YNOT at the Movies

In the Danish film "Manslaughter" (Drabet), a 52 years old high school teacher had a fair with his formal student of his son's age. That relationship not only puts his marriage in jeopardy, but also sends him in the desperation of being a protector of her, or of his desire for her. A tragic event makes him try even more desperately to end all the turmoil, he only finds out that he sinks deeper and deeper.

The emotion in this film is highly charged and the characters are very well developed. The teacher's confusion is not only reflected in his relationships with the people around him, but also in the conflicts between his moral standing and the reality of social justice. Jesper Christensen's outstanding performance makes the film even better looking than its subject matter.

One scene in the film is shot in front of a University Hall. I recognize that's where I had a reception when I visited Copenhagen a few years ago. It's nice to see it again in a film.

My rating: 8 out of 10.

I finished a fascinating British documentary "A State of Mind." The film follows two young girls in North Korean who practiced vigorously at school preparing for the world's largest extravaganza of choreographed gymnastics performance.

The film gives us a rare and closer look of daily lives in North Korea, without any judgment. At least the filmmaker is trying to be neutral, not to make a political propaganda film. I think it's an incredible hard job to do because the object is North Korea, which almost everybody has a strong opinion about. That means that people from both sides of the fences might accuse the filmmaker's motive. The filmmaker did a remarkable job on earning the trust of these two girls and their families, and even the North Korean government. They had a brilliant film and we were told an interesting story.

Perhaps due to the Easter Sunday, I couldn't help to think about religion when I watched this film. Ray pointed out that I shouldn't have criticized "Resurrection of Jesus" without understanding the term. The truth is that I am not criticizing, I am simply observing. And I don't understand what I observed, so I asked questions. I also observed that devoted Christians don't ask that kind of questions. They have all the answers in the bible.

North Korean people worship their leader and love their leader unconditionally and unquestionably. Their great leader is the brightest genies and he makes the most brilliant decisions for them. They will die and sacrifice anything for the great leader. They never question their mindsets, because they are true believers. The US calls them a cult, because the US doesn't like their leader, some of them call North Korean people crazy.

I don't understand what make the North Korean people think that way, and I don't understand what make the US thinks the North Korean. I ask questions. I search for answers by watching this film.

It's fascinating to see how the two girl's dream is to perform for the great leader one day. It can have unbelievable power to motive them to train as hard as the Olympic competitors. In fact, every kid in school looks like a professional gymnastic.

They are really good. Actually, they are incredibly good. The final show is simply magnificent and it puts any Olympic opening ceremony's show to a backbench. This is what North Korean people use to unite themselves and to demolish individualism. You no longer see each individual when every one moves together like one person. Every military knows this theory and needs that. That's the reason every military trains so hard to make their soldiers march well, unless they are from Iraq.

We don't see starvation in the film. We see North Korean people love their leader deeply and happily work, study, and live in North Korea. By looking at the kids at school and in the energetic performance, you don't see a trace of hunger as the Western media portraits the images of North Korea. Of course, none of these kids are obese stuffed with Burger King buns and French fries either.

If the US invades North Korean tomorrow, the North Korean people will not see the US as a liberator, but an invader, as seen in Iraq.

People in different societies and different cultures simply have different values and mindsets. It's ok that we are all different. But it can be a dangerous game, even a disaster, trying to make others to think the same way as you do.

This is an excellent thought provoking documentary. My rating: 8 out of 10.

I thought "The Notorious Bettie Page" is a documentary. Nope. It's a film based on the first sex-icon in America in the 1950s. What did she do? Just posted some S&M and nude pictures. Look at what we have today, it has come a long way!

Having been to Folsom Street Fair, I don't even know if Bettie Page's pictures even qualify as S&M. Nevertheless, the film shows how a naive girl from Tennessee gradually became a sex symbol by "just taking some harmless pictures." There is only one problem: I didn't know who Bettie Page was and I don't care, and the bigger problem is that the film didn't convince me that I should care about her story. Maybe because the Lumiere Theatre was so cold and I was freezing, so I was not the mood. I had to cling on Peter to get some warmth during the film. When Bettie page was taking off clothes on screen, I wish I had more clothes to put on for myself.

The theatre was packed and some people even dressed up to the screening, similar as Bettie Page. Well, this is San Francisco, and Bettie Page definitely has loyal followers here. Not me.

My rating: 4 out of 10.

The documentary "Favela Rising" tells the story of the music group AfroReggae, that started a movement in the drug trafficking Brazilian ghettos to fight for a better future against police brutality.

While the film is somehow interesting, but I am not sure where the point of the film really is. It spends quite some length to expose the corruption and cruelty from the police, but the filmmaker didn't interview a single police or government official in the film, nor any of those kids who jointed the AfroReggae. These musicians seem have a vision that music will bring these kids out of the gangs and drug lords. Oh really? Favela exists is because of poverty and lack of education. Hosting a huge rock concert and let the kids to play drums (actually huge plastic water jars) don't solve the poverty problem and don't give them education they need to have a better future. It's quite disappointing to see all the film is interested is the guy who founded this music group.

This film will be shown at the upcoming 49th San Francisco International Film Festival.

My rating: 5 out of 10.

Robert Altman's newest film "A Prairie Home Companion" is a tribute to the long running live radio show "A Prairie Home Companion" on Public Radio. Most people who listen to public radio will recognize that unique humorous voice of Garrison Keillor, who also wrote this film. I remember I used to listen to his show when I was driving to the swimming pool every Sunday when I lived in North Carolina.

Much of the film is actually set at the radio show, but adds a few fictional characters that don't exist in the radio show. Contrary to the reality, the theatre that hosts the radio show is bought by some guy from Texas "who talks funny." Tonight's performance will be the last show. So, we follow the camera to witness the happenings both on the front and the back stage.

I love Robert Altman's style by letting his cameras (three of them at any given time shooting this film) sitting quietly to observe their surroundings. Everybody is talking simultaneously, like in "Gosford Park."

The ensemble cast are fantastic in this film, as well as the witty humorous one-liners.

However, I don't quite care about the detective and angle characters in the plot. I think it would be just a blast by showing those performer's interactions and listen to their music. The detective and the angle are more distracting than making the film more interesting, and they slow down the pace of the film a lot.

This movie will be the closing night film at the upcoming 49th San Francisco International Film Festival.

My rating: 7 out of 10.

"Romance & Cigarettes" is a new musical with Coen brothers as the executive producers. It casts with impressive actors like Susan Sarandon. But the film falls flat and bores me to death.

It's about this chain smoking Nick, played by James Gandolfini, who cheats on his wife with a woman who sells women's underwear. And? Nothing! Oh, they have three daughters who play a band in their backyard. The point is? Whatever.

The first scene/song is actually quite good. It reminds me "Citizen Dog," where everybody sing. But then the music starts to suck and everything becomes so dull. I don't see any point why this movie gets made.

This film will be shown at the upcoming 49th San Francisco International Film Festival.

My rating: 3 out of 10.

"Brick" doesn't work for me, because I don't even know what the hell they are talking about in the film, literally. The characters speak their own language, an underworld drug dealing code language. I saw a big movie poster outside the theatre with translations of vocabulary those characters used in the film. So, why doesn't the movie have subtitles?

In a California high school, a skinny kid Brendan, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt (seen Mysterious Skin yet?), found his girlfriend is dead. So, instead of calling the cop, he went on a mission to be a detective to find out what really happened and who killed her.

These kids don't go to classes, don't have homework, don't have parents around (except one guy), and they either hang around in the parking lot or have secret underground parties. None of them talk like high school kids. It's alright if the director tries to make a film follow his unique vision and speak somebody else's language. But why does the movie have to be set in high school and to make none of these kids slightly realistic, on purpose?

There are a lot drugs and violence in the film. But somehow Brendan like a superman that he can never been hurt no matter how badly he is beaten up. Oh, I forgot, this is a film not supposed to be realistic.

I have never read the detective story the film is based on, do I have to before I go to a movie?

My rating: 5 out of 10.

"Brothers of the Head" is a film that you don't want to read anything about if you know for sure that you will go see this it. Really, nothing! None! Zip! Just go and see it and it will be a trip. This film will be shown at the upcoming 49th San Francisco International Film Festival. So you must stop reading any info about this film now if you want to go see it.

The film is about two brothers who are conjoint twins in the 1970s. They were trained to be rock stars from the underground music world, because their physical condition can be exploited. Sex, drug, and rock'n roll are the norm of their lives and we get to know these twin brothers better and better, and feel sad and sympathy for them.

I had no idea what this movie is about when I sat in the theatre last Wednesday. When it started, I thought it was a documentary with all the interviews, old footages, live concerts etc. But then, when the credit rolled, I was like, wait a minute! This is not a documentary!

Yeah, but it was too late. I was already completely manipulated by director's carefully arranged materials. It blurs the line between a documentary and a fiction. It's a fake documentary, and it can't be more real.

The handsome twin brothers always arm in arm and head on shoulder. They play together, they work together, they sleep together, and they bath together. I know, they go to restroom together, but the film didn't show it. They have no choice, because they are conjoint. But the images are rather homoerotic.

I am not a fan of loud rock music, but I enjoy the music in the film. It's really refreshing and interesting to see how they built the band.

This film is a pleasant surprise, in many ways.

My rating: 8 out of 10.

The Chilean film "In Bed" (En la Cama) works for me. Perhaps I like to talk myself, so I also love movies that their characters talk, especially when they have something interesting to say. So no surprise, I also love "Before Sunrise" and "Before Sunset."

"In Bed" is entirely shot in a motel room with only two characters during its entire 85 minutes. Yet, it engrosses me intensely, despite the moaning at the opening scene seems a little too loud for me when they were having sex.

Bruno and Daniela met at a cafe, and they went back to the motel room. They had sex. Then they talked. Yes, not only smoked cigarettes, but talked after sex! They almost never stopped talking for most of the night before and after they made love again and again. They started to know each other more, even they didn't intend to: that was supposed to be a one night stand. They discover the biggest lies as well as the truth from each other.

These two characters are so interesting that I want to hear the answers for those questions being asked by these two people. I want to know them better myself if I were in bed with either of them. Ok, I can only be in bed with that hunky guy. Scratch that. I will only want to talk to either of them. It's fascinating to engaging in a conversation with them.

To tell a story in one motel room with only two people during the entire film is already an achievement. When it contains so much witty conversation, it becomes a brilliant accomplishment. I know it's extremely rare for me to give a movie 10 out of 10, but this one deserves the 10 from me.

My rating: 10 out of 10.

Half Nelson is a terrific film with fascinating characters and brilliant performance.

Dan (Ryan Gosling) is an intelligent inspiring middle school teacher who stimulates his kids with ideas and provocative thoughts, rather than following the text books. However, his personal life is chaotic and miserable: he is a drug addict who hardly sleeps at night.

Dan is part of the system that he is fighting against. He is powerless as an individual to the powerful society. Dan is constantly in struggle with himself. He wants to be a role model and wants to protect his students. But ironically, his drug habit is the very reason those drug dealers exist. Ryan Gosling plays this complex character with great precision and raw emotion. I am looking forward to see more great work from him.

This is a very refreshing and honest film. It will be shown at the upcoming 49th San Francisco International Film Festival.

My rating: 9 out of 10.

"Friends with Money" is a cute comedy that actually really funny. I chucked so much during the film maybe because I have seen all those characters in real life. Sadly, I can even identify some of the character's behavior in myself, like when Frances McDormand's character Jan gets so worked up when somebody cut her off in the casher's line.

Four women are very good friends, three of them are married and are rich. The forth, played by Jennifer Aniston, is not rich, single, and works as a maid. How did she befriend with the other three rich women, I have no idea. But that's not quite important. What's interesting is how they react on daily events and how they interact with each other and the outsiders.

All of them know each other so well and yet they are very judgmental toward each other. While the film pokes fun at those rich women for their snobbish behaviors, but it's not with mean spirited. It treats those characters as normal people with flaws and observes. Of course, then we laugh at them.

Frances McDormand plays a designer with a husband who everyone thinks he is gay. She marvelously stands out in this film, and she deserves an Oscar nomination for her fantastic performance in this role. I need a comedy after all the stress and so many dramas I have seen lately.

So, yeah, why do those rich people have to spend so much money to attending a fancy dinner and parties? Why can't they just give the money to the charity directly? This is the why I normally don't donate cash directly to a charity because I hate to see them use that cash to hire a six figure salary director or throw in lavish parties. I like to actually put in my work so I can see it when I am done.

My rating: 8 out of 10.

The Golden Palm winner at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival is the Belgium film "The Child" (L'Enfant). This film is written/directed by brothers Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne. These two brothers also made excellent films such as "The Son" (Le Fils) and "La Promesse." But they failed me this time.

In "The Child," Bruno just had a baby with his girlfriend Sonia, but that's not what he cares. He is running around the streets begging for money. He steals things for money. Then he even sold the baby for money. When Sonia confronts him, his reason is that they can make another baby. When he realizes that this isn't gonna work, he tries to get the baby back and also gets her girlfriend back, and of course, get more money.

What's the point of the movie? I don't see any. It simply shows a deadbeat scum Bruno who doesn't want to work and who does nothing really meaningful besides stealing and sleeping on the bench of park. I don't see any humanity inside his soul. The film doesn't explore why Bruno is who is, but simply uses a handheld camera to observe his pathetic acts, which is well in the scope of my imagination after his first few scenes. Why should I be interested in Bruno in a close-up? The film didn't say, or I didn't get it.

Right before the credit stars to roll, some lady in the audience said: "Is this the end?" That generated some giggles.

My rating: 3 out of 10.

USA/Norway (English speaking) film "Factotum" is based on Bukowski's novel "Factotum" and his other books. Matt Dillion plays a drunk womanizer who loves to write. He drinks day and night while writing short stories and hooking up with women. He can't hold any single job, because he doesn't want to work. All he wants is to drink, fuck, and write. Sometimes gamble too.

Dillon's performance is impressive and his voice reminds me how Jack Nicholson talks, perhaps he watches too many Nicholson's movies. Lili Taylor who plays Dillon's girlfriend is simply amazing. I admire her courage to take up this role as an equally drunk as Dillon and cooking eggs without butter, and in her undie. However, Marisa Tomei's character is quite dull though. Somehow, she seems still live in the shadow of "My Cousin Vinny."

This film has a lot wonderful lines. That doesn't surprise me because it's adapted from the Bukowski's work. This movie will be shown at the upcoming 49th San Francisco International Film Festival as well.

My rating: 7 out of 10.

The Switzerland film "One Long Winter Without Fire" (Tout un hiver sans feu) is about a couple living on a farm grieving the death of their five years old daughter.

Although the performance was great and the film has a lot potentials, but I just don't find anything new or refreshing in this film. We all expect that it's extremely hard for parents who lost a young child, so we observe that they are sad in the film. Anything else? If I had not seen "In the Bedroom," I probably have thought this is a brilliant film to explore the subtle emotions of these characters and the interaction between the two grieving parents. However, everything seems made from recycled materials in this film. Actually there is nothing wrong with using recycled materials, when you don't notice it and didn't read the fine print. If you watch this film alone, sure, not bad. But somewhere, I read the fine print.

This film will be shown at the upcoming 49th San Francisco International Film Festival.

My rating: 5 out of 10.