Movie Loner

Hmm, Euro Pudding. Who doesn’t love a big bowl? Actually, I don’t know anyone who likes pudding of any kind, but I do know that L’auberge Espagnole translates to Euro Pudding in English. Truth be told this movie has more damn titles than Robert Evans has ex-wives. Heyoh!! Where’s my rimshot? Sorry. Anyway, Pot Luck, Casa de locos, and The Spanish Apartment are all alternate monikers to this romantic French farce. Whatever you want to call it, L’auberge Espagnole is a pretty darn good film.

Xavier, a straight-laced economics student, is traveling from Paris to Barcelona for grad school. He leaves behind his longtime girlfriend Martine which only adds to his homesickness. After his accommodations fall through Xavier crashes with young French newlyweds he met at the airport. Not wanting to inconvenience Anne-Sophie and Jean-Michel, Xavier sets out to find a place to stay before classes begin. He survives a probing interview and is accepted at an apartment with five international roommates: an English girl, a German guy, a Spanish girl, a German guy, and a dude from Italy. It’s what Xavier refers to as Euro Pudding, an eclectic mixture of European personalities.

Despite obvious language barriers, Xavier adapts to the Spanish lifestyle. He and his merry band of roomies form fast bonds with the aid of booze and pot while battling for precious refrigerator space. When not carousing with the gang, Xavier struggles to keep Martine which is hampered by his growing attraction to Anne-Sophie whom he accompanies on long walks exploring Barcelona. Romantic entanglements ensue and new-found friendships are tested as Xavier’s personal journey of self-discovery in a foreign city comes to an end. He will leave Barcelona a little wiser and armed with the knowledge that life can take you to unexpected places.

Writer/director Cedric Klapisch captures the folly of youth perfectly. Facing responsibility for the first time can be maddening, but it can also be wicked fun. Klapisch never forgets this important fact as he allows all his characters to find themselves in their own way. Watching Xavier navigate the trial and error process of becoming an adult is both amusing and fascinating. We’ve all been there or one day will be, so if you’re looking for a trip down memory lane or a glimpse into the future kick back and watch L’auberge Espagnole. Or whatever you call it.

The trailer for L’auberge Espagnole:

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One of my favorite films is Fight Club. If you haven’t seen it, shame on you, but if you haven’t stop reading because I’m going to give away the story. The movie is about a paranoid schizophrenic who wages a crusade against capitalism and everything associated with the “establishment.” Despite the presence of Brad Pitt the film is quite subversive, taking shots at everything from self-help groups to IKEA furniture. I dig subversive movies; they are becoming a rare breed in American cinema. Luckily, European filmmakers still have balls. From Germany, I give you The Edukators.

Peter and Jan are best friends and budding revolutionists. Their method of sticking it to the “man” consists of breaking into mansions and rearranging furniture. To top it off, they leave mundane notes that read “you make too much money,” signed The Edukators. Jule is Peter’s girlfriend. Drowning in debt, Jule is forced to give up her apartment and move in with Peter and Jan. After Peter leaves on a trip to Spain, Jan and Jule begin hanging out. Jule soon takes a liking to Jan’s idealistic ways. Jan reveals his late-night transgressions to Jule, prompting her to press Jan into infiltrating the estate owned by the man she is indebted to, a man named Hardenberg.

Carelessness leads Jan and Jule to be discovered by a returning from vacation Hardenberg. Jan and Jule panic, knock out Hardenberg, then call Peter for advice. Peter arrives and the three decide the best course of action is to kidnap Hardenberg. They head for a remote mountain cabin to hide out until they figure their next move. Hardenberg is chastised for his extravagant lifestyle. Jan and Jule try to conceal their romance from Peter. Their cozy retreat becomes a hotbed for political debate as the two sides expound philosophies only to learn that they share much in common. The older, content Hardenberg rediscovers his defiant past. Jan, Jule and Peter accept responsibility for their youthful misdeeds. Everyone receives a much needed education.

Director Hans Weingartner deserves praise for keeping the story tied to reality. Intelligent discourse as opposed to needless violence steers the plot. Weingartner gives his characters time to fully develop, allowing the audience to witness each one’s transformation from start to finish. Fine performances are delivered by the four leads, in particular a convincing Daniel Bruhl who plays the rebellious Jan. The Edukators is about combating the system, but it’s also about friendship, young love, and the complacency of wealth, making it a complete film worth seeing.

The trailer for The Edukators:

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Writer/director Hal Hartley helped shape independent cinema in the 1990s. Films like The Unbelievable Truth, Trust, Simple Men, and Henry Fool stood out for their unique consistent styles. Deadpan dialogue and oddball characters defined Hartley’s peculiar method of filmmaking. Be it emotionally unstable loners or undiscovered geniuses, Hartley never failed to craft memorable screen personas. His best film, in my opinion, is Amateur, a clever little caper about pornography and nymphomaniac nuns. Seriously, I’m not kidding.

World famous porn star Sofia just pushed her notorious porn kingpin husband Thomas out the window. Sofia, believing Thomas to be dead, flees to the streets of NYC. Thomas, not dead, wakes up with amnesia and stumbles into a diner where he meets ex-nun turned erotic writer Isabelle. Bored and starving for experiences, Isabelle takes in Thomas in part to help him discover his identity. Meanwhile, Sofia calls old friend Edward and sweet talks him into revealing Thomas’ boss Jaque, a corporate tyrant who doesn’t like loose ends.

A naive Sofia gives Jaque a ring claiming she has some incriminating floppy disks in her possession. Jaque dispatches a couple nattily attired hitmen to take care of Sofia and collect the disks. Edward gets tortured by the hitmen. One of the hitmen gets whacked by Sofia. Then Isabelle, Thomas and Sofia head upstate to hide out with the one remaining hitman, a crazed Edward, and a bevy of NYPD in hot pursuit. Oh yeah, in between all that Isabelle professes she’s a nymphomaniac (even though she’s a virgin) and falls for Thomas.

Did you get all that? This is a typical Hal Hartley narrative, nonsensical but absurdly funny. Hartley regulars like Martin Donovan and Elina Lowensohn fill out an eclectic cast. Scant set pieces and a minimalist score are signature Hartley and it’s these simplicities that make his films original. His budgets have always been super-low and Amateur is no exception, but he’s always manages to squeeze the most out of every dollar. Amateur, like all Hartley’s movies, is an acquired taste but I promise it’s worth sampling.

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Back in 1995 Sean Penn wrote and directed The Crossing Guard. The movie starring Jack Nicholson was about a tortured father seeking vengeance against the drunk driver who killed his daughter. Like most of Penn’s directing work it was a maudlin exploration of human suffering. Not awful, not exactly provocative either. Red Road covers similar ground but exchanges depressing tonalities for thrilling intrigue.

Kate Dickie plays Jackie, a quiet, lonely woman who works as a CCTV operator in Glasgow’s Red Road slum district. She spends her days observing rows of monitors in an effort to curtail neighborhood crime. One day she eyes a man she recognizes, a man who awakens disturbing memories. The man is Clyde Henderson, a locksmith with a criminal past. At first, Jackie uses her job to track Clyde’s movements. Once her obsession escalates, she begins to follow him on foot. Jackie remains fearful but her dogged pursuit ultimately brings her face-to-face with Clyde.

Jackie crashes a party, befriending Clyde’s roommate Stevie, before dancing intimately with Clyde himself. Battling disgust, she nevertheless becomes attracted to her lecherous tormentor. Unable to control her desires an inevitable sexual encounter occurs, leading a panicked Jackie to spring a trap on Clyde with an accusation of rape. Clyde’s tragic connection to Jackie is finally revealed. After years of hiding, Jackie confronts her hatred in hopes of burying it forever and finding a path to forgiveness. To do so is to live again.

Writer/director Andrea Arnold’s debut feature-length film packs a wallop. Set at a methodical pace, the story unfolds like an old-fashioned mystery. Who is Clyde Henderson? What does Jackie want with him? Hints are dropped along the way but the picture is clouded until the powerful ending. Kate Dickie, who I’ve never seen before, delivers an impressive performance as the haunted, withdrawn Jackie. She carries the film admirably. The best thing about Red Road is its sparseness. No over-the-top acting, no over-dramatic score, no shocking climax; just a tightly woven plot that reaches a satisfying conclusion. In other words, what movies should be.

The trailer for Red Road:

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Getting old stinks. The aches, the pains, the medical probing and prodding. It would be nice to age gracefully with our faculties intact but some of us will inevitably become burdens. When this happens children often accept the responsibility of caring for their elderly parents. It’s far from easy for either party but we sacrifice for those we love. However, this whole process becomes increasingly problematic when the relationship between parent and children is strained. Watch The Savages and you’ll see what I mean.

Siblings Jon and Wendy Savage (Philip Seymour Hoffman, Laura Linney) just received a phone call they’ve been dreading. Their aging father Lenny, who suffers from dementia, got tossed out of his Arizona home by his recently deceased girlfriend’s family. Lacking options, Jon and Wendy decide to bring Lenny back to Jon’s Buffalo home. Jon picks out a nursing home. Wendy battles mounting guilt. Complicating matters is Jon and Wendy’s painful memories of an abusive childhood at the hands of Lenny.

To help ease Lenny’s transition Wendy moves in with Jon. Sibling rivalry heats up as bro and sis bicker over each other’s personal and professional lives. Despite their differences, they come together to care for their father whose condition worsens by the day. Wendy and Jon also grow closer and gain a mutual respect for one another, while struggling to forgive Lenny for his past misdeeds. Dealing with the end of their father’s life forces them to grow up, face their own mortality and find the happiness that has sadly eluded them.

Hoffman and Linney are two of the best actors working today. Their choice in roles are both challenging and interesting. They rarely deliver false performances and watching them act side-by-side is absolute pleasure. Writer/director Tamara Jenkins balances a poignant story with moments of levity. Caring for the elderly is a tricky subject matter not often seen in mainstream film. The Savages provides a realistic examination of a scenario that many of us will confront at some point in our lives. It’s one of those smaller films deserving of a wider audience.

The trailer for The Savages:

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Let me get this straight. Martin Scorsese directed Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, The Last Temptation of Christ, and Goodfellas, but won nary an Oscar for any of them. Instead, he wins for 2006’s The Departed, a good, not great film. You’ve probably seen The Departed, but did you know it was a remake of a Hong Kong movie called Infernal Affairs? As is usually the case the remake fails to live up to the original.

The Hong Kong police are at war with the Triads. Two young cadets, Chan and Lau, take up opposite sides for control of the streets. Chan goes deep undercover to infiltrate Boss Sam’s crime syndicate. Lau, a secret member of Sam’s gang, climbs the police department ladder to the position of Inspector. While Chan employs morse code to tip-off his Supervisor, Lau uses cell phones and computers to forewarn Boss Sam. Both men know the other exists, but it takes a complex cat and mouse game to reveal their true identities.

After ten nerve-racking years of posing as a gangster, Chan is beginning to lose himself. As long as he remains undercover a normal life will never be attainable. Meanwhile, Lau is starting a normal life. He and his fiance move in together and make plans for the future. Lau also struggles with his dual existence; the pressure of deceiving his law enforcement brethren takes a toll. As they edge closer to discovering each other, Chan and Lau both question the validity of their respective jobs. A tense rooftop climax finally brings the two men together putting an end to their subversive ways.

It’s great to see two of Hong Kong’s best actors go head-to-head. Tony Leung and Andy Lau shine playing kindred spirits teetering the thin line between loyalty and betrayal. The clever, twisting narrative was astutely adopted by Scorsese for The Departed. Unfortunately, Scorsese’s version suffers from a neatly tied ending. Infernal Affairs doesn’t provide easy answers to its difficult questions. Good guys and bad guys are not so definable. The lack of ambiguity in American cinema makes for boring, predictable movies. Thankfully, films like Infernal Affairs are there to pick up the slack.

The trailer for Infernal Affairs:

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Anyone familiar with writer/director Tom DiCillo’s phenomenal Living in Oblivion is well aware filmmaking can be excruciatingly painful. I’m amazed most movies don’t turn into disasters. In particular independent films are always at risk for falling apart. Without deep Hollywood coffers, a smaller project can be ruined by one or two bad days of shooting. For that reason I am appreciative of a movie like Box of Moonlight, DiCillo’s eccentric follow-up to Living in Oblivion.

Straight-edge electrical engineer Al Fountain (John Turturro) has just finished installing a factory gas turbine somewhere in the middle-of-nowhere rural America. Instead of going directly home to Chicago Al rents a car and sets out to rediscover Splatchee Lake, a quaint water park he once visited as a kid. Al’s perfect memory is spoiled when he finds an abandoned Splatchee sitting on a contaminated lake. Disappointed, Al hits the road and nearly crashes into a broken down car belonging to a local named Bucky (Sam Rockwell), aka The Kid. Al’s boring, joyless existence is about to get very interesting.

Al begrudgingly agrees to tow The Kid’s car home. Once there, Al is anxious to leave, but Bucky passes out so Al is forced to spend the night. A breakfast of milk and Hydrox cookies leads to a fun-filled day for Al and Bucky. Their list of activities include taking a dip in a gorgeous swimming hole, engaging in a tomato fight, and running from the cops. Free-spirited Bucky and by-the-books Al become fast, albeit unlikely, friends. Al’s short stay is extended into a 4th of July vacation as he sheds his rigid ways and injects some much-needed fun into his life.

Box of Moonlight festively illustrates how friendship can result in positive change. Al and Bucky have no friends which enables them to learn much from each other. The Kid shows Al how to cut loose; Al teaches The Kid a little bit of structure goes a long way. Turturro has made a career playing staid characters, but he adds a deadpan goofiness to Al Fountain. Rockwell never fails to impress in his comedic roles. His portrayal of the Davy Crockett attired oddball Bucky The Kid is original and hilarious. Box of Moonlight is an strange little film that will grow on you.

A scene from Box of Moonlight:

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Don’t be thrown by the weird title. In Thai it translates to “A Story About 6 and 9.” I actually prefer the translation but for some reason they went with 6ixtynin9 for English audiences. Anyway, I dig it when I stumble upon a movie I’ve never heard of and thanks to IFC Channel this hidden treasure popped up on my radar. Grab your popcorn and strap in for 6ixtynin9, a dark comedy with a high body count.

Tum (Lalita Panyopas) just got fired from her finance job. Bad news for sure, but life is about to get worse for Tum. After a night filled with suicidal dreams, Tum awakens to discover a mysterious box outside her apartment door. The box contains $25,000. Tum stashes the loot and calls her friend Pen. To keep or not to keep, that is the question. Before Tum can reach a decision two thugs knock on her door looking for the box. Not buying her feigned ignorance, the two hoods get a little rough. Not a smart move because they end up dead.

Stolen money and dead guys complicate things for Tum. She quickly devises a plan: ditch the bodies and skip town with the dough. Of course the best laid plans never go smoothly. More interested parties drop by Tum’s place. A bevy of street toughs, a nosy neighbor, and a cop all pay her a visit. Gun-play and violence ensues. The demure Tum finds herself entangled in a bloody mess. Will she escape with the cash or will her illicit activities catch up with her?

Writer/director Pen-Ek Ratanaruang nimbly keeps the laughs coming despite a brutal storyline. Tum’s improbable plunge into darkness never rings false. A ridiculous series of events powers the plot forward offering a fair share of twists along the way. Lalita Panyopas delivers a pinpoint performance as Tum, an unlikely criminal mastermind. Her striking face reveals a myriad of emotions from innocence to rage and everything in between. 6ixtynin9 was a pleasant surprise and I love to share my surprises. If you don’t mind a lot of blood, give it a watch.

The trailer for 6ixtynin9:

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