Cautionary tales are about as cliché as your average boy-meets-girl story. By now, they both often require one key ingredient: a highly specific angle or a big twist. This is how old stories remain fresh, which keeps us buying movie tickets and renting DVDs.
Hailing from China, Fruit Chan’s 2004 film “Dumplings” certainly brings a unique element to a well-worn cautionary tale subject, the fountain of youth. Most reviews of the movie give away this secret, primarily because it comes so early in the film. I think the viewing experience is more jarring and effective if the secrets remain until Chan uncovers them in due course.
While the early reveal is the most memorable and most important part of the story, focusing on it ignores the frequently stunning work that follows. Again, the movie follows some of the clichés you might expect as aging people become increasingly desperate to discover immortality, but it does so with such artfulness that it’s worth watching.
“Dumplings” focuses on Mrs. Li, an aging TV star in China who is looking to go back to the beauty of her former years. Her husband no longer pays attention to her and she has lost her place in the world without her once captivating looks. To recapture her husband’s attention, she visits Aunt Mei, a chef of sorts who serves her clientele dumplings that will keep them young. Her special and potent ingredient gives new meaning to the phrase “ancient Chinese secret.”
The obsession with youth predictably leads to chaos for the characters. But the downward spiral unravels quickly and unexpectedly, which keeps the movie from being just another cautionary tale. It’s an unquestionably shocking movie, but it only rarely goes over the top with the gross-out factor. The horror of “Dumplings” isn’t like the horror of recent torture-based movies or old school slasher flicks. Instead, Chan is often more interested in finding little ways to mess with his audience’s minds, like consistently clever sound design.
If you seek out “Dumplings,” you’ll quickly find out what Aunt Mei’s secret ingredient is. The movie also leaves no secrets about the quality of the script or the talent of Chan. The film is sickening, but that’s exactly why it’s so good.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Monday, January 28, 2008
"All the Young Dudes"
With the recent and unfortunate death of Heath Ledger, 28, many have been waxing on the strong back catalog of films he left behind. First, I did not realize Ledger was so widely respected as one of his generation's best actors and I sincerely hope this is not a revisionist position taken only because of his untimely end. A glance at his resumé does show some brave choices, though. Most notable, of course, was his performance in Brokeback Mountain, which stands head and shoulders above most of his other work. He also had well-received performances in Monster's Ball, The Patriot, and Candy. His final role as the Joker in Christopher Nolan's Batman sequel The Dark Night has been getting serious buzz as well.
It is certainly a shame to see a young talent burn out before he had a real chance to showcase his skill. One lesson we ought to learn is to appreciate upcoming artists as they build their greatness in front of us, not after they take a downturn or cease to act altogether. So this post is dedicated to the work of another young actor, who happens to be my favorite in his generation and actually shared the screen with Ledger in a 1999 teen comedy, 10 Things I Hate About You: the 26-year-old Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
IMDB hounds and sitcom fanatics might recognize that name as the actor who played Tommy, the scrawny, long-haired teen in NBC's Third Rock From the Sun in the late 90's. I promise you that while this big role relatively early in his career was, at best, mediocre, his recent movies have been absolutely brilliant.
The trifecta of awesome JGL (that's the fanboy acronym for his name) flicks is fairly easy to establish and, I dare say, nearly impossible to beat. They are, in order: Brick (2006), Mysterious Skin (2005) and The Lookout (2007).
Brick finds JGL in a bizzarro high school world of drug dealing and murder where all the characters speak like they're in a 50's noir. The merging of the two worlds is stunning and always entertaining, and I may be reviewing it here shortly. Mysterious Skin features JGL in his most difficult to watch role, as a young man who makes his way into his into gay prostitution. The Lookout, like Brick, trusts JGL to completely carry the movie, this time as a brain-damaged athlete who gets in over his head in a potential bank heist. All three are worth seeing multiple times, whether for their incredible writing or JGL's transcendent acting.
So, as we remember Ledger by rifling through his best roles, let's also revel in the talent of Gordon-Levitt as he reveals his growing greatness film by film.
It is certainly a shame to see a young talent burn out before he had a real chance to showcase his skill. One lesson we ought to learn is to appreciate upcoming artists as they build their greatness in front of us, not after they take a downturn or cease to act altogether. So this post is dedicated to the work of another young actor, who happens to be my favorite in his generation and actually shared the screen with Ledger in a 1999 teen comedy, 10 Things I Hate About You: the 26-year-old Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
IMDB hounds and sitcom fanatics might recognize that name as the actor who played Tommy, the scrawny, long-haired teen in NBC's Third Rock From the Sun in the late 90's. I promise you that while this big role relatively early in his career was, at best, mediocre, his recent movies have been absolutely brilliant.
The trifecta of awesome JGL (that's the fanboy acronym for his name) flicks is fairly easy to establish and, I dare say, nearly impossible to beat. They are, in order: Brick (2006), Mysterious Skin (2005) and The Lookout (2007).
Brick finds JGL in a bizzarro high school world of drug dealing and murder where all the characters speak like they're in a 50's noir. The merging of the two worlds is stunning and always entertaining, and I may be reviewing it here shortly. Mysterious Skin features JGL in his most difficult to watch role, as a young man who makes his way into his into gay prostitution. The Lookout, like Brick, trusts JGL to completely carry the movie, this time as a brain-damaged athlete who gets in over his head in a potential bank heist. All three are worth seeing multiple times, whether for their incredible writing or JGL's transcendent acting.
So, as we remember Ledger by rifling through his best roles, let's also revel in the talent of Gordon-Levitt as he reveals his growing greatness film by film.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Primer - 2004
When it comes to “indie” culture, lauded as it may be currently, the results are still pretty hit-or-miss. The indie stamp, with all of its vagueness, is not one of guaranteed authenticity or originality. An indie book, album or film could just be the product of a hack trying to get their 15 minutes.
On the other hand, indie culture regularly produces some of the most intriguing and entertaining art that forces the audience to think. 2004’s Primer, from first-time writer/director/actor Shane Carruth, is a perfect example of this. Made on a shoestring budget where the Carruth’s friends are the actors and his parents are the caterers, Primer manages to leap off the screen with only slight hindrances from the production values.
For about the first quarter of the movie, Carruth actually seems a little lost in the world he created. He throws the audience right in the middle of the completely boring experiments of white-collar engineer types in their free time, which is just about as dull as it sounds. Soon enough, however, Primer finds its rhythm with its story, when the two protagonists accidentally invent a time machine, and its cinematography, which alternates between acceptable and strikingly good.
Unlike most other time-travel stories, this one isn’t really about some grand scheme or an attempt to change history. It’s about two things, primarily: how the machine affects the lives of normal, middle class people who now have a very big secret, and the endless permutations and problems that short-distance time travel might cause.
The first point provides most of the drama initially, as the two friends try to dodge a domestic disturbance situation and play the stock market, among other things. The second point is where Primer either astounds or confounds, depending upon how much thought you’re willing to put in. The story is full of knots, and after having seen it three times in as many years, I’m not embarrassed to say there are things I still don’t really understand.
It’s been worth watching that many times, however, because it’s always interesting to try and solve parts of the puzzle. Honestly, I’m not even sure the story is in chronological order or that such an order could exist in this story. But that’s exactly what makes it so intriguing.
Even with a clunky start, Primer is largely able to both entertain and provoke thought. The end might leave you with more questions than answers, but what superior piece of art doesn’t?
On the other hand, indie culture regularly produces some of the most intriguing and entertaining art that forces the audience to think. 2004’s Primer, from first-time writer/director/actor Shane Carruth, is a perfect example of this. Made on a shoestring budget where the Carruth’s friends are the actors and his parents are the caterers, Primer manages to leap off the screen with only slight hindrances from the production values.
For about the first quarter of the movie, Carruth actually seems a little lost in the world he created. He throws the audience right in the middle of the completely boring experiments of white-collar engineer types in their free time, which is just about as dull as it sounds. Soon enough, however, Primer finds its rhythm with its story, when the two protagonists accidentally invent a time machine, and its cinematography, which alternates between acceptable and strikingly good.
Unlike most other time-travel stories, this one isn’t really about some grand scheme or an attempt to change history. It’s about two things, primarily: how the machine affects the lives of normal, middle class people who now have a very big secret, and the endless permutations and problems that short-distance time travel might cause.
The first point provides most of the drama initially, as the two friends try to dodge a domestic disturbance situation and play the stock market, among other things. The second point is where Primer either astounds or confounds, depending upon how much thought you’re willing to put in. The story is full of knots, and after having seen it three times in as many years, I’m not embarrassed to say there are things I still don’t really understand.
It’s been worth watching that many times, however, because it’s always interesting to try and solve parts of the puzzle. Honestly, I’m not even sure the story is in chronological order or that such an order could exist in this story. But that’s exactly what makes it so intriguing.
Even with a clunky start, Primer is largely able to both entertain and provoke thought. The end might leave you with more questions than answers, but what superior piece of art doesn’t?
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Following - 1998
While writer/director Christopher Nolan has created a significant fan base with Memento, Batman Begins and The Prestige, many fans of his work have probably missed out on his no-budget first film, Following.
Both Memento and The Prestige featured a fantastic use of a nonlinear, chopped up narrative, which is the style Nolan began developing with Following. Thanks to movie rental services over the Internet, the 1998 movie is readily available for those who want to see the film where Nolan first honed his skills telling reconstructed stories.
Following certainly feels like the work of a first-timer, with it’s inexpensive production techniques and actors who sometimes show their inexperience. However, the script is clearly the work of a writer who knows how to tell a story in an interesting way.
Nolan weaves three different timelines revolving around Bill, a poor writer in London. Bill, in search of inspiration, tries to get ideas for his character studies by shadowing random people around the city.
Predictably, he follows the wrong man, Cobb, a little too closely and soon finds himself as Cobb’s accomplice in petty burglaries, which are as much for sport as they are for income. Cobb is also interested in studying people, but he does so by stealing and rifling their personal belonging instead of shadowing.
Bill quickly gets caught up in the activities and begins to take on Cobb’s methods and personal habits. But even as Bill becomes more like Cobb, he exhibits increasing anxiety while Cobb remains cool.
Only as the story unfolds do we understand why each character behaves as such. As with most of Nolan’s work, aspects of final twist are hinted at but the resolution still comes as a surprise.
As Nolan shows with greater skill later in career, the nonlinear narrative can enhance a good story by creating extra mystery around its characters and their motives. The script and the editing manage to transcend the movie’s nonexistent budget and the greenness of those involved, showing how tight Nolan’s artistic vision is even with its twists.
Of course, Following can’t stack up to Memento or The Prestige, but it’s still incredibly successful for an ambitious first project. Let’s just hope Nolan’s upcoming Batman Begins sequel doesn’t go the way of Batman Returns.
Both Memento and The Prestige featured a fantastic use of a nonlinear, chopped up narrative, which is the style Nolan began developing with Following. Thanks to movie rental services over the Internet, the 1998 movie is readily available for those who want to see the film where Nolan first honed his skills telling reconstructed stories.
Following certainly feels like the work of a first-timer, with it’s inexpensive production techniques and actors who sometimes show their inexperience. However, the script is clearly the work of a writer who knows how to tell a story in an interesting way.
Nolan weaves three different timelines revolving around Bill, a poor writer in London. Bill, in search of inspiration, tries to get ideas for his character studies by shadowing random people around the city.
Predictably, he follows the wrong man, Cobb, a little too closely and soon finds himself as Cobb’s accomplice in petty burglaries, which are as much for sport as they are for income. Cobb is also interested in studying people, but he does so by stealing and rifling their personal belonging instead of shadowing.
Bill quickly gets caught up in the activities and begins to take on Cobb’s methods and personal habits. But even as Bill becomes more like Cobb, he exhibits increasing anxiety while Cobb remains cool.
Only as the story unfolds do we understand why each character behaves as such. As with most of Nolan’s work, aspects of final twist are hinted at but the resolution still comes as a surprise.
As Nolan shows with greater skill later in career, the nonlinear narrative can enhance a good story by creating extra mystery around its characters and their motives. The script and the editing manage to transcend the movie’s nonexistent budget and the greenness of those involved, showing how tight Nolan’s artistic vision is even with its twists.
Of course, Following can’t stack up to Memento or The Prestige, but it’s still incredibly successful for an ambitious first project. Let’s just hope Nolan’s upcoming Batman Begins sequel doesn’t go the way of Batman Returns.
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