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MINARI: Wonderful Wonderful Wonderful!

The wonderful 2020 MINARI by Lee Isaac Chung is inspired by his own story as an immigrants' child in rural America. The film is about a Korean man chasing that American dream by starting over in rural Arkansas in the 80s, in the hope of growing produce and having his own farm. The father (Steven Yeun) who moved his family to a precarious trailer on the forsaken land he bought as a dubious deal, is a dreamer with an elaborate plan. But maybe he did not plan so much for all the bad things that can happen when one has a dream but very little means or opportunity to achieve it. 

The film is an emotional roller-coaster that makes you want to believe, like his main man, that all is possible (or at least was) in that America. But MINARI through the mother of the family (Yeri Hanalso) is painfully aware that, when you are different, everything is against you and the sacrifice you might have to make might be too big and it might not end well on so many levels. Yet, it is also a film that wants you to understand that life has to be lived one step at a time and the very "wonderful!"  grandmother (Youn Yuh-jung who blew our mind in the amazing 2016 THE BACCHUS LADY,) like a wise and cool Baloo, reminds everyone to 'Look for the bare necessities, The simple bare necessities, Forget about your worries and your strife'. And that seems to be her philosophy through highs and lows, even when she inadvertently drinks a suspicious "mountain water" drink given to her by her young grandson, the revelation of this film, Alan S. Kim. He stole the show and he too, like a young insightful yet very cheeky Mowgli, gets to learn how to live life in this foreign "jungle" of his from accompanied by his Baloo grandma.

These two are the heart and the MVP of sorts of the film. Even though everyone involved, from the parents to the daughter (Noel Cho) to the extremely religious farm-helper (Will Patton) get their moment to shine and no characters feel one-dimensional, it really feels like the unlikely duo - and their magnificently written stories and dialogue exchanges-  is holding the movie and making it the wonderful MINARI that it is. The film is everything one needs with all the emotions and all ever so subtle,  from that whole"water mountain saga" that would make you laugh out loud in front of your screen, to the very tender yet playful relationship between a  grandma and her grandkid. Seeing them learning how to accept each other while getting to truly know each other and learn from one another. Despite feeling so warm like its visual glow, MINARI can be heartbreaking with moments when a family realizes that it might be better for them to go their separate ways, or someone's absolutely devastating realization that all their hard work, time, money, energy, may have been for naught as one's dream may never come true. 

But MINARI is a film very much in the "life works in a mysterious way" category as we see that maybe something can come to bring someone back a bit a joy, it depicts how to mend broken things, broken family, broken couple, broken house, broken stick, broken heart, broken dream. And all of that sometimes with broken English to further the point that not only making money as a foreigner is hard, making friends as "the other" is even harder especially in these times (or place still stuck in that times...) when most folks in the community were not a racist per se, but sort of preconditioned or just ignorant (you can call it casual racism, inoffensive but hurtful and no less dangerous) But then we'll see how children learn from a very young age and then very easily unlearn prejudices if given the chance, and one can recognize that "people are people" no matter who they sound like, look like, or maybe even smell like!

MORAL OF THE STORY: 9.5/10 *****

MINARI is a story  that definitely seems lived with moments so authentic and genuine that they will take you out and even in your maybe send you into your own childhood memories (especially if your life is one way or another be sharing similarities with the stories) However, the film appeal is universal as it is also a "simple", well-told yet graceful family story.   Certainly, the dreamy reflective cinematography and soundtrack helped the film being the indie hit that it became is since it premiered sensationally at Sundance exactly 1 year ago where it won both the Grand Jury and the Audience awards. The wait to see it, although agonizing, justified the very very limited release for what would have been a normal award-season schedule; because ladies & gents & both or everyone, MINARI is what Oscars are /should be made of! And we won't be mad if it is tied with NOMADLAND for best picture exaequo for a weird weird 2020 year. In fact, MINARI shares many similarities with the masterful NOMADLAND as they are both about a certain ideal of America and the dreams or goals one might pursue while trying to make it while also trying to make a living. MINARI also has that extra foreign language layer for better (and we say even better!) or worse as seen with the whole Golden Globes silly nonsense not taking clue from PARASITE's historic wins - even more "funny" that those "foreign press" voters probably do speak 2 languages at least and still think language spoken in one's household = country of residence or citizenship...Golden Globes stops the BS NONSENSE now!! 

In any case, hoping for more sane and satisfactory outcomes for the Academy Awards (at least in terms of noms) where MINARI could be another moment of glory for Koreans as the film (that has already garnered a hefty dose of awards!) should be nominated for many things including, direction, screenplay, and acting hopefully. So even tho it might not take home the big O it will make history once more as surely someone will/must win and that after "The Year Of Our Lawd & Holy glory To The Wifi" PARASITES would make us scream of happiness and racists be racists BUT losers! hahaha Being petty aside, we are way past time for the GREEN BOOKS of this world, and it is time everyone learns to appreciate and enjoy the beauty of a story like THE FAREWELL or MINARI, because for foreigners, immigrants (which AGAIN is everyone BUT Native /Indigenous/ First Nation/Aboriginal/Insert-preferred-respectful-identity), or for anyone starting from scratch in a new place looking for that "A BETTER LIFE"; This IS America in all its contradictions, from hard times to good times... It's a wonderful life when one finds his own "minari"

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[side note - nonsense related: due to the distribution nonsense MINARI will only be released to all maybe in February, maybe in March, or maybe even in August if you sadly live in the Netherlands but happens to love US independent films and would gladly pay for it!! Hahaha, that damn wait from hell between the festival premieres and the "commoners" release dates that makes most cinephile angry and desperate every year... And even more so now as most films have been held out  - to some understandable degree - like strong liquors waiting for the prohibition to be over...But only time will tell if the wait was useful for those studios and companies' wallets - probably not that much - At long last, we are now having some "streaming window time reduction" victory! It might have been prohibited to legally sell boozy products during the prohibition era but, hey, during the Covid-19 era it is legal to sell your products directly to consumers!! So why wait for your films to turn into vinegar (cuz we know only 5 % of those movies we might or might not see soon might  be "consumed" like fine wine = cuz not everything can be TENET or MINARI!!!)  Anyway, we can end this side off-track rant by professing the love and the truth: YES all the movie-lovers out there are more than happy to keep supporting the industry from the comfort AND CLEAN SAFETY of their couches - statistic also says so! ;) So... now... A24 after giving us the wonderful MINARI you better not postpone ZOLA and THE GREEN KNIGHT  even more... We are mad as hell we can't take it anymore!;) ]

110/100 - Over the Moon (2020)

Fueled by memory of her mother, resourceful Fei Fei builds a rocket to the moon on a mission to prove the existence of a legendary moon goddess.

Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy

My worst to best films of 2020. A countdown.

Behind the scenes photos I took on set of a @houseofmarley product photo shoot // #nikonz6 #setlife #lifeonset #behindthescenes #btsphotography #filmmaking #nikonphotography #pentax67 #pentax6x7 #kiponbaveyes #kipon #redcamera #shotonnikon #redcinema #setlife #2020film #safetyonset #maskup #healthandsafety #safefilming #takumar #smc #supermulticoatedtakumar (at Pacific Palisades) https://www.instagram.com/p/CJWzBTUHA6k/?igshid=1b50v8a2gjypn

06.10.20  History of Film Festivals

The first class from the module, film festival, focused on the History of film festivals.  

The first film festival was hosted in 1932 at Venice by the President of Biennale, ‘Count Giuseppe Volpi di Misurata’. Now 80 years later it is known to be the oldest and most prestigious film festival included as one of the ‘Big Three’. The festival is now held annually in September open to the public and accredited visitors.

The following film festival was held in Cannes, France in 1946 after World War II, it was planned to start in 1939 however ‘Hilters’ invasion caused a horrific disruption in Europe. In 1946 was the beginning of the Cannes Film Festival known for being the most elite with only the celebrity guests being invited. The festival's audience is all genres and begins annually in May.

Alongside the big three film festivals is the Berlin International film festival hosted in Berlin, Germany called ‘Berlinale’. It is open to the public attracting thousands of thousands of people from all over the globe. It began in 1951 at the beginning of the cold war allowing people to see it as the start of the free world. Today it focuses on the cinematic exploration of the film in social issues and is known to be the most political film festival.

There are another two famous film festivals held in Toronto and Utah. In Utah, the festival is held annually in the winter months of January, open to the public with a focus on documentary scenes and short films. Starting 1985 they have helped many independent films gain recognition for their films and allowed them to reach a wider audience.

In Toronto, their international film festival is called Tiff. It is a five-day festival held in September attracting thousands and thousands of people annually. Tiff focuses on short films in a wide range of genres looking at the most engaging for the audience.

In my next blog I will be looking into ‘Cinecity’ Brightons independent film festival.

/SON İZLEDİKLERİM/

Film adı: Breaking surface (Dipte) 2020

İsveç yapımı gerilim/heyecan filmi.

İki kız kardeş tüplü dalış tutkunudur. Norveç'in soğuk göllerinde keşifler yapmak her zaman onlar için heyecan verici bir macera olsada son dibe dalış deneyimleri kardeşler için hiç unutmayacakları bir mücadeleye dönüşecek..

Fedakarlık ve yüzeyi karla kaplı norveç suları eşliğinde iki kızkardeşin hayatta kalma mücadesi 🎥

10\5.5

My life is my own, and the future is up to us.

Enola Holmes (2020) dir. Harry Bradbeer

Shooting चालू! 2020 की सबसे रापचिक movie, #KhaaliPeeli goes on floor today! Film to release on June 12, 2020. The #ishaankhatter @ishaankhatter #AnanyaPanday @Anna yapanday starrer is produced by #ZeeStudios @zeestudiosofficial #AliAbbasZafar @aliabbaszafar and #HimanshuKishanMehra #perfectwomanteam #perfectwomanpvtltd #perfectwomanmagazine #perfectwoman #upcomimovie #2020film (at Perfect Woman Magazine Yaari Road) https://www.instagram.com/p/B2V-JXHpiN7/?igshid=13itc1a5xvapw

Film Actiune foarte bun SUBTITRAT IN ROMANA @mscastudiotim2023

Love and Monsters (2020)

Love and Monsters is like Zombieland crossed with How to Train Your Dragon. You could do far worse than a movie that pleasantly reminds you of two other good ones. You might even like this creature adventure film better.

Seven years after a wave of uncontrolled mutations caused all cold-blooded animals to grow to enormous size, humanity survives by living underground. Joel Dawson (Dylan O’Brien) has reconnected with his girlfriend Aimee (Jessica Henwick) via radio. Tired of being alone and feeling like the rest of his bunker won’t miss him if he’s gone, he decides to take a chance and go find her.

The setup might make it seem like Joel has serious self-esteem issues but that’s not the case. The bunker really won’t miss him - he’s that much of a screwup. Though well-intentioned, Joel is no good in a fight. Against a three-eyed amphibian the size of a swimming pool, he’s useless. Who knows? With all the time he’s spent listening to stories about the monsters and no delusions about his survival skills, he might even have a chance. Things are already looking up when he befriends an exceptional dog named “Boy”.

This film's running time is just about perfect. We see a lot of Joel barely managing enormous jaws. Just as the laughs start to wane, he hits a growth spurt and becomes world-savvy enough to stand a chance. The balance is roughly 50/50. Until we get to that point, there are several endearing encounters to keep you invested. It’s either lessons similar to the rules of Zombieland, moments of bonding between him, his dog, or other hardened survivors he meets along the way (Michael Rooker and Ariana Greenblatt have small but memorable roles), or a pause that allows him to reminisce about the world that’s lost.

In terms of monsters, this film knows what it’s doing. There’s a wide variety of creatures ranging from the disgusting to the creepy, to the comical. All of them look spectacular - that $30 million budget was working overtime - and the designs are memorable. Their introductions are also well done. Director Michael Matthews knows how and when to whet your appetite before the big reveal.

Aside from a side plot involving a robot that belonged in a different movie, the only major flaw in Love and Monsters comes towards the end when an unnecessary villain comes in. On the one hand, it caps off the lingering questions you might’ve had about Joel and Aimee, and appropriately concludes the heroic journey Joel has embarked upon. On the other, this movie could’ve thought of something more clever or more original.

Although it’s reminiscent of other movies, if you were only mildly enamored by Zombieland (perhaps you thought that extended Bill Murray gag wasn't as funny as everyone else), this could be the one you’ve been waiting for; a mash-up of wildly different genres that works. Love and Monsters is fun, imaginative, and with a fair share of surprises along the way. (October 22, 2021)

115/100 - Chemical Hearts

Seventeen-year-old Henry Page has never been in love. He fancies himself a romantic, but the kind of once-in-a-lifetime love he's been hoping for just hasn't happened yet. Then, on the first day of senior year, he meets transfer student Grace Town and it seems all that is about to change. When Grace and Henry are chosen to co-edit the school paper, he is immediately drawn to the mysterious newcomer. As he learns the heartbreaking secret that has changed her life, he finds himself falling in love with her - or at least the person he thinks she is.

Genre: Drama, Romance

movies i’ve watched in 2020 [1/?] → the invisible man (2020) dir. leigh whannell

“surprise.“

Films Watched in 2020 (1/?) - Jojo Rabbit

You’re not a Nazi, Jojo. You’re a ten year-old kid who likes dressing up in a funny uniform and wants to be part of a club

📼Title: Red Dot (2021) ⭐️Rating: 4/5 🎬Director: Alain Darborg Red Dot is a Swedish film about a troubled newlywed couple trying to move forward from a traumatic event almost two years prior. David and Nadja decided to take a mini vacation to spend a weekend under the Northern lights. Along the way they run into some unexpected trouble which turns their vacation into a nightmare. Red Dot is a great example of stay in the car and do the the right thing! This movie had a bunch of turns and twist and I loved it. My only complaint was that I didn’t care for the character Nadja because she was very argumentative and combative for no reason. Her character wasn’t relatable and by the end of the story you have no remorse for what happens to her at all. David’s character, however, was very much real and I easily put myself in his shoes. He’s no hero and can play the role of a coward well but he’s like a heroic coward and that makes me love his character. Throughout the whole movie he showed real emotions and when in danger he had a more realistic approach for survival and I loved it!! I definitely recommend this film and keep in mind that it’s Swedish so you’re going to have to put up subtitles or just change the language all together. #filmreview#film#filmjournal#movie#movies#cinema#2020films#vhs#moviereviews#moviereview#netflix#netflixmovies#reddot#reddotmovie#2021films https://www.instagram.com/p/CYjhzt8uzdm/?utm_medium=tumblr

The Woman Who Ran (2020)