Hirokazu Koreeda’s Film “Broker”

Quick review for the film “Broker.”

A young Korean woman leaves her unwanted baby outside a “baby box” at a church one rainy night. Two female detectives sit in a car watching. A man working at the church retrieves the baby and erases the video tape of the incident. He works with a partner to sell unwanted babies on the black market. He’s a broker. Through a series of circumstances I won’t spoil here, the baby brokers and the young mother go on a journey to find a home for her child, all the while being watched by the police.

I know this sounds very dark but it’s actually one of the most gentle and humanistic films I’ve ever seen. In many ways this is a road comedy. There is a surprising amount of humor considering the circumstances. That said, it never makes light of it’s subject matter. It will leave you asking many questions.

You grow to care and understand every character in this film. You will likely feel conflicted as the story unfolds. Who am I rooting for? I think humanity as a whole is the answer, each one of these people an important part. You see the past and present choices of each person come together in a future where there are no simple answers. And along the way all of these lost souls form a family. This is director Hirokazu Koreeda’s speciality. Rejection. Failure. Regret. Hope. Understanding. Compassion. A few of the many spices of life.

I highly recommend this one.

Pablo Larrain’s film “Spencer”

Director Pablo Larrain’s haunting 2021 film “Spencer” is a masterpiece. The film tells the story of Princess Diana struggling with her mental health during the Christmas holidays with the Royal Family. It’s not a biopic but more of a character study.

Charles has been having an affair. The Royal Family keeps her on a tight leash. The trappings of tradition and expectation. The threat of paparazzi. Longing for her childhood home. Wanting a different life for her sons. She feels trapped. Helpless. Betrayed. So much weighing on her mind and rightly so.

Kristen Stewart’s performance as Diana is remarkable. Subtle, strong, and vulnerable. I was blown away. Throw out that Twilight baggage. The transformation is astonishing.

Some strong and touching supporting performances surround Stewart. Sally Hawkins and Sean Harris are brilliant and bring a sense of humanity and reality into Diana’s world. Lifelines.

The cinematography and locations help create an atmosphere of both beauty and claustrophobia. Jonny Greenwood’s score and some key pop songs seem out of place at first but in the end work perfectly.

This film is Diana’s story but also the story of so many women locked into lives of silence and servitude. It’s an awakening and a cry for change. It is inspiring.

Give it a watch when you’re in the mood for something out of the ordinary.

Toni Erdmann Is A Film That Defies Genre

The 2016 film “Toni Erdmann” is a 2.5 hour german comedy/drama (You don’t hear that often), directed by Maren Ade, about a practical joking father who tries to reconnect with his hard working daughter by creating an outrageous alter ego and posing as her CEO’s life coach. That’s a simple surface level synopsis. I’m not sure it’s comedy though actually. I guess if you can look at the tragedy of life as a comedy then you are getting closer. I think everyone will have a different reaction to this movie, like a great piece of art.

This film is just brilliant and really defies definition. It’s political, familial, satirical, honest, absurd, intimate. With such a long running time I kind of lost myself in their world. At times you feel that awkward comedy of The Office. Other times it feels like an after hours HBO series. (be warned, adult content) The people feel and behave like real people. There are no grand speeches. There is just people living their life in the world the we have created for ourselves trying to connect, say good-bye, find pleasure, feel worthy, share love, earn a living, and have a laugh. On some strange level, this like a more in-depth, alternate world depiction of Ms. Doubtfire.

A truly unique, touching, insightful piece of filmmaking for the more adventurous film fans when you’re in the mood.

Jia Zhang-Ke’s Masterful Film “A Touch of Sin”

“A Touch of Sin” is a 2013 film directed by Jia Zhangke, known for his exploration of social and economic issues in modern day China. The film weaves together four separate stories, each depicting acts of violence committed by individuals driven to the edge by various forms of oppression. Be warned if you watch this, there are some extreme moments of gun violence and it is very graphic. I was honestly not expecting it as this director is not known for violence but it’s absolutely necessary in this movie.

The movie is unflinching in how it presents the harsh realities faced by ordinary people in modern China. An angry miner, enraged by corruption in his village; a migrant who discovers the infinite possibilities of owning a firearm; a receptionist at a sauna who is pushed to the limit by a client; and a young worker drifting through the foreign-owned factories and nightclubs of the south. The gap between rich and poor. The deep-rooted corruption and moral decay. There is a lifelong alienation that triggers the series of desperate and violent acts in each character in various phases of their lives.

These problems are universal though. It just happens to be set in China. Guns. Power. Gender. Class. Poverty. Money. Money. Money.

The performances are all brilliant and effortless. So natural. The cinematography is visually stunning, with long takes and masterful framing that captures the beauty and brutality of the landscapes and the world these characters live in.

I highly, highly recommend this film.

Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Nobody Knows

The official synopsis for Hirokazu Kore-eda’s 2004 film Nobody Knows reads “In a small Tokyo apartment, twelve-year-old Akira must care for his younger siblings after their mother leaves them and shows no sign of returning.” Yeah this is a tough watch but worth it. It’s unforgettable . As the mother returns and leaves for long stretches, the 4 kids have to fend for themselves. And as the months wear on and things begin to decline and get desperate, the older brother Akira is challenged to find new ways to keep the family alive. The underlying spirit of these kids to overcome and live is both heartbreaking and inspiring. The fact that this goes on for so long unseen is amazing and also not hard to believe.

Having an earlier a career in documentary filmmaking, Hirokazu Kore-eda carries over his signature documentary style in this feature. Everything about this movie feels real. You sort of forget it’s not a documentary at some points. Nobody Knows is based on a true story and probably only one of many stories like it out there.

I’d recommend this movie but I’m not sure how. I guess I’d say it’s a film that finds you when you’re ready.

Still Walking is Masterpiece Filmmaking

Hirokazu Koreeda’s 2008 film Still Walking is a masterpiece and miracle.

The film takes place over the course of a single day at a family gathering in remembrance of a brother who died saving a drowning child at the beach. Shot in a documentary style but composed mostly of beautiful static shots, there is so much life and natural reality in every character that you feel like you’re there with them. You feel like you know them because they ARE people you know or maybe they are you. There is no action or extraordinary plot revelation or even a big finale. And that’s the miracle part. It still works. It unfolds like a day you might imagine having or have had and reveals family ties, missed connections, and insecurities and disappointments we all feel from one time or another.

Highly recommend for those looking for something different. Can’t wait to watch Koreeda’s other films.

I Wish by Hirokazu Koreeda

Hirokazu Koreeda’s 2011 film “I Wish” tells the story of two brothers whose lives change when their parents separate. Each of the boys go to live with one of the parents in different cities. One of the boys has the idea that if he can go watch the crossing of two new Bullet Trains coming to town he can make a wish for his family to get back together. It’s a very simple and quiet film full of natural performances and natural observations. It’s a coming of age story. It’s an ending of age story. It’s a quest story. The adult character storylines (parents and grandparents) are searching just as much, if not more, than the kids. Ultimately it’s about acceptance. Another good one from Koreeda.

John Wyndham’s Out of the Deeps

If you’re a John Wyndham fan you’ll love Out of the Deeps this book. (or The Kraken Wakes…there are two titles out there) I had put off reading it for a while after starting it a few months back. It didn’t grab me at first. Picking it back up last week though, I tore right through it.

A bit like Day of the Triffids in theme, the story is a cautionary tale of some outside force that creeps up over time to take over the world. It’s uncanny how much of what takes place mirrors our world today. A bit of global warming, the reach and effects of global media, do nothing politicians, a society that quickly loses interest in current events… it’s a fascinating mix. The story is mostly a recalling of events rather than the actual events themselves which is also interesting. The two main characters are a husband and wife writing/reporter team. I imagined any number of 40s films with say Cary Grant or Rosalind Russell. Scenes with His Girl Friday type dialogue and then occasionally throw in a monster attack. It’s good stuff!

Elephant Sitting Still – Directed by Hu Bo

I finished watching Elephant Sitting Still last night. It took me 3 days as the film runs 3 hours and 54 minutes. This movie is a tough sell on many levels. The director took his own life after production was complete. He was 28. It’s a slow moving, present moment presentation of 4 intertwined stories in the modern world. It’s beautiful. Sad. Thought provoking. It’s also very cleansing. For someone like me with eye issues, this is the kind of cinema that relaxes my eye. You can live in those long takes and see the world in a new way. I think it’s a film that finds you when you are ready for it. I recommend watching it alone. I look forward to watching it again sometime soon.

This video does an excellent job describing the experience. Don’t worry about any plot spoilers as it’s all about the journey.

“The Cranes Are Flying” by Director Mikhail Kalatozov

“The Cranes Are Flying” by Director Mikhail Kalatozov is masterpiece of love and tragedy during wartime. The film tells the story of a young couple (Boris and Veronica) who are madly in love until World War II tears them apart. With Boris at the front, Veronica must try to ward off spiritual numbness and defend herself from the increasingly forceful advances of her beau’s draft-dodging cousin.

Much like his film “Letters Never Sent,” the film showcases amazing camerawork by Sergei Urusevsky, beautiful and authentic locations, and perfect casting. There is so much movement in this film. I still can’t believe I had never heard of Mikhail Kalatozov until now. So much of his shot setup and movement reminds me of Steven Spielberg. He had to be a source of inspiration. It’s also really cool to see what Russian audiences were watching during the late 1950s. To find out it was a anti-war film makes it even more of a treasure.

Well worth your time to track down and watch.