"Compliance"
“Compliance” is not an easy film to watch, as evidenced by the numerous walkouts during its showing Saturday at the Wisconsin Film Festival.
The film, based upon accounts of actual events, features a fast food restaurant that is hampered by a prank caller who, with only a telephone, coerces numerous individuals at the restaurant to follow through with heinous acts directed at an employee after the caller informs the restaurant’s manager that a theft has occurred at the restaurant.
Thus ensue some fairly disturbing sequences that are not exactly pleasant to watch.
Craig Zobel’s film is an intelligent thriller that, while disturbing, is a smartly-made and well-intended film. The film quickly creates an atmosphere of uncertainty with a foreboding undercurrent.
It is a film that provokes discussion and emotions, and, while uncomfortable to watch, is yet another example of a movie that is dependent upon an audience that is willing to stick it out and have the tenacity to understand the issues that the filmmaker is attempting to grapple and understand for himself.
Trust me, it’s definitely worth it. —Ethan Safran
Wisconsin's Own and short films
The composite experience of shorts from Wisconsin’s Own brought new talent to light and celebrated the good in independent film making, but also showed how far the film making industry has gotten into it’s own ego. “Pass the Salt, Please” belongs in the former category, a testament to the power of quality cinematography and skillful screenwriting. Starring Fionnula Flanagan and Seymour Cassel, the film follows the x-rated dinner conversation of an elderly couple that only degenerates into an anti-climatic finish—the merits of it’s hilarious commentary on relationships, aging and sex far exceeded the 13 minutes it ran. Similarly witty and well-made, “Christmas Tree: A Story in Five Parts” concerned the mysterious inner strife of a family preparing for the holiday season. Although the true reason behind their discord was never brought to light, the witty banter between characters, excellent acting and unique camera angles made me proud to see it in the Wisconsin’s Own category.
Conversely, the other two shorts, “Curtain Call” and “Cornerman,” were less than thrilling. Both films had their quirky moments and touching shots, but overall reminded me of a filmmaker striving to fit an expected “indie” niche. The longest of the films, “Wid Winner and the Slipstream” was an awkward mixture of unique and blasé. It tells the story of the lonely young mechanic filled with regret and reeling from the death of his beloved uncle who meets a dancing-on-the-verge-of-crazy wanderer in search of parts for his time machine. Their cross-country road trip leaves Wid (played by James Sheldon) with the reminder to live life in the moment and to cast off regret. Although the film was touching at times and got its share of laughs, it’s teachable moments and introspective looking out of windows got hackneyed after a while. —Riley Beggin
"The Day He Arrives"
South Korean film “The Day He Arrives,” directed by Hong Sang-soo, defies convention by exploring characters through their cyclical and somewhat self-destructive tendencies. Shot entirely in black and white, the viewer can’t help but focus on the intricacies of each character’s persona. The main character, Sungjoon Yoo, is a retired director visiting his long-time friend Youngho in Seoul. Over the course of this stay, which is three days (though each day is so similar they can almost be interpreted as one), Sungjoon finds himself learning about others, and himself, more than he could have expected.
The characters in “The Day He Arrives” drink and smoke cigarettes constantly. There are very few scenes where Sungjoon isn’t drunk. Each night Sungjoon, Youngho, and Boram, Youngho’s female friend from college, go to a bar called “Novel,” which is clearly an ironic play on their unchanging nightly ritual. This film is filled with subtle, clever ideas that can easily go unnoticed.
Sungjoon and Youngho are both blatantly sarcastic at times, but at other points the intention of their dialogue is ambiguous—either as a result of drunkenness or because, despite their routine lives, they have extremely complex self understandings. Throughout the film several women show clear interest in Sungjoon, and he is equally attracted to them. Regardless, Sungjoon refrains from becoming too involved with them for he fears hurting the people he cares about.
Overall, “The Day He Arrives” has a lot going for it. The character development, although hard to catch, and cinematography are both intriguing. That being said, I wouldn’t recommend this movie to anyone who despises slow movies, because it is very static at times. —Andy Holsteen
"Filthy Theater: A Film About Joel Gershmann"
This film offers a look inside the creative process and undisputed intelligence of Joel Gersmann, the director of Madison’s Broom Street Theater.
The documentary, crafted by Dan Levin, a professor of Psychology and Human Development at Vanderbilt University, sheds some light on the peculiar and ingenious plays that Gersmann created across several decades. Many of these plays were controversial and raunchy, as Gersmann wrote and adapted 114 plays throughout his career.
The film effectively makes use of the footage Levin captured during several interviews in the summer of 1993 and the 1994, as the documentary cuts back and forth between archive footage of Gersmann, photographs and other footage from some of his plays’ performances and interviews with some of Broom Street Theater’s ex-cast members.
Ex-actors of Gersmann’s theater described the process as a sort of “second job,” as the amount of time and effort into putting on any particular Gersmann play was enormous.
On a whole, Levin succeeds at capturing the nostalgia of the environment that Gersmann constructed and his personality, which appears to have been at times entrancing and other times cold.
However, the documentary has its flaws. Certain segments drag on a bit too long, and perhaps tighter editing would strengthen the film.
Nonetheless, the documentary is a solid tribute to Gersmann and the experimental theater that he created. As someone said within the documentary, Gersmann didn’t care so much about the plays as much as he cared about “the experience of making the play.” And that fact is fairly evident within Levin’s film. —ES
"Juliets"
Complete with deft cinematography and skillful acting, the three-part Taiwanese film “Juliets” is an impressive and unique film series. Directed by Ko-shang Shen, Yu-Hsun Chen and Chi-jan Hou, several film festivals around the world have screened the film, and it is easy to see where the buzz is coming from. Following the narrative of three different couples (Romeos and Juliets, of course) in three different decades, the film is a reminder that love is simultaneously something to hope for, reach for and romanticize about, but also not to take too seriously or allow to dominate. The first part of the film, set in 1970s government-controlled Taipei, tells the story of a young woman that prints banned materials for an attractive university student. The second, set in the 1980s, tells two mirrored stories of star-crossed lovers of different ages, and is refreshingly realistic about what is worth waiting for. The third, set in the 1990s, concerns a gay man dead set on suicide, until he gets roped into an acting crew and meets his “29th unrequited love.” Each sequence of the film is charming and memorable, at times light-hearted and other times very melancholy. Each has its own twist of dark comedy and serious messages, and a biting wit. —RB
"Monsieur Lazhar"
Set in the French-speaking city of Montreal, “Monsieur Lazhar” tells a story of grief and sorrow from the eyes of 11 and 12 year old school children and a much older substitute school teacher.
Within the film’s first few minutes, a young student named Simon walks into a classroom during recess after getting milk cartons for his pupils to find the body of his teacher hanging from the ceiling, his teacher having committed suicide in her own classroom. The only other student to see the teacher’s lifeless body is Alice, another one of the deceased schoolteacher’s pupils.
Quickly enough, an older man named Bachir Lazhar walks into the school without an appointment, telling the school’s administration that he would like to be the substitute teacher. He informs the school that he has experience as a schoolteacher in his country of Algeria, a statement whose validity is later in doubt as the plot develops.
Bachir’s story becomes unraveled like a piece of delicate string, as the intercutting between his position as the students’ substitute teacher and a court hearing reveals that he suffers from sorrow of his own.
As the story progresses, the students are both honest and confrontational with one another in certain situations, as the teacher’s death has lasting psychological implications throughout the remainder of the school year. The filmmakers skillfully flesh out the relationship between Simon and Alice, the only two children to see their schoolteacher’s lifeless body, as something complex and multifaceted.
Mohamed Fellag gives a heartfelt performance as Bachir Lazhar, the Algerian substitute teacher. A cast of talented child actors anchor the film with solid performances that capture the hardships of loss and its implications upon young minds.
On a whole, the film effortlessly goes from humor to heartbreak in a matter of seconds. It is well-shot, as the crisp photography makes use of white and blue color hues that reflect the emotional states of the characters.
While I did not find the film ultimately as emotionally effective as another film about a schoolteacher’s relationship with his pupils—the 2008 Palme d’Or winner “The Class,” another film in French—“Monsieur Lazhar” describes the need for friendship and forgiveness in times of loss.
Perhaps the protagonist Bachir says it the best, as he eloquently states in a classroom full of children that have become his pupils, his own children, that the classroom is “a place full of life.” —ES
"How Much Does Your Building Weigh, Mr. Foster?"
The documentary film “How Much Does Your Building Weigh, Mr. Foster?” profiles world-renowned architect Norman Foster and recounts his humble childhood in a poor sector of Manchester, England, along with his journey to becoming one of the most innovative and respected architects of recent history.
Even people who aren’t fans of architecture can appreciate the scale and sheer beauty of Foster’s buildings. A combination of aerial shots with precise indoor filming reveals the unique design of each structure. The only words to describe Foster’s architecture are “awe inspiring.” The film calls him “The Mozart of Modernism” because of his complex work, yet he manages to make it seem effortless.
Although all of Foster’s buildings are stylistically beautiful, one of his current projects goes beyond anything the world has known. Right now, he is overseeing the construction of Masdar City in the United Arab Emirates, which will be the first carbon neutral city. The film explains how Masdar will use no fossil fuels and generate zero waste. Without a doubt, the success of Masdar City is critically important to our generation, as it may provide a blueprint for making Earth cleaner.
After surviving cancer and a heart attack, Norman Foster hasn’t slowed down. He continues to lead the world of architecture into uncharted territory. Seeing Foster’s work from an intimate perspective gives you the chills. It is mind-boggling to consider his buildings were designed by a human. Even those who aren’t big on documentaries should see this film; there are no dull moments, and it really changes one’s perspective on the limitations of design. —AH
"Margaret"
It was almost fitting that “Margaret,” the new film by writer-director Kenneth Lonergan, experienced a short delay due to technical difficulties prior to its premiere at the Orpheum this past Friday. Ironic in the sense that the film, which was shot in 2005, was in post-production hell for years after Lonergan ran out of money when trying to complete the film—his sophomore feature and follow-up to his excellent debut “You Can Count on Me”—amidst all of the legal disputes that nearly prevented the film’s release.
So in that sense, you can call the movie’s release a sort of miracle. Yet, like the messiness of the protagonist’s story on screen, driven by a riveting performance from Anna Paquin, the oftentimes fragmented and even disjointed film oddly parallels that of the film’s characters and storyline.
“Margaret” concerns a somewhat obnoxious and affluent New York teenager named Lisa Cohen (Anna Paquin) who, when running after a bus and trying to ask its driver where he got his hat, becomes a witness to a terrible accident. The bus driver hits and kills a pedestrian crossing the street, and Lisa remains by the woman’s side during her final moments.
The film flashes moments of brilliance. Following the aftermath of the crash, the way in which Lisa attempts to cope with the accident, through her interactions with others, is authentic and surprisingly humorous. Lonergan has an excellent ear for dialogue, and he puts it to great use in the film.
What “Margaret” lacks, sadly, is a greater sense of polish. The second half of the film is at times uneven, as the film’s subplot involving Lisa’s thwarted legal actions against the bus driver and the bus company feels somewhat misplaced. It feels as if the film, in bits and pieces, got away from Lonergan
Yet, for all of its unsharpened narrative edges and debatably awkward pacing, Lonergan is a fantastic writer of dialogue and can flesh out the motivations of his characters unlike almost any other writer or filmmaker. He has an indisputable talent for capturing life’s most minute details, and while the film suffers from certain flaws, “Margaret’s” jagged edges mirror the conflicting emotions of the protagonist at the film’s center. —ES
"Kill List"
If you’re afraid of seeing blood or cringe at the thought of violence, there’s no need for you to continue reading this review. Ben Wheatley’s “Kill List” is grotesquely gruesome, telling the story of how two best friends, Sam and Gal (who happen to be professional hit men), take on a job they end up regretting.
The plot of “Kill List” leaves the viewer with lots of questions. There are many loose ends left with no explanation, and there is no clear reasoning behind much of what the characters do. Structurally, and in many ways thematically, the film reminded me of a Quentin Tarantino production. Within the film there were four chapters: “The Priest,” “The Librarian,” “The M.P.” and “The Hunchback,” named after the people who Sam and Gal killed.
As the plot plays out, Sam and Gal realize they are more than just guns for hire. This becomes absolutely apparent when one of the people they take out has a file on them in his safe. Sam however, convinces Gal they should finish the job, which ends tragically for both of them.
The ending of “Kill List,” though somewhat unexpected, really made it worthwhile. I don’t think I’ve been uncontrollably shaking at the end of a movie before this one. For anyone familiar with the movie “A Serbian Film,” the final scene of “Kill List” matches that level of being uncomfortably disturbing. If you’re looking for a movie that will make you sweat, and don’t mind graphic violence, “Kill List” is worth checking out. —AH
