At this point, there are a number of things one could talk about Kimi no Na Wa, or most commonly known as “Your Name” to the western audience. It has been critically acclaimed across all fronts with glowing reviews and a widespread global release. Despite all this good word, I never really found the time myself to give it a go. I didn’t open any articles or reviews regarding the film and as a result, I knew nothing about it other than the fact that it made people cry a lot. Did it deliver on the quality so many people have led me to believe? In my limited experience with anime, yes I believe it did. 

I was never really that exposed to anime or the truly asian style of films. I was always a western type of guy when it comes to my movies who would occasionally view local cinema if it manages to churn out something more than half decent. Couple this in with my lack of attachment to any sort of news or discussions regarding Your Name; I went in to watch the film truly blind by what’s to come. I didn’t know the story, I didn’t know the characters or what the film looked like, I wasn’t so sure what genre it was even. There I was thinking it was a cute romantic straightforward love story that made people tear up with the charm wholesome asian movies commonly have. I wasn’t doubting that these types of movies could pull emotion. If there’s anything that got my attention in terms of asian animation is the famous and ever so amazing Studio Ghibli. Their films are more on the cathartic end of things when it terms of dealing with emotions, at least that’s how I experience it. Kimi no Na Wa wonderfully separates itself from this troupe and any other typical expectations I’ve had going into it and it stands on its own as one film worth talking about years down the line.

Before I go into specifics regarding the story, the first thing that caught my attention right from the very first frame was the stunning art direction and cinematography. Vibrant colours and captivating landscapes fill the screen with so much love put into every inch that it makes me think that the biggest crime ever committed was that this received less recognition than Into the Spiderverse just because it wasn’t a western product. Foreground, mid ground, and background were all filled to the brim with details such as little trinkets and culturally relevant items that are carefully placed. Every single frame feels like it was done and designed with love and precision. Even the most minor of shots are something to behold with how well blended each element is. The whole film is an aesthetic that brings to live these fictional characters. Locations such as Tokyo evokes so much character in it of itself with its bustling trains, busy sidewalks, and towering buildings. But there are also small little quiet moments such as forests, alleys, hallways, and rooms that don’t feel claustrophobic or closed in at all. It’s an amazing feat with what the artists have achieved. Establishing wide shots can be mistaken for a professional paintings at times. Pause in any moment of the film and you got yourself a desktop background waiting to happen. 

Other than the aesthetics, the film also deserves praise for its technical aspects. I don’t think it’s a secret anymore that the animation is already unmatched in the business with the models being generally two dimensional yet it breathes so much life in its movements. Little things that usually wouldn’t be given much attention to such as fabric is elevated to life-like states here. A scene involving a ritual for creating sake involved a ceremonial dance that is paired with a costume. The movement of the choreography is already graceful enough as it is but the filmmakers choose to have shots wherein the costumes are showcased that really says a lot about how much they respect culture and how much effort is put into the code. It’s a cartoon, but it doesn’t feel like one. I could even mention that it’s even more life-like than some live-action projects out there. Don’t even get me started on the scenes regarding the preparation of food. Art in its purest form.

Pair this in with the phenomenal sound design. The closest thing I can compare it’s quality to is ASMR levels of good. It is relaxing and soothing to the ears. The fickle of leaves, bumping of strings and wooden parts to each other, friction of cloth, chopping of tomatoes, footsteps, sound of chalk on the board or pencil on paper, they are all detailed to its extreme that truly enables the world of the film to come alive. This part of films are usually overlooked due to people being too distracted with the visual elements but it would be a disservice to the entire team of the film if they weren’t given the spotlight. Each beat primes auditory senses that contributes to the emotion and tone of the scene as much as the script and visual do. Watching this film on a surround sound system or a good set of headphones is an experience every viewer must have. The musical score also deserves a standing ovation. From its musical segments involving lyrics down to the somber moments with the famous piano piece, they all do what they must to take us on an emotional ride. 

The cinematography. What more can I say about this? It’s stunning and pure cinematic mastery. Each frame and camera movement don’t feel forced or tacked on. Every angle serves a purpose whether it is thematic or simply to show what is happening in the best way it can be showed. Sweeping landscapes and aesthetic close ups is what this film is all about. The filmmakers really paid attention to how the camera should move around the characters to make it seem like we are not just viewing them form a third person perspective but also alongside them in their everyday lives. Sprinkle in the perfect precision editing that does its best to tell a story that can easily be confusing. 

The story in it of itself is simple but it can be convoluted due to the number of characters and subplots being presented. It also doesn’t help that elements and motifs are introduced and distributed early on in the film that show up all the way till the 3rd act. Usually, this would seem like a problem to a viewer who just wants an innocent wholesome watch. Shut your eyes for a few seconds and you’ll find yourself scrambling for what is happening. But what’s yet another amazing detail of Kimi no Na Wa is how much the editing saved it from this problem. It cuts in between the characters in just the right amount of time giving each of them generous screen time for development and respective arcs. No scene feels forced and the pacing of all of it feels just about right. Precision direction is also to praise for this. There is no boring scene. Every frame pulls emotion out of its viewer and at times, it even demands it. Cute, sad, charming, awkward, crazy, magnificent, etc. these are all just a few of what the film will give you in its relatively short runtime and even that is a complain since I would’ve wanted more. 

The voice actors all deserve so much praise for the amount of life they breathe into their respective characters. The script in it of itself is already good enough to begin with as it does its best to give each of the ensemble an arc or at least a trait that the audience can easily cling onto. The only character that is remotely unlikeable is Mitsuha’s father but even he is given a backstory that turns his intentions to be somewhat understandable albeit morally questionable. You can’t help but fall in love with these because frankly, they are not movie characters. They are humans engulfed in this fictional tale. Sure, there are bits of exaggerated elements due to this being an animation but nothing that easily pulls me out of the immersive experience. The voice actor for Taki himself does an outstanding job portraying a straightforward man when he is himself or a feminine tone when Mitsuha inhabits his body. Taki being inhabited by Mitsuha is an amazing feat since they are easily distinguishable from each other yet it never loses the essence of the character. It’s a complex job to balance the two personalities that clash yet match for the sake of the switch happening and they all did it so masterfully well. The only gripe that I have is when Taki inhabits Mitsuha’s body which is not clearly showed sometimes but then again, they made up for it when it comes to scenes with Taki himself whether or not he is in his own state of mind. 

If it’s not already clear, I loved this film and everything it has to offer the audience. I really try my best to look for flaws and some things to nit pick but to my absolute pleasure, I can’t bring myself to. It really is such a perfect example of how much film as a medium can be used as an art piece that tells a story with multitudes of emotion and themes. Film is art, but Kimi no Na Wa is art that just so happens to be a film. A crowning achievement for everyone involved and an absolute privilege for the viewer who is lucky enough to watch. If there’s one thing worth remembering, it’s Your Name. 

I have noticed a pattern of difficulty in the reflection posts that I have written. The easiest ones two discuss generally are those with a variety of meanings to explore, and the hardest ones are those that just give it to you as it is. In retrospect, that explains why the essays of Gojira, and Velvet Goldmine to an extent felt stale. I really could not delve in too much of them.

That being said, prior to writing this very essay, I was afraid that the same case could repeat here, but don’t get me wrong. Kimi no na wa (2015) I believed was one of the best anime films that I have watched in a long time, not since Spirited Away, but in all three films, I didn’t think there is some fundamental meaning or symbolism to it. However, a common theme that I only started to notice recently in them is the confluence of modernism and traditionalism, and Japan just exudes that mix of two different worlds so well, but only in Kimi no na wa did it have an argument on why Japan is such a  peculiar case.

 Firstly though, the film tries to establish the clear differences between the worlds through the perspective-taking of our primary antagonists, Taki and Mitsuha. The former living in the bustling metropolis of Tokyo and the latter in the mountainous countryside of the Gifu Prefecture. The most popular plot device used in the film was when the characters’ consciousnesses were switched, leaving both in their own fish-out-of-water situation.

Curiously, when they switch, they learn something about each other’s worlds and start to gain a sense of appreciation that the other person could ironically not relate. Mitsuha in Taki’s body learned to appreciate what could be a more-than-friendly relationship with the head waitress and Taki’s crush Miki Okudera. Taki meanwhile gained a sense of wonder in learning the traditions related to Musubi, the deity responsible for the body-switching.

The latter proved to be of great importance in the rescuing of Mitsuha and her town Itomori from a destructive rogue comet, and in the later parts of the film, it was revealed that this was not the first time it happened to Mitsuha’s family. It implied how this Musubi deity had foreseen the disaster, but not one of them could comprehend fully the signs and traditions that it offers. Thus, it also implicitly reveals the message that keeping centuries of traditions are too important to be abandoned or lose their meaning altogether.  In Shinto, Japan’s primary religion, the kami or the spirit will always co-exist with human life, and they will always reveal and promote pure heartedness and truthfulness to the Japanese people, as heeded by the obedient and vigilant Taki. This is something that modernism did not offer much out of arrogance, as seen in Mitsuha’s politically inclined father or the astrologists failing to see pieces of the comet from falling.

I guess other countries may want to take notes from Japan. On paper, it may look like the country people just want to keep spiritual traditions for the sake of it, but deep down, there are layers of meaning to it, and such timeless virtues could not be sacrificed.

Yours truly,

JoMar Fernandez a.k.a. JMCthefilmystan

Source used:

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Shinto

I think it would be an understatement to say that I was perpetually lost all throughout the runtime of this film. To be in a constant state of awe at how absurd something is takes talent, or dumb luck. “It’s a David Lynch film” I thought to myself as thoughts of this being absolute nonsense comes to mind but it’s the director’s name itself is what keeps me intrigued for the most part. Lost Highway does two things very well, keeps you questioning what it is you’re seeing on screen and making sure you get lost along the way.

Countless articles have tried to tackle this film with mixed results. Some praise it as a cult classic and is basically one of Lynch’s best work yet. An achievement that transcends imagination beyond what an average filmmaker can achieve and so it has multiple symbolisms and parallels to reality. That’s all fine and charming, but on the flipside of the coin, there are others who believe that this is nothing but a bunch of bonkers. The production value of everything is a façade. A film that may look like it has something to say at a surface, but deep down it really doesn’t. What you see is what you get. Legendary film critic, Roger Ebert, said it best when he described it as a movie that is “about design, not cinema.” I’m more drawn to the latter, not because Mr. Ebert had a say in it, but because in the entire runtime of the movie making no sense, viewing it from that perspective is the only way I have to make sense of it.

My first sign that it was going to be one heck of an “artsy” experience was during the first scene between the main characters, Fred and Renee Madison, played by Bill Pullman and Patricia Arquette respectively. The entire sequence inside the house was such a slow burn I was legitimately waiting for one of the characters to just punch the other on the face. But no, it continued and continued till it shifted to the next. This type of slow pacing continued throughout their entire scenes and I was actually wondering why it is Bill Pullman’s character really doesn’t talk that much or when he does, does so as if he was hiding something from everyone. Seeing the conclusion of the story, where another key character shows up in the form of Balthazar Getty’s Pete Dayton, one can theorize how the two are the same, past and present versions of the other and the like but there are also some factors in the story that proves it to be a wrong perspective. At a certain point, the confusion and cluelessness on their faces are probably symbolic of what the audience looks like when they watch this.

It’s downright hilarious to think that Lost Highway is about as senseless as it is the more you try to make sense of it. The concept is noble, but it takes certain liberties with its story that derails whatever momentum it has at the start. The mystery of the wife and husband relationship was already somewhat intriguing to. Why are they like that to each other? Why is it that they sit meters apart when watching something in their living room or when they have sex it’s like a mechanical thing that has to be done just because they’re married? Subtle directorial and acting details flesh out their story without any words being spoken. And just when you’re getting invested already, a home invader sub plot suddenly shows up and it completely adds significant spice. But then the supernatural stuff comes in and that’s when I believe the film completely spit balls it and just goes with whatever it wants to. Any sense of a strong narrative structure is completely thrown out the window in favor of adding more shock and intrigue that seemed like it was not needed at all.

And if that complete 180 turn wasn’t enough, we now cut to Pete Dayton. It’s a bit harder to get a grasp on his character as I have grown “attached” already to the couple at the start but then sooner or later he warms up. The generally lighter tone definitely helps in this, at least for the meantime until it all goes down the toilet for both the characters and the viewers again. Pete is released from the same prison Fred was confined in after being accused of murdering his wife, apparently, they switched or at least that’s what the movie first showed. He then gets back to his job as a mechanic in this auto store and is a favored employee by the owner, Mr. Eddy played wonderfully by Robert Loggin who probably gives the most entertaining performance in the entire film with how eccentric his character is.

What follows is a “love triangle” storyline between Mr. Eddy’s, what I assume to be girlfriend but then later revealed to be a forced relationship, Alice, played once again by Patricia Arquette and Pete. I assume that the casting decision was deliberate and planned by Lynch himself otherwise it’s all just a sick joke at this point. The twist at the end tries to make sense of it all but it ultimately diverts down to “wtf is this” territory for the most part. It would be fine to be invested in such love story if it wasn’t for the sole motivation that they’re basically horny for each other and the woman is trying to escape a sexual offender. There are stakes that’s for sure but not exactly ones that the audience would want to cling onto. Coupled in with the fact that it just drops these sudden twists and uncomfortable scenarios to us one way or another like it enjoys doing so. It’s not fun, it’s just plain shocking and a tad bit grotesque.

Over the course of the runtime and actually up until now, the more I think about it, the more I really start to dislike the characters. Take the married couple at the start, the woman is a breathing wooden plank and the man can be mistaken for a sex offender as to how he behaves. It may be intentional, it may add onto the story and into the background of their characters or maybe in the grand scheme of things but in all honesty, they just end up as bland convenience store for me. Serviceable at best, utterly lifeless in its worst. On the flipside of the coin is Pete and Alice. Pete looks like a guy who has no idea what’s going on around him at all times, which is what the story says anyways but it doesn’t help that he has such a punchable face. Pete is the type of person to just go with whatever life throws at them because they might as well. It’s not a character trait, it’s an annoying factor into an already annoying set of characters to begin with. Alice is just weird to begin with. The only motivation for her to constantly pull her pants down for Pete is the fact that she wants to get out of an abusive relationship but then we see how it is forbidden and it will only lead them to no good, but they still push through, and I already got mad enough writing this sentence. They’re both dumb and blind and deserves every slap to the face I wish I could give. Mr. Eddy is the only saving grace here. He’s funny and screwed up in all the right ways to make the viewing tolerable.

At this point, it seems that I only live to hate on this film alone and think it is nothing more than cheap shlock, which is definitely not the case, far from it actually. Despite my harsh words and countless criticisms attacking the entire thing, I actually still do fondly remember it as a viewing I found myself glued to the screen. With every random thing that the film keeps on throwing at the audience, it’s interesting to try and figure out what the heck is going to happen next or what does it all mean. Of course, I get annoyed in the end when I realize how meaningless it is to wonder but the mere fact that the movie engages the viewer to question things and drive them to interpret every scenario is already an achievement of itself.

It’s very easy to have a film and present it as a straightforward narrative with a definite three-act structure. It’s efficient, widely accepted by audience and critic alike, and it more or less gets the job done for the viewer to easily connect with the story. It has been a Hollywood staple for most of its blockbusters for so long. Lost Highway from the very start subverts this and turns its story into places one wouldn’t think it can go to. For all the things I hate it for, they are also reasons to gravitate towards it.

It definitely has an appeal to it. There’s no denying that David Lynch is one of the best directors working out there in the business and Lost Highway is definitely not a bad movie by all means. I could imagine one to enjoy it oddly enough if they have a dark sense of humor but at the same time, the only scenario wherein I can truly see someone be balls-out loving this film is that if they are either pitch drunk or borderline high. And who says that’s a bad thing?

In all honesty, I was dumbfounded throughout majority of the runtime of F for Fake. If I didn’t search up on the film beforehand and found out that it was a documentary, I probably would’ve been even more confused. The film is as self aware as it gets and it tries to fool the viewer in a literal and fundamental context. 

At surface level, it’s a documentary about someone who fakes art and another individual who wrote a biography about him. They’re both fakes and the whole movie is a fake so much so that the narrator even says he is fake. It really makes you question what is real in today’s media, or anything for the matter. The film places questions in your mind the validity of authenticity in our world today. It has noble themes and messages but unfortunately, it falters in its presentation.

The film is confusing. There’s no denying that. I was hoping since it was the last thing being shown in class, we would end in a bang but then all that happened is that it ended in one collective “wtf did we just watch” when we were all exiting the room. The first thing I told my friend was “how do I write or talk about this?” And for the longest time, that is what has been going through my mind as I try to collect my thoughts for what to say. 

One of my favourite things to talk about when discussing films are its imageries and symbolisms but the more I think about it, the more it seems that there is no point in looking for them in F for Fake. The first thing to consider is that it didn’t start off as what it turned out to be. It was supposed to be a straightforward documentary about the famous art forger, Elmyr De Hory for CBS but Orson Welles took this in and re-edited it to include the story of Clifford Irving and shot a few extra scenes to form a “narrative”. 

It’s messy and confusing if you look at how this film was made in which the same can be said for the entire runtime. For the most part, I was utterly taken back by the constant editing back and forth between the narrative including Orson Welles’ character, the Narrator, and the interviews between De Hory and Irving. Halfway through, I’l admit that I unexpectedly fell asleep due to my lack of interest for what’s being shown on screen already. The credits rolled and suddenly I just felt empty by what I saw.

But I figured i’d give it another shot. The movie wouldn’t have been shown to us if it weren’t for something right? I downloaded the film and tried to have another go at it. The second viewing is definitely a much better experience most definitely, but sadly it still wasn’t enough. The editing was a bit too jarring and non-sensical for me in a way that doesn’t really help with what Orson is trying to say at times. There’s also that underlying theme of fakery and deception wherein it makes me question whether or not what I am seeing on screen is part of the fictional narrative or an actual true written account. 

It’s that constant war in myhead that determines what is authentic or not in what I see. As much as this is a gripe on my end and my understanding of the documentary, I also see this as an achievement on the filmmaker’s end. From the get-go, Welles already establishes that he’s a charlatan. If anyone’s trusts anyone that basically says they’re a trickster, jokes on them already. That’s exactly what happened, I trusted when he said that the next thing we’ll be witnessing in the next hour would be true. Throughout the whole thing, I felt like a fool trying to piece together the elements that were more or less assembled together. And unexpectedly at the end of it all, he later reveals that it was all a facade as well. Fun.

There’s no denying that the messages and themes it tries to impart are actually relevant and  thought provoking. The idea that authenticity in it of itself should be questioned. Should ownership still be given importance since it basically loses its value over time. With De Hory’s argument that was he did wasn’t forgery was because he didn’t imitate any of the signatures is a far fetched reasoning but one could see it work. This got me thinking about the significance of ownership and entitlement to something one creates or invents. Does it really matter after some time? Sure, it would garner praise and validation at the start but years down the line, would people still care? Take the Eiffel Tower as an example. People flock to it to this day for pictures and videos and to stare at its magnificence in general but do those tourists actually think about who made it? Does anyone even think about who designed the tower nowadays?

Art is simply a lie that allows truth to be seen. Such a powerful statement that speaks volumes. It’s a known saying that art imitates life or the other way around but to view it as a gateway for the real genuine truth adds a couple more layers to it. I see art as a overly romanticised version of what our lives have come to be. We tend to emphasise the beauty in this because that is what people would want to see. And even in the not-so pretty aspects, we see a sensationalized picture of it. Take the Spolarium by Luna, it depicts the abuse Filipinos had to endure form its colonisers but everything about it is framed, painted, and designed beautifully to stand the test of time. For some artists, art is a gateway for them to express themselves the only way they know how. Art is a fabricated concept in order to present a real thing. Whether the purpose be propaganda, revolution, entertainment, etc. it still holds significance as long as people chose to view it as such. 

Notice how throughout the review, I switch from “documentary” and “film”. That is because I don’t really know myself how to classify this. It has a narrative to it that is fabricated and written and staged but there is also some truth to it. I can’t even trust myself enough to determine which parts are fiction or not. Needless to say, if Orson Welle’s goal is to trick, confuse, and bamboozle his viewers, he definitely succeeded at it. Despite my growing headache trying to get around it, I would still say that F for Fake is an essential watch especially for those who plan on doing video essays. Its structured well-enough to get its point down but never really properly formulated to form an entirely cohesive and understandable presentation. I probably shouldn’t fault it that much for it since it’s basically a salvaged project jammed together. A well produced and carefully salvaged project that is. 

With Repo Man supposedly becoming a cult classic over the course of time it was released, I really tried to look hard enough what people saw in it in the first place. Even after multiple viewings and a few digging around the internet, I realise one thing; I really can’t like a film as much just because other people do.

That doesn’t mean that the film didn’t do anything right, quite the opposite actually. Director Alex Cox really did the impossible job of creating one (somewhat) cohesive narrative that involves different types of varying genres that include but not limited to comedy, sci-fi, and political. Repo Man deals with certain topics and themes with varying degrees of success. 

A big thing to praise though is the film’s energetic soundtrack containing a number of classic punk rock songs. Cox really did push for the music to take centre stage at times since he wanted the audience to be more exposed to said genre. Punk isn’t necessarily a popular choice when it comes to the people listening to music and it’s most definitely not something you see regularly to be utilized in film. The music didn’t just serve as a good entertainer in the background, but it also provided another key point in the narrative that serves a purpose one way or another. 

As much as it is a sci-fi plot with absurd out of this world elements to it, the film is usually down to earth for the most part. The story revolves around Otto who we see at the start to lose his job only to end up as a repo man after a series of unfortunate events. Otto as a main character does a serviceable job of making it seem like we should care about him. Personally, I really did not enjoy him since the whole cool, badass and somewhat idiotic punk boy isn’t the main character for me. Emilio Estevez actually did a more than great job of portraying him, but then again. Estevez is usually the go-to person when it comes to playing douchebags. 

If we were to romanticise this, the person who recruited Otto in into the repossession business mentions how it is a great distractor in life and there’s nothing but the thrill of it that makes it better. Being a repo man is great because you get to have fun forgetting your problems. That’s basically the overly simplified version of how I saw that scene was going.  I’m not sure if it was a blatant decision but showing how Otto from the start, has a really shitty life really helps in terms of trying to understand why he did what he did. Over the course of the narrative, we see Otto slowly gaining more confidence into what he’s doing and who he is and it almost makes you want to root for him despite the fact that his business thrives on the misery of other people. 

The film is a lot of things, but predictable isn’t one of them. I honestly would’ve preferred the story to completely omit the entire supernatural elements in favour of a more fleshed out version of a bar fight due to a lot of misunderstandings. It felt as if the whole sub plot involving the glowing vehicle was tacked on just to make sure there’s “shock value” to be had in the film.  I could imagine a version of this film wherein it just kept things realistic and completely disregard that sub plot in favour of a more character driven narrative and it would’ve been a much more interesting viewing for me.

I think it’s safe to say that I didn’t enjoy much the absurdity that was present in the story. As I was getting invested already in the characters and their relationships with each other, an oddball had to be thrown in to make things more interesting than they are already. With that being said though, Repo Man did what it had to do considering the minuscule budget they had for themselves. The special effects were actually charming and not outright bad in the sense of the word. Of course, this is taking into account the fact that this movie came out in 1984. It’s an 80’s film through and through with it’s over the top characters, charmingly goofy special effects, and a punk rock theme that you just can’t help but love and be entertained about since that never happens in today’s media nowadays. 

It’s a film that isn’t afraid to just throw in whatever it has on screen with mixed results but what follows is a great performance by Emilio Estevez as Otto, a dark humour filled runtime that is too self-aware at times, and an overall rocking good time to be had. I could see why it became a cult classic for some viewers but personally, I don’t see myself ever coming back to this film unless curiosity strikes me in the future. 

A capitalist wake-up call to society and our lost humanity.

“To achieve the American dream of boundless wealth, you need to stand on many other people’s backs.”

Touré, 2018

Cassius started as low-level telemarketer and rose up to higher status by using the so-called “white voice.” He didn’t have much experience for the job, but then again they hire anyone just as long as you “stick to the script.” The white voice was described as an easy-going sound that gave people the impression you have it all together and that you don’t need them. Basically sounding as if you’re entitled to the good life. Sounding white spoke in a deeper level as Cassius was able to advance in his position. It showed that for black people to succeed you have to present yourself in a way that is pleasing to white people. The moment he ranked up and was moved to a higher floor, he was required to use the white voice much more often.

Inequality in the current system.

You can’t get to the top without standing on someone else’s back. The system is a wreck when the middle class population decreases, and the rich continue to get rich, while the poor continue to get poorer.’ This is most evident in how Cassius left behind his middle-ranked friends and clibed to the top as a “power caller” Cassius was earning a lot of money, but he wasn’t earning any favor amongst his former peers. The middle class workers would rally against this inequality, yet they still remained powerless to the higher-ups.

Media in the film, emphasized on how it dissentisizes people

Society has a dark humor of seeing people humiliated. There was a television show in the film that became popular by showing footage of people getting beaten up. Even Cassisus, getting hit in the head became a comedic viral sensation. Towards the end of the film, Cassius had to go to a series of pain and humiliation on live TV just so he could get people’s attention. Despite all that, people barely took what he said seriously.

Exploitation of Labor Workers

Equisapiens are half-human half-horse creatures who’s purpose is to work for the labor force. CEO Steve Lift has devised this formula that turns humans into monstorosities to boost productivity in his factories. This was really fucked up! In the scene when Cassius found the Equisapiens, It reminded me a lot of the animal abuse just like in the film Okja – It really made me loose hope in humanity. Despite that scene being fictional, I gotta say I was pretty impressed with the CGI and how I was able to empathize more with the situation due to the realism of it.

This film is definitely something that any person living in the 21st century would resonate with. Although I wouldn’t exactly say I enjoyed the film, I do respect the message that the film tries to portray. It was definately eye-opening and impactful.

After escaping a UFO death cult and setting up mediocre lives independently from their camp, Brothers Aaron and Justin return to where they began in hope of finding “closure.” Unsastified with his life, Aaron becomes restless urges his brother Justin to go back to the Camp after finding a VHS tape.

The Endless ranked 3rd place in rotten tomatoes list of best horror movies of 2018. It is a meta-brainy horror that consists of sci fiction mysterios thriller makes use of an unforeseen entitity with concepts of space and times and creative use of media. Set in the dawn of the 21st centure when flip phones and video technology were still a thing.

The brothers decide to go back to a cult after recieving an old videotape that “brings them back to where they began”. Despite growing up in the same place, Justin and Aaron have divergent views of the camp. Justin constantly remarks on how “culty” the camp is; meanwhile, Aaron remembers only the good things like eating healthy food, and being cared for.

We immediately notice odd things as they arrive at the camp. The people there appear to have long, healthy lives, they eat healthy food and ale, They are able to master skills at an an uncalculated level. Justin even makes fun of them for being sullied.

Beyond this, other weird things conspire in the camp such as this “higher being.” According to Benson “The antagonist is an actual mythological being”. The Camp doesn’t really have a leader, the brothers/audiences simply assumed it was Hal because he was the one that talked the most in the camp. Hal tries to explain this entity thrrough a series of equations. He portrays himself as someone who likes the entity, but does he really?

This unknown entity or the “unforeseen” communicates through media like videos, photographs and computer files. Just like the videotape the brothers got earlier in the start of the film about the camp. Anna was the person featured in the starting film. She apppears as a kind, easy-going girl but indulges in a peculiar attachment to the naive Aaron. Aaron grows attached to the camp and wants to stay there forever, however Justin becomes conspicious of the weird things that conspire and wants to leave

Camp Aracadia is apparently a 10 year loop. The brothers left right before the reset and are getting there right before the next one. In a climactic ending the brothers drive off to escape the time loop. They victoriously made it and escaped from the reset; however did they really escape the loop or are they part of a loop that is larger than their own.

The ending leaves us with a lot of questions. We are left to question: How did the brothers grow up there when there were no other kids to be seen in the camp? Are the brothers stuck in a larger loop that we are unaware of? Could we resonate with being stuck in a loop? All things unverified and can be assumed when watching a science fiction thriller horror.

Among my favorite activities I do during my spare times is to tour around the Ateneo Art Gallery despite not being a painter or sculptor myself. Unlike screen arts, though, I never really cared if the work of art displayed even has a meaning. What mattered was how appreciative it is too see how dynamic the artists’ sense of beauty is. Likewise, I never paid too much attention to who created or authored it in the first place (unless of course it is from someone famed like Nick Joaquin whose display I admired about two years ago), and when one would test me with identifying the real and the copy between two identical works, I honestly still would not even care. The fakery of the painting or a sculpture is irrelevant to me when it still strikes the same “tone” as the original, and apparently, I was not alone, as revealed in the film F for Fake (1975).

As I have learned from further reading, F for Fake turned out to be a film essay, a genre of film that I was not familiar with except through documentaries, their closest equivalent genre. As with its written counterparts, film essays are typically focused with developing or elaborating on one theme or idea than forming a narrative, and for the case of F for Fake, it discussed about the creation and proliferation of fakes in the art painting industry with Elmyr de Hory, an art forger, as the movie’s prominent example.

I’ll be lying if I said that I did enjoy much of the film; it felt dragging and uninteresting until the last sixteen minutes when the narrator Orson Wells shared the story of Picasso and his twenty-two paintings of Oja Kodar. I got very engaged when he and Oja herself recreated that very story through intense dialogue, then their dropped the bomb when they reveal that all of what happened was purely fictional. I low-key laughed at myself for easily falling for sixteen minutes of lying than more than an hour of the actual truth, and come to think of it, I should have seen it as a sign since the beginning when Welles was showing a magic trick with a child at the train station.

“Houdin was the greatest magician who ever lived. And do you know what he said? ‘A magician,’ he said, ‘is just an actor-Just an actor playing the part of a magician.’”

Orson Wells, F for Fake (1975)

And it felt just like that: the last sixteen minutes was a very convincing magic trick, using the power of tone as its spell.

Surely, setting the tone of the film is essential in making or breaking a film in relation to its audience, and to effectively get the message across. Interestingly, relaying the theme of forgery in the first hour of truth-telling seemed disengaging, as Welles was narrating too causally, but when he switched to a dramatic way of speaking in telling the lie, that was when all eyes and ears are on the screen. With the usage of heavily contrasting tones, Welles intelligently portrayed the message of being easily fooled by tricking the audience themselves (Insert shocked Pikachu meme here).

Come to think of it, that’s how we fall for lying, as if done right, we make it sound equally if not more interesting than the truth. I wonder what convincing lies are out there.

Stay vigilant but curious,

JoMar Fernandez, a.k.a. JMCthefilmystan