comedy

16

Your Name

Image result for your name filmYour Name Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

Do you want to travel to Tokyo? Well here’s your ticket to Japan’s highest grossing anime since Spirited Away. You’ll see the tradition and ritual of life in the country as well as the fast paced life in Japan’s capital city. All this packaged in a romantic body-swapping high school flick. But don’t let the genre put you off, allow yourself to be awed by the magical skies, fascinated by the culture, and intrigued by the plot.

Why Watch Your Name?
  • You’ve watched all the Studio Ghibli films and don’t know where to find more anime
  • If you can’t afford a trip to Japan and want to experience Japanese culture
  • To see some beautifully animated skies!
  • It’s the 4th highest grossing film in Japan of all time! Only Spirited Away, Titanic, and Frozen have generated more money!
The Breakdown

Your Name starts with a meteor blazing through a twilight sky. The camera rotates as our protagonists say:

“The day the star fell. It was almost like seeing something out of a dream, nothing more, nothing less.

And then some Japanese pop-rock starts, reminiscent of the introductions of the anime TV shows.

Right from the start you can see the beautiful skies, particularly the beautiful twilight and magic-hour lighting that Shinkai is known for. The comet is always shown during the twilight hours to conjure a magical set of colours much like the Disney Intro. This aids the body-swapping fantasy of Mitsuha to Taki, our two protagonists, as it sets up the film as something magical (much like the Disney intro does for Disney films).

Shinkai also contrasts Tokyo city life with life in rural Japan. Whilst Mitsuha lives in a town on the bay of a lake high in the Japanese Alps, Taki lives in Tokyo. In the country, Mitsuha’s life is dominated by tradition and ritual (learn how to make spit-fermented sake). Also, the only cafe in the country is a vending machine that sells canned coffee! As said by the director;

“Mitsuha is pretty much me. Her character is based on my own upbringing. I loved Nagano but I was dying to go to Tokyo. However, the Tokyo you see in this movie is a stereotype, the image that Mitsuha dreams of and that I dreamt of when I was younger. [they both fell in love with the dream]

Conclusion

Your Name is a beautiful looking animated high-school movie that is perfect for fans of anime and John Hughes. Whilst is doesn’t have the fantastical creations of Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli it does have entertainment and fun. For a dive into authentic Japanese life, I highly recommend watching this.

 

17

Kings of Mulberry Street – Pan African Film Festival 2020

Kings of Mulberry Street feels like it could have been your 9 year old self’s favorite film. A film that your parents would happily let you watch when you’ve grown out of Disney animation, or that your teachers might put on at school when it’s raining at break-time. A film that the adults would end up staying to watch it with you, because it’s a fun coming-of-age story that everyone can enjoy, set in an Indian community in South Africa.

The first minute immediately sets the tone for the rest of the film. It’s where we first meet 11 year old Ticky dancing along to a classic Bollywood action film projected on the big screen in front of him. He knows all the words and all the action routines. He wants to be the next Amitabh Bachchan, and judging by his confidence, his dreams don’t look too farfetched. The opening establishes Ticky’s charisma and energy; a playful energy and humor that carries through Kings of Mulberry Street.

In the next scene we meet his future sidekick Harold, a chubby kid spoiled by his single dad. They’re posh Indians, as demonstrated by their knitted jumpers and English accents. Harold’s dad even pop quizzes his son on his spelling on their way to their new house. They arrive in Ticky’s neighborhood and immediately try to stay away from mingling with any of the neighbors. Even though they’ve just moved to the hood, and the dad is now writing obituaries for a little local paper, they still see themselves as better then everyone else. They’re the stereotypical wannabe English upper class, complete with the stiff upper lips, that want to stay away from anyone that might disrupt their peace and quiet (see Elton’s dad in Rocketman or Stevens in Remains for the Day for two examples). However, despite Harold’s dad’s efforts to keep him from mixing with the local rabble, inevitably, Harold and Ticky become best friends.

Ticky is Harold’s antidote to his reserved ‘English’ inspired father. He helps him break from his dad’s mold to become ‘more Indian’. Ticky teaches him Indian slang, feeds him Indian food, and introduces him to his big family. Bu,t most importantly, Ticky introduces him to Bollywood film, whose heroes provide the inspiration for them to take back their bike from the local crime boss. In welcoming Harold into the community, Ticky helps tug Harold away from the bland English culture that his father lives by, and into the colorful Indian culture that helps dispel his loneliness. It also helps to break their class boundaries by connecting them through their shared cultural roots. It’s a heartwarming message at the center of a fun coming of age film.

Head to our Pan African Film Festival Hub for more reviews and short films from the Pan African Film Festival 2020.

18

What Did You Do In The War Thanasi? (Greece)

What Did You Do In The War Thanasi? Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

Time for a Greek comedy! What Did You Do in the War Thanasi is all about the extremely energetic and slapstick Thanasi. As much as he tries not to, you just know that trouble is going to end up finding him. For a fun and easy night in, watch this film with a free trial on Amazon Prime Video.

Image result for what did you do in the war thanasi

 Why Watch this Film?
  • For something light and funny (something we need more of on FilmRoot)
  • It’s our first Greek film set in Greece (see The Lobster for more Greek films)
  • If you liked Life is Beautiful or Closely Watched Trains and want to see another WW2 comedy
  • Experience some Greek humour (the main character is extremely energetic and melodramatic)
The Breakdown

It’s WW2 and the Nazis and Italians have occupied Greece. A bunch of the locals are queuing up for some rations; a big bowl of gruel. Back at home a family is listening to the forbidden BBC radio news trying to give the Greeks hope that the occupation will end.

From what you can see, the occupation looks brutal. Locals are scavenging for any food on the streets and people are starving (like the people in Germany as you’ll see in Little Dieter Needs to Fly). In addition, the German and Italian military occupation is obvious. Guards are watch the streets from watch towers whilst soldiers chase and shoot Greek rebels.

Thanasi, our protagonist, is our comic hero. He tries to avoid all association with the Greek resistance for fear of being caught by the Nazis. Typically, as this is a comedy, he always ends up being in the wrong place at the wrong time (kind of like Forrest Gump’s knack for ending up in famous historical moments).

Conclusion

What Did You Do in the War Thanasi is one of the best war comedies I have seen. It is driven by Thanasi’s constant high energy and melodrama (a bit like Guido in Life is Beatiful). Well worth a watch if you are looking for a good Greek film or a nice comedy.

19

Amor y Frijoles (Honduras) – Romantic Drama in Small Town Honduras

Amor y Frijoles Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

If you’re a fan of indie films or telenovelas, you’ll enjoy Amor y Frijoles. It’s got the feel of a heart-warming indie film, but the romantic drama of a Mexican telenovela.

Why Watch Amor y Frijoles?
  • Experience life in a typical town in Honduras
  • For telenovela level relationship drama
  • See typical Honduran food: Baleadas
  • Witness the effects of boredom on Ojojona’s inhabitants
The Breakdown

Amor y Frijoles starts with a load of establishing shots of the town of Ojojona as it wakes up in the morning. You’ll see shots of the churches, the streets, the butcher chopping meat, vendors preparing coffee, and the rural landscape which surrounds the town. It’s a typical Honduran town, and acts as a microcosm for the entire country.

This isn’t great news for Honduras. As whilst the town is portrayed well, the main characters are not. Firstly there’s Dionisio, Karen’s husband. He obviously doesn’t care for his wife as he comes home late every night and ignores her. Karen also suspects that he’s cheating, and he probably is, even if it’s never confirmed. Secondly there’s Ramiro, Karen’s best friends husband. At every opportunity he voyeuristically checks out Karen. There’s even one obvious shot of him gazing at her boobs.

Dionisio and Ramiro compose a pretty awful picture of Honduran men. But luckily(?) for them Karen stoops to their level and therefore half  vindicates their awful behavior by having a one-off affair with Ramiro, her best friend’s husband! The drama!

Why are their relationships so extra-marital?

There are so many extra-marital affairs because they are all bored. Karen cooks baleadas in the morning before she goes home and watches hours and hours of reality and religious TV. The directors show her following the same mundane routine everyday. It’s obvious she’s bored, but she’s too stuck by her routine to break from it. Therefore, it’s no surprise that when the TV breaks, she looks to other entertainment to fill the void.

This is also true for Ramiro, Karen’s best friends husband. He’s never shown doing anything other than driving around town aimlessly. It doesn’t look like he has a job or any hobbies to occupy his time. Therefore, without anything to do, he keeps trying to seduce Karen.

Conclusion and What to Watch Next

Amor y Frijoles is a well made, easy-to-watch Honduran film. It’s got the feel of a great indie film. However, the plot is anything but relaxing, it’s full of the relationship drama you expect to see in Latin American telenovelas.

For more controversial relationships in Central America, check out two films with Gabriel Garcia Bernal:

Or, if you’re after a more romantic love film, check out The Road Home by Zhang Yimou or Sepet, a teen love film set in Malaysia.

20

Castro (Argentina) – A Truly Original Action Film

Castro Film Difficulty Ranking: 3

Here’s a truly original action film. You’ll get to see some truly quirky (and Argentinian?) humour in this fast paced action comedy that you won’t see anywhere else. But even if you don’t understand why this trio is running all over town in search of one guy you can appreciate the cinematography (the editing and camera movement make it tick). Tune in for some Latin American fun!

Why Watch Castro?
  • You like your action films quirky and fast
  • You loved Naked Gun and Airplane! and want to see Argentina’s equivalent
  • For more films from Argentina’s El Pampero films – check out Extraordinary Stories for more great contemporary Argentine film
  • Watch out for the great score and cinematography
Breakdown

There’s a lot of running in the introduction to Castro. An awkward trio are chasing another guy across busy roads and city streets to a train station. Unfortunately for the trio, the guy they’re chasing disappears onto a train. At this point you’re probably thinking what the hell is going on!

And you’d be right to question. This isn’t your typical action movie. The characters are hilariously strange (almost on a Monty Python level). One of the spies hobbles around on crutches after injuring his leg and the guy they’re chasing always sleeps in closets. Argentine humour I guess?

Even if you’re not sold on the quirky humour, you can still appreciate the great editing. The fast paced feel comes directly from the editing. The camera moves along with runners and has a lot of moving close-ups which both reminded me (and might remind you) or the Oscar winning Birdman.

Conclusion

So if you love simple, quirky action films you’ll love Castro. It kind of reminded me of a mix between Robert Rodriguez’ El Mariachi and Monty Python. It’d fun, fast, and well made (look out for the cinematography).

For more Argentine films check out: