Lone Star

There was more meat in this film than anticipated, but part of that may be due to the inclusion of the DVD special features (basically two interviews).  John Sayles conceived this idea and Texas supplied the material.

In an early part we find a teacher giving the broad outlines of Texas history that included conquests, treachery and slavery.  Contrasted with an argument between whites and Mexicans in a school board meeting.  The town itself has a split between whites and Mexicans with a few blacks that mostly are the result of a military base.  The Mexicans are not homogeneous by any means with varying amounts of Spanish conqueror blood and indigenous.and a desire to assimilate or retain their culture.

The story is about how the 1957 past pops up in the 1996 present.  A skeleton is uncovered and is identified as a previous sheriff.  The current sheriff realizes that the killer may have been his father and nevertheless begins an intense search.

In this search some secrets are uncovered.  Some of them surprising and one quite shocking.  There are links from the past and we can understand racial tensions have eased somewhat.  We see evil characters and a few good ones.  It helps explain a little bit of the current Texan culture where the European whites try to maintain dominance.  The film uses technology to illustrate the changes and that history is part of the present.

A quote from one of the interviews is referring to Roger Ebert saying movies make for empathy. The last line of the movie I believe sums up the feeling of creator John Sayles "Forget the Alamo".

A lot of talented people  made this such a memorable film.  Here are some key ones.

John Sayles was writer, director and editor.  He was an independent film maker as he wanted to have control over his subject.  On a film 15 years prior to this one he had visited the Alamo during a protest for the John Wayne movie where he started forming his opinions.  For each speaking character he would write a little biography so they would have background material.  He has 24 credits as director, 38 as writer and 30 as an actor including  "Matewan" (1987) and "Eight Men Out" (1988).  A quote "When we say 'we" how big a 'we" do we mean.  The United States Constitution has a small 'we'."

Maggie Renzi, producer met John Sayles while both attended Williams College and since then they not only partner, but also live together.  She has 18 producer credits and 11 as actress including "Matewan" (1987) and "Eight Men Out" (1988).  She was involved in crew selection and casting.  She was noted for taking good care of the extras.

Mason Daring provided the music with a heavy Tex Mex sound.  He has 29 music department and 85 composing credits including "Frontline" (1983-2024), "Eight Men Out" (1988) and "Something's Got to Give" (2003).

Stuart Dryburgh, the cinematographer was raised in New Zealand where he gained experience.  He was selected for this film by Maggie Renzi who spotted him at the Sundance Film Festival.  One of his remarkable feats was transitioning from the past to the present where the camera was shifted from one background scene to another without a cut, i.e. seamlessly.  He has 57 credits as a cinematographer and another 12 for the camera and electrical department.  Films include "The Piano" (1993), "Once Were Warriors" (1993), "The Painted Veil" (2006) "No Reservations" (2007), "The Upside" (2017), "New Amsterdam" (2018) and "West Side Story" (2021). 

Chris Cooper played the present day sheriff Sam Deeds.  While a set builder at a community theatre he was a last minute substitute in a play.  He has 77 acting credits, 2 as director and one as producer.  Films include  "Matewan" (1987),  "A Time to Kill" (1996), "The Horse Whisperer" (1998), "Capote" (2006), "Remember Me" (2010),  "The Company You Keep" (2012), "August:  Osage County" (2013 )and "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" (2019).

Elizabeth Pena played Pilar the romantic lead with a Mexican background.  Her Cuban parents had set up an Hispanic theatre group and Elizabeth got started with it  She spent time with repertory theatre   She has 104 film credits including "La Bamba" (1987) and "Rush Hour" (1998).  She was a founder of the Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors.

Kris Kristofferson played Sheriff Charlie Wade, a racist evil man.  To many of us Kris is more famous as song writer and performer.  A big breakthrough for his song career was piloting a helicopter into the yard  of Johnny Cash to offer a song which was later recorded.  Eventually he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.  Before all that he was a Rhodes Scholar and was also an army ranger captain.  He has 120 credits as actor and 6 as film composer.  His films include  "Blood & Orchids" (1986) and "Payback" (1999).

Matthew McConaughey played Buddy Deeds, the father of Sam.  He was in student films and commercials before breaking into Hollywood.  He has 79 acting credits, 7 as producer and 2 as a director.  His credits include "Contact" (1987),  "A Time to Kill" (1996) "Amistad" (1997), "Free State of Jones" (2016), after 2019 took time off to break away from romantic comedies "The Lincoln Lawyer" (2011),  "Mud" (2012), "Dallas Buyers Club" (2013 for which he lost 47 pounds), "Interstellar" (2014). "Gold" (2017and "Serenity" (2019).  Check http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2017/09/free-state-of-jones.html

Joe Morton played the colonel at the military base whose father was a town resident.  He has 139 acting credits including "Speed" (1994) and "Scandal" (2012).

Miriam Colon played the mother of Pilar.  She founded the Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre of New York City.  She has 115 film credits including "The Appaloosa" (1966) and "Better Call Saul" (2015).   

Frances McDormand played an ex wife.  She earned a BA in theatre at Bethany College and then a MFA from Yale.  She maintained a relationship with theatre winning a Tony Award.  She married her director, Joel Coen and has collaborated with Joel and Ethan Coen on films.  She has won three Oscars for acting and one as a producer and has also won an Emmy Award.   She has 68 credits as an actress as well as 5 for producing.  She has added an inclusion rider to her film contracts which requires an equitable diversity in cast and crew.  Her films include:  "Miller's Crossing" (1990), "Fargo" (1996), "Primal Fear" (1996) "The Promised Land" (2012), "Moonrise Kingdom" (2012), "Olive Kitteridge" (2014), "Three Billboards Outisde Ebbing Missouri" (2017) "Nomadland" (2021) and "Women Talking" (2023).

Aside from an enjoyable movie this has been an educational experience. 

As usual I have bolded the first mention of films I have seen.

What keeps me blogging. (and what I have learned)

If you thought as a blogger I must think myself clever, you'd be right.  If you also thought maybe I like  to widen the platform for my opinions that is also true.  Vanity plays a big role but my motivation goes much deeper than that.  As I get older my memory fades.  I want to understand and remember the good times.  Learn from my mistakes and unhappy times. It challenges my brain--I don't post a blog every day, but I do write, edit, research every day.  One thing I would add is that blogging is FUN.

Birthdays can be transitional and reflective.  Originally my daughter Heather set me up with this blogging site on a birth day, but for over a year I avoided it, mainly for technophobia.  I do love writing so I did give in to the urge and then fell in love with the idea.  Through a mix up mostly on my part the annual dues did not get paid.  My old title had been made inaccessible, but worse than that, instead the owners set it up as a porno site.  From that experience my education advanced a little and communications improved. 

I have always had a few missions, but that they have changed with circumstances.  1).  I was a salesman when I started and at that time wanted to reinforce what I had learned, realizing that in truth everyone is a salesperson. 2) to boost world understanding by promoting sub-titled movies--stumbled on this after discovering the pleasures and then realizing that we all make assumptions about other cultures, especially ones far away--subtitled movies are really a small tool in the effort to understand others, but it is an underused tool and can be very enjoyable.  3).  politics are boring for most people, but the reality is the end results have a controlling effect on our lives--Proportional representatives seems to be the most practical way for average voters to take back some of the control lost to first past the post--but if not educated, largely wasted   4) Trump has been  a topic by himself.  Myself and many cartoonists will have to find another subject that draws as much attention.  Even after the election he will be causing problems and the afterwards there may be years of court cases.   5).  Understand myself and others better.  Humans are an odd combination and you of course can pick and choose--but if you are bored it might hit a nerve.    

A few random thoughts:

My vanity takes a bit of a beating when I realize that a high percentage of page views are really robots and many others are just casual peeks, often by mistake.  Not sure how Google works, but understand the more popular they think you are the higher ranking your blog will appear when one of your tag words is requested.  You don't get many page views if your blog is ranked on page 2 or higher.

One long term strategy was to review my blogs with the idea of editing.  I try not on principle to "update" any post.  If someone stumbles on one of my blogs I want it to run as smoothly as possible.  To encourage more stumbling I look for more relevant tags that might be of common interest.  Another strategy is use links for other blog posts--often the best measure if someone actually read the first blog.  Sometimes if there is a follow up blog afterwards I give a link so the reader will know the latest development and my updated thinking without burying the original thoughts.   

I have been pleasantly surprised using the name of a non celebrity would occasionally draw attention--once from a child hood barber, a woman I worked with, and once with an acquaintance who helped me appreciate horses.

As I research, analyze my life I am constantly learning, something satisfying in itself.  Organizing your thoughts, researching and actually writing help to enrich one's understanding and sometimes even change my mind.  The challenge of sequencing words and stringing together ideas to make a point.

Blogs open you to criticism.  There is no idea that cannot be challenged and all too often not in an intelligent, considerate way.  I admit to sometimes trying to be provocative and also realize my range of interests do not exactly coincide with most people, making us all unique.  I occasionally do change my mind and frequently modify my thinking.  As a salesman I recognize it is almost impossible to get someone to "change" their mind, but sometimes they will modify their opinion with some new information.

One questions who, what, where, how and why?  Why did I select a movie or a book?  Was it totally random?  Some of my blogs are a spur of the moment--something big (in my mind) has occurred and I realize facts are still emerging, but I want to record how I feel with existing facts.  I don't feel I have been too far off years afterwards, but do admit that more analysis takes time

Yes, I am aware that my thoughts are not original.  I believe all new ideas are just rearrangements of old ideas or ideas off the beaten path.  Most readers have seen very similar thoughts expressed in very similar ways, but sometimes a reminder enables one to get back on the path or maybe cast a small doubt-- aggregating opinions and facts is common.  Roger Ebert-- a movie lover and critic was one inspiration.  I think his interest in trying to understand the world manifested itself in a love of understanding movies.  He earned a platform and used it to express political and social views.

To generate more interest in my blogs I have developed the use of inter links to direct interested readers to another relevant blog.  It sometimes assures me that somebody read the first blog enough to reach the link.  Here is an example:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2020/06/what-sub-titles-offer-you.html

My posts are popular enough that the odd comments happen, but not popular enough that they attract trolls.   Pretty well all positive and appreciative.  I read other blogs, often political and encounter toxic comments.  Too many are inflammatory, bigoted, ignorant, etc.  It is ok to gain some understanding of an opposing viewpoint, but many complainers show little respect for bloggers who have the courage to articulate views and make themselves a target.  Constructive comments are always welcome.

Privacy is a touchy issue. I have no desire to embarrass anyone (well no one I actually know). I realize there are literally millions who don't share my views and in fact would hold them against me if they had the power.  There is a part of me not in these blogs--the part I want to remember and be remembered for is mostly here.

The world may or may not be better off as more bloggers catch the bug.  By allowing an outlet many bloggers find some benefit to venting.  We all see things from a limited perspective and we all benefit when we can expand that perspective.  While taking a nite course years ago I encountered a young accountant whose passion was drag racing which seemed incomprehensible to me.  He did set me straight on a few points and I have a little more respect.  Most of us have something that gives us if not a sense of purpose, a "buzz"  Understand and appreciate that in others and you will get along a lot better.

Werner Herzog

My first awareness of Werner Herzog was through documentaries, but that is only part of what he has offered the world.  Man of eclectic and eccentric interests.  Some very deep thinking once one is willing to deviate from the mainstream.  He made an impression with movie critic Roger Ebert who felt film criticism should be more than celebrity news.

"Cave of Forgotten Dreams" (2010) was the first film that I consciously became aware of Werner Herzog.  A very difficult location to show caveman art from 30,000 years ago.  Hard to imagine what would drive men to live in such an inaccessible hiding shelter.  Also what sparked one of our ancestors to express themselves in early art. A real challenge for cinematography by Peter Zeitlinger.  Although Werner did not like 3-D he filmed this one in 3-D as he felt it added to the perception of the art on curved cave rock.

Peter Zeitlinger got Werner's attention by his skill with a hand held camera.  He had been born in Prague, but raised in Austria.  Once hired by Werner, the two worked on many films, including dramas and documentaries.  Zeitlinger once commented that "Werner is a director who thinks in terms of inner vision."

Werner, born in Germany formed his own film company in 1963, but always found financing films precarious. He gained experience with short films.  His first feature was "Signs of Life" in 1968.  It won an award at the Berlin Film Festival.and another German award.  Some accounts of notable movies, some of which I saw.

"The Enigma of Kaspar Hausar" (1974) was about a mysterious appearance in 1828 in Nuremberg who seemed almost mute and in poor condition, but suspected might have royal connections.

"Fitzcarraldo" (1982)  demonstrates Herzog's striving for realism.    Based on a true story where a man intent on bringing opera to the Amazon jungle switched a boat over a hill by dismantling and then reassembling, only Herzog insisted on moving the boat intact.   He could have taken an easy location near a city, but opted to go deep into the jungle.  Werner believed location was essential not only for visual effect, but to put actors and crew voodoo of location.

A separate movie directed by Les Bank,  "Burden of Dreams" recorded much of the extraordinary obstacles Herzog dealt with boiling down to time and money.  The movie was originally scheduled during the rainy season to avoid a boat being grounded in shallow water.  The lead actor Jason Robards became ill and left and soon after Mick Jagger also had to leave for an album commitment.  Claudia Cardinale had been hired.  These delays led to other delays and some boredom and tension among crew and native extras and helpers.  At one point at the urging of a Catholic priest he hired some prostitute to avoid trouble with rival tribes.  All this in turn led to financial stress.  Watching this Werner spoke German, English and Spanish.  Won best director award at the Cannes Film Festival. 

Joe Bini teamed up as editor for "Little Dieter Needs to Fly in 1997 .  He went onto work on several movies, both documentaries and dramas with Werner. Werner did not want editor on set as he felt they had to be independent.    An interesting short seen as a special feature was about the music selections for "The Grizzly Man."  As editor Joe appeared as edits had to be matched up to music.  Werner, was not musical, but had definite ideas and for this film had brought in musician/composer Richard Thompson and some other musicians to develop a score from the ground.   He feels that cinema lines up with music better than any other art.  Bini was noted for "We Need To Talk About Kevin," "You Were Never Really Here," and "Manhunt:  The Inside Story of the Hunt for Bin Ladin."

"My Best Fiend" (1999) related Werner's experience with Klaus Kinski who was a very difficult actor to work with.  Physical threats were part of their relationships, but at the same time Werner felt Kinski gave a unique feel to the 5 movies he appeared in.  Kinski had died beforehand and Werner wanted to remember him and their relationship.

"The White Diamond" (2004) was a documentary on exploring the rain forest using a unique airship that provided some drama of its own.  Won a New York Film Critics Circle Award (tied with "Grizzly Man").

 "Grizzly Man" (2005) was filmed from videos by Timothy Treadwell after his death and supplemented with interviews with friends and relatives.  Timothy comes off maniacal, but did make friends with wild grizzlies and try to communicate their role in nature.  Unfortunately Timothy and a girl friend were killed and eaten by an unfamiliar bear, part of which was recorded. 

"Encounters at the end of the world" (2007) no penguins (actually a brief reference with a penguin expert)--focuses on humans that came to McMurdo--quite a wide range of eccentric people--one thought that scared me a bit was a linguist who commented that it was likely that 90% of languages would disappear in his lifetime--comparing to species extinction-- a great loss.  Nominated for an Oscar.



"Bad Lieutenant:  Port of Call New Orleans" (2009)  was about depravity and madness with Nicolas Cage portraying (to really good reviews) a corrupt and addicted cop.  His girl friend was played by Eva Mendes.

"Into the Abyss" (2011) about really about the death penalty.  In this film Werner is exploring what makes killers kill and others want to kill the killer.  He had one interview with a condemned inmate just a few days before his scheduled execution.  Some details of the original crime were discussed, but the focus was on why the killing for both the individual and the state.  My understanding was that Werner was against the death penalty not so much because the accused may deserve it, but that someone had to do it. 

"Red Army"(2014) used Werner as executive producer.  An interesting movie for both hockey and non-hockey fans.  Filmed in North America and Russia.  One of my more popular blogs:   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2017/09/the-red-army.html


"Queen of the Desert" (2015)  was about part of the life of Gertrude Bell and her her efforts in the Mid East.  Nicole Kidman played the title lead role.   Although she did influence events, much of her advice was ignored.


Werner Herzog narrates most of his documentaries and often appears as an interviewer or presenter with a gentle accented voice that compels listening.

A Werner Herzog quote picked up from Facebook:  "Dear America:  You are waking up as Germany once did to the awareness that 1/3 of your people would kill another 1/3 while 1/3 watches."

Another quote that hit me was by Roger Ebert during a review of a Herzog film, "...feel I am lucky to be old because there may not be another lifetime's length of happiness left for most people on earth." After he died I wrote a blog that if you don't know him will give some insights:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2013/04/a-few-thoughts-on-roger-ebert.html   The fact that he admired Werner Herzog enough to write a book of reviews and interviews "Herzog by Ebert" is enough to warrant more explorations.

Three Persian Directors

"Offside" was perhaps the first Iranian film that got my attention--a major soccer game was played in Tehran and women were forbidden to attend, but several women pretended to be men so they could watch.  A group were found out and segregated without seeing the game.  Jafar Panahi, the director and writer was undoubtedly trying to draw attention to the unfairness of it all.  Apparently one of his daughters had earlier snuck into a soccer stadium after being refused admittance.  A lot of subterfuge was used to make the film including submitting a false script to authorities, using a small digital camera, substituting false name for the director.  Released in 2006 it won a Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival and an audience award at the Tokyo FILMeX.

In general Panahi has the most legal problems of the three directors covered in this post as he pushes the limit.  He has been detained numerous times and many of his films have been banned in Iran.  He loves doing films that criticize the government or stick up for a minority.

Back in 1995 he won a major award with his first feature, "The White Balloon"  at Cannes which was the first for an Iranian.  Not seen.

Two other of his films I have seen are "The Mirror" and "This is not a film."   "The Mirror" followed a very young girl who got lost in Tehran and at one point the actress expresses distaste and refuses to co-operate.  Panahi's crew decides to follow her anyway and capture the plight of a young girl lost.  "This is not a film" might bore those who do not understand the circumstances and perhaps that is what makes it so interesting.  He had been confined to house arrest in 2010 awaiting a trial and forbidden to do a film.  Using a telephone camera he utilizes the confines of his apartment including a lizard  and a dog.  We would not know of the film if he had been unable to smuggle it out on an USB stick buried in a cake.

His next film, "Taxi" has done the film festival circuit and I saw a trailer at the Hamilton AGH International Film Festival.  Apparently working around more restrictions on his freedom he is working as a taxi driver and talks to his customers using a small camera inside the cab.  It will be a few weeks more before I can see it, but am looking forward to it.

Jafar, besides writing and directing has been an editor and as such was involved with "Border Cafe."  A widow is pressured to marry her brother in law (who already has a wife) and give up her husband's business.  She defies tradition, refusing marriage and renovating her husband's restaurant and cooking in a back kitchen so customers won't know a women is cooking.  Her cafe becomes popular, but still the pressure to give it up continues.  Kambazia Partovi was a well known script writer doing the directing.  We view Muslim countries as suppressing women and these two men remind the outside world and try to raise consciousness.

Jafar Panahi's next movie, "Flowers" will be directed by his son Panah after Jafar's written script won a grant.  It is about discrimination against handicapped people in Iran based on real events.

"A Separation" got my and the world's attention a few years later.  Roger Ebert rated it not only as the best foreign film of 2011, but also the best picture, period.  What I got out of it was the normality of the people.  Except for the hijabs worn even indoors the scenery and dialogue was not all that different from what we in the west are used to.  Asghar's daughter played a critical role  The movie gets your interest and there are a number of twists along the way with a very ambiguous ending.

With some special features on another DVD (with "About Elly") I found the back story for "A Separation" very interesting.  Asghar said that getting a permit was critical and in some doubt.  As the film was nominated for awards it generated a lot of response both in and outside Iran.  There was controversy over things I didn't understand, but it broke a few barriers which were admired by some, but not all.  A concern was when they learned that Madonna was to award the Golden Globe award for their category.  They did win the award.  They were also nominated for the best foreign film Oscar as well as best original script.

This was a tense time as Israel was threatening to bomb Iran over its nuclear developments.  Another nomination for the Oscar was "Footnote" from Israel (an interesting film in itself).  Ex patriots were shown in Canada, the U.S. and Germany following the procedures enthusiastically.  Again they did win the award  which this time was presented by Sandra Bullock, but due to Iranian protocol no hands were shaken.  Asghar spoke in both English and Farsi about Iranians as peace lovers.

Asghar spoke of hindrances to himself and other Iranian filmmakers.  He returned home with a bare notice wanting to avoid the government shaping the event.  Crowds were frantic with authorities wanting to make as little fuss as possible, but he insisted on going back to the airport after being whisked away to share the honour with his fellow Iranians.

After these two movies  it took awhile to become aware of other Iranian movies

"Fireworks Wednesday"  was released in 2006 and was a story involving infidelity and showing Iranian society as much like our own for drama and comedy.

Peyman Mohaadi, a prominent actor had been born in US but raised in Iran. He was the male lead in "A Separation" and accepted the Oscar with Asghar   He appeared in another Farhadi production, "About Elly" released in 2009.  Peyman played a supporting role in this one which was another masterpiece with suspense right through to the end.  He starred in "Camp X-Ray" with Kristen Stewart.  Set in Guantanamo he was supposedly an Arab.

In 2013 Asghar directed a French film, "The Past" with Tahir Rahim and Berenice Bejo.  The movie was a success winning a Cannes award for Berenice as well as himself.

His next movie will star Penelope Cruz, but with few details made public.

Abbas Kiarostami was well established in Iranian film before the other two spanning before and after the Iranian Revolution.  He decided to remain in Iran after the Revolution, although other movie people fled.  His one Iranian film I saw was "Taste of Cherry" about a man who plans a suicide.  I then saw two other films not realizing his connections  one Japanese language set in Tokyo, "Like Someone in Love" and another in Italy,  in French, English and Italian, "Certified Copy" with Juliette Binoche.   Both he and Juliette won awards at Cannes for that one.  He served as a mentor to Jafar Panahi, co-writing "The White Balloon," but his own Cannes awards came two years after Panahi's.

What I got out of watching these Iranian movies is that Iran has a few problems that merit fixing, but we are not quite perfect either.  The other thing I get is that the people are not a whole lot different than we are and Iran has a lot to offer the rest of the world.  Some earlier thoughts on the Persian culture: http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2012/10/my-three-persian-experiences.html

Films that l appreciated in 2015

A lot of movies were seen in the past twelve months and included a number I would recommend for those who love good movies or who have specific movie interests.  There are a lot of good movies, but few have the time or inclination to watch them all.  My hope is that some of you will find
something worth your while.  Please feel free to suggest your favourites.  There are too many worthy movies for a lot of details, but in some cases you can link to more detailed descriptions.


English speaking favourites  

"Boyhood"   filmed over a 12 year period.  Richard Linklater took a big chance that all the actors would be available over a 12 year period, however the risk paid dividends.   Award winner.  One feature was some awkward moments covered accurately

Also finished trilogy with Ethan Hawke, Judy Delpy and directed by Richard Linklater

 "The Theory of Everything" with Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones was thought provoking and inspiring.

"A Good Lie" directed by Canadian Phlippe Falardeau and starring Reese Witherspoon gave refugees some spotlight  Later in year watched Reese in "Wild", a quite different story that illustrates her versatility.

"The Imitation Game"  with Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightly and  Matthew Goode from The Good Wife.

"The Martian "with Matt Damon was a homage to man's ingenuity. Saw in 3-D

"Gone Girl"--study in sociopathy--critics said plot was implausible.  I would agree it would seem highly unlikely, but we go to movies to watch highly unlikely events.  Most would get a kick out of this.

"Mandela A Long Walk to Freedom" starring Idris Elba.  Mandela is one of the most admired men in history.  He saw those around  him as humans who didn't know any better.  Later watched Idris in a few episodes of Luther

"The Best Offer" written and directed by Giuseppe Tornatore, was a big surprise.  If you haven't seen the trailer, it is misleading, but I feel is justified for the twists along the way.  It helps if you like the world of art, but even if you don't, you would appreciate the twists.  Re-kindled interest in Giueseppe Tornatore and Ennio Morricone.  Read more http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2015/08/giuseppe-tornatore.html

"Frequency," an unusual suspense movie.  A what would have happened--illustrates to me that a lot of things had to happen for today's circumstances and if any of them had been changed today's circumstances would be quite different.  We all can think of how things might have been different for
just one slight change

"To Kill a Mockingbird", a classic.  Gregory Peck reminding us of courage required confronting racism.

James Cagney was a childhood favorite.   Saw a number of old favourites and a few new ones. Learned his background and like him more.  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2015/09/james-cagney.html

Roger Ebert left a big imprint on society which was brought home to me with viewing "Life Itself"  I had read the book he wrote, but in some ways the film, done after his death had more impact.  They showed a clip of him explaining that movies give insight to ourselves and others.  The film was more graphic in showing how his body had deteriorated, but he kept on plugging away.  Although I had read many of his reviews, I really became attracted to him when he developed a website when he in the midst of his health problems.  I wrote a bit about him, but this movie hit home harder.   The director said Roger did not want a tribute, but a true story, meaning the unhappy parts.  Read about the book this movie based on:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2013/04/a-few-thoughts-on-roger-ebert.html

"The Prosecution of an American President"  was not popular, but irrefutable.  Vincent Bugliosi, a famous prosecutor presents a strong case against President George W. Bush.

Saw a few horse related movies.  "This Way of Life" a documentary from New Zealand about a man who makes his living training horses and living as naturally as possible.  The film deals with some personal conflict and I was struck with how introspective and tolerant he was.  Horse lovers will be struck with some of the horsemanship displayed by his young children.  "Buck" recommended by a sales contact. "Riding Back to Life" was a short film and demonstrating how horses can be effective therapeutically.   "The Turin Horse" was not something horse lovers would enjoy as the horse in some way is used symbolically.

The last film of the year (number 343) I saw was an oldie, "Hoosiers" about my favorite game, basketball and was done very well and although seemed to have some cliches was also realistic.  Good writing, directing, acting, cinematography and music.

South Korea

I watched several South Korean movies with those three listed below among the best for me.  "Spring, summer, fall, winter...and spring"  suggested by Mary Ito.  Last year I felt the best movie I watched was another Korean movie--this is quite different, but really hit home--beautiful cinematography taking advantage of lush scenery, one bit of music as the end left a strong impression--story seemed very simple, but very basic to human nature--gave an insight into Buddhism

A second Korean film "Miss Granny"  a hit on Netflix where a 74 year old women who reminds me of my dear Nanny, my wife's grandmother Lucy.  The protagonist was  transformed into someone 50 years younger.  Opens up a lot of interesting plots--some enjoyable music.

A third Korean movie "Glove" was a notch above a typical baseball movie.   Other Korean flicks that left a favorable impression were "The Admiral",   "The Attorney" and  "The Thieves"- which could be compared to "Ocean 11," but more complicated, with females doing wire action.  Another memorable one was "My Way," depicting D Day with two Koreans mixed in with the Germans

Bollywood

For me, I thought the Bollywood movies I was able to see contained the best value for my time.  The most entertaining suspenseful was "Drishyam" with a different perspective on deception.  An excellent cat and mouse game. http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2015/11/driishyam-bollywood-remake-masterpiece.html

"PK"  was perhaps my second favorite of the year.  Another film with a religious theme.  Very clever and deep for a movie.   Aamir Khan is very selective in what he does and goes into a great deal of preparation.  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2015/03/pk.html Anushka Sharma also played a lead role in this and went onto produce and star in NH10 and later Dil Dhadakne Do illustrating her versatility.  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2015/05/anuska-sharma-actess-on-rise.html
"Haider," a version of Hamlet was one of the very best "Talvar" based on a real trial of a double murder as complicated as one could imagine.  Tabu made her third appearance in classy movies I have seen during the year.   She made the strongest impression on me of all actors seen during the year.    http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2015/12/tabu.html

"Hamari Adhuri Kahaani" with Emraam Hashmi and Vidya Balan provided layered sad romantic story inspired by a producer.  I liked the music and bought two songs on iTunes.

"Staying Alive" was about two men meeting in a cardiac ward under heavy care.  Their wives relate to one another, but the story is more complicated than apparent at first.  I was surprised to learn that one of the main characters was also the director, Amanth Narayan Mahadevan

Ayushman Khuranna played a role in a non typical romance  not involving glamourous types, "Dum Lago Ke Haisha"    Read more:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2015/05/a-feel-good-movie-little-off-beaten-path.html

"The Best Goodbye Ever" (Dasvidaniya) starring Vinay Pathak in a bucket list type of movie from the perspective of a shy man.  Makes you think what your priorities could and should be.

I discovered a director to admire who put out a movie this year called "Margarita with a Straw."  Shonali Bose films are usually about a significant event or cause.  An earlier movie,"Amu" was about the riots that occurred against Sikhs (after two Sikhs had assassinated Indira Gandhi).  Special features gave some insight to funding problems.  She has overcome lots of problems to put out movies and you can read about them at http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2015/09/shonali-bose-does-films-with-impact.html

"Bajrangi Baijaan"  starring Salman Khan broke down one of my barriers about him.  He is smooth, too smooth, but in this movie he fits in with a delightful plot where an Indian finds himself helping a young Pakistani girl who is mute.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui played a supporting role and made me realized he has been an unsung hero for many years while contributing to many good movies.  He got to play the hero in  "Manjhi"  You can read more about him at http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2015/09/nawazuddin-siddiqui.html

Other Subtitled movies

"The Vanishing", unlike most films was difficult to watch, particularly the ending.  If you like movies of this description the 1988 version in Dutch and Flemish is a masterpiece with an American version 5 years later apparently not so good although had the same director.  Most movie viewers would probably not enjoy this movie.

A German/Norwegian production, "Two Lives" takes us back to the consequences of the fall of the Berlin Wall.  Julianne Kohler, a prominent German actress plays the daughter of an East German and Norwegian with lots of secrets.

I watched a number of French movies.  Daniel Auteuil captured some of my attention over a series of movies. http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2015/07/daniel-auteuil.html

Costa-Gavras was a study for me of political films.  More here:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2015/11/costa-gavras-and-his-political-movies.html

Among French movies I enjoyed "3 Hearts" mainly because I always enjoy Charlotte Gainsbourg.  I also watched "Gainsbourg" a movie about her father.

I explored Swedish movies including the popular film fest favourite "Force Majeure" which gives a really simple theme of masculinity.  This helped open the door to a long history of significant movies. Read more: http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2015/06/swedish-movies.html

I checked out some movies from Israel including "Walk on Water' (enjoyed Lior Ashkenazi) "The Gatekeepers" and  "Ajami" amongst others.  Read more at http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2015/05/youll-find-arabic-and-hebrew.html


From the Japanese cinema I most enjoyed  "Like Father like Son" which was an intriguing story, but also a study in contrasts of fatherhood.  Very well done and thought provoking.  "Hula Girls" was about a mining town laying off workers and looking for an alternative.   For more Japanese films I have seen read;  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2015/03/japanese-movies-are-more-than-godzilla.html

My most popular blog of the year has been one on Hispanic movies.  You can read more at;  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2015/07/hispanic-cinema-spans-globe.html Some of the ones I enjoyed this year included "The Education of Fairies"  and "Wild Tales, both with favourite actor Ricardo Darin.  After writing my blog I found another source of his films--the Burlington Library and enjoyed "Chinese Take-out"

The Liberator" is from Venezuela, but with a lot of international content.  Spanish, French and English dialogues with star Edgar Ramirez, fluently handling them all.   a natural beauty captured by the cinematography.  A biography of one of the most unsung heroes--rode over 70,000 miles to liberate several South American countries from Spain--international cast and producers--Venezuela composer, Gustavo Dudamel  (who works between Sweden, US and Venezuela)

Last year I discovered a movie from Paraguay, that was quite noteworthy and this year I found a movie set in Laos that surprised me with its quality, though directed and written and financed by Australians.  "The Rocket "  Australian director/writer Kim Mordaunt  first filmed a documentery about bombs in Laos.  The fictional sequel won 3 awards at debut festival--Berlin Film Festival.

I watched a DVD of "Ilo Ilo" from Singapore that been shown at the Hamilton International Film Festival.  Dialogue in Mandarin and Tagalog (from the Philippines) plus English as the main language between the main protagonists.  Interesting casting story  The director had to fly to Philippines to pick out a key character--after a long search picking a lead character she got pregnant.  Instead of going after a replacement the director/writer decided to re-write the script to include a pregnant mother.  Won an award at Cannes.

There were lots of others I enjoyed or appreciated, but this already too long.  In the effort I also saw a few duds with little redeeming value.  Which movies would you recommend?

Movie reviews from last year: http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2014/12/movie-pleasures-from-2014.html

A SLICE OF KOREAN CINEMA

Several years ago I developed an interest in Bollywood and before that European movies, but when my son taught English in Seoul I decided to expand my interests again and watched a few Korean movies.  There is an adjustment not only for subtitles, but for culture.  It is not hard to appreciate some of the creativity and a unique perspective.

My first acquaintance with Korean films tested my violence tolerance.  Realism is pervasive in a majority of Korean films.  By that I mean you get a good dose of blood and torture in bleak environments. The photo to the left is about a totally different genre so you won't be overwhelmed with the violence found in many of the better known Korean movies.

"Silmido" released in 2003 was the first Korean film to sell 10 million tickets.  A very violent story of condemned  prisoners assembled and trained for an assassination and then abandoned when the assassination became politically untenable.  It dealt with relations towards North Korea.

"JSA" dealt directly with the border (which my son visited and like other tourists was able to straddle his feet on either side).  Another violent movie, but one that showed North Koreans weren't necessarily all "bad." Suspenseful.

"Chaser" got my attention from a Roger Ebert review who referred to a chase scene on foot.  The protagonist was a detective turned pimp trying to uncover a brutal murderer of his "girls."  This one generated a lot of tension.

"Mother" at first didn't impress me, but slowly I realized there was much more to this movie.  Although mostly filmed in grubby conditions it turned out to be more sophisticated.  Joon-ho Bong, was the director

"Memories of Murder" is a gruesome murder mystery based on serial killings. Another well done mystery directed by Joon-ho Bong

All of the above are well done and if you can tolerate a fairly high level of violence you might enjoy them as much as any alternative.  Some others I did enjoy included "Silenced" and "Lady Vengeance", which will be remade in Hollywood. But there is more to Korean movies.

"The Housemaid" originally filmed in 1960 and remade in 2006 is called an "erotic" thriller that made an impression at the Cannes Festival.  Suspenseful and with some social context it will stun you.

"The Gifted Hand" was released in 2013 (I saw on an Air New Zealand flight) has some violence, but also a little science fiction, fantasy and mystery.

"Masquerade" was a period piece.  In Korean history there was a period of 15 days not accounted for, but in which some laws were reversed for the benefit of lower and middle class people.  Story suggested the king hid away while a commoner ruled and made things a little better.  It reminded me of "A Royal Affair" and of course "The Prince and the Pauper"  There are a few Korean cultural details that you will remember.

"Poetry" is about a mother having to deal with a violent act committed by her son and although not well educated develops an interest in poetry.  There is an unusual sexual episode included, not at all what you might expect because it involves a middle aged woman with an invalid.  It is not kinky, but is integral to the story.

On a lighter vein I watched  "After the Banquet," a sort of romantic comedy with a young girl looking for her real father at a college reunion.  Of course there are a few men who logically could have been and they are in different circumstances.

"The Happy Life" is joyous for the most part with a big musical component.  A group of 40 year old men under trying domestic circumstances rejoin as rock band members and are led by the son of one of the original members who had died. They each have a unique marital or family difficulty, but in the end triumph with their music.

The most recent Korean film for me was "Finding Mr Destiny" which originally had been and was about a stage musical.  A typical, but well done enjoyable romantic comedy with likeable characters.

My most enjoyable film for this project  was "200 Pounds Beauty" pictured at the top.  As I write this at the end of April it is my most enjoyable of any movie seen so far this year.  A lot of quirks in it, but essentially a romantic comedy with a very likeable heroine (in dual roles).   Ah-jung Kim is delightful as both the 200 pounder and the beautiful Jenny.  The underlying message is don't judge people by their appearance.  A great song "Maria"-.  about 2:30 into clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJMkP69ua0c

To gain a different perspective on Koreans I also watched "Never for Ever" an American movie.  Vera Farmiga. played a white women married into a Korean Christian family that found it very difficult to cope with her husband's infertility.  She stumbles on an undocumented immigrant to help impregnate her and eventually they become attached.  That male role was played by Jung-woo Ha who was prominent in "The Chaser"

We all have different tastes, but if you like a little different perspective you can find something to your liking in Korean cinema.

A few thoughts on Roger Ebert

Roger, the well known movie reviewer and a prolific writer died yesterday after lengthy medical complications.  I did not have any personal contact and only have read a small portion of what he wrote, but he had a positive impact on me and millions of others.

I like to think I write movie reviews, but my goal is really to give a little different perspective and maybe a nudge.  Roger looked at movies in much more depth and consequently his perspective was more detailed than I aspire to. 

My local paper, The Hamilton Spectator carried his reviews and I found myself checking them as almost the first thing to read and learned to value his judgments.  I discovered his website and caught many items not covered in local papers.  Barrack Obama commented that if Roger didn't like a movie he was honest about it, but also strong in his praise of movies he did like.  His credibility was very important in drawing attention to worthy movies that otherwise couldn't attract attention.

Twitter has opened up a lot of doors.  Twitter is criticized for being full of trivial time wasting information.  Roger would sympathize with that view and tried to send only messages that he thought worth somebody's effort to read, most often with links to something meatier.  In one article he explained his philosophy on twitter.  I flagged it, but checking today it is not available.  As I remember he did feel Twitter was a useful way to get your messages out to a broader audience, but would be more effective if only used when you had something worthwhile to tell the world.  He wasn't one of those who sat by the Twitter feed, but rather somebody who worked out what he wanted to say and used some technical service to spread the tweets throughout the day.  His political and philosophical views were similar to mine, but his were better articulated.  Reflecting his ability to write Roger was the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize.

On his website were a lot of movie reviews of course, but some of them were by correspondents and he seemed fond of using people from different parts of the world with their own unique perspectives. Like many reviewers he liked doing a year end summary of his favorite movies.  One year he had two lists--one of the commercially released American movies and another of foreign art movies.  As someone who attended a lot of festivals he was well aware of movies that were essentially inaccessible to most Americans (and Canadians).  What most of us see are reviews of movies that are playing near our home town.

He didn't just attend festivals he supported them.  The Toronto International Film Festival (known as TIFF) gained a lot of credibility with his presence and his praise.  Festivals are where he would encounter not only foreign movies, but also independent movies (those not made and distributed by major studios).  His support enabled not only the movies to be more accessible, but to make movie lovers more aware of them.

I read his book "Life Itself."  He had a life that may have been focused on movies, but he had a broader view.  Went through a period of alcohol abuse and towards the end had more than his share of physical challenges.  He persevered with the encouragement of his wife Chaz and kept doing what he enjoyed and felt gave his life some meaning.  Movies are important and he made us think about them in more depth.