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Aufdruck (2014)
Simple but very interesting
AUFDRUCK (LABEL) is a German short film by Jaschar L Marktanner. First thing, the little note in the beginning is really nice. In less than 4 minutes, we see two young ladies drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes while complaining about some guy, a waitress, the coffee cup, and the cigarette, with an indifferent look on their faces. They look bored, killing time with coffee and cigarettes, but Pansen's behaviour is interesting. She didn't ask for another coffee when she finished, nor did she light the cigarette. But after all, they smiled at the waiter and even tipped. I started to feel that this is almost what we do every day: getting bored, grumbling about people and things around us while keeping a smile on. Can totally relate. In the end, it goes from b&w to colours, still the similar kind of conversation, just with stronger emotions. Anything could have happened before this, and anything could happen after this; there's plenty of space for imagination. All in all, a simple short film that reminds me of myself and people I've seen, and that makes me smile. Thanks to the crew!
The Story of 90 Coins (2015)
Beautiful story, brilliant music, and a topic that does matter nowadays
First of all, my thanks to the director Michael Wong for sharing this short film. I wouldn't call it a love story; it's more than that. Judging from the ending, Chen had never opened the envelops when they were first handed to her; she knew that Wang was fulfilling his promise, and she kind of took it for granted. It's just like what could happen in everyone's life: Things that we think naturally happened are often those that we fail to pay enough attention to. It can be about love between lovers, or, certainly, love in a family, between friends, even between strangers. Of course, it doesn't have to involve love; for different people, the topic could be anything they relate to. The music has done a lot to the atmosphere. It gets in when necessary, and the tunes as well as the tempo and the choices of instruments change with the development of plot and emotions. I have to say, though, that there are a few parts that could have been better. The first one is, Chen was going to Paris, she has a French friend, and she even got the visa to study design there (so it's a student's visa I suppose), which means they certainly could have just spoken French. (I currently study graphic design in Paris, and as much as I know, a French would often prefer speaking their native language when they know you can understand.) Another things is, no offense but, most people would usually choose a pair of comfortable shoes when travelling, especially if they have heavy luggage and are taking an long flight (9 to 10 hours between Beijing and Paris), so personally I think it's inappropriate to portrait Chen wearing those heels when she arrived in her apartment. In general, it's indeed a beautiful work which goes deep with a small story. These are only my personal opinions, and if I get anything wrong, apologies in advance.
Get Out (2017)
Impressive but a bit too far gone
This is a film that speaks for the black, very obviously. Basically all white people are bad and all black people are victims, and the line between the black and the white are drawn as clear as that between the Capulets and the Montagues. As a horror film, it indeed is horrifying, with the ambiance. The unnecessarily particular attention that everyone gives Chris creates an atmosphere like being stared by a million pairs of eyes. People smile, but weirdly. Blood and deaths appear in the end, but the horror starts from the beginning. This is why I give an 8. But I'm not rating more than 8, because the point is overstated. I doubt if a black person will feel really good after watching it. As a foreigner of another race in Paris, I know the extra attention native people pay to us, but that doesn't mean they are all evil. It's a dramatic way of underlining the point of the film, I understand that, but think about it: When all white people are portrayed like this, isn't it racist as well? A hate towards the white? For me, this film is all brilliant until the moment when Rose refuses to give the key to Chris. From there on, it's gone way too far. Of course, the scenes after that add on greatly to the horror, but this part of horror is not the same kind. It's no longer the horror of seeing how hypocritical the so-called non-racists are. It's more the horror of learning how much humans can hate each other just because they are not the same sub-species. A film that fights against racism is supposed to seek for peace and harmony among all races, not to stand with one race and attack another. All in all, it's still a very impressive work, and what Jordan Peele genuinely wants to convey is truly deep.
Da yu hai tang (2016)
Appreciate At A Teen's POV, Not An Adult's
When I walked out of the cinema last Sunday, I heard a man said to his girlfriend behind me, 'A waste of money, innit?' Many people says that. I've read a review before watching it, and the reviewer mainly held that the scenes were certainly beautiful, and we could see that the crew had dedicated all for it, but according to the plot, Chun ignored her family, her friends, ignored Qiu who genuinely loved her, even her entire world, to pay the life back to a human boy who had once saved her, and this needed to be reconsidered. Well, I admit that this animation is not perfect, whether it's the plot, or the characters, or the pictures. But I feel that this work should be judged in a purer way, and not to focus too much on whether the deeds of Chun were 'worthy' or not. The concept of 'worthy' is different for a teen and an adult, and here, for a sixteen-year-old girl, what she did was worthy. It's extremely childish, childishly selfish, but it's what she believed was right, and she wasn't all unreasonable. Let's think in another way. What were all the grown-ups doing? Trying to eliminate Kun. Why? Because he saved Chun, and Chun wanted to pay her debt of gratitude, which caused all the disorders of their world. Was this reasonable then? Couldn't they spare a bit of the effort they paid to kill Kun to hold the situation back when it first became urgent? They probably could. Chun actually stopped the sky from cracking by giving everything she had to her grandpa. If all others had stood together like how they built the bridge, it probably would have costed less to do it. But they gave their all to kill another life they thought was blamable, and if they had succeeded, Chun would have died too, and they would be sad and would regret, and someone else would lose half a lifetime to bring her back. In fact, no one in this entire animation was absolutely reasonable, neither there was in the real world. I suggest that we put the adult logic away for a while, and appreciate the effort the crew paid and the pure 'life for life' values. I'm not comparing it to other Chinese animations because I haven't watched them, but it deserves 3 stars for pictures, 3 stars for voice and music, and 1 star for thestory.