East Misses West.

This has been a weekend for unexpected film treats- next up Bunraku. Before I go on, take a look at the reviews on IMDB- yeah, its split between people who love it and have a set of well explained reasons and people who've decided to hate it and can't tell anyone why. What does that tell you?

Anyhow, the film's plot, such as it is,  is largely dispensed with in a stylised (its done almost like a child's pop-up book) animated introduction where it is explained that humanity has had a sort of epiphany; if they carry on inventing new ways to kill eventually there wont be anyone left to press the big red buttons. All weapons above and including firearms are banned outright and sealed away, leaving mankind to revert to a weird, neo-feudal, mildly steam punk vision of the world where martial arts meet pre-gunpowder arms like bows, sword and, well, bits of wood. Official government collapses as territory is carved out by the most vicious and powerful. Perversely, changes in leadership are not decided by gang warfare, but rather by prearranged gang combat- the winner gets to take control of the territory, the loser gets to have a long dirt nap.

The area the film focuses on is under the rule of a hulking enigma known as Nicola The Woodcutter (Ron Perlman); so named for his official costume with which he hides his identity and for his predilection for murder by axe. He has never lost a battle and such is his arrogance that he occasionally delegates the chore to one of his nine ranked henchmen or "Killers". 

Into this paper and pugilism nightmare step our first two protagonists; a cowboy in a world where guns are non-existent and a youthful, swordless Bushido master (Yoshi, played by Gackt Camui) whose obsession with honour despite the degeneration of the world leaves him at almost as much of a disadvantage as his western counterpart. The Drifter (A living Man With No Name cliche played by Josh Hartnett) has learned to brawl with punches as fast as gunshots and Yoshi doesn't necessarily need a sword to hold his own.

Each of them are looking for information that will lead them to the city's arch bastard ruler Nicola, whereupon they find their way to a seedy rundown bar full of generic punks, who they proceed to batter individually. Once they meet up and realise their paths are similar, they goad each other into combat, ostensibly unwilling to let a weaker person slow them down, but in reality because they each want Nicola's head themselves.

At this point we meet another protagonist- The Bartender (Woody Harrelson). This gentleman serves as a tempering force for the two youngsters, having tangled with Nicola in the past and paid heavily for it. He now secretly foments rebellion and aids the pair, all the while nursing a secret hatred of Nicola and thirsting for his downfall and the return of what was taken from him...

Stylistically this is a very difficult film to pin down- a blizzard of influences, homages and formatting tricks are thrown at you, its almost a mercy (possibly by design as the title refers to a Japanese form of puppetry that deals often with tragic story cycles- the tale isn't as important as the delivery, I feel) that the actual plot is such a cliche. I'm convinced I've spotted homages to 8-bit era video games such as Kung Fu Master and Spy Hunter among others, with the soundtrack providing familiar blips and blops. Film references include shades of Clockwork Orange (the outlandish gang costumes, society reverting to atavistic tribal values), Dark City (The setting, characterisation of Killer #2) and maybe even a few slight touches of noir for good measure.

You may be tempted to cry "pretension!" at all of this, but in today's film landscape it's nice to come across something so fresh. Take it for what it is and let yourself have fun, why don't you?

It is a general truism of this world that anything long divided will surely unite... and anything long united will surely divide

Four and a half hours of pure, unfiltered awesome. That's pretty much my conclusion after watching Redcliff, a John Woo film unlike any I've seen before.

The film is set during the ever popular and ever licensed Romance of the Three Kingdoms saga (for those who haven't come across this yet, its the hugely involved story of how the warring provinces of China were eventually brought together after much intriguing, deception, legendary battles and heartache).

As you might expect, the film (OK, films plural, the extended balls-out edition is actually separated into two films) only deals with a single set of events within the saga, namely the pivotal battle at Redcliff, where a vastly outnumbered force relies on a blend of tactical acumen, deception, the courage of the assembled heroic generals (for "heroic" read "lethal at twenty paces and regard dying as something that only happens to sissies") and one very adept spy...

Beautifully, impossibly, you see it all- everything. Nothing is cut out (unlike the theatrical release, which I suppose is understandable, especially in the US market), leaving the audience with a fuller understanding of the plot developments; this gives a greater sense of scope and in turn a better all over experience, especially if you are new to the RTK saga.

It's impossible to distil a single cohesive reason why this is so very good. It might be the huge set piece battles, it might be the characterisation, the fact that non-verbal acting is so strong here or perhaps just because it oozes so much style. I just don't know. Just grab a fistful of snacks and some like minded friends and invest the time to find out for yourselves!

Capitalism: A Love Story.

I've just finished watching this one and it's not half bad. Yes, its Michael Moore and I realise some people have baggage with the guy since the half-hearted smears and scented bootlace backlash a few years ago, but try to suppress your knee jerk reaction and give the film a  chance.

The film wins points immediately by taking the trouble to explore the original meaning and motivation of capitalism, setting it against the modern strain that has caused so much FUD in recent decades; Moore demonstrates that happy, free market optimism has been hijacked; it appears that Horatio Alger got mugged on his way to find the American Dream and some cold hearted bastards stole his kidney, wallet and identity. 

I particularly liked how he revisited certain scenes from “Roger and Me” in order to underline how much has changed for the worse (the urban decay of Flint Michigan is now a familiar scenario in many low and middle income states) and in some ways for the better (The willingness of the public to stand up and lend help to their fellow man during sit down strikes and in resistance to insane bailout provisions in the senate). Also it explains that capitalism as a concept is not evil, just the people who have made it an exclusive club to the detriment of all under a certain income threshold. 

Despite the overtly negative framing of the economic system I feel there’s also wistfulness here; a sense that if capitalism had worked as advertised by the late lamented and kidney-less Alger and less like an Ayn Rand fever dream it could all have been be ok.

One of Moore’s strengths as a filmmaker is his ability to discuss and explain lofty issues then introduce viewers to the real world consequences via the people who experienced them first hand, all the while avoiding the conspiratorial tone or sense that we are powerless and doomed. He sets out the information, lets the viewer know how the corporate and political magicians managed their sleight of hand and then reassures us that something can indeed be done and proceeds to make suggestions.

The final scene is a cheering one; Moore wanders Wall Street putting up a single line of crime scene tape around the buildings of particularly egregious offenders and undeserving beneficiaries of taxpayer money. In essence then this informative piece is another of Moore’s calls to action. Please vote, he says. Get involved. Help out struggling communities. Don’t just accept the horseshit that’s peddled to you; question, challenge and preserve your rights.

J W Stewart's Globe of Odd Forces

While sifting through the rubble that comprises my room I was delighted to come across two books that had a big impact on me as a child- Arthur C Clarke's Mysterious World and the sequel volume ACC's World of Strange Powers.

Unlike many sources of information on supposedly supernatural or extraterrestrial events, these books treated the subject matter with great good sense, approaching each phenomenon with scientific rigour, reexamining the past evidence and poking holes in anecdote and hyperbole.

Each chapter ended with a few paragraphs from the man Clarke giving his level-headed opinions on the preceding chapter and helping to ground the reader still further in the sense that here was an unusual subject being given serious treatment by serious people. The detailed examination of the Tunguska incident and the subsequent expeditions to the site are of particular note.

It's worth mentioning for clarity that a lot of the things discussed in these books have been since consigned to the bin of quaint superstition or fact-litewishful thinking. In the three decades since these books first saw light many advances in thought and technique have demonstrated logical means by which things can go bump in night or appear to defy rational analysis. None of that makes these volumes, or indeed the TV show that spawned them, any less entertaining or important.

At the very least its a good nostalgia hit.