Just a good movie. [1] It's a sentimental drama dealing with family values and relationships between three (actually four) generations. It deeply touches your heart and raises a lot of emotions. Make sure you have some Kleenex nearby before watching it.
Considering the topic of family values, Avalon (1990) comes to mind. This is the second time I mention Avalon on this blog. The first one was in the review for Son of Rambow (2007). Should I write a separate review for Avalon? Well, it's a rather long tale depicting the decay of family values over the 20th century. And that's all about it. Enjoy reading two reviews in just one blog entry. :)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100923/ My vote: 8 of 10 [1] Reviews that start with a phrase "Just a good movie" are going to be short, simply stating that I like this particular title. They are not really reviews, just a few notes describing what is this movie about or why I think it's worth watching. PS. No, this blog isn't dead at all. Stay tuned. :)
Wanna know how stories are created? How imagination works, and how surrounding things can spontaneously inspire us in an unexpected way? Then this movie is a must watch!
It's a wonderful, moving and exciting tale depicting a free flow of mind, showing how simple things - like a sight at the window, or a picture on a wall - can spark an incredible story that is solid and interesting to follow, even though the story itself may be a complete nonsense! :)
This film stars Bill Milner whom I've already mentioned in my review for Son of Rambow (2007), and although his appearance is very short, he does a great job as always.
Beliefs and opinions often differ, which makes disputes and arguments almost inevitable. People like wrangling at least to try to convince others of their "rightness" and superiority. Ain't it great? However, people rarely like to be convinced of anything by anyone, and the best way to avoid this is to build a border. Easy said, easy done.
What purposes do borders serve? To separate some people from others. To not let others through. To outline a territory belonging to the people. Hence a need to guard the border and maintain its borderline.
Recently I stumbled upon the following quote:
"When you think of it, borders are paradoxical. They connect what they aim to divide." (source)
After putting more thought into this observation it becomes clear that borders are artificial, unnatural constructions, especially if they aren't real but only imagined, or supposed to exist at certain locations. What this leads to is that borders change over time. Either because of natural processes that move borders physically, or as a result of social processes - people living nearby are likely to interact with each other more or less closely in one way or another. Not to mention a desire of some people to expand their territories, which isn't uncommon, too.
Forces that guard the borders, on the other hand, can rarely accept this. Their sole task is to prevent such changes. And when the changes nevertheless happen, a war comes.
This short movie precisely depicts the process described above. In its abstract animated world people are presented as matchsticks, and this is not accidental. People are often hot-headed, and inflammable heads of the matchsticks perfectly emphasize the fact. This peculiarity of human nature only adds fuel to the fire of war.
And what has it all started from? Ah, just from some differences in opinions and beliefs. In this short film we may observe disastrous consequences of establishing borders aimed to isolate such differences. We may see that border in no way help prevent arguments. Conversely, they can cause even bigger arguments. A model of a physical border and an armed war used throughout this movie should certainly not be taken literally. The scenario may apply to any kind of arguments between people.
Watch it on Facebook at the link provided (no FB account required).
This is an ode to imagination. Kid's imagination, to be precise. Have you ever noticed that children are much more imaginative than adults? Duh! And yet, the way this movie depicts this subject is just brilliant.
The most exciting scene is when Will, the principal character, accidentally watches First Blood (1982) at friend's place, and on a way back home he imagines himself being Rambo running through the fields and "shooting" imaginary creatures all around him! :) Next time he's taken home by a priest, and, while watching at the window from a back seat of the car, he sees imaginary laser beams and cartoon explosions happening by the road. Also, his notebook (a paper one, the movie is set in the beginning of 1980's) is full of drawings which, when turning the pages quickly enough, transform to a moving picture.
Such an extreme level of imagination is possible because kids aren't limited by social norms, moral dogmas, or, after all, by the science itself. The more we educate ourselves, the more often the knowledge we've acquired evidences that there are boundaries in what can be done in reality and what cannot. Growing up, we tend to avoid even thinking of that infeasible stuff.
For instance, take a flying dog, huh? First it appears in Will's drawings. Then Lee, his friend, steals a clay dog, attaches deltaplane's wing to it, and voilà, they've got a dog that can fly for real! What mess that experiment brings in real life is another story, though. :)
While education helps us understand what technically can or can not be done, norms and dogmas, on the other hand, teach us what may not be done [1]. Where do the norms and dogmas come from? You could have guessed already - the religion, where else? Like in my previous review of a short Timothy and the World of Tomorrow (2010), this feature film deals with parents who, being religious, project their rules onto their children. Watching TV is banned, friendship with faithless schoolmates is prohibited. Just constraints, and no way to develop one's creativity.
However, Will's sincere friendship with Lee, their common interest in filming a remake of First Blood together, and finally, his everlasting energy help Will break through the restrictive rules. There's no way to keep a kid away from dreaming!
Since the film depicts 1980's, the soundtrack pleases us with a lot of New Wave music, and tunes by The Cure in particular. Spectacular acting by Bill Milner as Will must be mentioned as well. I've seen him in Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll (2010), Mixtape (2009), and he always makes a great performance. This amazing move is not an exception.
Ramón, the protagonist of the story, has to change schools every year because of his father's job relocations. To bear that he sets three simple rules: 1) don't fight; 2) don't snitch; 3) don't cry. The rules help him avoid troubles, but also reduce the chance of befriending his schoolmates. Odd and sad, isn't it?
When his family moves to Southern Spain, it seems like they're going to stay there for much longer than just a year, and Ramón decides that the time has come to make some friends. But what does he know about friendship? Not much aside from occasional interaction with his hero, an imaginary1 Native Indian warrior, who guides him through tough situations and helps establish relations with his new schoolmates.
Actually, there are heroes in real life as well. Spanish and Latin American coming of age movies frequently mix in political issues in children's lives (Machuca (2004), O Ano em Que Meus Pais Saíram de Férias (2006), Espérame mucho (1983) to name a few.) Interestingly though, priests sometimes belong to left-wing movements which looks quite unusual in comparison with the Soviet world of ex-USSR. And when it comes to politics, such people suffer a lot, and that's when their somewhat "heroic" side appears. Anyway, this movie is not an exception, and there's a leftish priest teacher at school who helps kids understand many important things including democracy, and even sex. But the most important lesson for Ramón is when he learns that:
"FRIENDSHIP: Your friend is your brother even if he fails you."
Although boys replace "fails" with another f-word, but hey, does this really change the meaning of the sentence?! :)
The will for change often means the need to lose something from the past. Indeed, Ramón has to break all of his three rules, but having carefully learned the lessons taught by his heroes he manages to make new friends (and also a girlfriend, by the way, well, sort of.) And that's only the very beginning of the film!
How to turn bullies to friends? How to keep friendship alive? How will the political situation in 1970's Spain affect it? Is that possible to stay friends after school is over? Even if the friend fails you? These and many other important questions are explored through out this movie. The ending is unexpected, very beautiful, and perfect in my opinion.
