05.31.08
Review: “Sex and the City”
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
The moment aficionados of this mega-hit television series and pop culture phenomenon have been waiting with bated breath for has arrived, and it is a solid bet that few will be disappointed but none will be gasping for air either, because while things have been altered, they are still very much the same. Continuing with the theme of “Looking for Love and Labels,” only this time the perspective is a more mature one – which should by no means be translated into a loss of savvy or sass – there is a definite undercurrent of growth, of the emotional and logical variety, learning that logic and love are two ingredients that do not mix in the tangy cocktail of life.
“Sex and the City” feels like a light and breezy catch-up lunch with four remarkably well-adorned friends that drags on a bit longer than expected or intended, but when in the company of characters whom you have known for years, with whom you have shared every slip up, break up and the make up sex that followed, any shorter a running time and one would feel cheated. That being said, it would be asking too much for a non-fan of the concluded HBO series to identify with exactly why the film is an absolute pleasure, and it is even stranger that people who have never taken the time to watch the series are ripping apart a film they have no intention of seeing. “Sex and the City” is no doubt for fans of the television show, who are able to accept that priorities can change, people can age, and sag, as well as future fans of either sex, and if you don’t think you fall into either category, don’t bother – it will fly straight over your head.
05.30.08
Journey to Accreditation
Po in “Kung Fu Panda”
So yesterday I attended a press screening of “Kung Fu Panda,” which I am proud to report is a fantastic animated film, despite its awful, awful trailer. But this is not a review, because I cannot publish my already completed review until the week of its release in South Africa, which is around the 27 of June. So that is where I was, but this post is more about how lame I was at the venue, and not the actual film I saw at the venue.
05.29.08
Weekend Attractions (30 May – 1 June)
Two very different tales of love this weekend, in two very different cities, in “Sex and the City” and “Paris, Je T’aime,” repectively.
Films opening in South Africa this weekend:
Kung Fu Panda: Gift of the Givers
On Monday the 26th, Po was in South Africa to promote the “Winter Warmth Campaign” with Gift of the Givers foundation, who assist with various humanitarian campaigns, in a completely selfless and compassionate attempt at providing blankets to under-privileged people, those without the comfort of warm homes in the increasingly cold winter months.
05.28.08
Review: “The Forbidden Kingdom”
Jet Li and Jackie Chan in “The Forbidden Kingdom.”
Seen one martial arts fantasy film, seen them all. Or, at least, that is what this film would have you believe. The first time paring of martial arts specialists, Jet Li and Jackie Chan, would seem like a rather obvious success. Monotony and structural weakness say otherwise, “The Forbidden Kingdom” does nothing if not disappoint. Throwing every ingredient you have seen before into one huge leaky cauldron, and making use of the sharply timed skills of two uncompromised legends makes no difference when it is very clear from the yawn-inspiring opening scenes just how stale these ingredients are. The film is a formulaic yet satirical look at the extreme seriousness most martial art films have, and its blatant attempts at humour are obvious and cringe worthy. There is no attempt at creating something fresh or new, and if there was, it could not have been concealed any better. A lower than average take on the overplayed juvenile cross-cultural-cross-time adventure idea, “The Forbidden Kingdom” should be taken literally, stay away at all costs.
05.27.08
Review: “88 Minutes”
When a film ends and the only thought running through your mind is something along the lines of wondering how a film as bad as this could have ever been made – you know you deserve a refund, even if it is only monetary. Without a single redeeming quality, this gag of an attempt at being a satisfactory espionage thriller is the furthest thing from being taut, suspenseful or fascinating. All the atrocities you heard about this film were gross understatements. Unfocused and messy, the film by Jon Avnet is nothing but a botched attempt blending a series of well-worn formulae that have worked in a variety of films before this one, and a dire incoherency without a shred of credibility.
05.26.08
Review: “Be Kind Rewind”
“You name it, we shoot it.”
True to Michel Gondry’s intense will to abandon all conventionality, “Be Kind Rewind” fits comfortably in his assortment of cinematical odes to various realms outside of actuality, including “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” which had critics searching for new superlatives aside from “masterpiece” and “brilliant.” Perhaps his decision to stay away from conforming to the so called norm is finally growing tedious or that Gondry is losing his considerable edge but “Be Kind Rewind” is certainly not firing on all cylinders and its feature film length seems like a luxury not fully implemented – but it has its heart it the right place and although it never finds its footing exactly, the journey is far from monotonous or uninteresting.
Film Festival: Encounters ‘08
To celebrate 10 years of the Encounters South African International Documentary Festival, the organisers have assembled a colourful and exciting bouquet of movies that mixes local creations with some of the world’s best new documentary films.
Cannes: Your Guess is as Good as Mine
This the first (and definietely not the last) year I have kept a close eye on the shangigans on the Riviera, and not that I know much, I have a strange urge to throw my two cents into the mix and predict which film will take home the big one, Palme d’Or, and the others too I guess. I could compare predicting the winners to making use of a certain bodily function while standing face to the wind, but I won’t. I’ll keep it classy, and pretend like I have a clue whats going on. One prediction I know I will get right is that fact that I bet I will barely predict a single category correctly, but it’s all in the name of fun.
First off, a quick-ish run through of all the films that were shown in competition, and how the critics reacted to them…
05.24.08
Cannes: Samedi, 24 Mai
“Palermo Shooting”
Can you believe Cannes is almost over? Me either, and it feels weird. Anyway, the films screening today are Entre les Murs (The Class), Palermo Shooting and The Good, The Bad and The Weird.
Cannes: Un Certain Regard Awards
“Tulpan”
From Festival de Cannes:
“Tulpan” by Kazakh director Sergey Dvortsevoy was awarded the Un Certain Regard GAN Fondation Prize by the Jury President Fatih Akin at this evening’s awards ceremony.
The Un Certain Regard Jury, presided by Fatih Akin, consisting of José Maria Prado, director of the Spanish national film archive, as well as journalists Anupama Chopra, Catherine Mtsitouridze, and Yasser Moheb, awarded four other prizes: Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire garnered the Hope Prize for Johnny Mad Dog, James Toback accepted the KnockOut Prize for Tyson, the Jury Prize went to Kiyoshi Kurosawa for Tokyo Sonata, and Cloud 9 by Andreas Dresen won the One-From-The-Heart Award.
Review: “What Happens In Vegas…”
Get Lucky.
Neon-lit Vegas – the place where dreams can come true as well as your worst nightmares. When originality and creativity fail, follow a tried and trusted Hollywood romantic comedy formula, and you may just end up with something that is adequate enough to call it “watch able.” But “What Happens in Vegas…” writer Dana Fox opted for the implementation of numerous formulas, formulae if you will, and the result is an accumulation of every cinematic device and cliché one would expect from a “modern romance” tale. Unfocused to say the least, the film suffers from a definite case of attention deficit disorder, not to be mistaken for immediacy or vibrancy, and literally jumps all over the place with little or no explanation. Depending on what you want out of the film, there is a great chance you will end up disappointed anyway, and if you were expecting something smart and sassy – don’t bet on it.
Cannes: Cinéfondation Awards
”Himnon”
Cannes “student” film awards, striving to build and hone new talent, and thousands of entries from film schools all over the world are entered, this year 1200 entries were recieved. Out of that, only 17 films made the official cut.
The Jury (Hou Hsiao Hsien, Olivier Assayas, Susanne Bier, Marina Hands and Laurence Kardish) awarded prizes to the following films:
