Given the Oscars it won and the fact that it was directed by Guillermo del Toro, I feel obliged to watch this though I wasn’t enthusiastic after reading some very disparaging comments about it on Broken Forum. Unfortunately, those reports turned out to be very much correct. This is a beautiful film in terms of production values but an abject failure on every other level.
This is another Chinese film that came as a recommendation from our cinephile friend and as it appears to be the debut feature of its director Zhang Dalei, is probably far too obscure for me to come across it in the ordinary course of things. It won a bunch of awards and except for a short sequence at the end, is entirely in black and white.
I added this to the list because it has so much mindshare and cultural influence even though I thought I probably wouldn’t like it. There was supposed to be a television series based on this film earlier this year but it seems to have been delayed indefinitely due to the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. After watching this, it’s pretty obvious why its subject matter doesn’t feel like anything to joke about these days.
After being acquainted with director Takeshi Kitano from A Scene at the Sea, it’s only right that I pay some attention to what is likely his best known work, especially in the west. Sonatine bombed in Japan when it was released but it gradually attracted the attention of critics and other filmmakers in the west who were intrigued by its unusual style. In fact, the Japanese seemed to be so embarrassed by the film that they were reluctant to license it for distribution.
Our cinephile friend cautiously recommended this to us, noting that while it’s not a great film overall, it has its moments as an action movie. It’s certainly a high profile release, being directed by Tsui Hark and more importantly, I believe it’s culturally significant to the Chinese. It’s an update to a classic 1970s film that was itself based on a novelized account of a real event in 1946. According to Wikipedia, it might well be one of the most well known stories in China.
So I think I got this from Marginal Revolution but I only realized that it’s a remake until after watching it. It might have been a better idea to watch the original Malayalam-language film from 2013 that won a whole slew of awards even if this Hindi-language version had a wider audience and earned more money.
My wife added this to our list, probably because it’s been a while since we’ve watched an animated film. I was inclined to dislike it however as it was by Cartoon Saloon, the same studio which made The Secret of Kells and Song of the Sea. I didn’t like both of them as I felt that they were first and foremost children’s films with no real punch in them. I am pleased to report that the same cannot be said for The Breadwinner which is so hard hitting that it isn’t suitable viewing for children at all.