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Reviews
Wo de fu qin mu qin (1999)
A lot of dreamy romance
I rented this movie hoping for something along the lines of Fried Green Tomatoes. You know, the kind of movie that flips back and forth between an individual's relationship with an older person in the present day, and the stories that older person tells about his/her youth.
That's not what I got.
There's this wonderful use of black and photography at the beginning and ending of the film, which really sets off the son's interaction with his mother in the present day, and his telling of the story of his parent's early love. When the film moves to Lou and Zhao in their youth, the screen is filled with the most brilliant colors and scenery one could hope to see in a movie.
And there's lots of it - beautiful scenery, I mean.
The film begins and ends in black and white. There isn't much to the interaction between the son, his mother, and what remains of their home town. His father has died and he is there to help with the funeral. His mother has very clear ideas about how it should be done and the son makes sure that those things are taken care of...it's really just that simple.
However, in between the black and white is a long romantic story about a man and woman who fall in love by staring at one another by gazing longingly at one another across great expanses of gorgeous scenery.
At first, I was intrigued. The concept of making food for the men building the school house and placing it in the same bowl every day, hoping that this really cute guy would notice the bowl was...well...endearing.
But, then, it started to get difficult for me to believe. Perhaps I'm simply not a romantic at heart, or perhaps this is nothing more than proof that my upbringing in the USA makes it impossible for me to understand some of the films I rent, but I really started to see Zhao as self destructive, obsessive compulsive, stubborn, and codependent.
About 2/3s of the way through, I had to turn it off. However, the next evening I turned it back on and finished watching the film. Really, it's an interesting story and beautifully done. Just a lot more dreamy romance then I tend to prefer.
What's Cooking? (2000)
Thanksgiving is the same all over!
What's Cooking is a wonderful look at four very different Thanksgivings. All four families: 1) live in LA, 2) have issues that come out (in a very messy way) over the dinner table, and 3) have problems making/serving/eating the food being served.
It made me laugh, it made me cry, and it tickled my thought processes because there are some things about family gatherings that just seem to be the same everywhere.
Space Cowboys (2000)
Fun, lighthearted, and humorous
A friend of mine and I decided to get together and watch a video. Her son was in bed and we were just hanging out for the evening. Since the family received a DVD player for the holidays, we decided to try the thing out and watch one their three DVDs. That means that Space Cowboys won out over The Secret of Nihm and Stargate.
On the whole, I enjoyed the film. It's not unlike Cocoon in the sense that 4 old guys find themselves training with a bunch of young kids - and somehow manage to keep up. The concept is strong enough to keep the plot going, but not exactly believable: a Russian 'satellite' is about to crash into the earth, and these former NASA pilots (who never made it as astronauts) are the only men (still living) who have the antiquated technical knowledge needed to fix the darned thing. So, the hotheaded leader of the bunch strikes up a deal: send us into space and we'll fix it for you.
NASA wants them to train the younger astronauts and watch the events from the ground. The former NASA pilots insist that it's a hands on job and they have to do it themselves. OK, that part's pretty believable. So are the number of characters who they run into at NASA with some kind of tie to people these guys knew back in their glory days - most of those people are dead now, but their friends and family are still working at NASA.
Enough plot description. Personally, I liked the movie because it made me laugh. The winter-spring romance that gets thrown into the middle of it all is annoying and unnecessary, but the arguments and ancient grudges are not.
The fact that the retirees manage to save the day after one of the younger NASA astronauts manages to mess things up (in a BIG way), made the movie fun. It was a lot like one of those kids films where the adults can't seem to stop tripping over their feet and the kids are the only one's who can figure out why the ghosts keep coming back and things keep disappearing.
It's sort of like a science fiction version of Scooby Doo with the Mystery Van being replaced by the Space Shuttle and four senior citizens (plus two young astronauts) taking the place of Shaggy, Scooby, Velma, Daphne, and Fred.
That darned Russian and his pal at NASA would have gotten away with it too, if it hadn't been for those darned kids!
Er, uh...old guys.
Á köldum klaka (1995)
Excellent Questing Tale
Cold Fever is one of those rare films where the hero is on a serious and deeply spiritual quest, yet the drama and the philosophy never overshadows the humor. Within the first 15 minutes of the film's depiction of Hirata's trip through Iceland, he is seen standing in the back of a (very large) truck, riding into Reykjavik with numerous other men - all of which are singing (beautifully) in deep baritone voices, the entire way home. One of the men on the truck turns to Hirata and says:
"How do you like Iceland?"
"Very strange country." Hirata replies, and the actor's expression and tone of voice made it a perfect bit of foreshadowing for everything that lies ahead.
This is a story about a man's journey across Iceland to fulfill a family obligation. His parents drowned in a mountain river, and Hirata must go there to free their spirits from the place. However, while the weight of family obligation is what gets him started, and is the goal that keeps him going - the journey, with it's many colorful characters and strange adventures (many of which seem to be born of either luck or a very powerful spiritual guardian seeing this man to his final destination) are what affect and change the man who is on this journey. Yet, despite it's fantastical quality, the film never seems to loose it's suspension of disbelief. In other words, I found myself in awe of the adventure without becoming annoyed by the impossibility of it.
My only complaint would be the number of times Hirata decides to just walk away from a cab or a broken down car. 90% of the movie is filmed in Iceland, in the middle of winter, and the reality of walking around in a business suit (with a suitcase, briefcase, and poor walking shoes) wasn't (in my opinion) properly displayed. Anyone who has experienced sheer white snow-blind cold depicted in this movie would be tapping their fingers, wondering why this man isn't dead from exposure.
However, I must stress that my single complain is actually a minor one, because it actually enhances the mystical and magical quality of this film. Like I said, Hirata's comment ("Very strange country") is a wonderful bit of foreshadowing.
Highly recommended.
Knights (1993)
Kathy Long has a very photogenic derrière
Every once in a while I will rent an action/adventure film just as a way to relax and occupy my mind with nothing important. This is why I own a copy of Charlie's Angels (2000) - not a quality film, but it makes me laugh and allows me to unwind for a while. One of these days I will probably buy copies of The Princess Bride and a few Monty Python movies for much the same reason.
In any case, I rented this film because I wanted to be entertained without being challenged. For the most part, I got what I wanted. The plot was something along the lines of a poorly written Xena episode, and the Kathy Long's acting was very community theater (not bad for a professional kick boxer and amateur actress). There were a few high points on the part of the cyborgs. Somehow they managed to get some pretty good actors to play the bad guys - unfortunately, most of them die pretty darned quick.
Like most martial arts films, the further you get into the movie, the more emphasis there is on action, and the plot (which wasn't strong to begin with) deteriorates almost as quickly as the acting. However, the more Kathy Long fights, the more time the director devotes to her backside. By the end of the movie I was seriously considering watching it a second time just to count the number of times Kathy Long's tight red shorts were center screen.
Unfortunately, there just wasn't enough meat to this film to make satisfying curiosity worth seeing the film a second time. If you are a hard core Xena fan in need of something to wile away a few hours - by all means, go to the grocery store and spend the .50 cents on the rental. There are some strong similarities between the show and this movie.
Just don't expect anything more than to be mildly amused for a few hours.
Unless, of course, you happen to like Kathy Long's derrière. THEN you might want to purchase a copy.
Börn náttúrunnar (1991)
Endearing questing tale
This movie begins with Geirri leaving the family farm and moving in with his family. He's gotten to old to handle farming on his own, and his family has decided that they are more suited to life in the city. The attempt to merge into his daughter's hectic life doesn't work out and he finds himself in a nursing home, surrounded by fellow retirees - some of whom are loving the time and the freedom the home allows right alongside others who are not.
Geirri meets up with Stella, a childhood sweetheart who has decided that dying in a nursing home is something she does not want to do. So, they decide to leave together. By the dead of night they steal a car and head for the towns of their youth...
Geirri and Stella are running form the law (leaving the home without permission and, more importantly, car theft), but there is no 'Bonnie and Clyde' feeling to this story. They return to the towns they knew and remember the years together. There are spirits in their mind and spirits of the ocean who meet them along the way. You get an excellent sense of their strength, knowledge, and experience.
All in all, this movie is very touching - until the end.
I really appreciated the journey and the experiences Geirri and Stella have, but the plot twist that brings the viewer to a final scene which is (in my opinion) brutal, disturbing, and (to be frank) confusing end. Yes, Geirri running from the law, and yes, he is trying to maintain his freedom, but...the rocks and the feet...?
Confusing and jarring. There was a fascinating mystical feel to the way the movie plays itself out, and one could theorize that the ending was more symbolic than realistic. But, why throw that kind of symbolism onto the end of such a touching (and realistic) movie?
Even so, I highly recommend this movie. There's to much to be gained from the movie as a whole to allow the oddness of the ending to stop you from seeing it.