The Worst Person In The World

 It's time to detail the other film I streamed on Thursday. That would be The Worst Person In The World, Norway's entry into the International Feature Oscar race. Eskel Vogt and director Joachim Trier are also up for Best Original Screenplay, and they could conceivably win if their Best Picture rivals cancel each other out. It doesn't help that it has a compelling tale to tell:

Vogt and Trier chronicle fourteen chapters (including a prologue and epilogue) in the life of Julie (Renate Reinsve), a directionless young woman in Oslo. We see her go from medical school to psychology major to photography in the span of that prologue. She also meets Aksel (Anders Danielsen Lie), a significantly older comic book artist, and they hit it off. She later breaks up with Aksel in favor of Eivind (Herbert Nordrum), whom she meets at a party. Julie figures that she has a lot of time to figure things out. Some like Aksel have significantly less time on their hands...

Anyone worried about their personal futures can relate to Julie. Her fluctuating career paths and relationships initially seem like youthful restlessness. But we eventually see the existential dread in her life. She even tells Aksel that she feels like "a spectator" in her own life when she breaks up with him. She knows and hates that she hasn't figured things out. The dread is amplified when Aksel is diagnosed with terminal cancer. It's enough to put anyone's life in perspective. Reinsve's performance makes Julie compelling throughout the film's 128 minutes.

What about her lead men? Aksel's youthfulness is reflected in his politically incorrect Bobcat comics, Norway's answer to Fritz the Cat. He's quite riled up when his work is adapted into a kid's movie. He's still a sensitive man who wants a family. Eivind leaves his lover because he can't stand her meticulous environmentalism. His initial fling with Julie is dismissed by them both as "not cheating." They have a good relationship when they officially hook up, but that doesn't last. Neither man is completely hateful; the biggest problem is existentialism.

Kasper Tuxen's cinematography gives us some great views of Oslo. The payoff is when Julie makes time freeze, runs through the city, and spends a day with the unaffected Eivind. Julie moving through the frozen city is nothing short of a visual effects triumph. It's especially so considering that the film cost €5 million. That scene, by the way, shows Ola Fløttum's great score at its best. We also get some stunning views of the Finnmark Highlands when the film shows us Eivind's perspective for a chapter. We also take a turn for the surreal when Julie trips out on shrooms. It has to be seen to be believed.

Only Julie herself would think she deserves the tile of The Worst Person In The World. We clearly see her potential for greatness as she wonders what that is. Her leading men are both likable even with some inherent flaws of their own. By the end, she faces her existential dread and gets a steady career path. Julie finally comes of age at 30. Overall, it's a compelling and unusual dramedy. It's ready for you to rent on your favorite streaming service. Amazon was mine. Hurry up though if you want to catch up on the Oscar contenders. 

Tomorrow...

Parallel Mothers

It's now three days until the Oscars and I'm starting to fret. Have I actually seen all the winners? I was so close to doing it last year (skipping on Doc. Short winner Colette), and I don't intend to fall behind this year either. So, I decided to stream two International Contenders today. I'll talk about one of them now, though.

First up is Parallel Mothers, the latest film from Iconic Spanish Auteur Pedro Almodovar. I had to start an account with Vudu (formerly FandangoNow) because it was the cheapest place to rent it ($4.99 vs $19.99 everywhere else). But at least it's free to join.

Photographer Janis Martinez (Penelope Cruz) gets involved with anthropologist Arturo (Israel Elejalde). Nine months later, Janis is expectant and shares a maternity ward suite with Ana (Milena Smit). They both deliver at the same time. They keep in touch as they raise their baby girls separately. But Arturo is not convinced the baby is his. A DNA test confirms that it's not Janis's either. Her and Ana's babies were swapped at birth. Her efforts to keep things a secret are complicated when she reunites with Ana.

There's also a subplot concerning a mass grave of victims of the Franco Regime. Janis hopes Arturo can exhume the grave, as her great-grandfather was one such victim. He and the grave come back into the picture just as Janis and Ana's relationship evolves significantly. It won't be easy for anyone involved.

One can tell it's a pure cinematic soap opera. It's especially that on a technical level. To start, there's Alberto Iglesias's melodramatic - and Oscar-nominated - score. The sweeping music accentuates Janis's relationships rather well. Antxon Gomez's production design and Jose Luis Alcaine's cinematography heighten the emotions with their searing colors. One standout moment is the end when the mass grave is fully exhumed. It's a creepy and emotional moment.

Let's talk about the title characters. Cruz's performance as Janis wears her heart on her sleeve. You'll feel delighted or uneasy when she is. Her inability to reveal the secret is from clear emotional trauma and not "drag out the plot syndrome." I haven't divulged much about Ana, but the revelations make an already sympathetic character even more so. Smit's performance as Ana is just that good. Their best scenes are when their relationship picks up near the halfway point. It's a tense moment when that secret is finally revealed. They fortunately reconcile by the end.

The supporting cast has two highlights. The first is Aitana Sanchez-Guijon as Ana's actress mother, Teresa. She's a seemingly self-centered egotist who, as we find out, has her own emotional trauma to deal with. You'll sympathize with her as much as her daughter. Rossy de Palma brings much needed levity as Janis's best friend and agent, Elena. She makes the most of her comparatively limited screentime.

How does a story about Parallel Mothers relate to the Spanish Civil War? In a way, both plots are about giving people back their loved ones and moving on from emotional trauma. The themes made much more sense as I pressed play a second time (and it's playing as I write this). It's a slow but steady drama that kept me interested for 123 minutes. I'm sure it will too if you can find a venue to watch it. It might be in local theatres now, or you'll have to find it on demand, but if you want to watch it before the Oscars ... the clock is ticking. 

Jujutsu Kaisen 0

As the Oscars approach, I find myself trying to schedule a few nominees into my schedule. Today's film is too recent for this year's Oscars. I now find myself having to sum up a manga and anime franchise that I've never read or watched other than some plot synopses. 

But as indicated by the title, Jujutsu Kaisen 0 is actually a prequel to Gege Akutami's main manga storyline. It debuted in manga form as Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical School in 2017, the year before the main manga debuted. Let's see what I can do:

Yuta Okkotsu is a bully magnet protected by the ghost of his dead girlfriend, Rika Orimoto. Said ghost is actually a demonic Curse, one of many born from bad karma, and Yuta can't really control her. The eccentric blindfolded Satoru Gojo offers Yuta a place at Tokyo Jujutsu Technical High, a school for aspiring "Jujutsu" exorcists. Yuta reluctantly accepts and is introduced to weapon expert Maki Zenin, the deadly voiced Toge Inumaki ... and Panda the Panda.

Gojo's former classmate Suguru Geto wants to kill all muggles. So, he and his followers decide to unleash a thousand Curses on Christmas Eve. He dares the good guys to stop him. It's part of a plot to get Rika, who happens to be a really powerful Curse, for himself. The Jujutsu elites threaten to kill Yuta if he lets Rika loose. Gojo's teachings help Yuta focus her power. Yuta will have to hurry when Geto comes for him. 

The first twenty or so minutes feel like two condensed anime episodes. Yuta gets to Jujutsu High, has some interactions with his classmates, and is ready to put his life on the line for Maki (complete with flashbacks and climactic music) against a giant Curse in that span. A few concepts, namely Panda's nature as a "Cursed Corpse" and Yuta's mysterious ancestor, can fly over a few newbies' heads. That aside, a lot of the franchise's lore is discernable to newcomers. Its episodic plot is compact, and its 105 minutes are rarely boring. What tested my patience were moments when I thought the screening was, or about to have, technical difficulties.

What helped my patience is the characterization. Yuta has good chemistry with his classmates whether in battle or school. We get to learn about Maki's family history, Toge's killer voice and revel in Panda's antics. Yuta's bond with Rika makes for an interesting dynamic. Curse Rika is creepy looking, but her childish personality makes her weirdly eccentric. We get to see Yuta go from wimp to warrior in due time. Their strongest moments are in the finale, when they defeat Geto, and she gets to rest in peace. Gojo's eccentric personality is sure to make him an audience favorite (if the show hasn't already). Geto's affableness heavily contrasts with his smug superiority complex, which results in a memorably vile villain. His henchmen and a few bit Jujutsu exorcists stand out with their eclectic personalities.

There's a lot to talk about on the technical front. The Curses are suitably repulsive creatures, and the Jujutsu exorcists have plenty of stellar superpowers. The fight scenes involving them are a visual delight. The production design and cinematography sell the franchise's horror aesthetics pretty well. My screening sounded unusually quiet, but I still heard a perfectly unnerving score (by Hiroaki Tsutsumi, et al) and a strong sound design for the Curses. 

Big Screen Transplants of Anime shows usually have stories meaningless to the main narrative. I'd like to think that they are distilled self-contained essences of their franchise. That's what Jujutsu Kaisen 0 is and more. Its story suitably introduces its characters & lore to the uninitiated through a compelling main duo. You won't be that lost if you haven't watched the first season. There's plenty of setup for the second season, which will debut next year. There's plenty of time to catchup if you haven't and this movie piques your interest. I think it did that for me and it might do the same for you.

Turning Red

 I'm tempted to comment on a recent, now offline review, of Pixar's Turning Red. Among other things, it said the film wasn't made for a universal audience and was made for the director's family and friends.

 Really? I'd like to think some films help us relate to universal themes despite their "limited scope." Otherwise, I wouldn't relate to films about a high school girl dealing with her mother's death or a billionaire on a nighttime crusade. There's quite a bit to relate to in this animated tale conceived by director Domee Shi, an Oscar-winner for the short, Bao. Let's see what they are:

It's 2002 in Toronto. Meilin "Mei" Lee (Rosalie Chang) has just turned thirteen. She's got girly interests like Tamagotchis and the Boy Band 4-Town, which she shares with her besties, Miriam, Priya and Abby. But she's also an overachiever who struggles to live up to her mom, Ming's (Sandra Oh), standards. One morning, she discovers that she can "poof" into a giant Red Panda when she's overexcited and can de-poof when she calms down. It's an "inconvenience" passed down from generations.

Mei's panda self makes her the most popular kid in school. But Ming would rather have her suppress the panda. A specific ritual on a Red Moon can do that, but it's on the night of a 4-Town concert. But Mei accepts the panda form as a quirk and not a curse. How will she get through to her mother? It all leads to a titanic argument at the Skydome.

What's there to relate to in Shi and Julia Cho's script? To start, it's sure to provoke some turn-of-the-millennium nostalgia for anyone who was around Mei's age back then (I was fifteen). Second, it tells the story of a kid dealing with familial and social expectations. Anyone who worried about failing either can relate to Mei. The film mines plenty of dread and audacious comedy out of her controlling the panda curse. The best surprise is seeing that her friends and classmates accept her once they find out. Indeed, one of the strongest scenes is when Mei's friends cheer her up when they see her panda-sized.

We quickly meet Mei with her opening narration. She tells us how she still pursues her kid interests despite the taxing expectations. She and her friends endear us with their quirky and likable personalities. We're quite invested when they fall out and later reconcile after Ming confronts them. Her friends even help Mei and her family calm Ming down when she upsizes into a colossal Red Panda. Who wouldn't want to have friends like these?

Let's talk about the adults. Ming's overbearingness makes her the film's primary antagonist. She inadvertently hinders Mei more than helps, especially when she unfairly blames her friends for her "rebelliousness." We soon see that she's got her own issues to deal with. Mei's Dad Jin (Orion Lee) gives her a much-needed pep talk just before the Red Moon ritual. Mei's aunts are a good bunch, while Grandma Lee (Wai Ching Ho) is a stern yet reasonable woman. James Hong also stands out as Mr. Gao, who assists the Red Moon ritual.

This is a technically appealing film. The production and character designs are visually striking, especially when they incorporate anime aesthetics. Mei and her friends frequently sport plenty of amusing expressions throughout the film. The best designs are Mei and her elders' Red Panda forms, all of them being irresistibly fluffy creatures. It's all set to an outstanding score from Ludwig Goransson and a few catchy pop songs written by Finneas O'Connell (who also voices Jesse of 4-Town) and Billie Eillish. 

What's not to like about Turning Red? It's a well-made and well-told fantastical coming-of-age story. There's plenty to relate with its main protagonist even if you didn't have her "inconvenience." Find out for yourself when you press play on Disney Plus. It's so good that I'm watching it again as I write this. Maybe I'll press play a third time today. It's a great use of 100 minutes.

The Batman

Last time, I recommended that no one should see Drive My Car and The Batman back-to-back. This time, I will have reviewed both of them back-to-back. But on different days!

This was supposed to have been a showcase for Ben Affleck as director and Batman. It wound up with Matt Reeves directing Robert Pattinson as a new version of the Caped Crusader. I've got a lot to say about this nearly three-hour movie so let's say them.

Batman is already on his second year of crimefighting. He's called by Det. Jim Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) on Halloween night to investigate the murder of Mayor Mitchell. The killer is The Riddler (Paul Dano), who leaves cryptic messages for the Dark Knight as his calling cards. Batman goes on the hunt when The Riddler kills a few more upstanding citizens.

Batman's sleuthing discovers that The Riddler's victims were on the payroll of mob boss Carmine Falcone (John Turturro). He eventually crosses paths with Falcone's lieutenant, The Penguin (Colin Farrell), and cat burglar Selina Kyle (Zoe Kravitz), who has her own connection with Falcone. Batman also discovers some dark secrets about his late father. He and his allies will have to act fast to stop, or minimize, The Riddler's explosive surprise for Gotham on the night of its upcoming Mayoral Election.

It doesn't take long to establish the mood of the next 176 minutes. The Riddler is introduced quietly staking out Mayor Mitchell before loudly murdering him. Criminals run in fear of the Bat Signal as Batman narrates while he can't be everywhere, he could be anywhere. What we have is a dark tale that'll shock you as much as it entertains you. The Riddler's masterplan will leave you guessing as hard as Batman. The only time you'll feel its length is in the multiple denouements.

The Batman wears his world-weariness from his nighttime crusades on his face as Bruce Wayne. He sometimes struggles in unexpected ways. You'll truly wonder if he's getting sleep at all. He gets some levity when he shares screentime with Alfred (Andy Serkis). He terrifies criminals but is terrified himself when the unmasked Riddler proclaims himself his biggest fan. That's enough to make him finally question the methods and motives of his nighttime crusade. It leads to a strong climax as he saves Gothamites trapped in a stadium with The Riddler's loyalists. Simply put, Pattinson makes for a great Batman.

Kravitz as Selina is also compelling as she struggles with her past. She spends one scene with her best friend Annika (Hana Hrzic) before the latter is killed by Falcone off-screen, but it depicts a palpable friendship. She and Pattinson have great chemistry as they deal with each other and their criminal foes. One of their best scenes is when he stops her from killing Falcone. It's a strong moment that helps them move from vengeance to justice. 

Finally, a few supporting highlights. The Riddler himself is terrifying when masked and silent and an unnervingly pathetic loser when he's unmasked and talking. Meanwhile, The Penguin and Falcone make for memorable co-villains. Gordon and eventual Mayor Bella Reál (Jayme Lawson) are legitimate upstanding citizens and great allies for Batman. One of The Riddler's victims, DA Gil Colson (Peter Sarsgaard), is truly pitiable in his last moments.

Where to even begin on the technical stars? Gotham is an alluring visual nightmare visualized by production designer James Chinlund and cinematographer Greig Fraser. Mitchell's study, for example, goes from a warm locale to a ghoulish crime scene within minutes. Batman gets a great entrance as he emerges from the shadows to deal with a gang of clownish hoodlums. Similarly, the reveal of the Batmobile is nightmarishly awesome as it prepares to chase Penguin. Fraser also makes great mileage out of the color red here. The makeup team deserves all the praise for rendering Farrell unrecognizable as The Penguin. On the aural front, Michael Giacchino's score gives Batman an eerie new theme. There's plenty to like here.

One of its last scenes has a fellow inmate befriend The Riddler. Let's just say you won't forget his laugh. That's just one reason why I'm ready to see more of this new Batman. Another reason is that The Batman is a great superhero detective story whose massive length won't wear you out. If you can't see it in theaters, fear not, for it will apparently be on HBOMax sometime next month. Either way, seek out the biggest screen you can find. It was made for them.

Drive My Car

 Drive My Car was the film I was alluding to weeks ago that was playing at inopportune times. They could've been opportune times had they not been so late, and it wasn't a minute short of three hours. Thankfully, it's now on HBOMax, meaning you can set your own schedule to see it.

This is Japan's entry into the International Feature Oscar race, being based on a short story by one of its most celebrated authors, Haruki Murakami. It's also the obvious frontrunner considering that it's also up for Best Picture and Ryusuke Hamaguchi is up for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. Let's see how it is.

Yusuke (Hidetoshi Nishijima) and Oto Kafuku (Reika Kirishima) are a creative couple. He's a stage actor and director in a multi-lingual company and she's a TV writer who spins erotic stories with him each night. One day, Yusuke finds Oto cheating on him and a few days later, finds her dead of a brain hemorrhage.

A few years later, Yusuke is hired to direct a multi-lingual Uncle Vanya in Hiroshima. This was the role he was rehearsing at the time of Oto's death. So, he casts her other man, Koji Takatsuki (Masaki Okada), as Vanya. Meanwhile, he's forced to hire Misaki Watari (Toko Miura) as his chauffer due to company policy and his glaucoma. He accepts this arrangement once she proves herself a good driver. Their relationship helps them open up about their tragic pasts. It culminates in the show itself, where Yusuke is forced to take on the titular role.

It takes about forty-minutes before the action moves to Hiroshima. None of those minutes are wasted as it paints a clear picture of Yusuke and Oto's marriage. We see them mourn their long-dead daughter. We see them celebrate their successes. We see him rehearse Vanya in his car by reacting to her on tape.  We see his reluctance to play Vanya after her death. There are plenty of details in that time that are relevant to the remaining 139 minutes.

A good chunk of those remaining minutes is spent with Yusuke and Misaki. They go from stoic strangers to good friends (no, not romantic) in due time. Their time together helps them open up emotionally to the world. We see her reservedness subside when she bonds with Yusuke's assistant's dog when they're invited to dinner. We see his stoicism crack when she takes him to what's left of her home, where her abusive mom was left to die after a mudslide. She's in the audience of Uncle Vanya as Sonya (Park Yu-Rim as Yoo-na, the aforementioned assistant's wife) signs her closing monologue in Korean. Chekhov's speech is an emotional coda to their character arcs.

The Vanya audition and rehearsal process makes for an interesting portion of the film. Yusuke and Koji bond surprisingly well during the production. Koji also has some strong chemistry with co-star Janice Chang (Sonia Yuan) during their audition. His temper ultimately undoes his career. But he still goes gracefully to the cops.

What else can I say about it? There's some great location shooting by cinematographer Hidetoshi Shinomiya. Whether it's a nighttime city, a small theater or snowy Hokkaido, the locales are all splendid sights. There's also a suitably solemn score by Eiko Ishibashi. It's not used much, but it's used effectively.

Drive My Car's long runtime is surely taxing for first time viewers. I felt the pressure near the end, but as I watch it again as I write this, I felt more of its emotional relevance. On one hand, it's all about overcoming grief and loss. But on another, it's about never taking people for granted, as a minor conversation with them could be the last. It's worth seeing at least once whether on the big screen or small. Be prepared for that runtime and you'll do fine. Just don't see this and The Batman back-to-back.