drama - Page 10 of 26

Djon Africa – Fantasy vs. Reality in Cape Verde

Djon Africa Film Difficulty Ranking: 3

You might have a vision about a particular place you’ve never visited, but you have to go there to really see what it is like. In Djon Africa, Miguel dreams of meeting his father from Cape Verde, so he decides to seek him out by going there. His fantasies of a place covered with beautiful women and parties are tested by reality.

From: Cape Verde, Africa
Watch: Trailer, Watch on Amazon
Next: Wan Pipel, Wallay, Song of the Sea

Life is Beautiful

Life is Beautiful Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

Maybe you’re put off from watching foreign films because they are generally too pretentious. A lot of them have long scenes where nothing much happens. Well this is why I’m recommending you watch Life is Beautiful. It’s got all the makings of a great and familiar Hollywood movie; great story, a lot of emotion, and simple film-making, but you’ll earn kudos for watching a foreign film. So gather your family round the TV and watch this one tonight!

Why Watch Life is Beautiful?

For an alternative take on the Holocaust
Because this film won the Best Foreign Language Oscar and Best Actor Oscar in 1999
To learn how to talk your way into trouble and then your way out of it
Stay positive!

The Breakdown

It is obvious from the very first shot, of a misty, poorly lit street that the film is going to go through bad times. (The scene is later matched with the misty, poorly lit concentration camps). However, the immediate switch to a car whizzing through sunny Italy makes us forget the bleary omen.

The omens are hard to come by for the first half an hour or so. If you look closely, you might notice a line of Mussolini posters on a wall in the background. You may also notice that Guido does not repeat asking one man what his political views are when he finds out his kids are called Benito and Adolf. Otherwise, the signs of fascist Italy are hidden until Guido assumes the role of a school inspector, required to school the children about the superior race. As the film progresses, the signs of fascism become more and more apparent, bringing us closer to the prophecy of the opening shot.

What does Guido do to survive within this ever more obvious fascist state? He just talks and talks. He talks to a German doctor, his friend, and of course Dora. Guido even talks himself into trouble and then out of it again. His speech is almost magical, and I believe it creates a world in which the reality of growing fascism does not exist. He talks so much to avoid hearing about the growing anti-Semitism and to shut himself off from his increasingly fascist country. Just like a politician’s speech may hide the truth from people, Guido’s speech allows him to hide the truth from himself.

Conclusion

Life is Beautiful is one of those classic films that everyone should watch. It reminds me of a great Hollywood movie. It is easy to follow and that the shot structure follows pretty intuitively. On top of that it is very emotional, it will have you crying with laughter and sadness (a feature of many Oscar winning films). So go watch this one now!

The Lunchbox (India)

The Lunchbox Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

“Sometimes the wrong train gets you to the right station”

Are you looking for a great Indian film that isn’t a musical? Well here’s a good place to start. Ritesh Batra’s The Lunchbox is a beautiful celebration of Indian culture alongside a warning of the effects of rapid economic development. At the heart of the film is food; what it symbolises and how it can bring people together. For a trip to Mumbai, go watch The Lunchbox available on YouTube and (I think) Netflix – it’s also worth your money – click on the picture for a link to buy.

Why Watch The Lunchbox?

You don’t like musicals, but you want to see a great Indian film.
To see the amazing lunch-box service system in action
Meet ‘Auntie’ the go-to lady for all your questions – also a character that we don’t even see
For Irrfan Khan on top form (you may recognise him from Jurassic World, Life of Pi, Slumdog Millionaire, or Talvar which was reviewed here earlier).

The Breakdown

The Lunchbox starts with a montage of Mumbai. Director, Ritesh Batra, shows us the trains, shoes cleaners, and cars before stopping at the house of Ila. Ila is fussing over her young daughter before she goes to school, telling her be careful. Her daughter disappears and she goes straight to her cooking. She tastes the contents of one of the pots and figures it is missing something. A basket appears at the window with a pot of spices, lowered down by ‘Auntie’. Ila adds the spices and readies the food for collection.

The lunch box prepared by Ila travels through the incredible lunch box system and ends on the desk of Saajan (played by Irrfan Khan) who is seduced by the amazing smells of this unexpected lunchbox.

Food is central to the narrative of this film and also shows us a lot about each of the characters. At home, Saajan eats heated up food from a plastic bag. In comparison with the fresh cooked meals that a family next door eats, his plastic meals are a symbol of his loneliness.

Food also symbolises class. Shaikh, an orphan who becomes Saajan’s apprentice, always brings in two pieces of fruit for lunch, usually two bananas. In comparison with the lunch box that Saajan can afford, a banana is a lunch for the lower class.

In addition, The Lunchbox does not hide the stress of life in Mumbai. Each of the main characters has experienced the death or absence of family. On the news, we hear of a mother jumping off the top of a tall building with her daughter to escape life. Ila blames it on the government that prioritises the GDP over happiness. The country has got caught up striving for a greater economy and forgotten about the importance of happiness.

Conclusion

The Lunchbox cleverly shows the current state of life in Mumbai through a romantic tribute to the lunchbox system. In doing so, it shows us a lot of Indian life: the food, the people, the transport, and relationships. It also subtly depicts the burdens that the Indian people are carrying as the country develops rapidly. This reminded me a lot of the Chinese film A Touch of Sin, which shows the strain of economic growth on people in China. However, in contrast to A Touch of Sin, The Lunchbox is much more upbeat and has plenty to celebrate.

Wallay (Burkina Faso) – Open Your Eyes to Life in Burkina

Wallay Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

How many times have you thought about what your life would be like if you were born in a different country or even in a different era? You may romanticize about life in the past, but in reality, even if you were a king you’re quality of life would be incomparable to what it is now. In Wallay young Ady is taken to stay with his family in Burkina Faso. It’s a completely different world to the one he is used to in France but he walks around like a spoiled brat until he realises that his holiday is permanent.

Image result for wallay film

Why Watch Wallay?

You want to see what life is like in Burkina Faso
If you love great coming-of-age stories (perfect for fans of Hunt for the Wilderpeople)
If you love seeing arrogant and annoying kids get disciplined
To support great African film (to ensure more of it gets made in the future)

Breakdown

Wallay starts with a 13 year old boy in France writing a letter to a girl. The image of a sweet 13 year old is quickly dispelled as the next scene shows him buying some new trainers off of the Parisian black market and getting told off by his dad when he returns home.

So, how does his dad properly discipline him? His dad takes him to spend some time with his family in small town Burkina Faso. What young Ady doesn’t realise is that this is not just a holiday. His father leaves him and he is forced to help his strict uncle work to repay him for the money he stole from his dad.

At the beginning, Ady walks around Burkina still surrounded in his materialist glass house symbolised by his Beats headphones and smartphone. He seems to wear a necklace of the African continent for fashion and not because of his roots. But as he is forced to pay back the money he stole he slowly opens up to life in Burkina Faso and discovers the treasure that is his cultural heritage.

Conclusion

Ady is spoiled. Not in the sense that he was well off, but because he lives in an economically developed country with luxuries that he (like a lot of us) all take for granted. In Burkina Faso, he learns he has been lucky to have grown up in France whilst also discovering the beauty of his Burkinabe roots.

Los Hongos (The Mushrooms)

Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

Los Hongos follows some cool-ish kids who like to skate and paint. We follow them around Cali in Colombia as they move around the city meeting up with friends and family. This is like spending a bit of time with friendly tour guide in Colombia. This is a sneak peek into life in Cali. (At least I think it is! Please comment if director Oscar Ruiz Navia gets it wrong).

Why watch Los Hongos?

To experience Colombia without the expensive plane ticket (and language problems).
Coming-of-age films! I’m a fan!
For some infectious vibrant colours to make you forget the overcast weather outside.
To see an old man singing ballads in the shower!

Los Hongos opens with a night-time close up of a paint roller covered in red paint being dragged across a chain of posters of political candidates. Is this a political act? Next the protagonist paints a red blotch on the wall. Rebellion? Probably not, for our protagonist is revealed to be Ras, just a young adult figuring out life. He tries to skate on a small bar on the roof of his house until the cockerels start singing before slumping on his bed. His brief moment of peace is broken five minutes later as his mum’s alarm wakes her up and the morning begins.

By this point there had been no dialogue, but I already wanted to know more about Ras. Who was this guy and what gave him the determination to stay up until dawn skating and painting?

We later meet his mate, Calvin, another guy like him who lives with and takes care of his Nana. He gives us a tour of the neighbourhood and Colombian culture by taking him to visit his Dad who takes them to the local cafe where we hear local music, see (and can almost smell) local food, and hear conversation about local politics. It’s like a Lonely Planet 101 to Colombia. That’s what I love about some simple films like this one; they immerse you in another country for an hour or two.

In addition, the cinematography is great. The vibrant colours paint the city to life so you start wanting to be there too. Plus the editing and camera framing and movement is beautiful. For example:

Tracking shots of the characters skating or biking (ie. where the camera alongside them).
Shots of characters in mirrors.
The medium-long shots of characters or scenes gives the film a relaxing rhythm, allowing you to soak in everything. (In contrast with the effect of long shots in Androids Dream and The Lobster).
One beautiful shot of Calvin’s Nana. She is telling Ras and Calvin about a story from years ago and when she finishes her face is shot in close up with Ras slumped asleep on the bed on her right and Calvin asleep to her left. The camera follows the movement as she looks to her right and then to her left. She sees that they have both fallen asleep during her story and she looks directly at the camera which then cuts to a picture of her as a girl. The direction beautifully captures her strong nostalgia and her recognition of her age and closeness to death.

Don’t worry though, because this is not a depressing or sad film. This is a film that rolls with the flow of life and fills your spirit. For a chance to be a kid in Colombia for an hour and a half, choose Los Hongos.