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UW Film Club Podcast #57 – Blindspotting

“When you record that podcast episode, just don’t tell me about it. Plausible deniability.”

This week on the podcast, podcast host Jim Saunders is joined by special guest Thomas Lin to talk about the feature length narrative debut from director Carlos Lopez Estrada, “Blindspotting”! Evocative, honest, and multifaceted in its portrayal of gentrification and racial identity in America, it’s easily one of the most important films of 2018. In this episode, we discuss the social issues presented throughout the film, its uncanny blend of comedy and drama, and how its 95 minute runtime makes its themes succinct and pack a real emotional weight. See the film for yourself, then check out the 57th episode of the UW Film Club Podcast!

You can find us on Facebook at /UWFilmClub, and on Twitter and Instagram @FilmClubUW. Make sure to rate, comment, and subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify, and Google Play, and tune in every Monday for a new episode of the UW Film Club Podcast!

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Review: It’s Hard to Find Words to Describe ‘Synonyms’

“I am Yoav,” says the naked man lying in the bed, staring up at his strange saviors. “I have nothing anymore.” So begins the absurd, philosophical, individualist, fever dream narrative of Synonyms: with an Israeli immigrant, urgently escaped to Paris for mysterious purpose, stripped of all possessions by an unknown force, and rescued from certain death of cold by a bourgeoisie couple as foreign to him as he is to them. In his predicament, there is hopelessness and desolation. But in his eyes, one senses a free and confident spirit, born anew from ash and fire.

Yoav’s murky situation does not clear up with any real pace. He refuses to speak Hebrew, employing instead an intermediate command of the French language. He is reluctant to take aid in his plight of homelessness and lack of resources, accepting only a bare wardrobe and some essentials from his rescuers. His stories are uncoordinated and inspired, rather than informative. They say little as to the life he has left behind. He is anxious to explore the beautiful city in which he has arrived, and yet also seemingly unwilling to enjoy any of its beauty. All of this renders us, the audience, utterly confused. We cannot know Yoav. We can only tell that he is unabashedly alive, or another thing like it. Call it life, or urgency, or perhaps even just naive aspiration, it remains a core theme throughout the movie. “Die or conquer the mountain!” exclaims Yoav. He internalizes the fight for a free spirit, for individualism. He believes in a French ideal of bravery and initiative and walks the streets with it proudly emblazoned on his chest. He longs to assimilate into his new world.

This semi-biographical story that director Nadav Lapid tells is clearly close to the heart and imbued with emotion. It dances into existence on the screen with an energy reminiscent of the French New Wave. It begs one to think deeply about the conduct of life. It fills one with the crackling sensation of vivacity, then rends one to shreds with the monstrous teeth of despair. It is ever evolving and never constrained by plot or structure. Its characters love with insatiable passion and hate with burning fury. It quietly flirts with beautiful homoeroticism, then playfully jerks back the veil and makes no effort to hide it. And it all plays out with a soundtrack that is simultaneously nostalgic and hopeful, tragic and angelic.

There is not much to disappoint the viewer, save for a smattering of shots in the streets of Paris seemingly captured with primordial digital camcorders and a constant sense of confusion and ambiguity that does not necessarily put off, but nags and delights in frustrating the audience. There are unmotivated turns of plot and touches of surprising humor, but both seem to work in the film’s favor rather than against it. In many ways, Lapid has constructed a near-perfect existential piece, one that factors in looming anxiety about immigration and a masterfully delicate approach to sexuality and love. There’s very little not to love about Synonyms, as long as one seeks not to definitively define it.

4.5/5 STARS

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Review: ‘The King’ Has Questions About Strength, Yet Lacks the Will to Be Original

In the past couple years, Netflix has been trying really hard to establish itself as a premier movie production company. The King is part of this year’s Netflix bid for their elusive Oscar Best Picture win. Based on a series of Shakespeare plays, The King follows the life and story of King Henry the V in 1400s England.

One thing is clear about The King: it is a Netflix movie. This is far from anything supremely original or wildly captivating; it is the type of film to put on in the background while you work. However, while it’s riddled with problems, it does have a few redeeming qualities. For one, there is clearly talent behind the camera. The cinematography of the film manages to perform a high wire act as it balances beautiful shot lighting (most of which was impressively natural) with a subtlety that gives the film authenticity. Particularly during the battle scenes, it feels as if you are involved in the stakes, thanks in part to the camerawork. The costumes and locations also felt very authentic to the time, as opposed to Hollywood’s typical depiction.

The acting is adequate/solid for most of the film. Chalamet, playing the protagonist, King Henry V, did not reach the heights of some of his performances in previous works, but nonetheless played a very humble and dutiful character. Robert Pattinson also gives a decent performance and the Dauphin of France, but the performance that shines by far is that of Joel Edgerton. As Sir John Falstaff, an Englishman loyal to King Henry, Edgerton expertly adds comedy and depth to his character.

However, herein lies this film’s biggest flaw. The writing is simply not that good. Not in the sense of style and language, but in that it lacks structure and direction. For example, take the opening and closing of the film. Both, in my opinion, do not thrust or close the questions that the film asks. They are completed wasted moments that serve no purpose to the narrative. As a result, the pacing of this movie also suffers. For the first half, too much time is spent on Henry V before his ascension to the throne. This could’ve worked if not for the fact that the main philosophical question of this story revolves around his campaign for France. Though there are many small moments that were quite impressive, there is nothing that is inherently original with this film. The King relies far too much on history to be a good movie. It’s just another film that Netflix puts in its library to give curious viewers new options. Otherwise, it’s not worth the time.

3/5 STARS

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UW Film Club Podcast #56 – The Departed

“I don’t want to be a product of my podcast. I want my podcast to be a product of me.”

Martin Scorsese’s highly anticipated “The Irishman” is almost here, and it’s already garnered plenty of Oscar buzz. In honor of this exciting new release, we’ve decided to cover the film that finally won the director his first Oscar – the 2006 film “The Departed”! The film is a classic Scorsese crime story, following an undercover cop and a mole in the Boston PD, seeking each other out in an enthralling cat and mouse chase. In this podcast, we talk about the film’s excellent direction and heightened tension, more about the Oscars, as well as what the film could have been given potentially different casting. Are you ready to ship up to Boston? Then give the 56th episode of the UW Film Club Podcast a listen now!

On this episode: Jim Saunders, Rohan Patel, and Jesus Alfaro

You can find us on Facebook at /UWFilmClub, and on Twitter and Instagram @FilmClubUW. Make sure to rate, comment, and subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify, and Google Play, and tune in every Monday for a new episode of the UW Film Club Podcast!

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Review: ‘Jojo Rabbit’ is an Emotional Roller Coaster

Taika Waititi is often regarded as the master of “Happy-Sad Cinema.” His movies are characterized by great storytelling, tragic and dramatic turns, and his unusual use of comedy to drive the story. Jojo Rabbit is no different. This movie follows the story of Jojo, a 10-year-old German boy in Nazi Germany, and Elsa, a Jewish girl who is hiding in his house with the help of his mother. What makes this a Waititi plot is that Jojo’s imaginary best friend is Der Fuhrer himself: Adolf Hitler.

Like most of Waititi’s other films, this is a character-driven story. After establishing all of the main characters in the first act of the movie, the plot moves smoothly according to the choices each character makes. On top of this, the cast gives an amazing set of performances. It is hard to believe that none of the main cast is German, because everyone’s accent is spot on (especially Scarlett Johansson’s). Unsurprisingly, Taika gives an excellent portrayal of a childish Hitler. Roman Davis (Jojo) and Thomasin McKenzie (Elsa Korr) beautifully play the contrasting leads of the story. Scarlett Johansson gives an excellent performances as Jojo’s mother, who Waititi describes as “a mother character that isn’t just a mother.” Archie Yates plays the loveable Yorki, Jojo’s friend, and though Stephen Merchant has only one major scene, he makes it a memorable one.

The cinematography is one of the most impressive aspects of this film. In every scene, one of the cameras is kept at a low angle to emulate Jojo’s point of view. We experience all the scenes from his perspective and it really helps us connect with him as a character. When put together with the stellar costume and set design, we really feel like we’re in Jojo’s shoes. The score, by Michael Giacchino, perfectly matches the themes and transitions. From The Beatles’ “I Want to Hold Your Hand” to Giacchino’s “A World of the Wise,” the soundtrack expertly accompanies the movie as it progresses and changes tone.

All of the elements of a Waititi script are evident in this film. Even though the story deals with some serious issues and themes, Waititi uses humor to lighten the tone. He cleverly inserts a comedic beat or two in scenes with immense terror and strong emotions. What results is a heartfelt story of growth. As the story progresses, we get to see different sides of the same characters. All of the characters, especially Jojo, evolve throughout the film and experience changes in their relationship with others.

Although the major purpose of the Jojo’s imaginary Hitler is to provide comedic relief, He also gives an insight into Jojo’s mind, as he is a representation of the lies and propaganda spread by the Nazi government. Just like the rest of the Hitler Youth, Jojo is initially brainwashed into believing the lies propagated by the government. He has an unrealistic image of Jewish people and is led to believe that they are demons that he must take down. However, his mother combats this throughout the film as she tries to subtly convince Jojo to have a more compassionate view of the world. Because of this, we get to see the conflict that goes on inside Jojo’s mind. Jojo is it a constant struggle with himself as he is trying to figure out whether he is truly a Nazi or something else. His mother and imaginary Hilter represent the angel and devil on his shoulder. On one hand, he wants to be caring like his mother, but on the other hand, he wants to please Hitler by following Nazi ideals.

There are enough sudden turns and twists for the movie to be an emotional roller coaster. You could be laughing in one scene and crying the next. This movie is less of a story and more of an experience. It reaches both extremes of the emotional spectrum. Taika’s impression of the cartoonish Hitler is the icing on the cake that is this multi-layered film. Through this heartwarming, anti-hate, satirical comedy, Waititi wants to send a clear message: “It is definitely not a good time to be a Nazi.”

4.2/5 STARS

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Review: ‘The Golden Glove’ is a Cesspool of Blood, Grime, and Good Directing

The Golden Glove opens in a cramped, unkempt version of hell. On every surface are dust, grime, and smears of unknown origin. On the ground are dirty clothes and age-old stains. The walls are plastered with torn and faded pornographic pictures. The ceiling is a shade too low and shade too suffocating. A disheveled bed can be seen through a narrow doorway with curtains for a screen. Atop the bed and confronting the viewer is the half-naked backside of an extraordinarily large woman, crumpled in a heap and unmoving. Scurrying about all of this is a rat of a man, hunched over and anxiously attending to a task. We hear him crash about the kitchen, and then assault the lifeless woman with cord and a tarp, intending to wrap her up. Moments later, he drags her mummified figure out of the apartment and into the hallway, then down a flight of stairs that betrays equal measures of disarray. The man pauses for a second to catch his breath and we catch a glimpse of his blazing wild eyes and mutilated portrait. Fritz Honka strikes fear into our hearts.

It’s an opening sequence that, for all its dissimilarities, reminds one of Hitchcock’s Rear Window in structure. In just few minutes and without any discernible dialogue, the audience learns all relevant information about the main character’s state and nature. There is certainly no unnecessary exposition. Almost immediately, we forget the cozy chairs we sit in and the air-conditioned room around us and find ourselves transported to Honka’s rancid, disgusting flat in the creaking attic of a run-down apartment building swallowed up by the uneasy, oppressive air of Hamburg’s red-light district in the 1970s. It is that uneasiness that director Fatih Akin seizes on in The Golden Glove, and it is one of the movie’s best qualities.

The film is a documentary of sorts, depicting five years in the life of actual serial killer Fritz Honka. It spares no detail, delving into all the bleak, depressing, and especially grotesque subtleties of the rat man’s existence. It’s fraught with unbearable gore, gut-wrenching evil, and occasional splashes of excessively dark humor that riddle one with a mixture of guilt and disgust. It’s very well done technically. All the necessary aspects are there, including visceral sound effects, witty dialogue, and near-perfect set design. But Akin shows true mastery of the craft in his creative staging and well-timed camera movements reminiscent of Edgar Wright. Indeed, creativity is perhaps the film’s greatest virtue. From its mise-en-scène to its quiet messages on current events, The Golden Glove never settles for lazy convention. It innovates constantly to horrifying effect.

That is not to say that The Golden Glove is perfect. There is much about the film that seems empty. In the absence of an overbearing theme, we are often left purely with perversion. Much of the film’s runtime seems dedicated solely to testing its audience’s ability to keep watching. At the same time, Akin includes a handful of narrative tangents that add little to the dreary mood and spends a few moments too long on scenes that are rather annoyingly repetitive. For better or for worse, the movie is paced extremely slow.

However, its end result is still quite impressive. It treats viewers to good directing and some wonderful acting. It horrifies, disgusts, and entertains. It plays with one’s emotions and frustrates one with purpose. It’s not a movie you’ll rewatch quickly, but it’s also not one you’ll forget soon.

3/5 STARS

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Review: ‘Black and Blue’ is a Pleasant Surprise

Given that I was coming in with expectations that Black and Blue would be a lazy disaster trying to cash in on a political movement that it didn’t actually care about, I was pleasantly surprised by the film. By no means is it a work of art, but it is reminiscent of a type of action movie you would find in a Redbox in the early 2010’s. Black and Blue follows rookie cop Alicia (Naomie Harris) as she tries to expose a group of corrupt cops in her precinct with the help of a Mouse (Tyrese Gibson), a total stranger.

The plot is simple and easy to follow, clearly setting up expectations and giving the characters, while basic, understandable motivation and good dynamics between each other. The actors are perfectly suited to play their parts and fulfill every expectation. The sets are a good depiction of a gritty New Orleans, and the graffiti seen on some buildings is beautiful at times. However, Black and Blue falls short on its action and violence, which are tame for today’s standards. The themes are intense and topically relevant, but it never felt pandering or aimed for a certain side; it was only a pleasant romp of a cop action movie.

The critiques I can offer of the film are of its mediocrity. Nothing special is done with the cinematography or the lighting, the story and characters are bare bones, and there is nothing to think about after the credits roll. Every single character is, or begins as, a complete asshole, which is a pretty pessimistic stance for Black and Blue to take. It is strange to say for a movie like this, but its charm comes from its predictability. It is a clear cut “cop action” genre film with an inclusive twist. It is hard to be upset while watching the film unless you come in with your own prejudice. The film will be forgotten in a short time after its release, but I also would not mind picking it up again if I saw it in the discount bin of a Walmart.

I can attribute most of my enjoyment to the enthusiastic audience in the theater. Hearing people clap and holler for a popcorn movie really makes it so much better as an experience. The amount of enjoyment this film can give you is entirely determined by the state you are in while watching, because Black and Blue is too neutral to have the ability to make you feel anything or come to a conclusion. If you came in looking for something to hate, you will hate it. If you come into it with low expectations and have enthusiastic people watching with you, the experience can be 5/5 stars. If I’m being as objective as possible, this film is not bad. Black and Blue follows enough patterns to qualify as an above average film, but the lack of depth and care is apparent and really takes away from its possibility to be more. While I question why anyone would want this film to be more than it is, I have to admit that it’s a good bar for any film to reach before being considered entertaining.

3/5 STARS

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UW Film Club Podcast #55 – The Big Lebowski

“What do you do for recreation?
Oh, the usual. I record podcasts. Drive around. The occasional acid flashback.”

This week on the podcast, co-presidents Cynthia Li and Joel Garcia and podcast lead Jim Saunders and take it back to one of the best Coen Brothers films, The Big Lebowski! In this podcast we discuss how the film has become the epitome of a cult classic along with the Coen brothers unique script writing that lends itself well to creating so many iconic quotes. Sit back, enjoy some White Russians (if you’re of age of course), and listen to our 55th episode!

You can find us on Facebook at /UWFilmClub, and on Twitter and Instagram @FilmClubUW. Make sure to rate, comment, and subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify, and Google Play, and tune in every Monday for a new episode of the UW Film Club Podcast!

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Review: ‘The Current War’ is Not Worth the Two Year Wait

Since its production, The Current War has hit several obstacles on its way to wide release. Due to its connections to The Weinstein Company, it was shelved after Harvey Weinstein’s sexual harassment allegations came to light. After the distribution rights were twice resold, two years later, the movie is finally here. The Current War is supposed to be about the “War of Currents” of the late 1800s, but it comes off more like a documentary about Edison and Westinghouse where the “current war” takes a backseat.

There are some great things about this movie, like its ensemble cast. Benedict Cumberbatch plays his classic “arrogant genius” role as Thomas Edison, and Michael Shannon does a great job of portraying George Westinghouse. The supporting cast, consisting of Tom Holland, Nicholas Hoult, and Matthew Macfadyen, set up an amazing stage for the main cast to showcase their amazing performances. The excellent costume and set designs take you right back to 19th century America. Dustin O’Hallora and Hauschka do an excellent job in creating the soundtrack; it readily captures the theme of the movie. The cinematography is fantastic too, as a lot of the scenes are visually appealing. However, there is one fatal flaw in this film that makes it fall apart: bad writing.

The Current War is too abstracted for a general audience. It assumes that the audience is already aware of certain concepts, such as the differences between direct and alternating current. It would have been better if they had took the time during the film to explain these scientific concepts to the audience. Additionally, Tesla’s two Phase solution was realistically one of the most important turning points for the war, but it is hardly mentioned in the movie. Another flaw is that the narrative only showcases the events from the point of the experts (Edison, Westinghouse, or their employees). We never get to see how the people of America felt at the time. A common man’s perspective would have been refreshing and would have provided the necessary contrast in the movie.

Secondly, the pacing was off. The first 30 minutes of the movie covers over five years of the war, but the rest of the movie only focuses on the following three years. The transitions between the scenes and beats seem abrupt. A particularly important scene involving Westinghouse is split throughout the movie and is shown in parts. By the time we can get to its ending, it falls apart and loses its meaning. Throughout the film, the characters come across various life-altering moments. However, it feels like these moments have no effect on them. The dialogue is uninteresting and the interactions between the characters feel unnatural.

Even though Nikola Tesla was an integral part of the War of Currents, he was a missed opportunity in The Current War. Telsa’s ability to demonstrate his ideas using simple experiments was the key reason for his success. But, The Current War fails to showcase this quality of Tesla. That said, it did a great object in highlighting Tesla’s Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and germophobia. It’s referenced to in multiple scenes throughout the film.

This is one of the movies where the individual parts, such as the acting, cinematography, and sound, are impressive. However, the flawed writing fails to bring these aspects together for a good story. Considering the success of National Geographic’s American Genius episode on the same topic, the big screen adaption of the War of Currents failed in providing an engaging story and experience despite having a ton of potential.

2.7/5 STARS

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UW Film Club Podcast #54 – American Psycho

“No new knowledge can be extracted from my telling. This podcast has meant nothing.”

It’s mid-October and we’re well in the midst of “spooky season”, so to celebrate these days leading up to Halloween, we’ve decided to cover the cult classic, satirical psychological thriller film American Psycho! Directed by Mary Herron and starring Christian Bale, the film follows Patrick Bateman, a wealthy investment banking executive whose nocturnal psychopathic tendencies go undetected by those around him. In this podcast, we discuss the film’s themes of capitalism, identity and desensitization, Christian Bale’s haunting performance, and, among many other things, its endlessly quotable dialogue. Do you have to return some videotapes? Well, do that first, then, make sure you tune into the 54th episode of the UW Film Club Podcast!

On this episode: Jim Saunders, Alyssa Alvarez, Leila Okorie, and Tansy Huang

You can find us on Facebook at /UWFilmClub, and on Twitter and Instagram @FilmClubUW. Make sure to rate, comment, and subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify, and Google Play, and tune in every Monday for a new episode of the UW Film Club Podcast