In America nothing is impossible! “West Side Story” (1961)

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directed by Robert Wise & Jerome Robbins
© 1961 United Artists. All Rights Reserved.

The year 2021 hasn’t been our favourite, let’s face it, but there are some brighter moments worth remembering. One of them is the release of “West Side Story” remake. However, before I recommend the remake, I guess it’s important to share a few words about the original film adaptation. Yes, adaptation, because “West Side Story” is actually a Broadway musical, which in 1961 two gentlemen moved to a screen.  It’s one of the most iconic musicals, which was awarded with ten Oscars and its songs are incredibly popular all over the world. Perhaps younger generations don’t know much about it, yet I’m sure they’ve heard at least one the music pieces from this production somewhere on TikTok or wherever young people learn about art these days. The story is more or less based on “Romeo and Juliet” as we also get two groups – Jets and Sharks. They are teenage gangs from the Upper West Side in the 50s New York. Jets are white Americans, while Sharks are Puerto Ricans. Both gangs fight for respect and wish the other one not to get in their way. One day, (un)fortunately, a Jet named Tony (Richard Beymer) meets Maria (Natalie Wood), the sister of Shark’s leader. Despite coming from different backgrounds, those two fall in love with each other. Classic Romeo and Juliet. And just like in the Shakespeare’s play, no matter how much the lovers want to be together, the whole world around them does everything to keep them apart. As long as the film doesn’t leave me speechless, I do believe it’s a must-see. It’s one of those productions that you should see to feel respect towards old cinema and understand certain references in modern art. Personally, I think this musical (from 1961) has become outdated. It shares values and messages that are still important, yet its form may discourage younger generations. I do appreciate the hard work, I believe the choreography was marvellous and all actors worked very very hard. Yet, now as I’ve seen the 2021 remake, I can say: “Bless you, Steven Spielberg!” But remember – to judge a remake, you should always see the original piece, and I hope you feel encouraged to do that. It was and still is a very important production in American cinema, with gorgeous Natalie Wood (who’s been a truly tragic figure, but maybe I’ll tell you about it one day), presenting the everyday life issues of people in New York, which may still be present, just nicely covered. And perhaps that’s why Spielberg decided to remind us about the musical? Can’t tell. Yet from me it’s a reminder that you should see it.

My rating: 6/10
S.

I’m sick of being a joke. “You Cannot Kill David Arquette” (2020)

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directed by David Darg & Price James
© 2020 Super LTD. All Rights Reserved.

What comes up to your mind when you hear the name Arquette? Let me say for myself – Patricia. Patricia Arquette, a very talented and stunning actress, also quite successful. But what about David, her brother? Well, before watching today’s documentary, I knew that he played in a lot of cringy comedies, then played a cringy role in an even cringier “Scream” horror series… and he married Courteney Cox (hint: Monica from “Friends”). Seems like I wasn’t much wrong, because his career as an actor slowed down significantly, so the only option was to play in films which only continued to support the stereotype as if David Arquette was a goofy guy made for C-class comedies. Can’t say much about this man’s talent as I honestly haven’t seen him in a more demanding role, but I’m sure his ego and self-esteem have been seriously hurt and I wouldn’t wish that to anyone. However, the documentary I’m recommending today focuses not only on David’s acting career, but also his wrestling one. Yes, you heard me. Or rather read me. David Arquette is a wrestler. In fact, in 2000 he was promoting one film of his and by accident won WCW (World Championship Wrestling). I know it sounds like a huge fake, but it’s true. And since then, he’s been hated by the community of wrestlers and kept being under-appreciated as an actor. If you’re wondering why and how, watch the film, I don’t want to spoil everything. But just imagine – 20 years of feeling like a joke, feeling like everybody’s judging you and treating you as a failure. And it’s even worse when you’re a celebrity, because everything you do is being watched. Especially nowadays. I’ve read somewhere that his fans are incredibly thankful for David’s family and I have to agree with that. I bet without them, he would have lost “the battle” a long time ago, if you know what I mean. So this documentary is a rather disturbing picture of a miserable guy, who wants to prove everyone that he matters. Personally, I was moved and I’m glad such film was made. But to be honest, I’m still not a fan of wrestling and I hope David will find a way to get back on stage. Because he’s not a joke. He’s a good guy.

My rating: 7/10
S.

It’s never going to be good. “Plácido” (1961)

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directed by Luis García Berlanga
© 1961 Jet Films. All Rights Reserved.

For those who celebrate Christmas, as well as those who don’t – I bet you know it’s coming. So I’ve decided to recommend you a film which is set during one Christmas, but if you’re expecting a sugar-sweet production full of lights and happy songs, then I’m sorry. I’m writing about it way before Christmas on purpose, because I feel it presents something we should remember all year round and perhaps it’d be nice to remind ourselves about it before the end of the year. Today I’m taking you back in time to a small Spanish town. There, a group of religious ladies propose an unusual event – they encourage wealthy citizens to invite poor ones to their houses for Christmas. And then a big mess begins as old Spanish cinema is actually very loud, full of people, with lots of conversations (very fast ones, you have to be a fast subtitles reader or just speak Spanish, no other way), too many characters to recognise and as if someone mixed two scripts into one. That’s how I personally see old Spanish cinema. But it has its charm, I have to admit that. Anyway, back to the film. The title comes from the name of one character (played by Cassen), who is actually more of a distraction. Because, in my opinion, the main idea is hidden in the background. We can observe how the rich make use of even such ordinary and human action as feeding the poor. And how the poor cannot really get on with the rich, no matter how hard we try to mix them all. Maybe it’s not a must-see production, but if you like black comedies which leave you with an existential crisis, then here you go. I guess the most depressing is that this film was made 80 years ago and we still treat each other the same way. As if humanity was programmed to be selfish and self-centred. Call me a film-masochist, but sometimes I enjoy watching such productions as they remind me of the reality from which I often run away watching other films. But I have three things to encourage you. Uno – José Luis López Vázquez plays in this film and he’s one of my favourite Spanish actors from the previous century. Dos – this film was one of the five productions nominated to win Best Foreign Language Film award in 1961 (lost to Bergman, duh!). Tres – you can play a drinking game while watching. Each time you hear the name “Antonia”, take a shot. You can thank me later.

My rating: 6/10
S.

Two scuzzballs and a fly. “Mandibules” (2020)

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directed by Quentin Dupieux
© 2020 Memento Distribution. All Rights Reserved.

In the world where most people admire Quentin T., I’m one of those who prefer Quentin D. And today I’m recommending you to see his newest film. I have to admit that I didn’t have high expectations and… I wasn’t wrong, to be honest. Still, there’s something in Dupieux’s style that doesn’t let me just forget about his productions. In this one we get to know Jean-Gab and Manu (David Marsais & Grégoire Ludig), two rather “not complicated” men. They’re on their way to do a certain task and while driving a stolen car they hear some strange noise. Soon the guys realise that there’s an absolutely giant fly in the trunk. And this is how we meet Dominique (Dave Chapman). Manu proposes to not only keep the fly, but also to train it (or her, she’s a lady) and use her for money stealing. Sounds like an awesome plan, right? That’s exactly what they think. What happens next is for you to see, but I recommend reading a thick dictionary or play Scrabble before watching the film as your IQ might drop… a… bit. Still, even though I find it all ridiculous and often cringy, I cannot stop thinking about Dominique and her very ambitious trainers. Dupieux has his own world and even if you don’t want to join it, he’ll make you stay. The most disturbing thing is that during the film I was rather frozen and asking myself many existential questions, but then at the end I broke into laughter. Hysterical and loud laughter. So if that doesn’t encourage you to see this film, I don’t know what else can. Oh and I’m a big fan of the main theme. If I was about to describe 2021 with a music track – that would be it. Ridiculously cheerful because you can’t handle it anymore. But no worries, we’re finishing soon. Stay strong, stay healthy and join team Dominique.

My rating: 6.5/10
S.

Don’t you mind that I’m only 12? “Caught in the Net” (“V síti”, 2020)

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directed by Barbora Chalupová & Vít Klusák
© 2020 Aerofilms. All Rights Reserved.

I have to admit that I can be very harsh when it comes to rating films. It’s not because I don’t appreciate filmmakers’ effort and often very hard work, but because many films aren’t anyhow surprising or innovative. However, today I’d like to recommend you a documentary that is an absolute gem. The film crew invites three adult actresses, who look incredibly young, to pretend 12-year-old girls. Each of them gets a new identity and is stylised to resemble a teenager. Amazingly, to be honest. I couldn’t believe that those little girls are actually over 18. In the studio they build three rooms for teenagers and instal microphones and cameras everywhere, so they can hear and see everything the ladies are doing. And what is this for? Misia, Nikola and Týna (played by Tereza Tezká, Sabina Dlouhá and Anezka Pithartová) register on social media and reply to men who contact them. The “girls” do not initiate any contact, they simply react to messages sent by men on the Internet. The point of this documentary is to present the problem of pedophilia and sexual harassment of minor girls. Let’s be clear – I wasn’t born yesterday, I know that this world is full of very strange people. And I was aware of the fact that there are numerous perverts out there. But when I actually saw that, when I heard the actresses reading the messages, when I heard what those men were saying during calls (yes, the filmmakers also let them video call the “girls”), I just froze. I was literally sitting in one position and couldn’t move. I even started shaking at some point, breathing faster and I realised that my head is burning. I haven’t seen anything so disgusting and terrifying in a long time, I swear. The actresses were reminding that they are only 12, they were acting so innocent and yet, all those deviants were manipulating them and forcing to do things that no little girl should be forced to do. A girl? Not even a grown-up woman! I wasn’t able to eat after watching this film and needed to take a long break to reflect on it. But let’s be clear – the film’s content is disgusting, but the film itself is a masterpiece in my eyes. Not only it was made with diligence, but also the actresses did a wonderful job. Can’t even express my respect towards their professionalism and patience, because I wouldn’t stand a second talking to any of those men. I know how much it costed the ladies to stay in their roles, but I feel like their motivation was incredibly strong. The whole crew didn’t just want to make a good documentary, but also shake our heads and point out a huge problem. I don’t think I will see such a good documentary anytime soon, to be honest. I’m giving them all my personal awards for this production and I really hope that those perverts will be caught. And you know what shocked me the most? When one man said that if a teenage girl gets harassed by him, it’s because her parents didn’t educate her well enough. If they taught her not to talk to MEN LIKE HIM, nothing would happen. I’m speechless. And I really hope that thanks to films like this one we will stop accusing victims and start punishing offenders.

My rating: 10/10
S.

Let them go. “Ala Kachuu – Take and Run” (2020)

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directed by Maria Brendle
© 2020 Filmgerberei. All Rights Reserved.

Today I’d like you to learn about a very important short film. Why important? Because it presents a practice that in some countries is called a harassment, and in some others – a tradition. We get to meet Sezim (Alina Turdumamatova), a young Kyrgyz woman living in a small village and willing to change her life. She wishes to move to the capital of the country and become a university student there. Before Sezim even begins fulfilling her life dream, she gets kidnapped by a group of villagers and forced to marriage. This is a very common practice and a tradition in several countries – young women are one day kidnapped, either for fun (because they’re already in a relationship with a man and he just does it for the sake of the tradition) or not at all for fun… If you’re from a more developed country or at least bigger city, you might be absolutely surprised about it. Yes, even now this tradition is still on-going and those young women have nothing much to say. In fact, their families support the practice as it’s a blessing when a daughter becomes a wife. If for some reason she declines, the whole family might get a horrible reputation in the village. It’s also very much connected to their religion and a naughty girl (meaning independent and striving for a better quality life) can cause a lot of trouble. The film is less than 40 minutes long, but it presents in a very honest and emotional way what thousands of women go through. Thousands… maybe I’m wrong here, maybe there are even more. I do support following traditions and I do believe we should be proud of where we’re coming from, but there are certain practices that should be rethought, because if your tradition is to hurt someone, then maybe it’s time to reflect and make changes.

My rating: 7/10
S.

You can cry. “Fighter” (2020)

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directed by Jero Yun
© 2020 Haegrimm Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

I’ve just finished this year’s Asian film festival and today I’d like to recommend you a production that has stayed and will stay with me for a long time I guess. I’m taking you to South Korea where we’ll meet Jina (Sung-mi Lim). She’s a young refugee from North Korea and has just finished her social adjustment trainings (basically, helping her understand the life in South Korea and making sure she’ll manage in a different reality). Jina needs to start everything over and she’s trying to work hard to save money. She gets a cleaning job at one boxing club and, even though at first it’s just a random workplace for her, she becomes more and more interested in this sport. Especially since there are also women training there, which inspires Jina to try boxing herself. Being honest, I totally didn’t expect this production to amaze me. I’m not a big fan of sport films, especially not about boxing. But I’m a stubborn viewer – I like questioning my preferences and keep widening my horizons. So sometimes I push myself to watching such films. And I’m glad I do, because otherwise I wouldn’t have seen this beautiful South Korean gem. Maybe the story is simple, maybe it’s a bit predictable, but I was absolutely stunned by Sung-mi Lim who played the role of Jina. I have no idea how the actress did that, but she showed a huge range of emotions by… not showing them. Her character is very calm, focused, a quiet observer, while deep inside you can see anger, fear, sorrow and many many more. I couldn’t look away from the screen because of her and if that’s where Asian acting is going, then yes please! I want more! Take away! Absolutely marvellous. It’s one of the best (if not the best) films I’ve seen during the festival and if you’ll have a chance to watch it, don’t even think of rejecting it. I swear, it’ll touch your hearts and make you speechless several times.

My rating: 7/10
S.

Sister in need is a sister indeed. “Number 1” (2020)

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directed by Ong Kuo Sin
© 2020 Clover Films. All Rights Reserved.

Recently I’ve recommended a lot of dramatical and difficult films, so let’s have fun tonight, shall we? Actually, “Number 1” is a comedy/drama, but I would say it’s rather a pleasant experience, which also teaches us all a lesson. We get to know Chee (Mark Lee), a classic corporat with a boring job, pretty wife and smart child. Unfortunately, the man gets fired and has to figure out how to earn money, because they have a huge house and another child on the way. Despite his experience, nobody wants to hire him because he’s either overqualified or expects too much income. Then an interesting offer appears – Chee can become a manager at a night club which is famous for its drag shows. At first, the man is confused and considers the job a ridiculous joke, but the more he gets to know the artists, the more interested he becomes. The rest is for you to see, but let me tell you – it is adorable. Yes, indeed, it’s a goofy comedy, but the longer I was watching, the more I wanted to dress up like them, jump on the stage and lip sync “I Will Survive”. I honestly didn’t expect to have that much fun with this production. Besides, except all the wonderful performances, you may also delve into the world of drag queens and see how everything looks from their perspective. So there was a moment or two where I felt seriously touched. Still, I finished watching the film with a big smile on my face and a strong feeling of jealousy because I know I will never be able to do such awesome make-up. Oh well. But at least I can admire drag queens wearing it. Summing up, give the comedy a try, especially if you’re feeling blue. The sisters will rainbow your day.

My rating: 7/10
S.

We are always ready. “The Earth is Blue as an Orange” (2020)

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directed by Iryna Tsilyk
© 2020 Albatros Communicos. All Rights Reserved.

I’ve just finished watching films during a Ukrainian film festival and I have to say that I’m a bit confused. On the one hand, there were several films that were simply tiring. They were written is a rather chaotic way, and even though the actors were trying hard, I just couldn’t see any point in those productions. Not sure if it’s Ukrainian style of making films or I was simply unlucky to see such exceptions. However, I’ve watched a few memorable documentaries, so for now I can say that I’m not the biggest fan of Ukrainian cinema, but their documentaries are worth noticing. And today I’m recommending you one. Maybe it’ll encourage you to see it if I tell you the director, Iryna Tsilyk, was awarded at the Sundance Film Festival in 2020? Yes, now we’re talking. And I’m not surprised, because it is a unique production. We get to know Hanna and her four children. The family is living in a war zone in the eastern part of Ukraine. For those who don’t know, the country is in a constant armed conflict with Russia, but I’m not going to share more details as it’s not what this blog is for. Let’s focus on the documentary. Even though the family cannot feel safe in their own house, they try their best to create an illusion as if everything was okay. They decide to shoot a film based on their own experiences, which is their way of cutting themselves off from the reality. The family is obviously lovely and it’s nice seeing them all together, but on the other hand you, as a viewer, have a constant reminder in your head that they are in danger. No matter how cheerful and positive they stay, they have to fight for their lives. Everyday. So you’re watching the film as if you were on some emotional rollercoaster, at least this is how it was for me. It’s fascinating how people can learn to accept such extreme situation. I mean, do they have a choice? Still, such productions remind me of the power we have in our minds and the power we have as a family. And if a film leaves you with a lot of quality thoughts, I guess it must be good.

My rating: 7/10
S.

Women are not supposed to be mouthy. “Rehana” (“Rehana Maryam Noor”, 2021)

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directed by Abdullah Mohammad Saad
© 2021 Films Boutiques. All Rights Reserved.

Since a lot of my dear readers are interested in Asian cinema, I guess today’s recommendation might satisfy you. We’re moving to Bangladesh to see the second feature film by Abdullah Mohammad Saad, which was actually both a pleasant and unpleasant surprise. Let me explain. In my opinion, the idea for the film and its realisation is on point. It’s one of those productions where a shaky-shaky camera doesn’t bother me much and keeping the whole picture in blue shades creates an adequate atmosphere. However, the topic of the film hurts from the very beginning. We get to know Rehana (Azmeri Haque Badhon), a female professor at a medical college, who one day witnesses an inappropriate situation between one student and another teacher. Realising that the young woman was abused, Rehana wants to help her, even though they both know that nobody would take them seriously. At the same time, Rehana’s little daughter Annie (Afia Tabassum Borno), experiences first effects of commonly praised patriarchy in their country, from which the woman wishes to protect her. To be honest, I didn’t expect much after reading the description and knowing that it’s the director’s second feature film. Don’t get me wrong, but first productions are often warm-ups before spectacular pieces. And I’m so glad I was wrong, because this film kept me focused for the whole time. It’s a very simple story of an ordinary woman, who cannot fight the system, even if she wants it. Because no matter how strong you are, how determined you are, certain “rules” don’t apply and until that’s changed, you’re helpless. I have to admit that this production has made me feel blue, literally and lyrically, but in the end I find it very important and worth watching, so make sure to check it out.

My rating: 7/10
S.