The only one who hasn’t abandoned me. “Abang Adik” (2023)

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directed by Lay Jin Ong
© 2023 MM2 Entertainment. All Rights Reserved.

If you want to see a spectacular acting performance that you probably won’t hear about in the upcoming film awards chaos, then you should definitely see today’s film. I didn’t know what to expect from this production as I wasn’t familiar with the director nor the actors, but what I saw will stay with me for a long time for sure. Today’s story is about two brothers-by-choice, as I’ve decided to call them. Abang (Kang Ren Wu) and Adik (Jack Tan) are both orphans who found each other on the street when they were yet children. They are not biologically connected, but since they’ve been supporting each other for years, they’ve become a family. One cannot imagine life without the other, although they are totally different. Abang, the older one, is deaf and mute, which, unfortunately, quite naturally makes him disconnected from the world. He’s a decent, hard-working and humble man that has accepted his reality and has got used to living in poverty. Adik, however, is an absolute rebel who strives for bigger and better things than what life has offered him. The problem is that Adik tries to make his dreams come true in a rather illegal and shady ways, which worries his older brother very much. Still, no matter what the younger does, he can always count on Abang. And then, one day, a terrible accident happens that influences both brothers and their relation is put to the test. I have to admit that at the beginning I wasn’t expecting much and I believed that would be just a slightly dark drama about brotherhood, yet it turned out to be way more. What happens after the accident blew my mind and I couldn’t look away from the screen. I began my post telling you about some amazing acting performance and it’s the one by Kang Ren Wu, who played the older brother. At one point he has a very emotional monologue to provide and he does it in a way that left me speechless. Let me remind you that his character is deaf and mute. Sign languages are very expressive and speaking them involves moving your whole body to really transmit the emotions and meaning of your message. Adding a difficult moment in the film and a dramatic monologue intensifies the performance to another level. A level I haven’t seen in a long time. Unfortunately, I cannot tell you what Abang was saying at that moment because I don’t want to spoil it to you, but trust me, you will need a deep breath and perhaps a pack of tissues. And the film? The film presents the power of real and authentic relations that we may have with people if only we choose to dedicate ourselves. It’s also a film that really represents the saying: “A friend in need is a friend indeed”. Both brothers are living in a poor neighbourhood, yet people they share this space with are the most supportive. Because they all know what it’s like to be abandoned and I guess that’s one of the strongest things you may have in common with another person. A fun fact to finish this post with – the title of the film and the names of the characters literally mean older brother (Abang) and younger brother (Adik) in Malay language. Class dismissed, go see the film.

My rating: 8/10
S.

Table for two? “An Autumn’s Tale” (“Chau tin dik tung wa”, 1987)

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directed by Mabel Cheung
© 1987 D&B Film. All Rights Reserved.

Recently, an Asian film festival happening in my country has begun and I’ve already had a chance to see some interesting productions, some of which I’ll definitely share in the future posts. Today, I’d like to recommend you a film that isn’t that fresh, but it’s new to me and perhaps many of you haven’t seen it either, which would be great if we changed that, shall we? If you’re a fan of romantic stories from the 80s, you’ve just found your film for the evening. We get to know Jennifer (Cherie Chung), who’s a young lady from Hong Kong willing to study in New York. She’s chosen this particular city because of her boyfriend that’s already there. Jennifer is taken care of by her distant family member, Pang (Chow Yun-fat), who’s a total opposite of her. The man is very energetic, a bit clumsy, bubbly for sure and very much unbothered about everything that’s happening around him, while Jennifer is a rather calm and introvert person, which makes her even more sensitive and scared of the new reality she’s put herself into. Luckily, she stays with Pang and can count on him, despite not being that close before. When Jennifer finally goes to see her boyfriend, she realises that… the man has been hanging out with another woman and, apparently, is not willing to change that. Absolutely heartbroken Jennifer has to manage this difficult situation, as the man she’s travelled all those kilometres (or miles – for my American readers *wink*) for is not interested in any kind of relationship with her. Luckily, her distant cousin Pang is right there and, even though Jennifer didn’t seem like his cup of tea person, she starts intriguing him, which brings those two closer and closer to each other. I’m sure you’ve heard and seen several stories similar to the one I’ve just described, but don’t we like them? Don’t we like such protagonists who end up in huge troubles and still try their best to do something about it? Don’t we like a bit of romance and exchanging glances between two characters? And don’t we like the 80s? Oh come on, of course we do. I do. And I hope you do as well. What’s interesting about this film is that even though it is set in the US, I don’t really feel it’s that Americanised. I mean, it’s still a decent representative of Hong Kong cinema and you may feel it despite seeing New York all around. And that’s actually something intriguing since we can experience a totally different style of filmmaking in the place that we’ve known from numerous productions, just made by American directors. So grab a blanket, a cup of tea and enjoy this little jump into the 80s.

My rating: 7/10
S.

Love doesn’t interest you at all? “I’m Your Man” (“Ich bin dein Mensch”, 2021)

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directed by Maria Schrader
© 2021 Majestic Filmverleih. All Rights Reserved.

Love can be complicated, right? No, wait… Love IS complicated. That’s a fact, period. Some people keep on searching for the perfect partner slowly losing their mind in the process, or there are those who’ve given up and let it be, either they stay single forever or not. But what if we could get ourselves a perfect partner? Someone, who’s our type, who knows what we like, who shares our values and satisfies all our needs. Alma (Maren Eggert) is an archeologist, a very ambitious woman with a specific professional goal. However, she’s also single so she wishes to finally meet someone valuable. One evening she meets Tom (Dan Stevens) at a dance club. The man is incredibly charming, easy to talk to and, as Alma quickly discovers, brilliant. Too good to be true? Sort of. Tom is actually a humanoid, so no surprise he seems perfect. Alma is asked to run a short project, which includes taking Tom home and evaluating him as a partner. The woman is definitely against any deeper relations with a robot, so she considers it a task that has to be done. Besides, she’s also very curious how close Tom can get to the figure of her ideal partner. The robot is already equipped with some data about Alma, but the more time they spend together, the more he adapts to her needs. Personally, I like films which make me question our humanity and show the relations between us and artificial intelligence. I’m guessing that while you were reading the beginning of my post, you were thinking “oh, that would be awesome to meet someone so perfect”. However, we’re humans and we’re far from being perfect, so even if we crave this perfection in others, we may quickly realise that it’s the imperfection we’re missing in the other person. It’s funny that in some sci-fi productions they present AI as our enemy, as something that may destroy us all, but in fact, we, humans, love to destroy ourselves and each other. We love to argue, we love to fight, we love this passive aggression and tensions all around us. Even if generally we’re not bad-tempered or argumentative, we need some drama in our lives. So having a partner who brings us breakfast to bed is great, but we also need them to leave dirty socks on the floor so we had a reason to scream a little bit. Right? And that’s our human love, I guess. So this film is full of such food for thought when it comes to genuine relations and you may reflect on human needs when it comes to building partnerships. Besides, despite being a robot, Tom is a pretty funny guy so you’ll have a chance to have a laugh as well.

My rating: 7/10
S.

Rule number one: we are family. “The Ron Clark Story” (2006)

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directed by Randa Haines
© 2006 Granada America. All Rights Reserved.

We’ve all lost a friend. The actor who made us fall in love with the character of Chandler, Matthew Perry, left us with a huge grief, yet numerous jokes and moments to remember. It is inevitable to remember him as Chandler and he’ll always be that clumsy, sarcastic and cynical friend of ours. However, in order to dedicate a post to him, I’ve decided to share a recommendation of “The Ron Clark Story”, where you can see Matthew in the main role. He’s an elementary school teacher in a little town. Everybody loves him and appreciates his unique teaching methods, but Ron is a very ambitious person and he hopes to move out of his hometown. He ends up in New York, where finding a job is a true challenge, but as he finally gets one, that’s when all challenges come out. The principal wants him to teach younger students, but as Ron finds out that 6th graders have been abandoned by their teacher, he insists on taking responsibility for them instead. The man is quite confident about his teaching skills considering huge successes of his former students. But New York children are a totally different story… They do their best, but not to pass exams, but to get rid of their teacher. But Ron is a very stubborn and creative guy, who truly wants to see the students follow their dreams. If you watch a lot of films, I bet you’ve seen several films about a cool teacher who helps difficult students in their education. I’d lie if I said this one is the best or somehow unique, because you know exactly how it’ll end and who is who in the story. Still, this film is a good reminder that naughty children don’t exist. If a child is naughty, there’s something causing that and our task, as adults, is to find out what that something is. We give up on children way too easily, sticking labels to them and just letting them be. Ron is a teacher who doesn’t follow the rules, but he follows his intuition while respecting own values. And that’s a lesson we should keep on learning. Besides, it’s a production with Matthew Perry, so it’s always pleasant to see him again. I guess that if you’re his fan, you’re currently stuck in the marathon of rewatching “Friends”, but if you need a little break, perhaps this film would be a good choice. Despite everything we know about Matthew’s personal life, I try to focus on the best memories and all sarcastic comments he’s shared with us. I hope he’s making everyone laugh up there now. Thank you, Matthew.

My rating: 7/10
S.

I’m a fucking piece! “Freaky” (2020)

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directed by Christopher Landon
© 2020 Universal Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Happy Halloween everyone! If you’re the kind of person who’s too afraid to watch hardcore horrors, I’ve got something to cheer you up, but also put you in this spooky mood. Today, I’d like to recommend you a comedy/horror, a lovely slasher and a film filled with lots of brilliant jokes. At first, we get to meet Millie (Kathryn Newton), a typical teenager having a rather typical teenager life. Until… she meets Blissfield Butcher (Vince Vaughn), a serial killer who decides that Millie would be his next victim. In order to stab the girl, he uses an ancient dagger called La Dola, which leaves a wound on Millie. Before the police arrive, the man is already gone. However, next morning, both the killer and the victim realise that they’ve switched bodies with each other. From now on the real murderer is bouncing around in a body of an innocent teenage girl, while Mille has to hide because the police are already looking for the Butcher and they know his identity. So shortly speaking, it’s an adorable mix of “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” and “Freaky Friday”. Generally, the film is not anyhow scary, unless you’re afraid of fake blood and such. In fact, it’s a cool comedy that mocks typical slashers. Not sure how you feel about that, but personally, I’m tired of those “serious” slashers. What do they expect from us? That we stay excited about seeing another silly adult entering a house they shouldn’t enter? And we get terrified by the fact everyone dies except the main character? Oh wow, no way! So I guess that filmmakers should either make an actually scary horror, after which you won’t be able to go to the toilet at night, or they should make it hilarious and focus on special effects to make the film entertaining. That’s my humble opinion. This comedy isn’t perhaps a masterpiece when it comes to effects, but it’s really enjoyable. Perhaps I’m not being objective because I adore Vince Vaughn in comedies, so seeing him acting like a teenage girl was like getting free candies. I believe this film is a great compromise between horror fans and those more sensitive souls, because horror fans may catch several allusions and jokes, and their emotional friends may end up not having a heart attack. To me, that’s a win-win situation. So if you’re still deciding what to see tonight, check out this title. Enjoy, my pumpkins!

My rating: 6/10
S.

We’re all alone in life. “Plan 75” (2022)

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directed by Chie Hayakawa
© 2022 Urban Distribution International. All Rights Reserved.

I wouldn’t say that I’m an overly sensitive person, but there are certain things and topics that are difficult for me to handle emotionally. One of them are the elderly. The idea of getting old terrifies me, especially since I see how we treat our oldest members of society. That is why I needed some time to finally make myself watch today’s film, because the filmmakers decided to put a spotlight on the problem of ignoring the elderly in an unusual way. We’re invited to Japan, where the government (please, mind the fact it’s a fictional story) creates a program called “Plan 75”. As a response to the problem of the ageing society, each citizen over 75 may sign up for a facilitated euthanasia. This way, the elderly have a chance to finish their life at the chosen time, and the government doesn’t have to support them anymore. It sounds like a perfect plan and it actually works out pretty well until certain people start questioning the morality of this program. When I heard of this film for the first time, I knew I’d love to see it, because it’s an intriguing combination of drama and sci-fi, which is something I personally adore. However, if you’re also scared of getting old, that might be a challenge to watch. The filmmakers present how little people will mean (or they already do) to the world’s authorities and that even the act of dying becomes an idea to create some kind of business. On the one hand, I believe that people should have an option to be euthanised and leave by their own rules, so making this procedure more accessible seems promising. What’s the point of suffering and spending your last moments in pain if you can “finish the game” with dignity? On the other hand, seeing young people literally selling euthanasia to the elderly is incredibly disturbing. Especially, since most of those seniors don’t even want to die – they simply feel useless in this world. Nobody has enough patience to explain new things to them, nobody wants to listen to them or spend time together on any activity. So when everyone treats you like a problem, you don’t want to be one anymore, right? I also believe that this film is about loneliness and what a terrible killer it is to us all. Nothing is worse than being lonely, yet we all end up being alone and we let others suffer on their own. I’m sorry for such a gloomy post, but the film itself isn’t much better, which isn’t its flaw. I’m actually glad it was produced and I encourage you to see it, because perhaps we still have a chance to change something about our reality not to end up considering joining Plan 75 one day. Hopefully.

My rating: 7/10
S.

Embrace the light while it burns because it won’t always last forever. “Elemental” (2023)

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directed by Peter Sohn
© 2023 Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

I haven’t been much satisfied with Disney’s recent animations and I know that this one isn’t a perfection either, but it put a smile on my face, which is enough for me to recommend it. If it’ll make you feel better, that’s already a reason to watch. At first I thought it’s some kind of alternative to “Inside Out”, but I’m assuring you the story is totally different. We end up in Element City where various elements coexist, although not without conflicts. A couple of fire elements move to the city and aren’t much welcome because other elements see them as walking troubles. After all, they are literally fire. The couple finally settle down, have a daughter and open their own little store. When their child, Ember (Leah Lewis), gets older, the father wants her to run the family business so he could retire in peace. Unfortunately, Ember has difficulties with her temper and finds it difficult to deal with annoying clients. I mean, I feel you, girl. Anyway, soon and by accident she gets a chance to meet Wade (Mamoudou Athie), who is a water element. Even though those two elements completely differ from each other, they will realise how much opposites attract. And if you haven’t guessed that yet – yes, this is actually a love story. It’s still a lovely animation for children, but the main idea is showing a romantic relation between two different elements. But not to focus on the romantic part only, I have to point out that this film is also a great tolerance lesson. Different elements represent different races/cultures. It is presented how each element group stick together and feel best surrounded by other elements like them, but also how elements might be discriminated and excluded from different activities. I actually loved the idea for this film and the way they covered the topic of racism and xenophobia so well. I believe that not only children will learn the lesson, but I’m pretty sure their parents/guardians might also reflect a bit. The thing that I definitely didn’t like was the main adventure – or rather lack of it. I mean, if I was bored, then I guess a little human would have left the room before I yawned for the first time. So yeah, no fun adventure in this one, at least in my opinion. But the characters of Ember and Wade caught my attention and I was actually cheering for them. *SMALL SPOILER* Honestly speaking, I was more excited about their first hand touch than when I had my own first kiss as a teen. In the end, I wanted a relaxing animation, I got a relaxing animation with a cute romantic cherry on top, so I’m happy and hope you’ll be too.

My rating: 7/10
S.

Do we want an animal or a friend? “Dogtooth” (“Kynodontas”, 2009)

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directed by Yorgos Lanthimos
© 2009 Feelgood Entertainment. All Rights Reserved.

There are those filmmakers that you cannot mistaken for anyone else. I mean, all you need is up to 10 minutes of their film and bang – you know exactly who made it. I believe that Yorgos Lanthimos is one of such directors, and if you’ve seen some of his works, you probably agree with me right now. However, as much as his films are indeed fascinating, I’m not his biggest fan. Still, his creativity and some kind of oddness intrigue me enough to keep watching new productions. Today’s film is a bit older, yet worth checking out since it may introduce you to Lanthimos’ style. In this story we get to meet a couple that are bringing up their three children. Sounds like a lovely family? Not in a Lanthimos film, darling. All the children are in fact adults and have never left their house as their parents want to protect them. The son and two daughters will be ready to leave only if they lose a dogtooth. In the meantime, their parents teach them strange things, incorrect meanings of words, they lie about the outside world and don’t let the children feel or act like adults. It’s their father who decides what they do, what they get punished for and what is worth praising. The problem begins when the woman that was paid by the father to have sex with his son brings things and knowledge from the outside world. The siblings start wondering what’s really on the other side of the fence. If the description seems insane, then you’re getting the idea what you might expect from this production. It’s a psychological drama that doesn’t explain much, yet bombs you with millions of questions. There are numerous interpretations of the story and I might agree with some of them, yet I believe I have my own, which I’m sharing now so *SPOILERS ALERT*. To me, this is a story about parenthood and its consequences. Generally, parents want to raise their children to be safe, to be happy, but also to meet the parents’ expectations, respect their rules and values, or even follow an already chosen path. Lanthimos style might be very controversial, but I see the point he was trying to make (or I believe he was): some parents mistaken raising children for training dogs, as harsh as it sounds. Let me explain: a dog is about to be your companion for about 10-12 years, he/she will stay with you, follow your daily schedule, adapt to your lifestyle and never leave you. Children, however, are meant to be prepared for the outside world, no matter how much you want them to be like you. And no matter how strict or consistent you are as a parent, the child will break at some point, sooner or later. Just like with that dogtooth from the story – the father knew that adults don’t normally lose these teeth, so it’s rather sure that his children will stay with him forever. But what if the child decides to get rid of the metaphorical tooth themselves? This is exactly how I read this story, but you’re more than welcome to have another idea. The best part about Lanthimos films is that there’s for sure no one answer to anything.

My rating: 6/10
S.

Life is like golgappas. “Laal Singh Chaddha” (2022)

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directed by Advait Chandan
© 2022 Viacom18 Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Whenever I hear the word “remake”, I instantly think of another American version of an already good production made in another country. There are some that I actually appreciated more in the American version, but most American remakes are, in my opinion, unnecessary. And it seems like my readers share this opinion, because you either think they are unnecessary or you just don’t mind them. Only 6% said they like American remakes. So today I’ve got a little surprise for you. I’m sure most of you have seen “Forrest Gump”, which is an absolute classic and also a great American production. But what would you say for an Indian version? I don’t accept “no” for an answer. I was actually shocked myself when I saw the description of this film. Adding the fact that the main role is played by my beloved Indian actor Aamir Khan and the main female role belongs to marvellous Kareena Kapoor Khan, I couldn’t skip this gem. Although, I was a bit sceptical because, come on, “Forrest Gump” is already a wonderful and complete piece, so making its remake is like playing with fire while being covered in petrol – only if you’re ready to sacrifice everything, shortly speaking. I guess there’s no point to tell you what the film is about, because it’s almost the exact story as it’s presented in the American original. And if you haven’t seen “Forrest Gump”, you have some important homework to do, my dear. So, despite my love to Bollywood and those two great actors, I decided to be very critical and as objective as I could. With huge honour I announce that the Indian remake is very very very good. Not only it’s well-made, with delightful camerawork and editing, not only it’s filled with high quality acting, but it really is an Indian production from the beginning till the end. The filmmakers took a successful story and set it in their country’s reality, which makes us enjoy the well-known story once again, but at the same time experience the Indian culture and understand it in a new way. I’ve seen many Bollywood productions and I do know a bit about India, but this film gave me a fresh perspective and answers to questions I haven’t even asked myself. Plus, can you imagine a Bollywood film without singing and dancing? Well, this film provides us with numerous tunes to bounce to and they really make the whole atmosphere. What I also like about this production is that it kind of reminds American producers that remaking can work both ways and that American cinema should not feel so sure about its position. Don’t get me wrong, I love American films, but at the same time I believe that there are many amazing productions that are almost invisible because of the country they’re coming from. That is why it’s important to me to share different films with you. And I’m always open to your recommendations, so feel free to share them as well. In the meantime, enjoy golgappas with Laal Singh Chaddha.

My rating: 8/10
S.

Humans only have one ending. Ideas live forever. “Barbie” (2023)

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directed by Greta Gerwig
© 2023 Warner Bros. Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Are you surprised to see this post? Well… so am I writing it right now. If you’ve been following me for some time, you probably already know I wasn’t much excited about seeing “Barbie”. It’s mostly because I’ve never really enjoyed any of Greta Gerwig’s films. Not saying you should avoid her productions, quite the opposite, give them a chance because perhaps it’s just my opinion. But I believe she was more aware of what she’d doing in front of the camera, as an actress. Still, how could I skip “Barbie” since many of you are hoping to hear my opinion. So here it is: “Barbie” is Greta’s best work. Yay! Clap, clap, clap! Celebration time. However (about to ruin the moment), the potential was wasted and I’m about to tell you why I think so. First things first, if you haven’t been infected by the Barbie virus and still haven’t seen it, I need to explain the main idea. We’re going to Barbieland where we can meet very different Barbies, such as Barbie the doctor, Barbie the mechanic, Barbie the astronaut, as well as stereotypical Barbie (Margot Robbie). There are also Kens, who, unlike in our real world, don’t do anything useful. They simply have fun and look handsome, while Barbies do all the important jobs. The stereotypical Barbie has a secret admirer – beach Ken (Ryan Gosling), who really wants to get closer to her, but she puts her female friends first no matter what. Everyone’s living a dream until one night when the stereotypical Barbie starts wondering about death and since then strange things begin to occur, such as lack of energy, anxiety, cellulite and… flat feet! Turns out she has to travel to the real world in order to stop the process of un-Barbing her, if that makes sense. I know that a lot of people were expecting a cheerful comedy mocking Barbie the doll, but I guess most of them didn’t know Greta. It was obvious she would make a feminist drama out of it – and she did. And to be honest, I really liked the general idea of showing this Barbie world where women are empowered, but at the same time I felt uncomfortable with presenting Kens as totally useless. Trust me, I get the point and I know it was necessary for the sake of what happens later in the film *SPOILERS COMING* when Barbies pretend to be absolute idiots to let Kens feel needed and admired. I’m aware of the fact that Greta was just presenting the ridiculousness of our world there, because, let’s face it, women do often pretend to be “less” in order to comfort their men, which should not occur, so I’m glad she’s pointing that out. However, instead of demonising men so much, even in a comedic way, I’d love to see some human empowerment and equality advertisement. Because even if Greta wanted to spread such message, it’s covered with a bit of, sorry for my honesty, toxic feminism. I know that women are often not treated seriously, I know that women struggle with being seen and appreciated for who they are and not what they look like – I know all that. But instead of mocking men, perhaps we could encourage women to be assertive and brave in their actions, while men to be more open-minded and not afraid of being on the same level as their female partners, friends, family members. “Barbie” is no silly comedy for sure, because as you can see, it’s about the never-ending dilemma how to facilitate female-male relations, which is still a big and unsolved deal. It has its wonderful moments, especially the beginning and the ending, but the middle is too messy, as if a totally different person/group of people were writing that part of the film. In the end, I say you should watch it, because it really pushes to thinking of those difficult topics, but please, try to reflect on what’s there and analyse it yourself. Not everything said in films is true, I hope you remember that. And I hope that one day we will be living in some Humanland where you are enough whoever you are, without games and pretending anything. One day, perhaps…

My rating: 6/10
S.