recently (relatively) viewed films

Slam, dir. by Mark Levin
Typical tale of a hard luck African American stuck in a life of petty crimes and gang mentality, which he eventually overcomes through his lyrical talent and some luck. Except in this case the protagonist, played by slam poet/rapper Saul Williams, gets himself out of trouble while in prison via his craft, not having to turn to physical violence at any point in time, and eventually straddling between different demographics of African American society. This is a poor, short description of the film, but it's not the plot or the cinematography that make this film. It's Sal Williams. This man is an engaging personality no matter what medium he participates in. First I ever heard of him (besides hearing his name) was when I saw him open for Aesop Rock at South by Southwest music festival in Austin, TX a few years back. His performance made me an immediate fan; he was by far the best that night. In this film, his poems are incredible, from the way in which they are delivered, to the lyrics themselves, to how they become catalysts for the story. The plot always takes a turn when a poem is recited, and Williams' acting catapults off of the enthusiasm of the poems. Worth seeing.


Harold and Maude, dir. by Hal Ashby
This film has been on my to-see list for a while, seeing that it's one of my best friend's favorite movie. The characters portrayed in this film are excellent. Harold's morbid pranks around his mother, and general infatuation with death, give the film a great early comedic slant. Maude's general disregard for societal conventions at the same time connect and disconnect the audience from reality, a real-life version of Harold's absurd stagings. Harold's mother's obsession with marrying Harold off and assimilating him into high society give the film its closest semblance to a prototypical antagonist, but it is really society that is the antagonist in this movie; Harold and Maude represent the personal freedoms that had become so publicly battled for in the previous decade (60's)... ...albeit extended into the realm of absurdity. I really enjoyed this film, and the soundtrack by Cat Steven kicks ass.

El Crimen Perfecto (The Perfect Crime) dir. by Alex de la Iglesia
Alex de la Iglesia is definitely an Almódovar protegé. There is no way around it; controlling and borderlne insane female characters, chauvinistic male leads, and twisted plots usually including violent crimes, murders, and exposing the protagonists to their most ingenuous instincts. This specific film details the story of Rafael, a salesman at the women's section of a department store, who is obsessed with his profession, and the beautiful women that come along with it. After some disappointing work-related news, he accidentally commits a crime, only to have someone at work help him cover up his tracks... ..ok, this is very difficult to describe without giving the story away (as is the next film on this list). Trust me, this is an incredible film about desperation, skewed values, and obsession. Watch it!

La Comunidad (Common Wealth) dir. by Alex de la Iglesia
Another tale of crime and trickery, but this one involves an entire building full of tenants, a disenchanted real estate agent, and a whole lot of money! Unexpected twists start from the early stages of the movie, and the cast of characters, and how little they evolve through the film, is astounding. I think one of the main points that de la Iglesia gets across (and I in no way know if this is his intent) is that people don't necessarily change much as a result of extreme circumnstances. More likey, they adapt to the conditions at hand to get themselves out of trouble, and that adaptation oftentimes is mistaken as learning, or evolution. This may be just an extreme criticism of most movies that involve lessons, in which characters learn life lessons just because of love for one character (cheesy American romantic comedies come to mind) or financial troubles that render them equal to those he once looked down upon (a lot of classic dramas). De la Iglesia's characters are more realistic than that, and it makes them much more interesting and engaging to the viewer. Oh, and by the way, Carmen Maura is in this flick. She is a demi-goddess of cinema.

Bande à Part (Band of Outsiders), dir. by Jean-Luc Godard
You know, I was much more of a fan of Truffaut than Godard, but I'm starting to think it was more a result of me not being so moved (more likely confused) by Alphaville, and being so enamored with 400 Coups. The more I watch Godard, the more I begin to understand his genius. This storyline is not that different than most other crime stories, but the cinematography, characters, abrupt scenes juggled into the plot, and general high level of innovation and playfulness made this one of my favorite films in a long time. No script, innovative camera work, use of no extraneous lighting, disregard for cinematic conventions, and fast-flowing, irreverent action make this a must-see, a true masterpiece. And Anna Karina is exquisite.

The Weather Underground, dir. by Bill Siegel and Sam Green
An insightful documentary, if only because of present times' intersecting history with the 60's. This film portrays the story of The Weather Underground, a radical leftist group that emerged from the student liberal movements of the early 1960's. This particular group eschewed peaceful means of protest, choosing instead to literally fight the establishment. This violent attitude led the group to move underground in the late 60's and 70's, from where they were still effective in bombing politically relevant establishments and pursuing equality and peace through their own means. This film includes interviews with some of the leaders of the movement, as well as some of the experts that tried in vain to capture them. This film rose a lot of issues for me when I watched it. One is how the leftist movement evolved during that decade, and how conditions then differed from now, especially having to do with disadvantaged people, and level of comfort in life for those protesting. Today's youth (catchphrase, yes, but I'm definitely including myself in this) is too comfortable, it has nothing personal to fight for. Even back then, many people were in some kind of peril: African Americans were fighting for their civil rights, young Americans were fighting for peace and against the possibility of being thrust into war, families were fighting to bring their loved ones home. And economically, none of those groups were nearly as well provided as we are now in first-world countries. Make no mistake about it, those people had good intentions, but they were fighting for issues that affected them personally, and had very little to lose. Could we possibly be too comfortable to fight for justice and peace? Do we just not care, and did we ever? What happens now, when those that have very few means to fight for their rights and opportunities (in poor countries or restrictive situations) need to do so on their own? And what means of protest can even be effective in this day and age, when it seems that marches and civil disobedience do not affect people with the same strength, even when practiced?

Tropa de Elite (Elite Squad), dir. by José Padilha
Yes, yet another Brazilian film about organized crime, drug trafficking and the favelas. So why did this win many awards, and is showing up at film festivals around the world? Well, people like repetition, and realistic stories in which they can rally behind the disadvantaged of the world from behind a screen (kind of the way I do on this blog), but this story is different. First off, it is a story from the point of view of the police, specifically the BOP, or "elite squad" that intervenes in the favelas when the military police loses control of situations (which is often). Secondly, because of its specific point of view, it tries to debunk a different set of myths about crime in Brasil; it attacks the notion (sometimes too aggressively) that all police in Brasil are corrupt. At the same time, it shows throughout the story that most police are in fact corrupt. But, it pinpoints a few honest man that actually care about the law (what that means in Brasil, I don't know), and that try to fight through the mediocrity and corruption of the police force. It's insightful, but at times blood-curdling and excessively violent. Excessively violent, that is, if this level of violence wasn't actually present in Rio.