Sunday, June 28, 2009

Angels & Demons

Based on the novel by Dan Brown, who also authored The DaVinci Code, comes Angels & Demons, a story of the time old war between religion and science.

The story follows an obsessed priest, Patrick McKenna, who is convinced that science can only lead to a further deterioration of faith. To prove his point, he resurrects the Illuminati, a former "enemy" of the church, as a cover for his own machinations of science's seeming desire to destroy the Church. Through a series of clues and attempts to prevent senseless violence, Robert Langdon is back to save a Church he clearly does not believe in.

This same narrative structure was used in The DaVinci Code. However, through the magic of Hollywood adaptation, the established timeline in the novels is changed so that Robert Langdon's first run-in with the Church in the search of the final resting place of Mary Magdalen has already occurred. This minor change has no irreparable affect on the overall impact of the story as it is only mentioned in passing once.

Angels & Demons, much like The DaVinci Code, is a complex story filled with complex accusations against the Church using and abusing its power to stay in control of its constituents. True or not, the story is intellectually thought provoking and forces the viewer to examine their own individual relationship to religion and science and its involvement in their loves.

Friday, June 19, 2009

Every Little Step

Every Little Step is a documentary following the process of a revival production of A Chorus Line, the classic Broadway show, that follows the story of a series of dancers auditioning for a spot on a chorus line. What makes this documentary so special is not only the drive and dedication of those auditioning, but the love and passion of the production team, many of whom were part of the original 1975 production.

The film provides not only historical and little known insights into the creation of A Chorus Line (e.g. the story came from a series of audio taped interviews with dancers; the original title for Dance 10, Looks 3 was Tits and Ass; "Cassie" did not originally get the job on the chorus line), but also follows the performers through the painful process of initial audition, to call back, to final audition.

The performer whose audition is most powerful in this film is that of Jason Tam. Some of you may know him as Markko Rivera on One Life to Live. He is an NYU Tisch School trained performer whose has appeared in numerous productions in his young career. Auditioning for "Paul", Tam recreated in the initial audition the pain of rejection faced by the character to such an intense degree, that it not brings him to tears, but the producers as well. After Tam leaves, and before the producers can regain their composure, lead producer Bob Avian says "Sign him up."

Every Little Step provides a very intimate look into the process both performers and producers go through in casting a major production. The process is often harsh at times. However, the film treats each performers vulnerability during the process gently and respectfully.

If you have ever wanted to know the struggles and joys of a performer's life, or if you just want to be swept up in a wave of raw human emotion, then Every Little Step is a film not to be missed.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Up

In its latest release Up, Pixar has created a film worthy of both children and adults alike. The story of an old man trying to keep a promise to his deceased wife and a young boy trying to gain the respect of his father, the story follows their fantastic journey across continents, and in the end are forced to face the cold hard truth that our heroes are not always the people we make them out to be.

Not often seen in a animated feature primarily marketed toward children, Up contains a montage of Carl Fredricksen and his wife Ellie's entire relationship, from their first meeting as children, until her death. This section of the film is especially appealing to adults and presented in a subdued fashion as to not scare children.

The message that clearly rings true for adults and serves as a warning to children is learning the truth about ones heroes. During the course of the film, Carl discovers he and Ellie's childhood hero, Charles Muntz, is not the champion of nature and wildlife he once believed. A parallel revelation occurs for Russell when he admits that his father is not the man he has been portraying him to be. Both Carl and Russell have been living in a fantasy of their own choosing and sharing the moment of absolute vulnerability brings them closer together.

The relationship between Carl and his young neighbor Russell is symbiotic. Carl who has never had children, sees Russell as a surrogate grandchild. Russell is desperate for approval from a father figure and uses Carl as a replacement for his father who is an absentee divorcee dad. The duo come to mean more to each other than biological family and is permanently solidified at Russell's final badge ceremony.

Up is a film that will become a timeless classic and provide new insights into itself and your own personal relationships -- the greatest gift of film.

Friday, June 5, 2009

Boy

In the tradition of the macho dancer film, Boy tells the story of a young man working in the gay bars of the Philippines to not only support himself, but to be less of a burden on his family. What sets this new film of filipino director Auraeus Solito (The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros) apart from its predecessors is the story primarily following a patron of the macho dancer and not the macho dancer himself.

Our protagonist is an semi-openly gay young man of 18 who on a furtive trip to his first gay bar, falls in love with Aries. In order to come up with the money for Aries fee, a prized collection of comic books and action figure collectibles is sold, and the boys share a magical night on New Year's Eve with the protagonist's mother.

The story is about more than that first sexual encounter. As the story unfolds both young men let down their guard to each other as their growing love for each other becomes more apparent to not only the audience but to themselves.

The protagonist admits his disappointment with both his parents, his father for relegating he and his mother to secondary status and his mother for tolerating it, while Aries admits that his work is more than a way to support himself, but also a way to satisfy his needs to be wanted and desired by those watching him.

Boy was banned on the eve of its premier at the Singapore International Film Festival for "normalizing homosexuality" and for its erotic content. While there is some incidental nudity and sexual situations, the story is in no way overshadowed by these elements. In fact, the encounter between the boys takes on a pilgrim sonnet element from Baz Luhrman's Romeo & Juliet and is no longer a business transaction between a client and john, but instead a beautiful moment between two new lovers.

In the end Boy is a film which shows that young love can be found in all the wrong places and still thrive. SIFF and Seattle is to be applauded for receiving this film with warmth, understanding and acceptance in a world in which there is a need for more films that have a message as well as an entertaining purpose.