Shoplifters (2018): A Family of Misfits

With all the Oscar buzz that this film has gotten, I knew that I had to check it out. Being more used to seeing their animation, I haven’t really been accustomed with the live-action films of Japan. So, it was a new experience for me as I was watching this Japanese live-action drama.

Being immersed into the lives of the less fortunate in Japan was also new for me, as the film introduces me to this family, who are so desperate to survive that they resort to shoplifting. With this raggedy bunch of characters though, it was difficult to hate them for all the crimes that they committed. As you start to know more about them, you really do start to know what they’re going through as well. The father figure, for example, works as a construction worker, which is a profession which doesn’t seem to be focused on by the mainstream Japanese media. It was refreshing to see what a construction worker might be going through both at his job and at his home, and it didn’t seem at all like “poverty porn”. This particular character had his own interesting personality which served as the main interest for the viewer.

The same can be said for other members of the family, who do carry their own struggles and their own interesting personalities to support them. As the plot progresses, we see how they are able to really deal with the different obstacles through their own unique ways. As they accept an abused little girl into their family, for example, we see how they interact with her and make her feel welcome through their own little quirks. The mother would share her past abuses with the girl, as they are able to bond through the pain and the sorrow they felt. The little boy in the family would then bond with the girl by teaching her how to shoplift as well around the city.

How they deal with tragedy is also very telling of how their personalities develop and grow. The grandmother would pass away, leaving the family to cope with her death. With their financial struggles, they would actually leave the corpse within the house for a long period of time, which is a very real possibility within the social class in Japan that they represent. As they move on though, it’s also very interesting to see how they each do so. As each member goes through their own coping mechanism, we are able to see more of who they are as individual persons.

Overall, it really is an incredible film to witness. The Japanese really do know how to tell stories right and in an interesting manner. With the family dynamic that is in play, the filmmakers were able to balance things among them really well and give each member their own moments to shine. As we see things progress and eventually end, we are also given the right conclusions to each of their stories, which only leaves the viewers fully satisfied. I really can’t recommend this movie highly enough.

Mirai (2018): A Blend of Old and New

This is such a beautiful film. Just like the past works of Mamoru Hosoda, which include Summer Wars, The Boy and the Beast, and The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, the animation is really well-done. With a blend of computer and traditional animation, you can really how much effort is put into each frame. Due to how technology has grown over the past years, you can really see how many studios are riding with the times. However, with a film like this, it’s clear that it hasn’t forgotten the true roots of animating and of telling a story through this medium. It really is refreshing to see this style being used again in this day and age.

Just like Hosoda’s past works, you can also see the raw emotions portrayed through a fantastical lens. Through the perspective of the main character, Kun, emotions of immature jealousy and anger is seen as the attention is taken away from him and towards his newborn sister, which I’m sure we all have felt in some shape or form. Kun’s emotions go through the motions though as he visits many different fantastical worlds. Seeming to take some pages off of from A Christmas Carol, he is transported into very colorful settings in his backyard, and is met by unreal representations of his family. Just like Scrooge, Kun is challenged to reevaluate the things he is feeling through the “ghosts” he meets.

Kun meets the ghost of his sister future

These unique scenarios that he gets himself into also seem to represent the real-life situations that Kun is currently experiencing. For example, as he is taught how to ride a bike by his father, he starts to get frustrated. He is then put into a period where his great-grandfather, a motorbike mechanic lived, and Kun is taught how to take control of a bike like he has. It’s through these parallels between the real-life and the fantastical situations that the main character goes through, that the audience is able to fully feel the things that he is feeling.

The other family members of Kun are also able to present their own feelings, most notably through the parents. We could see their roles within the family structure change, as the mother goes back to work and the father becomes the househusband. It’s definitely not something you’d expect from a traditional culture such as Japan’s, so it was really nice to see in this film. As they both struggle with these new roles that they’re given, and with the newborn that they have to take care of, you resonate with them and their struggles. It’s, again, through these realistic emotions that the audience is able to invest in these characters. Overall, this film is just another master class in Japanese animation that Hosoda is able to add under his belt. Through the utilization of this traditional and beautiful medium, he is able to create realistic characters who go through realistic things. It is also through the use of fantastical scenarios that the viewer is able to maintain interest and investment into what the film is trying to portray.

A Fitting End to a Great Trilogy

I really love the How to Train Your Dragon series. The first was a great film in itself: with a young cast that you wouldn’t really expect to represent the Viking period represented, really well-done character development, and a lot of chemistry between the main character, Hiccup and his dragon, Toothless. The second is even more great, as we see the emotion within the family of Toothless when they are fully reunited. Things only take such an emotional peak with the climax of this film, which adds so much to how it concludes.

With this, The Hidden World really carried a lot of expectations from me, with it being the final film within the trilogy, and being the conclusion of this long story told. Again, we see a big time jump between HTTYD films, with Hiccup and the gang really being shown to have grown a lot at the start of the film. We could also see the community of Berk growing as well, as the dragons they picked up from the second film effectively being integrated into the infrastructure. It’s really great to see how the filmmakers continued every single detail from the past films and starting things correctly right off the gate.

The community of Berk now becoming a dragon safe haven

The main conflict is already seen right off the bat, as the dragons seem to overpopulate the community, which leads Hiccup, the leader, to think of bringing them to the rumored Hidden World on the other side from where they are. The introduction of the main villain, Grimmel, would only push the community to follow Hiccup’s plan which moves the story forward. We also see the introduction of a love interest for Toothless, which was never done at all in past films. This Light Fury, which Toothless gains an interest in, is really able to, again move the story forward.

Admittedly, Grimmel as a villain, although serving his purpose, didn’t really do much and wasn’t really a threat. The same can be said for the past villains of the trilogy, which didn’t hurt those two films at all. Emotion, again, would be the main life force for the third film, as we see the imminent separation between Hiccup and Toothless come to a head. As we see Hiccup take the reigns as leader of his tribe, and as we see Toothless take the reigns as leader as well within the Hidden World, we could see their paths diverge from each other. Once we see the film’s last act conclude, we finally are confirmed of that feeling. As we see the cliché, yet always effective, master turning his away his pet, near the end, we resonate with the emotions that are felt between the two. We are reminded of when we have to say goodbye to our own pets, or even to other persons, and the inevitability of these goodbyes.

As I watched this emotional conclusion, I was close to shedding a tear. It really was an honor to follow the story of all these characters come from its start to its end so effectively. I really will miss seeing great storytelling such as this being done through such beautiful animation, and I hope that Dreamworks Animation can continue coming up with stories like it.

A 2018 Favourite

Honestly, I was a bit skeptical to watch The Favourite (2018) at first. Being based on the real-life 18^th century love triangle between Queen Anne, Sarah Churchill and Abigail Hill, it has the possibility of being like the many period films that have come out over the past twenty years. But, knowing the work of its director, Yorgos Lanthimos (The Lobster is really great), I had a feeling as well that it would be different.

By the end of watching this film, I found myself a little overwhelmed with how many layers it would carry. Firstly, obvious lesbian themes could be seen. With Olivia Colman’s character (Queen Anne) carrying sexual relations with both the characters of Emma Stone (Abigail) and Rachel Weisz (Sarah), it was a bit jarring to see it within this period and within this genre. It really worked well though, as it would contribute a lot to the intensity, emotion and the many twists that the film would carry.

Of course, with one of the main characters being a queen, politicking is also very prominent within the film. Nicholas Hoult’s (Robert Harley) character would serve this theme the most, as we see him and Abigail conspire behind both Queen Anne and Sarah’s backs. This would be tweaked though, as it did carry a lot of humor in it as well. Being, again, a period film, The Favourite does seem to parody the regality and the pompousness that medieval courtroom scenes would carry. A lot of silly and overly-pretentious faces are seen from the politicians within these scenes, as a decision is made or as arguments escalate. It really was refreshing to see this type of scene be tweaked a bit, just to make them a bit more interesting within this film.

Darkness is also a big factor throughout the course of the film, as it didn’t really hold back on the drama and the evilness that the characters carry. Having title cards to encapsulate the mood that should be felt within each set of scenes, really did help within this regard. With each of these cards being the “mic-drop” quote that should be heard from the period that it represents, I knew the tone that I was bound to see right away. And, these title cards really didn’t disappoint. There were some sets of scenes which carried a lot of betrayal and suspicion, while other sets carried a lot of sorrow and despair within them. With the aforementioned drama that unfolds as well, we could see the main 3 show these raw and these unapologetic personalities, which makes you either hate them or root for them.

The way the story concludes only is an amalgamation of all that drama and all that politicking. With Abigail taking control away from Sarah, we could see how we go from rooting for the former into hating her at the end, with the vice-versa being seen for the latter. This contrast of how these two characters develop only serves the time period shown by the film and the bipolar personalities of historical figures that fit within it.

Abigail finally having control of the Queen

Yorgos Lanthimos, again, didn’t fail to impress me with how he handles dark comedies and brings them onto another level. It wasn’t a surprise either to know how well this film was received by the public and by the critics, and I am really excited to see how this director can revitalize genres just like he did for period films.

Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018): Disney Animation Done Right

This film had a lot of obstacles to overcome as historically, Disney sequels rarely surpass the original. However, overall, it does seem to live up to the quality that Wreck-It Ralph carries, although not surpassing it.

Seeming to pick up right a little after the events of the first movie, the film would see the titular character and the co-main character, Princess Vanellope physically go into the internet after the latter’s game breaks, looking for a replacement part on Ebay. This would eventually lead them to exploring a lot of famous websites (which means a lot of ads), and would lead to a lot of shenanigans.

With this element of the internet entering the fold, there are a lot of red flags already from the onset. The Emoji Movie (2017), which carries a lot of similarities to this Disney film, atomically failed at the box office and with the critics. It would carry a lot of criticism especially with the inclusion of known properties and websites on the internet, which led it to being called a “glorified long advertisement” for these properties.

Ralph Breaks the Internet seems to avoid these criticisms though with its execution. Yes, there are a lot of known properties on it, with Twitter, BuzzzTube (which is mentioned as a YouTube competitor) and even Disney itself, being prominently featured. Yet, they don’t seem to clash at all with the story of the film. They really do supplement and add, instead, to the storytelling. For example, the YouTube clone, BuzzzTube, would serve as a catalyst for the plot to move forward, as they raise money to buy the game part that they came there for. Small things like this really show how the advertisements, which they had to do for these companies, really were utilized well.

The film also showcases all the Disney princesses (yes, all of them)

Just like the first movie as well, the chemistry between the two main characters, Ralph and Vanellope, would be mainly focused. Even when they weren’t together, it was clear that the presence of the other would be there with any one of them. John C. Reilly and Sarah Silverman, through their voices, bring these characters into life, yet also convey that emotion through their many interactions together. Their relationship would also bring forward the main message of the film, which is the support that should be present within any friendship. This universal lesson hidden within it, I’m sure, did hit home for generations even older than its main audience.

Although the climax of the film does carry a lot of the same tropes as other action and animation films, with a “monster” ravaging the internet world and the character having to calm it down, it really turned it on its head. This monster would actually be a representation of Ralph’s anxieties forming into this figure, which serves as a nice vessel in, again, getting the aforementioned message across. Overall, this film was a welcome surprise and a great addition to this new generation of Disney animation. Hopefully, with this particular franchise, it would continue to know its core through going through these crazy and colorful worlds, just as this sequel has done.

The Endless (2017): A Lesson on Low-Budget’s

The Endless (2017) makes such a great impact with the minimal budget that it works with. With the filmmakers (and main actors), both being used to making low-budget sci-fi horror films like this, it was a treat to watch the product of their craft.

What makes it so effective as a horror is the gradual buildup of tension as the film progresses. Perhaps, the character which would drive this forward would be Justin, who is the one who learns more and more about what is really going on within this setting. As he interacts with numerous characters within the vicinity, more and more information is revealed about the camp, which only escalates things.

The fact as well that the monster is never shown in person also helps in that buildup. Besides that brief glimpse of it in the water, we never really see a face or a clear figure of the thing which surrounds the camp. This has been used a lot of times in modern horror and thriller films, perhaps the most popular being the recent American retelling of Godzilla in 2014. We could see the same buildup in this film, as short glimpses or a part of the main monster is seen, leading up to a full reveal within the last act. This gradual addition of tension proves to be effective in Godzilla, and proves to be effective as well in this 2017 horror.

That doesn’t mean though that its presence isn’t felt, because it sure does. The pivotal scene of The Struggle makes sure to tell the audience that there really is something out there. As we see it act upon the characters by pulling Justin down, we see how threatening it could be. This makes its ominousness even more intense as well, as we, as the audience, are unaware of when it could strike again or make its presence known. The usage of tapes and hard drives would also prove to be effective, as the mere loading up of these objects itself would build up that suspense.

Aside from the features of the monster, we also see tension build up between the two main characters: Justin and Aaron. Justin, we see, seems to be the more grounded one, as he is focused on giving his brother his closure and nothing else. This would contrast his brother, Aaron, greatly, as we see him as the one who is easily swayed by the camp and he would ultimately be pulled in different directions. As an audience, we root for Justin, as his actions seem to make more sense. We want the brothers to leave the eerie camp and we want them to survive from what is in the periphery. However, Aaron and his naivety would deny us of that want. Therefore, tension is again built as these two brothers clash in their beliefs.

All these elements are only some of the many things which I loved about the film and how it was handled. I really am looking forward to how the filmmakers can continue to push the genre in this way, perhaps even with a bigger budget to get their message across to more people.

Getting Your Foot in the Door

Sorry to Bother You (2018) is the directorial debut of Boots Riley, a rapper who has made his name known in hip-hop scene. And what a debut it was.

Blending in social commentary within comedic tones, Riley truly was touch upon the subjects he wanted to touch upon without beating the audience’s head with them. With the messages against racism that are clearly seen within the film, this was represented well by the characters of Cassius and Detroit. As both these characters make their efforts to move up the social ranks, they throw their morals aside to do so. Cassius, as he makes full use of his “white voice” to be promoted to a Power Caller, would turn away the friends who have helped him get to that position. We also see Detroit, despite her rebellious spirit and her moral values clearly being shown, making use of a “white voice” in order to sell her art.

Messages of economic classes would blend in really nicely with these messages of racism. We could clearly see how much people would struggle just to make ends meet, with the clearest example being WorryFree. People who work for this corporation, due to their struggles, are seen to sacrifice their freedom just to survive. Perhaps, this is in parallel as well with the struggles that Cassius and Detroit both face. We could also see the usage of the “white voice” in an economical standpoint, as it is seen as a representation for code-switching. The usage of code-switching is prominent almost everywhere we go. Everyone uses a “white voice” in some shape or form, to get ahead and to adjust to what is front of them, no matter what his/her economic class is.

All these themes are only elevated by the almost absurd arc that occurs towards the end of the film. The twist we see with the introduction of Steve Lift and the Equisapiens only elevates the interest level for audiences, while also elevating the messages that the film is trying to portray. The proposal that Lift makes to Cassius, which is to create an Equisapien MLK, is something that could probably be done in the real world and would be done succesfully. Rebellion is another prominent theme within the film, and this idea just pushes that theme to its limit. How many rebellions and revolutions are actually by the masses? It’s a very clever piece of dialogue that Riley was able to weave into the film.

We could also see this theme of rebellion concluding as Cassius and the Equisapiens fight back towards WorryFree. As we see a glimmer of hope and success as they finally defeat the evil corporation and as Cassius and Detroit go back to their simple lives, the final twist arrives. This twist only begs the question of what the true effects of the masses’ rebellion are.

This was a film that was filled with a lot of crazy and wild things, which surely captured my attention, but also made me think. This film, perhaps, is another representation of the theme of code-switching which, again, it tries to portray. This could be Boots Riley, perhaps, trying to convey his messages, through his own “white voice”.

“Wow, that was intense!”

Punk rock is known to be very intense, with its crowds moshing during shows and its fashion including very intimidating elements. Repo Man seems to follow the same kind of vibe with its themes.

Otto, who is a punk rocker, finds his way towards a repo business, where he meets a lot of a wide variety of different characters. The usage of the car conversations would be the best motif used in order for us to know these characters a little bit more. Through the conversations with Bud, we are able to find out that he lives life through a code and would act in the film according to this code. He never acts on his own and only reacts to different circumstances that arise. The most prominent example of this would be his encounters with the Rodriguez brothers, where he only retaliates after he is provoked by them. With Otto’s conversations with Lite, on the other hand, we are able to see his character as more calm and collected. With the shootout scene, for example, we could see this calmness as he risks his and Otto’s life by answering gunshots with blanks. A clear contrast can be seen between these two characters.

Otto’s own character would develop as the plot progresses and things get more intense. When the arc of extraterrestrials enters and escalates the conflict between repo businesses, we could see how Otto’s fluidity would come into the fray. He gets himself into a lot of situations: meeting a UFO believer in Leila, getting beat up by a family he tries to repo off of, and eventually meeting the owner of the prized Chevy Malibu before driving off with it. We could see the punk rocker in him as he feeds off the intensity that he sees around him. The intensity he got out of repoing his first car would be the catalyst for him craving even more of that intensity as time goes on.

This craving would ultimately lead him towards the climax of the film, as the Chevy Malibu transforms into the “time machine”/”flying saucer” that Miller tells him about early on in the film. The absurdity of it and the intensity it gives off would only entice Otto to enter into that vehicle, even with no certainty of what will happen to him after he does so. Bud, despite following his code through avoiding harm for this vehicle, and Lite, despite staying calm and collected throughout this whole chase for the Malibu, would only fall short to Otto and his punk rock lifestyle. Perhaps, it could serve as a commentary to how times were changing during the release of Repo Man, and people needed to change along with it. Perhaps, people need to let go of their codes and learn to be less calm in order to win.

Punk rock, ultimately, would play as the perfect soundtrack to Repo Man, with the film’s events and characters being supplemented and complimented by the history, figures, and hidden messages of the music genre. It was really refreshing to see how well its era was represented through this film and to see how much of an impact it had upon the people who lived in it.

Velvet Goldmine: Representation Personified

Being in a music organization for my whole college journey, I really enjoyed watching Velvet Goldmine. The music biography is just starting to pick up steam, with films like Bohemian Rhapsody and the upcoming Rocketman gaining a lot of buzz in terms of audience fare and critical acclaim. But, during the year 1998, it must’ve been a risk for a film like this to be made and screened for the public on the big screen.

Known to be a tribute to David Bowie, it was interesting to see the correlations between him and the Brian Slade character. Slade, a glam rock star in the film, would carry a lot of Bowie features, with the make-up and mannerisms being copied almost. The concept of using characters within the production of music would also be clearly seen with both as Slade uses Maxwell Demon to represent another side to him. This would definitely be a parallel to Bowie’s usage of Ziggy Stardust as another persona. Bowie’s phobia of being shot would even be touched upon during the 1^st act of the film.

The Curtis Wild would known to be an amalgamation of both Iggy Pop and Lou Reed, who Bowie would carry a strong relationship with. The real life relationship that they all carried proved not to be the demise of any of them though, as the film projects.

Ewan McGregor doing his best Iggy Pop impersonation

The homosexual elements would also prove to be well represented as they would accurately how free-spirited and open teens and young adults were during that era, as they faced backlash from the older generations. Glam rock artists would also face this backlash initially as audiences needed time to adjust to their daring ways, but this hurdle would eventually be overcome. Taboo would definitely be something to further the plot along, as external elements would come into play as the film progresses.

Comparing this to the aforementioned Bohemian Rhapsody, I feel like this would be more liberal with how they took things. Bowie would come out openly as bisexual, as he served as the demographic’s icon for years. The film didn’t steer away from this fact either through the Slade character, as it was clearly depicted that he did experience these things and faced ugly consequences with the people around him. Diving into the depiction of Freddie Mercury in the 2018 Golden Globes Best Film winner (which I still don’t get), his sexuality seemed to be glossed over for other agenda. Although there were scenes which teased his homosexuality, his relationship with his heterosexual partner Mary was still the main focus.

Bohemian Rhapsody (2018): A chance for LGBTQ+ representation wasted

I really do praise how daring and brave the filmmakers took this film, leaving nothing unturned in terms of representation. Again, with the still adjusting society that would initially view this film in 1998, they really took a big risk with this. Although personally, I did feel a bit lost with the way the plot was depicted, I did feel like it was beautifully done in terms of the visuals and plotlines used. The contrast between the “visual album” scenes with Brian Slade and the murder mystery scenes with Arthur Stuart I think was done well, with audiences being left to decide which was real and which was fiction. Perhaps, people will never know in the crazy world of Rock n’ Roll.

Shakespeare in Slumber

To be honest, I didn’t really know what to feel right after watching My Own Private Idaho. It was a bit strange to see modified Shakespearean dialogue in a modern setting, or to see sex scenes portrayed through different postures. But, putting all these elements together, it started to make sense.

With the story of Mike, it’s not really something that’s unfamiliar with audiences. I’ve personally seen the story of the abandoned boy looking for a parent in a bunch of films, with it even being used in films coming up this year. What really made it interesting would be the factor of his narcolepsy. It was really refreshing to see this being used in a film, with the unpredictability and its abruptness coming into the plot. In instances where things would get interesting, such as his encounter with the older woman who hired him and the confrontation with his father, his narcolepsy would serve as a way to end things in its tracks. Narcolepsy could also be seen as a way to further the story, particularly with how Mike would move from setting to setting. Hans would be seen bringing him from Idaho to Portland or he would suddenly on a plane jut arriving at Idaho from Italy. Lastly, it was also used in a random manner, as Mike would suddenly experience it during times between dialogue or between events. It was fascinating to see how this one factor of the character could serve the plot in so many different ways.

It was interesting to see how the element of Shakespeare also came into play. Known to be parallel to the Henry IV play, Scott’s whole storyline would borrow from it. Scott, coming from the scorn of his father as he would interact with the “slums” of Portland, would eventually come back to his family and their prestige by the end and would even reject his old life and old friends. This story of betrayal and social classes would absolutely still work in modern times, which this film showed to its audiences. Despite the backlash that Van Sant, the director, thought his choice may have gotten from audiences, the reception he got showed that he was right to push through with it.

Lastly, with the queer element, it was refreshing as well to see it portrayed in such a different way. With many films focusing on either the raw sexual nature or the pure love that homosexuals share, My Own Private Idaho chose to use both. Depicting both the atrocities and aggression that male hustlers experience from their clients and the pure love expressed by Mike towards Scott, the contrast clearly served a purpose. Just like a heterosexual relationship, relationships within the realm of homosexuality would also extreme poles in terms of the nature of it. There shouldn’t be any taboo against it if it doesn’t prove to have any difference from a “normal” relationship.

In conclusion, the film does prove to express a lot of messages about many ills that society faces today. Homophobia and discrimination against lower social classes are definitely attacked by the elements that the filmmakers chose to use, and audiences are challenged to avoid these prejudices. It was just a bit tough to see this at first I guess, but now I see that it was beautifully done.