Certified Copy – The Criterion Collection #612 (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

If you are a cineaste who enjoys films that incorporate intelligent conversation, you will be captivated by “Certified Copy”.   A film that showcases Abbas Kiarostami’s beautiful direction and fascinating screenplay, plus fantastic performance by Juliette Binoche and William Shimell… “Certified Copy” is highly recommended!

Image courtesy of © MK2-Bibi Films – France 3 Cinema – Artemis Productions. The Criterion Collection. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Certified Copy – The Criterion Collection #612 (Copie Conforme)

MOVIE RELEASE: 2010

DURATION: 106 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: Color, 1:85:1 Aspect Ratio, 5.1 Surround in English, French and Italian with English Subtitles

COMPANY: Sundance Selects/The Criterion Collection

RELEASE DATE: May 22, 2012

Directed and Written by Abbas Kiarostami

Produced by Angelo Barbagallo, Charles Gillibert, Marin Karmitz, Nathanael Karmitz, Abbas Kiarostami

Executive PRoducer: Clair Dornoy, Marin Karmitz

Line Producer: Gaetano Daniele

Cinematography by Luca Bigazzi

Edited by Bahman Kiarostami

Production Design by Giancarlo Basili, Ludovica Ferrario

Starring:

Juliette Binoche as Elle

William Shimell as James Miller

Adrian Moore as Le Fils

Jean-Claude Carriere as L’homme de la place

Agathe Natanson as La femme de la place

Gianna Giachetti as a patronne du cafe

Angelo Barbagallo as Le traducteur

Andre Laurenzi as Le guide

Filippo Trojano as Le marie

The great Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami travels to Tuscany for a luminous and provocative romance in which nothing is as it appears. What seems at first to be a straightforward tale of two people—played by Oscar-winning actress Juliette Binoche and opera singer William Shimell—getting to know each other over the course of an afternoon gradually reveals itself as something richer, stranger, and trickier: a mind-bending reflection on authenticity, in art as well as in relationships. Both cerebrally and emotionally engaging, Certified Copy reminds us that love itself is an enigma.

The multi-talented filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami is known for his films, documentaries, poetry, paintings and graphic designs.  Considered as one of the most influential filmmakers to come from the Middle East and known for his films such as the “Koker Trilogy”, “Taste of Cherry”, “The Wind Will Carry Us” and “Close Up”, in 2010, Kiarostami would reunite with his “Shirin” actress, Juliette Binoche for the film “Certified Copy” (Copie Conforme).

Written and directed by Abbas Kiarostami and shot in Tuscany, “Certified Copy” would feature Juliette Binoche (“Thee Colors: Blue”, “The English Patient”, “Cache”) and opera singer William Shimell (“Hercules”, “Love”).  The film would be Kiarostami’s first film shot and produced outside of Iran, it would also be the first film of Kiarostami in creating European cinema.  And sure enough, the film would receive rave reviews from critics and audiences worldwide and the film would also earn Juliette Binoche the “Best Actress Award” at the Cannes Film Festival.

And now “Certified Copy” will be released on Blu-ray and DVD courtesy of the Criterion Collection.  Also, included with this release is Abbas Kiarostami’s first feature film, “The Report” (1977).

“Certified Copy” begins with people who have attended a lecture and are anxiously waiting for British writer and art historian, James Miller (played by William Shimell), to talk about his new book “Certified Copy”.  The book argues that authenticity is irrelevant and that reproduction is original, as the original is a copy of another form.

Among those attending the lecture is a French antique dealer (played by Juliette Binoche), a woman who is awaiting to get her book signed by Miller.  But because her 11-year-old son (played by Adrian Moore) is getting a bit antsy and is very hungry, she has to leave not long after the lecture has begun.   Not wanting to miss the opportunity to get an autograph from James Miller, the antique dealer (without a name) leaves her phone number with Miller’s translator in hopes that he can sign her books.

The following day, James Miller arrives at the French antique dealer’s shop and while he compliments her choices of art, she tells him they are only reproductions and it begins their conversation about original art vs. reproductions and in the process, because the dealer has issues with his book “Certified Copy”, she wants to take him out to the countryside and let him see things with his own eyes.

While James signs the books, the dealer talks about the issues she has with the books and then they end up discussing situations about her rebellious son, more about reproductions and sooner or later, these two get into a conversation that tests both of their patience.

As they go into a cafe, a woman who runs the cafe, thinks that the two are a couple and the next thing you know, the two begin to pretend as if they are a married couple.

But the conversations change as if they are or were a real life couple who have been married for 15-years and both get into an argument as if they were a real couple.   Do these two know each other?  Are they a real couple?  Are they acting out their own relationships towards each other.  Or is this a dream? Or is it reality?

VIDEO:

“Certified Copy” is presented in 1080p High Definition (1:85:1 aspect ratio) and there is no doubt that Kiarostami’s use of the Red digital camera brought a lot of detail to his latest film.   The colors are vibrant, detail and clarity look magnificent and  I detected no video-related problems, no artifacts, banding, edge enhancement…nothing.  “Certified Copy” looks absolutely magnificent on Blu-ray!

According to the Criterion Collection, the film was shot in 4K RAW using a RED digital camera and the entire production was completed in a fully digital workflow.  The color grading and digital interpositive were approved by director Abbas Kiarostami and director of photography Luca Bigazzi.  The final color corrected DPX files were output to Rec. 709 high-definition color space for BD and DVD release.

As for “The Report”, the Criterion Collection presents the 1977 film in the best quality available to them.  While the film looks good for its age.  While there is some film damage with occasional green lines that can be seen and some other damage.  But most visible towards the beginning of the film.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Certified Copy” is presented in English, French and Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (note: one audio track, with all three languages used in the film).  Dialogue is crystal clear and the film features good use of atmospheric ambiance.  From the sounds of Tuscany, the birds and vehicles and more.  The lossless track is primarily dialogue-driven through the front and center channels but the audio quality is great and I detected no audio problems.  Optional Subtitles are included.

According to the Criterion Collection, the original 5.1 lossless soundtrack was mastered at 24-bit from the original digital audio master using Pro Tools HD.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Certified Copy – The Criterion Collection #612″ on Blu-ray comes with the following special features:

• The Report – (1:49:28) A civil servant is a hard worker but is often not there for his wife and child.  But when he is accused of bribery, his life starts to change and his marriage also begins to suffer.
• Abbas Kiarostami - (16:02) Featuring an interview with Abbas Kiarostami who talks about the film, what inspired the film and finding the cast members for the film.
• Let’s See “Copia Conforme” – (52:05) A documentary by Irene Bufo featuring the making of the film and interviews with Kiarostami, the cast and crew.
• Theatrical trailer - (2:14) Theatrical trailer for “Certified Copy”.
  

EXTRAS:

“Certified Copy – The Criterion Collection #612″ comes with a 24-page booklet featuring the essay “At Home and Abroad” by Godfrey Chesire.

 When it comes to films that are verbose, cerebral and dialogue-driven, more often, they can be too much for a viewer.  But when executed perfectly, you know you have something special.

May it be a film like Eric Rohmer’s “My Night at Maud’s” where characters spend a long time in discussion, but these they talk about aren’t banal, these are intelligent discussions by two individuals about life, art, reproduction.  But then you get this little twist that is reminiscent of Michelangelo’s Antonioni’s “L’Avventura” or Alain Resnais “Last Year At Marienbad” where the characters may appear to have known each other or perhaps have been in a relationship before, because their intelligent discussion leads to an argument that couples experience.

And that is one thing that is rather fascinating about “Certified Copy”, unlike Resnais “Last Year at Marienbad” which surrealism and visual filmmaking come together in a rather complex fashion, Kiarostami’s “Certified Copy” gives us no clues that the two are a couple, a former couple or two people trying to act out an experiment of relationships.  Or perhaps it is a dream… or is it reality?

Nothing is explained but it allows the viewer to give their own interpretation.  And this is important because the film’s original topic was about the concept of art and reproduction.  When we look at art, we have a response toward it. But that response can be different.  The same with this relationship, we have our own interpretation if these two characters.  In my mind, almost like painting that I spend a lot of time watching in a museum… you have these ideas of what is the intention of the artwork, what is the history and was the painting influenced by another.

With the characters of James Miller and the antique dealer, my mind was already dead set that these two individuals knew each other long ago, were in love and this visit was a way for them to escape reality and re-enact a moment of what if they were a couple.

Now I go back to the common argument of the film, art vs. reproduction and how the character of James Miller felt that reproductions were originals, as the original was also inspired or a copy of something else.  And when you start to think of the film and analyze it, what if that was the initial thought.  Using art as a symbol, but featuring cinema.  Cinema like art can be original but yet others  may feel it’s a copy or inspired by another film.

And then you wonder if its life imitating art.  Abbas Kiarostami once told actress Juliette Binoche that the film was based on his life, then changed his story that it was based on his life and then tells media that it s a story that incorporates Juliette’s life.  In other words, the message is that art, cinema and everything created can be original but yet can be inspired by something else.  So, what others will think of “Certified Copy” as original, others may point to Resnais “Last Year at Marienbad”, Antonioni’s “L’Avventura” or Wong Kar-Wai’s “In the Mood for Love”, and think that the film was inspired by those or other similar, dream-like type of films.

But do we need an explanation of why Kiarostami created the film?  I don’t think so, and that’s what makes “Certified Copy” so enjoyable to watch.  It’s a film that YOU interpret on your own.  And if everyone comes up with a different answer, then so be it, I’m sure filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami would be pleased.

Another reason why I enjoyed “Certified Copy” is how Kiarostami handles relationships.  He goes into more detail about this in the special feature but it’s the concept of the conflicts that are experienced between a man and woman in a relationship.  The more we understand each other, the worse things get.   And it’s a concept that many married couples or those who have been in long time relationships can understand.  When things go bad, we look to others who make things look as they are going so great but are they?  We have two characters who are somewhat soul searching and through each other, may it be through this playful interaction or may they be true emotions that are coming out, it’s that sense of the unpredictable that captivates us.  There is more going on with these two that is explained but yet, these conflicts can be understood, because many of us have experienced these uncertainties as well.

As for the performance, Juliette Binoche was absolutely fantastic in this film and for a first time major role for opera singer William Shimell, to have him memorize his line, including the long dialogue (which surprised Binoche who didn’t memorize everything, and utilized improvisation to coincide with Shimell’s performance) and literally be prepared for his role, I was impressed by his performance.  But both talents did a wonderful job.

As for the Blu-ray release, “Certified Copy” looks amazing on Blu-ray and cineaste who are fans of Kiarostami’s work should be pleased as there are no video or audio-related problems that I could find with this release.  And as far as special features go, it’s one thing that you get a documentary on the making-of the film and an interview with Kiarostami but the fact that the Criterion Collection also included his first feature film “The Report” (1977) with this release is fantastic!

Overall, if you are a cinema fan who loves films that incorporate intelligent conversation but also a film that incorporates Abbas Kiarostami’s brilliant direction and fascinating screenplay, which also further compliments the performance by Juliette Binoche and William Shimell, “Certified Copy” is highly recommended!

 

The Girl on a Motorcycle (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

“The Girl on a Motorcycle” is a film that is sexually-charged and for its time, considered dangerous and too sexy for audiences.  But for today’s audience, one may see it more of a film that is a product of its time.  Sexual repression, masochistic and sexual urges, all coming from a single woman sporting a skintight body suit and riding a motorcycle. Overall, a titillating, psychedelic, sexual film of the late ’60s!

Images courtesy of © 1968 Mid Atlantic Film (Holdings) Ltd. All Rights Reserved. 2012 Kino Lorber, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: The Girl on a Motorcycle

YEAR OF RELEASE: 1968

DURATION: 88 Minutes

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (1:66:1), Monaural, Color

COMPANY: Jezebel/Kino Lorber

RATED: R

Release Date: April 24, 2012

Directed by Jack Cardiff

Based on the novel “La Motocyclette” by Andre Pieyre de Mandiargues

Screenplay by Ronald Duncan

Adaptation by Jack Cardiff

Produced by William Sassoon

Executive Producer: Ronan O’Rahilly

Associate Producer: Sacha Kamenka

Music by Les Reed

Cinematography by Jack Cardiff and Rene Guissart Jr.

Edited by Peter Musgrave

Art Direction by Jean d’Eaubonne and Russell Hagg

Starring:

Alain Delon as Daniel

Marianne Faithfull as Rebecca

Roger Mutton as Raymond

Marius Goring as Rebecca’s Father

Catherine Jourdan as Catherin

Jean Leduc as Jean

A wildly sexy time capsule from the swinging sixties, THE GIRL ON A MOTORCYCLE (1968) stars Alain Delon (Le samouraï) and Marianne Faithfull—two actors at the height of their impressive cool—as lovers with a taste for the open road.

Faithfull stars as Rebecca, a bored housewife who bolts from her home in the French countryside to visit her lover, Daniel (Delon), in Germany. Wearing nothing but a form-fitting black leather suit (the film was re-released in the U.S. as Naked Under Leather), the lusty Rebecca races across the country, and in flashback remembers the start of their affair. She recalls the initial, furtive glances in her father’s bookstore, her elaborate sexual fantasies and their long-awaited consummation. Most important of all is the motorcycle itself, a gift from Daniel that seems to give her more pleasure than any man could deliver.

Directed by legendary cinematographer Jack Cardiff (The Red Shoes) in pulsating psychedelic hues, THE GIRL ON A MOTORCYCLE has emerged from obscurity to become more than a cult favorite; it is a touchstone film of 1960s Euro youth culture.

Jack Cardiff, one of the world’s most talented cinematographers (“The Red Shoes”, “The African Queen”, “Pandora and the Flying Dutchmen”, “Black Narcissus”) was a multi-talented individual when it comes to cinema.  Editor, actor, visual effects and even director.

While hi films “Sons and Lovers” and mystery films “Intent to Kill” and “Web of Evidence” were successful, in the late ’60s, Cardiff would work on a British-French film titled “The Girl on a Motorcycle”, an adaptation of the novella “La Motocyclette” by Andre Pieyre de Mandiargues.

A film that would star popular French actor Alain Delon (“Le Samourai”, “Le Cercle Rouge”, “L’Eclisse”, “Rocco and His Brothers”) and singer/songwriter/actres Marianne Faithful (best known in the late ’60s as being the girlfriend of the Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger and her wild lifestyle).

While the film would feature Alain Delon as a headliner, the film is mostly connected to Marianne Faithful, as the film would be known for the skin tight body suit that she wore in the film, and heighten her popularity as a sexy, wild diva.

And now “The Girl on a Motorcycle” receives its HD release on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber as part of their “Jezebel” line.

“The Girl on a Motorcycle” is about a young woman named Rebecca (played by Marianne Faithfull).  A young woman who recently married a school teacher named Raymond (played by Roger Mutton).

One night, while the newlyweds are sleeping, Rebecca starts to have sexual, masochistic dreams of a man named Daniel (played by Alain Delon).   She dreams of Daniel whipping her at a circus and each whip, an article of clothing is removed to later reveal her naked body.

Excited and turned on by her dream, she looks at her husband and decides to leave him.  She takes nothing but her keys and wearing nothing but her biking clothing…a skin tight body suit and boots and she looks at her motorcycle almost like a sexual object.

She then drives off, disenchanted by her life, the city she lives in and most of all her life with her husband Raymond.  And while riding her motorcycle, she leaves the country to ride towards Germany but during her adventures, we learn why Rebecca is disenchanted with life.

We learn that her husband Raymond is a goodie two shoes.  Never argues, never demands anything, despite Rebecca wanting him to be more authoritative towards her.   In fact, he’s too much of a nice guy that his students mock him during class.

As Rebecca explores her past and how she dated Raymond, we learn how she met Daniel at her father’s bookstore, three weeks before she was to marry.  She meets him again, while she, Raymond and her friends were at a ski trip.

One night, as she was expecting to make love to her boyfriend Raymond, Raymond comes to her room but doesn’t make a move on her.  She realizes that he is too much of a nice guy, but she wants to live a bit dangerously.  That same night, Daniel crawls up the window to her room and immediately starts to have sex with her and she doesn’t fight it.  She likes Daniel’s style of living dangerously.

And sure enough, during the time she was engaged with Raymond, Daniel and Rebecca were making mad passionate love, while he taught her the thrill of riding a motorcycle and the risks.  The two would have sex anywhere they wanted and both lived dangerously, with no attachments.

But although it’s what she loves, dreams about and is constantly needing, she can’t get that same treatment with Raymond and she starts to feel it’s the city and those around her.  Everything seems dreary and nothing like Daniel.

The more she the urge for having sex with Daniel, it starts to consume every thought.  How will this affect Rebecca?

VIDEO:

Jack Cardiff is known for his use of color, especially for Technicolor films and experimentation of film throughout his career.  With “The Girl on a Motorcycle”, Jack Cardiff was not only the director but also the cinematographer and there is no doubt that this film was a sign of the times, in this case…the hippie driven late ’60s.  While I’m not sure if Cardiff partaken in any of the drugs that ran rampant at the time, there is no doubt that he was in touch with the psychedelic colors and wild cinematography experimented with at the time.

Suffice to say, “The Girl on a Motorcycle” can be described in one word… “Trippy”.  From intriguing color selections and colors, I have no doubt if this film was a cult-classic among those who experimented with narcotics (similar to how Disney’s “Fantasia” was a popular among LSD and acid-freaks at the time).  And these “trippy” images are a product of Rebecca’s wild dreams and thoughts of her being seduced or sexually ravaged by Daniel.

As for video quality, Kino Lorber is known for not messing around with original negative and going through expensive restoration.  The film’s grain is quite evident, there are some specks but no doubt this film is probably the definitive version to own of the film at this time due to it being in HD and having better clarity.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“The Girl on the Motorcycle” is presented in monaural but via a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track.  While much better than a straight on monaural track from the center channel, the film does sport a soundtrack with music of the time and also clear dialogue.  As well as emphasizing the motorcycle sounds as well.  While not immersive, it’s pretty much on spot with a lot of the audio of films of that era, but sounds much better in lossless.

Unfortunately, there are no subtitles.

SPECIAL FEATURES

“The Girl on a Motorcycle” comes with the following special features:

• Audio Commentary – An audio commentary featuring the late Jack Cardiff.  Jack talks about the making of “The Girl on the Motorcycle” and also the cinematography choices he made during the film.
• Theatrical Trailer - (:50) The theatrical trailer for “The Girl on a Motorcycle”.
• Gallery – Featuring nearly two dozen stills and posters from “The Girl on a Motorcycle”.

“The Girl on a Motorcycle” is a fascinating film that was no doubt a sign of the time.  During the hippie era, where sexual exploration was the norm, Marianne Faithfull was truly a sex symbol of the time and also a product of that group of people who loved having sex.

Faithfull was never shy about talking about this, similar to her character Rebecca, Faithfull left her husband and made it a goal to have sexual relations with a Rolling Stone member and in fact, she had sexual relations with three of them and ended up choosing Mick Jagger.

While Faithfull is no doubt a sexy symbol and the strong sexual urges that she has within the entire film is the primary part of the storyline, Faithfull is probably one of those actresses that many loved to look at and not too concerned of how she acted.  Based on her acting in this film, suffice to say, it wasn’t that good.  But it’s almost compared to a lot of sex symbols on films today, does anyone really watch them on film for their acting?

If anything, watching Faithfull daydream on her motorcycle while getting turned on by her sexual thoughts of Daniel, you wonder if this is a dreamstate (because the last thing anyone wants to do is daydream for long stretches of time while riding quickly on a highway).

But “The Girl on a Motorcycle” was not exactly a film that was going to celebrate Marianne Faithfull’s acting, it was a film showcasing her sexiness.  It was a film that would showcase Alain Delon, not as a gun toting action star but a man who lived dangerously by showing Rebecca pleasures that she had never known.  And of course, that is where director and cinematographer Jack Cardiff comes in, to work his magic in making sure these dreams and thoughts were wild, trippy but suitable for that era in time.  And who best to experiment on psychedelic colors and dreams than Jack Cardiff.

While the film is not great by any means, it is a fascinating film about sexuality in the late ’60s and this is probably the best film I have seen Marianne Faithful, although I did enjoy her brief appearance on Jean-Luc Godard’s 1966 film “Made in U.S.A.” and also her appearance on the BBC series “Absolutely Fabulous”, her role in “The Girl on a Motorcycle” is primarily about her and it is no doubt a titillating film.

As for Alain Delon, he is no doubt a great actor, but compared to the many wonderful films that he starred in his entire career, this relationship between his character, Daniel and Rebecca was quite intriguing, especially compared to his other films with relationships such as “L’Eclisse” or “Le Samourai”. Also, it’s a film where Delon is not the primary character in the film.

Some people may have been turned off by this back in the ’60s, especially since Delon gets top billing but I suppose this film wanted to give Marianne Faithfull that big break as an actress.

Once again, this film could have been terrible but I feel that Jack Cardiff’s cinematography experience and editing skills made this film a bit better because of his involvement and experimentation.  It’s not a great film but it is enjoyable to a point and to tell you the truth, with all the daydreaming she goes through while riding her motorcycle, when I first watched it, all that went in my mind was…”this young woman is going to die if she doesn’t pay attention to the road”.  It’s not a a groundbreaking film, so one shouldn’t have any high hopes of expecting a deep storyline.

As for the Blu-ray release, this is the definitive version of this film to own.  The video quality is much better and as far as DVD releases, the previous version only had a trailer and stills gallery as this current Kino Lorber Blu-ray release, but it makes up for better picture quality and lossless audio.  Also, this is the full version.  A lot of nudity, sexual scenes and adult content which led to the film receiving an “X” rating for that time, is quite mild for today’s films.

Overall, “The Girl on a Motorcycle” is a film that is sexually-charged and for its time, considered dangerous and too sexy for audiences.  But for today’s audience, one may see it more of a film that is a product of its time.  Sexual repression, masochistic and sexual urges, all coming from a single woman in a skintight body suit.  If you are looking for a sexual film from the late ’60s, “The Girl on a Motorcycle” is for you!

 

 

The Secret World of Arrietty (a J!-ENT Anime Blu-ray Disc Review)

I was captivated by the beauty of “The Secret World of Arrietty” and also found the story to delightful, lighthearted and enjoyable.   A more accessible, non-complex family film that once again, Studio Ghibli delivers!

Image courtesy of © 2012 GNDHDDTW. 2012 Disney. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: The Secret World of Arrietty

MOVIE RELEASE DATE: 2010

DURATION: 95 Minutes

BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition, English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio (48 kHz, 24-Bit), Japanese 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio Original Production Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Subtitles: English ESL, SDH, French

COMPANY: Studio Ghibli/Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment

RATED: G

Release Date: May 22, 2012

Originally created by Mary Norton

Directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi

Screenplay by Hayao Miyazaki, Keiko Niwa

Storyboard by Hiromasa Yonebayashi

Unit Director: Hiromasa Yonebayashi

Music by Cecile Corbel

Art Director: Noboru Yoshida, Youji Takeshige

Animation Director: Akihiko Yamashita, Megumi Kagawa

Sound Director: Hiroshi Kasamatsu

Producer: Toshio Suzuki

Production by Studio Ghibli

Featuring the following voice talent:

Mirai Shida/Bridgit Mendler as Arrietty

Ryunosuke Kamiki/David Henrie as Sho (Shawn)

Keiko Takeshita/Gracie Poletti as Sadako (Aunt Jessica)

Kirin Kiki/Carol Burnett as Haru (Hara)

Shinobu Ōtake/Amy Poehler as Homily (Arietty’s Mother)

Tomokazu Miura/Will Arnett as Pod (Arriety’s Father)

Tatsuya Fujiwara/Moises Arias as Spiller

Based on the acclaimed children’s book series “The Borrowers,” by Mary Norton, “The Secret World of Arrietty” is an imaginative tale of “little people” living furtively among us, and the unlikely friendship that forms when their hidden world is discovered. The heartwarming family adventure features beautiful, stylized animation and timeless themes of friendship, courage and determination.

In 2010, Studio Ghibli (the popular anime studio known for creating “Ponyo”, “Spirited Away”, “Princess Mononoke”, “Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind”, “Castle in the Sky”, “My Neighbor Totoro”, “Kiki’s Delivery Service” to name few) released the film “The Secret World of Arriety”, a film adaptation of the popular children’s fantasy novel “The Borrowers” (1952) by English author Mary Norton.

The film broke records in Japan, surpassing it’s previous film “Ponyo”, opening on 1,522 theaters (a record for a Studio Ghibli film) and earn over $145 million in the box office.  The film is the 4th biggest earning anime film in Japan of all time and won “Animation of the Year” in 2011 at the 34th Japan Academy Prize.

“The Secret of Arriety” is a Studio Ghibli film directed by Hiromasa Yonebashi (“Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade”, “Ponyo”, “Spirited Away”, “Spriggan”) and a screenplay by Hayao Miyazaki (“Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind”, “Castle in the Sky”, “Howl’s Moving Castle”, “My Neighbor Totoro” to name a few) and Keiko Niwa (“Tales from the Earthsea”, “Ocean Waves”, “From Up on Poppy Hill”).

The US release would feature music and vocals by French singer and harper Cecile Corbel and would feature the voices of Disney Channel actress Bridgit Mendler (“Good Luck Charlie”, “Lemonade Mouth”), Amy Poehler (“Parks and Recreation”, “Saturday Night Live”), Will Arnett (“30 Rock”, “Arrested Development”), Carol Burnett (“The Carol Burnett Show”), David Henrie (“Wizards of Waverly Place”, “How I Met Your Mother”) and Moises Arias (“Hannah Montana”, “Astro Boy”).

“The Secret World of Arrietty” begins with a 12-year-old boy named Shawn (voiced by David Henrie), who has temporarily moved to his aunt Jessica’s (voiced by Gracie Poletti) home as he rests and waits to have heart surgery.  Meanwhile, as he stays at the home, he will be taken care of by the caretaker, Hara.

When he steps onto the lawn, he sees the family cat named Nina looking at something.  When Shawn goes to check, he sees a small girl hiding from him.

The young girl happens to be Arrietty (voiced by Bridgit Mendler), a 14-year-old borrower who was retrieving a plant to bring home to her mother, Homily (voiced by Amy Poehler). When her father Pod (voiced by Will Arnett) arrives from home, he tells the family that a new “being” (human) has moved into the house and Arriety tells her family that she had seen the boy when she was out.  But the parents warn her that the rule of a Borrower is that they must never be seen by a human and if they do, they must move away as humans curiosity can lead to trouble for them.

Because Arrietty has reached an age where she can now go on borrowing adventures with her father, her first mission is to retrieve a sugar cube and tissue paper.

And as Arrietty and her father go on a mission to retrieve those items, she does quite well, but while she is trying to get the tissue paper, Shawn who is laying down on his bed, looks directly at her and starts talking to her.  Shocked by this, Arrietty fails in her mission and now because Arrietty was seen by a human, her father warns her to not have communication with him ever again.

But feeling bad that she was seen by a human, what shocks her even more is that Shawn has stopped by to bring her the sugar cube that she had dropped.  As she tells her parents, her father begins to become concerned that because Shawn knows of their whereabouts, they will need to move.

Upset that Shawn has brought the sugar cube, she climbs up to Shawn’s room and tells him that she needs no help in “borrowing” and also tells him that they must stop communication.  But as the two talk, a crow tries to attack Arriety and she is saved by Shawn.

Meanwhile, the caretaker of the home, Hara hears the noises from Shawn’s room and attacks the crow.  When she asks him what prompted the crow to go to his room, he tells her that it must be building a nest but Hara suspects that perhaps Shawn has had contact with the little people and Hara would do anything to capture them.

VIDEO:

Magical, beautiful and everything that you can expect from Studio Ghibli. I was completely in awe when I watched “The Secret World of Arrietty”.  The painted backgrounds are so detailed, so beautiful to look at and of course, that Studio Ghibli style of character design.

In this day and age, we tend to put so much into CG animated films and whenever I watch a Studio Ghibli fan, I always find it amazing of how gorgeous their films are.  From the first animated film that I watched back in the early ’90s (which was “Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind”) to the latest release of “The Secret World of Arrietty”, Studio Ghibli continues to show this creative style through this film. The hand painted backgrounds are absolutely beautiful, the character design continues that Studio Ghibli look and style that they are famous for and I was hypnotized, captivated and loving every minute of the film.

Presented in 1080p High Definition, detail can be seen on the painted backgrounds. Vibrant during the day scenes, amazingly detailed to the little kitchenware used by the Borrowers, its one thing I expected from Studio Ghibli and nothing less and once again, they have delivered.

There are no compression artifacts, edge enhancement, aliasing, banding or any problems in picture quality for “The Secret World of Arietty” whatsoever. This film looks absolutely magnificent on Blu-ray!

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“The Secret of World of Arrietty” is presented in English 5.1 DTS Master Audio (48 kHz/24-bit) and in Japanese and French 5.1 Dolby Digital.

First the good. As one can expect from the Japanese casting, the voice acting is fantastic and the English dub track is equally magnificent.

And you want an immersive soundscape? “The Secret World of Arrietty” delivers. From the ambiance of the home on top of the hills with nothing but nature, you can hear the birds chirping, the insects, Nina the cat growling, the breeze flowing through their, great use of directional sound.  Indoors, the same thing as the Borrowers, Arrietty and her father can hear the ticking of the clocks, the scurrying of the rats and its absolutely immersive.

While this film is not the type to use LFE, there are some moments that do use a bit of lower frequency sounds but for this animated film, dialogue and music is crystal clear and great use of the surround channels for ambiance.

The other positive is unlike “Ponyo” which Disney didn’t give the Japanese soundtrack a lossless audio soundtrack, with “The Secret World of Arrietty”, a Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is included.

As for the bad, there isn’t any.  Aside it not having as many action sequences compared to “Nausicaa”, “Spirited Away” and “Ponyo”, this is not one of those type of films.   But still, “The Secret World of Arrietty” sounds wonderful and fans should be pleased with the lossless soundtracks!

Subtitles are in English ESL, SDH and in French.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

If there was only one downer of this Blu-ray release, it is that”The Secret World of Arrietty” has very little special features.  Included are:

• Original Japanese Storyboards - Watch the entire film but this time with the video showcasing the original storyboards.
• Cecile Corbel’s “Arrietty’s Song” Music Video - The Japanese version of Cecile Corbel’s “Arriety’s Song”
• Bridgit Mendler’s “Summertime” Music Video – (3:01) Bridgit Mendler, voice actress of Arrietty in the US version, sings the film’s ending theme.
• The Making of “Summertime” – (2:02) The making of Bridgit Mendler’s music video.
• Trailers & TV Spots – The Japanese trailers and TV spots.

EXTRAS:

A DVD of “The Secret World of Arrietty” is included with this Blu-ray release. The DVD is in Widescreen (1:85:1) – Enhanced for 16×9 Televisions, English and French Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, with subtitles in English ESL, SDH and French.  A slipcover is included.

“The Secret World of Arrietty” is an enjoyable, delightful and non-complex film that is visually captivating and looks and sounds fantastic on Blu-ray!

While one of the things that people will notice is that the film has the Studio Ghibli quality in look and also in character interaction, this is a Hiromasa Yonebashi directed film and a film written by Hayao Miyazaki and Keiko Niwa.  It’s a film that is not complex, not about the environment, nor is it polemic film that is driving to drive a message to the viewer.  And is more accessible for younger viewers, compared to the more serious Studio Ghibli films such as “Spirited Away”, “Princess Mononoke”, “Grave of the Fireflies” or even “Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind”.

But “The Secret World of Arrietty” is lighthearted and is pretty much on scale with other Studio Ghibli and Miyazaki films such as “Kiki’s Delivery Service”, “My Neighbor Totoro” and “Whispers of the Heart”.  Captivating and enjoyable films that is not entirely geared towards older viewers, a film that I can enjoy with my young son and other parents can watch with their families.  It’s essentially a family film and in some way, as a fan of Studio Ghibli films, I love the fact that the studio tends to change things up once in awhile.

I can understand if some people who prefer Studio Ghibli’s more epic storylines with a deeper message and I’m sure Studio Ghibli will continue to make those movies as they do with these lighthearted films, but with “The Secret World of Arrietty”, this is a film that I enjoyed because it’s touching, heartwarming and just overall delightful and no worries of complexity, it’s straight-forward and even my 9-year-old loved it!

And the Blu-ray is magnificent!  But not perfect.  Video and audio quality is fantastic, although this is not one of those action-intense films, the film makes up with its visual flair and ambiance.  The main low-point of this Blu-ray release is that there are not as many special features included.

Fortunately, this Blu-ray release comes with a DVD, so as summer vacation is around the corner, parents can use the DVD for those long commutes or something the children can watch during the summertime.

Overall, I was captivated by the beauty of “The Secret World of Arrietty” and also found the story to delightful, lighthearted and enjoyable.   A more accessible, non-complex family film that once again, Studio Ghibli delivers!

 

Father of the Bride: 20th Anniversary Edition/Father of the Bride Part II – 3-Disc Combo Pack (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

Fun and delightful!  Both popular Steve Martin comedies in one Blu-ray release!  For fans of “Father of the Bride” and “Father of the Bride: Part II” will enjoy the upgraded video and audio quality of both films in HD!

Images courtesy of © 2012 Buena Vista Home Entertainment. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Father of the Bride: 20th Anniversary Edition/Father of the Bride Part II

FILM RELEASE: Father of the Bride (1991)/Father of the Bride II (1995)

DURATION: Father of the Bride (105 Minutes)/Father of the Bride II (106 Minutes)

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (1:85:1), English 5.1 DTS-HD MA, French 5.1 Dolby Digital and Spanish 2.0 Dolby Digital, Subtitles: English SDH, French & Spanish

COMPANY: Touchstone Home Entertainment

RATED: PG (For Some Mild Language and Thematic Elements)

Release Date: May 15, 2012

Father of the Bride

Directed by Charles Shyer

Screenplay by Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett, Nancy Meyers, Charles Shyer

Produced by Carol Baum, Nancy Meyers, Howard Rosenman

Executive Producer: Jim Cruickshank, Sandy Gallin, James Orr

Associate Producer: Bruce A. Block

Co-Producer: Cindy Williams

Music by Alan Silvestri

Cinematography by John Lindley

Edited by Richard Marks

Casting by Donna Isaacson

Production Design by Sandy Venziano

Art Direction by Erin M. Cummins

Set Decoration by Cynthia McCormac

Costume Design by Susan Becker

Father of the Bride Part II

Directed by Charles Shyer

Screenplay by Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett, Nancy Meyers, Charles Shyer

Produced by Nancy Meyers

Executive Producer: Carol Baum, Sandy Gallin

Co-Executive Producers: Jim Cruickshank, James Orr

Associate Producer: Julie B. Crane

Co-Producer: Bruce A. Block

Music by Alan Silvestri

Cinematography by Elliot Davis, William A. Fraker

Edited by Adam Bernardi, Stephen A. Rotter

Casting by Jeff Greenberg, Sheila Guthrie, Donna Isaacson

Production Design by Linda DeScenna

Art Direction by Greg Papalia

Set Decoration by Ric McElvin

Costume Design by Enid Harris

Starring:

Steve Martin as George Banks

Diane Keaton as Nina Banks

Kimberly Williams-Paisley as Annie Banks

Kieran Culkin as Matty Banks

George Newbern as Bryan MacKenzie

Martin Short as Franck Eggelhoffer

BD Wong as Howard Weinstein

Peter Michael Goetz as John MacKenzie

Kate McGregor-Stewart as Joanna MacKenzie

April Ortiz as Olivia

Eugene Levy as Mr. Habib

Celebrate the platinum anniversary of the unforgettable comedy classic “Father of the Bride” plus the uproarious follow-up “Father of the Bride Part II” on Blu-ray™ for the first time ever. Screen legends Steve Martin, Diane Keaton and Martin Short star in these warm and witty family favorites, complete with a new digital restoration.

Things get out of hand for befuddled father George Banks (Martin) when his young daughter unexpectedly announces her plans to wed. Life gets even crazier in the sidesplitting sequel when his daughter and his wife (Keaton) both announce they are pregnant, and George desperately tries to capture the wild and crazy days of his youth.

Relive every heartwarming and hilarious moment in this special 2-Movie Collection. It’s fantastic family entertainment that really delivers.

In 1950, the American comedy “Father of the Bride” directed by Vicente Minnelli and starring Spencer Tracy, Joan Bennett, Elizabeth Taylor was a big success in the box office and nominated for several Academy Awards.  The film would inspire a sequel titled “Father’s Little Dividend” in 1951.

Fast forward over 40-years later and a remake of the film co-written and directed by Charles Shyer (“Alfie”, “The Parent Trap”, “The Odd Couple”) and starring Steve Martin, Diane Keaton, Kimberly Williams-Paisley and Martin Short was released in 1991 and earned over $89 million in the box office.  And like the original film, would also inspire a remake of the sequel titled “Father of the Bride Part II” featuring the original cast and would go on to earn over $76 million in the box office.

And now both films will be release together on Blu-ray courtesy of Touchstone Home Entertainment.

“Father of the Bride” is a film that focuses on George Banks (played by Steve Martin), a father of two and the owner of an an athletic shoe company.  His 22-year-old daughter Annie (played by Kimberly Williams-Paisley) is making her return to the U.S. after a stay in Europe.

While both he and his wife Nina (played by Diane Keaton) are happy to have their daughter back home, to their surprise, Annie announces that she met a man named Bryan MacKenzie (played by George Newbern) and both have fell in love with each other and are now getting married.

For George, this is difficult news to take in because he’s not ready for his young daughter to be married, but Annie reminds him that he and his wife both married at the age of 21.  But for George, he emphasizes that they were much more mature when they were younger.  Their discussion leads to an argument but they reconcile as Bryan will be meeting George and Nina for the first time.

As George arrives, both he and Annie show great affection towards each other and Nina quickly accepts him, as George still has a hard time taking it in that his daughter is married and each time he thinks about Bryan, he thinks he saw him on the TV show “America’s Most Wanted”.

Eventually, it’s time to plan for the wedding and Annie wants to have the wedding reception at her home.  So, the family hires an eccentric wedding designer, Franck Eggelhoffer (played by Martin Short), who along with his assistant Howard Weinstein (played by B.D. Wong) plan for a beautiful wedding.  But when George starts to learn that the price for wedding items is $250 per head, he begins to panic about the cost of the wedding that he wants to trim the wedding invitations from 500 to 100 people and for Annie, seeing her father (who is tight with money), not wanting to spend so much money on the wedding, gets upset with him.

And as the stress of his daughter getting married and the price of the wedding becoming more expensive than he had ever expected, will George ever relax and come to terms that his daughter is getting married and he has to accept it?

For “Father of the Bride Part II”, Annie and George come to bring their parents some good news and that both are expecting their first baby.  And everyone is excited but George starts to stress out once again as he can’t picture his young daughter now about to give birth to a baby.  And also, the thought of becoming a grandfather sends George to a midlife crisis as he tries to be younger and starts to work out and even dyes his hair dark.  And to show his “youthfulness”, he surprises his wife Nina for a wild night of passion.

But as both George and Nina prepare for Annie’s wedding, George’s “midlife crisis” starts to lead him into making rash decisions and this time, he sells his home to Mr. Habib (played by Eugene Levy) and now the Banks must move out of their house within the next ten days.

While George never thought about finding a house before he moves out, fortunately the MacKenzie’s let them stay at their home while they find a new home to move to.  But as they plan to move, Nina has been feeling a bit sick and when she goes to get checked, both George and Nina find out that they are expecting a child.

While Nina didn’t think she could get pregnant at an older age (and thought she was in menopause), George starts to stress out more as he’s not prepared to be a father at his age, especially since he was planning for retirement.  But because he loves his wife and also loves his daughter, he vows to take care of both his wife and his daughter as they are both pregnant.

VIDEO:

“Father of the Bride” and “Father of the Bride: Part II” were released back in the 1990′s.  The video quality is much better than the previous DVD.  While there is a good amount of grain and even some noise considering the age of this film, including some scenes that look soft, there were also scenes that featured a lot of detail.  From the skin pores that can be seen on Steve Martin’s face to the vibrant colors that can be seen throughout the film, there is definitely an upgrade in quality video-wise.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

As for audio, “Father of the Bride” and “Father of the Bride: Part II” is presented in English 5.1 DTS HD-MA and French 5.1 Dolby Digital and Spanish 2.0 Dolby Digital.  While the lossless audio features clear dialogue and the music sounds fantastic in lossless, it’s not exactly a film that utilizes the surround channels all that much, especially during crowd scenes.  But nevertheless, the soundtrack does sound very good, especially over its DVD counterpart for both films.

Subtitles are provided in English SDH and Spanish.

SPECIAL FEATURES

“Father of the Bride: 20th Anniversary Edition/Father of the Bride Part II – 3-Disc Combo Pack” comes with the following special features:

Father of the Bride

• An Invitation to Father of the Bride - (13:36) Interview with director Charles Shyer and the cast of “Father of the Bride”.
• Martin & Short Interview Each Other - (5:13) A humorous interview between Steve Martin and Martin Short.
• Audio Commentary – Featuring audio commentary with co-writer and director Charles Shyer.

Father of the Bride: Part II

• Theatrical Trailer – (2:28) The theatrical trailer for “Father of the Bride: Part II”
• Production Story – (4:21) Featuring behind the scenes of “Father of the Bride: Part II” and about how a few of the talents knew each other well.
• Just Between Friends – (3:53) Martin Short interviews Steve Martin for “Father of the Bride: Part II”.

 EXTRAS:

“Father of the Bride: 20th Anniversary Edition/Father of the Bride Part II” Blu-ray comes with a separate DVD for each film.

As a fan of Steve Martin comedies, I was pleased that both “Father and the Bride” films were released on Blu-ray.

First, let’s talk about the first film “Father of the Bride”.  What I enjoyed about the first film is how it is a film that many parents can relate to.  Seeing your children grow and then eventually getting married.  As a father, I sympathize with the character of George Banks and I often myself looking at photos that seem like they were taken yesterday of my child.  And realizing how quickly they grow up.

And for many fathers who have daughters, you worry that make good decisions when it comes to their lives, their careers and also the person that they marry.  The film focuses primarily on the father’s perspective and being a concerned father but also a fiscally conservative person, I can also sympathize with George Banks characters when the price of the wedding skyrockets.

But what this film had was a lot of charm.  Aside from the crazy antics of George Banks snooping around the MacKenzie home, nearly everything else with the film, many people can relate to.  From a parents noticing their child and their significant other being affectionate to that first meeting between a significant other and the parent.  These emotions that George is feeling, many fathers can relate to.  Although, the blow up in the supermarket as George feels he is being gouged in the wallet and then losing his temper when it comes to the number of hot dog buns in a package as a sign of release, was a bit over-the-top.

But what Steve Martin film isn’t?  You expect a lot of hijinks from his character and for the most part, Steve Martin delivers.  Also, I felt that Diane Keaton was played the wife/mother remarkably well.  It’s one of those films to catch actress in a different role far from the roles we have seen of her back in “The Godfather” or Woody Allens films.  She played the role wonderfully and both Martin and Keaton had wonderful chemistry.

And that leads us to new actress at the time, Kimberly Williams (before she married country singer Brad Paisley and would star in the ABC sitcom “The World According to Jim”).  Kimberly brought innocence to her character and for her major film debut, it was important for her to portray a variety of emotions and for the most part, she succeed.

And then you have your supporting characters, Martin Short and Steve Martin always work great together, a young Kieran Culkin brought a bit of humor to his character as well.

So, the first film I enjoyed a lot because it’s a storyline that was fun, enjoyable but also a story that parents can relate to.

As for the second film, “Father of the Bride Part II”, while I enjoyed the storyline of the aspect of being a new grandfather, once again, something that parents who have children that are married, viewers can sympathize.

But by having two people pregnant, it took a bit away from the primary focus from Annie and her husband and while we know that George Banks can get out of hand whenever he is stressed out, while the first film was more believable, this one was getting a bit over-the-top.  Perhaps people wanted to see more of Diane Keaton and Martin Short or the usual crazy Steve Martin character portrayal but I was hoping to see more of Annie and Bryan, but instead it became more about George and Nina.

The sequel was still entertaining but not as enjoyable as the first film.  The whole “Selling the house, staying at the MacKenzie residence, getting the house back” scenes felt absolutely unnecessary and took away my enjoyment from the second film.  I know the reason was to show this phase that George was going through and the irrational decisions that he tends to make while stressed out but it was a bit too-over-the-top for my taste.

As for the Blu-ray release, the video and audio quality is a step ahead of its DVD counterpart.  Primarily visually, the film looks good, although it does show its age at times.  But the film is well-detailed and vibrant, lossless audio was good but not as immersive as I was hoping during the crowd sequences.  And both films have audio commentary and a few special features.  Although, there is nothing new added to this Blu-ray release.

Overall, “Father of the Bride: 20th Anniversary Edition/Father of the Bride Part II – 3-Disc Combo Pack” is a good double-film set that is lighthearted, fun and enjoyable.  You’re literally getting one film for the price of one on Blu-ray and if you are big fans of the films and own the previous DVD versions, the upgrade to Blu-ray is well worth it.

 

Bringing Down the House: 10th Anniversary Edition (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

“Bringing Down the House” is a hilarious and fun comedy that will make people laugh today as it did ten years ago!  For those who love the film will definitely want to upgrade to Blu-ray!

Images courtesy of © Disney. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Bringing Down the House: 10th Anniversary Edition

FILM RELEASE: 2003

DURATION: 105 Minutes

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (2:35:1), English 5.1 DTS-HD MA, French 5.1 Dolby Digital and Spanish 2.0 Dolby Digital

COMPANY: Touchstone Home Entertainment

RATED: PG-13 (For Language, Sexual Humor and Drug Material)

Release Date: May 15, 2012

Directed by Adam Shankman

Written by Jason Filardi

Produced by Ashok Amritaj, David Hoberman

Co-Producer: Todd Lieberman

Executive Producer: Jane Bartelme, Queen Latifah

Associate Producer: Cookie Carosella

Music by Lalo Schifrin

Cinematography by Julio Macat

Edited by Gerald B. Greenberg

Casting by Victoria Thomas

Production Design by Linda DeScenna

Art Direction by James Nedza

Set Decoration by Ric McElvin

Costume Design by Pamela Withers

Starring:

Steve Martin as Peter Sanderson

Queen Latifah as Charlene Morton

Eugene Levy as Howie Rottman

Joan Plowright as Virginia Arness

Jean Smart as Kate Sanderson

Kimberly J. Brown as Sarah Sanderson

Missi Pyle as Ashley

Michael Rosenbaum as Tod Gendler

Betty White as Mrs. Kline

The laugh-out-loud comedy “Bringing Down The House” will be available for the first time on Blu-ray™, May 15th, with a stunning new digital transfer!

The hilarious Steve Martin (Father Of The Bride) and Academy Award® nominee Queen Latifah (Best Actress In A Supporting Role, Chicago, 2002) star with Eugene Levy (American Pie) and Betty White (The Proposal) in this hysterical culture clash hit.

When Peter Sanderson (Martin), a divorced, uptight lawyer, meets Charlene (Latifah), a street-smart soul sister who’s just escaped from prison, his life is turned upside down. Crazy complications abound, and Peter soon discovers he may need Charlene just as much as she needs him. It’s a houseful of fun your family will enjoy again and again.

In 2003, the romantic comedy “Bringing Down the House” starring Steve Martin and Queen Latifah would earn over $164 million in the box office.

Directed by Adam Shankman (“Hairspray”, “Bedtime Stories”, “A Walk to Remember”) and written by Jason Filardi (“17 Again”, “Back Nine”), despite mixed reviews from critics, the film would become a financial success and also earning Queen Latifah a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture and also a Teen Choice Award for “Choice Movie Actress Comedy”.

And to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the film, Touchstone Home Video entertainment will be releasing the film on Blu-ray.

“Bringing Down the House” is a film which focuses on tax attorney Peter Sanderson (played by Steve Martin).  Peter is a workaholic and because of that, it led to the divorce with his former wife Kate, which he still has feelings for but is unable to stop his workaholic manners.  Both have two children, Sarah (played by Kimberly J. Brown) and a son named George (played by Angus T. Jones).

While both live in different homes and Kate is dating Peter’s former golf caddy, she also still has feelings for Peter, despite her sister Ashley (played by Missi Pyle) and Peter not getting along.

Meanwhile, Peter is communicating with a woman known as “Lawyer Girl” on the Internet and both have agreed to finally meet each other.

On the night he is to meet “Lawyer Girl”, Charlene Morton at his home, it turns out that Charlene is not the Caucasian woman in the photo, but an African-American woman, being taken in by cops and served prison time.

While in prison, Charlene (played by Queen Latifah) read a lot of law books and is hoping that Peter can take her case because she was wrongfully convicted.  As Peter feels betrayed, he tries to kick Charlene out of his home, but when she starts play screaming that Peter is the father of his child, Peter worries that his neighbor across the street, Mrs. Kline (played by Betty White), who happens to be his boss’ sister, may complain about him.

So, Peter gives Charlene a place to stay for the night and hears her story.  And to also find out that Charlene has kept records of their communication on the Internet and she threatens to expose him if he doesn’t help.  But while she is sleeping, Peter burns the papers and kicks her out again, and goes to pick up his two children who is spending the week with him.

Unfortunately for the kids, their original plan to go to Hawaii is dampered because Peter’s bosses are relying on him to bring billionaire, Virginia Arness (played by Joan Plowright) to the firm.  So, his job has come in priority once again over his family.  He knows it but as a workaholic, it’s a life that he only knows.

But when they return back home, Charlene has broken into the house and invited many of her African-American friends to party.  Shocked by what Charlene has done, he kicks her out again.  But the persistent Charlene is not going to stop until Peter takes his case and sure enough, she has shown up during his meeting with the billionaire, Virginia Arness.  Scared that Charlene may ruin business, he makes a deal to take on her case but at the same time, pretend to be his nanny and watch over his children during his meetings.  Meanwhile, Peter’s good friend and fellow lawyer Howie Rottman (played by Eugene Levy) is sexually attracted to Charlene.

Meanwhile, at the same location is Peter’s former sister-in-law Missi who is watching him and Charlene and giving news to his ex-wife that Peter may have some sort of relationship with his African-America nanny.

With Charlene now temporarily living with Peter and his children, how will life go for Peter and will he be able to solve her case?

All these two individuals know is that they may be total opposites from different sides of the city, but at this point in time, they need each other.

VIDEO:

Perhaps the biggest difference from the original DVD release of “Bringing Down the House” is the film’s video quality.  Presented in 1080p High Definition (widescreen 2:35:1), “Bringing Down the House” looks absolutely vibrant with this new digital transfer.

The outdoor scenes look amazing, no sign of the artifacts from the older DVD release, the clarity and detail is much more apparent in the Blu-ray release and for those who love this film, may want to upgrade to this latest Blu-ray release.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Bringing Down the House” is one of those films where you expect dialogue to be the primary focus and if anything, audio primarily coming from the center and front channels.  But “Bringing Down the House” is also a film known for its music soundtrack, from Queen Latifah to Robert Palmer, the soundtrack does have its fair share of  hip hop and pop music and the soundtrack does feature a good amount of bass during those music-driven scenes.  Dialogue is crystal clear and for the most part, the lossless soundtrack is definitely a step-up from the original DVD verison.

SPECIAL FEATURES

“Bringing Down the House: 10th Anniversary Edition” comes with the following special features:

• Breaking Down “Bringing Down the House” - (16:33) Interview with Adam Shankman and the cast of “Bringing Down the House”.
• The Godfather Hop - (2:57) A featurette focusing on Eugene Levy’s character, Howie.
• “Better than the Rest” Music Video – (3:44) Queen Latifah’s music video.
• Deleted Scenes – (4:10) Featuring four deleted scenes: Ashley Spies on Charlene, More Golfing with Arness, Howie confronts Peter on Humping and Charlene Bitch Slaps Mike.
• Gag Reel – (4:00) Featuring the bloopers from “Bringing Down the House”.

 

While “Bringing Down the House” was not exactly a favorite of film critics, part of the success of the film is because of its mismatching of talents.  One would never expect Steve Martin and Queen Latifah to be in a film together, yet they did and for the most part succeeded.

While Steve Martin usually delivers in his role, what brought a fun atmosphere was Queen Latifah, who served as Executive Producer for the film but also worked closely with director Adam Shankman and writer Jason Filardi to bring some credibility to her character, know what kind of slang and terminology would go well with the audience, especially since both are complete opposites but at the same time, during this point in their lives, they realize how much they need each other.

It’s hard to believe 10-years has gone by since the release of this film in theaters, and while most of the cast members have gone on to bigger things (especially the young Angus T. Jones, who is now among the highly paid actors on television (ala “Two and a Half Men”), the film’s comedy still works today as it did in 2003.  It’s one thing to see Steve Martin deliver his one-liners, but to see Queen Latifah show off her comedy skills, even a little action with actress Missi Pyle, its the chemistry that seemed odd at first, comes together in this crazy, farcical film.  It’s one of those films that you want to watch, get away from reality and just laugh at how crazy the situations are.

Eugene Levy escapes from his fatherly comedy routine that he tends to play on the “American Pie” films and plays the sex-crazed lawyer who just lusts after Charlene and is blunt of how he feels towards her. Betty White plays the bigot neighbor across the street who runs out of the house after hearing Charlene scream and telling Peter “I hear Negro!”.  There are jokes that Queen Latifah brought to the film, that may raise eyebrows but she knew what jokes would work well with a diverse audience.

As for the Blu-ray release, the film looks fantastic and definitely an upgrade over the previous DVD release.  The special features are pretty much the same content that was on the original DVD but for those who want to upgrade or those strictly looking for a comedy to watch and have a good time, “Bringing Down the House” is a film worth considering.

Sure it’s farcical film that may be too absurd for some,  but for those who aren’t looking for anything too serious but something just to watch and laugh, will find “Bringing Down the House” an entertaining comedy.

Overall, “Bringing Down the House” is a hilarious and fun comedy that will make people laugh today as it did ten years ago.

 

The Woman Knight of Mirror Lake (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

“The Woman Knight of Mirror Lake” is a very enjoyable and fascinating film that manages to honor the legacy of China’s well-known feminist, revolutionary and writer Qiu Jin and also balancing the film with plenty of action sequences in making this film entertaining for viewers worldwide.

Images courtesy of © 2012 FUNimation Entertainment. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: The Woman Knight of Mirror Lake (Jian hu nu xia Qiu Jin)

FILM RELEASE: 2011

DURATION: 115 Minutes

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition, Mandarin and English, Dolby TrueHD 5.1, Subtitles: English

COMPANY: National Arts, Eleven Arts, FUNimation Entertainment

RATED: TV MA

Release Date: May 15, 2012

Directed by Herman Yau

Written by Erica Lee

Produced by Kwok Sam Sin

Executive Produced by Kwok-Hing Lee, Kwok Lam Sin

Music by Chun Hung Mak

Cinematography by Kwong-hung Chan

Edited by Wai Chiu Chung

Production Design by Raymond Chan

Starring:

Huang Yi as Qiu Jin

Dennis To as Xu Xilin

Xiong Xin-Xin as Ao Feng

Anthony Wong as Li Zhongyue

Kevin Cheng as Wang Tinjun

Lam Suet as Gui Fu

In late-19th century China, Qui Jin was many things: a defiant rebel armed with both blades and guns, a paramilitary leader dedicated to overthrowing an unjust government, a non-conformist who boldly donned men’s attire in spite of tradition, a radical poet whose words inspired the oppressed, and a heroic martyr whose views on equality altered history. Her steadfast resolve to improve the plight of women and her bravery in the face of tyranny led her to the executioner – but her determination to topple the status-quo changed a nation forever.

In China, one woman has made an impact not just in her country but also around the world.  A revolutionary but also a woman known for speaking out for women’s rights.  Encouraging women to gain financial independence through education and also learning various professions, so she would not need to depend on a man.  But most importantly, rejecting oppression by their families (due to cultural tradition and women looked lower than men) and also at the time, the government of the Quing Dynasty.

She was known for her poetry and essays, wearing Western clothing (usually worn by males) but also being executed in 1907 (via beheading) for what she believed in.

And to this day, she is considered a heroine and a martyr and a symbol of women’s independence in China and a museum has been established in Shaoxing by the People’s Republic of China as well as statues dedicated to Qui Jin.

Needless to say, when films are created in honor of such an important person, those willing to direct a film will surely be scrutinized in China.  For one, they will be criticized for its accuracy, how much they honor the actual person and most importantly knowing that certain directors try to integrate plenty of action and martial arts into their movies, will they do the same for Qiu Jin?

Assigned the task of directing this film on an important person in China’s history is director Herman Yau (“The Legend is Born: Ip Man”, “The Eight Immortals Restaurant: The Untold Story”, “True Women for Sale”) and writer Erica Lee (“The Legend is Born: Ip Man”, “King of Comedy”).  And cast as Qiu Jin is Huang Yi (“Romancing in Thin Air”, “East Meets West”, “Overheard 2″) and cast as revolutionary leader Xu Xilin is Dennis To (“The Legend is Born: Ip Man”, “Ip Man”, “Ip Man 2″).

And the film did receive its fair share of controversial news stories.  The film received delays in China/Hong Kong due to protests by Jin’s grandchildren who worried about the depiction of their grandmother and if they would make her more of an action/martial arts character.  The film would eventually debut in October 2011 and Jin’s grandchildren would eventually watch the film at the premiere along with the director Herman Yau and actress Huang Yi.

“The Woman Knight of Mirror Lake” is a film that showcases Qiu Jin in two parts that are mixed together in order to show the influence of Qiu Jin.  One part focuses on the battle between the revolutionaries that she had trained at school vs. the Qing government soldiers and events leading to her capture (and execution), as well as the capture of Xu Xilin (played by Dennis To), the leader of the revolution and the person who assassinated the provincial governor of the Anhui Province.

The other part focuses on Qiu Jin’s perspective on life from her young years, her feminist beliefs, her college years in Japan and how she became a revolutionary and worked strongly with Xu Xilin.

With a young Qiu Jin, not understanding why boys are given better treatment over girls.  She also resisted in having her feet bound (a common practice in China at the time as small feet was looked at as a positive cultural symbol of beauty at the time) and unlike other girls, she wanted to learn how to ride horses, learn martial arts and swordfighting with her father and brother.   It’s a lifestyle that she wanted and her father accepted.

And throughout her teenage years, Qiu Jin was critical on how women were not treated as equals to men.  She began to have a perspective that a Western-style government would be much better than the Qing government that was currently in place.

But the time the life of Qui Jin was not exactly the best time for many Chinese who suffered because of the war and treatment by its government.  This was during life after the Opium Wars where the Qing Dynasty fought against foreigners but then after losing, later working with them, which led to Chinese people thinking the government was corrupt. Also, the First Sino-Japanese War was also beginning to weaken the trust the people had toward its government.

While Qiu Jin, who was educated and would showcase her expressions through poetry and essays, she would often write about the weakening of China and the repression of women.

She would eventually be arranged in a marriage with the son of the wealthy Wang family, Wang Tinjun (played by Kevin Cheng) and give birth to a son and daughter.  But wanting more from her husband in hopes that his influence can lead to a political position that can make a change in China, her husband was not a strong individual like she is.  As Wang Tinjun wanted his wife to be like other wives, Qiu Jin was not that kind of a woman.

And through other independent women that she would eventually meet in her area, her conviction of fighting for the rights of women and a stronger government would lead Qiu Jin to leave her husband and children behind and pursue education in Japan.

And through her stay in Japan, she would also meet people who believed in the same ideals that she had, especially Xu Xilin, the person who would be the spoken leader for the Zehjiang students who were anti-Qing.  Xu Xilin would establish a publishing house and a public school (which would actually be used to train revolutionaries), a school that Xu Xilin has put his trust in Qiu Jin of running.

And the two storylines come full circle as the Quing officials go after Qiu Jin, who is considered a partner of Xu Xilin and she is taken to court where she would receive a trial.  While Qing court official Li Zhongyue (played by Anthony Wong) admires Qiu Jin for her writing and education, unfortunately the Qing court is corrupted and will do all they can to get Qiu Jin to admit that she is a revolutionary, even by means of torture.

“The Woman Kniht of Mirror Lake” is dramatized biography on the life of Qiu Jin, dramatized in a way that there are plenty of action sequences, such as Xu Xilin leading the revolutionaries to fight against the Qing soldiers and also a one-on-one battle between Qiu Jin vs. Qing official Ao Feng (played by Xiong Xin-Xin).

VIDEO:

“The Woman Knight of Mirror Lake” is presented in 1080p High Definition (2:39:1 aspect ratio).  The film absolutely looks fantastic in HD as the scenes are vibrant during the outdoor sequences.  The costume and set design were wonderful to look at and detail can be seen in clothing and structures.  I didn’t notice any artifacts or banding during my viewing of the film.  But for the most part, video quality for “The Woman Knight of Mirror Lake” is great!

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“The Woman Knight of Mirror Lake” is presented in Dolby TrueHD Mandarin and English 5.1.  Dialogue and music is crystal clear but I was hoping for a bit more of an immersive mix due to the number of action sequences in the film.  Surround channels are utilized, especially during music sequences but for the most part, the lossless soundtrack is good but I was hoping to hear more directional sounds and ambiance with the action sequences and the large number of crowds featured in the film.

SPECIAL FEATURES

“The Woman Knight of Mirror Lake” comes with the following special features:

• Making Of – A 20+ minute featurette showing behind-the-scenes making of and also interviews with the cast of “The Woman Knight of Mirror Lake”.
• Trailers – Funimation Entertainment trailers

EXTRAS:

“The Woman Knight of Mirror Lake” comes with the Blu-ray and DVD edition of the film plus a slipcover case.

“The Woman Knight of Mirror Lake” is my favorite film based on Qiu Jin’s life. It’s really difficult for Chinese/Hong Kong filmmakers to create films based on major symbols of Chinese history because viewers tend to expect action and not something so dramatic and serious for the full extend of a film.

We saw it last year with “Confucius”, which was a major challenge for the filmmakers but they managed to find a balance and not focus entirely on philosophy which may have enticed a niche of viewers but for the masses in China/Hong Kong, you need to have this action element.

While the fact that Herman Yau was directing the film and coming off the success of “The Legend of Ip Man”, I was not surprised that the film would integrate martial arts.  I felt that actress Huang Yi and also Dennis To did a great job playing the characters.  Huang Yi manages to give a strong commanding role as Qiu Jin but also showing that she also has an emotional side when she knows that she must separate from her family and children, but it’s that resolve knowing of the sacrifice she needs to make for the greater good.

Dennis To is known as an action star but manages to portray the character of Xu Xilin as a strong leader for those revolting against the Qing government.  And sure enough, his experience in “The Legend of Ip Man” is quite evident during his choreographed martial arts sequence in the film.

But the talent and interaction that I enjoyed the most was between Qiu Jin and Qing court official Li Zhongyue (played by Anthony Wong).  Wong does a fantastic job of playing the court official who respects the intelligence and writings of Qiu Jin but knows that he is powerless as a court official, despite seeing the corruptness by his colleagues.  The character is so passionate about Qiu Jin’s written work to the point he has memorized it.  And these interactions between both individuals were endearing and added to the depth of Qiu Jin’s character.

“The Woman Knight of Mirror Lake”‘ is a thrilling story, may it be the movie or just reading about the history of Qiu Jin that captivates you.  She was an independent thinker who had strong convictions until the very end of her life.  While I’m not an erudite of Qiu Jin and what is real and what is not real, I do know from what I have read is that Qiu Jin and Xu Xilin are cousins and read stories that that in real life, she was convicted for documents that show that she was a revolutionary, while in the film, she is shown as a person who was being convicted with no proof.

While the film manages to be entertaining and has a good balance showcasing Qiu Jin’s life as a feminist and the sacrifices that she made for her beliefs, the action sequences which Qiu Jin’s grandchildren actually worried about before the film was released, was also a cause of concern for me as well.

I didn’t want to see Qiu Jin flying in air, nor did I want to see the action look fake.  If you want to show people fighting with swords, guns, then make it realistic.  While it is known that Qiu Jin learned martial arts, part of me doubts that the real Qiu Jin engaged in such battles.  And not so sure if Xu Xilin and his fellow revolutionaries were engaged in the same type of battle as depicted in the film, but I will tell you what I didn’t like, the wire work of explosions.  We see people floating in air and flipping 360′s, it looked really fake considering the fighting choreography was well-done.

Granted, once again, it’s a double-edged sword of whether or not you want to see these long action sequences in a film about Qiu Jin’s life.

As for the Blu-ray release, video quality is fantastic and audio was very good (although I would have loved it to be much more immersive during the action sequences).  You get one making of special feature and also with the Blu-ray release, you also get the DVD version of the film included as well.

Overall, “The Woman Knight of Mirror Lake” is a very enjoyable and fascinating film that manages to balance the life of Qiu Jin and making sure it honors her legacy but also knowing that for viewers who expect action, there is also enough action sequences to entertain audiences.  With back and forth pacing, the storytelling is done well and not at all confusing.  While I do feel the action sequences were over the top at times, the storyline,which may not be historically accurate, does honor Qiu Jin and the biopic is entertaining.  And in the end, Herman Yau and Erica Lee accomplished their goal.

 

Littlerock (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

An enjoyable coming-of-age film that manages to separate from the banality of coming-of-age films by focusing on Japanese characters who find themselves stuck in a small town in America.  An intriguing film worth watching!

Images courtesy of © 2010 Small Form Films.  All Rights Reserved. 2012 Kino Lorber, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Littlerock

YEAR OF RELEASE: 2010

DURATION: 82 Minutes

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (1:85:1), Color, LPCM 2.0

COMPANY: Kino Lorber

RATED: Not Rated

Release Date: April 10, 2012

Directed by Mike Ott

Written by Mike Ott, Atsuko Okatsuka, Carl McLaughlin

Producer: Sierra Leoni, Laura Ragsdale, Frederick Thornton

Executive Producer: Denny Densmore, Hsin-Fang Li

Music by Amiina, Derek Fudesco

Cinematography by Carl McLaughlin

Edited by David Nordstrom

Production Design by WenDee Cuneo

Starring:

Atsuko Okatsuka as Atsuko Sakamoto

Cory Zacharia as Cory Lawler

Rintaro Sawamoto as Rintaro Sakamoto

Roberto “Sanz” Sanchez as Francisco Fumero

Ryan Dillon as Brody

Matthew Fling as Garbo

Ivy Khan as Tammy

Lee Lynch as Gene

David Nordstrom as Troy Mairs

Sarah Tadayon as Sarah

LITTLEROCK is a powerfully intimate drama that captures the fears and desires of a young Japanese woman lost in America.

Rintaro (Rintaro Sawamoto) and Atsuko (Atsuko Okatsuka, who also co-wrote the script) are a Japanese brother and sister spending their summer traveling through the U.S. While on their way to San Francisco, their car breaks down in Littlerock, California, and they kill time with the local young drunks, touring the endless keggers that are the only entertainment in town. Atsuko speaks no English, and becomes the exotic center of attention in this isolated burg, deflecting advances by what seems like every available man in town. When love does come her way, she discovers that passion can be as fleeting as a visit abroad.

Directed by Mike Ott, LITTLEROCK is an affectingly authentic portrait of the bittersweet pain of young love and the cruel reality of cultural miscommunication, making it one of the most emotionally moving American Independents in recent memory.

For independent filmmaker Mike Ott,  going through the film festival run and showcasing your film, you never know things will go or if there will be a chance for the film of ever reaching a large audience or better yet, getting video distribution.

But before his 2010 film “Littlerock” was made, inspired by one of his favorite filmmakers, Werner Herzog and his film “Stroszek” (a film about a German couple who move to Wisconsin to live with his American nephew).  Growing up in Valencia, California and not far is the small town of Littlerock, having been to that area, Ott would begin his research and meeting the locals.

Littlerock, California is a small community in Los Angeles County but nothing like Los Angeles.  A town known for its fruit and small population (of around 1,300), the life of teenagers and adults is a place where teens drink, do drugs, have sex and not sure if they will be able to leave the small town life.  While the life of the people depicted in Littlerock can be easily be in any small town in America, the inspiration of “Stroszek”, made Ott think, “what if foreigners ended up in Littlerock?”.

And sure enough, while working on this film and trying to decide what ethnicity to use for the film, the filmmaker met Atsuko Okatsuka and sure enough, it would become the beginning of a collaboration between the two as Atsuko Okatsuko would star in the film as the main lead but also co-write the film with Mike Ott and Carl McLaughlin.  And together, the three did their test shots and research of the area and locals and where they met local, Cory Zachararia and others who would star in the film.

“Littlerock” is a low budget indie film, shot with a Sony EX3 HD camera but while shot with a very tight budget, Ott was able to capture the feel of the small town area but also the coming-of-age storyline of the main protagonist from Japan and now stuck in a small town and not knowing what to expect from American culture.

The coming-of-age film would win a “Independent Spirit Award”, “Gotham Award” and the Audience Award at the AFI Fest and now, the film will be released on Blu-ray and DVD courtesy of Kino Lorber.  An amazing accomplishment for Mike Ott and also a film that gives me that feeling that Mike Ott is a filmmaker that shows a lot of potential and someone to watch for in the near future.

“Littlerock” begins with Rintaro Sakamoto (played by Rintaro Sawamoto) and his younger sister Atsuko Sakamoto (played by Atsuko Okatsuka) arriving by bus in the small town of Littlerock, California.  Because their rental car broke down and is being repaired, both Rintaro and Atsuko will need to stay in the nearby town for two days before they can continue their trip to San Francisco and Manzanar (one of the locations for the Japanese interment camps during World War II and a site of the Manzanar Historic Site and museum) in their final week of their vacation before they return back to Japan.

While in the small town of Littlerock and not necessarily the place where both brother and sister would want to see of America, Atsuko writes to her father who is estranged from her older brother (and it’s hinted that their father and his family previously  lived in America, possibly were interned at the camp and returned back to Japan).

Tthe two are able to find a hotel in Littlerock but as they try to rest for the night, unfortunately a group of teenagers or young adults are partying in the room next door.  As Rintaro (who speaks little English) goes to tell them to quiet down, when he doesn’t return, Atsuko goes after him and sees him drinking beers with people in the party and quickly has become friends with Cory Lawler (played by Cory Zacharia).

And Cory and his friends and the party life in Littlerock begins to intrigue Atsuko as many of the guys treat her nicely (and her thinking American guys are nice and good people).

Cory then becomes the friend of both Rintaro and Atsuko and telling them about his life of wanting to become an actor.  While Rintaro becomes the middleman of translating for Cory and Atsuko, eventually both manage to communicate with each other despite the person not really understanding what they are saying to each other.

And as the two go to sleep, Atsuko tells Rintaro that she likes it in Littlerock and wants to stay.  This surprises Rintaro as the two are supposed to go to San Francisco and Manzanar and shocked that she wants to stay in the small town.

The following day, both Rintaro and Atsuko hang out with Cory and learn that his life is not necessarily all that positive.  He owes a guy over a $150 and that person is starting to become violent towards him and most of the guys tend to treat him like an outcast by making him look bad in front of others, asking him if he’s gay or making fun of his acting ambitions.

But for Cory, he finds a special friendship with Atsuko because she’s there to listen to him (despite her not knowing what he is saying).  And as Cory takes the two to a new party with another night of intense drinking and smoking, for Atsuko, she becomes enamored of how carefree Americans are and how they party.

On the day that both Rintaro and Atsuko are to get their car and leave to San Francisco, that morning, Atsuko hooks up with Cory’s friend Jordan (played by Brett L. Tines) and the fact that now she has an American boyfriend makes her even happy, but not her brother.

Atsuko tells Rintaro that she wants to stay in Littlerock while he goes to San Francisco and Manzanar and he can come back to pick her up when he’s done.   Rintaro can’t believe that his younger sister wants to stay with people that she doesn’t know and while she speaks up for how kind the Americans are, he tries to tell her that she’s wrong.  They are just saying nice things to her but her decision is made up and his as well, so Rintaro takes off for San Francisco and leaving Atsuko behind to stay with Cory.

So, how will life be for Atsuko in the last week of her vacation as she stays with Cory in the little town of Littlerock?

VIDEO:

“Littlerock” is presented in 1080p High Definition (1:85:1 aspect ratio).    It’s important to note that this film was shot on a low budget with a Sony EX3 digital camera but for an independent film, the picture quality and clarity is good, while colors are slightly on the softer side and night time scenes does have a bit of noise. One can’t really expect the greatest video quality especially for films on a low-budget, so one shouldn’t expect big budget video quality.

Still, you have to give credit to cinematographer Carl McLaughlin who was able to get some nice shots for example, as both Rintaro and Atsuko were walking throw the weed-filled area towards the hotel or the scene where she and her new American friends are riding their bikes.  Especially for the vignette of Atsuko during sunset.  Very nice!    Overall, McLaughlin was able to work with the equipment that he had and do a pretty good job with it.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Littlerock” is presented in Linear PCM 2.0 and once again, a low budget film and you don’t really expect too much in terms of an immersive soundscape.  But dialogue for the most part can be heard clearly.  While I do understand Japanese, I wished some dialogue spoken by Atsuko was subtitled in English, but I can understand the purpose was to feature Cory not understanding what Atsuko was trying to communicate and having the audience feel that same way.

There is some music courtesy of ambient group Amiina and also Derek Fudesco.  Overall, dialogue and music is clear for the most part.

SPECIAL FEATURES

“Littlerock” comes with the following special features:

• Audio Commentary – An audio commentary featuring director Mike Ott, Atsuko Okatsuka and Cory Zacharia.
• Deleted Scenes – (8:56) Deleted scenes from “Littlerock”.
• Official Trailer  - (1:49) The theatrical trailer for “Littlerock”.
• Screen Tests – (15:28) Featuring Atsuko Okatsuka and Cory’s screen tests and others. (Note: This is the only feature in standard definition, others are in HD.)
• Festival Promos – (3:33) Festival promos for “Littlerock”.
• Stills Gallery – Stills from “Littlerock”.

I enjoyed “Littlerock” because I have lived in a similar situation where I lived in a small town but yet attending university, minoring in Japanese and also meeting many Japanese students.

I’ve often wondered why these students chose to stay in this part of America where they can have fun in San Francisco or Los Angeles or another metropolitan city but for many of these students, I learned that some wanted to experience American culture and separate themselves from the life they had in Japan, others wanted to learn the language as best as they can and thus chose to live away from the city where many Japanese live in order to avoid distractions and of course, you meet those who just want an American girlfriend or boyfriend.

And as many Japanese were paying so much money at the university dorm or a host family, I had rooms to rent at the home I lived in and thus let a few Japanese live there for the semester.  And while I was able to communicate with them in English and Japanese and was familiar with their culture, it’s when they ventured out into the small town and I observed their feelings of American life.

From them accompanying me to Filipino parties that my parents would throw, to living in an agricultural area where there were Asians but mostly Caucasian, Latino and African-Americans.  So, it was an interesting situation for them as they tried to learn about America, the difference of cultures but also us trying to learn from each other and the differences that we eventually learned of American thinking and Japanese thinking.

In the case of director Mike Ott’s “Littlerock”, there were a few key points that intrigued me.  For one, it’s a coming-of-age film for Atsuko as she tries to learn more about her family, especially her father’s disconnect from America.  Why did he go back to Japan?  Why is there a ridge between he and her older brother?  These are not answered in the film but this is one aspect that is rarely touched upon a film and that is Japanese internment.  I’ve met many Japanese Americans who told me their stories and I have read many books on the subject as well.  But rarely do you see Japanese coming to America for where a Japanese interment camp once stood.

For me, this was fascinating as I have not met one Japanese who knows about what happened to Japanese Americans during World War II, but with this film, there is that connection because of Rintaro and Atsuko’s father and grandfather.

Of course, this is a small part of the film and not focused on but the other aspect is the isolation that Atsuko goes through while staying with Cory.

There is no doubt that in a small town, where Asians are hardly seen, with a beautiful young woman, the guys are going to go crazy for her and tell her the nicest things.  That’s understandable (even if she was Asian or not) but it’s her learning of American culture through these people at Littlerock.  Her fascination of how often they drink and smoke in a carefree attitude.

During my younger college years, I used to throw parties and the Japanese college students loved it because it was this American-style party so different from what they experienced in Japan.  And similar to Atsuko, I would see how all these American guys would try to flirt and get closer with the female Japanese students.  And most of the time, it worked as I would see friends hooking up and then breaking up and of course, being left to talk to these girls who fell hard for these American guys and loved the experience, but yet having to explain the difference between American and Japanese perspectives.  Needless to say, it was a crazy time and I can sympathize with Atsuko’s character.

And as I enjoyed the connection between Atsuko and Cory because they didn’t understand each other, both had similarities and differences.  The main difference was Atsuko was able to venture out of Japan and experience American life, while Cory…being this guy with aspirations and meeting his first Japanese and befriending one, unfortunately is probably going to stay in town for the rest of his life.  It’s a harsh reality that Ott and Atsuko found during their research of making this film, that many don’t venture out of the small town they lived and experience the life is out there.  And once again, I can definitely understand as living in small town, I’ve encountered so many people in my life with a fixed mindset.

So, I enjoyed the authenticity of capturing that small town life but also the perspective of Atsuko having to live in Littlerock for several days.

What didn’t I like about the film?  Well, there is this lingering storyline of Cory being mistreated by those he parties with (and gets drugs or alcohol from) but these people who are pursuing him for the money that they are owed.  It’s one thing to introduce that into the film but yet go nowhere with it.  Part of me wondered if there was supposed to be some traumatic experience where Atsuko was going to witness the death of her new American friend, of course, it doesn’t go that direction but these people were not essential in the storyline and there encounter with Atsuko and chef Francisco Fumero (played by Roberto Sanchez) was just to show the disconnect between small town people of those who have money and those who are Mexican laborers.

The other is the lack of communication between Cory and Atsuko.  The truth is that in Japan, many learn basic English.  They may not know how to speak it fluently but they learn enough to do the most basic in communication.  So, even though Atsuko didn’t speak or understand English, I wished Ott would let her try to communicate a little in English, may it be broken or even tried (especially during the emotional phone call sequence).

As for the Blu-ray release, when it came to video quality, it was much better than I expected, considering this was a low-budget film.  I have watched many films created on a Canon 5D Mark II and see the challenges cinematographers had with the high noise during low-light scenes but it was interesting to see things shot with a Sony Ex3 HD camera (which is still two times more expensive than a Canon 5D Mark II) and the type of video quality that was shot.  Although a bit soft, still…the quality for this low-budget film was much better than I expected.  And also, you do get a good number of special features including a crazy, entertaining audio commentary.

Overall, “Littlerock” was an indie film that I appreciated for the fact that the main protagonist is Japanese while the other supporting talents made this film quite diverse.  Ott was able to capitalize on various emotional issues through the film but also exploring a foreigner stuck in a small town, and from that experience, learning a bit about American culture in a less glamorous way (an interesting juxtaposition to the film “Lost in Translation”) but also being one of the filmmakers to explore the Japanese perspective of interment camps in America.  You just don’t see that in a film.

An enjoyable coming-of-age film that manages to separate from the banality of coming-of-age films by focusing on Japanese characters who find themselves stuck in a small town in America. “Littlerock” is an intriguing film worth watching!

 

 

Bird of Paradise (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

While King Vidor’s 1932 film “Bird of Paradise” may draw some comparisons to F.W. Murnau’s film “Tabu”, “Bird of Paradise” is a film that features romance and action but also spotlights Latina actress Dolores del Rio in her sexiest (and most scandalous) role yet!  If you were a fan of this film when it was released in public domain, the Blu-ray release of “Bird of Paradise” is a major improvement in terms of video and audio quality.

Images courtesy of © 2012 Kino Lorber, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Bird of Paradise

YEAR OF RELEASE: 1932

DURATION: 82 Minutes

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (1:33:1), Black and White, 2.0 Mono

COMPANY: Kino Lorber

RATED: Not Rated

Release Date: April 24, 2012

Directed by King Vidor

Based on the play by Richard Walton Tully

Screenplay by Wells Root, Wanda Tuchock, Leonard PRaskins

Produced by King Vidor

Executive Producer: David O. Selznick

Music by Max Steiner

Cinematography by Lucien N. Andriot, Edward Cronjager, Clyde De Vinna

Edited by Archie Marshek

Art Direction by Carroll Clark

Starring:

Dolores del Rio as Luana

Joel McCrea as Johnny Baker

John Halliday as Mac

Richard “Skeets” Gallagher as Chester

Bert Roach as Hector

Lon Chaney Jr. as Thornton

Wade Boteler as Skipper Johnson

Arnold Gray as Walker

Reginald Simpson as O’Fallon

Napoleon Pukui as The King

Agostino Borgao as Medicine Man

Sofia Ortega as Mahumahu

From legendary Oscar®-winning director King Vidor (The Crowd, Duel in the Sun) comes an exotic tale of romance set in gorgeous Polynesia: BIRD OF PARADISE.

Johnny (Joel McCrea) is an intrepid young sailor traveling the South Seas who falls in love with Luana (Dolores del Rio), the beautiful daughter of an island chief. But Luana is betrothed to a neighboring native prince, and is soon to be married. With little thought to the future, Johnny and Luana elope together, searching for paradise in each other’s arms.

With McCrea at his most dashing and del Rio at her alluring height, BIRD OF PARADISE is a movie of wild eroticism and thrilling adventure, and not to be missed.

Producer David O. Selznick is an American producer known for many of his successful ventures in Hollywood.  From producing “Gone with the Wind” (1939) which earned him an Academy Award and his collaboration with Alfred Hitchcock which earned him a second Academy Award for “Rebecca” (1940), Selznick is known for many other classics.

And some of these classics such as “A Star is Born”, “Nothing Sacred”, “A Farewell to Arms” have been released on Blu-ray and DVD courtesy of Kino Lorber  and now, King Vidor’s 1932 film “Bird of Paradise” will be released on Blu-ray and DVD.  This authorized edition from the estate of David O. Selznick is from the collection of the George Eastman House.

“Bird of Paradise” a film adaptation of Richard Walton Tully’s successful play.

While King Vidor was known for silent films years prior such as “The Big Parade” (1925), “Bardelys the Magnificent”, “The Patsy” (1928), to name a few, “Bird of Paradise” was a romance/adventure film that was a talkie, would incorporate an orchestrated film score courtesy of legendary composer Max Steiner (known for his music in “Casablanca”, “Gone with the Wind”, “The Gay Divorcee”, “Now, Voyager”) and a film that would showcase successful Mexican actress Dolores del Rio (“Flying Down to Rio”, “The Abandoned”) and Joel McCrea (“Sullivan’s Travels”, “The Most Dangerous Game”).

“Bird of Paradise” was an intriguing RKO film for its time as it created some scandal because lead actress Dolores del Rio (playing a Polynesian) was in a scene where she is swimming naked.  In fact, throughout the film, she is wearing nothing but a lei covering her upper torso and at the time this film was released, before the Hayes Production Code was enforced.  Needless to say, even Orson Welles once chimed that “del Rio represented the highest erotic ideal with her performance in the film”.

And now 80-years-later, “Bird of Paradise” receives its release on Blu-ray and DVD courtesy of the Kino Lorber.

“Bird of Paradise” is a film that revolves around Johnny Baker (played by Joel McCrea), a man riding a yacht with other sailors in the South Pacific.  Surprised to see a ship, the natives of the nearby island go out to greet them and go after the trinkets that the yacht crew throw towards them.

But the fun is quickly cut short as a shark is seen and immediately scaring the natives away.  But for Johnny Baker, he tries to catch the shark with bait that has been tied onto a harpoon-sized hook.  Unfortunately, Johnny steps into the loop and the bait tightens around his ankle and as the shark goes after the bait, Johnny is thrown overboard.

Fortunately, the island chief’s daughter Luana (played by Dolores del Rio) is right there to rescue Johnny by cutting the bait and thus saving his life.

And for Johnny, not only is he grateful to Luana but he instantly falls in love with her.

And while the crew of the yacht are able to enjoy the festivities along with the Polynesian people, Johnny just wants to be close to Luana and immediately, he oversteps his boundaries with the people as he goes to hold Luana in front of her father, the island chief.  Who immediately wants Johnny to stay away from his daughter.

Even the yacht crew warns him that its wrong to mess with the island chief’s daughter but Johnny is too stubborn to listen.  And the crew of the yacht end up leaving Johnny at the island for a short period of time.

Both Johnny and Luana end up meeting with each other one night and as they tease each other, Johnny ends up kissing her and confessing his love (despite the two are unable to communicate due to their language barrier).  And Luana also enjoys her time with Johnny as well.

But Luana is already promised to marry another man, a prince from a neighboring island.  And when Johnny tries to stop Luana from marrying him, the Polynesian people tie him up so he is unable to interfere.  But with the help of coaxing one of the island women to lend him a canoe, Johnny travels to the neighboring island where Luana is to meet the man she is to marry and dance for him.

And right before the ceremony begins with the prince and Luana, Johnny takes Luana and both make a run for it.  As the two are in hiding, both continue to fall deeply in love and even Johnny manages to teach Luana English.

Meanwhile, as the two lovers are having their fun and begin creating their own home/paradise, Luana’s father and the Polynesian tribe search after them.

Will both Johnny and Luana be able to live their lives in love forever?  Or will tradition and custom triumph?

VIDEO:

“Bird of Paradise” is presented in 1080p High Definition, 1:33:1 aspect ratio and in black and white.  With that being said, “Bird of Paradise” is a film that has been seen by many on public domain copies.  And because this version of the film was mastered in HD from an original nitrate 35mm print, preserved by the George Eastman House Motion Picture Department, I have no doubt in my mind that this would be the most definitive version, in terms of video quality, of the film today.

The film is well-contrast with white and gray levels looking very good, while blacks are nice and deep.  There are some issues of white specks that show up  and there are some parts of the film that possibly had a little nitrate warping but nothing bad to the point that it can’t be watched.

But the Blu-ray release also features details that I didn’t really see on the public domain DVD such as the beads of water on the skin of Luan after swimming.  Even during the dancing sequences, there is much more clarity and detail.

But for a film that is 80-years-old, “Bird of Paradise” does look very good on Blu-ray and much better than previous public domain DVD’s that I have watched before.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Bird of Paradise” is presented in 2.0 LPCM monaural.  Dialogue is clear, but not sure but there seems to be a boost in audio and I detected no popping or crackle during my viewing of the film.  Unlike other Selznick Collection releases on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, I will say that with “Bird of Paradise”, I did do a slight adjustment of selecting a better setting on my receiver in order to enjoy both the dialogue and the music of Max Steiner.

SPECIAL FEATURES

“Bird of Paradise” comes with no special features but Kino Lorber trailers for other films from the Selznick Collection.

With the release of King Vidor’s “Bird of Paradise” on Blu-ray, as a classic film fan, it’s easy to be excited because we are getting a pre-code RKO film in HD and hopefully paving the way for more films from the 1910-1940′s to be released on video.

“Bird of Paradise” may not be one of King Vidor’s masterpieces, considering Vidor is a legendary filmmaker that had films from 1913-1980 and many classic films within his oeuvre.    But for me, “Bird of Paradise” makes an impact in another way, and that is through leading actress Dolores del Rio.

Back in those years of filmmaking, Hollywood was gravitating towards European filmmakers and talent and managed to import actress Greta Garbo and Ingrid Bergman of Sweden, Marlene Dietrich of Germany.  And while it’s known that Caucasian actors played African Americans, Asians, Native Americans, etc. in early Hollywood, actress Dolores del Rio was a Mexican actress who was the first Latin American to have international success.  She was also the second cousin of popular silent actor Ramon Novarro.

As Italian actor Rudolph Valentino would make women swoon back in those days, del Rio brought a sexiness to the big screen and not long after her debut, she was already becoming one of the most admired new actresses along with Joan Crawford, Mary Astor, Fay Wray to name a few.

The actress was known for her acting and her singing but at the same time, the rise to fame would affect del Rio’s career and personal life to the point where she had health issues which led to the dissolution of her contract with United Artists.

And when RKO Pictures came calling in order to give America the Dolores del Rio contract, in 1932, she met success with “Bird of Paradise” and the following year later for “Flying Down to Rio” starring Dolores del Rio and Gene Raymond, and a film best known for being the first pairing of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

So, my view towards “Bird of Paradise” has always leaned towards a multicultural sensitivity, for one, a Latina receiving top billing for a King Vidor film and a film that would surely regenerate interest towards this sexy siren of the big screen due to the attention the film received for her “nude swimming”.

As for actor Joel McCrea, 1932 would be a fine year as he would achieve success with two island-related films, “Bird of Paradise” and “The Most Dangerous Game”.

But “Bird of Paradise” is a film with ’30s adventure and intrigue.   For many Americans, not many of them were familiar with Polynesian culture and a film that revolves around a group of foreign yachtsmen sailing close to Polynesian islands is intriguing but a forbidden romance between the island princess Luana and the American Johnny Baker was sure to capture attention.  A romance/action film, from surviving a shark attack to tribes wanting to kill the leading man for taking away the woman he loves, during her “arranged wedding” ceremony, also added to the excitement for viewers at the time.

In fact, the cinematography of capturing the island life in black and white and providing viewers a glimpse of the island of the South Seas was quite significant back in the early ’30s.  As F.W. Murnau was able to accomplish in his film “Tabu”, both “Bird of Paradise” and “Tabu” have similar themes but in “Bird of Paradise”, the film tries to showcase forbidden love between a princess and a white man.

While I felt that F.W. Murnau’s film was much better in capturing the futility of it’s couple, “Bird of Paradise” was no doubt a film that relied upon Dolores del Rio’s sexiness, because there are quite a bit of scenes that were a bit farfetched, including the quick English tutorial that allowed these two to communicate so quickly and somehow Johnny being able to withstand situations that would leave most men dead.

Still, the film still remains to be enjoyable for its romance and adventure within an island setting but with its somewhat tragic ending, both “Tabu” and “Bird of Paradise” share that similarity with final decisions that were made.

With that being said, “Bird of Paradise” is an earlier Hollywood film were Caucasian and other ethnicities play Polynesians.  While this was common at the time, while Dolores del Rio is Mexican playing a Polynesian princess, considering the year this film was made and multicultural talents were not exactly featured or top-billed, the fact that Dolores del Rio received top billing for this film was quite significant.  But there is a misrepresentation of the Polynesian people,  as they try to communicate with gibberish and possibly popular traditions were not well-researched back then. So, the misrepresentation of the Polynesian people may be looked at as ridiculous to many modern viewers.

But it was the sign of the times and the setting was more or less a “Romeo & Juliet” style of storyline and in this case, Juliet was Polynesian, a princess and betrothed to another man, while Romeo is a Caucasian man who is too deep in love to ever give up on the woman he cares deeply about.

As for the Blu-ray release, I never expected “Bird of Paradise” to be pristine but while the film does have its share of damage in terms of white specks and age, for the most part, the film does look very good.  It’s well-contrast with the whites and grays and black levels are nice and deep, while Dolores del Rio looks absolutely fantastic in this film.  Unfortunately, there are no special features.

Overall, if you are a classic movie fan, and are following The Selznick Collection on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber, a “Bird of Paradise” is worth watching, while those who want to watch one of the most well-known Latina actresses receive top billing for an earlier Hollywood film, may want to give “Bird of Paradise” a try!

 

The Organizer – The Criterion Collection #610 (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

The Academy Award nominated “The Organizer” is one of Mario Monicelli’s more serious tragicomedy films and an intriguing juxtaposition when compared to Sergei Eisenstein’s “Strike”. But it’s the characters that shine in Monicelli’s engaging film.  Honest and full of humor, but yet tragic, “The Organizer” is one film that I highly recommend!

Image courtesy of © 1963 Lux Film – Vides Cinematografica. The Criterion Collection. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: The Organizer – The Criterion Collection #610 (I Compagni)

MOVIE RELEASE: 1963

DURATION: 130 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: Color, 1:66:1 Aspect Ratio, Spanish Stereo with English Subtitles

COMPANY: Janus Films/The Criterion Collection

RELEASE DATE: April 24, 2012

Directed by Mario Monicelli

Story and Screenplay by Agenore Incrocci, Furio Scarpelli, Mario Monicelli

Produced by Franco Cristaldi

Music by Carlo Rustichelli

Cinematography by Giuseppe Rotunno

Edited by Ruggero Mastroianni

Production Design by Mario Garbuglia

Set Decoration by Mario Garbuglia

Costume Design by Piero Tosi

Starring:

Marcello Mastroianni as Professor Sinigaglia

Renato Salvatori as Raoul

Gabriella Giorgelli as Adele

Folco Lulli as Pautasso

Bernard Blier as Martinetti

Raffaella Carra as Bianca

Francois Perier as Maestro Di Meo

Vittorio Sanipoli as Baudet

Mario Pisu as Manager

Kenneth Kove as Luigi

Annie Girardot as Niobe

Edda Ferronao as Maria

Anna Di Silvio as Gesummina

In turn-of-the-twentieth-century Turin, an accident in a textile factory incites workers to stage a walkout. But it’s not until they receive unexpected aid from a traveling professor (Marcello Mastroianni) that they find their voice, unite, and stand up for themselves. This historical drama by Mario Monicelli, brimming with humor and honesty, is a beautiful and moving ode to the power of the people, and features engaging, naturalistic performances; cinematography by the great Giuseppe Rotunno; and a multilayered, Oscar-nominated screenplay by Monicelli, Agenore Incrocci, and Furio Scarpelli.

When there is discussion of the oeuvre of an Italian filmmaker, it is easy to mention the names of legendary directors Federico Fellini, Michelangelo Antonioni, Vittorio De Sica, Luchino Visconti and Mario Monicelli.

Mario Monicelli is known in Italy as one of the masters of Commedia all’Italiana (Comedy Italian style) and received Oscar nominations for his screenwriting for “The Organizer” (1963) and “Casanova ’70″ (1965).  As well as a Grand Prize of the Festival nomination at the Cannes Film Festival (“Guardie e ladri”, 1951) and Palme d’Or nominations for “For Love and Gold” (1966), “Vogliamo i colonnelli” (1973), “An Average Little Man” (1977) and “Le due vite di Mattia Pascal” (1985).

And while he is known outside of Italy for his comedy films such as “I soliti ignoti” (“Big Deal on Madonna Street”) and collaborating with talents such as Toto, Vittorio Gassman and Marcello Mastroianni, Mastroianni also directed films that contained humor, but were tragic or futile.  One of the most important films Monicelli is known for is “La grande guerra” (“The Great War”, 1959), which he was nominated for an Academy Award and considered as his top masterpiece, and also directing “i compagni” (“The Organizer”, 1963) and “The Girl with the Pistol” (1968).  Both films, he would also receive Academy Award nominations.  Fitting films for a Marxist who accepted reality and its failures.

In his lifetime, he won 27 awards worldwide and won an Honorable Mention at the 44th Berlin International Film Festival and a Golden Lion for Career at the 1991 Venice Film Festival.  His final film was in 2006 in which the filmmaker directed “The Roses of the Desert” at the age of 91.

A man full who lived life to the fullest, unfortunately his final years with prostate cancer would become too much of a burden on the filmmaker that he committed suicide in 2010 at the age of 95.

While many people are familiar with Monicelli’s comedy films such as “Big Deal on Madonna Street”, which was released by the Criterion Collection back in 2001.  Criterion Collection will be releasing “i Compagni” (“The Organizer”), one of his more serious films ala “tragicomedy” for the first time on Blu-ray and will also be released on DVD in April 2012.

“The Organizer” is a film that is set in the turn-of-the-twentieth century Turin, Italy and at a textile factory where employees work 14-hour days and only a short time for a lunch break. The factory is where many elders, adults and even children work long hours.

The work is tiring, monotonous and the employees feel like they are like slaveworkers, with no appropriate breaks or even time long enough to eat their lunch.  But some try to keep optimistic as the job pays the bills and it also gives men a chance to have fun with the opposite sex.

One day, we see how many employees are tired and sleepy in their jobs (which can be very dangerous) and one man’s arm gets caught in a gear and thus having his arm amputated.  This a common situation at the textile factory and most of the time, all they can do is collect donations to help their family out while the person is out of work.

But how long can they keep doing this?  Someone needs to speak out to management about the working conditions but who is brave enough to do it?

As many of the employees start to form meetings and decide who will confront the management, by the time they do, they realize the management could care less about how they feel.  This is the working condition of other factories in the country and there are just as many unemployed people who would want the opportunity to find a job.  And as for the accidents, the management disregard it as nothing but bad luck for those individuals.

And the employees know they don’t have much of a voice against management and their wealthy owner.

That is until Professor Sinigaglia (played by Marcello Mastroianni) arrives into town.  An actual fugitive wanted by authorities, the Professor stumbles into the factory town by fate and realizes that these people are in despair.  So, what he does to help them is help them unite and fight fire with fire by preparing the employees for going on strike.  With no workers, management and their wealthy owner of the factory will surely feel the sting.  And the Professor tries to assist them with their demands of working 13 hour shifts (instead of 14) and longer breaks.  But will management accept?

As the Professor preaches to the workers that they need to prepare and to hold out as long as they can without any money, in order to have their demands met, but will the strike holdout have any effect on the management?  Or in the long run, will the strike hurt employees instead?

VIDEO:

“The Organizer” is presented in 1080p High Definition (1:85:1 aspect ratio).  The whites and grays are well-contrast and black levels are very deep.  For the most part, I detected no film damage or any white specks, artifacts or banding issues.  The quality of the film is very good, doesn’t look soft and viewers should be pleased.

According to the Criterion Collection, this new high-definition transfer was created on a Spirit Datacine from a new 35 mm print.   Thousands of instances of dirt, debris, scratches, splices, warps, jitter and flicker were manually removed using MTI’s DRS system and Pixel Farm’s PFClean, while Image Systems DVNR was used for small dirt, grain and noise reduction.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“The Organizer” is presented in LPCM 1.0 monaural Italian with optional English subtitles.  Dialogue is crystal clear and I detected no pops or hiss during my viewing of this film.

According to the Criterion Collection, the original stereo soundtrack was remastered at 24-bit from a 35 mm optical soundtrack positive.  Clicks, thumps, hiss and hum were manually removed using Pro Tools HD. Crackle was attenuated using Audio Cube’s integrated workstation.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“The Organizer – The Criterion Collection #610″ on Blu-ray comes with the following special features:

• Mario Monicelli – (10:53) Featuring an interview with director Mario Monicelli recorded by the Criterion Collection in 2006.  Monicelli talks about Commedia all’Italiana and his career.
• Theatrical trailer -Theatrical trailer for “The Organizer”.
  

EXTRAS:

“The Organizer – The Criterion Collection #610″ comes with a 4-page (dual sided) fold-out leaflet, featuring the essay “Description of a Struggle” by J. Hoberman.

 

I simply adore the films by Mario Monicelli and when it comes to “The Organizer”, it’s rather fascinating because when it comes to films about workers going on strike, in many modern films, the outcome has always been in the employees favor and always positive outcome of how labor laws were changed.

But not so much the case in cinema past, especially films from Europe.

From Sergei Eisenstein’s 1925 film “Stachka” (Strike) that showcased Eisenstein’s theme of collectivism versus individualism and showcasing how employees work themselves to death while owners and management are wealthy and could care less about their employees, Eisenstein’s film was grounded in Lenin belief that, “The strength of the working class is organization. Without organization of the masses, the proletarian is nothing. Organized it is everything. Being organized means unity of action, unity of practical activity”.

We fast forward to 1963 and similar to “Strike”, Monicelli’s film is set during the turn-of-the-twentieth century Turin.  As Eisenstein’s film preached Leninism, Monicelli believed in Marxism, which literally is a society in which burgeois or idealism do not exist.

In today’s world, specifically here in the West, the idea of long work hours, employment of children and literally no breaks can not be fathomed.  But yet this mentality still continues in other countries.  The reality for some countries today and how things were back then is that people accept their working condition and the fear of the harsh realities of not making any income is enough for one not to stand up and become defiant towards their management.  As a collective, not many are willing to do public protests, strike back in the media nor are they in a position financially to do so.

This is the reality today.

And back then, a lot of these individuals had no means to strike back, especially as a collective through media or political means.  In Eisenstein’s “Strike”, the reality of the employees and their organized strike was violence.  Violence towards the management, violence towards any other employees who were not able to hold out from the strike and were willing to return to their jobs.  And unfortunately, all that is left is tragedy.

Fortunately, Monicelli’s “The Organizer” is a film that showcases Monicelli’s belief that the reality is what it is, and the employees of Turin need to realize that going on strike may have hurt the management but in the long run, the reality is they have the means to outlast the workers, because they have the money to survive.

And another juxtaposition with Eisenstein’s “Strike” is that the people were ready to fight and die for what they believe in.  This was the Leninism perspective of working as a collective.  Monicelli’s “The Organizer” featured a collective that was held on a string, courtesy of Professor Sinigaglia, but it was evident that these workers have families, children that depend on them and while some maybe able to fight, the outcome is much more different, despite their being a tragedy.

Another key difference is the inclusion of comedy.  Eisenstein’s “Strike” was primarily focused on the strike itself and the differences of lifestyle with the factory workers and the wealthy and how the financial impact was hurting families.

In Monicelli’s “The Organizer”, times are tough but yet there is humor.  May it be a man who tries to flirt with a young woman, the stocky long-time employee Pautasso during his lunch break as he holds a huge circular bread to chow down on, or may it be a young boy who is not afraid to talk back to his elders (and also admonishing his younger brother who is attending school but would rather be an employee at the factory) or the local prostitute who tries to entice Professor Sinigaglia.

There are many of these moments that help the viewer get closer to various characters and see that despite how difficult the times are, they try to make the best of it.

So, for me, “The Organizer” has always been a fascinating film as it is an intriguing juxtaposition when compared to Eisenstein’s film.  Both have similarities but yet are very different.

Actor Marcelo Mastroianni is often seen playing a suave, charismatic character that always gets the lady and come to think of it, I suppose nothing has changed as the Professor also manages to find a woman but in different circumstances.   But Mastroianni does a good job playing Professor Sinigaglia and being the spoken leader for the workers.

But as Marcelo Mastroianni is the lead actor, what I enjoyed most of the film are the workers who attract the viewers through their feebleness, their humor or directive.  Renato Salvatori, Gabriella Gieorgelli, Folco Lullu, Bernard Blier, Raffaella Carra and many more, its the supporting cast of the film that makes “The Organizer” come to life.  The performances are honest and humorous but also feel realistic and natural,  and because of that, it does add to the engaging storyline.

As for the Blu-ray release, the video quality of “The Organizer” is fantastic and the interview with Mario Monicelli included on this Blu-ray was also enjoyable to watch, considering it was shot during a time when he was in good health and a few years before he died.  Although I wish there were more special features included, especially audio commentary, I’m still grateful that this interview with Monicelli was included on this Blu-ray release.

Overall, “The Organizer” has always been one of my favorite Monicelli films and I can only hope that with this release, it will pave the way for more Monicelli films such as “La Grande Guerra” (“The Great War”),  “The Girl With the Pistol” or “L’armata Brancaleone” (“For Love and Gold”) to receive a video release.

“The Organizer” is highly recommended!

 

Charlotte Rampling: The Look (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

“Charlotte Rampling: The Look” is a fascinating documentary that fans of the actress will surely enjoy.  It may not be a sensational or provocative documentary that tries to uncover anything deep in Rampling’s past, but for anyone who is curious of why she took on the character roles that she had done in the last 45+ years, will no doubt enjoy this documentary.  This is probably the most up-close look that viewers will ever get to see of this unique and talented actress.  “Charlotte Rampling: The Look” is recommended!

Images courtesy of © PROUNENFILM – TAG/TRAUM – LES FILMS. 2012 Kino Lorber, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Charlotte Rampling: The Look

YEAR OF RELEASE: 2011

DURATION: 98 Minutes

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (1:85:1), 2.0 LPCM Stereo

COMPANY: Kino Lorber

RATED: Not Rated

Release Date: April 10, 2012

Directed by Angelina Maccarone

Written by Angelina Maccarone

Produced by Charlotte Uzu

Co-Producer: Serge Lalou

Cinematography by Bernd Meiners

Edited by Bettina Bohler

Starring:

Charlotte Rampling

Peter Lindbergh

Paul Auster

Barnaby Southcombe

Juergen Teller

Frederick Seidel

Franckie Diago

Anthony Palliser

Cynthia Fleury

Joy Fleury

A biographical study of legendary actress Charlotte Rampling, told through her own conversations with artist friends and collaborators, including Peter Lindbergh, Paul Auster, and Juergen Teller. Intercut with footage from some of Rampling’s most famous films, this “self-portrait through others” is a revealing look at one of our most iconic screen stars.

Many may have seen the beautiful actress Charlotte Rampling in films such as Woody Allen’s “Startdust Memories” (1980) and Sidney Lumet’s “The Verdict” (1982).  Many know of Charlotte Rampling through her piercing eyes, the eyes that have been known to many, including those who have worked with Rampling as “The Look”.

But while Charlotte Rampling is an actress, a photographer, a painter that will be known for her intelligence and beauty, for those who have followed Rampling’s career and have read her interviews, knowing the roles that she has taken in her career, she embodies the path of the “non-traditional” actress.    An actress who is not an actress for entertainment but an actress to break through her own barriers.   An actress who takes on roles to confront and deal with her own personal issues, may it be her mindset or things that have happened in her life.

But that’s the fascinating part about following Charlotte Rampling’s work, she does things her own way.  Even her acting roles are indicative of a woman who is willing to take on roles that have shocked viewers and critics.  From Luchino Visconti’s 1969 film “The Damned”, the shocking 1974  Liliana Cavani film “The Night Porter” or the taboo, woman and chimpanzee relationship in Nagisa Oshima’s 1986 film “Max mon Amour”.

Suffice to say, many have wanted to know more about this actress and why she had taken roles that many consider as audacious, cool or even weird.  From her career which began in 1969 and continuing to make films in 2012, Charlotte Rampling continues to live life the way she wants, the way she feels and could really care less of what people think.

Rampling has also starred in commercial films such as “Deception”, “Babylon A.D.”, “The Duchess” and”Melancholia” and most recently in the critically acclaimed Australian feature “The Eye of the Storm”.

But while many fans have been captivated by Charlotte Rampling, in 2011, filmmaker Angelina Maccarone wanted to show the real Charlotte Rampling through her documentary “Charlotte Rampling: The Look”, in her words but also through others who know her well, including co-stars from the past.

“The Look” features Charlotte Rampling, now at the age of 65, as she talks with friends and family about various topics such as “Exposure”, “Age”, “Beauty”, “Resonance”, “Taboo”, “Demons”, “Desire”, “Death” and “Love” and through each discussion of these topics, we are greeted with footage from “Stardust Memories”, “The Damned”, “Swimming Pool”, “Under the Sand”, “Georgy Girl”, “The Night Porter”, “The Verdict, “Max Mon Amour” and “Life During Wartime”.

Through the film, we start to learn more about Rampling’s mindset about life and her work.  And you learn that Charlotte had gone through her own personal tragedies when she was younger.  One discussion revolves around the death of her oldest sister Sarah who died while giving birth and how devastated she was to lose her sister.

We learn about Rampling’s view of nudity, which she had to do a lot in the film “The Night Porter” to filming the taboo film “Max Mon Amour” as she played a character who was in love with a chimpanzee.

And also talking about aging and being an actress in her ’60s, to answering questions about her perspective towards sex and if it changes now that she is in her ’60s.

While the film is not a documentary about Charlotte Rampling’s personal life, viewers do get to see Charlotte Rampling today as her passion is photography, her observations towards life but anyone wanting any tidbits of her scandalized marriage to actor Bryan Southcombe or second husband, French composer Jean Michel Jarre, this is not one of those type of films which confronts media gossip or personal problems, as this is a woman who is quite progressive and a woman unafraid to speak her mind.

You will see her in conversation with fashion photographer Peter Lindbergh as the two talk about exposure and how they have literally grown up with each other and have fun taking each other’s pictures.  With novelist Paul Auster, the two discuss aging, especially the difficulties of older women finding work (which was more of a topic for Paul Auster, as Charlotte Rampling is one of the few actresses who continues to be quite active in cinema).

Charlotte Rampling: The Look is a documentary that celebrates Charlotte Rampling’s life and career but also learning more about the actress and her observations of taking part in the films and why.

VIDEO:

“Charlotte Rampling: The Look” is presented in 1080p High Definition (1:85:1) and as one would expect from a documentary, footage varies as it comes from different sources.  So, video quality tends to vary.  I tend not to be critical towards documentaries, especially one that pulls in footage from the ’60s to the present.  The modern footage does feature much more contrast and does look very good, especially the source of Rampling’s older films.  Sometimes older sources from these films can be in bad shape but overall sources used for this documentary were very good, considering it was coming from a standard definition source.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

Also, expected for a documentary, “Charlotte Rampling: The Look” is presented in LPCM 2.0 stereo.  Dialogue is clear, even the older film source used in the documentary.  There are some scenes with music, such as Charlotte singing her song that she performed in the film “The Night Porter”.

There are no subtitles throughout the film, only in films where a foreign language is spoken.

SPECIAL FEATURES

“Charlotte Rampling: The Look” comes with a still gallery and trailers for Kino Lorber films.

As a cinema fan who has watched Charlotte Rampling in a variety of films that have been quite fascinating, bold and very different, she has always been a mysterious actress because when you watch her films in the first 20-years of her career, she was no doubt a sex symbol.

But with that being said, “sex symbol” is probably a word that is not the right word to describe this actress.  Mainly because she is one that never took roles for the sake of being popular, being an entertainer and most importantly, not being a sex symbol.  She was an actress that was confident in her looks, her acting and she took on these roles in order to take on various challenges.

There are many audacious roles that Rampling had taken on and while the most memorable for me is her role on “The Night Porter”, who can forget her role in Nagisa Oshima’s “Max mon amour” as she has this taboo relationship with a chimpanzee.  Needless to say, the pairing of Rampling and Nagisa Oshima was a perfect match as both are individuals who walk the beat of their own drum and know that whichever work they take on, people expect a little controversy or non-traditional approach.    Who can also forget her role in “Georgy Girl” as the mother who just gave birth  to a baby and automatically shows her disgust for it (and through the course of the film seeing her character change towards her child).

But for those who are expecting more discussion of Rampling and her personal life, the most anyone is going to get is the discussion of the heartbreak of losing her sister and that is it.  If anything, “Charlotte Rampling: The Look” is literally a celebration of Rampling’s work and filmmaker Angelina Maccarone getting that rare opportunity to capture this actress onscreen.  There is no dishing out the dirt on filmmakers or co-stars or the problems that she had working on the film.  Where Volker Schlondorff had done in his documentary “Billy Wilder Speaks” (2006), nor does Maccarone try to follow in the footsteps of filmmaker Maximilian Schell with his Marlene Dietrich documentary “Marlene” (1984).

Fortunately, Charlotte Rampling was a willing collaborator, not a recluse nor does she have a diva attitude. If anything, I expected to be fascinated by Rampling because she is an intellectual, her conversations are engaging but most of all, she is a person that learned about what she wants in life through various forms of experimentation.   She has had the best of both words of working commercial and arthouse films, working with independent to legendary filmmakers.  She has been adored by many because of her “look” but while watching this documentary, you realize that she is typically on a different mindset and wavelength than many people.  She appears confident in her way of thinking and frankly, I was just pleased to see the real Charlotte Rampling talk about life and also her approach to cinema and her character roles.

If anything, there is nothing polemic about “Charlotte Rampling: The Look”.  It’s a straightforward documentary and biopic featuring Rampling and friends in conversations about life and career and I was fascinated by it.

While I would have hoped to see much more in terms of special features, I realize that many of the documentaries that I own on Blu-ray and DVD are typically devoid of special features to begin with, but a least you get a still gallery, which is better than nothing.  What I would have loved to see is hear from filmmaker Angelina Maccarone or even see any deleted footage that didn’t make it into the final cut of the film.

Overall, “Charlotte Rampling: The Look” is a fascinating documentary that fans of the actress will surely enjoy.  It may not be a sensational or provocative documentary that tries to uncover anything deep in Rampling’s past, but for anyone who is curious of why she took on the character roles that she had done in the last 45+ years, will no doubt enjoy this documentary.  This is probably the most up-close look that viewers will ever get to see of this unique and talented actress.

Recommended!

 

Next Page »