Movie Review: Oranges and Sunshine (2010)

"Oranges and Sunshine" is based on a true story of the work of Margaret Humphreys, a social worker in the UK.  Margaret discovers a deportation scandal where British children were relocated to Australia and Canada.  Deported children were promised oranges and sunshine but often found hard labor, abuse, and long years separated from their families.  Margaret works to bring attention to the issue and attempt to reunite families though she is often at personal peril and must be separated from her own family.

This is a difficult film to watch at times, but it's an important story to tell.  The film does an admirable job telling the story but at times it's difficult to follow due to the accents of the actors (there was no subtitles available on my DVD).   It's not too hard to grasp the overall intent of the film and follow though but subtitles would definitely make this film a bit more user-friendly.

Good story but a bit difficult to follow due to accents - B

Movie Review: My Afternoons with Margueritte (2010)

"My Afternoons with Margueritte" is a French film about an uneducated laborer Germain (Gerard Depardieu) whose life changes when he strikes up an unexpected friendship with an elderly, well-read woman named Margueritte (Gisele Casadesus).  Through this friendship Germain learns about himself as well as the literature that Margueritte reads him.  His new-found confidence and thoughtfulness empowers Germain in other areas of his life including some challenging relationships.

This is a really sweet and enjoyable film.  The audience must endure subtitles but it's worth it.  It's a simple and a bit obvious of a story, but the acting sells it.  I liked Depardieu and his chemistry with Casadesus makes this odd couple one that the audience can root for and fall in love with.  The result is a heartfelt movie with a clear message: love can change us and that love can come in unexpected places.

A heartfelt film that you can enjoy despite subtitles: solid B

Movie Review: Norwegian Wood (2010)

"Norwegian Wood" is a Japanese film directed by Tran Anh Hung that adapts a novel with the same name written by Haruki Murakami.  I haven't read the book so I can only evaluate the film as a stand-alone product.  The film is the story of Toru Watanabe, who struggles with the unexplainable suicide of his childhood best friend and his later feelings for the late friend's girlfriend, Naoko.  As a romance develops between Toru and Naoko, she falls into depression and flees to a mountain retreat/sanitarium.  Toru loves Naoko but also feels an obligation not to abandon her as his late friend did.  Things get complicated when Toru meets a fellow student at his Tokyo university named Midori, who is almost an opposite of Naoko.

This film was beautifully done.  The cinematography is just outstanding and makes the film a visual treat.  I felt though that the pacing was a bit slow and the acting/dialogue stilted at times.  Since I didn't read the novel I can't say how much of the issues have to do with simply taking a novel and attempting to translate it into a film.  The characters other than Toru were underdeveloped and could've used a bit more fleshing out. 

Beautiful film with some issues - solid C+

Movie Review: Nice Guy Johnny (2010)

I have to admit that I'm a little into Edward Burns lately and that's why I rented "Nice Guy Johnny," which Burns wrote, directed, and co-starred in.  The film's focus is Johnny (Matt Bush), who is indeed a very nice guy.  Johnny is so nice that he is on track to give up his dream job of hosting a radio sports talk show in order to make more money and please his fiance, Claire (Anna Wood).  Johnny goes to New York for the weekend for the job interview and is talked into spending some time with his uncle Terry (Burns) which leads to meeting a free-spirited tennis pro named Brooke (Kerry Bishe) in the Hamptons.  Not only is Johnny tempted by Brooke but he begins to question his fiance's plan for his life.

While this is a good film, it's unfortunately not great.  I think there's great storytelling in this film but it goes way out of the way to establish Johnny as the "nice guy" and to explore the theme of following one's dreams.  Burns, however, provides a lot of humor in his role as the immature skirt-chaser trying to lead his very straight-laced nephew astray.  Bishe really pops onscreen but she's really relegated to the role of the "hot girl" who is the antithesis of Johnny's fiance.  One of the reasons I think that "Newlyweds," Burns' more recent film, works is that Bishe got more of a chance to shine. 

Solid B for this one - Burns' fans will like it but the casual viewer may find it overly simplistic and lacking the magic that "Newlyweds" has.

Movie Review: Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life (2010)

I picked this movie based on seeing it in coming attractions on another rental and wish I hadn't.  The film is a biopic based on a book about the life of French singer/composer Serge Gainsbourg.  The film opens with Serge as a young Jewish boy living in Paris who is forced to hide from the Nazis.  Later he is a young painter playing the piano by night to pay the bills.  He begins to focus on the music and rises to fame singing and writing controversal music. 

I admit that I don't know much about Gainsbourg but I thought the film would be more about his music and even about his time hiding from Nazis but really the bulk of the film is about him chasing women and women being enchanted with his music.  Apparently he was quite the ladies' man from the content of the film: Juliette Greco, Brigitte Bardot, and Jane Birkin among others fell to Gainsbourg's charms.  The music and art are very much a small part of the film.  This film is not rated but with all the women and love scenes expect some nudity.

When Gainsbourg is not chasing women (and sometimes when he is) there are many scenes when he talks to his "mug" or alter ego.  This character is a man with what appears to be long thin fingers and a paper mache-looking head that features a long nose.  The "mug" encourages many of Gainsbourg's decisions though sometimes there is a battle between them.  It's certainly a creative move on the part of the director but at times such as the beginning of the film it comes across as a little odd.

Overall, I just didn't like this film.  It was two long hours of Gainsbourg chasing women and women throwing themselves at him while the "mug" is lurking about.  I really thought there'd be more music or something "heroic" since it's in the title.  Also the film seems to really lose steam in the third act.  I just didn't like this one at all - D-.

Movie Review: The Way (2010)

"The Way" stars Martin Sheen as Tom, a father who travels to France after learning that his estranged only son died there (played by real-life son Emilio Estevez).  Once in France,  Tom learns that his son died in an accident while on his first day of the Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain.  Tom decides to make the pilgrimage in honor of his son and sprinkle his ashes along the path.  While making the trip, Tom meets other pilgrims making the trip for their own reasons and somewhat reluctantly falls in with three others who journey with him.

This is a simply beautiful film as the landscape along the journey is amazing.  I thought Sheen was great in the main role but I feel that his partnership with his real-life son gave the film such a personal feel.  Throughout the film the audience sees this journey not only in the physical sense but also an emotional one for Tom as he moves through his grief over his son.  At first he is reluctant to talk to anyone and he moves from being very secretive about his real reason for doing the journey to anger and later to a spirit of reverence and a respect for his dead son.  Overall just a quality film that is subtle but powerful - A.

Movie Review: The First Grader (2010)

This film is based on the true story of an 84 year-old Kenyan former freedom fighter named Kimani Maruge.  Maruge enrolls in primary school when he hears that the Kenyan is giving free education to all.  However, not everyone is happy that the overcrowded school is giving space and time to Maruge.  Despite resistance from locals, some of his schoolmates' parents, and politicians, Maruge is determined to learn to read and his teacher, Jane, is equally determined to help him succeed.

This film is well-done and simply inspiring to watch.  One can't help but root for Maruge on his quest for education and the strong-willed Jane determined to teach him.  I thought Naomie Harris played Jane brilliantly and the rest of the cast was very good as well.  I enjoyed the scenes where Maruge interacts with his first grade classmates.  There is some mild violence shown in flashbacks that explain Maruge's past abuse at the hands of the British when they tortured the freedom fighters for years in camps.  Overall, this is an inspiring film that shows the power of education, our obligation to remember the past, and the importance of perserverance - A.

Movie Review: El Bulli: Cooking in Progress (2010)

This documentary takes the viewer inside and behind the scenes at the famous El Bulli resturant in the Catalonia area of Spain.  This is apparently one of the most inventive resturants out there as evidenced by this film.  The film follows chef Ferran Adria and his staff for a year.  The first half of the year Adria and his top staff close the resturant and head to a cooking lab in Barcelona to invent new tastes, flavors, receipes, and ultimately the new menu before heading back to reopen the resturant for the second half of the year.  Once reopened, the head staff work on creating and perfecting the new menu items before they are worked into the 35-course 3-hour meal served each night. 

I enjoyed this film because the food lab portion was so in-depth.  The chefs were scientific about their experimentation but there's also an art to creating innovation in anything so it's an interesting process they have.  Then there's seeing the research put into practice once they are back at the resturant.  Much trial and error goes into creating "magic" as Adria calls it. 

This film in in Catalan so subtitles are a must and also due to the subject matter this film isn't for everyone.  Serious foodies will love it and anyone who is interested in behind the scenes of such an innovative resturant.  Solid B in my book.