'Perfect Blue'

Long before there was 'Black Swan' or 'Shutter Island' there was 'Perfect Blue': a Japanese Manga cartoon which was no doubt the inspiration for many psychological horrors that found their way into Hollywood.

Mima Kirigoe is a pop idol, and fronts a little-known group called "CHAM!".  After landing a small role on a TV show, she decides to pursue a career as an actress.  Some fans appear to be displeased with her sudden career change, but as strange things begin to happen, Mima discovers that she has darker things to worry about.

Made in 1997, 'Perfect Blue' is hailed as one of the best Manga cartoons out there, and I certainly agree that it's captivating and nicely structured.  I would have preferred a more ambiguous ending (or a different ending altogether!) but nonetheless this is a great slice of Japanese Anime.

WATCH IT HERE:   'Perfect Blue'

Review: "BLACK SWAN"

Nina is a dedicated ballet dancer, who dreams of being the star of her company.  Her chance comes when she is unexpectedly offered the role of the Swan Queen in "Swan Lake".  The part demands that one dancer play two diametrically opposed characters: the White Swan, and the Black Swan.  Beautiful and frigid, Nina plays the White Swan with conviction, but struggles with the baser nature of the Black.  Fearful of losing the role to another dancer, Nina begins to delve into the depths of her own darkness.

In spite of being a film maker, it takes a lot for me to go to the cinema.  The film has to excite me, or else create so much hype that I go out of curiosity.  "Black Swan" falls into the latter category, and so my (very low) expectations were exceeded.

It was good, I was riveted.  The film is based on Jungian psychological concepts of projection and repression:  Nina (Portman), the product of an overbearing and unfulfilled mother, sees darkness everywhere in the world because she refuses to see it within herself.  If you're not into Jung, Aronofsky keeps your attention by using every shock tactic there is.  Horror sound effects, mutilation, lesbian sex scenes:  this film has it all.  Riveting, like I said.  Until about half way through when it all started to get a bit much.  Aronofsky isn't exactly known for his subtly: but did he really have to make Portman start looking like the monster from "Jeepers Creepers"?  I came out of the cinema feeling like I was on drugs and someone had just hit me in the face.

Nonetheless, I do think it's a film worth seeing on the big screen.  It's visually beautiful, and Portman (who I've never been a fan of) gives an incredible performance, on par with any of the Hollywood greats.  Give that lady the Oscar - she deserves it.

"TYSON"

"I'm a good person, but at that moment I was insane"
- Mike Tyson

Picture this:  82 minutes of Tyson's talking head, with some archival footage and photographs.

Boring, right?  According to commissioners, an audience is not going to watch a documentary where nothing happens.  But more a monologue than a documentary, this insight into boxing legend Mike Tyson moved me in ways I didn't expect.

How can a man famous for boxing, rape, and biting (off?) people's ears possibly say he's a good person?  As Tyson recounts events from his crazy life he reflects upon his character with a nakedness that is instantly disarming.  He has no problem analysing himself, and speaks about his early days as a fat, bullied child, the fear of humiliation this instilled in him, and how this fear became the fuel for his ferocious fighting spirit.  His meteoric rise to glory, his steady descent, his messy divorce, his rape conviction, his managers stealing his money, and the Hollyfield fight where he bit the man's ear  (twice) are all candidly addressed.

If I was a jury and this film was Tyson pleading his case, I'd be pretty tempted to let him walk free.  The man makes quite a convincing argument for everything that he's done.  And Hollyfield had it coming, right?  Definitely worth watching.

8/10
Watch it here

'THE BRIDGE'

"Tactlessly morbid or remarkably sensitive? Deeply disturbing or viscerally fascinating? Critics are divided on Eric Steel’s unique documentary on the Golden Gate Bridge, wonder of the modern world and notorious suicide destination." 

-Critical consensus on Rotten Tomatoes 

The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco is one of the most popular places on earth to commit suicide.  In 2004 director Eric Steele filmed the bridge all day, every day, for the whole year.  He captured 23 suicides on camera.  He then tracked down the families of some of the people he had filmed jumping, and found out about their lives, and their motivations for killing themselves.  What follows is a difficult, moving, and controversial film about the darkest places the human mind can go.

In terms of it being a documentary about suicide, it is very well done.  I don't know any other film on the subject that creates as much empathy, or gives as much insight into the desire to take your own life.  The subjects range from the clinically depressed, to the mentally ill.  One of the interviewees is a jumper who survived the fall, and he reveals that as soon as he jumped, he realised he wanted to live.  It poses a very interesting question - is suicide preventable?

Which makes it difficult for me to write a critique of the film without considering how the footage was acquired. 

When people think of film making, they think of glamour, and excitement.  But actually, many film makers are motivated because they want to create something meaningful that will help others.  Because of this noble intention, a film maker will sometimes act against their own humanitarianism, believing the film's impact will justify the means.  I've kept the camera rolling in situations where people have broken down in tears.  My human instinct is to cut, but my film making instinct overrides that.

In this documentary, Eric Steele has taken things one step further, walking a fine line between observational film maker and... well... cold-blooded human (a man who could have done something).  'The Bridge' is a powerful film, but I honestly don't know if it was worth it.

No rating... How can you rate something like this?!  All I can say is that since it's been already made I would definitely recommend seeing it.

WATCH IT HERE