Little Men (2016) USA

Friendship or business!

Genre:

Drama.

Length:

Approximately 6-minute read.


Review:
     This is  a pure drama. Like a real life event, though there's no documentary style narration influenced. Thematically very, very simple, and also the characters, but too flat when it comes to entertainment value. Of course, drama-films usually does not entertain its viewers, except for who are ardent fans of that genre. Apart from depicting the real life, sometimes they carry messages with them. But this film has no tick marks on any of those boxes. So it is a boring film if you pick it to watch when you're on the average or in the bad mood. I did not feel that way, just hinting out it could do that for others.

     The storyline had no focal point. It is neither a children's film, nor about the grownups' issues. But kind of mix of both on a small scale with strong outcome. Pretty much like on the two topics it was developed on. One was the 'death' which initiated everything and followed by the 'shop' that helped to make further progress in the tale. So using these, the film characters bloomed. Even though, these topics come into play occasionally and in the meantime, the scenes were wasted or you can say it followed the character to their daily routine to fill the film runtime.

     So what's that mean is the screenplay, which was not at its best. It does not follow the traditional film way on the character developments. Like I expected the friendship between two boys like how they find each other as to emerge a strong bond. That did not happen. It was just like I said in the real life, too casual and understandable.

     The same goes for the adult characters as well. When they decide to handle the shop issue, it was like hesitation like any average concerned family does. So this film will be good if your life is/was close to the events in the film. Like either it is your friendship that tested or dealing the sensitive issue as a grown-up that affects deeply those concerned ones.

 Once again, our warm, lovable, unwise father has left us a big mess and no instructions. 

     Now you might think what this film is all about. This is the story of the two families connected with a building. Opens with a small Manhattan family arriving in Brooklyn to conduct the last rite to their deceased father. They are received by another family who rented the shop in the ground floor. Both the family has the young boys of the same age and following the ceremony, the two become very close. But when their parents decide to sort out the shop issue, it's all fall hard on them and their friendship. The remaining is to reveal the outcome of whatever happened.

     You might be familiar with the quote that goes like this, 'a friendship founded on business in better than a business founded on friendship'. Basically, that's where the film inspired from. But it expanded to two sets of the characters, between the youngsters and the adults. These two categories are exactly opposite in mindset. Youngsters usually does not care about money that involves friends, but for adults, money is a serious matter to handle. The 'business' is attached to the parents and the 'friendship' drawn between their children.

     Now that's the complication involves as many people as to solve without affecting anybody. But most of the film was overwhelmed by scenes of other than this issue. They ignored to focus completely on where it had calibre. I felt the casting was the best thing happened in the film, particularly those boys. Alfred Molina, who played one of the main characters in the director's previous film was appeared here in a guest role for like a minute. The rest of them were decent as well, including Greg Kinnear.

     The film was just under the 90 minutes, yet too slow paced narration. Does not fit for everyone to watch. Imagine if this film was played on the television, with all the commercial breaks, you won't able to finish it off. Not without patience, because it is already dull, and if you will run out that, that's it. A lot like a product for the film festivals and it did fared decently on those platforms, but surely some people would find it good. So now you might think what my stance is. I liked it, also didn't. An average film with a slipped away opportunity. I am not sure, but still feel like I want to suggest it.



Suitable for:
Tween, Teen, Adult, All


Final verdict:
Ignore, Bad, Average, Good, Excellent


Similar movies:
The Art of Getting By, The Way Way Back, Stuck in Love, Black or White, I Daniel Blake.


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Run Boy Run (2014) Germany, Poland, France

The war had no mercy on this innocent child.

Original title:

Lauf Junge Lauf (German)

Genre:

Action, Biography, Drama, War.

Length:

Approximately 6-minute read.

Review:

     Anyone who lived in the early 1940s Europe would tell you their version of the horrific story. Many people fought for their survival each day, every minute. That's when they all would have thought the paradise (earth) turned into hell. This was adapted from the recent book of the same name, which was originally based on the real about an eight year old Jewish boy. You could say it is the kid version of 'The Pianist' or exactly opposite of 'The Diary of Anne Frank' as if Anne did not take shelter, she would have done something like. Very emotional film from the very first scene to the last. They have produced some of the finest World War II films in the recent time, but I haven't felt like I did for this. Totally heartbroken!

     The saddest part is this film was underrated and under-noticed despite it was released just a couple of years ago. The reason might be, it was not a big production house film or internationally recognisable actors in it. Though I recognised a couple of German, Polish actors who were on the small roles. It was jointly produced by Poland, Germany and France, but should have been in the English language for the wider audience reach. Anyway, being true, including languages, which were multiple and locations would always give a perfect depiction of the event and I liked it that way. It was also good to see the Russians are not the bad guys or the roughest-toughest one we'd seen in other WWII films.

     The opening was very strong. We won't know what's going on like who is this kid, where he'd come from and heading to, but surely understandable the boy is fighting for survival against the odds. Soon a small flashback of his recent past shown, but nothing deeper beyond like his home and parents were revealed. In the ending, there's a little information about that which will get you emotionally for sure. He was very young to understand all this, yet developed a survival skill. Like they say, 'all is fair in love and war', he wasn't a warrior, but what he did has to be done and it was impressive for that age. Some people helped him through, though some did not. It's all about running, running, running, like a herbivorous in the wild, not knowing when he'll become a prey to a predator.

 Keep moving. To the east, where the sun rises. 

     The journey of three years of his life was like eternal. He has to sacrifice many things, including his innocent childhood that war had no mercy on it. In one of the scenes where he seriously met with an accident, I was unable to bear it. In a film, it's all compressed for just two hours of what took years in the real life. Only Yoran Fridman knows his real experience. He can be seen in the final scene of the film. This was like a coming-of-age, but no kids should go through it.

     I know it was only a film version, but that smile, that sobbing, that fear and that strategy of survival in that age, you will lose yourself in your watch. But the entire film was only the war portion of his story. There's no earlier event, like with his parents or the post war, except at the end it skipped too far for a brief detail as any film does in that section.

     It was a fine casting. The kid in the lead was in fact played by the twin brothers. I think they switched and performed well the role they have represented. It was a great screenplay and direction. Wonderful locations, especially creating those war like atmosphere. A fitting background score, it was a perfect film that brought back to us on the screen of the 75 years ago Poland when the Nazis army roamed. But I had zero idea of the film, not even knew it was a war film. It was a last minute decision to check it out and I made the right one. Like this way I'd found many hidden gems, that's what I love to do and spread the word.

     Films like this usually have more unpleasant events. But involving a kid in such circumstances were even more painful to watch if you are a light hearted. Though a film like this should not be missed. This is a must watch film among WWII themes. I don't think so, I would forget everything I just saw in this film, not for anytime soon and I definitely recommend it to those who are seeking a title, but not sure which one to opt. Mainstream world should know this film and I hope my this review contributes a little for that. So, go guys go, watch it now if you haven't.

Suitable for:

Tween, Teen, Adult, All

Final verdict:

Ignore, Bad, Average, Good, Excellent

Similar movies:

Lore, Strayed, The Book Thief, In Darkness, Defiance, The Pianist, The Way Back.

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Life of a Universe (2017) Australia

Before birth and beyond death of our universe!

Genre:

TV Mini-Series, Documentary.

Length:

Approximately 6-minute read.


Review:
     This is not exactly a documentary series you could expect if you are a space geek. It is just a tour of Australia where the famous British physicist Brian Cox interacts with scientists and space enthusiast people. So it is just a two episode mini-series, but there's enough interesting stuff to add more info to our knowledge of cosmology.

     He has visited some historic sites related to space and science. The places were used as a background while giving out us his new discussion on the related topic. As usual, you will like it, how he explains everything in his style. Comparing and giving examples, even more than that, those specialists in the field giving their opinions, I mean honest opinions will stun you.

     Because science is not everything. It is a form, an order for us to understand everything around us. When they said about the future of space science, not like a hundred or a thousand years later, but millions and it could be viewed as a religion as in the todays world of atheists think. Means we could preserve the skeletons for the future study that we found digging earth, which are a million years old, but we can't do the same for the universe as it is expanding very fast.

     The first episode was the topic of 'Creation'. The creation of the universe, but since we know there are many theories related to that and the (Hot) Big Bang was among the most accepted, this new discussion goes beyond that. So it remains more a question rather we could explain such topic, as what was there before the Big Bang. But I liked how they all opinioned rather firmly stating as a (new) theory.

 One day, some smart person will come along and solve it for you. That's the beauty thing of how science works. 

     The second episode, 'End of Days', is the topic about how our universe is going to end/die. If there's a beginning, then there has to be an end. All the stars going to burn out, making the sky dark like I mentioned the humans from the future think us crazy for saying stuff without any evidence when they see up. It is also possible since the universe is expanding, the stars, planets, galaxies reach beyond our eyes, technology could see/detect them. So the dream of finding another home/earth is merely a fiction, and same goes for aliens to arrive on our earth.

     When there is a talk about space and time, it seems incomplete without the participation of Neil deGrasse Tyson. Among other space experts, he was in a small part like for a minute or less. Brian Cox took cues from the scientists he's interacting with and attached his version of the opinion. Each episode, the entire series was too short, but totally worth how it all sorted out. In fact, nothing from the series were considered the truth, but possibilities from the expert's viewpoint since our space exploration is still in early stage, an infant.

     Excluding what lies between the beginning and the ending, which is mostly present, the series talks about everything else about the universe. So it is like a science fiction film, except everything happens in oral. Even the graphics were not given greater preference, yet manages decently with simple ones for our understanding. Another reason's it is not a regular production, could be one time programme. Or if we're lucky, another tour to different destination as another season.

     There's a little talk about the multiverse and how different it could be from ours was another sub-topic. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this small piece of work by professor Brian Cox. More or less like reading that published on IJSpaceSe, but it was not, since it's not a research, only a discussion and opinions. So what are you waiting for if you are a space geek.



Suitable for:
Tween, Teen, Adult, All


Final verdict:
Ignore, Bad, Average, Good, Excellent


Similar movies:
Wonders of the Solar System, Wonders of the Universe, Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey.


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Tunnel (2016) South Korea

It's not just about survival...

Original title:

Teoneol (Korean)

Genre:

Drama, Thriller.

Length:

Approximately 6-minute read.


Review:
     The title says it all. Then I read its synopsis and right away I knew how much should I expect from it. Because this might be a fresh attempt in the Korean film, at least for the first time I'm seeing in a Korean film, but not from the world cinema. Yeah, I have seen plenty, and I'd liked most of them. But this film was much, much better than it had been rated in the internet. The story, the main event starts without wasting any time. There's no initial developments like intros. When the thriller-adventure parts commences, reveals everything you have to know.

     Just over 2 hours long, the story frequently switches back and forth to where a man got trapped in a collapsed tunnel road and the outside where people and rescue team gathered. Like any other similar themed film, it borrowed a handful of cliches, but still you can witness the effort for the avoidance. Like if you see something or someone's crucial part come into play, usually you would predict what might happen to it in the later part of the story. Since those are unavoidable, they simply skipped in the final act as it is understandable and not to waste developing them to some extent.

     So a man is fighting for his survival after a disaster strikes. But he got a cell phone signal buried under a deep mountain that I could not get. Anyway, he does make know his state of condition to the outside world. Soon they all rally to get him out. This film is not entirely a serious episode, despite the theme was. A little bit of satire. If that's how the film was intended or not, at least I had a couple of good laughs. Kind of reminded me 'Peepli [Live]', about the media circus in such situation. But that is the truth, what todays media have become, because of competition among themselves.

 Don't be weak and say you'll die, just live. 

     The trapped man has to make sure about food and water to survive till the rescue team reaches him down which could take a week or more. Yeah, they kind of mention the recent Chile event which was made into the film, 'The 33'. His portion of the story is like the combination of '127 Hours', 'Buried' and of course that Chilean film. There are lots of things happen, you could say twists and turns. Kind of too much at some point, the way they added more contents to it, but decently it all worked out.

     Meanwhile, on the outside world, not lags behind. It has its own set of characters and its circumstance events. Lots of fun and also highlights wrongs. Particularly like I said, the media and how politicians make use of such incident for publicity. And the final one about the construction firms and their shoddy works for profits. They have dug on these topics, but did not go deeper, because to keep it lighter and entertaining film than all about awareness.

     All the way an engaging narrative. Means a long film, but very swiftly told story. Visually, it was a well made film, like everything's looked natural and believable. You could not differentiate the CGI/green screen work and the real objects of those disaster parts. But not the technical details such as drilling or the hollow space where he stays alive. When the narration progresses, it gets even worse, like you would say how could that even possible or just they wanted it that way to end the tale.

     A small part of the end kind of skips, but that's good for the film than dragging it for another half an hour. The casting was good, they all performed well, but my favourite was Oh Dal-su. As usual, I loved his part, one of the finest supporting characters in the world cinema. It's not a great film, but good, and acceptable as what it is. In the end feels like worth it. So I decided to suggest it for those who are interested, but could not decide whether to go for it or not, and for the Korean film fans outside the Korea.



Suitable for:
Tween, Teen, Adult, All


Final verdict:
Ignore, Bad, Average, Good, Excellent


Similar movies:
Buried, 127 Hours, Pressure, The 33, All is Lost, Against the Sun, Black Water.


External link(s):

WCA geolocation:
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