“Mundane History” by Anocha Suwichakornpong (2009)

Two movies by Anocha Suwichakornpong

First Feature

Weak script
Good images and music

Anocha Suwichakornpong is certainly not the most accessible director. Mumdane History, her first feature, giives a good idea of why her work is so peculiar. Mundane History is easier to grap than her second feature: the same personages are used from the beinning to the end, and the editing makes the story not less but more comprehensible. The story, however, remains a mystery to me.

Rotten Tomatoes Critics —
Metascore —
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 6,4
IMDB 6,7
TMDB 5,2
Critics average —
Audience average 6,1

Cast: Arkaney Cherkam, Paramej Noiam, Anchana Ponpitakthepkij
Director: Anocha Suwichakornpong
Writer: Anocha Suwichakornpong (screenplay)
Cinematography by Ming-Kai Leung
Film Editing by Lee Chatametikool

“Marlina The Murderer In Four Acts” by Mouly Surya (2017)

International update

Good humor, direction, images, gender content, and minority presence

A feminist version of a spaghetti western (inclusive a score à la Ennio Morricone) transposed in the landscape of the Sumbese Kampung (Indonesia)

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 7,8
Metascore 7,7
Roger Ebert 7,5
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 7,8
IMDB 7,0
Average critics 7,7
Average public 7,4

Cast: Marsha Timothy, Yoga Pratama, Dea Panendra, Egy Fedly, Haydar Salishz
Director: Mouly Surya
Writer: Rama Adi, Garin Nugroho, Mouly Surya
Music by Yudhi Arfani , Zeke Khaseli
Cinematography by Yunus Pasolang
Film Editing by Kelvin Nugroho

“Gas, Food, Lodging” by Allison Anders (1993)

Facets of Fatherhood (5/10)
Fridays Classics

Good script, direction, images, dialogues (8) Excellent personages (9)
Top score: minorities (10)

Surprising!

Cast: Brooke Adams, Ione Skye, Fairuza Balk
Director: Allison Anders
Writers: Richard Peck (novel), Allison Anders (screenplay)
Music by J. Mascis
Cinematography by Dean Lent
Film Editing by Tracy Granger

“Hotell” by Lisa Langseth (Sweden, 2014)

Prolongs her previous movie but lacks its unity

Cast: Alicia Vikander, David Dencik, Anna Bjelkerud
Director: Lisa Langseth
Writer: Lisa Langseth
Music by Johan Berthling, Andreas Söderström
Cinematography by Simon Pramsten
Film Editing by Elin Pröjts

“Gas, Food, Lodging” by Allison Anders (USA, 1993)

Surprising, great personages

Cast: Brooke Adams, Ione Skye, Fairuza Balk
Director: Allison Anders
Writers: Richard Peck (novel), Allison Anders (screenplay)
Music by J. Mascis
Cinematography by Dean Lent
Film Editing by Tracy Granger

“Into The Forest” by Patricia Rozema (Canada, 2015)

A few recent movies on fatherhood

Good story and realization, average content
Three men: the father, the lover, the raper / Three women: ywo sisters + deceased mother
The “scifi” setting that was perhaps justified when the story was written in 1996 doesn’t convey anything to the plot today.

Cast: Ellen Page, Evan Rachel Wood, Callum Keith Rennie, Max Minghella
Director: Patricia Rozema
Based on the novel by Jean Hegland
Writer: Patricia Rozema
Cinematographer: Daniel Grant
Editor: Matthew Hannam
Composer: Max Richter

“The Innocents” by Anne Fontaine (France, 2016)

Compelling story, sober but powerful images

Cast: Lou de Laâge, Agata Buzek, Agata Kulesza, Vincent Macaigne
Director: Anne Fontaine
Writer (based on an original concept by) Philippe Maynial
Writer (adaptation): Pascal Bonitzer, Anne Fontaine
Writer (dialogue): Pascal Bonitzer, Anne Fontaine
Writer: Alice Vial, Sabrina B. Karine
Cinematographer: Caroline Champetier
Editor: Annette Dutertre
Composer: Grégoire Hetzel

“Into The Forest” by Patricia Rozema (Canada, 2015)

 

Good story and realization, average content
Three men: the father, the lover, the raper / Three women: ywo sisters + deceased mother
The “scifi” setting that was perhaps justified when the story was written in 1996 doesn’t convey anything to the plot today.

Cast: Ellen Page, Evan Rachel Wood, Callum Keith Rennie, Max Minghella
Director: Patricia Rozema
Based on the novel by Jean Hegland
Writer: Patricia Rozema
Cinematographer: Daniel Grant
Editor: Matthew Hannam
Composer: Max Richter

“Miss You Already” by Catherine Hardwicke (UK, 2015)

A movie that shows how humor has the power to lighten dramatic events
A world of women with supportive men

Cast: Drew Barrymore, Toni Collette, Dominic Cooper, Jacqueline Bisset
Director: Catherine Hardwicke
Screenplay: Morwenna Banks
Cinematography: Elliot Davis
Editor: Philip J. Bartell
Composer: Harry Gregson-Williams

Sharasojyu (Shara) by Naomi Kawase (Japan, 2003)

Structure, personages, scarce dialogues with the story being told through the images, blending of anthropological veracity and sensitivity are very similar to those found in Moe No Suzaku.

Cast: Kohei Fukungaga, Yuka Hyyoudo, Naomi Kawase
Director: Naomi Kawase
Writer: Naomi Kawase
Music by Ua
Cinematography by Yutaka Yamazaki
Film Editing by Shôtarô Anraku, Naomi Kawase, Tomoh Sanjo

“The Innocents” by Anne Fontaine (France, 2016) second viewing

See also the first viewing

Cast: Lou de Laâge, Agata Buzek, Agata Kulesza, Vincent Macaigne
Director: Anne Fontaine
Writer (based on an original concept by) Philippe Maynial
Writer (adaptation): Pascal Bonitzer, Anne Fontaine
Writer (dialogue): Pascal Bonitzer, Anne Fontaine
Writer: Alice Vial, Sabrina B. Karine
Cinematographer: Caroline Champetier
Editor: Annette Dutertre
Composer: Grégoire Hetzel