alek-kelly Reviews

Fragments of Daniela (2006)

A great film!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[10/10 · 22 August 2009]

A friend of mine loaned me this film a couple of days ago as I was researching the sex-trafficking underworld for a paper. And I must say that the film is much more powerful than the Hollywood film "Trade" or "Taken". As an art house film, the cinematography is extraordinary. The film plays like a Cassavetes film; the performances are powerful and the texture meditative on tone. I was blown-away. The topic here is specific to Eastern-European girls, thus it is specific to that world. It does make the attempt to comprehensively tie the international nature of trafficking.I have found it difficult to view any filmic narratives that effectively encapsulate this serious subject matter. Documentary films covering this topic, especially those on the BBC, have been more effective. Films like "Trade" and "Taken" often sensationalize the theme for the sake of commerce. I urge this film to be seen as it is the only one thus far to succeed in conveying it as a powerful narrative using cinematic apparatus.

Promise Me This (2007)

You Need to Understand Kustiruca to enjoy

[8/10 · 22 August 2009]

For those of you who are not aware with the theme that Kusturica continues to explore intermittently in his films--the Western assault on traditional Serbian values--it will be impossible for you to understand his narratives. This continuous theme, expressed through fantasy and outrageous comedy as its vehicle, is one that Kusturica has elected to mandate. Since his fantastic work and Magnum Opus 'Underground', Kusturica's films' 'Black Cat White Cat', 'Life is a Miracle', and recently with 'Promise Me This', his slapstick, carnivalistic style underscores the 'westernization' of Balkan culture, its ambivalent arrival and assault on the traditional idiom. In the case of 'Promise Me This', the paradoxical world of city (urban space) and village (traditional idiom) space are contrasted. The world of the city reflects western attributes that have ensconced the spatial and temporal setting; organized crime, sexual exploitation, a ruptured sense of identity and vehement disregard for traditional values--as expressed toward the young kid--villager. The end of the film further exemplifies this notion as we observe a funeral mass and wedding on a one-way dirt road. They are on a collision coarse; appropriately, the wedding, which represents the lifeline and pulse of the village, i.e. traditional values, are about to collide with the funeral mourners, exemplifying the death of tradition within this context. Yet Kusturica brilliantly examines this theme through his own unique, stylistic singularity. With his outrageous and flamboyant style serving as a vehicle in its portrayal.

Heat (1995)

Simply Fantastic

[9/10 · 22 August 2009]

Michael Mann understands character(s). This is why 'Heat' stands out as an original piece of work that can demonstrate to young writers and filmmakers on how important character is to a film. There is so much depth given to the two central characters that it may propel some to question its use in several scenes. Yet it is precisely why this film is effective in juxtaposing the parallels of good guy versus bad guy, highlighting how De Niro and Pacino's characters are identical though on opposite sides of the spectrum. Subtle dialogue and actions are incorporated early on in the film so we are able to determine that when the two finally do meet, well into the second act of the film, we have already established that they mirror each other. Thus when the dialogue flows, we are well aware of this observation and allow the scene to naturally flow without the need to reiterate this fact. Fantastic--fantastic--fantastic!!