REVIEW: Summer Wars

Summer Wars
Director: Mamoru Hosoda
Year 2009
 
Summer Wars is an enchanting science fiction drama that combines an intriguing premise with an intimately strewn cast of characters, in order to make a very interesting and unexpectedly fun cinematic experience. Created in a beautiful animation style, the film emphasizes the increasing reliance that our culture has on technology and through some creative storytelling, the filmmakers stress the dangers that this lack of control could result in over a global scale. With other sci-fi films aiming for the stars and the far flung future, it’s nice to see that Summer Wars takes a more personal and subdued approach to the material. This is one science fiction flick that has a whole lot of heart that results in a plethora of heart-warming moments. Awwww!
 
The film follows Kenji Koiso, a math wiz and all-around socially inept high school student, as he agrees to take a summer job helping out the most popular girl in his school, Natsuki Shinohara. It turns out that the job is anything but typical, because Natsuki wants Kenji to pose as her fiancé, in order to appease her grandmother who is having her 90^th birthday party. The girl-shy Kenji reluctantly agrees to continue the farce, but remains weary because of his real-life crush on Natsuki. Things really start to role out of control though, after Kenji responds to a math problem that mysteriously is sent to him via his phone. Upon solving the equation, all hell breaks loose, sending a computer virus into the world’s largest social network, OZ. The digital world holds the key to billions of accounts worldwide and once hacked; the user can manipulate and cause an abundance of chaos over the world’s real life networks. Once the world succumbs to the control of the infected OZ and begins falling into chaos, Kenji is named as the man behind the mayhem by news reports around the world and he must do everything in his power to clear his name and stop the real culprit behind this increasingly dangerous technological terror attack and foil his diabolical plans. Is this math nerd up to the task of getting the girl of his dreams and saving the world? I sure hope so or we’re all screwed.

The first thing you’ll notice about Summer Wars is that it isn’t your average science fiction film. The movie is set in a time that doesn’t seem very different from our own and it is one that is extremely typical of our modern day lifestyle, only enhanced slightly. In fact, the only real element of this film that warrants the science fiction label is the inclusion of the digital world OZ, where people live their lives on another plain of existence, set apart from the normalcy of the real world. The closest thing that we can compare this concept with is the social networking sites like Facebook and Myspace, but in Summer Wars these simple applications that allow us to connect with family and friends is taken to extreme levels and substitutes this digitally created society as a second life for a majority of the film world’s citizens. People work, play, and interact, all through the actions of their avatars, which are cartoon created characters that each user is able to concoct in order to represent their physical self in this online realm.
 
The concept of people living out their lives online in a fabricated digital world isn’t that original of an idea, having been treaded on earlier in such films as The Matrix, The Thirteenth Floor, eXistenZ, Nirvana, and most recently Black Heaven, but it is the inclusion of family and the relationships that come with having an extended family tree that really make Summer Wars an interesting concept in such crowded and favorable company. As if making a commentary on the status of human interaction and the lack of face to face time that we share with both family and friends in the real world, the film highlights the notion that not all of these technological innovations are moving us in the right direction in understanding the more human qualities in all of us. This is an interesting idea to fathom and the film touches upon this in a subtle and passionate way, without derailing the thrilling moments of the story or knocking the viewer over the head with over indulgent preachy delusions of grandeur.

The mixture that the filmmakers are able to conjure up and gel together is essentially exquisite and allows the narrative to tell the lesson of technology stripping us of our humanity and human connection to each other, over a gradual reveal. From the get go, we are introduced to both Kenji and Natsuki as they are bombarded by a wild array of interesting characters while arriving at Natsuki’s grandmothers house, and it’s during this moment that we are witness to the separation that technology has wrought upon this family. We have one of Natsuki’s aunts that is glued to the television watching one of her nephews playing in a championship baseball game, fixated on the tension filled playoff matches but ultimately ignoring the rest of the brood that is right there all around her. This seems like a small example, but it is one that lasts the entire span of the film, that is until the inspiring fight led by Kenji against the now corrupted OZ interface, that forces the entire family to band together and connect once more.
 
There are so many moments like this one, where we are shown a gap in communication between one family member to the next, that bare witness to a reconnection brought on by the troubles at OZ. Some of these situations have nothing to do with technology or the existence of the digital realm OZ, but through the calamity that the infected social site is creating the family is able to come together against one common enemy and finally see that they are a family and that they need each other in order to be whole and content. One of the biggest examples that showcase the reconnecting of the human spirit during a moment of crisis, is when the 90 year old grandma begins calling every single person that she has ever had an interaction with over the course of her 90 years on this earth, reassuring them that if they do their job and help their fellow man then everything will be alright. It’s a heartwarming moment and one that really establishes the essence that mankind is retaking what technology had taken away from them and that’s genuine interactions and inspirational, intimate moments. On the surface the film seems like it’s going to be a by the numbers story about a boy finding his courage over the course of one crazy summer, and it is, but you’d be surprised on how much the movie has to say about the status of our own world and the dangers that await us if we don’t pull back the veil of technology and start living. Summer Wars was a great treat and damn did I enjoy the wonderfully wacky world of OZ.

Summer Wars is an interesting combination that uses the aspects of a technology driven society to tell a story about one family reconnecting with each other amidst a potential global meltdown. The story is epic in scale, but delicately handled in order to hit all the right notes with its emotional pull and relatable tale. Both the world of the digital realm of OZ and the real life elements of this fictional, yet extremely familiar culture is lovingly detailed providing a perfect setting to hop the narrative back and forth between the plain of fact and fiction.
 
Though the movie is subtle in its inclusion of a metaphorical allegory, the visual flare of this flick is off the charts. It’s high energy, without a second of disregard for the audiences’ senses. In the span of this flick you’ll go from an extremely intense battle royal between two over stylized avatar characters within the OZ world, to a heartbreaking moment between a handful of vividly portrayed characters as they mourn over the loss of someone that they truly seem to love with all of their heart, and then bitch slapped right back into the unruly world of OZ filled with all of their hyper spastic digital citizens. The film is a whirlwind of motion and emotion, and if you’re not ready for it, it could knock you on your ass. It’s always nice to see a film like this step up to the plate and usher a concept into existence that really breaks the mold and shows us something new. Summer Wars does just that, while pulling the heartstrings for extra measure. I loved the hell out of this movie and I’ve got one thing to say. Check this flick out and witness Kenji’s……

You better not have been looking up what I think you were. Perverts.

Even working online sucks.

Who's bad?

Note to self.... don't fart when meeting grandma for the first time.

Damn you and your creepy minions!

The horror of internet pornography. Will someone think of the children!

Wipe that face off your smile..... Bitch!

Well don't you look FABULOUS!

You ever have the feeling you're not wanted?

Judo kick!

This intervention is for you pops. You have to get rid of the mustache.

Regulators! Mount up!

Grandma's got some mad skills!

Come here and give me a big old hug.

Looks like everyone's got their game faces on.

Damn, I hit like four hobos on the way here.

Looks like Auntie and her flachulence problem ruined another family get-together.

What the shit? The oddest reaction to being kissed for the first time... EVER!

REVIEW: Tears of the Black Tiger

Tears of the Black Tiger
Director: Wisit Sasanatieng
Year 2000
 
Tears of the Black Tiger is a sensational and extremely colorful Thai cult film that showcases a radiant color scheme filled with violent gun fights and a romantic overtone that explodes across this retro looking gem. As if paying homage to the more classical styles of filmmaking, Tears of the Black Tiger presents its cast of characters in a more thematic and theatrical light, choosing pastels and larger than life personas to push the story along to its tensely strewn climax. This obscure flick will burn your retinas out with its brilliance, so put some sun glasses on for this one, it’s a real eye scorcher.
 
The film follows two young lovers named Dum and Rumpoey as we witness their relationship blossom over a span of years as they fall in and out of each other’s lives. Dum is a poor boy living in the country while Rumpoey is the daughter of a wealthy and powerful family. The two have had an entangled history, which eventually brings them together, but not everything in life has a happy ending. On the eve of their reunion, Dum’s father is murdered, sending him off on a quest for revenge which eventually leads him to joining up with a local gang of bandits who bestow onto him the name of Black Tiger. After having her heart broken by the now missing Dum, Rumpoey’s father issues for her to marry a young and handsome police officer, but Rumpoey cannot forget about her love for Dum. Destined to meet once more, Dum and Rumpoey’s lives clash again, yet this time they find themselves on opposite sides of an embittered battle. With Dum and his gang of bandits and Rumpoey’s betrothed and his police force, sparks are sure to fly in an epic clash of bullets and blood, but who will be left standing in this tragic tale?

Chartchai Ngamsan plays the role of Dum AKA Black Tiger, the spirited gunfighter with a heart of gold. The character of Dum is a tricky one, because he is a soft spoken man with an immense gift of being able to wield a gun like a pro. His dialogue is few and far between so it was important to get an actor that could project the kind of emotions and presence that was needed for the character to express himself in various ways without resorting to long overblown dialogue driven moments. Chartchai does an excellent job in taking the task head on, resembling a Thai version of Clint Eastwood melded with a bit of Chow Yun Fat for good measure. The combination is intriguing and Chartchai carries the scenes that he appears in with splendid cinematic flair as he both contemplates life and deals out death.
 
Stella Malucchi takes on the other half of this tragic couple, playing the role of Rumpoey. Her screen presence isn’t as impressive as Chartchai’s, but she is able to carry the other half of this doomed pairing with an expert hand as she tackles the more longing moments filled with pinning over the loss of Dum and the concept of marrying someone she doesn’t love. I have to hand it to Stella though, because she doesn’t have a great deal to do in this movie other than to be sad almost 100 percent of the time, but she manages to make it her own and stand her ground against some seriously absorbing surrounds. She makes her presence known and has a remarkable classic look to her that fits right in with the pastel infused color scheme of the film.

What is most impressive about Tears of the Black Tiger is the overall choice of color used to bring the film to life. There is a great amount of vibrant tones within the composition of this movie that provides a defined visual impact upon the viewers senses right from the gate. Bright pinkish hues, vivacious yellow walls, and orange blasted sunsets run rampant upon the sensibilities of the film’s well rounded palette and make for one hell of a kaleidoscope effect that never ceases to amaze. The combination of all of these wonderful colors gives the film an atmospheric push that helps define the more emotional portions of the story that weren’t as expertly crafted through the interactions of the characters and their actions on screen. In a sense the movie could almost be told with the visuals alone and it still would have the same cinematic impact as a more grounded and established production. All in all, I loved the energetic atmosphere that the visuals were able to generate and it played off of the violent tone of the action moments quite well.
 
As for the action, I absolutely loved it. The film has an unapologetic tone to it that pushes the envelope at every turn and threatens to push the film into splatter territory. With exploding heads, bazooka blasts, brutal kills, and enough bullets to the head to make any zombie killer proud, Tears of the Black Tiger is something of a quagmire of genre trappings. On one hand you have an epic love story between two people and then on the other you have a shoot ‘em up style western that throws caution to the wind and lets the gory aspects of gunplay fly. It’s a concept that actually caught me off guard when I first laid eyes on the trailer for the film, and after watching the entire feature I have to say that the inclusion of these off the wall moments are just sublime. There really aren’t too many movies out there that can balance such night and day elements, yet come out the other end unscathed and better for it, but this film does just that. The wacky and unusual moments of the film add to the overall wonder that is Tears of the Black Tiger and this is one movie that you truly don’t know what will happen next. What a wild and fun ride.

Tears of the Black Tiger is an unusual, yet highly enjoyable movie that defies the conventional wisdom of filmmaking in order to make an entertaining smorgasbord of melodramatic moments tinged with an abrasive lust for gun battles and extravagant action. I really wouldn’t even know where to place this film in a list of genres and in my book that is something of a rare accomplishment. This movie never feels stuck in just one category of film and in that freedom it allows the narrative of the piece to just run wild in the most unpredictable of ways.
 
Not only is the film’s content and visual style impossible to peg down, but the year of the production is also allusive to periodical placement. The movie was produced in 2000, yet it resembles a more classic affair in both look and tone, resounding memories of black and white romance epics, except blasted by all the colors of the rainbow and then thrown into a blender along with enough bullets to kill a small army. With a combination as eccentric as that, how could this film not be as entertaining as it sounds? Well luckily it infuses all of these wonderful qualities into a cinematic experience that is anything but unoriginal. This is one fresh take at filmmaking that really can’t be described, only witnessed. I beg you to track down this obscure gem and give it a go. There is definitely nothing like it out there. Tears of the Black Tiger is a……

How'd I get paired up with this dope?

Now that's one hell of a trick shot!

I'm gonna shoot you in the nuts.

Damn what a bitch.

Face it man... She's just not into you.

Get that curly shit off of your forehead.

Someone give that guy a hand. Not literally!

I'm going to blow you assholes to hell.

They're not shy about shooting folks in the face around here.

Damn it! I told you I'd never speak to you again if you painted the house pink.

So you had a bad day?

I can see up your nose and you have a boogy!

Talk about losing your head!

How about I smack that smile off of your face?

I want to SING!

That's it son.... aim for the face.

Awkward..... I'll come back another time.

Don't ever call me Super Mario..... bitch!

Killing in the rain.... just killing in the rain.

REVIEW: The Last Circus

The Last Circus
Director: Alex de la Iglesia
Year 2010
 
The Last Circus is an insanely demented journey, filled with murder, mayhem and a hefty helping of creepy clown action that will scare the shit out of anyone diagnosed with Coulrophobia. This movie is literally off the hinges as it tells a sorted story of one man’s excruciating quest in finding happiness amidst his mostly sorrow-filled life and the inevitable explosion that commences once he is pushed to the limit. The moral of the story is, don’t piss off a clown.
 
The film follows a down trotted dreamer named Javier who longs to follow in the footsteps of his father and perform as a happy clown, but because of his tragic upbringing he is forced to take on the role of the sad clown. After joining a rag tag circus, Javier meets a beautiful acrobat named Natalia who instantly infatuates him, but unfortunately for Javier she has an abusive boyfriend named Sergio who just so happens to be the happy clown to their dynamic duo circus act. Plagued by the exquisite beauty of Natalia and the brutal treatment she is subject to at the hands of Sergio, Javier reaches a breaking point to where there is no chance of returning from. Changing into a monster, Javier snaps, becoming the very opposite of the sad passive clown he was known for and instead morphs into a mad, crazed killer with a lust for violence. Taunted by a life with Natalia that he could never obtain, Javier loses himself in his own delusional fantasy, making it his sole purpose to end the life of Sergio, no matter what, and save the innocent Natalia from the overbearing grip of her oppressor. This tragic tale pulls no punches as it vividly showcases the mental and physical descent of a man on the brink of sanity, but longing to live a normal life. Let the insanity begin!

Carlos Areces plays the role of Javier, the tragic face of the sad clown and poster boy for every single love struck loser out there that always played the nice guy but never got the girl. Carlos does an amazing job in this role, which demands a great range of emotions to be projected over the course of the film. He goes from a mild mannered pacifist in the beginning portions of the movie, to a bat-shit crazy lunatic towards the second act of the story, with little to no wiggle room in between. The change in his personality is so polar opposite that you’ll find yourself struggling to comprehend that the two personas are actually played by the same actor. Carlos’ transformation into the vengeful clown with a chip on his shoulder is animalistic at best and extremely beastlike in its savagery. It also doesn’t hurt that the man can wear a creepy clown outfit like it’s no ones business, making the visual effects of his makeup and costume that more impressive and intimidating. If I had to pick a highlight of the film, it would be Carlos’ portrayal of Javier and his devastating transformation into the vengeful and violence prone clown.
 
Antonio de la Torre takes on the role of Javier’s nemesis and all around bad guy, Sergio the happy clown. With the title of happy clown, you would think that Sergio was a terrific dude, but damn is this guy an asshole. He beats the shit out of his girlfriend on a daily basis, treats the rest of the circus folk like shit, and basically acts like a prick 24 hours a day. Now I don’t know a thing about Antonio de la Torre and what he is like personally, but he has made one hell of an outstanding jerk in this flick. What is most interesting about his character is that he never really changes his attitude as the film progresses, but you find yourself sympathizing with him as the story moves along. I’m not saying that you end up loving the guy, but you find that you hate him a bit less once the film closes. It’s an interesting turn of events, but amidst the chaotic moments that encompass The Last Circus, you’ll come to find that there are a good many outstanding performances made by the cast across the board. Antonio takes this role and runs with it, making for a very memorable villain that has some very human tendencies.

Another stand out amongst the cast is the lovely Carolina Bang, who embodies the role of Natalia the breathtaking acrobat caught between the admirations of two polar opposite men. Carolina has the looks to pull off the role on the superficial front, but it is in the more subtle moments of the film that her acting chops really get a chance to show off. Like Carlos’ Javier character, Carolina is able to show that Natalia has a double edged sword when it comes to her varying personalities. When she is with Sergio she is quiet and conservative and when she is with Javier she is wild and alive. These two opposing personas are acted superbly by Carolina and she tackles both of these sides of her character with miraculous perfection. She does this so well that you’ll find yourself loving and hating her character at the same time. There are moments when you believe that she just might truly care for Javier’s underdog character, only to pull the rug right out from under you and come off as a selfish shrew that only used him to build up her own personal confidence and self worth. Her role is essential to the eventual collapse of Javier’s life and she nails that titular aspect that sparks all of this mayhem into action.
 
Now let’s talk about this mayhem. For one thing there is no shortage of bedlam once the story gets moving. We get machine gun and machete wielding clowns, brutal violence inflicted on both Javier and Sergio’s characters, mad as hell hallucinatory visions provided by Javier’s bat-shit crazy mind, and enough savage imagery to shake a stick at. This movie is literally off the rails when it comes to sanity and composure, yet you won’t find a more cohesive and intricate story about insane clowns battling it out for the affections of one woman and you can bet your ass on that one. If there is one thing I can say about this film that could summarize the overall quality of Alex de la Iglesia’s manic masterpiece it’s that it is vividly brutal and exceptionally genuine in its execution. Bravo for making such a crazy concept like a clown love triangle and make it work so well.

The Last Circus is like nothing you’ve ever seen before. You may have witnessed the same basic plot of a love triangle tearing the lives of the characters apart before, but you’ve never seen it done in such an outlandish style or fervent vigor. Carlos Areces plays the perfect pushover and to witness his descent into the bloodthirsty and wild killer clown is a thing of demented beauty. Equally, Antonio de la Torre does a commendable job as the thorn in Javier’s side as he pushes him to violence and to the overall reveal of the demented tendencies that lie in waiting behind the mind of the mild mannered Javier. Rounding out this motley crew of weirdos is the mesmerizing Carolina Bang, who brings a much needed facelift of beauty to the circus that is this film.
 
Combined with the fact that the movie boasts a diverse cast and an interesting premise, what really holds it all together is the impressive direction of Alex de la Iglesia. Alex is a filmmaker who is known for his expressive style and trademark antics and he puts all of the cards on the table in this film. With its lush visual style and over the top situations, The Last Circus is an obscure gem that you absolutely can’t miss. This flick is one crazy ass…..

Let the nightmares begin!

Do you think I put too much makeup on?

Please don't do that. It's really annoying.

This is just too weird to comment on.

God I hate that mustache.

Natalia.... the cock-teaser from HELL!

The boy is a P...I....G.... PIG!

Here's CLOWNY!

I just wet the bed!

Kinky.

What a psycho!

Holy Shit! What a PSYCHO!

What the hell is going on?!?!

I'm freaking out!

That annoying clown is behind me again isn't he?

A salute to cleavage.

Why so serious?

Why can't we be friends, why can't we be friends?