Under The Radar: Dai-Nipponjin

Though it will probably be a good deal longer before U.S. audiences get the chance to see Dai-Nipponjin (it only recently premiered in its native Japan), if the ecstatic early word is any indication, Hitoshi Matsumoto's absurdist mockumentary, an official selection at this years Cannes Film Festival (in the Directors' Fortnight section), is a film that should be on your radar.

The plot follows a struggling, working-class man who also happens to be "an electrically charged, skyscraper-high superhero saddled with misfortune, bad press and even worse TV ratings." The film's official site is fully functional, and with a bit of digging, you can find a trailer. Although it isn't subtitled, it really communicates the odd, dry sense of humor. This is certainly something I will be following. Films like this are an especially good reason to own a region free DVD player.

Official Site w/trailer

Reviews:
Variety
Twitch
Japan Times

*"Under The Radar" is an ongoing series highlighting lesser known/lower profile films (old and new alike) that I haven't yet seen, but, based on other factors (what I have read/the talent involved, etc...), seem interesting and of merit. Hopefully, this will spark interest/awareness in these films and lead to discussion.

Tropical Malady (Weerasethakul, 2004)

Weerasethakul’s spellbinding magical realist fable, with its bipartite structure, counterposes a contemporary tale with a traditional Thai folktale. A love story both gentle and savage, Tropical Malady has an elusive, beautiful grace about it that makes it simultaneously difficult to grasp and tantalizing to experience. Weerasethakul renders his film with a pensive, quietly observant eye, belying the fact that there is much going on beneath the surface (the intersection of diverse forms of storytelling is particularly interesting), though part of me is inclined to believe he would prefer this work to be felt rather than analyzed.

Catch A Fire (Noyce, 2006)

A blend of the differing sensibilities Noyce brought to The Quiet American and Patriot Games, Catch a Fire deserves more attention than it has received. At times Noyce hems a bit too close to formula, to familiar tropes, and when he does the film suffers, but apart from a few noticeable missteps, this is a finely tuned, intelligent and riveting work, lying somewhere between docudrama and thriller. Noyce leans towards the latter, and the film moves with a vibrant energy and sense of urgency. The inevitable trade-off however, is that the film feels disingenuous at times, a little too simple and neat.


The film charts apartheid era freedom fighter Patrick Chamusso's transformation from apolitical man to armed activist with the appropriate brio, but we aren't given deeper insight into the complex psychological processes that must have accompanied such a transformation. This isn't to say that the film is simplistic. Credit must be given to Noyce and screenwriter Shawn Slovo, who imbue both Chamusso and the film's antagonist, played (a bit too subtly) by Tim Robbins, with moral ambiguity and human nuance. They never allow the film to become as straightforward as "Chamusso: Good, Whites: Bad." Ultimately though, this is Derek Luke's film, and his charismatic performance is good enough to counterbalance the film's weaker points. Luke immerses himself in the character of Chamusso and is able to communicate much of the character's psychology through his eyes and physical gestures. It is a forceful and commanding performance, and anchors the entire film.

Van Sant's "Acid Test"

According to Variety, Gus Van Sant will direct the film of Tom Wolfe's iconic novel The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test. Wolfe's novel documents the LSD fueled 1964 cross-country road trip of One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest author/counterculture icon Ken Kesey and his friends, the Merry Pranksters. Although I have never read the novel cover to cover, I came across it numerous times throughout my undergraduate studies at NYU. It has attained iconic status as a key text in the realm of literary journalism dubbed "new journalism." It will be interesting to see how Van Sant's ethereal, semi-improvisational tonality, which has marked his masterful recent work, from the loose trilogy of Gerry, Elephant and Last Days, to his recent Cannes prize-winning Paranoid Park, reacts with Wolfe's work. This has instantly become a project to watch.

Ken Kesey & the Merry Pranksters @ Wikipedia
New Journalism @ Wikipedia

Ocean's Thirteen (Soderbergh, 2007)

A breezy, lightweight affair (the most blithe revenge film in recent memory), convoluted and lacking any real substance, with about as much in common with reality as a superhero film. Yet in spite of this, or perhaps because of this, Ocean’s Thirteen remains a slickly entertaining “surface level” piece of work for the duration of its runtime. As in the previous entries of the series, style is the substance here and Soderbergh has fun taking the film to the heights of ridiculousness. The cast is obviously in on the joke and watching Clooney and his fraternity of actors coast through the proceedings is enjoyable. And although we aren’t left with much of anything to reflect on, it is fun while it lasts. As far as summer escapism goes, a far better and more satisfying experience than Spider-Man 3.

The Trailer Compendium: Vol. 7

Peter Yates's film is a minor masterpiece of its genre, a gritty, street-level crime film filled with fantastic dialogue, and performances to match (especially Robert Mitchum). I am constantly amazed that a film as good as this one still hasn't been given a proper DVD release. A bootleg DVD exists (from a VHS source) and although the quality is poor, if you can find this film, watch it!

The Friends Of Eddie Coyle (1973):

Back From Vacation

I've just returned from my brief excursion to the south of France, so beginning today, Direct Cinema is back on track. The posts will probably start slowly, but in a couple of days, I'll be back at full strength.