ftabouring Reviews

Le roman de Renart (2005)

The clever fox, his irritating buddy rat, and their lackluster adventure

[3/10 · 24 August 2005]

The authors of the famed 'Reynard' fable would evidently roll in their grave if they watched Thierry Schiel's frivolous and enormously mind-numbing computer-animated film adaptation, which is not only excessively tedious and formulaic, but also completely fails to inspirationally encapsulate the central satire of the original literary work. As much as I salute Schiel's endeavor to boost the reputation of his Oniria Productions animation studio, I must as well admit that his effort on 'Le roman de Renart' has not paid off great.

Unlike the all-time Walt Disney classics, Pixar blockbusters or even some of DreamWorks' previous excursions into the 3D animated genre, 'Le roman de Renart' regrettably lacks the essential formula that makes a typical cartoon or a computer-generated flick so lively and enthralling: the magic! Sure, you might never want to compare a Luxembourgish animated feature to a Hollywood production when it comes to the development of special effects technology, but as far as the story and the depth of the characters are concerned, the effort here could have been way bigger…

The plot, then, circles on Renart the fox (Frédéric Diefenthal), a quick-witted and rascally thief who occasionally steals food from the wealthy to properly nourish his necessitous family. His worst enemy is a malicious wolf named Isengrim, who continuously strives to wrongly accuse Renart of the most dreadful crimes to finally put him behind bars. So far though, all his risky attempts to catch the able-bodied fox have resulted in a series of embarrassing failures.

One night, when Renart sneaks into the palace of King Leo in order to plunder a delicate buffet, he accidentally overhears quite an interesting conversation between Isengrim and Chancellor Bernard about an ancient parchment depicting the secret location of the elixir of eternal life. As fate would have it, Renart quickly lays a paw on the precious document, and thus decides to plunge into a perilous adventure during which incredible dangers await him.

Accompanied by Rufus (Lorant Deutsch), a babbling and panicky little rat with an uninterrupted appetite, Renart will as well have to cope with Isengrim, who's always closely on the fox's trails. Who will win the race to the location of the elixir, which is said to being guarded by a merciless monster called Pierre? And will Renart be able to endure Isengrim's false accusations?

The answers to these questions are pretty obvious, or would you rather watch the evil wolf triumph at the end of a long, annoying journey across repetition-town? Unfortunately, that's exactly what 'Le roman de Renart' feels like; with static and irritating characters, a monotonous plot and a flat sense of humor on board, this Luxembourgish animated family film is certainly no exhilarating fun ride. You will not stumble across anything you haven't seen yet, and apart from an uninspiring repetition of dragging events, the film is void of anything remotely appealing, charming, or suspenseful.

Turing a celebrated medieval fable into a computer-generated motion picture for kids is an exceptionally tricky business: the younger audiences might not care about whether the satire from the original texts has been appropriately adapted or not, but the parents certainly look for either references or parallels, which they unfortunately will not find. And without the traditional themes of the story, what's left to discover in this flick? Barely anything, I'm afraid.

Thierry Schiel's version of 'Le roman de Renart' only sloppily emphasizes on the criminal- fox-turning-good concept, and tries to spellbind the spectators with a constant repeating of brainless chases: it's either Isengrim chasing Renart, or Renart trying to trick Isengrim. The sense of humor falls overly flat, and the feature running length of 100 minutes seems eternal. Frankly, I really doubt if any kid who has already seen and loved any of the Pixar adventures, will actually take any pleasure in this fox.

Bottom of the line: In spite of the fact that his previous animated adventure 'Tristan & Iseut' already fatally crashed, Thierry Schiel nevertheless decided to go for it again with 'Le roman de Renart'. I couldn't locate any improvements worth mentioning though in his latest work, and my only advice to him is: take a break from motion picture making and turn to the writing and directing of computer-generated short films instead – the result may be more innovative than this 'Reynard' mess. (Grade: D+)

3-Iron (2004)

Spiritually profound and visually stunning: Kim Ki-Duk at his best!

[8/10 · 4 August 2005]

In his spiritually profound and visually stunning movies, many of which were acclaimed as timeless masterpieces, Kim Ki-Duk, South Korea's most innovative director to date, continually shows no necessity for words. Mostly leaving his main characters in silence, he inspires his spectators to turn away from their accustomed reliance on spoken dialogues in order to assure them that through simple eye contact and basic body movements, characters can be understood just as well. If you have already had the pleasure to check out some of the master's previous work, you'll get the picture!

Ki-Duk's latest drama, an ensnaring and substantially passionate love story entitled 'Bin-Jip' ('3-Iron'), tells the stirring tale of Tae-Suk (played brilliantly by Hyun-kyoon Lee), a young drifter who leaves ad fliers on front doors during the day, and breaks into temporarily vacant homes at night. He has no intentions to steal though, and is only looking for a cozy place to stay. Wherever he finds shelter, he inquisitively explores the interior decoration with his digital camera, cleans up a little, repairs damaged gadgets, and makes the laundry before he leaves again for his daily job.

One day, Tae-Suk's calm life instantly changes when he penetrates the mansion of a wealthy businessman named Min-gyu (Hyuk-ho Kwon). Not expecting anyone home, he suddenly bumps into the beautiful Sun-hwa (Seung-yeon Lee), the lady of the house, and popular ex- model, who's been hiding in the dark corner of her bedroom. The bruises on her face suggest that her husband is beating her, but she won't utter a single word about it. In fact, she does not say a single word at all. Nor does Tae-Suk. They just stare at each other, making room for an immediate attraction that connects both their hearts and souls…

It is this one intimate, mutual attraction between the main characters that crafts the unique substance of 'Bin-Jip', a very calm, yet periodically violent and profoundly heart-warming cinematic experience that invites us to dive into a world existing between reality and pure imagination. Just like Kim Ki-Duk's previous dramas 'The Isle' and the astounding Buddhist tale 'Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter…and Spring'; which pulled you straight into the movie and onto a lake, 'Bin-Jip' pulls you right into the middle of a big house surrounded by violence, grief and an acute lack of love.

Sun-hwa is a victim, dying to be invisible, and desperate to find a new home, away from Min- gyu and his rude behavior towards her. Tae-Suk, a stranger wandering, not existing in one spot, is her ideal savior: he has experience in finding new homes, and will take Sun-hwa with him on what is about to become the journey of her life. Although a character unsympathetic to us spectators, the husband, Min-gyu, is as much an object of curiosity as the main figures. His personality is enigmatic, his heart empty, and he cannot stand the fact that his wife refuses to talk to him.

Whereas the first part of 'Bin-Jip', though speechless, introduces the different characters, their intentions, lifestyles and habits (Min-gyu is a passionate golfer, and surprisingly, Tae- Suk shares the same interest), the second half triggers a number of sincere emotions in a set of partly violent (involving beating with a stick in some prison scenes), partly vibrant (Min- gyu tracking down his fugitive wife) scenes culminating in what I consider one of the most well-filmed, well-edited and above all, most emotionally striking finale I've seen in years.

Invisibility is another aspect playing a major role in 'Bin-Jip', and despite mentioning that it dominates the second part of the film, I will not go further into it as of a risk to reveal more. Kim Ki-Duk just masterly examines how two human beings prohibited of love try to coexist with one another. He makes us reflect on reality as opposed to imagination, and challenges us with two complex, yet very interesting questions: do we only believe what we see, or do we sometimes see things that don't exist just because we want to believe in them?

A word on the acting performances and the cinematography. It says over at IMDb.com that Kim Ki-Duk wrote the screenplay in one month, shot the pic in 16 days and edited it in 10. Fast job indeed, but the quality of the image is near perfect, with the camera mostly making calm, proper movements. All three actors involved deliver first-class performances, with Seung-yeon Lee stealing the show due to her matchless beauty and her truly incredible smile. Picking utterly authentic actors is one of Kim Ki-Duk's many, many specialties.

Once again, the South-Korean superstar has created a fable that catches our breath as it tells a love story as it has never been told before. Winner of four awards at the Venice Film Festival, including the Special Director's Award, 'Bin-Jip' is yet another masterpiece invading the list of this year's top films. The movie may not top the timeless excellence of 'Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter…and Spring', but it boasts a little more passion than 'The Isle'. Then again, comparing Kim Ki-Duk films is pointless: whatever he directs, he's always a winner! (Grade: B+) (worldcinema.lu)

Valiant (2005)

Flight of the Pigeons: flat-out funny birds saving the day!

[7/10 · 30 July 2005]

'Valiant' proudly invalidates the conventional assumption that pigeons are stupid and very limited animals. In this imaginative and fast-paced British animated adventure directed by Gary Chapman, pigeons are heroic creatures stopping at nothing to serve and support their country during the hard times it faced back in the early 1940's, during World War II. The outcome of the dramatic war literally "lies in the wings" of the pigeons, as they help the Allied Forces develop strategic plans by bringing them confidential messages from the French resistance.

Meet Valiant (voiced by Ewan McGregor), a little, hyperactive and vivacious pigeon from the British countryside, whose big time dream is to join the highly esteemed Royal Pigeon Service, a military unit training volunteers as "pilots" and message carriers to facilitate communication between the Allied troops. After reassuring his worried mother that he will do just fine out there on the battlefield, Valiant leaves his home for the RPS recruitment office in London, where he immediately makes the accidental acquaintance of a chubby and clumsy street pigeon named Bugsy (Rick Gervais).

After enrolling and meeting the rest of the team, Valiant and Bugsy are brought to a military base where they have to put up with a merciless Pigeon Training Sergeant (Jim Broadbent), who guides them through a hard-hitting and strenuous training. Although it seems at first as if Valiant were not qualified for the job, his strong determination nevertheless provides him with the required strength to keep on. Soon after follows the day of his first big mission, which consists out of picking up an important message from the French. Only, none of the new "pilots", including Valiant, are fully trained yet to embark the dangerous operation…

Although it may at first sound like your ordinary 3-D animated family film about a bunch of cgi-animals trying the impossible to save the world, 'Valiant' is quite a different, and above all, new experience. It is solid fun for everyone, and finally an animated action-comedy again that provides enough innovation and an appealing, never-before-seen premise. First of all, the story is set in 1944, shortly before the end of the war, which is rather an unusual period of time for a computer-generated kid-flick. Second, the film also creatively emphasizes on how pigeons helped the armies establish better communication with partners or allies.

Also, 'Valiant' clearly diverts us from our standard, negative view of pigeons: the plot shows that a pigeon is not that dumb an animal after all. The "freedom" pigeons in the movie are smart and speedy, courageous and hilarious. The hero of course, is little Valiant, who works very hard to become really big. He values friendship and teamwork, and always comes up with a clever plan when the situation abruptly aggravates. And the situation does indeed get tricky, because shortly after Valiant and co. fetch the targeted message, they are followed by General Von Talon, a deadly and vicious falcon who tries to intercept the valuable "package"…

Diversity is one of the positive words that can be used to best describe 'Valiant': from the opening on, en route for the big finish, the plot is loaded with a lot of fun, suspenseful twists and a globally refreshing sense of humor. The pigeon training, for instance, is a first highlight: instead of using miniature iron weights, Valiant and his compatriots use apples. As dormitories, they use tin cans, and in order to defend themselves against potential enemies, they are trained how to attack with their beaks. The second part of the movie features more action and suspense, as Valiant and Bugsy track down General Von Talon in order to retrieve their message and free a captured pigeon.

With its feature length of only 75 minutes, 'Valiant' is almost too short, giving us the impression that some of the sequences are a little rushed or just too easy. If Valiant for instance, got into more threatening trouble, the plot would have been filled with even more suspense, and some additional, intriguing complexity. Then again, the filmmakers did a very inspiring job on the character development. Besides Valiant, the little one with big plans, Bugsy is another adorable figure, since he will eventually discover that having a true friend is more important than acting on your own. Therefore, the messages are crystal clear.

Sweet faces, vibrant pursuits, an action-packed showdown between good and evil, a considerable amount of slapstick, and lots of flat-out funny dialogues and satisfying effects; these are all elements contributing to the considerable atmosphere of this overall entertaining summer movie. Furthermore, at the end of the screening I attended, I heard a little spectator yelling: "Mom, Valiant was the best one, and the coolest!" Considering that such films indeed intend on turning their main characters the heroes of the audience, I'd say: pigeon mission accomplished! (Grade: B-)

The Moustache (2005)

Ingeniously structured and passionately filmed...

[8/10 · 19 July 2005]

Darkness prevails already at the very beginning of 'La Moustache', Emmanuel Carrère's proper adaptation of his novel of the same title, which he published back in the 1980's. Accompanying the opening credits is Philip Glass' perfectly composed and utterly gloomy Violin Concerto, which re-emerges throughout the movie and constantly supplies the global atmosphere of the film with an ominous and bewildering touch.

Welcome to this year's most abstruse film, and eventually the most challenging psychological experiment since 'The Machinist'. Presented at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival in the 'Quinzaine des Réalisateurs' category - a category promoting abstract and rather unusual movies - 'La Moustache' follows the intricate story of Marc Thiriez (Vincent Lindon), an ordinary Parisian architect who slips into a vicious identity crisis after he spontaneously shaves off his moustache.

"How would you react if I shaved off my moustache?" Marc asks his girlfriend Agnès (Emmanuelle Devos) before they visit some friends for dinner. Her reaction is not immediate, and she simply replies "I don't know; I love you with it but I've never known you without it." So while Agnès leaves the apartment for a short time to do some shopping, Marc takes the risk and cuts off his beloved moustache, just like that, in order to see his lover's face and analyze her reaction when she returns home.

However, Marc will be severely disappointed: upon Agnès' arrival, she does not utter one single word. She seems not to notice the major physical change in Marc's face. Nor do their friends. Even Marc's colleagues at the office fail to perceive the absence of his moustache. Is he on the verge of madness? Or has he become the target of a massive conspiracy triggered by his own girlfriend? More weirdly, did he even ever have a moustache? Or was it part of some unexplainable imagination? Marc has no clue at all how to react to his baffling new situation…

When you enter the official movie website, a big question mark appears at the end of the flash intro. This question mark is totally appropriate, since it clearly illustrates what kind of movie 'La Moustache' really is: namely a confusing, puzzling drama with an open ending and a number of unexplainable twists, flashbacks and mysterious appearances by characters when you least expect it. "What is 'La Moustache' about?" is the first question of a recent online interview conducted with Emmanuel Carrère. The director himself has no answer to that crucial question.

Indeed, 'La Moustache' is one of these attention-grabbing cinematic mysteries that first baffle the spectators, and then leave them behind with a bunch of questions unanswered. There are though, in this ingeniously structured and passionately filmed movie, some easily detectable themes. For once, 'La Moustache' is an analysis of a dysfunctional couple tumbling into a conflict driven by mistrust. Marc soon accuses Agnès of plotting against him, but Agnès is deeply persuaded that Marc has in fact never had a moustache. This marks the beginning of a series of violent arguments and disputes.

Moreover, Carrère's film closely focuses on a man struggling with the inevitable loss of his personal identity. Marc is unable to distinguish between reality and imagination, and so he struggles hard to uncover the origins of the problem. He is a man all on his own against the rest of the world. In his apartment, he finds some old pictures from a vacation in Bali, all of them showing him with a moustache. But is he really the only one to see it? Is the moustache on this photo real or not? He does not know, and we do not either.

Especially the first part of 'La Moustache' is intensely compelling and dark, examining the relationship between Marc and Agnès, and closely focusing on Marc's progressive battle to keep his emotional and moral nature under control. When his consciousness slowly begins to shut down, the tension mounts as the suspense grows and the atmosphere becomes more and more threatening. Carrère has a brilliant vision, and he captures Marc's way into madness in a diverse and appealing way.

Marc is the perfect role for Vincent Lindon, whose look is continually as puzzling as the story itself. He masters his role with ideal perfection, always acting authentically. The same can be said about the brilliant Emmanuelle Devos ('La Femme de Gilles'), who delivers an enigmatic performance as Agnès. Her complex character is a true object of curiosity, and no one can trust her. Is she the evil woman ruining the mind of her partner? Or is she the reasonable person? Question marks à gogo.

The last twenty minutes of 'La Moustache', which follow Marc to Bangkok, where he repetitively embarks and disembarks ferries all day long, are quite debatable, yet very challenging. The film reaches yet another climax, takes another abrupt twist, and once again challenges us spectators by sparking our curiosity. Please do not expect a satisfying explanation towards the very ending, because 'La Moustache' ain't going to give you one. Many pieces of the puzzle remain untraceable; but that's exactly what makes this masterpiece so intriguing and unique. (Grade: B+)

Ichi the Killer (2001)

Takashi Miike proves again...that he is the master of Gore

[10/10 · 26 June 2002]

One thing is for sure, people who don't like to see blood should stay away from Miike's latest movie "Ichi the Killer" or "Koroshiya 1". Even is the movie lasts about more than 150 minutes, it is full-time action with the most unbelivable Horror and fighting tricks and moves ever. Miike uses amazing gadgets just to provoque blood, and the best thing is: his cameras are always centered on the action, meaning that you see all details possible. The story, of course, is non-sense and complex, but still, the evoultion and the revenge of this Ichi is interesting to experience. You really see how far the humans might go, simply to hunt somebody down and to take a horrible revenge. Koroshiya 1 is a movie with excellent entertainment and considerable acting performances. One more tip: Seeing this movie is unique, so if you get the chance, go watch it!!!(Franck Tabouring - Worldcinema.lu)