La La Land

La La Land is a delightful song and dance film starring Ryan Gosling as a struggling jazz pianist and Emma Stone as a wannabe actress. Both are trying to make their way through the dog-eat-dog world of present day Los Angeles. Though beaten down almost every single day they continue to encourage each other to follow their dreams.

I've never been much of a musical type of guy, but I really enjoyed this movie. What can I say about Ryan Gosling? Is there anything more sexy than a guy who can both tickle the ivories and is light on his feet? And Emma Stone - she's wholly unremarkable, but those vulnerable eyes and girlish charms just draw you in.

I have to admit, I have a soft spot for these kinds of romantic love stories. So, two big thumbs up for me. Loved this movie.

I saw Kubo and the Two Strings this past Tuesday with Peter. I'm normally only free on Tuesdays through the spring and summer because I volunteer at an Out of the Cold program the rest of the time. So I thought I'd take advantage of the lower prices while I could.

This Laika produced movie is a stop-motion, animated tale of a Japanese boy and his mother and a couple of other fantastical creatures battling other-world forces in ancient Japan. While the story itself isn't very complicated, the movie is visually stunning... just an amazing work of art. That, alone, is worth the price of admission.

After watching it I looked up some videos online on the making of the film. It's unbelievable how much work the studio put into making it. From building models, both large and small, of all the characters to constructing huge, highly detailed sets of the different scenes, it's truly mind-blowing.

Not to mention the stop-motion action of bringing the characters to life. They had to move each one millimetre by millimetre all the while keeping the clothing and hair and other things flowing and looking natural. It's a near impossible feat they pulled off with flying colours.

Ex_Machina

I just saw Ex_Machina with one of my friends. I had a 2-for-1 movie coupon from my sister that was expiring soon, so we decided to use it.

I have to say, I haven't really been keeping up with the latest releases. I saw an ad or two for this movie and checked the reviews on Rotten Tomatoes and it came quite highly recommended.

I didn't know much about the plot either. But that's a good thing. I find, now-a-days, that commercials and trailers reveal far too much about a film before you even get to the theatre. That completely ruins things. I like to be surprised.

The movie is a science fiction thriller of the interaction between three characters - two humans, Caleb Smith (Domhnall Gleeson) and Nathan Bateman (Oscar Isaac) and an intensely beautiful A.I., Ava, (Alicia Vikander) created by Bateman.

It's set in Batemen's gorgeous home/research centre on a stunning, but nameless island. He's the eccentric genius behind a highly successful internet company and Ava is his new project. Caleb, a programmer at the company, has been called in to "run tests".

There are twists and there are turns. You never know who to fully trust. And that could mean the difference between life and death, and freedom and imprisonment.

There are no explosions, no mayhem, no chase scenes or million dollar special effects. Instead the characters talk. They interact together intelligently. And that's wonderfully refreshing.

Somewhere Between

I caught most of this movie on TVO (TV Ontario) a couple of nights ago. I was just flipping channels when I saw it. So I missed the first bit unfortunately.

The story of the adopted girls (who came from China to America) and the difficulties they faced regarding their situation (of being adopted) was very touching.

In some cases they had questions regarding their birth parents. Everyone wants to know their origin -  where they came from, if they had brothers or sisters, etc..

Another problem some of them struggled with was the notion of being abandoned by their birth parents. This was very hard for them to deal with.

On that subject I just watched another documentary called "Echoes" on TVO online in which the interviewed birth mothers from China about this. Let me tell you, in general they were disconsolate about their decisions to give their children up.

In some cases they faced outside pressure to give birth to a son, yes. But, in others, they just couldn't afford to take proper care of another child. So, in their minds, it was for the benefit of their baby that they gave her up. It was because they loved you that they "abandoned" you.

I just want to say, you are loved. Your birth mother loved you enough to give you up to have a better life. Your adoptive parents loved you enough to cross continents to find you and bring you home. Don't ever forget that.

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World

I just watched Seeking a Friend for the End of the World on DVD. It's a romantic-comedy my sister took out from the library. I have to say I enjoyed it.

The movie stars Steve Carell as Dodge a quiet, non-confrontational insurance salesman and Keira Knightly as Penny his quirky, young neighbour. The plot - a huge, 70-mile-wide asteroid is hurtling towards earth. In three weeks it will hit causing it's total destruction. What will you do with your remaining time?

The movie opens with Dodge and his wife Linda (played by Steve Carell's actual wife Nancy Carell) sitting in a parked car listening to the news of earth's impending doom on the radio. She knows what she's going to do with her remaining time... and it doesn't include him (as she gets out of the car and walks away).

The movie follows the unlikely duo of Dodge and Penny as they head out together in search of the things they think will bring them comfort in these end times. Dodge is in search of his high school sweetheart, Olivia, and Penny is looking to fly to England to be with her family. As well they have a canine companion, Sorry, who Dodge finds attached to him after he wakes up in a park having unsuccessfully trying to kill himself by drinking window cleaner.

Both characters have endured recent break ups; Dodge with his wife and Penny with her boyfriend, Owen. So they're both somewhat emotionally fragile. As unlikely as it seems, in this journey of personal redemption they eventually discover the people they were seeking fill this void in both their lives is actually sitting in the car seat next to them.

I think I'm a bit of a hopeless romantic at heart. Because Dodge loves Penny so much, there's a scene near the end of the movie where he forgoes his happiness in order to bring her what he thinks will be unsurpassable joy (to be reunited with her family). It's the ultimate sacrifice which will leave him alone in his time of greatest need.

But, don't worry... this isn't the end. Though I don't necessarily need to see a happy ending to enjoy a movie this one has one. Lovely. I appreciate that.

Bully: The Movie

Alex, Kelby

I watched the movie Bully recently. It's a movie that I've been wanting to see ever since it came out in 2011. Directed by Lee Hirsch it's a documentary about peer to peer bullying in the American public school system. I'm sure what happened there can be extrapolated to include most schools worldwide.

While the subject of bullying isn't new it's still very painful to watch. The film follows a number of young students around and documents the abuse they endure each time the set foot outside their homes.

Kids are picked on (to an alarming degree) both physically and mentally because they are smaller, skinnier, look different or because of their sexual orientation. They are ostracized, put down and tormented constantly. Sometimes they manage to cope with help from their family or close friends. But, tragically, some find suicide their only escape.

I believe part of the problem (at least in this movie) lies with the school and the school board. They're either ignorant about the problem or they don't care enough to do anything about it. They say things like, "Kids will be kids." as if that's a valid excuse to ignore bullying. Of course, Kids will be kids. But, sometimes they have trouble grasping how damaging their taunting can be. As educators it's your job to teach them.

As well, intolerance is bred into some communities. There are so-called "Christian" communities in the U.S. (and elsewhere I'm sure) which preach hatred. Young people who don't fit in (i.e. gay or lesbian) are shunned. And it goes even further. Not only are they shunned, but their families are too. It's disgraceful. I suppose this is a worldwide problem.

One scene that infuriated me was when the principal at one school takes a young bullying victim aside after recess and asks him how he's doing. He's upset and tells her that this fellow has been bullying him. It's something that's been going on for awhile. The principal sees the bully and calls him over and tells the two of them (victim and bully) to shake hands as if this will magically mend fences. The victim refuses and is admonished by the principal. She tells him he's as bad as the bully for not shaking his hand (which is pretty f**k'd up if you ask me). He already feels like sh*t and you're making him feel even worse. Good job, you moron. The victim tells her the bully doesn't mean it and is just going through the motions, but the principal doesn't seem to understand. She seems to believe all the children under her stead are gentle, harmless souls without any fault.

One of the saddest moments was when one young boy (who was probably around 8 or 9) helped carry the casket of one of his friends (similar age) at his funeral. This was after he committed suicide due to being excessively bullied. It was heartbreaking. He (the boy who helped carry the casket) was once a bully himself, but realized the error of his ways and befriended this young lad. Still, this friendship wasn't enough to suppress the immense pain this lad felt and keep him from taking his own life.

I think this movie is a must see for anyone 8-years-old and up. It's such a valuable teaching tool and is sure to have a positive impact on anyone who watches it.

Famoso Pizzeria

My friend Gabe and I went to Famoso Pizzeria at Yorkdale a couple of weeks ago. I had bought a $40 voucher for the restaurant from one of those discount voucher companies.

It was a decent looking place for a mall eatery. Of course Yorkdale is an upscale mall so I suppose you couldn't expect anything less.

The prices pretty much matched the swanky setting. I ordered a pepperoni and mushroom pizza for $13.75. It was supposed to be 11" across. It tasted quite good, but I'm sure you could have gotten it for less at most other places.

My friend ordered a spicy Thai pizza with chicken and bean sprouts for $14.75. I have to admit it was a little weird. I can't say I'm a big fan of bean sprouts on pizza.

To top lunch off we each had a piece of Tiramisu at $6 each. It was really tasty.

After we ate we headed over to the movie theatre there and caught Gangster Squad starring Sean Penn and Josh Brolin. It was about an off-the-record police squad organized to fight a L.A. kingpin's mob organization. Of course it was violent, but I thought it was quite entertaining nevertheless.

After the movie we still weren't done. We went to the Boston Pizza near my friend's place and watched the UFC card on the big screen television sets there. A fun day all round.

Brave

I saw Disney/Pixar's Brave this past Friday. CTV News' movie critic, Richard Crouse, loved it. That's the main reason I thought I'd see it. I have to say, it didn't disappoint.

It's beautifully animated. Really stunning. As well, the story was lovely. Not your typical Disney passive, princess needs rescuing fairy tale. No, Merida, (voiced by Kelly Macdonald) is a strong-willed, independent lass who has her own ideas of what she wants to do with her own life. This creates conflict between her and her mother the queen (voice by Emma Thompson) who wants to follow tradition and marry her off to one of the first-born sons of the ally clan leaders.

There are funny moments, touching moments... moments of reflection. The movie is about dealing with family conflict, sacrifice and finally resolution. A must see.

Hot Docs - The Job

One of my friends volunteered at the recent Hot Docs festival here in Toronto. For that she got a bunch of vouchers to see some films. So a few of us got together to go see a movie. The one we chose was called The Job.

Now, I have to mention one reason we picked this movie was because of the date and time it was playing. We wanted a movie on a Friday that was late enough so that we could meet up and grab dinner beforehand. As well, our first choice was already sold out... so we got what we could grab.

Basically The Job is a documentary from France which follows the group interview process of a number of applicants for a sales position at an unnamed company by a group of head hunters. In current times employers can choose to be bullies during the hiring process and get away with it since so many people are desperate for work. That's what we see here.

We see 10-12 people being grilled and tormented by the head hunter and his associates over the period of a few hours for a job that they know little to nothing about. They don't even have a clue how much they'll be paid (which turns out to be minimum wage plus commission).

This is done to see how they react under pressure because the job requires you to perform under duress I suppose. But, I think they took it a bit too far.

To get an idea of the treatment they received, after the first round of cuts the applicants who weren't considered for the job were individually asked to give the reasons they thought they weren't hired (in front of the whole group). As if learning they wouldn't get the job wasn't bad enough. They had to rub it in before they let them leave.

This went on for the entire length of the movie (which was around 90 minutes). If you have any sort of a heart it was kind of rough to sit through. You just felt so bad for these poor souls.

I guess that's the kind of society we live in today. Where people are treated as a commodity like cattle or sheep. It's all about profits and nothing else. How sad is that?

Chicken a la Carte (a short film) and Pastor Fred

Not my image

Near Christmastime I joined my friend Steve at his Barnabas fellowship potluck dinner. It was held at Richmond Hill Christian Community Church on Bayview between 16th and Major Mackenzie. It was nice to see some old friends again and meet some new ones as well.

After we ate Pastor Fred (the fellowship pastor) gave a short talk. He shared one story about this fellow who was quite depressed. This man spoke to his pastor about it. The advice he received was to think of people in the past who made a significant difference in your life and write them letters.

Out of the four letters he wrote, one person, his fourth grade teacher, responded. She was very touched by what he said. Out of the thousands of children that passed through her classroom over the years, she said his was the only letter of thanks she ever received. She was deeply appreciative of it. This pleased the man and he decided to write to other people he knew. Soon he felt much better about his situation in life.

But, this is not my main purpose for writing this blog. It's to pass on this link of a short film from Youtube that pastor Fred shared. It's about overconsumption and waste. Something quite common in western culture, but also something we rarely think about.

It was a powerful film. He was quite brave for showing it. Especially at a Christmastime gathering – a time of general happiness, and right after we ate a big meal. I believe it sent a sobering message to everyone.

Too often, I think, we're holed up in our tiny, sanitized cocoons. We choose to ignore the plight of the downtrodden amongst us so we don't offend our delicate sensitivities. We don't want to be associated with dirty, poor people. Sometimes I believe that how some churches feel. It's almost like a well-to-do person's social club.

We send our members to far off lands to do missionary work. They tell us they want prayer so they can be strong because they're "leaving their comfort zones". Well, my friend, you're going there for two weeks then you get to come back home. Think about the people living there. They don't get to leave to fly home to a four-bedroom home with three big screen TVs and manicured yard. To them, that's reality. That's life. Deal with it.

So, bravo, to pastor Fred. Good for you for showing the film at the risk of offending or upsetting some people.

And to you, my friends, take a few minutes to watch it. It's probably nothing new that you don't already know. But, it's a good reminder for us to waste less and not complain about the troubles we have. You do it and I do it. We all do it. But, really... millions upon millions of people would be happy to trade places with us in a heartbeat.

Watchmen - A Social Commentary

Not my image.

A few nights ago I watched Watchmen on DVD. They had a copy at the library which I borrowed. It was my second time seeing it. The first was at the theatre when it first came out. I have to admit I was skeptical about whether or not I would enjoy it after seeing the TV commercials. They seemed a bit cheesy. But, I remember liking the film quite a bit.

Now, I have to admit, some details of the movie had slipped my mind over time. Especially the graphic violence. It was a comic book after all. But, when you translate that sort of violence onto film, let's just say, you'd better not be squeamish.

For those of you who, like me (at the time), had no idea who the Watchmen were, here's a brief description from Wikipedia:

Watchmen depicts an alternate history where superheroes emerged in the 1940s and 1960s, helping the United States to win the Vietnam War. The country is edging towards a nuclear war with the Soviet Union, freelance costumed vigilantes have been outlawed and most former superheroes are in retirement or working for the government. The story focuses on the personal development and struggles of the protagonists as an investigation into the murder of a government sponsored superhero pulls them out of retirement, and eventually leads them to confront a plot that would stave off nuclear war by killing millions of people.

I think part of the appeal to me about the story was the vigilantism of the characters. Where the law could only deal a slap on the wrist to the perpetrators of crime (or none at all) the Watchmen dealt on the spot justice.

That's something I think a lot of people in today's society are frustrated with. We see repeat offenders like those convicted of multiple drunk driving offenses set free only to take innocent lives on the road after yet another night of binge drinking. Or serial spousal abusers being let go by judges with their heads stuck in last century only to come back and murder their estranged wife and/or children. It happens far too often and I don't see why we should stand for it any longer.

And don't get me started on The Young Offenders Act (or whatever version they have of it now). There's a certain population of young people that know they can repeatedly get away with whatever they want and no one will do anything to stop them. Why, oh why, are we protecting them?

So when I see a movie like Watchmen where a child sex predator gets an axe to the head, I think, well, he certainly deserved that. Now, of course, I wouldn't say you need push justice that far. But, you understand what I'm getting at. When called for, the punishment should fit the crime. If you can rehabilitate the offender, by all means, do that. In all other cases... fasten your seatbelts.

TIFF Tough

I saw three movies at this year's Toronto International Film Festival. Two were my choice one was my friend's. The two I picked were awful. Though, in my defense, the second one I chose out of the blue because my first choice was off sale and I was in front of the volunteer selling the tickets so I had to make a snap decision from the suggestions he gave me.

I should mention that I didn't have to pay for any of the tickets. One of my friends volunteered and they gave her vouchers to exchange. I would have felt so ripped off if I had to pay for the two movies that totally sucked.

The first movie we saw was called The Silver Cliff. Based in Rio, Brazil it's about a woman, Violeta, who's devastated at the loss of her husband, Djalma. One day he simply disappears only leaving her a phone message to say he no longer loves her. He says he's going away to another city to start life anew.

Taken totally off guard Violeta leaves her 13-year-old son with her 10-year-old niece (really?) and sets off to search for her lost love. Arriving late at the airport she's told the last flight of the day has left for wherever she was trying to go to find her husband. Resigned, she wanders the streets of Rio wallowing in her sorrow and meeting new people along the way.

The movie was so slow. I mean extremely slow. I mean really, really slow. It was slow. Each scene dragged on and on. I can't remember exactly how the movie ended. Probably because I was asleep by then. Oh... it was awful.

I feel like I was tricked after reading the description of the movie online. They made it sound so appealing. What was the programmer thinking when he/she chose this movie to be included in TIFF?

The second movie was much better. I mean it was just an average movie, but compared to the first, it was like an Oscar Award-winning film. It was called Countdown.

Based in South Korea it tells the story of a highly, successful debt collector, Tae, who, one day, collapses in his car. Upon seeing the doctor he is told he has terminal liver cancer. Given no chance of surviving he goes to successive doctors until one gives him the answer he is looking for - That with a liver transplant he has a chance of living.

The film follows Tae around as he searches for a suitable donor which turns out to be an attractive, young lady named, Cha-Ha Yeon. Recently released from prison she's a swindler who's made many an enemy. While struggling with his own demons, Tae, has to keep her safe from her enemies until the transplant can take place.

Movie number three was called Avalon and was based in Sweden. Oh my goodness, it was terrible! Like I said, this wasn't a movie I had originally intended on seeing. So I won't take the full blame for picking this one. But, why didn't they just stick a needle in my eye and get it over with?

It was about an elderly club promoter named, Janne. On the eve of the opening of a new, high end night club with his business partner, Klas, Janne inadvertanly kills Klas' Lithuanian handyman they unwisely decided to hire a couple of thugs to "make him disappear".

Things are further complicated when the dead handyman's girlfriend comes looking for him. Eventually she catches on to the fact that something has gone terribly wrong and confronts Janne who confesses. She takes off into the woods with him chasing her and they cut to a different scene.

Next they're at the night club's opening where we see Janne stealing all the money from the numerous bar tills. He escapes with his sister and Klas in a small, motor boat down a river. Yes, that's what I said... he escapes with his sister and Klas in a small, motor boat down a river. The end.

That's it. The movie is mercifully over. No one claps. In fact two people leave slightly before the end. The rest of us file silently out. Perhaps stunned by the fact we've just wasted the past 76 minutes of our lives. Or maybe still dizzy from the jittery, in and out of focus camerawork, we were all just happy to leave.

The TIFF volunteers at the theatre exits beg patrons to take a Cadillac People's Choice ballot and vote for the movie. No one takes a ballot. I don't think the volunteers watched the movie. Otherwise they probably wouldn't have wasted their breath trying to get votes for it.

So, what have we learned? Not to trust my picks for TIFF movies? Perhaps. But, come on guys (programmers)... why pick such stinkers? Who's paying you money under the table to run these horrible films? Something's going on, but I can't think of any other reason they'd be in the Film Festival.

Crazy, Stupid, Love

I went to see Crazy, Stupid, Love the other day. Having already seen the T.V. commercials I wasn't expecting much. But there didn't seem like many other good choices at my local theatre so, for me, I was just limiting my losses.

To my surprise it actually turned out to be a really good movie. I have to say I'm a big Steve Carell fan. He's one of the many offbeat characters in the hit television show, The Office. Though, in that show, he's quite over the top. In this movie he's more toned down. A bit more realistic which was nice.

All the characters in the movie were wonderful. From Steve Carell's bumbling, Cal, to the smooth talking Jacob (Ryan Gosling) to Cal's cheating wife, Emily (Julianne Moore), they were all great. Marisa Tomei was really funny as, Kate, a girl Cal picked up at a club one evening. Emma Stone did a good job as Hannah, Cal and Emily's daughter.

The only character I didn't really think was written that well was Cal and Emily's son, Robbie (Jonah Bobo). He seemed way too pushy for a kid his age in pursuing his love interest in the movie. Other than that the movie was great. It was funny and touching and had a bit of a twist near the end. Go see it.

TIFF - Aftershock

We finally got around to seeing this movie, Aftershock. It was the first movie I traded my friend's vouchers for. It was the only one we didn't get a 4-for-1 or 2-for-1 deal on. Let me just say it was well worth the price of full admission (one voucher for one ticket).

According to the TIFF website, Aftershock, was the most successful movie in Chinese history. It did extremely well when released there. So my expectations were quite high. It didn't disappoint. Zhang Ling, the Canadian author whose book the movie was based upon was at the screening. At one point she mentioned that people should have some tissues handy. She wasn't kidding. It's an extremely emotional movie.

Aftershock follows the lives of a young family living in Tangshan, China when a devastating earthquake hits and tears their lives apart. Their father is killed trying to save his two young children. They are separated when the mother takes the son for medical help thinking her daughter is dead. The movie follows their lives as they go down separate paths and deal with the guilt, remorse and sadness of what happened that fateful day. It's a powerful yet touching saga.

If it's ever released wherever you live I'd encourage you to take it in. Just thank me for recommending it after it's over.