Critical Film Condition

It shouldn’t bee too challenging for Brazilians to review “Elite Squad”. It won the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival in 2008 and being Brazilian WE’RE TOTALLY BIASED.

And, contrary to what you might believe, that I might go the other way and totally bash this movie just for the sake of bashing something on a Monday night, I am going to tell you why “Tropa de Elite” is such a good movie.

Now, I am not gonna waste any strength elaborating on the piracy problem this movie suffered in my homeland… It’s just not worth it and it doesn’t add anything to the quality of the final product (which is much better than the pirated copy).

“Elite Squad” is set in 1998 Rio de Janeiro, where, preceding the pope’s visit, the captain of an elite squad of the Rio Military Police is assigned to clean up the slums so that John Paul II doesn’t get shot in the head in Brazilian soil. Captain Nascimento’s only problem is, he’s about to become a father, and he’s gotten tired of the war. So it becomes his task to find a worthy substitute to keep on the fight against the drug-lords.

Where “City of God” was criticized by it’s sensationalism, “Elite Squad” nails the realistic approach dead on by displaying a Brazil that has been corrupted by its people, not just a select group. Where all teenagers thought that smoking a little joint was an act of freedom from the system, but forgot that by doing so they are financing another system that is responsible for the deaths of many. It shows that by simply ignoring the problems and embracing a feeling of lack of guilt, the people of Brazil are now being threatened by the same problems that they chose to turn away from many years ago. And in this case, “Elite Squad” is both a brilliant and valiant attempt at showing the world Brazil’s true colors. A land of corrupt and thieves, but where a few good men take it upon themselves to try and maintain what is left of peace.

“Elite Squad” is brilliantly directed by José Padilha, who had a career in Documentary Film Making and is, as you are reading this review, in charge of directing “The Sigma Protocol”, based on a Robert Ludlum book (yes, the guy from the Bourne trilogy). Padilha finds the balance between good realistic storytelling, and heart pumping action, assisted by Phil Nelson, Stunt Supervisor in Ridley Scott’s “Black Hawk Down”. In Nascimento, the screenwriter creates both an anti-hero and a myth in Brazil, a man who makes the meanest drug-lords back down, but feels helpless when he gets home and sees his pregnant wife. Wagner Moura helps give the character some more depth, and while other actors fail to achieve such a level, it never hurts the story.

“Elite Squad” is well-rounded Brazilian production, but it exceeds all expectations with its sharp storytelling, great action scenes, and amazing acting by Wagner Moura. It shows Brazil with all its cruelty, without spoiling it like “City of God” and showing that, if you feel scared walking down Copacabana at night, it means you damn well should be… Even worse, it’s all your fault.

Popularity: 2%

Michael Ballhaus is Germany’s most famous DOP. For those of you who have been living with a bag over their heads, here is a list of his works: Der Zauberberg, The Age of Innocence, Dracula, Goodfellas, The Fabulous Baker Boys, Working Girl, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Last Temptation of Christ, The Glass Menagerie, The Color of Money, The Departed, Something’s Gotta Give, Gangs of New York, Primary Colors, Air Force One. And this is just a selection.

Now at the age of 74 he is a first time director. The subject of his documentary is his place of birth and hometown: Berlin. He joins Argentinean filmmaker and fellow cameraman Ciro Capellari in this declaration of love for Germany’s capital. In an attempt to comprehend and explain the city, they interview residents, mostly comprised of friends, including Berlin’s governing Mayor Klaus Wowereit, Federal Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Alexander Hacke (of “Einstürzende Neubauten”), TV journalist Maybrit Illner, actress Angela Winkler along with her daughter Nele among many, many others.

This is charming, although the arts are slightly overrepresented. But since Berlin is just buzzing with creativity and so diversified, there is just not one way to tell it like it is. If you have never been to Berlin, first of all: go! Second of all: this movie is not a tourist guide. It illustrates very Berlin-specific topics like the rebuilding of the Berlin castle in the middle of downtown. It is a snapshot comprised of a selection of residents telling about the city they have great love for.

Berlin has evolved so much since the collapse of the Berlin Wall and gone trough so much before, it was about time to muse on the subject of this history-laden city. It is beautifully shot (which really is a given), but it is really, really beautifully shot (although according to producer Arndt Potdevin Michael Ballhaus never touched any of the cameras). If you happen to like or even love Berlin you will like or possibly love this movie.

Popularity: 3%

Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder.

Cheri is a romantic drama set in 1920s belle époque Paris, where Cheri (Rupert Friend), the son of a courtesan (Kathy Bates) is forced to marry and end the six-year relationship with the older woman (Michelle Pfeiffer) who educated him in the ways of love.

Director Stephen Frears in my opinion can do no wrong after “Dangerous Liaisons” and “High Fidelity”, two of my all-time favorites. More than 20 years after “Dangerous Liaisons”, he reunites with writer Christopher Hampton and actress Michelle Pfeiffer for “Cheri”, an adaptation of the 1920s novel by French author Colette, mostly known for her novel “Gigi” (later turned into the 1958 Lerner-Loewe musical, which starred Leslie Caron and Mauriece Chevalier – including that dreadful song “Thank heaven for little girls” that just makes me squirm every time I hear it, which is not too often, thank heaven!).

Colette actually had quite an interesting life herself: Aside from writing novels, Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (1873 –1954) performed together with her lover Marquise de Belbeuf (known as Missy) in a pantomime entitled Rêve d’Égypte at the Moulin Rouge. Their onstage kiss nearly caused a riot, which the police were called in to suppress. During the war she converted her husband’s St. Malo estate into a hospital for the wounded, and was made a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour in 1920. She divorced Henri de Jouvenel in 1924 after a much talked-about affair with her stepson, Bertrand de Jouvenel.

Now that’s a movie!

Cheri is a truly beautiful flirtation. Much like a prostitute, it proposes fantasy, charm and pleasure. It seduces with witty conversation, beautiful designs and exquisite costumes but in the end offers only fleeting satisfaction. It is just a fact that this movie will be compared to “Dangerous Liaisons” and it is simply not as superb, it pains me to say.

Michelle Pfeiffer as Lea de Lonval is breathtakingly beautiful and blissfully subtle in her performance, in every scene. To watch her as the aging courtesan practice the art of self-denial is enchanting. Beauty simply isn’t timeless and it is perfectly clear what will happen, but she manages to make it electrifying. She carries this movie, much more than Rupert Friend as the bored, superficial and hedonistic dandy Cheri in their ill-fated and highly improper union. They both don’t have a concept of love so they are unable to really recognize it. When Cheri’s mother wants him to get married, he obliges. Pride and defiance tear the lovers apart, reunite them and tear them apart again.

And that is where the problem lies (much as beauty does in the eyes of the beholder). It is just not enough of a story. I would have liked to see it as more than eye candy. It all gels very well together, directing, acting, editing, photography and especially the amazing score by Andre Desplat. Wonderful. But in the end it just lacks substance. It is not a lasting love affair, but a beautiful flirt.

Popularity: 3%

Rage is actually a very good title. I am not sure that was the intention of its creator, but rage is a very, very good label. Let me see try it on:

I was enraged.

It filled me with rage.

It was all the rage to leave the theater about halfway through the movie.

Yes, it fits.

Michaelangelo, a student, is filming fashion people with his telephone for a class project and posting the interviews on YouTube. 2 models get killed in the process. Everybody is shocked and ponders these fundamental questions: Why? Who? Can one really wear too much make-up?

Clichés and conspiracies: Rage is a murder mystery (M is for Mystery, you know!) set in the fashion world. But it is also a cinematic experiment. It is entirely in the narrative. 99 minutes of talking heads telling the story from their various perspectives with a backdrop of blindingly bright colors.

I confess: am a youtube as well as a fashion disciple. But I simply was unable to sit it out. Literally.

The only other Sally Potter I have seen so far is “The man who cried”, as part of a “Bad Johnny Depp movies event” with my girlfriends. I have no idea how she managed to turn a star-crossed love story about a Jewish girl and a Gypsy set in WW2 Paris into a comedy, but she did.

There is an impressive cast that failed to save this: Steve Buscemi, Eddie Izzard, Dianne Wiest, John Leguizamo and model Lily Cole (“they call me Lettuce, … Lettuce Leaf”) among them. On the plus side: Jude Law makes a really, really hot chick. He plays Minx, a supermodel. And Dame Judy Dench (but she doesn’t count since she could technically read a telephone book and make it sound interesting).

I guarantee you: You will be enRAGEd!

Popularity: 2%

I feel like I have just survived being sucked into the deepest pit of teen angst hell and it ain’t pretty. But cool.

(I saw the screening with an audience almost entirely comprised of high school students at the Babylon Kino at the Berlinale).

Certainly it is no freak accident, that the main character in this teen coming-of-age movie is called Holden. This is really feisty but actually justified. “My suicide” tells the story of Holden Archibald Buster Williams (played by Gabriel Sunday) who is your regular horny tragically confused geek with boundary issues whose only form of cover, communication and camouflage is a camera. Gabriel Sunday dances through a vast array of human emotions quite marvelously (he shares editing and producing credits). Worth keeping an eye on, certainly.

Holden views his entire life as a movie, the boundaries between real and reality are quite blurred (and after the Matrix, who can be sure, really?). He records his entire life and edits it in his room/parent’s guesthouse. On final cut Pro. I haven’t been a teenager in a while and even though I work in editing this was another example of how viewing behavior has drastically changed (average attention span of a ferret on smack!). And it was really kind of disconcerting to see that the editor, Jordan Miller, is a conservatively estimated 12 years old and very, very talented. Scary.

Holden feels that his life is meaningless but ultimately worth telling at least one dramatic story. As a class project he decides to make a movie about his suicide. The usual social speed bumps shift into gear, no one really caring, understanding and again connecting, but the fellow students actually welcoming the debate and deflection. Is suicide a permanent solution to a temporary problem? What exactly is it? There is never really a discussion of consequences, no Gnostic revelations, no “what does it all mean” deliberations, which I think perfectly reflects the innocence and nonchalant approach to the subject that is privy to teenagers.

Holden’s life changes and brings his crush (and ultimately crash) Sierra Silver (Brooke Nevin) into his world. Holden commenting on himself during their first filmed conversation is hilarious. And that is all I am giving away. The second part far more serious than the first, however perfectly fitting the plot. One could tell that this script was well cooked by director David Lee Miller before assembling all the pieces and meticulously piecing them together in this flirtation with death. I loved how all the movie quotes were weaved into the story, again displaying the fine line between fact, fiction and projection.

Then add David Carradine as the poet Vargas offering his own insights into the matter. Marvelous. I am not sure whether this was deliberately added for a more mature audience but it rounded of the ethical proportions somewhat for me (simple, yet very effective).

Suicide is among the leading causes of death throughout the world. However it is still treated as a taboo topic. Director David Lee Miller somehow managed to tread that fine line without being preachy, instead being very objective, honest and ultimately very real. It works.

Maybe because this seems to be such a group effort (it is after all a family project, the two Millers are father and son), it seems to be a labor of love. And that is what it all comes down to, really.

“My suicide” has the potential of becoming a cult classic. Let’s hope it will get the exposure it deserves.

Popularity: 98%