Nothing But Bruges

I haven't had much to blog about lately. Or rather, I can't talk about the things I'd really like to blog about and the other recent developments (like, say, going to the dentist) aren't worth going into. I suppose I could talk about the GSL but I seem to change my mind every other day. That's why I'm going to let my thoughts gel before I say anything more.

I did finally see In Bruges and it is a fine movie indeed. Since it tells the story of two buddy hitmen, many reviewers have called it Tarantino-esque. That is lazy criticism in my opinion. Other than some basic elements, In Bruges has little to do with Tarantino's work and that's good. It tells its own story and tells it well. Brendan Gleeson is terrific as the older, more world-weary assassin. In Bruges is well worth checking out if you haven't.

Charlie Wilson's War

Before No Country for Old Men I saw a preview of an upcoming film called Charlie Wilson's War, based on the book of the same name. The trailer perplexed me. The movie is being marketed as one of those classic Hollywood "plucky visionary bucks the system" stories. Tom Hanks plays Charlie Wilson, a Democratic congresman from Texas who was instrumental in arming the mujahadeen in the wake of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Some people credit him with ending the Cold War, which makes him a funny subject for a Mike Nichols film scripted by Aaron Sorkin. I'm curious to see what kind of spin the film has because frankly from the previews I don't get it.

There have been far reaching effects of the Afghan war that continue to haunt us to this day. So many of America's current problems can be traced back to that conflict. America fostered Islamic radicalism by training and arming the mujahadeen, and this led directly to the rise Osama bin Laden and his ilk. So when I see a movie that seemingly celebrates the guy who pushed forward policy that backfired so disastrously, I have to scratch my head. My hope is that the film is smarter than its marketing but I must admit I am wary of Charlie Wilson's War.

Sympathy for the Underdog

I watched Sympathy for the Underdog by director Kinji Fukasaku (who would direct Battle Royale 30 years later) on Sunday and I’m glad I did. If you like crime dramas, this 1971 yakuza flick is a winner. It’s about a Yokohama gang that loses its turf to a big Tokyo outfit. The leader, Ginja, spends 10 years in prison. When he gets out, he puts the gang back together and heads to Okinawa. There, he says, it’s like the post-war days. A small outfit can still carve out territory and make a killing. This they do, going up against local Okinowan gangs trying to defend their own turf. Ultimately, of course, the Tokyo boys come calling once they realize there’s money to be made. The smart play for Genji’s gang is to take the bribe money and leave. The honorable thing to do is to stand tough and try to take vengeance for their betrayal in Yokohama, even if it means they all die. Can you guess which path they choose?

The movie has a great sense of time and place. The American naval base on Okinawa is an important part of the plot and this western influence is accentuated with a bluesy soundtrack. Genji’s sunglass wearing badass is a precursor to Chow Yun-Fat’s Mark Gor in A Better Tomorrow, and you can certainly see Fukasaku’s influence on Kill Bill. If you are ready to get your yakuza on, Sympathy for the Underdog is a great choice.

I Love Trouble

We’ve had a heat warning here in Seattle for the past couple of days. Supposedly it’s going to top 100 today. Tuesday nights are usually game night but we called it yesterday because many folks were out of town or unavailable. Rather than sit around a hot house, Nik and I decided to take advantage of the Noir film festival running at the SIFF Theater this month. We saw a film from 1948 called I Love Trouble. This is one of those lost movies that disappeared into a studio vault after its release. It was never released on VHS or DVD and only recently was the studio convinced to dig it out so it could be shown at festivals like this. Eddie Muller, author of Dark City: The Lost World of Film Noir, was on hand to talk about the film and give a little background on the author of the screenplay and the novel on which it’s based. His name was Roy Huggins. He started as a yet another crime author knocking off Raymond Chandler, but went on to have a lengthy career in TV. He created such shows as 77 Sunset Strip, Maverick, and Baretta. The film was a lot of fun. It is indeed Chandler-esque but it never takes itself too seriously. You might even call it a noir-comedy, as it was full of great banter and zingers. Muller warned the audience beforehand that they shouldn’t try to make sense of the plot, but I’m not sure why. I followed it just fine and it made sense to me. Anyway, I Love Trouble was an enjoyable romp and should it show at a festival near you, I recommend checking it out.