The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

In the past year I struggled with many films, trying to figure out if films have become just beautiful visual canvasses empty of deep feelings. Then I saw The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, film that left me inspired, amused, and most of all invigorated with hope and desire to hop on a plane after leaving cinema.


Ben Stiller stars and directs The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, based on short story by James Thurber, cartoonist and writer for The New Yorker in the 1930s and 40s. He published "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" in The New Yorker in March of 1939.
It is hard to classify this film in any particular genre, being mix of comedy, drama and magic realism.


We are introduced to Walter as a daydreamer in his 40s, doing a mundane job of "negative asset manager" for Life magazine for 15 years. He is stuck in a day job with little prospect of changing much in his life. His only outlet are his daydreams, his snaps into extraordinary worlds, in which he is a hero, magician, lover, sometimes capable of performing impossible tasks.
These events bring laughs with a hint of sadness as we discover Walter's inner life, his dreams and fears.

Things change as Life magazine goes online and the last printed version is about to be published. Walter finds himself in a crucial role, as everyone is waiting to see the photo, which is the last cover of Life magazine- photo by photojournalist Sean O'Connell, played by Sean Penn.

The photo goes missing and this event spirals Walter's life into series of events, some of them beyond his wildest dreams. Walter is forced to "abandon" daydreams and embark on real journeys which will take him as far as Afghanistan and Iceland.

Audience is taken for a very enjoyable ride, cheering with the protagonist who is fulfilling our own wild dreams and fantasies. 
We are cheering for him, inside cheering for ourselves, encouraging our hero to test his own limits and go beyond his wildest dreams. We are too afraid to do things Walter is doing, he is our fantasy on screen where everything is possible, compared to real life. Finally "Stop dreaming, star living" has been initiated.

Cheryl-played by Kristen Wiig is  Walter's love interest, single mother who has her own problems but is grounded in reality by her son. Cheryl becomes Walter's inspiration, adding real dimension to his dreams and motivating him for his bold actions. 

There is no surprise at the happy ending, yet it is not a cringing Hollywood happy end but a natural progression of Walter's journey. Walter  is rewarded for his efforts, and not only has  he has conquered his own fears, he has found a companion in his life journey. Now it is time for us to stop dreaming and star living.

Killing Season review

 

Take two great actors, one forest and  think about endless possibilities for film stories.

Casting  two great actors Robert De Niro and John Travolta, together for the first time in their careers sounds like a promising project. Add one lame screenplay and the film is destined straight for video release.

Hollywood is still trying to cash in on civil war in former Yugoslavia, that ended 20 years ago.
It is no surprise that this conflict has offered inspiring material to many Hollywood screenwriters including Angelina Jolie who wrote and directed her debut film  "In the land of blood and honey" in 2011.Needless to say the film did not see cinema release in many countries, including Australia.

Writer Evan Daugherty, writer of Snow White and the Huntsman, has a great premise for the film.

Benjamin Ford (De Niro) is a career soldier who is now spending his retirement in virtual isolation in his cabin in the woods, where he takes nature photos, listens to Johnny Cash albums and struggles to forget the horrors that he experienced while in the field in former Yugoslavia. There is no peace for Ford when Emil  Kovac, Serbian soldier  who was captured and supposedly executed by Ford and his fellow NATO troops after they liberated a Bosnian internment camp shows up in his woods. Having survived the bullet Ford put in his back, Kovac has finally tracked him down and now wants to go after him in a fair fight in order to get revenge.

The film gives no background to the conflict with occasional flashbacks to the war.

De Niro looks exhausted, his heart not in the film, surrendering to the weak screenplay. There is a difference between being nonchalant, as he plays many of his other roles, however that approach does not work in this film.


Travolta on the other hand throws himself at playing a Serbian soldier. This is opportunity in his film career  to play a very different character yet he does not rise to the opportunity. His  accent is appalling,  his look is that of a Muslim devotee not a Serbian Orthodox.
 Hollywood is famous for typecasting certain nationalities, never looking under the surface and it is no wonder that Killing Season has done it again with the portrayal and blame of Serbian nation  through one character.

The scenery is stunning and it provides perfect background for a revenge movie.
Primal is revealed as two, Ford and Kovac are chasing each other in the forest, brutality of human mind opening up as Ford's leg is being pierced by Kovac's arrow.

 There are some very powerful and nice moments in the film, such as bonding session between Ford and Kovac, as Kovac tempts Fords to drink Jagger master, two of them slowly opening up to each other, Johnny Cash music in the background.
 However the film fails to deliver on deeper level, not  teaching us anything about human condition.

 As a thriller Killing Season could work, yet the superficial screenplay, annoying accent and unconvincing characters are distractions that I could not overcome to completely embrace the film. 

An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker movie review

 

In 2001 Bosnian director Danis Tanovic won Academy Award for Best Foreign film "No Man's Land". He continued his career in Europe, directing award winning films such as "Hell" and "Circus Columbia".

"An Episode in the life of Iron picker" marks the return to his Bosnian roots, with the true story of Roman family and their fight to save mother Senada's life. Tanovic was so moved when he read the story in the  local paper, that he decided to approach the family and tell their story. Senada and her husband Nazif agreed to re-create the plot in front of the camera, together with their two young daughters.

Senada was few months pregnant when she experienced miscarriage. Diagnosed and briefly treated in the local hospital she was let go home after she was told that she has to pay close to 1000 Bosnian marks for the surgery to remove dead fetus. The film follows Nazif's journey as he tries to find the way to save his wife's life. 

"An Episode in the life of Iron picker" was micro-budget film. It was shot on Cannon 5D, in only 9 days, mostly handheld with no light, no make up, no costume, and as Tanovic said in one interview "not even catering".  Tanovic was mostly  alone with DOP and his inexperienced cast which allowed him to get closer to them and improvise for hours. Most of the script was improvised during the filming. This approach paid off with some wonderfully moving scenes, especially the ones in the hospital involving two daughters, as they are waiting for their mum to come out of the operating theater.

The film grabs us, draws us inside this little family, feeling for them as they make each step, in trying to find the way to finance Senada's surgery. Nazif never gives up even when the situation becomes desperate and his pleas to the doctors are left unanswered.

Romas are minority in Bosnia and like in many other European countries, they have little or no rights. The film draws attention to their Roman background in a very subtle way. In one scene Nazif opens up to a friend saying that he fought in the civil war in former Yugoslavia for four years, and he does not even have medical insurance. His story is not unique. Many soldiers who fought in the war have never even received pension.

Film raises many questions. On the universal level it  poses the questions of justice, human rights and right to survive  based on financial circumstances. Living in the Western world we are all too familiar with the medical insurance system but bureaucracy and greed know no border or language.

On the other hand film tells the true story of the  current state of affairs in the former Yugoslav republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is a sample for all the other neighboring countries. The absurd civil war initiated by foreign forces (1992-1996) brought only misery and suffering. There is still no solution for many areas of the Balkans, with economy plummeting and ordinary people still suffering, 20 years after the end of the war.

Film won Grand Prix at the 63td Berlin International Film festival and Nazif Mujic was awarded Silver Bear for best actor.

Tanovic's film can be classified as art house movie and I can not see it as popular movie in the cinema. Yet it is a little jewel that should be seen and experienced, simply because this is universal story, it can happen anytime and anywhere. 
We are all humans and we should care about each other as much as we can. Tanovic certainly reminds us of that. No price can be put on saving human life, regardless of race, religion.

 

 

Great Gatsby movie review

When F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby  was first published in 1925 it sold only 20000 copies.

The book was revived during the WW2 and became literary classic and compulsory curriculum in many school. Unfortunately Fitzgerald died before witnessing his grand successes, believing himself to be a failure.

Set in the summer of 1992, the book follows lives of prosperous residents of fictional West Egg on Long Island, focusing on young millionaire Jay Gatsby and his love for beautiful Daisy Buchanan.

Through his characters, Fitzgerald captures twenties in their  true light, the era   known for unprecedented economic prosperity, the evolution of jazz music, flapper culture and many criminal activities, in particular alcohol sales.

In 2013, The Great Gatsby, in 3D screen offers Baz Luhrman's vision of this literary masterpiece.
Lavish, over the top, colorful, loud like other Luhrman's work. The film left deep impression on me however there was a distinct lack of emotional impact.

Like the original book, Luhrman's screenplays relies on  the narrator Nicholas "Nick" Carraway, played by Toby Maguire to tell the story of Gatsby and his love for Dasy.
 Luhrman altered narrator's life slightly by putting Nick in the mental institution in which he writes the story over period of one sleepless night.

Directors often rely on voice overs when  telling  a story, however Nick's narration works against the Luhrman's vision. Maguire's monotonous, boy pitched voice provides story and sense of time set up but personally I found it distracting and at times annoying, especially when words were also "printed" on the screen.

Unlike Fitzgerald's book, Luhrman's film  failed to give us a sense of society of 1920, with some brief references to racial issues and alcohol sales during this time.

His casting choice of Leonardo Di Caprio in the role of Gatsby is perfect. This is one of Caprio's best roles, capturing perfectly ruthless yet behind the scenes very vulnerable man.

The film failed in engaging us emotionally on many levels. There are many characters but I felt a bit lost, as I looked from one character to another, all of them undoubtedly very interesting and complex, yet only posters on the screen.
 The characters of Gatsby, Dasy, played by  beautiful Carey Mulligan, Tom played by Joel Edgerton  are like the amazing set design by Catherine Martin , lavish, living in their own worlds, leaving us observing them but not allowing us to get closer to them.

While reading a book we are left to our imagination to construct the world of Great Gatsby while the movie creates this world for us-the world of unscrupulous rich people who do not really care about anything or anyone except money and power.

The Great Gatsby is not masterpiece but it is unique filmmaker's vision of classic such as Great Gatsby.
Luhrman's style is not everyone' s favorite but his gift and unique vision can never be questioned.

I enjoyed the film, leaving the cinema with a sense of wonder and wanting to find out more and maybe even revisit Fitzgerald's  book.

3.5/5

Porfirio movie review

Porfirio is second film by Alejandro Landes,  Brazilian born director, co-produced with Francisco Aljure.

His first film, the documentary Cocalero premiered at Sundance 2007. With Porfirio, Landes was a fellow at the Cinéfondation Residence and the Sundance Institute in 2012.

Porfirio tells the true story of Porfirio Ramírez Aldana, Colombian, who became paralyzed, after a failed police operation in 1991, when he was shot in the back. After  numerous attempts at suing the government, his case was closed.

Set in remote Colombian village, on the outskirts of Amazon, the film follows Porfirio’s day  to day life. 

Starring Porfirio himself, Jarlinsson Ramírez Reinoso as his real life son and Yor Jasbleidy Santos as his  girlfriend.

Porfirio’s life is destroyed after he became bound to the wheelchair, his daily survival depending on the money made by selling minutes on his mobile phone to the locals. Porfirio’s dignity is gone, now that   his own son changes his nappies, or gives him daily baths.

His overweight body is in every shot, the heaviness of it adding to the misery of his situation. Like Gerom Samsa’s character in  Frank Kafka’s “Metamorphosis” who wakes up to find himself trapped into the body of a giant insect, Porfirio found himself trapped inside his own body, with his legs paralyzed.

There is no relief for this man, whose every move and attempt at normality are felt on the screen, as he moves from wheelchair to bed, as he scratches his back with the scoop or tries to reach the clock high on the shelf.

 The relief is not in sight even when his girlfriend visits, their lovemaking grotesque, embarrassing, as we struggle with feelings of disgust and sympathy . But there is no escape from this imprisoned body, not even in the ecstasy of lovemaking.

Porfirio’s heaviness echoes Colombian society, spirit imprisoned in the heavy corpse from which the escape seems impossible. Will the reality ever change, or do we have any power to alter it even slightly?

When Porfirio buys grenades from the local black market dealer some hope appears even if it leaves us with uneasiness about his motives.

There are only few scenes shot outside Porfirio's house, one set in the village center. With no disabled access Porfirio is not even able to enter the government office. He throws couple of stones at the windows, to alert the clerks of his presence outside, insignificant man in the face of bureaucracy and government power.

Porfirio is not an easy film to watch yet it leaves us glued to the screen, unable to leave, anticipating every scene with some hope that reality will change.  Director shows no mercy in the way he frames Porfirio’s body or shows his daily rituals.

The final scene in which Porfirio sings, starring at us explains the full story and his attempt to hijack the plane and get some attention.

There is no compensation, instead there is   home imprisonment as Porfirio’s punishment.

 There is no way out of the house, out of his body, as there is no way out for a man in the face of bureaucracy, government policies and hearing your voice.

While Porfirio gets no compensation and no chance at better life, we are left wondering at injustice in this world, and some of us more than grateful that we can at least leave our house at our own will.

4.5/5 stars

http://eng.porfiriofilm.com/home/ 

pause

The only thing we can not control in this life is time. It is ticking as soon as we become life form in the mother's womb. The time starts there and then, as soon as we are formed as single cell  and it can never be stopped, no matter what we do. On one hand it gives meaning to our existence while  on the other it is the biggest challenge we face in everyday living. Right now I wish I had pause button, to stop time, just for a little bit, just to have a break, just to breath freely, unaffected by daily problems, dramas, news, myself.

to feel

"In the 1970s, researchers followed people who'd won the lottery and found that a year after they'd hit the jackpot, they were no happier than the people who didn't. They called it hedonic adaptation, which suggests that we each have a baseline level of happiness. No matter what happens, good or bad, the effect on our happiness is only temporary and we tend to rebound to our baseline level."
http://www.wikihow.com/Be-Happy


To feel is to be alive. Sometimes the feelings go away, they are pushed aside, or they simply disappear for a while. But what happens when they do not come back?
In a desperate attempt to feel anything man can do strange things, stupid things, things that might be detrimental to one's being.
How do we get the "feeling" back.. that little thing that lives inside us...Should we just relax and be.. and wait for it to come back or should we do anything that we can?
Some say that being in love makes you alive.. that it is the meaning of our lives.. I used to believe in that.
Then after many disappointments I discovered that we can only live in a moment, in today. There is nothing but present in which we need to emerse ourselves, and enjoy or just be as much as we can.
But then even the moment lost its soul...
What is left if not now?