Ghosts of Cité Soleil (2006)

A quick hit on a documentary watched this past week: Ghosts Of Cité Soleil (The Ghosts of Sun City, or Fantasmas de Cité Soleil). The gist is this: During Jean-Bertrand Aristide's second try as Haiti's President (the more controversial of the two terms), and a resistance group headed by the former Haitian president's brother begins a city by city march to depose him and his Lavala Party. The story revolves around two Lavala brothers, "Bily" and "2Pac". 

As you might have guessed, 'Pac' co-opted his moniker from Tupac Shakur and is a self-described hip-hop superstar in the making — or he would have us believe as much. The two are militant leaders in two of the nineteen Soleils in Port-au-Prince and the top men in the Aristide armed & funded Chimére (Ghost) Army; an allegiance they appear to hold solely for its power. "Bily" is less flagrant than his brother, he wants to become President of Haiti, but "2Pac" is a bombastic thug who lords over his Soleil with a combination of charm and horrible fear. In one instant, 2Pac seeks a generator during one of the many power outages (to throw a party no less), but when a man waffles to hand his over, 'Pac' puts bladder-evacuating fear into the man — this is but one of his antics. What transpires in Asger Leth's doc is the brothers' efforts to maintain their power first and foremost, yet their portrayed as wanting to escape the squalid life in the Soleils. '2Pac' developes a contact in Fugees alumn Wyclef Jean to produce his music, and in turn, opening the window of escape that has eluded him — what's clear though is '2Pac' really has no desire to abandon a situation he relishes. This dichotomy is his alone. 'Bily', on the contrary, maintains his provincial, if not illusionary, political aspirations.

As a whole, and to Leth's credit, he holds back the urge to wonder into soap opera territory. I can image the self-control employed in the face of a coup, a weird love triangle, Wyclef Jean's inclusion in the events, and all of the in-fighting among the different Soleil leaders. How he staved off becoming repetitive or melodramatic is no small wonder.

I'll give Ghosts Of Cité Soleil 5 Powermad Haitians out of 10.

Stephen King’s The Mist (2007)

I have a few spare minutes this bone-shatteringly cold morning of 2°F so why not spend it here with the people whom, and the blogs which, warm the cockles of my heart. I saw Stephen King’s The Mist this past Thanksgiving weekend, a film I honestly intended to skip if it weren’t for the review/recommendation of Star Tribune/Vita.mn/The Rake film contributor Colin Colvert; someone who’s opinion in the world of film is trending harmonious as of late. 

I’ll stop just short of saying The Mist completely works, it does skew a tad obtuse (refreshingly so?), but I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it in an instant for a host of reasons: a tremendous sense of space in light of the setting’s size versus the number of actors, studious recovery when the subject matter drifts towards digression, and a great sense of pace are but a few from the macro column. It's very worth a theater viewing if for no other reason than how a massive screen and pummeling sound-scape facilitate the film's simultaneously claustrophobic & remote anxiety alongside impressive visuals.

What lingers, for me, and without being blasphemous, as it were, Mist enters the ominous halls occupied by films like Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Kairo and the upcoming blockbuster-in-waiting I Am Legend, but unlike Kairo and more in line with 1998’s Deep Impact, (although nowhere near as effective imo), ‘Mist’ speeds past a genuine opportunity to drop a steaming heap of salvation. Darabont errs by squandering an opportunity to give auds a truly revelatory experience; why the need to protect? Who knows. Supposedly King whole-heartedly approved of the ending.

Having read only four of his novels (one novella, and not the story in question; all relatively forgettable) I can somewhat attest to his affinity for punting. The last thing is, I can’t shake the feeling that it ebbs & flows in ways a certain H. P. Lovecraft short story does; I re-read it to satisfy my curiosity.

Best Films Of 2007 (From What I've Seen)

"Once you quit hearing "sir" and "ma'am," the rest is soon to foller."

28.
30 Days Of Night
A phenomenal premise, but suspect execution. What saves the film however, and the reason it makes my top list at all, is the claustrophobic nature, and crisp, lush visuals. It's clear this was a video game platform written for film.

27.
American Gangster
A fairly melodramatic and cozy Hollywood production masquerading as a hard-nosed biopic.

26.
1408
It's here for some reason.

25.
The Number 23
I thought the film's revelation came much too late. Certainly after we've either figured it out or ceased caring.

24.
The Bourne Ultimatum
The deliberately smooth, yet ultimately anticlimactic wrap to a great series.

23.
Breach
My affinity for political thrillers may have worked in Breach’s favor here. Seems like a film which should have been released a couple years ago. Nothing objectionable and solid performances.

22.
28
Weeks Later
Would’ve been a tall order to top its predecessor; possibly a low-effort placeholder for 28 Months Later?

21.
Disturbia
I don’t care if what people say, despite being a total and complete spoof (if you will), it entertained!

20.
Eastern Promises
A mild disappointment. Have I been spoiled by Dostoevsky? Probably, but as I wrote before, the film somewhat collapsed upon itself under the weight of its own propriety. Sorry fans.

19.
You're Gonna Miss Me
Originally released at SXSW in 2005, You're Gonna Miss Me experienced a limited theatrical release this year, where most became acquainted with the melancholy look into the tribulations of shooting star turned burnt out institution-case Roky Erickson, founder of the mid-60's rock group The 13th Floor Elevators. In one scene, there’s a certain elegance and power when Erickson bangs out “Goodbye Sweet Dreams” ( a tune I hammered out on my acoustic thereafter for effect) for his brother and therapist during a session. Ultimately, a disjointed look at a broken human attempting to right his life.

18.
Maxed Out: Hard Times, Easy Credit and the Era of Predatory Lenders
This documentary, to some success, sheds a cautionary light on the pitfalls of the modern credit crisis and the systematic abuse therein. A tad inflammatory on the whole (if you ask me), in the sense that it paints credit in the most bleakest of lights and with the broadest of brushes, yet its points are all the same honest and ring true. The Suzy Orman mention is priceless. Based on the book of the same name.

17.
The Lookout
It’s been a while since watching this one, and I failed to write anything at the time for reference, but I do recall thinking it borrows from Memento near the end, and the unresolved ‘injured friend’ tangent left me shrugging. It's a well made thriller & caper.

16.
Saw IV
If submitting Saw IV in front of Eastern Promises seriously jeopardizes my critic-cred, then so be it. Darren Lynn Bousman’s cockeyed chain of justice films continually fall a short of transcending its celluloid bonds, I think we all agree on this, yet I continue to hold out hope this series turns more assertive

15.
Bug
Outside of 2004’s Thai gem Shutter, Bug may be one of the best low–budget horror films to both improve as it progresses, and comes seemingly from absolutely nowhere to surprise auds. Judd is wonderful as a trashed hotel queen, delivering this movie in the palm of her hands... and the whites of her eyes.

14.
Inland Empire
I wanted to rate this higher, but to be completely honest it just wore on for about a half hour beyond my attention. Much latitude is deserved for its Mulholland Drive-like character study, and the phenomenally rubixed standpoint, and with just the right splash of 19th Century Eastern European fabledom.

13.
3:10 To Yuma
Despite the fact it’s a remake, and in the face of suspect motivations (plot devices), 3:10 To Yuma sustains on it’s own flesh and grit (much like Mangold’s pseudo-epic Copland); particularly Russel Crowe’s Wade, whose self interest rears its ugly head in surprising ways. All of them are brilliant — on the other hand, Bale’s' Evans is the hero we hold on high but despise in the presence of others; today’s loser.

12.
The Darjeeling Limited
Am I growing weary of Wes Anderson’s cutesy, darling screed of hipster wholesomeness and fatigued families? Almost there. Still, it was alright.

11.
Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten

This eulogy/celebration of Clash front man John Mellor, famously known as Joe Strummer (a name he got for his lack of technical prowess with the guitar), and his rise and dissension in the realm of punk rock. Personally, I was quite unaware of The Clash for a long time, then again to this day I can only tag three songs, so I went into this wide eyed.

In one scene, Strummer recounts writing their most well known track London Calling as a reaction to the pressures exacted onto us by the media: ‘It was too much. It was always that a sickness would kill us all, or the sun was going to crash into the earth, or the country would be drowned by the melting ice…and here I stayed in a shit apartment next to the river! Of course his lyrics reflect precisely this. They recorded the album on their own (after firing the band's manager/label) and did so inside of three weeks.

10.
We Own The Night
9.
The Host
8.
Paprika
Some movies you just have to seen.
7.
Grindhouse: Death Proof
6.
The Taste of Tea
5.
Gone Baby Gone
4.
Zodiac

3.
Into The Wild

2.
Michael Clayton
All environmental issues aside, this is simply a magnificently acted/directed/written film. Nary a glitch, and it cuts a wide swath yet refuses to get sloppy. To many people's surprise, Clooney nearly disappears into this role, and that deserves mention because he’s one of those actors who tend to outshine their character to the detriment of the film concerned.

1.
No Country For Old Men
A parable for our time. A pre–War on Drugs recollection/essay on violent, indiscriminate crime and a cinematic masterwork on the measurement of life. An investigation of greed. A call to our fellow man. A modern day Grimm's tale. No Country For Old Men is all of these and more.

On a realistic note, yet on point, I read this morning in my local paper of a guy who entered the home of an elderly woman. As the elderly woman recounts, she was awoken as she napped in a reclining chair by a man who claimed he had discovered her purse — using the key to let himself in. In short order, before she could get her bearings, he demanded a reward. But when she demanded he leave, he responded by spraying her in the face with mace then beating her face until she passed out. Or I recall the closed caption video of a downtown Minneapolis sidewalk where three urban troubadours ran up on an elderly couple, beat them to the concrete for their purse and wallet, then proceeded in kicking them repeatedly for good measure. I instantly know these seasoned citizens, these parents and grandparents, would have much in common with the thoughts and struggles of Tommy Lee Jones’ Sheriff Ed Tom Bell, if not this film as a whole.

I know there plenty of people who haven’t seen this film, but there’s simply too much to say concerning this film. Mindful of this, I want to touch on is the comedic element, something I paid special attention to during my second viewing. Ed Tom Bell is a regular cut-up indeed, although what struck me was not the crowd reaction to the mannered country-fried witticisms, but at the times the film intended to be more somber — the audiences reaction seemed far too automatic, willing to laugh at discomfort than embrace it. The word desensitized comes to mind. The coup de grace might have been the brief, but uproarious laughter when Chigurh blasts Stephen Root's unnamed character in the face with a shotgun. Is Root simply a stereotypical funny man? Did Woody Harrelson’s jocularity soften our guard? I can say that I didn't break a smile. Did I miss something?

The film's esoteric ending lent just enough to ring true, but once again not for some. I overheard a woman commenting “is that it?” as the credits appeared.