Reviews

I went into J.C.V.D with all the prepubescent memories of the action heroes of yesteryear; nostalgic roundhouse kicks, horrible dialogue, overdone explosions, one-liners and all. A time where the movie industry churned out the same movie a hundred different ways with the likes of Schwarzenegger, Stalone, and Van Damme in the spotlight. These action movies seem set aside from Hollywood history, not as bad films per say but as their own separate entity where critics and nay-sayers alike had no power to quell the insatiable appetite of young movie goers. A time where this trinity of subpar actors ruled the box offices with their muscles and gun toting charisma. Not that I was expecting J.C.V.D to be one of these films, but it is almost impossible not to be reminded of the better days of mindless entertainment when the film's title is the initials of the King of High Kicking, Jean Claude Van Damme. I was expecting something I have never seen before, something of a reinvention of an American, French, or more importantly, world icon. Which is exactly what I got.

J.C.V.D. is not a Jean Claude Van Damme movie whatsoever, no more than its namesake. There are no drawn out fight scenes, no car chases, and certainly no bad one-liners. Instead, the film is a hybrid, a meta-film, going beyond documentary, mocumentary, or full blown narrative. If I were to categorize it as anything, it would be a documentary of a mocumentary since it isn't afraid to break the fourth wall and does so on many occasions. The narrative is broken up, flipping back and forth if not only for the element of short lived mystery. It is not a character study since Van Damme is almost too well known for that, rather it is reenactment of his life dramatized for Hollywood. It doesn't matter if the story is true or not, the important thing is that Van Damme makes it real. Obviously drawing from his real life experiences, he pours his heart into his cinematic counterpart and proves to the world that he can flex his acting muscles just as well as he can flex his biceps, if not better now in his old age. Van Damme humanizes himself in a way that we have never seen. In a power and telling scene where Van Damme literally is lifted above the fourth wall, he explains to the camera his inglorious life and career, full or mistakes, drugs, and heartbreak. It brings a heart to those action films of yesteryear, of a past where things were simpler and a present where retrospection, as well as introspection, only leads to heartache.

This film speaks about the power of the celebrity and the quick to judge public. It brings to light the blood thirsty court system once it has a celebrity to make it famous. And it shows that not all of these superstars are the personalities we see on film. That they are normal people thrust into extraordinary situations with nothing to do but buckle under the pressure of the public. But beyond the serious nature of J.C.V.D. there are plenty of easter eggs to be found for those pure action fan boys. References to all of his previous work and signature high kicks are spread throughout the film that give it it's humor while the performances and solid writing attribute to many laughs as well.

The opening sequence of J.C.V.D. perfectly captures the message it is broadcasting to our time. It features an action sequence where Van Damme is out of breath and sloppily taking out soldiers while the stunt men and actors alike exhibit their heartless effort for a pay check in the film industry while the director throws darts at a picture of Hollywood. It lacks all the magic of his work while accentuating the cheesiness to a point where the fake film is a mirror image of the action industry today. And as Van Damme tries to catch his breath and lobby for a better film, he can only walk away in disgust of what his beloved career has become. J.C.V.D. is a film that knows what it is and what it is trying to say. Yet it somehow goes beyond that to become something more. It breaks down and then raises up one of the most famous action stars of all time only to show him in one of his best roles. Himself. It is not a tribute to those days gone by where I would rent six Van Damme movies and watch the rest of the afternoon away, it is more. It is a fun, funny, entertaining, and a damn good film. One thing is for sure, I will never look at Van Damme the same way again, and that is a great thing.

What Time Is It There at a first glance is a boring, frustrating and complex puzzle of broken narratives which leave the viewer struggling to stay out of a sleepy haze and focus long enough to draw some sort of cinematic conclusion to an otherwise ambiguous film. Yet once all the amateur film goers and the rest of ADHD ridden America, the true film goers can marvel at a cinematic masterpiece, so far on the spectrum of complexity that it almost goes full circle to simplicity. Full circle being the key phrase here.

Much like other Asian filmmakers, Tsai deals with alienation, loss, and a search for something. The story of the film is simple: a boy's father dies and he and his mother are forced to deal with the loss. If you look for anything, story wise beyond this, you must look harder. The film shows how these two individuals deal with loss through their own idiosyncrasies, yet they both are getting at the same thing. Reincarnation. The young man meets a woman who wants to buy his watch and after some prodding, he relinquishes it. Whether it is because of her or not, he becomes obsessed with turning back the clocks he encounters, as if he is literally trying to turn back time itself. It even becomes quite comical at times when he goes to all sorts of lengths to turn back the clock. While his mother on the other hand deals with reincarnation in the literal sense through her religion. She rigorously practices her faith in hopes of bringing back her husband. In fact she becomes so obsessed with it that she believes he is trying to contact her and won't hear otherwise. Both contrasting view points on reincarnation show the different beliefs on religion and science not fully marrying the film to one of the ideas.

The imagery that comes with these practices is astounding. Tsai has shown that he is the master of mise en scene. Each scene has the camera set up in one position and doesn't move or cut until the end of the scene. The eye is allowed to move freely about the depth of the image while finding the imagery Tsai leaves behind as clues. He uses a water wheel in a mall, a Ferris wheel, and clock faces to show the visual interpretation of turning back the clock. The final image of the film is the Ferris wheel spinning counter clockwise leaving a retrospective idea in the viewers mind.

Truly this film tackles the idea of reincarnation and the dealing with loss and alienation so masterfully that any who attempt to address the same subject matter will just feel like a weak attempt. Tsai's What Time Is It There truly is a simple story with complex themes and visuals that is unlike any film going experience that should be appreciated for its content and relevance and not its entertainment value.

Days of Being Wild is the one of Wong Kar Wai's films in his portfolio which introduces and usually hypnotizes them under his genius. It also is the film that truly made Wong Kar Wai the filmmaker he is today with the respect he deserves. The film features many of his usual themes of alienation and separation though, unlike his other films, it marries Western and Eastern film-making to create a hybrid of cinematic perfection.

Wong's story telling is usually a beautiful and emotion story broken into pieces and left for the viewer to figure out where they fit in the grand scheme of things. Days of Being Wild departs from that in a way where the story is presented linear though reminiscent of his usual style. While the story follows one character living out their life it will branch off to follow another character for a substantial amount of time and none of the stories lack emotional depth because of it. In fact, Wong's direction of his actors allows each departure to be a showcase of their acting talent as they live as there characters in their own little episodes. This presents a pragmatism which hints back to Wong's usual style.

Many of the "episodes" intertwine which tells us something of what Wong is saying. Though the stories aren't very eventful, they are absolutely real and like in the real world, lives intertwine everyday, without even knowing their social relevance. Where Wong's idea of an overcrowded world filled with lonely people usually sends them searching for companionship, this film has them collide whether out of fate or coincidence. That even though the world is impossibly large and there are millions of people in it, it isn't a big as we think.

The story builds and builds until a violent climax which leaves the film with a shadow of unease about it. The crushed montage of events leading to the final scene leave you breathless, wanting more. The film's lasting appeal will leave anyone thinking. No wonder this is one of the more popular Wong Kar Wai film, where his other films are beautiful and real, Days of Being Wild is entertaining like an American film with an underlying Wong Kar Wai feel.

Once again Wong Kar Wai has stepped outside the realm a traditional film making and produced a piece so emotionally powerful and visually stimulating that it ranks among his best work as well as one of the greatest films to come out of the Chinese "New wave" cinema. Themes of alienation, loneliness and searching for something bleed through Wong's films like ink on a white shirt, permanently changing our perception of what great film making truly is.

Centering around two homosexual, Chinese men, the film depicts modern day Argentina. Having the men as homosexuals alright draws a line between acceptance and alienation for homosexuals still struggle for acceptance today. But also having the film take place in Argentina separates these men even further to the point that they, each other, are all they have. Their relationship is really the heart of the story which goes completely opposite of the film's namesake. Not once are they happy together nor are they happy apart. The film acts as a sort of tug-a-war with these lovers constantly battling to win each other back or push each other way. Never once is one's "male" dominance long lasting, leaving these lovers continuing their love hate relationship. Wong has the power to use his sets as not only backdrops but characters themselves. Much of the film takes place in their small cramped room. The leaning walls constantly give off the feeling that their small little world is closing in about them. The room is not glorified nor is it pretty. It is dressed with gritty trash with realism so thick that it transports the viewer into the room as well. The characters look cramped in their environment even outside the room. And even outside the room into the streets of Argentina, there is never a sense of the outside world. Just the small world from work to home, nothing more. The camera is squeezed where ever it can fit and the scene is documented.

The non linear story perfectly captures the life of these two characters who are literally fish out of water. Wong's fixation on alienation and searching come through more in this film than any of his others. The powerful acting propels the story and the emotional content of their relationship gives it a heart. The film is not happy nor is it very entertaining beyond the characters. Nothing much is gained and nothing much is lost yet the aesthetic beauty of the cramped and ugly Argentina background leaves a lasting impression on the viewer. Wong's ability to handle such subject matter with grace and power to evoke such real emotions, demonstrates why he is one of the great filmmakers working today and will surely be remember as one of the great filmmakers of the industry.