here (well, at least not for most of it’s running time, but we’ll come to that). I also loved the fact that while Billie does her best to support her mum (and upcoming dad), the movie doesn’t gloss over the fact that the transition is very hard for her. Billie is 16, old enough to know what is going on, but at this very delicate age where she’s trying to find her own self, her own personality, and also her own sexuality. It’s probably the time in her life where she would have needed her mum – who also always has been her best and closest friend – the most. But the transition that James goes through totally changes that relationship. Add to that the fact that James needs time for himself, thus Billie has to move to her father and only sees her former mum every Tuesday for a year (hence the title. Duh.) is not helping either. Still, James is never made out to be the bad guy in this story. It’s clear that he put off this transformation until Billie, in his eyes, was old enough to deal with it. It’s who he is, and now, finally, he has the chance to let go and be himself, and to give in to this life-long urge. It’s a tough time for both of them, because both go through phases of transition, and the conflicts that arise from that always feel natural and realistic.

The acting is superb. Tilda Cobham-Hervey gives a heartfelt performances as Billie, who mourns the loss of her mother, and struggles with the changes in her life. Not only her mothers transformation to a man, but also the move to her father, and of course her own puberty. Del Herbert-Jane as James also stands out. I couldn’t find any information on IMDB – where he’s listed as a man – if he really went through a sex change; which, ultimately, doesn’t really matter (and it’s also none of my business), but it goes a long way to show you how believable his performance (and the make-up etc.) was. The concept of the movie, with the titular 52 Tuesdays, can feel a little bit like a gimmick from time to time. Also, there was a certain distance between me and what was happening on-screen, because we only get to see a couple of minutes from each Tuesday, without really learning what happens in between. On the other hand, this unusual structure is one other element that makes “52 Tuesdays” stand out from the crowd, and Sophia Hyde has a good instinct for what to show us and when to speed things up. Also, each Tuesday is different, and of course, it’s not always just about Billie and James, but also about her new friends, with whom she also only meets on every Tuesday (something that can feel a little forced sometimes, but I was willing to roll with it, because I really loved how this relationship was depicted).

Unfortunately, after 80 gripping minutes, “52 Tuesdays” starts to go south. It starts with the way all that video project business is handled, which – in a movie that otherwise deals with controversial topics in a refreshingly straight-forward and open-minded manner – feels surprisingly conservative and, given the far from traditional lifestyle of James, even hypocritical. To add insult to injury, the fact that her female teenage friend rats Billie out felt rather implausible and staged to me. What really made me mad, though, was the family emergency near the end. First: the ticking clock is used in such a cheap way, in order to amp up the tension, that it really threw me off. The worst thing, however, is the aforementioned family emergency itself. For 50 Tuesdays, “52 Tuesdays” steered clear of clichés, only to stumble into one of the biggest that the genre has to offer: The tragic occurrence that after a big fight and/or a long, hard struggle, finally brings the family together again. Which is a total cheat, because instead of making the characters work for the happy ending and to make them steer their way through all the obstacles that stand between them, it’s offered to them on a silver platter. Suddenly, all the problems evaporate, or at least they don’t seem so important any more, in light of this new development. If Hollywood should ever attempt to remake “52 Tuesdays”, they might change quite a few things over the course of the movie – but there’s no reason for them to change anything about the ending, because it’s as clichéd and traditional as they come. Which, after such an extraordinary and unconventional movie, was a huge letdown for me.
6/10


IMDB

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Viennale 2014 – Day 9: Heaven Knows What

Posted on January 19, 2015 by cornholio1980

Heaven Knows WhatHeaven Knows What
USA 2014
Written by Ronald Bronstein & Joshua Safdie, inspired by a book written by Arielle Holmes
Directed by Ben Safdie & Joshua Safdie

After “Sorg og Glaede” there was a Q&A with the director. I stayed for a while, but then I had to leave in order to catch my next screening – at a different venue. A decision that I started to regret almost immediately after the movie started, and even though it got better and won me back a little bit, I still wish I would have stayed and listened to the rest of the Q&A with Nils Malmros instead of watching this.

Which is not to say that it is a bad and/or worthless movie. Continuing my theme of glimpsing into “worlds” unknown to me, I liked the parts of the movie that dealt with drug abuse, and what it does to those poor, lost souls portrayed here – especially Harley. Going through her days in a dazed state of mind, almost constantly craving her next fix, always needing more and more to get any sort of kick out of it… it’s a dire, bleak and depressing existence. I also enjoyed most of the performances, especially Arielle Holmes (Caleb Landry Jones was very good too, as usual, but I just had too much problems with his character to really enjoy his performance).

Unfortunately, the movie pretty much already lost me in the first couple of minutes, thanks to the annoying, ear-piercing music that almost had me get up and leave, as well as Harleys desperate attempts to win Ilya back. I just don’t get abusive relationships, I’m sorry. I hoped that after he dared her to kill herself she would finally have enough and get over him, but no, just a couple of days later she ended up under his spell again. I’m not saying that something like that doesn’t happen in the real world – I know that it does. But I really had a hard time understanding what made her come back to him all the time, and with their relationship in general – which also made it hard for me to connect with any of the main characters.

This is also not one of those movies where the characters go through some sort of personal or emotional growth. Everyone pretty much stays the same throughout – which in my mind makes it a little pointless. Also, the ending was rather sudden, and also a bit weird. [Spoiler-Alert!] Why did he leave her on the bus? Also, the bit were just a couple of hours later gets burned alive rang untrue to me. It almost felt like some sort of punishment from God?!?![End Spoilers]. Overall, in my opinion, “Heaven Knows What” is a difficult movie to enjoy, because it’s just so bleak. And I really wish they would have made the characters a little more accessible to make it easier for me to find my way into the movie. But despite my annoyance in the first couple of minutes (mostly due to that godawful noise that I guess some people call music), I didn’t regret watching it. I just regret missing the rest of the “Sorg og Glaede” Q&A because of it.
4/10

IMDB

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My 25 favorite movies of 2014

Posted on January 12, 2015 by cornholio1980

Last week I was busy writing my extensive “year in review”-special for fictionBOX, which you can read here (if you understand german, that is). Thus, I had to disrupt my Viennale-reviews once again. Before I continue them, however, I want to take a look back on 2014 before we’re too far into the new year. Unfortunately, it would take up far too much of my valuable spare time to translate my whole fictionBOX-special, but I at least wanted to give you a short overview of my 25 favorite movies from 2014. Please note that only movies that had an official theatratical release in Austria/Germany are eligible; thus many of the films that I saw at festivals didn’t factor in. You can find a list of the 100 movies that were taken into consideration here. I’ll go through the ranks #25-11 real quick, and for my 10 favorite movies of the year I’ll give you a short review that hopefully explains why I chose these particular films. (Note: All movies appear with their english title).

#25: Begin Again
#24: Tracks
#23: 3 Days to Kill
#22: I Used to be Darker
#21: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
#20: Two Days, One Night
#19: Philomena
#18: The Raid 2: Berandal
#17: Clouds of Sils Maria
#16: Maleficent
#15: A Most Wanted Man
#14: American Hustle
#13: What We Do in the Shadows
#12: Godzilla
#11: Guardians of the Galaxy

#10: Calvary
As mentioned in my review, I loved how this movie made me reassess my – mainly negative – opinion about religion, church and faith. It also was a very entertaining movie, with some big laughs, but also some very tense moments. Add the great cast and the killer finale that stayed with me for a while after seeing it, and you’ve got one of the best movies that I’ve seen last year.

#9: The Dark Valley
A western set in the alps? Can that work? It can, and it does. Andreas Prochaska continues his streak of great movies that defy the rather tight corset that Austrian movies typically are expected to fit in, and again proves to be one of the best (and most underrated) Austrian directors working today. Adapting the novel by Thomas Willmann, “The Dark Valley” tells a dark and gripping revenge tale, enriched by a great cast and the beautiful landscape of the Alps.

#8: Nightcrawler
The second-best thriller and the best movie by a first-time director of the year, “Nightcrawler” admittedly profits greatly from Jake Gyllenhaals stunning performance (his best since he first hit our radar with “Donnie Darko”), but that isn’t meant to undermine Dan Gilroys accomplishments as script writer and director. “Nightcrawler” is a dark and twisted movie that centers around a sociopath, featuring a stellar cast and some stunning night scenes. Not since “Collateral” did L.A. look so beautiful and haunting at the same time.

#7: Her
“Her” tells one of the most original, fresh and extraordinary love stories of the last couple of years. It also deals with various issues, like our relationship with technology. It offers a great extrapolation of what technology – and our lives – may look like in the not-too-distant future. Enhanced by great performances – especially Scarlett Johansson, who does great work with just her voice – “Her” is one of the best and most exciting and thoughtful Science Fiction-movies of the last couple of years (although it by far wasn’t the only such movie in 2014).

#6: Gone Girl
A perfect match of material and director, “Gone Girl” isn’t “just” David Fincher’s return to form (after a short slump with the not-catering-to-his-strenghts “The Social Network” and the unnecessary “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”-remake), but in my opinion actually the best movie of his career (so far). A tense, gripping thriller with some shocking, unforseeable twists (at least for me) and an extremely dark ending, what surprised me most about “Gone Girl” was how amusing and flat-out funny it was at times (although often in a rather dark manner). Entertaining from start to finish, “Gone Girl” is a movie that, despite relying heavily on its twists and turns, I’m sure I’ll come back to often in the coming years.

#5: The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
This movie simply destroyed me and reduced me to a complete emotional wreck. Beautifully animated in an oldfashioned way that befits the timeless story that it tells, “The Tale of the Princess Kaguya” is the best and most beautiful animated movie that I’ve seen in quite a while. The story really spoke to me, and I loved that there was no typical bad guy. I also really liked the characters, especially Princess Kaguya, and the ending is extremely emotional (or at least it was for me). For more, see my review.

#4: The Fault In Our Stars
This was the biggest surprise for me in 2014, since it was way better than I anticipated. I expected a typical, melodramatic weeper of a movie, but instead got a film that while definitely very emotional and tear-inducing, still managed to avoid the typical traps that come with the (cancer) territory. Yes, given the title (the german one is even more telling), you pretty much assume from the get-go that things might not end well for Hazel and Gus, but that didn’t stop me from falling in love with them individually as well as them as a couple. Also, despite some sad moments, I ultimately found it to be very cathartic and in a weird way even uplifting. With some great acting, writing and directing, I actually couldn’t find much fault in “The Fault In Our Stars”.

#3: Boyhood
Granted, the unique way this movie was shot – over a period of 12 years for a couple of days every year, keeping the cast together for the whole time – kinda overshadows the rest of the film. Which is fine, since praise for Linklaters approach – which definitely took a lot of guts (and also some luck) – definitely is highly deserved. However, I do think that what sometimes get’s overlooked in the discussion of the making of-process of the movie is the movie itself. I love that “Boyhood” tells a coming-of-age story that is distinct and universal at the same time. It tells the story of a very specific, unique boy/family, but still manages to make you think of your own childhood. It never gets overtly melodramatic and feels very authentic and real. While not quite pulling the same emotional punch as “Before Midnight”, it’s yet another testament why Richard Linklater is rightfully considered as one of the most talented, interesting and unique filmmakers working today.

#2: Under the Skin
I get it that this is a movie that’s not for everyone. You’ll find a lot of very critical user reviews on the IMDB, some even with a 1-star-rating who claim that this is the worst movie they ever saw (which always makes me want to congratulate them on their choice of movies in their life so far). I, however, absolutely loved it, and if it weren’t for the fact that even in my opinion, “Under the Skin” needs a little time to really get going (after the first couple of minutes, who were stunning), it even would have come out on top of that list. It’s just such a unique movie, offering something that I’ve never seen before. I loved the development of the story, and of Scarlet Johanssons character. Visually, the movie is absolutely stunning, offering a lot of beautiful shots and haunting images that will stay with me forever. Add to that Mica Levi’s score that perfectly captures – and enhances – the unsettling tone of the movie, and you’ve got a film that I’ll revisit numerous times in the near future.

#1: Interstellar
This is not the result of me being one of those Nolan-fanboys, but of me being a complete Science Fiction-nut. I just adore the genre, be it in movies/tv or literature, and as much as I love myself an SF-adventure movie and/or a Space Opera, if there’s one kind of Science Fiction that we don’t get quite enough from on the big or small screen, it’s Hard-SF. Enter “Interstellar”. I love how it tries to be as scientifically accurate as possible (as least for the first 3 quarters of the movie), and how it’s not dumbed down to ensure that even the biggest dork will be able to understand it. “Interstellar” is a movie that demands your attention and that rewards at least some basic knowledge of physics. It offers some stunning visuals, a great, grand and powerful score by Hans Zimmer, stellar performances by everyone involved, as well as a gripping story about humanity’s fate, our role in the universe, and the struggle to survive. I understand everyone who hated the wormhole-sequence, but – maybe because pretty much from the beginning, I suspected that the movie would ultimately lead to this, thus I was able to prepare myself for it – it worked for me, mostly because of the emotions it evoked, and also the fact that the main love that the movie was about was not the romantic kind between man and woman (or man and man/woman and woman, for that matter), but between father and daughter – which we don’t get to see that often in movies. Overall, while in a way totally different from “2001 – A Space Odyssey” (which was all about questions, while “Interstellar” is all about answers), “Interstellar”, in my very humble opinion, will one day similarly considered a classic of Science Fiction-cinema.

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Viennale 2014 – Day 9: Sorg og Glæde (Joy and Sorrow)

Posted on January 4, 2015 by cornholio1980

Sorg og GlaedeSorg og Glæde
Denmark 2013
Written by Nils Malmros
Directed by Nils Malmros

The contrast between my previous Viennale-screening and this could not have been more jarring and crass. Where “Magic in the Moonlight” was an extremely light and lighthearted affair, “Sorg og Glæde” is… not. Instead, it’s an extremely unsettling, gloomy and harrowing movie – and also one of the most impressive films that I’ve seen last year. “Joy and Sorrow” takes the unimaginable and makes it not just imaginable, but even understandable, at least to some extent. The fact that it’s mostly autobiographical only makes it all the more powerful.

Pretty much the only thing that didn’t completely work for me was the reaction of Johannes’s mother when he comes home at the beginning of the movie. Her collapse to the ground stands out as a little too melodramatic and/or film-like, and somehow didn’t ring true to me. Then again, I obviously wasn’t there when it happened, so this might as well be as it has been – or at least, as Nils Malmros remembers it. I also was slightly taken aback by some of the reactions of the other protagonists, but that’s mostly due to the fact that at first, they have a vast information advantage compared to us. For the viewer, this tragedy comes totally out of the blue (at least dramaturgically and narratively; since obviously when you’ve read the synopsis you already know what awaits you). But over the course of the movie, in elaborate flashbacks, we learn of Signes struggle – which for me made it all the more tragic. If something is totally unexpected, there is little you could have done to prevent it. But in this case, with all these warning signs, I had the feeling that it would have been avoidable. And one of the truly remarkable things of the movie is that in the end, just like the protagonists, I was ready to forgive Signe for what she’s done, since the blame seemed to rest more with the people surrounding – and failing – her than with herself.

I also loved how uncompromising Nils Malmros is in the way Johannes (who is obviously based on himself) is portrayed. His infatuation with an underage girl that he later even casts as the lead in his next movie – including some nudity on her part – is especially troubling. Some viewers may be taken aback, but for me, it made me movie just seem all the more real, since he’s shown as a person with strengths but also weaknesses. The actors also do great work here. Jakob Cedergren is great at showing all sides of Johannes, and Helle Fagralid is especially great as Signe. It’s a terrifying role, and she handles it admirably. What I felt was another nice touch was that in the short scene that’s set 20 years later, while Johannes has aged visibly, Signe still looks the same – because that’s the way she looks in his eyes. It also emphasizes that while “Sorg og Glæde” tells a true story, it’s still filtered through the memories of Nils Malmros. It’s as he experienced it and remembers it, but doesn’t necessarily have to be a 100% accurate. It’s nice to see a movie acknowledge that. The most impressive thing about the movie, however, is definitely how through understanding comes forgiveness, even with a seemingly unforgivable act as this. Thus, as depressing, unsettling and harrowing a movie “Sorg og Glæde” may be, I still found it to be extremely cathartic and in a weird way even hopeful, since it suggests that no one is beyond redemption.
9/10


IMDB

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Viennale 2014 – Day 8: Magic in the Moonlight

Posted on January 2, 2015 by cornholio1980

Magic in the MoonlightMagic in the Moonlight
USA 2014
Written by Woody Allen
Directed by Woody Allen

Granted, “Magic in the Moonlight” is extremely light movie fare – but it’s also quite charming, often funny and very entertaining. The chemistry between Emma Stone and Colin Firth was so good that I didn’t even have time to contemplate the age gap between them. I just wanted them to end up together, despite their differences and all the obstacles that stand in their way. Colin Firth is again his best, most charming self, and Emma Stone continues to impress me not just with her natural beauty, but also with her lovely and loveable presence as well as her acting abilities.

As we’ve come to expect from a Woody Allen-Film, the dialogues are witty and very well written. I also quite liked the story, about a magician who sets out to reveal this allegedly gifted girl as a hoax, only to fall for her charms, and also unable to explain how she does the things that she does – until he, the biggest sceptic of them all, starts to become a believer. The way the movie ultimately resolves this was great, too. I also loved the period setting, which is not only represented in the costumes, hairstyles, sets, cars etc., but also the music, which is exclusively taken from that era. The movie itself is also quite old-fashioned, and recalls the screwball comedies of the 30s and 40s. Yes, the whole movie is extremely predictable, but as long as the journey is as nice as it is here, I don’t really care that much if I can already glance the destination from miles away. Ultimately, “Magic in the Moonlight” might not be Woody Allen’s best, not even if you only count his more recent outings (for me, that’s still “Midnight in Paris”, which while similarly charming also had some nice things to say), but that doesn’t make it any less charming, funny and/or entertaining.
7/10


IMDB

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Viennale 2014 – Day 8: Les Combattants

Posted on January 1, 2015 by cornholio1980

Les CombattantsLes Combattants
France 2014
Written by Thomas Cailley & Claude Le Pape
Directed by Thomas Cailley

This is one of those movies that I watched mostly because I had tickets for the showings before and afterwards, and didn’t feel like wandering around for over two hours in between movies. And while I did enjoy the movie, at least in parts, overall I think I wouldn’t have missed much if I would have done exactly that instead.

“Les Combattants” is but one of many Coming of Age-movies, and for quite a long time, it didn’t really speak to me as much as others did. I was especially taken aback by my impression that this was some sort of covertly recruitment video for the French military. I haven’t been to the military myself (in Austria the young men can choose between either that or community service; I chose the latter), so it’s probably very prejudging and prejudiced of me, but I haven’t got the highest opinion of the military in general. Thus, the first half of the movie where Madeleine is training for some sort of military summer camp, and Arnaud (who is smitten by her) decides to follow her lead, catched me on the wrong foot, and even though it became apparent afterwards that this was a misconception on my part, it didn’t make the first half of the movie any more bearable and/or entertaining for me, which – apart from a couple of nice scenes between Madeleine and Arnaud – I found mostly dull.

However, as soon as Madeleine started to realize that the military doesn’t provide her with what she hoped to get – namely the tools for survival for the (in her mind) inevitable downfalls that’s coming – and instead only places value on obedience and the readiness to sacrifice your own life for your comrades and the country, the movie started to work for me. The ultimate turnaround came with the great scene at the gas station. After that, I really started to enjoy the movie. I liked the impromptu survival training of Madeleine and Arnaud, and the development of their love. Near the end, the movie also offers a stunningly looking sequence, with the wall of smoke, and I also liked the ending. The performances were also great, especially the two leads Adèle Haenel (who coincidentally celebrates her 26th birthday today – so: Happy Birthday!) and Kévin Azaïs. Overall, it’s a decent enough movie that ended stronger than it started, which is always a plus. Ultimately, though, it’s nothing special.
5/10


IMDB

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Viennale 2014 – Day 8: Pas son genre (Not My Type)

Posted on January 1, 2015 by cornholio1980

Pas Son GenrePas son genre
France 2014
Written by Lucas Belvaux
Directed by Lucas Belvaux

My main problem with “Pas son genre” was that I didn’t root for Jennifer and Clément as a couple. They just seem completely mismatched from the get-go. Now obviously I don’t think that two people have to be almost the same person to make a good couple, but with the two of them, the differences just seemed way too big – and too fundamental – for them to work. There just is not a single similarity that they share, no common ground at all. Apart from a certain physical attraction, I just didn’t see what kept them together. Which in my book is a major problem, at least with a romantic movie like this.

Mind you, I’m not saying that I don’t understand why they fell for each other in the first place. They’re both attractive, good looking people, so I totally get why they would hook up. Clément looks for someone to spend time with. He’s a city person, and he just dreads that he has to spend most of his week in this small town outside of Paris, which is far too rural for his taste. Jennifer on the other hand is mostly busy working and raising her son. Clément offers her the chance to be more than just a mum and to experience other parts of her womanhood again. To lust and be lusted after, to break out of her daily routine, to feel young and alive again. But for him, that’s all there is. He just seeks a pleasant distraction, while she’s looking for someone she can share all parts of her life with. She’s a dreamer, he’s a realist. She’s warm and open and looking for closeness, while he’s cold and withdrawn and distant. Thus, pretty much from the get-go, this feels like a relationship with a built-in expiration date, set in their not-too-distant future. I also had a hard time warming up to Clément, who didn’t seem to have any redeeming qualities. And with just a little under two hours, the movie’s a tad too long for its own good.

Nevertheless, despite this shortcomings, “Pas son genre” is quite entertaining. It offers some great scenes, has a nice soundtrack (even though it was really weird for me to hear the austrian pop song “Live is Life” in an international production; I had no idea that it was popular outside of Austria and Germany), and also offers some great performances by both leads. Loïc Corbery plays the cold-hearted bastard with calculated perfection, while Émilie Dequenne (who looks like a french Billie Piper) is incredibly warm and charming as Jennifer. “Pas son genre” definitely is a nice little film – but don’t expect to fall in love with Clément and Jennifer as a couple.
6/10


IMDB

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Happy New Year!

Posted on January 1, 2015 by cornholio1980

Fellow readers, I wish all of you a Happy New Year! I have to say, I’m very pleased with how this blog developed in the last couple of months. It was definitely the right decision to switch to english, and yes, I know, 30 followers might not sound that impressive to you, but I’m actually quite humbled that so many people are interested in what this weird Austrian guy has to say about movies. And of course, this year I was very much still in prototype-mode, mostly blogging my reviews from film festivals and not yet digging into popular current movie releases. Anyway, I’m very pleased by the reception to this blog, and one of my resolutions for 2015 is to provide you with lots and lots of movie reviews, as well as the one or other new feature where I talk about all things movies – and sometimes maybe even take a step beyond.

May all our movie dreams come true, and let’s hope that the pleasent surprises will far outweigh the disappointments. In other words: Please don’t suck, Episode VII.

See you in 2015!

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Viennale 2014 – Day 8: Happy Christmas

Posted on December 31, 2014 by cornholio1980

Happy ChristmasHappy Christmas
USA 2014
Written by Joe Swanberg
Directed by Joe Swanberg

“Happy Christmas” is the second movie where I later found out that it was either already or imminently available on DVD; would I have known that before, I probably wouldn’t have gotten tickets at the Viennale for it (especially since this was one of my few weekday-afternoon-showings, which meant that I had to take the day off). However, in contrast to “To Kill A Man”, I liked “Happy Christmas”, so at least I was entertained. It’s nothing special, but a nice little addition to the ever-growing list of Christmas-themed movies.

Two words of warning, though: “Happy Christmas” is another one of those mumblecore films that deal with “first world problems” of well-situated people, and it also features Lena Dunham in a supporting role. I’m only mentioning the latter because I noticed that she’s become a very divisive figure, furiously hated by some with whom just mentioning her name is enough to get them rumbling; for those, her sheer presence in this movie will probably be enough to discourage them from watching it. And to be fair, her scenes definitely have a certain “Lena Dunham-ness” to them (which is not surprising given the typical mumblecore trait of improvising most of the dialogue). However, I have no problem with her, and even though I definitely don’t agree with everything that she says and don’t necessarily love everything that she does, I think that she’s a valuable young voice that has just the same right to be heard as everyone else.

There are certain things that I love about mumblecore-movies that are also present here. For example, everyone and everything looks, sounds, and feels very authentic. The dialogues seem to come straight out of life, and the actors and actresses also look mostly like regular, everyday people (with the possible exception of Anna Kendrick, who does stand out as a “starlet” a little bit; but that may very well have been intentional). One potential drawback of movies like that is that they’re usually dealing with rather mundane stuff, and it can be a little difficult to relate to the characters, especially when mumblecore gets fused with a slacker movie. Which is also partially the case here with Jenny, who mostly stands in her own way. However, at least with me it’s not that I flat-out hate characters and/or movies like that; it’s more of a tricky balance, and IMHO more often than not, “Happy Christmas” gets it right. Anyway, I really loved the authentic feel of the movie.

One thing that I thought was a little strange was how big of a deal everyone made when they had to pick up Jenny, who got completely wasted on her first day with her brother. Now, I get it, it’s not necessarily mature behavior. And yes, if someone does that every fucking night at her age, it’s a little pathetic and worrisome. But given the fact that this was the first occurrence as well as that she just got dumped by her boyfriend, I found her reaction understandable, and didn’t quite see what the big problem was. I do firmly believe that even when you’re getting older, you have the right to let yourself go once in a while. Nothing wrong with that, as long as it’s not something that happens all the time. Just because you get older and more mature doesn’t mean that you can’t act like a kid or an irresponsible teenager from time to time. Then again, there may be some prior history between the characters which didn’t get laid out, which might have explained their reaction.

Apart from that, however, I really liked the movie. Especially since it evades the trap of getting too melodramatic. Yes, as you pretty much expect from the beginning, something happens where Jenny again acts very irresponsibly, which could have led to dire consequences, but ultimately, nothing overly catastrophic happened, and I liked that after the first shock subsided everyone calmed down again. Thus, there never was this seemingly insurmountable breach between them, which then would have been rectified by a huge gesture on Jennys part – as would probably have happpened in the clichéd Hollywood-version of this story. I also loved how women-centric the movie was. The chemistry between Jenny, Kelly and Carson was great, they were very believable as sisters-in-law/friends. Finally, I liked that as disruptive as Jennys appearance may be, the movie ultimately proves that sometimes it can be a good thing when your life gets shaken up a little. Overall, it’s not an instant Christmas classic, but if you’re not mumblecore- or Lena Dumham-averse, “Happy Christmas” should entertain you well enough.
7/10


IMDB

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Viennale 2014 – Day 7: Deu tae-ro ra-i-beu (The Terror Live)

Posted on December 31, 2014 by cornholio1980

The Terror LiveDeu tae-ro ra-i-beu
South Korea 2013
Written by Byeong-woo Kim
Directed by Byeong-woo Kim

I probably would have been a lot more impressed with “The Terror Live” if I hadn’t already seen eight and a half seasons of “24”. Yes, the fact that this time we follow the events of roughly two hours – in real-time – through the eyes of a news anchor distances this a little from the long-running thriller series, but still, I wouldn’t necessarily call the concept of “The Terror Live” particularly fresh and/or original. Especially since they not only took the real-time OR the terror concept, but both.

Still, what they make of it definitely manages to entertain and occasionally even thrill. I probably liked the first 30 minutes or so the most, with the angry caller, the terror attacks, and how the news anchor slowly gets drawn into this nightmare, the destiny of hundreds if not thousands of people resting on his shoulders. It’s also quite well shot and felt pretty realistic for most of the time (before going overboard in the last 15-20 minutes). There are a couple of twists that I didn’t see coming, and the ending also is a little darker than your average Hollywood-movie (and possibly even “24”). And even though it’s not very original anymore, the real-time concept works really well (and arguably even more so than in “24”, since here, you don’t have any gaps for commercial breaks).

Unfortunately, there is one twist near the end – concerning the identity of the terrorist – that didn’t really make sense to me. They find out that for a specific reason, their main suspect can’t be the one responsible, and I felt that it was quite unrealistic that they would learn this particular fact that late in the game. Also, the action gets a little over the top near the end. And as much as I liked the soundtrack, the main theme was a little too reminiscent of Cliff Martinez’ score for “Drive”. Finally: I was surprised that no one brought up the fact that the news anchor taunted the terrorist and dared him to blow up the bridge. I’m not saying that because of that, he’s responsible – he had no way of knowing that the threat was real. But I thought it was weird that no one called him out on that. Overall, “The Terror Live” is a nifty little thriller that’s held back by the fact that “24” has done it all – and arguably better – before.
6/10


IMDB

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