Shoplifters

Shoplifters was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2019 Academy Awards (lost to Roma). It is in Japanese with English subtitles, and is rated R for some sexual content and nudity. The film won the prestigious Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.

This film is about family in all its permutations. Osamu Shibata (Lily Franky) has instructed his “son” Shota (Jyo Kairi) in the art of shoplifting. Also in the family is Osamu’s wife Nobuyo (Sakura Andô), Hatsue (Kirin Kiki), an elderly woman in whose home they all live, and Aki (Mayu Matsuoka), a young woman with ties to Hatsue.

One day, they come upon a girl, Yuri Hojo (Miyu Sasaki), who appears to be neglected and abused. They take her home and quickly become attached to her. Yuri relishes the attention and caring the family give her and doesn’t appear to miss her mother, who hasn’t even reported her missing. 

The Shibata family is very poor, despite Osamu’s job as a laborer, and Nobuyo’s work in an industrial laundry. Aki has a job at a “hostess” club, which is really some kind of a sex club for voyeurs. The grandmother receives a pension from her deceased husband. They cannot make ends meet, and the shoplifting in their eyes is essential to feeding and clothing all of them.

When Yuri’s mother finally reports her missing, it leads to a chain of events where secrets are revealed, and consequences paid for crimes committed. Shoplifters will make you think about what makes a family: biology or choice?

I very much enjoyed watching this film. The cinematography was beautiful, the heartbreak of the members of this makeshift family real and poignant. The performances were excellent. 

Did you see Shoplifters? Do you enjoy watching foreign films? What are some of your favorites?

Shoplifters - Official Trailer

The Bikes of Wrath

The Bikes of Wrath is a delightful documentary film about five young men from Australia who ride bicycles across the southwestern United States. Enraptured with the famous novel The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, they set out to bike from Oklahoma to Bakersfield, California, the same route the fictional Joad family took in their exodus from the Dust Bowl.

They undertook this trek in July. You heard me right. I live in New Mexico, and this is nothing short of foolhardy. But they persist in this 2600 km (1,612 mile) journey, taking only the same amount of money the Joad’s had with them on their trip.

This documentary was fascinating, and I’m so glad a friend asked my husband and I to go to our local art cinema to see it. It is much more than just a bike trip. Interspersed in the action are people they meet along the way reading excerpts from the novel, along with a look at how the Dust Bowl was created, as well as the hardships that followed. The people they meet are often themselves the descendants of Dust Bowl survivors. The documentary does a great job showing what this part of the United States is like culturally and economically.

The look at America through the eyes of these Australian men is enlightening, and sometimes heartbreaking. Class divides and prejudice continue to this day, not completely abolished with the passage of time.

Are you a long distance biker? Did you see The Bikes of Wrath? What did you think of the film? What other documentaries would you recommend?

The Bikes of Wrath - Trailer

The Age of Adaline

The Age of Adaline is a film about a woman who has stopped aging. There have been other films with similar storylines, but a good friend recommended it, so my husband and I watched it. I was so impressed! An unusual choice was using a narrator to fill in parts of the story that wouldn’t be explained by the characters. It works.

Adaline Bowman (Blake Lively) was in a car accident at the age of 29, and mysteriously stopped aging. This created a difficult life for her in terms of relationships. Her daughter Flemming (played by Cate Richardson and then Ellen Burstyn as she grows older) goes through the aging process while her mother remains the same. It was fascinating to me that Adaline maintains the elegance of someone who was a young woman in the 1930’s. It suits her well.

Adaline has had a series of love relationships, never being able to remain in one for long due to her never growing old. She meets Ellis Jones (Michiel Huisman) who falls head over heels in love with her, and she reluctantly enters into a relationship with him even though she knows she’ll have to desert him eventually.

Ellis takes Adaline to his parents’ home for their 40th anniversary party. His father William (Harrison Ford) and his mother Kathy (Kathy Baker) welcome the mysterious Adaline into their home, and this is where it really gets interesting. I am not easily surprised in a film, but this development was perfect for the story.

I will not give any spoilers for this excellent film, and encourage you to watch it for yourself. The performances are stellar.The sets are outstanding, especially in the period parts of the film, and the music fits the action well. The film is rated PG-13 for a suggestive comment.

Did you see The Age of Adaline? What did you think of it? Have you seen other films where a character does not age, and how did you like them?

The Age of Adaline - Official Trailer

Redwood Highway

Last week’s review was about a film set in the Pacific Northwest. Redwood Highway, a film I watched on Amazon Prime recently, also takes place in that beautiful part of the U.S.

Marie Vaughn (Shirley Knight) is an independent “older” woman living in a retirement community in southern Oregon. She is headstrong, likes to walk, and has a sometimes difficult relationship with her son Michael (James Le Gros) and granddaughter Naomi (Zena Grey). Impulsively, Marie decides to walk 80 miles to the Oregon coast near Brookings to attend Naomi’s wedding. Redwood Highway is about her journey on foot to the coast. The film is rated PG-13 for thematic elements including a scene of menace.

I loved seeing the scenery of the forested land as she walked along the highway (not always facing traffic like all walkers should!), and the animals and people she encounters along the way. Some, like Pete (Tom Skerritt) and Stacia (Michelle Lombardo), are meant to be in her life, and give her tangible and intangible gifts she needs for her journey.

We are treated to flashbacks of Marie’s life as she remembers her past. In this way, we are drawn closer to the truth of who Marie is and why she became who she is, as every step takes her closer to the sea and her granddaughter’s wedding.

I recommend this film if you just want a mostly gentle story about a woman, her family and journeys on foot. If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile, you’ll know that films about hiking and walking are some of my favorites, and this is a winner. 

Did you see Redwood Highway? Did you like the film? What did you appreciate the most about it?

Redwood Highway - Official Trailer

Leave No Trace

Leave No Trace is a realistic look into the life of a veteran with PTSD, and how he manages his life providing for his teenage daughter. The film is rated PG for thematic material throughout. 

Will (Ben Foster) and his daughter Tom (Thomasin McKenzie) are living on public land, survivalist style, and have to keep their location secret from the Portland, Oregon authorities. Tom is an intelligent girl, and essentially home schooled. Her mother is not in the picture. 

Their camp is discovered and social services becomes involved. The home they are given to live in is not like the forest where Will feels most comfortable. He attempts to adjust, and Tom is learning to socialize with other teens and doing well in school, but the inevitable happens and Will just needs to move on.

They take off together into the rainforests of the Pacific Northwest, and it becomes very hard for them. Cold and little shelter are threatening their very lives. Will injures himself, and fortunately Tom is able to find someone to help them. A voluntary community of like minded folks living in trailers in the woods are understanding of the father and daughter and their needs.

Will they find a way to live in the world in the way that society expects? Can Will overcome his PTSD in order to provide for Tom as she gets older and her needs change? I found this film compelling and fascinating, and recommend it highly.

Did you see Leave No Trace? What did you think of it? 

LEAVE NO TRACE - Official Trailer

The White Crow

Being the ballet fan that I am, I eagerly trotted to the theater to see The White Crow, a film about Rudolf Nureyev. He famously defected from the Soviet Union while in Paris, and this film had that time of his life front and center.

Rudolf (Oleg Ivenko) lives to dance. From an early age, he showed an aptitude for the graceful art of movement and after many years of study, most famously under Alexander Pushkin (Ralph Fiennes), he embarks on a tour in 1961 with the Kirov Ballet, closely chaperoned by Soviet agents.

We get to see Nureyev in all the complexity of who he was, his charms attracting both men and women to desire him. Clara Saint (Adèle Exarchopolos) becomes a devoted friend, and a helping hand when Nureyev is considering whether to defect. The Soviet agents are conniving and relentless in their manipulations of Nureyev, and really with all the dancers.

Directed by Ralph Fiennes, the film is rated R for some sexuality, graphic nudity, and language. It was heavy on the dance, much to my pleasure. If you are someone not that enamored of ballet, you might not enjoy the film as much. I thought it was excellent. 

At this same time, a documentary about the famous dancer hit the art cinema. I would like to see this film simply titled Nureyev to see if it sheds even more light on the White Crow, the very gifted Rudolf Nureyev.

Did you see The White Crow? Do you enjoy ballet, and did you think the film lived up to the high standards Nureyev achieved?

THE WHITE CROW - Official Trailer

Ocean's 8

In keeping with the extravagant wealth theme that began last week with Crazy Rich Asians, I move on to Ocean’s 8. The fashion and high society element makes this fourth “Ocean’s” film more for a girls night out, and that’s great for me. I’m sick and bored with films of battles and men killing each other. More power to the women!

I enjoyed the previous three Steven Soderbergh directed “Ocean’s” films. I also saw the original Ocean’s 11 (1960) that inspired the remakes. They are a few of my favorite films. Ocean’s 8 leaves the male cast behind and introduces us to female characters in an all-star cast. It is rated PG-13 for language, drug use and some suggestive content.

Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock) is the sister of Danny Ocean (George Clooney). She has been serving time, and thus has had many hours alone to plan a perfect heist with her girlfriends. It is not surprising that Danny and Debbie should be alike in their choice of occupation since sometimes a younger family member may choose to follow in her big brother’s footsteps.

Debbie has concocted a scheme to steal a very expensive Cartier necklace right off the neck of celebrity Daphne Kluger (Anne Hathaway) while she is wearing it at the Met Gala. Each member of the crew Debbie assembles has their own specialty or strength that is required in order to pull off this heist.

I enjoyed Ocean’s 8. I’d watch it again, especially on a night I just want some good, clean fun. The sets and the cinematography are first rate, and it’s a pleasure to watch the heist unfold. The references to other “Ocean’s” films make it even more fun.

Did you see Ocean’s 8? What did you think of it? Which “Ocean’s” film is your favorite?

Ocean's 8 - Official 1st Trailer

Crazy Rich Asians

A good friend of mine who happens to be Taiwanese asked me to watch this film and write a review about it. So this is for you Ming!

Crazy Rich Asians is based on the book of the same name written by Kevin Kwan. It is rated PG-13 for some suggestive content and language.

It is a crazy comedy, mostly taking place in Singapore, an exotic location I hope to visit someday. Rachel Chu (Constance Wu), an Asian American, has been dating Nick Young (Henry Golding), a handsome Asian man raised in England. He invites her to accompany him to the wedding of a good friend in Singapore. She accepts, and is in for a big surprise. 

Nick is wealthy. Not just a little bit wealthy, but over the top rich. His family is not really welcoming to Rachel as there are expectations for Nick to marry within his class. All sorts of comedic situations evolve as Rachel navigates the traditional Asian family and the hostility of the women who would like to snatch Nick for a husband. Fortunately, her friend Peik Lin Goh (Awkwafina) is living in Singapore, so she is not totally alone. 

I really, really enjoyed this movie. There are over the top moments of extravagance, but there are equally as many moments that will tug at your heart. This film is after all about a relationship, love, family, and the need for acceptance and belonging. There were times I actually had tears in my eyes. 

I highly recommend this film if you enjoy romantic comedies. I also liked that I was able to get a peek into Asia and Asian families and realize that there are differences between Asian Americans, Asians raised in other countries, and those who remain in their homeland. Thank you Ming, for encouraging me to watch this film.

Did you see Crazy Rich Asians? Have you visited Asia? What were your favorite scenes in the film?

CRAZY RICH ASIANS - Official Trailer

Anonymous

I am not a Shakespeare groupie, such as those who make a pilgrimage to Ashland, Oregon every year for Shakespeare plays and others! But I have attended a few live performances, and then there’s the classic Romeo and Juliet I watched on-screen as a freshman in high school (the one with Leonard Whiting, not Leonardo DiCaprio). My favorite Shakespeare play is Twelfth Night, and I of course loved the film Shakespeare in Love.

Now comes this interesting 2011 film Anonymous that suggests that Will Shakespeare was not the person we think he was. How far fetched is it that someone else actually penned all those plays and sonnets, and because of social standing could not come forward to claim them as his own? This film presents an alternative to who the bard really was. Anonymous is rated PG-13 for some violence and sexual content.

The time is England, the Queen is Victoria. Not as Victorian as that era has often been made out to be, she was quite the scandalous hotheaded woman with an appetite for lovers and the stage.

Edward De Vere (Rhys Ifans), the Earl of Oxford, is of noble birth, well educated and good at everything he attempts. He has a passion for writing, but the noble class frowns upon this activity. Poets and dreamers are not held in high regard; warriors and knights are the heroes of the day.

Ben Jonson (Sebastian Armesto) becomes Edward’s accomplice, staging the plays he pens at The Rose, as Edward needs to remain anonymous to protect himself from being found out by his peers. Jonson was to take the credit for the plays, but when the time comes, an actor, Will Shakespeare (Rafe Spall), steps forward claiming the play as his own, and thus the ruse is born.

I liked this film. It really didn’t seem that far fetched. They claim that Shakespeare was not well educated, and did not have the opportunities for travel and study that Edward De Vere would have had. The story in Anonymous seems plausible to me.

But who is to know? This is the late 1500’s/early 1600’s after all. History in this film anyway, makes a good case for the true author of comedies and tragedies for the stage to be Edward De Vere, Earl of Oxford.

Have you seen Anonymous? What do you think? Is William Shakespeare the real author or someone else?

Anonymous - Trailer

Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi

I saw this last installment of Star Wars many months after its release in theaters in the comfort of my own home. I’m afraid that’s where I’ll see the next one also. I’m glad I didn’t pay full price to see it in the theater. Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi is rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi action and violence.

I watched the entire two and a half hours. I had to; I’ve been following these stories since the first one came out in 1977. But this time around, I was acutely aware that some of the characters were there simply to sell toys. Creatures that can easily be formed into little dolls and playthings and sell millions of dollars of them to parents and kids. Cynical yes, but it’s the truth isn’t it? It’s not just movies and storytelling; it’s a whole big merchandise line to make billions.

The main story line for this film is Rey (Daisy Ridley) seeking out Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), as she wants to learn about the Force. There are also tricky battles between the armies of space travelers, and yes, I am tired of that action. Nothing new in warfare to get excited about. In fact, there is nothing really memorable in this entire film.

If you’re young and have never seen a Star Wars movie, don’t bother. Go straight to Star Trek. The crew of the Enterprise are much more intelligent and funny.

What’s your take on these more recent Star Wars installments?

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Trailer (Official)