Day: July 21, 2015

By Joe Bendel. German Lieder music has taken on a broader meaning through common usage than its strict text book definition. Many now think of it as anything Lotte Lenya might have performed, including jazz standards, rather than just Romantic-style classical music for voice and Spartan piano accompaniment. Nelly Lenz was definitely part of that tradition when she was a popular chanteuse on the Weimar scene. That alone would have caused her plenty of trouble with the National Socialists, but Lenz is also Jewish. After months of hiding, Lenz was discovered and condemned to a concentration camp, perhaps due to her beloved husband’s betrayal. Having somehow survived, Lenz will seek the truth, no matter how painful it will be, in Christian Petzold’s Phoenix, which opens this Friday in New York, at the IFC Center.

Frankly, it is something of a miracle Lenz is still alive. During the war’s waning days, a point-bullet intended to execute her only tore up her face. Miraculously, Lene Winter, an old Weimar friend working for the Jewish Hall of Records, finds the wretch-like Lenz and nurses her back to life. At an exclusive plastic surgery clinic, Lenz is given the choice of any face she wishes, but insists on keeping her formerly famous features. Obviously, the surgery is a rousing success, but due to the extensive damage, she now bears only a vague shadow of her old self.

Despite Winter’s suspicions, Lenz seeks out her former husband and accompanist, Johannes “Johnny” Lenz, currently working as the janitor of the Phoenix jazz club. Having no idea of her true identity, but struck by her superficial resemblance to his presumed late wife, the domineering Johnny starts grooming Lenz to impersonate herself, so he can claim her inheritance. Initially, Lenz plays along hoping to discover whether or not he was the one who tipped off the Gestapo. Yet, against her better judgement and Winter’s protests, Lenz finds herself falling for her husband all over again.

There is no need to mince words here—Phoenix is an absolutely terrific film. Nina Hoss is superb as usual, following up her incomparable work in Petzold’s Barbara with another Oscar worthy performance. She owns the film, but the brutal honesty of Nina Kunzendorf’s work as Winter leaves an indelible impression as well. Again, Petzold shows an exquisitely sensitive touch, while maintaining a taut noir tension. Frankly, genre labels seem inappropriate for Phoenix given its heavy ethical and historical themes, yet it still succeeds quite smashingly on that level.

The way Petzold uses music throughout Phoenix is also nothing less than extraordinary. Kurt Weill’s “Speak Low” might be the sort of torch song you never really gave much thought to, but Stefan Wills’ builds an entire soundtrack around it, prominently featuring pizzicato bass. It is an elegantly and eloquently wistful motif that perfectly underscores the dramatic developments, yet it cannot fully prepare us for the power of Hoss’s rendition.

Be warned, Hoss will leave you devastated in the final scene. Lesser films would have tacked on some superfluous talking just to make sure we got its significance, but Petzold recognizes when there is nothing left to say. Brilliant. Guaranteed to be one of the best films of the year, Phoenix is very highly recommended when it opens this Friday (7/24) in New York, at the IFC Center downtown and the Lincoln Plaza uptown.

LFM GRADE: A+

Posted on July 21st, 2015 at 9:15pm.

By Joe Bendel. These puppets can kick the snot out of the Muppets and those annoying Spitting Image tools.  They have mad martial arts skills and they are not even as dramatically wooden as a lot of flesh and blood actors. Creations of the Huangs, Taiwan’s leading puppetry family, they are the undeniable stars of Huang Wen Chang’s fantastical wuxia steampunk epic, Arti: the Adventure Begins, which had its North American premiere at the 2015 Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal.

Sometime during the height of the Silk Road’s geopolitical importance, the wise Zhang Meng invented a wooden mechanical robot known as ARTI-C. Unfortunately, his promethean creation was used to stoke fear and paranoia. In a resulting riot, Zhang was killed, but his son Zhang Mo and his daughter Zhang Tong survived to preserve his legacy: ARTI-C.

However, ARTI-C is powered by a dwindling reserve of a mystic energy called the Origin. It is sort of like the “Force,” but more colorful and tangible. To keep ARTI-C in proper fighting condition, they must find a way to recharge his Origin cell. That quest will take them to the Nouveau Riche city of Loulan, which is currently locked in a cold war with the Lop Tribe and the Dune-like sandworms that apparently do their bidding. Unfortunately, when Zhang Tong is spirited away by the Elvish Lop people, she quickly surmises the shadowy Loulan regent has badly misrepresented the nature of the conflict to her gullible brother.

The mind-blowing truth is some of the best cinematic martial arts produced this year is performed by puppets. Some of their moves are just awesome. Yet, it is important to remember the greater artistry they represent. There is nothing campy about the figures Huang and his team bring to life on screen. Dispel any thoughts of Gerry Anderson’s marionettes. Aside from the occasional comic relief provided by Cheeky Ducky, the film’s only wholly animated character, Huang’s characters are entirely serious and their wuxia business is pretty darned spectacular and suitably tragic.

Granted, the story is just sort of okay, but the sets and backdrops are richly detailed and utterly lifelike. If ever a film with puppets deserved to win awards for best costuming, it would be Arti, hands down. This is incredible world building—literally built to scale.

It is gratifying to know Chinese puppetry traditions not only continue but move forward in Taiwan, thanks to artists like the Huangs. Reportedly, Arti is the most expensive pure puppetry film ever produced—and it is easy to believe it based on what is up there on the screen. Very highly recommended for fans of wuxia and puppet theater, Arti: the Adventure Begins is such an accomplished work of craftsmanship it must be destined for a long festival life and a devoted cult following, after its recent Fantasia premiere. Look for it, hope for it.

LFM GRADE: A

Posted on July 21st, 2015 at 9:15pm.

By Joe Bendel. This might just be the dark fantasy pest control film we have all been waiting for. Woo-ryong is an itinerant musician who gets side-tracked in a suspicious village with a pronounced rat infestation problem. If you are picking up shades of Hamelin, hold that thought. Kim Gwang-tae will make good on them with his feature debut, The Piper, which opens this Friday in Los Angeles.

Soon after the Korean War armistice, Woo-ryong sets out with his son Young-nam on a cross-country trek to Seoul, where the U.S. Army hospital will treat his ailing lungs. Unfortunately, they stumble across a formerly hidden hamlet tightly controlled by their village headman. It is the sort of tightly knit community that could easily hold an annual stoning lottery. In exchange for food and a night’s lodging, the civic strongman makes Woo-ryong promise to keep the end of the war secret. He agrees, even though it gives him bad vibes.

Still, he cannot help noticing the village has rat issues. Evidently, they started showing up one fateful night. Nobody will talk about it, but it must have been pretty bad. However, Woo-ryong can do something about the here-and-now. All manner of beasts respond to his pipe. Unfortunately, when Mi-sook, the newly revealed village shaman develops feelings for Woo-ryong and Young-nam, the headman considers them threats to his well-structured order and starts plotting against them accordingly.

Piper goes to some murky, sinister places. Let’s just say it is not kidding around about its Hamelin references. When it comes time for payback, things get downright Biblical. Not to be spoilery, but viewers who are afraid of rats will be profoundly creeped out by the third act. In all honesty, The Piper wears its archetypes so conspicuously on its sleeve, we largely know where it is going after about twenty minutes. Yet, Kim’s execution is so tight and taut, he keeps the audience focused-in and perched on their seat’s edge nonetheless.

Although he frequently plays heavies, Ryoo Seung-ryong’s haggard everyman look and intense aura of pathos are perfect for Woo-ryong. Young Goo Seung-hyun also deserves tons of credit for his convincing work as the bespectacled Young-nam, belying his precious appearance. Portraying a master manipulator beyond his years, Lee Sung-min’s headman supplies the film’s dark, malicious heart. It is a great piece of big screen villainy. Chun Woo-hee’s slow burning presence also grabs eyeballs, but her character, Mi-sook, is not adequately established.

The Piper taps into some deep primal themes, reaching back to Medieval Saxony while evoking the dysfunctional dynamics of charismatic leaders and their cult-like followers. It is a remarkably well-put-together production that might just be the “feel bad” film of the summer. Recommended rather highly for those who enjoy dark, slightly fantastical thrillers, The Piper opens this Friday (7/24) in Los Angeles, at the CGV Cinemas.

LFM GRADE: B+

Posted on July 21st, 2015 at 9:14pm.