Pleasure Factory (2007)

4/5

Pleasure Factory explores the differences between love and pleasure, and the sometimes unexpected twists these paths take. It follows three different prostitutes on one night in a district of Singapore that has so many brothels that it's practically a factory for sex. The first story is sort of an awkward, humorous coming-of-age tale about a kid's first time with a woman; the second deals with violence in prostitution and entrance into and exit from the business; and the third deals with a prostitute of contradictions, who does high-profile clients in expensive cars in sleazy back alleys but falls in love with a kid who plays guitar for money.

I loved this movie, mostly because its emotional moments impacted me. The movie was both very funny and also powerful and hard to digest--the two opposites merged well together in this movie, thanks to the excellent editing. The music aided immensely in achieving mood and atmosphere. The acting was also pretty good, and the characters they portrayed were well-defined and memorable. I disliked the cinematography though, and thought it lingered on the flesh a bit too much. The nudity and sex was excessive and unnecessary; nothing was gained by seeing what we saw (and what we saw was a lot of penis). The second half dragged a little bit, without gaining much in terms of emotional closure or thematic meaning. It should have ended after it made its point at the 60 minute mark. Even so, the message is touching, especially the second story for me, and I wholly recommend it if this sounds interesting, but be warned that there is a quite a bit of sex, on screen and off.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt1018902/

Trances (1981)

2/5

This movie was introduced by Martin Scorsese at Cannes, as it is the first film restored by Scorsese's new World Cinema Foundation. In his speech at the beginning, he called this film his "obsession" after seeing it in 1981, so I had pretty high hopes for it. It is a musical documentary about the most famous Moroccan band, Nass El Ghiwane. I had seen three movies beforehand and it had been a long day, so that may have affected my viewing of it. But it was just an awful movie. The cinematography was terrible except for a few evocative shots. The band's music was actually quite mesmerizing and transporting; it was refreshingly different from the other music (or lack thereof) in a lot of the movies I've been seeing at Cannes. But for a movie that was just restored, it looked and sounded awful, as if it still needed remastering. There were faded colors, dull hues, and the sound mix goes in and out. The stories that the band tells are actually pretty interesting, but my exhausted body as well as the sound troubles separated me from them. I would not recommend this movie, even though Scorsese said it inspired some of the music for The Last Temptation of Christ.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0406280/

Meduzot (2007)

4/5

Meduzot, or Jellyfish in English, is an Israeli movie dealing with several interconnecting stories. I really love Israeli cinema lately, after having seen this and The Band's Visit here at Cannes and Broken Wings earlier. I find them made with honesty, love, and emotion, and I really feel the heart of the story through the dialogue, acting, and tender shots. The movie is absolutely beautiful, with heart-breaking cinematography at times. The rest of the time, however, it just gets the job done. It had a good message that touched me, about the ineffectual nature of trying to take control of your life instead of letting it float like a boat. The themes were clear, but not heavy-handed--an exquisite balance, I thought. The music was quite good, but not quite great. The characters were well-defined, neither trite nor unique. I realize after writing this review that the movie was not technically exceptional, it was the emotional center of the movie that grabbed me and kept me in love with it. I highly recommend this movie if you like family dramas or emotional tales told with comedic edges.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0807721/

Mister Lonely (2007)

3/5

Mister Lonely is hands-down the weirdest movie I have seen at Cannes so far. It follows the life of a Michael Jackson impersonator who meets a Marilyn Monroe and joins her at a look-alike commune. Paralleled to this is the story of a father with nuns who can fly. There are some of the most bizarre images in this movie ever. It is a movie I would hate, but the humor lifts this movie from a 1 to a 2, and the soundtrack from a 2 to a 3. This movie also has hands-down the best soundtrack of any movie I've seen at Cannes so far. It makes the movie what it is; it would be nothing without the music. There are really really funny parts, mostly from the realistic portrayal of the offbeat characters and their offbeat actions. The cinematography is amazing as well, and so is the editing. And it was never boring.

I found the acting awful, and you only realize what the movie is about through the blunt, direct voice-over. There is no real point to the events that occur. I had no idea what was going on the entire time, or rather why what was happening was happening. I have yet to find a link between the two intercut stories. I don't know how I feel recommending this movie because it is exceptionally well-done, but I have no idea what it was trying to get across. Maybe you will have some luck, and if this sounds interesting to you, then check it out.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0475984/

Le Pressentiment (2006)

3/5

Premonition, as its translated in English, is about a man who leaves behind his bourgeoisie life and helps out people in his slummy neighborhood. It is so weird in its portrayal of normalcy that I couldn't fully appreciate it because I couldn't really get into it. When I left the theater, I just tried wiggling the weirdness out of me, but to no avail. The movie kind of sort of had themes dealing with death, kindness, social strata's entrapments, but it never really delved into any of them and I didn't understand the point the movie was trying to make. Nor did I understand why things happened and why people/characters appeared and did the things they did. It used voice-over and yet did not gain anything from it, so why use it at all?

There were actually lots of funny parts that made me laugh. It wasn't overt humor like sketch comedy, but subtler, witty, bizarre happenings. Sometimes the comedy was a bit out of place though. The music and acting were adequate, but nothing special. Some shots were really good, but at times it got too artsy. The editing was really well-done though. I wouldn't really recommend this movie to anyone I know. I don't think it's a bad movie, I just don't know what anybody would see in it.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0474312/

Ploy (2007)

4/5

Ploy is a movie by Pen-ek Ratanaruang that describes the effects of uncertainty and the unknown when it comes to love and how that lack of assurance can create dreams and nightmares. The music and slow pace create an incredibly palpable atmosphere of foreboding and tension. Yet you still can't believe what's happening when it does end up happening. The suspense is built up and released in measured quantities, that help us get through each sequence. The theme is well-expressed, but not shallow; it only comes to those willing to dig a little deeper into what exactly happened in the movie. There is a question of what is real and what is not throughout the movie, although I think it is pretty easily understood for those who pay close attention. Also, there are beautiful images and unique shots that stick in your mind after watching it.

The editing sometimes felt a bit pretentious, an attempt at being artsy, I felt, with extra time spent lingering on worthless objects/scenes and a deliberately slow pace. The acting was pretty good for the most part, but the written dialogue could get quite wooden at times (and at others it could be quite poetic and insightful). I really enjoyed this movie and got a lot out of after a bit of time spent analyzing the thematic messages.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0993778/

Ulzhan (2007)

4/5

Ulzhan starts off with a mysterious character doing bizarre things. His actions are intriguing because we want to know why he's doing everything. He is French, but is in Kazakhstan heading further east, where he meets a word-seller and an Asian French teacher. He seems not to care about anything: getting arrested, losing his passport, dancing women. He is fueled by guilt and remorse and a lack of rational thought. The story is unique and gripping from the start, and as reasons are gradually revealed, we are drawn even deeper into the mystery. The imagery and cinematography are both amazing. The offbeat characters are brought to life by acting that is able to make them seem real and well-defined. The dialogue, on the other hand, is not so great. But the finale hit me like a pile of bricks; the images and the symbolism were just so powerful and had such an effect on me.

The music was usually well-utilized, but sometimes got a bit overpowering. The emotional story is only a small snapshot of the main character's past. The side characters are unfortunately never really fleshed out, and some subplots seemed like they were last-minute additions to repeat his theme. It seemed a bit heavy-handed in getting across the message. Also, there were some shots of archival nuclear footage that was really weird. Still, I enjoyed the movie a lot and suggest it if you like movies that engage your curiosity and take place in beautiful landscapes.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt1016033/

El Baño del Papa (2005)

3/5

The Pope's Toilet, as it is translated in English, is not that great of a movie. In fact, I'd say it was probably my least favorite of the films up for Un Certain Regard. This might have been due to a difference of expectations, as I thought it would be a comedy, but in fact it ended up being a depressing family drama with a few funny parts. The shots somehow seemed raw and overprocessed at the same time. The composition and lighting was also not that great. I didn't think there was much of a story, as I felt it just went back and forth with a swath of unfulfilling subplots. The acting was okay, but nothing to write home about (despite my writing home about it here). The narrative felt exhausting; it took forever to tell its story. The music choice and placement seemed a bit odd overall. Nearly all the characters were selfish and I found it almost impossible to sympathize with them.

Even so, the story was quite engaging and it had me on the edge of my seat the entire time, wondering what was going to happen. And the movie really isn't that bad, it's just that I had much higher expectations given the other movies in the running for Un Certain Regard. I guess it just wasn't to my tastes.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0482901/

La Soledad (2007)

4/5

La Soledad, which translates to Solitary Fragments in English, starts off by describing the every day happenings of two families whose lives become intermingled when Adela rents a flat with Ines. The title takes on significant meaning halfway through the movie following a tragic incident. This movie was exceptionally well-done from the start. It was slow-paced throughout, but never felt long or boring, despite its 140 minute running time. The acting was amazing; my favorite part of the movie was the conversation between Adela and Pedro about guilt. There is a union of cinematic and thematic ideas, with a split-screen often used to show the fragmentation and isolation of the characters. The split-screen is often hidden, the visual midpoint being walls or curtains, so that on the surface it does not even look like the characters are separated and alone. In fact, the split-screens are shown in such a way as to almost demand you let go of your sense of space (for example, a character might move out of sight on the right side of the right frame and move back into sight from the right side of the left frame) and just trust the director. I especially liked the use of split-screen in the dialogue, showing that even in conversation, when we are actively talking to other people, our connection to them is still limited by an invisible barrier.

The script seemed banal at first, but after the midpoint, emotions heightened and the dialogue took on more weight and meaning. The music was almost nonexistent, but also not necessary. Also, the movie is shot entirely with a static camera. Surprisingly, it never felt staid or old. It was constantly active due to the exceptional editing job. Another thing is that I didn't really understand why it started and ended when it did; the choice of when in their lives to begin telling the story and when to stop seemed a bit random. With that, there were some scenes that could have been cut without losing much if anything at all. In addition, the style makes it take a while to get into the movie. I'm wondering whether or not I'd see it again, but I am definitely glad I got the opportunity to see it today and would definitely recommend it to others (if you can handle the slow pace).

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0812377/

My Brother Is An Only Child (2007)

4/5

This Italian movie follows the story of a family in the 60's and 70's set against the neo-Fascist party/Communist movement upheaval, specifically of two brothers who choose opposite sides. It is at times funny, at times political (sometimes too political for my tastes), and at times dramatic. It is able to be what many movies cannot be, a true unity of different genres to make it its own thing. While the components may no longer be unique, the sum total certainly is. The story is rich and full and never boring; so much happens in this whirlwind of a movie as the main brother, Accio, grows up and changes that it is almost overwhelming, but not quite. The acting is adequate, but I did not find it exceptional. The cinematography and shot composition were also pretty good, but seemed somewhat bland after seeing the tons of other stunningly beautiful movies. The editing and music choices were perfect though and made the movie twice as good as it would have been without them. And the girl is just gorgeous.

Despite being up for Un Certain Regard, I thought that there were some negatives associated with the movie as well. There were so many characters that were supposed to be big but ended up with minimal screen time. For example, Mario, the guy who introduces Accio to the Fascist party, starts out in a role similar to Alfredo in Cinema Paradiso, but fades away for half of it and jumps back in for a little bit at the end. The movie is full of roles like that, characters whose involvement you hope for highly and end up never feeling satisfied by them. And with that, a lot of loose ends in terms of story and emotions are left loose, unfulfilled. The ending was a bit ridiculous, I think, and a bit too saccharine for me. Also, it didn't quite touch me as fully as I think it did some others in the audience. Even so, I enjoyed my time watching this movie immensely--the director seems like he's trying to return to the classical Italian film that Fellini began, and he doesn't have much farther to go.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0846040/