Ratatouille

Dir: Brad Bird
Starring: Patton Oswalt
Year: 2007

Borman's animation badunza (don't look it up - I just made it up) continues with Ratatouille from Pixar. Brad Bird brought us The Incredibles and The Iron Giant and this... the man's a ledge(nd).

Out of those three - not that there's any need to compare them, but I will do for the sake of you small minded people - Ratatouille is by far my favourite. I felt a great kinship with Remi and his love of food. I'm sure Dodge would too but he refuses to watch anything that has rats in it. The snob.

Narry B finds that animation films drawn him more than 'real' films. You would think it would be the opposite, but I can't help shouting at the TV when the bad guy gets the upper hand, or there's a near miss with a grenade in a Disney film.

The plot goes a bit middle ground about half way through after an amazing start, and resorts to predictable Disney formula towards the end, which is why it goes down to Top Work instead of Genius. But it's got all the makings of a classic with a cheeky sense of humour and enough action to have you biting your fingerbones.

Top Wok!

Coraline (Smaltz Review)

Dir: Henry Selick
Starring: Teri Hatcher, French and Saunders, Lovejoy

Coraline is the first cinema film seen in 3d at home. The DVD kindly includes both versions so when you don’t want mild sea sickness you can watch it in 2d (how 20^th century of you). The film itself has pedigree coming from the director of The Nightmare before Christmas and left me wondering what he has done between the two?

That aside Coraline (not Caroline) and her family have relocated and she’s not particularly happy about it, nor the fact that her parents are too busy to have time for her. Bored and inquisitive she finds the passage to an alternate life with her other mother and father. This is a world filled with everything she wants, her mother making sure everything is just right. When the time comes to offer her the chance to stay in this version of her world forever it becomes apparent how wrong it is.

Smaltzy Baby was surprised how good this was. I’d read the reviews and heard how like most animated films these days it’s dark and scary for adults too, but in this case it’s true. I found myself genuinely tense (dare I say scared) for our hero’s well being. The reason for this is that (like The Spiderwick Chronicles) it follows horror film conventions and is made by talented people.

The look of the film is wonderful, in fact moments of it are visually stunning. The story has a Studio Ghibli like feel to it as does its pacing. The cast is filled with eccentric characters and creatures, and there are 'nuff funny moments. The music is equally eclectic. The 3d works well enough to make it worth watching, and some scenes in particular really stand out. Honestly I can’t recommend this film enough. It’s charming but not quaintly so, definitely ideal for children but never childish.

Overall it’s very, very good indeed. Very.

Top Work!

The Aristocats

Dir: Wolfgang Rheitherman
Starring: Phil Harris, Scatman Crothers
Year: 1970

"Abraham De Lacy, Giuseppe Casey, Thomas O'Malley, O'Malley the Alley Cat!" There's something cool about cats. Much more than dogs. Dogs bark and stink. Cats eat and sleep, and sometimes hunt. Also they have jazz bands and get their photograph taken.

Aristocats captures the coolness of cats perfectly. Or should that be purrfectly? No, no it shouldn't. A mother and her three kittens get lost in the outskirts of Paris, having been taken from their home by a wily butler. Fortuantely, the smooth talking Giudeseppe De Lacy is around to help them get back home and win the mother's heart.

Along the way they meet Scatcat, aka Scatman Crothers, who also played Hong Kong Phooey (thanks, Wikipedia), and have some highjinks in 1920s Paris. What a riot!

This is golden era Disney. Some quality choons, legendary characters (especially Uncle Waldo who clearly deserves his own feature film) and ticklingly humourish.

Top Work!

Last King of Scotland (Smaltz Review)

Dir: Kevin Mcdonald
Starring: Forrest Whitaker, James McAvoy
Year: 2006

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this story it has nothing to do with the Highlands or Highlander (fortunately). This is a dramatised story of Idi Armin’s rule of Uganda, a man curiously obsessed with England’s northern cousin so as to name himself the Last King of Scotland.

Smaltzy don't waste no time: this is a tremendous film. Forrest Whitaker’s performance in the lead role is one that will be looked back on as classic for a long time.

The story follows Nicholas Garrigan, a naieve and fun-loving Scottish physician. The characters are so well judged and portrayed that we are drawn in by the charismatic Armin just as Nicholas is. He begins by accepting the role of his personal physician and is eventually called his closest advisor.

Each step closer to Amin is filled with tension until the horrendous acts committed under his rule are impossible to ignore. This first half is an exciting look at an exotic country of the brink of change but the second is pure political thriller.

The chilling turning point comes when Nicholas wants to get out only to find his house ram sacked and a new Ugandan passport waiting for him, effectively trapping him in the country.

There are some disturbing images but only occasionally as the filmmakers show great restraint which makes the whole thing more frightening. Be assured this film is top notch!

Smaltz-o-meter: Top Work

Emperor's New Groove

Dir: Mark Dindal
Starring: John Goodman, David Spade, Patrick Wurberton
Year: 2000

Narry B was hankering for a bit of Disney, having been turned off filmage by the over complicated and poo-like Before Sunrise. Thankfully The Emperor's New Groove came thru for our beloved film reviewer. It was everything you need in a Disney animation: funny, clean, musical and er... other stuff.

I was quite pleased cos I recognised three out of the first four major voices (Tom Jones, John Goodman and Patrick Warberurton - Seinfeld legend Puddy).

I like Kuzko becuase he kind of reminds me of me, but with more land. I wish I had more land... Anyway, I become a llama and only a villager can help me. Sorry, Kuzko. Kuzko becomes a llama. On the way, I learn to love people, be a bit more human and how to walk up a wall. What happens in the end? Does Kuzko remain a llama? Watch!

Top Work!

In The Pool イン・ザ・プール

Dir: Satoshi Miki
Starring: Suzuki Matsuo, Odagiri Joe, Maiko
Year: 2005

Imagine a neurologist/psychiatrist who prescribes no medicine, makes fun of his patients and goes with them on some crazy adventures to get to the root of the problem - not because it might cure them but because it might 'be a laugh'.

That's Dr Irabu, Satoshi Miki's creation that is perfectly played by Suzuki Matsuo. The Doc's in his own world, not really caring about the needs of his patients but helping them and having fun all the same. Matsuo does the job really well, with a kind of sloppy ex-ganja smoking nature combined with a nice sense of comedy that has something very 1960's Britain about it.

Miki's films may lack a bit of substance, but they're entertaining and have some classic scenes and characters.

Top Work!

Maiko Haaaan!!!

Dir: Nobuo Mizuta
Starring: Abe Sadao
Year: 2007

Just take a look at that title and the cover. You know what to expect. It's glitzy, musical, vivacious and a little bit stupid. Which makes it both fun to watch and, ultimately, lacking in substance. Narry B felt some of the plot twists were in there for the sake of it.

Ignoring that, though, you have an excellent cast working their way through a magical visual feast. Abe Sadao is perfect as the maiko-obsessed Onizuka, a man who seems endlessly creative, industrious and powerful when it comes to anything even vaguely connected to the world of geisha.

Countering his every move, however, is someone who seems to know more and be better-connected than him in every way (Shinichi Tsutsumi). This guy outdoes him consistently. Maiko Haaan!!! is as much about their rivalry as it is about the traditional ways of the Gion and Yumekawa districts of Kyoto.

Abe is a good comedian, and carries off the over-the-top manga-esque mannerisms very well. Director Mizuta also pulls off the imaginative side of things without being pretentious. The rather spectacular (if a little camp) musical number, for example, that suddenly breaks into the film doesn't intrude at all.

Another mention to Kou Shibasaki for being tres cute (see Drive). I'm not sure whether to give this a 'good', or a 'top work'. I'll go with top work as it's nice, clean entertainment.

Top work!

Drive ドライブ

Dir: Hiroyuki Tanaka
Starring: Shinichi Tsutsumi, Kou Shibasaki, Ren Osugi, Susumu Terajima

First: apologies for not reviewing much lately. More than a week since the last posting, and even then it was a Smaltz post so it wasn't worth reading. I'll try to catch up with a few reviews because, people, I have some amazing films in the last week.

Second: Drive. What a film. I don't normally list the cast so completely, but this is made up entirely of modern cinema legends. Susumu Terajima is the man with the instantly recognisable face, and, for my money, the best actor in Japanese cinema right now.

Ren Osugi turns up in Drive as a bank robber with a broken heart, but you may also remember him from Zebraman as the school principal. Kou Shibasaki is both a pleasure to look at and a delight to watch. Hollywood never seems to find beautiful leading ladies who can actually act. In Japan they're all over the place. Kou would later turn up in Maiko Haan! (review coming soon).

Shinichi is a great central protagonist, too. He's a lonely, serious, hard-working salaryman, who happened to park his car in the wrong place at the wrong time. When three bank robbers mistake it for their getaway vehicle, the four dudes are left with no other option but to rely on each other.

What I love about this film is its humour and its message. Despite all of them being a bit lost at the beginning, each of the characters eventually finds their own calling, and accepts it with pride.
Everything is right about this film. Entertainment deluxe!

Top work!

The Prestige (Smaltz Review)

Dir: Christopher Nolan

Star: Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine

Despite being suitably impressed by Batman Begins and enjoying Mr Nolan’s debut picture Momento, it took Smaltzy ages to see The Prestige. Not too long ago Narry recommended this to me and bang next thing you know darling Helga has borrowed it of her brother Kristof.

The prestige is the third act of an illusion, the bit that makes you go ‘how did they do that?’, much like my pants atop nelson’s Column. Right let’s get down to the beef. Two magicians become bitter rivals through tragic circumstances. Fortunately for us they are splendid actors and make the film uncomfortably engaging.

What helps its edge is Nolan’s signature blockbuster yet still indie style. In fact considering its start studded appearance it’s all rather old fashioned in a good way. However there are some issues that perhaps come down to Smaltz being a bit of a softy more than anything else.

Despite clearly being made by a lot of the same people as Batman Begins (visually it looks very similar) it doesn’t have the same warmth. In fact there’s something of a nasty edge for the first hour. This subtly changes to wonder and excitement in the second half, but still makes for slightly too intense viewing overall.

What’s more I’m not convinced the films prestige matches it’s build up, indeed Helga and Kristof worked it out in the first twentie minutes. Smaltz, not being the sharpest sickle on the flag, had no idea what was going, and to be honest that helps when enjoying stories.

These problems don’t stop it being a very well made film that is well worth watching. A second viewing may reveal it to be something nearer a classic. As it stands, however, it is as the French say, Bond, tres’ Bond.

Top Work!

Billy Elliot

Dir: Stephen Daldry
Starring: Jamie Bell, Julie Walters

Narry B's gonna 'fess up: I like this film. I made fun of it for years, but when I actually got around to watching it I was rather impressed. Instead of unlikable, depressing characters that I had imagined the cast was deep. Deep!

Set against the story of mining strikes in northern England, Billy E is about a boy who can dance. He'd prefer it if he could be a boxer, but he was born with woefully weak arms, so he becomes a dancer instead. A ballet dancer (puffter).

A lot of this film is bleak ("you ain't been right since mum died!"... lighten up, mon!) but powerful. Billy learns to dance on the sly and learns how to put his heart and soul into something at the same time.

One of my English students recommended this film to me. She had been so inspired by it that she went out and took up a French ballet class. I wasn't that inspired by it so don't expect to see Narry B in Swan Lake just yet, but Billy Elliot was an entertaining film.

Smaltz could learn a thing or two from Billy E. Mainly how about how to look good in a tutu.

Top work!

Zebraman

Dir: Takashi Miike
Starring:Aikawa Shou
Year: 2004

There's a massive difference between the superhero films of America and those of Japan. American superheroes are either the incredibly rich (Batman, Iron Man) or those gifted with ridiculously superhuman powers making them almost invulnerable (Superman, Wolverine).

Zebraman, on the other hand, has all the powers of a... zebra. In fact, now I think about it, he doesn't even have the powers of a zebra. He just has a zebra uniform. Beyond that, his non-super persona is pitiful. Not Clark Kent pitiful but likable. Just pitiful.

This is the superhero creation of infamous/famous Japanese director Takashi Miike. Unlike most other Miike films, this is intended for a wider audience (an audience who doesn't appreciate only violence and excess) and has nice touches of humour, action and human drama.

The story is peculiar, and I won't bother to recite it here cos you should all go and see this film. Download it, buy it, go to Japan and rent it... do anything. It's worth watching.

Top work!

*Narry B apologies for the image, but it was the only one available at the time of publishing. It's also a great example of Engrish.

Some Kind of Wonderful

Dir: Howard Deutch
Writer: John Hughes
Starring: Lea Thompson (BTTF), Eric Stoltz et al.
Year: 1987

What's going on with Narry B lately? He's reviewing all sorts of 80's classics, and with the help of Smaltz he hopes to one day to have the CFBW - Cheesiest Film Blog in the World.

What's the deal with John Hughes? He makes classics like Ferris Bueller's Day Off and stinkers such as The Breakfast Club. In fact, I heard he even worked Narry's MHFL5Y (Most Hated Film of the Last 5 Years) Drillbit Taylor. You can't deny he's one of the most successful writer/directors of the last 30 years.

I rather liked Some Kind of Wonderful. It was, unlike custard, sweet without being sloppy. Some wonderful teen cliches are mixed in with an otherwise decent coming-of-age tale, that has a rather sudden but predictable ending.

When Stolts falls in love with High School Jock Craig Sheffer's girl, things get complicated for him, his best friend and pretty much everyone else. The climactic fight between Stoltz and Sheffer comes to an excellent conclusion thanks to some street punks. Remember, kids, you can always rely on street punks to back you up in a fight.

Sometimes funny, sometimes moving, sometimes cheesy (Dodge E. take note), always entertaining.

Rating: Top Work!

Roman Holiday

Dir: Wyllyam Wyler
Starring: Audrey Hepburn, Greg Peck
Year: 1953

I was expecting a sloppy, sweeping romantic drama from Roman Holiday. What I got was quite different.

Roman Holiday is actually about three people who have a great time together for one day in Rome. The characters and their relationships are built up in a very constructive way. If you didn't feel that the characters had become so close and so understanding of each others situation, the ending would be unsatisfying. As it stands, this was one of the best and most surprising endings I've seen since 1952.

The same can't be said for Notting Hill, which clearly based itself on Roman Holiday. The thing I hate about Notting Hill, apart from the cheerful ending, is... well... Julia Roberts, for one. Her character has no appeal and no class wahtsoever. Also, Notting Hill seems to think that the physical act of making love is the key point - the grand, orchestral strings kick in, like their night together defines the relationship. That's lust, not love.

Roman Holiday, on the other hand, gets it all right. The two characters just want to use each other at first, but eventually find there's a lot more to it. It defines everything good about being in love, having friends, and, er, being a princess.

Hazzah for Audrey Hepburn, humanitarian, modern beauty, and great actress. Hazzah for Rome, city of history, grandeur, and romance. Hazzah for the immpecable cast and powerful script. Again, hazzah!

Top work!

カムイの剣 (Dagger of Kamui)

Dir: Rintaro
Year: 1985

This 1985 animation is rated very highly by many western sources. Midnight Eye, for example, included it in their top 5 animated films. In Japan, however, it is not very well known. I had enough difficulty finding it.

It's steep reputation is deserved. The story is riveting, although by no means original. Ken is an orphaned ninja with a mysterious past and even more mysterious future. As he travels the world picking up clues about his life and what happened to his parents, he becomes more aware of the massive conspiracy surrounding his own fate and that of Japan.

It's the 'travelling' the world element that is particularly enjoyable. Jiro, the main character, traverses Japan, the seven seas and America on his quest. Wandering throughout the world in the 1800's has always been a dream of Narry B's. Alas, he spent most of the 1800's with a cold.

It's the exploration and fairytale like setting of this film that is really enthralling. In fact, the whole thing is put together exceptionally well, with a nice mix of emotional charge, storytelling, action and comedy (an African slave crying out 'Jiro, My Benefactor!' is a laugh out loud moment).

Rintaro later went on to direct Metropolis, which is probably where you schmoes have heard of him.

Top Work!

The Patriot (Smaltz Review)

Dir: Roland Emmerich

Starring: Mel Gibson, Heath Ledger, Jason Isaacs

This is how it should go. Mr Emmerich make’s a new film, we all sit down and get a (slightly too long) couple of hours of spectacle and come out feeling a little deflated.

What we actually have is his best film that deserves to be seen as a very good war film. It shows the struggle for American independence from us pesky Brits. It’s surprisingly poignant helped along by its very good cast. Mel is rugged and has a past filled with war which he wants to get over. Heath is fresh faced and eager to server his country much to his father’s displeasure and Mr Issacs is smarmy and hated as he fills the role of customary English villain very well.

Smaltz is still surprised at how much restraint is shown. The battles are seen from a far except of course the epic ending with much screen time given to dialogue and character building. Also enjoyable is when Mel’s band of merry men goes a bit Robin Hood and peacefully sabotages the English army.

What really makes the film work, and is perhaps the most surprising element, is how well the central family work. Where as in other Emmerich films, The Day after Tomorrow say, the character arc is contrived and they are uncared for by the audience, where as here it is painful to watch as the family gets ripped apart.

Indeed the stupidity of civil war (perhaps more so than others) is wrapped up nicely in the films best line “Why swap one dictator three thousand miles away for three thousand dictators one mile away”.

Top Work!

12 Angry Men

Dir: Sidney Lumet
Starring: Henry Fonda, Ed Begley
Year: 1957

You may remember that the Narry Borman recently reviewed the excellent 'Gentle Twelve', a Japanese film written by Mitani Koki. I remarked in that review that it bears resemblance to a Hitchcock film. Behold, now, I realise my mistake.

12 Angry Men is the original film upon which Gentle 12 was based. 12 Angry Men is remarkably similar to Gentle 12. Koki obviously respects this film. 12 Angry Men is about a jury of 12 men who have to decide on a crime commited by a slum kid. Prejudice, personal feelings, and baseball games stand in the way of reaching a true verdict.

Much like Gentle 12, it tells you more about the character of the jurors than a 'whodunnit' story. And with Henry 'the man' Fonda among the rather talented cast, you can just sit back and enjoy. There is a very strong message in here, too, which is typified in the powerful scene where everyone turns their backs on the one remaining bigot.

Hazzah for equality!

Top Work!

Black Rain

Dir: Ridley Scott
Starring: Michael Dougless, Andy Garcia, Takakura Ken
Year: 1989

I took a chance on this late 80s Didley Squatt film as it was down to a mere 100yen at me local video store. The Narry B was impressed.

Black Rain had a good balance of terrible 80s cheese, Blade Runner style investigation, and Japanese sightseeing. It also Douglas's perm and cheeky double chin. What a ledge.

Japan in the 80s (not sure if it's Tokyo or Osaka to be honest) seems like a dangerous place. A Yakuza war is going on, and two NY cops get caught in the middle of it. Fortunately, Andy Garcia is there to make light of the situation with some woise-cracks and a bit of karaoke magic.

Ridley's casting is spot on. Ken Takakura is stellar as the Japanese cop, and the connection between Garcia, Douglass and Takakura is magnetic.

Top wok!

Iron Man

Dir: Jon Favreau
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow

I don't know what's happening to Narry B. He seems to like trashy films these days. Some say he stopped thinking in 1999 and has never been the same since.

Iron Man is a good film. Or, at least, it's very entertaining. There are laughs, action, and cliched terrorists fighting against the big ol' U.S of A. It's quite well made - let's face it, with this budget it couldn't be anything less. And Robert D Jr. is spot on as the engineer who has everything and nothing until he starts taking responsibility for designing weapons.

The ending was bit lacklustre, mainly cos it was so predictable and yet so stupid. How does rolling 5 cm out of the way of an explosion save you when a guy standing 5 metres away is blown up?! Admitting to being Iron Man at the end of the film was a worthy touch, I thought, making a bit of a mockery of all the superheroes who insist on being anonymous.

Looking forward to Iron Man 2!

Top work!

A Taxing Woman (マルサの女)

Dir: Juzo Itami
Starring: Nobuko Miyamoto
Year: 1987

Juzo Itami is something of a legendary director here, but is not too well known outside of Japan. He did a series of films with Nobuko Miyamoto called the 'Onna' (or 'woman') series. You may remember Narry B's other reviews such as Marutai No Onna, and Minbo No Onna.

A Taxing Woman is about a tax inspector who is very good at her job. I never knew taxes could be so exciting. Lots of gangster involvement, scandals, and espionage as the tax inspectors try to get the information they need.

The 'espionage' includes such ridiculous things as a truck with a big camera on the roof parked outside the suspect's house, and a mobile camera attached, in full view, to a motorcycle helmet. This is primitive stuff.

Top work from a top director working with a top cast. Perhaps my favourite in the Onna series!

Go Itami!

Top Work!

Gentle Twelve

Dir: Mitani Koki
Writer: Koki Mitani
Starring: Kazayuki Ajima
Year: 1991

If Hitchcock had been born in Japan, he might have directed something like this. The atmostphere is quite like his early-ish films, and in a similar way to Rope, almost the entire film is set in one room. A juror's room.

Gentle Twelve is as much about the Japanese character as it is about deciding whether a bar hostess is guilty of murder or not. People agree with each other just to get an easy answer, people don't know why they think what they think, and others staunchly hold to one opinion in the face of facts.

Mitani Koki wrote this film, and it's got his fingerprints all over it. It's even got his signature weakness of being a wee bit too long. Or, to be more correct, it would have been better if he had made it a bit shorter (see also The Magic Hour and The Wow-Choten Hotel).

Overall, it's a cracker of a film, though, that pokes fun at Japan inside of a very interesting story.

Top work!