American Sniper (2014)

Score:  3.0 / 10

De eerste controversiële film van 2015 is een feit. Met American Sniper vertelt Clint Eastwood het levensverhaal van Chris Kyle, de sluipschutter die in dienst van het Amerikaanse leger minstens 160 mensen eigenhandig van het leven beroofde. De film is gebaseerd op Kyles gelijknamige autobiografie die in 2009 verscheen.

Een uitstekende Bradley Cooper als Chris Kyle en de relatief knappe, doch oerconventionele esthetiek zorgen voor een onderhouden filmervaring die nooit verveelt en een enkele keer zelfs ontroert. Zo. Meer positiefs zal je in deze recensie niet lezen. Daarmee wil ik dezelfde "evenwichtige" stijl hanteren als Eastwood deed in American Sniper.

Waarom zou ik namelijk een evenwichtig verslag brengen van een film die zelf nergens de moeite doet een genuanceerd verhaal te vertellen? Eastwood neemt het grootste deel van Kyles zelfingenomen autobiografie over en vergeet hierbij de voorzichtige aanpak die je altijd moet hanteren bij autobiografische werken. Het is zo bijvoorbeeld geweten dat Kyle hier en daar een loopje nam met de werkelijkheid om zijn status als nationale held wat op te smukken (alsof de talloze erkenningen in de vorm van medailles van Vadertje Staat nog niet voldoende waren). Zo beweerde hij onder meer dat hij de reformist Jesse Venture een blauw oog bezorgde nadat die kritiek uitte op de oorlog in Irak, en claimt hij eveneens 255 slachtoffers te hebben gemaakt i.p.v. de 160 officieel bevestigde (want iemand vermoorden is iets om over op te scheppen?).

Maar, alsof de kritiekloze omgang met het autobiografische werk van Kyle niet erg genoeg was, gaat Eastwood nog een stapje verder. In  de openingsscène van de film knalt Kyle een jongen neer die met een soort van anti-tankgranaat op een Amerikaans konvooi afloopt. De implicatie is hier uiteraard dat Kyle geen andere keuze had en de moord dus gelegitimeerd was. Het is dat soort van scènes die ervoor zorgden dat een hondsdolle bende internetwarriors hun "alle moslims zijn barbaren"-praatjes nog eens ongegeneerd de ether konden insturen, want "welk geschift, walgelijk volk stuurt nu jonge kinderen met granaten de frontlinies in"? Alleen is het - in dit geval - gewoon niet waar. Kyle schrijft pocherig zijn hele boek vol over zijn 255 slachtoffers, maar daar zat niet één kind bij. Waarom dus de keuze om toch een kind op te voeren als eerste "terrorist" in de film? Is dat Eastwoods idee van de dramatiek te verhogen? Wil hij een onvergetelijke openingsscène brengen? Allemaal goed en wel, maar ten koste van wat? Dit is je reinste patriottistische propaganda: als Amerikaanse militairen kinderen doden, is dat niet hun fout maar die van het barbaarse volk dat ze bestrijden.

Nochtans kunnen we Eastwood niet verdenken van een hysterische vaderlandsliefde. Zijn bedenkingen en kritiek op de invasie van zowel Irak als Afghanistan zijn algemeen gekend. Wat motiveerde de man dan om toch zo'n patriottistisch gedrocht te maken? Ik wil een gokje wagen op basis van wat ik las in de interviews met hem. Eastwood, die toch heel wat conservatieve waarden belichaamt, wou de psyche van één van Amerika's meest controversiële oorlogshelden verkennen en ontrafelen. Op die wijze wilde hij een film maken die zowel de  bleeding heart liberals als de fetisjering van oorlogshelden bij menig patriot tot enige nuance dwong. Door de innerlijke strijd van een oorlogsveteraan en de moeilijkheden tot sociale integratie na zijn dienst in beeld te brengen, poogde Eastwood de menselijke kant te laten zien van de tegelijk gehate en verafgode Chris Kyle. Is dat gelukt? Neen. Absoluut niet.

Het is ook niet bepaald verstandig om een psychologisch portret als premisse te nemen en dan een autobiografie als enige basis voor je scenario te gebruiken. Een dergelijk zelfreflecterend werk kan namelijk evengoed een uiting zijn van Kyles pathologische leugenachtigheid of manipulatieve zelfverheerlijking. Zo'n boek biedt uiteraard boeiende en uitzonderlijke inzichten in 's mans hoofd, leed en overtuigingen, maar om een evenwichtig beeld te krijgen, heb je extra input nodig van vriend en vijand, evenals een juxtapositie van die subjectieve werkelijkheden met de harde feiten. Biografische films zijn pas echt geslaagd als je na de film buitenkomt met dezelfde morele of existentiële twijfel als de protagonist, of waar je de protagonist ziet in zijn naakte menselijkheid (i.e. met goede en slechte eigenschappen). Iets waar American Sniper, net als de meeste biopics, geheel niet in slaagt: na het zien van de film vind je Kyle ofwel een ziekelijk moordenaar, ofwel een onvolprezen oorlogsheld. Het lijkt wel alsof Eastwood zich op 84-jarige leeftijd bediend heeft van een navelstaarderige bril in plaats van de open, genuanceerde blik die hij nochtans tot recent etaleerde in o.a. Gran Torino, Invictus en J. Edgar.

Wat pas echt beangstigt, is het verpletterende kassucces van de film. Zoals op de Oscaruitreiking reeds gezegd werd: American Sniper bracht evenveel op als de andere zeven Best Picture genomineerden samen. De wansmakelijke reacties op Twitter en sommige van de door anarchist Noam Chomsky bekritiseerde recensies spraken op zo'n kritiekloze en lovende wijze over de film dat ze getuigen van hetzelfde dogmatische denken dat we net zo graag aan de "domme moslims" toeschrijven. Akkoord, de patriottistische States zijn geen België of Europa, maar veel van de anti-islam retoriek wordt toch gedeeld, net als veel van de sentimenten die stellen dat onze "verlichte" waarden "die achterlijke religieuzen" wat wijsheid en intelligentie zouden bijbrengen.

American Sniper is dus een crowdpleaser in de ergste zin van het woord: de film behaagt ons morele superioriteitsgevoel. In die zin is het moralisme dat van deze film uitstraalt, van bijna onnavolgbare orde. Zero Dark Thirty, die andere patriottistische film van enkele jaren gelden, verbleekt er in het niets bij. Er werd al hevig gereageerd op de kanttekeningen bij American Sniper en hier en daar werd de hele linkerzijde, samen met alle intellectuelen en heel wat "politiek correcte" burgers, afgedaan als moralistisch en verwaand. De ironie wil dat American Sniper de morele positie van de Moral Majority net belichaamt. De botsing tussen links vs. rechts, politieke correctheid vs. politieke incorrectheid en gezond verstand vs. intellectualisme is er dus één van twee morele houdingen. Waarom die polarisatie niet pogen te doorbreken met het aanbevelen van andere films die American Sniper in perspectief zetten? Ik denk maar aan de veelvuldige César-winnaar Timbuktu (een film die wél een genuanceerd beeld brengt van de islam), de popcornprent Lone Survivor (een patriottistische film die echter niet pretendeert "dieper" te gaan en tegelijk entertainment van de bovenste plank brengt) of de klassieker Taxi Driver (een film die het psychologische verval van een oorlogsveteraan wél weet te vatten).

Wat me echter vooral opvalt, is de weerstand om een expliciet moreel debat te voeren. Dat is vermoeiend en schrijnend omdat het volop impliciet gevoerd wordt. Het demonstreert andermaal de paradoxale verheffing van amoraliteit tot de enige valabele morele positie die zo kenmerkend is voor het Westen: waarom zouden we een moreel debat voeren over een consumptieproduct ter onzer ontspanning (zoals film)? Wat de inhoud van die film is, doet niet ter zake 'cause it's just for fun, yo! Ik wil hiermee niet beweren dat iedereen cinesofische discussies over ethiek moet gaan houden. Wat ik wel stel, is dat zij die prediken dat over entertainment geen morele discussies moeten gehouden worden, zélf al moreel bezig zijn. Het moralisme is namelijk aanwezig in hun hypocrisie (want "moralisme is slecht" wordt het nieuwe moralistische dogma), hun intuïtie (enkel buikgevoel wordt opnieuw het sterkste morele kompas) en/of hun naïviteit (moralisme is iets dat alleen zou leven bij intellectuelen en predikers). Niet alles moet een morele lading meekrijgen, maar de gevoelens van euforie en walging die American Sniper met zich meebracht, tonen aan dat deze film niet om zijn morele geladenheid heen kan. Wanneer iets zo geladen is, is de keuze om hier niet bij stil te staan een morele stellingname die even paternalistisch kan verkondigd worden als de keuze om hier wel bij stil te staan.

Niet alle films zijn dus te reduceren tot louter entertainment. Soms mag je verwacht worden na te denken over wat je in onze spektakelmaatschappij voorgehouden wordt. Of dat nu pro of contra American Sniper is, maakt niet uit - niemand hoeft een schuldgevoel aangepraat te worden omwille van een film die z/hij gewoon leuk vond. Het goed vinden van een moreel verwerpelijke film betekent dus niet dat je zelf moreel verwerpelijk bent. Indien een onbedoelde (als we Eastwood mogen geloven) propagandaprent door een hele samenleving echter exclusief als ontspanning wordt benaderd, zijn we ver verwijderd van de Riefenstahls en Eisensteins van deze wereld; in die zin dat ze van dergelijke succesvolle propaganda alleen maar hadden kunnen dromen. Gelukkig is dat niet zo en werd American Sniper, vooral ter linkerzijde, op hevige kritiek onthaald. Maar wat zegt dat over de talloze mensen die deze kritieken volledig banaliseerden of met virtuele haattaal bekampten?

Weekly reviews #006

Caricaturistes, fantassins de la démocratie (2014) - 5.0 / 10

This pre-Hebdo documentary about cartoonists and freedom of speech is almost not worth being called a 'documentary' rather than an accumulation of interviews by a bunch of self-righteous white men proclaiming their own importance. Admittedly, there are some women and people of colour who get a say. Admittedly, some of the cartoonists live in the line of fire and see people getting killed in their direct vicinity. That's exactly why this documentary has some very good parts. Especially the interviews with Ángel Boligán and Nadia Khiari I found quite interesting. Apart from that, this feature wasn't enlightening at all. Just a bunch of clichés from bourgeois people like Jean Plantureux, Michel Kichka and Baha Boukhari. Also, there's almost no backstory or social context given. For some cartoonists, like Rayma Suprani, I deemed that necessary. This is pretty weak and forgettable stuff for an otherwise very important topic. Footsoldiers of democracy? Most of them really aren't.

Nånting måste gå sönder (2014) - 7.5 / 10

A Swedish Generation Y movie about transgenderism and loneliness, also known as Something Must Break. Saga Becker is phenomenal in this small gem that's been permeated with melancholy. At the same time the film feels incredibly liberating because it talks about gender and the freedom to be who you are without restrictive cisgenderism and heteronormativity. Maybe that's just it: this liberty, which is not at all won at this moment in history, is still something bleak and isolated. Because of that there's a certain kind of sadness surrounding the personal struggle fought by trans people. Sebastian / Ellie is such a person who identifies her/himself not as gay or straight, not as male or female, not as transsexual, but as something that isn't called by name in the movie, something "queer" you might say. While his/her search for an own identity manifests itself, Something Must Break manages to bring up some (other) big issues of our time (in the Western World): solitude, unemployment, depression, the search for meaning in this life, etc. A beautiful yet heavy-hearted movie with a nice soundtrack by Tami Tamaki and Olof Dreijer (The Knife). Recommended!

R100 (2013) - 6.0 / 10

Sometimes it's nice to watch a movie for its mere shock value. R100 is exactly one of those. On the other hand it never was able to transcend the provocative imagery and content like Fight Club or Luis Buñuel (with which the film was compared) did in their time. Director Hitoshi Matsumoto tells the tale of a masochistic man who experiences supernatural orgasms by being extremely humiliated. After a while reality and fiction begin to merge and the man starts to discover his sadistic side. Luckily this isn't a pretext to make a softcore SM movie, but it also doesn't surpass the level of a superficial b-production. The final twenty minutes are a bit too ridiculous for my taste (because they're so out of sync with the rest of the movie), that I can't say I've enjoyed R100 that much. Nevertheless it had some great moments because of the dark humor, meta-jokes and entertaining twists.

Rigor Mortis (2013) - 7.0 / 10

Will this movie generate a revival of East-Asian horror hype? Or will it just be the one? In any case, Rigor Mortis shows us that they aren't out of ideas after The Ring, The Grudge, Shutter, One Missed Call, Dark Water and The Eye. The aesthetic has improved a lot and the storyline still is as crazy and imaginative as ever. The Chinese take on vampires is refreshing in an age were our imagery is dominated by Western mythology and fantasy. Maybe the plot had a bit more potential and sometimes the editing is the cause for some narrative confusion, but all in all this is a cool looking and entertaining movie that resembles the above mentioned films with the cinematographic style of the Russian movies Night Watch and Day Watch.

The Scribbler (2014) - 5.0 / 10

Another picture that had way more potential than its final product. When a young woman with dissociative identity disorder is brought to some kind of madhouse, people start killing themselves for no apparent reason. With a bunch of excentric characters and a visual style that provokes Sin City comparisons, this comic book adaptation will certainly entertain people and capture their attention till the last minute. Unfortunately it all feels a bit rushed, bloated and shallow. With b-listers like Garret Dillahunt, Gina Gershon, Kunal Nayyar, Billy Campbell and Richard Riehle, this movie has some fun acting and prevents from feeling amateuristic, but in the end it's just too much a "been there, seen that" movie...

The Normal Heart (2014) - 8.5 / 10

This is without any doubt the best (semi-)biopic I've seen in years. Maybe because it felt like a very personal movie, but that's not the only reason. Mark Ruffalo is probably one of my favorite actors and for some reason it took Hollywood years to give the man the acting jobs he deserves. As Ned Weeks (who's actually a fictitious Larry Kramer - written by Larry Kramer) Ruffalo finally proves himself an actor who manages to get under your skin. While this movie reminded me of the miniseries Angels in America and the documentary Sex Positive, it certainly comes out as one of the best films concerning gay topics in a long time (apart from Pride, which is probably one of my favorite pictures about homosexuals ever). With incredibly strong speeches from Ruffalo, but also Taylor Kitsch, Joe Mantello (goosebumps!), Julia Roberts and Jim Parsons, this is a very actor-driven feature. Probably because it originally is a theater play. Although The Normal Heart sometimes is a bit too sentimental, it never bothered me due to the fantastic writing and dialogue. In a time that was emotionally devastating, everyone tried to cope with the new situation in their own way. Some people are more sanguineous than others and that makes social relations hard, even impossible in some cases. On the other hand everyone tries to find love, tries to be appreciated and cared for, even the most spirited and loud of all. The Normal Heart is a film with a heart, a lot of pathos, layered characters, top notch acting and superior dialogue-writing. HBO did it again.

Weekly reviews #005

Big Hero 6 (2014) - 6.0 / 10

Since their merge in 2009, it was but a matter of time before Marvel and Disney made their own animation movie. Big Hero 6 is completely produced by Disney (with some members of Marvel's creative team), but the story is based on a Marvel Comics superhero team. This is the 54th official Disney Animation Studios film and thereby following last year's Frozen. Unfortunately, Big Hero 6 is too much Wreck-It Ralph (which I didn't particularly like) and too little Tangled or Frozen (which I fairly enjoyed). The Japanase manga iconography in an American production is probably the most interesting aspect of this film which takes place in the fictitious San Fransokyo. Besides that it was quite funny and had some truly interesting moments, but in the end it was all too conventional and missed the Disney components I like most (songs, a fairy tale atmosphere, talking animals or creatures,...). I understand there's a new generation of kids who are more acquainted with superheroes, computer games, flashy new technologies and the likes, but this movie sometimes feels like propaganda for Silicon Valley and that I can do without. The post-credits scene seems like a reference to the Marvel habit for announcing a sequel, but as far as I know I don't think this'll be the case any time soon. Hopefully Disney's next feature will be more my cup of tea again.

Why Don't You Play in Hell? (2013) - 7.0 / 10

Shion Sono, one of Japan's contemporary cult directors, makes a follow-up to cinephile hits like Suicide Club, Noriko's Dinner Table, Strange Circus, Hair Extensions, Love Exposure, Coldfish and Himizu. After The Land of Hope, his idiosyncratic sci-fi drama shot around the Fukushima disaster, the transgressive Sono makes another instant cult hit with Why Don't You Play in Hell? This definitely won't appeal to a mainstream audience and to be honest, at first I had quite some difficulties watching it myself. It all seems a bit over the top and because of that it felt amateuristic. On the other hand I suppose this is the authentic style Sono is known for. With some patience I endured the first half an hour. Once I got familiar with its peculiarities, irony, meta-references and subversive character, this film started to grow on me. Especially the part of the young movie team that has been procrastinating their film project for years; while this is more of a sideline to the story, Why Don't You Play in Hell? depends on it for its absurd climax. The only thing I couldn't get into was the over-the-top acting. Cool movie with a high DIY vibe, although not flawless.

Das finstere Tal (2014) - 9.0 / 10

Who would've thought that two of the best movies released in 2014 were westerns? After seeing My Sweet Pepper Land I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this modern western, a genre that normally doesn't appeal to me that much. The Austrian movie Das finstere Tal (aka. The Dark Valley) again pushes the boundaries of the western genre. Not the American frontier, but the Austrian Alps at the end of the 19th century are its setting. Aesthetically this is one of the most beautiful movies of the year, especially because of its winter landscapes in the Alps and the almost desaturated blue-grey color palette. Storywise it seems like something Tarantino could've made, if he got off the coke and took some tranquilizers: a story of vengeance and raw characters but with a slow burn effect. At the same time this movie strikes an emotional nerve and provokes a melancholic atmosphere by constantly maintaining a dreary and ominous effect. With its use of an anachronistic soundtrack it never gets too heavy though. This should've been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Seriously.

Moebius (2013) - 4.5 / 10

Master provocateur Kim Ki-Duk did it again. A movie that made people vomit during its premiere at the Venice Film Festival, that divides its audience in lovers and haters and that will have a cult following in some years. For some reason it felt like watching Gaspar Noé's Enter the Void: I was incredibly fascinated and couldn't turn my eyes off the screen, but at the same time I was so happy when the end credits started rolling. Still in doubt about how I feel about Moebius, I can say one thing for sure: this is a film I never have to see again. I'm glad I did, but it's an experience not worth repeating. Why not? Spoiler alert: a woman catches her man cheating on her with another woman (played by the same actress). She wants to take revenge and cut off her husband's penis. Failing to do this, she cuts off the penis of their son. Wrecked by guilt, the father offers his penis to his son by transplant. In the meanwhile, the son "raped" the woman his father had an affair with (as I said, who is played by the same actress as his mother, see what Ki-Duk did there?). Once the transplantation is complete, the son begins to get sexually aroused by his mother and vice versa. Seeing this, the father wants to cut off his son's penis yet again, but fails. Eventually he kills his wife and himself. While telling this sickening Freudian nightmare, Ki-Duk refuses to let his actors speak one word (there's no dialogue in this movie) and adds some knife-in-shoulder masturbating to take it all just one step further. Yes, you really need to have the stomach for it. Unfortunately, Ki-Duk forgets to make an interesting visual movie (unlike Noé's Enter the Void) and thereby doesn't reach the bourgeois public he intends to insult and provoke. But still... This movie is unlike anything you've ever seen. Try it.

Time Lapse (2014) - 7.0 / 10

Sci-fi topics about time and alternative realities provoke thoughts about determinism and free will. Same goes for movies that use those topics, no matter how bad they are. If it's +1, The Adjustment Bureau, The Matrix, Primer, Looper, Source Code, Predestination, Donnie Darko, Waking Life or Abre los ojos, they always seem to have an effect on my thinking about those subjects. Time Lapse is no different. Some reading on the net about this film taught me about the bootstrap paradox and Novikov's self-consistency principle. Exactly the kind of ideas I love to read and learn about after watching a film like Time Lapse. Although the acting wasn't that good (at all, actually) and it wasn't a visually daring or striking film, I found joy in discussing some metaphysics afterwards. Isn't the ability of provoking such thoughts an accomplishment to be taken into account when rating a film like this? I certainly think so. Entertaining stuff, probably too obvious and lame for science-geeks, but some philosophy majors and genre aficionado's will have fun with this.

L'arte della felicità (2013) - 7.0 / 10

Waking Life meets Alois Nebel but without the rotoscoping. This melancholic portrait of an ex-musician that became a taxi driver, is a beautifully drawn animated film with lots of dialogue about life, love and loss. With some minor contemporary criticisms and lots of religious contemplations, L'arte della felicità knows how to captivate its audiences, provoke some thoughts and, most of all, create a gloomy yet meditative atmosphere. This might be one of those films that grows on you after seeing it. Rewatching it later in life might have another effect exactly because of that. Time will tell. Nevertheless, since this picture resembles one of my favorite movies of all time (Waking Life), it was bound to be compared to that and, of course, it isn't as good. Some of the storyline in L'arte della felicità is quite boring, which slows the experience down a bit. Nonetheless a very good and partly successful attempt of bringing something interesting on the (animated) screen. Nicely done!

I lossens time (2013) - 3.0 / 10

There's a lot of good stuff coming from Scandinavia these days, both in movies (Jagten, A Royal Affair, King of Devil's Island, Sons of Norway, Dead Snow 2, Trollhunter, Sound of Noise, Turist, We Are the Best!) as in television (The Killing, The Bridge). This is not one of them though. I lossens time (aka. The Hour of the Lynx) is as boring and conventional as Kvinden i buret (aka. The Keeper of Lost Causes). It feels like watching a very average made-for-television movie. The editing is often irritating, the characters have no depth whatsoever and the backstory is plainly predictable. Sofie Gråbøl, who plays the female priest Helen, keeps everything from falling apart. Although her acting resembles Sarah Lund a bit too much, she nonetheless portrays a convincing Lutheran priest. Apart from that, this film has almost nothing to offer. Especially the emotional uppercut where this movie aims at, is virtually inexistent. But maybe I'm a robot.

Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla (2013) - 5.5 / 10

An Australian b-movie! This low budget feature concerns the shy and socially awkward Warren that runs an ice cream truck. Being the product of heavy bullying and social isolation (seen through his own in-camera confessions), he is obsessed with a television actress of a local tv-show and gets completely euphoric when she shows up at his van to buy some ice cream. In the meanwhile he encounters several people who mock him or are themselves quite weird. After numerous setbacks, Warren gets Travis Bickle-like crazy. Luckily, the pretty predictable plot and rather conventional cinematography are outweighed by the authentic DIY feeling and an awesome over-the-top performance by Glenn Maynard (Warren), but it's too close to make a real impression. It seems like Maynard and Addison Heath (the writer of Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla) are on an underground crusade though. After their collaboration on this movie, two others will follow: Under a Kaleidoscope and Bubblegum: A Detective Story. I wonder how those will turn out to be!

Métamorphoses (2014) - 6.5 / 10

Christophe Honoré is one of those typical French author cineasts: it doesn't get any artier than this. Nothing wrong with some pretentious French cinema of course. Métamorphoses has some very strong and unique moments, especially because of the transgressive way Honoré explores Ovid's mythological universe and transports it to a contemporary context. On the other hand, the transgressive style and content are harmless and even quite loyal to Ovid's poem. Seen in that way, this film isn't transgressive at all and has more of an artsy, experimental pretence. That doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it, but it all is quite superficial for a movie that attempts to be something much more. The cinematograpy is extremely beautiful though, as well as the soundtrack and some of its symbolism. But when it comes to French l'art pour l'art cinema, I think Les rencontres d'après minuit succeeds way better in its intent. Maybe because, although the film also is very autoletic, it transcends itself by subverting some bourgeois notions. Something Métamorphoses didn't do at all. But then again, maybe it's just me and my limited way of experiencing films like this.

I Origins (2014) - 8.0 / 10

After Mike Cahill's enchanting Another Earth, I expected a lot from this. Especially because Brit Marling stars in it again - maybe one of the most underrated actresses today. My expectations were met. I Origins provokes atheists and evidence-based scientists by providing us with a story of a scientist that starts to question the existence of something metaphysical. Being an atheist myself, I nonetheless detest how self-righteous atheists try to debunk everything religious or - even more arrogant - metaphysical. You might call me a humble atheist, since I don't have the urge to preach my way of looking at the world to other people, nor do I feel better than those who believe in something transcendent. Because of all that, I love I Origins. Not because it convinces me of reincarnation, afterlife or God, but because it shows that spiritualism isn't affected by science and therefore even hardcore atheists are susceptible to it. So while this movie is obviously sci-fi, it feels very real and even hopeful. The wonderful soundtrack, dreamy images and slow paced build-up create a majestic movie experience, just like Cahill's Another Earth. I was quite surprised to hear he's planning a sequel to I Origins, but I must admit the post-credits scene captures the imagination and a second feature that'll elaborate on that, will be most welcome. Highly recommended!

Weekly reviews #004

Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014) - 6.5 / 10

The sole reason why I went to see this film was Ridley Scott. If there's anyone who has proven himself a master of (semi-)historical epic movies, it's him. From his debut The Duellists to 1492: Conquest of Paradise to his modern classic Gladiator to more recent epics Kingdom of Heaven and Robin Hood, Scott just knows how to visualize stories like this. That doesn't mean all those movies are good movies. As a matter of fact, personally I only like 1492: Conquest of Paradise and Gladiator. But they are entertaining and often nice to watch. Exodus: Gods and Kings isn't any different. Some captivating scenes (like the one where the Egyptian army, lead by Moses and Ramses, attack the Hittite settlement) and a nice adaptation of the generally known biblical tales of Exodus make this a fun movie to watch. Due to the great lack of drama Scott succeeded in preventing to romanticize too much (except for the character of Zipporah), but it can also be seen as a huge flaw: female actors are ridiculously underused. Especially Hiam Abbass, Sigourney Weaver, Tara Fitzgerald and Golshifteh Farahani are barely more than props... There's some irony in that, but at the same time it's a missed opportunity to make a biblical film with strong female characters. While the drama in Exodus: Gods and Kings is low, the semi-historical approach is quite pleasant. Ramses II, Seti I, Tuya and Nefertari are all historical characters, while Moses, Joshua, Zipporah, Bithiah, Miriam and Aaron are all biblical. The mix of both makes Scott's views on the matter quite interesting, both for (moderate) Christians and (moderate) atheists. After seeing the ten plagues semi-rationally explained (including some ecological lessons, which are much more subtle than in Darren Aronofsky's Noah) and God depicted as a vindictive child, I couldn't help but enjoy this movie more than expected.

Timbuktu (2014) - 8.5 / 10

One of the movies that's still in the running for a "Best Foreign Language Film" Oscar nomination, is Timbuktu. Together with the Estonian Mandariinid it's one of my favorites for this year's Academy Awards, but I'm afraid only one of them will make it to the shortlist and neither of them will eventually win the Oscar. Not while movies like Ida, Turist and Leviathan are their competitors (although I think Timbuktu and Mandariinid are better than those three). The thing about Timbuktu that makes it such a beautiful picture, is its, what I presume, authentic representation of Muslims and the different views on Islamic religion. Spoken in a number of languages, from French and English to Arabic and a wide diversity of African languages (Tamasheq, Bambara and Songhay), Timbuktu shows Westerners a part of the world we almost know nothing about. Apart from judgemental and arrogant claims about the (religious) backwardness of many people there, be they Berber or Bedouin, many people here just don't know what to say about the Northern part of Africa. Director Abderrahmane Sissako gives us lots of stuff to talk and think about (for example the use of "jihad" as on the one hand an inner struggle (the greater jihad) and on the other hand an external holy war which is fought by mujahideen - the second jihad being the one we fear and loathe so much in the West). Not only that, but together with his cinematographer Sofian El Fani (La Vie d'Adèle) he manages to provide us with wonderful visual poetry and exceptional sceneries of south-east Mauritania. While it took some getting used to the narrative and the editing, I was full of awe after enjoying this utterly majestic work of art. Highly recommended!

What We Do in the Shadows (2014) - 8.0 / 10

After Housebound we get a second horror movie from New Zealand: What We Do in the Shadows. I must say, after seeing Tracks, The Rover, Charlie's Country, 52 Tuesdays and Predestination (and, to a lesser extent, These Final Hours and Underground: The Julian Assange Story), the Aussie's really began to amaze me. It took them long enough: the brilliant Mary and Max is a 2009 feature (no I didn't forget Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby, which I found quite dull). At the same time the Aussie's make a comeback, New-Zealand starts to throw off its Peter Jackson-shackles and brought Jane Campion back on stage: Top of the Lake blew me away. And now Housebound and What We Do in the Shadows are some of the best horror movies of 2014! If you like the deadpan humor of Flight of the Conchords (and Jemaine Clement) and you're sick of Hollywood vampirism, then this film is definitely worth the watch. Probably the most dry take on bloodsuckers ever seen on screen.

El espinazo del diablo (2001) - 7.0 / 10

Guillermo del Toro's El espinazo del diablo (aka. The Devil's Backbone) is obviously a precursor to El laberinto del fauno (aka. Pan's Labyrinth) in style, content and atmosphere. Nevertheless I think El laberinto del fauno is better on all three of those. That being said, I cannot stress enough that I would really like to see del Toro make more of this. The magical realism and child's perspective are excellent ingredients for timeless movies. By making the historical context more horrific than the actual horror components (ghosts or fauns), del Toro subverted both genres. Horror elements are added for dramatic effect against the horrors of real life (the Spanish Civil War in El espinazo del diablo and Francoist Spain during World War II in El laberinto del fauno). On top of that, when observed from a child's point of view, it all gets even more horrific because of the innocence we associate with young children. Because of that both El espinazo del diablo and El laberinto del fauno are some of the most touching "horror" movies I've ever seen. While del Toro's next film Crimson Peak is a return to his dark fantasy style, we will have to wait and see if it brings back some of these defining qualities that made him a great director.

Weekly reviews #003

Clouds of Sils Maria (2014) - 7.0 / 10

Former film critic Olivier Assayas is probably one of those few people who inspire me on a creative level. Not that strange if you consider one of Assayas' own influences: anarchist and situationist Guy Debord. French intellectuals in the 1960s were, in my opinion, too often needlessly complex theoretically and parlor socialists or would-be revolutionaries politically. In contrast, Debord's refreshing anarchist views were typical for the radicality of the 1968-generation and were more about individual freedom, artistic aspirations and fighting against a new form of determinism: consumption. In that respect, Assayas' Après mai was one of the best films I've seen in years. In Clouds of Sils Maria he puts on his meta-shoes and tells the story about an older actress who'll perform in the same play she did when she was young: Juliette Binoche plays Maria Enders who plays Helena. In the meanwhile Valentine (a brilliant Kristen Stewart, who would've expected?!), the personal assistant of Maria, resembles a version of Maria when she was young. Joanne Ellis (Chloë Grace Moretz), an up-and-coming actress with the reputation of a troublemaker, is Maria's co-star in the theater play. But when the play (about a young girl (Sigrid) who seduces an older woman (Helena)) starts to reflect reality (especially because Maria used to play Sigrid herself), the film begins to get an extra - metaphorical - layer. In the end we are confronted with thoughts about time, change, fame, getting older and conflict between generations. Clouds of Sils Maria is a beautiful film with some very good acting, especially by Stewart. It also raises interesting questions about contemporary stardom and transience. Nevertheless, this movie is (feels?) less personal than Assayas' previous one and therefor misses a bit of the uppercut I was hoping for.

Revenge of the Green Dragons (2014) - 6.0 / 10

A collaboration between Wai-Keung Lau (Infernal Affairs trilogy) and Martin Scorsese (The Departed) about Chinese gangs in New York at the end of the 1980s. One would expect fireworks, right? Not so much. This movie is entertaining but misses a bigger impact. It's not surprising the film didn't get a wider release in the US... The rather conventional story is embellished with different kind of colorful gangs from the (Asian) underworld, some pretty gruesome torture scenes and an attempt to make a huge plot twist at the end, but finally fails due to ordinariness. It needed more "cool" and a more interesting angle storywise. Fans of Asian-centered mob movies should give it a try though.

The Book of Life (2014) - 7.5 / 10

The Book of Life is without any doubt the best animated Hollywoodmovie of the year! It has been a while since I've seen so much narrative creativity, magnificent colours and wonderful animation coming from Tinseltown. Producer Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth) chose this one well. With songs from Mumford & Sons, Pixies, Elvis Presley, Rod Stewart, Biz Markie and Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros being sung by the cast, it even gets a pleasant musical vibe. Add a strong female character (Maria) and the great voices of Ice Cube, Cheech Marin, Gabriel Iglesias, Plácido Domingo and Danny Trejo (none of them are main characters but they are, ironically, more memorable than Diego Luna, Zoe Saldana, Channing Tatum, Ron Perlman and Christina Applegate) and you've got yourself one of the most enjoyable pictures of the year. According to director Jorge R. Gutierrez this is the first part of a trilogy. If the writing for the next two movies is as good as this one, I will be looking forward to those chapters! Especially the one about Maria should be awesome. Make your inner child see The Book of Life. Really.

Total Recall (1990) - 6.0 / 10

This is actually a far better movie than I expected. Paul Verhoeven is one of Holland's best when it comes to big budget cinema, but the true credits go to Philip K. Dick, one of the most interesting sci-fi writers of the 20th century, whose short story "We Can Remember It for Your Wholesale" inspired this movie. The special effects are excellent (no CGI's yet, hooray!) and the body horror is absolutely fantastic. But alas, when I see Arnold Schwarzenegger's face on my screen, I just want to rip my eyes and ears out. He's such an awful, unbearable actor and turns every movie he shows up in to shit. While I am able to enjoy The Terminator and Predator it is a very hard task to separate the qualities of the movie from the fact Arnie is messing the whole thing up. If I want to see bad acting, I'll watch a b-movie where it feels more authentic and not a big budget one where I expect overpaid actors to (try to) work for their money and not be a fucking gimmick. So, to conclude, Total Recall would've been so much better without Arnie in it. And no, I'm not going to watch the remake where Colin Farrell took his place. A 2012 Hollywood movie will never have those groovy special effects and awesome body horror that made the 1990 version so good, so why bother?

Discopathe (2013) - 5.5 / 10

A Canadian slasher movie that resembles films like Cruising, Maniac and Dernière Séance. This serial killer gets crazy upon hearing disco music. As soon as the first tunes reach his eardrums, his eyes turn black and he gets in a killing trance (triggered by some childhood trauma). Although Discopathe is an atmospheric picture with some truely interesting and horrific moments, it couldn't ever grab me by the throat, nor scare me at any time. I suppose this movie hasn't got the intention to shock, but more to generate a dismal vibe like Dernière Séance and 1970s feeling like Cruising. This is definitely something for aficionado's and exactly therein lies its charm. It just didn't work for me this time.

Witchfinder General (1968) - 4.5 / 10

Well, that was disappointing... I learned about this movie through doom metal bands like Witchfinder General and Cathedral, so my expectations were somewhat different than what I saw. I don't really know what I expected (maybe something more in the lines of A Field in England), but in any case something far less conventional than what I saw. It surprises me that this movie was so heavily cut in censorship. Maybe I underestimated the conservative sentiments in 1960s Britain... In any case, apart from Vincent Price, nothing about Witchfinder General makes me feel like I'm watching a horror movie. Some imagery certainly gives away director Michael Reeves' sentiment to the genre, but I thought he would've added more of an occult sensation in the picture. If Reeves didn't die an unfortunate young death a few months after this was released, I don't think it would've become such a cult hit...

Dark Blood (2012) - 3.0 / 10

This is the last film with River Phoenix. Meaning: as Phoenix died in 1993 and Dark Blood was only 80% shot, it took almost 19 years to get the material edited into the final cut. All scenes that haven't been shot are read as a voice-over by director George Sluizer over paused images. While that creates a distinct kind of movie experience, it doesn't seem to be something I'm very fond of. Of course, Dark Blood is a film that's all about Phoenix. Just like James Dean in 1955, Phoenix generated a cult following because of his untimely death. Mostly remembered for his roles in Stand by Me, Running on Empty, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and My Own Private Idaho, Phoenix never really had the chance to become the actor he could've been. That doesn't mean everything he did was pure genious though... In Dark Blood I'm just not feeling the Phoenix-vibe. Above all, it's quite a dull movie. Only recommended for those who want to see Phoenix shine one last time.

Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll (2010) - 6.0 / 10

Not the worst biopic I've seen the past few years. Something for the fans of films like The Boat That Rocked, Good Vibrations and CBGB, although it's absolutely not as good as Richard Curtis' tribute to the pirate radio's of the 1960s. If you're into Ian Dury and The Blockheads Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll is something you might enjoy. Especially Andy Serkis' performance as Ian Dury, which is spellbinding at certain times. But as with so many biopics, this one also suffers from boring flashbacks, sentimental nostalgia and lack of its own style. The scenes on stage, when Ian is talking to his audience (and the viewers), are probably the only ones that really honour Dury's persona and kookiness. Everything else is conventional cinema accompanied by an awesome punk / new wave soundtrack by The Blockheads.

The Zero Theorem (2013) - 8.5 / 10

One of the most underrated movies of last year. Agreed, you're never certain with Terry Gilliam. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus was a bit of a let-down of which his reputation never really recovered (maybe that's one of the reasons why this movie didn't get a proper release in Belgium), but I must say that The Zero Theorem proves Gilliam's qualities yet again. The dystopian atmosphere of films like Brazil and Twelve Monkeys has returned (some have referred to those two movies and The Zero Theorem as the Orwellian triptych, which suggests a conceptual trilogy). Only this time bureaucratic and post-apocalyptic sceneries have been changed for post-industrialist computer addiction. In a world dominated by multinationalist dictatorship and communist business structures, The Zero Theorem takes on contemporary issues (like burn-outs, existential crises and capitalist wage-slavery) and puts them in sci-fi tragedy. Christoph Waltz' eccentric acting is a sheer delight and even the smaller roles (Matt Damon, Ben Whishaw, Peter Stormare, David Thewlis and especially Tilda Swanton) are carried out wonderfully. Never before has corporate managerialism been displayed so daunting and utterly repelling in a contemporary film, or not that I know of. This movie is without any doubt a gem that might grow everytime I see it.

The Babadook (2014) - 7.0 / 10

The Babadook has been labeled the best Australian horror movie in years. I've got not much to compare to, but I do recognize a good horror picture when I see one. While you won't have to prepare for jump scares, gallons of blood or unbearable tension, Jennifer Kent's movie relies on the expressions of the actors and the psychological darkness surrounding the story. Essie Davis and child actor Noah Wiseman give their best making their facial expressions speak a thousand words and mostly they succeed. In addition, I think it is possible to read a subtext in this movie: the Babadook being the psychological terror of not being able to cope with reality. Of course that's just a possible interpretation (although I like the metaphorical layer of the ending when looking at the movie this way). The kind of horror that adds a pinch of Dark Touch to movies like Mama, Sinister and Oculus. Recommended!