MOVIE MONDAY GALORE!

“Cinema is the most beautiful fraud in the world.” - Jean-Luc Godard

I have been rather remiss with Movie Mondays in the last couple of weeks as the festivities of the Christmas/New Year period rater got in the way of my routine. However, this does not mean I have not been viewing movies and you’ll be pleased to know that I’ll make up for lost time by reviewing several good movies we have watched over the past couple of weeks. I was busy catching up with the recommendations of several people and of course, the gift exchanges of the holiday period meant that I could answer the question: “What would you like me to buy you as a present?” quite simply with: “Such-and-such DVD…”

Firstly a wonderful film from Spain/Mexico, Guillermo del Toro’s, “Pan’s Labyrinth” (2006). This is a dark and highly original film where reality and fantasy mix seamlessly to create an absorbing but grim fairy tale set in Spain at the conclusion of the Spanish Civil War. It is a very violent film and some of the images are quite disturbing, but at the same time it is tender and shows with delicacy the emotions, fears and concerns of a teenage girl who finds herself in an extremely unpleasant situation, moving into a country house with her stepfather and mother is who is expecting his child. A highly imaginative film, which uses fantasy and a dream world to poignantly highlight the immense political and social problems of post-civil war Spain.
My rating: 8/10. Genre: Fantasy/Historical/Drama. Cautions: Violence/Graphic images

The uplifting New Zealand film “Whale Rider” (2002) of Niki Caro, had been on our DVD shelf for a couple of years now, and we finally got to watch it yesterday. This is a beautifully filmed and well-related tale of a coming of age of a young New Zealand girl, Paikea, who is being brought up by her grandparents. Her grandfather, a Maori chief is for years mourning the loss of Paikea’s twin brother (at birth), on whom he had pinned all his hopes for succession of the leadership. This is Paikea’s story and how through her determination and willingness to fight against tradition she succeeds in achieving acceptance by her grandfather, who represents the old traditions, and of how she becomes his hope for the future. Keisha Castle-Hughes who plays the young Paikea is a pleasure to watch and her acting is simply magnificent.
My rating: 7.5/10. Genre: Coming-of-Age Drama. Cautions: Have your tissues handy.

A beautifully atmospheric film that combines elements of adventure, romance and a distinct period feel is “The Illusionist” (2006). The film is set in 19th century Vienna and the central story is the impossible romance between a duchess and an illusionist, a stage entertainer. Add to that, the insane antics of Crown Prince Leopold of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, a persecuting police inspector and some neat magic tricks and the film becomes rather fresh and entertaining, where one would expect it to be stale and sickeningly saccharine sweet.
My rating: 7/10. Genre: Quirky Romantic Drama/Mystery Thriller. Cautions: None really, lightweight and enjoyable.

Mira Nair is an Indian director who became well-known with her 2001 film “Monsoon Wedding”. We watched an equally powerful and well-filmed story, “The Namesake” (2006), last week. The plot revolves around a gripping family saga beginning with an arranged marriage in Calcutta, the story follows the transplantation of the newly-married couple to new York and their trials and tribulations as they raise their family in this foreign land. The story becomes that of the firstborn son, Gogol, who has to grapple with his father’s seemingly cruel choice of a name for him, that of the rather morbid Russian novelist Nicolai Gogol.
Mira Nair has said of this film that it was her most personal project as she herself lived in Calcutta for 12 years and then in New York City for 25 (the 2 cities that the characters in the film travel between as well). This is a wonderful film that I too was rather sensitive to as I am a man of two homelands and a person whose life has been coloured by living in quite culturally diverse environments.
My rating: 8/10. Genre: Culture-Clash Drama. Cautions: Some confronting themes.