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Reviews
A Man's Story (2010)
Brief view of a fashion genius
Osvald Boateng is a self-made man in a world based on connections and wealth. Osvald's god-given talent, drive, and singular drive to succeed as a men's tailor on Savile Row is a fascinating story.
This movie doesn't tell much about Ozwald's beginnings being raised in London by parents from Ghana. Included is one sentence from his mother telling how as a child he taught himself how to construct suits at home with sheets of brown paper cluttering the apartment. The movie tells the story of Ozvald after he's already become famous, then loses his first foothold in the fashion business as well as his first wife, only to meet another muse/wife who gives him the confidence to rebuild another fantastic empire. He's a brilliant talent in the most meticulous Savile Row tailoring techniques, but mixes up the classic cashmere, gabardine & chalk stripes w/dazzling jewel toned fabrics stimulated by his Afrocentricity and color genius & creates the most exquisite men's clothing imaginable.
I had already seen his stunning menswear before I saw this movie, and knew he was an extraordinary talent. However I never knew much about how difficult it is to sustain an empire such as the one he built from dazzling talent and sheer guts. He was the first black designer on Savile Row. The prejudice he must have faced is barely mentioned in this movie. He jokes about how he turned it around to his advantage when he was the only black man in Red Square when he visited Russia with his second wife.
He dresses Prince Charles, Hollywood nouveau riche brothers like Forest Whitaker & Jamie Foxx and Dubai billionaires in the finest and coolest threads a man can buy. His men's wear shows in Paris and London are unreal spectacles of glamour with gorgeous men of all races walking around in clothing out of a dream world. However, behind the scenes, you get to experience Ozwald's frustration and chaos when there are power failures and no lights on the runway, promoters that won't let his crews begin work until deposit checks arrive, etc. He briefly discusses his horrendous struggles w/bankers in a perilously cutthroat business. One season, his entire collection was stolen by "burglars". He's a workaholic, and his beautiful Russian model wife eventually gets lonely since he's never around, and cheats on him which breaks his heart, and thus, he divorces again.
This is a fascinating documentary of a one-of-a-kind character. I wish it was longer. I'd love to see footage of his childhood, where he grew up and taught himself to sew. I'd love to see interviews with people who knew him when he first broke into the fashion business. This kind of drive is so rare, it's mesmerizing to watch this man who started as the least likely character one could imagine to compete with the likes of Giorgio Armani become a respected peer and icon at the top of the profession where as a child he dreamed he belonged. He literally made his dream come true, but the cost was his personal relationships. His children will probably do just fine. Amazing story. Great movie.
Gururi no koto (2008)
Outstanding slice of life view of modern Japan
Director obviously studied masters like Godard, Antonioni, Cassavetes, Sirk and Polanski.
Film pace is like Ozu, in that director slowly unravels much of story in real time. So viewer feels like a character at a table sipping tea, waits impatiently for an elevator, stares in a mirror at oneself bewildered or simply passes time with the players in the film.
Brilliant sound editing during languid intervals. Cutlets sizzle in a fry pan, water runs in a sink, tea water bubbles and boils, soft warm breath exhales hot soup. Distinct sounds create atmosphere. Carl Jung wrote that smells evoke the most profound memories, but since that's not possible in a movie, sound subliminally provokes similar strong memory response.
The story details several years in a marriage between two artists who struggle to find a satisfying way to earn a living, deal with the tragic loss a baby, and interpersonal relationships with family, friends, employers, co-workers, in a rapidly changing society in which we are all forced to adjust in no matter what part of the globe we live. Universal issues.
That's why this movie works.
Brilliant in all aspects. The acting is so real you often feel as if you are watching a documentary.
When watching foreign movies, I always take with a grain of salt the translated subtitles, but, although I don't know Japanese, the translator has a fantastic grasp of American slang.
What does not need translating is the shot selection, the framing of actors' silent responses. Editing is as much a part of the storytelling as the dialogue. Job well done.
Exceptionally well-made movie that shows a fascinating slice of modern life in Japan. Women wear jeans and hoodies these days, people. Yet Japanese culture is still bound with rigid and complex traditions that few Westerners can begin to understand. To watch the modern Japanese characters cope with these traditions in the modern world is something rebellious artistic types anywhere can relate to no matter in what language or into whatever culture one was born.
Presented by the Sundance Channel. Thanks, Sundance! Thanks Mr. Redford! I'm a film nut, but I'd never heard of this outstanding film. Hope more people in the West have the opportunity to see it, as it's a great, great movie.
P. S. Film is based on a novel, so credit for story must also go to novelist. :)
Justin Bieber: Never Say Never (2011)
the phenomenon named Justin Bieber
I've studied classical music and jazz all my life. I love pop music, worked in the music industry, & have been lucky enough to see many great acts over the years including Hendrix, the Doors, Janis Jopllin, Rolling Stones, Tina Turner, Sinatra, Aretha, Stevie Wonder, Steve Winwood, Teddy Pendergrass, George Jones, Stevie Ray Vaughn, James Brown, Prince, Michael Jackson, and many more.
After seeing NSN3D, to my mind to state on the internet that Justin Bieber has "no talent" is madness. Everyone in entitled to an opinion, but to my eyes & ears Justin is one of the most natural performers to ever hit a stage. This film documents how a cherubic kid with no formal training, no musicians in his family, & hailing from a tiny town in the middle of Canada (hardly a hotbed of music action), lands in Atlanta where he drums, strums & sings his way into music history. One of the songs he wrote at age 15 has been viewed nearly 500 million times on YouTube. Half a billion? That's only one of his songs. Mindbogging.
This documentary movie is cleverly constructed as a rags to riches saga. Justin is portrayed as a workaholic, precociously shrewd, preternaturally inspired & occasionally mischievous teenage superstar.
There is much phenomenal concert footage. This kid is no fluke. He commands the stage as well as any performer I've ever seen.
I left the theater wondering how Justin is really doing psychologically and emotionally. There is a brief interview with Miley Cyrus where she comes across as burned out, completely jaded & overworked by the Disney machine, but smart enough to appreciate the money. She knows she's set for life, but appears truly bitter to have paid with a piece of her soul.
You have to wonder how Justin will be able to process what's happening to him. With his massive global success there is, of course, a certain amount of backlash which is not shown in the film, but has certainly shown up on IMDb in the reviews & rating of the movie, which I don't understand. If you don't like the phenomenon, why not simply stay away or watch something you enjoy instead? The infantile bashing of a kid who was born to entertain is nonsensical.
That said, it's been reported that the Biebs earned $100 million last year through the merchandising & marketing of his brand w/o middlemen @Disney or Nickleodeon to take a massive chunk from the Bieber coffers. Nice. That should cushion JB from snide internet bashers, but also create a boatload of other problems few of us will ever remotely comprehend. After the box office receipts from this movie are tallied up, Mr. B. will have enough money to do whatever he wants forever. All accomplished while still too young to buy a beer.
It will be interesting to see where Justin goes from here, and if he is able to remain grounded & stable enough to continue his career. He'll still want to entertain people as he was born to do, but will have to reinvent himself as he grows older. In the meantime, this documentary will stand in time as testament to a legitimate phenomenon.