Bananas! Bananas everywhere! “House” (“Hausu”, 1977)

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directed by Nobuhiko Ôbayashi
© 1977 Toho. All Rights Reserved.

Some time ago I found a post with a list of films that are quite… specific. I mean, they are one of a kind, difficult to explain, sort of must-see because there’s no other way to understand them. Alright, challenge accepted. I decided to see one of the films from the list and that was “House” (1977). I was aware of the fact that Japanese cinema likes to be overly dramatic and as a European cinephile it’s hard for me to stand their intensity of literally every aspect of the film. But seems like I knew nothing back then and now I can tell – it can get even more intense, my dear. If you want to see something extreme, you’re reading the right recommendation. So, it starts pretty casually, with a school girl called Gorgeous (Kimiko Ikegami) who wanted to spend summer with her dad, but he got married and changed his plans. Devastated Gorgeous (apparently a mother-in-law wasn’t her dream companion at that time) contacts her aunt that she hasn’t seen in many years and asks to visit her. When the woman agrees, Gorgeous takes her six friends, each of whom has a name connected to something particular about them. My favourite is Mac – because she eats a lot. Japanese like joking about Americans since forever, I guess. All of them reach the aunt’s house and then the film looks like the mind of Salvador Dalí. I mean, I got the general idea of the story, but what I saw on the screen cannot be described by a human being. Let me put it this way – would I watch it again? No. But I’m glad I’ve done it at least once, because it takes a very creative person to come up with such surreal images. Besides, it’s a film from 1977, so I believe back then it was even more bizarre for viewers. In fact, at first this horror wasn’t much appreciated, but I guess it “opened some doors” for other horror filmmakers and showed them that there are no limits in cinema. So after all those years, “House” is considered a classic and I think every horror fan should definitely see it. Personally, I love horrors, but maybe a slightly different kind, so it was a fun adventure, my imagination feels exercised, I appreciate the efforts, but once is enough. However, the hungry piano will always remain in my heart. Watch the film and you’ll see.

My rating: 7/10
S.

CAPTCHA will catch ya. “I’m Not a Robot” (“Ik ben geen robot”, 2023)

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directed by Nicola Conversa
© 2023 The New Yorker. All Rights Reserved.

Oscars 2025 are coming soon, so expect a lot of recommendations from me with the nominated titles. This year, again, I have films that I strongly support and at least one film that’s a huge joke to me. What’s more, I’m actually worried that based on the Academy choices, that joke of a film might win the main Oscar… Stay strong, dear filmmakers. I know the Academy rules and restrictions for the nominees are already questionable, but please, keep making good cinema. There are so many horrible productions that have won Oscars and later on they are forgotten. I guess it’s better to do quality and skip the fancy party, right? Okay, enough complaining, because I actually have a wonderful short film to recommend you! It’s a Dutch production about a woman named Lara (Ellen Parren), who’s currently at work and is having some technical issues with her computer. The system update blocks pretty much everything unless she succeeds in a CAPTCHA test. Before you ask uncle Google, let me explain: CAPTCHA – Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart. And before you think of using uncle Google again: that’s a series of online tests which most of us have seen at least once. Whenever you have to type the letters or numbers (often written by a 5-year-old with dysgraphia) from a picture, or you need to indicate which parts of a picture contain a certain object (for example a road) – that’s CAPTCHA. We’ve been there, done that. So Lara is asked to do such test and fails, several times. We even see her clicking the correct parts of the picture and still, the test says it’s incorrect. She cannot prove she’s human. Sounds ridiculous, right? She decides to call technical support and the gentleman from the other side says that perhaps Lara is in fact a robot who doesn’t know about it yet. And the rest is for you to see. I was thrilled to watch this short film because it kept me curious and engaged in the story from the beginning till the end. I’m a big fan of sci-fi, especially when it focuses on human/non-human matters. That’s great the filmmakers didn’t decide to make it longer, because those 22 minutes are absolutely enough to present the problem and give us some food for thought. Another brilliant story about people acting like gods and not thinking of the consequences of their actions. To me, that’s this year’s winner, so chapeau bas, my fingers are crossed and good luck!

My rating: 8/10
S.

It’s nice to have met you. “Today Again” (“Un oggi alla volta”, 2024)

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directed by Nicola Conversa
© 2024 One More Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Important confession: I sometimes love to watch teen comedies/dramas to do a lot of awwwing and such. Even though I’m an adult, those stories always make me feel good somewhere deep inside. Recently, I randomly found “Today Again” and thought it could be a great choice for a relaxing evening. The number of emotions I went through while watching this “teen comedy” is difficult to count. Let me introduce you to it and perhaps you’ll join me on this emotional rollercoaster. We get to know Marco (Tommaso Cassissa), a rather awkward teenager, who’s not the brightest student. Except successfully failing school, he’s also an introvert and doesn’t feel anyhow comfortable in social situations. One day, at a bar, he meets an incredibly attractive girl and manages to get her number. Unfortunately, she apparently didn’t like the date equally much so she gave Marco a wrong number. Classic move, huh? All his messages reached another girl, Aria (Ginevra Francesconi). At first, Marco is devastated and embarrassed, but soon he realises that Aria is even more interesting than the bar girl. Those two start meeting and the boy is visibly crazy for Aria, but she’s 100% friend-zoning him, which obviously doesn’t stop Marco from trying to win her heart. What’s more, Aria has already graduated, so she’s able to help Marco in studying. Sounds like an adorable teen love story? Maybe, but there’s a secret one of them is hiding, which may turn everything upside down. This film is hilarious, because of numerous gags and the character of Marco, who’s adorably clumsy. It’s also dramatic because of the secret I’ve already mentioned, but there’s no way I’m spoiling that part. It’s actually very well-done – there are so many beautiful pictures in this film, so please pay attention to that as well. However, it’s surely not another boring love story, so prepare yourself for some plot twists and reflection. In the end, I found the story comforting, despite several moments which gave me unpleasant chills. No matter if you’re a teen or an adult – please, find a moment to see this film.

My rating: 7/10
S.

Do two overlapping shadows become darker? “Perfect Days” (2023)

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directed by Wim Wenders
© 2023 Bitters End. All Rights Reserved.

If you need a cinematographic hug, I’ve got something for you. Recently, I was in need of watching something comforting, to relax my brain and simply feel good. I chose to finally watch “Perfect Days”, which I didn’t manage to see before. Take a deep breath and get ready for a pleasant ride with Hirayama (Kōji Hashimoto). He works as a public toilet cleaner in Tokyo and for the whole two hours of the film we’re taking part in his everyday life. Before you decide to skip on a possibly boring drama, let me just grab your arm and say: “trust me, you should see it”. The general story isn’t any more complicated than what I’ve just shared with you, but all those little things that happen in the film – those are the gems to spot and reflect on. Hirayama, despite his quite repetitive and boring job, does his best to clean toilets properly, as if it was the most important task in his life. This way, at least to me, he shows that no matter what you do, do it with respect. Especially since his younger colleague couldn’t care less, so we have a nice contrast between the characters. Hirayama seems to be a very observant person, who admires nature and little sparks of positivity in life. He’s glad to help a little lost boy find his mom. He’s happy to watch treetops during his lunch breaks. He’s excited to play tic-tac-toe with some unknown yet definitely friendly person. He enjoys drinking a can of soda in the morning. He’s smiling while listening to music in his car. To most of us those are just random activities we don’t even think about on a daily basis. Well, I’m trying to, but sometimes other things are stuck in my mind and I forget to appreciate those bright elements and moments. For example, in the autumn I was taking the same road I’d been taking for years and that one day I looked at the tree that’d been there all that time. Just a tree. But I looked at it, stopped and thought “damn, that’s such a lovely tree”. And since that day, I’ve been always smiling walking next to the tree. That’s my tree buddy. Yes, you may have a laugh, you may think I’m crazy, but does this little thing make me feel better? Yes, it does. And as long as I’m not hurting anyone, I’m allowed to appreciate every single good moment in my life. I’m pointing this out because in the film, Hirayama is often seen as a person of a worse kind, simply because of his job. Even his sister, who’s a much more fancy, shows disrespect and pity towards her brother, which also affects Hirayama (you’ll see in the film). I don’t understand why some people love destroying positive moments of others. Someone is eating a bar of chocolate and is thrilled about it – smile and say “enjoy!” instead of rolling your eyes and commenting it with something like “you’re not a child anymore”. A simple walk, some good food, favourite song playing, pleasant smell, the sound of rain, certain colour, somebody’s voice – those are those small things that may help you appreciate life, no matter what. Make sure to notice them. And such films are true gems for reminding us about it.

My rating: 8/10
S.

This trip is a hard swallow for my pride. “The Straight Story” (1999)

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directed by David Lynch
© 1999 Buena Vista Pictures Distribution. All Rights Reserved.

There must be a post about this man on my blog, so here we go. Perhaps I’ll surprise you, but I’ve never been a fan of David Lynch’s films. I know, you’re probably gasping in disrespect. Light a cigarette and keep reading. Lynch was an incredible individual, whom I adored deeply as a person. His way of perceiving life and art was similar to mine, so his death impacted me as well. However, his filmmaking style never convinced me, because I was often missing the point of certain decisions he’d made as a director. So my ratings of his productions would probably start WWIII – and since I’m a rather peaceful person, I’m not going to do it (not yet, at least). Still, Lynch was a talented bastard and there’s this one film that proves it to me. He slowed his very complex mind down and created a rather universal picture, which I appreciate. If you haven’t been Lynch’s style fan either, please give “The Straight Story” a try. It’s actually based on a real story of Alvin Straight (played by Richard Farnsworth), a man in his 70s, who finds out that his brother has had a stroke. The brothers haven’t seen each other in years due to some argument. However, knowing the condition Henry (Alvin’s brother) is in, he decides to visit him and once again sit together and gaze up at the stars. Before you reach out for tissues, let me add an important piece of information. Alvin doesn’t have a driving license, so he has to travel 240 miles (over 380 km) on his lawnmower. Yes, a lawnmower. Yes, it’s based on a true story. As you might be guessing, the man has a bunch of adventures on the way and meets some more or less interesting people. And the ending… well, it’s for you to see, but the ending that Lynch chose was magnificent. After watching this film, I understood that I love Lynch as a director, because technically he’s marvellous, I just don’t get his style. And what? Let’s agree to disagree! I encourage you to see his films and find out whether his mind was your cup of tea or not. And in the meantime, let’s appreciate this man’s sense of humour and the impact he’s had on the world’s cinema. Cheers, Mr. Lynch! You’re an icon.

My rating: 7/10
S.

Truth or justice? “Juror #2” (2024)

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directed by Clint Eastwood
© 2024 Warner Bros. Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

I’ve spent hours discussing this film after watching, so consider it a big deal. I’m still surprised that a legal drama played so much with my mind that I no longer knew which side to take. But let me explain a bit: the main character is Justin (Nicholas Hoult), a journalist, who’s been called to join the jury on a case of a killed woman. The circumstances of the tragedy are not clear. The only suspect is the woman’s boyfriend James (Gabriel Basso), who, as he claims, had an argument with her at a bar and later she went away alone. Unfortunately, James isn’t an angel and he’s been involved in some dirty matters in his life, so the jury is quite sure he’s responsible for the crime. However, during the process, Justin starts remembering something. Last year he had a car accident – he was driving at night and hit something, but because of the weather, darkness and probably some drinks he’d had, he was sure that was some animal which later ran away. Turns out that could have been the killed woman and now, Justin realises he should be the one being judged. But if he admits his guilt, he’ll be sentenced and will leave his pregnant wife on her own. And the mind game begins… I have to say that during the film I didn’t feel such engagement, but the ending… oh boy, the ending is brilliant! And since I’m obsessed with this story, I have to share some analysis of mine so SPOILERS COMING. Get back when you finish watching the film. So… the ending is magnificent, because the story ends depending on your own personal values and beliefs. When I saw the last scene, I was sure that Faith (Toni Collette) came to say she’s going to press charges against Justin, because she knows that’s the right thing to do in accordance with the law. However, I talked to a person who’s pretty sure that Faith came to say “chill out, man, I’ll keep your secret and let you live a normal life”. And that’s magnificent, because it shows how we perceive this case as individuals. Personally, I believe Gabriel, an innocent person, should be released. I know he’s made several mistakes in life, but we shouldn’t be judging people purely based on that. Did Justin drink and kill the woman or was that just an accident? Or maybe someone third did that? No idea. But what I know is that an innocent man has been sentenced based on his social label. On the other hand, if Justin goes to prison, his whole family will be affected and by not continuing the case, both Justin and Faith give the family a chance to live happily. But again, isn’t Gabriel worth of giving him a chance for a better life? Who deserves that better life? A middle-class man with a decent job? My answer is: everybody unless they’ve committed a crime. Of course, Justin might have caused the accident, not saying he killed the woman on purpose, but who’s more responsible for her death? A man who wasn’t even there or a man who actually hit her with his car, even accidentally? To me the answer is simple. And I believe that’s the hardest task for lawyers and judges – to stay objective. Because if we let our emotions get in the way, the law has no point in existing. We may also have a separate discussion whether Justin is not lying about that event. What if he knew and let the woman die? What if he was actually drunk? There are so many possibilities, which sets my brain on fire and I enjoy it very much. Surely one of the most exciting productions of 2024 and one of my favourite films by Eastwood. Bravo!

My rating: 8/10
S.

I am the Fury. “Polite Society” (2023)

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directed by Nida Manzoor
© 2023 Universal Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

I had so much fun! If you’re into comedies that are also action films with a pinch of musical and girl power movement, then you’ll love this one! Ria (Priya Kansara) is a British-Pakistani teenager and her dream is to become a stuntwoman. Yes, girl! She practices martial arts and shoots films where she performs as “the Fury”. Her biggest supporter and best friend is her sister, Lena (Ritu Arya), who’s just dropped out of art school. They are both “disappointments” in their parents’ eyes, who are rather traditional people and obviously wish for their children to do serious jobs, be wealthy and get married to a decent man (preferably a rich doctor). Speaking of that, one day the whole family is invited to celebrate a religious holiday at the mother’s friend’s place. The host turns out to have a son she wishes to find a perfect match for. Unfortunately, the young man is very much interested in Lena, which means she would not pursue her dream of becoming a professional artist, but become a wife to some spoilt big boy. Ria cannot stand this so she does everything to separate those two. And then she realises that her biggest opponent won’t be Lena or her boyfriend, but his mother Raheela (Nimra Bucha). The woman is incredibly motivated to make the wedding happen and she’ll fight till the end, using all kinds of weapons, including… wax. Don’t ask, just watch. This story is very well balanced, because it focuses on the old topic of forcing young women to give up on their career and marry fast, but it’s formed into a surreal comedy with great dialogues and action scenes. So even though I felt entertained, I still caught the message coming out of it and I really hope other viewers will as well. Besides, we need such badass female protagonist like Ria, because I believe such characters shape girls’ minds and encourage them to choose their own path, no matter what. You want to be a stuntwoman? Sure. You want to be a pilot? Great. You want to be a rally driver? A firefighter? An astronaut? Go for it! Your value doesn’t depend on your non-existing husband. Period! So glad I found this film and I hope you’ll have fun watching it too.

My rating: 7/10
S.

I’m guilty of looking ahead instead of right in front of me. “We Live in Time” (2024)

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directed by John Crowley
© 2024 A24. All Rights Reserved.

Is this film anything new? Nope. Is the story unpredictable? Nope. Do I recommend it? Yes, without a doubt. Generally, I like to be surprised by filmmakers, so they could show me something I wouldn’t come up with myself. However, maybe sometimes we need a basic story to remind us that feeding fictional images in our head does no good to us. This time we get to know Alma and Tobias (Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield). She’s a former ice-skater who is now working as a chef in a fancy restaurant and he works for a breakfast cereal company and is about to get divorced with his wife. The screenwriter had fun creating those two, I’m telling you. Anyway, they don’t meet in a romantic scene with snow falling and emotional music playing – instead, Alma runs Tobias over with her car. Love at first hit, I guess? They have their first “date” at a hospital, but as you can imagine, it’s not their last one. Those two have some specific chemistry between each other, even though they come from two different worlds. Unfortunately, at some point in their relationship Alma gets diagnosed with cancer and it’s the beginning of her goodbye story. Suddenly, a woman who was always thinking of her next steps and analysing possible scenarios gets one written and impossible to avoid. So instead of the future, the couple have to focus on the present. Just like I said at the beginning – there’s nothing new about this screenplay, because we’ve seen hundreds of such. Still, I enjoyed watching it because it was nicely made. The atmosphere was soothing, the actors (not only their characters) were compatible with each other, and I had a chance to reflect on life given a different perspective. I mean, I see myself in Alma who constantly thinks ahead and does everything to achieve the most, while I forget to slow down and take care of the present me. Don’t get me wrong, planning your future is a great thing to do, but at the same time let’s not forget to enjoy what’s happening now. I was talking to my friend about this film and we reached a conclusion that the story of Alma and Tobias is reminding us that “normal” life can be beautiful and pleasant as well. That having a cup of tea with your beloved ones is a moment you might remember even more than getting a promotion at work or winning some trophy. Besides, the future is never certain, but the present is here and couldn’t be more real. Get yourself that tea and take a deep breath. You might need that.

My rating: 7/10
S.

If now is not the time to grieve, I don’t know what to tell you. “A Real Pain” (2024)

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directed by Jesse Eisenberg
© 2024 Searchlight Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Maybe I’ll surprise you with this statement at the beginning, but I was slightly disappointed. So many people were telling me about Eisenberg’s newest film and how much they recommend it. I watched it, I liked it, but no way I could call it a “masterpiece”. Perhaps it’s somehow exotic for Americans, but as a Pole I felt like they americanised my country’s picture, so no, this is definitely not the best portrait of the Polish culture. Bang, I said it. Still, I believe it’s a quite pleasant story to see, therefore I’m writing this post. We’re following two American brothers, David and Benji (Jesse Eisenberg & Kieran Culkin), whose Jewish grandmother was living in Poland. That is why they sign up for an organised trip to discover this country and try to learn about their ancestors’ heritage. David is more of a calm, family guy, who just wishes to experience everything with respect, while Benji is the exact opposite, not taking things that seriously and hiding his feelings behind a huge smile and goofy jokes. As you can imagine, those two have quite different priorities in life, as well as during the trip, so a lot of arguments and adventures are about to happen. I see that Eisenberg created the characters of brothers to show different degrees of feeling pain, but what I got from this film is a reminder that each person has their own sensitivity and way of expressing emotions. So just because Benji is an easygoing guy making fun of everything, it doesn’t mean his pain is of a lesser importance than David’s. I also liked the scene where they were taking pictures with the Warsaw Uprising Monument and Benji started having fun, kind of roleplaying with other tourists, which was something that David found disrespectful. Not taking any sides, but that scene is quite interesting as a discussion starter – how should we approach history nowadays? However, the scene I honestly hated was the one where the brothers put stones in front of the door (you’ll see what door and why) and some random guy got mad about it. Jesse… no. Nobody would care about those stones, definitely not a guy who doesn’t even live in that house. He would rather ask who you are and tell you to go away instead of fussing about some little stones. Yeah, I know you wanted to give a scene explaining the Jewish custom and how little Poles might care about that now, I get it, but you could have worked on that a bit more. As a Pole, I’ve seen several mistakes in this film, so I’m sorry for not being amazed like my cinephile friends from other countries, but two things I admire about it are: showing that every person’s pain is valid (no matter how they express it) and the performance of Kieran Culkin. He really catches attention there and I’m glad we’re seeing more of him nowadays. Wishing you numerous chances to shine, Kieran! To sum up, it’s a good film, but as a Pole I have to say that Polish homework hasn’t been done well. C+ from me (or since in Poland we use numbers as grades, 4+).

My rating: 6/10
S.

One bag for one life. “Carry-On” (2024)

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directed by Jaume Collet-Serra
© 2024 Netflix. All Rights Reserved.

Let’s enter 2025 with a pinch of adrenaline, shall we? Netflix was recommending me this film way too much to ignore it, so at some point I screamed to myself “FINE” and let it play. And how surprised I was to see two brilliant actors playing quite unexpected roles. But first things first – I’m taking you to LA airport. We get to know Ethan (Taron Egerton), who’s a security officer and his job is to make sure no forbidden liquids are in your hand luggage. Because we all know that extra 100 ml of shampoo is the main cause of plane crashes, right? Anyway, during his shift, Ethan finds an earbud and this way he begins a life-and-death game with a guy referred to as the Traveler (Jason Bateman). His request is simple – Ethan must make sure that one specific piece of luggage will not be scanned and stopped by the security. Maybe it wouldn’t be that complicated to solve this problem if only the Traveler didn’t threaten to kill Nora (Sofia Carson), Ethan’s pregnant wife. The officer has no idea what’s inside that specific bag, but it seems like he must risk everything to save his beloved one. The game begins… Personally, I adore such action films were the protagonist is trapped in a mind struggle and at first, it seems like there’s no way out. I immediately start analysing options, and if the characters surprise me with their choices, I consider it a good script. Watching films should be fun, so if I can predict everything in the first 10 minutes, there’s something not right. Here, I have to admit that they did surprise me and following Ethan’s mind was pretty exciting. Maybe the ending could have been more spectacular, but we can’t have everything. Besides, as I mentioned before, the roles of Taron Egerton and Jason Bateman were quite unusual. The Traveler was a wonderful psycho who in an elegant manner and with not much effort completely controlled Ethan. I associate Jason with comedies and his roles of a generally annoyed yet kind guy-next-door, so that was somehow satisfying to see him as the antagonist. And then, Taron, whenever he plays a slightly confused character, it’s always in comedies. Here, we could see a more dramatic version of his confusion and lack of control over the situation, which was also a fresh experience to me. Anyway, both gentlemen did a great job and I believe that if only the ending had been slightly polished, that could be a brilliant action film to talk about. But at least it’s good, it’s entertaining, and it’s easy to follow, so feel free to begin your year this way as well.

My rating: 6/10
S.