UK Film Network

It’s so hard these days, when going to a movie, to know for certain whether you’ll enjoy it or not. Will it be too serious? Too boring? Too sweet? Not long enough? Not funny enough? The list goes on and on. Most of the time, you really have no idea what you’re in for. Except, of course, when you’re going to see a Pixar film.

When I buy a ticket for a movie made by Pixar, I know for a fact I’ll enjoy it. I know of no other group of people with the ability to blend an interesting story with likeable characters, and absolutely spot on animation. Such was the case with Up.  Only the second Pixar film to use “real people” as characters, Up begins by introducing us to Carl and Ellie, two adorable children with a common interest in adventure. In the first ten minutes, we watch Carl and Ellie grow and marry and build a home together. We feel their sorrow when we find out, with them, that they cannot have the child they so desire. I personally felt a distinct lump in my throat when we watch Carl lose Ellie, and go home alone for the first time. A full range of emotions, and only in the first ten minutes! That opening montage sets the scene for the story that follows.  Carl, looking to finally give Ellie her dream of having their house atop mythical Paradise Falls, sets off with nothing but a sea of helium filled balloons to carry him, and his house, up into the wild blue yonder. Before he knows it, he finds himself, and his three unlikely companions, running for their lives from his very own childhood hero. In that process, we watch him discover that his life isn’t over. In many ways, it’s just started.

On the technical side, as usual, Pixar does an amazing job with their animation. From the whiskers on Carl’s grizzly chin, to putting a slight rainbow at the bottom of a misty waterfall, Pixar’s amazing animators make it truly hard to remember that these characters, and the world they live in, aren’t real. In addition, this is Pixar’s first film available in 3D, and they did a lovely job pulling it off. However, it is absolutely not necessary to see Up in 3D. There are very few moments where 3D images actually jump out at you, and none that are 3D reliant. Though it’s a nice way to really “get into” the movie, seeing it in 2D will not take away from it at all. If you’re on a budget, and those extra few bucks just seem like too much, don’t hesitate to see it in 2D. It’s an excellent film just the same, and well worth the price of a regular ticket.

Funny, exciting, heartwarming, and at times heartbreakingly sad, Up was just as wonderful as all the Pixar films that came before it. You will fall in love with Carl and Ellie. Russell, Carl’s tubby, merit badge seeking sidekick will make you laugh, and break your heart. And I know I wanted to take Doug, the goofy but loyal talking dog home with me. Do yourself a favor, and go see it. You will absolutely not be disappointed.

If there ever was a film project that took the history from the history textbook and applied it to film, that film project would be the “Che” saga. “Che: Part One”, follows (as the title suggests) the revolutionary life of Ernesto Che Guevara as he leaves the shores of Mexico with just 82 men, all commanded by Fidel Castro, onto the beaches of Cuba to ignite a revolution that would supplant the dictatorship regime friendly to the US.  

Che is played by none other than Steven Soderbergh-veteran - Benicio Del Toro. Benicio's portrayal of the young Commandante is exacting and poignant. Although Benicio's Che looks sterile and stiff, it is in the subtleties that the character's portrayal truly shines. From the sporadic spasms of asthma that Che was famous for, to the significant pauses of thought in conversations taken between Che and the enigmatic TV journalist, Lisa Howard; Benicio vehemently succeeds in his depiction of the iconic general.

Part one of this two-piece series focuses on Che's accomplishments in the Cuban revolution. Fidel Castro's guerrilla warfare against Batista's army leads to many instances of heated battles and ultimately directs it to a successful war that installs a Communist regime in Cuba.

As a viewer, what struck me as refreshing is the absence of Director Steven Soderbergh's signature visual palettes such as over-saturated film, different colour hues and a noticeably shaky camera. Although you may argue for these artistic techniques; I, for one considered them too distracting and these techniques essentially left me at odds with his previous films such as "Traffic" and the "Ocean's" series. This time, Soderbergh instead lets the action on screen speaks for itself and uses subtle visual cues to highlight moments of importance such as the taking of Santa Clara and the black-white infused cinematography of Che's visit to the United Nations in the December of 1964.

I would not be surprised if Benicio's performance earns him high acclaim, but the other standout portrayal is Demián Bichir's depiction of Fidel Castro himself. After viewing some footage of the real Fidel Castro for comparison, I found Bichir's performance to be as exacting as the film itself. The numerous similarities, apart from the eerie resemblance, lends itself to awe-inspiring appreciation. The filmmakers were smart, however, as Fidel Castro is shown in bits and pieces and there aren't many scenes where Fidel is the centre of attention. Nevertheless, I felt that in every scene with both icons present, Bichir's performance outmatched Benicio's.

Many will argue, I'm sure, that the film's relentless effort to show everything and anything concerning Che's Cuban conflict is unnecessary and will likely yield itself to a boring view.

I disagree.

I think that the films exacting standards are well deserved and matches the epic nature of the entire 26th of July Movement that "freed" Cuba of its repressive government.

Watch it.

If you don't appreciate the detail, you will at least welcome it's result - a well made piece of historical cinema that deserves your complete attention.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0892255/

"Waltz with Bashir" is a film like no other. An animated movie throughout (except in the end), the film is actually a documentary hidden under the dramatic trappings of portrayed events.

It is the story of Ari Folman and his journey, both physical and emotional, to find out why he doesn't remember certain events during the Lebanese Civil War which involved Lebanon, Syria, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel.

Haunted by a strange, disturbing vision that was triggered when talking to an old friend about the war, Ari starts to question why he doesn't recount any of the details of the military strife during those days. His quest to find out what, where, when and why has him travelling to talk with former comrades and using their accounts and experiences to fill in the holes in his own troubled memory.

With each passing interview, Ari starts to rile in forgotten memories that now come back to haunt him. He re-"discovers" the many moments of war and destruction during the time when he was a soldier and attempts to arrange the puzzle pieces in order to figure out the original meaning of his vision.

His desire to fill the gaps in his memory turn back to plague him and near the end, Ari finally has an explanation of why he was involved and why him and his comrades took that 'waltz with Bashir'.

I am going to make a bold statement - "Waltz with Bashir" is the best movie of 2008. Forget the political ramifications of the movie releasing in the year that is rife with Middle Eastern conflict. Ari Folman (who is also the writer and director) has created something that borders on that thin line of art and exposition. His movie doesn't attempt to judge the accounts that took place, but instead, allows the viewer to come to their own conclusion based on the facts he presents. In effect, Ari is the witness on the stand, and the movie, his exhibit and we, the jurors, can either say "Yay" or "Nay".

At its core, the film is about human memory. How it can be manipulated, controlled and even let loose if, for a moment, the mind is unable to cope with what it deems to be "reality".

As a viewer, you may come to a conclusion that is drastically different than mine. I for one, consider memory a double-edged sword, a mechanism that delivers so much happiness and is yet, also capable to present to its human hostage, the worst nightmares.

All the accounts given by the various people in the film are all embedded in an eerie juxtaposition. War takes place in beautiful landscapes, the sun shines over the beaches while bombs drop over soldiers playing volleyball. It portrays war in a way I have never seen before. It makes you wonder, really, whether war can really be a product of humanity, because for all its alleged uses and justification, it remains, along with human memory; disturbingly unnatural.

Review written by Akhil Kamble