Day: October 4, 2014

LFM Reviews The Iron Ministry @ The New York Film Festival

By Joe Bendel. Anyone who still held to the illusion that the People’s Republic of China was a classless society will stand corrected by the extreme economic stratification of the nation’s rail travel. There is a very definite class hierarchy and the respective accommodations vary accordingly. The train is kind of/sort of a metaphor, but it is also a rather cinematic setting for J.P. Sniadecki’s observational documentary The Iron Ministry, which screens during the 52nd New York Film Festival.

In many ways, Ministry functions as a perfect companion film to Lixin Fan’s Last Train Home, but it is not nearly as depressing. Granted, there are literal throngs of people crammed into the lowest class compartments, many of whom are likely facing some pretty grim circumstances. The conductors also uniformly seem to be officious jerks. However, there is a whole lot of life going on throughout the trains Sniadecki filmed.

In fact, some of the most fun seems to be going on where the lower middle class meets the upper rabble. For a fly-on-the-wall ethnographic film, Iron is surprisingly funny, especially the devilish kid cracking morbid jokes about the government’s population control policies. If he is the future, the Party is in trouble.

From "The Iron Ministry."

Frankly, it is hard to say whether the film inspires optimism or not. In one scene, an informal group of passengers start to criticize the corruption and control of the Communist government only to somewhat walk it back shortly later and then creep it forward a little. At least, Sniadecki captures a sense of the country’s cultural and religious diversity, broadening viewers’ perspective in small but telling ways.

Filmed on a fleet of trains over a three year period, Iron is an immersive sensory experience, but in this case that is not code for dull and depressing. It is a rather sly film that earns kudos for its correct Queen’s English usage of the word “inflammable” in the subtitles. The Mandarin speaking Sniadecki also deserves credit for getting bounced out of the upper class carriages. Livelier than you would expect, The Iron Ministry is recommended for anyone who wants to experience a slightly claustrophobic transcontinental Chinese rail journey from the comfort of the Upper Westside when it screens this Sunday (10/5) at the Gilman, as part of this year’s NYFF.

LFM GRADE: B+

Posted on October 4th, 2014 at 3:36pm.

LFM Reviews For Those in Peril

By Joe Bendel. Whenever the sea is personified, it is always in a malevolent way. For many seafaring Scottish villagers, there is a devil in the ocean. They are mostly speaking figuratively, but the suggestion takes root in the grieving teenage protagonist of Paul Wright’s For Those in Peril, which opens today in Los Angeles.

Aaron’s older brother Michael was always popular with their peers, while he was the awkward one. Yet, somehow when their fishing boat encountered some sort of mishap at sea, only Aaron returned. With no memory of what happened to the others, he faces the village’s superstitious doubt and scorn as best he can, but his own survivor’s guilt is even harder to bear. As time passes with little social or emotional relief for the young man, he becomes convinced his brother is still out there, waiting for Aaron to rescue him from the sea.

Aside from his wrung-out mother, only Michael’s almost-fiancée Jane offers Aaron any support. However, that sort of compassion does not sit well with her loutish father. Increasingly isolated and alienated, Aaron starts planning some desperate and probably hopeless measures.

Even though Peril always stays safely north of the Mendoza line separating proper cinema from genre film, a profound sense of spiritual uneasiness permeates the film. It is an earthly tragedy, yet like Aaron, we keep holding out hope for some sort of magical realism deliverance. Wright compellingly evokes the feeling you can almost step outside of time to correct some cosmic mistake if you only try hard enough, which those who have experienced deep remorse will recognize only too well.

From "For Those in Peril."

Of course, we cannot undo what is done, which makes it so painful to watch George MacKay’s powerfully brittle lead performance. It is a quiet turn, but so intense you can practically see the gaping wound in his psyche. Likewise, Kate Dickie is nearly as devastating as the mother mourning her first son while trying to save the second, However, one of the greatest surprises is the soul and depth of Nichola Burley’s work as Jane, representing a quantum step up from her party girl roles in movies like Donkey Punch.

If ever there was a film that could be described as “moody,” it would be Peril, with considerable credit due to the sad beauty of cinematography Benjamin Kracun’s forlorn seascapes and penetrating close-ups. Wright masterfully controls the vibe, but he might overdo the perceptual stylization a tad, here and there. Regardless, it thunderously announces the arrival of its youngish talent, including Wright behind the camera and MacKay and Burley in front of it. Recommended for discerning audiences, For Those in Peril opened yesterday (10/3) in Los Angeles at the Arena Cinema.

LFM GRADE: A-

Posted on October 4th, 2014 at 3:35pm.

MMA Family Values: LFM Reviews Kingdom on DirecTV

By Joe Bendel. This is one family drama that could not take place in New York, because that pesky ban on mixed martial arts bouts remains in effect. Instead, the Kulina family weighs-in in Venice, California, where hardnoses and stoners live in close proximity. Time will tell whether the family that cage-fights together stays together in creator-showrunner Byron Balasco’s Kingdom, which premieres on DirecTV’s Audience Network this coming Wednesday.

Alvey Kulina came up in the wild and woolly days of MMA, faring just well enough to earn a small but devoted fanbase. Retired from the ring, but still seriously bad, Kulina now owns and operates Navy St. MMA, where he trains the general public and potential contenders alike. Currently, the best fighter in his gym is his youngest son, Nate. Kulina’s eldest son Jay also used to train at Navy St., but his father gave him the boot because of his bad attitude and hard partying.

Into their lives some drama will fall when Ryan Wheeler is released from prison. Kulina used to manage the natural born fighter, but Wheeler abruptly dumped him just as his career ignited. When Wheeler’s drug-fueled rage landed him a stint up the river, his girlfriend Lisa Prince understandably cut her losses. Regretfully, he came to realize she was probably “the one,” but she has since become involved with Alvey Kulina. So yeah, awkward. There also happen to be a couple of drug dealers out for revenge after the beatdown old man Kulina lays on them in the opening minutes of the show. He’s such a badass, he hardly gives it any thought, but they seem rather put out by it.

Without question, Frank Grillo (from Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Warrior) is the key piece to this puzzle. He has all kinds of grit and presence as the senior Kulina, bringing legit action chops to the party, as well. Frankly, Kingdom is a perfect example why you need to see a fair number of episodes before passing judgment on a series, because Jay Kulina is like fingernails on the blackboard in the first episode, but in the next three installments, Jonathan Tucker gets a solid handle on the character, making his irresponsible self-destructiveness sympathetic and sometimes even fun.

Likewise, Kiele Sanchez’s Prince initially only seems to be around to lecture Alvey regarding money issues as Navy St.’s business manager, but she develops in insightful ways, particularly with respect to the older Kulina siblings. There is an understanding she probably has more in common with the Kulina brothers, but finds herself a maternal role, by virtue of her relationship with the father. Unfortunately, Nick Jonas’s moody, energy-killing brooding is still pretty boring, but there is time to figure out something better for Nate to do.

From "Kingdom."

Frankly, given Prince’s proactive nature and the surprisingly high ratio of interpersonal drama to MMA, Kingdom appears to be targeting women as much as men. There are certainly plenty of shirtless guys, but there is also some well staged MMA sequences and the occasional bit of female nudity, in order to establish its cable-satellite edginess.

Not surprisingly, as a blend of MMA and family melodrama, Kingdom is somewhat uneven, but briskly watchable, firmly held together by Grillo’s grizzled coolness. At risk of abusing metaphors, you might argue it wins a split decision. Sort of a slightly guilty pleasure for fans of the sport, Kingdom premieres this Wednesday (10/8) on DirecTV’s Audience Network.

LFM GRADE: B

Posted on October 4th, 2014 at 3:35pm.

LFM Reviews Sauerbruch Hutton Architects @ The New York Film Festival

By Joe Bendel. Architecture is a funny business. Often commissions are determined through open competitions, judged by bureaucrats, politicians, and philistines. Nevertheless, the architectural partnership of Matthias Sauerbruch and Louisa Hutton has had remarkable success building high profile sustainable, post-postmodern structures. For three months, the late Harun Farocki documented their work in Sauerbruch Hutton Architects, which screens as a Projections selection at the 52nd New York Film Festival.

Farocki had certain ground rules, such as no editing out of actual chronological sequence and absolutely positively no talking head interviews. The office simply goes about their business as usual. One thing that will immediately strike viewers is the genuinely collaborative nature of the work. Both name-on-the-door architects are open to a lot of bouncing ideas around and challenging viewpoints. A winning competition entry might not be the work of Sauerbruch or Hutton alone, but the fruits of the entire office’s labor. Promising associates even get their own assignments, like the designer dauntingly tasked with reinventing the folding chair.

Farocki also shows the audience the joys of up-managing clients, particularly local governmental bodies. When a key decision-maker suddenly balks at the settled color scheme for a new university building in Potsdam, Hutton looks ready to strangle her on the spot, but she maintains her composure and negotiates a livable compromise.

From "Sauerbruch Hutton Architects."

Clearly fitting Farocki’s “Direct Cinema” rubric, SHA is definitely fly-on-the-wall observational cinema. Given its aesthetic kinship to Frederick Wiseman’s work, it seems rather arbitrary the Titicut Follies documentarian’s latest three hour study is included in NYFF’s Documentary Spotlight, but Farocki’s manageable seventy-three minute SHA is relegated to the vaguely avant-garde Projections section, but as a Marxist like Farocki must know, life is not fair.

For architectural nerds, the must-see film of the fest is Eugène Green’s La Sapienza. While Green’s film is like a master class with reincarnated Baroque architect, Farocki’s doc is more of an office internship largely centered around the copy machine. Still, there are telling things to observe if one is receptive. Recommended for ardent admirers of Sauerbruch Hutton and Farocki, Sauerbruch Hutton Architects screens today (Saturday, 10/4) at the Beale, as part of this year’s NYFF.

LFM GRADE: C+

Posted on October 4th, 2014 at 3:34pm.