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Review: ‘Island of the Hungry Ghosts’ Raises Awareness on Timely Asylum Issues

Every year forty million red crabs migrate across Australia’s Christmas Island. On that same island, the Australian government houses thousands of asylum seekers and hold them there indefinitely. These two forms of migration happening simultaneously is the subject of Gabrielle Brady’s Island of the Hungry Ghosts. On an island far from the mainland, the Australian government sends these migrants to an island where human rights are violated, but go unseen in their remote isolation. With abstract punctuation, Brady raises awareness on the injustices that evade our eyes and the lingering ghosts that come from humanitarian violations.

Aesthetically, the documentary is very cinematic. At times, Island of the Hungry Ghosts feels fictionalized because of how it is put together. The film is shot in a wide aspect ratio, and the shooting style is reminiscent of a fictional drama than it is a documentary. The boundary of documentary and fiction are blurred which lends itself to the elevated feeling of “I can’t believe this is happening.” It is often so powerful that you often have to remind yourself that all this is real and taking place under the Australian government’s watch and not a dramatized film.

In tandem with this style is how the film edits itself together. It blends three story lines together, all of which contribute to the similar ideas surrounding migration, injustice, and suffering. One of which sees red crabs migrating across the island, the other a community paying tribute to deceased Chinese migrants who live as ghosts, and lastly a trauma counselor helping asylum seekers on the island. On the surface and as I describe it to you, these three may seem disparate, but together they feed into the same abstract idea. In a loose and fluid manner, the documentary modulates between these three with lyrical prose, evoking art house mentalities to connect these three through lines and generating an overall feel from the film.

Above all else is how the documentary underscores the injustice at these holding facilities. Through therapy sessions, we hear first hand testimony of the trauma these individuals go through after already leaving countries that are unsafe. Audiences never see the inside of the facility itself, but we can visualize the cruelties carried out there. Two thirds of the way through there is one session that will move you to tears at the inhumanity detainees experienced and the endless uncertainty that comes with indefinite detention. Though this is reflecting Australian migration policy, it’s message extends to that of America, and how our own government treats asylum seekers. The infraction of one country shown in the doc extends and raises awareness on all countries and their role in helping humanitarian crises. 

The film is most effective when told through the trauma counselor and the target subject is at hand. When we move to the other two storylines, audiences have to think abstractly and pull notions about migration and forgotten, out of sight injustices to tie the whole piece together. In a very sophisticated way, Island of the Hungry Ghosts will make you meditate on a timely global issue that we all too often turn a blind eye to.

3.75/5 Stars

Island of the Hungry Ghosts will be playing at North West Film Forum on March 20th at 7:30pm.

Review: ‘Captain Marvel’ is Another Great Superhero Movie That Points to an Exciting Future

The twenty-first installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is Captain Marvel, a film stricken with controversy, contention, and opinionated takes before it even hit theaters. Marvel’s long overdue, first female-led film was sure to draw the ire of internet fanboys, but now that it’s out, it’s clear the hate was unwarranted as Captain Marvel is another great entry in the blockbuster-superhero genre whose female representation will hopefully have a positive ripple effect in the culture it resides within.

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Review: Neil Jordan’s ‘Greta’ Sins

Neil Jordan’s Greta tries really hard to tempt, catch, and thrill, but over the course of the run time, it becomes apparent that it’s an underwhelming tale that confuses and disappoints. While I give the film credit for its acting and premise, I would be reluctant to give it anything else. Written and directed by Neil Jordan and starring Chloë Grace Moretz and Isabelle Huppert, this film barely manages to maintain interest beyond its strong leading performances.

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Review: ‘Salvador Dalí: In Search of Immortality’ Plays It Safe And Neutral

Salvador Dalí. A name you immediately recognize and one that conjures up recollections of his striking surrealist work. His paintings stretch beyond the realm of reality and into the far reaches your wildest imagination, producing both images of amazement and nightmare. A man as well known and as eccentric as Dalí naturally makes for an interesting documentary subject, and as such, we have Salvador Dalí: In Search of Immortality. Created by the Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation, In Search of Immortality unpacks the rich life of Salvador Dalí and frames his legacy as lasting embodiment of the artist.

For someone as interesting as Dalí, it’s perplexing to see a documentary take such a passive approach. The film operates much like an audio guide you would get at a museum or a half hour segment on PBS: a very descriptive, archival depiction of a historical figure that doesn’t have any bias in what it presents, but which is thorough in its coverage. This could be in part because it was produced by the Foundation itself and their desire to maintain a pristine narrative, but just know going in, this is no Morgan Neville documentary with an angle it wants to present.

In Search of Immortality is told using a mix of interviews, live footage, photographs, readings from his autobiography, and voice over narration. It takes on a weird consistency with so many methods, never really sticking to one and blending them all in to pull from as many sources as possible. At times it can feel like the interviews are out of place while other times it can be the voice over or readings. This goes back to the PBS style of documenting in the film. It often feels more like an information dump than an inspired work.

Dalí’s entire life is chronicled from start to finish, though much of his art work is deemphasized in favor for his inspirations, his travels, and oddly enough, the houses he acquired throughout his life. The paintings themselves do not have a major role in the film, appearing briefly when brought up in discussion, and never take precedent over the man himself which is a little disappointing as someone who is interested in the finer details of his work, but it seems director David Pujol wanted to stay focused on the individual and the events in his life.

The importance of his wife Gala is a constant in the doc. Serving as his eternal muse and lover, she stands as the inspiration for a portion of Dalí’s work. In a similar position of influence is the locations that Dalí chose to create his work, most notably, his ever expanding home in Portlligat. The significance of these two influences means they make reoccurring appearances as we trace Dalí’s life. They are so significant and influential on Dalí’s work that they end up being the major take aways from the film at the end.

In Search of Immortality is well meaning documentary that aims to inform the viewer about the artist, his influences, and the events in his life. For those looking for something straightforward and informative, this will undoubtably satisfy, but don’t go in expecting a tell all doc with profound revelations.

2.75/5 Stars

Salvador Dalí: In Search of Immortality plays at North West Film Forum from March 4th to March 7th.

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Review: ‘Alita: Battle Angel’ Sorely Misses Cameron’s Direction

After 20 years of false starts, Alita: Battle Angel finally makes its way onto the big screen. The manga adaptation has long been in development under James Cameron, but with Titanic, Avatar, and Avatar sequels taking priority, he seemingly never found the time to make this property come to life. So he passed the project onto someone else. That director. . . was Robert Rodriguez. Yes, the director of Spy Kids, Shark Boy & Lava Girl, Machete, Planet Terror, and Sin City was selected to pick up the mantle and carry James Cameron’s film over the finish line. 

Hard to believe considering that Cameron is a well known perfectionist, and you can easily find examples of his exorbitant demands online. From The Terminator to Titanic to Avatar, Cameron is uncompromising. If he wants it, he gets it, which is why it comes as a surprise that Rodriguez was selected because … well, he’s… not really … on Cameron’s level. That’s not a slight on Rodriguez, the two have very distinct styles, but given Rodriguez’s track record, I don’t know how he landed this gig. 

Questions immediately arose about who compromised where, who got final cut, and what creative liberties were taken. This is Cameron’s script with Rodriguez direction, and after seeing the film, it really should have been Cameron through and through. The film has a multitude of pros and cons that work on different levels of admiration and disappointment, but ultimately, Alita: Battle Angel leaves much to be desired.

After finding the partial remains of a cyborg, Dr. Dyson Ido (Christoph Waltz) uses his skills to rebuild and name her Alita (Rosa Salazar). With no prior memory, she slowly learns what it means to be human as she interacts with those around her in Iron City. In doing so, she begins to piece together her opaque past, a past which draws the eyes of Vector (Merhershala Ali) and his band of mercenaries who know of Alita’s true potential. 

The film is an adaptation of the famous manga, Gunnm, a manga that lasted for five years across nine volumes. With so much material to sift through, elements would naturally be cut from the single, 2 hour 22 minute film — which, might I add, was originally supposed to be 3 hours long in Cameron’s original script. Because of this, the film’s dealing in the origin arc of a larger story, an act one if you will, but that results in a very unsatisfying experience. Put simply, it’s incomplete. The entire film promises a grand stand off with Nova, the puppet master who lives in Zalem, the floating city above Iron City that holds the richest of the rich, but we never get any of that. 

What is so disappointing is that it’s all false promises. A major arc in the film is not even resolved, clearly leaving the film open to a sequel, but at a reported $200 million budget, it doesn’t seem like we’re going to see the end unless the film is a hit over seas. So much time is spent on establishing these narrative beats, but they go unfulfilled. It’s wasted time that could have been used to develop other characters, relationships, or even cut the run time down, and for that reason, there’s a lot of bloat. In such a predicament, they could of gone with Cameron’s longer script and had a more complete narrative, or they could have gone shorter and just cut more parts with Nova instead of leading us down a road of empty promises.

The one arc that does receive attention is Alita’s. Alita wakes up with no memory and she spends a good portion of the film learning what it means to be human and finding her true identity. Through her relationships, she comes to know the value of personal connections, the pleasantries of life, and the value of simply existing, lessons well outside of her robotic origins that exclude her from such. Alita as a character is the most fulfilled component in the entire film. It is the prioritized arc, but as mentioned before, the neglected overarching one intrudes on it and ultimately detracts from what could have been even better.

And then there’s the biggest conundrum: Cameron not directing. Earlier, I mentioned how this film is oddly in the hands of Robert Rodriguez, and it really shows. Scenes take on an off putting quirkiness, performances are all over the place, and tone seems to be uneven throughout. Rodriguez’s direction hinders the film, especially when you know what a VFX heavy film can be if it were Cameron in the driver’s seat. We don’t know what was cut from the script, but if Cameron was in charge, I doubt he would have cut any of it prior to filming. Given the under baked arcs, you have to wonder if substance was cut for run time. To be clear, we’re only speaking in hypotheticals; the behind the scene inner workings of the film are unknown, but given the track records of both directors, we can make an educated guess as to who is at fault, and after seeing the film, it’s pretty clear direction emerges as an issue.

Visually, the film is great. Using the same technology that Cameron used on Avatar, the film shines in the VFX department, especially for the motion capture performances used to create the varied robots and cyborgs. In order to replicate the anime look of Alita, they used motion capture to render Rosa Salazar’s performance onto a computer model that more closely resembles the look and feel of the anime character. The achievement here is how it never quite falls into the uncanny valley. I mean, it’s pretty impressive that they can give this character massive eyes and have it not look totally bizarre. The action sequences, too, exhibit refined choreography and spectacle, but as noted in my Ready Player One review, how much success can be attributed to Rodriguez here as opposed to the VFX team is debatable, but I tip my hat none the less.

For such a massive budget, it’s interesting to see the film operate in the personal dealings of Alita. That being said, the film is an elongated first act origin story that clearly has aspirations for a sequel, but in those hopes, it left major arcs unresolved at the expense of the one we really care about. Without Cameron in the director chair, one can’t help but think about what could have been and why the film feels so unfulfilling when the credits roll.

Score: 2.75 / 5 Stars

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Review: ‘Escape Room’ is the Epitome of a Dump Month Film

The month of January has historically been a dumping ground for major movie studios. It is the start of what the film community dubs the “dump months” —January and February, as well as August and September. Domestic box office numbers are typically at their lowest during these months, and so studios hold off on releasing any tentpole films and instead opt to release films that have either performed poorly during test screenings, are bad horror films, etc. — essentially, films that the studio doesn’t have much faith in. While there are, of course, some notable exceptions to this rule (The Silence of the Lambs was a late-January 1991 release), Escape Room is certainly not one of them. It’s a sloppily-made, PG-13 Saw rip-off at a time when Saw and movies like it are no longer relevant to the horror genre. Its incredibly uninspired plot, one-dimensional characters, and blatantly unfinished rendering make this easily one of the worst films of 2019 just a few days in.

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The film starts off with one of its final scenes, featuring one of the main characters trapped in an escape room, desperately trying to find a way out. This same exact scene then gets played back to us in the last 15 minutes. It’s supposed to set the tone for the entire film, but instead of grabbing the audience and making them invested, its attempt comes across as laughable and monotonous, and its lazy reincorporation certainly doesn’t do the film any favors. After the title sequence, we then witness an introduction to the characters of Zoey (Taylor Russell), an intelligent yet shy college student; Ben (Logan Miller), a grocery store worker and junkie who’s down on his luck; and Jason (Jay Ellis), an uber-masculine, cocky businessman. Speaking in terms of narrative, these three should be the ‘main’ characters, but the film really ends up trying to make us care the most about Zoey and Ben in the end. The character writing isn’t just a structural issue, though, because any semblance of nuance to these characters is completely thrown out the window and instead the focus is purely on their surface-level characteristics. We’re introduced to three other characters at random points throughout the first 15 minutes, and the same thing applies to them too. The writing is lazy to the extreme. Actually, almost everything feels lazy about this film, including the borderline unfinished look. So many shots look unfinished, as though they were rendered in 480p in order to save time. Everything in this film is either dreadfully bland or awful, the dialogue included. Almost every line is laughably bad and cringe-worthy.

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The entire premise of each of the rooms is to exploit a major flaw of each of the characters (6 rooms for 6 characters), yet the main drawback to that central idea is that none of these characters are effectively developed enough for it to truly play out. The film, therefore, fundamentally fails to say anything meaningful about the nature of these characters, humanity, or really anything whatsoever. It’s completely tone-deaf and pointless. That’s not to say we shouldn’t ever have dumb horror thrillers, because they can certainly be fun, but Escape Room carries a veil of attempted sincerity with it. It’s trying to make us care about these characters, yet fails spectacularly in the process.

The final ten minutes of this film was, in a word, frustrating. Though it admittedly should have ended before that point, I thought they were taking the plot in a new direction, one I didn’t initially expect. Turns out, they just left it on a confusing cliffhanger to maybe set up a sequel — who even knows. This premise could have been turned into something good if given enough time and talent to construct a narrative with compelling, likable characters, as well as a cohesive plot structure. Escape Room, despite the premise, was far from good, and that ending left a sour taste in my mouth and cemented my dislike of the film as a whole.

 

Overall, Escape Room is simultaneously a hilariously bad and dreadfully boring experience, one that epitomizes the bottom-of-the-barrel January release. With the Oscars and Golden Globes just around the corner, just go catch up on awards season films instead of wasting your time with a film like this.

Score: 1/5