Warning: This review contains a spoiler about the ending of the film, but only because it is a well known true story that you probably learned about in primary school. If you don't know the story of the Kon-Tiki expedition, then I suggest you just go see the movie without reading the below. It's fun, gripping and a rollicking good adventure. Don't read any further!
Kon-Tiki is only showing in limited theatres and probably not for much longer, but it is worth seeing if you enjoy "based on a true story" movies with grand adventure and high levels of tension. You may have learned of the Norwegian adventurer/ethnographer Thor Heyerdahl in school. After spending time in Polynesia, he theorised that it was settled by South Americans coming west, which went against the accepted wisdom that it was settled by Asians going east. When his professional community laughed in his face, he decided the only way to convince them was to prove it. So he built a balsawood raft, the same as the Peruvians would have done 1500 years earlier, and floated 8000 kilometres from Peru to Polynesia in 1947.
The film follows a very conventional structure as we meet Thor and his wife when they come up with the theory, watch as he gets rejected by all and sundry in the civilised world, see him come up with his crazy plan and then overcome the odds as he and five other men as crazy as he is undertake the journey of a lifetime. There is no time shifting structure or twists. And yet this is one of the most gripping films I've seen in a while, despite knowing the outcome in advance. The film manages to drag you into the storyline so that you forget you know the result, and it's very tense watching the interplay between the men as they firstly build and stock the raft, then sail it a very long distance. Thor Heyerdahl most certainly had to be a little bit mad, since he couldn't swim and was afraid of water after nearly drowning as a child. From the movie, it seems that some of his companions had a little bit of madness in them too. Will the madness take over and bring the mission to a tragic end, or will they be able to pull it back? It's fascinating stuff. Throw circling whales and sharks into the mix and it's very tense. The whole audience sucked in their breath at the same time at one point.
The movie is a Norwegian production with Norwegian actors so there are no recognisable faces here. This is really helpful though as it's more convincing and you're not distracted by "hey, that's so-and-so". Pal Sverre Hagen does a great job portraying Thor, displaying the charm and intelligence he must have had to do what he did, while also showing the dark side of obsession. The Kon-Tiki raft was built using the same primitive methods as the predecessors would have used and had no modern technology other than radio to keep in contact with the newspapers and magazines that were giving him the money to fund the trip. The other actors are a great bunch too, bringing the humourous moments. The actress playing Thor's wife Liv, who was sadly left behind as he pursued his dream, is also very good, showing the sacrifices that were made.
If I haven't sold it enough, Kon-Tiki was nominated for an Oscar this year for 'Best Foreign Film'. It didn't win, but was definitely a worthy contender. It was a grand adventure, packed full of drama and a testament to the slightly mad individuals who have made so many important discoveries in the world.
Thursday 25 April 2013
Monday 1 April 2013
DVD Gem - Casa di me Padre
I can't believe the latest film from Will Ferrell has gone straight to DVD, yet there we were renting it out the weekend it hit the shops. And it's an absolute cracker, although it won't be to everyone's taste.
Firstly a warning. This film is set in Mexico and is spoken entirely in Spanish with English subtitles bar a few lines from an American actor. So if you don't like subtitles, this may be the film to win you over! Apparently Will Ferrell learned his lines phonetically, since he doesn't speak Spanish.
Secondly another warning. This film is a parody of Mexican 'telenovellas' - a film genre which combines high soap opera and dramatic, sweeping storylines with poor production values and usually plays straight to TV. I am no expert but I'm taking it from Will Ferrell who had the idea after seeing a few of these movies. As a parody of this genre, the movie also combines high soap opera and poor production values, but it is deliberate.
Will Ferrell plays Armando Alvarez, a simple guy who works on his father's ranch raising cattle and riding horses, and looking for love on the wind. Trouble is afoot as the local drug cartel leader, The Onza (played in a hilariously camp manner by Gael Garcia Bernal), is making life difficult for the Alvarez family, using their ranch to execute his enemies. The family business is in trouble, so home comes little brother Raul (Diego Luna) to save the day. Raul is a big business man in the city, and brings his new woman Sonia (Genesis Rodriguez) with the news they are engaged. But more trouble arises on two fronts: Armando senses that Sonia is not who she says she is and may not love his brother like she should, and Raul has gotten mixed up in drug dealing himself so The Onza is feeling threatened.
This setup leads to some of the most hilariously over the top discussions, fights, love scenes and shootouts as the drama escalates. It's kind of like watching a spoof of a Quentin Tarantino movie crossed with the Bold and the Beautiful. It's quite violent in places and then just absurd in others (Armando's white lion guided trip while unconscious after a 'real' lion attack is so meta).
Will Ferrell, I commend you on bringing this film genre to our attention and learning Spanish in order to convincingly play the part of Armando. A top notch supporting cast who do speak Spanish certainly helps though, and it seems everyone was really in on the joke (check out the Making Of feature on the DVD).
This movie is so much fun and you will have to make sure you have the pause and rewind buttons handy. Since we knew what we were getting into, we were ready and had a great time playing 'spot the deliberately bad production values' and sharing them with each other. As an example to get you going, there is a scene where a hot senorita housemaid is bringing a tray of drinks to the family in the study, but when the shot shifts to brother Raul, the arm handing him the tray is clearly that of a large hairy man. The drink then changes from one cocktail to another as the family discussion continues. Also keep any eye on the backgrounds to any outdoor shots, and also the background players in the dinner scene celebrating Raul and Sonia's engagement. Some of these jokes are easy to miss so make sure you don't watch this one alone!
Firstly a warning. This film is set in Mexico and is spoken entirely in Spanish with English subtitles bar a few lines from an American actor. So if you don't like subtitles, this may be the film to win you over! Apparently Will Ferrell learned his lines phonetically, since he doesn't speak Spanish.
Secondly another warning. This film is a parody of Mexican 'telenovellas' - a film genre which combines high soap opera and dramatic, sweeping storylines with poor production values and usually plays straight to TV. I am no expert but I'm taking it from Will Ferrell who had the idea after seeing a few of these movies. As a parody of this genre, the movie also combines high soap opera and poor production values, but it is deliberate.
Will Ferrell plays Armando Alvarez, a simple guy who works on his father's ranch raising cattle and riding horses, and looking for love on the wind. Trouble is afoot as the local drug cartel leader, The Onza (played in a hilariously camp manner by Gael Garcia Bernal), is making life difficult for the Alvarez family, using their ranch to execute his enemies. The family business is in trouble, so home comes little brother Raul (Diego Luna) to save the day. Raul is a big business man in the city, and brings his new woman Sonia (Genesis Rodriguez) with the news they are engaged. But more trouble arises on two fronts: Armando senses that Sonia is not who she says she is and may not love his brother like she should, and Raul has gotten mixed up in drug dealing himself so The Onza is feeling threatened.
This setup leads to some of the most hilariously over the top discussions, fights, love scenes and shootouts as the drama escalates. It's kind of like watching a spoof of a Quentin Tarantino movie crossed with the Bold and the Beautiful. It's quite violent in places and then just absurd in others (Armando's white lion guided trip while unconscious after a 'real' lion attack is so meta).
Will Ferrell, I commend you on bringing this film genre to our attention and learning Spanish in order to convincingly play the part of Armando. A top notch supporting cast who do speak Spanish certainly helps though, and it seems everyone was really in on the joke (check out the Making Of feature on the DVD).
This movie is so much fun and you will have to make sure you have the pause and rewind buttons handy. Since we knew what we were getting into, we were ready and had a great time playing 'spot the deliberately bad production values' and sharing them with each other. As an example to get you going, there is a scene where a hot senorita housemaid is bringing a tray of drinks to the family in the study, but when the shot shifts to brother Raul, the arm handing him the tray is clearly that of a large hairy man. The drink then changes from one cocktail to another as the family discussion continues. Also keep any eye on the backgrounds to any outdoor shots, and also the background players in the dinner scene celebrating Raul and Sonia's engagement. Some of these jokes are easy to miss so make sure you don't watch this one alone!
Movie # 9 - Oz the Great and Powerful (3D)
Oz the Great and Powerful has certainly cast a spell over me. Having enjoyed the original a handful of times over my life, I was looking forward to seeing what Sam Raimi (Evil Dead, Drag me to Hell) would do with the prequel. And it definitely retains the magic!
Raimi appears to have stayed pretty faithful to the books by Frank L Baum (which surprisingly only resulted in 1 film about the land of Oz, being the original Wizard of Oz) and followed the same winning formula as the original film. It opens in the early 1900s, in black and white, telling the tale of travelling circus illusionist Oscar. Oscar is about to get into a little bit of trouble thanks to his womanising, lying ways and goes on the run in his hot air balloon, which is caught up in a tornado that transports him to the land of Oz which we experience in full colour, glorious 3D visuals. Once in Oz, Oscar has a series of adventures with characters who also appeared in the black and white opening.
Landing in Oz, Oscar meets the witch Theodora (Mila Kunis) who quickly falls for his charms as they journey towards the Emerald City where Oscar is supposed to fulfil the prophecy of the great and powerful wizard who will defeat the Wicked Witch and free the land of Oz forever. But Theodora hasn't realised Oscar is nothing more than a conman and womaniser. Her sister Evanora (Rachel Weisz) rules the Emerald City waiting for the prophesied wizard and it is she who reveals the task he must complete before he can take the throne and treasure. Oscar reluctantly agrees and sets out on his task with his monkey butler, which leads to a series of character building adventures, narrow escapes, and scary moments as he meets Glinda the Good Witch (Michelle Williams) and the Wicked Witch. Yes, the flying monkeys are just as scary in this version as they were for young 'uns in The Wizard of Oz.
I won't reveal any more than that and although there have been a few spoilers going around in magazines and TV spots, I still enjoyed the twists and turns of finding out who the Wicked Witch is and it's not necessarily what you think even taking the spoilers into account. I will only say that I was quite happy with the outcome and I think that it segues into the original film really nicely.
The four main actors do a great job, completely immersed in this fantastical storyline. James Franco is handsome, shallow and a great showman as required. All three of the witches are absolutely beautiful on the screen and do well with the little backstory they are given. The supporting characters are all well drawn though.
I do recommend seeing this in 3D as the visuals are completely stunning and they've made full use of the 3D with things flying past you and poking out at you regularly. It really enhances the magical element and the immersion in this other world. My only complaint would be the pacing - it is quite long and while it would otherwise be suitable for young kids, the ones that don't like sitting still for 2 hours are going to struggle. I would have trimmed the beginning and a few later scenes and spent a little more time establishing Theodora and Oscar's relationship which seemed to progress a little quickly to be so serious to Theodora when Oscar leaves.
Great fun, pretty to look at and I give this four out of five stars!
Raimi appears to have stayed pretty faithful to the books by Frank L Baum (which surprisingly only resulted in 1 film about the land of Oz, being the original Wizard of Oz) and followed the same winning formula as the original film. It opens in the early 1900s, in black and white, telling the tale of travelling circus illusionist Oscar. Oscar is about to get into a little bit of trouble thanks to his womanising, lying ways and goes on the run in his hot air balloon, which is caught up in a tornado that transports him to the land of Oz which we experience in full colour, glorious 3D visuals. Once in Oz, Oscar has a series of adventures with characters who also appeared in the black and white opening.
Landing in Oz, Oscar meets the witch Theodora (Mila Kunis) who quickly falls for his charms as they journey towards the Emerald City where Oscar is supposed to fulfil the prophecy of the great and powerful wizard who will defeat the Wicked Witch and free the land of Oz forever. But Theodora hasn't realised Oscar is nothing more than a conman and womaniser. Her sister Evanora (Rachel Weisz) rules the Emerald City waiting for the prophesied wizard and it is she who reveals the task he must complete before he can take the throne and treasure. Oscar reluctantly agrees and sets out on his task with his monkey butler, which leads to a series of character building adventures, narrow escapes, and scary moments as he meets Glinda the Good Witch (Michelle Williams) and the Wicked Witch. Yes, the flying monkeys are just as scary in this version as they were for young 'uns in The Wizard of Oz.
I won't reveal any more than that and although there have been a few spoilers going around in magazines and TV spots, I still enjoyed the twists and turns of finding out who the Wicked Witch is and it's not necessarily what you think even taking the spoilers into account. I will only say that I was quite happy with the outcome and I think that it segues into the original film really nicely.
The four main actors do a great job, completely immersed in this fantastical storyline. James Franco is handsome, shallow and a great showman as required. All three of the witches are absolutely beautiful on the screen and do well with the little backstory they are given. The supporting characters are all well drawn though.
I do recommend seeing this in 3D as the visuals are completely stunning and they've made full use of the 3D with things flying past you and poking out at you regularly. It really enhances the magical element and the immersion in this other world. My only complaint would be the pacing - it is quite long and while it would otherwise be suitable for young kids, the ones that don't like sitting still for 2 hours are going to struggle. I would have trimmed the beginning and a few later scenes and spent a little more time establishing Theodora and Oscar's relationship which seemed to progress a little quickly to be so serious to Theodora when Oscar leaves.
Great fun, pretty to look at and I give this four out of five stars!
Movie # 8 - Hyde Park on Hudson
Maybe it's just because it had been a while between movies for me due to some family issues going on, or because it was a free movie I won tickets to rather than wanting to go and see it, but I didn't really like this movie.
Set in the early 1940s, the movie centres around a period in the life of US president Franklin D Roosevelt (played by Bill Murray in restrained mode) where he was spending a lot of time at his mother's country home to give him a respite from running the country. This time away allowed him to indulge in his favourite pursuit - womanising! So it seemed to me anyway.
The movie's chief problem is that it uses a very dull character as the framing device through which we see the president and the events of the movie. Laura Linney plays the character Daisy, a distant cousin of FDR whose lonely existence in the country caring for a sick aunt is interrupted with the request to 'spend time' with FDR to keep his mind off the job. It's no wonder Daisy jumps at the chance and enjoys being driven around in FDR's car, smoking and drinking, but to be honest I just couldn't see what FDR sees in Daisy as she seems to have little to offer in conversation or wit. However, FDR is painted here as a man with a large sexual appetite so I guess she offers him the one thing he needs, in a rather distasteful early scene although their relationship is only hinted at for the rest of the movie. As the film slowly unveils, Daisy is not the only one but I was left quite bewildered at how calmly all these women take their part in the harem.
The best part of the film for me was the visit to the Hyde Park home by the then King and Queen of England, Bertie and Elizabeth (known to us as the Queen Mum I believe). They have come to ask the President for help with the war but are unsure whether the Americans are mocking them or welcoming them. The scenes between them alone as they discuss their US reception, and the scenes of them interacting with the president, his mother, his wife and retainers are quite funny. Had the movie been about this and flicked the Daisy storyline, I think I would've quite enjoyed the gentle humour.
Some people may find the film nice and funny (an older gentlemen sitting beside me was certainly giggling to himself quite frequently and for a long time) but I personally found the subject matter distasteful and the key characters unlikeable so it was difficult to enjoy.
Set in the early 1940s, the movie centres around a period in the life of US president Franklin D Roosevelt (played by Bill Murray in restrained mode) where he was spending a lot of time at his mother's country home to give him a respite from running the country. This time away allowed him to indulge in his favourite pursuit - womanising! So it seemed to me anyway.
The movie's chief problem is that it uses a very dull character as the framing device through which we see the president and the events of the movie. Laura Linney plays the character Daisy, a distant cousin of FDR whose lonely existence in the country caring for a sick aunt is interrupted with the request to 'spend time' with FDR to keep his mind off the job. It's no wonder Daisy jumps at the chance and enjoys being driven around in FDR's car, smoking and drinking, but to be honest I just couldn't see what FDR sees in Daisy as she seems to have little to offer in conversation or wit. However, FDR is painted here as a man with a large sexual appetite so I guess she offers him the one thing he needs, in a rather distasteful early scene although their relationship is only hinted at for the rest of the movie. As the film slowly unveils, Daisy is not the only one but I was left quite bewildered at how calmly all these women take their part in the harem.
The best part of the film for me was the visit to the Hyde Park home by the then King and Queen of England, Bertie and Elizabeth (known to us as the Queen Mum I believe). They have come to ask the President for help with the war but are unsure whether the Americans are mocking them or welcoming them. The scenes between them alone as they discuss their US reception, and the scenes of them interacting with the president, his mother, his wife and retainers are quite funny. Had the movie been about this and flicked the Daisy storyline, I think I would've quite enjoyed the gentle humour.
Some people may find the film nice and funny (an older gentlemen sitting beside me was certainly giggling to himself quite frequently and for a long time) but I personally found the subject matter distasteful and the key characters unlikeable so it was difficult to enjoy.
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