Drama
Mean Creek (2004)
Mean CreekUSA 2004
Director: Jacob Aaron Estes
During my screening of Mean Creek, I couldn’t help but wonder what I would do if I was in the same situation as the teenagers in the film. I kept thinking of what my options would be, what the risks were. In other words, I found myself drawn into the narrative of the film so completely I began thinking like the characters. This is quite an engrossing little film.
Part of the film’s strength is its realism: the characters and settings seem wholly authentic. Very rarely do films accurately portray the demeanor and language of teenagers, but Mean Creek is spot-on. The performances are amazing and naturalistic; no-one comes off as an actor. The weakest of the bunch, however, is Josh Peck as George: his performance, though good, never really rings as true as those of the other principles.
The writer/director creates a tense, streamlined story with little affect and embellishment. We’re shown exactly what we need to see; no more, no less. It’s refreshing to see such efficient filmmaking.
Mean Creek asks hard questions and doesn’t offer easy solutions for the characters or the viewer.
Colin Le SueurOldboy (2003)
OldboySouth Korea 2003
Director: Chan-wook Park
Language: Korean
During the past ten years, something interesting’s been happening in Asian films, particularly in the cult cinemas of Hong Kong, Japan and Korea. This ‘New Wave of Asian Cult Cinema’ represents some of the most interesting and innovative films in recent memory.
Oldboy mixes the violence and extreme morality of Miike with the thoughtfulness and tragedy of Kitano, creating a disturbing and contemplative mystery thriller, ultimately fascinating. Director Park has crafted an excellent example of modern filmmaking. The editing is sharp and clever, seamlessly blending both old and new techniques.
The fight sequences are some of the most believable since Fight Club, with nasty wet sound effects and realistic movements. Park also chooses to imply most of the nastiest violence, often with a wink and a nod. Unlike the films of Takashi Miike, for instance, the most disturbing moments are created in the viewer’s own mind.
The acting is excellent, with Min-sik Choi’s performance a standout. He is at once grim and menacing, yet endearing and pathetic. Physically, his performance is also outstanding. Choi seems like a totally different character at the beginning of the film; he’s almost unrecognisable later.
The plot of the film seems simple, almost deceptively so. There’s much more to the story than the posters convey. Oldboy is a mystery, a thriller, a comedy, a love story, a revenge fantasy and a tragedy. An easy way to describe it is ‘a Korean action film,’ but that would be like calling Ichi the Killer ‘a Japanese action film.’
See Oldboy expecting one thing and come away surprised; isn’t that what the best films do?
Colin Le SueurTesis (1996)
TesisSpain 1996
Director: Alejandro Amenábar
Language: Spanish
In his films, director Amenabar seems more interested in that which is not seen, rather than that which is seen. In the hands of another director, this film would’ve been garish, blood-filled and disturbing. Under Amenabar, Tesis is subtle, restrained and still very disturbing.
This interesting little horror/mystery asks some heavy questions about the industry of cinema and the public’s appetite for violence. Just how violent is too violent? Is there a line that cinema shouldn’t cross? Cleverly avoiding issues of hypocrisy, the film largely leaves the on-screen violence to a minimum, showing instead brief and disturbing flashes. Though the film knows the viewer is dying to see the violence, Amenabar won’t compromise. If only more filmmakers had his convictions.
The visual style of the film is quite interesting, with many clever POV techniques and genuinely creepy use of light and shadows. It’s no surprise Amenabar went on to direct The Others with Nicole Kidman; he definitely has an eye for sharp visuals.
Though the film never ventures too far into deep social analysis, Tesis does raise some interesting questions about the horror genre (though not in a smug, ‘we’re so clever’ way) and that alone makes it a welcome change from mainstream Hollywood horror films.
Colin Le SueurThe Departed (2006)
The DepartedUSA/Hong Kong 2006
Director: Martin Scorsese
It’s rare for a remake, especially a remake of an acclaimed foreign film, to come close to the original in any way. Often Hollywood comes across a clever or interesting foreign film and tries to mainstream it, turning an idea that works extremely well in the original country but fails to translate to an American context.
I was fairly optimistic about The Departed, however. The original film, Infernal Affairs (2002), was what they call an instant classic, a Hong Kong gangster film that was both fresh and compelling. When I heard Martin Scorsese was filming the remake, substituting Irish gangsters for Hong Kong triads, I thought it had the potential to be an excellent film. Thankfully, Scorsese has delivered an interesting, entertaining film that manages to maintain faithful to the original film while standing as a separate entity.
The cast Scorsese assembled for The Departed is impressive, made all the more impressive by the fact these aren’t just names above the marquee: every actor delivers a solid, credible performance (save a slight tendency to chew the scenery from Jack Nicholson, a fact easily forgiven, however). Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio and Ray Winstone are particular standouts, with Alec Baldwin continuing his recent tradition of strong supporting roles.
Technically, The Departed is as good as any of Scorsese’s recent films. The editing is sharp and crisp, never letting the viewer grow complacent. The soundtrack is also spot-on, a nice combination of Irish-American punk courtesy of The Dropkick Murphys and old Scorsese standards.
Is this film better than Goodfellas, as some have claimed? I don’t think so, but that’s an impossible standard to maintain. What The Departed is, comparisons aside, is an entertaining and sharp American crime film filled with great performances and an involving narrative. What else would you expect from Martin Scorsese?
Colin Le Sueur