Monday, September 14, 2009

East of Havana

"East of Havana (2006)"

"East of Havana is a blunt, unflinching close-up on the lives of three young rappers compelled to address their generation’s future from the confines of a Cuban ghetto. Soandry, Magyori, and Mikki are the defacto leaders of Cuba’s rebellious underground hip hop movement. Possessing the undeniable talent and charisma of pop icons, these fearless performers push self-expression to its sharpest, riskiest, and most triumphant point."



A couple of other notes on this film, Charlize Theron is one of the producers, and it's on Sundance Film Channel today.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Documentary vs. Biopic: Bus 174 Edition

One of my favorite documentaries from the last decade was "Bus 174 (2002)":

"On June 12th, 2000, a bus full of passengers was kidnapped in Rio de Janeiro in broad daylight. The kidnapper, Sandro do Nascimento, terrorized his victims and when he finally agreed to surrender and the episode was close to an end, a policeman tried to shoot him, killing one of the hostages instead, a young woman. The whole episode was broadcast live, causing revolt among the population. The documentary is about the incident, with interviews, focusing on Sandro do Nascimento, his childhood, and how unavoidably he was doomed to become a bandit."

So when I realized a feature film had been made about the same story, and that it was written by Braulio Mantovani, the man who wrote another favorite of mine, "City of God (2002)", I knew I absolutely had to watch "Last Stop 174 (2008)".

This is definitely one case in which the documentary and film complemented one another, while both being great movies on their own. I would recommend "Last Stop 174" even if you haven't seen the documentary, because Sandro's story is both fascinating and tragic.



You can watch the documentary "Bus 174" here.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Choking Man

When I started watching "Choking Man (2006)", one of the things that instantly struck was how gritty and realistic it was. Then out of the blue these strange animated scenes appeared and totally surprised me. I think that contrast contributed to the surreal feeling of the film. Had I realized at the time that it was written and directed by the same man who directed A-Ha's "Take on Me" video I probably would have been prepared for the animation. Overall I thought this was a very interesting story and presentation, which is definitely worth watching if you can find it.

"Choking Man is an intense blend of psychological drama and magical realism that encapsulates the contemporary immigrant experience in America. Jorge is a morbidly shy Ecuadorian dishwasher toiling away in a shabby Jamaica, Queens, New York diner run by Rick. He works all day long in the shadow of the ever-present Heimlich Maneuver instruction poster which hangs in the diner kitchen. From his solitary kitchen corner, Jorge gropes mutely for a bond with Amy, the newly hired Chinese waitress and even though she tries to reciprocate, the gulf that separates them may be too large. On the job he is continually tormented by his coworker Jerry and at home in his Harlem boarding, under the psychological control of his domineering 'roomate,' he battles his inner demons. Set in the vicinity of JFK airport, the most culturally diverse neighborhood in the world, Choking Man captures the feeling of claustrophobia and almost literal asphyxiation newcomers to America experience as they struggle to find a place and purpose in this strange land."


Tuesday, September 1, 2009

The Boys and Girls Guide to Getting Down

Sometimes stuff is funny, simply because it is so true, and that is exactly the case with this film. I had passed the movie "The Boy's and Girl's Guide to Getting Down (2006)" several times when I saw it showing on cable over the last year or so, but recently I've been watching a lot of Current TV. One of the guys who hosts some of their shows, Dominique Purdy, is hilarious, so I looked him up. Well, there is very little information about him, other than the fact that he was in this movie, so I decided to watch it. Turns out it was one of the funniest, most unique movies I've seen in a long time. The cast is pretty much a lot of unknown people, but I thought that made it more realistic.

"Tongue-in-cheek look at 20-something singles clubbing and partying in L.A.; it's organized into 15 chapters from overview and preparation to partying and the morning after. Voice-over narration, charts and graphs, and visits to a research laboratory punctuate the story of a single night when groups of friends go out, drink alcohol, take drugs, dance and talk, and look for someone to go home with. Dangers, minor and major, await those who don't plan well or behave foolishly, and the rewards, even for those who plan well, are few. But the species' survival may depend on these rituals."