A CHRISTMAS GIFT FROM BOB (2020)

 

A struggling street musician finds himself the target of an animal welfare investigation that threatens to take away his beloved cat at Christmas.

A Christmas Gift From Bob is the sequel to A Street Cat Named Bob, the film adaptation of the popular novelized true story of the same name. Where the original was based on a real story and was faithful to its source material, A Christmas Gift From Bob takes a lot of liberties and carves a new story out of nothing. If we are being totally honest here, it's quite obvious that the story is no longer rooted in truth due to the complete lack of character development and story content.

Bringing back several familiar faces, A Christmas Gift from Bob haphazardly reintroduces everyone with little regard to those who may not have seen the first film or read the book. Luckily, the lack of content in the film also means there is very little to miss. Even without the history and backstory, you can assume where everybody fits into the story. 

It's that backstory that is missing, and the factor that will determine whether you will consider this film okay, or something below average. It's the character development of our protagonist that is completely lacking in this sequel and reduces the effectiveness of several scenes where his personality and actions are talked about but never shown. Nothing is worse for the culmination of your emotional final act than your audience not having any context for any of it. 

That all being said,  A Christmas Gift From Bob still manages to hit all of the cues for suitable emotional manipulation to occur. Whether it be feeling anger towards law enforcement trying to take a beloved pet away from its owner, or the fear and anxiety that comes with a beloved pet getting sick, the fill adequately pulls on the heartstrings or makes the blood boil with ease. Quickly demonstrating who the villains are in the film in the opening scenes, the film is bound to get a response from its audience.

Where the film excels, is in its portrayal of those less fortunate. It looks at those who are poor or homeless and focuses on those little aspects of how minor inconveniences can snowball and become disastrous when you don't have a consistent income. It instils a sense of empathy and sympathy towards those less fortunate and is guaranteed to have more than a few audience members looking at what they can do to help with donations or volunteer work.

This is a small-scale film though. It focuses on the titular ginger cat, Bob, and his owner, and avoids looking at any of the systemic problems or any of the more intriguing twists in the supporting characters' stories. It references how people put spikes on doorways, but the only characters that are shown acting in any way menacingly towards anyone, are the law enforcement agency. Perhaps it is because of the film's need for a clear villain but it avoids going down interesting avenues.

Heartwarming, and likely to invoke sympathy towards those less fortunate, A Christmas Gift From Bob is a Christmas gift for humanity that doesn't make for thrilling viewing, but it certainly still manages to do what it sets out to do; posing as a reminder that giving is more important than receiving, that words can mean more than unnecessary material possessions, and everybody is worthy of basic respect and human decency

A Christmas Gift From Bob is in cinemas from December 3, 2020

Originally posted to: https://djin.nz/Kr8764

THE SOUTH WESTERLIES (2020)

 

This picturesque Irish drama stars Orla Brady (American Horror Story: 1984, Into the Badlands) as a single working mom and environmental consultant hired to go undercover to quash objections to a Norwegian-owned wind farm earmarked for a small town on the southwest coast of Ireland.

I always go on about how there is such a wide variety of entertainment out there, and there is so much brilliant and fascinating stuff if people are willing to look past the American releases and get used to dealing with subtitles. Subtitles are a minor inconvenience that prevents a lot of people from trying new shows and films (just look at the backlash when Parasite won all of the film awards last year). 

That being said, with AcornTV's more European direction with its content, it's somewhat a relief to get to check out a series that is in English. When it comes to binge-watching a series (as is my preferred method of viewing) that lack of subtitles does reduce the work that the brain has to do quite considerably when you consider a minor inconvenience accumulating across several hours. 

The premise itself is intriguing, with a Northern European clean energy company being portrayed in an incredibly underhanded, manipulative, and devious manner. A perspective that feels more in line with that of the fossil fuel industry and the oil lobbyists. Seeing clean and green energy put forward in such a negative manner is peculiar, and it makes you want to see where the series will take this new perspective, and where its justifications lie.

The show itself is comprised of six 50-minute episodes, and where other titles in the Acorn line-up have had the season split into two-episode mini-arcs, The South Westerlies is a straightforward serial drama. There are no real major subplots that are the focal point for an episode or two, all arcs start and culminate at the same place. Outside of the main storyline around lobbying wind farms, there are a couple of other subplots that threaten to derail the principal plot, interestingly they all stem from our main character's past, and involve her son and her ex-best friend. 

The cinematography is enjoyable, playing with a lot of macro photography, panning shots of the scenery, and playing with the depth of field, changing the focal points between characters as they converse. It all helps to keep a constant sense of movement and pacing as the story progresses and keeps everything from becoming flat. The story itself does not lend itself to a lot of action, and the majority of information is shared through conversations, so the use of these visual techniques keeps the show interesting despite what is clearly a pretty predictable storyline.

The acting is adequate for the job, and while there are definitely some upcoming dramatic points that are forecast well in advance, it actually ends up increasing the enjoyment of the show as you keep watching to find out when this incredibly obvious notion will be revealed, and what the fallback will be. As someone who is environmentally aware, the discourse around wind farms and the variety of potential benefits, drawbacks, and avenues for exploitation was refreshing and informative.

Short and sweet, the series is completed pretty quickly. Longer than a feature-length film, but far shorter than your usual 12-26 episode American series, The South Westerlies is an enjoyable jaunt, that goes exactly where you expect it to go, but it's so much fun to watch the drama unfold from the outside looking in.

The South Westerlies premiered exclusively on AcornTV from November 9, 2020

Originally posted to: https://djin.nz/Kr8762

THE MAN ON THE ISLAND (2020)

The story of one man, Colin McLaren, and one tiny island, Rakino in the Hauraki Gulf – off the grid, challenging and stunningly beautiful. The 77-year-old artistic, philosophical and erudite man moved to the remote island thirty years ago. Colin's own path to a reclusive lifestyle unwittingly shines a light on society's plight in a pandemic.

In most circumstances, a documentary will be created to answer a question, as an educational tool for learning about something that would otherwise be out of reach. The Man On The Island has little in the way of narrative direction and is not focused on a person of any great significance. There is, in fact, very little reason or need for this story to be told. A somewhat simple visual autobiography, this is the story of a man who has been living the life we all lived in early 2020, but for the last 40 years; the story of Colin, the man who chose to live a life of social distancing.

2020 has been a tumultuous year that left a lot of people sitting in isolation for six weeks during the COVID-19 lockdown. The economic uncertainties caused by this lockdown have also led to a lot of people being made redundant. As such, 2020 has been the year that has given us the ability to try new things, work on hobbies, and figure out alternative sources of income. This is the life that Colin wanted, and where we have begrudgingly put up with being forced away from consumerism and social culture, he has walked towards it with open arms.

The Man On The Island is a peek behind the curtain and into the mindset of a man who has been through extensive isolation. A somewhat intriguing, but simultaneously bleak look at the costs of solitude. Without any real plumbing, electricity services, or shops, Colin has happily turned away from his previous life and done whatever it takes to continue his isolation. A dedication that originates from some antisocial tendencies, and rough edges that his upbringing failed to smooth over, The Man On The Island follows Colin as he reminisces about every "career" move he made to bring in income and fund his questionable need to escape civilised life.

The literal embodiment of the "my way or the highway" rhetoric, our titular character is heavily opinionated to the extent that his mannerisms mirror the antagonistic behaviour of bigots, and will make Colin a somewhat divisive person. A man that ran away, but continues enjoying the privileges of modern life whilst demeaning and debasing them, nostalgic of the times when he was connected to society, but making little effort to reintroduce himself, Colin feels incomplete. As if he has been searching for something, but he hasn't found it yet.

The documentary itself is largely linear in its chronology, with some gorgeous sweeping shots of Rakino Island, and is composed of interviews with the man himself, and a few acquaintances. The Man On The Island is a low-key exploration of the realities around the dream of living a sustainable life off-grid. The government's regulatory bodies are still involved, and even after decades without a 9-to-5 job to take up his time, his house remains unfinished. A stark reality that there is no magic bullet for life, every decision comes with its own challenges. And the realisation that when we are faced with mini lockdowns and social distancing, it is nothing more than a minor inconvenience.

The Man On The Island is in cinemas from November 26

Originally posted to: https://djin.nz/Kr8761

THE MYSTERY OF DB COOPER (2020)

A mysterious fugitive, a hijacked airplane, and a daring mid-air escape. This is the extraordinary, real-life tale of one of the greatest unsolved heists in American history and a case that has taunted the FBI for decades. There are four possible suspects; each account is gripping and highly plausible. But who is telling the truth, who is lying, and – ultimately – who is DB Cooper?

This documentary claims to want to uncover the truth about D.B. Cooper, the man who boarded a plane in 1971, hijacked the flight, got a $200,000 ransom, and then escaped mid-flight and was never seen again. The case is fantastic at piquing your curiosity. Something that would have a practically zero chance of happening in the modern-day, but in the '70s when there was minimal airport security? The skies are the limit. 

Except for the fact that The Mystery of DB Cooper isn't a straightforward mystery. There isn't a large amount of evidence that can be used to eliminate potential answers until only one answer remains. In fact, one would struggle to call this an investigative piece by any definition of the word. The documentary's narrative structure is comprised of four testimonies of friends/family/acquaintances who claim they know someone that they thought was DB Cooper. These four pieces of anecdotal evidence are intertwined along with pieces of dramatic reenactments.

With the amount of hearsay and circumstantial "evidence", the dramatic reenactments are the only piece of this mixed bag of stories that feels remotely engaging. It is the portion that the start of the documentary should have focused on. Cut out all the jumping to and fro, put forward a linear reenactment that is as accurate as possible according to the information known, from start to finish, and then move onto potential speculation as to what happened and who DB Cooper is. 

As a non-American, I know very little about this case. Despite it being the greatest unsolved heist that was supposedly being investigated for 45 years by the FBI, outside of the States, this isn't common knowledge. Occasionally a photo of some damaged money will be shared online with a synopsis about an unsolved hijacking but for the larger international audiences (especially the younger generations), there is no reason for them to know this one. The Mystery of DB Cooper would have very much benefitted from a greater setup and development of the case initially.

What the documentary does do, is look at a different question. DB Cooper was a single person, so why are there multiple people claiming to be DB Cooper? What is it about this case that has people so intrigued that they would lie about being a hijacker? "The Mystery of the Multiple DB Coopers" takes cursory glances at the circumstantial evidence, such as people at a party thinking someone has a similar facial structure to a drawing or a partner with an unknown past that has a history of lies and deceit uncovered. The empirical evidence simply doesn't stack up convincingly and feels wishy-washy.

Everything is simply speculation, and without a strong narrative direction, The Mystery of DB Cooper feels more akin to a scrapbook where most of the photos and articles have been replaced with doodles by a toddler. If you enjoy your Animal Planet and History Channel shows about Mermaids, Aliens, and Bigfoot, then this will be right up your alley. If you want to learn new things and uncover the truth about what happened, The Mystery of DB Cooper provides more questions than answers.

The Mystery of D.B Cooper is in cinemas from December 3, 2020

MADE IN ITALY (2020)

 

A London artist and his estranged son try to mend their relationship as they work together to repair a dilapidated house in Italy.

Two Liam Neeson films are in the cinemas at the same time and you get to pick between the action-thriller Honest Thief or the romance-comedy Made in Italy. 

Made in Italy is the feature film directorial debut for James D'Arcy. If that name sounds familiar, it could potentially be from his role as Howard Stark's butler, Edwin Jarvis, in Avengers: Endgame and the Agent Carter television series. Whether it be because of D'Arcy's inexperience as a director, Liam Neeson in what is essentially a rom-com, or because of the confounding historical similarities that this story has Made in Italy simply falls flat, never developing its characters enough to create that bond of relatability with the audience.

I mention historical similarities because this film stars Liam Neeson and his son, Micheál Richardson, who lost their respective wife and mother, Natasha Richardson, after an unfortunate collision. Made in Italy appears to be inspired somewhat by this tragedy, putting Neeson and Richardson in a scenario where their characters are grieving the loss of their character's wife and mother respectively. Whether morbid or cathartic, it is an uncomfortable parallel that is made worse by poor acting and a lack of genuine emotional responses.

"There was an attempt" is the phrase that keeps coming to mind. The film plays with the concepts of broken families, toxic masculinity, emotional blocks, and social isolation, but never really delves into any of them in enough depth to be of worth. Liam Neeson has an opportunity to shed the expectations of masculinity that have been hoisted upon him since Taken, and yet he has the emotional range of Kristen Stewart back in the Twilight days. There was an attempt to show sincerity and to provide the actors with the opportunity to say things that maybe they could not say in real life regarding their own past, but everything comes across as being withheld. Restrained and repressed. 

The scenery is gorgeous but never comes across as a part of the story. The red tiles and clay of the villas, the vibrant greens of the shrubbery, and yet it barely registers as part of the film. It could have been set in any location with minimal changes to the storyline needed. This is a drama between Neeson and Richardson's characters, that happens to take place in Italy, and has a side plot of romance to keep the pace of the film moving. 

With middling cinematography, a meandering narrative, and mediocre acting, Made in Italy relies heavily on awkward humour and explicit language to distract the audience from how benign and middle-of-the-road the story is. There will be a few laughs, but it has little to do with the plot and is largely predictable (except for a few jump scares that elicited a few literal screams from other members of the audience). A safe watch, but not an overly entertaining one.

Made in Italy is in cinemas from November 19, 2020

Originally posted to: https://djin.nz/Kr8744

FATMAN (2020)

 

To save his declining business, Chris Cringle, also known as Santa Claus, is forced into a partnership with the U.S. military. Making matters worse, Chris gets locked into a deadly battle of wits against a highly-skilled assassin, hired by a precocious 12-year-old, after receiving a lump of coal in his stocking.

After watching The Professor And The Madman, the "thrilling" story of James Murray (Mel Gibson) trying to write the world's first dictionary, it seemed that Gibson's acting career was well and truly past its prime, and looking for a place to die in peace. It does put him in an interesting transitioning position where he can take on any role regardless of any roles he has previously been typecast in. It's a sad kind of freedom that allows an actor who has had their reputation tarnished, to create something extraordinary; a diamond in the rough, as they say.

Fatman is not the next Citizen Kane by any standard, but a surprisingly hilarious piece nonetheless. Catering to those who have a soft spot for self-deprecating humour, Fatman is the modern-day response to all of the questions and critiques that come from the fantastical stories of Santa Claus. An engaging experience that keeps you laughing despite an extremely simple plot. 

It builds and expands on the traditional magical lore that we were all brought up on; looking at how the elves have become so efficient (diet and sleep patterns), how Santa manages to fund this toy-making venture, how the behaviour of the bad boys and girls around the world affect Santa's mental health. Tastefully choosing whether it will ground itself in reality or continue using magic to explain it, Eshom and Ian Nelms's script manages to keep you guessing throughout the film as we sneak a peek behind the curtain at the North Pole. 

 

Only two characters really find themselves worthy of note with respect to the casting choices and that comes in the form of the Skinnyman (played by Walter Goggins) and the Fatman (played by Mel Gibson). Gibson manages to pull off the worn and weary, disengaged personality trait with ease, portraying a man who has lost faith in his work. A kind man, that has slowly been worn down by a world turning against him. Goggins, on the other hand, is delightfully one-note. Like the love child of The Shining's Jack Nicholson with Dr Seuss' The Grinch, from his appearance to his mannerisms, Goggins puts on an awkwardly curious performance that keeps the pace consistently moving forward.

Now what really works about this film, is its acceptance of violence. Long have adults been trying to find a Christmas film that isn't part of the children's genre. Long have there been debates as to whether Die Hard is a Christmas film, and thus be suitable to watch Bruce Willis shooting terrorists on Christmas Eve. Now we have Fatman, a film that takes place around Christmas, which includes Chris Cringle and his wife, a sweatshop of elves, but more importantly, fights to the death, automatic weapons, grenades, and bombs. 

Coming in at 100 minutes running time, there is not a lot of time for complicated plots. Even so, Fatman is a great example of minimalism; a plot that could be explained with one sentence, that has no real surprises. It could be so easy to be bored by such a film, but it is self-aware enough to develop the lore to an extent that will tickle your funny bone and keep that twinkle in your eye. 

It's mediocre in story but manages enough laughs that you don't question it too much. There is a lot of potential that remains untapped, and I'm hoping that could lead to a bloodier sequel, as the ethical quandaries start to pile up.

Fatman is in cinemas from November 19, 2020

Originally posted to: https://djin.nz/Kr8745

CHARLATAN (2020)

 

The breathtaking story of a man gifted with exceptional abilities set against the background of the events of the totalitarian fifties.

As a person who has a strong belief in science, the idea of a biographical film that revolves around a man capable of diagnosing a patient from their urine, knowing only their sex and age, well, it feels absolutely preposterous. The premise alone is enough to draw an audience in, to find out whether this man was, in fact, a charlatan (i.e. a con artist), or whether he was actually knowledgeable enough to be able to detect the effects of disease and ill health on a vial of urine (not unlike what lab testing does for us today).

The third film to come from director Agnieszka Holland in the last four years (after Mr. Jones and Spoor), Charlatan brings an apparent shift towards a more mainstream Hollywood atmosphere and formula. Whilst the story and persons involved are distinctly central European, Charlatan falls in a similar vein of film genre to that of Radioactive and The Current War; happily dancing along the line of glorifying the main character to superhero status, while throwing in the odd controversial issue here and there to keep things interesting.

Charlatan is the story of Jan Mikolášek, a herbalist who literally made a living by diagnosing people by looking at their urine. Whether this was actually true or not, is not something that is ultimately covered by the film. There is no definitive answer from Marek Epstein's script. While it is certainly used as the main drawcard, the film places more significance on his apparent homosexuality (unverified), his manipulative survival instincts, and the political landscapes that he has had to navigate to provide services to as many people as he has. 

If one were to take a leap of faith and believe the unverified facts that the screenplay puts forward, Charlatan is a deeply intriguing film, about a truly gifted man who simply made enemies with the wrong people.

With that perspective of ignoring historical accuracy, and looking at the film from a purely narrative standpoint, the only real downside to the film comes from its non-linear direction, with the majority of the film taking place in extensive flashbacks. The current-day storyline is short and serves as nothing more than a narrative device for explaining the various jumps through time as we learn about how Mikolášek got to where he is. 

From a cinematography side of things, the film is well shot, in a traditional style that fits in with the period in which the film is based, but also uses clearly defined colour palettes to separate the two timelines; the present day in dreary greys and shadows, whereas the highlights of Mikolášek's life are treated as such, with plenty of light, and bright colours.

While Charlatan brings the topic of alternative healing to the forefront, Epstein (pun not intended) attempts to balance the scales of karma by shining light on the more self-serving and manipulative facets of Mikolášek's character (if it was indeed accurate). Intentionally cruel to his family, dividing a marriage and forcing abortions to prevent attention from being taken away from him, there is a narcissistic trend that makes you hate the man, despite being in awe of his talents.

An interesting story, as are most stories of discovery in early science and medicine, but one that could have benefited from a more linear storyline, and more explanations for events (such as the kittens...). The intrigue of the first act sets a standard that the remainder of the film is unable to live up to, and you are left sitting there in your seat, wondering where the satisfying end of the film was.

A tale of manipulation, illegal homosexual activity, uncontrolled medicinal treatments, and political unrest, Charlatan is certainly better than average with respect to content, but with so much emphasis placed on the side plots, the structure and accuracy leave you wanting more.  

Charlatan is in cinemas from November 12, 2020