Uncle Kent

Plot:

Middle aged man and his lonely life.

Review:

This low budget film with no recognisable characters and filmed with a Flip Cam (!) made it to the Sundance festival which obviously gave it big attention. The low-key and non pretentious vibe always sparks my interest with films so I thought I'd review it for you.

The somewhat conventional theme with a lonely 40 year old man is being carried up by the unconventional script and directing in this film.  Kent Osborne ( Kent Osborne ) works as a freelance animator and spends most of his life being on the internet and smoking marijuana. He is not really happy with his situation and actually manages to meet someone on Chatroulette. Kate ( Jennifer Prediger) is a New York resident, works as a journalist but is actually already taken but the boyfriend is distant. She decides to go meet Kent on the other side of the country all the way in Los Angeles. Kent and Kate finds theirselves at a party and the circumstances that unfold is something that comes as a big surprise.

I read somewhere this film had a greater message : That the internet/video generation are waiting for life to happen to them instead of vice versa, that indidivuals in this generation grab a hold of life. That's one way of looking at it although it didnt strike me at first. The passivity of the younger people in society is probably a correct observation though.

I found this to be a humorous film and something that alot of people can relate to, not necessarely just if you are a 40 year old male. It speaks to everyone, I find, simply because its a quality film. I wish more films like these were made. The only reason this made it in to the viewing spectrum so to speak was probably because of the aforementioned film festival. I wonder how many other gems you miss?

Trailer:

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Oslo, August 31st

Watch it.

Trailer:

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Sebbe

The first Swedish film on this blog.

Plot:

The life and times of a bullied boy.

Review:

The movie industry is interesting in that its very hard not to be affected by Hollywood and the common way of making a film. Sometimes the swedish film industry get carried away and just copy the american way of making films but most of the time, atleast the swedish films I see, stay away from that. And by stepping away from the american way of making films, you get very unpredictable and interesting films. Just by stepping away from the "how to make films manual" you distance yourself from the majority of the films made and you automatically become very different. Sebbe is not necessarely a completely unique film, in any sense, but it does something very rare, atleast up until the very end. But to speak of it would be to spoil the film.

Sebbe is a socialrealistic drama that centers around some heavy themes including poverty, alcoholism, bullying and general misery. ( Misery is something swedes do great on film, it comes as no surprise. ) Sebbe ( Sebastian Hiort af Ornäs ) is a young boy who lives with his mother Eva ( Eva Melander ) and they have a very strained relationship. Sebbe's father has left them and Eva is struggling to make ends meet and is handing out infomercials at night as their sole income. Sebbe has become the number one bully victim in his class and finds no peace in school and his presence there is declining. His main interest has become building mechanical and technological devices of different kinds and in doing this he atleast gets to be alone. 

Sebbes mother Eva has a love/hate relationship for her son and often finds him to be a nuisance in this already somewhat grey and wretched world. His problems seem to pour over into her life and this is something she seem to find painful with her already having her own problems. Eva is also, perhaps because of this, an alcoholic. Her temper is quite irate and she often takes it out on Sebbe. 

Babak Najafi is doing his feature film debut with this film and has also by this time made the sequel to another praised swedish film Snabba Cash. Babak has then obviously already proven to be one of the best contemporary swedish film makers. Phenomenal acting from both Sebastian and Eva, although very strong acting all across the board. Many of the actors are actually making their debut acting, including Sebbe, and are new "faces" to the audience, which I believe was crucial to a film like this ( And to films in general, I really support new faces ).

Sebbe is a very unpleasant film to watch and this is something I appreciate, when a film can actually have some sort of effect on you, even if it is a very "negative" effect. This obviously comes from the theme in the film, but also from the very real display of human interaction that all people involved have created. Its strength is also the ability to stay on the subjects of which it has taken upon itself to display. It does not shy away from going deep and exploring all the dark sides of our society. 

Trailer:

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Lolita

A film based upon the classical novel by Vladimir Nabokov.

Plot:

Centers around the relationship between an older man and a young girl.

Review:

The novel has spawned two dramatizations, one that came 1962 and then this one, which came   in 1997. Unfortunately I haven't seen the first one. Vladimirs novel has reached widespread critical acclaim and it stirred quite a controversy back in the day when it came. The subject which it revolves around is still today a touchy subject. That of pedophilia. 

The history or reason behind the "older man" Humbert Humbert's ( Jeremy Irons ) fascination with the "younger girl" Lolita ( Dominique Swain ) is displayed in the beginning, as a flashback moment, wherein a young Humbert is mesmerized by an older girl. In Lolita, later in his life, he sees a spark of that girl and recognizes that feeling he felt when he was younger and in love. 

Lolita is a curious and playful teenager on the verge of blossoming as a young woman. The interaction between these two characters is really fascinating and they both have complex layers. Do not get me wrong here, this is a film about lust. About how your sexuality can completely consume and control you. But this is also not a very blunt film. There is no sexual content thrown in your face the way it usually is in films nowadays. It is a subtle film, in alot of ways. A foreplay, of sorts.

There is a struggle here between these characters that might look like a cats play with a mouse. Lolita always seem to have the upper hand, of being in control, and Humbert quite the opposite. This is something that I feel is being revised, as the film goes. Perhaps Lolita is dependant on Humbert aswell? What she wants or needs from him is necessarely not as easy to understand. Perhaps its just classical affirmation of her worth due to being desired.

Perhaps due to its background in a novel being written quite a while ago, there is a retro feel to it. A film from a different era, is the impression I get, not that its made in 1997. I recommend this to any film lover! 

Trailer:

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Friends with money

Just look at that poster.

Plot:

Woman quits her job and finds herself in an awkward position being the only one in her circle of friends who doesn't have a "career".

Review: 

Looking at the poster and reading the plot makes me quite, shall we say non-interested, in this film. Jennifer Aniston doesn't really help at all, she has done nothing but romantic comedies since the 90's. This is, however, quite a pleasant film. It follows my favourite theme, a slow paced somewhat uneventful film with an interesting dialogue. I also appreciate the fact that it is about people in their mid-lives living day to day and doing all the things we classify as "normal". In films this can seem "uneventful" and "boring". I find this quite exciting.

The main character is Olivia ( Jennifer Aniston ) who seems to have some sort of midlife-crisis where she quits her job as a teacher and start working as a maid. She meets all kinds of strange guys and smokes pot. Her social sphere recognizes something is up but approaches her gently. Franny ( Joan Cusack ) seems to be quite the opposite to Olivia. She is perfectly in balance, or atleast thats what it seems, with herself and everything around her. Christine ( Caroline Keener ) is a scripwriter and works alot with her husband. This seems to be quite the strain on their marriage and the often fight, passively aggressively, through reading the scripts. Quite comical. The last character in the woman quartet is Jane ( Frances Mcdormand ). Jane works as a clothing designer and has quite the temper and her husband's story( Simon Mcburney ) through the film is the question of whether or not he is a closet homosexual. 

The non-dramatic approach is something that I appreciate quite alot. Its also a film of sublety and contradictions. One moment they all seem happy with what they have and then in the other they act out and seem to be quite the opposite. I believe this also has to do with the fact that what they show outwards and how they actually feel about themselves and their lives is two different things. As a consequence of this the characters are actually often times relatable and dare I say life-like. This is at the same time, ironically enough, the number one reason why I think it hasn't reached a big audience or credit.

I strongly recommend this to everyone.

Trailer:

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The kids are alright

Plot:

Follows a lesbian couple and their kids.

Review:

Anette Benning and Julianne Moore plays a lesbian couple, Nic and Jules. They have two kids together, Laser and Joni. ( Played by ) They live quite the average suburban life and all that comes with that. As the kids have grown older they have been more and more interested in getting to know their biological father. They secretely contact him and meet him. They get to meet Paul ( Mark Ruffalo ) who portrays a very laid back and relaxed kind of guy who "didnt think they were gonna use his stuff anyway". He growns his own vegetables and has a restaurant. The two children get quite the split opinions about him but they continue on seeing him and tells their two mothers after a while. This is where things get interesting.

The single biggest issue I have with this movie is something that I expected not to be in it. I do not 

feel like spoiling anything however. Even though I am linking a trailer I do not really recommend watching it because it gives you quite a strange view of this film. This is an interesting portrail of a different family setting that go through alot of the same issues as everyone else does. Its not full of clichees or anything along those lines, the only thing that this has in common with alot of other films in general is the cheating theme, which obviously always makes for good drama.

A big star also goes out to this film in regards to the fact that the homosexual people in this film are not portrayed in an extreme manner. Male homosexuals tend to be portrayed as "flamboyant" and "fabolous" with larger than life personalities. Female homosexuals tend to be portrayed as pretty much the opposite. Neither Benning nor Moore fits into this stereotype. Very refreshing.

Trailer:

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