Harrill Reporting

S A Hazlewood wrote and directed Bigga than Ben: A Russian’s Guide to Ripping Off London. Wanting to dodge the military draft in Russia, two friends decide to move to England. Fraud, shoplifting, and other shenanigans soon follow. As the friends try to survive, their misfortune becomes deeper and deeper.

I love that you think you are watching a documentary. This is because the film is basically an adaptation of the diaries of Pavel Tetersky and Sergei Sakin. The dark humor through the beginning is hilarious, but soon goes away, diving into the disheartening edge of real-life London that the friends see. As Niall Greig Fulton says that this “film is a brilliantly savage black comedy, bursting with raw energy, that cleverly reflects the journey of its protagonists via its changing styles and tones, its abrasive humour slowly dissolving to reveal its recognition of the cold, moral truth.”

4.5 film reels

The Fall is a UK Premiere directed by Tarsem Singh. It is about a young girl whom befriends a man in the hospital where she is recovering from a fall. He begins to tell her a tale consumed of adventure and epic fantasy.The Fall is impressive, having been filmed in twenty-four countries. Yet, for me, there is one thing that overshadows such an amazing feat and that is Catinca Untaru. Miss Catinca Untaru is the young girl who plays Alexandria. While watching this film, I saw pure innocence. Her banter with Lee Pace (Roy) seems genuine and pure improve. This feature film made me laugh, made me uncomfortable, and made me cry. Near the end of the film is when all of these happen one after the other. Roy is telling the end of the story and he falls deeper into depression. Alexandria is powerless and can not help her heroes and new found friends in this grand tale. It is heart wrenching mostly because of the young actress’ innocence. This film is one to see.

5 film reels

Death Defying Acts is a feature film directed and written by Gillian Armstrong. A young girl (Saoirse Ronan) is side-kick to her “psychic” mother played by Catherine Zeta-Jones. When the legendary escapologist and master magician Harry Houdini (Guy Pearce) offers money to get the last words of his mother from psychics, whom he hopes to show as frauds, the mother and daughter pair embark on a life changing journey.

This feature made me fall in love with Harry Houdini all over again. Growing up, I was interested in magic and those who mastered it. So, I am relieved to see the accuracy of the legend that is Houdini. I was most impressed by the precise wardrobe, grooming, and build of Guy Pearce as Harry Houdini. Also, the cinematography is appealing and the sets are astonishingly breathtaking. The set designer did a fabulous job in this film. I also love the theme of water throughout this film. It makes me wonder why the director chose to do this. Is it because water is always living, always constantly moving while everything around us ceases to be. Which seems to be what Houdini wants to happen. He wants to continue, and he did. He is forever a legend.

4.5 film reels

This realistic horror feature, directed by Derek Son, is full of confusion and keeps the audience thinking. A group of medical students begin their first autopsy class to scenes which seem routine. Dead body, frightened students, and knives…excuse me, scalpels. They are soon consumed by nightmares that soon come to life. Or does it?

Cadaver keeps me guessing on what is really happening. The writers, Derek Son and Park Sun-jae, and director, Derek Son, do an exceptional job keeping the suspense building. I am really not big on horror films, but to me horror film is vampires and zombies thanks to American cinema. Cadaver is what I want to see in a horror film. The mix of supernatural with real-life undertones. As Diane Henderson said of this film in the EIFF catalogue, “Its clever blend of horror and human drama, marked by some genuinely frightening moments, puts a memorable new spin on the recognizable formula.” I love where Korean cinema is heading and this is one of the films to put on the list of many spectacular cinema to come from this nation.

4.5 Film Reels

This documentary, directed by Miguel Kohan, follows traditional tango musicians and vocalists from bands and orchestras during tango’s heyday. The noteworthy talent that the musicians show after being in the business for over 60 years still shines through as they prepare for a gala in Buenos Aires’ Teatro Colón. As Nicola Kettlewood remarks in the Edinburgh International Film Festival catalogue, “…Café de los Maestros is an invitation to discover Argentina’s finest tango legends.”

I enjoyed this documentary immensely. The companionship and musicianship shown by the musicians is something to be admired. What pleasantly surprised me is, even at their old age, the speed of fingers on keys and preciseness of notes shown by the artists is mind-blowing. Also, the enthusiasm of all that are involved with the performances, young and old, for Tango music is comforting in know that these artistes will never let this music genre turn to dust. I enjoy the music breaks that allow the audience to be able to soak in the music. I was truly in love with one man’s voice. It sounded as if you were listening to a record. It sent chills up my spine. The closing of the film gives me the same reaction. The vast theatre (Teatro Colón) is empty as one of the bandonean players sits alone on stage. It is genuinely moving.

4.5 Film Reels

Married Life, which was directed by Ira Sachs, follows Richard’s (Pierce Brosnan) narrative. He talks us through the life of his friend Harry (Chris Cooper) and his “happy” marriage with his wife (Patricia Clarkson) and his lover, Kay (Rachel McAdam). Harry hopes to sooth the pain of everyone involved in this love triangle by using questionable philosophy.

As I watch this feature I notice the chain smoking immediately. This intriguing to me, because if this was actually being shown in the time period that this movie was set in (1940s), it would fit right in. The costumes were spot on, as well as the make up for the ladies. Notably Rachel McAdam blond hair and red lip stick. The only disappointment in this feature is that it seemed to be a quick love story. The lose ends for the questions of does she still love him, or how did they end up together. The one major perk for me was the wonderful soundtrack chosen for this film.

3 Film Reels

The film Red, directed by Trygve Allister Diesen and Lucky McKee, is about a man, played by Brian Cox, whose dog is taken from him in a manner that would turn anyone’s stomach. He sets out for legal justice for those who have taken Red from him. The roads that lead the man to justice is quite surprising and shocking.

I did not hate nor like this film. I am against animal cruelty and that pulled at my heart strings. Red also shows that animals really don’t matter to the justice system, but money does. Through the film I started to predict what might happen next. To my surprise, I was almost right every time, which is the great let down of this feature. Brian Cox is a wonderful actor in this movie, and so is one young male actor who played the younger brother, Harold (Kyle Gallner). Yet, some characters seemed to be put in to fill space on the screen or to take up time. The conclusion of Red was stereotypical and cliché for a film like this. But nevertheless, it had an up lifting ending, and after all that you will see in this feature, you might want it. Also, with the week I have been having, I needed to see it.

3.5 Film Reels

In the Iranian film of moral dilemmas, The Songs of Sparrows directed by Majid Majidi, Karim (Reza Najie) has a job as an ostrich farmer which seems to be going well. However, after an ostrich runs away, it runs away with his job. He then is forced to try to find another job due to his daughter’s hearing loss. So, he takes passengers to and fro in the Tehran, while collecting secondhand materials. Along with the self-centered city way of life he is forced to see his own selfish ways of living.

While I was watching this film, I kept thinking that it seemed like a documentary. The director may have wanted it to be that way; showing that there is more to Iran than oil. Even then the richness in Karim’s life was shining through to the audience, but not to him. The cinematography was a gateway into this richness. With shots of the full desert holding what would have been Karim’s “gold.” The “gold” may have been the ostrich that escapes and its eggs or Karim’s family. For me, being far from home for the first time, it would be the family. This is also for Karim because family “issues” cause the greed and his self-centered ideas. His daughter’s hearing loss also hits close to home. I, myself, have been deaf in one ear. Unlike the character of the daughter, I had surgery on my left ear to correct the deafness. It was successful but I do know what it feels like to lose a thousand dollars worth of hearing aid. The pain I felt when I lost it in the playground 12 years ago and the way the daughter was handling the situation of hers dropping in the water was the exact same. We did not want to put our families through any financial pain. The lose of her hearing aid is what started the turn if events that make this film. Yet, as you watch it, you start to forget that he is in the city to earn money for the hearing aid. It is not until he talks to his daughter when he leaves Tehran that he begins to realize why he was getting the money in the first place. It all goes back to family, and the bond that they share. Throughout his ordeals, the family is still going on greeting him and loving him through his misfortunes and his triumphs. They love him, no matter what. That is the deserts “gold.” His home, family, and there love for him.

I give this film 4 out of 5 Film Reels